Trapped...!

Trapped by what you say?

Trapped by our habits, thoughts, fears, and anything else that keeps us from doing what we feel inside that we should do. Trapped by whatever keeps us from fighting the good fight.

This was shot in Rome, Italy, at the Roman Forum.

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An interesting story:

Friday afternoon I sat in on a promotion test at the Tae Kwon Do Dojang that I am a part of. I was not testing myself, but as a Black Belt, I was invited by the Master to sit in at the judging table during the test to learn about judging.

During a promotion test, the person testing will always have a board break as part of the test, and sometimes several boards depending on their level. I was holding the board to be broken by one of our younger students. He was supposed to break it with a front snap kick, using the ball of his foot. It is a very simple break really, and especially if you have already done it before. Back when I first did it, I was very apprehensive about it, and spent weeks doing toe stretches in preparation. (Who wants a broken toe?)

The student, bless his heart, kicked the board and didn't break it. I groaned inwardly, because he hadn't hit it near hard or fast enough. He tried again. And again. Try as he might, he didn't seem to be able to muster the power to break it. Not because he couldn't, but because he wouldn't. He began to kick it repeatedly, more timidly with each kick.

As you might imagine, all that does is hurt your foot. The Master got sort of impatient with him, and I wondered why he was being so hard on him. It was then that I had the clear impression that there was a greater lesson in the works here. The student had plenty of power to make the break, but he was too afraid of the board for some reason. There was one kick when he almost did it, and I could feel the difference, but after that he reverted back to his weak kick.

Later on that evening as I sat and reflected on the day, I realized that the lesson had been for me as much as it had been for the student. I suppose that was why I got asked to hold the board. Not because the Master was trying to teach me, but some greater teacher was at work that afternoon. How many boards am I scared of? Scared of them even though inwardly, I have plenty of power to break them, if I just would.

Fading...

One early morning in Italy, the group went out to photograph and I went with them. After we had been out there a couple of hours then we stopped at a little shop to have breakfast. I wandered away from everyone else down this side street and I took this picture.

While I was standing there with the camera on the tripod, then I called my sister Naomi. Or she called me. I cannot recall for sure but in any case, I hugged the phone with one shoulder while I talked to her and continued to make adjustments to the settings of the camera for this shot.

She was getting married close around that time and I had helped her with some of the arrangments for the invitations, the location for the wedding, the reception, etc. I had set a lot of it up and then I left for Italy, so I was touching base with her to make sure of some minor details.

I had been in Italy for about a week, and the style of the photographers I was there with was driving me mad. It was totally different then how I did things, and as nice as they were, hanging out with them every day was really starting to wear on me. That morning, I was extra frustrated. To top it off, I felt very homesick. When I talked to Naomi then it was early morning for me, and it was late night for her. She had that characteristic late night giggle of hers, and it was really great to talk with her. It was really what I needed at the time. Yet at the same time, I knew that things were changing soon, beause she was getting married. Something of my feelings that day made it into this shot.

The Colosseum...

Let's switch gears for a moment here. This is the Colosseum in Rome. I was there for four days and there was one photo that I was really after, and that was of the Colosseum. I guess it was because my dad always used to talk about how he visited it when he was a young man. Anyway, I spent a while getting this shot. As is normal, I found the spot the day before and came back the next evening and set up early and waited for the light.

The Colosseum was a lot different then I expected it to be. I just never realized that it was so surrounded by the city. A busy road drives almost all the way around it. I was in a taxi cab and as we were driving along, all of a sudden there it was. It just sort of jumped out at me.

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Other shots from Italy:

Fading...

Name Trama...

It's places like this that exist right in the middle of the city that fascinate me. I love them. This is a small, but peacful and serene little pond nestled in the little town of Greely, Colorado. It was so peaceful that I fell asleep sitting next to a tree for three or so hours.
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I am having some name trama. As it turns out, there is a lady in Texas already running a business under the name of Spirit Photography. I could use it anyway, because I am in Utah, but I want to be original. So I have gone back to the drawing board for a company name. It is proving rather difficult to come up with what I want.

I the meantime, I will simply be doing business as Alma G Naylor, Photographer. My web address will remain the same for the present.