Describe your perfect day
I just finished watching Live Your Truth Principle #1: Combine Passion With Skill. The one thing that stood out for me above all else in the video, was the statement “Describe your perfect day”. In her own words, Elizabeth Potts Weinstein is a mompreneur who helps other small business owners live their truth by finding their core message, taking inspired action, and transforming their “hobby” into a real business. I recently was introduced to her treasure trove of information and inspiration via twitter and a tweet from a photographer I follow, @fleurdeleigh Leigh Caraccioli.
I am challenged to think about and to put into words my perfect day. My perfect day absolutely would include photography. Just the very act of finding and capturing a slice of time that hopefully will both inspire and help us remember, is one of the most enjoyable things I can think of doing. Would I just use my whole day to take pictures? No. That is only the start of my day. Since the best time of day for photography is either the morning or evening when the light is best, I would start out by shooting in the early morning and then make my way back to the studio to start processing those captures. Even the act of processing and coaxing the life out of each pixel is something that I love doing. Note: the “studio” could just be my laptop computer plugged into the inverter in my car, van or my home office where I do most of my processing and color critical work.
The next step in my perfect day would be to then take the finished images and share them not only with the people involved in helping create them, ie. a model, but also share them with others that can enjoy and appreciate them as much as I do. In today’s world of online forums and social networking the sharing part has become very easy! During the sharing we all come together as a community of like minded individuals who share the same passions for life, photography and caring for our world and the people who make up that world. Another very important part of what makes this perfect, is during the sharing a small part of who we are as human beings is shared with others and that sharing of knowledge and passion is infectious. I am learning very quickly that it isn’t just about the pictures we create or the tools we use to do that creating. It is you! You and all the qualities about yourself that make you special is what is important. Until you share your true self, your voice and spirit, you will not benefit from what makes photography something so memorable and enjoyable. Everyone else around you. The world we live in.
Okay so now I have done the sharing, hopefully helping others and learning a few things in that process. After I have spent some time with my wife and family, I head back out to take more pictures in the evening light, then come back to start the process all over again. The secret about all this is maybe you don’t have the ability right now to live your perfect day but if you listen to your passions and strive to include them as much as possible into your busy life, every day will be your ultimate success. Just remember to get up each day and follow your passions instead of just thinking and wishing you could do them.
I have to thank everyone around me that is so willing to share part of themselves either through a photo they took, a video they record, a blog entry, a tweet, or a book that they write. Each little bit of information helps so many people learn. Probably the most important part for me is the learning. That is my perfect Day.
Wow, I’m so honored that you were inspired to take action on this & write this post after watching my video! Your day sounds magical, and I look forward to seeing you create that day for yourself & everyone in your life! :)
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Elizabeth! Your inspiration and energy are a true gift.
What a great blog and exercise in seizing the day, each day. Loved when you said “coaxing the life out of each pixel,” because I often have to justify why I take each image and cultivate it in photoshop rather than batch edit. Each image has it’s own “pixel life.” I am thrilled to connect you with Elizabeth, who rocks, in real life and virtually. Great to hear about your perfect day and how you fill it with your passions.
Leigh Caraccioli
How exciting to have the very people that inspired you come back to read how that inspiration has helped someone else.
Thank you Leigh, for a wonderful start to my day. Waking up to a message that shows the world is full of positive sharing people, is even better than a steaming cup of coffee. (Yes I like coffee, very much, especially in the morning.)
Sean