Organic Light Pan

In 1945 on this day in a small mountain village in Syria a little girl as born late at night. Little did anyone know that her soul would have repercussions almost half way around the world for longer than her life would even allow.

She was the second born of five siblings and her mother died when she was only 9 years old. Her mother left my mother to care for her younger brother, two youngest sisters and her father. That ended her ability to any education while she spent her days learning how to cook and maintain her family’s home. At about the same time a few villages away a young man prepares to leave for America. The son of an immigrant who first immigrated to the United States in the late 1800’s and worked for Ford Corporation on the Model T, the Columbus Cast Iron Stove Company and running his own shoe repair shop and becoming a naturalized citizen before finally returning to Syria to get married and have 9 of his own children. This young man came to America as on a U.S. Passport as he and all his siblings were registered as American citizens at birth by their father.

Ten years later he returns to Syria successful with his own landscaping business to find that little 9 year old girl is now a beautiful young woman and asks for her hand in marriage. They were married and he returns to the States to prepare for her arrival. A few months later she is on her way as well, not knowing how to read or write or speak any language other than Arabic. She boards a flight for Paris France that is delayed and so she misses her connecting flight for the U.S.. The airline puts her up for the night in a hotel but forgets to get her in the morning and so she has to wait another day. All the while she is frightened and does not know who to talk to nor could she even if she could. The next morning the airline representative that comes to get her just happened to be a Lebanese man who speaks to her and finds out she hasn’t eaten anything in two days. Before she boards the plane this gentleman takes her to the hotel restaurant and makes sure she gets a meal she would eat and finally puts her on her flight.

Once in the United States, my father gathers her up at LAX and they make their way to a small rented home in North Hollywood. A year later I was born.

She brought with her an old world tradition of cooking everything from scratch and growing your own food on your own land. My two parents did just that.

My Father, God rest his soul, passed away in a work related accident when I was 11 years old. My mother took his death very hard and almost did not make it but after a year my mother and two brothers were back on our own. She raised three boys single handed and through it all managed to keep us in line free from all the troubles that three boys could get into.

My mother was a generous soul and found solace in cooking and feeding people. Never did family or friends visit that they did not leave our home with either home grown fruit or vegetables or some home cooked food in their arms. She was most famous for her Syrian Bread. If we had the wherewithal we should have opened for her a bakery, but nonetheless, the legend of her hearty bread still lives on in my family. My mother, God rest her soul, passed away in 2003 after battling ovarian cancer for 3 years. Her passing broke our family’s heart. She was the healthiest living person we knew, it boggles our minds to this day how this evil disease found its way into her.

On this day, in honor of my mother’s birthday I pulled out her secrete bread recipe and did my best to replicate her famous bread. I was about 90% successful.  Although it tasted the same I think I was a little short on water as the dough did not have the same pliable texture that she showed me when she taught me how to make it.

My Hand at Mom's Bread

As the bread’s aroma filled the house my kids came streaming into the kitchen recalling their grandmother’s kitchen.  So for the love of my dear mother, who saved my soul in ways that I cannot even express, this post and the bread that I made today goes out to her.  I love you Mom!

To all my readers, honor your mother today, if she is still alive or has parted from this world, honor her.  She has done more for you than you can possibly imagine.

Peace.

This year I thought I would post a wrap up of the best photos I made in 2010.  I am not as prolific as some photographers, but I have always been of the bent that quality is better than quantity.  I am not sure how many photographs I made in 2010, but these 25 photos mark the ones I liked the best.  I know that most will give the year’s top 10, but only 25 photos for the whole year, that averages out to about one good photo every 15 days.  I think I am doing pretty good with that given that Ansel Adams said a crop of 13 substantial photos in a year is good. Are all these 25 photos substantial, I don’t know, but they are what I consider the best for this past year.

Clicking on a given photo will take you to the Organic Light Photography website photo gallery where you can read more about each photo and make a purchase if you wish.  Enjoy and please let me know which is your favorite.

The year started out in pursuit of this small waterfall. For years I had seen where a winter waterfall could be present and this past January I managed to finally come away with a photo of it that I liked.

