I am originally from Toledo, Ohio. Toledo is a decent sized blue-collar town that sits right along the Michigan/Ohio border, along Lake Erie and the Maumee River. Toledo in my opinion, other than the Fall, has some of the worst weather in the country. In the Winter (which feels like it lasts eight months), sub-zero temperatures are the norm, and the same 10-inches of snow will stay on the ground for weeks on end. In the Summer, humidity hangs out around 100% and the temperatures are around 90-95… walk out your front door and it feels like you’re walking through a giant vat of semi-melted butter.

Since moving to Albuquerque, I’ve been more than happy to not have to deal with such extremes. If nothing else, this move was completely worth it because Ryanne and I got to skip out on at least one of Ohio’s gray winters (also, the sun usually doesn’t come out for weeks at a time). I can count on one hand how many times it’s dropped below freezing during daylight hours. And the picture above, which was just taken this morning, represents the third time I’ve actually seen it snow in our district of ABQ. Of course, none of that snow is sticking, and it will more than likely stop within the next hour as it warms up.

As I watched it snow this morning, I was reminded of all the things in Ohio. Specifically the things that led me and my wife fifteen hundred miles southwest to where we are now. I couldn’t help but think, that a year ago I wouldn’t have thought twice about the fact that it was snowing. It was the norm, the familiar. Fast forward twelve months later, and now it feels completely unnatural and foreign for it to be snowing in late March. Toledo hasn’t changed though, neither has Albuquerque, the only changing has come from me.

Ryanne and I decided years ago that we wouldn’t let the fear of the unknown dictate our actions. Fear in any sense really… we want to live a life where we are always ready and able to say “yes” to whatever may come. Life’s too short to stay in one place, to only experience the same thing over and over. So when the opportunity to come out to ABQ arose, it really felt like a no-brainer.

I wonder if I don’t (and if I should) approach my photography the same way? I often get caught in rut of what feels familiar, even if just for a short time. When I first started out I was over-texturizing everything to the point that I look back at some of my early work now and I can do nothing but laugh. My blacks were too black, I didn’t know a thing about proper lighting, hell I barely knew how to use my camera at the time. Then I learned how to apply “actions” to my photos to give it a custom (though not really, since it was already done by somebody else) “vintagy” look to a photo, and I abused that too. After that phase, I went hardcore into an off-camera lighting era. At that point I at least knew the technical aspects of what I was doing, and it showed in my images. Thankfully, I’m still happy with images from that phase of my work. Now I’m starting to finally settle in and be at ease with who I am as a photographer. I feel like I can work in a number of different style’s comfortably, combine them when necessary (though, never abuse anymore), and that’s a nice place to be.

But I’m only here now, because I was willing to step outside the box and embrace the unfamiliar. Becoming stagnant and being comfortable with who I am as a photographer is the greatest enemy of all. Life is all about growth, and if I’m not growing as a photographer, as a creative, hell… as a person, then I might as well throw in the towel. I’m not where I want to be yet, and I’m sure more embracing will happen, but I hope I always have the same attitude towards change as I do now…

bring it.

<3>

(ps – it stopped snowing)