For those close to me, and in some cases just being around me, it’s no secret that my last year has been incredibly stressful. While most of the stress is work related, there is some that is simply my own to own. I am an achiever and I like to please folks. I like to perform. I carry my stress outwardly and take it home too often. We are also quite busy and my wife and I strive to provide unique opportunities to our children to grow their minds, challenge them and let them grow up chasing their dreams. My method of coping is go away with my family to disconnect from it all and re-enter the world.
Recently, I took a week off to unwind. We stayed at my brother’s place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. My stress level decreased. My wife saw me laugh again. We played games, skied, hiked, and rested. My inspiration went up. Even my mom told me I sounded relaxed when I spoke to her on the phone. I found peace in paradise.
To be honest, my main struggle is taking this peace back to the real world. I need to find ways to bring it back and find new ways to deal with my stress. That is what photography does for me. It grounds me and reminds me of those moments, those things and those people that matter. The above picture was taken on my family trip to Colorado. I am going to print this piece 13×19 on my home printer and place it my work space to remind me that life’s pace is up to you(me). I love this image for what it represents. This is me finding peace in paradise.
For my photo nerd friends, the images was taken with a Fuji X Pro 2 cameras with Fuji XF16mm f1.4 lens. This is is 100% processed in camera from RAW with an Acros, +2 hard shadows, +1 highlight, and -3 noise reduction.
