Nate’s Notes: Gotta Listen. Gotta Work.

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Amanda

The other day we went on a field adventure to a place where people used to catch a lot of fishies and shrimpies. Lyla was wearing Momma on her back while Daddy and I walked around a super neat place by the water. It was some sort of park. In a state. There were boats, and sticks, rocks, hills and buildings. It started out great! I had my listening ears on, Momma and Daddy were smiling and taking pictures, Lyla was…well, doing what Lyla does- growling. Daddy gave me his camera to practice shots. After all, I gotta work with a camera now, not just write. The sun was just right, not too hot, not too cold. I found this stuff on the ground under a tree, and decided it was a good place to take pictures. “Pictoos? Pictoos of dat Dadda?”, I asked as he watched me. “Sure Mr. Man…I’ll help you,” he answered back.

Tree Skin. Gross.

I pointed and asked my favorite question, “Whhhaats dat?” For the biggest effect, I like to ask this about eleventeen times in a row. “That is…the skin of the tree. It’s coming off the tree and landing here,” Daddy answered. That. Is. Just. Gross. Worried, I looked at my own skin and then back at the tree, and then to the ground.

It’s possible this is what set me off, or maybe it was the salt air, but my listening ears kind of fell off, like the tree skin. After finishing my pictures of the tree skin, I looked around and noticed Momma and Lyla ahead. Camera still in hand, I ran down the hill after them. I could hear Daddy yelling in back of me, but somehow his “no’s and stop’s” sounded like, “run away faster”! I was almost to them when I was lifted straight off the ground. Daddy grabbed my overalls and hauled me into his arms. Uh-oh. He had his angry eyes on. I turned around to see Momma…yep, she had her angry eyes on too.

There was a big story about listening, not running away, being careful, not getting hurt, not having the camera alone, and some other stuff. The story wasn’t as cool as Papa’s stories. I heard some of it, but mostly just started hearing the birds tweeting, Lyla growling, and the songs in my head. It would TOTALLY have been Daddy’s fault if I had dropped the camera. I was just trying to work. I gotta work! After a little bit of silence and angry-eye blinking, I summarized for them. “Not a good idea, Nate.”

Because my listening ears fell off, I didn’t get to take more pictures on our field adventure, AND, had to wear Daddy in the front of my backpack. Their loss. I could have taken so many cool pictures. I guess you’ll just have to settle for theirs. Maybe next time. Gotta listen. Gotta work.

Nate’s Notes: Promotion

Nate’s Notes: “I Hee a Twain!”

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Amanda

We went on a field adventure a couple days ago. It was Momma, Daddy, me and Lyla- yes, she seems to come everywhere with us…still. <sigh>. Anyway, it rained that morning so I didn’t think we were going on our adventure, but Daddy says rain won’t stop us! After lunch we climbed in the car, cameras and all, and were off. Some songs, a nap and hours later, we arrived to bright sun and wind. I don’t mind the wind- it tickles my face and blows Momma’s hair all over! Silly wind.

We started hiking. I wore Daddy on my front and Lyla wore Momma on her back. We hiked. And we hiked some more until we saw big big water! It went as far as I could see, was really blue and made me smile. Momma call it the ocean where fishies, whales, and sharks live with lots of other creatures. “Baaaby shark- do do-do do do do. Baby shark!” Oh- sorry, not song time.

Anyway, right by the big water, we saw a house all by itself on the edge of rocks! Why did someone live right there? Because Momma freaks me out and can tell what I’m thinking before I talk, she started telling me that this was a lighthouse. After I asked her to get out of my head, she said it was to help boats in the water when they can’t see, so they don’t get lost. Boats have eyes? A bright light shines and a loud horn sounds so the boats know where the rocks are and don’t get hurt. Driving here, we actually saw a boat that looked hurt. It was old and not in water. It looked broken and sad. Guess it didn’t hear the horn or see the light.

