revjim.net

June 1st, 2007:

hiking/camping this weekend?

I’d like to do some lake photography at sunset and sunrise. The easiest way to get the best photographs, is to camp out at a location on a lake. That way my vehicle is inside of the gates after the close and before they open. However, hiking alone isn’t really all that fine. And hiking alone in the dark is even less fun. Anyone interested in coming along?

I have two tents and all the supplies we’ll need to set up a moderately comfortable base camp. All you’ll need to bring is yourself, a few personal items, a change of clothes (if desired) and a willingness to get up early and hike.

We can do lake Ray Roberts or Lake Mineral Wells. I’m leaning more towards Mineral Wells because the rock cliffs are interesting, but, it’s a little bit farther of a drive. I’m happy either way.

I’m hoping to set up camp Saturday afternoon and stay through until Sunday morning. We’ll hike/bike a little in the daylight to find a good spot, then venture out again to arrive near 7:30pm. We’ll photograph until just after 8:30pm and hike back before it gets pitch black. Then, the next morning, aim for being at the spot around 5:30 or 6:00am. The sun comes up at 6:30am and we’ll start heading back to camp around 7:30am at the latest. Then we pack up and head home unless there’s some more hiking we’d like to do.

Anyone up for it?

the reason, if I have to have one, is just because I can

I’ve been digging through a lot of old photographs over the last week or so trying to recover files lost during the backup fiasco and recatalog and reindex everything. It has made me nostalgic. Not so much for the places or the people or the things I was involved with then, but because of the mindset I was in that is evident through the photographs.

I used to photograph because I wanted to. Because I enjoyed it for both the process, and the result. I needed no more purpose than that. There was no meaning unless I decided there was. There were no requirements unless I imposed them. I just took beautiful photographs of whatever it was I felt like photographing. I photographed what I wanted and included people that were as interested in ends and means as I was.

It has really reminded me of where I was, how I got here, and why I started doing this in the first place. I want to spend the rest of my life making beautiful photographs, if for no other reason than because I can and most people can’t. Is that so bad?