Nature Photography Archives

5 O’s, FedEx and Technical Gadgetry

By Simone Lipscomb | February 19, 2015

When my morning Scrabble game took a turn for the worst I should have paid more attention. It was as if my iPad had turned into a Ouija board spelling out the potential for the day’s happenings. And yes…the device won…THAT game.

After Scrabble and a crossword puzzle with my cup of tea, I headed upstairs for my workout. It was great and the meditation that followed was very good. Nice breakfast, clean-up and then shower. I thought I would have time before FedEx arrived with my package from Canada (that I would have to sign for). I was doubly excited because yesterday I averted a hold-up in US Customs with some email/scanner/PDF technical savvy. My Aquatica underwater housing was coming…today!

After preparing myself for the day with actual clothes (instead of Yoga pants…you know one state senator wants to outlaw them in public somewhere) I felt pretty good. Jeans, Smartwool base layer and a hoodie. I was dressed up for the day. I waltzed out and glanced at the front French door. DANG!!!! A notice from FedEx was taped to it. SERIOUSLY! Ten minutes and they came! I may have screamed a few obscenities. The cats scrambled out of the room.

I snatched the notice off the glass and glanced at it. Dang it! Another day waiting at the house tomorrow…or drive to Mobile and pick it up after 6pm. Then a little voice inside my head said, Look at the time…only five minutes have passed. Go catch him!

I grabbed keys and shoes and purse and headed to the car. We’ve had gate issues in our community with the exit gate not opening for people with an exit code (instead of a remote) and I hoped the FedEx guy was caught at the gate. Alas, the entry gate, which has been melting down recently and opening whenever it wants to and staying open, was open. AH!!!

So I zoomed to US Highway 98 and stopped. Which way? I heard a distinct, right. So off I went and within a quarter mile the FedEx Express van was pulling onto the highway from a delivery up a wooded driveway. I sort of floored my Volvo and got close enough to see where his next turn was and followed him through a neighborhood.

Thankfully I had grabbed the notice and started waving it as I exited my car. I smiled and laughed so he wouldn’t think I was a crazed stalker and he laughed and knew my street because it was the only notice he had left. He thought it was sort of amazing I had tracked him down. I thanked my guardian angel.

I got back home, apologized to my cats and began opening the boxes. It looked harmless at first. One big box and lots of beautiful white boxes tucked inside it. I even took a photo with two ocean books I’ve been reading lately. Ah, this was my next step into Ocean love.

Disclaimer: My brain is wired for right-brained activity. Absolutely no doubt. I used to go out and photograph with my friend Jen who was a mechanical engineer. She read the Nikon manual and when we shot together she would summarize cool things she had learned. I learn from doing..seeing…feeling how something works, not from reading technical manuals.

And the underwater housing for a big camera? It’s a technical piece of dive equipment really. As a cave diver, our gear is sort of technical…well…not really. For sidemount it’s just a special harness, two steel tanks, two regulators, two computers I wear on my wrists…some reels. And lots of training. But this housing for my Nikon…my brain started to balk. I could see myself back-pedaling…no no no no no!! Too complicated. UGH! At one point I felt an aversion to all of the gear I had just received. My brain was overloaded.

I have always wanted to improve my underwater photography by taking a really awesome camera down with me instead of the point-and-shoots with housings…but the expense was my excuse. Today I learned the thing that held me back all these years was not expense. It was fear. Fear of complications, fear of flooding my camera, fear of feeling like I was starting over with photography and diving as this is no small rig. Fear of losing my love of diving because of how much I have to remember to make sure everything is in place. Fear of getting out of my comfort zone.

This housing is forcing me to take my work seriously. (Pause for effect). I realize I like to play underwater and enjoy the beauty and float along communing with my sea creature friends. And that’s fine and good and it inspires me to write. But it isn’t accomplishing what I want to do with my art, my work. I see things underwater that my point-and-shoot cameras and housings could never capture. The only way to do it is to make the leap to new gear, new learning.

Lately I’ve felt a really big push to get on with the work. I even told a couple of friends last week that I must have gotten too comfortable and was getting kicked to the edge of the cliff. It’s like my Higher Self pushing me to the edge and then smiling as a spiritual foot plants in my backside and I leap. We never go forward if we stay comfortable…do we?

If the payoff is equal to the confusion, frustration and discomfort I’m overcoming, expectations are high to make huge leaps in the work of loving the Ocean, documenting its beauty and sharing with others. This is a big girl’s toy. And there’s no question of whether or not I’ll learn to use it…it’s coming. I will not let fear keep me from my soul’s work.

Just today I progressed from confusion over bits and pieces of gear scattered on my kitchen bar–as captured by a confused look when I accidentally triggered the shutter–to taking photos of a curious ‘catfish.’

