Photography, Light, and Dark

 A small drop of ink falling like dew upon a thought produces that which makes thousands perhaps millions think.  --Lord Byron (English poet, early 1800's)

Prague's spires, the view from Strahov

In 2003, I received my first SLR camera from my husband as a birthday gift. It was not one of the more prestigious brands, and the zoom lens was off-brand, as well. But, the combination of the two-- a Target-special camera combined with a basic 30 - 300 mm lens did one major thing in my life: hooked me on photography.

It wasn't long after we purchased the camera, and we took a trip to the coast of Maine from the flatlands of our home in the Midwest. The time was precious because the skies were vivid blue, the ocean was alluring, the lighthouses shimmered, and the fog was thick at times. But also, our boys were then ages two, three, and five. It was tough, with boys running everywhere and into literally everything. But, as I now look back on the photographs I took during that time, I realize that it was the time of our lives.

Somehow, through the lens of the camera, time can stand still, and a MOMENT is captured, forever.

I have photographs from that Maine trip of majestic lighthouses surrounded by waves crashing like thunder along the craggy shore. And the next frames had photographs of little hands and legs scrambling to climb the dry rocks beside me. These memories will last. They are a treasure.

The very definition of Prague: two Czech men at 11:00 am with their beers, in Obecni Dum

Of course, now living in Europe, I tote my camera everywhere. Because everything is beautiful, and our boys are at a great age. My photo batches now have ones like the two above, of the Prague spires poking through the shroud of fog and two men chatting over beer in the Prague Municipal House, followed by a dozen shots of our boys playing futbol with their school tournament. All moments frozen in time, to share with our loved ones far away, and to cherish for years to come.

It doesn't matter what our cameras are like -- whether they are digital SLR cameras with multiple lenses or the always-handy cell phone cameras. To be able to separate ourselves from everyday busyness and to SEE the preciousness of a snatch in time -- this is a gift. To be present. To really see, and mindfully capture the whirl of life around us.

Since that first camera that I loved, I have stepped forward into the digital era, and have happily captured thousands and thousands of photographs. And I have realized, what it is that propels me toward a life's work of writing, and photography, and art.

Charles Bridge, October 2010

The fascination that propels my writing and photography and painting is light, when it shines around and in and through us, despite the dark. Because, like the photograph below, our lives are being lived. We, and others around us, are blooming. And yes, life is difficult. But if we choose, despite that difficulty and the darkness of life, we can make choices. We can choose to shine. This is what excites me.

A daisy, shimmering with dew in the morning light

So, today, in the falling autumn light, pull out your camera and look for the things that interest your eye. The richly colored autumn leaf. The glassy reflection of light upon water. The toothless grin of the neighbor girl in braids. The dew shimmering across the grass. And share the shots with those around you. For in a click of a button, you have captured the beauty and the value in the single moment in time.

Over the next month, I'll be collecting and sharing photographs to post here, with photo credits and links back to you. And I'll plan to write posts about photography, and some of the basics I like to use when I shoot.

Starting the conversation (leave a comment below): Have you captured a photograph that you love? Email me at photos at jenniferlynking dot com and attach a photograph. I'll include it in a future post. Thank you! Looking forward to seeing your work!

Autumn in Prague

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.  -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

In Prague, the leaves are changing into brilliant splashes of color scattered among the city's rigid architecture. And autumn in Prague also means fog. Which means more beauty, and mystery for this gilded city straddling the Vltava River. 

The view across Charles Bridge and the Vltava River, in Prague

With hopes to photograph Prague in the early morning fog, I ventured down into Mala Strana (Lesser Town) last week, just catching the last hints of fog lingering along the Vltava River when I arrived. And, I enjoyed a few serene moments alone in the magnificent St. Nicolas Church in Mala Strana (photos below). In contrast to the lovely sites, however, daily living in Czech Republic is a challenge. Last week, a grocery cashier sporting a typical Czech chip on her shoulder threw the bread I was buying onto the floor at her feet. (People here normally buy three items at a time, as opposed to people like me, who buy a mountain of food to feed the four men in my house for one day...) 

