Pursuit versus Creation

Happy Wednesday! Today's image was taken from below a Cherry Blossom tree branch at sunrise. This is what the blossoms look like as the rising sun adds a pink hue to the white flowers.

To complement this upside-down perspective of a Cherry Blossom, here's a different way of seeing happiness as posed by organization expert Rivka Caroline on Twitter this morning:

Some people are so busy *pursuing* happiness that they forget the tremendous inner power they have to *create* happiness ....
— Rivka Caroline (@SoBeOrganized) April 24, 2013

So our challenge today is to stop the pursuit and start creating more happiness in our lives. Now, go forth and create!

A New Marathon

So many people have shared such profound thoughts and reflections following the Boston Marathon tragedy.

I'm not sure what I would like to contribute to this conversation yet, so here's what musician (and awesome human being) Will Dailey shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday. It's poetic and beautiful like his music.

A new marathon began when the sun came up in Boston Tuesday morning.

Marathon: An event or activity that requires prolonged effort.

And so we begin. Running now with our own two weary legs but all of us are side by side. As a city, as a country and as a global community. A people. Fueled by our individual will and the collective sideline encouragement composed of those who love us: our family, friends, community and world.

Violence is the scream of ideas without merit. It fails the moment it is conceived. We in Boston, in the United States, experienced Monday what is too common in other countries. But, as it is in other places, there is more good than bad in the world. The bad can be loud as hell but the good is plentiful with the endurance of a million marathon runners.

One year from now we will be having another race. There will be a classic Red Sox game. We will remember the lost who will become stones in the architecture of our hearts. We will tend the raw wounds. We will honor heroes. We will run and we will finish and we will fall into each other’s arms.

We are in a new marthon [sic]. With a city and people that have the legs for infinite miles.

Happy Jackie Robinson Day

Today is Jackie Robinson Day. If you haven't seen the film "42" yet, take yourself and your family and friends to see it this evening in his honor.

In honor of this special day, today's thought comes from the legendary baseball player himself:

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

While baseball may be just a sport, Robinson's courage and perseverance to become the first black player in Major League Baseball not only opened the doors for people of color in the world of professional sports, but in other public roles and occupations as well.

Robinson and other civil rights trailblazers not only desegregated baseball, they also helped to "desegregate" the minds of many Americans. He taught America how to see people of color differently than they had before -- by their ability and contribution to society and not merely by the color of their skin

Ready to Pop

Californian and conservationist John Muir once said:

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

While I think most of us have accepted the interconnectedness of our lives to each other, we still disregard nature's own interconnectedness.

All life -- even plant and wildlife -- makes up a fragile web of connections. This truth is so obvious when observing the Cherry Blossom trees in bloom.

Cherry Blossom flowers are so fragile flower when blooming. A gust of wind, raindrops or even disrespectful tourists can end a cherry blossoms' life.

Spring is our annual reminder of nature's connection to people and our entire environment. I just hope we pay better attention this time and become better stewards of this precious planet. If we don't maintain our relationships with nature, who knows how those tugs will unravel our world.

Offset by Blue

Thought of the day courtesy of the late, great Zig Ziglar

The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.

Shifty Focus

If you're one of my Facebook friends,you've probably seen this photo already. Shortly after returning from the Tidal Basin on Saturday morning, I made it my new Facebook cover photo. I couldn't resist.

This image is the perfect combination of color, texture and composition. In low light pre-sunrise conditions, it's challenging to make sure your images are in focus. When your composition seems to be in focus through your camera viewfinder or LCD screen, it may actually be out-of-focus once you bring the photo up on your computer or tablet.

That's the joy of taking digital photos -- you can take as many as you want. Multiple attempts can increase your likelihood that at least one of the photos is as sharp and clear as you intended.

After taking at least six photographs of this same composition, this photograph was the only one in focus. It's always a delight when you discover that you got the shot you wanted.

Best Laid Plans

Anticipating today was peak bloom of the Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin, I got up before the sun, jumped in a Zipcar and drove over to the National Mall. When I arrived, I learned the frustrating truth -- the blossoms were not in full bloom. Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men ... you know the story.

So, the sleep-deprived version of myself might have reacted to this news with bitterness and perhaps a few choice words, but the photographer in me responded instead. I was inspired.

