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"We have eyes: the world assaults them with neon lights and phosphoresecent color until a sunset or a butterfly pales in comparison. Imagine what a glimpse of a tiger swallowtail butterfly did for the senses in a village of medieval Europe - compared to the same butterfly in downtown Las Vegas today."

This is an excerpt from a book by Philip Yancey, one of my favorite authors. It struck me because I can relate to those sentiments. As a photographer, it seems that over time, the more edgey or shock value an image holds, the greater the public seems to embrace it. The beauty in the common things we behold has become trite. 

So many things we see everyday we will never see again. They are one time events. One of my favorite occurences is cloud formations, especially at sunset. I have never seen the same color palettes, nor the same shapes , nor the same arrangements of clouds in another sunset. Not ever. Each sunset is unique.

The way the morning light bathes a scene appears to be the same but technically it is not. Each day the sun rises either a few minutes earlier or later. And that scene is only momentary. The sun will continue to rise and the shadows that were there moments ago will have disappeared. The flowers in your garden open in stages so that each day is never the same as the one before. And next year, they will be different still. 

There are so many beautiful occurences that take place each day that are common occurrences that we expect to see them, overlooking them, not giving them a second thought; daily gifts for the eyes that we fail see. 

Our world has become so instant everything, fast paced. Technological devices enable us to send information, receive information, find information 24/7. Is there such a thing as a "vacation" anymore? Movies are charged with explosions, relentless gunfire, and/or an over abundance of sexual content, all necessary to capture our attention. Gone are the days when television programs, like The Andy Griffith Show, were popular. I am dating myself with that statement, but I see the transitioning.

A typical workday for many has gone from 8 hours to 12 hours, in addition to a 1 to 3 hour commute, one way, leaving little room for family or anything else for that matter.

Of course progress is important but to what extent and why do we become its slave?

Each year, we push the boundaries in all areas of life. Sometimes it's necessary; other times not. The same is true in art. Ultimately, we forget and take for granted those fundamental things that make our lives, and our art, that much richer for just being. There is something to be said for the phrase, 'stop and smell the roses'. It forces us to stop and consider those everyday things, hopefully to relish their existence and, though common, fuel the creativity within.