Play

The focus of this week’s Picture to Ponder is “Play” and the permission we do, or don’t, give ourselves to “freely” play. The photographs themselves are a result of my following through on taking a photo of whatever catches my eye.

This week’s feature is one rose, not artificial, in a glass vase on a bathroom counter. It was behind faucets, in a conference center Ladies’ room. At first glance, I was particularly intrigued with the colors on the edges of the petals.

With the convenience of my iPhone readily available I was able to take pictures in that small space. One rose, two views, and the FX Effects in the Photo Studio app for the iPhone are accountable for four of the five images below. I’ll speak to the “freedom” aspect of this experience in the Queries section.

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos with Queries -

(“Explosion” Effect in Photo Studio)rose bathroom blur Releasing Rigidity   Play and Transformation with Multi colored Rose   Picture to Ponder   v7 43

At first glance, is everything usually a blur for you, or  [click to continue…]

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In last week’s issue of Picture to Ponder, we addressed “light and shadows.” For this week, I am once again pulled in by shadows, contrasted with bright, somewhat early, morning light.

Today’s two photographs were taken with my iPhone camera and then enhanced using various “effects” in the FX Photo Studio application. The similarity/repetition in colors in the first four hold them together in an aesthetically pleasing presentation.

In addition to which photos to use, I always have the added consideration, if grouping a few especially with different subjects, to have them work well together.

The fifth image is so bright, it does not really seem to belong. And I couldn’t resist sharing it. Clicking on the smaller photos will bring up images that are the same size as the larger ones showing below.

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos -

windowshade1x Shadows and Clouds   Darkness or Brightness   Picture to Ponder   v7 issue 40

Relaxing on the sun porch at my son and daughter-in-law’s home in Georgia recently, my eye was captivated by the shadows on the window shades.

(Click on thumbnail photo if you wish to experience it in a slightly larger size.) [click to continue…]

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Photographing food was our assignment this past week in The Photo Profits Secret online course in which I’ve been participating. As usual, I found myself drawn into the centers, and the art, rather than whole of individual and groups of fruits and/or vegetables.

I invite you to fully experience and be with each of today’s photos without further interference. Explanations are below.

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos –

floweringkale white leaf1 Shifts in Perception   Finding the Beauty   Flowering Kale in Picture to Ponder v7 34 [click to continue…]

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This week a few Facebook fans and I have been having fun on my new Fan Page. I started the page posting a mystery photo almost daily, giving the answer the next day. For the past several days, I’ve been posting individual views of one series of photos taken in early afternoon four years ago. The “answers” have yet to be given. These photos still inspire and excite me when I periodically review them and I have been thoroughly enjoying them this week. It’s been fun selecting which to use to maintain the “mystery” while at the same time starting to give some visual hints. Some of the “guesses” amaze and delight me, bringing a smile to my face. I invite you to come look and enjoy them also, even participate in the guessing.

The other part of the game for me has become reaching at least 100 fans by 6 PM Eastern Time today. As I write, only 4 more are needed to meet that number. If you’d like to be one of them simply go to the Through and From The Lens Fan Page and click on “Like” at the end of the line of links under the name.

Today’s Featured Photos -

miami1 Mystery Photos from Through and From The Lens Facebook Fan Page   Picture to Ponder   v7 issue 6

[click to continue…]

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While searching for today’s photos I felt an immediate smile break out as my eye quickly caught the photo below. I saw a grinning face winking. I decided to go for the humor, hoping you see it also.

Finding play and humor is part of what I am currently working on as I narrow down my coaching practice to supporting working Moms who are looking for creating deeper connections and communication with their young children (ages 4 to 5 to 10). At the same time they will be having expanded fun and joy during their togetherness times, with less or no guilt around the spaces when they cannot be with one another. One way of doing this is opening to the people, objects and scenes each party sees in different ways.

In addition I have also been meeting virtually with some other people doing exciting programs. See comments below on new programs. Also, should you be a Mom who might have an interest in learning about what I am developing, please email me, sheila [at] sheilafinkelstein.com, with subject: “Tell Me More about upcoming Moms’ Programs.”

Today’s Photos -

hubcapsmile Smiles from a Hubcap and Iron Poles   Picture to Ponder   v6   issue 25

hubcapsmile colorfixed Smiles from a Hubcap and Iron Poles   Picture to Ponder   v6   issue 25

GC soldiers iron Smiles from a Hubcap and Iron Poles   Picture to Ponder   v6   issue 25

The top two photographs are of a hubcap, on a car or van, in the parking lot of Green Cay Wetlands. The top is an untouched photograph with the bluish cast coming from early evening light.

