While on a vacation recently I was reminded as to why I enjoy photography so much. I woke up in my hotel room to the warm glow of golden sunlight beaming onto my face. Looking out the sliding glass door I could see the nearby hills aglow, and I sprung into action.
I scrambled to grab my camera which was resting on the desk near the TV. “Dang it,” I thought to myself, “wrong lens.” So I ran to the safe where I stowed my telephoto lens the previous day, changed the lens on the camera quickly, and bolted onto the patio to fire off a few frames.
In less than five minutes I managed to go from a deep sleep to taking pictures. It took a moment to realize that the sudden rush of excitement was the reason I love photography. In a deeper sense, the instant I opened my eyes I felt compelled to pick up a camera. There was no question in my mind what I needed to do, and that was to take a shot.
Photography is very often a slower, more deliberate process for me, but when fast changing light, or a fleeting moment presents itself, it is punctuated by bursts of flurried activity and peaked emotions of creative bliss. Usually the first thing in the morning I run for is coffee; on this way it was inspiring light.
