12-30, Smile through your pain and sorrow

These are the words of a song posted regarding the death of a dear friend last night.  I had formulated carefully chosen words for this post, but after a day of heart-breaking reflection, I am empty.   I created this blog earlier this year as an aide in my journey of finding the true meaning of my photography and how to best apply it to my life.  With this photo and this loss, I have found it.  I took this photo in April of 2010 at a Navy Dining Out in Annapolis, MD.  It was not a portrait session with my 'big camera', but simply a candid moment with my point and shoot.  It captures a moment of love, joy and celebration.  It captures a moment that will sadly never be duplicated.  Last night, my friend Dawn lost her battle with cancer.  She leaves behind a loving husband and young twins. This picture can't tell you how wonderful a person she was, how the biggest priorities in her life were her husband and kids, how she made her friends her family, how nutrition and exercise were important to her, how much she loved cooking and the hours she spent happily in the kitchen, how she was the best hostess you could ever be served by, or how her outlook was always logical and heart-felt.  This picture many not say all those things to you.  But to me, I see this moment and I see the bigger picture.  I see a friend in the highlight of her life.  I see a friend that has touched me to the soul.  I see a friend that will be forever missed.  Without this photo, I would only have this vision in my mind.  With this photo, her smile (and that of her husband) will be forever branded on my heart.  Dawn:  We love and miss you.  Gregg, Addie and Gehrig:  We are here for you in any way we possibly can be.  You will always be family to us.

10-19, Garden of the Gods

Fall break- who knew?  They do things differently here in Colorado than the other states in which we've lived.  Actually, it's not a bad idea- fall break, winter break, spring break and summer vacation.  So this fall break, we discovered it's a beautiful time to go visit the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.  On one hand, the Garden of the Gods wasn't quite what I was expecting, but on the other hand it was so much more.

"Garden of the Gods"

"GG Pikes Peak View"

"GG Rock Tower"

This rock formation is known as the "Kissing Camels".  Can you see it?

These rock climbers were way up there. 

The infamous "Balanced Rock".

As Eye See It / Locations/ Colorado:

http://www.aseyeseeitphotography.com/-/aseyeseeitphotography/gallery.asp?cat=165172&pID=1&row=15

10-7, Pikes Peak

I wasn't "feeling the love" this day.  I couldn't quite get into the spirit of our first visit to Pikes Peak.  Maybe I was just worn out.  Maybe it's the difficult transition from the hot summer to the chilly autumn.  Or maybe it was the snow on the ground as we climbed up past 12,000 feet (or maybe just the lack of oxygen?!).  Whatever it was, I didn't really put much effort into capturing the experience. I think maybe our next drive up there should be in the spring when the flowers are in bloom and the air is warm.  Driving by the aspens already beyond their peak and towards the snow line was a symbolic journey through the seasons.  I'm just not sure I'm ready for winter!

"Aspen Patchwork"

"Pikes Peak Buck"


As Eye See It/Locations/Colorado

As Eye See It/ Animals

9-22, Rocky Mountain Natl Park

Now I know what all the fuss is about-- Rocky Mountain National Park is amazingly beautiful!  I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to this park.  There was so much to capture:  the fall foliage, the sweeping views and the elk.  I look forward to many more trips back to this park.  I imagine each season bestows its own beauty.

"RMNP Autumn Gold" 

"RMNP Elk Pair"

"RMNP Elk Solitude"

"RMNP Elk Up High"

"RMNP Fence"

"RMNP Lake View"

"RMNP Sunbathing Elk"

"RMNP Valley View"

"RMNP Vista"

"Rocky Mountain National Park"

As Eye See It website:

Animals:

http://www.aseyeseeitphotography.com/-/aseyeseeitphotography/gallery.asp?cat=134809&pID=1&row=15

Colorado:
http://www.aseyeseeitphotography.com//aseyeseeitphotography/gallery.asp?cat=165172&pID=1&row=15

9-21 USAFA

My brother (minutely seen in the first picture below with his fiance) is a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy.  Much of my childhood was spent visiting him during Parents' Weekends and events such as that.  If you have ever had the privilege to visit the academy, you know how picturesque it is snuggled up against the mountains with acres upon acres of rolling, tree-covered hills.  In a word- it's beautiful.   (And as I say this, in all honesty, you must know that I am a 1996 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy!  Beauty is what it is, all rivalry aside.)  During a recent visit, we toured the academy grounds.  The USAFA chapel is infamous for its artistic design.  It is amazing.  

"USAFA Cross"

http://www.aseyeseeitphotography.com/-/aseyeseeitphotography/gallery.asp?cat=165172&pID=1&row=15

9-4, Hot Air Balloons

"Should I bring my Nikon or not?  Should I bring my Nikon or not?" This is what I kept asking myself before  arriving at the hot air balloon festival in Colorado Springs the evening before Labor Day.  We had never attended this event and had no idea how it was set up or how many people would be in attendance.  When we arrived, my decision was easy:  leave it behind and bring my point and shoot.   There were so many people there it was unreal!  My vision of squatting close to a balloon with tripod in hand and getting a fabulous shot was not the reality that was to be.  The serenity of an open field with hot air balloons spread across the horizon was more like a carnival on speed!  Oh well, point in shoot in hand, at least I got a few keepsake images from a very memorable experience.  

9-4, Friend at the Zoo

 Boy, don't you just wonder what she's thinking?!

7-24, "Pinery Pets"

On my last post, you got to see why I think it's so beautiful here where we live in Colorado.  Now I'm showing you another reason why I think it's a pretty special place.  The first time I looked out my laundry room window and saw a deer staring back at me, casually munching on a bush, I couldn't believe my eyes.  The deer are wild, but they obviously know their place in the neighborhood.  Everyone kept saying, 'wait 'til they have their fawns'.  Oh, were they right!!  I saw my first fawn when I was parked in our driveway getting ready to head out and one dashed in front of the car.  It was such a cute, little, spotted thing!  It's been amazing to watch them grow over these past few months- slowly getting bigger and their spots beginning to fade.  It's also been interesting to watch the bond between the doe and her babies and the protective instinct that comes with it.  They'll allow us to get pretty close....unless the babies are near.  Once mama drops her head, lowers her ears and gives you that look, you know it's time to back off.....even if it IS your yard!  I love it when the wildlife comes to ME for a photo shoot.  How much better can it get?!

One Baby.....

Two Babies....

Mama's Done!

"DOEn't Bother Me" 

"Lounging Around"

"First Fawn"

"Fawn Collage"

"Fawn 1"

"Fawn 2"

"Fawn 3"

As Eye See It website, Animal Gallery

7-21, Bingham Lake, CO

Being a military family, we've lived in a lot of places.  Some we've thoroughly enjoyed and some we've merely made the best of.  Some have been beautiful to me, some have been beautiful through the eyes of others.  Colorado is turning out to be the best of all worlds.  The beauty and peacefulness of this place is right outside our front door.  I took these photos just a short walk from our house.

"Roadside Thistle"

"Bingham Lake Trail"

"Pinery Paintbrush"

"Purple Pinery Thistle"

"Beautiful Bingham Lake"

Location of photos in As Eye See It website: 

Colorado album

Flower album