But despite the difficulties, this second year of living in Prague, I find my love deepening almost daily, for the city, for the history that pours from its centuries' old stones, and for the potential that continues to build of Czech's restoration after the devastation of communism. St. Nicholas Church in Lesser Town, which sits above the Vltava near MalaStranka Square (Sv. Mikulas Kostel, Mala Strana), beckoned ... since I had never taken the chance to go inside. I was awed by its magnificance. 

The Church of St. Nicholas in Mala Strana, Prague

I am a Cathedral girl. I love a space massive enough to stretch high toward the heavens, inspiring visitors with not only majestic architecture, but also frescoes or stained glass or both. St. Nicholas, of Baroque styling, boasts one of the largest frescoes in Europe, painted over an area of 1500 square meters. St. Nicholas' spires stand tall, and add substance to the impressive Prague skyline. Ironically, St. Nicholas' bell tower was used in the recent Communist era by the State Secret Service, for spying on the people and the embassies below.  

The view up, of St. Nicholas' frescoes

To me, I love the place where human imagination creates something so grand we cannot help knowing that God had a hand in the realization of that dream. A cathedral, rising toward the sky in adoration, happens to be one of those places for me. 

The View of the Prague Castle, the Powder Tower, and St. Nicholas' spires from Charles Bridge

Luckily, Prague is said to be the city of a thousand spires -- the beauty is unending. Despite whatever snags daily life throws at us, we can always choose to look for the beauty. It is always waiting, even in a simple changing autumn leaf. Here's to finding the beauty in each day ...

Starting the conversation (leave a comment below): What have you encountered lately that has inspired you?
 

Weight Matters (and Why Brooke Shields' Blue Jeans Also Matter)

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." -Mark Twain, American writer and humorist

I don't know anyone who doesn't struggle with weight. Family, friends, and people in general living on both sides of the ocean, models included. Everyone seems to battle with the scale in some way.
 
Brooke Shields talked recently about getting back into her Calvin jeans from the eighties. (To see the clip, click here). When I read her conversation about zipping up those jeans and looking like a sausage, I had to laugh -- because I could relate. I've done the same. Those relic blue jeans really do matter.

photo: www.wikimediacommons.org

It is no understatement to say as we age, we grow -- for lack of a better word -- fatter. No matter who we are and what our heredity is, life catches up to us, the couch feels ever more satisfying, and food becomes the best ally in finding comfort in our turbulent lives and world. It's true -- whether from years at a deskjob, or from pregnancy, or from just plain slowing down on our feet but not slowing down with the fork, we all gain weight and keep it as we age. Unless we do something about it.

For me, after having three boys in less than four years, my weight became an unavoidable issue, and I reached my own tipping point with my weight. I made a decision, and set a goal -- of getting back into the jeans I'd kept from 1988. My relics.

Making a workable plan was the hardest part, and included many false starts and a few extra gained pounds before I finally hit my groove. But this is what has worked for me: trading in an extra hour of sleep in the morning for 3 miles on the elliptical. And keeping at it, every day. There aren't many days where getting up at that hour is easy. And then, truly working out for any stretch of time at any activity is work. But after months of driving myself toward that goal, I fit back into my relics. And then I had a party.

Now, over three years later, I still work to get up at early hours and jump on the elliptical. And still, not many mornings are easy to get moving. But from all that working out and setting goals and working more, I have to say I feel great. Not because I dropped a few jeans sizes and have stayed that way, even though that is a huge perk. But I feel great. Deep down. There is something spiritually satisfying about being fit. That is what gets me out of bed these days, the deeper sense of well-being and health.

I do agree with Brooke. Having a goal, a measuring stick or pair of relic jeans, to work toward creates a feeling of triumph when that goal is met. Sausage-look or not, a healthier life is always worth working toward.

