Saturday, January 31, 2009

Power and light


Simplicity in the morning
London, ON, January 2009


I've written previously about how little I like mornings. I enjoy my sleep, and don't much look forward to the moment when it has to end.

Despite this, I enjoy driving our kids to school. It's time with them that I never had when I worked outside the house, and even though it lasts for barely a half-hour and is often spent trying to keep coffee-drinking, thumb-texting motorists from slamming into us, it reinforces why the work-life balance I sought for so long is so welcome now.

After I walk them into the school yard and forlornly stare at them as they bounce off with their friends, I like to slowly walk back to the car. It's that morning thing again: rushing things won't get my day off to a better start. Sometimes I feel inspired to pull the camera out and capture something in the parking lot. Like all stretches of uninspired asphalt, it's a desolate place seemingly devoid of anything worth shooting.

But sometimes...

Your turn: Finding inspiration in an uninspiring place. Please discuss.

14 comments:

Marion said...

Sometimes, there is a shot that must be taken...and this was one of them. Beautiful lighting on the clouds in this photo.

I'm so glad for digital cameras...if I had to take film in to be developed all the time, I would be broke! As it is, I can take as many as I like!

David Edward said...

sitting in the DMV, department of Motor Vehicles, I like to marvel that ANYONE can sit at a desk all day and answer the same 100 dumb questions from overweight and undersmart Californians...
I am glad they are there so I do not have to be.

Anonymous said...

NetChick sent me. :)

Mornings are wildly divergent for me, sometimes inspired moments full of possibility and excitement. and sometimes painful slogs, just getting from bed to the coffee machine.

I love daybreak; the days I get to see it are always good days for me. Those hints of light over the horizon get me every time.

bobbie said...

Yes, sometimes... This was one of those times. Lovely shot.

PastormacsAnn said...

The Laundromat! I don't know - something about watching people from all walks of life go about the mundane task of laundry along with the colorful clothes spinning and tumbling in the dryers all in a row - it's just magical to me.

Amazing photo!

mw said...

I like that you can find something of worth in the morning traffic (and I love your description of the other drivers). The picture you posted is wonderful - the complexity of the drifting contrail on the carmel light below is incredible.

Thank you for this post - it has me thinking about how better to experience my mornings...

Z said...

"coffee-drinking, thumb-texting motorists from slamming into us"..in LONDON? You just described LA!!

David..What overweight and undersmart Californians!? (Smile) Ya, imagine working at the DMV...it's bad enough to spend 3 minutes there, I know.

that picture is wonderful, Carmi..thanks. I like the idea of walking slowly......too much rushing. Oh, you'd just LOVE living in LA (not!) (did you get my email?)

photowannabe said...

Pure magic Carmi. I think its a reward for your time with your kids in the morning.

Anonymous said...

As you walk along the barren deserted roads of the apocalyptic aftermath, below the searing sunlit radioactive dust clouds, stop and smell the brains.

Zombies love brains !

Max Thunderdome

Cloudia said...

Morning IS the time to move slowly. Aloha-

DNLee said...

after college, I moved back home - as is the custom for unemployed and not sure what to do with myself, degree recipients. I was initially sad because I had no idea what to do and had been twice rejected from Vet school. I was responsible for driving my (much) younger siblings to school - I was grad school and they were in grammer school and jr high). It was the best time of my life. Every morning I dropped them off and said "Have a great day.". I got to know my siblings and they me. Without it I would have moved off the adult land and never have know them because of our big age differences. They're my babies, but all grown up now.

And I love mornings. I'm such a morning person, even without the coffee.

Mojo said...

Man, sometimes synchronicity is just downright spooky.

I just posted an almost identical sentiment (and a very similar shot too) in my Sky Watch Friday #17: Who Says Strip Malls Are Totally Useless?.

And now I come here to post my latest "Simple" link, and find you've had the very same experience. You just described it much more eloquently.

Oh! The "Simple" shot? Kind of a special one to me. To anyone else? Meh. Maybe.
Thematic Photographic #34 "Simple" - v.2.0: "Simple Imaging"

Pamela said...

that's the trail of a ghost rider in the sky..

What a blessing for you to be able to have mornings with your kids.

awareness said...

because of your blog encouragement, I keep my camera close by and have captured a few sky shots I would definately have missed. here's a secret....some of the most stunning sunset photos on my blog are taken while standing in the parking lot of an Irving gas station just down the hill from me! It sits next to the river and is a great spot for the nature shots. heehee.

there are also times when i'm driving with one of my kids and something catches my eye...the camera gets passed over to them while i continue driving. Last week, Max got a great shot of a plane and it's jetstream. The angle made it look like a rocket shooting upward. I should post that beauty this week. Maybe I'll see if it fits with Wednesday's theme, whatever it may be.