Reflections

What a world wind two weeks it has been. I write you from Kansas City as I head home, once again.

Many have commented that reading my blog and viewing the images gives them a sense of living vicariously or at least riding “shot gun” along the way. The old phrase, “Be Careful What You Ask for, Because You Just Might Get it!” definitely applied to my last two weeks and may give you second thoughts about “offering to carry my camera bags.”

With a weeks worth of photographic assignments scheduled in Huntsville last week, Mother Nature threw me the first curve by socking in Norfolk Airport with fog and causing my departure flight home to be delayed a day. So the process begins, rescheduling my flight for the earliest next day departure, finding a hotel to spend a “distressed flyers” night in and frantically calling and emailing clients in an attempt to reschedule my 4 days of assignments into 3 1/2 days. But this is where the real fun begins.

Arriving in Nashville, I had a 4 hour drive ahead to shoot an assignment in Hamilton, Al . that afternoon. From there it was home and my bed for the first time in two weeks. The next morning I was up early climbing into a helicopter to shoot aerials of Huntsville and that afternoon off to shoot an environmental location portrait of a CEO. After that, on to the studio to deal with two weeks of mail that had piled up. The following day … two more location portrait sessions and an executive portrait shoot in the studio and then dinner with friends that evening. On Friday, a 12 hour drive to Cocoa Beach, Fl. for the STS-131 shuttle launch. Two days with NASA activities, then up at 1 am on Monday morning to travel out to view the 6:21 am launch. Back to the hotel for a couple hours of shut eye then up for an 8 hour drive to Pensacola to be with friends getting married on Tuesday. Back home on Wednesday, one night in my bed and then hop a plane for Kansas for a 3 day workshop.

The say – “All In a Days Work!” So do you still want to carry by bags?

I say all of this to say that you have love something allot to spend this much time doing it and still finding time to shoot for yourself. My reward for dealing with all of this – viewing a successful shuttle launch and enjoying the last remaining hours of last Thursday shooting in Big Spring Park. What an incredibly beautiful spring day it was and how wonderful the park looked in full bloom. I walked around taking it all in and when I came across the red bridge and the beautiful portrait being created by its afternoon reflection in the pond I could not help but point my camera downward.

The reflection of the city, the bridge and the trees combined with the gold fish was just the perfect moment and perfect statement for the perfect spring day. Originally intended for last week, this blog was set aside to share in the excitement and beauty of the first of the 4 remaining shuttle launches.