One positive thing the pandemic has instigated, is reaching out to one another using various digital platforms. It has opened up our eyes for new ways of collaborating. Or rather, made us adapt to and learn to use technology already existing, but maybe haven’t familiarized ourselves with enough to utilize to the full potential in the past.
One such example is Frank Girolami’s blog Beach Walk Reflections: Thoughts from thinking while walking. Frank invites photographer to collaborate by sharing their images for his beach walks. In his latest post 29 – Sea, Frank invited me to such a collaborative effort. His words and my photos. The topic: the sea—naturally.
In the post, Frank reflects on the relationship between man and the sea. He walks the beach and contemplates about the endlessness of the sea, and how it connects with us human beings through time and history. Water is vital for any life on earth, and that transcends in Frank’s words into poetry and philosophic consideration. Mirrored and expanded by my photos.
Beach Walk Reflections is only a couple of months old. Frank wrote the introductory post in last October. The aim is to share his thoughts hoping to stimulate the readers’ thoughts. Frank and have been walking beaches together with his wife for many years, and that is the origin for the blog.
The blog may be new, but Frank has been blogging before. For many years he brought out A Frank Angle. After a break he is now back with Beach Walk Reflections
Take a look at our collaborative effort: 29 – Sea.
Photo Workshops and Tours in 2021
In the hope that the world will return to some normalcy and open up again, hopefully towards this summer, I and Blue Hour Photo Workshops are announcing new photos workshops for the later part of the year.
These are the workshops we plan to offer later this year:
“The Personal Expression”—a weekend in Bergen, Norway with focus on how to develop your personal, photographic expression. June 11th to 13th 2021.
”Telling Stories with the Camera”—five days in the beautiful village of Bleik in Northern Norway. A dream spot for any photographer. The focus will be on storytelling and the visual language. September 15th to 19th 2021.
”Photo Tour in Granada”—a week in Nicaragua for the adventures. We will explore the colonial city and its extraordinary countryside. November 6th to 12th 2021.
Are you interested in developing your photographic skills? Do you like to travel? Do you want to make your photos tell a story in a much stronger vocabulary? Find your own expression? Develop your vision and become more creative? Any of these workshops would take your photography to the next level. I promise you, you will be in for an amazing experience. Click any of the links for more info.
In Flow with Otto 
A lovely feature on the Beach blog!
I think it turned out very well. Thank you.
Thank you so much – not only for the collaboration but for this genuine endorsement. My readers loved your photos. First, I invite your readers to visit and leave a comment. I don’t bite. Secondly, if any photographers would like to collaborate on a future beach walk, see the Collaborators page. Believe me, I try to make it as easy as possible.
I can only that it was pure fun and yes, easy to collaborate with Frank.
Thank you,! 😀
loved that beach walk 🙂 and of course your pictures are wonderful, Otto!! xoxoxoxox
Thank you for your always positive feedback, Elaine.
Thank you, Elaine. I hope you return.
And a lovely collaboration it was. 🙂
It sure was fun.
Thanks, Dale!
🙂
Great project, Otto, for which I keep my fingerns crossed for you and your further beachwalks and reflections about the connections between the sea and man. Very best regards 🙂
Thank you, Martina. The future beach walks will be conducted by Frank, though. 🙂
🌻👍
Martina, so I invite you over for the latest walk on Changes. https://beachwalkreflections.wordpress.com/2021/01/19/30-changes/
That’s great, Frank, but you know, I shall arrive on foot:):) Very best regards Martina
🙂
Spotted your lovely photos over at Frank’s earlier today, Otto. Loved the opener with all that sky 🙂 🙂
Jo … Thanks for coming over to visit Otto.
He was in my Reader, hon 🙂
Thank you, Jo.
I love taking walks on the beach, it always opens my mind to what I would never expect. There is something spectacular about it’s being endless. I always get the answer to questions I had for so long just looking at the sea. Thank you for the post:)
U-Man,
Because you are a beach walker, I invite you to join me at Beach Walk Reflections. I post three times per week, and here’s the most recent. https://beachwalkreflections.wordpress.com/2021/01/19/30-changes/
Thanks Frank, for sure will do:)
And thank you for visiting. 🙂
Dear Otto,
we love the mood the first picture is radiating. In a way that’s the positive side of America.
All the best, keep well
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you, Klausbernd. And likewise to both of you.
I love the photo of the man playing the trombone, some thing I would delight in discovering if I were walking about. Water is life! We are protesting the government’s decision to allow exploration of coalmines in the eastern edge of the Rocky mountains, signing petitions against them being near important waterways.
Good luck with the fight against coal mining. We need to reduce to use of coal, not increase it. And, yes, you are so right, water is life.
We made some progress at stopping some leases and saving some rivers and everything downstream, but it is just a drop in the bucket.
Jane,
Not only thanks for stopping by, good luck on your project.
Good luck with your workshops Otto. The kind of landscape photography I do may not be the most imaginative but it does come from me without influence from others. This is when I can be happy and proud of what I do. All too often I see others going out to get a shot they have seen from another photographer to put their name on it. It feels desperate to get a shot that doesn’t come from ones own discovery.
Yes, all captivating photography comes from within. I still think it’s fine to be influenced by and get ideas from others. In the end, though, comes from the heart. Like your photos, indeed.
Inspiration is fine but setting out to get the same image you saw from someone else is different IMHO. It robs the original creator of their individuality.
I remember Frank from A Frank Angle. It’s good to see him back at it. Thanks for sharing his new blog so I can visit.
SPP,
Now that’s quite the memory … and thanks for stopping by for a beach walk!
I hope you enjoy Frank’s new blog.
I have. Thank you.
First of all my compliments to Frank and his work. More than ever, the internet and it’s social platforms bring people together in a safe way. I also opened some pages on your site Otto and found out about your trips and you photography. It would be an honour to follow you. Kind regards, Rudi
Rudi,
Thank you for your kind words. I visited your site and cheers to your love both for nature and for capturing it. Hope to see you on future beach walks.
Thank you for the lovely words. I am delighted that you want o follow me. 🙂
Hey Otto good news about your workshops … I’m sure you are looking forward to them. Nice to pop over to Frank’s blog. The image with the expanse of sky is super …
Julie … Thank you for stopping by … and I hope you return.
Thank you, Julie. I do look forward to be able to teach workshops again. It still remains to see when it will be possible.
Good work Otto, much drama in the first photo but personally I prefer the second one, the man playing trombone, music is food of love …and we all need much love now 🙂
Music and love is closely connected. And I agree, we do need much love these days.
A wonderful collaboration. Frank’s blog is very engaging.
For sire, it was really fun to collaborate like this.