Magic of Photography

Photography is an incredible art that allows us to live in the present moment.  It fills us with wonder and amazement at the simplest things.  With photography, we capture that fleeting moment that otherwise would be easily forgotten or even unnoticed.  When capturing our world, we turn the ordinary into extraordinary.  We paint with light and make it a masterpiece.  Photography allows us to be curious and see and feel more.  It turns our world into canvas that we can fill with beautiful images, using our imagination.

Photography is like living with an open heart.  We open our hearts to the beauty in the world: flowers, smiles, pretty faces, beautiful fashion, nature, sunsets, loving couples.  We also capture a beauty of determination, beauty of age, beauty of standing up for something.  Each person, animal, bird, creature have a special feature, a special characteristic that is only unique to them.  A patient and aware photographer can capture that essence, that moment that usually escapes an ordinary eye.  In photography, each moment, each motion, each emotion is priceless.  A picture has to have a meaning, has to tell a story.  Words might be unsaid, but it must be felt within the heart.

Great photographer is a body language reader.  It takes lots of patience with people and as much with animals.  With elusive wildlife, there should be a trust established, honoring enough space, stillness and quietness.

Capturing that particular moment does not end there.  There is also an editing part: working with the picture like a painter.  Finishing touches are as much important to enhance the features that further tell a story.  In the past, I stayed away from editing part.  However, right now I find it exciting.  It is another creative way to love what I do.  When I edit, I feel like I am an artist creating a masterpiece on canvas.  Picture becomes like a precious painting of mine.  I still leave some photos alone.  If there are some imperfections, I let it be.  Nature is imperfect.  That’s why it is so beautiful.

Photography is a tireless teacher.  Not only it teaches us to look more closely, to examine things, to learn about our subjects and world around us.  It also teaches the techniques and tricks of the camera.  Knowing camera well can turn a darkness of the night into masterpiece full of magic.

Photography stops us in the tracks to admire what we choose to capture.  It is an outlet of living our lives fully, moment by moment, capture by capture.  It is an incredible way to feel alive, to see beauty with our eyes and to feel magic within our hearts.

Tags: art, beauty, inspiration, journal, lifestyle, nature, photo, photo gallery, photo inspiration, photo tips, photography, photos, picture, pictures, post and photos by Ineta McParland, thoughts, wonderocity

Photo or Painting?

Some photos resemble paintings.  The motion, the light bring a surprising outcome.  As if a painting comes out of camera.  I love to paint with the light and motion of a subject.  Here are some photos that I took for you to enjoy:

This one is one of my favorites.  The day was really cloudy, but this capture of the moment was priceless.

Sometimes the blurriness gives that special effect that looks like brush strokes of a painter.

Abstract photography also looks like abstract paintings.  These are moving reflections in the water.

It is a wonder what photography can do.  It let us see what we normally would just dismiss or simply look and forget.  Photography is capturing the moments that can stay with us forever.  It is an amazing art that let us live in the now.

Tags: art, beauty, fun, inspiration, nature, photo, photo gallery, photo inspiration, photo or painting, photo tips, photography, photography or painting, photos, picture, pictures, post and photos by Ineta McParland, reflections, wonderocity

Enormous Gratitude

Recently I met my new friend.  We talked for hours, walked in a drizzling rain, went to the beach in the dark.  We had a great time and conversation.

In talking with her, I realized how far I came.  My attitude towards everything has changed.  Like the saying goes, “Do not look for me in the past.  I am not there anymore.”  It rings so true to me.

I realized all the struggles I been through in the past only made me stronger.  The people who treated me unfairly are no longer in my life.  Some things that I would be dead serious about before, just made me laugh.  I know what I want and nothing will stop me.

By talking to my friend, I glanced into my past and right now.  I came a LONG way. Wow!  I am not afraid of little setbacks anymore.  It only makes me stronger.  Setbacks are just a little building blocks that goes to the top of the castle of our dreams come true.

By summing up all our conversations about life and people, an enormous gratitude filled my heart.  I am grateful for:

1. My family and friends.  You are truly amazing, each one of you!

2.  My health.  Where I was and where I am now – HUGE difference!

3.  My pets who give an unconditional bundles of love and joy.

4.  A peace in my heart.  Forgiveness plays a huge part.

5.  My self-confidence.  Gosh, even my back is straight and I see clearer.

6.  My cheerfulness and positivity.  A simple smile makes the whole difference not only for me, but for others.

7.  My creativity and curiosity.  I LOVE making ordinary into extraordinary, to challenge myself to see in creative ways.

8.  Challenges.  They teach me lessons and test me how strong I’ve become.  It builds a character, so bring it on.

9.  New opportunities that unexpectedly present themselves.

10. LIFE.  I cherish every minute that I am alive!

What are you grateful in your life?

