#rogueresilient

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Home

This is the land I grew up in. Regardless of how picturesque, quaint, plain or extravagant there's nothing more comforting to the soul than the feeling one gets of knowing they are home. No matter how healthy or ill, fearful or elated, the knowledge that one is in a place of physical and emotional comfort and safety can never be replaced and perhaps never truly be duplicated.

Often we think of home as being that physical space we grew up in and where we spent our childhood or most cherished years. It's not that way for everyone though. There's a saying; "home is where the heart is". No truer words have ever been spoken.

Where does your heart dwell these days?  Is it in a place of comfort and safety? If so you are truly blessed. If not, ask yourself why not, and be painfully honest with yourself as you seek the answer. We each deserve a loving home that's comforting, safe, full of hope and opportunity. Rest assured that, If we don’t know where that is, we must do all we can to find or create it.

© 2020 Michael D. Davis   All Rights Reserved

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A Symbolic Gesture

There's a wall of wooden planks near where I live. Scratched upon it are names, dates and messages from those who've passed by.

These lines have become intertwined through the years, into a layered mosaic, rich with the symbols of lives lived, loved and long since moved on.

It's a fitting symbol of both complex and simple gestures, etched into the resilient fiber of life's existence, that remain long after this wall no longer stands.

What mark might you make, for those who pause to ponder, affirming your journey and passing along this path?

©2020 Michael D. Davis All Rights Reserved

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Seeing Beyond

                                               Imagination

                                           is the key to creativity.

                                                Creativity 

                                        is the door to possibility.

                                    Seeing beyond seeing

                                          is the path traveled                                  once the door has been opened.

                                     Anything is possible

                            once we choose to step upon that path.

                                                                                -MDD

© Michael D.Davis   All Rights Reserved

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Then The Winds Came

The lacy leafed Japanese Maple tree planted in love and anticipation years ago in our back yard has become a towering beauty we take much delight in. The wispy branches extend high in the sky before arching back towards the earth loaded with shade giving green leaves during the warm summer months and beautiful red, orange and yellow foliage in the fall.

The winds and rain have now laid most of those leaves to rest on our lawn. I could grumble and complain about the upcoming "carpet cleaning" work which lay ahead but instead revel in the beauty of it all. It's simply a matter of the prospective I've chosen to take.

It's said that we have a choice to view the proverbial glass we're given in life as either half empty or half full. As I look around at all that's going on in the world I find reason to opt for another, more creative, approach. Instead of adding to or taking away I've chosen to share what I find in my glass.

Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than meets the eye. Discover both the how and the why at the The Photo Forum. Feel free to mail me at mddaphotoforum@gmail.com for more information and open your mind to the possibilities.

©2020 Michael D. Davis - All Rights Reserved

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And The Rain Comes Down

The rains have returned to our valley this morning. As I sit here creating this post in the early dawn darkness, before the sun has risen to smile on another autumn day, I hear the drumming of drops against my window as the breeze tosses them about. I pull my vintage Pendleton wool shirt tighter about me, relishing its warmth, and  rummage through my collection of images in search of just the right one to share.    

"Ah, hear it is", I smile, recalling when and where it was made. Created      decades ago,when slide film and manual cameras were the technology of the day, now, scanned, enhanced, cataloged and filed with tools from our modern age, it gains new life and a new audience. Old things made new again.    

How good is your digital photo asset management process? Can you find that one image from years ago which fills an immediate need or desire to express your sentiments or emphasize your emotions on a given day? With winter fast approaching and most of us staying at or close to home now's a good  time to consider just how good your digital storage system is. Does yours compare with a well kept filing cabinet or is it more like a stack of shoe boxes in the corner of a closet?

Seeing beyond seeing. It’s more than simply meets the eye. It’s understanding both the how and the why. Find out more at The Photo Forum. mddaphotoforum@gmail.com

© 2020 Michael D. Davis - All Rights Reserved

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Momentum

A simple and serene image of leaves floating slowly across the surface of a pond reflecting the vibrant colors of an autumn afternoon. Slowing your breathing you begin to allow the image to absorb your senses and soon hear the soft sound of water lapping at the rocks where land ends and water begins. You feel the gentle breeze against your face and take in fully the fall scent of gold, red and yellow trees filling the air with vibrant hues.

As leaves float effortlessly upon the undulating water let your mind and soul linger on the momentum of emotion and set your imagination free to tell you the story you long to hear.      

Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than simply meets the eye. It’s understanding both the how and the why. Find out more at The Photo Forum. mddaphotoforum@gmail.com

© 2020 Michael D. Davis - All Rights Reserved

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The Little Things

A lone leaf lay on the ground atop grass, rock and pathway. One of millions but selected out of all to be photographed and shared.  What are the chances? So many to choose from yet this one stands out. Why? Is it chance perhaps or simply the colors that caught the attention and eye of the person who took notice and decided that this was the one to be photographed and sent around the world so others would also notice its beauty? For as long as I can remember, the idea of giving attention to the unknown person, place or thing, and elevating the same to a position of recognition has been with me as something that should be done. This is power of photography, this is the place of vision, this is the art of visual story telling.    

Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than meets the eye. Discover both the how and the why at the The Photo Forum. Locally you can register on line for the     Saturday morning sessions at playmedford.com

Not local? No problem. I offer 1:1 or group sessions where we discuss anything and everything photography in an open forum format via Zoom. If you are interested in a narrow or specific area of instruction or mentoring let me know. I'm open and flexible to your individual needs.

Feel free to mail me at  mddaphotoforum@gmail.com for more information and open your mind to the possibilities.

©2020 Michael D. Davis   All  Rights Reserved

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Reflection

Color, shape, and contrast jump and tumble in an undulating dance of impressionistic art across the surface of a park pond.  I listen to the sounds of autumn, children laughing, the whistle of wood ducks and the occasional dry leaf as it ends its descent near me. The scent of water, trees and earth fill my lungs and the touch of the sun's warmth mixes with the coolness of a slight breeze brushing my skin with a soft caress. It all undulates and tumbles in a dance of impressions and memories to be recalled with fondness within the ebb and flow upon the surface of my mind.

Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than meets the eye. Discover both the how and the why at the The Photo Forum. Locally you can register on line for the Saturday morning sessions at playmedford.com

Not local? No problem I offer 1:1 or group sessions where we discuss anything and everything photography in an open forum format via Zoom. If you are interested in a narrow or specific area of instruction or mentoring let me know. I'm open and flexible to your individual needs. Feel free to mail me at mddaphotoforum@gmail.com for more information and open your mind to the possibilities.

© 2020 Michael D. Davis  All Rights Reserved

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A View Through The Park

Today I feel like taking a walk in the park. Not just any park but the one I grew up in. The park where I skinned my knees, climbed trees, experienced my first kiss and shared so many cherished moments with family and friends. This is a special place that shelters the times I've long forgotten and those I will never     forget.

Each autumn I make sure I visit this park with its bright colors as they remind me of how vivid and vibrant my life has been thus far and how much warmth and color I believe and trust is still yet to come. It is a symbol of my youth, my life, my hopes and dreams, and the view, as I look around in wonder, is simply breathtaking. We all deserve a special place in our hearts, minds and in our      lives where we may always return to and feel right at home. I sincerely hope yours is as comforting, beautiful and inspiring as mine.    

Seeing beyond seeing. It's more than meets the eye. Discover both the how and the why at The Photo Forum. Feel free to mail me at mddaphotoforum@gmail.com for more information about The Photo Forum.

©2020 All Rights Reserved  Michael D. Davis