Photography and Family - Just for the Fun of It!

Hanging out in the gardens of Mt. Vernon with the FZ300 - just for the fun of it! f4 @ 1/640 ISO 100

Pink Black Eyed Susans are still beautiful, even after their peak. LUMIX FZ300 f4 @ 1/500 ISO 100

I always go off track on Sunday mornings, mostly because it's fun to share something in life other than business and marketing. Well, this morning we're out of town visiting family for a little time away from the business, and I can't help but talk about the pure fun of just shooting without a purpose other than relaxing.

Here's the scenario: Sheila and I are in the DC area getting time with our son and daughter-in-law. He's military and our time to see them is strictly dependent on his schedule. We're squeezing in some terrific family time and also getting to see the area. On the way out the door, I grabbed a camera. Initially, I was going to bring a lot of gear, but at the last minute decided to bring only one camera, a LUMIX FZ300. It's my favorite camera to travel with.

There are two points I want to make this morning, and the first one is to ask a question. When was the last time you had a camera with you for absolutely no reason than to just play? Everyone knows I'm not a professional photographer, and my business is about marketing, but I'll match my passion for the craft with anybody. Just shooting for the pure fun of it with no purpose other than to capture things around you recharges my battery. It's relaxing, fun and yes, I'm "chimping" with almost every image, excited about whatever features I'm playing with as I get to know the camera better and better. 

The other point is the utilization of time. All of us spend so much time doing our best to be more efficient, not waste time, develop steps in our workflow that make the most out of our most valuable commodity, each tick of the clock. This weekend has nothing to do with efficiency, but just relaxing and appreciating the people we love in our life. It's not just about being a tourist in the D.C. area, but being a tourist in the way we look at our own lives. 

So, here's my suggestion - take the time to enjoy the reasons you work so hard! Kick back, step away from working and spend time with the people who make you smile the most. And, if along the way you've got a small, lightweight camera with you - learn to enjoy and appreciate your skill set strictly for your own pleasure and creativity. Become your own client!

As always, wishing you a terrific Sunday and one filled with smiles and the kind of personal stress-reducing emotion that only time with people important to you can create. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs and forget about work. It's not going anywhere, but you can!

Happy Sunday everybody! 

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