–––
Where Fairies Go To Dance In The Moonlight
–––


My imagination has a proclivity to running amok … ;oƒ




–––––
#WaterfallWednesday with thanks to +Eric Leslie  
#WaterscapeArtWednesday with thanks to +Terrill Welch, +Dane Clingan and +Trisha Standard 
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa
#turquoisethursday  +TurquoiseThursday 
  #rgwoodpost #naturephotography #fantasyart #surrealart  
#digitalart #photoshop #photomanipulation #fineart #fineartpls  
#artdesign #designs #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydigitalart #digital #creative

–––
Fullest Life

Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances––you just have to live life to the fullest. Tell someone what they mean to you, tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, smile until your face hurts, and don't be afraid to fall in love. Most of all, live in the moment. Every second you spend angry, worried or upset is a second of life you will never get back. 

How would you like to spend it?
………….



–––––
#TreeTuesday with thanks to +Christina Lawrie +Shannon S. Myers +Allan Cabrera and +Tree Tuesday
 #MyTownTuesday with thanks to +Melanie Kintz  +Jamie Furlong & +My Town Tuesday

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +* +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape





#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration  #lightrays


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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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–––
I Fell In Love Here ...
–––

… with this tree!

(I also thought I made a new friend here,
until I found out I was just being used for my hands!)

~~~
I ambled along the concrete coastal path, my eyes scanning the park for an aspect to feed my hungry lens. Then I saw "her" way off in the distance; a most beautiful, old fig––certainly torn from a storybook page.

It was a bit of a footslog to get close, so I found diversion on the way in the park folk as they enjoyed the beautiful day with their children and dogs. One such couple was having a rousing game of green-tennis-ball with their golden retriever quite near "my" tree and I amused myself watching the dog dashing with glee at each throw.

When at last I arrived, I set my tripod up and hunkered down low for this shot.
But I couldn't take it.
Something was pulling on my attention.
I turned my head and right next to the drinking fountain fifteen feet away was the retriever. It was just standing there, ball in mouth, staring at me. I couldn't escape the clear message that was being forced into my thoughts––"water!"––coming from the dog. I looked over to the couple who had been throwing the ball, hoping for a word or sign that they were going to give their dog some water, or at least that it was OK for me to turn the fountain on for the dog. Getting nothing (except that persistent thought in my head) I went over and pushed the button. The dog lapped and lapped … and lapped. Looking up, I saw the couple finally get up and wander over. As they neared, I heard them laughing uproariously. "He does that with everyone!" they said as they neared.

Sigh.
I thought I was special.
I was just one in a long succession of chumps with hands.







–––––
#TreeTuesday, with thanks to the wonderful curators, +Christina Lawrie and +Shannon S. Myers 
#LandscapeArtTuesday with thanks to +Christina Deubel  and +LandscapeArtTuesday  
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng and David Heath Williams
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa  
#rgwoodpost #naturephotography  

––––––––––
There is something admirable,
something distinctly wonderful
in all individuals,
if you just care enough
and pay attention enough
to find out what that is.
––––––––––

For #InspirationalSaturday , with thanks to our inspirational curators +Charlotte Therese Björnström +Khrystiane Friedli and +Louisa Catharine Forsyth !!

This goes under the heading of
Things To Do With Your Old Lo-Res Images

Turn them into paintings!

My first digital camera was a 1.2(whoa!)mp Olympus that I took on one of my trips to Hawaii. I woke up every morning at 4 am and waited for the sun to rise and shot it every single day. My memories of it are better than the shots!
Ooh, but there's all kinds of lemonade to be made from lemons -- push around those mini"not so mega"pixels, toss in a sailboat and voilá -- some fun!


 ………….





–––––
#InspirationalSaturday, with thanks to curators +Charlotte Therese Björnström  +Mylah Nazario  and +Khrystiane Friedli 
#PhotoManipulationSaturday with thanks to +Josh Adamski 
#SurrealArtSaturday with thanks to +Mikko Tyllinen & +SurrealArtSaturday
#PaintItSaturday with thanks to +Richard Mabb +Celso Carvalho +Clare Bambers +Rick Leaf +k phelps +Carol Small +Astrid Bartels +Milena Ilieva +Stefan Kierek +Elin Vaeth
+Photo BTS
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
+Macro4All
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker
 




 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #inspiration #mixedmediaartwork #digitalart #photoshop #photomanipulation #fineart #fineartpls #artdesign #designs #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydigitalart #digital #creative #surrealart #painting #colors

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like this image available for print at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

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–––
"You've Got the Power"

The first moment you said, "I didn't do this to me, someone else did. I didn't cause this bad feeling; others made me feel this way" is the moment you gave up your power to be formative in the events of your life. The ability didn't go away, however … it is right there in front of you. Take it back.

For those of you whose first thought is, "What about children? They don't decide what happens to them." I'll warrant your logic in that. However, you are not a child. The degree of your ability to attain your goals in life depends entirely upon the degree that you are willing to take responsibility for the events in it.

As well, for anything to exist in your life, it needs to be created. 

This includes your health -- good or bad.
This includes your ability -- good or bad.
This includes your emotional reactions -- good or bad.
This includes your relationships -- good or bad.

We create the bad stuff as much as the good.

The truth is, many people don't take responsibility for what happens in their lives -- oftentimes believing that the choices they make in life are thrust upon them by "others" or immutable conditions. They forget that they are the ultimate cause in the forces of their own lives. When you fault others for your present circumstances, you give others power over that part of your life.

Sure, we get strapped down by mortgages, kids, medical liabilities and distressed family members. But the day that we walk out the door and say, "I, me, and only me, am going to do something about this today!" is the day where the circumstances of our lives can actually change. The ability is right there in front of you. Take it back.




………….






–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!

#SunsetSaturday with thanks to +Dennis Hoffbuhr
#InspirationalSaturday, with thanks to curators +Charlotte Therese Björnström  +Mylah Nazario  and +Khrystiane Friedli 

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape







#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #sunsetphotography #fineart #fineartpls #HDR #HDRI #waterscape #waterscapephotography



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Available for print at robingriggswood.com
http://www.robingriggswood.com/Featured/FeaturedImages-RobinGriggsWood/24851253_KskZTv#!i=2479706748&k=bcPGxbH

–––
"The Garden of Gesthemenoki"

It's May Day and I wanted to play

… ;o7
………….






–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!

#BridgeWednesday with thanks to +Mara Acoma +Mark Hall +Alan Gurling +Nigel Smith & +Bridge Wednesday  
#WaterscapeArtWednesday with thanks to +Terrill Welch+Dane Clingan and +Trisha Standard
#WetWednesday with thanks to +Jen Baptist & +Wet Wednesday 


#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff
#PaintItClub with thanks to +Richard Mabb +Celso Carvalho +Clare Bambers +Rick Leaf +k phelps +Carol Small +Astrid Bartels +Milena Ilieva +Stefan Kierek +Elin Vaeth
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape







#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography   #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #fineart #fineartpls #treephotography #landscapeart #HDR #HDRI  




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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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A Mother's Love

I'd meant to share this for #Caturday  --and my apologies to everyone for being absent for a while, if I've missed a notification or message from you––a "cold" Thursday morning turned into full-blown bronchitis and it's been nothing but fluids and sleep for me the last few days. 

But I couldn't let the day go by without wishing all the very good mom's out there a most happy Mother's Day. May it be full of love and warmth.

Now, it's back to bed for me … Have a wonderful day, everyone!



#rgwoodpost #mixedmediaartwork #digitalart #fineart #fineartpls #digitalpainting #MothersDay #SacredSunday

Well … 
this is interesting.
It seems 5,000+ people have added me in the night … :oO
If you are a person, and you are not some kind of a bot, please take a moment to introduce yourself here. (Even if you are a bot, if you are a nice bot, you can introduce yourself here as well. I try not to hold prejudices.) If there are a large number of replies, I can't promise that I will be able to respond to your comment, but I do promise to read everything. A few things you should know about me:

1–– As well as being a photography mentor, I am one of the directors at the +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers. So, if you leave a link to your photography work here, and your work is good, I'll expect you to put in a minimum of 4 weeks mentoring another or others here at G+ at least once in your life. I'm just warning you … ;o)

2–– My entire goal since joining G+ has been to elevate others, improve their mood, help them through a bad day or give them some inspiration. I don't post bad news, antagonistic or alarming statements, "lol gifs" of people falling on their keister or slamming their nose into a hard object or anything else that might make you go on to the next post in the stream with a bad mood. So, if you don't need to feel good on a given day, you'll probably find my post boring. You can click a plus on the nice picture and move on … ;o)

3–– I have a "minor" (understatement) addiction to feather shots and water drops. I have a theme called #MacroFeatherFriday that I run with +E.E. Giorgi (she's great, by the way … go ahead and circle her up now … ;o))

4–– I was a singer/songwriter in "another life" I may never address this subject. So you can rest easy.

5–– Sometimes, I'm funny. It's usually a fluke, however.

6–– If you are a former/current PXC member or anyone that I know from my other online activities, please, for gawdsakes, give me a shout out here or in any of my posts … there's just no way I am going to find you in my notifications to add you back.
………….


If you are new to Google+ in general, and like to shoot your own photographs, these are themes I recommend participating in. Some of the finest people I know here have been introduced to me as a result of posting in themes.
–––––
#ThirstyThursdayPics with thanks to  +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra
#TravelThursday with thanks to +Laura Mitchum
#NatureArtThursday with thanks to +Trisha Standard and +Dane Clingan +NatureArtThursday

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape




#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration  #skyphotography 

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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–––
"Standing in the Light"

Today, Google tells me it is +Gemma Costa's birthday. I am so grateful to Gemma and all of her support for +Breakfast Club,  +Texture Blend Photography and several more themes. She is always there to give her support for so many––Gemma is a well-named gem for the G+ community. Happy birthday, dear!




………….






–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!


#TextureBlendPhotography and #BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape







#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #sunsetphotography #fineart #fineartpls #treephotography 
#artdesign #designs #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydigitalart #digital #creative #digitalart #surrealart



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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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–––
Life is Beautiful
–––
… especially with you in it with me!

–––––
42 shots later, I have one image.