Who knows, tomorrow I might even fill the garden tub and test the housing (without the camera). But…the strobes are coming tomorrow and I expect I’ll be reading more technical manuals and trying to stay untangled from the long arms of the strobes.

When I look at pages filled with tiny lines pointing at hard-to-see-diagram bits, I feel overwhelmed. But when I take it one step at a time and follow the directions, it comes together. It works. And I think that’s true about life. It can be overwhelming if we look at everything that’s going on but if we take it piece-by-piece then it becomes more manageable. We can see the small progression of successes.

Knowing is the Key to Caring

By Simone Lipscomb | February 10, 2015

Sylvia Earle wrote, “Knowing is the key to caring, and with caring there is hope that people will be motivated to take positive actions. They might not care even if they know, but they can’t care if they are unaware.”

My wish is for every human to know the beauty of the Ocean, the importance of it to human survival, and how simple actions can help right the degeneration humans have caused.

Beauty feeds our soul. Without the magnificent wonders of the planet would we find joy? Would we feel happiness? Could we find motivation?

The plankton in our seas create the majority of oxygen on our planet. Trees are important but up to 85% of the oxygen we breathe is produced in the Ocean. Think about that as you inhale. What goes into our streams, rivers, and bays enters the Ocean and affects the growth of plankton….if we want to continue to breathe we must consider the Ocean.

Simple actions we can do to help:

-Recycle all plastic

-Reuse plastic bottles and never purchase bottled water

-Reuse bags and forget plastic shopping bags

-Turn off all lights not in use

-Consolidate trips using your vehicle

-Walk or ride your bicycle when you can

-Join a conservation group that helps protect watersheds or other water resources

-Eat only sustainable fish if you must eat seafood

-Participate in water clean-ups

-Walk along the beach or shore, take photographs, share with friends

-Read a book on the Ocean

-Write a poem about the Ocean….or paint a canvas

Permission for Passion

By Simone Lipscomb | February 9, 2015

The sea spoke to me this morning. For the second day I visited Her to connect, to pray, to ask for a vision. As the chilly, salt water caressed my ankles and splashed my legs, blue water peace filled me and insight came.

Last night was melt-down time. The actions of the past two weeks of forward direction, financial pay-out to that forward direction and future possibilities stood around me. They were like wild flames encircling me…a lot of money has gone out of my account and it scared me. Doubt began to rough me up and shake me. It was not a fun evening.

Arguments for proceeding through the opening echoed in my mind while voices of fears screamed. It would be safe to say that Monkey Mind was loose and gave a wild ride. Just shut the F**** up! All of you!!! Just shut up!!!

After wrestling with some old negative messages and emotions for hours yesterday, I managed to sleep and awakened to Willie Fay cat’s insistence to go onto the screened porch. It was barely light so I hurriedly dressed and grabbed my camera and headed toward the Gulf. If the next part of my life is going to be focused on the Ocean, then I wanted to connect with Her and feel my toes in salt water. And see if answers would come.

A few weeks ago the opening doors left little doubt of the next steps in life but on this side of the events, I began to feel fear. I’ve invested a lot of money into my work, with little financial return and I felt guided to lay out more big money for gear as well as for two more books. No question about doing it. The point of struggle was the fact that former work hasn’t paid for itself even though the message is well-received and appreciated by those who read my books or see my photographs.

I started to doubt my sanity for investing further in the work that is about healing environmental and societal hurts. The money I have saved will, at some point, be used up. Wouldn’t a wise woman with no retirement plan save that money and just forget her dream of making a positive difference on the planet? That’s such a lofty goal anyway.

The message I received from the sea was this: I am breaking free of old, societal conditioning. As I take this next big step those old voices of fear arise. I don’t want to be a prisoner to them. I want to live my life dedicated fully to helping…the ocean, people, ocean creatures. I want to be a bridge between nature and humans. I can’t do that if I hide in fear.

Today I had a vague memory of myself as a child being so afraid that I had caused something to happen because I had wished for it. I recognized, even then, that we have the power to create our lives and it scared me. Now I realize that we are indeed co-creating our lives by what we dwell on, what we hold in our minds.

I came to realize that I assessed value on my work by how many books sold, how many photographic prints sold and the fact that my creative efforts were not paying the bills. Thankfully, I have savings but the work of my heart has not provided for me physically. I heard an inner voice ask: Does it matter where the money comes from if it supports your work? In that moment I realized that I had placed the value of my work in the hands of others who may or may not purchase my books, my photographs. I was contemplating allowing other people determine if I continue on with the work I feel so powerful about doing. I was, in fact, giving my power away to others. A big mistake indeed for it puts brakes on my life’s work.

