Winter Simplicity

Dear Diary,

I am very partial to these sorts of images, the stark simplicity of it.  I usually try to capture one such image each winter.  this was right outside my bathroom window.  I made several shots of it but wasn't pleased with the results.  The sky was dead grey.  Finally the sun broke through a bit and illuminated the scene and I thought, this is what the others lacked, that subtle sense of light.

Of course, sunlight on snow can be very harsh but this was filtered by high clouds.  It reminded me that sometimes you have to return over and over before it feels "right".  It also reminded me of a story I was recently reading about a man who is confined by illness to his small one room apartment, rarely able to leave it.

This man had been a highly regarded and prolific art director and graphic artist.  For a time he worked for the rock star Prince before going to Hollywood and making quite a name there.  When his illness came he lost everything but not his desire to be creative.  He picked up a camera and now creates imaginary worlds through his images.

Someday we all may reach that point where travel is severely limited and our world shrinks to the confines of the space we live in but that man shows us that we needn't give up our creativity, our art making.  I find that very reassuring.