Just then, the horn sounded! That wasn’t a horn, it was a train, I swear! “I hee a twain! I hee a twain!! Pretty soon a twain coming!” I yelled into the wind. Momma and Daddy both smiled and shook their heads at me. They kept telling me there was no train, that it was from the lighthouse. Ummm….no. I’m pretty sure I know what a train sounds like. Pfff. Big people think they know everything. Won’t they be surprised when the train comes! I didn’t see any tracks, but maybe after we climb down the hill on all those steps there will be tracks.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

No tracks. Just many eleventeen steps, cool rocks, the house, the light, lots of wind, lots of water and the train horn. It was kind of amazing and lovely out on that point. It had a name- I think Momma called it “rays”. We stayed for awhile, enough to make me sleepy as we watched the big water, flying birds and boats. Someday, when I don’t have to carry Daddy around on my front, I’ll go back and walk all those steps to see the lighthouse again. The train never came, but it was one of my favorite adventures so far!

On the ride home, Momma and Daddy told me that their light will always be on and I’ll always know where they are so I won’t ever get lost. What. Are. They. Talking. About???? So cryptic sometimes…like they think they are a lighthouse now and I’m a boat??? It’s just exhausting sometimes trying to figure them out.

TMG Philosophy: Balance

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Amanda

Most people, seemingly, struggle to juggle life’s demands whether they are personal, social, family or work commitments. We may even be pushing the limits of our daily time allotment to see how much can be accomplished in 24 hours. Less and less down time is “scheduled” into our lives.

Personally, turning “off” the go button for me has always taken great effort, and probably will always take extra discipline. Though I’ve usually been aware of my fight to find balance, it hasn’t been until the last couple years that I’ve worked so hard to achieve that stability.

Two years ago, I was an office manager who worked too many hours and days, had an amazing husband of 10 years, lived in a lovely home with our puppies, and yearned for a day we would become parents. I didn’t hate my job, but I wasn’t happy. My husband and I filled our calendar squares with working, camping trips, hikes, fishing and hunting trips, dinners with friends and family, movie dates, dinner dates, and alone time.

Then came Nathaniel who will be 2 years old on Wednesday. Then came a major work change from office manager to working from home doing something I get pleasure from every day at The Transmogrifier. Then came Lyla, 7 months old. So now, here I am, given an incredible gifts of my babies, being at home with them, and the opportunity to work with other creative people. I get to do artistic and original work every day whether it is writing or photography and all that comes with it.

Never before have I felt I’m where I should be. Never before have I felt such happiness in all areas of my life. Never before have I struggled so much to find balance. Our calendar squares and the hours each square encompasses are filled with baby memories, field adventures, taking pictures, writing, picking, laughing, teaching our kids and learning from them. Now the work that fills my squares brings me such pleasure I have to compel myself to stop. Or, when I’m not doing it, I find myself pulling away from other things to focus on work.

It occurred to me the other day that my work and family life/free time are no longer neatly compartmentalized, but are seamlessly becoming jumbled up together. Our family vacations, field adventures, and road trips are full of image photography opportunities, blog entry inspirations and family memories. To a multi-tasker like me, that seems pretty darn cool! I get to check multiple things off my list with one event! Win win win! Or is it?

That depends on me. A few weeks ago on a field adventure with our babies and my husband, Chad, I realized with no small amount of horror that I was losing my balance. Or maybe I had lost my balance. We were out taking pictures, stopping at the San Francisco Zoo and the Japanese Tea Gardens. Throughout the day, Nate kept tugging on me, beckoning me. I can still hear his eager voice, “Momma! Momma! Momma! Mom! Mommy!”. Each time, I told him to wait. Each time, I barely acknowledged him because I didn’t want to miss my shot. I had work to do. I couldn’t be bothered with the love and exuberance of my son.

It wasn’t until I was lying in bed that night that I realized I hadn’t ever stopped to discover what Nate was so excited to show me. Epic fail. I then began wondering how many other times I had done this to him. How many times had I dismissed him or my husband? I was most certainly out of balance. With renewed vigor and effort, I have begun the battle to regain some balance.

Having a balanced life is different for each person as we all have different components that make up our wheels of life. But I do really believe it is realistic to get to a balanced place, even if the glitches come. The glitches will come. It comes down to with what and how we choose to fill our calendar squares. There is that word again: choices. We choose, for the most part, what and how much of what comes first in our lives. Quality and quantity. Obviously this fluctuates on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. But we have a large say in how busy we are…and being busy all the time doesn’t mean we are more productive or more fulfilled, necessarily. It might just mean we are busier. And that might mean we are missing moments and opportunities, like I did with my son.

Nate’s Notes: Lions, Tigers, and…Tea?