Instead of taking big landscape photographs of trees in full bloom, I zoomed in on a smaller subject -- the blossom itself. It's amazing when you get close to your subject how different they can appear.

Today's photograph showcases the full spectrum of a blossom's bloom from bud to flower. This close, the blooms seem to be exploding like fireworks from the tree branches. In a day or two, these "explosions" will result in Cherry Blossom tree branches overwhelmed with flowers.

Sometimes the best photographs occur when the plan needed to change. These game-change situations force you to get creative and develop a new and unexpected plan. Just like with life, we need to be flexible with photography. You never know when (or how) your best photograph excursion may happen.

Preventing Suicide One Walk at a Time

Apologies to family and friends who may have already received this request. This is such an important issue for me that I am trying to use every venue available to get the word out and build support for this great cause.

As a friend shared recently, everyone has been touched by suicide at some point in their life. Perhaps a loved one or yourself contemplated it, attempted it, or even worse, successfully completed suicide. In my own life, there’s AJ, Adrian, Barbara, Dillon, Dimitri, Eleanor, Jeb, Kevin, and tragically, my list could go on.

While I raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention through my job, I wanted to do more to help those thinking about suicide. In June, I will be joining hundreds of people walking 18 miles through the night in the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I would appreciate any support that you can give for this worthwhile cause.

AFSP is at the forefront of research, education and prevention initiatives designed to reduce loss of life from suicide. Also, they fund a national suicide hotline to help those in crisis. With more than 30,000 lives lost each year in the U.S. and over one million worldwide, the importance of AFSP's mission has never been greater, nor their work more urgent.

Thank you for considering this donation request. I rarely ask folks to support fundraisers, but this cause is different. It’s my hope that the money we raise together will become a lifeline that saves lives of those thinking about taking their life.

You can make a 100% tax deductible donation online here through my fundraising page or if you would prefer to donate by check, print out this form and mail it to the address listed.

If you’re unable to contribute at this time, I understand. All I’ll ask of you is to please keep those in crisis in your thoughts and prayers and save the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number in your phone – (800) 273-8255 – to get help for you or another person in need at a moment’s notice. Also, feel free to forward this message to friends or share my fundraising page on your social networks. The more money we raise, the more people we can help.

Even in the darkest of days, we are never alone. That’s why I’m walking in June to demonstrate that everyone matters and there is the hope of brighter days ahead. As one of my favorite musicians Tyrone Wells sings, “There is always something more."

Conflicted Seasons

A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Here's a little bit of summer and a little bit of autumn all in the same frame.

According to my friends, the Capital Weather Gang, my neighborhood should be in peak autumn color by the end of October. I'm thinking it might be a little sooner than that, so I'm going to be keeping my camera close at hand.

When the foliage flares into color, I'm going to be ready.

The Real Goofy

Meet my dad, Peter. If you ever loved the Disney character Goofy, you would really love my father.

Like Goofy, my father is incredibly silly. However, please don't mistake this for lack of intelligence. I think  people mistake silly people to be stupid people, which is hardly ever accurate.

To be truly silly, you must be very sharp-witted and have great intellect. Being silly is like playing chess; you always need to be thinking three or four steps ahead, visualizing where this act or gag will go and assessing how far you can go as well. It's that foresight and strategic thinking that makes that "Goofy" in your life -- and we all have at least one -- hilarious and brilliant at the same time.

Today's photograph of the Borde family's Goofy was taken during a day trip to Laguna Beach to celebrate my Dad's birthday. I stopped to take photographs of the bougainvillea growing on this wall when my father stopped me and said, "Wait. Take this picture instead. Me in the bougainvillea. Now, THAT'S a great shot!" Then he proceeded to make several funny faces as he stood among the blossoms. This one was the most natural of the group.

It was a ridiculous moment, but beautifully sums up one of the many characteristics I love about my Dad. He is a person of great commitment and integrity and has a strong work ethic, but is also someone who has a contagious laugh and knows when to use it.

It's my greatest wish that in the coming years, he'll get to use that silly muscle more often than the responsible grownup one he has needed to use more often. If he doesn't, I'm not sure how the next generation of Bordes ever be able to learn how to be the next family Goofy. It's definitely tradition that must be passed on.

