Choices

"I choose…to live by choice, not by chance. To make changes, not excuses. To be motivated, not manipulated. To be useful, not used. To excel, not compete. I choose self-esteem, not self pity. I choose to listen to my inner voice. Not the random opinion of others."

~Unknown

We all have many choices to make in life.  Those range from the simple things, like what am I going to wear today to what am I going to do with the rest of my life.   The choices we make determine how successful we're going to be, how happy we're going to be, etc.  These choices, however, don't only effect us; they effect all those who we meet.   They determine whether we're going to be a positive force in the lives of those we meet, or a negative one.  So,  when you're faced with important decisions today, or in the future, think about the long-term effects those decisions will have on your life and the lives of others.

I wish you well.

Beauty

"It is the mind which creates the world around us,
and even though we stand side by side in the same meadow,
my eyes will never see what is behold by yours,
my heart will never stir to the same emotions
with which yours is touched."
George Gissing (1857-1903) England/France

Well, after conducting my five day photo workshop, spending 3 1/2 weeks in Yellowstone, and then trying to catch up after returning home,  I think I can finally start doing this blog again.   I hope you've missed my posts just a little bit.  :-)

I think this quote is so true.  What one person finds beautiful, and what stirs emotions within them, may not effect another person at all.  We're all different and what effects us depends on our past, our emotional screens, etc.  As a photographer, I try to photograph not only what moves me, but also what I think stirs the same emotions in my viewer.  One way to do that is to look at publications, fine art, etc. to see what is being produced and, more importly, what is sellnig.  Determining what will sell is one of the biggest challenges for any kind of artist, because it's an ever-changing target.