For me the top one is more the attention getter with a little more of the unknown in feeling and my focus stays more on the upper two eyes. I included the second, with a slight adjustment using Photoshop Elements to remove the bluishe cast, to show you how color can make a difference.

In the middle photo, we already “know” more quickly the subject of the photo in part from the information given us by the colors. There also are more bright spots scattering our attention throughout the photo. I’ve included the bottom photo, simply to show what had the hubcap be my final picture of the day. On that particular late afternoon in Green Cay, I found myself photographing light and shadows and moved onto nuts and bolts. The iron bars anchoring the boardwalk gate were among the items that caught my eye.

If you are one who “personifies” photo images along with me, you might see the faces here, or simply view the bars as “guards”, or “soldiers,” or something totally different.

RE Art and Composition:
Holding the three photographs together in one presentation are the blues in all of them, the beiges in the bottom and the middle, and the similarity of curved lines in the wood grain on our right and in the hubcaps above.

Today’s Photo Story -
Once again the images in the photographs above lend themselves., at least for me, to the possibility of fun stories. I invite you to have play and make up some of your own.

Again, if you have children, or know any, I invite you to share these photos with them and listen to their observations and stories. And, certainly don’t neglect the “children” within the adults in your world. Please invite them to have fun with you also.

Self-Reflecting Queries -
Given today’s photos are a move away from the usual straight Nature photos, I’m wondering if there is a difference in your response.

Are you sitting with unfulfilled expectations? If so, what are they? How do you handle things when they are not what you expected?

Can you identify any patterns of behavior in your life when you are disappointed? Conversely, if you were excited and enthusiastic how does your behavior differ?

Was there a difference for you in the two top photographs when the colors shifted? If so, I invite you to be aware of times that colors may be having an impact on your perception. What other things can you shift to give your new perspectives?

Note: I put completing this issue aside overnight and find it interesting that the top two continue to bring out a quick, spontaneous smile to my face. Then I move down to the third photo and the feeling of sternness and rigidity put a halt to that.

As always have fun with these queries and looking/seeing. Also, please post your responses in the COMMENTS section below.


For Teachers and Parents of Young Children -
At the start of this issue I mentioned a new “virtual” friend. Her name is Rose Emery, a singer, performer and more who brings Nature, preservation of the Earth, and more to her audiences through perky songs and animation, plus.

I discovered her through Twitter earlier this week. As a result I have access to a quick uplift in my spirit whenever needed. I simply go to one of her web pages and listen to “I Saw Butterflies Kissing”. I start smiling immediately and feel myself starting to dance in my chair.  I invite you, too, to check out BUTTERFLIES While there be sure to follow some of her other links. They lead to some interactive pages and teachings to use with young children.

How about you? Any similar reactions on your end?

Further Respite -

bananaskyheader 525 Smiles from a Hubcap and Iron Poles   Picture to Ponder   v6   issue 25

“There is a lot of scientific study out there that says if we can’t be in nature, just looking at pictures of nature can have a soothing calming effect… For anyone who is undergoing any kind of stress/anxiety situations, this would just be a real gift.” Ellen Britt, http://marketingqi.com/

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I’m taking a quick break from family time to wish you a Joyful, Healthy, Peaceful Prosperous New Year.

nightcrownheron2 475 Year end and New Years Reflections  from Night Crown Heron and Dancing Children   Picture to Ponder   v5 48

The Night Crown Heron seems to be pondering? Reflecting? Have you taken the time to reflect and acknowledge your accomplishments in 2010?

nightcrownheron1 475 Year end and New Years Reflections  from Night Crown Heron and Dancing Children   Picture to Ponder   v5 48

Will you to be stepping lightly into 2010 or taking a leap?
And, in celebration of both the “good” and the “bad” in the year almost over, as we look forward to the upcoming year, I include one of my favorite photos taken a few years ago.

sunriseplay Year end and New Years Reflections  from Night Crown Heron and Dancing Children   Picture to Ponder   v5 48

With the spontaneity and freedom of youth, my grandson and granddaughter, along with their cousins from Indiana, are dancing and singing, celebrating the rising sun. I use it here to acknowledge the past year and welcome the upcoming one.

For me, in addition to the light, the photo also exudes warmth. So, I offer it to you now, wishing you light and warmth, wherever you are, during this season.

And, should it be a challenging time for you, I invite you to pause, close your eyes and do some deep breathing.

Self Reflecting Queries -
I invite you to take a moment or two, or more, to reflect.  Where in your life is there light and warmth? Who are the people past and present who have contributed that to you? Is there a way for you to express your gratitude?

