Finding inspiration - Photography

I find myself stopping to look at something that captures my attention. One of my first actions is to pull out my camera or phone to try and capture the moment. It is how I try to remember the moment. Sometimes the image takes my breadth away and if I am lucky it helps inspire me to find words that I shape into a poem.

Yet in that moment if others are with me they scratch their head and sum it up as me being me... (Well there are a few who understand).  I met someone who inspires me in a number of ways. Through them I have met others who also inspire me. Now in that moment when they are by my side I do not need to explain why I need to stop. Why I need to capture the moment. Plus what they capture can take my breadth away. 

Thank you for inspiring me and for understanding that sometimes you have to stop to capture the moment. I feel lucky that I have been allowed to travel with you on your photographic exhibitions and learn from each of you.

Photo Shoot

Night time photo shoot with Otago photographic enthusiasts on the evening of Friday 19 June 2015 - Album https://flic.kr/s/aHske6k4KW.


Ship at night in Dunedin

Rain

I moved to the New Zealand South Island almost a year ago. From the moment I arrived in Dunedin I felt at home. This city, though many would consider it too small to be called that, makes a creator feel like they can simply be themselves. The richness of the creative culture within Dunedin can be clearly seen by how it supports is writers.

In October 2008 there were celebrations held for the 50th Anniversary of the Robert Burns Fellowship. I was lucky enough to be able to attend many of the sessions that different Burns Fellows spoke at: poets, novelists, playwrights, ... so much talent in one room. Not being from New Zealand meant that this was my introduction to some wonderful New Zealand writers.

One of the sessions was to remember those Fellows who had died. It was in this session that I first heard a poem that let my imagination take flight. The poem was Rain and its creator is Hone Tuwhare. This post seems an inadequate way to share the poem Rain with you so I will end this post with a recommendation. Click on the link Rain and then find a someone else to read the poem to you, so you can close your eyes. I hope like I did that you will then hear, smell, feel and see the rain.