End of the Day

Away from home again…..

Frogs have been very active for a couple of weeks now. It is the sign of spring arrival and that makes me happy. I love to hear their sound (supposed to be matting calls), particularly on mid-summer nights. They kept me awake occasionally, but for the most part, I would rather have them around.

I hope every day is a good day. Sun shines. Rain stops. I am able to follow up on my routines. And, I take some good shots. Today is not this kind of day.

From the window, I saw my Hellebores (Lantern Rose) bloom. I have been waiting for the rain to stop so that I can go out and shoot a few close-ups.  I am also rushing to wrap up an existing photo book project before I leave for this trip.

The moment when rain stopped, I reached out to my flowers and sadly discovered that they all look beat up and sickly. Petals are covered with black spots, they are diseased. I don’t have a green thumb and the last snow storm may have done them some damage. I cannot find one perfect flower for my shot.

I thought, why not take their pictures AS IS, the way they are.  It is the reality and I should accept it. Hellebores do not stand upright, they stand face down.  It was too wet for me to crawl down the ground, so I pinched them off and placed them on glass plates with water. And I geared up for shots.

Half-day was spent and I downloaded all my shots. Guess what? After viewing them, I deleted them all. I simply did not like any of them. I am not used to the way they look, the sadness and disappointment made me critical and pickier. I was eventually not ready for the reality. Art is created for the pleasure of our eyes. Including myself, I want to see something close to perfect.

To get some fresh air, I came to my temp retreat. There were barely any people around and the environment suited me for a good solitude, no dogs, no joggers, only trees and me.  Simplicity eases my pressure.  I certainly appreciate there is such a thing called Evergreen.  They are always there, reliable, steady and to me, have healing power.

There were good old days when logging boats were around and loading docks were everywhere. I can also imagine rows of fish & chips places and wine bars around. Now old glorious days were over whereas the floating wood is still existing. They look deserted and desolate, but the imperfection seems to paint an art piece in front of me.

It looks to me that the artist used a charcoal pencil to draw them, simultaneously and nonchalantly.  It was in a cloudy day after dusk, but I did not feel dismayed or gloomy. I felt peaceful. I don’t need them to be perfect. Why I was fussy about my flowers? Is it I who claimed the ownership and expect more? Or is it my own lack of inspiration and I blame others?

I am in for many countless journeys. Some I have planned and some I am expecting the unexpected. I know even with thorough planning, I will still experience odds and ends, and even some dramatic outcomes. I am excited when I come across new discoveries. If nothing at all, I know there will always be something else.   When I started my journey, I did not know exactly where I was going. I believe it is that adventurous spirit and the unknown that keeps me going.

Does everything need to be perfect? Is it photography about a perfect shot and dramatic image?

This is an ordinary image of the Oregon coast. I took that shot on a trail hike. The trail was more than 1000 feet high in elevation, and the edge of the narrow path goes straight down to the ocean. In other words, I was walking along the cliff while I am literally afraid of height. “Don’t look, it is a long way down.” I have said that to myself numerous times.

Suing for perfection? nop. I am completely satisfied with what I’ve got.  I did not try to be a good photographer at that point, I was just wanting to stretch my horizon a bit more and did something that I would not have done under normal circumstances.

Believe or not, I am feeling more relaxed now. My day is not bad over all.