Courage by Ginny Lennox

Since I began my love of photography, I have resisted learning a lot about the techniques involved in taking pictures. This is very unusual for me because teaching and learning are as much a part of me as is my name. But I knew that at least for awhile I just wanted to enjoy the process and learn by doing rather than by reading or being taught what to do. Last December I finally decided it was time to take a class on how to correctly take a picture. Let me be sure to say the teacher was excellent and very kind when discussing our pictures. Before the class I really liked the above picture. I liked the way the water sparkled and the way the waves curled. When I brought my picture to class to share, I learned that the sparkles were really blown out spots and that there was probably a better way to take this picture. Because I tend to be a perfectionist, this definitely changed the way I viewed the picture.

This Sunday for an online class I am taking, I was asked to choose a picture from my inspiration file for an assignment on Intuitive Photojournaling. As I was looking through my pictures, I was again drawn to the above picture and to the sparkles on the water. That was when I was reminded once again that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What may be a blown out spot to one person can be a sparkle to me. And that's ok! So no more worrying about techniques. For now it is enough to be outside with my camera, taking pictures, and enjoying each and every special moment!

What does the above post have to do with this month’s theme of courage? I think a lot. As a person who tends to follow the rules, it is often hard to be comfortable breaking them. But if I want to see my own individual idea of creativity grow that is exactly what I have to do and that takes confidence and courage. Courage comes in all sizes and shapes. When I think of someone who is courageous, I think of a soldier going to war, a policeman stopping a criminal, or a fireman rescuing a family. I think of a shy person speaking to a large group or a timid person learning to say no. For each of us courage may look or feel a little differently depending on what we are doing or where we are in life. As a person who is learning to be more comfortable with her own individual sense of creativity, it takes courage to say, “My picture may not follow the rules of photography but that’s ok. It still looks great to me!”

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.