Brenda Landrum

My Summer goal was to get the Print Shop updated. I really let this slide and I wanted to get it updated with not only more recent work but also of images I just never got on there. Figuring out what platform to use for this has been a bit of a challenge due to needing to not add to the small budget I have. I’ve used several online services over many years but right now I’ve decided to continue to use Square.

I was able to do quite a bit of updating this summer which I am very happy with. I still need to add more of the work I feel is good for prints but I’m satisfied with what I did get done. I’ve always dreamed of something bigger for the print shop, hoping it would provide income and that I could ship prints/products to people, but I’ve had to surrender that dream and be open handed with it. More on that below.

It’s always a joy to see the garden grow. It buzzes with life every single day. Like the first butterfly enjoying the chive blossoms and the bees going crazy over the nepeta. The birds come to find bugs, they love the Russian Sage, and the Towhee likes to fluff the mulch. I love to take my camera out during sunset as the light skims across the blooms and leaves. It makes the garden feel magical as the crickets chirp and the birds sing their last songs of the day. It’s always a little sad when September approaches because I know the garden is coming to an end.

This summer made me get very honest with myself about how I view my photography and how I classify it as a business. I’ve had a business mindset about photography since I was 18 and started doing my first portraits and a wedding right out of high school. Photography = Business in my head and a business needs to sell product. 

This summer I had to start reframing my dreams and look at from a different point of view which meant I had to go through a process of surrendering. It’s hard to let go of something you have worked at for so long and it’s even harder to get your mind to think about it differently. The stages of this hit a peak in July when some personal things had to be dealt with and ended up exposing a deeper fear in me that I didn’t quite realize had infected me so badly. I’m being a little vague here as I don’t want to completely air my laundry but I’m guessing that if you look back at past articles like Is Money the Main Goal? that you can see me working through this.

As summer closes though, my main goal moving forward is to get back to being me and sharing how I see the world through my viewfinder. Yes, I offer prints of some of my work, but that is not the focus of why I photograph and probably most of all why I share on social media like Instagram and Facebook. I love photography and it truly does thread into every part of my life. It’s how I appreciate the beauty that surrounds me and be thankful for the places I am and the things I get to enjoy. It’s how I express how I feel about what I experience in life, whether that’s good or bad things. Floral blooms, beautiful landscapes, hikes with family, a garden I love, and a home I am thankful to live in. 

I’m thankful for all of you here that choose to read and for your support.

B.