o_O

Why so many? … you may ask … (thinking, of course, to yourself that this Robin is few pistons shy of a running engine.)
I'm trying to fight noise you see.
So, for this panoramic stitch of six aspects (three on the bottom row three for the top), I shot 7 each and stacked them in layers to lessen the noise pattern on any given one.
It's always a battle with my little cam … but sometimes I get to win the round.


–––––


#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa
#SacredSunday with thanks to +SacredSunday™ , +Manfred Berndtgen , +Robyn Morrison ,  +Chatchai Rombix , +Justin Hill ,  +Steve Barge , +Carolyn St.Charles , +Sherrie von Sternberg
#ZenSunday  with thanks to +Charlotte Therese Björnström , +Simon Kitcher and +Nathan Wirth
#SkySunday with thanks to +Randy Scherkenbach and +Patrick Scherkenbach
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #creative #inspiration
#sunsetphotography #skyphotography #digitalphotography #surrealart  
#digitalart #fineart

–––
Just Be

I took a little time away from the world this morning to throw this together; a mixture of composited photographs and digital paint.

Just to remind you to enjoy the moments of your life … :o)
………….



–––––
#ZenSunday with thanks to +Charlotte Therese Björnström +Nathan Wirth +Simon Davis-Oakley and +Zen Sunday
#SkySunday with thanks to +Randy Scherkenbach and +Patrick Scherkenbach
#SacredSunday with thanks to +SacredSunday™ , +Manfred Berndtgen , +Robyn Morrison ,  +Chatchai Rombix , +Justin Hill ,  +Steve Barge , +Carolyn St.Charles , +*
#ShadowsOnSunday with thanks to +André Roßbach +Daniel Graupner and +ShadowsOnSunday

+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Susanne Ramharter




#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration  #skyphotography #sunsetphotography
#mixedmediaartwork #digitalart #photoshop #photomanipulation #fineart #fineartpls #composite #compositing #digitalmatte #mattepainting

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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My weekend was awesome!
How was yours?

The fun began on Saturday, when I started an impromptu game with +E.E. Giorgi  playing hands of mini-micro macro feathers that inspired so many great people to join in the fun. Thank you, everyone for all your wonderful feathery shots and for taking the never-before-hashtagged #FeatherPoker into place #3 on the Trending list!! You all rock! Woohoo!!
Elena, consider this one a snuggle-hug for being such a good sport, as well as playing me under the table on Saturday! (You can still play with us, by the way!! Just tag #FeatherPoker by +E.E. Giorgi and Robin Griggs Wood in your post during this week!)

Sunday was a day of shooting in the mountains. I am in heaven when I am in the mountains. If I don't turn right around, head back up there and plant my butt on the highest peak for ten years, I'll get some shots edited up for y'all … ;o7

–––––
Also for #MacroMonday because what would Monday be without +Kerry Murphy  +Kelli Seeger Kim  and +Jennifer Eden?!

#NatureMonday with thanks to +Rolf Hicker and +Kate Church 
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Andrea Martinez  

EDIT –– Dang ... and it was so early when I posted this morning, I forgot to tag this as my #2012PROJECT52 post for the theme of WATER !!!  +GPLUS::P52::2012 | +Project52-2012   | by +Giuseppe Basile  
 | with grateful thanks to the hard-working and wonderful curators +Kate Church  +Gretchen Chappelle  +Sue Butler  +Shelly Gunderson  +LaDonna Pride  and +Gary Munroe  
#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #macrophotography


–––––
"Riding the FeatherPoker Wave"

The Weekend Extended Share-a-thon
I'm sharing you!
Reply with a link to your best work and I'll share it!
(But READ the RULES below first)

So I went to my profile this morning and yesterday's post is just gone.
All those wonderful comments from you folks, all your plusses and shares … gone.
I'm really frustrated with this photo upload bug right now so I thought, instead of sharing my work and the liabilities involved with the current #GooglePlusUpdate , I will share your wonderful work until it's fixed.

Here are the RULES

1– Go to your best shot in the lightbox and copy the link in the address bar and put it in the comments here. if the link you've gathered ends in "posts" it will go directly to your profile stream, NOT the image and I won't be able to share your best shot. I won't spend time looking for it either––so double check that your link works before you leave the comments here or I will just pass it up. Google+ links only, please, no blogs, etc. (EDIT: For anybody who is having issues getting the proper link (i.e., the one that does not end with the word "posts"), rather than clicking on your favorite photo from your stream and entering a lightbox view, go to your Photos tab and access the photo from within your albums. That's where you'll find the proper link.)

2 – Don't shorten your link. No "bit.ly". No "goo.gl". No shortening at all. This is because less-than-honest people post links to other things via link-shorteners and I want to be able to tell at a glance who the good folks are posting links to their actual work.

3 – I'll be selecting people to share randomly from the comments here and not in any particular order. I'll be doing this until I feel it is "safe" to post my own work again here, so if I don't get to yours, don't take it personally––I just want to be fair.

4 – Links to your original work only OR, if you are feeling generous, you can post a link to the shot of another photographer's original work whom you admire. I can check actual originality on works easily.

5 – Share this post to your photographer circles. You do not have to share it Publicly––I'm not doing this for self-promotion, I just want those who would like to have some exposure get a chance at it and I don't know every photographer on Google+.

6 – I'm kind of picky, so if the image you want shared is not up to my standards of excellence, I might just go and pick something else of yours to share instead (or not share your work at all, but I want to avoid that, if possible … :o))

7 – I'll only be going through comments at my original post. So, if you found this through a share, go to the original post to reply: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103698889037599783920/posts/CxryQMfXwDx

I look forward to the opportunity to get to know you all better by doing this. 

Thank you for participating!

v-Hugs,
Robin

#rgwoodpost  #rgwshareathon  

RESHARE:
♥ The Share-a-thon continues –– I'm sharing you! ♥
One more, before I head to bed. I love this share-a-thon entry from +Andrea Catelli … but the entire album is a treat. It's like a mini-vacation! I say my good night, and wish you buongiorno, Andrea! (If the image doesn't go to the album, view the entire thing here, folks: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114452957806994491215/albums/5700907749010339985)

––
Until the G+ upload bug is fixed, I'm sharing all of you instead. Want to be shared? Go to the original post only to enter: http://goo.gl/XuMOR

#rgwshareathon

Reshared text:
Pamukkale, Turkey

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Jacobi's Oak
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+Samantha Villenave is pouring on the coals for artists here at G+ with her +First Friday Art Walk!! Add the page, give it and Samantha a plus-mention in your post, use the hashtag #FirstFridayArtWalk and share your artwork! (Thank you, Samantha!)

Jacobi's Oak

"Jacobi's Oak stood tall on a hill overlooking the North range where wild flowers grew in abundance. It was an old tree. An ancient tree. Its thick roots stretched up from its base, then back into the ground, gripping it as if it would never let go. Like Jacobi, its limbs were gnarled, its skin wrinkled. Its bark was knotted and cut with deep rills wide enough to swallow one's fingers. Thick branches sprawled out from its trunk in a droop of weight and wear, each ending in a weave of tendrils that gave the old tree that look of fur or the bristles of a painter's brush from afar. This was a place of rope swings and tree houses; a place of childhood memories. …

Jacobi can recall a time long ago where, as a boy, he would sit with his back against the tree and dream the what-if's of his life yet to unfold. He'd climbed that tree higher than most dared. He'd ridden an old tire swing on that tree leaning back and looking up through the branches feeling the brush of shadow and light. He proposed to his long ago bride beneath that tree. 

Now only he and the tree remain."

~ by +VJ Bauer 

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Also for #FigurativeArtFriday with thanks to +Maude McDonald +Melodie Douglas and +FigurativeArtFriday
#rgwoodpost

To you––you with your heart on fire…

To +Kerry Murphy +kimberly pemberton +Kelli Seeger Kim +Nick Gatens +Tamara Pruessner +shane holsclaw +Mae Hogan +Moon Lee +Jake Easley +Teresa Stover +Vivienne Gucwa +Roger Nobs
#ImLuckyToHaveMetYouBecause ...
… your images have inspired me to push past my old boundaries.

To +Lynne Goodwin +Mike Shaw +Jason Kowing +Christophe Friedli +Khrystiane Friedli +Alan Shapiro +Sumit Sen +David Bowden
#ImLuckyToHaveMetYouBecause ...
… your words always leave the most excellent echos in my mind.

To +Karen Hutton +Sandra Parlow +Ron Clifford +Chrysta Rae +Thomas Hawk +Colby Brown +Barry Blanchard
#ImLuckyToHaveMetYouBecause ...
… your energy gives me a new fire to my purpose and I see that more things are possible now.

And there are so many others that I want to mention for the beauty they create and the inspiration they give me––if I interact with you here, you are one of them with certainty!
Thank you, everyone … I AM lucky to have met you!
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This wonderful theme is the brain child of +mel peifer. Make sure to check it out and share some love. The original post is here: https://plus.google.com/105852782594022510198/posts/8D3YaUf6hHH

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"Life's Little Gifts"
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Take the time to enjoy the little things that come your way

………….







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#SunSunday with thanks to +Shauna Dominguez
#DawnOnSunday with thanks to +Dawn On Sunday +Ray Bilcliff +linda stokes &+Sherry McBriar 
#SacredSunday with thanks to +SacredSunday™ , +Manfred Berndtgen , +Robyn Morrison ,  +Chatchai Rombix , +Justin Hill ,  +Steve Barge , +Carolyn St.Charles , +Sherrie von Sternberg

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER and +Nikola Nikolski

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker
#Take2seconds +Take2seconds +ShareThis #2helpsavelives with +Trever McGhee






#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #colors   #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer #sunsetphotography #fineart #fineartpls #artdesign #design #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydigitalart #digital #creative #digitalart #fantasyart #surrealart  

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Available for print: http://robingriggswood.smugmug.com/Featured/FeaturedImages-RobinGriggsWood/24851253_KskZTv#!i=2379186681&k=jsVf2fR
 at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

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OK, I'm offering up a little re-edit to try to the scary upload thing here please don't delete my album, please don't delete my album –– so far, I see no option that it is going to the album I have selected to upload to more scary stuff and I am wondering what kind of workaround I'm going to have to employ to put it in the album I want … let's see ...

clicks "Share"

EDIT: OK, that bites ... I can't even post immediately from an upload ... frack!
 


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–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!
Themes and hashtags are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links.