Celebrating Hard Work and Respites

Across America today, people are observing Labor Day, a federal holiday celebrating the economic and social contributions of workers in the United States. Wikipedia states that it is a day celebrating American workers, but since we are a nation built on the backs of American and non-American workers alike, broadening it to all workers in this country is more appropriate.

So how do we celebrate this day on the first Monday of September each year? We give workers the day off, of course, and encourage them to attend parades, parties and special events. It's a day for hard workers to relax and stop and smell the flowers.

After more than ten years of working, I relish federal holidays and bonus days off. In the hustle and bustle of busy work schedules, it's hard to find the time to enjoy life's moments and fully appreciate the beauty around us.

I came across these flowers on my way to work one spring morning. I debated whether it was worth stopping to photograph the blossoms with my iPhone camera and be a few minutes late for work. I hesitated for a moment and then decided to walk away. After walking a few minutes, I returned to the flowers with my iPhone camera in hand. For some reason, these flowers haunted me and I knew that if I didn't take the picture I would regret it.

That's the importance of taking breaks, respites and holidays. Taking time off allows us to lessen our regrets for not taking moments which will haunt us later. Whether we spend time with our family or friends, or relax indoors, or even visit someplace new on Labor Day, taking that respite will improve our wellness and reduce that weighty burden of missed opportunities.

Big Love

Yesterday, someone on Pinterest pinned a quote from one of the Lord of the Rings movies that made me pause. The post depicted Cate Blanchett's character Galadriel saying, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." While Galadriel was referring to the fictional and height-challenged hobbits, I'm blessed to know real people who illustrate Galadriel's prophecy.

Five years ago today, a little baby's passing changed my life.

Ella and I never met. She was the first child of one of my dearest childhood friends who lived in California while I was living here on the East Coast. Ella was small and beautiful, and unfortunately, came into the world with a sick heart. She wasn't the first little one in my life to pass away too soon; my baby cousin Justin unexpectedly passed when he was just a few months old as well. Even Ella's big spirit couldn't overcome her frail body.

While we never met, I felt as if I knew Ella. I grew to know her through photographs and email updates from her parents and grandparents. I grew to know her through the little anecdotes and stories my mother retold from conversations with Ella's family while she was sick in the hospital. And I grieved for her, even though I knew her passing would bring her peace after living a short life filled with painful medical tests, procedures and hospital stays. Although we never met, I felt so much for her and felt her loss so deeply.

Knowing her taught me such a valuable, powerful lesson about myself and life. Loving Ella showed me how there is no distance between people, none at all. We walk around each other like we're strangers, and often feel alone and disconnected. But truthfully, whether we know each others' names or not, we are connected because we share the same creator. We come from the same stock, the same gene pool, the same family.

We are connected whether we see one another or even hold one another. Distance is a figment of our imagination. It's the lie we tell ourselves to hold people away from us and to feel safer and protected from harm and pain. It's a man-made obstacle we place in our relationships.

If this year has taught me anything, it is that grief and feelings of loss are part of our soul's acknowledgement of this connection to each other. It's why we emotionally react to strangers' deaths in mass shootings, natural disasters, and other horrendous events reported on the every night. We may not know the victims personally, but their loss feels like our own. This occurs because we were created to love, and love is the bridge, the connection between each other.

So we must be like Ella. Her body may have been small and fragile, but she loved her family, friends and even strangers as if her heart was as big as the sky. What a different world this would be if we lived (and loved) so boldly.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. So true. I'm grateful for Ella and the loving, little (and big) souls who have shared this life journey with me so far for showing me our interconnectedness  and how to love big and boldly.

iPhone Camera to the Rescue

On one of my many morning trips to the Tidal Basin in March to photograph the Cherry Blossoms, I got caught in a thunderstorm. After waiting out the storm under the roof of a National Mall public restroom facility, I ventured out with my camera and starting taking pictures.

Only 20 minutes into the photo session, the battery for my digital camera dies. "That's ok," I said to myself. "I have an extra camera battery in my camera case. Wait. Where is my camera case?"

While I had packed everything in my backpack, including a change of shoes for work, I forgot to put my camera bag into my backpack too. Now, I'm wet, my digital camera isn't working and I'm surrounded by flowers just begging to be photographed.

Before I was a smart phone user, my only option in that situation would be to put away my camera, take in a good mental photograph of my surroundings and then head off to work.

Luckily, my iPhone provides an alternative scenario and I was able to use it to continue photographing the damp Cherry Blossoms. Today's photograph is one of my favorites from that iPhone photo session.

This year's FotoWeekDC Cherry Blossom competition actually has a category for photographs taken with mobile devices and I entered this photograph. To vote for one of my photographs to win their People's Choice award, click here to cast your vote.

Coastal Flower Rivalry

Last week, I traveled to Northern California for some vacation time.

It was a trip filled with visits with old friends who live in the area, and celebrations of graduations and new adventures. My camera accompanied me on the trip and future posts will feature the best of our photo excursions.

After spending so much time with spring bloom in Washington, DC, the landscapes in Northern California was a big change. While spring arrived there as well, spring looks different on the West Coast. Unlike the plethora of flowering trees on the East Coast, Northern California features more flowering plants than trees in springtime.

Which do I like best? Unclear. As a photographer, I'm fascinated by flowering trees, but flowering plants offer such color and variety that they draw my camera as well.

By the Dawn's Early Light

Why do I get up at the crack of dawn to travel to the Tidal Basin to photograph Cherry Blossoms? Today's photograph illustrates the reason why.

The early morning light is the best lighting source for nature photography. While I've found sunset light attractive as well, it often leaves photo subjects in silhouette.

As the sun rises, it drapes a soft glow upon flowers and plants, leading to striking profiles like the one in today's post. It is photos like today that motivate me to keep setting that alarm clock for an ungodly hour just to photograph nature at dawn.

Cherry Blossoms and Blue Skies

I love getting a hint of blue skies when I'm in Cherry Blossom photography mode. Blue skies just feature the subtle pink color of the blossoms so beautifully. With blue skies in the background, the resulting photographs best reflects what I saw in person with my eye.

At times, what we see with our eyes and what the camera captures can vary. Our vision makes adjustments while working with our brains, while our digital cameras rely on us to tell it when adjustments should be made.

Digital cameras may become smarter and more intuitive, but to create memorable images, cameras will still require human operators to make images that most closely resemble what we see with the human eye.

Magnolia Blossom with a Friend

Accompanying the cherry trees on the National Mall, there are several magnolia trees which bloom around the same time. This image is a close-up of a magnolia blossom near the end of its blooming cycle.

While I love flower photography, I never strive to capture insects interacting with flowers and plants. I'm not a fan of bugs, so when in nature, I try to stay clear of them and not get too close.

Somehow in spite of my plan, I was able to capture this fly resting on this magnolia blossom. Even though this is a cool moment to freeze in a photograph, it doesn't change my position on no insects in my compositions.

New Challenges

After photographing the Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin for more than 6 years, I challenge myself to uncover a new perspective or angle of the blooming trees each year.

On my fourth visit last week, I found a sweet position on the south side of the Tidal Basin. While there at sunrise, I figured out how to take a close-up photograph of the blossoms while the Jefferson Memorial lingered in the background.

Today's photograph was one of the highlights of my Cherry Blossom photo excursions this year.

Delicate Cherry Blossoms

They're here! They're here! Ok, I know the blooming Cherry Blossom tress are more "it" than "they," but to me, "they" are old friends and deserve a pronoun as such.

Today I visited the Tidal Basin for my annual sunrise Cherry Blossom photo adventure and wasn't disappointed. I look forward to the blossoms' brief visit each spring and I'm ecstatic that they are finally here.

In spite of the fog and overcast skies, the blossoms were near peak bloom and spectacular, especially the white blossom cherry trees. While the pink blossom cherry trees were not yet in full bloom, they should be peaking in the next 24-36 hours.

After six years of visiting the cherry blossoms, I am still in awe of the delicacy of the blossoms. The petals are so fine and fragile and vulnerable to wind and rain. Weather forecasts predict thunderstorms and rain this week, which will cause the trees to lose their blossoms faster.

If you're in the DC area and planning to visit the Cherry Blossoms this year, go to the Tidal Basin as soon as you can. Once the rain storms arrive, there is no telling how long the blossoms will be around.

Honoring Your Calling

Oprah Winfrey once said:

There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.

Each spring, flowers honor their calling to bloom. Unlike flowers, we don't have to wait until spring for our lives to bloom. We can start blooming any day.