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Thanks!

Ana

Just another post on gratitude

On this weekend we are all supposed to take the time to be thankful. We are all told we should appreciate whatever makes us happy. However, it’s also a weekend that’s become a huge marketing blitz. Every retailer out there is clamoring for your attention and the thought of the absolute best possible deal clouds the true meaning of the holiday.

Personally, it’s been a long time since I’ve had the means to go shopping for the holidays during Thanksgiving and things are even tougher different this year. So, for better or for worse, I am forced to focus on the true significance of where I am now and what I have found is that I have LOTS to be thankful for. Here goes:

1. My family – flawed like all others – but we love each other regardless.

2. My friends. So many have shown me such love and compassion I truly wish there was a word more profound than thank you or something else I could offer. Know that you have in me a deeply grateful and loyal friend as well.

3. Strangers. I have encountered so many that have been so kind and compassionate and I wish I could show them just what a difference they have made in my day. I wish I could do more than offer a true and sincere thank you. Because of them I do my best to pay it forward and offer others the same.

4. Bella. I love her more than she can understand and she brightens each and every day.

5. My talent. Not bragging here – just happy for what I have been given and the ability to know that I have lots more to learn.

6. What I have learned. My life was so different a few years ago. In a million years I never imagined I would be where I am now. But the struggles I face have taught me so much about the world and myself and have given me such perspective that I am actually grateful for the challenges as they have really made me grow.

7. The little things like the smell of the ocean or a sky peppered with puffy clouds. I try, I really do, to see beauty in the ordinary and to notice the little things along the way.

There’s more, I’m sure and as I’ve said before I try to be grateful for something every day.This is just another post on gratitude, nothing more, as I constantly feel the need to be thankful for the blessings in my life. The bottom line is, the holidays can be a source of many things, frustration, depression, anxiety to name a few but if we take the time and look around a little, there are things to be grateful for no matter what. And hey, there are a lot of good sales, too!

Do something uncomfortable

I’m of the opinion that if you do something uncomfortable it can help you grow as a photographer. As creatures of habit it becomes really easy to stick with what we know; with what’s safe. But to stretch beyond the limits can be so much more rewarding and the satisfaction in accomplishing something that seemed difficult can be so fulfilling.

I tend to be shy and I have always been hesitant to photograph strangers so for me it’s very uncomfortable to shoot in public areas such as markets and streets. I have this unreasonable fear that somewhere, someone is going to get really mad and yell at me or that I might get stopped by cops for looking suspicious (I mentioned unreasonable, right?). I think street photography is really cool, though, and I’m determined to do more of it.

I took the photo above when Andy was here in San Diego and we went to the Little Italy Mercato. Every time the camera clicked I cringed a little; but each time it got easier and easier. And what a surprise… No one yelled! As a matter of fact no one said a word and most people barely looked twice at us. I was really pleased with the results despite my own internal struggle.

Recently I was in NYC and what’s NY photography without street shooting? So little by little I started photographing street scenes such as the one below that I found interesting.

What was difficult was shooting in areas where there were lots of people. And that’s only about 90% of NYC. My friend Lisa (a Brooklyn native) noticed this and pointed out the fact that all I had to do was stand my ground and that the people walking towards me would go around me. “Just stand there and they’ll just go around you. They’ll part like the Red Sea,” she said. Much to my surprise, they did! Standing my ground – what a concept! I realized then that this is something that I need to practice (and not just when it comes to photography).  The image below was taken in Union Square the first time I stood my ground. Basically nothing happened – New Yorkers kept going about their business.

The next day I ventured out by myself in Brooklyn and took more photos at the farmer’s market. It was exhilarating to have found that I could do what I wanted and that nothing bad happened. By the time I left New York I was feeling a lot more at ease about doing street photography and I was much more comfortable in Philadelphia doing the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t magically cured my shyness, and I still feel somewhat uneasy about the whole thing. What I have found is that doing something uncomfortable has made me a much better (and slightly braver) photographer and it has opened up many more opportunities. And in case you’re wondering… I have also been standing my ground in many other situations!

For more on the topic, check out the post by my good friend (and fellow shooter) Andy Brooks.

Keeping it together

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything – turmoil in my personal life has been rather overwhelming. I have, however, this one thought to share.

I took this image on the Brooklyn Bridge. It was amazing to me that the network of links and cables are able to hold all that weight and keep the bridge in place. In the same manner, our own network of family and friends can help support us beyond what we can do on our own. I feel immensely blessed to count on a group of amazing people that are helping me during these tough times. Without them I’m not sure where I would be. Thank you all once again.

Fortune cookie wisdom

All I have is a quick little post today with random inspirational thoughts.

These two statements which came on fortune cookies are on my laptop keyboard and every now and then I read them as reminders.

1. For success today, look first to yourself

2. You are often unaware of the effect you have on others

So simple, so short and yet they always make me stop and think. Here’s to hoping they do the same for you.

Sometimes I miss the flower shop

For seven years I owned a flower shop and worked as a floral and event designer. There was nothing glamorous about it, trust me, but it was at times a lot of fun.

Sometimes I miss the flower shop and the leftover bouquets that would make it home with me. Although it was not easy work, it was very satisfying to create something that people enjoyed. I love flowers and so as a photographer I also love photographing them. Here are just a few of my favorite floral prints as I reminisce today.

Finding your strength

Every one of us has been through our share of hardships and every story has its ups and downs. Mine is no exception.

The key, however, is finding that strength deep inside you and realizing that even if you’ve hit rock bottom you can get through it. In J.K. Rowling’s speech to a Harvard graduating class she talks about “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination”. She discusses some of her own hardships and focuses on the lessons that she learned. Like her there are a lot of other people out there that have been through great trials and managed to succeed in the end. These people are a constant source of inspiration for me.

A lot of things can go wrong and the worst we imagine might actually happen but the surprising thing is that we can actually get through it and in the end come out of it a stronger and better person. It’s the growth process that’s important. It’s the ability to examine what has happened and learn from it so that when all is said and done we emerge and move up from rock bottom a better human being. It’s the ability to find your strength that will help you survive.

I seem to write a lot about strength and I have often been told that I am a strong person. The funny thing is that I rarely feel strong until I look back and realize how far I have come. Somewhere, somehow, I have found my strength. I end today’s post with the following quote from Rowling’s speech: “…written by the Greek author Plutarch: What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”