#ThirstyThursdayPics with thanks to  +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra
#NatureArtThursday with thanks to +Trisha Standard and +Dane Clingan +NatureArtThursday

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#promotephotography with thanks to +Nikola Nikolski and +Promote Photography
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape




#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #fineart #fineartpls #landscapeart #HDR #HDRI


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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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The End of a Beautiful Day

Still duking it out with bronchitis here, but I can't let the day pass without wishing some lovely people a happy birthday.

Happy birthday to +Bette Kauffman,  +Dave Daniels, +Francesco Gola and +David Sheehan!
I hope you all had a beautiful day!

If you haven't added them to your circles yet, give them an add and enjoy the beauty that comes to your stream!
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–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!
Themes and hashtags are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links.

#TreeTuesday with thanks to +Christina Lawrie +Shannon S. Myers +Allan Cabrera +Ralph Mendoza and +Tree Tuesday

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#promotephotography with thanks to +Nikola Nikolski and +Promote Photography
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape

#ColorMeWeekly +ColorMe Weekly with thanks to +Rosie Nixon


#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #fineart #fineartpls #landscapeart #sunsetphotography

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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~ Da Vinci
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simplicity (noun)

absence of pretense; displaying plainness; reduction of selfish desires; freedom from hardship or effort; waiving immediate gratification; clarity of mind or purpose

Elegant simplicity is a mark of truth … :o)

For the +Macro Monday mini-theme:  S M P L C T Y
 ………….





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#MacroMonday with thanks to +Kerry Murphy, +Jennifer Eden, +Kelli Seeger Kim  and +Jake Easley
#DOFMonday  with thanks to +DOFMonday +Mara Acoma +Mark Hall +Alan Gurling & +Nigel Smith 
#NatureMonday with thanks to +Rolf Hicker and +Jen Baptist
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#MinimalMonday with thanks to +Olivier Du Tré 
#AllThingsGreen with thanks to +Cicely Robin Laing  
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
+Macro4All   #Macro4All with thanks to+Walter Soestbergen and +Shane Williams



 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #MondayMotivation #macrophotography #flowerphotography #floralphotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like this image available for print at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

[testing the limits of cute overload for #Caturday]
––
Public Service Announcement
ahem –– is this microphone on?
Easter is a busy, busy time of year and with the population grown as it is, the Easter bunny can become overworked.

Please remember that family pets can be pressed into service on short notice, thus avoiding embarrassment for yourself at the annual egg hunt and teary recriminations from the wee ones in your household.

You're welcome.

 ………….





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#Caturday with thanks to +Jules Falk Hunter +Shantha Marie Fountain  and +Cicely Robin Laing +CATURDAY! 
#DigitalArtSaturday with thanks to +Dale Jackson +Dawn Ellen Miller and +DigitalArtSaturday
#SurrealArtSaturday with thanks to +Mikko Tyllinen & +SurrealArtSaturday
#PaintItClub with thanks to +Richard Mabb +Celso Carvalho +Clare Bambers +Rick Leaf +k phelps +Carol Small +Astrid Bartels +Milena Ilieva +Stefan Kierek +Elin Vaeth
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
  #hqspanimals  +HQSP Animals with thanks to +Marina Versaci  and +Joe Urbz 
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Susanne Ramharter







#rgwoodpost #amazing #color #colors #inspiration #Easter #digitalart #fantasyart #surrealart #painting  


boing, boing, boing ....
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. _ . - ._
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (/ ( `ָ´)\)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./. ," ),
¸✰´ ¯ `✰˛. . . . . . . .C(” .) .)
. . . . . . . . ¸✰´ ¯ `✰˛ ¯\„)\„)
´”´”`´”```”`´”´”`´”``”´”`´”``”´”`´”``….. #Spring


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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images made available for print at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

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I Appreciate You
I Appreciate Because of You
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An interesting word is "appreciate."
In English, we use it in two different ways. It means, in one form, "to recognize the quality, significance, or magnitude of; to admire, be thankful or show gratitude for" and in another form, "to increase in value".
And, it is in these two forms of use, that it can also be seen as a tool for improving one's own existence. For those qualities which we most admire and are the most thankful for can serve as indicators and a template to guide our course forward to the things we want most to accomplish in life. Those qualities you appreciate are a manifestation of who you are and who you wish to become; they give you a direction to move towards to increase your own value to yourself and others.

Letting Go of Judgement

Being judgmental is often seen as a negative characteristic. "Judgement" has grown in use to being something quite different than non-conditional discernment and has taken on the color of conceit and self-aggrandizement. With this, many people hold up the idea to others of being or becoming nonjudgmental as a merit worth attaining, but they rarely talk or write about how to do that. The tool for letting go of judgement lies in the word and the concept behind "appreciation".

I constantly strive to find something to admire and appreciate in every person and everything that I encounter. And it is a very interesting activity to pursue because, in doing so and devoting oneself solely to seeing the qualities around one––even to going a step further and being grateful for them––one finds the element of negative judgement start to dissolve. The key to this lies in devoting one's focus and attention entirely to the act of appreciation.

The next time you find yourself in the position to judge someone for what they do or are, give this a try. Find something to admire or appreciate about them. Put all of your attention in your dealings with that person directly on finding something to appreciate about them. If you can, if you can find the humility, create a feeling of thankfulness in your appreciation––be grateful for that quality you found; be grateful for that person coming into your life to show it to you, to give you a model for or a confirmation of a quality in your own life; thank them in word or deed, as well … if you are brave enough.

Being judgmental is actually quite uncomfortable. As one sorts through all of the things that they dislike about another, there is a distinct feeling of being mired in negativity. This perpetuates itself as well; being carried further into the day, the week, the year, lasting far longer than the moment of being judgmental itself. The way to break this habit is to place your focus entirely on what you appreciate instead. It takes a bit of doing at times, but it is never impossible.

I appreciate you.
I appreciate because of you.
For it is you who has taught me this lesson. Every single one of you. 
I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
 ………….





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#WhatsRightWithYou because +Jason Kowing knows what he's talking about … ;o)
#TheGoodStuff  with +Anna Lowry, +Lynne Goodwin, +Jake Easley,+Jennifer Eden, +Ricardo Williams  and me, Robin Griggs Wood
#SacredSunday with thanks to +SacredSunday™ , +Manfred Berndtgen , +Robyn Morrison ,  +Chatchai Rombix , +Justin Hill ,  +Steve Barge , +Carolyn St.Charles , +Sherrie von Sternberg
#SkySunday with thanks to +Randy Scherkenbach and +Patrick Scherkenbach
#DawnOnSunday with thanks to +Dawn On Sunday +Ray Bilcliff +linda stokes &+Sherry McBriar 
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#Take2seconds +Take2seconds +ShareThis #2helpsavelives with +Trever McGhee
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +John Minor and +HQSP Landscape





 

#rgwoodpost #inspiration #naturephotography #sunrisephotography

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Great Day

"As you grow up, make sure you have more dreams than memories, more opportunities than chances, more hard work than luck and more friends than acquaintances."

I'd say that sums up +Jay Patel rather well … :o). Happy birthday, Jay!
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#SunsetSaturday with thanks to +Dennis Hoffbuhr

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape




#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration  #skyphotography #sunsetphotography

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 robingriggswood.com
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Are you an artist?
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If you are a photographer and you've ever wondered if you are an artist, I offer you this from Ansel Adams:

"Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art." 

Sure, there are photographers that only document what is in front of their lens, and you may well be one of those. So how can you tell if you are an artist?
This is what I tell my students: 
You are an artist if you wish to create something with your media which communicates more than its component parts. 

Now, you become a remarkable artist when you become fluent in the language of how to communicate with the tools of art and move past merely documenting what is in front of your lens. 

An artist will use these tools to show us what we have never seen before. 

The best artists will show us what we never could have imagined. 

This is the stuff that makes your jaw drop, makes you stop in your tracks and makes you say, "Wow!" 
I am still aspiring to be this … ;o) … and I hope to keep learning and growing to the end of my days. 

A real artist is made.
He makes himself. 
And all it takes is to be damn unwilling to be otherwise. 


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#MonochromeMonday with thanks to +Hans Berendsen +Jerry Johnson +Manuel Votta +Nurcan Azaz +Steve Barge and +Monochrome Monday
#MoodyMonday with thanks to +Philip Daly +Carol Buckwalter and +Moody Monday
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +John Minor and +HQSP Landscape
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography +Landscape Photography Show


 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #MondayMotivation #inspiration #bwfineart #bwphotography #blackandwhitephotography #monochrome #monochromephotography

RESHARE:
The Weekend Share-a-thon –– I'm sharing you! 
I'm off to beddy-bye soon and can't think of a better good night than this peaceful S.F. scene from +Pam Boling! If only I had a Jerry Lewis staff to keep the share-a-thon running all night for me … ;oD

Go to the original post only to enter: http://goo.gl/XuMOR #rgwshareathon 

Reshared text:
Celebrate

This photo thrills me for two reasons: 1) it was my first real photo excursion since my surgery; and 2) +John Getchel and I met some awesome G+ers: +Amy Heiden +Joe Azure +Tressa Crozier and +Casey McCallister! I'm so glad we decided to drive up there to shoot the moon. It was a great surprise to see you all there.

#sanfrancisco   #bayarea  

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My view from a downtown rooftop party.

I kept wanting to ask the host if I could get a business card for their sky-caterer … ;o7
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–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!
Themes and hashtags are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links.

#SkySunday with thanks to +Randy Scherkenbach and +Patrick Scherkenbach
#ShadowsOnSunday with thanks to +André Roßbach +Daniel Graupner and +ShadowsOnSunday

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#promotephotography with thanks to +Nikola Nikolski and +Promote Photography
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape


#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #fineart #fineartpls #landscapeart #HDR #HDRI #sunsetphotography #skyphotography #cityscape #cloudscape




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This image is available for print here: http://www.robingriggswood.com/Featured/FeaturedPhotographs/24851253_KskZTv#!i=2494446973&k=LjK3s5t
Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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You Matter
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“The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It’s overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.” 

………….

― Leo Buscaglia


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#TreeTuesday with thanks to +Christina Lawrie +Shannon S. Myers and +Tree Tuesday
#GrassTuesday with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff +lizett Beltran +Margaret Tompkins & +Grass Tuesday.
