lessons learned

it started off with just a few scattered stepping stones. each day more fall into place in the form of inspiration, words of wisdom, innovators, and learning opportunities. now, i'm starting to see a small path develop in front of me paved with support, knowledge, experience, and encouragement. and each lesson along the path is like a crash course in learning how to fall the right way...here are a few i learned this week.

LESSON 1 | practice makes perfect ::: my recent shoot has given me much to study, dissect, and critique. there are of course composition, lighting, focusing, and many other issues that have room for improvement. for all the wonderful feedback i have received, i've learned so much that has given me a basis to grow from. i like portrait photography. it's my "thing" and it's where i want my focus to remain. that being said, while my photos from this past weekend made me very pleased (and exceeded my expectations of my grossly amateur ability), the essence of what i really WANTED to capture is mostly missing. the eyes! the old corny "window to the soul" kind of thing--the feeling that the subject might actually reach beyond the corners of the image and touch you. that being said, my focus right now is all about "shiny eyes" as discussed here in the amazing and wonderful blog of Katelyn James. so it's back to practice, practice, practice. set a stone in place, mark it with a sign, and move on down the path...

...and a new lens or 2 wouldn't help (santa if you're listening, i've been a good girl this year, and i wouldn't mind an early present or five) :) 

LESSON 2 | slow and steady ::: this is going to be a LONG road. for those of you who stick around and watch, sometimes feeling like it may be a slow motion car crash, i appreciate it more than words can ever express. this isn't some huge revelation that i just had, but while i took 1 step forward i also feel like i took 10 back because the gravity of where i want to be is that much more apparent. it's like i'm standing at the end of a checkout line to just get a pack of gum with 20 people in front of me with 100 items. it feels like FOREVER. but i know, slowly and surely, i will get to a place where i will feel proud, and skilled, and GASP--accomplished.

maybe the most important lesson is knowing that there isn't really an end to the path. all that matters is that you stop along the way to take it all in...