Cabin Essence

The title of this blog is a reference to Brian Wilson’s song off his album Smile.

These are just a few pictures I took about a month ago at Holly Lake Ranch in East Texas near Hawkins.  My mom and I went and stayed in a relative’s cabin for a couple days for some rest and relaxation on our “summer break.”

I find that for me getting outdoors helps me re-center and focus; both of which you can lose sight of living in an urban environment.  Something about the serenity, scenery, and clean air I suppose.

We should all take time to get away and reflect on what matters most to us and why we chose to dedicate such large amounts of time to things that really don’t.

I’ll close with a quote from Robert Frost:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”

Blog Dylan

“And what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son ?
And what’ll you do now my darling young one ?
I’m a-goin’ back out ‘fore the rain starts a-fallin’
I’ll walk to the deepths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are a many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where the executioner’s face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I’ll tell and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’
But I’ll know my songs well before I start singin’
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.”

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall ~ Bob Dylan

I was listening to this song the other day and these specific lyrics got stuck in my head; over and over I was thinking about them for the rest of the evening.  I started to realize that they represent the type/style of Photography I want to strive to do.  Dylan’s lyrics capture and create pictures in my head when I listen to his songs, vivid images I can see as if I’d already shot them.

I am always amazed at the lasting impact music can have on people but more specifically artists that draw influence from the music they surround themselves with.  I’ve listened to this song who knows how may times but only now began to gather ideas for projects from the lyrics.  In my opinion as a lyricist he is unmatched, so who better to derive inspiration from when it comes to conceptualizing future projects.  From this one song I jotted down three different project ideas that I’ll be adding to the ever growing list I keep.

“All seems lost, yet a slight hope remains…

…that chance will intervene and avert the tragic end.”  William Shakespeare

I wanted to make this post about hope and maintaining faith even in the midst of chaos and uncertain times.  Between working on a not necessarily uplifting series (America Failed),  all the news of the BP Oil Spill that is taking place in the Gulf, my quarter winding down etc.  I have a lot on my mind and an equal amount on my plate.  But I wanted to make sure everybody knew where my opinions and thoughts ultimately lay.

I don’t always photograph the most “beautiful” images or subject matter; I do this because I feel it is important to bring certain aspects of our world that people may drive by, pass over on television, or flip through in a magazine to the fore front.  However, I want the overall message to be that we have the ability to shape the world around us.  The whole “The world is what we make of it” mantra is one I have always agreed with.

So I started looking for quotes and stories about the persistence of hope in strenuous circumstances and would like to share some quotes and stories I found.

“And yet, when we are surrounded by fear, hope remains. Hope always stays nearby, waiting for a chance to comfort our hearts. It sits quietly and whispers into our spirits that all is not lost, all will be well. And when the days are darkest, hope quietly speaks the kindest words into our souls: “you are not alone.””

This quote was taken from a blog run by a stay at home dad of four children named Tim Blake of Savannah, GA; he’s a stay at home dad because his wife is in the army serving over seas.  I found his story to be extermely compelling and inspirational so I wanted to share that quote and a link to his blog.

http://armyspouseami.blogspot.com/

Now on to some quotes I liked along the lines of what I wanted this post to be about:

“The night is darkest just before the dawn” – Spanish Proverb

“Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them.  The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.” – Voltaire

“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle.  I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.” – Mother Teresa

And of course to finish it up a quote from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

Hopefully this puts some of my Photographic work in perspective and provides you with an explanation as to why I do what I do.  Remember that there is always an undying faith or hope that can remain despite the worst circumstances or the darkest of times.

Benjamin Gibson signing off.