My COVID-19 Backyard Boredom Project

Lily of the Valley

Backyard Boredom Project

This post is a bit different than I would normally write here; it is about my photography. I am writing it here instead of my photography blog (shameless plug, Exploring Photography with Joe Valencia) because the photography was inspired by the lock down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have written a companion piece titled, Backyard Discoveries on my other blog.

Working from Home

White Clover - even weeds are beautiful
if you look close enough

It was some time around mid-March that my company announced that anyone who wished to do so could work from home. I chose to do so; about two weeks later the office was shut down completely. As a programmer I have the luxury of being able to do my job anywhere I have an internet connection so I have been impacted far less than millions of others. What has been a big change is my choice of locations for photo excursions. When I am at the office I can walk to Monmouth Battlefield for a nice hike or drive a few minutes to a few different other locations. If I just need to get some air, I can find things to shoot right around the office. I will also detour some some of my favorite locations on the way home from the office if I need some "shutter time" or the conditions are just right. The lock down took away the parks and I no longer go to the office so detours no longer exist.

Jonquils, Daffodils, Narcissus
a bloom by any other name....

The Project

So, what do you do when you can't go anywhere but you just have to point the camera at something? I have seen a lot of people talking about using the time to work on their studio work - still life, arranged macro, water drops, etc... - but that has never really been my "thing." I have been wanting to do more of that type of work but it takes preparation and most of the time I pick up the camera is when I need a release. So, while others have turned to their kitchen tables, I turned to my back (side and front) yard.

A bee and wild rose

It started out with the daffodils blooming and a (near) windless day. I try to capture daffodils during each stage of their growth every spring but this year I didn't get out until they were in full bloom. Due to not having to fight the wind I was able to set up my tripod and deliberately set up my composition. The flip screen on my camera meant I didn't have to get down on the ground - I don't mind getting dirty, I just didn't have anyone around to help me get up. 😊

As a creative exercise I like to sit on my back steps, or front porch, with my camera and one lens. I see what I can capture without moving from my seat. Most often I look upward to see if there are any birds or maybe the light is hitting a tree nicely. Lately I have been looking down, how fortunate for me. I was on the front porch looked to my side and saw the Lily of the Valley shown here. They have been there for as long as I can remember but I never captured a single image. I spent several hours over multiple days shooting these wonderfully delicate plants. You can see other images from those days here - Lily of the Valley

A pink wild rose
shot from a window

That same exercise, done on the back porch, led to the image of the bee shown here. No, I wasn't sitting on the steps when I made this image but I was pointing the camera that way capturing a few others. I saw so many bees, I put on my Macrofier and decided to see how close I could get.

Not all excursions take place outside, though. This last image, pink wild rose, was actually taken from the window next to where my computer is. I took the screen out so that I can get some clear shots if anything exciting is going on. I had seen a gray catbird in a tree, grabbed the camera and opened the window just in time to watch it fly away. As the window was being closed I noticed this blossom and played around with a few compositions. There are times great compositions are, literally, right under your nose!

That's it.... for now.

This seems to be a good time to wrap things up and let you get back to whatever you were doing. If there is a silver lining in all of this it is that I have come to see things in a new way. I read a quote the other day that struck me as rather interesting:

The goal is not to change your subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer. - Unknown

The pandemic has taught me the meaning of this and I think it has made me a better photographer. It has certainly taught me to slow down, look around and appreciate everything that Mother Nature has to offer. We could probably even expand a bit and say that if an ugly weed can look beautiful if looked at the right way, maybe we should afford a closer look at our fellow citizens.

Until next time! Thanks for stopping by - would love to hear what you have been doing to keep busy during the pandemic. New projects? Hobbies? What have you been binge-watching? Drop a comment down below!

Please do me a small favor and share this post with others, for there’s a good chance that others might enjoy it, too! You will find buttons for many of the popular social media platforms at the bottom of this post. Thank you!

