Photography: Being There

"The glory of God is man fully alive."  -St. Irenaeus

"Regenbogen" (Rainbow) in the Austrian Alps

Continuing on the topic of photography, and sharing a few more of my favorite photos from my recent trip to Italy ... this is the fourth week on the topic of photography. Click here to read #1, #2, and #3.

I love photography for many reasons, but probably the primary reason is the ability to step out of time and capture an image that I see in my everyday life. Somehow for me, those images are art. And a camera feels like the most rewarding way, with its ease and portability, to be able to make visual art. Don't you agree?

Also, for me, there is something about the ability to live and be in the moment, without twisting back into nostalgia or sprinting forward with worry. When we are fully present, where we are, we can be fully alive. 

A moment with a wisp of fog (Italy's Cinque Terre)

So many times, I have discovered "being there" to mean that I see something meaningful that I may have missed in the ordinary busy-ness of everyday life. Sometimes "being present" means to mark out what haunts us from yesterday, and to dismiss what nags at our thoughts for tomorrow. Then the now is all there is. And it is all we have, really. There are no guarantees. Tomorrow's sunset will not look the same as today's. Time today to spend with others may not come around again. There is no formula for whether tomorrow will be like today. We can enjoy today for what it is-- the present, a gift.

When we notice what is around us in the present moment, we may discover all kinds of gifts.


We may notice things we may not have seen before ....

A moment with a pasture full of sheep wearing clanking bells (Tuscany)

A moment when the setting sun painted the distant mountains with brilliance (Alps)

A moment when the sunrise began to lift the morning fog (Tuscany)

If we have done a bit of preparation and can rest and relax in that moment and have our eyes open wide, we will be able to see and experience what is there, in that moment. And many times it is breathtaking ...

Starting the conversation: Have you taken the time recently to slow down? What did you "notice"? Does having a camera with you help you to slow down and see?

Photography: The Power of Restoring Wonder

"We need a renaissance of wonder. We need to renew, in our hearts and in our souls ... the perennial sense that life is miracle and magic."  ~E. Merrill Root

Today, as I write, I sit outside in the Prague sunshine under a vivid blue sky enjoying tempertures in the mid-50's. Last week at this time, I was sitting outdoors with this view:

the gorgeous Maremma region in Tuscany, Italy

Paradise, I think.

And there, in Italy, I attempted to capture the beauty I saw through a camera lens. I took hundreds of photographs during our trip -- I'll be sharing some of my favorites here over the next few weeks.

The extraordinary details and layers in a Mediterranean sunset

For me, holding a camera opens up a whole new world of possibility. With a camera, I find myself slowing down and looking for the beauty around me. And soon, instead of just moving through a day, I'm seeing the amazing elements of life -- the clear blue of the autumn sky contrasted against the swirling leaves, the soft smile of a child holding his first pumpkin, the pastel morning clouds backdropped behind the foggy Prague skyline ...

the peaceful pasture of grazing sheep in the mountains of Tuscany ...

A jumble of Chianti bottles in the back of a truck in Firenze ...

bikes lined up in the crowded Firenze streets ...

the immense and unspeakable grandeur in the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome ...

and the pigeons bathing in the fountain outside Rome's amazing Pantheon ...

All elements of wonder.

With a camera to help capture the beauty around, it might be true that I more fully experience what I see. Maybe, with the aid of a camera lens to isolate and capture what we see, we can more fully experience wonder.

What do you think?

Starting the conversation: Do you find yourself slowing down and really seeing the world around you with a camera in hand? Do you experience life more richly when you have a camera to capture what you are seeing?

EAT, STRAY, LOVE: Italy, Tuscany, and the Maremma

Posted on August 11, 2010

With the release of another popular film set in Italy, people worldwide know of the country’s most luscious region: Tuscany. But few realize the Mediterranean Sea skims along the classic wine and olive region, and combines sensational flavors with unforgettable views.

Overlooking the Mediterranean, from Italy's Maremma region, in Tuscany

Here, find three ways to enhance the Italian culinary adventure and traveler’s delight, in the unforgettable Maremma region, nestled into the southern coastline of renowned Tuscany.

