Aperture and Perspective

Spent the day at a beginner's digital photography class at the Minneapolis Photo Center.  I've had my DSLR for well over a year and was perpetually shooting in auto mode.  Without the proper understanding of my camera's functionality, my pictures were completely hit or miss.  Enough was enough.  Time to learn about all the wheels and buttons, the settings and definitions for things like f-stop or aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.  While I definitely have a lot more to learn, I feel much more knowledgeable. 

In photography, the camera is often able to capture things that the naked eye doesn't even realize is there.  We filter out so much and so quickly.  It is only when our surroundings -- the world around us -- is frozen in a still image that we can fix our gaze on it in any meaningful way.  The act of pausing and reflection is forced.  Similarly, you might take a photograph of a person or thing and, in a certain light or at a specific angle, it is too dark or out-of-focus.  The background may be blown out with harsh light.  The subject hidden in shadow.  While a more expensive lens or sophisticated camera can compensate and make a rough image far more crisp, it can only do so much.  Similarly, a trained photographer can reach into his or her bag of tricks to turn the bad picture into a decent one.  Of course, there are also software packages where a crummy digital image can be edited to a reveal something much better than originally downloaded.  

All of these factors aside, the only way to truly improve the photo, without the use of modern technology, is by physically moving to a different spot in order to see the image from a fresh, new perspective.  The photographer has to change their view for the picture to clear up and come into focus. A few inches to the right, a turn to the side, a couple steps back and 'voila' a beautiful, perhaps even transformative, picture appears.  

Life is like that too.  Stuck in one position -- one view -- can be crippling.  Sometimes we need to take a step or shift our perspective in order to see something brilliant.  Point our eyes upward to the sky and there is immense grandeur.  Move your viewfinder and compose a picture where your subject is not centered, but rather hanging out on the edge of your frame.  What does the rest of the world look like when we aren't at the center of the universe?  Lay down on the ground and what comes into view then?  What are we missing by staying in our auto mode?  There is so much more to contemplate and learn when we play with the dials, change our aperture and take a few well chosen steps. 

Leaves of Grass (and Flowers)

Spent the weekend hanging out with my parents.  Although much of their visit was altogether low key, we had fun just relaxing, going out for breakfast, doing some shopping, etc.

One highlight for me was our trip to the Como Park Conservatory on Saturday.  While warmer weather has descended, snow remains on the ground.  Spring may still be in the distance (I'm not holding my breathe), but inside the greenhouse gardens of Como, it is in full force.  

We walked through the more tropical climes, soaking in the fresh plantings and smells of dirt.  Ferns, palms, all matter of spice & fruit trees can be found here.  Allspice?  Yep.  Mango tree?  Uh huh.  Spotted banana trees and even a cacao tree otherwise known as food of the gods.  Check out those pods:

My favorite, however, has to be the Sunken Garden filled to the brim with brightly colored flowers such as Oriental Lily, Peonies and bleeding hearts.  Just being there took me back about 3 years to Mr. Oz and my wedding day.  We were married in the Sunken Garden on a particularly cold and windy Spring day and I recalled the experience as if it were yesterday.  Such a great place filled with wonderful memories.

Happiness rating = 9.

So, only about half way through my 30 day Happiness photo experiment (I haven't posted on this consecutively, but I think this is day 14) and already clear patterns are coming to light.  After already establishing that the state of being happy is a bit elusive and probably not too sustainable.  I'm much more comfortable with words like content and satisfied to describe my state of being versus full-on happiness.  That said, I find "happy" tends to exist much more when recalling some past event versus a present moment.  Hindsight, it seems, provides a buffer from any previous bad feelings or less than positive thoughts and calls forth mostly the good stuff.  Distance, in the sense of time, does, indeed make the heart grow fonder.  Interestingly, anticipation of a future event also causes unusually high levels of happiness.  The intrigue as to what will happen gets those endorphins pumping too.  

Conclusion: past and future serve as happiness catalysts.  What then of the here and now?  I am less happy in the present, or so it would seem.  Do I just not really know how good things are until they have passed me by?  This assumes, of course, that things really are good and I have no real reason or suspicion to doubt otherwise.  Pulling slightly back from me as an individual, are we as humans constantly reminiscing and pining for those glory days that somehow appear even better in the warm glow of nostalgia?  And likewise, is it just human nature to keep yearning for that ever-elusive "grass is always greener" ideal hiding just around the corner?  How can we be more mindful of what we have in the present moment?  Unlocking this may just be the key to sustainable happiness. 

Is The Blog Dead?

Blatant re-post of content found on my friend's blog, fimoculous.com.  One person's answer to the question, "is the blog dead?"  I liked it so much I had to share here.  The concept that blogs represent yet another evolutionary rung in the ladder of communication progression, well, it resonates.  As a culture, we are continuously looking for the faster and easier, the less taxing form of conveying information so blogs are being outdone by abbreviated Twitter feeds and Facebook 'like' buttons.  

