Texas Bluebonnets

So many times in life the destination is not the true prize, but rather the journey to get there.  And then there are other times when the journey sucks but the destination makes it all worthwhile.  My journey to photograph bluebonnets this past Spring was the latter.

(Little) Lady In Red

I was blessed to have some great friends growing up and I am fortunate to still call many friends to this day even though the time and distance of the real world has come between many of us.  It was a particular pleasure when two of those friends married each other some years ago and as married people often do, their two became three.  Even though they live close by, too much time passes between our visits.  So when I was asked to take a few pre-birthday pictures of the soon-to be two-year old, I jumped at the chance.  Aside from the fact that I have never really photographed people and wanted that experience, it gave me the chance to see two friends I see far too little.

A Gritty Night

On occasion I have been walking around taking pictures of this or that and after snapping an image I look at the LCD screen and smile because I’m convinced the image I captured does a good job of conveying the reality of the moment.  But on even rarer occasions I leave with that impression only to get home, upload the images and see that the picture I took conveys something entirely different  Sometimes, something better.

Alone On The Water

I’m a lover of solitude and silence.  I find myself drawn to pockets of peace in an otherwise chaotic world and I enjoy being alone with my thoughts, watching the world pass by.  Sounds wash over me and get lost in the distance and all that remains is the beating of your own heart and the wandering of your own mind.  It is at that moment that the world slows down, the colors become more vivid and the smells more intense.  All of creation unfolds before you and you can only stand in awe as your senses become lost in the beauty.  And then it ends.  It has to end.  Just as a star cannot shine without the darkness, the sound of silence can only be appreciated amid the noise.  But for that brief moment when the chaos is overtaken by the peace, the world is truly yours to enjoy.

Chapter Two: The Inspiration

“Every artist was first an amateur.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’ve drawn inspiration and encouragement in my life from a multitude of people.  People to whom I am forever indebted, but a few years ago, though sheer happenstance really, I came across the work of two photographers that I suspect have done more than any to open my eyes to what photography is and could be.