Tags: family, friends, fun, gratefulness, health, inspiration, journal, life, lifestyle, me, opinion, past, people, personal, photo, picture, post and photo by Ineta Mcparland, random thoughts, reflections, relationships, self-confidence, thoughts, women, wonderocity

Sorting the Friends Out

People come and go.  Some of them touch our hearts, some of them break them.  Some people come into our lives to give certain lessons.  Some people test our nerves, test how strong we become.  Yet with some people, it feels that we have known them for years.  We can talk to them for hours, and never gets boring.  It seems that they are our soul friends – people who are traveling a similar path.

If we look at our friend circle and people we meet, do we feel empowered?  Or do we feel drained?  Do we feel enthusiastic?  Or do we feel victimized?  How our friends make us feel?

This year, I decided to sort my friends out in a personal life and on social media.  Animal abusers or animal hunters for fun, people who demean women and others are not acceptable in my world.  I had to un-friend some on Facebook.  In personal life, I had to let go of some people as well.  People with chronic victim mentality only drains’ others’ energy.  They are real downers and not willing to change.  Some people just do not deserve to be in our lives.  If they put us down or belittle us, we can choose to let them go.  I did that, and my life became lighter.

Note:  if mentally we are still mad on them, they still have a control over us.  Therefore, forget, forgive and let it go. By being mad, we only hurt ourselves.

I choose to surround myself with people who are amazing, creative, inspiring and empowering.  Yes, we all go through life’s hard stuff.  We all have our stories.  However, if some people choose to complain about it and do not do anything, it is a downer not only for them, but also for us.  We do not need to get into other people’s dramas.

Life is all about going higher and achieving our dreams.  Let’s surround ourselves with people who empower us to be the best.  Let’s be the best for others, too.  Let’s inspire one another.

Tags: being positive, friends, how to recognize a great friend, how to start over, inspiration, journal, life, no drama, opinion, people, personal, photo, picture, ramblings, random thoughts, reassesing relationships, reflections, relationships, self-confidence, self-esteem, sorting friends out, starting over, thoughts, women, wonderocity

How to Make Space for New?

Happy New Year!  It is a new beginning.  Like Winfrey Oprah said, “another year to make it right.”  The thing is that we go through changes many times:  it could be at a beginning of the year.  It could be after some drastic event happening, like changing a job, losing someone, divorce, kids go to college, retirement, marriage, moving to a new place, etc., etc.  There is also a saying that major changes usually happen after 7 years.

Lately, I and my friends are going through major life changes, too.  So, how to cope with that? How to make changes fun?  First of all, I found the greatest thing to do is to get rid of crap.  Through many years, we collect so much stuff.  Some things we liked before, we do not like it anymore.  Get rid of it.  Our tastes change.  We have so many e-mails that we did not even read, subscriptions that we ignore.  Delete and throw away.   If we take pictures, some pictures seemed nice before. Right now they’re mediocre – delete them or save them on DVD.  There are clothes that we did not wear for years – donate, give away or sell them.  There might be some unfinished projects or writings that we never get to finish, or lost interest in them – throw it away.

Also, not only we got to get rid of old, worn, unfinished stuff, but also the same goes with mental stuff.  All negativity out – to open a new space for positivity.  There might be some people that hurt us in the past.  Don’t you wish that some of them would have a “delete” button?  We can do it in our mind:  we got to forgive them and let it go.  Because if we are mad or upset, we only hurt ourselves – let go of anger and hurt.

Or, here is a brilliant idea:  Use these feelings to make you go higher.  Sometimes anger or being upset gives us a motivation to succeed.  We can channel those feelings to make ourselves only better and stronger.  If somebody said, “You’ll fail,” just say, “Watch Me” and strongly believe that you can do anything you wish and do it.

Also, while we clean old or bad energy out of our lives, we open doors to new opportunities.  The thing is that in this process of getting rid of the stuff, the new ideas come.  In working on these ideas, we got to communicate with people.  That’s how we start something new and exciting.

Moreover, we shall not take on a new crap.  If people do not treat us right or be negative, we have every right to walk away or change a subject.  We do not need their negativity in our lives.  Let’s surround ourselves with friends that lift us up, inspire us, and encourage us.  No more drama and no bullshit.  Also, no more excuses.

Tags: friends, Happy New Year, how to cope with a change, how to make space for new, how to start over, inspiration, journal, life, lifestyle, major life changes, new beginnings, opinion, past, people, personal, photo, picture, post and photo by Ineta Mcparland, ramblings, random thoughts, reflections, relationships, self-confidence, self-esteem, starting over, thoughts, women, wonderocity

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I feel an enormous gratitude to my family and friends.  For my family, thank you for being my inspiration.  I love our deep conversations about life and what is possible, remembrance of our past moments and seeing how far we came, and where we are going next.

For my friends, thank you for cheering me on, for inspiring me to strive for the better.  You inspire me to be more creative and share the beauty of life and the world with you.  Thank you!

