Metta Prayer

May all beings be peaceful.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings awaken to the light

of their true nature.

May all beings be free.

Putting People in Nature

"When out with his camera the photographer must feel whether he wishes figures in his landscape or not. He must say to himself, 'This view wants a figure exactly there, and it must be a light figure or a gray figure or a black figure.' For the life of him he may not be able to say why he wants a figure there. It is sufficient for him to know that its addition will make his photograph more satisfactory. If he has patience and waits long enough the figure will come. Then his friends will say, 'What a lucky snapshot; how well that figure comes there; an artist could not have put it in a better place.'"

--Frank Sutcliffe

Two Points of View

"The sun reveals untold beauties. ... Words cannot express or describe it. But the truthful camera tells the tale, and tells it well."

--Andrew Joseph Russell

"The sun is very troublesome: It forces, it imposes. Slightly overcast conditions allow you to move freely around your subject."

--Henri Cartier-Bresson

Bees in Decline?

It's worth pondering. Without bees, no flowers, no fruits, no vegetables....

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Study-sheds-light-on-bee-decline-threatening-crops

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/09/29/decline-in-honeybees-highlights-importance-of-wild-pollinators/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_bee

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6244317.ece#

Trees

Here's a poem by Liz Waldner that I'd like to share. It's titled "On Moving Again":

This evening, walking along the long field
My eye was drawn to a living shimmer in the sky:
Three aspens alone alive in a world of almost motionless
Cottonwood and willow and Chinese elm trees.

The breeze that barely stirred the others
Sprang it free, spangling leaves like light on water,
An electric flutter, the secret energy
In the heart of the world revealed. Free.

An aspen leaf might believe itself inordinately busy
(especially comparatively) and certain therefore
It will expire prematurely, useless, stupid, failed.
From where I stood, it was the most beautiful thing to see.

My life could be similarly pleasing to God.
I guess this could be service enough for me.

--Liz Waldner

Our Home

If humankind continues to look at ourselves as intruders in Nature, as interlopers, we will never begin to take responsibility for our relationship with Earth. Only when we finally recognize ourselves as a natural part of the life of the planet will we cease to destroy what we are part of.

"Flower Power"

"Flower Power," an exhibit of my floral photography, opens tomorrow, September 2, at the Greenburgh Town Hall. The collection features two dozen closeup photos of a wide variety of blossoms, from iris and poppy to hibiscus and orchid, in yellows, oranges, pinks, blues, and more. Here is just a small sampling of the images I've chosen for the exhibit:

Greenburgh Town Hall is located at 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY. The building is open weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you have a chance, please stop by.