Nature & Landscapes : My Lens . My World . My Perspective

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Welcome to New York!

Posted on July 23, 2011 at 3:09 AM

The first time I went to New York City was back in 2003 with my college roommate, and she can attest that the Big Apple was not my cup of tea! I actually felt like I was in another country, even though at the time I had never been out of this country. Needless to say, these eight years later, I have more of an appreciation for the city. So when a friend of mine was recently in town, we planned a trip to this city that never sleeps, and she too felt like a foreigner her first night there. We stayed in the Manhattan area for our entire stay, and we ventured to Central Park, Times Square, this mall somewhere near the Trump Towers. Anyway, one of the highlights for me was when we saw these models doing a photo shoot in the middle of Central Park. Sadly, I was one of those nosy bystanders that stopped to watch all of the action! See photos from my trip below.

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The “Ugly” Duckling

Posted on June 16, 2011 at 9:09 PM

I have always heard the phrase “the ugly duckling,” but it was not until this past weekend that it really made sense to me. Well, God made only good things, but, and there should not be a but… But, what I noticed is that ducklings don’t look too much like the older mature ducks (their parents). Last weekend, at the park, I noticed these ducks waddling around between the grassy area and the pond. As I looked at these mixed-colored brown ducks, I was perplexed as to how they would eventually don the beautiful long black feathers along their neck and shed the yellow feathers on their chest in exchange for the clean looking white ones. I felt like the birds they would be were beautiful, and the birds they were right now left much to be desired. And again, I could not reconcile how this transformation was going to take place.

But I guess that’s how life goes sometimes. We know what the outcome is going to be, but often times, our situation looks so far from that outcome… so much so that we speak negatively about the “now” and lose hope for the “what we shall be.” Sometimes, we even allow people to speak negatively about our now and act as though that is all we ever shall be… but let that no longer be the case. I have all confidence in the world that those ducklings I saw shall too grow out of this “not-so-cute” stage and become beautiful ducks with a gorgeous set of feathers. Hey, that’s how they work; that’s in their life cycle. And when all is said and done, their former appearance will be but a distant memory (and honestly, these feathered creatures probably won’t remember their former look). All that said, I declare to you too today, that no matter what the situation looks like right now, know that this is temporary… eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the hearts of man the great things God has prepared for them that love Him and wait patiently on Him! Remember, don’t focus on what it looks like now, focus on that which shall be! Every so often, I have to intentionally speak life… and know that as I speak on these waves to y’all, I am also speaking encouragement to myself!!!

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Spending Memorial Day with Family

Posted on June 6, 2011 at 8:54 PM

Last week, I spent Memorial Day with my brother and cousin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While there, we saw some of the famous landmarks like the Love Park, the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, and Reading Terminal. That Monday was a bona fide hot day – if you know me, you know it takes a lot for me to call a day hot. Anyway, it was so hot that we ended with ice cream, and I agreed to use the A/C in my car (again, if you know me, you’ll know I am a little cheap, and air conditioning is a last resort for me). See images from our Philly expedition below!

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Photographs at a Catholic Cathedral

Posted on June 6, 2011 at 12:16 PM

A few weeks ago, my brother and I went to a DC Catholic Cathedral to shoot around. I was partially interested in the venture because I wanted to see what he could do with the camera, so that I could possibly hire him on to be a second shooter for me at weddings and events and portrait sessions. Well, it was clear to me, that we definitely have different photographic interests: I prefer people, he prefers scenes! Nonetheless, we were able to capture some nice images with and without people. Here are some of the images from this session. The images of me are compliments of my brother, Darren Payne (thanks bro)!

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The Cherry Blossom Festival

Posted on April 10, 2011 at 8:07 PM

The other day, I went with my little sister (through Big Brothers Big Sisters) to the Cherry Blossom Festival in our nation’s capital. This event is one of those mainstays in DC that folks look forward to attending every year. We chose a decent day to go, though I was surprised by how cold it was that Saturday. Thankfully, I’ve been delivered from worrying about what people think about how I look, so I walked down the pathways with my head completely wrapped in my scarf (and stayed warm). I think the subsequent weekends were filled with rain, so again, we really did pick a great weekend to go and see the blossoms. And I guess you can say it was my first time really attending the festival, although a couple of years ago, my mom and I went at the end of the celebration and saw the remnants of the blossoms on a few trees. All in all, it was a beautiful sight to see pink and white cherry blossoms hanging on trees and being carried by wind.

My PSA: If you ever in town for the festival, I suggest you come and see it! But don’t be like me and forget your hat, earmuffs and gloves! It’s still cold in April in DC!

See select photographs from this trip below, and if you see something you like, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment!