Boston - Light - Photography - Life.

ON LOVING LIGHT…  Why I am a Photographer

light1 [lahyt]  noun, adjective, light·er, light·est, verb, light·ed or lit, light·ing.

1.something that makes things visible or affords illumination: All colors depend on light.

2.Physics.

a. Also called luminous energy, radiant energy. electromagnetic radiation to which the organs of sight react, ranging in wavelength from about 400 to 700 nm and propagated at a speed of 186,282 mi./sec (299,972 km/sec), considered variously as a wave, corpuscular, or quantum phenomenon.

b.a similar form of radiant energy that does not affect the retina, as ultraviolet or infrared rays. 

The past few months seems to have been full of tragedy.  Newtown... Boston... the list goes on and on. 

Sometimes it seems like the world is full of suffering… like we bounce from one tragedy to another… like we change our profile photos to support the cause of the moment… and we change them far too often.  We issue ribbons of every color for cancer awareness, or bullying, or remembering wounded veterans… 

If we aren't careful we can get sucked into a culture of voyeurism fed by a 24-hour news cycle.  We can become strangely addicted to the constant crises, thriving on the drama therein and focusing on the suffering. 

Suffering is an inherent part of life.  

But it's not everything.  Not by a long shot. 

"Rejoicing in our joy, not suffering over our suffering, makes someone a friend."

Friedrich Nietzsche

I have been through my fair share of suffering in my own life.  And here is what I have learned.  The light always wins.   The light makes the darkness tolerable. And the light is where we have to reside. 

If you want to appreciate the beauty of life; If you want to see the hand of God, no matter what your religious affiliation… 

focus on the light.  

My passion for photography comes from a love of light...actual and metaphorical. 

"To love beauty is to seek light"

Victor Hugo

"Light makes photography.  Embrace light.  Admire it.  But above all, know light.  Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography."  

George Eastman

I capture light.  

Not many things make me happier then beautiful light. I enjoy playing with light.  I challenge myself to capture images primarily with natural light… and perhaps that is no accident.  Because photography isn't just about light.. it's about capturing the light within the human spirit.  

Amidst all of the suffering there are countless moments.  They aren't newsworthy.  Sometimes they are barely noticeable.  

But they are everything. 

They are the glue that holds together the narrative of a life.  In cumulative form, they make up our story… our identities… our legacies.  They are the defining moments. 

Capturing those moments of light… that's why I am a photographer. 

Pretty tablescapes are fun… dresses are cute… and I enjoy those things as much as the next girl. 

But those things are pieces of a ritual… they do not in and of themselves define the ritual. 

What defines any ceremony is the sentiment within… as well as the spirit of the individual participants. 

It's the light.  

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. 

Proverbs 20:27

“There are stars who's light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart. There are people who's remembrance gives light in this world, long after they have passed away. This light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow.”

 The Talmud quotes

“You must enshrine in your hearts the spiritual urge towards light and love,  Wisdom and Bliss!”

Sri Sathya Sai Baba  (Indian Spiritual leader, b.1926)