Working out is tough. There is no magic formula to being fit besides pure work. There is no miraculous diet that makes us our best without the dedication and perserverance that goes with becoming well. But, we only get one life to live. We only have one chance to go through each day we've been given. And in that light, it's so important to never stop trying to be our very best. The work is worth it. Being healthy is always a great goal to keep.

Starting the conversation (leave a comment below): I'd love to hear your fitness journey. What is it that gets you moving? What works for you? Do you have a relic to stand in as your goal?

The Gift of Meeting Face-to-Face

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one ..." 

- C.S. Lewis, British Scholar and Novelist 1898-1963

Photo of me and my great literary agent, Chip MacGregor, at ACFW. Thanks to Susan Meissner for the photo!

Last week, I had the amazing privilege of attending the ACFW conference in Indianapolis. On so many levels, I loved being there, with 650 other great people in the world of writing fiction. Somehow, in the combination of writers and editors and agents and publishers all gathered in one location, synergy happened. And the resulting energy was contagious. There, together, over coffees and classes and sunshine and meals, meaningful conversations happened about books and the words that define them like theme and voice and dialogue and character. 

There aren't many ways for this writer to say how wonderful it was to be there, but it was an incredible experience. Now, back in Prague as I unpack and allow conversations and new friends to seep into my thoughts, I return to the great gift in being with like-minded people. We meet, and click, and our lives are changed for the better. A gift.

Though the internet is a powerful force in connecting people, meeting in person allows the live energy between people to flow, for those present to shine and show their depth and colors, and to truly connect. Again, a gift.

So, as I reflect on my writer's conference experience, I want to thank all the people who made the time possible for me, to thank my family for their unending support. And to the many friends who made the time in the USA a rich experience full of laughter and stories -- thank you! All gift. 

Truly, time face-to-face with dear friends is one of the greatest gifts in life. I'm so very grateful.

Starting the conversation: When are times you feel the richest? Time with friends and family? 

Entering the Arena

It's not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena ... who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory or defeat. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States of America

A steep mountain to climb

A few years ago, I remember when our oldest son stood about so-high (a little over waist height for my nearly 6-foot-frame) and we visited a popular amusement park as a family. We started the day over in the kiddie-land, which is always filled with double strollers, moms in high jeans, dads wearing stuffed backpacks, and kids running in every direction usually sucking pacifiers or lollipops, depending on the age. Kiddie-land at every amusement park seems to be a place of fleeting laughter and wailing kids, not understanding why their tilt-a-whirl ride ended so soon.

So when our oldest son, probably 6 at the time, asked to ride a "big" roller coaster, my husband and I eyed each other, raised eyebrows, and followed his lead.

It turns out we ended up ogling one of the largest roller coasters on the premises-- I'll call it the "Grand Shoot-Em-Up Loop-D-Loop." Again, our oldest son pointed, and my husband, pushing the double stroller with our other two sons, raised his eyebrows again. And since he measured above the height requirement line, we had no argument left. He had big dreams. And we weren't about to stop him.

Off we went, my oldest and me, to stand in an hour-long line while I contemplated whether I could stomach the ride ...

Isn't it a gift when we know what our goals are, and where we want to go with our days, years, and lives? When we do find those things in everyday life--those things that make us tick, the essence of our hopes and dreams--it's important not to settle for less, for the pacifier crowd in the wailing kiddie-land. But to stretch ourselves to pursue wholeheartedly following our dreams.

When we do, we enter the ring. We walk into the arena. With all of those who dare to live, to dream big, and to pursue that vision regardless of the daunts from the bully called failure. Because after the giant roller coaster, we may know the thrill of having stepped up to the challenge and laughed all the way back down to solid ground.

This week, I'm in the US, in the Heartland, at a national fiction conference, learning and meeting new people who share my love for writing and fiction. What a great place to be! So very grateful to have the opportunity, and so thankful for my family and so many friends supporting me on the journey. Here's to entering the arena ... and to the adventure always found in a life well lived.


Starting the conversation: What giant roller-coaster-type dreams do you have? How can you move toward fulfilling those dreams?

