Can a daydream be a form of meditation? The longer I capture images as a photographer the more I seek out the unique, obscure, sublime, abstract compositions that my mind seems to enjoy making on it's own! You might say, I'm already in a daydream! Sometimes I have to go out looking for it and sometimes it appears right in front of me like the photo I am debuting here, joining my Waterfront Collection of images.

I've done a lot with my photographs through the years. There was a period when I was driven to upload as many as I could to the internet stock sites in hopes of creating a passive income from that genre. I didn't realize at the time that I was already late to the party. That entire experience was so exhausting and unprofitable, I actually created my own stock site. At least I'm in control of my own destiny at San Diego Stock Photography!

This new gallery, here, I've been creating since January 2022, has been very different. After loading three popular images per category of the gallery, I have been in this mode you find here. I only upload a new photo when I'm willing to spend some time describing the how and why it made the journey to get here through this blog process. Shoulda, woulda coulda done this a long time ago. But at least I am doing it now. It feels much more substantive and complete. This writing part of the creative process is the discipline part. I write all week, every week, week in, week out for clients for the past 25 years. The load is so great I even have writers write the lions share of the writing that has to get done for them all. So, writing on behalf of myself was easily set aside early on in my career. I regret that. But what can a guy do? Dig in and write! I find the process of writing very meditative; a structure, voice and cadence blanket.

What to call an image or to "give it a title" as it's known? This usually comes to me in a flash while I am working on the photo during the editing process. Sometimes, it is a song that I'm hearing or suddenly think of. Mind you, if I suddenly think of a tune it might be just one line or melody that sends me to search for it. I am impressed that the search engine usually is able to suss out the actual tune from a random line in the song. Of course, if I get the words wrong that becomes a completely different type of hide and seek match!

Nautical Daydream fits this image so well and I'll tell you why; if I took our gaze from looking down at this composition (because that is what we are doing, looking down from above) one would see a perfect marina scene of lovely sailboats. That is what I was on this tall pier doing along with everybody else; gazing out at the scene on a warm summer day. Some people were eating hot dogs and tacos from the vendors on the pier. Kids were squealing from a clown with magical wind toys. There was a fair sized crowd on the pier as most were waiting to go down the gangway to an event. Then I saw it. The reflection of the sun was shining brightly in the water between the two bows of the boats below us all. I looked at it with my viewfinder of the camera and realized I had the wrong lens for what I was thinking of doing. I stepped back from my spot and got into my camera bag to switch out lenses. By the time I did that the crowd had thinned and I went back to trying to compose the bows and the sun. I tried many different positions. Mind you, the detail of the reflection of the boats and sky was minimal because that sun was bright as could be. Blinding! It was so bright, I decided to put a filter on to see if I could knock it down a bit. I wanted to position the sun at the very top of the mast reflection but the pier was cutting off the space there. I took a break and came back a little while later and snapped this image at the highest f-stop in hopes of the sun starbursting for me in so doing (it worked!). I was happy with the composition but gauging the shadows and bright sun spelled trouble. So, I took several shots at various ISO and shutter speed, f-stop combinations to be sure at least one would prove to be promising. The photos of the event? I doubt any of them will ever make this gallery. Nautical Daydream stole the show.

Speaking of stealing the show, my update on creating new art is quite short this week. The color printer I let languish under a cover for a few years wouldn't print! Can you believe it? LOL First, I took it to the closest printer repair that had the brand of my printer on their website. Nope. They don't work on that brand. But they were nice enough to print out the name and address of the company that does! So, I limped home. The next week I called the next printer repair shop and they said they did work on my unit. So, finally I got it there. It was the longest drive I've taken since 2019! No! Really... As long as the trip is well timed it is only about 45 minutes away. I looked at the cost to replace my printer. So, I am hoping mine can be fixed which we think it can. It is a decent mid level color printer made specifically for photography and art. My fingers are crossed. Ive decided I am going to start with encaustic photography because it is an actual thing that has been done. So why not start there before venturing off into the great beyond?!?! The nest step will be to buy the art supplies that make up encaustic work. When that happens you know i have truly committed. So stay tuned.

Which brings me back to titling images. This time I was actually listening to streaming radio and a stab from the past reached out with the song I share with you in this chapter. It is responsible for this featured image getting its title. Simple as that. I don't even remember when I first heard this song. Perhaps it was the waning years of MTV? My son was born in 1987, so to say the 90's were a blur would be an understatement! The Freddy Jones Band emerged from the Chicago college rock scene in 1988 and created a big fat hit on Capricorn Records called "In a Daydream." around 1992. I consider this, what is known as, a one-hit-wonder. That's not to say the Freddy Jones Band did not go on to create lots more music. There have been 9 or 10 albums. But personally, this is the only song of theirs that I know. Only as serendipity can be, while researching this legendary midwest bar band, I am here to report that the 30th Anniversary edition of this song was just released this month! How odd is that? And now, they are out touring. so if you read this then see them this summer... well.. there you have it! I absolutely love the line, "I'm already in a daydream." The tune sure stands the test of time too, don't you think? I love the gritty home made original video made, of course, for MTV viewing.