by Skip Cohen

​Sunday Morning Reflections are always off the topic of marketing. For me, it's therapeutic to share something going on that's not directly related to imaging and business. It helps me recharge my battery for the new week ahead. 

Sheila and I read something motivational to each other every morning over breakfast. She picks her book for the year, and I pick mine. While not every day has a thought that hits home, there's always something motivational. My book for this year has been by Cyndie Spiegel. Just click on the thumbnail if you'd like more information.

Today's reading hit me hard, in part because of its simplicity. It got me thinking about my life and friends over the years who made both right and wrong choices. The key word here is "choice."  Living a good life doesn't mean it's without challenges, but how you handle those challenges sets the stage for everything else.

​Speaking of challenges, Mother Nature is about to drop another one on our doorstep. Hurricane Milton is gathering strength, and it's bizarre to prepare for another one while we're still cleaning up after Helene. 

While we have control over many aspects of our destiny, it doesn't include the weather. We're doing our best to be "big kids" about this - we'll prepare like we always do, and we've got good friends inland who have a room ready for us. We'll evacuate if necessary, but that doesn't change the stress of the unknown, especially the storm surge, since we're at 9 1/2 feet elevation, and only two houses from the inland waterway!

Wishing everybody a day ahead to live the best life you can. Focus on the positive and "stand tall...shift...grow and create." Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about with the people you love the most - they're a big part of what makes a good life!

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

​Although Sunday Morning Reflections are rarely about business and marketing, I suppose I'm crossing that line this morning by whining about Facebook. As their A.I.-driven robots deleted a post of mine on Friday, I feel like the character above— not knowing whether to just give up or listen to Pink Floyd's Tear Down the Wall. 

Sadly, there doesn't seem to be an easy alternative with Facebook. Over the last few years, their algorithms and policies have become increasingly unreasonable, as A.I. has become more and more misdirected. My post last Friday was a great example—nothing whatsoever deceptive—just a short post wishing everybody a terrific weekend. And while I protested their wrong call, I have no confidence that anything will change.

Just like the challenges with Twitter that I've given up on, along with so many of you, F.B. will eventually become another "I-remember-when" story. I picture a few of us sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch of a nursing home with stories of the past and things we miss in how we used to communicate.

I miss those days when...

• I could post something on social media and know it made it to the people I wanted to share it with
• A troll was a character in a children's story
• The Internet "Police" were real people who you could contact and actually talk to if necessary
• You knew most of the people who followed you
• A stolen identity meant you lost your wallet
• When our phone rang, it was somebody we knew, or, at the very least, a company I wanted to talk to - NOT an idiot outside the U.S. trying to sell me an extended warranty on my car, health care, or extension of the Geek Squad's coverage!

The list goes on and on, with the cold, hard reality of simply knowing I have to grow up. I still want to be Peter Pan at heart, but it gets tougher and tougher not to become a curmudgeon flying around in green tights, helping Chicken Little spread the word that the sky really is falling! LOL

And on that note, it's time to wrap up what's turned into a rant. My solution to the problem is focused on saving my own sanity. This is when your family and friends become so valuable - I can't change F.B., and the serenity prayer becomes so remarkably appropriate:

Wishing you a day ahead without the challenges of technology. Make it a day to spend time with the people you love the most. Go for those old-fashioned eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about and put all your frustrations in a box with a very tight lid not to be opened until tomorrow. Today's a perfect day to kick back and recharge your battery, which is what I originally wrote about in the post FB's robots pulled.

Weekends are not for catching up with work; they are meant for catching up with yourself!
N. Singhal

Happy Sunday or Monday on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen
​
Sunday Morning Reflections are rarely about business.  After writing about marketing and business all week, it's therapeutic to just sit down and share whatever's on my mind. It's my time to share something I appreciate about life and hope you do as well.

I ran across the quote above in a post I shared at least ten years ago. There's nothing I want to add except... 
we all waste too much time on things that don't matter.  

Wishing everybody a day ahead to have time with the people you love the most. Create new memories, or kick back and appreciate the old ones. You're not wasting time with short looks in your rearview mirror - they help remind you of where you've been and where you're headed on life's journey.

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

​Sunday Morning Reflections is never about business and marketing. I usually never know what I want to write until I sit at the computer, but this morning is different. I knew when I tried to write something about losing Kay Eskridge a few days ago, today would be the day. Last week, I couldn't find the words.

