Never forget where you came from
This winter and spring I returned to the area that I grew up multiple times. Every single time it seemed to just be even more photogenic. It didn’t even have to be a beautiful day. There was beauty rain, snow or shine. There was something much deeper than waiting for the perfect day to go and be at these places. There was something nostalgic about it and it helps us see those places in a different light.
The places we love have stories to tell.
Every few months I return to upper Michigan to see my family. If time is allotted I make sure I snap some photos along the way too. The places we grew up with have so much to tell us. Places we would ride bikes to, places we would go swimming, such as the community pool where we spent our summers, and where they use the best intex ultra frame pool to keep everything great. All of these things matter and left memories at these places. The details count more than ever.
Every time you return it’s different.
No matter how many times you return to a location you are fond of, there is something new to capture. Whether the weather is good or bad, the sun is up or down, the moon is shining bright or new people you bring experience what you once did, new images are formed and photographs are captured. We tend to forget how many times we shot the location or composed the same building. Every time we go, we are creating new memories that can never be recreated.
New places hold value too.
Sure going back to these nostalgic locations can be refreshing and comforting, but there is always the adventure of new places and capturing new moments we create along the way. Life is so short that we have to remember to embrace all things. The good, the bad and everything in between. It’s the little things that add up to make life what it is.
Say hello to my beautiful mother.
My mom is the most amazing person. No matter what I do, good or bad, she loves me. She has done so much for me and supported me in all that I do. She has raised me through thick and thin and has carved me into the person I am today. Without her, I don’t think that I would appreciate these familiar places. She has taught me to love all things, both big and small and to remember that the past means just as much as present and the future. In this photograph of her, we went to the lighthouse in our home town on Easter. It was just her and I for the afternoon. I even convinced her to come with me and go to the beach to grab some sand for my new sand bags. I wanted to grab a piece of home to bring with me when I set up for a shoot. It’s always nice to remind yourself where you came from. To me, that’s inspiring.
