Birds

egret matingfeathers Celebrating   Lilies, Egret Feathers, Self   Picture to Ponder   Vol 5   Issue 12

lily orange 408a Celebrating   Lilies, Egret Feathers, Self   Picture to Ponder   Vol 5   Issue 12

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
The upper photo – A White Egret spreading his Mating Feathers in Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach FL – In addition to the delicate feathers, note the intensified color in the beak of the Egret.

The lower photo- A Lily with White and Orange Chrysanthemums behind it – I particularly like the lighting here. Note the shadows of the stamen on the petal on the left.

Seemingly an odd combination of photos, these both represent this season of Spring and its upcoming holidays.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
Basically, as I ponder it, the essence of today’s Picture to Ponder has become about CELEBRATION – celebrating a book launch, holidays, Nature and life and opportunities for celebrating ourselves.

In choosing to once again lead Through and From the Lens Teleclasses, I’m realizing it’s an opportunity for you to celebrate yourself – perhaps a part of you heretofore unknown to you – AND I’m actually honoring myself by doing this.

When she read my announcement, past participant Blaise Allen wrote, “I’m so happy you are doing this again! You were meant to teach this course.”

I now invite you to take a few minutes to reflect on, “What is it about yourself that you can celebrate?” Perhaps in your relationship with yourself, with others, your talents….You fill in the blanks. What would you like to celebrate? Are there people in your life whom you would also like to celebrate?

What is it that you are meant to be doing? Are you doing it?

And, after answering these questions for yourself, what actions, if any, are you willing to take? And, though it may sound “heavy” in my writing, be sure you include fun in whatever comes up for you.

Lastly, as always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience with today’s photos and writing on the blog. See the instructions below if you need help.

Happy Holidays to all of you who are celebrating one in the next week.

Experience Life through the Lens of Your Inner Artist
We all have an artist within. You may agree with this or be skeptical. In either case, THROUGH AND FROM THE LENS teleclasses could be for you. Through the use of your camera, group interaction with participants and some suggested writing, classes provide the opportunity for you to start seeing your worlds, both inner and outer, in new and different ways, leading to increased creativity, self-confidence and much more.

Classes take place on a telephone conference call line and by email in a 4 week series – Your choice days – Mondays at 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT, starting April 27th or nights – Wednesdays from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT, starting April 29th – (See WORLD TIME to match the times in your geographic location)

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rose yellow songoftherose Video Transition Photographs: Rose, Great Blue Herons, Sunset   Picture to Ponder  vol 5   issue 11

rosesandbirds songoftherose Video Transition Photographs: Rose, Great Blue Herons, Sunset   Picture to Ponder  vol 5   issue 11

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Two of the 44 of my photographs that are the background for Lynn Serafinn’s Video Reading of “Song of the Rose” from her book “GARDEN OF THE SOUL: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self.” It’s now available on Amazon.

The top photo is a screen shot grabbed at the point the Yellow Rose photograph is transitioning to a Sunset photo. In the second photo Great Blue Herons in Nest transition into a picture of Castera Roses.

“I finally had time to go listen to the Song of the Rose – It’s exquisite – I love the words, the Lynn’s voice, your images, her sequencing of them – the whole thing is a gem! I feel very inspired.” Tomar Levine, Picture to Ponder subscriber

Take a breather, relax, listen and see for yourself “Song of the Rose” and please leave a comment. – (5 minute video on YouTube)

The Story – GARDEN OF THE SOUL Book
According to Lynn Serafinn, Author, “The book, which is a substantial work of over 400 pages, is a collection of inspirational personal narratives, stories and life lessons as taught by four flowers, the Rose, the Iris, the Daffodil, and the Lily, who teach us four spiritual principles: Give, Receive, Become and Be. Each section of the book focuses on one particular principle, and each begins with a poem or “song” sung by one of the four flowers.

“Song of the Rose” opens the section of the book called “The Principle of Giving”. In the book, the Rose teaches us that giving is not just about giving of things or time. It tells us that “Giving” is the process of anything that comes from within you, and expands outwards into the world.

It is your voice, your self-expression, empowerment, vitality, action, drive and energy. Most of all, it is passion, generosity of spirit and claiming one’s life purpose. The Rose teaches us how important it is not to deprive ourselves from giving of our true, authentic selves to the world, for without this giving, we feel useless, purposeless, and passionless.

Again, the book is now on sale at Amazon. I am excitedly awaiting my order being delivered, while holding the receipt to claim the added bonuses that will be available on April 7th.

The Story – Photography and Support
It’s been an exciting week for me.

Friday was the Blog Talk Radio interview in which Katherine Rescke interviewed me and two other professionals on money blocks. You can listen to the Podcast at PASSIONS THAT PAY.

On the weekend I had a couple of Skype conversations with Lynn Serafinn and several emails, as she selected photos from the Picture to Ponder archives to use in the first of four that she’s creating to promote her new book. I love what she did with it AND creating a video was a first for her!

It was wonderful experiencing being appreciated and acknowledged through the act of collaboration. Then there is the thrill of seeing my work used in a different dimension.

In addition I have been receiving wonderful support from past participants in my PHOTO CREAVITY teleclasses, renamed as THROUGH AND FROM THE LENS, as I’ve been developing the information and registration page for the upcoming course.