Like so many of us in the industry, I'm trying to understand Kay's passing. There have been thousands of comments from artists all over the world about the news. The common theme is sadness combined with bittersweet memories of time with her—in short; she was a powerhouse of passion, enthusiasm, and pride in being a photographer.

The Google dictionary defines "love" as an intense feeling of deep affection. Along with thousands of people whose lives she touched, we all loved her. She lit up the room wherever she was. For me one of the things I loved most about her, was her honesty about her life. She hid nothing.

In 2020 and again in 2021, Chamira Young and I hosted Kay on the "Mind Your Own Business" podcast. Both podcasts are below. As I thought about sharing these today, I hesitated. For some it might seem too early, but when I started listening, the memories of working with Kay over the years made me smile. 

She was so dynamic and open about ways to help other artists build a stronger business. She was also completely open about the demons she'd battled with over the years. In fact, after we were off the air on one of the podcasts, Kay let me know she'd love to do a podcast on sobriety and her journey—she wanted to find more ways to help more people.

​I know everyone has their own memories/stories about Kay, but for me, it was non-stop trash-talk after she outbid me at a PPA Charities fundraiser for an Arnold Palmer autographed putter. It was around 2000, and she had the high bid, fair and square - but the fun of trying to beat her up was the same every time we talked. She had this laugh and twinkle whenever she reminded me that the putter was hung over her fireplace, NOT mine!

I just read over what I've written, and I'm having such a hard time expressing the hole in my heart...there's even a little regret for not keeping in better contact with her. We all take so much for granted, which was the thing about my friendship with Kay. I had never thought about a time when she wouldn't be around. In fact, looking back on my career, I don't remember a time when she wasn't around or even when or how we first met... and I'm betting I'm not alone.

One of my favorite quotes used many times over the years, is "I am a part of all that I have met" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. We're all unique because of the people who have come into our lives. Kay touched all of our lives, making her one of the common denominators we share. While technically, her life is over, her light will continue to shine because of the energy we share with her memory.

​by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning, and as so often happens, I woke up without a clue about what I wanted to write about for Reflections. For inspiration, I wandered through my Facebook Albums. The more images I looked at, the more I smiled. A picture really is worth a thousand words because every image has a story, a tangible trip back in time to old friends, challenges, trips, workshops, and events that are a part of my personal "family" album.

Most of us have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, but Facebook has become the keeper of so many photographs and, in turn, memories. But we get so busy that we forget to look in the rearview mirror. Sometimes, the best way to appreciate where you're going is to remember where you've been.

I pulled some pictures for a collage that told a few stories ranging from my buddy Brent Watkins helping me get my page back on FB when they told me my name wasn't really "Skip," to Dean Collins and Nick Vedros hamming it up...and everything in between. And like the three degrees of separation game with Kevin Bacon, all the photographs can be connected.

It's not Throwback Thursday, but have some fun and take a walk through one of your online albums. We take so much for granted and rarely the time for a quick look back. We're part of an amazing industry that allows the world to stop time and revisit moments from the past that are as vivid as if they were just captured minutes ago!

It's another Jodi Picoult moment..."This is what I like about photographs: They're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect!" 

Wishing everybody a day ahead worthy of shutter-clicking moments with the people you care about the most. Capture those memories so they can become tomorrow's throwbacks and tell your story. Go for those eleven-second hugs I always write about, and make it a day to remember.

Happy Sunday or Monday on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

I started out today deciding I wouldn't write a Sunday Morning Reflections post, but old habits die hard, and here I am. Part of the reason was simply being fed up with the trolls and morons on social media. It's tough for this not to sound like a rant, but here's what got me here...

I'm a member of a local hometown website and have posted many throwbacks of friends in the community over the last few years. One of those photographs was of my wife's great-grandmother, who was Cherokee. I shared it at least four years ago, but somebody brought it back. Then, one of the members in this group came after me, claiming I was "shilling to get people to another Facebook page," followed by claiming many of my photographs were stolen.

While I know trolls love to hide behind the anonymity of their computer screens, I couldn't let this one slide by. I picked up a phone and called the guy—needless to say, he never called me back. Fortunately, the group admin took the post down, recognizing it was about to get ugly.

Here's my point—like so many of you, there are days when I just want to walk away from social media. Too many people don't know how to act or "play well with others!" And if you know anything about me at all, you know I've been a supporter of photographer's rights since the 1980s. I never use an image without permission or I pay for illustrations on Adobe Stock, like the one above.

