be not ashamed.

Honest moment, internet. Bear with me. I used to be embarrassed by my passion for photography. Embarrassed that all I wanted to do all day was walk around with a camera switching lenses, adjusting settings, finding delicious, perfect natural light and taking pictures. Photography didn't (and still doesn't) feel like work and I felt like I should be doing something that felt like work. (Please don't ask me where I got such a silly idea.)

I went to a private elementary school and High School, a private college, got a BA from a great university, I'm fairly book smart and I'm skilled at a lot of things. For a time I wanted to be an attorney, an FBI agent, a forensic anthropologist and even a meteorologist. Those weren't just the crazy dreams of a 7 year old girl whose parents always told her she could do everything and anything she wanted. Those were things I was interested in, passionate about and excited about. Except.... they weren't (aren't) photography. Sure - getting a Law Degree is prestigious and all kinds of awesome, but have you seen the new Nikon prime that just came out?? See - that's my point. Whenever my brain goes to one place, somehow it always finds its way back to photography.

I read once that you don't decide to do crazy things like quit a great job in New York City and move to the other side of the country because you want to. You do them because you have to. (Just like I had to go to NYC for college. My entire being was screaming that that was the place I needed to be!) You go because the creative spirits and guides in your head that were once just soft whispers are now asking, no, demanding that you stop delaying what is surely the inevitable and just start doing what you love already. How many of us are in jobs we don't love, in cities we don't love, surrounded by people who aren't supportive or maybe family that wants to dictate our futures for their own peace of mind? I think perhaps too many.

Eventually I got to a place where I had to make a decision. Ignore my passion to do other worthy things that I was good at but not in love with? Or just leap and hope that a net would appear? I decided to leap.

Sure I don't have any gigs right now, and I'm not a perfect photographer. I don't know if I'll ever be. And I'm okay with that. But I still leapt. I swan dived right into my goals and dreams hoping that they will be enough. And I made a decision to not be ashamed of my dreams.  I won't make fun of yours if you won't make fun of mine, okay?

and your photo treat for the day. I took another trip into downtown with my camera last week. This time a little before sunrise. The clouds were absolutely gorgeous! This is one of my favorites. :)