EAT

In Italy, it is impossible to miss the food and drink. Even the least-interested traveler can find a meal to please. But for the food-lover, Tuscany’s southwestern Maremma region borders the Mediterranean Sea and offers wine and olives with an additional alluring treat: fresh seafood.

Read the rest of the post by clicking here: LINK TO JENNIFER’S ARTICLE on AOL’s Gadling.com.


And, a big thank you to Gina at RedRoom.com for linking me to the AOL folks. Click here to read the article on Prague they featured last week: WHAT TO DO IN PRAGUE, EUROPE’s MOST AUTHENTIC CAPITAL.

Again, I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with some great editors, and to put a few articles out into a large audience and many readers’ screens. I hope you enjoy them! -JK
Starting the conversation: Have you visited Italy? If so, what was your favorite part?

Pisa, the Italian Riviera, Switzerland, and Home to Prague: a photojournal

The opportunity to drive to Italy for a family vacation was truly a dream. Not only did we experience the grand mountains of the Alps, but also saw things we did not expect to see: countless castles, gravity-defying vineyard terraces and hillside towns, and sailboats dotting the azure Italian Riviera. It was surely a trip to remember for a lifetime.

Out of all the places to see in Italy, our boys were most excited about our first stop on our drive home to Prague from our beach villa in Maremma-- Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Pisa!

 View of the square in Pisa

A statue on the square in Pisa

the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa

Who knew that the mountains surrounded Pisa, as it sits also near the sea?

A view of the Italian Alps as they sweep into the Northwest coast of Italy by the Mediterranean Sea.

The view that took our breath away, driving on the Northwest coast, the Italian Riviera.

Looking out over olive groves, to the Sea dotted with sailboats beside Lavagna, and across to the snow-capped Alps beyond.

The amazing villages built onto the sides of mountains.

We turned north at Genova, Italy, and crossed into Switzerland near Lake Como. Below, the beautiful Lake Como.

In the lower part of Switzerland wedged beside Italy, castles appear on every mountain ledge.

The magnificent waterfalls and views while climbing through the Swiss highlands.

Switzerland

Before our trip, we had hardly heard of Liechtenstein ... we ate dinner in Liechtenstein, a country of 62 square miles and 35,000 residents. Beautiful!

 The royal family in Liechtenstein lives in a castle (not sure if it's this one, though).

We love, love, loved Italy, and cannot wait to go back. There are so many regions to explore, so many new foods and wines to taste, and so many beautiful sites and works of art to experience. I have a feeling this trip is only the first in a long love affair with Italy, one of the most beautiful countries imaginable.

Back to the rolling hills and mysterious mists of the Czech Republic ... the place we now all feel is home. A wonderful feeling for new expats, indeed!

Thanks for coming along for the ride ... -JK

Italy: Tuscany and Rome, a photojournal

Our October vacation in Tuscany, in the Maremma region in sight of the Argentario peninsula, was spectacularly refreshing. Not only was the beach completely deserted, but we were so far out of civilization we were without television or internet during our stay.

The silence felt deafening, at first. But soon, the hum of modern noise faded away, and all that remained was the gentle Tuscan landscape and the four other people I love most on this earth. We spent our timeless days gathering seashells, listening to the lulling song of the Mediterranean Sea, feeling the breeze whisper its way through the olive groves, smelling the light scent of sunbaked earth under the Tuscan sun, and experiencing the cleansing serenity.

The time was beyond all description ... and thus begun my love for Italy.

 On a couple days, we ventured to nearby hill towns...

Capalbio, an charming town built around a castle, set on top of a hill

1. 

The view through Capalbio's walls

An unsurpassed view of rural Tuscany, from Capalbio

From the terrazzo of a recommended Tuscan restaurant, set in the countryside beside a castle.

We rode to Rome on the local train (1 hour). The sights there in Rome were beyond our expectations.

My favorite Rome sight: the Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon, an incredible architectural feat for its time (31 BC). The dome, the oculus, and architecture as a whole--wow!

the Vatican

Trinita dei Monti, the Cathedral at the top of the Spanish Steps

a sculpture inside, by Michelangelo's pupil, Daniele da Volterra

the streets of Rome

And back to the sun-kissed Maremma

Thank you for sharing in our adventure to Italy. My final post of our Italian trip will be of our drive home to Prague, including Cinque Terre and Switzerland.

-Jennifer