Kat Eye Studio

Archives for October 2010

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Camaraderie of Beer

Our Oktoberfest trip would not have been complete without a visit to one of the beer tents run by the major beer companies of Munich. We randomly chose the Spaten tent upon arrival Sunday morning, and were lucky to find a spot among the already crowded tables. These tents are giant. There are thousands of people inside, sitting on benches back to back, squeezed in with as many people as possible at your table.

That may seem uncomfortable, it if it weren’t for the camaraderie of beer that prevails here. If you are drinking beer, you are friends with everyone else. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, tourist or local, you are an integral part of this festival just by sitting on the bench and ordering a liter. That was a surprising and enjoyable aspect of Oktoberfest for us.

And just wait until the band starts up! An entire tent of people raising their voice in song and their liters of beer for a joyous toast. “Ein prosit, ein prosit, der gemutlichkeit,” the crowd choruses together, followed by a cheer and a big drink of beer. You can’t help but smile! I surprised myself by joining in, apparently I had learned Oktoberfest songs in high school German class all unknowingly.

Oktoberfest is a happy festival. A time of gathering, with old and new friends. Everywhere you looked there were knots of people toasting, singing, eating, cheering, laughing. Calling back and forth across tables to each other. You can sit and talk and happily drink your beer all day long. And when you finish one liter, the empties are cleared away…
…and before you know it, a new round makes it’s way to you, to start all over again.
If you ever have the chance to go to Oktoberfest, don’t hesitate, just go. Enjoy a few liters, with thousands of your new best friends, in the camaraderie of beer. Pros’t!

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Motion and Movement

I am musing on motion and movement over on Mortal Muses today. I thought I would share an extra bonus motion shot here along the same theme – of what else – Venice at night! I just can’t get enough. I hope you all aren’t bored. 🙂

Oh wait, it’s my blog, so I can post what I love as much as I want to! Sometimes, in my desire to make other people happy or live up to other’s expectations, I forget that important little point…

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Visiting Home

Today I am heading to Oregon for a two week business trip, probably my last one before we move back next summer. I am soooo looking forward to some good Mexican food and visits with friends. It is always a whirlwind trip of work and socializing and shopping, since I’m there for such a short time. I’ll be here on the blog off and on, a few scheduled posts, a few live posts, whatever I can squeeze into my frantic schedule.

Today’s photo is of the wreck of the Peter Iredale, on the northern Oregon coast near Astoria, taken in early 2008 before there was any inkling we would ever have the opportunity to move to Italy. For all that I love the travel and the unique places we have visited in Europe, along with the photographic inspiration that it has given me, this image is a reminder that beauty is everywhere around us. No matter where we live, we just have to seek it. It is there for us to find.

I have sometimes thought that I “found my eye” here in Italy, but when I look back at a photo like this I realize that’s just not true. I already had the vision and the passion, long before this move. What has happened during my time in Italy, is that I have recognized it as my own. I have learned to see myself as the artist I am. The artist I have been, unknowingly, for quite some time.

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Leaf Me Alone

A single leaf, the first colorful leaf of autumn, captured for Picture Fall. Most of the trees around here still have green leaves, firmly attached to their branches. The leaves that are on the ground are dead, brown, dull. This one little leaf was the exception – full of color and vibrancy and personality. A leaf ahead of its season.

I enjoyed photographing this one little leaf – capturing the light, the interesting shadows, the contrast of the lines of green moss in between the stones. You should have seen me, down on the ground on the path in the park. Brandon, who is now 9 years old, was quite embarrassed by my behavior. “Get up Mom,” he said, “You look weird.”

I find it ironic, that as I finally get to a place in my self that I don’t care what other people think, that I’m willing to lay down on the pavement in public for the sake of my art, that my son starts to care. Apparently, we are changing seasons in more than one way around here. This single leaf, a harbinger of fall, also has brought the realization that the teen years are, eventually, on their way for my son. Life is nothing, if not interesting, that’s for sure.

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Where I Sit

This is where I love to sit, under my happy cat quilt my Mom made me, reading in the natural light of our big window, with the cat on my lap and a cup of tea on the table beside me. If I’m at home, you can usually find me in this spot or at the computer. (OK, lately, more at the computer.)

This photo was taken today for the online class “Picture Fall” through Big Picture Classes. It’s a photography prompt every day for the month of October, to celebrate the change of season and get you out and photographing. I’ve realized lately that, while I am loving the travel photography, I’m not doing so much “every day” photography and I’m in a bit of a rut. So you’ll see these images creep into the blog I’m sure, along with the normal photos of various places I visit. I’m taking this with my fellow muses and other online friends so it will be fun to have this virtual community all in class together.

(Oh, and thank you for all of the well wishes yesterday. I am feeling much better today! So nice to have all of these people out there hoping you feel better.)

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Good Medicine

Today I am not feeling so well, so I went to my photo folder with the desire to find a photo that would calm my stomach. Yes, I meant that, calm my stomach. Looking at images of beer from Oktoberfest just wasn’t going to work this morning. And I found this one, of a sculpture in Barcelona. Just lines and light and sky.

Guess what? I feel better already.

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