It has been several weeks since my last post and the reason is not because I fell out of love with photography or writing. The honest truth is – I was frustrated. I am sure every beginning photographer has had MANY of these moments, but, for me this was the first hurtle – it suddenly hit me that I was not going to be a perfect photographer overnight. To those that know me personally, they understand that I am a quick learner and I get upset when I set out to do something and the goal isn’t quickly obtained. I now understand fully why photographers take YEARS to hone their skills. I was not naïve, I knew there was actual science and physics behind this skill, but, wow – it truly is a well-crafted phenomenon with a brazen surface. So, I went rogue and put down the camera and hit the books. I went back to learning the basics and trying to understand the science behind the art.
Then I received a phone call. In school girl like fashion, I
was giddy to have a fellow mother wanting to have memories made of her daughter
and son other than the typical sports team shots. I remember being in her shoes
making the same phone call to a fellow photographer nearly a year ago. The
moments are so fleeting and the days so busy; we are desperate to capture the
times when our children still somewhat love us. And to mothers, our children have
the most beautiful faces - no contest. I happily embraced the opportunity to
practice again. I felt rejuvenated.
With the help of a friend, I found a great reservoir near my
own home. I am not sure the family of four knew what to expect at the
reservoir, but, they were troopers! They did not bat an eye when I asked them
to climb down some quite dilapidated rock and balance on concrete beams that
would release you to the lake water with one misstep. They had faith that I
kinda sorta maybe knew what I was doing. Even after an hour in the cold, runny
noses and hungry bellies they were happy to have spent an evening as my
practice subjects. There were a lot of firsts that evening for me – first
brother/sister sibling shoot, first couple shoot, and the first family of four
shoot! For now, you can enjoy the kids; the rest will be coming soon.