My "Not Photography" Vacation

It's been a few weeks since my first ever blog post in which I committed to posting something once a week. As you can see, that didn't happen!  I quickly realized that was an over-zealous and possibly unrealistic goal. While I do enjoy writing, I want to share significant happenings as opposed to just random rambling. As I reflect upon my photographic experiences over the past few weeks, I'd like to share some feelings I experienced on our recent vacation.

My husband and I recently went on our annual ski trip, this year to Breckenridge, Colorado.  Typically I take a point and shoot camera to capture our "on the mountain" skiing adventures and my "big" camera for everything else. Well, as luck would have it, I forgot my point and shoot, so all our action shots were from my phone, which doesn't have a very good camera. Disappointing, yes, but not horrible, since it meant we spent more time skiing and less time stopping to fumble around with zippers, gloves, poles, googles, etc.  I was able to experience the beauty all around me without thinking about how to capture the perfect image. 

We usually take a day off during the week to explore and photograph the local area. Again, as luck would have it, our day off was snowy, cloudy, and very windy, not a great day for photography! While I was able to get a few good images, mostly in the shops and museums indoors, I had to keep reminding myself that this was a ski vacation, not a photography expedition. Finally, on our way back to the Denver airport, we stopped in the quaint little town of Frisco. I was able to get some decent (not outstanding) shots, but didn't have nearly enough time there as we had a flight to catch.

So, what's my point in all this rambling and what may seem like complaining? In spite of the fact that I didn't get any shots that I would consider "outstanding," we had a wonderful time. I kept thinking of Ansel Adams' quote, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop” and that put it all in perspective. My take on all this: even if you can't get the shot for whatever reason, envision that shot in your mind and just enjoy the moment.