Embrace the moment, It will be gone before you know it.

There are times I look through my old folders of photos, and every now and then I find an image that I forgot I had taken. Today was one of those times, and I found a photo of two people, two horses, and a dog, wandering down the dead-end road to home. I enjoyed something about the photo. I think it was the soft light from a late summer afternoon, and the solitude and intimacy of the scene. I grabbed the photo, took it into photoshop, and an idea came to me.
We are living in a time of such rapid change. Technology is rapidly developing, and it seems the newest gadget lasts for a month, and then there is something better. We drive down a back country road and see beautiful scenery. We take a walk through the woods by way of a rustic dirt trail. We love discovering things never seen, turning over a fallen leaf to discover a beautiful may flower hiding beneath. All of these beautiful experience are ones that we take for granted daily. Every place in the world, where a sky scraper stands, was once a desolate and undiscovered land. Every place where an eight lane highway leads traffic to and from, was possibly a quiet prairie filled with wild flowers. It is scary to think that the beautiful farm land where this photo was taken may one day be covered with asphalt and steel. Small town farms are permanently shutting down because they cannot compete with the large scale farms that milk thousands of cows. Barns and outbuildings are rapidly decaying because their upkeep is far to expensive for the average farmer to afford. It is sad that many of the signature big red barns of the dairy land will be lost forever.
Embrace each quiet moment. Life is far too noisy to pass up the calm and beautiful things.

Lacking Inspiration? I'd Say So.

Wow, I bet you thought I was gone. It has been WAY too long, and I had to dust off my keyboard before I started typing. Want an excuse? Shitty or not, it is finals week, and I'm starting to feel a semester's worth of procrastination following close behind, about to catch up to me and kick my ass. I think this amount of stress is doing one, and one thing only, making me long to be home. I am so ready to be done with the semester, and headed homeward. Soon enough I will be back, and relaxing in front of a bon fire, playing volleyball, and spending each and every day with the people I love most. My family means the world to me, my friends are amazing, and that place is the only one in the world I can count on being there when my hardest days have passed. I have a song I want to share with everyone. "Turning Home" by David Nail is the song, and I love the lyrics, the message, and the feeling that listening to it gives me. Enjoy. I apologize for the terribly short post, but let's get serious, it's finals and I'm tired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPmjri35cBM

It's Monday. You know what that means. Taylor O'Brien: The Writer.

