Seasons

I’ve been a little absent this past year! My son was born last summer and life has been busy. Any parent will tell you the first year of a child’s life is a little like learning how to survive. They change so much and so fast that as soon as you find yourself catching your footing, they throw another wrench at you. It’s a wonderful chaos.

I’ve been thinking about the seasons of photography that I’ve gone through in life. I spent five years grinding away in a studio and burning out. I spent some years focusing on my career and only doing things here and there. When I left work more than 2 years ago, all of a sudden I had all the time in the world to dedicate to quality time with my camera: exploring around town, taking trips, capturing shows. Then this era: taking private photos that aren’t for the world at all. Just us. Moments of my son’s life that are my most cherished photos, most just snaps with a cell phone.

We made the decision to not share his face online because we believe he has a right to introduce himself to the world if and how he likes. Our photos of him belong with us: texts to the grandparents, prints for the album, frames on the wall.

I made this site from a (I think) very human desire to share the things I create with others. A few weeks ago I realized how little I’ve made for public consumption in the last year, and I felt a pang. I do miss getting out, but this wasn’t regret. No way I’ll ever regret getting to spend this time with my son. Nor was it guilt. I share for connection, but I don’t feel any kind of obligation. Not publishing much lately has felt like an identity shift. In this season, I feel a little more selfish. Or maybe it’s protective. But either way, when I think about the seasons I’ve been through, I know that one thing is always true: seasons change, and I’m feeling like Spring is here.

More to come, but I’m planning a couple trips for later this year. One that rhymes with “Grand Schmeetons”…