
Advertisement
This is my first time posting as part of the Lensbaby Circle Blog, and for this post, I decided to go with just one subject, tulips. This is partly because of the delicious glow the Lensbaby Velevet56 (the lens I used for all of my shots, and so far my only Lensbaby) lends to all photographs, and also because I need new glasses/contacts and am having difficulty focusing in manual, and thought flower close-ups might be easier to practice on. (Note: All shots were taken at f4.) For my April post, I will be brave and mix things up a bit more!
It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Fresh flowers are definitely at the top of the list in my Fibromyalgia Toolkit–especially when they smell as heavenly as lilacs!
Do you ever find yourself in a rut?
I know I do, frequently. My addled fibro-fog prone brain doesn’t help matters, either. When I was in graduate school i had the toughest time finishing papers because my mind would just get stuck, and I couldn’t come up with any more ideas; it was as though my brain was a hamster on its little exercise wheel, running, running, running, and getting nowhere–except frustrated and angry. Or even with my photography, as much as I enjoy it, I still sometimes find myself, camera in hand, looking at a bunch of peonies and thinking, “Dammit, how am I supposed to make these look interesting?”
Some wise mentors/friends of mine gave me great advice, which I try to remember to follow, and sometimes actually do recall: Change things up. Get off the hamster wheel. Study for a different class, take a nap (YES!), go for a walk, meditate for a while, play with the pupster, have some ice cream (the last two are my ideas, of course)…whatever. Just get off that darn squeaky wheel.
Apparently burnout/hamster-wheel-syndrome is common amongst creative people too, as photography books and photographer friends of mine have also given me a number of ideas to help me leap off the wheel. One is to experiment, learn something new, like macro photography…or do only flatlays for thirty days…or shoot the same spot outdoors everyday for a month at different times and observe how the light changes, how it looks at different angles, etc. One of my favorites is a group project a talented friend of mine, Susan Licht (Licht Years blog and Licht Years Photography in Boston), does a couple of times a year on Facebook, called a #weekofdiptychs. Diptychs, according to Merriam-Webster, are
So this past week a number of us did spring-themed diptychs and posted them on Facebook. and I have to admit that it rekindled my passion for photography and my creativity, and most of all, despite a nasty fibro flare, I had fun! Our yard is simply glorious at the moment, blossoms exploding all over the place, the scent of lilac everywhere…
Anyway, here are some of my diptychs. If you like photography, I hope you’ll try doing some of your own! (I use the Moldiv app on my iPhone and you can also create templates in the Lightroom print module, as well as in Photoshop.)
A Benedictine Oblates Take on Life
The best longform stories on the web
It's my chaos and I'll cry if I want to. And laugh. And cackle like a lunatic. Depends on the minute.
The intersection of faith and life.
All things skincare, green beauty and beyond!
Our every encounter leads someone toward beatitude or away from it
Presented by Benedictine University, Campus Ministry
Where the Middle Ages Begin
We are what we think.
The good and the bad of having an illness
Laughing at myself, and learning to love (live with) it!
Photography and Thoughts About Life and Aging
My life with Fibromyalgia
Scotland, Fibromyalgia, Sleep Apneoa, Mental Health, Endometriosis, Osteoarthritis, Nature.
Live A Visible Life Whatever Your Health
loving, living and learning with chronic pain, chronic fatigue and insomnia
Fibromyalgia Support for Women
exploring creativity and spirituality
Jodi Blazek Gehr, Oblate of St. Benedict
Just a Mom that loves her family, coffee & blog.