I've written a few posts suggesting my own version of the rules of engagement...but here's a simple one, thanks to my buddy Levi Sim - "Act like your grandmother is watching!" Don't start rumors --Don't talk behind people's backs--and if you want to challenge somebody's credibility, then have enough of a backbone to contact them directly.

Thanks for letting me rant a little—LOL.

Wishing everybody a great day ahead and time to appreciate the people most important in your life. Take the time for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about. And if you question something posted on the Internet, take the time to confront the author BEFORE you draw your own conclusions! Social media has changed all of our lives, but for it to always be an asset everybody has to do their part.

Happy Sunday or Monday on the other side of the world.
​

by Skip Cohen

When I sit down to write Sunday Morning Reflections, I rarely start out knowing what I'd like to share. But this morning is different. I knew what was on my mind the minute the computer came on.  In a few hours, we'll be headed to the airport for a flight to Detroit, and everything this morning is about hitting the "anticipation" button. There's this wonderful sense of controlled chaos in the air.

Like most people, we stopped traveling when the pandemic hit. When it was over, we still limited travel, but by then, it was more related to changes in our activities. We decided to stay local, take the pups with us, and get to know Florida. While I attended a couple of conventions, air travel and preparation for a long trip was almost non-existent.

I've written a lot over the years about the importance of conferences and attending every one that you can. One of the main reasons is exactly what I'm feeling right now - we're not even at ClickCon yet, and the anticipation is boiling over. A convention/conference, when it's in your own industry, starts recharging your battery the minute you make the commitment to attend.

I'm all energy right now, and it's all coming from the excitement of seeing old friends, making new ones, and being around a group of people who all share a passion for imaging. And while getting ready for a trip these days, especially when you're flying, creates a lot of apprehension (we're on Delta!), nothing changes the smile on my face over catching up to people we care about.

I've been in this industry my entire adult life, or at least that time I was supposed to be acting like an adult, and I'm just as excited this morning as I was for my very first PMA Show back in the late 1970s! I know I'm not alone, and many of you are right there with me!

So, to those of you headed to ClickCon, safe travels - see you in a few hours. To the ClickCon team, thanks for what I know is going to be one of your best shows yet. And to those of you still on the fence, come on and join us—it's going to be memorable. 

How I love the career path I stumbled into 54 years ago! What a kick - See you in Detroit!

by Skip Cohen

As I sat down to write Reflections this morning, I had no idea what I wanted to share. I started by pondering what was happening in the world; overwhelmed, I switched gears and decided to focus on what was happening in my head. My first thought was the excitement of heading to Detroit for ClickCon two weeks from today.

For over thirty years of speaking at conferences and workshops, I've always recommended that people attend as many events as possible. Why? Even the smallest workshop is about recharging your battery. It's about expanding your skill set, exchanging ideas, being inspired, and, oh yeah, having FUN!

"Fun" is one of those words too often lost under the stress of running a business. We simply forget to have fun, and it's usually not until it's too late that we realize it's the missing ingredient. A great conference as a photographer is about reinforcing why you went down the imaging path in the first place.

For me personally, my keynote on July 29 is especially exciting—it's going to be one of my last presentations. I want it to be the best I can make it and packed with ideas to help attendees get closer to the success they imagined when they started their journey. I'm not ready to fully retire, but it is time to slow down and smell the roses.

I don't want to turn today's post into one about aging. While I creak for ten minutes when I get out of bed in the morning, according to Sheila, I'm no more mature. And when we look at the two of us, we seem younger than most people our age. We're certainly younger than our parents were when they were our age!

Here's my point - it's the presence of anticipation that keeps us young. It's the energy I feel as I put together my program. It's the pure joy of thinking about catching up with old friends, making new ones, and being in an environment of passionate people. 

Many years ago, I wrote, "You can't create images that tug at people's hearts if your own heart isn't in it." Well, it's not just about capturing photographs, but in everything we do. I am the quintessential example of a guy with an excess of Peter Pan genes - you know, the ones that, throughout our lives, keep screaming, "Don't grow up."  Fifty-four years ago, I stumbled into this industry at Polaroid, and it's been a kick, every day since.

Wishing you a day filled with anticipation for whatever you see on the horizon. Take the time for an occasional look in your rearview mirror - it's one of the best ways to appreciate how far you've come. Looking forward is how you draw from the power of anticipation, especially when the word "fun" is in the mix.  Always go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I've written about for the last ten years, and whoever your "huggee" is, think about how much richer your life is because of them!