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Do You Haiku?

I never thought this would ever be a topic for my writing but here it is....

I received an invitation the other day to join a Facebook group, the invitation came from an old high school friend, Diane. She enjoys writing haiku and started the group - in part because she found other, similar, groups starting to get mean and politically oriented. Welcome to social media! This group is for fun and I thought it would be fun to join. It's been a very long time (45 years or more?) since I've written a haiku (and it was probably just one!) and actually had to look up the definition. I thought it would be a nice diversion from my work life and a nice creative outlet - something new to explore.

What is a haiku?

So, what is a haiku? The following definition was taken from Webster's Dictionary¹:

an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively

This definition is from Grammar.YourDictionary.com²:

Traditional Haiku Structure. Traditional haiku are always the same, including the following features: There are only three lines, totaling 17 syllables. The first line is 5 syllables. ... A haiku does not have to rhyme, in fact usually it does not rhyme at all.

Lastly, from Wonderopolis.org³:

It's a special kind of poem called a haiku. ... Traditional Japanese haiku typically describe nature, while English haiku include many different subjects. A haiku contains 17 syllables in three lines of poetry. A syllable is a unit of language that consists of an unbroken sound used to make up words.

Many definitions also include a reference to the natural world and/or seasons.

Some Originals

As I mentioned earlier, I joined the group because I thought it would be fun but never thought I would really "get into it." I was wrong! I wrote my first haiku just a couple hours after joining the group:

I'm hiking each day
Thru a field where war was fought
Nature lives there now
- by Joe Valencia

I was out for one of my lunchtime hikes and wrote it on my way back to the office. I had just finished hiking along one of the trails at Monmouth Battlefield State Park - site of the Battle of Monmouth during the Revolutionary War. It's not going to win me a Nobel Prize but I thought it was reasonably good for a beginner.

I was really getting into it and have written 20 in the past 10 days, including the two (2) appearing below. The one about the city lights came to me the day after I shot the accompanying New York City skyline, while the one with the pastel sky was written long after the image was shot.

City lights glowing
Tranquility deceives all
City never sleeps
- by Joe Valencia

Pastel sunset sky
Silhouette tree stands alone
Goodbye to the day
- by Joe Valencia

I am having fun, as you may have noticed, and will continue to write haiku from time-to-time. It is a nice diversion because it isn't something that is expected of me and if they aren't very good - who cares? That's not to say I will just write stuff I know isn't very good but I'm not going to agonize either. There is also no pressure to produce which is a blessing.

In Closing

I hope you enjoyed this little poetic stroll thru my mind (I hope you didn't step in anything 😉 🤣). If you are interested in joining the Facebook group - you can check it out here. If you do join, please remember that it is a fun group and anything political or mean-spirited will get you removed from the group.

If you have written any haiku - I would love to read some! Leave one (two, three, etc....) in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!

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1. Merriam-Webster Definition of haiku
2. Rules for Writing Haiku - English Grammar Rules & Usage
3. What Is a Haiku?

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All haiku and photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the author. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Save Lake Topanemus

I have been going to Lake Topanemus for a few years now; I discovered it one afternoon during my lunch hour. If you read my earlier post, Mayor of the Park, you have already been introduced. Lake Topanemus is a 22-acre man-made lake that is enjoyed by boaters, fisherman and nature-lovers alike. I don't think there has ever been a time when I visited during fishing season and didn't see at least one boat and a number of people standing on the banks wetting their lines. I often see egrets, herons and cormorants competing with the fisherman to see who comes away with a better catch. If you look hard enough and are quiet, you may catch some turtles sunning themselves on a large branch or log in the lake.

