Pentax needs repair
Renovation continues
Pictures just won’t come

I know, it’s a pathetic haiku, but lately my photography feels like a sad Country-Western song. The work being done on my home is beautiful, and my family will enjoy the results for years to come, but the noise, disruption and intrusion required to get us from point A to Z all take a significant daily toll on this introvert.


On a psychological level, I’ve temporarily lost the time and space I normally use to regroup and recharge and find the focus I need to create. On a physical level, there are barriers as well. Our backyard and porch have been work zones since the first spring blooms, and my portals at the back and side of the house to the garden and my butterflies are boarded up – literally closing the house off from the color, light and life that normally functions as a seasonal balm for any flagging inspiration. Moreover, That being said, I cannot sing the praises of our contractors enough. They have all been incredibly professional. Plus, it will not be too long before our garden fence is finished, and this will provide some sense of privacy. With regards to fence installation Oxnard is home to some wonderful contractors so we were sure to do our research to find a contractor that understands the vision we have for our new garden. My Australian friend took the time and had her landscaping done through a company like Vorstman Constructions last spring. She couldn’t stress enough the importance of making sure she had found the right team for the job. That is not all though. In order to make further progress, we have decided that one of the trees in our garden is going to have to be cut down. Some friends of ours have told us that if you need the services of a company that can complete a tree removal hornsby is the place to look so I must remember to try and track down a few arborists in our area so that I can get a quote. Although it will be sad to see our tree go, it has not been looking too healthy for some time now so we will have to get a new one to replace it. I feel like once those things are done, then we will start to be able to enjoy backyard a little more. There will still be some things to do; for example, we’d love to have a nice large deck for a table and chairs. We have seen some custom decks Denver based contractors Centennial Decks do and we love the way they look, so this is something for us to think about. I cannot wait to be able to enjoy the final results of all our work one day soon.

Nonetheless, I have been battling some technical glitches recently. For example, on those few recent occasions when I’ve carved out the peace of mind and slice of time to make photos, my favorite equipment hiccups.

Maybe it’s last weekend’s Father’s Day celebrations, but as I try to pull a post together, I hear my dad’s voice saying, “Don’t ever force a thing. Stop, re-evaluate, try something different.” I believe this sage wisdom was delivered in the context of tightening a screw that wouldn’t budge, or some such mechanical thing, but its relevance transcends that specific application.

Summer is usually my highest volume shooting season. I love the heat and the color and the light and the fun and the promise of living it and making images of it all has gotten me through many a cold, dark February. So, while I reevaluate and formulate a new plan for how I’m going to get myself making photos during my high season, I’m sharing some of my favorite images of summer’s past.

Keep your eyes wide open,

Debbie