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.

PS I hope to see many of you in Detroit - what a kick this conference will be.
 

​

by Skip Cohen

​It's Reflections, and I always try and get a little more personal on Sunday mornings. This morning, I knew exactly what I wanted to write about; I've been working on my opening keynote presentation for ClickCon at the end of this month. While I've done hundreds of presentations in my career, this one is special because it's one of the last programs I plan on doing.

If you've followed me for even the shortest time, then you know I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in imaging. I've had a career filled with working with amazing people, experiences, and a never-ending flow of ah-ha moments. At a time when most people my age have retired, I'm not ready to hang up my guns, but it is time to slow down.

I came up with a terrific theme for my program. I want to play off of key things I've learned in my fifty-four-year journey in photography. As I've put the program together, each lesson has had somebody initially responsible for the concept. 

Take a second and think about the roots of things you do today. Everything you do has roots in some past experience. An event or somebody came into your life and left their mark. From a teacher to an associate to a family member, client, friend, or even adversary, they've all played a role.

One of my favorite quotes over the years is from Alfred Lord Tennyson:

​And here's my point and the fun of this presentation—each of us is a composite of our experiences. In photography, for example, all those experiences and people are responsible for the passion we have today. Everyone's passion is unique in its direction, with the common denominator being our love for the craft.

Here's something to think about this morning...Where and when did your love for imaging start? Who supported your vision and your dream? Even better, who didn't offer support, indirectly pushing you harder to succeed?

On July 29, I'm going to have fun sharing the lessons I've learned over the years and channeling them into ideas to help artists build a stronger business model and contribute to making 2024, hopefully, an incredible year. While I'm the one presenting, it will be thanks to so many people who have set the standard for creativity in business, marketing, and even technology.

I am definitely a part of all that I have met!

Wishing you a day ahead filled with the people most important in your life along with more ah-ha moments. Dont' forget those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about. Make it a day jam-packed with everything that makes your heart soar.

​PS Hope to see you at ClickCon in Detroit!

Sometimes, the real wonder and beauty in life are in the simplicity of it all. Here's what got me thinking about the topic. For our anniversary, we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Sardinia, here in Sarasota. We decided to enjoy a slug day floating in the pool and then an early dinner.

At some point on Friday, we both had the same idea—let's just say home, chill for the day, and make a pizza on the grill—never getting out of bathing suits, sharing our thoughts, and savoring the day. We made a special pizza with fresh pesto that Sheila made the night before. So, it was a pesto pizza with diced fresh tomatoes—cooked on the grill and eaten while watching one of the early Jack Reacher movies.

Here's my point—the beauty of the day was in its simplicity making it perfect. We love Sardinia, but the restaurant couldn't match the fun and pure joy of just hanging out together. We're pretty much together 24/7, but there are always things to do, appointments, etc. This was a day with nothing scheduled and jam-packed with conversation resulting from multiple trips down Memory Lane.

Sheila and I have been active in each other's lives for seventeen years. "We've packed in a lot of great memories over such a short time," she said while floating in the pool. And as time seems to fly by at warp speed, the appreciation for all the laughs and tears gets more and more intense.

I found another quote that sums it all up:

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
Hans Hofmann

So many of us waste so much time making things more complicated than they need to be. The "necessary" of yesterday was all about savoring time and our appreciation for life and each other. Going out to dinner would have only cramped our style and limited the fun of a memory-making anniversary focused on our time together. Our favorite memories have been built on a foundation of simplicity. 

Wishing all of you a day ahead that runs on simplicity. Put the complications of life on the back-burner. So often, we make life more complicated than it has to be. We forget that the people we love the most also appreciate simplicity. They want to cherish time together, just like we do. And those eleven-second therapeutic hugs are even better with the people you love the most.

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

When I start writing on Sunday mornings, I always feel compelled to warn you - I'm way off the topic of business and marketing. And today, Father's Day brings out a lot of personal stuff - many of which the "experts" say is inappropriate to share on social media. Oops! LOL

I want to kick off today with a BIG Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. According to Google, there are an estimated seventy-two million Dads across the US. I wish you all a day with smiles and moments when your heart screams louder than your kids when they were little. And to you new Dads out there, cherish every minute because you wake up one day and they're grown - You don't want to feel like the lyrics in a Harry Chapin song.

