Flutter flutter...

butterfly from JeanneMarie/Flowrs on Vimeo.

I used my macro lens to capture this tiny little butterfly.

She kept me captivated for a while.

We are having a mini indian summer and it's been warm and breezy...

bringing in the bees and butterflies.  And I'm loving it.

Gives me hope. 

Finding moment of peace...

I haven't been participating as much as I would like to but I'm keeping up with the lesson plan.  And I'm loving all of it.  Our weather hasn't been conducive to heading outdoors for photoshoots and I have had to get my camera lenses in order.  I'm mostly going to be using my iPhone and my daughter's digital camera when she's back from her travels.

Yesterday was a beautiful day and I managed to get up close and personal with my fav tree in my garden.  The leaves are so minute and being able to capture them here - I'm thrilled.
I used my macro lens here and no adding of brokeh or tilt shifts - just the super focus of my macro.
I love it.  I forgot how soothing it is to go photo hunting.

Class is session...

Yay - class is in session.

You should have received your email from Galia for week 1, to dive right in.

If you haven't received your email yet, please message me.

I will be getting to class a little late because I'm still on the farm.

I will be back home on Wednesday evening so I will be a little on the late side.

But I am so excited to jump right in.  Can't wait to journey with you all.

I'm already excited to see what's happening.

And to those who joined class via my button - I don't know who you are but I just wanted to say a huge thank you.  Your love and support means the world to me and I look forward to interacting as we learn and discover together.

Hello...

Greetings - I am {Jeanne}-Marie.

A sweet way to introduce ourselves in class.

Writing out Jeanne-Marie felt like a bit of a stretch, so I settled with Jeanne.  I'm on the farm so I'm out of my usual habitat, but I managed to find organic matter that I found on my walk around the farm.  We had a beautiful walk and I loved it.  The days are warm here.  Winter sun - precious!

Can't wait for class to start tomorrow.

Day 1 - Prompt 10 - it's a Wrap!

Prompt 10

aStillLife

"To stop, to pause and breathe. right here. right now. this moment. this precious moment. is your life."

- Galia Alena

I think this is my constant pursuit - to find quiet. precious sacred moments in time, in the quiet stillness of life.  My soul requires it.  Choosing #astilllife daily is how I pay attention...

"Instructions for living life.  Pay attention.  Be astonished.  Tell about it." - Mary Oliver

I am looking so forward to being in class.

I have loved these past 10 days, thank you Galia and thank you for those who journeyed with me.

Day 2 - Prompt 9

Prompt 9

Self

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Can you tell me who you are? Can you pin yourself down in one image, one phrase, one description? I can't, I don't even try, I'm fragmented, multifaceted and full of glorious contradictions. The self can be as mercurial and fleeting as time, layered, textured, weathered, full of subtle and grand details, rooting down, reaching up, dancing with the shadows and seeking the light, ever unfolding, still being written, still being dreamed up, always exploring and being touched by life- all of it, all of it and that's just a day.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassions, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

 - Elizabeth Kubler-Ross 

I used one of my Lomography double exposure images, perfect for fragmentation.

I loved this post too.  I've loved them all.

Finding a little bit of magic...

I really wanted to share how taking a very mundane, seemingly boring picture can be transformed into a beautiful image with a story or message.  I took this picture about a year or so ago - it was in my then studio.  A butterfly trapped in my curtain.  It was so beautiful in real life but I couldn't capture that so well, due to the lighting at the time.  I abandoned it and filed it away and when I was looking for an image with wings, I found it again.  I didn't even remember it was there.

In the image above - I used PicFx, zoomed in and used one of the filters to highlight the beautiful yellows and contrast the colors on the individual wings.  I wasn't thrilled with the angle.

In Instagram, I flipped the image around and straightened the horizon lines, especially the main line.  Those lines were the lines from the curtain.  In the Rhonna app, I added the script.

I love how dreamy this image is - the lines draw my eyes across and the horizon line makes me feel calm and collected .  I love the dots on the wings and subtle outline of the top wing and the translucentness of the whole image.  It's delicate and soft.

I love how no image is wasted.

I am starting to believe that you can find magic in almost any image.

You just need to find the courage to play.  Be encouraged...

The most arb photo, with limited edits may be carrying something very special.