Love what the author says about the lacking thoughtfulness and engagement that some of these newer forms of info sharing offer us.  Yes, it's fast but is it fulfilling?  Me thinks not. The comment on two-way engagement is also hitting on some of my own difficulties in maintaining an active blog "life."  When I start to feel like I'm just talking to myself, it feels a little creepy.  Scroll to the bottom for some recommendations on blogs to check out.

Would love to know what you think. Read on:

Is blogging dead? I don't want it to be, which is another reason I tried to revivify this blog, which was about 10 years old and staggering around like a zombie. In my opinion, there should be room in our online discourse for blogs like this one -- offering a consistent, often thoughtful perspective, collecting and observing things of interest to its readers. But being consistent, thoughtful, and observant requires effort and time, and it requires the same of its audience.
And that, I think, is why blogging, for the most part, appears to be moribund: Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit, etc., are media that have evolved such that there is no expectation of prolonged engagement with pieces of content on the part of their writers or readers. Consider the recent widespread use of the shorthand "tl;dr" (too long; didn't read). This dismissive assessment is commonly interpreted as fair, expected criticism of the author, not the reader who offers it because he couldn't be bothered to read the content simply because it was long, regardless of its undiscovered merits. The media that are replacing "traditional" blogging value brevity above all, so much of the incentive to write anything that is both long and thoughtful diminishes (since few will bother to read it), and the self-motivation required to do so will only increase over time.
It's funny to be talking about blogging -- which for its entire lifespan has been dismissed broadly for being superficial and narcissistic -- as being a besieged outpost of well-developed, thoughtful writing, but I think that's exactly what's happening. It's no one's "fault" -- it's just the natural evolution of popular content production and consumption towards the most frictionless state: from books to periodicals to personal websites to blogs to Twitter to the Like button. When a medium comes along that's easier than clicking the Like button -- maybe thinking you Like something -- you can be sure everyone will speculate about and then bemoan its death before moving on.
But, even blogging isn't dead yet. There are some people out there who are still committed to the form, even if it seems no one else is, regularly posting smart, thought-provoking analyses and observations of their respective interests. A few that come immediately to mind:

• Joanne McNeil at Tomorrow Museum
• The brilliant Danah Boyd, whose research and insight into social media and youth culture is unmatched
• Geoff Manaugh at BLDGBLOG, who is at once reportorial and speculative
• The visionary architect Lebbeus Woods
• Errol Morris and his "too long," multi-part monographs, some of which are probably the best things ever published originally on the web

And there are others who take the time to put together coherent, original posts:

• Star Wars Modern, where I'm not always sure what's happening, but I appreciate the effort involved
• Nav at Scrawled in Wax, usually correlating academic concepts of post-modernism with pop culture
• Amy at Amy's Robot, who has been writing witty, thoughtful posts on pop culture and politics for NINE YEARS. Collaborators (like me) have come and gone at that site, but Amy is still there. Someone oughta be reading her.

A confession before I continue: for every one of those sites I mentioned, I have often found myself getting the gist of a post, thinking "that's a good insight," and then skimming the rest of it. Does that matter?
Continuing, let me also mention some more widely read sites that I think demonstrate originality and effort:

• John Del Signore at Gothamist, whose humor brings color to stories without obscuring them
• The Big Picture photo blog, started by a developer at the Boston Globe who is now launching a similar project for the Atlantic
• Yeah, what the hell -- I'm leaving it on this list: even Boing Boing can be pretty good sometimes, when it's not being a caricature of itself...
• Maybe you have your own suggestions to share in the comments

And lastly, if you miss Fimoculous now that it's zombified, just replace that section of your brain with Pop Loser, which I've been ripping off mercilessly for the last month and which strikes me as the blog that is the spiritual inheritor of this one.
Will any of these blogs still live in 5 years? Will new ones rise to take their place? So far, trends appear to indicate no: aggregation, automation, voting up, "liking," etc., seem to be resulting in a hivemind where thoughtfulness is replaced with promulgation and sameness. Maybe we need a "link aggregator in reverse" that shows the links of interest to you that everyone else like you hasn't Liked yet.

Not Really a Haiku

Earthquake, tsunami, wreckage, devastation, loss . . . 

I watch the news.  I read the stories.  My heart aches for the people of Japan.  

The threat of further suffering as nuclear plants appear poised to melt.  It's too much to take.  

What can be done?  

Each year, it seems natural disasters wage war.  

Has it always been like this or is this a recent phenomenon?  Maybe we just have modern modes of instant communication to thank for all of this wonderful news.  

If a tsunami strikes in Japan and no one is there to record it, did it really happen?  

No more recording, I say.   The revolution will not be televised.

No happiness photo today I'm afraid. 

Sometimes Happiness Needs a Vacation

It's hard to say good-bye.  Simply put, death sucks.  

This past week has been a mash of different emotions, at moments deep sorrow and then the occasional memory eliciting a smile or laughter.  Happiness doesn't come around much in times of such permanent loss.  Perhaps happiness, like so many stressed out and busy workers, needs a vacation once in a while?  

