Search: roses

rose photo enhanced with iPhoto

Do you always feel that it’s necessary to keep moving forward? that it’s important not to look back? Well today’s photos and queries are a demonstration of celebration and appreciation of experiences from the past.

Given Mother’s Day was not that long ago, I’d been thinking about featuring “roses” in this issue of Treasure Your Life Now. They are sometimes known as “symbols of love.” See “Roses and Hugs say ‘I love you.'”

I’d planned to use a couple of roses from a Mother’s Day bouquet I received from one of my sons and his family this year. First, wanting to see what I had shared in the past, I searched for “roses” on this Photography and Transformation Blog. [click to continue…]

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Roses and Hugs say “I Love You” – Picture to Ponder v8-14

by Sheila Finkelstein on April 12, 2012

This week as I was reading some of the Love Tips comments on my new Love With No Regrets site, I noticed that more that 50% of the comments referenced hugging. Several mentions of hugs and other forms of touch are also shared in “55 Ways to Show Love.”

It’s therefore not surprising, that when I started taking photographs of beautiful roses one of the first images that caught my eye were the two red roses in a hug.

red rose buds hug one another [click to continue…]

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This past week I was focused on noticing light, shadows and contrasts, following along with the suggested explorations for participants before the last session of the current Through and From The Lens Telecourse.

I ultimately had fun “playing” with two white roses out of a Valentine’s Day bouquet of roses gift from my son and daughter-in-law. I photographed roses against both white and black backgrounds and then experimented with different editing “enhancements” in iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, my most frequently used program, and Picnik, the free program that Flickr offers and integrates with its services.

rose photo enhanced with iPhoto

For more of Today’s Photos, explanations and Queries  [click to continue…]

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Dried Roses and New Growth on Stems – Winter into Spring

by Sheila Finkelstein on March 9, 2010

 

 

 

Three plus weeks ago, these six roses were part of a dozen that were an integral part of a large mixture of flowers my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren gave me on Valentine’s Day.  They were acknowledging the sadness I felt, missing my husband who has been gone for more than two years.  I wrote about the experience on Writing for Healing. 

Then two days later published the first of the rose photos and wrote about the experience here on Photography and Transformation. A week after that, impressed with the longevity and beauty of six of the roses, eight days after my original writing, I once again photographed and posted a photo of Beauty in an Aged Rose.

I thought that both the roses and I were finished with the photo journaling.  And then, lo and behold, the other day I noticed new growth – green leaves –  on the stems of these flowers that have been off the plant for who-knows-how-long.  

In a virtual writing retreat, or “camp”, as Julie Jordan Scott refers to it, Julie has been speaking of relating our experiences to those of coming out of Winter into Spring.  These now dead roses with the new growth seem to be such a metaphor for that I felt the necessity of once again photographing and sharing this “miracle.”  

All kinds of stories come to my mind. Seems I think in stories much of my life.  A friend says that these roses are Sam talking to me. And, putting all of that aside, I am attempting to cut down on my words.  So I leave you today with mainly the photos and the opportunity for you to share your own stories, if you so wish, in the COMMENTS section just below.

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Today’s Picture to Ponder message relates to perfections and imperfections and finding the blessings in our lives.

On Sunday, Valentine’s Day, in the United States, I found myself feeling sad, missing Sam more than I usually do. It was interesting for me to observe this since he and I never really celebrated Valentine’s Day. I handled it by taking constructive action, for me writing, making a phone call and posting insights on my Writing for Healing blog. Bottom line I ended up being invited to dinner at my son’s home, which resulted in, among other things, receiving a beautiful bunch of flowers.

Once home I took an abundance of photographs, for some unidentified reason, focusing on the numerous roses that were part of the grouping. I experimented with different backgrounds and lighting with this issue’s roses being a small sampling. You can find more in the Rose Set in my FlickR account.

Before continuing, I do want to remind you of the SPIRIT AUTHORS Grand Opening on Monday Feb. 22.  I consists of  5 FREE webcasts with 18 leading publishing experts. See  SPIRIT AUTHORS.

Today’s Photos

Orange rose

orange rose close up

close of up dying pink rose

pink rose opening bud at angle

Self-Reflecting Queries
Today’s photos are, obviously, of roses, none of which are perfect. I was initially caught up in their beauty in color and/or patterns and shapes.

Then I saw the “imperfections”, the first pink one almost at the end of its time. This led me to querying, and inviting you do the same, “When you see something or someone, is your first response to see the imperfections or the beauty and positives?” If you miss, the imperfections at first glance, or two, are you able to accept them and stay with the beauty of that at which you are looking, or is something marred, with negative in the space? If the latter, do you stay with the negative, or are you able to create a shift for yourself? If so, how?

As I conclude, I realize that seeing the roses’ imperfections and choices we make are somewhat analogous to my Valentine’s sadness experience, staying in it or finding a way to see the positives.

For me, if you read the blog post, you’ll see, I ultimately chose to see the blessings in my life and wound up with even more than I expected – the flowers and the riches of that.

How about you? Are you able to see the blessings in your life?

As always, have fun with this.

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Close up of a peachy yellow rose in Mable Ringling Rose Garden

Yellow orange rose in Mable Ringling Rose garden on the Ringling Museum grounds

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Sunlit Roses in Ringling Museum Rose Garden in Sarasota, Florida

Last week, the day before the coldest day in six years in Sarasota, roses were in full bloom in Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden. I include them here to bring sunshine and brightness to you wherever you reside, whatever your weather conditions are.

