Luck - The Good and the Bad

Sunset on the Water

Seneca, a first-century Roman philosopher, once said luck is when preparation meets opportunity. That is a great explanation of good luck. Bad luck on the other hand is the cause of one of two things; the lack of opportunity or the lack of preparation. 


I take ownership of my own luck, at least as much as I can. If I am not prepared it is my own fault. That's right, my fault.


If I know there is something that I want to photograph, I make sure sure to do what I can to make myself available to do it. 


Sometimes luck means I have to abandon something else that I want to do, like stay at home and have a quiet evening with my wife. But each and every time, luck requires me to say yes to opportunity when it comes knocking. 


And opportunity knocked on my door yesterday. And I said yes.

Faded Brillance

My friend, and fellow photographer, Liz Smith, called me up yesterday and asked me if I heard about the possible Aurora Borealis happening. I said, "No". 


She asked if I would be interested in going out and shooting it. I said definitely. It has been a goal of mine to just see an Aurora Borealis since I was a kid and learned about them. One of the biggest challenges has been my luck.


See I have spent my entire living at or below the 45th parallel, that is halfway between the North Pole and the Equator, in Oregon. As luck would have it, the Aurora Borealis don't dip down to the 45th parallel very often. 


Another bit of luck is the fact that I live in the state of Oregon. If you are not from around here, there tends to be considerably more overcast days than not here in Oregon. That is not a complaint, but simply an observation supporting my story of luck. I don't complain about the weather like so many others I know. I love cloudy skies during the day because cloudless skies are boring for a photographer.

Starry Sunset

To be an aspiring astrophotographer living in a perpetually overcast state like Oregon usually can be, is sort of bad luck. Being an aspiring astrophotographer looking to photograph the Aurora Borealis and living beneath the 45th parallel is a double tap to the bad side of luck. 


So when opportunity presents itself, even if it is only a thirty percent chance, I jump on it. Thirty percent was the chance that the  Aurora Borealis would be visible at the 45th parallel.


The skies were clear; opportunity. The sun had sent a sizable, M-Class, coronal mass ejection (CME) right at us; opportunity. I made myself available; prepared. I tracked the coming solar storm online; prepared. But alas the Aurora dream would remain such, a dream. 

The Aurora Borealis never made an appearance at the 45th parallel because the CME was not strong enough; no opportunity.


But I didn't let that take away from the beautiful evening and great company of my wife and Liz. 


We even had a surprise encounter with another photographer friend, Nathan Smith and his wife and son, Heather and Noah.


All of us made the best of the Aurora Borealis show, sans the Aurora Borealis, and had a great time and captured some amazing images of sky, both during and after sunset.

In the end the Aurora Borealis never made the opportunity available. But I made some beautiful photographs and shared a beautiful evening with some wonderful friends and my wife. It was a lucky day after all.


Are you prepared? If not; Why not?

Samples from the first 24 Scans

Okay... I am excited about this project, possibly overly excited, but what can I say. I have been waiting for years for this opportunity. So I thought that I was would share a sample of the first 24 scans. 24 scans that came from 1 of 6 tubs of these glass plates, and this tub isn't even the fullest of the tubs. I plan on scanning and converting one tub of these plates a weekend.

So here are the samples from the first pass...

Lanscapes:

See the full gallery on Posterous

People:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Flowers:

Farms:

See the full gallery on Posterous

 

Post Christmas Photo Escape

This post is offering a collection of miscellaneous shots... a little something of a boredom shoot. Enjoy...

Here is to all that nik-nak collectors out there....

Here is to the fans of my dog...

Here is to the fans a spirits...

2010 Photos in Review

So, I am using this post to close out the year by displaying a progression of my work throughout the year. In some cases my art improved and other cases I came around full circle. It was a year of firsts as well as a year of repeats.

At times 2010 was hard, yet at times it was easy.

Sometimes 2010 was bad yet sometimes it was good.

