We’ve flown the coop and left Louisiana. Our original plan was to head south to New Orleans, but the heat and humidity is proving to be too much for any enjoyment to be had. We’re hoping to make our way down again when the weather is kinder.
Instead we headed west, just over the Texas state line to camp for the weekend with Chris and Sarah Parent. Chris was recently laid off and they just purchased their RV and are planning to hit the road full-time very soon. We truly needed this weekend to relax, reconnect and commune with our friends and with each other.
Number of photos taken: 4
Justin has been giving me a hard time about my lack of photos lately. I still love photography, but I realized this weekend my focus is changing.
For such a long time I took massive amounts of photos as a way for me to focus on what I love or am inspired by. I found it hard to see these things at times, so photography almost became my personal means of remaining in the moment, connecting to the beauty around me and reminding me to seek it when I couldn’t easily see it.
But since being on the road I’ve had little difficulty remaining in the moment. Our moments are mostly joyful and interesting. I feel more connected and more in tune and whole than I’ve ever felt.
I can see the beauty all around me without needing the lens of a camera to filter life for me.
I don’t really find that to be a bad thing. But I do miss having those visual memories to look back on or show others.
I like the few key moments I captured of this weekend…us hanging out in their bedroom, talking plans and making jokes and tearing down those ugly padded valances from the window; Sadie hooping when the heat stopped us mamas; that crazy lake we swam in (!!). Those are the highlights; the rest is captured in memories.
Maybe I’ll continue in that manner, capturing the highlights, enjoying the moments and even handing over the camera to the guys every now and then. Zeb has even been expressing interest in a camera of his own.
My name is Tara. I am a mama and a lover, a full-time nomad, a passionate devourer of Life and an Organic Life Coach.
When Zeb gets a camera, let us know what you choose. We’re trying to figure out a good video camera/camera for Rose. Love the RV planning!
I love the way you described your ability to stay in the moment through photography. I’ve never thought of it that way, but how grounding that could be when we’re in a chaotic place. I love it!
I understand what you mean. I was describing some spectacular sights to my husband and he complained, “You have to start taking pictures!”
But I agree with you, when you are lost in that moment of beauty, you don’t feel the impulse of “I must create a record of this for the future.” You are just in that moment….
That said, I also love your pictures!
Take care,
Jennifer
Passing off the camera seems a fantastic idea. Our daughter loves to take pictures with our digital camera (which means we have lots of pictures of our cat and of bushes and of the backs of our heads!).
I think it would be interesting for you guys to see what Zeb chooses to photograph.
this post really resonated with me.
i too go back and forth — loving capturing the special moments of our days with my camera some days and other times feeling like it is all just too special and too intimate and that whipping out my camera changes the whole dynamic.
glad to hear that you, who inspire me so, also wrestle with such things!!
I love love love your pictures. I brag about them to everyone. If you quit taking them you will shorten my list of what I brag about to my friends about my children. Please reconsider. Love you.