Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Unexpected Gifts of Photography

by Kelly



When I signed up for my very first online photography course, I sort of expected I would learn to pay closer attention.


I figured I would learn about things like depth of field...


...and perspective.


I assumed I would learn more about composition and light. 

  



But all that time, the one thing that I never, ever expected...the thing that took me by surprise and touched
my heart was this...


...the gift of friendship. 

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago to meet up with five of the ladies from Focusing on Life.  Without being too melodramatic or sappy, I would just like to say that their friendship has changed my life.

pictured left to right...Deanna, Kim, Kelly, Dotti, Terri, and Carol A.

And for that gift, I am profoundly and eternally grateful.

So what about you?  What have you discovered through photography that has touched your heart or surprised you?  We would love for you to share with us.

Until next time, 
Kelly



15 comments:

Unknown said...

Photography has helped me find a voice I did not know I had. A hobby I lose myself in and a creative spirit that has been dormant for years. Love love love visiting you amazing ladies here. Thank you

AFishGirl said...

Lovely post, Kelly. It's given me the gift of restoring my peace and finding steady ground in times of trouble. It's also been icing on the cake in times of joy. Welcome home, ladies!

Jeanne said...

Great post and all of you looked as if you had such a marvelous time together. What a wonderful benefit!

Patti said...

It is helping me to the the beauty in every day and feel grateful.

kybarb said...

You all continue to inspire me! I had no idea when I signed up for Tracey Clark's first photo class ?Picture Spring? that I would learn so much about myself and "meet" so many awesome women that have taught me so much about photography and life. I hope one day I will get to meet you all in person and go on a fun photo shoot too!

terriporter said...

Your photos are wonderful and bring back so many beautiful memories of our time together. We probably shot thousands of photos among the six of us but what we will remember most will be the time spent together. So very special!

Anonymous said...

What a great story shared through your photography. Great pictures...
Blogging and the photography sharing sites have been such a blessing when you don't have that much friend interaction on a weekly basis. I've had a camera since grade school that I won selling American Seeds, but being on the different photo sites have made my experience of learning new techniques so much fun.

visiting from Texture Tuesday

Peabea :)

Deanna said...

Ahh Kelly, it is so wonderful to see my world thru your eyes. I did so love meeting you and spending time with you albeit way too short. Friendships are a beautiful thing!!

Dotti said...

You got terrific shots! But it was definitely about more than photography. It was ... and is ... about the love we have for one another as a result of the shared hobby that we all love. So, so happy to have met you and Kim and Carol and to see Deanna and Terri once more. xo

Cathy H. said...

Friendships? Yes, I've made some wonderful friends through photography, but I've also learned to see daily beauty and gratefulness through my lens and I've learned to be braver. Wonderful post with some beautiful images and ladies! So glad you guys were able to meet and enjoy a few days together!

heyjudephotography said...

Photography has always helped me to slow down.. To really see. And I couldn't agree more - what a wonderful "side effect" of these photography classes - friendships. :) So glad you all had a great time. Hope to be with all of you next time.

Silvina Soave said...

Preciosa serie, hermosas capturas las de flores y abeja!! Un abrazo grande.

Katie said...

look at what a cute bunch you all make! just makes me grin.

as for what i've discovered? i think i've discovered a closer relationship with the natural world, to always say thank you over and over again for all that beauty.

Anonymous said...

Awesome, Kelly! From Deanna's blog post today it sounds like you gals had a wonderful time. Priceless lifelong friendships.

Neat city pictures; these scenes are so foreign to me. The big buildings are captivating.

Robyn
http://theranchwifechronicles.com/

Sue said...

This looked so wonderful guys. A meet-up, the kind of thing I can only dream of over here in England. You must have had such wonderful creative fun together and shared so many ideas about photography. Cheers to you all and here's to the next time!

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