Big Bear Video

I am really starting to realize how prominent video has become and will become in the future, so you can expect to see a lot more videos on this blog. But do not fear, I will continue taking photographs! I am excited to see where this new medium will take me!

Here's a video I made of a trip that some friends and I went on this past week: http://vimeo.com/lensartist/classof2013

Through the Eyes of Dragonflies

After doing some research, I found 

out a few interesting things about these insects. The eyes of a dragonfly have around 30,000 lenses. Unfortunately, they can't see details. To compensate, God gave them the ability to see colors that humans can't even see.

How To Find Peace

It seems everyone in our world today is trying to find inner peace. Actually, this is no new thing. Humans have longed for such an ideal state of being since the beginning. And yet modern culture seems to be moving us towards the polar opposite of tranquility. Perhaps peace is no longer attainable, and is only present on the face of tombstones.

 If humans are incapable of grasping and retaining inner peace until the afterlife (Wherever or whatever you may believe that is), then we must hunt for entities on this planet that are capable of embracing solitude. Three such entities that come to mind include Nature, animals, and children.

Studies show that petting a dog lowers your heart rate, thus causing ones body to relax. I believe that when a person stands within the deepest depths of Nature's bosom, and breathes in the fresh, pure air produced by the surrounding trees which so delicately envelop, we brush up against true, authentic peace. There is something about being in Nature that just puts our minds at ease, reminding us of what's important in life.

Although children aren't always viewed as the most peaceful of creatures, there is something about their careless- yet not apathetic - outlook on things, and the sheer curiosity which seems to lead their lives. It could be that children are more innocent than peaceful. Kids have not been embittered by this world. They are like a freshly washed napkin free of blemishes.

Most people would agree that the longer one lives on this cruel planet, and relentlessly battles with time, the colder ones soul becomes. We are like fish in a pond, aimlessly flopping our fins every which way, slightly aware of some superior being who resides above the surface. The truth is that behind every morsel of food, a rusty hook just may be waiting for us. There is no distinguishing one from the other.
At times there seems to be little difference between good and evil in these murky waters in which we float...

 

Late-Night Entertainment

Shot on a Konica Minolta Dimage A2. Exposed for 1/20 sec (handheld) at f/3.5 and ISO 64 (Unedited).

Blue & Yellow

 The unification of colors in the images above portray the bond these two birds at the Santa Barbara Zoo seemed to share. Sometimes I feel like we as humans could learn a thing or two from animals and their behaviors. 

Trees

This past weekend I finished creating a hardcover photo-book titled Trees. This 20-page coffee-table book contains some very evocative & emotion-filled images that I've created in the last couple years. After all, emotions are what we feed off of, in a sense; emotions are at the heart of what it means to be a person. It's what distinguishes us from machines of all sorts.

I am very excited to get my photo book in the mail any day now! This will be my second photo book. Here's a couple images that are in the book...

P.S. - here's the website that I used to make my photo book: http://www.photobin.com/ (Not nearly as good as blurb.com , in my opinion at least. But hey, maybe some of you out there will try it out and enjoy the site more than I did!). Also, if you'd like to grab a copy, just shoot me an email @ daviddobreski@yahoo.com.

Awestruck

          The times nature has had its greatest impacts on me is usually when I am alone, in peaceful quietude, and pure bliss. One experience that juts out in my mind whenever I think of nature's grandeur is a saturated and humbling experience I had while surfing at Butterfly Beach in Montecito. It was twilight, the last array of colors were lingering in the darkening sky, and the smell of oceanic pleasures aromatized me. Every second the sky and the sea were metamorphosing into unique colors ranging from cantaloupe-like orange hues, and eventually transitioning to the deepest shades of purple. 

Renewal

The hummingbird is a unique creature. These angelic birds seem to hover to and fro, never causing anyone harm. Although these little animals are usually really timid, they can be tamed to a certain degree. If you put a hummingbird feeder filled with nectar right by your window, keep your eyes open for a little visitor.

As I was walking on this trail right by my house, I noticed this little hummingbird watching me from a tree branch. His interest in me was overtaken by his addiction to nectar.

Muses of Nature

Why is it that so often when we look at elements in nature our imaginations wander and we begin to see things that are not really there? For instance, people gaze up at the blue sky accompanied by white fluffy clouds and imagine them to be a small dog or the face of a loved one, or some other figment of their imagination.

Within the frame above, my mind chisels out dozens of figures (faces, animals, designs, etc.) from the rocks. As an artist, I draw a significant amount of inspiration from nature.

Inspiration Point

Hiking is an interesting sport. Sometimes you feel like passing out and just giving up, and other times you feel like king of the world. Personally, I find inspiration and motivation whenever I come across sweeping vistas, grandiose panoramas, and other  tremendous sights. Going on hikes really puts everything back into perspective for me, and I realize how puny I am compared to the grand scheme of it all.