Wednesday, October 5, 2016 Days like today are the days I live for. They are the days when I can see, hear, feel, even taste, results of all of my previous efforts. The kind of days that put other days to bed. While other days "these days" can seem far out of reach, or a long time away, and while they may be few and far between, when they do come, like today came, there's an actual shift in the universe. This shift was so obvious for me today, in my state of awe I wondered: Did anyone else feel it, too? I saw the light today. Not the kind seen at the end of the tunnel (or at the end of anything, for that matter). Actually, it was the light at the tunnel's entrance, shining upon a wonderful path of what's to come. And what's to come are the benefits of everything I've ever worked toward. Days like today are the days I live for. They are the very best days.
all in your mind
standing barefoot in a blanket of snow
I must say feels different
from what was described in the weather books
since here I am—
warmer than I was
sitting with you
by the fire.
crawling uphill against the wind
I must say is easier
than the repeated trainings on which we spent hours
because here I am—
atop a mountain
watching you prepare for the climb
back at camp.
flying a kite on a day like today
I heard is as useless
as attempting to navigate the same flight through the woods
but here I am—
at the height of the tallest tree
with the most incredible view,
kite in hand.
Long-exposure photography (or time-exposure photography), as described by Wikipedia, involves the use of a long-duration shutter speed to sharply capture the stationary elements of images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements. This form of photography is uniquely different from conventional photography in that its intent is to create a photo that shows the effect of passing time, instead of just freezing an image in one single moment.
Some days are so beautifully crafted, it's as if a photographer were present, organizing his or her image of you—obscuring all of the movement (a.k.a "noise") that surrounds; as a result, leaving you more precisely perfect.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney may have said it best when they created their iconic song, 'Blackbird': "You were only waiting for this moment to arise." Makes sense that we'd reap tremendous benefits of time, in time, since all of our previous experiences shape the person we are today, and soon morph us into the person we become days, months, and years from now.
No wonder the results of long-exposure photography, much like a long time coming, is so rewarding. After all that waiting, when the wait is over: pure bliss.
Jeff Gaydash, award-winning and fine art photographer and printmaker based in Detroit, MI, embraced digital imaging technologies when they were first emerging in the 1990s by melding historical photographic printing processes with cutting-edge printing technologies. After many years of working in commercial photography, he turned to his true passion, black and white fine art photography, in 2010. In doing so, he finally discovered a digital printing solution that matched (if not exceeded) traditional darkroom printing. Jeff now owns and operates his own photographic printing studio, Jeff Gaydash Studios, LLC, and offers services to other photographers and customers worldwide.
Visit his stunning website: http://jeffgaydash.com
*Sidenote: I was honored to have Jeff present at the launch of my first book, Chemistry, Not Science: A Book of Poems back in March 2015. Of the moments he captured on camera that evening, I wanted to share with you one of my favorites, with some of my long-time, favorite friends:
Thanks, Jeff. :)