In happiness's absence a consistent and continual vacillation between sadness and bittersweet comfort takes over -- comfort in the knowledge that the physical pain of terminal illness has ended, solace in sharing the tears with others who are experiencing the same grief at the same time and in the same way, sincere appreciation that my life was touched by someone so special. 

Saturday was spent celebrating the life of one who did so much in her all too brief 38 years.  Her time on this earth was cut short, but her memory will forever be with those who knew her.  I was blessed to be among those who called her friend.  Some of my very best friends from high school were there too.  Lots of stories, warm remembrances and buoying up of spirits . . . while our good friend was not physically present for this photo, her presence and her spirit was felt by each one of us.  

Do-It-Yourself Salad

Happiness photo experiment - Day 13

Mr. Oz and I decided to take a break from the kitchen and go out for dinner tonight. We probably do this once, sometimes twice, a week although typically these outings are relegated to the weekend. Now, you might think a twice weekly restaurant outing is kinda extravagant, I mean we are in an economic downturn, right? Well, we aren't necessarily living high on the hog as we tend to stick to local haunts such as a nearby Irish Pub, burger joint or a variety of QSR's (that's quick service restaurants for the acronym challenged :) ) As much as I like a fine dining experience, we are certainly not above the occasional run to Jimmy John's, Chipotle or this evenings hot spot, Ruby Tuesday's. You know what you are going to get so two thumb's up for consistency AND you get some decent food for a decent price. Anyway . . .

Why am I rambling on about all of this you might ask? Tonight's photos come straight from the belly of the Ruby Tuesday's beast. I present for your viewing pleasure, our salad bar creations.


My salad


Mr. Oz's salad

My fine friends, a good salad bar makes me pretty happy. There are a few reasons for this:

1) Fresh vegetables. I don't get enough of them. Somehow it always seems like a wise choice to get loads of fresh veg when I'm at the grocery store, but we can never eat it and it often goes bad. Enter the salad bar. You plate it up and no risk of spoilage. Chilled nutrition at my disposal.

2) Variety of choices and toppings. Lettuce is all well and good, but the true merit of any salad bar is its wealth of sides and accompaniments. Choices, choices, choices. Are there ever enough choices in life?

3) And, the most important factor is the customization. No single person likes their salad the exact same way. A salad bar allows for unique personalization of your plate to suit your individual palette. You can get the portions, textures, flavors and colors just right. Me? I'm a 'equal balance of greens to toppings' kinda gal. I like to throw on some garbanzo beans and a little cheese . . . cottage cheese on the side. Mr. Oz, he likes a heap of blue cheese dressing on his mass of spinach leaves. We each get what we want to our specifications.

There is a metaphor for life hidden somewhere in this salad bar post but I'm too full of broccoli and croutons to think clearly and pull it out.

Happiness rating = 4.

Doppelgangers: A Study of Happiness Contrast & Similarity

Happiness Photo Experiment – Day 12.

Today’s entry is a study of contrasts. Two images of a similar nature, one representing – for me – sweaty palm, heart palpitation, anxious displeasure while the other puts me in a state of blissful serenity and calm relaxation. Oddly enough, I experienced both of these in the same day. It’s the doppelganger of happiness. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

First, you have the anti-happy photo depicting the examination table at my doctor’s office. Happiness rating = -3

While I don’t necessarily dislike my doctor (she’s actually a very lovely lady), I really dread going to the clinic even if it is for a very mundane visit like today’s trip. Six months ago my doctor changed a prescription med I was taking and asked me to come back so she could check everything out. I guess she wanted to make sure my blood was still red and my urine was still . . . ah, you get the picture. It was easy. But, why do I always feel like my just walking in the door shoots my blood pressure about at least 10 points? I'm not even scared of needles. I think it has something to do with the fear of what my doctor might tell me -- fear of the unknown. There is also this vague feeling of not being fully prepared, kinda like the pre-finals feeling in college when you studied a lot, maybe even all night, but aren’t quite confident that you will do well. You know what I’m sayin?

But, no need to fear. All is well with me from a physical standpoint!

Now, we have the mucho gracias happiness photo of the massage table which I just laid upon for a delightful 60 minutes! Ahhh . . . so nice. Happiness rating = solid 7.

A few months back I signed up for a membership at Massage Envy. For a low monthly fee I receive an hour long massage each month. It is a great stress reliever. Tonight I asked my therapist, Marissa, to focus on my neck, shoulders and back and she went to town. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I fell asleep. Yep. Don’t even want to think about whether or not I snored or involuntarily did anything else crude. Nevertheless, this table represents a lot of what is good and right in the world.

Funny how two objects, so closely related in size, appearance, weight and color and general styling, could evoke such different and extreme emotions. They both are situated in small, closed door rooms where it is eerily quiet. Hey, you are even asked to undress in each of them from time to time. Ok, now I'm freaking myself out.

I guess it isn’t the object, but what surrounds it, and the meaning and memories we connect to it, which is the true predictor of our happiness (or eventual creep out).

Are there any two objects, so closely related yet oh so far apart on your happiness meter? If so, please share.