I wish you heart-felt moments with your family and friends.  These precious moments are more important than any gifts in the world. I wish for you lots of laughter, many surprises, heartfelt hugs and great conversations.

Love dearly, smile widely, hug wholeheartedly, laugh till tears, dance till whole room spins, and sing from your whole being!  Create something that nobody but you can create!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Thank you for being a HUGE part of my life, each one of you!  You are a True Blessing!

Tags: family, friends, fun, Happy New Year, inspiration, love, Merry Christmas, personal, photo inspiration, photography, photos, picture, pictures, post and photos by Ineta McParland, reflections, thoughts, wonderocity

Sky Imagination

Sometimes when looking in the sky, we see painted pictures.  Our imagination see animals, waves, dancing ladies, hearts, and even words.  Here is a collection of pictures where you can see something in them.  What do you see?

I see a dancing lady, and below a lady with a big hat.

I see a sun heart

I see “I’m”

I see a number “20″ or a dragon with a big tail.

I see on the right corner – head of baby elephant

I see a huge heart

I see an elephant

I see a head of the dog

I see a word “Hi”

I see a man on his knees praying.

I see a giant dog bone.

I see a mountain climber

I see a giant bird

I see Lo and with a bird forming Lov as in Love

I see an Opera Singer or Giant Dinosaur

I see a Sea Horse by the sun

I see “I” and “heart”

For more sky wonder, you can see Imagination at Play

Tags: art, beauty, cloud imagination, clouds, fun, inspiration, love, me, nature, photo, photo gallery, photo inspiration, photo tips, photography, photos, picture, pictures, post and photos by Ineta McParland, wonderocity

Water Paintings

Sometimes you can find a wonder in unexpected places.  We were visiting a friend, and in the bay he had a bright yellow catamaran.  As I went to look more closely, I was mesmerized.  The reflections on the water underneath became the ever-changing paintings that left me awed and inspired.  The fluidity of water, and small ripples made this incredible show that I captured with the camera:

This is how I got these pictures beside two catamarans.

Even a reflection of the pole in the water stood out.

Amazing, isn’t it?

Tags: art, beauty, fun, inspiration, me, photo, photo gallery, photo inspiration, photo tips, photography, photos, picture, pictures, post and photos by Ineta McParland, random thoughts, reflections, thoughts, wonder, wonderocity

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This is a time to stop and think about what we are grateful for.  For me the list is HUGE not simply in words, but in feelings, too!!!

I am thankful for my life and health.

I am thankful for my family and friends who are INCREDIBLE in every way. Thank you for being You!

I am thankful for my family who are true inspirations full of courage, determination and so much love.

I am thankful for our pets who always warm our hearts and make us smile.

I am thankful for wildlife that cause me by surprise and leads me on curiosity trips.

I am thankful for every magical moment I see everyday: from diamond sparkles on the leaves and flowers after the rain to a sunset that takes my breath away.

I am thankful for challenges that life throws in order to let me think creatively.

I am thankful for my creativity to see and feel things.

I am thankful for moments of inspiration from people, books, and life.

I am thankful for freedom of my heart and thoughts.

I am thankful for great wisdom teachers who challenge to see life in a heart-felt way.

I am thankful for my fans who cheer me on and see the beauty of life the way I do.

I am thankful for all the love I feel within my heart.

I am thankful for all the artists who make a world more beautiful with their creations.

I am thankful for music that lets my heart sing.

I am thankful for having a courage to let go of things that do not serve me anymore.

I am thankful for a new space I am creating for new possibilities.

I am thankful for an incredible future that will come because I know what I want.

I am thankful for nature how it always refreshes me and makes me wonder and gives me an inspiration.

I am thankful for every day, hour and minute I live.

What are you grateful?

Have an awesome Thanksgiving, my family and friends!!!!  Sending you lots of love!

Tags: art, beauty, books, family, friends, Happy Thanksgiving, inspiration, journal, life, lifestyle, love, me, nature, opinion, personal, photo inspiration, photography, photos, pictures, post and photos by Ineta McParland, random thoughts, reflections, Thanksgiving Day, thoughts, wonderocity

Act of Kindness

While going to the shop today, I noticed a young man jump from his car across the street by red light.  He went in front, picked up a wood piece (probably with a nail in it), run to the sidewalk and put it down, so nobody would have their tire damaged.  The wood was to the side of his car, not in a way of his way of going.  It was so kind of him to think of others.

Not everyone notices simple acts of kindness of others, but these kind people are among us.

When we open our hearts and minds, we think of others’ well-being, and the world becomes a more beautiful place.

How can we be kind to others today?

Tags: act of kindness, inspiration, journal, kindness, life, lifestyle, opinion, people, personal, photo, picture, post and photo by Ineta Mcparland, ramblings, random act of kindness, random thoughts, reflections, stories, thoughts, wonderocity