There has always been an abundance of vegetation around the perimeter of the lake but I have noticed more algae and what can best be described as a film over the water. There is a Facebook page named, Freehold Pond - Lake Topanemus, (click here to go to the page) that I like to check out from time-to-time and I noticed there were posts about the water quality. I contacted the administrator and asked about the problem. The response is shown below, in it's entirety:

"The lake is a 22 acre impoundment pond. There have been numerous studies over the past 30 years. The lake is eutrophic¹. It was treated with an herbicide and algaecide for two years. Then two years ago, treatment ceased. As a result, the weeds and algae return from May - September. Unless treated, the lake will be covered by June. The Lake Topanemus commission stopped treatment without seeking expert advise. Through much effort, hoping the treatment will resume in June. Cost is borne 2/3 Twp 1/3 Borough. Problem is complex. Chemicals are most cost effective means. Dredging would be best but expensive. Chemical treatment is NJDEP approved. There are those who believe the lake should be left alone, let nature run its course. However, man made lake, man made problem, man made solution. I have 30 years of reports/studies. Lots of talk, no action until recent treatment."

As you can see, the lake is an incredibly beautiful place to be on a nice day and it would be a great loss if it were allowed to continue along it's current path. The images above were made over the last few years and are just some of my favorites. I could spend hours sitting on one of the lakeside benches watching all of the activity on the lake and listening to the birds in the trees.

The images below were taken during a lunchtime walk this afternoon. You can see the buildup of algae and how dull the water looks. It is sad to think that it is only going to get worse in the coming months if nothing is done.

For further information or to offer assistance, check out their Facebook page or Twitter feed.

• Freehold Pond - Lake Topanemus on Facebook
• @SaveLakeTopanemus on Twitter

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Stop and Listen to the Birds Sing

I try to get out to one of the local parks during my lunch hour to take a hike and take pictures. My goal is to cover at least one (1) mile and often exceed that. I also like to go after work and like to walk for two (2) miles or more. I do this for a number of reasons, not the least of which is for my physical well-being. The other reasons have to do with photography, my photography blog and my mental well-being. I don't know if I use my hikes as an excuse to shoot or my shooting as an excuse to get out and hike but I also don't care. To me there is something special about being in a park or walking along a wooded trail, alone with my thoughts.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I try to walk at least a mile during lunch but there are times when things don't quite work out as planned. This post is about one such afternoon. I had planned to go to a nearby lake where I can usually get in about 1.5 miles before having to head back but once I started walking I changed my mind. The previous day I visited Monmouth Battlefield State Park for my lunchtime hike and about a half-mile from my car I twisted my knee a bit. It isn't the first time something like that has happened and this time it wasn't bad but I was uncomfortable. Well, I hadn't gone more than about 20 yards this afternoon when the knee started bothering me again - I almost went back to the car but it was too nice out and so I decided to walk a bit and then sit on a bench. I walked about 10 minutes and found the spot that I was looking for, I was on top of a small rise next to the trail under a group of pine trees.

I had a great view of the lake and also had a good view of three (3) birdhouses that were in nearby trees. There are many birdhouses in the trees throughout Lake Topanemus Park, all painted with various designs. I kept an eye on the birdhouse closest to me and had the camera ready, just in case. I also noticed a nest about 10 feet further up in the same tree that I kept an eye on. I otherwise did nothing and cannot remember the last time doing nothing felt so good! I sat there for about 30 minutes watching birds fly about and listening to them sing. I could hear nothing else. It was during this time that I realized that as difficult as it is living with hearing loss and struggling to follow conversations at times, I am blessed with being able to sit in a park and listen to the birds sing. I know there were cars going by the park, kids playing on the playground, people walking by crunching gravel beneath their feet but I could hear none of that - all I could hear were the birds.

So, that afternoon didn't do much for my physical well-being and I didn't come away with any photos worth keeping but the 30 minutes I spent sitting on that bench did more good than hours with Sidney Freedman ever would. It may be time to re-think my daily routine and consider taking one day a week to find a park bench somewhere and just sit instead of walking. Ringo Starr did a song called "Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses" and John Lennon did "Watching the Wheels" - I think it is time to "Stop and Listen to the Birds Sing"....

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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