Week 17: King and I

So this was a very busy week, at least work wise.  Most of it was putting flooring down which can make your knees and back very sore.  But it was rewarding to see everything done.  I was in charge of most of the hard cuts (going around door frames, etc) which was right up my alley with my attention to detail.  Even then I held my own with the expert and helped get half the house done.  Work is a lot funner when your not constantly being rushed or having every minute filled up with work.  Sometimes you just have to tell people no even if they get upset.

 But the real fun was working at the ranch Saturday.  I am learning to walk the horses to the pasture, putting on their halters, and how to make them back up, move forward and stop.  A couple of years ago I would not have stepped near a horse.  Now, well, I love horses now.  This is a picture of King and I:


Sorry no smiling, I was figuring out my phone.  Yes, one of the reasons I got such an expensive phone was the camera.  I take my big camera with me everywhere, but out in the field I cannot have the big camera on me.  Hence, the phone allows me to get the shots now that I would otherwise miss.  Super stoked about that.  Which leads me too:


This little fella we saw as we were working.  He actually was posing for me.  And this was taken with my phone.  Extraordinary detail and you would think I had taken it with my big camera.  No worries, the big camera is not being replaced.  Far from it, I just now have another tool for my creativity.  And bonus, because of Google Photos I can take a picture on my phone camera and then access it on my desktop without hooking my phone up to the computer.  Happiness indeed.  Looks like one of my tablets is going to be decommissioned soon.

Speaking of big cameras, it was getting a work out as well.  I saw the sun and clouds going to work in the morning so had to try and get a shot:


I love the moodiness of this shot.  I love the silhouette of the trees, darkened so the sky and sun have the spotlight.  This was just a fun shot to take.   And when I take pictures first thing in the morning just helps the day go better.

So because of the new phone I have been getting on Instagram more to post shots of Sophie and I and other things I take with my phone.  It is just fun to post and see the reactions of people.  Plus on Instagram I do not see all the political stuff.  Seems I see more artistic endeavors.  And so I am being drawn away from Facebook except for my 52 week challenge group.  I get lots of feedback and can put just about anything on the group and feel part of the group.  On our regular newsfeed it seems things are very sporadic.  Just some observations.   A close friend of mine has actually quit Facebook.  That will not happen with us any time soon, Ginger keeps more connected to Facebook than I do.

So I decided to go out on a limb and submit a Photo Story to a magazine with a few of my pictures dealing with mental disorders.  Don't know if it will go anywhere, but I just could not get it out of my head to submit it.  Since it is a subject dear to my heart, I would love to see it put in the magazine.  We shall see.  Seems I am taking more steps to put my work out there.  But I have learned something about myself.  I find more joy if I just take pictures with my creativity taking the lead.  Regardless of likes and comments.  Those two things are just becoming less and less important.  As I write my blogs I can see how many people view it.  And I see what subjects send people in a frenzy to look at my blog and what subjects people run from.  It's almost like peer pressure.  Write this, take a picture of this and we will look at it, veer away and we won't.  So the tendency would be to write what people want.  Well, I am the wrong person for that.  I don't take pictures for others.  I take them for the fun and story telling.  I take them to tell a story, for therapy, to mention a subject, to have fun.  And those of a like mind (like my creative friends across the pond) understand that.  I have read several articles on Fstoppers and Petapixel that talk about following your heart, not your followers.  Reminds me of high school where if you were the cool kid you wore Polo or Izod.  That wasn't me.  And still isn't.  Because truly, those who like me like me for me, not what I do or what I post.

Baa



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