Project Progress — Donna Hopkins

Howard Johnson Motor Lodge | Williamsburg, Virginia

Tony the Tiger Landmark | James City County, Virginia

I’m winding down work on my current project, a travelogue.

I’m still pondering titles.

Leaning toward this: How To Have An Awesome Adventure.

There are many stories that could accompany this collection of images, but mostly, the book is a reminder that life is a joyful experience. I’m not preaching good vibes or silver linings. I’m simply acknowledging that even during the worst times, I’ve always been able to move forward by naming what I see. The camera is the verb that helps me to see and the pictures are the nouns that name what I see—and this is how I process my feelings. Having an awesome adventure is about growth and all the maps we make—the roads we take on that journey. The miles we travel and the sites we see.

I’d still like to add a photo from the Caroline County Fair. That’s next week on June 18th. And I’m hoping we’ll make it the Richmond Metropolitan Zoo this summer. And Patterson Mini-Golf, too. Those would all make great additions to the book.

Then I’ll do some culling. The book is too big (and therefore too expensive). I’m hoping MILK photo books will have a summer sale to help with the cost.

It’s the editing and sequencing of the pictures that I find the most challenging. What stays and what goes and how the book should flow. For example, I have several images from Richmond all clumped together. These need to be spread out a bit, I think. And there are a few blank pages to allow for visual breaks and rest. Do I need more? A favorite quote or two? Does the book need more words? All of these things to consider. In the end, the book is only for me. I’d like to say that I am easy to please, but I am not. I want to do my best. But at some point soon, I will step away and say, good enough.