Seasons of Love

Today is a special day. Yes I know, there are tons of you out there who absolutely despise this day. I was one of you. I use to be the biggest cynic on this day. I despised everything about this day and then some. All I can tell you is that it will and does get better. As long as you always have an open heart and an open mind, love always figures out a way to creep in and find you. I am one of the lucky ones. I have found a wonderful woman to share this day and my entire life with. Love always wins and it always prevails. I'm dedicating this blog post to all the hopeless romantics out there. May you find love and may love find you.

Uncage my heart, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Berry Much, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Shrooming with Love, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Porcelain Heart, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Untitled, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Strawberry Kisses, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Eternal Love, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Imaginary Friends

I love dragonflies.  I don't know what it is about them, but the fascinate me.  They are magical to me.  There I said it.  When I am in a place where I am surrounded by them, I feel like I am in some sort of fairy tale story.  They are so full of personality.  You can see them do a lot of crazy things if you watch them long enough.  There is a stretch of creek near our home that my wife and I jokingly call the sanctuary.  It is a place I like to go from time to time to just get away from the stresses of life sometimes (mostly work).  It was a discovery by my wife no less.  She found the place originally and could not wait to tell me about it.  I go there quite often as it is conveniently close to the house and I can be there and back before my lunch break is over (one of the advantages of working from home).  For someone who loves macro photography, such as myself, the sanctuary is a buggie paradise.  I have seem so many new to me insects.

Though the sanctuary is not the only treasure trove of dragonfly activity around here.  There is also a greenway nearby that our fair city constructed for joggers, walkers, and cyclists.  Taking your camera there can yield some wonderful finds as well.  I don't take my camera there as often as I would like, we generally go to the greenway for exercise.  I thought I would take the time to share a few of the shots I have of them for your enjoyment.

Daydreaming, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

I dream, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Twelve-spotted Skimmer, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Eastern Pondhawk, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Untitled, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

Hide-N-Seek, a photo by CraptasticPhotog on Flickr.

No Joy for Me in Flickr-land

Well the results are in for the first #Flickr Friday, and it would seem I came up a bit short.  However, there were some fantastic images submitted so in the end I really don't feel bad for not making the blog.  For me, I find it nice to participate in something that is a bit of a challenge.  It gets the juices flowing and actually gives me something to look forward to in meeting such a challenge.  I, like I am sure other photographers do, get a bit stale form time to time.  It just seems everything you do is awful and it always seems like you can't snap it.  The harder you try, the worse it gets.  Then something like this can come along.  Sometimes to get out of a rut, you need to shoot something not so much that you want to shoot, but have something to shoot sort of thrust upon you.  It is nice to get some subject put on you and force you to think in that box, which in a lot of ways is thinking outside your normal box.  I am really looking forward to participating in other challenges in the future.  I got a lot of enjoyment out of it.  Here is a link to the blog entry.  You should go and enjoy the selections that made the Flickr Blog.  Here are a few more shots from my photo adventure for the #Flickr Friday group for your viewing pleasure.

A Flare for the Whimsical

Today I decided it was time to go out and take some pictures.  Yesterday morning I saw that Flickr had started a new group called Flickr Friday.  The premise of the group is very simple.  You get a theme supplied to you every Friday and then you have the entire weekend to go shoot something and have it submitted before Sunday is over.  Things like this can help keep me motivated to grab the camera and go shoot.  So after dinner tonight, I hurriedly grabbed my camera and rushed over to my personal sanctuary that is right down the road from my home and searched for something to shoot.  All while losing day light and realizing I was sorely underdressed and would soon be freezing.  I got the shot though.  I give you my first entry to the group.