Spring Equals New Beginnings

Spring is the time of year that makes me want to shed my skin.  My feet get itchy, craving an adventure.  I want hot dusty roads, bare shoulders, beat up gas stations in the middle of  nowhere, cherry coke on a deserted Pacific coast beach, golden prairie wheat fields that run forever until they meet the sky, and room.  Room to spread my wings that have been clipped all winter.

Here are a few photos of the anatomy of a photoshoot.  Eggs are all about beginnings and spring. Breaking open, breaking free, eating chocolate.  You know, stuff like that. 😉

Last week I talked about following your own path as it pertained to food photography and your blogs.  Today, in the spirit of that post and to celebrate spring (which I think is finally here but, speak softly, you might frighten it away), I want to send you off to see somebody else.

But first, let me backtrack.

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the work of photographer David duChemin and I was, to be blunt, captivated.  His name, although new to me at the time, is not new to anyone who knows anything about photography.  He is a remarkable talent (although, I’m not sure he’d like me using the word talent!).

Shortly after, I started reading David’s blog: Gear is Good, Vision is Better.  It felt like the man was speaking to me and my beat up Canon Rebel personally.  While it is a photography blog, it’s written by a person who’s passion for life, art, and vision comes oozing out of every post.  He’s made a conscious effort to live life to the fullest instead of letting life just happen and his blog is one that inspires me every time I read it.  At the time, I was making my first tentative steps to quit my full time, well paying corporate job and follow my dream of a creative life where I’m the boss.  Every time I had a shadow of doubt start to creep in, he’d have a well timed post that convinced me that, I was indeed making the right choice.

Through a series of odd coincidences, near misses in unlikely places, and even stranger discoveries of mutual acquaintances, David invited me to meet him for a cup of tea on Granville Island last summer.  I was terribly nervous to meet somebody I admired so much both professionally and as a human being.  But within seconds he had put me at ease and I can honestly say, in person he is the genuine, generous, passionate person that he comes across as in his writing.

We barely discussed photography.  Mostly we talked about the ins and outs of running your own creative business and he was exceptionally candid with me about some of the challenges he’s faced over the years.  He was so encouraging and positive. It was easily one of the highlights of my year.  He sent me on my way with a personally signed copy of his newest book before it had even hit store shelves and wished me luck.

Barely two weeks after sitting down with him, my family faced a serious, life altering health crisis that sent my world into a tailspin.  This blog grew out of me needing something to escape to when things got to be too much.

This gets too hard for me to write much more without crying my eyes out and seeing as they’re already a bit watery, I want to direct you to David’s latest post: Choose Your Own Risk.

I hope you find it as inspiring as I find many of David’s posts.  I can’t tell you how much I stand behind what he is saying because I know first hand what he is talking about. This is something I am so, so, so passionate about.

Spring is a time of new beginnings.  Don’t wait till “later” to do what speaks to you.  Later might not show up.  Start now.