Last week I got a text message from youngest daughter (who - for the record - LOVES Christmas - is a total Christmas nut). It was like a coded message no one else would get it - but "mom" did - and mom filled up with tears. She wrote "Christmas is coming - the goose is getting fat - won't you put a penny in a poor man's hat - if you haven't got a penny a ha' penny will do - if you haven't got a ha' penny then god bless you". When she was young I would sing that to her every week (sometimes every day) through Advent. The song rolled around in my head for a little bit - then totally disappeared - POOF gone. (kinda like my Christmas spirit)
When I was baking this week - I thought how I was really just going through the motions.... there was no Christmas joy to all this baking. But Christmas WAS coming and the baking HAD to be done..................
Then last night I had my last photography class. Just before I left I grabbed a Christmas CD and popped it in the player in the car. (really there are no good radio stations here in Kingston - and certainly none I have found that play Christmas music)
We had the formal last class then teacher took us all downtown to photograph the Christmas lights - AND - she agreed to teach me how to freeze frame motion. You do know what I am talking about - when you see all those photos of sports - where one figure is frozen in time and all the action around them is blurred - showing the motion the speed - the action. I wanted to learn that.
I took the back roads to downtown (due to road closures) and found myself driving slowly over snow covered roads - soft snow flakes floating down - Christmas music softly playing - and down each dark street the Christmas lights brightened the way - glowing like magic in the darkness - each house offering some special sparkling moment of Christmas magic.
I spent about an hour in the minus freezing temperatures struggling with the freeze frame motion shots............ most didn't turn out - a couple sorta/kinda did - when my teacher came to speak to me - to see how it was going to check out my shots - it was like she woke me from a dream - I had been so immersed in the sparkling lights reflecting off the ice rink - so immersed in the skaters - the lovers - the magic of the moment.
And then - when the body couldn't handle the cold anymore - when my face was frozen into an ice mask - I made my way back to the car, dragging the camera bag and tripod. I drove home along the same dark streets with the same Christmas lights sparkling - and as I turned into our lil street - my heart was glowing.
Christmas IS coming - and it is starting to feel so very right!
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For those of you who are interested in my learning curve in photography - here are my first efforts at freeze framing motion - skaters at city hall.............
The tree behind City Hall at the corner of the skating rink.............
my first efforts at freeze motion photography
just some ghosts skating past
I enjoyed today's blog (frankly, I enjoy all of them). I like the pictures, keep learning and clicking! You are an adventurous lady. I love that you have not stopped living.
ReplyDeleteI read several blogs every day but yours is special to me. Your active interest and pursuit of personal growth have the "ripple effect" - You inspire me!
In the past I had been making my comments as anonymous; today, I am a Lurker no more, my name is Sharon.
Have a Happy Holiday Spirit every day!