Ephemeral Veil

This portion of Gazos Creek has always intrigued me. There are these nearly perfect circular holes in the mud stone bed. I slowly inched my way out onto that slippery mud stone to come away with this photo.

Gazos Hole

Reflections have started to fascinate me ever since the 2007 Rippled Reflection photo. Here is the next addition to that portfolio.

Light Palette

This composition alluded me for years. This past October I finally came away with a photo from this location that meets my approval.

The Stage

A friend of mine calls this section of the Merced River “Cramer Alley” in honor of photographer Charles Cramer. Some of the photos produced by Charles Cramer are very inspirational and have gotten me to work along this portion of the Merced every time I visit the park.

Nestled

I have been photographing along the Big Sur coast line for over a decade. Garrapata Beach is one of my biggest attractions, but I have never photographed it from its northern end. I have seen photos from this side of the beach but was never impressed. This past August I found access to this view point on the North end and made my first attempt. I will need to go back, so expect more from this location.

Mystery Rocks

Spring found me leading a workshop about 2 weeks before the peak flower color. Carrizo Plain is a magical place when the flowers give a good showing. This was the California place this year.

True Value

Electric Dreams is a photo that I had in mind for years. I conceived the idea back in 2001 when I placed my then 35mm Nikon F4 camera with a 24mm wide angle lens on the ground in the sand pointing up into the sky with the camera on auto exposure and it captured my company logo. This was the first attempt at something similar with the 4×5 camera. My neck hurt for days after this photo.

Electric Dreams

When I was a graduate student at Stanford University, these flowers, Icelandic Poppies and Fireweed grew all around campus especially along the median strip of Campus Drive. They have always captured my imagination but have alluded my camera for years. These two photos come close to how I see them.

Impressions

My Heart Pops

I seem to always find myself photographing in strong harsh lighting. Its not easy to work with but one that I find challenging. This one I did not think would come out nearly as well as it did. The film held together very well.

Last Drink

Dogwoods are the most alluring of the deciduous trees here in California. Not tall like the Redwoods or Pines, not stoic like the Oaks or as graceful as the Maple, they leave nothing to desire when they bloom in spring or when they ignite in autumn.

Dancing With Dogwoods

I was incredibly disappointed when I discovered that I had underexposed this sheet of film by 2 stops! I was equally pleased when after developing the film and processing the photo that it came out as nice as it did.

Hidden

This photo was made in 2006, but sat in my files for the last 4 years until a client had asked for such an image for web use. It turned out that the request came in at the same time while I and my family were dealing with Whooping Cough and I was questioning the choices I had made in my life up to that point. This photo came to life at the right time.

Choices

Trees continue to fascinate me and the following four photos are new to that portfolio.

In The Trees

Pine and Moss

In The Glow

Cathedral Grove

This is one of the most dramatic views in the Park. It is not difficult to get to and one that stays with you for a lifetime.

The View

This scene took my breath away and was one that I knew would result in a great photo. It was just chosen as the California Nature Photographers January Cover photo!

Guardians

I must say that I have been unfaithful to the moon. It was the moon that first forced me to put a camera in my hand, and I have chased this little sliver of light in the sky nearly every month for the last 20 years! Yet I have shared very few of the photos. That will change from here on out.

Rabi Ath-Thaani 1431

Farewell Ramadan

The Moon, Venus and Me

Muharram 1432

This is the last photo I have made in 2010 and I really don’t expect to have time to go out before the new year. It was a unique event in our lifetime and one that I am very fortunate to have seen.

In Earth's Shroud

All these photos are now online at the Organic Light Photography website with my reflections and are available for purchase. All photos, including these Best of 2010 photos will be on sale until the end of January 2011 with 20% discount. So don’t miss out.

I want to thank all of you for your continued support and I hope that the coming year will be a prosperous one for all of us.

Peace.

Last night a celestial event occurred in our sky that has not happened in 372 years.  The Earth eclipsed the full moon on the winter solstice and for those fortunate enough to be in an area in North America with clear skies they saw a truly amazing and awe inspiring sight.

In Earth's Shroud

While there are some that feel that certain astronomical events have an influence on the behavior of humanity and other natural events, as a man of science I must say that such a belief is a bit incredulous as proof is hard to establish.  While at the same time, as a man of faith, belief in the dominion of the Creator over all of creation is central in my understanding of how the universe exists, how it is sustained and how it behaves.

In a sacred tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) said one morning after the dawn prayer that occurred after a rainy night, turned to the congregation and said “Do you know what your Lord has revealed?” The people replied, “God and His Apostle know better.” He said, “God has said, ‘In this morning some of my slaves remained as true believers and some became non-believers; whoever said that the rain was due to the Blessings and the Mercy of God had belief in Me and he disbelieves in the stars, and whoever said that it rained because of a particular star had no belief in Me but believes in that star.’ “

A passage in the Qur’an describes the motion of the sun and the moon and through implicit understanding so too the Earth and all visible objects in the heavens.  Each of these celestial bodies follow and obey what we in science refer to as physical laws which we understand and know how they dictate the motions of the heavenly bodies.  However, those of us who go beyond science and have some knowledge of the Knower understand that these laws are not merely physical, but Divine.

When I see an event like an eclipse, my heart is in awe of the power of the Incomparable for not only setting such beauty into place but sustaining it as well.  The skill to capture it and present it to others is a gift that I am aware of and grateful to posses.  I have searched the web today for photos of last night’s eclipse and while there some nice images, I did not find one that moved me in the same way as seeing it in person.  I hope what I have presented above will do that for some.  Enjoy.

Peace.

It has been just over two years since starting this web journal (a.k.a. blog).  I write about several different topics but mostly its about nature and what I have learned from it through the lens of my camera and refined through the spiritual filter of my faith and I pass on those lessons and share my photos to those who invest the time to read what I have written and look at what I have photographed.

However recently this seems to have become a frustrating endeavor for the more I write the less response I seem to receive.  Even more frustrating and confusing is that as I gather statistics on who visits and from where, it would make me believe that what I write is being seen and read by thousands of people.  However rarely do I even read a comment about what I write.

I am beginning to think that those who visit have deaf eyes and cannot ‘hear’ what I have to say or that they have mute fingers and cannot write to ‘voice’ their opinions.  On the other hand it might be that what I have to say is uninteresting, banal or just plain rubbish.  Or it could be that my photos are boring, uninspired or just plain rubbish.  But I would never know as no one ever tells me so one way or the other.

In any case I will keep writing and sharing my photos.  I write from the heart and my photos are a reflection of what I see and love in the world.  So I was just wondering what it would be like if those who visited left me some feedback so that I knew I was not screaming into a vacuum.  Because screaming into a vacuum is not an especially fulfilling feeling.

Peace.

Last month while in the Yosemite Valley photographing the autumn color I had an opportunity to eat at the Yosemite Lodge Food Court. In years past the food was just shy of being unbearable. However this year there was something different about the food, it was actually good. The cooks are now sensitive to what the patron wants and I am sure almost everyone’s taste and diet could probably be accommodated.

On my first morning there for breakfast I had a bowl of oatmeal. Nothing so fancy about oatmeal, in fact it is a very bland food. I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast at home for years. In my oatmeal, once cooked, I add a pat of raw cultured butter, a little salt, a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries, a little raw whole milk mix it all in and then top it off with a little real maple syrup. The aroma is always pleasing and one bowl very satisfying and gives me the energy I need for at least 6 hours. I thought my oatmeal was good until that first breakfast at the food court this year.

The oatmeal I was eating that morning was different, it had texture and consistency and more importantly it had some bite to it. I started to wonder why my oatmeal at home was not like this. My oatmeal, although loaded with all wholesome toppings, left me somewhat unsatisfied. I then realized that the problem was in the oatmeal itself. For years I had resorted to using instant or quick cook oatmeal, you know, the just add hot water kind of oatmeal. The resulting oatmeal was thin and almost paste like. Chewing it was optional and eating it took nearly no time at all. So when I returned this year from Yosemite I purchased regular rolled oats and proceeded to make better oatmeal.

