Welcome to the rt tulley photography blogIt features photos, text, and poetry.February 3God
I am thankful for the presence of God in my life. It hasn't always been that way. But since realizing it, I have been comforted in so many ways. Every morning when I wake up, I thank God for another new day and every evening before going to bed, I thank Him for getting me through another one. I am not sure anyone could prove the existence of God. It's like in A Walk to Remember, one of my all time favorite movies, when Mandy Moore's character, Jamie, in speaking to her boyfriend, Landon, played by Shane West, compares God to the wind. She says you can't see it but you can feel it and see it's affects. So it is with God. I can feel His presence and can see His affects. Sometimes more clearly than at other times. But He's there if you open your heart and soul to the possibilities.
Honestly, since before I began this Photo of the Day project, I have been racking my brain for ways to come up with a photographic representation of God. God can't normally be seen or touched, which makes it difficult to put in concrete terms, so it becomes necessary to use symbolism. But coming up with the perfect symbolism for the ultimate in power, love, direction, and forgiveness, is difficult.
I liked this photo, which I took early last Saturday morning of the jogging path at University Lake near LSU. But using it to symbolize God never occurred to me until today in Men's Bible study at my church when we read John 8:12, in which Jesus said "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." It became instantly apparent to me that the symbolism of this photo was perfect for representing God. The light of God shines down upon us illuminating our path out of darkness. He gives us respite to sit and rest from our troubled journey before continuing on life's path. The future is uncertain but we can rest assured that God will be there with us and for us. As long as we don't detour to the unlighted path we are protected by the light of God.
God
if you can’t see God if you can’t feel Him look to the skies and then look within look at life and its stubborn self preservation look at a stranger’s kindness look at a winged bird in its gracefulness look at the love of a mother for her baby and if you look closely with open heart and mind you’ll know God just maybe. © rt tulley
February 2Spanish Moss
I am thankful for Spanish moss. It grows upon trees in warm and humid climates in the southeastern United States. I like it because it is often associated with my favorite tree, the bald cypress, and gives it an elegant and mystical look. It creates a mood which defines Southern. It is an epiphyte, meaning that it obtains its water and nutrients from the air, making it a so-called air plant. Therefore, it is not a parasite, as some people think, but rather a plant that drapes over the tree so it can have maximum air exposure. It may take some nutrients from the tree but only those nutrients excreted by the tree. I like to think that it insulates the tree from the harshness of the sun at times and creates a more dense shade than otherwise present from the tree alone.
When my family moved to Louisiana in the early 1960s, Spanish moss was prevalent on the oak and cypress trees. Over the years it seemed to decline in Louisiana (my theory is that is disappeared due to air pollution and auto emissions) but I am happy to say that in recent years there has been a resurgence of Spanish moss in Baton Rouge and Louisiana.
This photo was taken of a Spanish moss draped tree in a yard a few blocks from my house. I have always been intrigued by this tree over the years. I especially like the way the sun seems to glow through parts of the moss in this particular photo.
spanish moss
spanish moss draped over southern trees a shadowy mood a flowing memory spanish moss reminds me of you reminds even of me like a southern belle ghost like elegant and flowing mysterious and pretty gracefulness and knowing. © rt tulley February 1Shadows
I am thankful for shadows. As a photographer, I depend on both light and dark, on lit areas and on shadows. Without any shadows, a photo would be boring and have no contrast. Sometimes that may work, but normally not. I like the Rembrandt style of lighting in which half of the face is enveloped in shadow. This creates an exciting and mysterious effect. Conversely, if a photo consists of all shadows, it is entirely black, and no detail can be seen. I've made many photos like that accidentally and can attest to the fact that they are pretty worthless. It is the perfect combination of light and shadows that make photographs special.
Shadows can also represent the dark side, the absence of light. We are all human, therefore, there is no way for us to be perfect. I like to think of shadows as little character flaws that actually give us our uniqueness and character. They make us who we are. Recently my wife told me I was unusual but said that's what makes me who I am. I guess that was a compliment?
This photo was taken at Highland Road Park in Baton Rouge, with me holding my camera at chest level. That is my shadow among the tree shadows. Another good thing about shadows is that, at the right time of day, they can make us look taller! Especially good for a short guy like me! Just look at those long legs in the photo!
my shadow II
my shadow walks the ground my shadow walks in front of me as i continue past the light it disappears out of sight but as i go on another light looms ahead as i pass that one by what do i see? another shadow in front of me. © rt tulley
You might be wondering why that is called "my shadow II." It's because I wrote the original "my shadow" many years ago, probably when I was in high school or college. My entire philosophy and outlook on life has become much less pessimistic and much less dark as I have aged. That will be the subject of another Photo of the Day, I think. But if you're interested, I am almost embarrassed to reproduce this, but here it is:
my shadow
a lonely night the calmness is all around i gently float along my shadow walks the ground it goes ahead of me it goes only where i see and yet it disappears as another light nears the stillness is astounding as a tear hits my eye i stare into the darkness continually wondering why and the shadow walks on but the man only limps there's a care to catch it and touch it there's a want for even a glimpse i'm blinded in the night my eyes cannot see right the shadow walks on ahead the corpse follows the street, dead. © rt tulley January 31Milestones
I am thankful for milestones, which give us checkpoints by which we can guage our future goals. They offer us more easily obtainable sub-goals on the path to achieving our long range goals. Milestones enable us to break down the whole into more manageable chunks. More than two thousand years ago, the first milestones were stone obelisks along the Roman Empire's Appian Way. The modern day American version of milestones are mile markers posted alongside roads.
Today marks the completion of the first month of my Photo of the Day project. This goal, along with the supportive comments friends and readers have given me, will keep me fueled as I move toward the next milestone. Thank you everybody!
I envisioned this photo well before I took it and had it all planned out in more detail than usual: go to mile marker 1 on I-12 (which fortunately is not far from my house) in the pre-dawn hours, light the sign briefly with a flash but leave the camera shutter open long enough to blur the tail lights of the cars as they whizzed by. My best plans, however, never even considered the fog that we had this past Saturday at 5 am when I went to take the photo. After saying a few prayers concerning my safety as I stood alongside the onrushing cars oblivious to my plight, I was amazed at what presented as a far better scene than I could have planned. As the cars disappeared into the distance, the fog added to the symbolism that our long term goals may not be readily visible; however, well placed milestones work to get us there step by step. Thank you Lord for providing me with such a glorious foggy morning opportunity and for preventing those cars from slamming into me!
milestone
i asked the Lord for protection and safety in the quest that had been assigned of me every detail mapped out my plans carefully laid but the surprise He held and offered to me this day was well beyond the best laid plans i could have possibly made as i watched everything disappear into grey i gave a prayer of thanksgiving for His supervision and blessings and the ultimate gift of living. © rt tulley January 30Blue Skies
I am thankful for blue skies. Espicially in the dead of winter when it has been raining for two weeks straight!
This photo was taken at Santa Maria Golf Club in Baton Rouge on the first hole. Winter has done its damage to the green colors but I still like this hole and this course. Even the browns and starkness of the trees, which give the hole a Scottish lynks appearance, look great to me!
blue
blue a word to describe down moody and sad but to me blue is not so bad blue the color of clear sky and then again the deepest of the blue sea spectrally between violet and green could there ever a prettier color be? sky blue is midway between blue and cyan also called azure but to me it’s a reprieve from the gray of winter for sure. © rt tulley |
