A Whole New World

Beauty through the Lens of the Camera

I have been computer printing my own digital photographs on cotton and silk for several months. It has been an exciting process, capturing imagery that can be transformed into fiber art. I never dreamed that the camera on my iphone could produce such high quality images, that I could load them into the photo library in my computer and then "tweak them" so that on fabric they become artistic magic. It's opened up new doors of possibilities for me and re-ignited my creative passions.

But, the most extraordinary thing that I have discovered, is that I see the world with new eyes now. 

A few days ago my husband and I got up before the crack of dawn and drove to the beach on the eastern shores of central Florida with hopes of capturing the pageantry of the rising sun. The beach here is special because the sand slopes ever-so-gently toward the sea, nearly flat, revealing a wide expanse of hard sand on which people run, walk, ride bikes and even drive vehicles. As the sun's orange head began to gently emerge above the horizon, I walked toward the water with the intention of capturing the pattern of a wave softly making landfall, swirling and turning, rolling with a foamy edge before receding. What I discovered was a profound beauty in the nuances of each wave, moving as if part of a symphony of clear water, its movement reaching and then folding back into itself, each wave a new pattern of flowing lines and bubbles. And that was not all! Everything in my midst was profoundly beautiful. There were tiny coquina shells in pale lavender and ecru, gleaming from beneath the froth of each new, drowsy swell. A lone shore bird waded through the shallow surf waiting expectantly for a gift from the sea. The rising sun sprayed beams of color over the skies to the east and the ground below.

In the past few months, had I not had been intentionally stocking my photo library with images for new fiber pieces,  I would not have come to appreciate the wonder and subtle beauty in all that surrounds me. There are patterns of dried winter grasses, bare branches against a stormy sky, shadows on the ground, leaves emerging for the first day of their spring life.

While I appreciate the camera and the insight it has given me, I have even more gratitude for what makes it all possible.

My eyes.

Many thanks to Nina Marie Sayre for generously inviting others to share. www.ninamariesayre.blogspot.com