Spectacular Sunset Lit Sky

Photography teaches me many life lessons and brings me gifts from the universe each day. Yesterday evening I was sitting working at my computer when I noticed how beautiful the flowers on the hydrangea tree outside my window looked in the near-sunset light. I grabbed my camera and headed outside to photograph the hydrangea tree.

Then I looked up at the sky

The photo at the top of this post is what I saw! All I could say was

Wow!

I was concentrating on making photographs of the spectacular sky, when the boy next door saw me with my camera and said, “You should take a picture of the rainbow behind you. It’s a FULL RAINBOW!”

I turned around and uttered another

Wow!

Unfortunately I had my 70-200mm lens on the camera at that moment so could not capture a full wide angle view.  I did get this photo of part of the rainbow though, and took enough photos to work on stitching together a panorama of the full rainbow (which I haven’t finished).

After a bit, I ran into the house and quickly switched to my 24-105 mm lens so that I could capture a wide angle view of the full rainbow but by the time I got back outside (less than a minute later) the rainbow had faded and was almost gone.

I looked back at the sky to the west and saw this view:

And when I looked at the hydrangea flowers I was able to capture some of the colorful sky as a background:

Everywhere I looked felt like spectacular magic but the effects were fleeting and gone almost in the blink of an eye.

This morning as I was making my second cup of tea and watching the acrobatic flight of our local hummingbirds outside the kitchen window I noticed a swallowtail butterfly land on the profusion of flowers on the hydrangea tree. Once again, I grabbed my camera and went out to capture some photographs of the butterfly.

What a gift!

The butterfly seemed not to be shy of me and my camera at all! I made over 100 photos of it, first using my Canon 5D Mark III with 24-105mm lens and then using my Canon Rebel T2i with Tamron 60 mm macro lens.

The butterfly stayed on the hydrangea tree, flitting from flower to flower until my attention wavered and I began photographing a little bumble bee in the flower blossoms. After making 2-3 photos of the bumble bee, I looked around and realized that the swallowtail had left. It felt as if “she” stayed around as long as I was paying attention and once my attention wandered, she left.

“I do believe in an everyday sort of magic — the inexplicable connectedness we sometimes experience with places, people, works of art and the like; the eerie appropriateness of moments of synchronicity; the whispered voice, the hidden presence, when we think we’re alone.”
― Charles de Lint

Since I bought my new camera, my husband, Jon, has begun playing with my Canon Rebel and he’s already made some beautiful photos. Here are 3 of my favorites that he made outside the Como Conservatory last night:

Glowing Dome of Como Conservatory

Closer view of the Como Conservatory Dome

Walkway and flowers at twilight

I am so impressed with these photos. I think this is just the second or third time Jon has really used the camera. The composition is beautiful, and all three are technically very well-done.  These photos demonstrate that Jon’s earlier film photography skills and experience  weren’t lost when transferring to digital media. Furthermore, Jon’s patience and attention to detail shows in each and every photograph.

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gifts from the Universe (and lessons too)

1. Each moment is special and fleeting. If you miss it you can never re-experience it.
2. Gifts appear where you least expect them. While it is helpful to focus in on one subject, it is also helpful to turn around and look behind you as well.
3. Attention creates magic and synchronicity.
4. Each moment is different, not necessarily better or worse, just different. Light changes, birds and butterflies fly away, clouds cover the sun. Stay awake and appreciate each moment for what it brings.
5. Patience and attention to detail can make a huge difference in creating great photos. It pays to be flexible—fast and responsive sometimes, slow and deliberate at other times.
6. Everyone sees life differently. That’s part of the magic.
7. Nature brings gifts every day if you pay attention.

May you walk in beauty.