His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning."
Psalm 30:5
I have mentioned the trials and tribulations of photographing my sons. I thought a visual from Brooks' session during last weekend's cast photo session would make my point. The photos below are his first (unedited) and eighth (finished). Quite a substantial improvement in 1 minute! This is our norm. His was the longest session at just under 6 minutes. We had one person for 4 minutes, but the bulk were 2-3 minutes.
I have now had time to reflect on this event and I'm frankly pleased, stunned and disappointed all at the same time. When I look at the product, I'm pleased. I am still aiming for a high degree of perfection, but given the rapid fire circumstances, these are good. When I evaluate my ability to thrive, not just survive, in this situation I'm stunned. Every time I think about the waiting line out the door, coupled with giving every child just 2-3 minutes of time, I am disappointed. There's no time to individually adjust the lighting. No time to talk to each child and give us both time to relax. No time to refer to my notes if something is not working for one person. No time to step back and breathe. I literally ate half a sandwich when I asked one of the students for 5 minutes before we moved on to his photo. Every moment was hurried and harried. And I neglected a few simple techniques.
So I'm left with a choice - anguish over what could have been or rejoice over what was. I choose the latter. The session was far from perfect, but it was, nevertheless, joy filled. I cannot let my own anxieties, impatience and fears trump my opportunities for joy. I confess, I am a perfectionist and myopic focus on "right" can cause me to miss the "light" on the periphery. Often, joy and love exist in the periphery.
Rather than dwell in the land of anguish, I must choose to celebrate the excitement of that imperfect moment, and live for the tomorrows that will invoke the lessons I learned today. What "imperfect moment" is stealing your joy? I encourage you to find and celebrate the joy in its midst. Then look for the learnings in those fears and anxieties and store them away, as though precious gems, for later use.
Best wishes.
Today's Photos: Trial and Tribute
"Every evil to which we do not succumb is a benefactor." Ralph Waldo Emerson
EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 125
50mm
f5.6
1/180s
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