Hello out there, friends.
My photography practice is as much about connecting with the natural world as it is about making beautiful images. As we enter the winter season, I am looking forward to all that winter has to offer, and thinking of a book I read last year that has had a huge impact on how I perceive this season. The book is Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May in which she explores the concept of personal "winters" - difficult periods in our lives when we feel cut off, frozen, or dormant. Through memoir and observation, May argues that these challenging seasons are not just times to be endured but can be transformative periods of rest, reflection and renewal, much like winter is in the natural world. She weaves together personal experiences with observations of how cultures, animals, and plants handle the cold season, suggesting that learning to "winter" well - to accept and even embrace these fallow periods - is essential for human wellbeing and growth. I am embracing winter this year, seeking rest, reflection and renewal ahead of a new year of personal and artistic growth. I wish the same for you.
I have just a few updates for you this month, including:
- A new blog series called “A Brief Geography” on my own blog
- A new vlog series called “Read the Smokies” on the Smokies LIVE blog
- An updated link to my brand new FREE eBook Firefly Dreams
- Last chance for $100 off the Women's Winter Conference in Estes Park, Colorado in February. I'd love to see you there - I'll be instructing and hanging out in the gorgeous wintry landscapes of the Rocky Mountains!
- A FUN NEW SURVEY! I'd love to know more about you, my subscriber family, so take a moment and participate with a single click. If I get good participation, I'll be including these surveys regularly going forward :) Early in 2025, look for my new eBook cover survey. I know from past participation that you all love to be a part of this process, and it's getting close to that time again!
- Links I Love is here again this month with number of free (and unexpectedly stinky) resources and recommendations for you
If your 2025 goals include elevating your artistry or building your photography skills, I'd love to use my own experience to help you grow.
Take your creative vision further with personalized guidance that meets you exactly where you are. As a seasoned landscape photographer with an advanced degree in geography and over 13 years of experience in the field including National Geographic publications, I've developed a suite of learning opportunities designed to help you connect with the natural world and create images that tell powerful stories. Explore my eBooks, online mentoring, and private workshops below.
Investment in your craft is about more than just upgrading your gear. It's about developing holistically - mastering technical skills of course, but also elevating your artistry.
Let's work together to make 2025 the year your photography reaches new heights.