Reflections of Summer

"The sole art that suits me is that which, rising from unrest, tends toward serenity."   -Andre Gide, French writer, 1947 Nobel Prize for Literature

This summer truly was the best of my entire life. We traveled, we played, we splashed and rode bikes and hiked, and simply enjoyed being alive, as a family, in a foreign country. But, as every mom of energetic children knows, summer is also a time of noise and exuberance, and requires extra energy and patience to actually be able to enjoy it. Yes, now my boys are back in school, tucked into their routines, and now I have a little time for quiet. And I enjoy that, too ...

If time could be like a stretch of water, then my summer is like the photograph above, taken in Croatia a few months ago: rich with color, rippled with a summer breeze, and brightened by a shimmering sky.

Some days, the water characterizing my life looks like this photograph, above, taken of the crashing waves at the Portland (Maine) Head Light: turbulent, frothing, and spilling over with energy. On those tumultuous times of life, being creative and writing is almost impossible, because of the storms. But those times where our emotions are stirred and we are being stretched (also like the top photo, where life is colorful and brave), we are filled with new experiences and can tap into them later ...

... Like on days with this photograph, of a single rowboat tethered in Maine, bobbing along an alluring blue sea. This is the place where creativity happens: in stillness. In the refuge from the storms, stirred up by life's emotions, but with a clear surface that reflects life's real experiences into our art and creative works. This is where the richness begins ...

... And develops with much coaxing and revision and editing, into a work of beauty, reflecting something intangible yet irresistible with a fresh perspective on something as old as time. Words on paper, oils on canvas, images captured through a lens: spaces of art and beauty and meaning to share. There, in the serenity, we can see the reflection of something deeper, something bigger and greater than the surface, and can be inspired for more of an adventure-filled life.

Starting the conversation: What was your summer like? What are your ideal conditions for living and life and creating?

Vienna, U2, and OneRepublic

 "We're waking up ... And right on time." -OneRepublic, Waking Up

On Monday, the King five drove the windy Czech roads and ventured down in Austria. This wasn't just any trip. Our destination was Vienna, the legendary city of music of the ranks of Mozart, to a concert we bought tickets for almost exactly one year ago. This wasn't just any concert. The music we have been anticipating seeing live in concert is the music of the legendary band, U2.

And, oh! was it a CONCERT!

There are not many words to wrap around the fullness of the sound, the incredible heart-shaking bass, or the soul-flying energy and spirit to a crowd gathered around one of the music of U2-- all 68,500 Austrians, and the five of us Kings. The whole time was truly the experience of a lifetime. So grateful to have had it.

But I want to mention the band who opened for U2, a new-ish band called OneRepublic. It turns out that their music is familiar, and before the concert I dove into their band bio to learn a little more. Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic's frontman, says this, after he had performed on a singer/songwriter show on MTV and was given a prestigious recording contract, singing "POP" music:

"But how could I ever take myself seriously," he says, "if I was embarrassed by what I was singing? There are a lot of artists who want to make you shake your ass on the dance floor, but only a handful that connect on a deeper level. I wanted more than just a catchy tune. There's nothing like a good pop song, but there's a fine line between accessibility and credibility, and that's the line I want to walk."

When at the concert, and Tedder said, "This is a lifelong dream come true," about playing with U2. And when he mentioned they'd only seen U2 play once before, live, it began to make sense. This OneRepublic band, of amazing musical depth (violin, cello, 3 guitars, bass, keyboard, drums, etc.), has arrived at their dream only by remaining true to who they are. Not selling out for the popular music of little depth, not settling for something less than what they've dreamed. They stuck out the wait, and sharpened their skills, and practiced, and worked some more before their time came to sing. And sing and make music, they do.

I was deeply moved by their story, and by their music, and look forward to hearing more of them (live!) in the future. Oh, and to hold on to dreams ... they will come true, with hard work and patience, in time.

Starting the conversation: What is your favorite live musical performance? Has it changed you?