New direction!

Happy Monday!  New week, new challenges, new opportunity....and new inspiration!  After speaking with a writer friend of mine, who just started a new blog as well (she's awesome and will you will enjoy her posts...http://cynthialovely.com/), I've decided on a weekly theme.  Every Monday I'll post a picture with a short description or story or whatever for all to enjoy.  At worst, you will be entertained by my ploys to entertain you, at best you will love the photo and my writing will improve!

Ok!  Here it is...

This photo means quite a bit to me.  A picture is worth a thousand words right?  I'll try to keep it to 100 ;) Back in 2010, a military family moved here from the South and started attending my church.  Right from the start they were friendlier than most Northerners, especially for not knowing anyone!  My wife (fiancee at the time) and I spent some time with them and immediately became solid friends with the whole family.  They were a home away from home for Kayla and treated her with love and kindness during the most stressful times of planing a wedding and going to school.  They continue to be close friends even with the busyness of our wedding, there daughter's wedding, and countless other activities that sometimes keep us apart.  I stopped by their house on Saturday after dropping Kayla off at work to catch a few football games with the man of the house, Joey.  He's a die-hard LSU (geaux Tigers!) and New Orleans Saints fan and I like them too.  It's also amusing to watch him get all bent out of shape during the game when it doesn't go his way.  Well, Sis. Manos had decorated the outside of the home with some pretty awesome Fall decorations and I just had to have a mini-shoot.  The light couldn't have been better for it being 1pm (it got way better at around 5, maybe those pictures will come next...) so click click click went my shutter.  This was my favorite shot not only because of the lighting and color, but also because it embodies everything this family is about-welcoming people into their home with unconditional love.  They have truly blessed myself, Kayla and countless others in the sometimes not-so-friendly Northeast.  I'm thankful that God has placed them in our lives and hope that they feel as welcome in my home as I do in theirs.

I hope you enjoyed the photo and story of the week!  Come back next Monday for more...

Introduction

"He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.  He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame." - Proverbs 10:4-5


     If you want to grow in anything, don't wait around for something to happen, just start working and see where that takes you.  I've heard this in many ways, by many people of all different mindsets.  It seems to suit me; I'm more efficient and get so much more done if I am already busy.  The minute things slow down is the minute I lose any sort of drive and motivation.  I believe we are hard-wired that way; which is why, among other reasons, most of us have a hard time putting down the Blackberry on vacation.  I say all this to say that I like to stay busy.  I've tried many different vocations and hobbies during my short life.  In my 24 years of being on this earth I've done many things and experienced some awesome stuff, but  not nearly enough to allow me to sit back and reminisce quite yet; I'll save that for when I can start using the phrase, "now son, when I was your age..."  


So, here I am at the start of a new adventure.  This time it has so many different facets that I'm a bit overwhelmed by what steps need to be taken in order to achieve the end goals.  Here's my story:  Back in 2006, as I was failing my first semester of Culinary Arts at the local community college (yes, I failed hospitality 101-must be a Yankee thing...just kidding; that might be part of a future post, we'll see), I had the opportunity to go to Florida and work at Disney for a while.  Being that it was 6 degrees Fahrenheit I don't think I could have gotten down there any faster.  As a going away present I received my first digital camera and away I went.  Some 800 photos later I was hooked.  Now 10,000 photos and 5 years later I'm really hooked.  This blog, as well as a few other things are the start of my photographic journey, from hack to pretty cool photo guy.  


I've tried many new things that are outside of my comfort zone and this is definitely one of them.  I don't claim to have a single creative writing gene in my body and my love for broccoli just might surpass my love for writing and self-marketing.  Nevertheless, my love for photography drives me to put myself out there and share with the world this journey that I have set my sights upon.  I would love to have a few friends to share this adventure with and welcome all the advice (i.e. how to form a coherent thought for your reading pleasure) I can get.  Maybe you'll enjoy the writing, maybe you'l enjoy the pictures, who knows...but I'm putting myself and my photography on the front porch for all to see.  Join me as I grow... 


-Tim