"Thoughts on Death"
---So I guess I could write. I have nothing better to do on Sunday afternoon, and quite honestly, the thought of homework is tucked way into the back of my mind. I was riding back to stout with one of my close friends Liz and we got to talking. Now this might sound depressing, but we got on the subject of our closest loved ones, and what it would be like to say goodbye to them in their last moments on Earth. Death. It is a touchy subject for a lot of people, and the thought of never taking another breath, never feeling, never seeing, never embracing again, is a scary thought. Discussing death only makes the reality of our mortality more and more evident.
---It doesn’t matter who you are, what you believe, where you think you will go when you die, or how you cross from life to death, the fact is we are all human and will leave this Earth sooner or later. Some think there is a life in heaven or hell, which will last for an eternity of righteousness, or an eternity of fiery doom. Some think that they will return to this earth as another living being, based on their actions, perhaps as a powerful predator, or vulnerable prey. Some believe there is nothing after their last breath has been drawn and exhaled, and the greatest extent of their being will be carried out here on earth. Regardless of ones beliefs, our lives will end, and what happens after that is an eternal mystery based on faith and personal belief.
---We drove, from Minnesota to Wisconsin, Liz and me, and discussed our feelings about death. We talked about saying goodbye, one last hug, one last sentiment, one last farewell, and to tell the truth, it scares the shit out of us. Neither of us was ready to even think about the day we tell our parents goodbye, let alone think about our own final days on earth. What will it feel like? How does one even begin to put the thought of eternal life or eternal death into perspective? Will our closest loved ones live long and healthy lives, or will they be taken before their time. Will we have the chance to say goodbye, or will they be gone before we can tell them how we truly feel?
---When we made it back to Stout Lizzy was off to work, and I was left with a quiet Sunday, with nothing to do but think and reflect on the feelings that the thought of death bring to me. It’s interesting to have minutes upon minutes, hours upon hours, and days upon days that are wasted, without ever stepping back and really embracing the thought of our mortality. We both agreed that each time we return home, each time we see a new wrinkle on mom’s face, a new characteristic of age exposing itself in the form of our dads’ growing beer bellies, that we truly start to see age taking its toll on those who brought us into this world. It’s and truly humbling feeling nonetheless.
---To many, aging is the most terrible thought in the world. But what’s so bad about it? Growing old with those you love, expanding your knowledge and wisdom with each passing year, and building a vast collection of memories doesn’t sound so bad to me. Now sure, you will get some crows feet or some laugh lines, your hair will thin and recede, things will sag and not look like they did ten or twenty years before, but quite honestly that is just part of growing old. These things are what happens to everything that is alive. We age. It is supposed to be that way. Besides, would a life everlasting, here on earth, be that great?
---There is a cemetery on an island in the middle of a lake here in Menomonie that we sometimes drive out to, mainly because it’s a damn cool cemetery, but also because it puts life into perspective. That island, there in the middle of the lake, is covered with headstones. All of the people buried on that peaceful and serene island all lived a life filled with these same questions about death. All feared the day that would bring them to their eternal resting place. It happens. We will die, all of us, and regardless of what we accomplished, how much money we made, who we knew, what we did to pass our Sunday afternoons, we will all leave the earth. Some of them were ready to go, and the dates on their tombstones made evident a life of longevity. For some, on the other hand, the dates on the tombstone made it clear that they were taken before there time, whatever that may mean.
---Our loved ones will be gone, we will be gone, and all of those born before and after us, will spiritually leave the earth as well. Death. Why is it so scary? After all, if we live a life surrounded by those most important to us, if those closest to us know how we feel about them, and if we take the time to prepare ourselves for the deaths of our loved ones and our own, then what is there to be so afraid of? I think about my Dad. I have wasted so many years with him because of a resentful anger. The last five or six years cannot be looked back on as memorable, they cannot be looked back on with thoughts of happiness and growth, they cannot be placed into the section of my memory that I wish to appreciatively reflect upon and embrace. But the saddest thing, though, is that those wasted moments cannot be relived. I can’t just simply rewind my VHS of life and press re-record. Those years are gone, and to tell the honest truth, it breaks my heart to know that because of resentment, I have wasted a large portion of the time that my Dad and me have had to share with one another.
---With the remainder of my life I look to value the real importance and reality of the temporariness that our existence on earth truly is. Resentment, holding anger, holding onto wrongful actions of others and our own is entirely wasteful. I am twenty years old, and if I am lucky, well over a quarter way through my life. Death. It is real and true, and will one day take our loved ones, or ourselves, out of this world forever. Tell someone that you love how much they mean to you. Give your mom, dad, brothers, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, best friends, a true understanding of exactly how important they are and how much they contributed to the life that is your own. Give your dad a big hug when you feel the urge. Give your mom a kiss on the cheek when it feels right. Write your brother or sister, or best friend a letter on a rainy afternoon to tell them how much you love them. I don’t want to wait anymore. What is the point? After all is said and done, and I draw my last breath in, and exhale it out, if I haven’t embraced and appreciated my chance at life, what is the point of having been given this great opportunity to truly live. Cliché? Yes. Bullshit? Maybe.

---As I finished this and was about to press publish, the song "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley came on. It's cool how life works sometimes. Listen to it. Even if you hate country, the message is a good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YMLmlHfehQ

Married in May

I had the privilege of shooting Eric and Mallory Juntunen’s wedding yesterday in Fridley, MN. After a great afternoon of shooting, I wanted to post a couple shots. The couple was amazing to work with, and without even seeing their photos, gave me an incredibly generous tip. I have had a couple of weddings with eventful little surprises, and I’m glad to say I have another story to add to my growing repertoire. Before the wedding began, Mallory was saying she felt a little faint, so the maid of honor was quick to her side with a sandwich and glass of water. The ceremony began, everyone was in their place, and the vows were well under way. From the back I could see Mallory swaying side to side, I could see her mouth moving saying, “I’m so warm, I’m so warm.” She stumbled forward quickly, about to fall to the floor, when her dad jumped up from the first row and caught her. She was taken out of the chapel, and into the back to cool down (I think someone forgot to flip the air conditioner switch to ON). As she was taken out the back, it was the funny to see the upright bass and piano player look to each, and immediately jump right into Canon in D (nice save guys). A brief ten-minute intermission was all it took, and the wedding was back underway. One more walk up the isle with Father and Daughter, this time with a thunderous applause, and another chance at some photos I may have missed, thanks Mal! The vows were finished, the highly anticipated presentation of the couple was given, and the wedding was done with only one small bump in the road. You could see a sincere joy and happiness in all who attended, and more importantly a radiant excitement in the eyes of both Mallory and Eric. After the ceremony, dinner was served, and I was lucky enough to enjoy the delicious meal, not to mention the –to die for- vanilla and cream cheese wedding cake. There was genuine love in the eyes of both the bride and groom throughout the entire day and into the night. Every time the silver clanked against the champagne glass, the couple rose to the occasion, and treated their family and friends with a big ol’ kiss on the lips. Everyone in attendance was truly happy for the couple, and it was clear that they will have an amazing life together. I am greatly appreciative for their kindness and hospitality, as well as the opportunity to give them some beautiful memories in the form of photograph. The wedding was small, intimate, and clearly enjoyed by everyone in attendance, and was an honor and privilege to photograph.