Focusing on One Thing

There is power in focusing the camera on just one thing, see what these 10 images taught me.

Focus, I try to focus and see what an image is telling me, what does it represent in my life. I try to see the world around me as individual entities and as a part of the whole, instead of the blur of a tech assisted whirl of work and family. I need to make time to stop and take the pictures!

                               From the Willimantic Frog Bridge (CT) Just one of the four frogs. The frog for me is a symbol of  "celebrate our weakness and strength, learn to laugh at myself."  Willimantic celebrates a history of the early settlers fearing an attack from an imminent army on the march take to their weapons and march out to meet the foe and protect the families. Only to find the waters receding on a local pond to the dismay of the many bullfrogs in residence who croaked their last death calls to the world. I have learned to face my fear, it might be nothing more than another frog and to have a hearty laugh when I misinterpret the world around me! http://connecticuthistory.org/bridge-ornaments-help-tell-the-legend-of-the-windham-frog-fight/

                       Jump back to a prior season and enjoy the beauty of one Cardinal in the snow. The Cardinal reminds me that even when I shine in my work or creative life there are those unseen, partners with a subtle display of strength who help me go forward. The female Cardinal is drab with a touch of color, but without her where would he be? Without my supporters where would I be?

                                               Looks like a perfect summer day outside! The window looks perfect and shows us one frame of the world outside. Could thunder clouds line the other horizon? I am reminded to get more than one view before I make my statements!

                                            Not everyday a beautiful butterfly sits near you! Life is fragile, it can be torn apart by a simple raindrop but that does not deter the butterfly from spreading his wings and going great distances. I am reminded to go, the world is waiting and worrying about not succeeding won't get me anywhere.

 Like Robert Frost  suggests in his poem, choose the road less traveled by- and that has made all the difference. I learned that poem first in music in high school choir, the message has stayed with me since. Hear the choir version I learned here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-sLY-BgYpo

 

 

 

Leave a mark on the world. It does not matter if no one can see I just think I should mark my time here, it tells me I  have a place in the long history of the world and no life or event is insignificant. This boat etched into the roof sheathing of the Nathan Hale School House in New London CT reminded me to do something, even if no one will see it. This was hidden behind lath and plaster. Through restoration  175+ years later it tells a story of the students once there, and the ships at New London Harbor. http://www.connecticutsar.org/sites/nl-schoolhouse.htm I am leaving my mark through teaching and stories, both invisible, both a mark that will shine through time.

Greet every day with great expectations! My attitude  will determine the quality of my day.

Simply stated, I need to make time for my friends. A cup of coffee, a call to them, an old fashioned letter. The sign ( from Cafemantic in Willimantic CT) a simple reminder to make that happen often!

Don't leave kids on the outside of conversations or decision making. "Kids Say the Darndest Things" was once a TV show, how sad we had to be reminded by TV to listen to children.

 

                                           It takes a lot of workers and only one Queen!


I love taking pictures, now with the ease of photography with a phone in the pocket, I get to take even more. The biggest change in my photo hobby came with the jump to digital photos the economic freedom to take as many as I want!

Stone inspired thoughts with resources for stories: http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/07/story-stones-story-resources.html

Where I went with my inspirations:
http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2013/02/why-i-tried-out-for-americas-got-talent.html

 

Autumn Colors Assignment

Autumn  Colors Time to Practice Storytelling Technique with Prompts

2011 will be a year to remember the lack of color by. The winds of Irene ( Hurricane downgraded to Tropical Storm) wrecked havoc with new England's quintessential  fall tourism drive.  There are some stunning tress out there but the hills a less aglow and the  colors more muted than other years. None the less photography in the fall is always fun. Go take some pictures before the scene is all WHITE!

                                                             
Here is a storytelling skills activity. Look at the picture and see if you can spend 1 minute telling about the colors, petals and more. This is fun with kids and helps them learn an  internal clock for timing.
                          

2 minutes what can be said about this choral like line up of pumpkins.  Like a writing prompt these storytelling prompts are kind of fun.

                                                                 
   I love this one gives ma all kinds of ideas. Can you make up a short story about this wheel barrow. Why is it parked so, what job is it waiting for or just completed?

                                                                              

I think images of train tracks are lonely.  What feelings do you get from these photos can they be used in a story? In a writing assignment we can use sounds if described, but in storytelling the addition of  sound can be  a  dramatic lift. Imagine a train/travel story  at the begining you blow one of those train whistles long and hard. Toward the middle with a little less vigor and at the end of the story a faint, distant lonely  whistle.
    " If yo miss the train Im on you will know that I am gone you can hear the whistle blow 500 miles" this quote from a folk song may be why I always imagine  lonely settings with train tracks.

other blogs I have posted with similar contenet:
www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/09/education-in-cubes-not-just-childs-play.html

www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/06/simple-summer-fun.html

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New Images

I was privileged to attend and share the day yesterday with a program called New Images under the direction of EastConn Educational Services.The youth attending  were all from a middle school seventh and eighth grade. They had gone on field trips produced digital photography, developed  photoshop edits which included adding their own Haiku poetry to the image. The art show of their enlarged images  was a feast for the eyes. 

I shared a storytelling and photography day with them. I opened with  slide show done on Kizoa.com photo tech site. The slides show was put to music and had some fun embellishments like bubbles on a horse bathing picture and lightning on a cloudy sky picture. Most were as taken right from my lens to the screen.

I shared stories, one of my father,Herman Marshall's career as a professional news photographer for the Hartford Courant. This was the inspiration for my picking up the camera and taking photos.  After this story I talked to them about how news reporting has widened to include everyone since the advent of the internet. How news photos could come from anyone who is carrying a photographic device. We are all star reporters of the news now.  

I shared a story of  a young woman, Abbie Burgess Light House Keeper her heroic deeds  a legacy for over 100 years and an inspiration that we may find our life's work from any moment. I tied this in to the opportunity to take pictures when vacationing and a way to learn through the lens and story.

This was a wonderful group of young people who came to Eastern Connecticut State University for the culmination of this program. I can still recall the beautiful images they created and am inspired by their work.

A Scavenger Hunt for Picture Details