Next comes looking back on my own life as a Dad. When I was twelve and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I'd always answer the same way: "A DAD!" Well, my wish came true, and although I'm estranged from my kids today, nothing changes the smile that comes from the memories of watching them grow up. 

And to my own Dad, who passed away almost nine years ago, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you. Poor Sheila's heard every story and still laughs over the best ones. They're all classics, each one representing your love for your family, your humor and your ability to laugh until you cried! I sure miss you Pop.

​It's a perfect day to share a guest post Dad wrote for me in 2010.

Wishing everybody a terrific Sunday and Father's Day. I hope you get the time to create a few new memories to cherish and savor in the future. Go for those eleven-second hugs with your family and if get time to kick back and just chill - take a look in your rearview mirror and notice how your kids seemed to have grown up overnight!

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

​I rarely know what I want to share in advance when writing Sunday Morning Reflections, but today is very different. Yesterday, Sheila and I attended an event that was new to us, and raised our awareness for an incredible fundraiser. The event was Hockey Heals 22.

Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide. Joining the hosting team, the Lighting Warriors together with other hockey teams from the Tampa Bay area are playing 22 hours of continuous hockey, still going on this morning. They're raising awareness and funding to help our nation's veterans fight the invisible war of mental health that combats our country's heroes. 

The program kicked off with a few short presentations, but the most moving was the introduction of a dozen Gold Star families who have lost a son or daughter to veteran suicide.  As each family of a fallen warrior was introduced and came out on the red carpet, I found myself thinking about their sadness. Their pain is unimaginable. I couldn't help but recognize their bravery and dedication to help fight veteran suicide.

We were drawn into the emotion of the event as adult hockey players of all ages hit the ice - all of them sharing the quest to raise funding and awareness.

by Skip Cohen

​Sunday Morning Reflections are rarely about business. It's my time to jump the tracks and share whatever is on my mind. Nothing heavy this morning, just a fun topic to write about...being a "foodie!"

A week and a half ago, I wrote about a good friend's new cookbook on Amazon: Sea of Thieves - The Cookbook by Kayce Baker.

We decided on her recipe for Shadow Stormfish (swordfish) for dinner tonight. Sheila and I are diehard foodies, and I picked up all the ingredients yesterday. So first thing this morning, before sitting down to write today's post, I was in the kitchen. I wanted to give the swordfish at least six hours to marinade.

While I encourage you to check out Kayce's book, that's not really the focus of today's post. Sheila and I love food, and we also enjoy cooking and time with good friends. Put them all together, and we have a long history filled with laughter and meals that made our tastebuds dance!

I won't always remember somebody's name when I see them after a long absence, but I can tell you what we had for dinner and where, regardless of how long ago it might have been. From fast food like Arby's Meat Mountain to incredible sushi in NYC to six-pound lobsters in New Jersey - you name a friend, and I'll tell you what we last ate! 

And it doesn't matter what meal—breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Yesterday, I was talking with my good buddy Tony Corbell, who had just come back from Yellowstone. The first thing I asked about the trip was whether or not there was a chicken fried steak with sausage gravy on the journey. Not only was there, but Tony told me he made it to an old favorite place all of us had in West Yellowstone!

Here's my point: While it's the friendships I cherish the most, food seems to be the mortar that holds all the bricks together! It's the experiences we've all shared over breaking bread that seem to be the foundation for so many memories. It doesn't matter if it's just a couple of us having a meal together or a dozen of us setting records for how much sushi was consumed in one evening—it's all about the memories!

It's certainly not a heavy concept this morning - more like one of SNL's Jack Handy's Deep Thoughts. But that doesn't change the fun of a walk down Memory Lane through any of life's food courts!

Wishing you a day ahead with memory-making moments that bring together love, laughter, smiles, and your taste buds. It's summertime, and I'll be at the grill with Kayce's Shadow Stormfish recipe later - and I know the stories of our adventures together will be flowing just as much as whatever grog Sheila and I decide goes best with Stormfish! Go for those therapeutic eleven-second hugs I always write about with those people most special in your life.

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

​It's Sunday, and as usual, I rarely write about business. I almost always head in a direction that's more personal.  On my last day before what people think of as a milestone birthday, I'm feeling outrageously reflective. Tomorrow makes me officially an "old fart" as I hit seventy-five. I'm struggling a little because, with the exception of creaking for ten minutes when I get up in the morning, I don't feel any different. And according to Sheila, I'm no more mature...LOL.

