The Staying Power of Images- Ten Years and Counting...

Welcome to my first blog entry of 2012...Happy New Year to all!

Because it has been so busy around the Kaveney house(s), I have had very little time to devote seriously to my photography.  I have been scrambling around behind the scenes, editing and backing up photo files in addition to helping with the planning for our camera club's upcoming spring seminar.  While all of these tasks are related to my photography and are quite necessary, they are the least exciting part of my craft.
My blog is now two years old, and while I have attempted to post weekly, I find it much easier to write when I am not pressured by my self-imposed weekly timeline.  This year, I will blog on a looser timeline allowing my thoughts to flow more freely.
Last night, I was laying awake thinking about spending more time behind the camera making images.  In the process, I thought back on the many images i have shot over the years since first picking up a camera.  I am amazed that my photo library is close to 150,000 images! 

While thinking about my most popular images, one pops out in the forefront from every click my shutter has ever made: "Fancy Flight."  It was the subject of my first blog two years ago and it has continued to be my 'singature' image by which many people recognize my work.  I find it so hard to believe that I made this image exactly 10 years ago this month and it is still requested by publications and buyers alike.  The staying power of 'Fancy Flight' (or the 'FRB' as my photo friends refer to it) fascinates me.

Most recently, it has graced the pages of two 2012 calendars: The National Audubon Society and the Hamilton County (IN) Parks and Recreation Event and Nature calendar. Both publications chose the image for their January spread to start the post-holiday cold winter month with a splash of bright color.  (The park district also featured it on the calendar's cover)  Fancy Flight is featured on numerous pieces of merchandise and as a fine art print in various sizes at Allposters.com.
While I am very happy to be most recognized by my bright red cardinal captured in flight, I continually strive for my photography to reflect a quote by Ernst Haas. (1921-1986)  In his words:
"I want to be remembered much more for total vision than for a few perfect single pictures."
I hope as you peruse the existing as well as upcoming galleries on my web site you are able to appreciate my total vision successfully reflecting his thought.

A Holiday Gift for You

The holiday season is the time for sharing.  While brainstorming ideas for something special to share with you, I was contacted (out of the blue) by Sherry Klinedinst, a talented pianist from South Bend, Indiana.  She explained to me how much she enjoyed my photographs and wondered if I would be willing to share some of them with her to accompany her beautiful piano music.
Together, we created "Winter Essence," a visual and auditory salute to the holiday season.
I hope you will take the time to enjoy our collaborative creation, and I hope you also take time to visit Sherry at sherryk.com.

You can access our creation by clicking HERE

Please feel free to continue the Spirit of Sharing by passing this gift to others.

Best to all of you during the holiday season and throughout the new year!

Sincerely-
Wendy

A "Miksang Moment"

Miksang is a Tebetian word which means “good-eye” and describes a style of photography which captures the essence of a fleeting moment in time.  The moment is defined when we synchronize eye and mind, abandon all concepts and predispositions and become completely present in the moment. Miksang photography can also be referred to as contemplative photography.  

We have all had these moments, when something catches our eye and stirs something in our minds and in our emotions.  Usually, it is a very simple, brilliant, and fleeting moment, during which our minds are relaxed and we view the moment without any preconceived ideas about it: in other words, we see it with pure perception. 

For those of us who carry cameras with us, it is a moment we must capture before the connection of our sight, emotion and perception disappear.

I have many images in my photo library which have been made when these three conditions are present.  Today I would like to share my most recent Miksang experience.

We were out to dinner the other night and my daughter had ordered hot tea.  During our meal I glanced at the silver teapot of hot water and saw a woman’s face looking back at me!  No, it was not because of the wine I had consumed thus far with my meal, but a “Miksang moment.” 

As soon as I saw this, I used the only camera I had with me at the time- my cell phone. 

I captured what I was seeing while the song “I’m a little teapot, short and stout…” began to run through my mind.  I shared my capture with my husband and daughter who had been looking strangely at me as I interrupted my meal to shoot a subject they did not see.  (One would think they would be used to my behavior by now after all the years I have been photographing!)

Anyway, after sharing my capture with them, I went to take a second shot of “Mrs. Potts” and she was gone!  The server had removed my husband’s plate (which created her right ‘eye’) I took the photo anyway, wondering if I actually saw her winking at me!  Nope- my Miksang moment was gone.

