Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Icicles
Our assignment: icicles. Icicles in February?!? We have a month to capture icicles for the Photo Club and lucky for us, we have had a beautiful week with high temperatures (that would be around the 0 degree Celsius mark!) and a lot of melting happening. It also means that it's a little easier on the fingers and the camera - not the -25 (plus wind chill) weather that is normal for this time of the year.
I was honored to be asked to be part of the Photo Club, but more important than being a part of it and exchanging ideas, it will be my motivation to get my camera out and snap away. I don't want to be empty handed when we meet again next month! One of my photographer friends said that 2010 may not have been the best year for me picture-wise because I was so pictured-out from 2009, and I quite agree. My camera and I have not been seeing 'eye-to-eye' for a while now!
But icicles, how was I going to capture them? Again, the weather was important and not only that, but the time of day to go out and shoot. With the sun out, if you wait too long in the day, the icicles have all but disappeared. So yesterday I had some time in the morning and I headed into town. I had a few buildings in mind that had some possibility. As I drove around town, my eyes were on the move. And as I started looking around, I found icicles in the most unexpected places - none of the buildings I had in mind worked out.
After getting a few keepers, I was actually motivated to keep shooting and so I trudged through knee-deep snow (yes, it's melting, but there's been A LOT of it this year) and had the most fun I've had with my camera in a long while. I'm looking forward to some great Photo Club meetings, but the club has already done what I was hoping for. And with more spring on its way, here's hoping that my camera will always be close at hand to capture icicles, or whatever else should strike my fancy as I continue to grow and learn in my photography.
I was honored to be asked to be part of the Photo Club, but more important than being a part of it and exchanging ideas, it will be my motivation to get my camera out and snap away. I don't want to be empty handed when we meet again next month! One of my photographer friends said that 2010 may not have been the best year for me picture-wise because I was so pictured-out from 2009, and I quite agree. My camera and I have not been seeing 'eye-to-eye' for a while now!
But icicles, how was I going to capture them? Again, the weather was important and not only that, but the time of day to go out and shoot. With the sun out, if you wait too long in the day, the icicles have all but disappeared. So yesterday I had some time in the morning and I headed into town. I had a few buildings in mind that had some possibility. As I drove around town, my eyes were on the move. And as I started looking around, I found icicles in the most unexpected places - none of the buildings I had in mind worked out.
After getting a few keepers, I was actually motivated to keep shooting and so I trudged through knee-deep snow (yes, it's melting, but there's been A LOT of it this year) and had the most fun I've had with my camera in a long while. I'm looking forward to some great Photo Club meetings, but the club has already done what I was hoping for. And with more spring on its way, here's hoping that my camera will always be close at hand to capture icicles, or whatever else should strike my fancy as I continue to grow and learn in my photography.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentine's Mission Accomplished!
With no valentine of my own and my family all away, I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day a little differently this year. I picked up some 35 cent fair trade chocolates from Ten Thousand Villages and set off. People that I personally encountered throughout the day received one at the end of our interaction and it's amazing the smiles that crept across faces that were not expecting a thing from me including the secretary at school, my teller at the bank, and my doctor. What's better than getting a gift you expect? - one that's totally unexpected and a huge surprise (even if it's a very small gift)! Valentine's mission accomplished!!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Chocolate
As we celebrate the love in our lives today, I beg of you to consider where the chocolate gifts that you buy come from. PLEASE BUY FAIR TRADE CHOCOLATE! So much chocolate, especially big corporations like Hershey's, use CHILD LABOR to harvest the cocoa. Why would they do this? - It's simply a matter of money: more money in Hershey's pockets.
I read the article "Valentine's Day activists say chocolate uses child labour, finances Ivory Coast's Gbagbo" from the Winnipeg Free Press (www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/activists-say-valentines-day-chocolate-uses-child-labour-finances-ivory-coasts-gbagbo-116153054.html) and it made me SO angry. I want to know why companies like Hershey's refuse to use certified cocoa. How can the bottom line be so much more important than the future of our children? Yes, OUR children because we are all truly connected and no child deserves to grow up working. They deserve to laugh and play, to learn and be safe. They should never be working their lives away, especially for our luxury. Let us remind ourselves that chocolate is a luxury, NOT a right we have.
I read the article "Valentine's Day activists say chocolate uses child labour, finances Ivory Coast's Gbagbo" from the Winnipeg Free Press (www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/activists-say-valentines-day-chocolate-uses-child-labour-finances-ivory-coasts-gbagbo-116153054.html) and it made me SO angry. I want to know why companies like Hershey's refuse to use certified cocoa. How can the bottom line be so much more important than the future of our children? Yes, OUR children because we are all truly connected and no child deserves to grow up working. They deserve to laugh and play, to learn and be safe. They should never be working their lives away, especially for our luxury. Let us remind ourselves that chocolate is a luxury, NOT a right we have.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
TransFair Canada
More Fair Trade information - just in time for the One-Month Challenge (fairtrademanitoba.ca/get-involved/omc/), starting tomorrow! Head to TransFair Canada at transfair.ca.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Bata Project Pins Have Arrived!
Both my mom and I ordered these cute little pins - the $12 cost pays for 1 year of schooling for a child in the Philippines. If you haven't already, check it out at bataproject.org - personal delivery for those of you in Winnipeg!
