Welcome to My View

December 31, 2009

Happy New Year and New Decade!!!


Hello and welome to My View for Thursday, December 31, 2009.


Happy New Year and Happy New Decade,

As we end the first decade of the 21st century — doesn’t that still sound odd?? — and begin a new year and new decade, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year.

In the last decade much has changed. We entered this decade with a fear of computer software meltdowns and a disruption of life as we know it. Fortunately, none of that came to pass. Other events did, indeed, change life as we know it on a global scale. It wasn’t the best way to start a new century.

Throughout he decade, many, more personal, events brought me much joy, as well as sorrow. I made many new friends, saw many new family members come into this world — and lost a few along the way. I almost lost some and those events gave me pause to think about myself and the way I’ve lived my life so far.

A new beginning is just hours away. New beginnings are always a bit mysterious. We can’t quite see clearly to know how things are going to turn out. But, we go forth, with faith, keeping our hopes and dreams alive. Such is the nature of a new beginning.

Thus with joy in our hearts, memories of the last years, guided by the light of our dreams, and with courage to go forth without knowing the future, let us all enter this new year and new decade determined to be the best we can be and to add a little of our best to making the world a better place.

A very Happy New Year to you all!!!!

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

River Street Foggy Night

Foggy Night on River Street

River Street
Savannah, GA
July, 2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.4, ISO 800, f/2.0, 1/45 second, handheld

Thank you for visiting My View.

December 29, 2009

Big Bend View


Hello and welome to My View for Tuesday, December 29, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a bright new year.

Looking back on this last year, I am reminded of all the wonderful workshops I’ve taught with Craig Tanner for The Mindful Eye. One of my favorite places to teach — and just to be — is the location of our last workshop of 2009, Big Bend National Park. This last workshop was especially enjoyable for several reasons. It was filled with friends from past workshops, as well as new friends who all made the workshop most enjoyable. We stayed over after the workshop for almost a week and enjoyed Thanksgiving in Terlingua. And, it was the last workshop of a very good year.

I did not take the opportunity to photograph for myself on this trip. Rather, I took snapshots of our wonderful group of participants and merely enjoyed my time in this awesome place. I dug back into the files and found an image from my 2004 trip to Big Bend that I like. It’s not one of my typical abstract images, but instead a landscape image taken from the Rio Grande Village overlook at sunset one evening.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Rio Grande Village Overlook

Rio Grande Village Overlook

Rio Grande Village Overlook
Big Bend National Park
November, 2004
Canon EOS 10D, Canon 28-70mm 2.8L Lens at 63mm, ISO 100, f/11, 1/15 second, camera mounted on Bogen tripod.

Thank you for visiting My View. A wonderful 2010 to all of you.

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Education and Inspiration for the Mind and Spirit of the Photographer

December 21, 2009

The Winter Solstice

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: — martijeffers @ 11:47 am


Hello and welome to My View for Monday, December 21, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

A Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Seasons Greetings to all of you celebrating a holiday around the winter solstice.

As we celebrate the traditional time of giving this year, I am grateful for all the things that I’ve already been given. While many are homeless this year, I have a home. While many are cold, I have heat and warm clothing. There are parts of the world where there are people who are on their third week without food. I have food. There are others who are on their second or third day without water. I have clean water to drink. There are others who walk for miles just to obtain food. I have a car and a grocery store within easy driving distance.

Not only have I been given all the things we take for granted, I have my work and my art. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with Craig Tanner and The Mindful Eye this year. I’m grateful to each and every person I’ve met on our workshops. All of you have touched my life in some way and I’m grateful to call you my friends. I’m grateful for those who participate in our Community and keep things going when we are so busy with workshops and other things involved in running the site. I am grateful to all of you who visit My View, comment on my images and continue to inspire me as a photographer.

I am extremely grateful for my family and my dear friends. They mean the world to me. I am grateful for the years I shared with my two canine companions who both went to the Rainbow Bridge this year. They live on in my heart. I am grateful for the time I shared with the friends and family members who did not make it through the year here on this earth. They will not be forgotten.

I am also grateful for the beauty that I’ve seen in this world this year. There is still so much around us.

Please take the time to enjoy this season with your friends and family. It’s such a wonderful time of the year!!!!

Today’s image is merely one to mark this season. It was taken with Lensbaby Composer with the soft-focus optic, one that I’m learning to use and loving it.

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas

My Home, Roswell, GA
December, 2009
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Lensbaby Composer with soft-focus insert, f/2.8 perforated ring, ISO 400, 1/15 second, Bogen Neotec tripod.

Thank you for visiting My View. Have a wonderful Holiday Season.

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