The author taking in the vista on Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake

Tag: reflection

  • In His Father’s Shadow

    In His Father’s Shadow

    Havana, Cuba – Along the Malecón

    The seawall holds the weight of an ancient city. Protecting its inhabitants from the perils of the sea. Salt air mingles with the memory of centuries of struggle in the bright amber of late afternoon. Here at the edge of land and tide, a father and son crouch together, drawn not by the grandeur of the location, but by a shared focus on the present moment. The boy examines a recently caught fish, the father readies the hook for another try.

    The boy is unaware of the perfect symmetry he has struck with his father. Unconscious of how we echo those we love. But the father knows. he feels it within himself. Offering no instruction or question – Only his presence.

    Behind them, on the protective rampart of the Malecón, the father’s shadow is cast by the warm slanting light. It envelops his son in shared symmetry. The shadow is neither heavy nor oppressive. The boy’s own light still shines. A silhouette of inheritance.

    It is in these instances of stillness, these singular moments in time, that we can glimpse something sacred. The way children dwell in the space we leave for them. A way of living passed down through posture, patience, and pause. Not every lesson has to be taught. Sometimes it can be found in the shadows.

    More Images from the Malecón:

    Fishing from the Malecón. Havana, Cuba
    Fishing from the Malecón. Havana, Cuba
    Port of Havana, Cuba
    Port of Havana, Cuba

    “In terms of beauty, only Venice and Paris surpassed Havana.”

    – Ernest Hemingway

    If you liked today’s post, you might enjoy this previous post.

    Portrait of Boy Selling Onions

    A Celebration This portrait of a boy selling onions is one of my favorite images of all time. I ponder over it whenever I come across it. I’m posting it today as a celebration of the success of my website. So far,…

    Keep reading
  • Rest. Review. And Revise

    Rest. Review. And Revise

    Rest

    Rest. Review. And Revise. That’s where I’m at right now with this photo blog. 20 posts are in the books – or the web . I planned to take a break at 12 to evaluate the site but I was having too much fun. This is a time to Rest. Review. And Revise the site.

    Learning WordPress

    Learning WordPress was daunting. It took almost 2 months to publish a half-decent post. Plenty of mistakes were made along the way. I still don’t have a good grasp of templates, patterns, designs, etc. No clue about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Oblivious to intentionally designed site structure, and the importance of external and internal links. This is an area that requires me to rest, review, and revise my approach. There is much more to learn.

    Review and Revise

    I’m learning a lot about SEO from Yoast. Posts are being reviewed and revised as a result. Next is revising the site structure to align with proper SEO configuration. Metadata, what’s that? This process of Rest. Review. And Revise will help tremendously. I’m also changing the writing structure of future posts. Blog writing 101 didn’t exist when I attended school in the 80s.

    Expectations

    Moving ahead, the interested reader can expect a well-written and well-designed post. It will be supported by relevant and high-quality images. I want these posts to be a sparkling gem that shows up in your inbox. I want it to be worth your time to experience. Something that’s not junk mail, ads, invoices, and political detritus.

    My goal is to present 2 posts a week; A weekend magazine style article with artistic, high-quality, supporting images. Topics may include: travel, photography, art, geology, natural science, and other related subjects.

    Another post will come out mid-week. It will be like receiving a Post Card from a friend – Digital instead of Analog. The Post Card will be a single image and a short description. Just like the old days.

    Interact

    To the author of this blog; a like, a comment, a share, or deciding to subscribe is like offering me a two-scoop, Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream on a waffle cone! So please, take a minute or two to rest, review, and interact. It will be greatly appreciated!

    Two scoops of Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream on a waffle cone
    Two scoops of Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream on a waffle cone

— Matsuo Bashō