#MyTownTuesday with thanks to +Melanie Kintz  +Jamie Furlong & +My Town Tuesday
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape



#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration  #skyphotography #sunsetphotography #Spring

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

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Grant me the wisdom to appreciate and care for everything in this world.
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.


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.

#SacredSunday  wiith thanks to +Charles Lupica  +Manfred Berndtgen +Robyn Morrison  +Margaret Tompkins  +Sherrie von Sternberg (Sherrie, I can't get your name to parse ... so sorry!)
#SkySunday with thanks to +Randy Scherkenbach  and +Patrick Scherkenbach 

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The future belongs to those
who believe in the beauty of their dreams
–––

You are wonderful!

It is easy for us to fall into negatives about ourselves from time to time. 
We get into these modes of thinking that we have wasted an effort or two here and there; wasted a portion of our lives. Yet spending a lot of time contemplating such thoughts is a waste in itself!

If one can push oneself to focus on now and the future only, this creates an open door for what it possible. 
All the potential for a successful life is right there within a person already. However, to fulfill that potential, it is key that one never spend time making less of oneself, not ever. Any time spent in negatives thoughts about oneself is, in effect, tearing down that which one is trying to build! 

YOU are the best thing you have, and you are wonderful; don't ever forget that.

–––––
#SacredSunday with thanks to +Manfred Berndtgen +Justin Hill  +Margaret Tompkins  +Sherrie von Sternberg  
#SkySunday with thanks to +Randy Scherkenbach  and +Patrick Scherkenbach 
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa  
#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #inspiration #landscapephotography


http://robingriggswood.smugmug.com/

–––
Laugh At Life
–––
I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living … that enables you to laugh at life's realities. ~ Dr. Seuss

I hope you don't let yourself become too serious about it all … ;o) 
… imagination in play is quite practical and fosters imagination in real life situations.
 ………….





–––––
#UnsharpSaturday #SoftFocusSaturday with thanks to +Nathan Beaulne 
#SurrealArtSaturday with thanks to +Mikko Tyllinen & +SurrealArtSaturday
#PaintItSaturday with thanks to +Richard Mabb +Celso Carvalho +Clare Bambers +Rick Leaf +k phelps +Carol Small +Astrid Bartels +Milena Ilieva +Stefan Kierek +Elin Vaeth
#InspirationalSaturday, with thanks to curators +Charlotte Therese Björnström  +Mylah Nazario  and +Khrystiane Friedli 

#TextureBlendPhotography and #BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER and +Nikola Nikolski

#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker
#PaintItClub with thanks to +Richard Mabb +Celso Carvalho +Clare Bambers +Rick Leaf +k phelps +Carol Small +Astrid Bartels +Milena Ilieva +Stefan Kierek +Elin Vaeth







#rgwoodpost #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY #colors   #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalart #photoshop #photomanipulation #fineart #fineartpls  
#artdesign #designs #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydigitalart #digital #creative #surrealart #painting  #Amazing

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like this image available for print at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

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–––
Looky! … Macro Feathers!

I shocked you, didn't I? I bet you were so wrapped up in the fun of your job that you hadn't realized the weekend was so close. I'm like your little alarm for #TGIF … ;o7
Tomorrow is #MacroFeatherFriday … woohoo (curated by +E.E. Giorgi and +Robin Griggs Wood … Read the "How to" below!)



–––
How to play #MacroFeatherFriday ––
We want to encourage you to get up close and personal with feathers and try more of these shots, experimenting with the capabilities of your camera or trying out new lenses and new ideas for composition. Not that we don't like full bird shots, but there are so many bird themes available already, we want you to get as close as you can to those feathers! They can still be attached to the bird … ;o) … but move in and see just how much detail you can get from the feather/s––their lines, shapes, patterns and colors. It's a fun challenge, and we'll be on the sidelines cheering you on! 

You can shoot in situ or create your own lighting setup at home. Most of all, just play, use your imagination and try every crazy idea you come up with! 

I like to create different backgrounds by merely scooting a colorful postcard around behind the feather.
Good resources for feathers can be craft stores, dusters or just finds in wandering around your neighborhood. Maybe there is a pillow in the house you can kill for your art. … ;oD 

We really are thrilled when folks post a feather shot. From what I've seen so far, the possibilities for composition and creativity are endless.
… We just love to see what you see! 

Click on the #MacroFeatherFriday hashtag and there are many people who share their ideas for your edification and inspiration.



–––
And don't forget that there are other great themes, with wonderful curators, that you can contribute to as well: +Gemma Costa's +Breakfast Club and +Robert SKREINER's +10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS,   are some of my favorites. As well as:
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro … and … #Macro4All with thanks to +Walter Soestbergen and +Macro4All


Themes and hashtags are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links.






#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #canonphotography #macrophotography #macro #featherphotography 

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images made available for print at robingriggswood.com


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Cerulean Crystal
–––––

#MacroMonday is in it's "Blue Period" this week.

Unfortunately, we don't get to move to Paris to do it … ;oƒ

(...with thanks to the lovely curators +Kerry Murphy, +Kelli Seeger Kim and +Jennifer Eden! I remembered to check in early this week! … :o))

 –––––
With a shout out and howdy to the #BreakfastClub and with huge thanks to our dear +Gemma Costa!
#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #macrophotography

Gosh, I've never played #PanoPoker before, but the theme is roads and I got myself a couple of 'em!

Thank you, +Mike Spinak +Barry Blanchard and +Tony Payne!

–––––
"High and Mighty"
–––

A surreal beach scene along the California coast.

 ………….





–––––
#ThirstyThursdayPics with thanks to  +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra 
#NatureArtThursday with thanks to +Trisha Standard and +Dane Clingan +NatureArtThursday
#TravelThursday with thanks to +Laura Mitchum

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER and +Nikola Nikolski

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape





 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #colors   #inspiration #sunsetphotography #canonphotography #canonphotographer

––
You Brighten Our Lives

I have so much admiration for +Chrysta Rae and what she has done for the photography community here at G+. Thank you for your seemingly tireless efforts to improve the lives of so many, dear Chrysta … Happy birthday, to you!

#HappyBirthdayChrystaRae
Happy¸♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Birth-day ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ To ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ You ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥... .♪♫•*¨*•.¸ Happy¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Birth-day ♪♫•*¨*•.¸ To ¸♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ You ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ♥ Happy ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ Birth-day ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥....♪♫•*¨*•.¸ ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ Happy¸♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Birth-day♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ To ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ You ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸.
 ………….

 




––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!
Themes and hashtags are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links.


#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#promotephotography with thanks to +Nikola Nikolski and +Promote Photography
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
#hqspflowers with thanks to +HQSP Flowers +Marina Versaci +Carina Marsh +Larry Henley and +Werner Polwein
#Macro4All with thanks to +Walter Soestbergen and +Macro4All



#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #canonphotography #macrophotography #flowerphotography   #floralphotography



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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images made available for print at robingriggswood.com

–––
You Light Up My Life
–––
So … I'm doing my morning "birthday search" on G+––something I do most mornings to see if there is anyone I would like to wish a happy birthday to––and am wont to look over to the trending list as well, to see what is interesting. I see this hashtag at the very top, #AppleForTeacher .  I think to myself, "Hmm … I wonder what that's all about?"

Click …

Holy frack!!!!!

You people are SO wonderful!!

Yes, you caught me off guard.
Yes, this is unbelievably sweet of all of you!
I'll be getting to all of your posts individually (sheesh, folks .. don't you know I'm still trying to get through your albums today?!! .. hahaha! … ;oD), but Im still crying happy tears and I'm going to need a bit of time to see the keyboard well enough to give all the posts their proper due.

I just wanted to say here, that I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this gesture. 

The following is a quote from me. Something I've said often enough, and something that I aspire to daily:
There is something admirable, something distinctly wonderful in all individuals, if you just care enough and pay attention enough to find out what that is.

Doing the mentorships has given me the best opportunity to pay closer attention to all of you.
And every one of you are most admirable and wonderful!
Thank you for this, my dear friends!

 ………….









–––––








#rgwoodpost #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY #colors   #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer #flowerphotography #floralphotography #sunphotography

––
"Make Each Other Happy" by Robin Griggs Wood
––
Since Roger Ebert passed away, I thought I would include one of my favorite quotes from him. 'Kindness' covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.
I particularly love that he points out, "to make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts." Struth!
……………….


Peonies in a mixture of photo and digital paint


–––

#FirstFridayArtWalk with thanks to +Samantha Villenave & +Lena Levin +First Friday Art Walk
#FloralFriday with thanks to +Tamara Pruessner
#ColorsOnFriday, with thanks to +Gailen Mapes and +Karsten Meyer
#TextureBlendPhotography and #BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker
#hqspflowers with thanks to +HQSP Flowers +Marina Versaci +Carina Marsh +Larry Henley and +Werner Polwein






#rgwoodpost #mixedmediaartwork #digitalart #fineart #fineartpls #TGIF #digitalpainting #colors #inspiration
#digital #creative 

#RIPRogerEbert   #RogerEbert

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

–––
"Life's Little Gifts"

Take the time to enjoy the little things that come your way.

Minor computer woes this morning and I can't access my local server, so I am resharing this for +linda stokes to wish her a most happy birthday. Go and check out her awesome work, folks. And happy birthday to you, Linda!



………….






–––––
#SunsetSaturday with thanks to +Dennis Hoffbuhr
#DigitalArtSaturday with thanks to +Dale Jackson +Dawn Ellen Miller and +DigitalArtSaturday
#SurrealArtSaturday with thanks to +Mikko Tyllinen & +SurrealArtSaturday
#PhotoManipulationSaturday with thanks to +Josh Adamski

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Susanne Ramharter






#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #sunsetphotography #fineart #fineartpls #artdesign #design #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydigitalart #digital #creative #digitalart #fantasyart #surrealart  

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This image is available for print: http://robingriggswood.smugmug.com/Featured/FeaturedImages-RobinGriggsWood/24851253_KskZTv#!i=2379186681&k=jsVf2fR
 at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

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The Marvelous Structure of Existence
–––
The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature.

from The World As I See It, an essay by Einstein
http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/index.html

 ………….





