So Far Away

I've been thinking a bit more about Italy lately. Missing it a bit more. I'm happy to be back, it's been a whirlwind of moving and excitement. It is good to be back, so good, but there are still things that I miss. I miss my walks in Parco di Monza. I miss the idea of Venice being three hours away. I miss being in the same time zone as my European friends, or even a time zone that I could easily chat online with my East Coast friends. Pacific Standard Time seems like it is at the edge of the world.

I'm finishing Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea right now. A beautiful, short book, full of much wisdom. I was reading it in Italy, but it got lost in the shuffle of moving. On going from her island writing retreat back to her life in Connecticut, she writes:

For the natural selectivity of the island I will have to substitute a conscious selectivity based on another sense of values--a sense of values I have become more aware of here.

I feel like that's what I've done with my time in Italy, found a set of values that guide my creative life. Distilled them down and brought them back. It's worked well.

For all that planning, it can never change the physical difference. It doesn't change the yearning I feel when I look at photos from my time in Italy. These feelings are something that probably only time and space will help with. Nothing can diminish the personal changes that I made while in Italy, but that only helps so far on a day when I realize I'm now living far, far away.


_________________________
What's going on around The Kat Eye View of the World...

• The current Exploring with a Camera theme is Process of Elimination. Today is the last day to share! Check out the post and explore with us. 
• Do you want to deepen the connection between your heart and soul and your photography? Registration for the fall series of the Find Your Eye e-course is open! Visit here for more info.
• You can subscribe to the Kat Eye News to stay up-to-date on all the happenings.

Waiting

The night is so quiet and still, you almost have to hold your breath for fear of making a ripple in the water and ruining the scene. The lone gondolier on duty rests silently in his craft. He has nothing to do, other than wait for customers to appear for a midnight gondola ride. His daydreams and night dreams drift off into infinity like the reflections in the water. Just waiting. Someone will come.

Guess what? The creative space I was feeling yesterday was perfect. A friend asked me for some design help, and I happen to have this creative time free. I love how things work out. Now I have a fun new project, something completely different to do for a little while. I can help her out before getting back to my own ideas, and will be refreshed for the change of activity.

I was just waiting, like the gondolier, and the right thing appeared...

Do you find yourself waiting? Do you take the time to pause and breathe, and see what comes along?

Seeing History

After all of the color lately, here is a little relief for your eyes. A scene right out of history, you can practically go back in time. Can you just imagine, the Venice of old? It is such a unique place, I think it's easier here to lose myself in history than almost any where else, especially in black and white. Removing the color minimizes the distracting modern details, like the scaffolding on the building or the tourist's clothes in the gondola. It becomes a photo of place and not of time.

A bit of contrast as compared to yesterday, no? When I took yesterday's photo I was thinking of a title something like, "So Bright it Hurts." Heehee.

Is everyone ready for tomorrow? It's not only Thanksgiving in the USA, it's the Mortal Muses "We are Thankful" blog hop! Join us from wherever you are in the world, as we hop around and visit blogs to see the reasons you are thankful. I've got a special surprise for you here too, so please come by!

Share Your View: Night Photography

Aaaaah, night in Venice. Magical. This was the lone gondolier at midnight, available for a night time gondola ride through the city. I love the quietness this image conveys. No ripples in the water. The line of gondolas parked for the night. The waiting gondolier. So fun to share these little slices of night with you.

And, as promised, it's time to share your view of night! You've had a week since the Exploring with a Camera: Night Photography post to look back at your past night shots and or maybe try a few for the first time. All you need to do is fill out the widget below (you may have to click over to the actual blog, if it's not visible in your reader) with your name and a link to your photos. Please link directly to the blog post or Flickr photo intended, because a general link to a blog or photostream will have content changing all of the time and we might not be able to find the image we were meant to see if we come by later. (Because for some of us, I won't name any specific names, we're always behind on our blog reading and we don't want to miss these.)

I look forward to seeing your little slices of night! Please visit around and share some comments with your fellow photogs as well. A fun way to find new friends.

Heading Home

After a long day of work, a gondolier heads home in Venice. The first of my night images from our one-night trip to Venice this week, this was one image that I knew I would love when I took it. As with any image, I hoped it would turn out well, but you can't always tell at the time. I'm sure there will be more photos that I missed, and more that surprise me as I go through them. In the meantime, here's the sneak peek for a Friday - have a great weekend!

Purple is the Color of Italy

We noticed it last year when we first got here... purple is everywhere. People wear purple all of the time. Purple sweaters, striped shirts, purple pants and lots of purple shoes. Men, women, children - purple, violet, lavender - all decked out in purple. In the winter it changed to darker purple shades to go with black. So I guess it shouldn't be completely suprising to have found a purple gondola in Venice, near some beautiful purple flowers in bloom, but I have to admit it was an unusual sight. Italy always has little surprises for me like this.

Timing is Everything

With photography, timing is everything. Finding the transient light, that fleeting expression, the transitions of nature. Or in this case, that other photographer's flash! I love this image from Venice, where just I happened to have the shutter open at the moment someone in the gondola took a picture. I love the star of light from the flash, the sharp shadow of the gondolier on the wall, the interesting exposure of the buildings. A serendipitous happenstance, I couldn't have planned this shot. That makes it all the better.

Reflections of Venezia

Venice, and the islands of Murano and Burano, may be one of my all time favorite placees to photograph. There is so much history and texture and reflection in the place. Every where you turn, every change in light, there is a new image to capture. Even with all of the tourists, you can imagine it in its grand heyday. The tacky trinket stands can't cover up the inherent elegance of Venice. I like this image, because it captures a quiet calm and very simply gives you a sense of place.