Yesterday I woke up in a severe mood.  A severely bad mood.

I don’t know why I woke in this miserable state, and as the day drew on it seemed there would be no respite from the cloud hanging over me.  Every now and then I raised my fist cursing it to abomination.  But alas, it was too late and I had damned myself to this day.

And it got no better,,,,,
As I scanned the paper yesterday I felt sick with the horrible stories I found there. “Mom accused of kicking nine year old daughter” is the one story that just made me physically ill.  I don’t understand what makes people do the things they do but it’s just, well, I can’t even describe it.  It’s horrendous and I just feel so bad for the little girl.  My heart and eyes well up when I think of this and write about it.  I felt so angered and instantly depressed.

The day moved forward.

Sammy, Brooke, and I had planned on taking my strobes out to practice some new photographic maneuvers last night and even with my attitude, I was looking forward to it.  It had been a while since I’ve been able to get out and shoot just for the pure fun of it.  When the time came, we headed down to a parking lot by the local skate park,,,,a good center meeting place between our houses.

Unfortunately, at the last minute, Brooke wasn’t able to make it.  So it was up to Sammy and I to make some magic.  We started by playing with exposures, mixing ambient light with strobe, and we were really teaching ourselves a lot when,,, Sammy decided that we needed some models.  Well, it was a good thing that we parked in the lot right next to the only skate park in Billings and off she went!  Within a few minutes she was bringing back the most excited group of kids ever and it was almost overload for me, but it was good.  It was good to hear their excitement about having their picture taken and showing us their moves.  The splinters under my nails slipped out and the glass I had been walking on all day disappeared.  I smiled.  With a renewed sense of day, I smiled big.  And then that cloud was gone.

I am realizing more and more that photography is not only what I love, it’s what I need.  If I don’t have it I start to wilt.  And even better than just having photography in my life, I’ve realized that when I can do something for someone, especially kids, I’m extremely happy and content.  The stories that I had read earlier in the day faded and I had a renewed sense of purpose.  I won’t soon forget the stories, but I know that there is good out there.  We, the adults, make the good and we must make up for the bad in any way possible.  These kids we shot at the park were awesome and they did more for me last night then they will ever know.

As nine o’clock rolled around, the kids all called curfew and within minutes they disappeared into the night with quick goodbyes, laughter, and requests for prints.

Make sure to check out Sammy’s blog for some fantastic portraits she made of our new friends!

My friend Sammy,