Daniel Greene

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  • Capturing the Light



    Capturing the Light
    Originally uploaded by Daniel Greene

    The act of photographing reminds me of the constantly changing world and the preciousness of each moment.

    Andy had set this artichoke on the kitchen windowsill. The artichoke was past its prime, but I liked the way it looked with the sun hitting it this morning, so I ran and grabbed my camera.

    The light had changed in the 30 seconds it took me to get my camera, and even during the taking of several shots, the light kept changing. While seeing how the light kept changing, and how quickly I was losing the light that had originally caught my eye, I was reminded of the constant changes going on in the world around me (and in myself as well, I suppose), and the preciousness of each moment. As a photographer, I am "delineating light" (photos meaning light and -graphy meaning delineation, see etymology of ‘photography’). Since natural light is constantly changing, we as photographers capture fleeting moments of light.

    But, as people, what do we miss that we don’t capture? Are there moments in our lives, in relationships with people, when the moment is right to be silent or speak up, to be still or to make a move, to look or to listen? Photography is a highly technical hobby as well as an art, and I find that I must remember, as a human being, that there is much to capture other than light.

  • In Memory…



    In Memory…
    Originally uploaded by Daniel Greene.

    …of all those who have died in service to the United States of America.

    I almost kept this post to just that first sentiment, “In memory of all those who have died in service to the United States of America.” But that would be too safe. And I can imagine being criticized for copping out and pandering to blind patriotism.

    Yet I know that many Americans’ patriotism is not blind at all, but rather… forgiving. I am reminded of a story my Granny Greene recounted. She spoke of a woman she had known who worked for the USO during World War II. She said, “When you walked by a young man in the canteen and he patted your fanny, you just smiled and kept on walking. That’s patriotism!”

    And that’s what many of us do– smile and keep on walking. We know that countless men, and now women, have died in battles we wish had never begun. We know that the current war is not a popular war (and I use the word “popular” not only in the sense of “well liked” but also “of the people” because many American know that this is not our war, but a war waged by politicians either we didn’t vote for or we regret voting for). And we know that some people make it hard to be proud to be an American. And yet we forgive these deaths, these wars, and these people. We smile and keep on walking. We are proud to be American not only because of everything that is American, but in spite of things we might not quite approve of.

    I believe we have more reasons to be proud of our country than to be ashamed of it. And we must always remember that no matter whether or not we believe in war, our countrymen and countrywomen who have died in wars deserve our gratitude and our honor. We cannot know what it is like to fight in wars unless we have fought in them. But we can remember the inestimable value of every human life and have the deepest respect for each individual who gave his or her life for America.

    And let us not allow patriotism to blind us to the value of each and every human life lost on the other side as well. Our enemies are not necessarily evil, at least not down to every last person who has fought us in honor of their country. We must remember the fallen not only here, but there as well. We must force ourselves to have some compassion for the mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons who have lost their beloved family members to these wars.

    And we must work toward peace for our sake and for theirs.

  • Cuddle Time with Doggies

    I’m usually in on this myself, but it was great to be able to grab our point & shoot and get this little video of Buxley & Lady playing with each other and one of their daddies.

  • Happy Birthday, Andy!



    Happy Birthday, Andy!
    Originally uploaded by Daniel Greene.

    These tulips were a gift to our neighbor Elva, and she shared some with my partner Andy. It seemed a fitting tribute to take a photo of these handsome flowers lit so warmly by our dining room table light with our purple accent wall behind them. These flowers enrich our home. Andy enriches my life and the lives of those around him. Here’s to you, Sweetheart, and many happy returns!

  • Introducing Lady



    Introducing Lady
    Originally uploaded by Daniel Greene.

    We have a new family member: Lady. We’ve already known her for more than a year now. She’s our neighbor lady’s dog, and our neighbor decided she just can’t keep up with her anymore. Buxley already fell in love with her when they first met. Adopting her feels like the most natural thing to do since J.J. died and our neighbor wants to put Lady in a new home!