…let's give it up for sisters
And all the things they do
Not always so wonderful, but
We'd be lost without you
So keep doing what you do.
-Saint Motel
September
Maple turning in the gardens at Hatley Castle, British Columbia
Breakwater
Ogden Point, Victoria BC
I can’t help but be drawn to these elements, even in new places.
Bound/Influenced
What it feels like to be a wave
Influenced by a small thing you can never touch,
Pushed and pulled always in motion.
To hold such force..
But only within the confines of
That small thing that binds you.
That thing that is smaller than you.
That thing you can never touch.
Maple Silhouette
A wish of noticing,
perspective, prayed for, yielded these thoughts:
Those small things that continue, unassuming and quiet, have their own say.
The beauty of man’s time spent on a monument to concepts cannot overtake that natural diligence of a maple seed growing slowly but surely against a backdrop of “progress”.
the hymn
let her go to the sea
Farewell to 52 Frames
Something different for you today, kiddos! Enjoy :-)
The year was 2020, the time was covid.. I had just pulled myself out of some rough mental places in 2019, juggling two young girls, attempting a photography business, and dealing with unresolved postpartum and life issues. The world experienced a series of unprecedented events, one right after another, leaving us all collectively grasping for any sense of normal in a mess of germs and hatred.
My own reaching found 52 Frames. An online community for photographers, who took on weekly prompts to learn, meet other creatives, and try new techniques. Members ran the gamut of seasoned professionals, to grandmas with iPhones. I loved the diversity in perspectives and experience in a space that kept my craft close while the world sorted itself out. So in 2021, I jumped in. It was a great place for creative accountability. With each week’s new submission, the photo streak number increased, you didn’t quit! Wahoo for a good metric!
Before I knew it, I had completed a full year of 52 images, well on my way to developing an artistic style from the weekly practice. It was a struggle, but it continued to feel something akin to the high you get after running a race. Hard, but happy in hindsight. Another year began, I started to grow confidence in myself as an artist, posting elsewhere on places like IG and Glass. My exposure to other creatives outside of 52 Frames increased. I started meeting these communities in real life, making friends, learning, and being inspired.
Fast forward to 2024.. the world is changed, my kids have grown, and with them, responsibilities outside of creative photography. My client work, while slow, is expanding. Free time for creative expression is harder and harder to come by. Kid activities are demanding more travel time. Our garden/property responsibilities aren’t shrinking either. Many things to prioritize.
And so, last week, after 188 consecutive weeks I said goodbye to the practice.
Did I take my commitment to the whole endeavor too seriously? Yes, yes I did! But I’m massively grateful. So many of the images you see on this blog are directly and indirectly related to time contributing and learning from the platform. I’m happy I kept going, incredibly thankful for all the ideas I now have, and the skills I’ve cultivated. There were and are constraints, but 52 Frames helped me see those as a tool, and not a burden.. well, at least some of the time ;-)
The community is absolutely lovely as well. I could go on and on there, but I’ve already rambled enough. If any of you are reading, thank you so much, for all the time and care and kindness you’ve shown (the internet doesn’t have to be a bad place)!
⚡In summation⚡ if you’re looking for creative resistance training, or help on the journey to finding your “why” with photography, I cannot recommend 52 Frames enough.
On the schedule for tomorrow, less talk, more image! Thanks for reading!
Purple Sand Pipers
early morning beach vignette from 2012
Low Pressure
Freedom and possibility within layers of pressure.
Grateful to look out my window and see metaphor.
Creature #5
In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail we could wag. ~ W. H. Auden
Creature #4
Mollusca phylum on yarrow.
Creature #3
Elephants are contagious. -Paul Eluard
Creature #2
"Have you ever held a snake? They are so strong. You can see why there are so many myths about them: they are unlike any other creature. It's extraordinary how that little brain can keep everything moving in different directions."
- Michelle Paver
Creature #1
"What we see before us is just one tiny part of the world. We get in the habit of thinking, this is the world, but that's not true at all. The real world is a much darker and deeper place than this, and much of it is occupied by jellyfish and things We just happen to to forget all that. Don't you agree? Two-thirds of earth's surface is ocean, and all we can see with the naked eye is the surface: the skin."
- Haruki Murakami
Red
Red, existing in extremes,
unable to be anything but itself.
Commanding passionately at the far end of this visible spectrum.
Orange
the not quite red
speedy, playful,
a fervent Finncoming.
(this guy’s name is Finn. He embodies the color orange)
Yellow
Yellow was a concept
Vastly misunderstood,
So explosive, engulfing,
That riding its expanse felt more scary than thrilling.
It’s opposites were soft and quiet and gentle
Yellow offered paradoxal ending promise of the same
If the color could be survived.
Green
It seems very safe to me to be surrounded by green growing things and water. -Barbara Kingsolve
Blue
A simple kind of blue,
Collected, released, dispersed.
Allowed to exist in many states, and not end.
Blue feels hopeful. Blue feels… simply eternal.
Even when things around are complicatedly finite.
Floral Dreams
the simplicity and beauty of a poppy in full bloom