So, I'm sitting here in the midst of a retrospective. Google defines retrospective as:

Retrospective means looking back. An art exhibit that cover an artist's entire career is called a retrospective because it looks back at the work the artist has produced over many years. Retro- means back, -spect- means look (think: spectacles), so the word means literally 'a looking back.

Photography has existed as some part of me for my entire life, and today's post is about how it got started and one aspect that's never slowed down - capturing memories.

My love for photography started with my Dad, who had a small contact printer he had brought home from WWII - just a box with a light bulb, but we'd process prints in the laundry room. Later, he became the Slide King, as every special moment was captured on 35mm slides, later presented in an endless stream of presentations, always including jammed slides.  But that's when the fire was lit, and it was enough to get me interested in joining the "Photo Service Club" in high school. That's me, bottom left, back in the days when ears seemed to be a qualifier to being a nerd!

​The fire that Dad lit a few years later resulted in an entire wall of my room covered in memories. Everything that happened through high school was captured in black and white, printed in the school darkroom, and later tacked to my wall. Because I was never patient enough to follow procedure, I had the biggest collection of under-fixed yellowing prints on the planet. But that never changed the value of the memories.

As I look both back, as well as forward to what's yet to come, it's all about stopping time. While I have complete respect and admiration for those of you with the skill set technically - for me, it's about capturing the memory with each click of the shutter - not always the quality of the finished photograph.

Author Jodi Picoult's quote became my mantra. Again and again, I've succeeded in stopping time and capturing a memory to be stored for savoring in the future. I've used her quote so many times that I've even tried to get her as a guest on a podcast. It's the best quote about photography that I've ever read.

So, here's my point: never slow down your passion for creating and capturing memories. Those photographs from today will become a staple in your future.  And no matter how things change in your life, photography helps to keep your memories vivid.

Wishing everybody a memory-making day ahead and if you're in the US, a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Take the time to click the shutter a few times; it doesn't matter if it's on your phone or with a "real" camera. Your skill set is critical for your clients, but it's about being the best photojournalist you can be for yourself and your family. Technology has given us all an incredible gift - whether shooting still images or video, no memory-making moment should escape!

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning, and Reflections always takes me miles away from topics like business and marketing. Today, my thoughts regarding what to write about are all over the place...but maybe that's a topic in itself - the challenge of trying to focus.

There are moments when there's so much going on around me, I can't focus. Unlike our cameras and phones, I've got no focus confirmation.  I'm wandering through my thoughts, filled with appreciation for my life and everything that got me to today. Yet feeling frustrated trying to write a blog post that makes a point.  ​

When you dance, your purpose is not to get to some place on the dance floor.
It's to enjoy each step along the way.
Wayne Dyer

​by Skip Cohen

It's Reflections, and I never write about business and marketing on Sundays. It's also Mother's Day, which in the last few years seems to be fueled by rose-growers and venues offering a special brunch. Even the Tampa Tarpons, the New York Yankees minor league team, has a Mother's Day event.

Just for the fun of it, and I've probably done this at least once in past years, I went searching for the origin of Mother's Day. Here's what I found on Google:

The idea started in America when a woman called Anna Jarvis held a small memorial service for her own mother on 12 May 1907. Soon after, most places in America were observing the day and in 1914, the US president made it a national holiday, celebrated on the second Sunday of May.

I really wanted to write something different about Mother's Day. I've written about the same thing about my mom for the last ten years. Mother's Day and Father's Day are very different when both parents have passed away; they are not different in the love you feel but in how you appreciate their role in your past.

This is when all those old pictures come into play. Memories are priceless, and they're all fueled by photographs and videos. Every image has the ability to send me hurling through time and back to the moment the shutter was clicked. Then the stories roll out, followed by smiles, maybe a few bittersweet tears, and so often laughter. And if I ask Sheila, "Did I tell you about the time that...?" She's too polite to say yes, even though she can lipsync every word I'm about to share.

To all of you Moms out there - Happy Mother's Day! And to all of you missing your mother, take the time to dig out a few old photographs. You'll be amazed at how quickly all the memories come back and are so uplifting. I like to think all our missing moms are hanging out together today, watching over us, laughing at the craziness of our lives, filled with pride and most important of all, helping us remember all the special moments.

