We had
planted a new dahlia and her huge bud was just starting to swell. I
would go
outside (a few footsteps from the
doorway) every single day
and photograph this flower for
her whole lifespan. I would not expect
to either enjoy the learning process or to capture
photographs with
which I would be satisfied. The sole purpose of this was to explore my
curiosity about digital photography and
try to embrace this learning
curve and see what
the view would be like from the "hilltop".
A
Youthful Lady Dahlia, Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6
by SLaF, Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital Photography, All
Rights Reserved
The long and the
short of this story is
that my study of this learning curve became some-
what graceful; I
glimpsed some of Joseph's vision, and then applied my absolute
determination to getting to the top of
the hill. I made a new friend, named "Lady Dahlia".
I am very serious
about this friendship. It was an amazing spiritual experience, this
intellectual exercise to visit, spend
time with, and watch the many
little changes in the life-
span of this flower. I thought a lot
about
our human ideas of beauty and aging and all
that there is "right there"
for us to learn and discover if we take the time and attention to
look
and to see. A book will be forthcoming out of this "exercise"; it will
be
a photobook with
some of my reflections and thoughts.

Web On Wire , Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6 by SLaF, Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital Photography, All
Rights Reserved
This "exercise" occurred in the Summer
of 2002. I
have oodles of photos of Lady Dahlia.
I think that enough time has
passed that I can start to go back to those photos and
start working on
this book..
Joseph has bought me two additional
digital cameras [and a Digital MiniDV Recorder]
since that initial one, and I admit
that I am almost
completely "happily converted".
When we go out on a shoot I often shoot
several hundred images in two or three three
hours. Even if finances allowed,
I would not do anything comparable with my Contax.
I certainly did take
multiple shots of very similar images with my Contax, and knew the
value of taking time to look and be
very careful. The cost to the
environment seems too
heavy to indulge my passion in such a
manner.

Mergansers ~ Late Spring, Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6 by SLaF, Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital Photography, All
Rights Reserved
I very much love the immediate feedback
that digital photography allows. We often take
a thermos of coffee and
some treats with us when out on a shoot. I love to be outdoors in
all
kinds of weather, temperatures, light and often get wet or chilled.
Once I got 'up close
and personal' (!) with
poison ivy (trouble is that I did
not know - there is no poison ivy,
and there are no cars coming, or
possible dangers of any
kind when "zen-ing with the
camera").
Mergansers {Details} ~ Late Spring, Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6 by SLaF, Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital Photography, All
Rights Reserved
Until
recently when we greatly expanded
our memory capacity, we did not turn around
and head home until I had
filled the memory card/stick. Then, we'd set about getting
warmed-up,
sometimes including allowing the camera to warm up (and change the
battery) and "presto" we would sit down
together at the computer and
watch
the picture
show. We would pour over each and every
image, often
zooming in, sharing our critiques
and appreciations with each other.

Island
Vista ~ Early Spring, Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6 by
SLaF, Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital Photography, All
Rights Reserved
I am very grateful to Joseph for his
gift of digital photography, and for his quiet persis-
tence in
allowing me to move through my own (predictable) resistance and
frustration.
His contributions to my work continue
to be plentiful and
varied -as you can easily see!
He accompanies me on outings almost all
of the time. He knows
that I neither see nor hear
anything else starting from the time I
get
out of the car with my camera and tripod. He
acts as my guard-dog, and
my eyes and ears. He also is a joyful scout, exploring around
and then
persistently working to get my attention when he finds something that
he knows
I just must see! We enjoy the time that
we spend together and
for that we are grateful
Windows On A World, Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6 by SLaF & JVP,
Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital PhotoArt, All
Rights Reserved
Joseph also is totally
responsible for the ongoing learning curve of various inks, papers,
computer software and printers in order
to produce photographs which
meet our satisfaction.
I admit that I am particular about my
expectations of the "finished product". It is very
seldom that any of
my images are cropped for reasons of improving composition; however,
it
is simply amazing to be able to take a
photograph of a beautiful scene
and have telephone
lines unavoidably cutting across the
top corner of
the sky, and know that Joe can edit these
out! ,Very
cool! I pride myself on consciously shooting to 'fill the frame of
the
camera'.
I wonder what would happen if
All of Us
had a Consuming Passion
that would bring us an Overwhelming Sense of "Peace
and Oneness,"
and we All did "It" Simultaneously!
Maybe every thing, or, at least, some things
might
change?!
I wish!!


Old(-er) Barn ~ Filmstrip, Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6 by SLaF & JVP, Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital Photography, All
Rights Reserved


If would like to comment
on anything I have said here,
or would like to give me
feedback on my photography, please do not
hesitate!
You may send a letter to our Sheguiandah
Address, or
Email me at chill1@manitoulinisland-radio.net
~ Our Statement On Privacy ~
We Are Avid
Proponents Of The 'Golden Rule'. And,
As We Greatly Value
Our Privacy, We Will Certainly
Ensure Yours! Rest Assured, Then, That Any
Infor-
mation You Choose To Submit To Us
Will Not Be
Shared, or Made
Available In Any Way.
Any Duplication,
Reproduction, or
Other Use
of the Digital Photographs
Included on this Web Site
Without Written
Permission is Strictly
Prohibited.
Future
Link
To
Cricket
Hill
Playfully
Rendered
PhotoStrip, Manitoulin Island
© 2002-6 by SLaF & JVP, Cricket Hill ~The Digital Darkroom,
Original
Digital Photography, All
Rights Reserved
You
don't pay me for the time
it took me to push the shutter or the cost of the printing and
framing.
You
pay for my ability and
the years of hard work
that made it possible for me to see
and capture such an image!
Manitoulin
Island-Radio.Net
PO Box 79
Sheguiandah,
Ontario P0P 1W0
Canada
Web
Pages Created By
Creative! Web Solutions, 2005
Live out of
your imagination,
not your history. - Stephen
Covey
©
2005 by Manitoulin Island-Radio.Net,
All Rights Reserved

Date Page Created: November
8, 2005
There was never a night or a problem
that could defeat
sunrise or hope. ~
Bern Williams