It turns out that you only need three ingredients to make great oatmeal, well actually four. Rolled oats, water, salt and time. The recipe is simple: 1 and 1/2 cups of water brought to a boil, 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup of rolled oats. Add the oats to the boiling water and bring the oats to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Continue to stir until the water is absorbed and cooked away to give the consistency desired. Now my oatmeal has that bite that I so enjoyed that morning in Yosemite and now my oatmeal is not only good, its great!

So the other day I was thinking about how I make my oatmeal now. My process is no longer automatic. I no longer rely on the manufactured quickness of my instant oatmeal packs. I use three simple ingredients, oats, water and salt, and then give it some time. It then hit me that photography is really nothing more than three simple parameters as well and a little time: aperture, shutter, and film or sensor sensitivity. The automatic cameras of today take all those three basic parameters out of your hands and give you quick instant photos that are good, but are they great?

What if you reclaimed control of your camera and decided for yourself what the aperture, shutter and ISO sensitivity should be for your photography? What if you slowed down long enough to determine how much light was available so that you could determine how long to leave that shutter open and render the desired density of light on your film or sensor to your liking. What if you examined the scene sufficiently so that you could determine how much texture and how much creaminess resulted in your photo by choosing the aperture properly. What if you had the final decision as to how sensitive the sensor or film is so that you could control the graininess of your imagery. Do you think your photos would move from being good to being great? I do. I would like you too as well. Give it a try, you have nothing to lose, literally. And if you need some help in doing that, let me know.

The Stage

The new Islamic Year has commenced. The year 1432 on the Islamic calendar began for me just about 1 hour ago here on the West coast of the United States in the San Francisco Bay Area. The new moon was seen by myself and three of my children, all future moon sighters, God Willing, the youngest being only 4 years old.

Muharram Crescent 1432

As usual, my youngest had a hard time seeing it at first, but then finally asked “does it look like a little hair?” To which I replied “yes” and she gleefully said “I see it!”  A moon sighter in the making, I’d say.

Last week on Veteran’s Day I was not scheduled to teach anywhere as most schools close for that day.  I waited patiently as I watched my online schedule for any last minute additions.  When 6 pm rolled around and nothing showed up, I made a snap decision to return to Yosemite Valley to catch the last bit of autumn color in the Valley.

I gather up my entourage of four kids and packed up a day lunch, water and some warm clothing and we hit the road.  Four hours later we found our selves playing in the remnant snow at 6000 feet elevation around Crane Flat from the storm that passed through a few days earlier.  Once the fingers on my children’s hands had sufficiently numbed we continued on our way dropping down in to the Valley.  All four were now very excited to be in the mountains once again.  As we rounded the bend on Highway 120 leading down to the first view of El Capitan and Half Dome, my youngest son suddenly exclaims, “I have found my dream girl!” With astonishment the rest of the kids look at him in wonderment asking what in the world he is talking about.  I had an inkling about what he meant and then he clarified his statement to the rest confirming my thoughts.

He said “the Earth is a girl right?  We do call her Mother Earth.  She is beautiful. She never complains.  She feeds us and gives us to drink.  And she is always ready to accept us when we want to play.  She is my dream girl”

Well my son, mine too…mine too.

Dream Girl

Just over two weeks ago I was in Yosemite Valley leading a private class.  Maybe it was because my mind was on instructing and making sure my student came away with photos that he would be happy with that I was not able to see.  Or perhaps it was because my mind was preoccupied with other life consuming worries that always tend to work themselves out in the end.  Or maybe I could not see because I have lost my photographic vision.  When I say ‘see’ I mean seeing photographically of course.  I was having a terrible time seeing things to photograph even in one of the most photogenic locations anywhere – Yosemite Valley!

On one of the morning sessions we found ourselves wandering among Cottonwood trees near the Merced River among the grasses along its bank. There we found a ocean of fallen Cottonwood leaves among the grass.  It was a frustrating morning, not moved by anything I saw to even raise the camera, the fallen leaves suddenly made an impression on me and I began to photograph.  As I wandered among the grass and leaves one unique leaf stood out to me among all the rest.

