HIghly Commended Finalist in the 2012 Share the View International Photography Contest

I am pleased to announce that my photograph Vervet Eating Flowers was just awarded highly commended finalist in the 2012 Share the View International Photography Contest sponsored by the Audubon Society of Greater Denver.  This photograph was taken on my trip to Kenya this past summer in Tsavo East.  It was so much fun watching this monkey stuff his mouth full of flowers. As soon as he reached for this one, he created such a perfect composition that I knew it would look like a painting. I am very honored to have received this award. The photograph will be posted on their website soon.

When I saw this monkey eating flowers with such delight, I realized he was fully in the moment in a most indulgent and perfect way.  It brought to mind a story that Mark Nepo told in Estes Park at the Wake Up Festival and which he also recounted in The Book of Awakening.  The story goes like this:  "It is said that a great Zen teacher asked an initiate to sit by a stream until he heard all the water had to teach.  After days of bending his mind around the scene, a small monkey happened by, and, in one seeming bound of joy, splashed about in the stream.  The initiate wept and returned to his teacher, who scolded him lovingly.  'The monkey heard.  You just listened.'"

Vervet Eating Flowers @ Lynne Buchanan

Watermarked by Digimarc, All Rights Reserved

At the Darkest Moment Comes the Light

Full Moon over Zabriske Point @ Lynne Buchanan

                                           Images watermarked by Digimarc, All Rights Reserved

Morning Glow Death Valley @ Lynne Buchanan

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Sunrise, Death Valley @ Lynne Buchanan

Images watermarked by Digimarc, All Rights Reserved

I just returned from photographing in Death Valley, the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, and Joshua Tree National Monument.  It was a fantastic trip that began on this incredible first day. I woke up very early and got to Zabriske point an hour or so before sunrise, before any other photographers arrived.  The moon was full and there were incredible magenta clouds in the rich bluish purple sky.  A system in California was causing clouds to form and drift over the valley, though the rings of mountains broke them up enough that it never rained during the five days I was there.  That morning I witnessed the most magical predawn display of light and color I have ever seen.  Once I was lucky enough to catch an incredible sunrise in Puerto Rico where the entire sky turned orange and gold, but I have never seen anything like this when it was still so dark... I sat and watched the transformation of the sky in wonder, taking in every subtle shift in color or slight movement of the clouds.   Being present with the spectacular skies all alone on that quiet morning in the cool air brought hope back into my heart.  2012  has been a tumultuous year in my yoga community and in my home.  Much of my world has been shaken up and broken apart and sometimes I have felt like a dark cloud is hanging over everything.  I have always been a glass half full person, so acknowledging darkness is sometimes difficult for me.  Yet we all have our shadow sides and sometimes the world seems to go through troublesome shifts too that come when the collective shadow side of our societies rises up .  Watching the full moon light up in the sky in one direction and the flaming orange of the sun's rays begin to peak over the mountains in the opposite direction was such a clear metaphor that light can suddenly break through during our darkest hours--that it often takes darkness before a new light can shine.  As Joseph Campbell wrote, " One thing that comes out in myths is that at the bottom of the abyss comes the voice of salvation.  The black moment is the moment when the real message of transformation is going to come.  At the darkest moment comes the light."

Be Thankful for the Gift of Life

Xinalani Beach with Waves © Lynne Buchanan

(Image watermarked by Digimarc, all rights reserved)

This photograph was taken in Xinalani Mexico in October 2011 at a yoga retreat there.  It was such a spiritual place and the energy was quite special.  After practicing yoga and meditating every day, it was so easy to feel the magic of this scene on the last evening I was there and feel blessed to be alive.  When the God rays broke through the sky, as I was standing with my tripod in the ocean, I felt immersed in a miracle.

Sometimes, it is not so easy to feel that all of life is a blessing though.  Anxious thoughts can snowball and create more anxious thoughts and suddenly you are overwhelmed.  Yet, to really progress along the spiritual path, it is important to try and open our hearts to everything in our lives and be thankful for all of it, even the parts our smaller selves don't recognize as blessings yet.  It is really always a push-pull between feelings of doubt and hopefulness.  That is the nature of being human.  

Last weekend, I attended a fantastic frame drumming workshop with Layne Redmond in Melbourne, Florida.  Drumming seems to appeal to people in the midst of transformation.  At sunrise on the second day, I decided to go for a walk on the beach before class, because I was really struggling with some personal issues and was hoping a walkabout on the beach would provide me with some clarity.  I did not have my camera, so I will have to describe my experience instead.  It was an overcast day with areas of blue sky peeking through.  The wind was blowing quite strongly and the waves were crashing in accidental patterns.  The incoming waves were met by the receding tide and all kinds of crisscross patterns were evident.  The shorebirds would suddenly have to split their formations and run in opposite directions.  Pelicans were flying right into the fray of it all and somehow emerging unscathed.  Spray was curling off the tops of the waves and bits of foam were skipping along the sand, until suddenly they would stick at some random spot and then dissolve.  As I was looking into the stormy sea, I thought, "God, life is really a mess sometimes.  How can there be any kind of divine pattern in this?" My ego couldn't comprehend how something that looked so purposeless could be anything more than mere chance.  It seemed to validate my feeling that every decision I was making was impossible, because nothing was related and it was all so arbitrary.  At the moment I had this thought, God rays suddenly formed (only below the clouds instead of above like they did in Xinalani) and struck the most distant water on the horizon lighting it up so brilliantly.  It made me think that maybe I just couldn't see how it all looked from a larger perspective.  As I stood there feeling hopeful that perhaps in a few months or a year things would be a whole lot clearer and more stable in my life, one of the large rays of light that had formed traveled from the horizon all the way to my feet.  I was totally transfixed and felt the warmth of the sun's positive energy cut through the chill in the air and enter my body and soul.  It gave me goose bumps.  All my senses were telling me that there is magic in this world and that the challenges I am facing must be blessings, even if I don't yet know how these blessings will manifest in my life.

Stockholm in November

I just returned from a wonderful weeklong trip to Sweden, where we celebrated my Godfather's 80th birthday at a party in a small castle in Stockholm.  Listening to the speech he made and the toasts in his honor reaffirmed my belief that he has been a soul father to me and that his dedication to the pursuit of truth and beauty has been one of the greatest influences of my life.  Gunnar, a retired Agricultural Minister for Sweden, has dedicated much of his life to preserving the natural environment.   He is also a deeply spiritual human being and a philosopher, who followed his own path in life.  I am so grateful for all that he has opened my eyes to and for the deep conversations we have had over the years.  I attribute much of my spiritual connection with nature to my Nordic heritage, which I have learned about through Gunnar.

Swans at Sunrise in Royal Djurgarden Park, Stockholm

The Nordic Museum from Royal Djurgarden Park

Ostermalm Stockholm from Royal Djurgaden Park

(All photographs © Lynne Buchanan, watermarked by Digimarc)

Above are three photographs I took on a cold November morning in Royal Djurgarden Park just before the sun rose.  The clouds turned so many beautiful colors and lit up the water in a truly magical way.  I did not bring my SLR on this trip, since I didn't expect to have a lot of time for photography, but I did have my new Sony RX100 which does quite well in low light on a tripod.  If you are in the market for a compact digital camera to take with you on your travels, I highly recommend this new camera with its large sensor--especially for landscape photographs.  The resolution is unlike anything I have experienced with a pocket camera before.

Realities to LIve or Die By

Canyon de Chelly in the Late Afternoon

©Lynne Buchanan (Image watermarked by Digimarc)

"Intimate knowledge of the natural environment--its whims, cycles, patterns, seasons, terrain, and topography--became second nature to them.   Such knowledge can be the key to our survival as humans, but this time, instead of adapting to the environment in order to maintain our existence, we must save and heal the wounded earth so that future generations are assured of survival.  To accomplish this, we must go back to the beginning." --Joseph Marshall III, To You We Shall Return: Lessons About our Planet from the Lakota

Near the end of this wise book about what he has learned from his ancestors, Marshall writes, "Only after I learned the reality of how my ancestors tried to exist within the parameters of the natural environment did I finally begin to understand.  Whatever is beneficial to the natural environment is beneficial to humans.  Conversely, anything bad for the environment is bad for humans.  These are simple realities to live or die by."

The superstorm we experienced this past weekend should be a wake up call to us all that global warming does exist and that each and every one of us, through our patterns of living, are contributing to this problem to a greater or lesser extent.  We all need to increase our awareness of how our actions impact this beautiful earth and find ways to live more harmoniously with the natural world, or both we and the planet will continue to experience such dire consequences as we have just witnessed.

The Lion's Power Lies in our Fear of Him

Lions After the Kill ©Lynne Buchanan (All Rights Reserved Watermarked by Digimarc)

“The lion’s power lies in our fear of him.”--Nigerian Proverb

When I was in Amboseli, I wanted to go for a run outside the confines of the compound.  I asked the people at the lodge if they would let me, after I promised I could outrun a lion.  They clearly thought that was pure foolishness.  Then I said I was not afraid of lions and they reconsidered and told me to come back in the morning, and they would let me know their decision.  In the end, I was permitted to run with the Kenyan head of security, who they said was very fast and knew how to avert danger.  We had the most incredible run and saw baboons and zebras and wart hogs and Masai women carrying sticks, who asked me to share their load.  So often it is our fear that causes us to lose our strength in the face of the unknown or “other,” and this prevents us from experiencing the fullness of life.

Bringing Love into All the Dark Corners

Bringing love into all the dark corners is the path of being a human being. The whole purpose of our spiritual journey is not just becoming happy and fixing everything.  Rather, it is to heal our relationship to our core wound, so that we no longer feel compelled to reject or avoid it.  When we can hold it and everything else in our lives in awareness and love, we become filled with a sense of well being. ( (Paraphrased from John Welwood's July 3, 2012 podcast with Tami Simon "Healing the Core Wound of the Heart.  http://bit.ly/LRb38J)

In order to genuinely love another, we must first love our complete being--the beautiful flowers of our heart, the snakes hidden in our subconscious, and the rest of our shadow side.  The more aware we are of all aspects of ourselves, the more whole we are and the more able we are to live an authentic life.  We can reconnect with our true essence, which is openness and love.  We run into trouble when we avoid parts of our personality and emotional scars and leave them buried inside.  When we aren't fully aware, the hidden parts often motivate our behavior and lead us to do things that don't mesh with who we  really are and our true path. My shaman tells me, when we are whole we attract others who are whole and our chances of entering into a right relationship improve.  Through right relationship, we learn to open to ourselves, to another, and ultimately to all of life.  Set an intention to water and tend to the garden of your being in its entirety...

"Lilies in Light and Shadow" © Lynne Buchanan

(All Rights Reserved by the artist, image watermarked by Digimarc)

Please visit my website at Lynnebuchanan.com.

Painted Skies

"Sometimes you need the ocean light
and colors you have never seen before
painted through an evening sky."
--David Whyte
(From the poem "Second Sight")

"Sunset Along Coast from Calumet Park"

"Visionary Sunset"

Photographs ©Lynne Buchanan, All Rights Reserved, watermarked by Digimarc

The Balance of Being and Becoming

The Balance of Being and Becoming

© Lynne Buchanan

(All rights reserved, image protected by Digimarc)

"The breaking wave and the muscle as it contracts obey the same law.  Delicate line gather's the body's total strength in a bold balance.  Shall my soul meet so severe a curve, journeying on its way to form."

Dag Hammarskjold

When we choose to follow any of the infinite possibilities that exist for our life at a given moment, it is optimal to center ourselves and manifest our choices in a balanced way that bridges being and becoming or our paths will not evolve authentically.  If we merely focus on being, we may become stuck and miss the opportunity to be transformed by our choices and they will become stale and lifeless.  Yet, if our choices are only significant as a means to an end, then we lose sight of the beauty of the process.  It is in the balance of being and becoming that the magic happens.

When I take photographs, I try to lose my ego and open myself fully to the present moment and source energy as it is reflected in nature.  The formless ground of being beneath the surface of things speaks to me, and I try to capture its presence in the subjects I have chosen through my lens.  When I am back in my studio, I look at the raw image and try to bring back and enhance the emotional aspects of my "seeing" experience through Photoshop and processing.   When I view and work on my images in this way, I am constantly being transformed by them.  My awakening as a human being is intimately tied to my path as a photographer.

The Heart's Longing

"I want to know
if you know
how to melt into that fierce heart of living
falling toward the center of your longing."
--David Whyte

(Dahlia Heart by Lynne Buchanan, All Rights Reserved, image watermarked by Digimarc)

Consciousness is an Ocean of Interconnectedness

"If you don't become the ocean, you'll be seasick every day."  Leonard Cohen

"Our personal experiences of pain and joy, grief and despair, may be unique to each of us in the forms they take, yet our capacity to feel grief, fear, loneliness, and rage, as well as delight, intimacy, joy and ease are our common bonds as human beings.  They are the language of the heart that crosses the borders of "I" and "you." Christina Feldman

Listened to Dr. Rick Hanson's Sounds True interview with Richie Davidson last night.  Studies done by Davidson and his team on Tibetan Contemplatives engaged in compassionate mediations sculpted the brain so dramatically they were able to observe these changes with the human eye.  Measurable changes were evident in novice subjects who meditated just 30 minutes a day for two weeks.  Our stance to the world changes our brain, according to Davidson, and enables us to act more skillfully when we encounter people who are suffering and behaving disharmoniously.

(Casey Key, Clouds and Water by Lynne Buchanan.  All rights reserved, watermarked by Digimarc.)

When we adopt a compassionate stance we experientially realize we are all one.   Even in conflict, we are two sides of the same being.  Consciousness is an ocean of interconnectedness.

This is an Earl of Chester Orchid I took at Selby Gardens.  I love the iridescence of the petals and all the water droplets.  The out of focus leaves create a nice pattern in the background.  

The orchid below is a Pearl Harbor Orchid that I also took at Selby Gardens.  The golds are beautiful against the rich mauves and I love the pattern created by the other slipper orchids in the background.

This photograph of two purple tiger orchids is one of my favorites.  The petals sparkle and glisten so much they seem almost sugar coated.  I liked the juxtaposition of the foreground and background flowers and the way the branches arch and cross one another.  I bought this plant as a gift for someone but had to photograph it first because it was so spectacular.

I took this photograph when I was in Sannibel Island in February on Artie Morris' Southwest Florida IPT in the late afternoon one day.  I loved the formation of the Skimmers and the way the Plover broke ranks and walked in front.

The red-winged blackbird above is from a recent trip to the Venice Rookery.  There are always so many beautiful birds there, and it is right in my backyard.  This bird had attitude.  I liked the contrast between the forcefulness of the bird, the soft textures of the branch he is standing on and the painterliness of the water behind him with all the reflections.

Award

I was honored to receive 2nd place at the Venice Art Center's Photography and Digital Arts Exhibition for my photograph "Cypress Tree, River Styx." it is on display through the month of April. You can see the photograph on my website: lynnebuchanan.com. Next weekend, I will be photographing on the Alafia River.

I recently returned from a great trip to Big Cypress and the Everglades with my friend Debbie  We canoed down the Turner River twice and it was so beautiful.  Went into some difficult to navigate areas that were magical.  The lilies were in bloom and we saw baby alligators and lots of birds.  The mangrove tunnels were spectacular.  Another kayaker on the river told us he spotted a panther and that it was much larger than he would have expected.  Saw a beautiful sunset from the Marsh Trail in Ten Thousand Islands, communed with the alligators in the pond behind the Fakahatchee Hilton, went on a swamp walk in Big Cypress behind Clyde Butcher's Gallery, and went to Shark Valley for the first time.    Spring is a great time to visit the swamp.  Hardly any mosquitoes compared to the summer and fall.

I will be posting photos from the trip on the blog soon.  Visit my website at lynnebuchanan.com to see more images from the Everglades and other natural areas.