words

Quote

Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life,

and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity,

since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.

– Ayn Rand

justice

this post has been coming since 2013.

what happened recently, was, I found a quote in an Australian T.V. series called: Glitch.

that’s the world now…
there is no justice.
nothing is fair.
you just live your life…
you just keep your head down.

innocent people go to prison for decades.

people get away with murder.

people in power abuse children.

the list goes on…

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if you have lots of money or/and you are an important person, you have a better chance of justice, but not always.

Australia is following in the footsteps of the U.S. with the obsession of justice.

one will get it, if you shout loud enough, and you can get (many) other  people to join your cause.

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I’m finally learning to keep my head down.

sedge808.

Justice

 

 

 

photography tips for ‘beginners’ (and more)

I wanted to pass on some of the things I’ve learnt over the last 5 years.
yep. I’ve only been doing it (photoing) for 5 years.

1. the camera is not all that important these days. it’s the person (taking the photo) behind the camera that matters. cameras are pretty good these days. phones are also good. so use what ever you want.

2. take plenty of photos. if you wait for photos, you will end up with none or very little to work with.
sometimes I get photo-block. when that happens, I force myself to get the camera out and take photos.
it really works as it gets the mind into gear, and the creative juices flowing.

3. avoid hesitating. this is a big one, particularly if you want to take street shots. if you hesitate, you are sure to miss the opportunity(s). keep the camera a easy reach.
i use a shoulder strap.

shoulder strap

4. sometimes the biggest issue when you first start, can be: what do I want to take photos of?
one way to help with this block is to look at photo web sites. Flickr, Instagram, WordPress etc. etc. can really help one find a focus. these sites also offer feedback and can give you great ideas.
Flickr has really influenced what styles I trended towards.

5. do a course. they can be so helpful to understand all of the functions on your camera.
note: what may work for some one else, may not work for you.
so, there are no absolute rules with photography.

6. avoid taking yourself too seriously. this is a big one for beginners. if you are too hard on yourself/compare yourself to others/get too caught up on the ‘perfect’ photo. etc. you will end up unhappy.

there is an unbridled joy in taking and processing photos.

let yourself enjoy the experience.

7. processing. there are plenty of free software programs on the net like Gimp and they are all relatively easy to use and are great for beginners.

six tips for reducing the ego (what works for me)

1) avoid reacting to things (this is a big one)

if i react to a situation or person’s behaviour, i’m more likely to react again next time.

i.e. when learning to juggle, avoid focusing on chasing the balls that get dropped.
focus on the task of juggling.
if you focus on chasing the balls, that’s what you will get, because that’s where you attention is.

guggle

* if you need to respond, do so. this has a different energy to it.
it has attention and thoughtfulness.

2) avoid giving descriptions of things that have happened in the past, and or complaining.

i.e. “my husband was cutting the grass yesterday, and i said: why don’t you bla bla bla…
and he said: bla bla bla…, then i said: bla bla bla…
can you believe the said that? i mean really…”

i see and hear this happening so much these days.
often people will repeat the same story to each person they come accross, in thier day.

* what this does is, increase the internal dialogue in one’s head.
we want mind-full-ness, not mindlessness.

3) spend some time in the now

the ego primarily lives in in time; past or future,
so having some now time helps to bring the mind into the present.

an example: during my lunch hour, i would go and sit near the fountain and listen & watch the water.
or sit with the pigeons (and feed them sometimes). animals are in the now, so they remind us to be present.

feed

4) reduce your t.v. time

particularly news & current affairs.
the ego thrives on opinions, drama & emotions.
i program my t.v. time and record only what i want to see.
that way i can fast forward through the adds.

5) reduce self-focusing (decentralize)

narcissism is on the rise, and i’m not just talking about facebook.
we have a saying in Oz: “look at me, look at me…” (from Kath & Kym)
needing to be the centre of attention with have the ego thriving.
the more attention it gets the more it wants.

look at me

6) practice loving kindness

the ego doesn’t like loving kindness, it likes conflict and drama.
‘the ego is suspicious at best and vicious at worst’. ACIM.
these practices are something you can do on a daily basis (very practical).
they are very powerful.

# footnote: i’m not saying that all ego is bad.
just offering solutions to reduce the ego.
David Hawkins says: treat the ego as if it were a pet.
avoid admonishing or trying to attack it.
this will only make it stronger, as you are saying, in effect, that it exists (the false self) and is very real.

hope this is helpful.

six tips for photoing people

# 1. i try to avoid sneaking around as this behavior draws attention to one.
u can be sneaky though i.e. i like to pretend to take a picture of something else, when i’m really taking a picture of a person.

# 2. even if u don’t feel confident, pretend that u r, as this stops others seeing u as a potential victim. often when i pretend, the confidence comes after a while.

# 3. have a coffee or a drink with caffeine in it. this helps so much. gives u nrg and the courage to get out there and snap snap.

# 4. when u can, get permission to take the photo. i do this animated thing by pointing to the camera and then pointing at the person. u can often get a nod yes. if u get into trouble, just delete the photo (while they are watching u delete it).

# 5. read people’s body language. this is relatively easy, with some practice. u can’t always get it right, but more often than not i do.

# 6. finally don’t run away once u have taken the photo. (this is very important). stand your ground, and act normal. this is this thing that has been crucial in taking street shots for me.

people