Just focus 100% of your energy on telling great stories, being passionate about your work, on making something that is magical and special, and you’ll do a better job than you ever would trying to chase the market.
- Scott Bourne

I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out where my passion lies. When it comes to photography, I have been learning and exploring for years, and i only know a few thinks… in the studio, I can make a great technical product shot and killer portrait on a seamless white (for clients, never featured on this blog). I love bokeh and prefer my photos when using a fast lens, wide open, with natural light, and my favorite subject is usually animals.

Where should I go in the future? Should I continue this exploratory documentation of my life, or perhaps find a focus? Maybe start a project? Here are a few week or month-long project ideas:

1. Food I made
2. Changing of the leaves
3. Nature macros
4. Portraits
5. Jewelry
6. Body parts
7. Self-portraits

I might try them all at some point… my goal is to find that special, magical spark- something that defines my work.

Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.
- Bill Watterson

Pointless, maybe… Relaxing, definitely. Sometimes you just need to hang out, play with the animals, chat with friends, sip on adult beverages. On a Friday night, it is the off-switch between the hectic work week and the weekend. Of course, I post this on a Monday- maybe in anticipation of the coming weekend!

Luke, Dan, Karen (minus fiancé Dave, who was out hunting), and Andrew

“It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”
– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I feel like there has been a very weird energy enveloping the world recently. People keep talking about the end of the world and the crazy weather seems to be inching closer to The Day After Tomorrow all the time. There have been lots of deaths and tragedies- high-profile and low. I’ve gone to more wakes and funerals in the past couple years than I had previously in my entire life combined. I feel like I have been consistently stressed out for a long time now, with the only exception our wedding week and honeymoon.

Sorry about the morbidity, but it brings me to my point… we hear the cliche all the time phrased in so many ways- live like it’s your last day on Earth. I’m not sure that I agree with that per se- don’t be reckless and go spending all your money or endangering yourself or others. I do, however, believe that you should enjoy and appreciate your life as much as possible. Spend quality time with the people you love, drink some wine, when you have free time do something that you enjoy, only eat great food, snuggle up with your husband for an extra five minutes after your alarm goes off… I have definitely been bad at appreciating the little things recently, so it’s time to start using The Secret again to bring positive energy back into my life, and hopefully the lives of those around me!

Now here are some images that got me thinking about all this in the first place…