After the Rain... Comes the Light! ((A little Photography and Life Tip)): Robertsville State Park, Mo.

It's amazing how so many people fear "weather" when they are out with their cameras... or just out in general. 

Light is the river Photographers (and all humans) drink from. Light impacts our moods and, all too often, our plans. Same applies to weather. A little rain shouldn't ruin a day for anyone. 

This all came into play back in March on a very rainy Sunday. My daughter and I decided once it "let up a bit" to hit Robertsville State Park (a place we know well) https://mostateparks.com/park/robertsville-state-park for a stroll and for some quality time. Not many people were around. I've noticed so many people dodge "life" when it is wet outside. 

K(arlene) of MK Designs and I had a blast walking around and chatting it up, while clicking some photos. So what if it was a little damp? It made for some great images. 

If you like to click pics, then go for it. A little rain will make those images SING once it lets up a little. Also, once that rain is done, the light will come (even if briefly), and your mood will lift and your photos will take on a whole new vibe. 

So, the next time a little "weather" comes your way, get outside anyway. You like to shoot photos? Great! A little water shouldn't stop you. If you like to just "be" - that's great, also. Odds are you'll have a place to yourself because everyone else is sitting inside afraid of melting. 

May your days be blessed as they grow longer here in the Midwest. Summer, sweet summer, is on her way! 

And, if a little "storm" comes your way, don't be afraid. It will pass. It always does. Just takes a little cure called "time" to fix it. 

If you see any images you'd like to have on canvas, metal, wood, framed/unframed prints, contact me! http://mkdesignsphoto.weebly.com 

~ Michelle of MK Designs
Spring 2015 

Be Still... and Know... During this Christmas Season

Another crazy-busy week. 

If you follow my photography page on Facebook, you know that I'm in the middle of a 30 Day Photo Challenge. It's one of those things that I give myself as an assignment to push myself to be a little more creative. However,  today I stopped. I had to take the day off. This is what I posted instead of a picture. 

Sometimes we get so busy that we forget to take a break. We forget to be still. On Friday I got a great gift from a coworker that I respect (her blog: http://oliveandashstudio.blogspot.com). It was handmade by one of my former students (her blog:http://www.happylarkdesigns.com). I took about 15 minutes off from grading final exams and enjoyed doing a little light painting photo project with it. And it has one of my favorite Bible verses on it: be still.

One of the devotional entries I read this week reminded me to be still, also. I decided to share it here, too.

There's nothing wrong with being busy this time of year. Holiday concerts. Beautiful Christmas decorations. Being able to get gifts from people that you haven't seen in a long time. Or the chance to realize that somebody that sees you every day thanks of you enough to give you a present, also. Those are all great things. So is cooking and shopping and gift wrapping and... (Insert more here!)

But as beautiful as those holiday things can be, they can also be overwhelming. Especially in my case, when I just endured final exams week and the end of almost all of my classes I teach. I have had so much to do at work, and with the holiday go-go-go time, that today I just needed to be still. 

...from what I can tell, all of the messages He has sent recently have told me that I should! So, today I didn't leave the house, I didn't fight off shoppers for some last-minute gift, and I didn't participate in the photo challenge. That's okay. I was able to drink some coffee and burn a few DVDs for work and really get caught up on laundry. I've also watched movies with my daughter. Oh, and most of the day I stayed in my pajamas. There is no shame in that. 

So the next time you feel that you need to be still, do it...without apology :) 

Look at paint samples, take some cheesy online personality quiz, and maybe have a chocolate while sipping something decadent. It's more than ok. Don't let society or the world tell you it's not. 

future basement paint color to hide that green the former owner did

cheesy online personality quiz! lol 

Until next time, 
Michelle with MK Designs. 
PS I am leaving you with one of my favorite images I have created lately. All in camera. Just gotta know how to use it! (NO PHOTOSHOP!)

Tents, Teaching, Learning, and Failing... :-)

#truth 

I have failed so many times in my life. It has only led me to eventually get sorta good at things.

Take for instance, the tent. 

Lord knows that setting up and taking down a tent is a lot like trying to fold back a road map after use! Not easy, but I have gotten pretty good at it. 

Even when I don't camp nearly enough like I should, it comes back to me... not from all the times it went up with ease, but from all the times I struggled to figure it out. 

My old car... and campfire to light my way as I set up a tent in Shawnee National Forest two summers ago!

Failure, even in proper tent set up and take down, taught me what NOT to do. 

Knowing what NOT to do is often the key to any sort of success, be it in camping or in life. 

Rental Car, my own tent I checked in my luggage, etc. at Yosemite two years ago... and the whole time a mom/daughter from another country was watching me. The daughter came to tell me her mother thought I was a very "strong woman" for putting up a campsite by myself so well and so quick... She was standing by her daughter the whole time nodding her head and smiling. That made me glow! Selfie after the nice talk with them!

I think one of the worst teachers I have ever known is an earlier version of me.  

I know one of the worst navigators in the world would be that gal I see in the mirror every day, but a much younger and hotter version. ;)

Truth is, we have to fail. It's ok.

Do you know how many horrible photos I have taken!? Way more than my "keepers" -- and that is perfectly acceptable. 

Do you have ANY idea how many photos I took to get this "right" with the sparkle in the water, the wind blowing her hair, etc? I think at least 30. Sometimes I feel like if I get one or two shots I kinda like out of every 1,500 photos I take... that's a good week. Not kidding. I fail at photography... A LOT. 

So, this is where my little thought process will go another direction here... why are parents so afraid of letting their kids fail? Why are teachers and other adults trying to make it an "everyone wins" society? 

I always think of the baby chick. If it doesn't struggle to get out of the egg, it doesn't get strong enough to survive.

It is so easy for us to want kids to not struggle with that tent, with each step on a challenging hike, or...with reading, writing, math, art, relationships, (insert anything here). 

However, we have to remember that's how we learn. 

Sometimes we have to fall flat on our face or even our ass and pick ourselves back up, dust off, and calmly follow the directions (even if we only have the version in a language we can't read). 

Bloody toes, out of shape, cramping legs... but... I picked myself up and kept going each step of the over 5 miles I did going DOWN a very steep route of switch backs in Yosemite two years ago. (Down isn't as easy as you think, wowsers!) 

And, THAT is something we should all embrace more of... failure. 

Learn from it. 

Grow strong in it. 

Help it guide you to success in ANYthing you pursue! 

Much love & appreciation for you taking the time to read this. Hope it was a blessing to you! :-)

~ Michelle of MK Designs, Nov 2014