–––––
#DawnOnSunday with thanks to +Dawn On Sunday +Ray Bilcliff +linda stokes &+Sherry McBriar 
#SacredSunday with thanks to +SacredSunday™ , +Manfred Berndtgen , +Robyn Morrison ,  +Chatchai Rombix , +Justin Hill ,  +Steve Barge , +Carolyn St.Charles , +Sherrie von Sternberg
#SunSunday with thanks to +Shauna Dominguez
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
+Macro4All  



 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #sunsetphotography #inspiration 

––
"Sunday Snooze" a painting by Robin Griggs Wood for +First Friday Art Walk

Stumped for a Mother's Day gift? 

If Mom is an animal lover, how about a painting of her favorite pet? There is still time for me to do a few more before Mother's day, or I can create a gift certificate card for you to give her. Head on over to robingriggswood.com and click on "Paintings" in the menu at the top or the gallery icon below the banner to view the many styles I can reproduce, then all I need is an image of Mom's favorite pet for reference and to know what style she would like most. Voilá, you have a unique gift!

……………….





–––

#FirstFridayArtWalk with thanks to +Samantha Villenave & +Lena Levin 

Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!
Themes and hashtags are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links.

#FidoFriday with thanks to +Wes Lum, +Lisa Lisa & +mel peifer 
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker


#rgwoodpost #mixedmediaartwork #digitalart #fineart #fineartpls #TGIF #digitalpainting #colors #inspiration
#digital #creative  
#MothersDay

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This painting is available at http://www.robingriggswood.com/Featured/Paintings-by-rgw/29214695_NmndW5#!i=2484664331&k=dGZLnB6
Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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––––––––––
Whoever said that the sunset
had to be a grand scale event,
never watched the small silent world
in the magic moments
before the last light fades.

~ Robin Griggs Wood
––––––––––

#SunsetSaturday, with thanks to +TJ Kelly

–––
Where Baby Moons Come From
–––
… from fair & fulgent, fluorescing feather fields … of course! Here are a few of the new little ones, just starting their first days in the Universe. … ;o7.
Tomorrow is #MacroFeatherFriday, curated by +E.E. Giorgi and +Robin Griggs Wood … We just love to see what you see! (Find the "how to" below!)

––
How to play #MacroFeatherFriday ––
We want to encourage you to get up close and personal with feathers and try more of these shots, experimenting with the capabilities of your camera or trying out new lenses and new ideas for composition. Not that we don't like full bird shots, but there are so many bird themes available already, we want you to get as close as you can to those feathers! They can still be attached to the bird … ;o) … but move in and see just how much detail you can get from the feather/s––their lines, shapes, patterns and colors. It's a fun challenge, and we'll be on the sidelines cheering you on! 

You can shoot in situ or create your own lighting setup at home. Most of all, just play, use your imagination and try every crazy idea you come up with! 

I like to create different backgrounds by merely scooting a colorful postcard around behind the feather. Do peruse the #MacroFeatherFriday posts from the past, because several of the photographers and people responding in the comments share their ideas, too.
Good resources for feathers can be craft stores, dusters or just finds in wandering around your neighborhood. Maybe there is a pillow in the house you can kill for your art. … ;oD 

We really are thrilled when folks post a feather shot. From what I've seen so far, the possibilities for composition and creativity are endless. I hope to see one from you tomorrow!

≠≠≠HOW TO CREATE AND SHOOT WATER DROPS≠≠≠

I'm afraid that the process in getting a successful water-drop is just as frustrating as many have described. Most of them fall off because of the weight. I have a lot of "duds" in my collection! Where I have had the best success is through the following.
-- where you place your drop must be a perfectly level surface. My setup is on the dining room table, with a desk lamp or other simple light sources and an alligator clip on a stand.
-- the drop must be very, very tiny for it not to have too much weight where it falls off the feather. That means that you will need a lot of magnification when shooting to really see it. I use one of my father's old lenses in reverse (run a search on "reverse macro technique") along with a 4x diopter lens added on at times.

I can be a hit and miss thing. Sometimes you get it just right though, and then you need to shoot fast––be all set up and ready to click, place your drop (watch it fall off a dozen times ;oD) and when you get one that is small enough to stay put, click! It helps as well to use a tripod (a small tabletop size will work for this) and a remote can be used to cut down camera shake. Don't forget to hold your breath while you're clicking!

Most of all ...
Enjoy!

:o)

––
Why can't I do the things I want to do?
There's so much I know I'm capable of that I never actually do. Why is that?
––

The trick is to realize that you're always doing what you want to do ... always. Nobody's making you do anything. Once you get that, you see that you're free and that life is really just a series of choices. Nothing happens to you. You choose.


~ The Answer Man

………….





–––––
#SunsetSaturday with thanks to +Dennis Hoffbuhr
#InspirationalSaturday, with thanks to curators +Charlotte Therese Björnström  +Mylah Nazario  and +Khrystiane Friedli 


#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape












#rgwoodpost #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography #sunsetphotography #skyphotography

(\_(\
(=’ :’) :*
(,(”)(”)¤°.¸¸.•´¯`»#Spring

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––
Protect Our Blue-Green Home

Were the  +Macro Monday gang teasing me when they came up with today's FEATHER sub-theme? … :oD (And if you still have any feather shots left, folks, I'd be smitten as a kitten on an unraveled mitten should you have any inclination to share it for a #MacroFeatherFriday as well … just saying' … ;o7). I added a bit of a subtle hint for #EarthDay as well.

 ………….

 




––

#MacroMonday with thanks to +Kerry Murphy, +Jennifer Eden, +Kelli Seeger Kim  and +Jake Easley

Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!

#DOFMonday  with thanks to +DOFMonday +Mara Acoma +Alan Gurling +Mark Hall & +Nigel Smith

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
#Macro4All with thanks to +Walter Soestbergen and +Macro4All







#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #canonphotography #macrophotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop #waterdrops #featherphotography #OurEarth #HappyMonday #MondayMotivation #earthday2013 

+WHOLE WORLD Water


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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images made available for print at robingriggswood.com

–––
Boxed In
–––

This is what a present society does to us, especially to young women––making them feel that the bodies they are in must fit within a certain size, a certain standard of beauty, to be worthy of love or notice. 

I've always had a struggle with this body of mine. At 8, I got the chubby tummy; at 14, came the thighs. It's a 5'10" frame of muscle and chub that I've struggled to fit into a smaller box my entire life. I've fasted; I've studied proper eating regimes; I've run thousands of miles; I was a serious weightlifter at one point. But all of those things only created versions of this exact same body––I was never going to be small enough, and that's what the tall fellows wanted––petite. When you're this tall, you don't want to feel larger than your partner. I just wanted to feel feminine for once!

I've overcome much of this through the years. I've learned to embrace the aspects of this body: It's relatively strong and capable of great deeds; I can see over crowds; it still works well while some people don't even have that. And I am always the one asked to help someone grab something off a high shelf––I love to help. It's my body, and I am lucky to have it.

"Do you love what you see when you look in the mirror? Hollywood and the fashion, cosmetics and diet industries work hard to make us believe that our bodies are unacceptable and need constant improvement. Advertisements reduce us to body parts -- lips, legs, breasts -- airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. The media tell women and girls that cosmetic surgery is good for self-esteem."

Together, we can change things. Today is Love Your Body Day, and what better day here at G+ to spread the word than  +Women Wednesday. (Find out more about the Love Your Body Campaign here: http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/about.html) A group of us women photographers have come together, spearheaded and organized by +Beth Akerman, to create a second book through +Blurb Books to raise awareness (and some serious ducats!) for the charity. Expect How We See It … more views of our worlds around October 31st (your stream should be inundated with shares … <snicker>). Oh wow … you should see the talent we got for the second round!

Also, please share a post or image promoting healthy body image today by using the hashtag #loveyourbody

YOU are the best thing you have, and you are wonderful; don't ever forget that. (OK … you dudes, too … ;o))

Thank you, so much, to the lovely #WomenWednesday ladies, +Athena Carey , +Lee Daniels , +Kerry Murphy , +Niki Aguirre +Teresa Stover and +Christina Lawrie, who keep the celebration of women, as we are, alive on G+.


–––

#rgwoodpost #LoveYourBody #HowWeSeeIt  
How We See It … more views of our worlds is the follow-up to the successful How We See It … our view of our worlds that was released on April 27, 2012 on Blurb.com. 

Love exists only when manipulation stops; when you think more about the other person than about his or her reactions to you.  ~ Joyce Brothers 

Well, don't that just smack you upside the head?!! … ;o)

… since Valentines Day is on its way. .. heehee
 ………….





–––––
#WomenWednesday +Women Wednesday with thanks to +Athena Carey , +Lee Daniels , +Kerry Murphy , +Niki Aguirre +Teresa Stover and +Christina Lawrie
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
+Macro4All
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker




 

#rgwoodpost #inspiration #ValentinesDay2013

–––
A New Day
–––
Every new day has the potential to reveal a brilliant solution to yesterday's dilemma. Your history does not have to be your destiny. 

For +Macro Monday's NATURE sub-theme … because it's in my nature to try and make y'all smile … ;o)
 ………….





–––––
#MacroMonday with thanks to +Kerry Murphy, +Jennifer Eden, +Kelli Seeger Kim  and +Jake Easley
#DOFMonday  with thanks to +DOFMonday +Mara Acoma +Mark Hall +Alan Gurling & +Nigel Smith 

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER and +Nikola Nikolski

#hqspflowers with thanks to +HQSP Flowers +Marina Versaci +Carina Marsh +Larry Henley and +Werner Polwein
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker







#rgwoodpost #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY #colors  #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer #MondayMotivation #sunrisephotography #macrophotography #flowerphotography #floralphotography

–––
The Moss Awaits the Spring
–––
What I am writing here has nothing really to do with this image, but a thought occurred to me as I was thinking of themes this morning. I've heard others say here, at one time or another, that they only post to one theme per image because they feel it is "rude and attention getting" to call out more than one. This bothers me greatly because, then, how does one choose? Do you only post to the most popular theme? What about those hard-working and devoted curators who really want to give respect to those works in a given theme of their own? Don't they deserve the recognition as much as the popular themes? I run a theme, but I surely would not want to miss getting the chance to come and see someone's work, simply because they felt they could only post to one theme.

I can't post five images in a day, yet I really do want to acknowledge the genuinely attentive curators and what they do to keep the artistic community alive, so I still post to several themes for a given image. I don't think about it as attention to me; I think about it as attention to them –– to honor what they do for us.

