Atlas Designs Photography

Blessings for Week 6 - Making a Difference

2009-01-14T12:45:00.008-05:00

Some people get up in the morning, grab coffee on the go, run to a mindless job, eat some fast food on the way home, then fall into bed, only to wake up the next day and do it all over again. Sound familiar? Yeah, to us too.

But then there's some who get up each day with one purpose in mind: To Make a Difference.

Horses and the Handicapped in South Florida is one such place. They are a non-profit organization founded in 1982 and located in Tradewinds Park of Coconut Creek. 'Providing effective therapeutic horseback riding and other equine-assisted activities for children and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional difficulties', H&H makes a difference every morning they open the barn door.

Primarily because we love horses, but also because we love to find people who are making a difference, we visited the Horses and the Handicapped stables last weekend. 'Their riding facilities have been designed with the program's participants in mind, seeking to provide a safe and recognizable setting which fosters a greater level of comfort and familiarity for their handicapped riders'. We watched as a sweetheart with Downs Syndrome had a private lesson and squealed with delight when she was able to balance on the horse with both arms floating at her side. Then there was a gentleman who worked on his posture riding atop their beautiful mare Hallory and his grin was unmistakeable.

As we toured the stable, a letter tacked on the bulletin board caught our eye. One program participant described how she was never able to participate in sports because she was dependant on walkers and crutches for mobility. When she discovered Horses and the Handicapped, she discovered independance, and credits H & H for changing her life. Were we grateful? Oh yeah. Blessed by reading her letter? You bet. So much so that we signed up to voluneer next Saturday. See? We're jumping on the "Making a Difference" wagon!

And so today we salute those who don't take the day to day grind for granted, but make the effort to change lives. Whether you're working the phones, nailing down a roof, cleaning a toilet or sitting in the board room, join us in the quest to make a difference in everything you do.

Blessings for Week 5 - The Innocence of Youth

2009-01-09T09:04:00.001-05:00

When doing portraits of kids, I usually spend more time running than anything else (and hopefully I remember to check my settings and snap the shutter a few times too). I never schedule a night out on the town after a kids photo shoot, because I'm usually headed to bed by 8:30 that night from shear exhaustion. But I love to examine each photo when I get back to the office, and drink in the small details that spell out what its like to be a kid.

Fresh faces.

Easy smiles.

Silly laughter.

Sparkling eyes.

The ability to be completely carefree.

And Mom's arms ready to fold them into a quick cry before the fun begins again.

Playground shoots are some of my favorite, because they capture all that silliness and innocence in the ideal child's environment. I am thankful this week for the reminder from the children in these photographs that the journey is a ton of fun, if I just remember to take a good run around the playground of life.

Blessings for Week 4 - Looking Back

2009-01-02T20:52:00.003-05:00

Ok, we admit, we've missed a week. But instead of beating ourselves up over it, we've decided to continue counting our blessings :)

The beginning of a new year is always so refreshing. No matter how you mucked up 2008, you now have a fresh, clean start and a full 52 weeks ahead of you to count your blessings all over again. But before moving on to oh-nine, we want to share with you some really cool links, thanks to one of our favorite photo blogs, Photojojo.

In case you're like us and spend more time behind that lens and thankfully much less time in front of the tube, you may have missed some of the news of 2008. I hear from some very reputable sources that some were certainly worth missing, too! Although some, such as the Beijing Olympics, a Solar Eclipse, and finding Aunt Lula's long-lost dentures are worth a look back. So thanks to Photojojo, we're passing on these three links, giving you a look back on 2008 in....you guessed it....photo format! Some of these shots are breathtaking, others are tearjerkers, but we hope each one will give you a memory of 2008 that you will be thankful for.

2008 in Pictures, Part One

2008 in Pictures, Part Two

2008 in Pictures, Part Three

Blessings for Week 3 - Know It Alls

2008-12-12T09:42:00.009-05:00

WOW! The holidays are keeping us busy, but we're still counting our blessings!

Some have a difficult time admitting that they don’t know it all. Maybe its a pride thing, maybe they really think they've got it all down, who knows. But I don’t have a problem with it at all. In the grand scheme of it all, I know very little. And I love to learn, which is really quite convenient, because there’s a ton of stuff out there as it relates to photography that I’m still soaking up. For instance, why do I feel like such a complete spaz when I’m trying to take pictures of Christmas lights? Why are my pictures coming out as total duds?

So this week, I’m thankful for those who know more than I do! I found this great blog out there that I refer anyone to who is interested in photography and finding the right balance between good lighting and great pictures. Check out Strobist - the masters of everything Light related. This wonderful article about How to Photograph Christmas Lights laid out the process in black and white, giving great tips on what time of day is best to photograph, and explaining exactly what is happening inside and outside your camera when you're shooting Christmas lights. If you're photographing with a digital slr, a point and shoot, or even just a camera phone, you'll benefit from these tips.

Armed with my newfound knowledge, out I went to get some great shots. And you know what? Duds no more, folks! Check out this before and after.

Spazzed out results before reading Strobist.

Bingo! Lovin' the Christmas Lights.

So next time a Know It All crosses your path, count your blessings - they might just be able to teach you something!

Blessings for Week 2 - Bottoms UP

2008-12-01T12:11:00.003-05:00

Have you watched the news lately? Have you turned off the tube totally inspired by what you saw? Yeah, didn't think so. We haven't been uplifted by the media these days either. So you can imagine how ridiculously psyched we are that so many have joined us on our journey of Counting our Blessings. As one of our commenters put it, 52 Weeks of Happy Clips. Come on, people, join in on the adventure and I'll guarantee that our "media" will have you smiling when you walk away. If taking pictures is not your thing, that's ok, just find a way to journal each week what it is you're thankful for (even if its just leaving a comment here that tells us why you're blessed). And just think, the next time someone tells you to count your blessings, you can whip out your journal, whatever format its in, and say "I'm way ahead of you, buddy!" If you're just joining us, check out our post on 11/25 to see what the heck we're talking about.

Now on to week two of our 52 Weeks of Blessings. I almost rear-ended two people this week, looking around at all the things I was thankful for. Amazing how your perspective can change overnight when you're making a conscious effort to search out your blessings. Although I'd recommend keeping your eyes on the road - but that gets me thinking: I'm thankful for the great brakes on my jeep!

So I'm not wealthy by American standards, but I think we've set that bar way too high anyway. Have you ever considered how the majority of our world lives (have you ever watched National Geographic?)? My love of photography blossomed as I began travelling, and the best places I've ever been have been countries that are certainly not known for their wealth. Asia is my favorite continent so far, and I've been to India twice. It is vastly different from America, and the areas that I've travelled within India have been so impoverished that I'm actually embarassed to come home and see how very wealthy I truly am.

These images are so common in many countries. Walking for up to two miles to get clean water, most villages in the southern part of India do not even have access to drinking water without this trek. I watched kids playing in rivers where oxen were being bathed, while women washed their clothes in the same body of water and yup, you guessed it, that's also what they were filling their jugs with to take home to drink.

So this week, I am thankful for what I guarantee all of us take for granted.

I'm thankful that:

1. When I turn the faucet on, the water that comes out is clean and drinkable

2. I don't have to walk for miles to get water

3. I can throw my clothes in a machine and it does the work for me, instead of walking to a local river and busting my knuckles

4. We have such an abundance of water that it pours out of fountains for our viewing enjoyment

5. I don't have to worry about whether my family will get sick from drinking water

So next time you stand under that shower head, you need to grin, because you're blessed, too. And as you pour your sixth glass of water and grumble at how boring it tastes, change that perspective and count your blessings - its clean. So drink up and stay healthy!

As a final thought - if any of you have interest in helping those who do not have the blessing of clean drinking water, we work with a wonderful organization in southern India that can make that miracle happen for local villages. Drilling and installing a well that will water hundreds of Indians costs around 500USD and can save countless lives. Please contact us directly at contact@atlasdesigns.net for further information. Maybe this post can serve to not only remind us of our blessings, but also to change lives.

Keep those comments coming, everyone - we love to hear from you.

52 Weeks of Counting Our Blessings

2008-11-25T23:07:00.001-05:00

Well, we're inspired. It's Thanksgiving here in America, which has us more than a little introspective and brings in a much needed smile as we count our blessings. These days some of us might have to dig deep and look past the immediate to find our blessings. But looking around, we all can admit that there's many things we are grateful for.

Here's a short list of why we're just plain thankful it's Thanksgiving:

1. We get to hang with those we love.

2. We can eat ourselves stupid.

3. We get to nap in the afternoon and not feel guilty about it.

So here's what we're thinking. We love taking pictures. We love capturing special moments and playing them back for a lifetime of enjoyment. So we're going to capture a moment every week and let it be a constant reminder of what we're truly thankful for. Our journey will be exciting and we invite you to follow our blog and let yourself be carried away as we post a picture a week that we hope will get your own juices flowing and help you capture that thankful spirit.

Why don't you join us on our journey? Think about it. Once a week take a photo, start a discussion, even make a scrapbook page of something you are grateful for.
~That first swig of coffee on a cold morning.
~Your favorite jammies that you slip on after a long day.
~The flicker of a candle that makes you feel at peace.

~Your daughter's dimples.

~A boatload of chocolate!

I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have instead of always thinking about what they want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal. Or....maybe you're not into taking pictures but just love looking at great ones. Or good ones. OK, sometimes maybe they'll just be fun ones. But they'll have one thing in common each week - they will all represent something that we are grateful for. So lets start our very own 52 Weeks of Blessings and switch that focus from 'I Want' to 'I'm Grateful'.

So here's our first fun image...

Chase is a happy, friendly dog who loves three things:
1. Being scratched on the butt.
2. Gettin' some love.
3. Eating forbidden table scraps.

And we are grateful for him because he reminds us to focus on the simplicity of life. He doesn't hold a grudge. He doesn't care if he didn't get invited to the "in" holiday party. He is just at peace knowing there's someone out there who loves and cares for him. And when he gets bored, he doesn't complain about it, he just catches up on his sleep. Oh to live a dog's life!

Until next week - keep counting those blessings. And Happy Thanksgiving!