asterisk

299:365

I'm home. Desert cacti to rain-drenched fallen leaves. It's good to be back, even though a little piece of my soul remains out in Palm Springs, or rather in the spirits of each one of my shutter sisters. Just like last year.

This year was a different experience. Not better or worse, just different. The location was new, and offered far more eye candy for me (less nature, more man-made treasure!).

Plus, I'm not the same person I was a year ago. I really, truly needed this creative retreat, this time to reconnect with photography in the best possible way. For the first time in months, I shot creatively with the Nikon, and went full manual. I set the f-stop and shutter speed for each one of my images, taking time to carefully compose. It showed in my editing each night: far fewer images to wade through, and little to no exposure adjustments. It felt good. It reminded me all over again why I love photography, why I need photography.

I return realizing that it is impossible to maintain that level of creative output, at least right now. But I can try to hold on to that feeling, that slowing-downness that comes with creating a solid photograph. I can look forward to January, when the house should be done and we can move back into our own home, and our lives can return to normal.

In the meantime, I have a little bundle of prints, treasures to remind me of that feeling, and that experience out in the desert.