Sugar River Bluebells

The First Step

My first blog!  For weeks I have thought about starting this blogging adventure with the usual questions:       

What do I have to say or show that may be of interest to others?

What makes my thoughts or photos any more special or note worthy than those of others?

Will I sustain the interest or be able to generate content necessary to keep a weekly blog relevant?

Rather than being answered, those questions still roam about in my mind.   I move ahead with the encouragement of a good friend and with the knowledge that what goes into my blog is important to me -- and perhaps some readers may identify with some my thoughts.  

Writing research shows that when we write to communicate with others, we are simultaneously refining our own thoughts about the subject.  Hence, you see the phrase,  "Taking a second look"  at the top of this page.  While a work in progress, this blog will be a place for taking a second look at a photo each week and sharing a personal reflection or question prompted by the week's photo.

This week's photo features a patch bluebells.  Generally they grow in woodland areas where they carpet the floor with a soft blue haze that will not be seen at any other time of year.  Springtime is their moment to own the spotlight.  Getting that spotlight to shine on them is what made this photo challenging.  While the bluebells were in abundance, so were random trees and bushes of different sizes, fallen limbs, tree stumps, and lots of thorny wild raspberry canes poking up randomly throughout the frame.  By shooting this photo in a portrait format, I surrendered capturing the wider expanses of bluebells, but was able to eliminate many of those distracting elements giving the bluebells the spotlight they needed for their brief appearance at center stage.   

Life is short.  We all need to get better in finding ways to put others and their ideas in the spotlight at critical times so others can celebrate their beauty.