Two months. Maybe three.
At LEAST two months I’ve been throwing around in my head this particular post on my blog. Sometimes, words just downpour…and other times, all I get are a few sprinkles. FINALLY, I just have to choose my route and throw this bugger together. So, today is it…here goes.
Plain and simple…God whispers.
My pride will not prevail as I tell you that I’m human and I do indeed fall into a category of those who don’t always listen to those whispers. Those whispers that are a soft hand with a gentle guiding nudge toward a new or different direction.
Toward the end of 2014, I feel like God tugged the top of my ear and took a peek inside…pretty sure He felt a bit ignored. And just like that, I heard whispers.
I’ve been pondering this decision for a while but I have decided to officially take 2015 off from most of my client photography work.
Various reasons come into play but the biggest are these:
- I guess the number one reason really comes down to “time.” Our kiddos are growing into busy little buggers, which means more hustle, bustle, homework, activity-involvement, and stray water bottles and juice boxes in the van. And while some of you may also know, I’ve worked a half-time job as an engineer for years and still continue to do so. I’ve been asked on many occasions why I don’t just solely do photography…and to that I always have had a fairly simple response. This just works for me. On many levels really. And the folks I work with are certainly some of the very best there are. So, point being…something has to give for a bit.
- My daughter asked at least a dozen times last year if I’d teach her how to take photos with my first camera. More often than not, I said, yes, absolutely…just as soon as I finish up <insert whatever project I was working on at the time>. She hasn’t asked again in a few months. Because I know that her curiosity surely hasn’t disappeared entirely, I plan to take some time to rekindle that bit of fire and follow through with my promise. I adore spending time with that little girl.
- My son asks me nearly every day after school if I will play hockey, baseball, or football with him in the front yard. I do try to oblige with a smile most of the time; however, sometimes, I feel the need to make dinner or work on random tasks. I’ve realized recently that my little guy probably isn’t always going to want hang out with his ol’ mom and I better eat all this up for as long as I have it sitting right in front of me.
- My oldest kiddo has four scrapbooks. My youngest has zero scrapbooks. I wouldn’t mind attempting to even out that score a bit. Anyone else have this predicament? 🙂
- Life is passing me by. MY life is passing me by. Luckily it isn’t too far out of reach to grab it up and live it up. It’s a good life and when my little turkey’s don’t need me as much anymore, I want to be able to say that I nailed it…I rocked that whole mom-thing. Sure, I’ve made mistakes. We all do. And I sure know that I’m not done making them. But I’m going to dodge a few of those mistakes and toss a few potential regrets to the side.
So, will I be shooting in 2015? Yes, without a doubt. What will I be shooting? I will be shooting whatever will allow me to absorb these special and limited magical moments with my family and I’ll be shooting simply for me. I have a few special opportunities on the horizon that I look forward to conquering…and certainly sharing as well.
Taking a glimpse of the years I’ve been fortunate to be on this side of the camera, I have developed life-long friendships with incredible individuals that I may not have ever had the opportunity to know and the thought of “what if I hadn’t met them” brings me nothing but a hint of sadness. I love them…and I can’t begin to describe my gratitude in our crossing paths. Photography is magical that way.
The core values of Skye Hatten Photography are composed of a love of life, an appreciation for simplicity, and a craving for sentiment and emotion. While it’s been a journey of discoveries, I think that’s what it has ALWAYS been about really. And why? Because those values are mine. With that, I love being behind the camera and you can sure bet that’s where my place will continue to be. But for this year, I’m taking a breather. I look forward to the opportunities and special projects ahead…and I surely look forward to continuing to share this journey with YOU.
And since no post is really a post without images, I’m sharing some of my favorite images from 2014…what a great year!