Wednesday 17 February 2010

on a whim

A couple of weeks ago I was looking idly through all the photos I have taken since I started blogging. They're not sorted into any particular category, nor are the bad ones deleted. It's just an accumulation of nearly nine thousand photographs, though I can pretty much date them by my blog posts. I didn't have a digital camera until I started blogging, then it became a necessity. Looking back through the archives one of my all-time favourites is this photo (which I've posted before).


I spend many a winter walk looking upwards through the bare branches, enjoying the different shapes they make against the sky. These walks remind me of this beautiful poem by Mary Oliver, from her collection Thirst.


When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks, and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness
I would almost say that they save me, daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light and to shine."


For me, part of the joy of taking photographs is being out in nature, or bringing little bits home with me. It's these photos that make up a big part of that unedited collection (almost matched by the number of photos of Walter) so on a whim I had some Moo cards made. Sometimes that long thin crop doesn't quite work, but indulge me while I share them. One of the reasons I love them is that they're so small, and so easy to slip into your pocket.






They make a perfect little gift tag, or a tiny note slipped into an equally tiny envelope.


I couldn't leave him out, could I? But I did restrain myself to just two images.

29 comments:

JP said...

they are gorgous - cropping makes things so interesting

Anonymous said...

I love that tree one too! If you take a look at mine I wrote about dogs yesterday! and yes....so many photos accumulate. I always have to send them to myself in an email to get the right size before adding them to the blog - surely that can't be necessary? love kate

A Bun Can Dance said...

Dear Diana
Your picture of the trees is wonderful - like parted hair and mini plaits on a child's head. And I haven't come across the poem before but it is spot on, isn't it?
Moo mini cards - I discovered these recently having been a loyal card/postcard customer of theirs. I adore the mini cards!!! Their size, texture and the cutest box that they arrive in - all make me happy. Maybe we should have a mini card swap/trading session, just like ATC's. :-)
happy days to you,
D x

thecatalanway said...

Dear Diana Sorry I had to write that comment as Anonymous - I couldn't remember my Google name! Look forward to seeing you in March I hope

harmony and rosie said...

I love your first photo too. It reminds me of patchwork, or some old German fabric I have that is divided into cartouches, but I can see exactly what ABCD means. Love your moo cards too, such a great idea.

Thanks for checking out my comments box - so glad it's working ok now!

Kate x

Simone said...

Diana the tree photo is stunning and I love the poem too. The moo cards really are little works of art. As JP says, cropping makes things so interesting.x

dragonfly said...

I remember you posting that photograph and thinking how amazing it was.
Your Moo cards are fab. They make photos take on a whole new perspective. I had some done a while back and chose a really eclectic selection of my pictures - the ones of folded quilts is my favourite (surprise, surprise!)

Razmataz said...

Wow, They look so good. The trees are my favourite. Never thought to look up!

A time to dance said...

I looooooooooooove moo cards...we recently took some snow day photos and made Christmas cards with them for next year and we have tons of their little cards...what a good idea to make gift tags...your pictures are lovely ( as usual) I am having wool brain at the moment - too much wool too many ideas and not enough hands!

driftwood said...

love love love your moo cards xoxo

Gina said...

The photograph of the trees is stunning - what an amazing pattern they make. There is something very appealing about moo cards.

Anonymous said...
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Petit Filoux said...

Ali from Domesticali has the same cards, I'd wondered where she'd got them from! Your photos are superb, that first one of the trees is quite something!

Gigibird said...

What a beautiful photo of the tree canopies.
Moo cards are gorgeous.....I have Harry Moo cards which of course I can't give away.....

Reading Tea Leaves said...

You have a wonderful collection of photographs Diana - I really like the idea of Moo cards and may consider getting some done of my photographs.

Beautiful poem ...

Jeanne x

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, beautiful photos. So uplifting.

Brenda

kristina said...

Your new cards look wonderful. And I remember when you posted that picture--one of my all-time favorites, too.

I also remember being introduced to Mary Oliver and Jane Kenyon by my freshman English professor. What a revelation. It was the first time I really connected with poetry.

K x

Fiona said...

The tree pic is really special. Your cards look great. You could have done more dog ones really. From a dog lover.

Lyn said...

I love the photo of the trees, it's beautiful. I always took lots of photos but take even more now I blog!
Love
lyn
xxx

willow said...

I liked the photograph of the trees when your first posted it. Until I saw it I had never noticed the pattern of the trees against the sky, each tree trying to get its fair share of sunlight.
The cards look lovely.

Louise said...

Why hadn't I ever heard of Moo cards? They are great, and your images look fantastic on them. Maybe one day I'll get to weedout 100 of my photos to have done. Thanks for the link Diana. x

Unknown said...

I saw a Horizon programme recently about how nature makes patterns, look at the trees and think of river deltas, blood vessels, veins on a leaf, all the same constantly sub dividing way. Mostly the science of it was above me, but I loved the rhythm of it. Great poem too.
xxliz

Anonymous said...

I saw that programme too - The Secret Life of Chaos - and I thought it amazing how nature produces beautiful patters. I think Pebbledash would have liked the blue patterns in the petrie dishes!

Living the Dream said...

I have to say that is one of the most amazing photos I have ever seen, I love it. It is like a quilt floating across the sky, the way the top of the trees each have their own section. Never heard of moo cards before but I will certainly look them up now. Thanks so much for sharing that wonderful photo.

Tracy x said...

oh they are so beautiful but my heart has been totally stolen by Walter's nose....
dog and ball... bliss
t x

Unknown said...

beautiful poem... (and photo!!)

Marsha said...

Hello! I just stumbled across your blog this morning--what a lovely place. I like to take looking-up photos of trees, too. I really like how yours turned out--the spaces between the tree tops are so dramatic!

The Curious Cat said...

Beautiful photos here...divine!

Jackie said...

I think I commented on this picture the first time round I loved it so much. Its clever the way you've caught the square edges to the trees.