Wishing everybody a terrific day ahead. I hope you can celebrate Mother's Day, savoring each special memory and appreciating all those times your mother said, "You'll understand when you're a parent someday!" And if you're fortunate enough to have your mother with you today - go for one of those eleven-second hugs I always write about - nobody deserves it more than your Mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

by Skip Cohen

​I'm not sure how many years ago this started, but on Sundays, I began getting away from the topics of business and marketing. It's been at least a decade of rarely missing a Reflections post, and as I've written so many times, I only know what I'm going to write once I sit down at the computer.

This morning, as we looked out on the backyard, I spotted the first bloom on the gardenia. We planted it years ago, but it's rarely bloomed with more than a few flowers. Well, this is the first of dozens, and two things struck me. To start, I was kind of amazed. This is the first flower, and as of late yesterday afternoon, there were only buds visible.

Second, I had my phone in my pocket and decided to grab a shot. I played with a couple of Apple selections - first "portrait" and then "stage light." The result was the image above. But then I moved to "contour light" and the image below.

No manipulation—it was right out of the camera with just a little bit of a crop. Stay with me because today's post isn't about technique or suggesting I'm a "real" photographer.

Looking back won't move you forward. Let the past go.
Move on with the grace and wisdom that you've learned from every yesterday.
​Forgive yourself everything.
You can't change what didn't happen or shift what did.
Instead, live in the moment and look for all the beautiful possibility that today is filled with.*
Cyndie Spiegel

by Skip Cohen

​It's Sunday, which means I'm going to hang up my marketing/business hat and get more personal. If you've followed me for even the shortest time, you already know this is my day to share whatever's on my mind or in my heart.

I've written about a great habit, Sheila, and I got into - reading something inspirational every morning. Not everything we read always hits home, but now and then, there's a gem like yesterday's reading I've shared above.

Like many of you, I've wasted too much time looking back. When I read the passage above, I loved the way she talked about what we've learned from every yesterday. Then came forgiving myself. When I look at my regrets, they all revolve around miscommunication, followed by a volley of wasted anger, hurtful responses, and, in the end, nothing I could change. 

Recognizing that my only option was to move forward, and with Sheila's help, I stopped looking back. There was no more speculation over all the "what-ifs" on things that can't be undone. The result has been remarkable, filled with all the beauty life offers and the recognition that living in the moment was the key to building something more lasting.

Wishing you a day filled with beautiful possibilities and time to appreciate everything in your life that got you to today. Even the rough times have contributed to your ability to appreciate the joyful moments in your life. Go for those eleven-second hugs with the people most special in your life - they're a big part of the ingredients that help you keep moving forward. Look in your rearview mirror when you need to; just don't shift to reverse!

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.
​

*A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel

by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday Morning Reflections and I never know what I want to write about until I sit down at the computer. For some reason, this morning my head is filled with an, almost overwhelming appreciation, for the career path I stumbled into so many years ago...photography.

Here's the scenario that got me going today about my love for capturing memories...

Sheila has been beating me up for years to get her prints of the photographs we've taken. Sadly, while I talk a good game about being organized, photographs are everywhere electronically. From my computer, to laptop, the cloud, Shutterfly, our phones, an old computer and a couple of jump drives, I've managed to replicate the equivalent of those memory-filled shoeboxes of photos my mother had!

For her birthday in March, months earlier I started to pull together all the files. I hit Hobby Lobby for a coffee table memory box and started watching all the special print offers from Shutterfly. I filled the box with over a thousand 4x6 prints. It was the perfect birthday present, and has become the gift that keeps on giving.

These pictures, combined with our memories make up our story together. Giving them even more impact, Sheila sorted them by by both trips/events and in chronological order. Opening the box, which now sits on the living room coffee table, launches an instant trip down Memory Lane!

Here's my point - we take so much for granted in this industry. Photography is all about the magic of capturing memories. Digital is terrific, but many of us are still in love with a tactile world - having a print in your hands triggers the memories and in turn the stories flow. And with each laugh or tear, a photograph appreciates in value faster than any stock we could have invested in!

I know I've written that I'd find a new quote about photography, but after dozens of times, it's still the very best:

Wishing everybody a day ahead that's filled with memory-making moments. Whether it's with a DSLR or your phone - capture those memories, but don't let them get buried in cyberspace. Every special moment deserves to be in the spotlight sometime in the future. Don't forget the eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about, but better yet, capture a few images or video of those times with the people who bring so much value to your life.

​Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.