Do remember to acknowledge yourself. In the gratitude there is light.
Personally, Looking Back and Looking Forward -
This past year I spent a lot of time in search of my purpose/my identity.  Not that this was anything new.  What was different  this year was the number of places I went and the “new” people with whom I interacted.  I thank them all for their contribution and continuing support and belief in me. They/you know who they/you are.
The transformational difference for me is that by the end of the year, I finally clearly saw how dependent I’ve been in terms of defining myself as others see me and then attempting to fit into what I think that is. The result for me has been that, in trying to “fit” their image, I was not fully and comfortably “fitting” into myself.
One of the prime examples in this past year has been in the promotion of my Through and From the Lens/Point and Shoot Photo Course.

It is a core course I’ve developed that has made a remarkable difference for participants AND I’ve been relying on others to point me in the direction of the “best” web page, marketing, and more.

My reasons for citing this here is twofold:
1 – You may find yourself in some of what I’ve shared about my experiences, and
2 -I wanted to give you the opportunity for early registration into
the now-referred-to-as the “Through and From the Lens Point and Shoot Photocourses” -
headerwithlens 475 Year end and New Years Reflections  from Night Crown Heron and Dancing Children   Picture to Ponder   v5 48
Please check the link out.  I would love to be connecting with you on a more direct level, furthering what we see in Picture to Ponder.
I feel blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for being there. May you have a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2010.

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redonion garlic 4on1 New Perspectives Inspired by a Red Onion and Garlic   Picture to Ponder   Vol. 5   Issue 26

You may be wondering, “Why onion photos again?” I had intended to go back to birds, or other nature photos, for this issue, and then these photographs kept popping out whenever I opened my photo files. A few weeks ago, for the last session of the June Through and From the Lens course, I purchased a new red onion. While at the supermarket the red garlic caught my eye, along with the white garlic which I needed for cooking; so I bought all three.

After photographing them separately and together from many angles and holding them in my hands, I became so attached to the “personalities” and “feel” of the three above that I bought new ones with which to work during the teleclass.

I’m following my instincts in continuing sharing them here, recognizing that there is something “calling” to me with these particular vegetables and hope they will thus resonate in some way with you. One thing I know for sure, is I’m delighted with how long they last in the original state, with no change or deterioration, from the time I purchase them.

For those who missed it, earlier this month I wrote on Onion #4, which you can see on the BLOG – Looking at the Old Newly

TODAY’S PHOTOS
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I am not what it is in the top photo of the garlic bulb in my hand that “grabs” me each time I look at it. The image is seemingly making a strong statement.

As you can see I grouped the three together, on my white kitchen counter, and then on the underside of a black styrofoam tray to get the contrast. I was only going to include one of these two photos here since they are so similar. Then when I looked again, I saw the feel was different, beyond the lighting contrasts.

In the third photograph the onion seems to be looking at the red garlic very protectively, as the latter nestles up to it. And, I’m wondering, in addition to the focus being slightly closer, if the fact that the white garlic’s position is altered, ever so slightly, is what makes the difference. Perhaps it’s that the latter is extra bright here and the other “needs” protection (in the imaginary sense).

I’ve included the fourth photo of the red garlic alone, slightly altered in color by Photoshop Elements, because now it looks like a piece of art. In addition to the colors, I love the rhythm and swirl in the whole shape.

SELF-REFLECTING QUERIES -
By altering positions, “points of view”, in the onion and garlic bulbs above, we get a different feeling or communication.

Relating this now to you and going to one of my favorite Self-Reflecting Queries, I invite you to look into your own life. Are there places where you are facing challenges, places where a slight alteration of perspective might give you a whole new take on the matter? If a particular challenge surfaces for you, I invite you to “hold” it in your hand, if not literally, then figuratively. See if and how you can become friends with it. What opens up for you now?

Furthering my own Self-Reflections – For me, right now, I am looking at what it is in the red onion and, now, the added garlic that has me so intrigued and moved.

I’m realizing there is a passion in here for the “stories” I see in them. Last night, I wrote in Facebook, that I am open to finding a collaborator (a children’s writer, educator or idea person) who would enjoy co-creating with me products that would make an empowering difference in how children (and adults) see their worlds. This is a new opening and stepping out for me.

Lastly, if you have gotten this far in viewing and reading, and you have any strong emotional reaction one way or another to my featuring onions and garlic, I invite you to look at what’s coming up for you in terms of your own life in relation to your response.

As always, put fun into it. Where will you find faces and smiles today?

ATTENTION – WRITERS, or WANNA-BE WRITERS – If you are interested in doing more exploration in writing for yourself, my friend and mentor Julie Jordan Scott is Introducing the Summer Writing Intensive Creativity Camp (at Home or wherever you happen to be) See SUMMER WRITING CAMP for details.

