Forever a student...

I learned quite a while ago that I will be a student for as long as I live. I am always learning something new, whether it be in a class or on the street or just sitting at home reading. A favorite new experience for me this week is stitching panorama images in Photoshop! It takes patience and a steady hand (oops Charles, I forgot my tripod) to get the images to line up, but the results are nothing short of amazing. This is just a small taste of what can be created, and I hope to experiment with this wonder of photographic technology a little more in the future!

UNC campus-Chapel Hill, NC

Going back to school after a hiatus of several decades has proved to be quite a trial for me, physically and mentally.  But I have treasured each new experience presented to me in the last several months and I have forged new friendships that I trust will carry on long after diplomas are handed out. I don't know what the next several decades have in store for me, but I do hope they will involve enjoying the photographic knowledge and friendships I am amassing at Catawba Valley Community College! The quest for knowledge continues!

Union Square-Hickory, NC

Spring has sprung!

Spring has to be my favorite time of year. I love the freshness that comes with the budding leaves, the emerging flowers, the greening of the grass. I enjoy wandering around with my camera and capturing the cascades of color of the azaleas and dogwoods and cherry blossoms. The landscape seems to  come alive with color! After the gloom and cold of a long dreary winter, it is a refreshing and welcome sight.

Spring 2012

But a blog about spring would not be complete without mention of the most poignant example of renewal. Easter can be a photographer's dream....There are abundant photo ops of kids running around in their adorable new Easter outfits, searching out brightly colored eggs and mounds of chocolate, with doting parents not far behind. But what is more important to me is what Christ did for all mankind. He came to earth as a man and suffered a horrible death to allow us to live a redemptive life. His death on the cross and subsequent  resurrection is embodied in the rebirth displayed each springtime. Spring is truly a special time!

Follow your star...

The North Star by Peter H. Reynolds

I have always had a tendency to step into a comfort zone and stay there. I treasure stability, consistency, balance, security. Over the course of the last two years, that very foundation has been rocked to the core. Life changes have dictated that I move out of my comfort zone and face the challenges ahead. Some of these challenges have arisen from my decision to step out of the melancholy I found myself in, and some have been thrust upon me by fate. Nonetheless, I have decided to face adversity with an attitude of joy, pushing myself to become a better person. To that end, I have recently decided to pursue my long discarded dream of a college degree and enrolled in the Fine Arts Photographic Technology program at Catawba Valley Community College. 

While many of my family and friends support me in this new avenue in my life, a very dear friend gave me the biggest nudge to "Ask yourself where it is you want to go, and then follow the signs you already know." (Reynolds, 2009) Peter H. Reynolds, children's book author and illustrator and co-founder of Fablevision Learning, encouraged me to follow my star and realize my dreams. If you have never read his book, The North Star, it is a wonderful graphic to foster the quest for self discovery in students of any age. The search for knowledge and personal growth should not just  stop when we reach a certain age. It should be a never ending journey over the course of our entire lifetime. It is never too late to embark on a new adventure, to widen your horizons, to follow your star. Picking up a camera again has broadened my perspective and allowed me to look at my surroundings with a new and greater understanding. It has rekindled a passion that has long been buried deep inside me. I have opened my eyes to the world again, and I look forward to what I may discover.

Welcome to my new adventure!

No time to look back...

I have recently embarked on a journey of creative self discovery. I have long been interested in photography.  This passion started the Christmas I received a 110 Kodak instamatic camera. I snapped photos of family and friends at every opportunity, exasperating my parents with my constant requests for film and processing. The passion grew so much that they continued to upgrade my "weapon", providing me with tools such as  a Kodak Disc camera when that fleeting technology was introduced, and finally a 35mm Canon AE-1 for my high school graduation. My plan to pursue a degree in communications with photography emphasis at Boston College was sidetracked by the decision to marry and start a family, but I continued my passion by producing thousands of images of my children's formative years as well as capturing family gatherings and vacations. Life has come full circle for me now and I find myself on the threshold of a new and exciting adventure. I have once again rekindled my desire to share my photography beyond the realm of family snapshots. On the advice of a dear friend to follow my dreams, I am back in school studying photography and have learned more than I ever imagined possible in just a few short months of matriculation. I am eager to continue my studies, and look forward to sharing this amazing journey with you. Stay tuned!