Friday, February 11, 2011
World Press Photo
Check out the article about this year's World Press Photo award winners:
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/image-of-afghan-woman-whose-nose-was-cut-off-by-taliban-wins-1st-prize-at-world-press-photo-115862979.html
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/image-of-afghan-woman-whose-nose-was-cut-off-by-taliban-wins-1st-prize-at-world-press-photo-115862979.html
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
War Dance Trailer
I have advocated for it before and now I've found the trailer for War Dance! I'm hoping this will motivate you to go out and rent it or buy it. If your rental store doesn't have it, ask them why not and see if they'll get it in for you. Also check out War Dance Returns at shineglobalwebtv.com/films/movie/war-dance-returns/23227
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Story of Electronics
Check out the newest video from The Story of Stuff: Electronics at storyofstuff.org/electronics
Monday, February 7, 2011
One-Month Challenge 2011
Are you ready for the one-month challenge?
"Manitobans are invited to take up the challenge by consuming fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate - rather than conventional brands - for the period of from Valentine’s Day, February 14th to March 15th. Sign-up is available at www.fairtrademanitoba.ca."
Hey, and why don't we also increase the challenge to buying fair trade Valentine gifts at stores like Ten Thousand Villages (www.tenthousandvillages.ca) or Jolica (www.jolica.com/ladawn.siemens)?
"Manitobans are invited to take up the challenge by consuming fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate - rather than conventional brands - for the period of from Valentine’s Day, February 14th to March 15th. Sign-up is available at www.fairtrademanitoba.ca."
Hey, and why don't we also increase the challenge to buying fair trade Valentine gifts at stores like Ten Thousand Villages (www.tenthousandvillages.ca) or Jolica (www.jolica.com/ladawn.siemens)?
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Perspective
Today was a brand new experience for me - the first time teaching Sunday School! I have 8 weeks with these youth, learning more about photography and about God. I'm calling it "Perspective" and by the end it's my hope that everyone will gain a new perspective on God or in photography or, at the very least, simply start to see things differently.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
My Life
In the regular-ness of life, I sometimes forget that extraordinary things are happening all around me. When people hear about my travel experiences they always ask, "So where are you going next?" I average about 3 years between trips - 2003 was Austria, 2006 was Turkey and 2009 was Hawaii/Panama/Costa Rica/South Africa - so I guess that means 2012 should be the next trip. That may or may not happen, but I have to remind myself that life also happened between those trips, as it does right now. I'm not very good at it, but my last trip really taught me to live in the moment - not to always plan for tomorrow, but to enjoy today. And that's really difficult for a person like me who wants to be in control and know what's going on, not just now but into the future. Not knowing the future is such a struggle and yet it seems like it's the way my life is - I don't really stay anywhere, doing the same thing for very long.
As I look back on 2010, I sometimes have to pinch myself. I probably spoke to about 15 or so groups (churches, schools, etc). For someone who just wants to be invisible and do what she needs to do without stirring things up, I seem to have defied the odds. I have conversations I never thought I would have - about prostitution and human trafficking - with people I never thought would ever cross my path. Without a car until September, I taught a photography class, started selling Jolica, subbed, and sold Threads of Hope and Little Travels at the summer festivals (thanks Mom and Dad for your vehicles!). After getting a car (somehow I actually got a loan), I have been racing around, trying to truly take advantage of the time (and car) I have been given.
I'm not one of those people who had a clear life plan so that by 25 I'll do this and by 30 I'll do that. . .but I can certainly tell you that I never imagined, never in my wildest dreams, the life I have lived so far. Don't get me wrong - I have had more struggles than success along the way, but you've got to be willing to take the bad with the good, right? And I'm not sure what tomorrow holds - I really have no idea where my life is going - but I can tell you the One who holds my life and that's far more important to me.
As I look back on 2010, I sometimes have to pinch myself. I probably spoke to about 15 or so groups (churches, schools, etc). For someone who just wants to be invisible and do what she needs to do without stirring things up, I seem to have defied the odds. I have conversations I never thought I would have - about prostitution and human trafficking - with people I never thought would ever cross my path. Without a car until September, I taught a photography class, started selling Jolica, subbed, and sold Threads of Hope and Little Travels at the summer festivals (thanks Mom and Dad for your vehicles!). After getting a car (somehow I actually got a loan), I have been racing around, trying to truly take advantage of the time (and car) I have been given.
I'm not one of those people who had a clear life plan so that by 25 I'll do this and by 30 I'll do that. . .but I can certainly tell you that I never imagined, never in my wildest dreams, the life I have lived so far. Don't get me wrong - I have had more struggles than success along the way, but you've got to be willing to take the bad with the good, right? And I'm not sure what tomorrow holds - I really have no idea where my life is going - but I can tell you the One who holds my life and that's far more important to me.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Making Music
Growing up, one of my uncle's who didn't see me a lot would ALWAYS ask me, when he did see me, what kind of music I like and I never knew how to answer that question (plus, it really annoyed me!). For me, it's not about a specific type of music (though there are a few types that I'd rather NOT listen to!) and my response was that the music I most enjoyed was the music I made myself. I am not one of those people with a truly natural music talent - I have to work really hard and practice in order to play piano, flute and guitar (oh, and there was a little oboe in grade 12 yet too!).
For about 2 months before Christmas and now for January and February, I have thoroughly enjoyed Tuesday nights playing in a community band. I started out very nervous, trying to figure out my place and having a lot of questions and doubts run through my mind - could I really do this again, after not having played in a big band for more years than I'd like to admit to! It feels so great to practice on my own each week and then fit it all together Tuesday nights. Yep, my very favorite music is the opportunity I have to make it myself!
For about 2 months before Christmas and now for January and February, I have thoroughly enjoyed Tuesday nights playing in a community band. I started out very nervous, trying to figure out my place and having a lot of questions and doubts run through my mind - could I really do this again, after not having played in a big band for more years than I'd like to admit to! It feels so great to practice on my own each week and then fit it all together Tuesday nights. Yep, my very favorite music is the opportunity I have to make it myself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)