Unspoiled Rotten

Beamer is your typical spoiled American with plenty of time for goofing off.  His initials are BMW so he goes by Beamer.  He likes to drive Dad's Lexus.

Kristina is a real drama queen whose productions include dramatizations of her anxiety over simple household chores.  She also has plenty of free time, and spends most of it in a dream-like state. 

Beamer and Kristina are bored and want to do something fun.  They tell Mom they want to go horseback riding.  Mom says, "Funds are low, you're gonna have to work for it."

Mom makes calls, and they're off to the ranch.

There's plenty of work to do around here.  Things like:

Shoveling

Pitching

Hauling

Milking

Feeding

Chasing

                Catching            

                    . . . And finally,

. . . the reward!

Along the way they realized a few things . . .

Life looks different here . . .

The pace is different . . .

Beamer doesn't usually smile . . .

Today is different.


Unspoiled Rotten

Books Not Bombs - Greg Mortenson Lecture

As author of bestselling "Three Cups of Tea," and "Stones into Schools," Greg Mortenson is a sought after lecturer who speaks at Dixie State College on March 31, 2011. 

Greg begins by discussing the warrior culture where children are enlisted to fight and kill.  If taught early enough their consciences become disengaged and they no longer value life.  Divergent lines in this photo intimate they are in different worlds.  But they are not.  Since we all know someone or of someone who has fought the war on terror, we know this is not just a problem in some distant part of the globe, it is a local problem.

Greg is passionate about educating girls and women.  He states that if you can educate a female to just the fifth grade, infant mortality drops, the population explosion slows and basic quality of life increases.  Also, females tend to educate others, and educated females usually discourage their children from becoming warriors and gang members.

Two of the many children who donated to Greg's Pennies for Peace campaign.  The McNamee boys raised $556 at their school.

Ethan and Maxwell McNamee are just two normal kids who did something extraordinary.

The joyful work of an altruistic cause. 

At the Dove Center Benefit Dinner, each person paid $100 to participate.   It is estimated that $35,000 will be raised for the cause.

The dinner is sold out.

Greg has a chance to visit at each table for a minute or two.

Greg's wonderful smile.

He is a very good listener and has a knack for getting close to people.

The opulence we enjoy when compared to the near starvation conditions in much of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Light colors and an airy sense of comfort illustrate more of the ease we live with.

Someone paid $100 for this boy to be here.  He is a symbol of hope for the future.  One of the things Greg stresses is the need for Americans to learn to listen better, show more respect and build better relationships.  He believes that books not bombs are the answer to the problems in the Middle East.

Greg's New York Times bestselling books.

Shoot Tight - Villa Gardens

With tight shots images are compressed.

The two columns on the left look like they are one and the same.

In tight configurations context is lost, making it even more important
to have interesting subjects and designs.

In close-ups texture is gained.

                               

Shoot Wide - Bella Vista

Bella Vista is a community that combines beautiful man-made structures with naturally spectacular surroundings.

Shooting wide enhances the natural openness of the environment  In this shot skies remain big, but there is the perceived security of walls and trees on each side.

Several layers of scenery make total sense because of the broad view.

With wide perspective the viewer catches a sensation of being completely connected to both earth and sky.

Soaring cloud patterns seem more grand with wider perspective.