Using Photography to Create Connections – Ripples and Reflections – Picture to Ponder – v6-issue 49

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 16, 2010

If you have been following  Picture to Ponder for a while, you’ve undoubtedly realized that I consider my camera as one of my best friends.  It and/or its predecessors have joined me and my family in celebrations and on trips;
1- it has shared in the joys and some of the sorrows in my life;
2- over a period of many years our similar yet different views with our cameras opened some exciting conversations with my beloved husband Sam and me;
3-and, many times its served as a form of meditation AND definitely a stress-reliever.

I make it a practice to ALWAYS have a camera with me and as you know, I encourage you to do the same as you develop the practice of photographing ANYTHING that catches your eye.

Other’s cameras and mine also serve as conversation openers, thus connectors, when out among other people. Today, as I was walking on the boardwalk at Wakodahatchee Wetlands, I pointed out the reflections below to a woman who had paused to ask what I was photographing.

boardwalk reflections in Wakodahatchee Wetlands
Reflections – Rhythms and patterns from the boardwalk [click to continue…]

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6 Years Mission and Orchids for Warmth – Picture to Ponder – v6-issue48

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 9, 2010

Happy 6th Birthday
Picture to Ponder

“Where has the time gone?”

Six years ago today, 12/9/04, Picture to Ponder was launched as an “almost daily” ezine. See Issue 1 (You can follow links at the bottom of that page to see subsequent issues.)
In considering how to celebrate I decided to search for photos of my grandson Ryan, whose face always shows exuberance when he’s celebrating. Flip the number 9 candle and we have our 6. Interestingly this 9th birthday picture was taken 6 years (and a few months) ago.
I will celebrate by reading some of your testimonials, knowing that my mission (see below) has been accomplished. [click to continue…]

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Ode to a Piece of Cardboard: or, A Philosophy of Life

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 8, 2010

Continuing to explore the background and commitment behind my upcoming Through and From The Lens telecourse, I’d like to share my ODE TO A PIECE OF CARDBOARD: or, A Philosophy of Life. On the course web page, I share the story of my being told to drop out of the college in which I had enrolled to get my Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education. The just-retired art professor suggested I “join a local guild to satisfy [my] housewifely ambitions.”

I ignored the advice and went on to become a successful art teacher. And, as life will have it, I had an encounter one afternoon with a school principal.  I was on my way out and, as I passed her she commented that a bomb could go off in the shared closet where my supplies were stored and “no one would be any the worse for it.” I traveled from class to class on a small cart, teaching a variety of lessons daily to K through 6th graders. I thus stored a wide array of materials there.  Needless to say I got quite angry and wrote the following at every red light on my way to my graduate school class.

What’s a piece of cardboard?
It’s the base of a sculpture, or an
integral part of one.
It’s the support for an assemblage;
A cardboard loom for weaving. [click to continue…]

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Through and From The Lens Photo Course Transforms Seeing

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 4, 2010

Through and From The Lens –Transforming the “I Can’t”s / “You Can’t”s to “I Can”s –
Using Your Camera to assist you in making the difference

Sheila Finkelstein's reflections in the lens of a camera

Sheila Reflected Twice in a Camera lens

I have just relaunched my Through and From the Lens Photo / Seeing course with the first session in January.  The name does not make sense to most people, so why would I use it? Mainly because I have yet to come up with another name that describes the course.

It is in the looking “through” the lens of, in this case, the camera and seeing what comes “from” it that gives us a new understanding of  happenings in our lives.  For the most part how we see and interpret what’s going on comes from past-based, often limiting, conversations. Many of them exist in our head, often running the decisions we make, or, perhaps more importantly, don’t make.   [click to continue…]

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Limited Intentions Result in Creating Shifts – Picture to Ponder – v6 – issue 47

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 1, 2010

This morning I set the intention to find a something new in my neighborhood, that would catch my eye, and then photograph it for this issue. During the brilliant sunlit morning here in Florida, I noticed the dance of shadows on a garage door. I took several photos and mentally my “story” was forming. Lo and behold, when I went to download them, they weren’t there. Evidently I did not click firmly enough on the older camera I had grabbed.

I’m guessing now, the latter happened so that we would end up experiencing
Today’s Featured Photo –

a brilliant September sunset in Green Cay Wetlands. [click to continue…]

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Paths to Love – Cut Red Cabbage Analogy – Picture to Ponder v6 – issue 46

by Sheila Finkelstein on November 24, 2010

Today’s Featured Photo –

cut red cabbage expressing love

Cut half of a red cabbage with the word “Love” added with Photoshop Elements.

It’s another of the vegetables from last week’s raw fruits and veggies program I was following and continue to do so this week. For those who are detail oriented, the cabbage is on a Lucite cutting board placed across a narrow stainless steel sink. The scratches are from knife cuts over the years.

To me the image looks like a maze. Ultimately all routes seem to start and end from the center core, so I’ve labeled it “Love.” [click to continue…]

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Changing Perspectives Inspired by a Yellow Pepper – Picture to Ponder – v6-issue 45

by Sheila Finkelstein on November 19, 2010

This week I had fun spending a lot of time with raw vegetables and fruits, cutting, blending and eating them for my friend Rachelle Anslyn’s and her partner Thomas Radtke’s Make It Real, Make It Raw detox blast. Not surprisingly, as I was cutting vegetables, especially peppers, certain imagery grabbed my attention. I, of course, went for my camera.

Today’s Featured Photos –

yellow pepper on table and chair back reflections

yellow pepper center - abstract

abstract close up of yellow pepper

The top photo is the cut half of a yellow pepper with the center section of the opposite half turned upside down placed in the center of the half we see. When the photograph first appeared on my monitor, I was unable to identify the lines on the right. I was puzzled for quite a while. Yet I loved the play of light and shadows on the wood, finding a peacefulness emanating from the whole picture. I thus decided to use it as one of today’s feature photos.

Once making that decision I needed to determine what it all was. I originally assumed that the pepper was on my wooden cutting board. I finally realized that, in fact, I had placed it on my table and that the angled “grey” lines were the slats of a white chair pushed up against the table.

The middle photo is a very close-up view of the pepper’s center, creating, what to me is, a very whimsical image. As I inserted that photograph here my eye was drawn to the color and grace of the dark, curving “line” on the left.

I went back to Photoshop Elements to see what it would look if I went in and cropped the photo to highlight solely that line. Thus the bottom photo was born.

I hope you have as much fun with these as I did. If you start “playing” with your own cut vegetables, I’d love to learn about your experiences.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
Today’s photos lend themselves to another one of the recurring themes in Picture to Ponder – looking at objects, people and things from a multitude of perspectives. In addition, of course, there is my constant message for “paying attention to whatever grabs your eye.”

So, as I did with the pepper, I invite you to firstly, to divide in half an object, situation, or your thoughts about a particular person. Then look at both “halves”. Do you see differences? Do they change with repositioning?

Then zoom in more closely. Does anything change? Can you find any humor in that at which you are looking either with your eyes or with your thoughts?

Lastly, with the latter perspective, find one thing that is appealing in what you’ve noticed. Zoom in. Move around it. What new do you see?

Despite my saying “lastly”, you are of course welcome to continue your exploration.

When finished, please post your experience in the COMMENTS section below.

As always, have fun and open up to new possibilities.

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Breaking the Rules – Boynton Beach Sunrise and a Tern – Picture to Ponder – v6-44

by Sheila Finkelstein on November 10, 2010

As I was searching for photos for today’s issue of Picture to Ponder, I was drawn into the rhythm of the waves and the subtle reflections of the rising sun in Boynton Beach, FL two weeks ago. Some of the magic is lost in the smaller size here, so I’m including a link to a slightly larger version if you wish to click on the photo and be with that photo for a moment or two.

If you wish to spend a few more minutes and experience the rolling waves and listening to the sounds, I invite you to check out my Boynton Sunrise Video leading up to the scene captured below.

Originally, particularly because of the white and the fact that it was on the beach, I assumed the bird in the lower photo was a sea gull. Then, the orange beak had me check it out on Google where I learned that it’s a Tern. You can see a cute 20-second video of his scurrying on the beach at Tern Video. Stay with it for the last two or three seconds and you’ll see his “family.’

Today’s Featured Photos –

sunrise on Boynton Beach

orange-billed tern

As state above, sunrise at Boynton Beach and a Tern on the beach.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
I spent quite a bit of time today in looking to “adjust” the sunrise photo, cropping it to accommodate “the rules” – the rule of thirds in creating a good photographic composition. Following this “rule” the subject would never be in the center of the photo. That is, the sun would not be smack in the middle. And, as I look at it again, though the sun is central, my eye is drawn to the waves which, in fact, are in the lower third and the focus of interest for me.

Then moving on to the photograph of the tern. His beak is in the upper third corner, his tail is almost in the lower. I suppose this would thus “qualify” as a well done photo. On the other hand he is looking away from us, not usually a good idea, according to the “rules.”

I ultimately decided, today to present the photos that “felt” good and they seem to work fine.

In line with my description above, I invite you, once again, to look into your own life. Is there any place that you are so caught up in what you think are the rules that you are not allowing yourself to play “full out”?

If so, and you were to give yourself permission to look beyond what you think are the rules, might there be something new or expansive that could open up for you? If so, I invite you to take it on.

And, as I final thought today, I suggest you might also check out with another person, or persons, what their interpretation of the situation is; the same as yours, or different? What might the openings here be for you?

As always, have fun and open up to new possibilities.

Then please post your experience in the COMMENTS section below.

New in the Gift Shop –

garlic parts on tileI just received my latest order of new products from my Gift Shop. If you read last week’s issue of Picture to Ponder and the one a few weeks back, you’ll know how excited I’ve been with this particular garlic image. So last week I put it on a Tile and WOW! I am thrilled.

These tiles are great as coasters, hot plates and/or decorative on a small table easel.

abstract silky garlic image on a year-at-a-glance calendarUsing Photoshop, I also placed the garlic pieces on top of the silky abstract image of a portion of the garlic that I featured in Picture to Ponder last week and had it printed on a year-at-a-glance calendar.

Though I’m not anxious for 2010 to end, I can’t wait until January when this calendar and image will have the central spot on my refrigerator. I also purchased a couple more of the calendars – different images. I will cut off the photo on at least one and frame it!

silk mandala on a tileLastly, in addition to the above and other garlic image products, I had the silk mandala of two weeks ago printed on a tile also.

You can see this at Mandala 1 Tile and other products with this silk image on Mandala.

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Silk – Texture or Reality, Perception and Focus – Picture to Ponder – v6-issue43

by Sheila Finkelstein on November 3, 2010

Today’s issue of Picture to Ponder evolved from some of my experience of “creating” during the last two days. I wound up spending a good amount of time adding new images to products in my Nature Art Gift shop. This included creating prints of the silk painted mandala featured in last week’s Picture to Ponder as well as portions of the garlic bulb imagery below. Also at a customer’s request I put the “Sh*t Happens – I find the beauty” on a mug. She loves the message and wanted one for herself and one for a gift.

After working on the mug I went to the garlic bulb segments featured here and on the blog in September. I particularly love the photograph and wanted to have it on a calendar in my kitchen. (The calendars are actually a very cost effective way of getting 8X10 -approx – prints. I simply cut off the calendar part when finished, or before.)

As I started working with the photo in Photoshop Elements, I “accidentally” focussed in on one portion of it. I then became enraptured with the silky texture and created a page with some variations on one of my sites. Stilll excited, I’ve put a composite of three of them here for

Today’s Featured Photos –

3 views of garlic bulb

As you can see the top two are the same view rotated 90 degrees, each projecting a different feeling. The “silkiness” that so appeals to me remains in both.

For the bottom image I created a “montage”, mainly to show the original image with which I had started. There are a couple of more images on the garlic page where it is easier to spend time with each image separately.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
Today’s experience and story relates to being open to the unexpected, focusing in and shifting perspectives.

I am assuming that more than likely you never pay too much attention to a garlic bulb if/when you take it apart to get separate the cloves. In the case of the above two segments I was taken aback when I made the “discovery”, kept the pieces for photographing and for further exploration with my camera. Ultimately, as evidenced by the above, the photographs themselves became another playground for exploration.

Is there anything that has caught your eye or attention recently that you chose to spend some time with and look at in a different way? If yes, what opened up for you out of that experience? If no, I invite you to find something very “ordinary” and see what new you can mentally/imaginatively create from it. And, of course, even if “yes”, I suggest you do this.

I also invite you to really zoom in on pieces of the object, person or situation and see what new you can find. Does the shift in visual perspective, create any other changes for you?

As always, have fun and open up to new possibilities.

Then please post your experience in the COMMENTS section below.

Upcoming – Jump Start Course for Your Brain
My friend Suzanne Holman, who is doing the three week Jump Start Course for Your Brain sent me five page report with tips for maintaining Brain Health. She said I can pass it on to you. In PDF format, I invite you to download it at BRAIN HEALTH FOR BOOMERS.

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Claiming Pride or Bragging – Silk Painting in Mandala Form – Picture to Ponder – v6 – issue 42

by Sheila Finkelstein on October 27, 2010

Today’s featured photos are in somewhat of a reverse order. I was very excited with a mandala I painted on silk this past weekend. I am thus sharing it here in the top photo. The lower, unidentified yellow flower is photographed in front of my house in mid-day bright sun. This caused the background to be “blown out.” It’s here today not as a “good” photo. Rather it’s an illustration for part of today’s story below.

