Green grass doesn’t grow on a beaten path, no matter the side of the fence. My neighbor’s grass, proves it (see above).

When you take time to water your own grass, you end up with:

• Time outside in shorts, flip flops, and fresh air
• A practice exercising patience and your hamstrings
• Better odds for a “Greenest Lawn on the Block” nomination

Despite a slightly higher water bill, the results are priceless.

The longer-term reward? A fresh perspective, a renewed sense of possibility, and eagerness to keep enthusiasm going.

A Blog Sabbatical

While blogging is bloody difficult, I enjoy the rewards. As the blog took a month hiatus, my brain completed Spring Training. Adventure off the beaten path (again, see above) requires time. Opportunity usually awaits.

I must say it’s been an enjoyable break– for a few reasons:

• I’ve spent quality time with family, a priceless commodity, including time to photograph my grandparents.
• I’ve learned to sail.
• To reflect on amazing creative learning experiences. I had an amazing time with my mentors John Michael Cooper and Anna Kuperberg. I’ve taken tons of notes and really wanted to digest what I had learned before putting it into practice.
• To incorporate Shoot-Q into my workflow from managing leads, booking clients, signing contracts, sending out questionnaires… all now much more simplified and streamlined. The 40 hours of work invested has already paid off.
• Guest blogging on The Photo Life on “Photography for the Professionals,” a book written one 37 years ago, I wrote about 10 Truisms that still remain true today.
• Carved out time to take lots of notes on Joey L’s Commercial Portraiture course on Creative Live.

Feeding Instagram has been a hoot. I share everything from a mini-review of the PhaseOne IQ260 to battles with squirrels in our attic. It’s the perfect micro-blogging platform which allows me to focus more on life and less on proof-reading. I highly recommend it if blogging isn’t your bag.

What’s New:

I’m the new Pictage User Group (PUG) leader in Minneapolis. Whoop whoop! As a long-time user of Pictage (since 2006), I accepted the leadership torch for the Minneapolis PUG from Stacy and Jason Thon this week. I’m eager to share my enthusiasm with the Minnesota photography community and this group (meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month).

Each month we’ll be focusing on a different aspect of creative photography. As photographers, creative topics are fun to learn, and from my experience, are the events that tend to draw crowds. I’ve talked with several experienced PUG leaders like friends Jensen Sutta and Katie Van Buren in Colorado and Jody Lewis in Seattle who seem to agree. I have appreciated their time sharing their wisdom and lessons learned.

Come jump off the beaten path and join us at our next meeting (free to attend):

Who:     Creative Photographers
What:    PUG Meet-up topic on using negative fill light (think black reflectors)
When:   June 18, 2013 from 6:30-8pm
Where:  Pershing Recreation Center, 3100 43rd St. W., Minneapolis, MN 55410
Why:       To learn, create, and share

Sub sandwiches, snacks, and beverages provided. Bring your camera.

Questions? Contact me or visit the Minneapolis PUG Facebook page.

Each meeting, we’ll take a group photo, emphasizing input and collaboration from photographers. With school almost out, here’s our quirky group photo: