I am not a big fan of this plant when it's in full bloom. It's big and crazy. I much prefer the simple beauty of the few early blooms. This is my favorite time to capture these flowers.
There has been a constant cacophony in my brain lately. It seems it never stops stewing or working or solving something. Even when I try to sit quietly, it moves. So today as I read this insightful article that popped up in my Flipboard this morning by Eric Kim, "Having No Choices is the Ultimate Freedom", discussing the need for and value of simplicity, I felt compelled. I will never get down to 2 pair of boxers or 2 shirts, but the article rings true. Simplicity forces us to see life, love and beauty differently, perhaps more the way God intended. I like the idea of removing things I know I don't need, like apps on my iPad or iPhone, particularly because then I might find the ones I do need. Or, removing distractions and alternatives so that I focus more on what's important. And, no, I didn't need Kim to tell me these things in his very colorful way, just a little nudge.
Interestingly, unlike Kim, I have more cameras now that I ever imagined I would and I noted two things as I read his blog. The first is having two cameras made my trip to the zoo this week both easier and more challenging. When you don't have choices, you make do with what you have. And, secondly, as I looked at the photos from Day 304, I saw something interesting. I am still getting comfortable with my new Nikon D750. I have not really pushed the ISO as high as I should to get the shot that I need. On this day, however I pushed (but could still have used a bit higher ISO). I was sitting in the shadows shooting birds in my back garden, I needed to push the ISO up to adequately capture the birds in the trees. As I finished, I had forgotten the ISO was at 2500 and shot photos of the flowers in the garden just as I had when I first stepped outside. The first photo below is shot at 200 and the second at 2500. I cannot tell the difference.
Having the good fortune to shoot with virtually no consequence at 2500 could simplify my photography. It would certainly keep me from being anxious each time I press the ISO. Naturally, having strong light made a good deal of difference, but still.
As I looked for simplicity quotes for this blogs, I was truly moved by the words of so many. I suppose that is a sign that I need to get on with the business of simplifying my life. It may take more time, but doing great things simply, often drives unique innovation (the intersection of intelligence and creativity) and that should be our perpetual aim.
Blessings.
Today's Photos: Simple Beauty
“I do believe in simplicity. It is astonishing as well as sad, how many trivial affairs even the wisest thinks he must attend to in a day; how singular an affair he thinks he must omit. When the mathematician would solve a difficult problem, he first frees the equation of all incumbrances, and reduces it to its simplest terms. So simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run. ” Henry David Thoreau
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