Direction
Often, we spend so much time reacting and responding to everyone else that life seems to have no personal direction. Other people’s lives, problems, and wants set the course. Once we realize that it is okay to think about and identify what we want, remarkable things will begin to take place! It is not lack of time which tends to be the problem – we all have 24 hours each day. Stop looking at the speedometer and keep an eye on the compass! If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the life you have imagined, you will meet success. Put some things behind you and pass through invisible and imagined barriers. Here is a short verse by Ella Wheeler Wilcox which is fitting for the image for today:
One ship sails East and another sails West, with the same winds that blow.
It’s the set of the sails, and not the gales, that tells them the way to go.
Like the winds of the sea, are the ways of fate;
As we voyage through life, it’s the set of the soul that decides our goal
And not the calm, or the strife.
This is another shot from the Embarcadero in San Fransico, California, taken early one morning as the fog from the Bay was burning away. The entire area is a treasure trove for Photographers – old buildings, fishing boats, unique individuals, crab traps, great food and drink, a submarine… the list goes on. Here we were shooting the long lines of piers as they extended into the misty Bay when a Tall Ship appeared as if by magic. Using our tripod mounted Nikon D90 (10mm, f19, 1/8sec, ISO100, remote shutter release), we quickly aligned the ship with the lines of the piers and shot three exposures. Later these were combined with Photomatix to bring the entire dynamic range of the light to bear. No sooner than we had executed this, the ship had passed!
Serenity
Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world
Serenity means maintaining a sense of inner peace even in difficult situations. We gain serenity by accepting the things we cannot change and focusing our energy where we can make a difference. Fear, anger or desire can create a sense of urgency that triggers us to react impulsively. When this happens, we risk undermining our goals, damaging relationships–even violating our deepest values. By contrast, when we cultivate serenity, we don’t fear our emotions, but we do keep them in balance. We govern ourselves rather than being ruled by external circumstances and our feelings about them. Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment .
This was shot mid-morning from The Embarcadero in San Fransisco. The Nikon D90 equipped with a wide-angle lens and polarizing filter was stabilized by hand against a sturdy post. Ordinarily a tri-pod would be used along with a remote shutter release and mirror lock-up to avoid camera shake. What struck me this morning was the calmness of the vista, smell of the ocean…and how quiet everything was. In the distance, the fog was burning off the bay which eventually exposed Alcatraz.
The Great Pumpkin Awaits
This is a shot in commemoration of October 31st, or Halloween. This mysterious flowing blue trail leads you into the dark where The Great Pumpkin awaits, This was taken on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. The details of this image will remain up to the viewer to speculate. I never ventured closer to the Great One as it was somewhat creepy. The Pumpkin’s eyes drove into my soul and froze me in my tracks!
The Great Pumpkin is an imaginary character in the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.
The Great Pumpkin is a holiday figure (comparable to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny) that seems to exist only in the imagination of Linus van Pelt. Every year, Linus sits in a pumpkin patch on Halloween night waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear. Each year the Great Pumpkin invariably fails to appear, and a humiliated but undefeated Linus stubbornly vows to wait for him again the following Halloween.
The Great Pumpkin was first mentioned by Linus in Peanuts in 1959, but the premise was reworked by Schulz many times throughout the run of the strip, and also inspired the 1966 animated television special t’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The best-known quote regarding Linus and the Great Pumpkin, originally from the comic strip but made famous by the TV special, is: “There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.
Show Me The Ropes
Tie us off, Scotty
A bit of Wide Angle Photography fun on The Embarcadero in San Francisco. These ropes were securing a retired Submarine and demonstrate the correct way to tie off a marine vessel. We were instructed and later drilled in all sorts of knot techniques as part of our Off Shore Sailing License course. There is a large variety of knots, each with properties that make it suitable for a range of tasks. Some knots are used to attach the rope (or other knotting material) to other objects such as another rope, cleat, ring, or stake. Some knots are used to bind or constrict objects. Decorative knots usually bind to themselves to produce attractive patterns.
Knot theory is a branch of topology. It deals with the mathematical analysis of knots, their structure and properties, and with the relationships between different knots. In topology, a knot is a figure consisting of a single loop, abstracted from any physical rope or line, with any number of crossing or “knotted” elements. As such, it has no proper ends, and cannot be undone or untied. Various mathematical techniques are used to classify and distinguish knots. For instance, the Alexander polynomial can be used to distinguish the trefoil knot from the figure-of-eight and the unknot (a simple loop).
Most of us are more familiar with the Granny Knot, Square (or Reef) Knot and the infamous Slip Knot! www. kerstenbeck.com
The Embarcadero, San Francisco
This image was taken during a morning shoot of The Embarcadero in San Francisco, Marine Layer thick in the background and if you look to the distance, Alcatraz!
A Real Working Pier
I was surprised to find this huge crane on a barge and accompanying tugboat at the end of the pier. The Embarcadero is home to many shipping businesses, a tented theatrical circus, fisheries, restaraunts, a Submarine (see earlier posts) and a Fresh Produce Market. And this is just one aspect of this amazing city.
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Nightly Image: Rusty America, San Francisco
Takes a Lickin' but keeps on Tickin'
I shot this beat up Chevy truck deep in the Commercial Fishing Zone on Fisherman’s Wharf. I really don’t think I was allowed to be there but what the heck! I waited until the wind subsided and flag in the window slumped as if in resignation. This truck must have been 50 years old and still working hard – a testament of sorts.
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Image of the Day: Flying Dutchman, San Francisco, CA
The Flying Dutchman
While shooting along San Francisco’s Enbarcadero, this mystery ship emerged out of the thick Marine Layer of the Bay. Could it be The Flying Dutchman?
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Extra Image of the Day: “Royal Star” San Francisco
After the cruise ship recent debacle in San Diego, I was reminded of the battered hull of The Royal Star in San Francisco. HDR exposes the beating these work horses endure!
Work Horse
Image of the Day: Submarine, San Francisco, CA
Subway - Eat Fresh
After walking and shooting for many hours along The Embarcadero, I decided to grab a bite to eat at Subway. This particular one has a special called the Torpedo – delish!
Image of the Day: Smiling Tug Boat, San Francisco, CA
Continuing the stroll from Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf this caught my eye. For some reason, this working Tug Boat reminded me of a Baleen Whale. Looks like it was smiling for the camera. Say, “Plankton”
Smiling Tug Boat
Bonus Image of the Day: “3”
I think this image is just fun – I call this “Tribute to Dale Earnhardt” for all NASCAR Fans! m
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Image of the Day : Fog City Diner,San Francisco, CA
After a fun shoot at Fisherman’s Wharf, what pops out but the striking Fog City Diner. Couldn’t resist this shot and had to resist the excellent food due to tight schedules to get to Monterey More images at www.kerstenbeck.com
Image of the Day: Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA
With the Marine Layer just starting to dissipate, I was struck by the lone rusty pylon in the Bay and how, seemingly, the industrial pier reached into the fog – wonderful feeling of scerenity……..More images at http://www.kerstenbeck.com
Lone rusty pylon
Image of the Day : Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco
A long walk from San Francisco’s Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf … and beyond yielded this shot of some Crab Traps stacked on an industrial pier beside some old fishing boats. Not sure if I was allowed to be there but I am posting this without having to post Bail. More images at http://www.kerstenbeck.com
Crab Cages on Fisherman's Wharf in SF
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