Welcome to my Blog Series!

IWith all of the changes happening at the start of the year I thought it marked a good time to launch a blog series.

There are so many topics to cover so where is the best place to begin? Amanda Gorman, the country’s first National youth Poet Laureate, was such an inspiration with her poem on Inauguration Day, I felt compelled to use this as a starting point...”so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.” 2021 offers so much opportunity ahead!

One question that I am sometimes asked is “why do you like being a photographer?” In response to that question, here are some of my thoughts.

• My camera helps me to notice more things around me. The light, textures, shapes and colors are only a few that come to mind. A simple stroll around the block on a walk with my dog often yields something new each day. Last week it was the ice forming on the groundcover and this week it was the surprise snow storm!

• My camera offers others the ability to see things they wouldn’t otherwise see. The pandemic offers a case in point with this one. Spending so much time at home and in isolation we have reached out to others through visual channels and for entertainment. Sharing photos from a recent hike inspired a friend to visit the same trail.

• My camera offers a gift to others. With extra time on my hands I was looking through some of my photo albums. From snapshots to formal portraits, a camera is at the heart of the legacy of these images. One thing I love to do is to photograph someone in a place where they feel so much at home. Whether it be on a hiking path or in a park. To give them this gift that may last for generations is truly an honor.

May your camera take you on new adventures this year!

- Linda

“The new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

- Amanda Gorman