I am curious about your thoughts on this.


 ………….





–––––
#MacroMonday, subtheme LIGHT, with thanks to the lovely curators +Kerry Murphy , +Jennifer Eden and +Kelli Seeger Kim +Macro Monday
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#DOFMonday  with thanks to +DOFMonday +Mara Acoma +Mark Hall +Alan Gurling & +Nigel Smith 
+Macro4All   #Macro4All  with thanks to  +Walter Soestbergen and +Shane Williams



 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #macrophotography

–––
Watching You With Awe
–––
One of the most satisfying experiences I know is fully to appreciate an individual in the same way I appreciate a sunset.

When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, "Soften the orange a little more on the right hand corner, and put a bit more purple along the base …" 
I don't try to control a sunset. 
I watch it with awe as it unfolds.


~ Carl R. Rogers

………….




–––––
#BridgeWednesday with thanks to +Mara Acoma +Mark Hall +Alan Gurling +Nigel Smith & +Bridge Wednesday
#BridgesAroundTheWorld  with thanks to +Knut Arne Gjertsen 
#WetWednesday with thanks to +Jen Baptist & +Wet Wednesday 
#ThirstyThursdayPics with thanks to  +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra 
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +* and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape



#rgwoodpost #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography #skyphotography #sunsetphotography



 _ . - ._
(/¯( `ָ;)¯\)
   ( , " , ) 
C( ´¯) ´¯)
[""""¯\„)\„)""""]…. #Spring

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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

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–––––
Zen Squirrel
–––––

Sometimes, we can just sit quietly
and enjoy the beauty of the moment we're in.


#HappyThoughtsForLeeDaniels
–––––
#ZenSunday  with thanks to +Charlotte Therese Björnström, +Simon Kitcher  and +Nathan Wirth 
#SquirrelSaturday with thanks to +SE Blackwell and +Skippy Sheeskin  
#rgwoodpost #naturephotography
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks always to +Gemma Costa and +Andrea Martinez  

"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible." (~ attributed to Orison Marden)

Well … that just about sums it up for me! … ;o7
…………
Oh, and I got a new filter. This is my first attempt at infrared.


–––––
#TreeTuesday with thanks to +Christina Lawrie +Shannon S. Myers and +Tree Tuesday 
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography



#rgwoodpost #digitalphotography #naturephotography #autumnphotography #infrared #irphotography

–––––
Morning Calls
–––
It is 5:17 am. 
You're on a small, almost deserted island in the middle of the Pacific. 
Cool breezes enter your open window, giving the promise of yet another balmy, perfect day. 
You don't need an alarm clock to bring you to it … you and the sun are on a first-name basis.


 ………….





–––––
#DawnOnSunday with thanks to +Dawn On Sunday +Ray Bilcliff +linda stokes &+Sherry McBriar
#SacredSunday with thanks to +SacredSunday™ , +Manfred Berndtgen , +Robyn Morrison ,  +Chatchai Rombix , +Justin Hill ,  +Steve Barge , +Carolyn St.Charles , +Sherrie von Sternberg
#SkySunday with thanks to +Randy Scherkenbach and +Patrick Scherkenbach
#SunSunday with thanks to +Shauna Dominguez
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
+Macro4All
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +John Minor and +HQSP Landscape
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography +Landscape Photography Show
 




 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #inspiration #mixedmediaartwork #digitalart #photoshop #photomanipulation #fineart #fineartpls  #artdesign #designs #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydigitalart #digital #creative #surrealart #painting #colors

–––––
Color and Light
–––
Then a package of sunset dye exploded onto the mundane facets of the day, seeping into their depths and staining them with color and light and longing.

 ………….





–––––
#SunsetSaturday with thanks to +Dennis Hoffbuhr

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER and +Nikola Nikolski

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to +Delcour Eric +Ara MO +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor and +HQSP Landscape





 

#rgwoodpost #naturephotography #colors  #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer #sunsetphotography 

This goes under the heading of
Things To Do With Your Old Lo-Res Images

Turn them into paintings!

My first digital camera was a 1.2(whoa!)mp Olympus that I took on one of my trips to Hawaii. I woke up every morning at 4 am and waited for the sun to rise and shot it every single day. My memories of it are better than the shots!
Ooh, but there's all kinds of lemonade to be made from lemons -- push around those mini"not so mega"pixels, toss in a sailboat and voilá -- some fun!

And, on that note, I shall sail off into the sunset ... see you all tomorrow!
#LastCallGang

===
and #SunsetSaturday , with thanks to curator +TJ Kelly

–––
"When the Moon is in the Seventh House"

… then peace will guide the planet.

The moon is in the seventh house for two hours every day, so we have some catching up to do … ;o7




………….






–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!

#TreeTuesday with thanks to +Christina Lawrie +Shannon S. Myers +Allan Cabrera +Ralph Mendoza and +Tree Tuesday
 #MyTownTuesday with thanks to +Melanie Kintz  +Jamie Furlong & +My Town Tuesday

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape







#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #fineart #fineartpls #treephotography #monochrome #monochromephotography #lightrays #landscapearttuesday




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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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––
so many sorrows
for so many years
bent by the weight
of her burden of tears
––

We women have certain chemicals in our systems that can make us cry at the drop of a hat (or the destruction of our favorite shoes, if you prefer a less hackneyed phrase.) It's not that men don't feel or cry, it's just that we gals are wired to shed tears for even the littlest things. I sometimes get teary writing heartfelt posts (excuse me a minute while I dry my keyboard off … )

So when a kid gets rescued finally on the news, the dog returns after four hours missing, those heirloom rose cuttings from grandma pop out with their first blooms, or we take 400 shots and we're not happy with a dang one, we tear up.

Add to those the genuine woes that make us bawl in earnest -- and force us to keep tissue boxes in almost every room of the house (not to mention the various nooks and crannies of our pockets, pouches, packs and sacks) -- and you have one fairly damp existence.

So here's to the women who cry. 
I, for one, wouldn't take back a moment of it.



––
Redux for International Women's Day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women's_Day
"A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women."
#WomensDay








–––
#FloralFriday with thanks to +Tamara Pruessner
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER and +Nikola Nikolski
#pixelworld  with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld  

#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
+Macro4All  #Macro4All with thanks to+Walter Soestbergen and +Shane Williams


#rgwoodpost #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY #colors  #inspiration #canonphotography #canonphotographer  #macrophotography #flowerphotography  #floralphotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop #TGIF

–––
Is That Photo Real?

That's a question someone left in the comments of one of my images. I haven't answered yet. I couldn't think of the "short version". 

Let's leave off with the pithy comeback that first danced across my mind, "Do you mean, as opposed to a figment of your imagination?"

Nah … let's not go there. 

How about, "Do you mean, did I process it myself on my own computer, as opposed to letting the computer in the camera process it?" Since that's what we are talking about here. Because, you know, what comes straight out of a camera isn't any more "real" than what an artist envisions for a capture, after the fact.

Truth is tendency. Reality is relative.

While the mechanics of the filters we humans use to perceive the "reality" around us vary from those which a camera uses, we still have filters in place that modify the "factual" information we receive from our environment. Those filters, eyesight, hearing, smell, etc., create an infinite variety of realities, person to person. A man with acute hearing might find living among the din of the inner city extremely irritating and unhealthful. That's his reality relative to one of his filters and the post-processing of that information in his brain.

The filters that exist within cameras to capture and record information also vary greatly from camera to camera, so that the "realities" that each produces come with myriad variabilities. As well, in-camera filtering and processing is evolving, so that the "reality" captured and reproduced tomorrow won't necessarily be the same as yesterday's.

So, here is my reality: based on physical and economic reasons, I shoot with a very small camera. The noise it gives me, because of its tiny sensor, is not the "reality" I received while shooting, and I shouldn't be bound within its limitations to fully express the mood I found when I was at the location.

Case in point, here is the image which was questioned: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103698889037599783920/posts/YV6keAuRq4p. That was the sunset I experienced while standing on a rooftop during a party downtown. Is it straight out of the camera? No. The final result is a stitch of three images in panorama, denoised, and the colors brought up to the reality that I experienced while gaping at an amazing phenomenon of our world, the awe I felt at its splendor and the good fortune I acknowledged to be there at that moment.

Is this photo real?

If you've slogged through this tome to get this far, that's probably the question you came to have answered.

I've often said, if you want reality, you can walk out the door. Your reality is all around you, and you don't need my perception of it to make it real to you. As well, as an artist, I enjoy envisioning what could be, and sharing that vision with everyone. 

Does the Potomac meander past the foot of the Lincoln Memorial? Well, maybe … if it overflowed during a month long deluge onto the car-clogged parkway that actually exists there. However, "car-clogged parkway" wasn't consistent with the mood that I had while viewing this amazing light descending upon the memorial. My camera didn't "see" my mood either. Stupid camera. 

So, I created a new reality. One that shows you what I felt instead. Because I wasn't focused on the cars zipping past … I was only aware of being near the river, seeing this structure … and this light … this dazzling, elegant, exquisite light.

And that's the reality I wanted to show you.




 


………….






–––––
Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators!
Themes and hashtags are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links.

#ThirstyThursdayPics with thanks to  +Giuseppe Basile & +Mark Esguerra 
#TravelThursday with thanks to +Laura Mitchum

#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to +Alberto Carreras and +PixelWorld
#promotephotography with thanks to +Nikola Nikolski and +Promote Photography
#TheMagicOfLight  +The Magic of Light with thanks to +Ray Bilcliff

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T +jeff beddow +Tom Hierl  +Vishal Kumar  +Michael Blyde  +Carolyn Lim  +Steve Gould  +Jay Gould and +Landscape Photography
#hqsplandscape with thanks to  +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera and +HQSP Landscape

#ColorMeWeekly +ColorMe Weekly with thanks to +Rosie Nixon


#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #fineart #fineartpls #landscapeart   #architecture #architexture #architecturephotography #DC #urbandesign #sunsetphotography #mirrorsandreflections  #monuments   #creativephotos  



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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images available for print at robingriggswood.com

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"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own." ~ Benjamin Disraeli 

Why I mentor others here at G+:

A while back, I was searching for my purpose in life. At the time, I was mentoring at an online art community. Over and over again, I would get comments from people such as, "I would love to be an artist, but I have no talent"; "I wish I were gifted, but clearly I wasn't meant to be an artist"… and there was real sadness and disappointment in their commentary. But I knew the truth, that where I started from gave no indication of "talent" in my early years, and that what I had gone through showed me clearly that art was an inherent part of our nature as human beings. Yet this concept was lost in current society and wasn't being nurtured. 

