Just a fallen leaf on the ground
August 30, 2012:
While sitting on the couch in my friend’s living room a couple of days ago, out of the corner of me eye, I noticed a leaf falling from a tree in the front yard. When I had arrived in the Hudson Valley at the end of March, most of the trees were still bare. It was then that I realized how much time I have spent in the region this year. About three years ago, when I first had the idea, coming to photograph the Hudson Valley for a few months felt like nothing but a pipe dream…a fun conversation with some friends who had also moved out. Now I keep thinking to myself, “I did it! I really did it.” And you know what? It was awesome.
I turned down roads I had driven past countless times in my past (or ridden past when I was too young to drive) and just looked around to see what was there. I visited friends of my parents who have lived in and loved the area for as long, if not longer, than I have been alive. I got to spend time with some of my closest friends. I became friends with my friend’s fiance whom I hadn’t known well before. I made new friends. I left and spent a week with relatives on Cape Cod. I hiked. I was welcomed into places not typically open to the public. I watched the seasons change at Perrine’s Bridge. I took control of an airplane. I was interviewed for a website article. I was featured in a newspaper. I shot lots of photos. I received compliments from current residents, past residents, lovers of the area, and people who have never been here. Some compliments came from friends, some from those I recently met, and some from people who found me online who I probably never will meet. I left the Hudson Valley for a month. I came back.
I appreciated every “like” on Facebook, every comment, every time another Facebook page shared my photos, and every email. Plus of course, every in-person compliment. I gained confidence as never before, and it was all thanks to the encouragement of others.
I changed my inner dialog and my outer dialog and I comfortably call myself a photographer. Yes, I still have another job, and may never depend on photography for all of my income, and that is just fine. That is not my goal. I am still a photographer.
With this newfound confidence, I will embark tomorrow on a long slow journey to California, visiting friends, family, and strangers along the way. I am excited. I will spend October through March, at least, with a home base in San Diego. I have friends there, which is good, and I even have a fan from Facebook ready to show me around. After that, who knows where I will go next. I have some ideas, but am far from making any decisions. Wherever I am, I will continue to share my perspective on the world around me through my photos.
Thank you to everyone for following my journeys so far, and sending feedback. Thank you in advance for continuing to do so. I’m glad I became a photographer, and I love sharing the experience with you.
I had to sneak in one more Perrine's Bridge photo before heading out of town
