 A relatively large percentage of my thoughts lately have been focused on how to live a life in the forest, surrounded by books, my camera, my dog and my guitar. Simple, peaceful and intentional.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." -Henry David Thoreau
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 Up until now, the only eagles I've ever seen, let alone photographed, were in the Mount Lassen area, about three hours from home. This one here? This was about fifteen minutes from home. I was taking a short hike at one of the local spots and way off in the distance I saw a large bird perched in a tree. I just figured it was a hawk, which is mostly what I see around here. I was still quite a long distance away, so I pulled out my camera and zoomed way in to see what type of hawk it was. To my dismay, as my camera came into focus, I saw a white head and white tail - an eagle! Excitement hit me instantly and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some astonished cursing that took place once I realized what it was. I was still too far away to get a clear photo, so I made my way in its direction and was able to sneak close enough to take this photo, and many others, before it decided I was too close for comfort and flew off. Such an incredible sighting. I'll never forget the first time I saw an eagle, and I'll certainly never forget the first time I saw an eagle in Sonoma.
"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." -Mary Oliver  I've been dreaming of another road trip. And not to sound too cliché, but I'd love to do it in one of those fun vans with a big mattress in the back, and a tiny kitchen and a little table to eat at. I honestly wouldn't need a whole lot more than Rosie, my camera, my laptop, my guitar, a bunch of books and a vague sense of direction. I'm not kidding... if I can figure out how to make half-decent money while I'm on the road you may never see me again."
There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars." -Jack Kerouac  For me, one of the most frustrating parts of bird photography is that the sun is often above them, keeping dark the parts that I'm able to photograph from below. That was the case with this red-tailed hawk as I was tracking it through my lens. But sure enough, to my delight, the hawk banked hard right, flashing sunlight across it's underbelly, allowing me to capture the beautiful detail that was previously hidden by shadow. A metaphor? Absolutely."
If you want the sunshine, you must be patient through the darkness." -Jake Shebitz (self-quoter) |
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