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Amanda

So I got to pull an adventure paper out of our tin, you know, that whole Drawing Game thing where you never actually get to draw. Anyway…I pulled the paper and ran. Who doesn’t like a game of chase? After Momma caught me and gave me that look…she took the paper and smiled really big. I smiled back and waited…and waited…and….waited. Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! I started jumping up and down and running in circles in the kitchen. The waiting was driving me crazy…or at least that seemed like a good reason to act crazy.

Then she told me: The San Francisco Zoo and Japanese Tea Gardens!! Lions and tigers and bears oh my!!! And the zoo train! “Twain! Twain! Twain!” I shouted. I’m not ashamed to admit I may have spit a little bit…and drooled too when I shouted train. Come on, like you’ve never gotten that excited!?! Don’t judge me people.

Yea, so after 2 more nights sleeping in my big boy bed, we get to go to the zoo and ride the train and see the elephants and pet the goats and and and… Whew. I’m so excited I just peed my pants!!! Again…you are going to judge me??? A toddler in potty training??? C’mon!!!

Oh yea, and we have to take pictures. Lots of pictures. Always lots of pictures. Pictures of this…pictures of that. But we’ll be at the zoo so I don’t care how Momma acts! She’ll just blend in with the animals and stuff.

Wait, what’s a “Tea Garden”? Do we just go drink tea? But I’m not allowed to drink tea. Oh goodness. Hmmm…oh well, I get to go to the zoo!

RSWL: National Parks

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Amanda

Okay, the past few RSWL entries have admittedly been related to my recent road trip…and this one is no different! I still have some residual fuel from that adventure! If you read Nate’s Notes, you may remember we stopped at a few National Parks, National Monuments, and National Historic Sites on our journey to and from Minnesota. We LOVE, not just like, National Parks.

It’s August! You may wonder what August has to do with National Parks. Well, it just so happens the National Park Service turns 97 on August 25th! Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their National Parks. That’s 97 years of protecting land, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close-to-home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun. Together with volunteers and park partners, the National Park Service safeguards more than 400 places to share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year.

Death Valley National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Since we here at The Transmogrifier are kind of number obsessed (i.e. how many photos can we take, how many photos can we upload in a day, how many brick textures can we amass…), I thought I’d break down the National Park Service by some numbers.

11,700,000,000 visitors
121,603,193 objects in museum collections
97,417,260 volunteer hours
84,000,000 acres of land
4,502,644 acres of oceans, lakes, reservoirs
2,482,104 volunteers
85,049 miles of perennial rivers and streams
68,561 archeological sites
43,162 miles of shoreline
27,000 historic structures
2,461 national historic landmarks
582 national natural landmarks
400 endangered species
401 national parks
49 national heritage areas
1 mission: The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

Preserving history, protecting nature, and creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn isn’t just some “Random Stuff We Like”. It’s something we are extremely passionate about. It’s something we support on every level. Seriously. That’s why our team decided to offer our images for free to National Parks, as well as State Parks, Non-Profit Museums and any other Non-Profit Organization whose purpose is to educate people about history or nature and preserve it. That’s how much we believe in supporting these organizations. Seriously.

Have you checked out our Gallery of National Park images? We have 16 of the 401 represented so far. Never fear, we aren’t even close to done visiting, photographing and uploading our Nation’s parks and landmarks.

So, bet you can’t guess where I’ll be with my family on August 25^th! Any guesses? I’ll give you a hint: It starts with “National” and ends in “Park”…and sounds like “Yosemite”. **Big Smile**

Sources: wikipedia.org & nps.gov

RSWL: Maps

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Amanda

Maps. Yep, they are part of that random stuff we like. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed maps. We took many cross country road trips as a family, and my parents always encouraged us kids to help with the maps and navigation. As a gangly, awkward kid on the open roads headed to the Midwest, I learned about east, west, north and south; I learned about looking ahead on the map, counting the miles between towns; I learned about how to approximate how much time it would take to get to the next town; I learned how what I saw out my window corresponded to what I saw on paper; I learned there was more than one way to get to our destination.

Now, as an awkward adult, I yearn for that open road, a good old-fashioned map (sorry Tom Tom) and the opportunities to learn from the journey. Now, as we travel thousands of miles across a dozen states, through the middle of the country and back, I yearn to share the adventures a map can bring with my kids, even if they are too young.

Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site

This road trip has reminded me how fun it is to use a map, searching for the name of the mountains to our right, finding the name of the highest peak. These miles have avowed the love of maps fostered in me as a child. If I hadn’t been studying the map in Wyoming, I wouldn’t have asked to stop at the Wyoming Territorial Prison where Butch Cassidy was an inmate so long ago. And that unplanned stop was one of the highlights of our trip.

Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site

So grab a friend…grab a map…grab a car…get on the road…and see what you can find!

RSWL: Day Trips & Adventures

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Amanda

One of the major changes in my life in the last year has been not only how I work or what I work on, but where I work. Yes, I work from home, in my home, etc. More specifically, though, I am referring to the field adventures I take for photographs. I absolutely LOVE these. Sometimes these are quick outings by myself into town or for a particular set of shots. More often than not, they involve one baby on my back (or front), and sometimes they include my husband, Chad, and another baby on his back. These field adventures range from a couple hours to a full day depending on how far away the destination. These day- long trips, or day trips, are my favorite, seeming like a mini vacation, taking us on fantastic adventures.

I keep an inventory of the places or subject matters we need photos of (ummm…like, EVERY THING and EVERY PLACE), and we go down the list. Recently, we made it more of a random pick by writing all the current choices on scrap papers which we will take turns drawing from a tin in order to determine our destination.

Our day trips might take us to the zoo, to a nearby city or town, a lumber mill, cemetery, to the ocean, to historic forts, to nearby state parks, even national parks, to bridges, farmland, wineries, museums and more. We are a curious and adventurous family, hungry to learn and see new things. Our explorations teach us new things, even if it’s to a place we’ve visited 5 times before. Each time, we see it with different eyes. Sometimes, if we’re returning to a place, we’ll take a different route there, exploring new things along the way. There is a surprise around each corner, if you pay attention.

The adventures also get us involved in active learning. Often it is worth it to do some research ahead of time when we plan our destination. Just a half hour on Google before leaving enhances our outing and encourages us to look things from different angles and with a greater appreciation. Day trips let us be adventurous, support our sense of exploration, and give us enough of a break from daily life to keep things interesting.

From our location in Northern California, I think my favorite day trip destination is San Francisco and the surrounding areas because of the vast number of places to see. We could make the 75 mile trip each weekend for half the year and not run out of adventures. We recently went to the Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field and Fort Point. If you’re ever in the area, these are a must see for you structure enthusiasts. Nate will undoubtedly write about it soon!

Fort Point, San Francisco

Our whole team at The Transmogrifier is passionate about our day trips and long weekend adventures. We also love suggestions…so anytime you have one for a location that inspires great photos, or a learning opportunity, please let us know.

I’m off to plan our next day trip! What was the last day adventure you had and where did it take you?

Nate’s Notes: The Drawing Game

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Amanda

I know, I thought we were going to be using color crayons too. What do you expect (wink wink- even though both my eyes still close when I try to wink) when you hear “draw”? Well, Momma and Daddy said they were going to need my help with a game. They called it “The Drawing Game”. Naturally, I went to find my color crayons and tried to sneak in some highlighters and markers. Momma quickly took the highlighters and markers away. Not cool. After being ignored when I threw myself on the floor thrashing in an attempt to get the markers back, I picked myself up, forgot about the markers, and decided to see what they meant. I joined them at the table where they were writing on small pieces of paper.

I made a mad swipe at all the papers and ran, eager to see what they were about. Daddy grabbed my overalls and hauled me back to the table. Man. Did I mention they are soooo serious sometimes??!!! After resigning myself to standing there, marker-less and confused, they told me what they were doing. Momma decided our list of field adventures for pictures was long and taking up too much room on the whiteboard in our kitchen. She also said she wanted to add some fun to the family decision-making process and asked me what I thought about that. I blinked at her (not winked) and thought to myself, “she DOES realize I am not even two right? Family decision-making process? What does that even MEAN????” . She clearly took my blinking as a cooperative gesture because she responded, “Good! I’m glad you like it Nate, because you get to draw the first adventure.” Well, who doesn’t like a good game of Pictionary???!!! THIS boy does! So I ran to get my color crayons. Daddy grabbed my overalls and hauled me back to the table once again. They are SO confusing. Do they want my help or not??

