A few weekends ago I was photographing an event at the Sands Casino and Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania when I was presented with a thought that I brushed off at the time, but has been eating at me ever since. I was telling another photographer, who was also working the event, about how I had just driven from Pocono Raceway where I was covering a NASCAR race. He asked how I liked shooting that kind of thing even though it wasn’t my passion, to which I replied that I love photography and that I would have a good time taking pictures of just about anything. When I asked about it not being my passion he mentioned my website, which clearly is mostly about nature, landscapes, and the natural beauty of this world. The next day at the track I saw things a bit differently. I do love photography and I do love racing. I am passionate about both things. Now I also saw landscapes in the event I hadn’t noticed before. Sure a race was being furiously fought around the track with grit and determination, but the clouds were dancing in the sky, the pallet of colors in the grandstands was vibrant, and the spaciousness of the track was inviting.
I’m glad my friend brought up something I hadn’t seen. My photography grew because of his observation, and I grew as a photographer.