Photography

Blue Skies on Both Sides of (or Above) the Clouds

As I’ve mentioned before (and you’re probably starting to realize), I’m kind of obsessed with taking nature photos…and especially sky photos. Nature presents so many metaphors and can help you see things in a different perspective. Or maybe I’m just easily distracted because of the ADHD and nature is always there trying to grab my attention, so I fall victim to it. But, honestly…of all the things that distract me, I gotta say nature’s my favorite.

When I saw this sky scene the other afternoon, I had to capture it. The metaphor is so very in-your-face (or at least it was in mine).

Clouds come, but blue skies will come again.

As much as it doesn’t feel like it sometimes, pain is only temporary. If you can hang in there for just a little longer, things will get better and you’ll start to see the beauty in life again. Learn from your storms and you will be stronger for them. You’ll also appreciate the blue skies more for you know what it is like to live without them. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and such. 🙂

Also, aesthetically speaking, I’m just really drawn to the contrast between the central cloud formation and the blue sky on both sides of it…and the way the sun seems to be peeking through the clouds, like it’s about to bust through and completely transform the scene. Sure, there’s more metaphor there, but it all boils down to the same thing…there’s always a reason to hope. Have faith and patience and the sun will eventually break through even your darkest cloud.

Capturing Nature Through Photography

There was supposed to be a meteor shower the other morning, so I Googled and Googled all about how to capture one in photograph. I mean, I researched the heck out of it…and had my camera all setup and ready to go. Even laid out my clothes and shoes, so I could just hop up and get to shooting.

Unfortunately, the meteor shower proved to be uneventful, at least in my neck of the woods. However, all the researching and preparing got me itching to take some photos. Then my dad asked me to take some random photos of our house…not very interesting ones, but it still forced me to bring my camera outside.

I took the photos for my dad and started to walk back up towards the house. Then I started looking around and I realized there were a lot of cool, nature things happening right in my back yard. So, I started shooting. I was playing around with the manual settings more than I have in a long time.

Life has gotten in the way and I haven’t had much time to devote to my photography, but it’s definitely another one of those things that helps calm my ADHD / OCD mind. Zeroing in on the perfect shot brings a kind of focus that my ADHD mind rarely gets to feel. And my OCD nature pushes me to have the patience to get that perfect shot…or at least to keep trying.

Nature photography kind of makes sense for me. It’s the combination of two of my favorite things and I can get lost doing it for hours. Needless to say, I took over 200 photos during my mini-shoot. Part of what’s so awesome about photography is that you get the chance to share your perspective on a moment or, in this case, a scene in nature. When an experience touches your soul in a good way, photography gives you the opportunity to pass it on and touch somebody else’s soul.

Don’t worry, I only pulled five photos from the 200+, so you’re not going to be forced to see the natural world through my eyes for the rest of your night. But, I did want to share a few…just in case you needed something to brighten your evening (meaning the nature itself, not necessarily my creative interpretation via photo).

They’re not perfect, but taking them did make me want to take more. Here’s hopin’ (for my sake) that this was the push I needed to get back into photography. I used to shoot weddings…I used to sell my photos in (small) galleries and in local shops…I used to just take more photos. It’s been years since I really allowed myself to get lost behind the lens. It definitely reminded me how important it is for me to do creative things on a regular basis, though.

That said, my knowledge of flowers is fairly limited, so the file names are pretty boring…and I must have used up all of my creativity, so there are no titles…but you get the idea.

Thanks for taking a peek, guys! Hope you liked ’em!

The World Through Smudged and Cracked Rose-Colored (ADHD) Glasses

It may seem odd that I’m posting a sunrise photo at night. Although, if I hadn’t called myself out, you probably would have figured it for a sunset photo instead. The fact that it’s a sunrise in the photo is kind of the point (even if it weren’t, I’m ridiculously honest, so I probably still would have told you).

See, guys, we all have bad days. Some are worse than others and sometimes we can’t even pinpoint why.

I’m a little lost at the moment and I’m trying to hold myself accountable by proclaiming my optimism through this photo. While ADHDers are known for missing some of the in-your-face details, we often get to see things that others simply gloss over…especially in nature.

Nature is synonymous with salvation (or at least serenity) for a lot of people with ADHD. It’s that way for me at least. Nature can bring you joy, even on your worst day. It can also open your eyes to a wisdom you had forgotten…or had never been privy to before. I think that’s part of why recreational therapy is so successful for ADHDers.

Every day is a new day, my friends. That’s a lesson nature has taught me countless times. It is my hope that this simple sunrise photo will help you see both the wisdom and beauty in that truth.

No bad day can last forever, even if it sometimes seems that way. We are given a fresh start with each rising sun and thus, a chance to embrace a new perspective.

The answers don’t always come when we want them to. Maybe that’s nature’s way of letting us know we’re not really in control. Regardless, answers come when they’re supposed to and only if they’re supposed to. There are certain questions we’ll never know the answers to, but hopefully we can learn to let go and let life lead the way.

You’re never as lost as you feel. And every morning you’re given the chance to find your way.

We must all be open to trying again. We must all be open to seeing beauty where others may not even look. We must all be open to hope….

Painted Skies and ADHD Optimism

“…because blue skies should always be acknowledged.” – Enough said. (Okay, not really because I have a little more to say.)

I mean, we’re all going to have bad days (ADHD or not). There’s no getting away from that. But, the trick is…to keep hanging on for the good days. They’ll come…they always do.

The thing about ADHDers, though, is that, for as much as we struggle, we tend to have this underlying optimism. Maybe it’s just that we’ve forgotten about the bad by the time something good comes along, so we can embrace the good easier than most. But I don’t really think that’s it. I think that our ADHD struggles, as with most struggles in life, have made us thankful for those moments when the sun is shining and things are good.

To be clear, I didn’t exactly have the best day today or anything. In fact, I didn’t like it much at all. But the sky kind of speaks to me when it’s all painted and awesome like this and I’m a little obsessed with attempting to capture it in all its glory. Awesome skies do have a knack for cheering me up, even if only briefly. Most of the time, I feel called to share the pictures, too. Like, somehow, if the painted sky is making me happy in the moment, maybe it’ll work for somebody else out there who might need it, too.

So, guys, after last night’s wicked long blog entry, I leave you with the first (of likely many) sky pictures. I hope you’ll find some inspiration or hope…or maybe just appreciate that there are a lot of really good blues in the shot.