I almost hate to admit how much time I spent thinking about someone last night. Almost, but not entirely because it was at least fun. But then this morning was a bit of a disappointment. Blah.
Even though I am fortunate enough to have a very nice career as a professional photographer, I can still see photography more of an art than a job. It started out as a hobby for me.
It is also something I do to bring some peace to my otherwise chaotic life. Let's face it: life is rough. Even at it's best it is rough, so at it's worst...yeah.
Photography can be therapeutic. It can have a calming effect. it can bring a smile to your face on a rainy day.
Where is your peaceful place? A familiar place you have visited countless times to shoot photos just because it is so beautiful, so peaceful, so perfect?
This is my peaceful place. Garden City Beach, South Carolina. To get to this particular beach you have to park at a public beach access and then walk along the beach for about 25 minutes.
Just over this jetty is a wide expanse of beach with no houses, no hotels, nothing but nature. Across the inlet is a state park so you are just surrounded by nature. I've seen everything from sunrise to sunset here.
Wow, I'd love to live that close to a beach! On the other hand, I'd probably be there constantly and not get any work done. Not that I do at the moment anyway ;). As I don't have a beach nearby, I usually walk along the river Main which is right in front of our appartment. It's especially beautiful on a sunny day because then you can go people-watching, too ;). Here it is in its full sunny glory:
Your beach shot is fabulous!!! My Peaceful Place is anywhere near our cabin near Mt Baker. Can't get enough of the fresh air, the smell of campfire and trees. You'll see it as a recurring theme throughout my project
when not sitting on the beach my most peaceful place is our local woodland "Kingswood" its a 400 year old 145 acre wood and its very easy to get lost in :D
The woods. I especially love walking the railway tracks through them. Good thing I have a cell phone so dh can call me home when I've lost track of time :)
I JUST posted about needing some camera time and feeling off balance right now. My happy peaceful places are always by water and I am happy to get to the coast, Tahoe or the local river whenever I need some down time. But really, give me a wide open space and solitude and I am content. I actually relaxed a bit just hunting down some examples to share:
when my husband and i first got together, my boys were 9, 5, and 3 years old. about the only time malcolm and i got any privacy was when we went down to the river that was behind our old farm house while the boys played. we still pull over and sit beside rivers and talk in the car. malcolm pulled off the road the other day and we talked about bills, the house reconstruction, what we were going to buy at wallyworld, why lola is the smartest dog in the world and that i can't buy 5 grandkids 20 presents for Christmas.
My peaceful place is Galveston Island. My parents have an old historic home there, I grew up there, got married there. I love the place. We call ourselves ibc's. Islanders by Choice. (as opposed to boi's, Born on the Island) You haven't lived until you've lived on island time. Makes you never want to go back to any kind of fast paced world.
@pwallis - Star trails! I love that photo, and I've tried a few myself. November 25 (Black Friday) is the new moon so I plan to find myself a very dark place and shoot some star trails and star fields.
@pwalis - I'm sorry to say...there will come a day when your peaceful place becomes your migraine factory ;)
@crispypringles4 - Oh wow that's beautiful. I could spend all day sitting just right there. In the shade of that tree haha
@asrai - That's a beautiful place. Adding that to my list as well. I might as well just move there and shoot the whole country, huh?
@kynosmom - Haha...I love walking railroad tracks, but did you know it's illegal? I got tossed off a track once by a railroad employee in one of those trucks that drives on the tracks. He threatened to call the police! I waited a few minutes til he was gone and continued my walk ;)
@chackmann I love this scene. Reminds me of where I grew up in southwest Virginia. Lots of dirty and gravel roads covered by trees.
@autumnseden - I'm glad this helped relax you a bit! We must all consider ourselves fortunate to be able to relax just doing something we love so much. Some people don't have this luxury.
@deens - I can never get myself up that early haha but I know what you mean. Sunrise *is* very peaceful when I'm actually up.
