The past few nights, the moon has been unreal.  In the time I've had my DSLR, I've managed just about every setting except for FULLY MANUAL (focus, setting, etc).  I have been quite frustrated in the education process, to be honest, and gave up for a bit...shooting instead about 80% manual.  But the moonlight begged, completely pleaded, to be caught.  Here's my process...sparing the technical jargon...mainly because I am still unsure what exactly I did.

Here are my subjects..mini calas and one lone dahlia.

The kitchen light is on here so I can actually see my subjects.  In the complete dark, the screen from the camera blinds me (even though there is a sensor that darkens it when I am looking through the view finder)




Here the settings were picking up on the ambient light from the dining room, but still wasn't what I wanted.




Here I was happier with the exposure, but not the focus.




An improvement in both exposure and steady focusing.



This one was a bit too dark


But this...this one was what I was trying to capture...how the moonlight back-lit the glass in such a magical way.



A portrait version.

Abbey because she is so eager to please and well-behaved.

ONE:

I've begun this (I think) good habit of refusing to turn on my computer in the morning until after I've sat in quiet.  My house may not be quiet, but internally - I try to quiet myself.  This may include a pensive cup of coffee while staring out at the cedars, but it almost always includes journaling and reading.  Perhaps it's a lingering desire from my more religious days ("quiet time"), but  I find that without this sacred space, I am quite anxious and unfocused throughout the day.  This morning, I sat with the most delicious cup of Ethiopian coffee and read a few excerpts of Dillard...from both Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (my favorite chapter "Seeing") and A Writing Life.  I also journaled and had Carson and Rilke at the ready.  It is no formula for a good day, as even now - I still feel anxious to begin the day.  But I believe it to be a soulful practice.

TWO:

Vignette: short, impressionistic scenes.

I thought I'd take you around my place...

print via dearcolleen, Ikea frame

bar set: gift from wedding

whiskey glases: crate and barrel via sister-in-law, Julie

toasts book: gift via taddy porter

citrus press: thrifted

ice crusher: thrifted

birdcage: gift via sister, Teresa

bowl: thrifted and repainted white

tea towel: willliams/sonoma, gift via cousin, Erin

citrus: Trader Joe's

out the kitchen window

vase: repurposed Bulleit Bourbon bottle

flowers: mini calas via Trader Joe's

owl wind chime: gift via taddyporter

my very first tomato!
plant gifted via the saint


checking in on the zook.
also gifted via the saint


another one coming in!

I've got a new idea in the brain, one I've been journaling about for a few weeks now, but only just started while on my artist retreat.  I was a bit frustrated with the beginning process, but after a long dinner with BC and Umber, I was able to sort of talk my way over the roadblocks.

(Sidenote: Those two are ridiculously helpful sounding boards)

INTENTIONAL.

(I can see Kelly smirking).

"As for discipline — it's important, but sort of overrated. The more important virtue for a writer, I believe, is self-forgiveness. Because your writing will always disappoint you. Your laziness will always disappoint you. [...] Continuing to write after that heartache of disappointment doesn't take only discipline, but also self-forgiveness." ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

I don't want to chain my gifts down and require them to produce on demand.
 I refuse.

But I do want to give them all the open space they need to breath their way into life.

So I'll just write.

And write and write and write.

I hope you'll read, but I suppose that's not really the point now...

is it?

This time, these 30 minutes...they are all for me.

And me alone.

Of course, I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Instantly!

Like NOW.

Off to write,