Momma said we could crumple the pieces of paper and put them in the old coffee tin. She told me what some of them said as we crumpled. Golden Gate Bridge; Rodeo; SF Zoo; Armstrong Woods; Point Reyes Lighthouse; SF Japanese Tea Gardens; Pier 39; Giants Ballpark; Healdsburg Playground; Monterey; Mendocino; Fort Ross; Downtown Napa; Santa Rosa Air Museum; Angel Island; Alcatraz; China Camp State Park; Yosemite; Camping; Fort Point; Aquarium; Howarth Park; and Spring Lake. Then she explained that “draw” is a complicated verb with many meanings. Yes, I can draw with my color crayons. I could even draw with highlighters and markers if she’d put on her fun-Momma cap and let me. Well, this time, draw meant to pull out one of the pieces of paper from the tin. Whatever- your language is so bizarre sometimes. I’m just trying to learn it.

So, here goes…my turn to draw the first field adventure! Got it! And we’re going to…

Nate’s Notes: Exploring

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Amanda

One of the field adventures that is most fun is when we go to empty and old buildings. Momma calls them a….ab…abanana…no, abandoned! We get to explore them. They are a little strange, like everybody just vanished. Someone must have mentioned nap time. But really, you go to these warehouses, old hospitals, empty homes or schools, and there is no one there…but sometimes there are still things, like a doll, a picture on the wall, a chair or desk, or a cola machine. So strange. Momma gets really quiet in these buildings, like she is either thinking or sad. She gets quiet in cemeteries too.

Tell me this isn’t spooky!!

On the way home, she talks about the stories from the buildings. What stories? I didn’t see any books. Whatever. It feels like someone just forgot about these places, or like when I just get tired of my toys and put them away. Actually, can I tell you a secret? They kind of scare me, like when I wake up at night and can’t see Momma or Daddy. Don’t tell Momma though, ‘cause I want to show her how brave I am. I’m a big boy, almost 2. Besides, with Little Lyla along now, I have to teach that baby girl how to do things even if you’re scared. Even though I get spooked out, I feel safe with Momma and Daddy there. I know that if he needed to, Daddy would break out his super hero skills. AAAA! Did you hear that? Okay…I can do this. Breathing. Breathing. I guess it’s pretty cool. Back to exploring!

RSWL: Abandoned Buildings and Objects

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Amanda

Leaning House, Oregon

As someone who scares easily, it hardly makes sense to me that I am drawn to abandoned buildings. Not in an every-day-must-be-near-them-or-else kind of way. But with my camera in hand, I seem to gravitate to these vacant and neglected buildings. That isn’t to say that I am not a little spooked, even frightened, when venturing to these structures. Fortunately, with my little guy, Mr. Nate, on my back I become brave, if nothing else, to show him it’s okay to be scared.

So what is it about these abandoned places? Why go if these eerie buildings spook me? Well, besides the amazing compositions, lighting and setting they provide for photographs, they have a story. Sometimes the story is obvious. Sometimes the story is tragic. Sometimes I make up the story. Sometimes the story gives me perspective. Sometimes the story inspires me. Sometimes the story comes out in the photographs. While it is creepy, it is also fascinating to step back into these forgotten and forsaken structures.

In the desolate, my senses are heightened. I am on alert, ever ready to bolt if need be! I see further. The details pop. The beauty in the rust, mold, shattered glass, burned beams and leaning doorways floods my eyes. The smells of the rooms accent the story forming in my head. Although I have to be more aware in the beautiful hazards surrounding me, my brain feels clearer as I look for the perfectly framed shots in the chaos.

Sure, it’s thrilling to photograph the abandoned and imagine the stories, but it is also about respect. When I, and the others on our Transmogrifier team, take pictures of these buildings, we feel honored to chronicle the past, and preserve a moment in time, even if it is after the main story. Next time you travel by an abandoned building, consider its story, its history, give it due reflection…and then contact us so we can photograph it!

Incredibly Creepy Abandoned Building Photographs

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Tag Archives: tmgimagery.com

Nate’s Notes: Gotta Listen. Gotta Work.

Nate’s Notes: “I Hee a Twain!”

TMG Philosophy: Balance

Nate’s Notes: Lions, Tigers, and…Tea?

RSWL: National Parks

RSWL: Maps

RSWL: Day Trips & Adventures

Nate’s Notes: The Drawing Game

Nate’s Notes: Exploring

RSWL: Abandoned Buildings and Objects

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