A Dead Heart

I was stopped dead in my tracks as I looked upon this blackened leaf lying there in the shape of a heart.  A cold shiver ran down my spine as I looked on and pondered why I was seeing such a gruesome reminder of the fragility of our hearts to the diseases that can plague it and cause it die a spiritual death; a death that occurs due to an ever growing black blemish that can envelope the whole of the heart and kill its spiritual light if the heart is not protected and cleansed from the wrong actions we commit.

Was I looking at the state of my own heart?  For as of late, I have come to realize that we see out in the world what we harbor in our own hearts.  Was I seeing my own dead heart?  Was this the reason for my inability to see the beauty that lay all around me?  I shuddered at the thought.  Have I allowed the worries and tribulations of life to lead me down a path that is strangling the life out of my own heart?

I quickly turned up to look at the face of El Capitan, the single largest monolithic piece of granite in the entire world.  There, imprinted in its face is a heart of stone. Not a stone heart mind you but rather a heart engraved in stone.

Heart of Stone

We often label a person who is cruel and devoid of compassion as one who is hardhearted.  But here was a symbol of resolve and certitude, a monolith of immense grandeur exhibiting its heart for all to see, a heart impervious to any disease or ailment, a heart of stone.

Perhaps the secrete to protecting the heart is to make it impervious to the travails thrown at it by the world through nurturing sincerity and certitude in the One who gives us the blessings of a heart in the first place?  Perhaps by looking at the material world and becoming desirous of its charms allows the one ailment that weakens the shield of certitude that protects the heart to enter and cause the heart to waiver and quake with fear.

Give up on chasing after the world and its charms.  Absolve yourself of petty desires, comforts and false hopes.  Live in the moment and soak in the magnificence, splendor and magnanimity of the Creator that manifests all around us.  Stop chasing after the light that you may trap it in a photo and let the light come to you.  God forbid that we don’t take care of our heart and protect it from becoming black and dead and thus killing the heart’s penetrating eye that allows us to see truth as true so that we may follow it and falsehood as false that we may abandon it. God Forbid!

Peace.

Wish You Were Here

The first full day of photography has come to a close.  After 12 hours in the field we can finally take some rest.  It rained on us, the wind blew a bit, and the sun even shined on us a few times.  Through it all we kept the shutters blazing and the film burning and pixels popping, we could not have asked for better conditions.

Tunnel View Morning

The rain that fell today was not substantial, more actually fell over night and we awoke to a wonderland of saturated color.  The day started out somewhat dull at Tunnel View, and when we arrived about half an hour before sunrise there were few people there.  Within three or four clicks of our shutters, suddenly the place was overrun by nearly 50, yes 50 photographers!  It was getting a bit crowded and since the sun had risen and the light difficult to capture, we decided to move on to the color before everyone else did.  That was a good move.

Color!

We worked here until our stomachs said “feed me” so we took a break to power up and then we continued on our search for color which took us into the Ansel Adams gallery first.  There we looked at some amazing photography from Ansel Adams as well as some stunning work by others, the most impressive of which came from photographer Charles Cramer.

We then made our move into the El Capitan Meadow where the sun played hide and seek with us and won, as we could catch its rays to our satisfaction.

Moving on we found ourselves working along the Merced River where we not only found some amazing color among the Dogwoods, but they were showered in the sweetest warm light that just rendered the trees into something that I can only describe as delectable.

Sugar Coated for your Eyes

We worked there until we could no longer see through the camera viewfinder and headed back into the valley.  As we approached our lodge, we saw the slightest hint of twilight still dancing in among the the clouds and decided it was worth the effort to make one more photo.  I am glad we did.  The camera can sometimes see much better than we can.

Last Dance

So for another night, I bid you good night and Wish You Were Here!

Peace.

The Gates to Happy

Finally here again after two years.  Yosemite Valley has to be the happiest palce on Earth.  As soon as you drop into the valley and move past the Merced River and over Pohono Bridge the colors of autumn in the valley enthrall your eyes. Then as you meander along the gentle road passing through big leaf maple groves and sugar pine the grandeur of the largest monolithic piece of granite in the world greets you and your heart skips a beat in the shadow of its greatness before it settles into a state of tranquility certain in the fact that you are now home.

I will be posting each evening over the next few nights on what I find here this time around.  Stay tuned, the happy can only get better!