MORE OF MY WRITING – If you appreciate my writing, you might find interesting what I’ve been posting on my WRITING FOR HEALING blog.

FOR ANY WANNA-BE BLOGGERS -
I don’t know if the following fits for you, and I thought I would pass it on in the event that you are one who has been wanting to set up your own blog, but have gotten frustrated with the technical stuff. My friend Traci Knoppe has put together a very easy to understand and use 4-week ecourse, with simple step-by-step procedures. You can learn more at BEGINNER TO BLOGGER.

Start-Up Business Owners -
If you are a start-up business, or know of one, I also have a website, listing and describing other helpful businesses I know, use and recommend. See SOURCES FOR BUSINESS SUPPORT.

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Sunshine on Florida Smiling Scarecrow

by Sheila Finkelstein on October 27, 2008

FLscarecrow1 Sunshine on Florida Smiling Scarecrow

FLscarecrow2 Sunshine on Florida Smiling Scarecrow

FLscarecrow3 Sunshine on Florida Smiling Scarecrow

In last week’s Picture to Ponder, I featured a scarecrow on a balcony in Sedona, AZ. Back home in Boynton Beach, FL, on a neighborhood walk, one evening, I saw this scarecrow happily placed in the middle of 3 palms. I couldn’t resist coming back with my camera, the next time we had sun. Check the Picture to Ponder link, or scroll down here to the previous post to see the Western scarecrow. Enjoy!

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scarecrow1 sedona Smiling on a Balcony in  Sedona, AZ   Picture to Ponder   Vol 4   Issue 39

window1 sedona Smiling on a Balcony in  Sedona, AZ   Picture to Ponder   Vol 4   Issue 39

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
a scarecrow on the balcony of a home in an elite residential neighborhood in Sedona, AZ, plus cloud reflections in an upper story window in the same home

The Story
No big story today. I was once again searching through my Arizona photos for possibly one last photo from the trip to share with you.

The above scarecrow brought a smile to my face, and still does every time I look at the photo, so I thought I’d bring him to you, simply in FUN! Also, although I’ve never decorated for holidays, there are many of you in the States whom I’m sure have decorated for Halloween. I, thus, thought the somewhat seasonal image would be enjoyable.

And, putting all that aside, I love the aesthetics of the photo, the play of the natural materials, the wood of the railings, the lines, shapes and textures. Although I know in reality it couldn’t be so, when looking at the photo the walls “feel” like suede to me, another intriguing aspect of the photo for me.

I’ve included the second photo for those who might think something is missing from Picture to Ponder, if there is not a Nature photo in the issue. I figure the “clouds” qualify. Again, I like the lines and contrast though much simpler than those in the balcony photo.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
It seems, as I complete writing the last section, that today’s queries move in the direction of fun and also on our taking actions consistent with what we think others expect of us.

Pretty funny, the latter statement; I say I think you expect Nature pictures. I really have no idea what you look for here, other than photographs you think are “good” and to which you relate in some way. Obviously I am laying my judgments on you. I love nature so I think Picture to Ponder “should be” about that.

Today, I invite you to look into your life to see:

1. Are there places in your life right now where you are moving “full steam ahead” to satisfy what you think or “know” someone wants AND you’ve never checked with them?

If you see something here, I invite you to pause, reflect on what it is you are doing, who it is you are attempting to satisfy, and then have a conversation with the other person or persons. Be open to what they might be wanting and check out any interpretations you are adding.

2. Do you pay attention to your smiles? Know what it is that’s FUN for you? If the answers are “yes”, I invite you to have more of them. If “no’, I invite to pause for a moment when you feel a smile coming on, observe it and then take a simple action.

As always, have fun with these queries and this week look for something in your environment that brings a smile to your face!

Reminder - Through and From the Lens is being offered in-person for the first time in South Florida on Saturday, October 25th. “Connections” are one of the bonuses of the course. See Saturday Playshop It will be resumed as a teleclass series starting in November.

To be on the list for more details for these classes, fill in your name and time preference on the form on the blog.

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Humor and Abstraction – Accidental Art from an Orange

by Sheila Finkelstein on September 19, 2008

orange8cr 450 Humor and Abstraction   Accidental Art from an Orange

 Humor and Abstraction   Accidental Art from an Orange

A lady in the top photo with a very wide collar and a “blowfish” in the lower photo.  Neither was posed as such. The top photo was a random arrangement of art peels and the lower “simply” a half orange.  I was mainly interested in playing with the contrasts of the ceramic dish as background.

Have fun seeing whatever you do/will in the photographs.

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