Some of 2010 I felt alone, other times I felt smothered.

A lot of 2010 was spent depressed and I was manic a lot.

In 2010, I lost some important relationships, but then again some too.

Much of 2010 was uncreative and uninspired, and still I was able to create some works that made me proud.

2010 is closing now, and I feel a sense of relief mixed with a sense of despair.

2010 has left the future uncertain, yet opportunity abounds.

As I get ready to welcome in 2011, I want to say goodbye to 2010 by celebrating my accomplishments. So here is the 2010 year in picture as seen through my eyes.

January - I didn't shoot a damn thing. My camera took a tumble rendering it all but useless and required me to purchase a new body, much to disdain of my wife.

February -

Foggy Morning in the Park

Abandoned Slide

March -

A bad day at the beach is better than the best day at work

My day in the rain... seems that I did that a lot this year. My camera got wet more than once.

April -

Learning to see differently. This is what happens when I stop letting the camera think for me.

A cold spring morning and my daughter is not happy to be at the Tulip Festival in Woodburn

Rain makes thing more beautiful. It is miserable to shoot in, but beautiful none-the-less.

May -

The excitement of battle

My new ride in 2010, although not alive and well right now. I did love it from April through the end of August.

My photo group loves shooting at this bridge

Trying something different

June -

Stricken by a creative block most of the month of June, this shot at the end of June jump started my July

July -

Back to the battle front

Fourth of July - How can fireworks not excite the creative spark

Mt. Angel Abby organ. This place is amazing.

My lovely wife cooperating for a portrait session with me.

August -

Bob Olin  posing by a dumpster for a shoot I did with him.

I did some time at the beach in August. It was very therapeutic.

A change of perspective proved to be very enlightening

Ocean waves are a special thing to me, like each one I get to see is a unique gift from God. Each created for me.

September -

September brought my first exposure to the public arena of teaching at the State Fair; I am officially hooked.

I went with Nathan to shoot a senior portrait, while I was supposed to be a mobile light stand, I sneaked a few shots in.

Another bridge shoot with my photo group.

My inner artist screams out to be expressed, and I listened.

Another senior shoot with Nathan, me sneaking some shots in while he messes with gear

October -

My first wedding - October proved to be my most productive month thanks to being laid off

This is before being laid off, and expressed exactly how I felt creatively in my job

I was busting at the seams to create, and this was a great month for me

My youngest daughter playing along for a Halloween themed shoot

Two days after I was laid off, I was actually feeling pretty good

Options are open and the skies the limit and all those other cliches. 

Things could be worse... I am loving the freedom.

I definitely felt some desolation during my first few weeks unemployed

I love the feel of this shot.... a life-long dream to capture it

More of the foggy love. This was the feel I was trying to capture at the playground in February

A little treasure at a friend's house

From the Halloween wedding I shot. This is one of my favorite shots.

November -

November brought so many blessings, such as spending the day with Kevin Kubota, Doug Gordon, Joy and Jules Bianchi and so many other working pros sharing their knowledge of the industry.

My creative juices flowing on the way back from Bend

More from the trip home from Bend

Another Mt. Angel shoot with my photo group, St. Mary's Parrish

The bell tower at the Abby

Playing with Movement

An odd result from my camera phone that I fell in love with

December -

It is amazing what can be done with some social finesse, like getting access to the Fairview Training Center

A recent road trip with my friend Terry, beautiful area

Standard shot of running water

A new view on running water and lichen.

Nope, not part of Silver or Multnomath Falls

Just below the snow line. This water was scary fast

My friend Terry who was kind enough to drag my ass out of the house,  yup that is know and only a 40 minute drive

A view of God's Country

Another waterfall.... I fell in love with this place

While 2010 is not quite over, I am about done with it. I am ready to move on. I am ready to put the past behind me and move into the future. It is late... and I am ready for bed now. So good night everyone.