So because photography is a hobby, sometimes other things entire our lives that make us stop. This is certainly not a happy time in my life right now but that’s the best time to stop and look around. It helps you appreciate what you have. So while I have not had the chance to raise my camera to my eye and capture an image as often as I would like, I appreciate having such a fun, creative, challenging hobby. I’m sure once I can get back to it, I will appreciate it even more.

I’ve tried to participate in things that give back a little: Patriotic Pinups and Breast Cancer Awareness.  Although those are great causes in their own right, they require a certain level of participation from a lot of different parties.  For Flashes of Hope, there would be only me and the families that participate. No worrying about flaking models, no trying to coordinate schedules.  The more I think about it, the more excited I get!

The goal now is to become better at using small strobes to get big results.  I’ve been learning small bits here and there from the Strobist blog and Joe McNally but it’s time I became a more serious student.  My goal is by this time next year to be an active participant in Flashes of Hope and maybe encouraging other photographers in the area to join.  I always put a lot of pressure on myself when it comes to things like this but I can’t let that prohibit me from participating, this is too important.

So if you read this, leave a comment of encouragement and please pass along the link!

Syl wrote: “All creatives dream. Photographers, writers, designers, musicians, dancers, chefs… dream of doing something so phenomenal that the whole world suddenly knows about it. We dream. We practice. We work. We think. When we’re lucky, we truly create.”

I agree with almost all of this and again, maybe it is intrisically true and I have not yet wakened to the reality of it.  I fear the part where “the whole world suddenly knows about it”.  I think I like the idea that someday I will create something that people will stumble upon when they are ready for it.  I doubt we get to control that part though and that I imagine is what scares me the most.  That lack of control is certainly what frustrates me the most in what I create (and Syl realizes this too).  I always feel I should have better control than I do, but I do not (which also enthralls me at the same time). That is probably a post for another time.

Another thing I would like to add to Syl’s wise words are when he says “We dream. We practice. We work. We think.” I would add: “We play.”  Having a 4 year old and being a teacher, I see that when we play, we are ourselves, we are happy, and we are beautiful in our uniquity.  If we can translate that into something creative, well, I can’t think of any higher art or anything closer to genius.

I thank Syl for these words. I had to put them here to remind myself of what I already knew but sometimes forget.