The Dunes Are Alive!

In my last blog, I described the life living WITHIN the dunes, but did you know the dunes, THEMSELVES, are "alive?" Dunes are constantly changing shape by the power of mother nature- especially when she blows strong winds up the windward side of the dunes, causing the grains of sand to blow over the crest to the shorter leeward side. 

Not only does this change the shape of the dune, but also causes some dunes (known as barchan dunes) to actually migrate across the desert a few meters each year; which is enough distance to periodically update maps currently in print.  (especially if they block roads, which they often do!!)

One afternoon on my most recent trip to Namibia, we set out to photograph the dune belt between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. The wind was blowing quite strong- too strong to subject our gear to the constant abrasiveness of the sand grains blowing through the air. So, we spent some time sitting quietly in our vehicle watching the sand as it blew across the face of the dunes. It reminded me of a "tan blizzard" and it was mesmerizing to watch the swirling patterns of blowing sand as the millions of tiny grains brushed across the dunes and over the crest. I noticed that the speed of the wind and its gusts are what determined the dancing patterns we saw. It was like watching a ballet! I wanted to take this memory home with me since watching the blowing sand was so relaxing and fascinating.

I secured my bean bag bag on the car window for stable support and placed my Canon 5D Mark II on top of it. I braced the camera by placing my hand on the lens to stabilize the camera even more. Then, I shot many video clips of the scene before me hoping to capture the side lit dunes and the dancing sand.

Below is a link to my video page on my web site.  Here, there are two of my favorite videos I made from the afternoon which rival any still shots from the photo session. I hope you take less than 2 minutes from your day to witness the beauty of nature and the "movement" of the dunes.

Clcik HERE to view.

The Living Desert

Nestled between the two towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund lies an expansive dune belt which is part of the Namib desert.  The dune belt stretches from the inland desert to the Atlantic Coast of Namibia. 

This dune belt area is very unique, in that it has a high level of biodiversity which is the result of the many and varied habitats in the area.

First time visitors to the Namib Desert see nothing but sand and dunes for as far as the eye can see.  But, the sand dunes here are much more than beautiful barren sweeping crests and ridges of gold and red sand.  They are home to many insect, spider, scorpion, and reptile species. 

What better way to explore and experience this area than by taking Tommy's Living Desert Tour based out of Swakopmund!  Tours are led by Tommy Collard, himself: the brainchild behind this educational and eco minded 1/2 day adventure.  Tours depart at 8 AM and return around 1PM.  In that short time frame, Tommy enthusiastically and expertly shares  his vast knowledge of the hidden gems found living in the harsh environment. 

On the day we spent our morning with Tommy, we were able to see and learn about many endemic creatures.  Thanks to Tommy's keen tracking skills, we were up close and personal with a legless lizard, a sand diving lizard, a darling little palmetto gecko, and the endangered Namaqua Chameleon! He also found many beetles and a dancing white lady spider.  Tommy takes great pride in sharing his knowledge about each desert animal and plant, with passion and humor.  His wealth of knowledge includes emphasis on special adaptations and perfect design used for survival in the desert.

At one point, after reading and analyzing some tracks in the sand on the side of a tall dune, Tommy climbed top, asking us to follow.  On the dune's crest, he pointed out an endemic venomous sidewinder snake known as  a Peringuey's Adder, burrowed in the sand with only his eyes showing.  Its camouflage ability was amazing, and made me realize just how dangerous a walk on the dunes could be if one does not know where or how to look for these venomous snakes!  Tommy carefully uncovered the snake for us in order to demonstrate to us how the snake buries itself in the sand.  It  was so fascinating to witness the snake effortlessly becoming invisible in the sand in no time at all as seen in this video footage I recorded.

Intrigued by the mysteries of desert life, I decided to post a small gallery called "The Living Desert" including photos of life in the desert I made as I traveled through the Namib Desert.  It can be seen HERE.

If you find yourself in Namibia and in the Swakopmund area, I highly recommend Tommy's Living Desert Tour as a 'must' on your itinerary.  To learn more, visit Tommy's Tours and Safaris Web Site.

Or visit him on his Facebook Page.