This blog post began with a phone call. A client of mine wanted an image of the San Diego skyline and I thought what a wonderful opportunity to spend some time taking photos of my beautiful hometown. I gathered my gear, jumped in the car and headed to the harbor, I was on a mission. Once I got there I parked the car and found my shot. It was such a beautiful day I decided to just sit and take in this amazing view. I continued to stare at the structures before me, they looked so small so I decided to venture further to take a closer look.
I wasn’t sure what the next image would be, but I was definitely on a photo adventure. As I entered downtown I just started looking up. It is not like I hadn’t done this many times before, but this time there was an intention behind my quest and it was fun. As I turned a corner I found my next photograph. I loved that I felt so tiny as I gazed up at this building, but the real image was what was included in the frame.
When I turned my attention to the signs I started thinking about what they meant, speeds, limits and detours. My mind always wants to find meaning in the most ordinary of things and this was no exception. I loved the idea of thinking about the momentum of this moment I was experiencing and how today was not about limits, but about pure exploration. I had just posted on my IG stories last week about taking a road less traveled and here was another sign for an alternate path…it was all making sense to me.
As I headed out of the city I thought I would visit one of my favorite spots, Balboa Park. Due to the pandemic there was a deafening silence there and a feeling of isolation. I walked over to the Artist’s Village to see what I could find and it was what I expected, all shops were closed and very few people around. Although there was a feeling of sadness I also saw the character and charm of this space. The colors were alive from the signs and doors to the rooftops and floors…it was eye candy and I ate it up like it was my last meal.
I carried on and as the sun started heading downward things started taking on a dreamlike feeling for me. As I had mentioned earlier, it wasn’t as though I had not seen these buildings a million times before, but everything is different when you add intention to what you are doing. I love photographing people, but this adventure was finding love for something different…the architecture. IT WAS AMAZING. I looked at the building as a whole so I could appreciate all its greatness. This came from someone’s thoughts and with these thoughts produced this tangible object that the world can now see and appreciate, what an incredible gift an idea can be when it is brought to life.
My final image was of getting as close as I could to the work of art. I probably looked a bit strange almost hugging the pillar, but I wanted to see something differently. I walked around another corner and immediately leaned up against the structure and pointed my lens up towards the sky. I saw all the details of the leaves and grapes and loved the angle. I thought about the artist who created it, the time, attention and craftsmanship that was given to this project made me love it even more. It was like I had stepped into a time machine and went back to 1868 when Balboa Park was built. I will never go back to these spots with the same pair of glasses, I like that. Intention is EVERYTHING, enjoy your life and all it has to offer!!
