Quiet January Days

Hello friends. We’ve made it through the long month of January and now get to bask in an early spring (at least for now, that could change any time over the next 6 weeks of winter). January was quiet and slow for us. Most years I have engagement, maternity, and newborn shoots at the beginning of the year, but those are still to come. I’ve leaned into the change of schedule and spent many cozy days at home with my family. No complaints from me. I’ve been needing to think through what I want out of this year. I still don’t have all the answers down, but I’m starting to form a shape that might turn into something. During that time, I’ve been watching the trends and shifts in photography and when they get too loud, I step back and observe. I didn’t pick up my camera as much, so I mostly edited old photos. I did take the set of photos you see here and just feel glad for leaning into the winter mood. I was missing sunlight and feeling uninspired, but happened to see a friend post a moody floral shot that encouraged me to embrace the moodiness.

When I was teaching photography at my local community college, I remember students not knowing what to take photos of if they hadn’t traveled somewhere grand or had models to work with. I was just leaning into seasonal photography at the time and began creating a collection of photographs that I created out of my own doing (meaning, I used what I had with where I was). Fast forward a few years and it really doesn’t take much for me to put a few things together and have something photo-worthy. I love that about this time of my life. I mean, I’d love a trip to the Dolomites, but that’s just not in the cards for me right now. Raising children and homeschooling are huge parts of my days, but maintaining space for creative freedom is important to me and so I keep moving forward with what I have. Bethany Douglass said, “The work of Winter is to heal and nourish. Withering is not the end; it is the preparation for something new.” Cheers to that!