The theme of today’s online class was “Light & Shadow” and you can see my class notes and comments at Pause 5: Light & Shadow. (linked to my notes) Still not excited about the class, but this was a good photo-activity! 🙂
So I went outside at about 3pm yesterday (not the best time for long shadows, but okay). Here are a few of my shots in a gallery that won’t work in the email, so one pix for the email and then go to the online post for the gallery . . .
I am continuing the “Photography & Mindfulness” online class with #4 being day before yesterday or done yesterday for me. And of course a blog post each time with a link to my notes, comments and one or more of my photos that I think sort of relate. I’m not quite as “ethereal” or maybe it’s “psychological” as my teacher in Spain, but hoping this focus on mindfulness will help me to be more mindful and sensitive in making creative and meaningful nature photos. If interested, go to my online notes on this particular class at : Pause 4: Sensation and Emotion -May 15, 2026 NOTES.
I think that a red flower always produces more “sensation or emotion” than any other color. 🙂
And About the Feature Photo . . .
Dying Cecropia Leaf with green spots or “Green Islands”
From Google AI: “Green islands” on a browning leaf are caused by living pests or pathogens that manipulate the plant’s hormones. They excrete cytokinins (plant growth hormones) that trick the leaf into delaying its natural death and keeping its green chlorophyll active in that specific area.
I searched my quotation sources for a good summary of this unusual lesson:
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
I am still trying to wrap my brain around this unusual lesson on breathing. If interested, click the above link to my notes and see the two videos and determine what you think of this as a help to mindful photography.
I’m surrounded by green plants that are constantly producing the pure oxygen I breathe.
I hate to admit that I succumbed to an advertisement on Facebook for an online class titled “Photography & Mindfulness.” But I did! 🙂 I have now gone through the first 2 of 10 classes which we do on our own time but are rationed out at 2 per week. In short, the first class left me very disappointed and sorry I paid money for it, but lesson 2 was much better and I have hope that it will get better and give me some more inspiration during this time of fewer birds and butterflies! 🙂 And even though the rainy season has started early this year, the wind is still blowing too much, though at least less than the previous 4 months. The weather is still blamed on the stronger than usual El Niño this year. Sooooo . . .
I followed their suggestion of starting a paper notebook of my notes, etc. on the class but by the second class decided I preferred typing than writing and by doing it online, I can include photos and links, thus my class notes are pages on my website under the ABOUT Page titled Photographer. The subpage there is Photography & Mindfulness under which there will eventually be 10 pages for the 10 lessons that Andaña calls “Pauses.” I was a little negative in my notes on Pause 1 as the class was not what I was expecting, but after Pause 2, I’m more positive. You can check out what you want to and I will do a post on each of the lessons, linking to the more detailed notes in the online pages.
It appears that each lesson will feature a photographer that I will link to plus so far she has included a music video with each of the lessons that I can also share on my reports. For example, Pause 2 has this video:
¡Pura Vida!
The featured photo is a Physalis or “Chinese Lantern” growing wild in a neighbor’s yard until he “cleaned up” the yard, cutting down such weeds. 🙂 Wildness sometimes has unique beauties that a cultivated garden will never have! Maybe that is “mindfulness” of wildness! 🙂 I miss that wild flower near me!
Because the photo gallery linked above will go away when I die, I have donated my bird, butterfly and many other nature photos to the following three sources where they can be seen now and for posterity as well as contributing to the science of each species as all three are major sources of nature research for many research organizations and universities around the world, including their professors and students:
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” ~Proverbs 13:12
Cortez Amarillo Trees blooming, Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails, Arenal Volcano National Park, Alajuela, Costa Rica
My blog/website administrative page has a bucket for “Drafts” and occasionally I put something in there that I think I might work into a blog post later (like yesterday’s). Back in 2022 I placed the above quote from Proverbs that I picked from one of my Daily Bible Readings to comment on later and here I am, about 3 years later, commenting on it (with photos!). 🙂
I’m on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica today and this photo was made on the opposite side of the country on the Caribbean Sea Coast in 2021 at sunrise. This greeting card photo was one of several I created that year and did not use, but I like it and decided to share today. Tonight maybe I will share a sunset photo IF the weather cooperates! 🙂 HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS DAY!
Sunrise on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast in 2021.
¡Feliz Navidad! or Merry Christmas!
A potted Poinsettia has kept my terrace in the Christmas Spirit this December! 🙂
Hoping you will have a happy December as I expect mine to be. I will be slowing down with only 3 doctor appointments! 🙂 My health is doing well with mostly the wonderful public health system here in Costa Rica, an ultra sound scan every 6 months showing me cancer free, a monthly nurse visit to my house, checking on me and data on my CPAP machine, and just a month ago I got new hearing aids compliments of the Cost Rica Social Security! Life is good in Costa Rica! 🙂
