THE RAIN - 9 March 2014

TPS Parking Lot - Edwards AFB, California

Sometimes is hard to get out to shoot any pictures. For me, I haven't done a dedicated photo shoot since I visited the California Central Coast to see elephant seals. That was back in December. Since I haven't done a single thing.

Instead, I've spent my weekends riding my bicycle--I'm back into bike riding after a 10+ year hiatus. And, I've been working... A lot.

When you count the drive to and from work, I do about 14 hours a day devoted to work. Add in the time to exercise, that's another hour. Subtract out the hours for sleeping, we're up to 23 hrs in a day. Not much time to do much of anything.

That's my day every day during the week. On the weekend, I spend lots of it riding the bicycle meaning I don't get around very much. But, I still have my photographer's eye.

I am constantly on the lookout for anything photogenic. I guess it's less of an intentional thing. It's totally automatic. I've been known to be driving along talking with someone on phone then in mid-sentence I've stopped the conversation to describe the amazing scene I happen to be seeing driving along.

Just because I'm seeing it does not mean I'm capturing. That does not mean I'm not thinking like an artist.

Many of the best images I've captured recently have been interestingly enough photographed in the parking lot at work. Maybe it's because I arrive there around sunrise. Maybe it's because I happen to be "not driving" to actually capture an image.

In this case, the weather was spotty rain meaning, not everything was cloudy. Also, the sun was just cresting the horizon. Add in me parking in the far reaches of our parking lot you have all the ingredients for a picture.

No, I do not carry my main cameras when I get to work. I only have my phone which doesn't do a bad job at all. At least good enough for this grab shot.

Just remember if you're wondering how to balance everything, including time to do artistic things, you don't have to do anything epic. You just have to do a bite sized thing. Any bite sized thing. Keeping your mind involved with your artistry will do wonders even if 98% of your day is spent doing none artistic things.

Just remember, keep participating. You'll be surprised by what you can create.

Cheers

Tom