There is a lie being perpetuated in society that I call the "myth of talent".

The Myth of Talent

I have often had people, when I tell them I am an artist, look at me with a sort of awestruck reverence––that is completely misplaced. Everyone is an artist inside. Some have just worked at it harder than others and it shows. However, there isn't a single thing that an artist does that cannot be learned, practiced and achieved to great success by anyone (barring physical limitations). Being an artist has very little to do with "talent". Hard work and persistence is what makes the artist.

There is an ilk of people out there who just don't want to see others grow any bigger than themselves. In fact, they would rather make others feel quite less by perpetuating an idea that fosters the notion that "they can" and "you can't" with statements like "ability is in the DNA!" "it's from the 'supreme being'!" or other limiting concepts. Even the term "gifted" itself connotes that an individual's works are "given" to them and not a result of their own effort––their own labor, sweat and tears! 

Now, it is not that there aren't predispositions, but limiters do not have to be absolute. As well, others may believe these ideas about talent because, quite frankly, they can't do it––not right now at least––and so the idea sticks, because it is true right now. And, so, these other folks, who have been told they "can't do" (for seemingly immutable reasons) then spread the idea. It is like a contagion; like a disease. Ideas are the most dangerous things we create.

Now, back to why I mentor.

My heart ached for all the people who were being fed this lie. It wasn't until I was explaining to a friend what I was doing in that online art community that it suddenly dawned on me what my purpose in life was––that I didn't only want to help the people in this tiny community––I wanted to help everyone on this planet!

A little story:
––
An anthropologist in Africa had spent some time studying the habits and customs of this tribe. He'd always been surrounded by the children of the tribe, so to help pass the time before his plane was to take him away, he proposed a game for the children to play.

He put lots of candy and sweets in a basket with a beautiful ribbon attached, placed it under a solitary tree and called the kids together. He drew a line on the ground and explained that they should wait behind the line for his signal and that when he said "Go!" they should race over to the basket––the first to arrive there would win all the sweets. When he said "Go!", however, they all unexpectedly held each other's hands and ran off towards the tree as a group. Once there, they shared the sweets with each other and happily ate it in a circle together.

The anthropologist was very surprised. He asked them why they had all gone together, especially if the first one to arrive at the tree could have won everything in the basket. 

A young girl simply replied: "How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?"
––

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own." ~ Benjamin Disraeli 

It is sweet indeed to be able to say, "I am an artist" and know it, because you do it.
This is the basket of sweets that I revel in and receive the full pleasure of being able to share it with everyone.

What can you do?

The absolute best gift that you can give is to not let it stop at you. Any time you encounter someone who expresses the wish to be an artist, encourage them. Spread the the idea behind the myth of "talent". Let them know that they can do it … the door is closed for no one.
 ………….





–––––
+G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers 
#FloralFriday with thanks to +Tamara Pruessner
#Take2seconds +Take2seconds +ShareThis #2helpsavelives with +Trever McGhee
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
+Macro4All
#hqspart with thanks to +HQSP Art +Syuzanna Avetisyan and +Rinus Bakker
#hqspflowers with thanks to +HQSP Flowers +Marina Versaci +Carina Marsh +Larry Henley and +Werner Polwein
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
+Macro4All   #Macro4All with thanks to+Walter Soestbergen and +Shane Williams




 

#rgwoodpost #inspiration #macrophotography #naturephotography #macrophotography #flowerphotography   #floralphotography

#TheGoodStuff
–––
Elevating Your Mood and Overcoming Depression: 
The 10 Most Selfish Things You Should Do For Yourself


1. Eat well and feed your body properly. Did you ever pause and look at the connection between how you feed yourself and your mental lows? This is a "biggie", folks. I have a friend who gained a bit of local fame for his work with depressed and troubled children. All he did was put them on good nutrition. Within three to six months, typically, he created radical changes in their behavior for the good. Your mood and the health of your body are on a direct link. A quality liquid mineral supplement is a very good start.

2. Volunteer your time to help another or others that cannot help themselves. It is harder to see your own misery when you are focused on others.

3. Learn yoga, pilates, tai-chi or some form of quiet physical discipline––at some point in your life. Whether or not you continue doing it for the rest of your life, the time spent doing it for a year or so teaches you how to connect your mind and body to work together. It helps you to become more in tune with those things which cause you stress and gain some control over them. The command you gain learning this stays with you your whole life.

4. Shut off the bad news for a while––for a long while. If you are perusing the feeds for all the latest "news", chances are that you are being consistently bombarded with negative commentary. Do you really think this has no effect on your depression? Turn off your television and use this time to do something you want to do that you tell yourself you have no time for. You don't have to replace your TV time with something mundane or arduous; use the time for something that you've always wanted to do.

5. Learn to ride a horse or gain mastery over anything larger than yourself which has a will of its own, at some point in your life. This teaches you patience and patience is the only thing that allows you to prevail with something that will not bend to purely physical threats. This patience is precisely the skill you can use whenever adversity strikes and seems to incapacitate you. A suitable replacement for a large, live animal, would be helping out with a group of school children on a field trip … ;o)

6. Walk … every day … no excuses. Toxins build up in the body and can cause depression. If you cannot walk, you need to do some kind of physical exercise that moves toxins more quickly out of the body. Your liver and your kidneys are your two major body cleaners and, if you sit on your butt all day and don't move, these two organs cannot handle the day-to-day load that an honest sweat can help to pull from your body.

7. Teach others something that you don't know perfectly yourself; there is nothing quite like it for forcing your own learning and ability, which increases your overall certainty and well being. As well, a bit like the "volunteer your time" above, it pulls your focus off of yourself.

8. Learn to love, and to forgive and forget -- hatred, anger and resentment are NOT merely a momentary feeling, they build up over time and drive you into a hole eventually.

9. Own up to your misdeeds. Misdeeds are the things that you did, or are doing, to another that you would not want to have happen to yourself. Whether you can justify them or not, they will hang about your neck like a noose. The vast majority of predisposition to disease is wrought within the stress caused by your failure to own up to the wrongs you've done to others. And, while clinical depression might be "chemical imbalance" based, that imbalance has to feed on what is in your mind. Remove as much of its fodder as you can to lift the load.

10. Apologize to the you in your past. Notice that I didn't write "come to terms with your past" or "forget your past". Actually look at your past (that you may rather forget) and figure out what part of that you had a hand in; what role did you play in bringing it about? Apologize to yourself for doing that––you will be able to move on from there.


I am not a doctor. All of this is merely an aggregate of everything that has helped me to overcome the debilitating depression that once plagued my life. Maybe it can help you, too. I wrote it with love … :o)



–––
+The Good Stuff Project is brought to you by +Lynne Goodwin +Anna Lowry  +Jake Easley +Jennifer Eden +Ricardo Williams and myself, +Robin Griggs Wood 
#TreeTuesday, with thanks to +Christina Lawrie  and +Shannon S. Myers 
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley  +paul t beard +Ke Zeng  
#rgwoodpost #natureart #naturephotography  

–––
New Year's "Feather"works
–––
It's New Year's Eve soon and we're still in the holiday spirit for #MacroFeatherFriday (which is curated by +E.E. Giorgi and +Robin Griggs Wood) Can you make some feather-fireworks to celebrate and welcome in the new year with us? … We just love to see what you see! (Read the "How to" below!)



–––
How to play #MacroFeatherFriday ––
We want to encourage you to get up close and personal with feathers and try more of these shots, experimenting with the capabilities of your camera or trying out new lenses and new ideas for composition. Not that we don't like full bird shots, but there are so many bird themes available already, we want you to get as close as you can to those feathers! They can still be attached to the bird … ;o) … but move in and see just how much detail you can get from the feather/s––their lines, shapes, patterns and colors. It's a fun challenge, and we'll be on the sidelines cheering you on! 

You can shoot in situ or create your own lighting setup at home. Most of all, just play, use your imagination and try every crazy idea you come up with! 

I like to create different backgrounds by merely scooting a colorful postcard around behind the feather.
Good resources for feathers can be craft stores, dusters or just finds in wandering around your neighborhood. Maybe there is a pillow in the house you can kill for your art. … ;oD 

We really are thrilled when folks post a feather shot. From what I've seen so far, the possibilities for composition and creativity are endless. I hope to see one from you tomorrow!


˜˜”°•.¸☆ ★ ☆¸.•°”˜˜”°•.¸☆
。★。*。*HAPPY NEW YEAR! .★´*。.☆¨¯`*★。。 ☆
☆”°•.¸☆ ★ ☆¸.•°”˜˜”*°•.¸☆


#rgwoodpost #digitalart #fantasyart #surrealart #colors #holiday #holidays #inspiration #naturephotography #macrophotography #macro4all  #featherphotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop #waterdrops

Today is #MacroFeatherFriday … all day!!
This is the first macro feather I shared after an impromptu game of #featherpoker with my co-curator +E.E. Giorgi hit the "trending" list one weekend … and we're still having fun! We hope to see one from you! (Read the "How to" below!)


–––
How to play #MacroFeatherFriday ––
We want to encourage you to get up close and personal with feathers and try more of these shots, experimenting with the capabilities of your camera or trying out new lenses and new ideas for composition. Not that we don't like full bird shots, but there are so many bird themes available already, we want you to get as close as you can to those feathers! They can still be attached to the bird … ;o) … but move in and see just how much detail you can get from the feather/s––their lines, shapes, patterns and colors. It's a fun challenge, and we'll be on the sidelines cheering you on! 

You can shoot in situ or create your own lighting setup at home. Most of all, just play, use your imagination and try every crazy idea you come up with! 

I like to create different backgrounds by merely scooting a colorful postcard around behind the feather.
Good resources for feathers can be craft stores, dusters or just finds in wandering around your neighborhood. Maybe there is a pillow in the house you can kill for your art. … ;oD 

We really are thrilled when folks post a feather shot. From what I've seen so far, the possibilities for composition and creativity are endless.

#MacroFeatherFriday is curated by +E.E. Giorgi and +Robin Griggs Wood … We just love to see what you see! 


