Northwest Open Space PhotoWalk Recap

“Sometimes I arrive just when God's ready to have someone click the shutter.”  ~ Ansel Adams

What is a PhotoWalk anyway?

A PhotoWalk is an event where a group of people show up with a camera in hand with the intention of capturing a moment, and learn a few things about photography along the way. For our last PhotoWalk we choose to explore the Northwest Open Space in San Juan Capistrano.

Click here to view all of our photos.  

& This time we put the "walk" in photowalk, pretty much wearing out the "littles" as +Juli Isola calls them. There are so many great things to capture this time of year, from mustard greens blooming their vibrant yellow flowers, water flowing thru the creek, to buzzards flying overhead and lizards and turtles scurrying underfoot. You could feel the valley coming alive in spring,

I would like to thank everyone who showed up and encourage you to grab your camera and come with us next time, we will be glad you did.

What is a photowalk anyway?  PhotoWalks are our way to be "the lens" of Spirit. And So It Is!

See What Is In San Clemente

VR Green Farms PhotoWalk

Today our Joyous Living Journal reminds us to "See What Is" I love that especially after the great photowalk we had last Saturday.  It was originally scheduled for the prior weekend, but after the heavy rains on Friday, and the forecast for even more on Saturday, We saw what was coming and put it off for seven days. And are we were lucky we did.  When we got to VR Green Farms, located just up the hill and right out in front of the Center For Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley, we were greeted with temps in the mid 70's, and the greenness that only follows a rainy day here in Southern California. Our featured photographer was our very own Ella McClure, who may be short on stature but is tall on spirit and has a good eye for capturing what is.

Click Here to pick thru everyone's shots from the day and thumb up your favorites.

PhotoWalking, A Great Way To See & Share What Is.

Hope to see you at the next one!

Saturday Photowalk With Arpad Petrass

Come explore Salt Creek on this months San Clemente Connected PhotoWalk with our featured photographer Arpad Petrass

Inspiration is Therapy 

Where Salt Creek Beach Park

33333 S. Pacific Coast Hwy. Dana Point, CA 92629
Date: Saturday- February 8th
Time 3:30-5:30PM
Click Here To Sign Up! 

• Lots of opportunity to take pictures here. 
• Large park for the kids 
• Practice portrait photography on the beach 
• Shoot the sunset 
• Take pictures from the golf course overlooking the beach 
• Take Pictures from the Ritz Carlton

Arpad says that “Photography should delight and excite the senses." There are so many magical moments in life that if you were to just stop, pause and look around, you could begin to experience life’s extraordinary beauty. "Just by giving ourselves the ‘gift’ of opening our eyes and be willing to see clearly, we will experience the wonder and magic on this planet like never before."

"Photography can be classical, whimsical, realistic, dramatic,breath taking or artistic. It can be created through the eye of just the photographer and his camera or enhanced and embellished in a lab. What really matters is not how the photograph was created, but what emotions that photograph invoked in you. Did you want to own it, experience it, taste it, be it or do it. After all, this is our life, what we experience and believe about the world , is our perception of it. “ 

If you don't already know Arpad come to "Not just another Wednesday Wisdom" here at our center tomorrow at 7pm

Beauty is a dynamic event that occurs between you and something else. Beauty is thus an altered state of consciousness, an extraordinary moment between poetry and grace.  And So It Is!  

Reframe: Seeing Is A Selective Choice. ~ Chris Orwig

“Sometimes I arrive just when God's ready to have someone click the shutter.” ― Ansel Adams

Photography used to be an elective or a hobby that some of us pursued. Yet, the tide has changed and we are all photographers. Photography isn't optional. Yet, getting good at photography is a choice. And it's an endeavor that is worth pursuing with determination and force.

Because getting better at photography can further your creative output and growth in your work and personal life. In other words, the better photographs you capture, the more you thrive.

Watch the above video on why photography matters and how you can improve your own craft.

Sun, December 8, 3:30pm – 5:30pm Click to sign up!  

Now that you have watched Chris Orwig and his almost metaphysical take on photography I hope that it inspires you to come out and take part in our next installment of San Clemente Connected PhotoWalks

We thought it would be a nice time of year to practice our portraiture skills, so come dressed for the season, be ready to have your picture taken, and to take seasonal pictures of everyone else! (Sunset at 4:42pm)

The Featured photographer this month is San Clemente Pier Bowl local, professional portrait photographer and our Center's very own Juli Isola.  Walk with us and learn some of her great tips to use along the way!

“There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes.”  ― Abraham Lincoln

Hidden Trestles PhotoWalk This Saturday

One of the exciting things about our center moving to San Clemente is all of the great stuff we have to get out and explore. Come with us on World Wide PhotoWalk day this Saturday to discover "Hidden Trestles"

What do we mean by "Hidden Trestles?"

Trestles is a world renowned surf break but unless you're a surfer you may have never walked down to this secluded beach. There's a lot going on down there at the south end of town, stuff you just don't see as you scream down the freeway.

We start on Cristianitos, from that point we see many different things, a view of the north end of Camp Pendleton, a military recreation of an urban scape, an ancient indian burial ground and a vibrant underground art scene.

We will have inside information with our guide Juli Faith, local street art and graffiti photographer. Plan to get dirty on this leg of the trip. We are going off road to check out the urban landscape which lives under I-5 and old Highway 101.

Reemerging to old Highway 1 we continue our trek down the road to the surfing mecca of the continental United States.

Trestles. You won't get this in the tour book.  Click HERE to sign up!