With the contemplation and realizations, I decided to allow myself permission to want something…allow myself to express the passion that fills me and do the work. I love the Ocean and Her creatures. It is my desire to dedicate my life to working toward creating a connection between the saltwater environments and humans…so more people will care, so the Ocean will be valued and all creatures within it respected. This is what I want to do with the rest of my life. I give myself permission to fully engage in this work and gratefully walk through open doors and follow the path that rises up to meet me. All is well…and all will be well. I know this to be true.

What passion is calling you? What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Beginning today…in this moment?

Divine Madness

By Simone Lipscomb | February 6, 2015

Divine Madness: Following my heart’s vision…no matter how crazy it seems, no matter what fear whispers in my ear…daring to listen…be open to the tapping of the Ocean’s liquid fingers upon my heart…calling me….calling me home.

I recognized fear was slyly hanging out in the background with her arms crossed and her foot tapping. To move past it, I had to go through it. The steady beat of the frame drum took me deeper into my fear until I came out on the other side. There I found communion with the sea. There I found peace…and laughter–laughter derived from an open heart. I was prompted to look at my old writing to find evidence left for myself with paper and pen.

“The silver water reflects the golden glow of the slowly fading day. Puffy white clouds hang suspended, weightless. In the distance, towering thunderheads look down on us, their anvil heads flattened in the thinning atmosphere.

Golden rays of sunlight cut through the anvils creating a golden mist through which we fly. Small, green, jungle-covered islands lie below as we follow the leeward islands to our destination. Just now, the small island below is shaped like a sperm whale. A fringing reef creates a light turquoise border and a deeper indigo leads out to sea.

Slowly we move, our propellers keeping us to a respectable, relaxed speed. I don’t want to hurry. I want to soak up this beauty.

The water is golden now, orange-tinted gold water filling me with such peace. Above this liquid light and layers of yellow mist I reflect back to my first dive trip when my mermaid self was released from her shell. She willingly and freely allowed me to pack her green iridescence among my wet dive gear as I tearfully flew home. She doesn’t care where she resides, as long as she and I are one. As long as I promise to dive and keep her home as my second home, we co-exist peacefully. She and I, mermaid and human with a cetacean soul.

My mermaid self, green and glistening scales shimmering and shaking with excitement, is smiling. Before too long we will be exploring reefs, playing once again in turquoise bliss.

As I glance back, behind my perch inside the plane, a line of intense sky-blue color pierces the cloud bank and sits atop greenish orange layers of early evening sky. Then the warmth of the golden sun breaks through layers of crazy colors and caresses my face. I am part of this magnificent moment, this blessed unfolding of darkness as it makes its way across the heavens.

Finally, the orange orb slips quietly into the waiting embrace of the mighty ocean.

In the after-sunset glow, the ocean has turned into a lavender expanse of immense potential…for peace, for power…unlimited lavender love-filled ocean. I drift along through the sky, knowing that words can no longer express this bounty of beauty spread horizon to horizon. I must be content gazing into it and allowing it to fill me, wash me clean with its power.

I close my eyes and see the goddess of the sea walking on mist-covered cloud canyons, suspended over the ocean. The ocean is her skirt, pearls drape her skin and water droplets, sparkling in the orange light of sunset reflect the magic. Her hair is long strands of seaweed, her eyes deep indigo and she raises her arm and points to me and calls me to her. Flames come from her eyes, her finger tips and mouth as she sings to me the song of my soul.

Feel your power, daughter of mine. Feel the energy of your soul coursing through your veins. Claim your self. Free yourself. Free woman, holy woman. Yours are the skirts of fire-red sunsets. Yours are the eyes of deep Earth. Your feet walk among green mountains, your soul soars in the sky. Dive among the waters but know, this is a gift of time given to you. Shape shift to your dolphin self and be with the joy that is you. Submerge in the baptism of salt water, be free in your mind and heart. You walk in two worlds, daughter. Full of promise, full of light. Let your gentle soul find expression. You have passed the test and now have earned your freedom to dance among the stars and dive in the depths of indigo. Follow your heart. Follow your creativity. Don’t worry. Don’t press. Relax and allow your creative energies to be freed. Allow….it’s your time.

She lifts a conch to her lips and blows into its spirals. She has sounded my name and I answer with happiness and gratitude.”

From a box of musings, July 2001.

“A silver moon glade rippled across the surface of the ocean. The black velvet sky was sprinkled with twinkling stars. The ocean was calm, hardly rocking the boat.

I stood on deck, gazing into the intense light reflected on the water. A slight breeze stirred my hair and kissed my bare skin. I felt the pull of the full moon and ocean in my soul like a bow being drawn across strings of a cello.

As the moon continued to rise over open ocean, the turquoise water became transparent. It was difficult to tell if the light was coming from the moon or somewhere below the water’s surface. Light bounced off the white, sand bottom and produced visions of otherworldly realms.

Nearby the exhalation of a dolphin broke my reverie and I tried to find her but she remained a mystery, hidden from view below the surface. I longed to dive in yet the moonlight held me transfixed. I could only stand in utter gratitude, feeling the elements around and within me. Joy bubbled up from deep inside of me and I laughed out loud.

When I looked into the velvet night and gazed at the twinkling diamonds floating there as stars, I felt the creative force so huge, so immense. The starlight called me and something from deep within answered and was born.

In those magic moments I saw the stars as stepping stones, lighting our path home as we move closer and closer to Source. Each star we reach fills us with more love. Each leap we make clears out more of who we are not to bring us into closer alignment with who we are–children of light.”

And one more excerpt from October 2007:

“Over the years my goals, while underwater, have changed. At first, I simply wanted to remember enough of what I was supposed to learn in my scuba class to stay alive. Gradually, I added tasks such as photography or navigation to build my skills. Now, years after my first underwater breath on scuba, I simply enjoy being still and becoming a member of the watery community.

For instance, this morning I watched minute-sized crabs, no bigger than the nail of my little finger and white as the sand, move about the bottom and eat. I have no idea what they were eating because I could barely see them, much less their food.

I also watched the rays of the sunrise penetrate the water and illuminate the white sand into moving patterns of geometric wonder. Few things in life are as precious to me as moments observing life in a salty, liquid environment.”

Through these and other bits of writing I unearthed today, I saw the strong desire to help the Ocean, to be an advocate for all life in the sea. The last line from my October 2007 trip to Bonaire was this: Follow my deep, deep love of the Ocean. Write a love story to the Ocean.

When I have doubts about the direction I’m heading, it helps to review the breadcrumbs I’ve left behind in the form of my writing. One sentence stood out among the many pages I read today: “If the Ocean is the passion that lights my heart, wouldn’t I do everything in my power to document and share the beauty of it so others might see and understand its importance and then take action to protect it.”

Of course.

Leaping Off the Cliff

By Simone Lipscomb | January 28, 2015

Today I wrote a friend, “I feel a nudge to fly off the cliff….my toes are hanging over the edge and I’m looking back…looking down at a faraway salt water Ocean realm….and a blue sky in front of me….and so I stand…trembling a little…excited….and grateful.”

It feels as if I’m at a huge turning point in my life that seems to have appeared suddenly but in truth it has been in process for decades. It began when I made a decision to clear out anything keeping me from doing whatever my ‘mission’ was. Sounds funny now but as a 25 year old, it was serious stuff.

Little did I know my journey would take me through really rough times. The more I resisted inner change, the harder it became. There came a point where everything fell apart. I lost basically everything. It was a true dark time in my life. But it was a time where I was able to clear out inner debris as well. I released fears and other crippling emotions as I worked on healing. As the darkness cleared, light was exposed.

The more I surrendered to my path, the clearer the direction became. Looking back I can see those turning points and the narrowing of direction clearly but at the time it was pretty intense. Support came for my work in many forms. My first book was published by an indie company. Making ten percent in royalties on my first book, after all the work, prompted me to publish my next two books. Another book co-authored was picked up by another indie house in Kentucky. Another book was co-authored and done in E-format. That may sound exciting and it is satisfying, but being a writer and photographer has yet to create a supportive income. But thankfully the support has come in other forms as I continue to surrender to the direction of my heart.

Recently another narrowing of focus and intention occurred through a series of events that I wrote about in an earlier blog. Now that I’m on the other side of the decision-making process it’s a bit scary. Other financial commitments arise as I further the work of my heart….marine education, volunteer researcher, underwater photography at a more professional level, more writing and publishing of books on marine animals. I went away for a week and came home with a list of things that will be the next steps in my life. And amazingly, support has begun to arrive for this next phase of my work. I feel grateful for the direction and the support.

I lit my candles this morning, after a unsettled night of wrestling fear and anxiety about the upcoming opportunities and projects. I asked to be given a specific sign….”Show me if I am going in the right direction.” Late this afternoon I had two signs happen within minutes of each other. Why do I need signs? Because I dream big at times and wonder if I’m sane. And yes…that’s a joke but I want to be headed in the direction that is true to my path of service. So yes, I asked for confirmation that the direction was correct. It’s like, “Yes I know I had all of those amazing events happen a couple weeks ago but was it real? Can I trust that I correctly interpreted the experiences? Can life be that amazing?”

Yes. It can be. And yes, I’m taking the leap. I haven’t worked this hard on my life’s path to suddenly give up because a bit of fear arose. I’m standing on that cliff. I’m looking around and down. I lift my arms and realize they are wings. A warm breeze rushes past. I rise and glide over the ocean. The direction is clear. It’s a fine day for flying.

******

There have been so many people that have been part of the warm breeze that lifts me up. The depth of support grows and adds strength to the wind. To each of you, I am deeply grateful.