#rgwoodpost  #naturephotography #macrophotography #macro4all  #featherphotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop #waterdrops

RESHARE:
The Weekend Share-a-thon –– I'm sharing you! 
Go to the original post only to enter: http://goo.gl/XuMOR

A moment of perfect peace from +Kurt Harvey.

#rgwshareathon 

Reshared text:
Foss á Siðu near Kirkjubæjarklaustur, South Iceland

♬♬ Helios - Halving The Compass (Rhian Sheehan Remix)
















A 3 shot bracketed RAW hdr and one RAW blended back into the hdr. If I remember correctly, I also used a Singh-Ray 3 stop ND filter.

#breakfastclub  +Breakfast Club  #mirrormonday  +Mirrors and Reflections by +Gemma Costa +Elizabeth Edwards 
#landscapephotography  +Landscape Photography & Team
#hqsplandscape  +HQSP Landscape by +Rodolfo Seide +Johnny Minor +Terrie Gray +Nicolai Neijhoft +Lani Banadera 
#10000photographers  by +Robert SKREINER 
+1212Scenery  #1212scenery   #PlusPhotoExtract  

–––
Country Roads, Take Me Home
–––

Stopping by the side of the road to toss a few clicks at the receding day, 
just so I'll believe me when I get home.
………….





–––––
#RuralSaturday with thanks to +linda stokes +Mario Cerroni and +#RuralSaturday
#SunsetSaturday with thanks to +Dennis Hoffbuhr
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER
#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins, Carra Riley, paul t beard, Ke Zeng, David Heath Williams and +Landscape Photography




#rgwoodpost #digitalphotography #naturephotography #sunsetphotography

–––
Good Friends
–––
I am dedicating my #MacroFeatherFriday announcement post to my good friend +Nathan Wirth to say #HappyBirthdayNathan ! The sea is a little hard for me to get to right now, Nathan, so I hope this "featherscape" will fit … ;o)).
Tomorrow is #MacroFeatherFriday, curated by +E.E. Giorgi and +Robin Griggs Wood … We just love to see what you see! (Find the "how to" below!)

––
How to play #MacroFeatherFriday ––
We want to encourage you to get up close and personal with feathers and try more of these shots, experimenting with the capabilities of your camera or trying out new lenses and new ideas for composition. Not that we don't like full bird shots, but there are so many bird themes available already, we want you to get as close as you can to those feathers! They can still be attached to the bird … ;o) … but move in and see just how much detail you can get from the feather/s––their lines, shapes, patterns and colors. It's a fun challenge, and we'll be on the sidelines cheering you on! 

You can shoot in situ or create your own lighting setup at home. Most of all, just play, use your imagination and try every crazy idea you come up with! 

I like to create different backgrounds by merely scooting a colorful postcard around behind the feather. Do peruse the #MacroFeatherFriday posts from the past, because several of the photographers and people responding in the comments share their ideas, too.
Good resources for feathers can be craft stores, dusters or just finds in wandering around your neighborhood. Maybe there is a pillow in the house you can kill for your art. … ;oD 

We really are thrilled when folks post a feather shot. From what I've seen so far, the possibilities for composition and creativity are endless. I hope to see one from you tomorrow!

☛ HOW TO DO WATER DROPS

I'm afraid that the process in getting a successful water-drop is just as frustrating as many have described. Most of them fall off because of the weight. I have a lot of "duds" in my collection! Where I have had the best success is through the following.
-- where you place your drop must be a perfectly level surface. My setup is on the dining room table, with a desk lamp or other simple light sources and an alligator clip on a stand.
-- the drop must be very, very tiny for it not to have too much weight where it falls off the feather. That means that you will need a lot of magnification when shooting to really see it. I use one of my father's old lenses in reverse (run a search on "reverse macro technique") along with a 4x diopter lens added on at times.

I can be a hit and miss thing. Sometimes you get it just right though, and then you need to shoot fast––be all set up and ready to click, place your drop (watch it fall off a dozen times ;oD) and when you get one that is small enough to stay put, click! It helps as well to use a tripod (a small tabletop size will work for this) and a remote can be used to cut down camera shake. Don't forget to hold your breath while you're clicking!

Here's how a general workflow should go for the shot: 
Put feather into place under the desklamp; 
look into viewfinder; 
move feather until you see it fully sharp; 
move feather at least 20 more times; 
"settle" for last arrangement and cross fingers; 
carefully place a single micro-drop of water onto the feather; 
watch as it falls into the wrong place; 
repeat; 
repeat several more times; 
"settle" for last placement and cross fingers; 
place colorful or glittery background behind feather/water configuration; 
watch as it falls onto the configuration because you didn't secure it properly; 
move feather again and replace water drop that has fallen off; 
don't care that it is not as perfect as it almost was the last time; 
scoot background around more carefully this time;
shoot image at least 20 times, moving camera ever so slightly each time because, even in live view, you can't really tell if it is completely focused or not; 
get exasperated and go get a pair of magnifying glasses and shoot the shot one more time.

Voila! 
Just so easy!

;o7

Click on the #MacroFeatherFriday hashtag and there are many people who share their ideas, as well, for your edification and inspiration.






–––
More great themes to share your feather shots with:
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
#Macro4All with thanks to +Walter Soestbergen and +Macro4All

#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #canonphotography #macrophotography #featherphotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop #waterdrops

For the +Macro Monday theme: ///// L /// I \\\ N /// E //// S \\\\\
–––
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great"
. ~ Mark Twain
–––
The thing is, it has never occurred to me that you weren't great from the onset. Some people just need more convincing so that they can enjoy the fact themselves. … ;o) … Here is yet another water-drop on a feather, with a shout out to my GREAT pals who play with feathers every week … even though, I'm still waiting for a feather contribution from you #MacroMonday ladies, +Kerry Murphy , +Jennifer Eden and +Kelli Seeger Kim … <giggle, wink>
(MacroFeather Clan ... we need to pounce collectively on them!! ;oD)



–––––
The #PurpleCircle will never forgive me if I let this slide past them without a mention … ;o) ... huge, purpley hugs to +Lynn Langmade +Craig Szymanski +Sinead Sam McKeown +Alexis Coram  and +PurpleCircle
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to dear +Gemma Costa and +Breakfast Club
+10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS around the World / #10000photographersaroundtheworld  with thanks to +Robert SKREINER


#rgwoodpost #digitalphotography #naturephotography #inspiration #macrophotography #macro4all #featherphotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop 



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Please feel free to ask me, if you would like this image available for print at robingriggswood.smugmug.com

–––
Stripey
Whether you have stripes, specks, blots or polka-dots … you look just fine to me!

Tomorrow is #MacroFeatherFriday, curated by +E.E. Giorgi and +Robin Griggs Wood … We just love to see what you see! (Find the "how to" below!)

––
How to play #MacroFeatherFriday ––
We want to encourage you to get up close and personal with feathers and try more of these shots, experimenting with the capabilities of your camera or trying out new lenses and new ideas for composition. Not that we don't like full bird shots, but there are so many bird themes available already, we want you to get as close as you can to those feathers! They can still be attached to the bird … ;o) … but move in and see just how much detail you can get from the feather/s––their lines, shapes, patterns and colors. It's a fun challenge, and we'll be on the sidelines cheering you on! 

You can shoot in situ or create your own lighting setup at home. Most of all, just play, use your imagination and try every crazy idea you come up with! 

I like to create different backgrounds by merely scooting a colorful postcard around behind the feather. Do peruse the #MacroFeatherFriday posts from the past, because several of the photographers and people responding in the comments share their ideas, too.
Good resources for feathers can be craft stores, dusters or just finds in wandering around your neighborhood. Maybe there is a pillow in the house you can kill for your art. … ;oD 

We really are thrilled when folks post a feather shot. From what I've seen so far, the possibilities for composition and creativity are endless. I hope to see one from you tomorrow!

☛ HOW TO DO WATER DROPS

I'm afraid that the process in getting a successful water-drop is just as frustrating as many have described. Most of them fall off because of the weight. I have a lot of "duds" in my collection! Where I have had the best success is through the following.
-- where you place your drop must be a perfectly level surface. My setup is on the dining room table, with a desk lamp or other simple light sources and an alligator clip on a stand.
-- the drop must be very, very tiny for it not to have too much weight where it falls off the feather. That means that you will need a lot of magnification when shooting to really see it. I use one of my father's old lenses in reverse (run a search on "reverse macro technique") along with a 4x diopter lens added on at times.

I can be a hit and miss thing. Sometimes you get it just right though, and then you need to shoot fast––be all set up and ready to click, place your drop (watch it fall off a dozen times ;oD) and when you get one that is small enough to stay put, click! It helps as well to use a tripod (a small tabletop size will work for this) and a remote can be used to cut down camera shake. Don't forget to hold your breath while you're clicking!

Here's how a general workflow should go for the shot: 
Put feather into place under the desklamp; 
look into viewfinder; 
move feather until you see it fully sharp; 
move feather at least 20 more times; 
"settle" for last arrangement and cross fingers; 
carefully place a single micro-drop of water onto the feather; 
watch as it falls into the wrong place; 
repeat; 
repeat several more times; 
"settle" for last placement and cross fingers; 
place colorful or glittery background behind feather/water configuration; 
watch as it falls onto the configuration because you didn't secure it properly; 
move feather again and replace water drop that has fallen off; 
don't care that it is not as perfect as it almost was the last time; 
scoot background around more carefully this time;
shoot image at least 20 times, moving camera ever so slightly each time because, even in live view, you can't really tell if it is completely focused or not; 
get exasperated and go get a pair of magnifying glasses and shoot the shot one more time.

Voila! 
Just so easy!

;o7

Click on the #MacroFeatherFriday hashtag and there are many people who share their ideas, as well, for your edification and inspiration.

–––
More great themes to share your feather shots with:
#hqspmacro with thanks to +Vinod Krishnamoorthy +Rinus Bakker +Vishal Kumar and +HQSP Macro
#Macro4All with thanks to +Walter Soestbergen and +Macro4All




#rgwoodpost #canonphotography #canonphotographer #digitalphotography +Promote Photography  #promotephotography #amazing #naturephotography +NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY +Nature Photography #color #colors #inspiration #canonphotography #macrophotography #featherphotography #waterdropsphotography #waterdrop #waterdrops
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Please feel free to ask me, if you would like any of my images made available for print at robingriggswood.com