a contemplative endeavor

Mostly to take pause and enjoy the beautiful simplicity of each day, I am taking a photo a day for a year. I started a little over a month ago and am now finally getting a blog up and running. When I first started this, I just wanted to give myself time to explore my new camera and a photography hobby I have always wanted more time to pursue. Since then, I have seemingly found a million other reasons to carry this out. I find myself noticing the simple lines in the road on my walk to the bus stop or the light casting over an object. Taking the time to notice this is in many ways, the best part of my day. This time has become an important source of reflection and simplistic being for myself.

Dorothea Lange said, "the camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera." I was recently given a thoughtful book entitled, "the art of contemplative photography" and I think both this book and Lange's quote exemplify well my need and desire to use photography as a contemplative approach to seeing life. I think I often lost sight of this during my first month and instead tried to find the beauty in interesting parts of my day, rather than simply noticing the implicit every day beauty. You might notice this as your look through my first month, but I am now doing my best to appreciate the simply-seen.

Hope you enjoy looking through these at least a fraction as much as I've enjoyed taking and sharing them.




April 19

 shenandoah spring

 botanical gardens

April 20

 handmade

April 21

 chocolate+wine

April 22. earth day.

 perseverance

 growing herbs

 one of my favorites. backyard compost.

April 23

 pineapple for brunch

April 24. easter.

 kaylin enjoying good company.

April 25

 cozy night in

April 26

 coffee shop studying

April 27

 peanut cat nap

April 28

 sunshine

April 29

 pediatric academic society in denver

April 30

convention center

 night sky

May 1

 goodnight denver.

May 2

 yardhouse.

over 100 beers on tap...

May 3

 where to in europe?

May 4

gram stain for lab practical. last day of last prerequisite

May 5

sidewalk

May 6

what a pound of chocolate chips can do to a person

May 7

 first day of the tower grove farmer's market

May 8

technology brings sean closer

May 9

candy in the mail

May 10

camille's last paper of graduate school

May 11

wash u

 May 12

 art crank

May 13

 headed camping

May 14

 lake of the ozarks

 be free

May 15

 middle of nowhere diner

May 16

 the shack

May 17

 royale

May 18

 infamous dining room

May 19

May 20
I couldn't help myself today. Everything caught my eye walking home from the bus stop. All taken within a few blocks of my house

May 21
A blissful morning walk with Cari.

May 22
Our backyard.