Mar 13/10: Focus

Mar 13/10, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Sometimes when you look out it's hard to know where to focus - on the closeup or the distance. This sumac, with its graceful branches and bright red berries caught my eye. They offer a feast for the birds, especially as the migrating species appear. But it's hard to ignore the backdrop for the tree - a view over Montreal and the St. Lawrence River.

Sometimes we have to look at the details, sometimes the big picture. And we must always think of the harmony between the two. An adjustment to one alters the other. Too often changes are made locally and we do not think of the impact on the whole - whether it be man-made structures that interfere with the ecology of a place, or changes to schedules that impact programmes. Or changes are made top down without thought to the ripples the changes create for others. We are all interconnected. Let's keep our focus close and wide.

Jan 8/10: Focus

Jan 8/10: Focus, originally uploaded by susanvg.

While glasses help to focus my eyes, it takes more than glasses to focus my mind. Since I started taking photographs regularly my eyes have been focused on seeing things differently. I notice more and look longer.

When I was teaching my mind would be focused on particular topics the students were studying. All of a sudden I would notice in reading, in the world around me, ideas and objects related to them. One year the grade five class was studying the Middle Ages. On a trip to England all I saw were gargoyles, old churches, winding streets that were laid out so long ago. My photographs reflected this focus and I happily shared them with my students.

My mind's focus changes as I read, listen to music, work and talk with friends. Each of these activities can lead me off into unexpected tangents as curiosity gets piqued and I have new ideas to explore.