Julie Ann Turner, creator and facilitator of the CREATORS GUIDE program in which I’ve been participating, has provided invaluable suggestions and support in my fully experiencing and expressing what it is that I have to contribute to the world. Two others of the participants have also been most helpful.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
I’ve covered a lot of ground this week, as you’ve been reading in my sharing in today’s issue of Picture to Ponder.

While pondering the Self-Reflecting Queries for today, “Acknowledgment” once again seems to be the underlying message. There is also the principle of “Giving” as mentioned earlier in relation to Garden of the Soul.

I am so very appreciative of my friends and associates in programs in which I am participating. Knowing I could call or write and count on them for ideas and/or simply for reminders of my own worth has given me the ongoing boosts I’ve needed to move forward with intention and purpose.

I invite you to look in your life and see where you have been, or are, facing challenges. Do you know what it is you can, or will do, in those situations? Who are the people, if any, you have been able to, and can, count on for support and recognition? Have you recently expressed your appreciation for that to them?

How do you show appreciation for others? For yourself? Also look at your own strengths in supporting others? How do you position yourself AND do you acknowledge yourself for what you give in this arena? If not, I invite you to find some way to do so.

For me, I’ve been gradually recognizing more and more my strengths as I’m finally putting myself out there, once again, offering teleclasses. When I think of the “screen shots” and my other technological mini-expertise, I realize how much I do offer even beyond the “basic” curriculum of looking at our worlds in new and different ways.

Please check out the information below, or go directly to the Through and From the Lens page for subscribers.

Lastly, as always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience with today’s photos and writing on the blog. See the instructions below if you need help.

And do have fun with this today.

Experience Life through the Lens of Your Inner Artist We all have an artist within. In either case, whether you know that or are skeptical, THROUGH AND FROM THE LENS teleclasses may be for you. Through the use of your camera, group interaction with participants and some suggested writing, classes provide the opportunity for you to start seeing your worlds, both inner and outer, in new and different ways, leading to increased creativity, self-confidence and much more.

Classes take place on a telephone conference call line and by email in a 4 week series – Your choice days – Mondays at 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT, starting April 29th or nights – Tuesdays from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT – (See WORLD TIME to match the times in your geographic location)

$30 savings for Picture to Ponder Subscribers. Read FULL description, details, bonuses, testimonials and more on APRIL CLASSES.

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Haiku – Sunset and Peace – Green Cay Sunset – 10-28-08

by Sheila Finkelstein on October 31, 2008

reflectedpinksunset Haiku   Sunset and Peace   Green Cay Sunset   10 28 08

Quiet Cloudless night
All is peaceful as I walk
In Green Cay Wetlands

Looking to the left
A gentle pink permeates
Some clouds after all

Soft in the distance
As ducks feed, radiating
Circles in water
.
[Click on link for 16 second video of diving ducks.]

©2008 Sheila Finkelstein

Sunset -
Cloudless Sky
Looked Left -

Soft Pinks and Mauve find clouds,
Reflect unseen sun,
Bathe the sky and water

Serenity and Peace.

©2008 Sheila Finkelstein

The walk inspired the top Haiku thinking/writing. Then to share the photo on Twitter twitpic, I narrowed the experience down to 140 characters, using leftover phrases.

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Rear View Perspectives – Varied

by Sheila Finkelstein on September 6, 2008

little blue heron rear Rear View Perspectives   Varied
Rear View of a Little Blue Heron at Green Cay Wetlands

Humor for the weekend – At dusk yesterday, I took several photographs of this little blue heron. Because of poor lighting most of then did not turn out well. Then this one of the rear view of the bird came up on my computer monitor, after downloading, and I laughed, mainly at the thoughts that instantly starting running through my head, expressions related to rear-end views. No need to elaborate here. Whatever comes up for you is perfect.

Then as I was doing my morning writing, earlier today, I remembered “Rhino’s Butt” and the photo/drawing (below) that I did several years ago.

rhino butt photodrawing Rear View Perspectives   Varied

I photographed this particular rhinoceros from the tram at the San Diego zoo. What had attracted my attention was not the butt view of the rhino. Rather, I was intrigued with the repetition of textures in the animal’s hide and along the floor and wall. Thus, I photographed the scene and then emphasized the patterns using my hand-enhanced, photo/drawing technique.

An aside – If you know a rhino lover and collector of art objects, this photo/drawing, as well as those of giraffes and peacocks, can be found on several products in my Nature Art Gift Shop. He and the others are also available on hand-mounted prints on 5″X7″ note cards. See Zoo Animal Note Cards.

To sum up today’s observations on “rear views,” we have the one where the bird, perhaps intentionally, turned his rear to me. Then there is the rhinoceros who was simply standing there to be fully observed in his environment.

Lastly, going back to earlier this week’s Picture to Ponder post with the rear-view of an hibiscus (see a few posts below on this blog, or Picture to Ponder, Vol 4 – Issue 32), we have the situation where we were in a position to walk around and see all sides and angles of the subject – not possible in either of the first two situations.

Where would you prefer your attention to be? There is, of course, the final option where you are the subject AND I’ll leave that to your imagination.

Have fun with this.

 

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Anhinga at Wakodahatchee Wetlands

by Sheila Finkelstein on September 5, 2008

anhinga pair 90508 Anhinga at Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Birds at Wakodahatchee Wetlands

 

 

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