Giving it a shot...: June 25, 2010

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/30
Av( Aperture Value ) 1.6
ISO Speed 100

Goodnight Frog Town

Another shot that I really wish to try with the tripod and a nice long shutter speed, but for now - hand held.

The kind doctors and nurses have given me a reprieve for 6 weeks. I am leaving Toledo for now and returning for a visit to my home in the Pacific Northwest. I will spend the next several weeks reuniting with my friends, the beautiful land that I have missed so much, and a small sliver of my old life before I left. I don't know what lies ahead after my 6 weeks is over, only more testing and scans will tell the story. But for now, I am going to reclaim a piece of my soul - and live like I used to live, before this disease took over my life. I will spend my hours hiking, walking the white sand of the Pacific Coast, drinking craft beers, admiring edgy art, eating Mexican food, traveling to British Columbia to the mountains, hike some more... most of all, I will be taking pictures of all of it. I don't want to miss a moment of this precious time. Stay tuned for a shift in longitude, latitude and attitude :)

A New Year

Back in November, 2009, I promised myself that I would give this a shot until the first of the new year. Here it is a new decade. I was hoping to improve my skills by having a photo daily. Looking back over the past few months, I believe that this journal has helped me in more ways than I can describe.

One of the days missing - December 4th - was the day that I was diagnosed with cancer. If you've been reading, you may have read a few references to my illness in some posts. I plan to continue my project, cancer or not. I may even talk about it a bit more here. I don't want to change the "tone" in my photography (or this blog), but I am here to tell a story through my eyes, my feelings, my emotions. I will be running the gamut of them.... some days fear, sadness, anger, indifference, gratitude and love. I'm hoping it has some impact.

My journey to recovery has begun - I am in the midst of a rigorous treatment plan consisting of radiation and chemo therapies. I still have several weeks to go, and have my good days and bad. There may be some days I may not feel up to taking photos or writing, but I'm working on finding my balance. I can tell you that I still find peace and therapy in what I'm doing with my camera and this journal. In some regards this may be one of the things to help me through. I don't want to be defined by this illness, or my journey to overcome this illness.

Even more than my contribution to this space, I take pleasure and inspiration by viewing and supporting fellow bloggers with passion for photography. Please have a look at these sites and spaces and see the talent that has sparked my interest in sharing my work and thoughts.

So whatever comes of this page, or me... I am giving it a shot as best as I can. It's a journey, and I am pretty tough. So come on the journey with me, and hang out with me while I take my shots :)

7 comments:

AnonymousJune 25, 2010 at 4:25 PM
Hooray! I'm so excited for you! You'll have a wonderful time, and I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures! Vivian N.
toledonativeJune 25, 2010 at 6:43 PM
Wow - you made Toledo look nice! No small feat!

I'm glad you're getting a bit of a break, but I'll miss you even though we hardly ever spend actual time together! Have a blast out west - can't wait to see what you post here!
HeleneJune 25, 2010 at 7:17 PM
Keep drinking those Craft Beers... I'm looking forward to seeing all of those new pictures ...
Mike SimmonsJune 25, 2010 at 8:22 PM
That's great news, Yolanda! For the next few days the weather looks dry then after July 4th we shouldn't get rain for awhile. I like this photo - it could be Portland too. I also like the last sentence of your post. Have a good flight!
ClytieJune 26, 2010 at 5:05 AM
A beautiful photo.

Welcome home.
DijeaJune 26, 2010 at 2:50 PM
YEA! I hope the six weeks gives you the shift you need. I love the lighting of this photo and the play of the lights on the water. Great shot.
JamesJune 27, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Just beautiful!

Giving it a shot...

June 25, 2010

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