A "Heart's-Eye" View of Photography

Nothing beats morning sweet-light. So, I walked over to a neighbor's house on the inland waterway a few minutes ago. LUMIX FZ300 f4 @ 1/250. ISO100

It's Sunday morning, and as usual, my head is a long way from the business of photography. This past week a friend commented to me about how much she enjoys this series of my blog posts. Specifically, she gave me far more credit than I deserve, suggesting there's a particular spirituality to my Sunday morning posts. 

I never intended to be spiritual, just to write from the heart. While everything I write is always from the heart, my marketing posts bring the business side of my brain into play. I'm like the old town crier, sharing news of ideas, not just mine, but from artists around the world who are sharing tips on how to thrive, not just survive.

I've often written that you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it. Well, it's no different as a writer. If you appreciate what I share then I'm forever grateful. 

I spent most of my life in photography playing it safe and working for other companies. Many of you know me from my Polaroid days, others from my days as prez of Hasselblad USA or Rangefinder/WPPI. While my heart has always been in everything I did, nothing compares with now living the same dream many of you have and running my own business.

Here's my point:

It's thanks to all of you I'm here. It's thanks to you that I LOVE what I'm doing, and if I'm helping you through the challenges of business and life sometimes then it fires me up even more. It may not always seem like it, but we're all in this together. And, I define "this" as our business, our lives and our quest to just make a little piece of the world a better place.

I recorded an episode of "Why?" with Kevin Ames yesterday, and it will air tomorrow. When we were all done, we got into a short conversation about the state of the world right now. He said, "The world has become so polarized, and it breaks my heart!"

I love the way Kevin put that because it's so true and so tragic, but here's where photography comes in. It's the universal language, and it doesn't matter who you are, whether you're a Democrat or Republican, male or female, rich or poor, what your religious beliefs are or what race is in your gene pool - you're judged on the quality and impact of your photographs. As my good buddy Scott Bourne once wrote, photography is the great equalizer.

Wishing you a beautiful Sunday and one filled with time to recharge your heart. This is a busy stressful time for everybody, whether you're a photographer or not. Take the time today to appreciate everyone important in your life. Go for those therapeutic eleven-second hugs, and whether you celebrate Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza or anything else - recognize and enjoy everything in your life that makes you smile.

Happy Sunday and thank you for being such an important part of my life.