Speaking of “stories”, if you are one who enjoys mine, I invite you to check out the Partner Story page that I created through the eyes of a possible business partner.

It came from a free flow writing assignment I gave myself as part of my “30 Day Impossible Goal” discussed in the past two issues. The, thus-far, imaginary story could have been written by someone experienced in business who loves turning creativity and ideas into money. If you know anyone who might have an interest, or know someone else who would, please refer him or her to the Story Page or to the Business Partner page.

I also want to bring attention to the section after today’s Self-Reflecting Queries wherein I’m inviting you to check out two different, exciting, upcoming programs.

Today’s Photos –

Silk Painting - Mandala 1 by Sheila Finkelstein

Yellow flower sparked silk painting mandala 1

The top silk mandala was photographed placed on white tissue paper over yellow fabric. The tissue is creating the texture.

The lower one is, as I wrote above, an unidentified flower in front of my house.

Today’s Photo Story –
I am participating in a three-week Women’s Creativity Workshop using silk painting as part of the process. In the second session, after a discussion warm-up, during which the facilitators introduced the “Circle” and “Mandala” as concepts, we were shown some examples in books and a few samples painted on silk.

I was particularly drawn to a couple of the mandalas where hearts were used as the central focus, singly or in repetition. Although I loved the heart, there was the stronger part of me that didn’t want to be a “copycat.” Even though whatever I did would be very different, somehow I wanted it to be my own idea.

As I was “pondering” all of these made-up, head-game stories, I looked out the window and from across the yard a yellow flower, similar to the one above, on a bush in a distance, caught my eye. My mantra “take a picture of anything that catches your eye” kicked in. This time I did not grab the camera, I went for the brush and started my second silk painting, the one above, with the yellow flower as the center focus.

Yes, I know, the one I painted has 5 petals and the one in the photo has six, so I’m not sure if it is the same flower. Next time I will make sure to use the camera also to “capture” what catches my eye. [NOTE – Thank you to KI, for her email pointing out that she saw 5 petals in both.  Looking at the yellow flower with fresh eyes, I see, of course, only 5 petals. Don’t know how it came to be 6 in my thinking.]

Bottom line, I love the above painting. I did one other last week. You can see it and my first silk painting on Silk Paintings. There is a link there also to see the beautiful silk paintings of Virginia Wilson, the instructor.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
Today’s experience and story relates to making decisions on subject matter for a painting, whether to use someone else’s idea or your own, or the former and make it your own. There really isn’t a “right” or “wrong” here in the situation I described above.

The point in even bringing it up is the invitation for you to look at your patterns in choosing your own actions. Does something have to be your own idea? If so, does the same carry through when working with another on a partnered project?

In reflecting on this, is there something that you now see that might empower you in future actions with yourself and with others?

And, in a totally different conversation, given I was sharing something of which I am feeling very proud, I invite you to look into your recent, or older, activities. What can you find that leaves, or left, you feeling quite proud?

Did you publicly claim this in any way? If not, might there have been a fear of the old “not right to brag” conversations running you?

In either case, I invite you to publicly claim an act or action of which you are proud and post it in the COMMENTS section of this post on the BLOG

Please do “play” with these queries. Have fun and open up to new possibilities.

Two Upcoming Programs –
Tomorrow night, Thursday, October 28th, Marney Makridakis is facilitating a f*r*e*e Teleparty, ACT in Action – A Closer Look at the ARTbundance program. It will include coaches working and playing with clients and an ARTsignment with a follow-up workbook with more exercises for those who registered (no charge) for the call.

Marifran Korb, www.soulfulsolutions.com, who followed the link here last week to the no charge ARTbundance AWE of Attraction replay wrote to me: “Oh, I meant to tell you that I LOVED Marney’s ArtAbundance class. I am so grateful you sent the info to me. I want to make a whole lot of lenses for my KaLOVEascope. Her creativity with words and concepts is magnificent and
inspiring.”

And another wrote, “I forgot to tell you how obsessed I am with ArtellaLand!!! WOW!!” Again, see ACT in Action for the 10/28 call and ARTbundance for replay of call from two weeks ago.

And – If you are one who has concerns about memory issues, even the common ones we all have, and want tools for sharpening your memory, I invite you to check out the upcoming program my friend Suzanne Holman is doing – Jump Start Course for Your Brain On her page she states, “Are you ready to sharpen your focus, improve your ability to remember, and totally optimize your brain?” Simply click on Brain for details and to hear Suzanne’s very brief introduction.

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