into the sun

This past weekend, before Marcus headed out of town on business, the three of us went walking into the small arboretum near our home to "explore."  It was one of the those great Texas October days, so I brought my camera, knowing that I'd surely find something worth shooting.

Normally when I shoot (and as is likely true with any photographer), I'm very conscious of how the light is falling, the shadows it creates, the reflections that occur.  But this time, I became fascinated with how things looked through the light: I found myself squinting into the sun, and blinking back tears, and shooting the translucence of the leaves, capturing the flare.

Sometimes that's how life feels when you have a goal or a singular purpose, don't you think?  I don't know about you, but whenever I've really wanted something really badly, it never came to me easily: in fact, I've become very superstitious in the belief that if things come to me without any real effort, then ultimately, I'm going to be disappointed.  Only the things I've really had to struggle for have turned out exactly as I'd hoped.

So I'm glad I was moved to capture these images: hopefully they'll remind me that when I'm working for something, straining with effort and even blinking back tears, as long as I keep the result in mind, it'll all be worth it in the end.

Song: Steal my sunshine, by Len