HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A New Year. A fresh start. What better way to illustrate this than with a young animal. This baby guanaco and its mother walk in perfect step, protected in the safety of Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia Chile.

The following beautiful and insightful New Year’s greeting was sent to me by a friend. She does not know where it originated, but found it long ago and kept it. I have modified it slightly, but essentially it is as written. It struck a chord with me, so I am passing it along to you. 

"May we break down boundaries, tear down walls, and build on the foundation of goodness inside each of us.

May we look past differences, gain understanding and embrace acceptance. May we reach out to each other, rather than find reasons for division.

May we be better stewards of the earth, protecting, nurturing, and replenishing the beauties of nature.

May we practice gratitude for all we have, rather than complain about our needs.

May we seek cures for the sick, and help the hungry, the needy, and the lonely.

May we share our talents, give our time, and teach our children about love and tolerance rather than hatred and division.

May we take action to seek justice for all who inhabit our planet.

May we hold hope for the future very tenderly in our hearts, and do all we can to build for bright tomorrows.

And may we love with our whole hearts, for that is the only way to love."  --origins unknown

Each new year gives us the chance to start fresh, to rethink and reset our goals, and to make it a better year than the one before. I thank each and every one of you for helping to make 2019 such a stellar year for me personally, as well as for Awake The Light Photo Workshops. 2020 will be even bigger and better!

I wish you a spectacular 2020, filled with joy, wonderful photographic opportunities, good health, great times, and a touch of whimsy.

---Mollie

TECH SPECS

1/400 sec, f/16, ISO 800. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens set at 189mm, on Canon 7D Mark II body. Handheld.

Holiday Greetings

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY HANUKKAH

HAPPY KWANZAA

I returned home today from my travels in Patagonia and Antarctica. What a trip. It was superb and beyond my wildest dreams! Because of limited internet service I was unable to post a Blog while I was away, but I did post some images on Facebook. You can check them out at this link
https://www.facebook.com/Awake-The-Light-123508281034128/

The image in this blog was taken in Antarctica on a beautiful day with calm seas and blue skies. Antarctica is the most amazing and breath-taking place I have ever been. Its pristine beauty, expansive wildness, its wildlife, soaring mountains and massive icebergs have made a deep and permanent mark on me. I am already dreaming of going back.

I wish each of you a joyous and peaceful holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, I hope it will be filled with warmth, and the love of family and friends.

At this special time of year it helps to think back and appreciate all the wonderful things in our lives. I am grateful for all the opportunities and spectacular travels that photography has provided me. And I am also grateful for your support and encouragement. I cherish my family and friends, my clients, and this amazing planet that sustains us. May we preserve and nurture Mother Earth since she is the only home we have.

TECH SPECS
1/2500 sec. at f/11, ISO 400. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens set at 120mm on Canon 7D Mark II body. Handheld.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "The holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek out ways to make life better for those around us."  --Terri Marshall

Off To The Ends Of The Earth

I leave today for the ends of the earth. I am headed to Patagonia and Antarctica, two places I have never been before. It is an exciting scouting trip for possible group trips in the future. 

These are two locations I have always wanted to see. Will spend about a week in Patagonia photographing the sweeping landscapes, glaciers, and wildlife like puma and guanaco. Then will spend about 5 days in Antarctica photographing icebergs and various penguin species, and possibly whales and other wildlife. Antarctica is one of the last pristine areas left on Earth. It is largely untouched and unpopulated.

Since I have never been in this part of the world before, today's image is a closeup of an iceberg in Alaska. 

I will be in some remote areas with minimal internet service so it might be awhile before I can post another Blog entry. Will try to update you when I can.

TECH SPECS

1/1000 sec. at f/8, ISO 400. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens set at 300mm on Canon 7D Mark II body. Handheld.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "If Antarctica were music, it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature and it would be Shakespeare. And yet it is something even greater; the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame it."  --Andrew Denton