Tomas Alvarez:
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” ― Benjamin Spock Ice cubes on the beach at Hollow Rock Resort, in Grand Portage, Minnesota. On this day, our first location failed miserably as my daughter and I broke through the snow crust near to G
Tomas Alvarez:
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” ― Bill Watterson Today, I'm settling for coffee and photos. And work. I'm building my mentorship program and figuring out how to make it work online and teleconferencing. I'll be laun
Tomas Alvarez:
“This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down a
Tomas Alvarez:
“How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure.” ― Alexandre Dumas . "Do you have cell service? Can you see where we are on a map?" I asked my son as we were driving down a county road, a half-hour south of the Twin Cities.
Tomas Alvarez:
“Water is the most perfect traveller because when it travels it becomes the path itself!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan I enjoy reviewing images from the past. There are a lot that I didn’t edit for various reasons. This image is from 2017, and because of it, I am
Tomas Alvarez:
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” ― Pablo Picasso I interrupt my regularly scheduled program to add in this creation. It, of course, is a composite of multiple photos. It was fun to work on, and is what happens when you s
Tomas Alvarez:
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt In Copper Falls State Park is Brownstone Falls, located at the intersection of the Bad River
Tomas Alvarez:
“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” ― Tom Bodett I don't usually stop to photograph Split Rock Lighthouse, but I look forward to photographing it again w
Tomas Alvarez:
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ― Aristotle Another image from the archives of the Stone Arch Bridge, aka the pedestrian bridge, in Minneapolis. The version of this I've printed, and sold copies of, was black and white. I like this colo
Tomas Alvarez:
“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” ― Marthe Troly-Curtin I took this photo over ten years ago. I edited it this morning. I like to think about all that has transpired since then, what I've learned, and what I've accomplished. Sometimes is pays n
Tomas Alvarez:
“Respect other people's feelings. It might mean nothing to you, but it could mean everything to them.” ― Roy T. Bennett I still love a good sunset from my favorite overlook! I will miss winter, but just a little bit. The fresh, clear, air. The ease of cat
Tomas Alvarez:
“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.” ― Haruki Murakami I had only heard about 7 Bridges Road, in Duluth, last year, the summer of 2019. I'm not sure how I missed out on such a wonderful stretch of tarmac for so long. The b
Tomas Alvarez:
When I look back at this photo, it was one of my happiest times last summer. The day before, my oldest son and I spent a day driving across the northern half of Wisconsin to the U.P. of Michigan through rain, tornado warnings, eventually arriving at the P
Tomas Alvarez:
“Don't think or judge, just listen.” ― Sarah Dessen It's still strange to see St. Paul so quiet. I look forward to the bustle returning. This photo was taken just as the last bit of orange was leaving the sky last night. #photooftheday #love #visualsofear
Tomas Alvarez:
“My library is an archive of longings.” ― Susan Sontag All along the Temperance River. From the archives. How I would love to be there now. #photooftheday #love #visualsofearth #fatalframes #follow #agameoftones #beautiful #bestoftheday #art #photography
Tomas Alvarez:
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” ― Dr. Seuss What do you do when you have a lot of time on your hands? Dig through the archives, of course. Several years ago, I created this photograph. I was really into making time-la
Tomas Alvarez:
“I must confess a shameful secret: I love Chicago best in the cold.” ― Erik Larson Cloud Gate in Chicago, last November. Cloud Gate is a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor, that is the centerpiece of AT&T Plaza at Millennium P
Tomas Alvarez:
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” ― Socrates This is one of my favorite shots of Chicago from last November. It was only 6 pm, or so, but it felt so much later. It's fun to wander in new places, especially when I have nothing to hold
Tomas Alvarez:
“There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.” ― Guy Gavriel Kay #moodygrams #minnesota #thisismyminnesota #moodyinminnesota #photooftheday #love #visualsofearth #fatalframes #follow #agameoftones #beautiful #bestoftheda
Tomas Alvarez:
“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.” ― Roy T. Bennett If I could add one thing to that saying, it would be to see the beauty directly in front of you. Make the best of your day
Tomas Alvarez:
“May you live every day of your life.” ― Jonathan Swift Sometimes you have to be out there to find things. My daughter and I found the need to get out for a walk and check things out. We're pretty vigilant about our social distancing, we had to skip the c
Tomas Alvarez:
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” ― Abraham Lincoln My ability to think and act creatively has been challenged lately. I've been more drained than usual; waking up every morning to this recurr
Tomas Alvarez:
“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” ― Robert Lynd In this time of isolation, it is important to find things to do to occupy ourselves. Watching the birds return from their winter homes is an easy way to step away from
Tomas Alvarez:
“It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream.” ― Edgar Allan Poe This is Cove Point Lodge. And yes, it feels like being there, just two weeks ago, was a dream. If ev
Tomas Alvarez:
“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” ― Sigmund Freud This view is on Needles Highway, in Custer State Park, in South Dakota. I was standing along the road in the early morning last summer. It feels like a
Tomas Alvarez:
“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” ― Roy T. Bennett Our local park reserve will, thankfully, remain open during the Coronavirus crisis. All the meeting space will be closed, as it should, but the
Tomas Alvarez:
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” - Charles M. Schulz This happy boy came to live with us last Saturday from the family at @luxepugs. Finn, formerly known as Mr. Gray Stripe, is adjusting well and very adventurous. My kids are scheming to get one of his siblin
Tomas Alvarez:
“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.” - Ramana Maharshi When I open the rear hatch of my vehicle, my SUV beeps like a garbage truck in reverse gear. Normally, it’s not loud, but in the quiet dawn of 6 am last Sunday
Tomas Alvarez:
“Success needs vision to see, passion to transcend, patience to withstand and the character to overcome failures.” - Amit Ray I’m curious if this only happens to me. As I was exploring part of Sugar Loaf Cove, near Schroeder, MN, I happened to notice this
Tomas Alvarez:
“Morning is wonderful. Its only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day.” - Glen Cook I couldn’t have said it better. This is a different angle in Black Beach in Silver Bay, a little later in the morning, on Leap Day. #photooftheday