The top photo, close-up view, gives us the opportunity to explore more of the rhythm of the inner beauty of this particular rose. The bottom one greets us with its full blown richness. Unfortunately, the strong, mid-day light, creates somewhat of a “fight” for attention between the bright background and the flower.

The Story
Once again, I’m on the move. This time, it’s a trip to Dallas, TX for a workshop and then to visit friends and family. I expect that during my visit with one of my friends, I will get some tips that would have me better to control lighting in situations such as the one in the lower photo, using Photoshop and/or settings on my camera, preferably the latter.

With all that’s been happening, I’m feeling quite blessed and thankful for the loving and supportive people in my life.

Given what I’ve yet to do in preparation, I had the thought to simply skip this week’s Picture to Ponder. Then I reminded myself of my commitment to myself and to you to publish an issue a week, so I am striving for brevity and efficiency.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
Is there a place in your life right now where everything is so full, as with the lower rose, that you’re not sure where you want to start? If so, I invite you to pause and look closely at certain segments of your life and your activities.

Spend time individually with the components. Perhaps use the framing of the rose in the top photo as a guide. As a warmup, you might use the second rose. Create a small opening in a piece of paper or index card and slowly move around the photo on your computer monitor. Make note of anything new that shows up. Do the same for your own life segments.

Then, given I mentioned, above, gratitude for my family, friends and travel, I invite you to express gratitude for that for which you are currently most appreciative.

As always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience on the blog. See instructions below if you need help.

And, remember to have fun.

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There are a few things I would like to bring your attention to. They are detailed next and below today’s Action Queries.

With Mother’s Day coming up I’d be doing you a disservice were I not to remind you of Nature Art Gifts. It includes links to a variety of choices of products incorporating my wide range of art. In addition gift certificates are available. Further down the page, my favorites are cited.

Now on to Today’s Photos

Yellow pink rose [click to continue…]

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During my recent family visit to GA, I was captivated by the rose set in a bowl on the kitchen window sill below.

Today’s Photos

backlit rose on kitchen window sill [click to continue…]

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Despite thousands of photos in my external hard drive, I was at a loss for featured photos for today’s issue of Picture to Ponder. Aside from some full moon shots and the roses of the past two issues, nothing much has grabbed my attention in the past week or so.

I then reflected on the fruit and vegetable cutting photo session, and some of the participants’ empowering experiences, in the last class of our Through and From the Lens Point and Shoot photo course and decided to “play” with that subject matter. Thus,

Today’s Photos

My first action was to cut a mushroom in half. I started smiling immediately as two “faces” instantly showed up. Despite the fact the faces were not particularly happy ones, I couldn’t help laughing at the irony of how quickly, it seems, I see “faces.”

In the top and bottom photos, two different mushroom halves are resting on my stovetop. The half in the middle photo is in a ceramic dish I made on potters wheel years ago. Though more “artistic” in overall feel, the “face” seems to be angry or snarling, more so than in the other photos. It is same image as in the bottom photo. Yet, note the changes when on a different surface and viewed from a slightly different angle.

If you enjoy writing, these photos could be great prompts.

Self-Reflecting Queries
As mentioned above, I was “stuck” for subject matter for today’s issue of Picture to Ponder, so I went for my camera. The latter, as you more than likely know, is one of my main tools, and “prescriptions”, for quickly shifting moods and perspectives.

What “tools” or methods do you use for creating state changes for yourself? I’d love to read your responses in the COMMENTS section below, including any writing your might have done with the photos as prompts.

In addition to simply cutting into a vegetable and then taking pictures, I went into creative mode by locating, positioning, and repositioning my subject matter. I became attuned to the differences by changing points-of-view. When you are in “stuck” situations, do you remember to look at them from different angles?

Lastly, are you aware of the number of ways in which you shift into creativity to make a difference for yourself?

As always, have fun with this.


Programs I recommend:
for Creavity, Writing and Getting to Expand your Knowledge of Yourself

Although not planned as such, my concluding query on knowing yourself and your creative strengths, interestingly, leads right into my friend, and mentor, Julie Jordan Scott’s one-week March Intensive Writing Camp starting this upcoming Monday, March 8th.

These five days with Julie are only $27, an incredible value! Get all the details at WRITERS CAMP.

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As you most likely recall, roses were featured in the last issue of Picture to Ponder – “Perfections, Imperfections, Counting Blessings” (see post below this).

Although I had not intended a continuation of the theme or photos, I am in such awe of the beauty of several of the roses, now eight days older, that I simply had to share one of them here.

Today’s Photo

pink rose center - 8 days after Valentine's Day

I started adding another photograph and it felt that this one needed to have the total space. I invite you visit the page, Roses – 8 days Later. It has this rose photograph, plus five others taken at the same time.

Self-Reflecting Queries
Comments on the blog and directly to me had me revisit the theme of imperfections.

One reader wrote that she has frequently created rose greeting cards and realized, as she was reading and looking at the featured roses, that she often would pinch off the “imperfect” petals!!. This, during times she was teaching children to accept their “imperfect” pictures and stories.

As I mentioned above, today’s rose, and those on the Roses Page, were taken 8 days after I brought them home. Amazed at the remaining full-body-ness of several, I took more photographs in the night light.

I suspect that many of the readers here would have long ago discarded the flowers, seeing them only as shriveled up.

I invite you to look into your life. Can you identify a point in the life cycle when you discard flowers, objects, people – defining “life cycle” as the time period of usefulness?

Are there people’s statements that you automatically disregard, because they feel “old”, not “right”? What if you took another look?

Where can you find beauty today/tonight in something you usually ignore or slough off?

As always, have fun with this.

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