Handling Change

Out taking photos a few nights ago, I got to thinking about change. 

It's happening all around us all the time. It even happens in our bodies on a daily basis. 

But most people hate change. Or at least they don't like it much. People go to great lengths to avoid change.

What got me thinking about change?

It was the parking deck we were standing on.

The former view from the parking deck

I haven't been up there in a long time, probably a couple of years. Lauren and I were out driving around near sunset trying to figure out where to go shoot. We wanted a view of the city, but the sun was going down fast, and we were running out of time. 

We decided to hit up a familiar parking deck since it was nearby. It offers a nice view of the city and the 85.

As we exited the car and wandered over to the edge of the parking deck, I stood there wondering why the view felt so wrong.

It felt wrong.

The apartment building blocking the Bank of America building

It only took a moment to figure it out, but there it was. An entire apartment building had gone up next to the deck since the last time I stood up there. Wow. An entire building that blocked the view of the Bank of America building. 

Bummer.

Change.

The view was still nice, but it wasn't the same.

It wasn't a good change for me as a photographer. But, I suppose the people who rent the apartments don't view it as a bad change, especially the people who rent on the side of the Bank of America building. They've got an epic view. 

The view from the deck wasn't bad, it just wasn't the same, not as spectacular. I shot to the right of the new apartment building. 

But, that's okay. We need to find other places to shoot from anyway.

We watched the sunset, snapping away. The sun went down in a blaze of beautiful oranges, yellows, and blues. But most of the color was content to stay in the west. I was hoping the colors would spread like a cloak east over the city. They were there, but not as bright and bold as they were further west.

The wind was blowing. The air was turning cold in a hurry. My hands were freezing. But we stayed until darkness fell. 

I love watching the lights of the city come on. Have you ever taken the time to stand somewhere and watch the lights come on as the veil of darkness descends over everything? If you haven't, you should. It's beautiful. 

I'm okay with change. I like change. I suppose that's why I like traveling. I like a change in the environment. I like being in motion. The less I fight change, the better off I am. 

The cover photo was taken at ISO 100, 8 seconds, f/22. I was trying to capture the darkening sky, but I needed a long shutter speed for the light trails, that's why I stopped down so far. I ended up with a somewhat still-light sky, but I did get the light trails. 

I need an ND filter for the Sony so I can darken up the scene. I have a 2-stop ND filter for my Nikon. It helps in these situations.

It's always good to get out and shoot, it's always a different experience. 

How do you handle change?

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season.

Need a small gift for your Atlanta friends? Why not a calendar?

Have a great rest of your week, and see you between the raindrops!

xoxo,
Susan