Desert Storm, Martin Luther King Jr., Man In The Mirror and Selfies

Okay, so I could have titled this blog post something generic like "Starting Again" or "Mid-January Reflection," but I wanted to be specific in the title with what I'm saying for this post. With the start of the new year, many people are in celebration of it and look forward to a fresh start in a sense. It's mid-January and I still feel like it's a time for reflection and renewal, as if I needed these first couple weeks of the new year to really get things in gear. Maybe others feel the same way, and this middle of the month is still a good time, just like any day to get a good start to the year. This day in history marks a couple important events to me, as I'll describe them below.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today is the day Martin Luther King Jr. was born. I admire MLK Jr. for what he has done in his life. There are several quotes that I want to list here on this post which is a reminder for me in life. The Lincoln Memorial is the site of MLK Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. There is also a MLK Jr. Memorial in DC, not far from the Lincoln Memorial. I have visited the MLK Jr. Memorial several times and have taken pictures there. I think it's best to take pictures of this memorial near sunrise or sunset. The first picture below was taken behind some tree branches to and the focus is on the statue. The second picture was taken near sunset as the sun sets to the West. You don't want to wait too long or else there won't be as much light on the statue of MLK. Natural light is best in this case.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

Operation Desert Storm
Another reason why this day in history is important to me is that it was the UN deadline for Iraq to withdraw its forces from occupied Kuwait, which then became Operation Desert Storm. On this day, I was concerned for what was going to happen over in Iraq and how it would affect people there and our country here. It was this day that I decided to do what I can to become a "new man" and do what I could to discover my potential and strive for living well and to do the right thing.

Man In The Mirror
On this day I can't help but think of that song Man in the Mirror sung by Michael Jackson. It was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. The recording was produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Jackson. I wanted to share the first several verses and the chorus. These are some powerful verses and it's an impacting song and it can apply to anyone.

"I'm gonna make a change
For once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right"

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change"

The Selfie Thing
I wanted to share a bit about taking self-portraits or selfies. We look at ourselves in the mirror every day. Looking in the mirror is just a natural thing to check ourselves to ensure we look good or presentable. It's okay to want to look good and even admire yourself to a degree (and yes, others admire you too). Many of us have read recent articles on how taking selfies are linked to mental disorders and all that. Perhaps those findings may merit something in our lives (if one was willing to accept them). I personally don't see an issue with selfies as long as it's not obsessive. I think it's okay to take a picture of yourself or yourself with others. It's about capturing life and the moment and it means all sorts of things to us. It may mean something to others too (and people may take it as a positive or negative), but as long as you are happy with it, enjoy it. I hope we'll all have a more confident year and enjoy not only appearances, but enjoy people for who they are on the inside too.

Self-Portrait and Selfie Photography Tip With a Camera Phone
This photography tip is irregardless of whether you take a picture with a mirror or not. The picture I made for this tip involves a mirror. I'm sharing this as an observation and a tip to get a better picture, in my opinion. I often see selfies where people look at the image on their phone as they're taking the picture or they look everywhere else but the lens of the camera phone. If this is how people want to capture themselves, then fine. They've got their reasons and it could be artistic and creative. It looks strange to me, for the most part, and my triptych photo will demonstrate that.

It's good to have a nice background and lighting. If there's not enough ambient light, get some light or get to a place that has the best lighting available. Compose your picture.You can look at yourself first to ensure everything looks right for the shot before taking it. I'm just suggesting that people look directly in the lens of the camera when they hit that shutter button for a more natural looking picture. Depending on what phone you have, you may be able to use the + or - volume buttons to take a picture. You may also have a self-timer feature on your camera. It's obvious that we're taking a selfie, but I think it would be better to not look like we're straining to get that shot. Strike that pose and put emotion into it. Our facial expressions suffer when we don't look into the camera lens for a selfie. Eyes are meant to connect. It has been said that "the eyes are the window to the soul." So we should look into the camera lens so people can see our eyes and the essence of the moment.

Don't look down  or up, but right into your camera phone's lens to
get the best picture, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)

I'll conclude this post with a quote that a friend of mine shared recently. 

"Life is like a camera. Just focus on what's important, capture life's phenomenal moments, develop from the negatives, and if things don't turn out, just take another shot." - Unknown 

UN deadline for Iraq to withdraw its forces from occupied Kuwait passes, setting the stage for Operation Desert Storm. - See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.zbkjQ3xd.dpuf