@angievega - That's a great view! And great photos, too. That would certainly help me relax.
@kimmiesue - Where do you live? This beach is kinda my hidden secret haha only the locals know about it. And I love your little suburbia photo.
i love the lake by my house...we don't spend time there really, but, i drive by it every day going to work and coming home....it's one of the reasons we bought our house....
@jasonbarnette - We've been here in SC since Feb (renting on Parris Is, military base) but only moved into a new home in Bluffton 3 months ago. Haven't really explored much with Marine hubby away a lot and a 14mth old in tow!!
I found my peaceful place in May, and unfortunately I probably won't get the chance to go back there anytime soon. It's Leela Beach, on the southernmost point of Ko Phangan....
I used to find my escape in music and to some degree I always will. I am a San Francisco transplant living in Wisconsin a state I have learned to love after discovering photography.
I have an affinity for the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast and I guess I do not have as of yet a special place for I am still searching...
...when I am most at peace and I am not thinking technically but just trying to share something from my heart...like searching for a glimpse of heaven and then trying to describe it to a love one is when my photo's are their best...when I don't think about it... in a spiritual place/mood and just let my heart guide me.
I have picked a handful of photo's that are a travelogue of my attempt to find my place...they involve water or trees or both...light and shadow...I love exploring Wisconsin and I may not have the Ocean but I have Lake Winnebego and Lake Michigan which will suffice.
I have been dubbed on 365 as both Mr. Tranquility and Mr. Serenity
A beautiful place called Back Beach in my hometown New Plymouth. There you find the Sugarloaf Islands and Paritutu Rock - I painted these in high school for my portfolio and got top of the class :) I've also taken a few shots there for 365.
I love that there is a big sandune to run down and the beach stretches out with a beautiful coastal view - so peaceful yet lively - love this place :)
Am lucky to live right opposite the nicest park in Leeds. Go up to the woods every morning before work with the dog but never get bored of going there. Quite hard to drag myself tout of them and off to work usually.
My peaceful place is sitting anywhere on the ground and shooting macros of flowers, a lot with drops on them. I find it so relaxing (except when it is windy, then that can present a challenge for me, ha ha).
My 2 lastest (but most of the flowers are gone now, sniff sniff...LOL)
My peaceful place is Great Yarmouth beach. It's been my refuge many a time when I've needed time to myself, time to think and get away from everything. Off season it's wonderfully quiet.
Mine is Ivy Creek Natural Area--which lucky for me is a lovely park only 5 minutes from my work so when I'm really hating being there I grab my camera and walk for a bit -- plus I hope my boss thinks I'm photographing an event for the paper or magazine ;) And one path is paved so even in heels I'm OK!
I have several places I like to visit to reclaim peace in my life. Visiting one of the local parks, Liberty park, always seems to get me in a peaceful frame of mind. This is a shot taken on my latest trip to this lovely park.
On the campus of Harvey Mudd College, just a short walk from my house. I discovered this courtyard with a fountain in it. Koi, dragonflies, the fountain. I've posted at least five different shots from that courtyard and yet there's still more left undiscovered.
I can't escape here any time I'd like but Lake Tenno in Italy captivated me when I first went there 4 years ago:
I haven't altered the colours in this picture at all. If you went there on a bright day the water would be just as blue.
When I returned this summer it was on a more overcast day but it was still as peaceful
To be less specific I would say almost anywhere around Lake Garda and the area leading up to the Dolomites.
I generally have to travel to find really serene landscapes, but this park by my house is so peaceful in the morning, and the sunrise there is always amazing.
Bizarre as this may sound... there's nothing like the london underground to make me breathe deep and see things in their best light.. i love it so much!
