Rekindling friendships. Pushing chairs back together. Sitting next to and near my lifelong friends. Hugging and laughing and seeing smiles. Grateful beyond measure for vaccines.

“A Big Friendship can hold you when you’re worried that everything else is falling apart. It can be a space of validation when you feel alone in the world. It can provide the relief of feeling seen without having to explain yourself in too many words. And it offers the security of knowing that you won’t have to go through life’s inevitable challenges alone.”
— Big Friendship, Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman

Offset, Old Greenwich Pool, Summer Morning

Wow, David duChemin’s post for today, 3 Ways Changing My Thinking Changed My Photography, really spoke to me. In his straightforward way, David cuts to the heart of the matter. He asks 3 simple questions.

One. Is it time to shift from focusing on cameras and gear to focusing on photographs themselves?

Two. Is it time to change from photographing things to photographing ideas?

Three. Is it time to move on from a focus on single images and start thinking about bodies of work?

David asks, What single change have you experienced in how you think about your photography that has helped take your image-making to new places?

And here is my answer.

The single change I have experienced in how I think about my photography – it’s okay that I am not tech-savvy. I used to be petrified of Photoshop and Lightroom. I worried that I would never master all the settings on my camera. I own only one camera and a few lenses and was very intimidated by all the gear talk from other photographers. Once I accepted that I didn’t really WANT to master Photoshop or Lightroom, I was able to free myself up to all the inspiration the world has to offer – and it’s everywhere! I let go of the idea that I had to know and use everything my camera could do. Accepting that I’d never have the discretionary income to buy a lot of fancy gear, I became amazingly grateful for my previously-owned Canon 5d, mark III. I’ve learned to dance with that camera and it’s a wonderful partner. We anticipate each other’s steps and accept each other’s limitations. These simple shifts opened up a beautiful way of seeing and photographs that I am really proud of.