Park Benches and Such

My last blog was written by guest blogger, Galen Pearl of 10 Steps to Finding Your Happy Place (and Staying There).  Her amazing post invited a lot of readers and a LOT of comments!!  It was great, and I was humbled and honored by all the visitors and their great observations, but it was also a little overwhelming.  I wanted to engage with all these wonderful visitors, but found it a little impossible.  I work on a computer all day for my day job and commute about 3 hours a day.  By the time I get home, cook, eat dinner… whew!!!  All I want to do is sit on that park bench!

Wait.  Park bench?  What park bench?  The one that Galen chose to write her blog about “The Curiosity of Not Knowing“.  Looking at the image, you can’t tell it’s a park bench.  It looks more like a funky tunnel, and based on the comments, most people couldn’t see it.  And, I guess that was my point when I took the image.  It was at a time when I didn’t have the kind of camera I wanted to have.  I wanted a dSLR (a digital camera with interchangeable lenses) but I only had a point and shoot.  (Oh, and for all who are wondering if I had an image of the full bench, I don’t.  Sorry. ) Anyways….

I could have been really sad and frustrated about not having the kind of camera I wanted, but instead, I decided I wanted to max it out.  Whenever I can, I try and get myself into that mindset.  In any given situation, whether it’s what I want or not – especially if it’s not what I want, I try and see what I can get out of it.  What can I learn?

In this case, I decided to play with composition and point of view.  I spent many a day wandering around and trying to develop my eye to see – especially to see the unusual, the different, the beautiful.  I have lots of images from parking lots, sidewalks, and parks.  Yeah, I was also frustrated that I couldn’t travel too!  🙂  What I wanted to prove to myself and others is that beauty can be found anywhere if you just look and that it’s not all about equipment.  It’s what you do with what you have.

So, what are you doing with what you have?  Are you letting what you don’t have limit you?  No need.  Max it out!  Learn what you can.  And when you get what it is you feel like you are missing, you’ll appreciate it that much more.

Any guesses what this image is from? 

Lynn, MA Click here to purchase.