I have a few 'peaceful' places I like to go....
first would be my sitting room, where I relax most of the time when I am at home...
my fire pit in the back yard
my back yard
the woods behind my house. great place to go walking
@jasonbarnette No one ever yells at me and sometimes they smile and wave. And one of these days I'm going to be in the right place when the train crosses my favorite railway bridge. http://tinyurl.com/c5mmkrk
@kynosmom OMG that is an awesome bridge! Take me with you haha! I bet going out at night to capture light trails of a train crossing that bridge would be amazing, too.
I love anywhere with flowing water, the beach, rivers and waterfalls somehow it just relaxes me and helps me think about nothing as if washing the day away!
This is a new found spot close to my house which I have been spending a lot of time this week.
This is a Japanese Garden in Rockford, IL the town I live in. I have never been anywhere that took my breath away like this place since it was so unexpected.
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Just over this jetty is a wide expanse of beach with no houses, no hotels, nothing but nature. Across the inlet is a state park so you are just surrounded by nature. I've seen everything from sunrise to sunset here.
She makes things make sense.
The ocean...
and home.
My home...
@pwalis - I'm sorry to say...there will come a day when your peaceful place becomes your migraine factory ;)
@crispypringles4 - Oh wow that's beautiful. I could spend all day sitting just right there. In the shade of that tree haha
@asrai - That's a beautiful place. Adding that to my list as well. I might as well just move there and shoot the whole country, huh?
@kynosmom - Haha...I love walking railroad tracks, but did you know it's illegal? I got tossed off a track once by a railroad employee in one of those trucks that drives on the tracks. He threatened to call the police! I waited a few minutes til he was gone and continued my walk ;)
@chackmann I love this scene. Reminds me of where I grew up in southwest Virginia. Lots of dirty and gravel roads covered by trees.
@autumnseden - I'm glad this helped relax you a bit! We must all consider ourselves fortunate to be able to relax just doing something we love so much. Some people don't have this luxury.
@deens - I can never get myself up that early haha but I know what you mean. Sunrise *is* very peaceful when I'm actually up.
@angievega - That's a great view! And great photos, too. That would certainly help me relax.
@kimmiesue - Where do you live? This beach is kinda my hidden secret haha only the locals know about it. And I love your little suburbia photo.
I have an affinity for the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast and I guess I do not have as of yet a special place for I am still searching...
...when I am most at peace and I am not thinking technically but just trying to share something from my heart...like searching for a glimpse of heaven and then trying to describe it to a love one is when my photo's are their best...when I don't think about it... in a spiritual place/mood and just let my heart guide me.
I have picked a handful of photo's that are a travelogue of my attempt to find my place...they involve water or trees or both...light and shadow...I love exploring Wisconsin and I may not have the Ocean but I have Lake Winnebego and Lake Michigan which will suffice.
I have been dubbed on 365 as both Mr. Tranquility and Mr. Serenity
I love that there is a big sandune to run down and the beach stretches out with a beautiful coastal view - so peaceful yet lively - love this place :)
My 2 lastest (but most of the flowers are gone now, sniff sniff...LOL)
And of course my woodpeckers!
I wish I could visit this place everyday.....it was the most peaceful place I've ever found......Andalucia last Spring
I haven't altered the colours in this picture at all. If you went there on a bright day the water would be just as blue.
When I returned this summer it was on a more overcast day but it was still as peaceful
To be less specific I would say almost anywhere around Lake Garda and the area leading up to the Dolomites.
And the place ive been once thats beautiful
i don't go there nearly enough :)
first would be my sitting room, where I relax most of the time when I am at home...
my fire pit in the back yard
my back yard
the woods behind my house. great place to go walking
This is a new found spot close to my house which I have been spending a lot of time this week.
The beach at the bottom of my street.
The prairie is something I miss, something I love, and something that brings me peace. I love it.
This is a reserve only a mile up the street from my house. i've always loved this property.
Three Mile Harbor, East Hampton, NY
Sag Harbor Cove has amazing views all the way around. I get to see them everyday, but its those times with my camera when I truly take a good look.
When I choose to find peace at the keys its always available.