Slowing down

I'm no fortune teller, but I can tell you how I imagine my life 10 years from now. I do not know what the future holds though. I don't even know what today has in store. All I am sure about is this very moment. 

To be honest, I find that all of my moments seem to end all to quickly. Way more quickly than I would like them too. I hate this! Things are just moving so fast. I just need a breather. Could I please take 5? or 10? or 15? In fact, could I please have a large Iced Tea, while I am at it? Live is moving at the speed of light and it's not getting any slower. While it's fun and I'm enjoying it, sometimes I just want to take a step back. I find myself wanting to enjoy the small moments in life. Those beautiful moments. The ones of going to get Ice Cream, a warm imbrace, family life, love, connection, the laugh out loud moments, time spent with friends, and everything else. But it's hard to remember to live in those moments when your always thinking about what's coming next.

 Life is short, way to short to have regrets.  So i'm slowing myself down. I'm don't want to be moving so fast that my life fades into blurry images. This is such an amazing part of my life and I want to remember all of it! Even the little moments, because the little moments will be my most cherished memories later. I'm slowing down to soak in every single little detail. I'm slowing down so that I can be grateful for the small pleasures in life.  I'm slowing down to be happy, so I can truly be greatful for everything that surrounds me, to live in the moment that I am put in. 

Here are some photos I took a few days ago. I love their beauty! Yes, they are blurry. I felt like they fit this post perfectly! Enjoy! 

Take a minute to breathe and relax and be grateful for all the beauty that surrounds you. 

Black and White, Part One

"Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which is forever subjected" ~ Robert Frank
The statement above is true. So very, very true! For me personally, black and white are the colors of photography. They really do symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which is forever subjected. 

There is just something about black and white photographs that I absolutely love. They have such extraordinary beauty and an unexplainable power that's truly amazing. I love it! I'm so passionate about this subject. :) I definitely think that black and white is my signature as a photographer. I do it often, probably to often. But I feel that is it my greatest strength and I'm really proud of that. 

I'm starting a new project. I can't tell you it's name, mainly because it doesn't have one yet. :( I'm just making a collection of black and white photographs. This is part one. I will add to this collection slowly. I will be blogging them as I go through it though. I am really looking forward to seeing the my collection grow. 
Enjoy.

Metamorphosis.

It was one of those mornings. One of those magical mornings, perfect lighting, birds singing, and a nice breeze. I was feeling very inspired but very vulnerable with my emotions. So much in my life has been going on. A lot of changes have been happening. Life just seems to be moving so fast. Faster then I would like it too. 

For me, taking self portraits is therapeutic. It documents a split second of my life. A second that I can never get back. It allows me to remember that second. How I was feeling, what I was thinking, what I looked like. It allows the world to see in intimate view into who I really am. Something that is rare and wonderful. 

I took these self portraits a few mornings ago. I was really scared about sharing them with the world. They are really personal and I don't like showing my vulnerability. After I finished up and got the images up on the computer, I was miffed to discover these shots and how they made me feel though.

I feel like one chapter of my life is ending which makes me sad. Very sad. But another is starting. A chapter that makes me feel happy. I'm growing up. I'm becoming an adult. I'm getting more freedoms, becomming more independent. I'm no longer a child. That saddens me. I'm saying goodbye to carelessness and not having responsibilities. With that comes insecuritites. And fear. Lots of it. Fear of failure. Fear of being rejected as a person and as a photographer.

I'm going through a metamorphsis. I'm not who I was six months ago. Everyday I'm growing, maturing, learning. Learning about life, love, who I am, what I am, what I believe.  I'm learning not to be affraid, to let go of fear. I'm learning its o.k to be confident in my self and work. It's o.k to make mistakes if I learn from them. It's o.k. to have moments of weakness and pain.

I'm starting a journey. A journey thats going to be long. I don't know where it's road is going to take me or what it's going to put me through. There will be good times, but there will be hard times too. But I am ready! I'm ready for all the ups and downs. For the smooth and rocky pavements. For all it throws at me. I can do it! I can beat it! I can over come it!

What you see is not always what you get. Take the time to dig a little deeper. The only thing I can do each day is try. I can try to be all the things I want to be and everyone else wants me to be. If I fall short in your eyes, please know..I tried. I did the best I could do and that is all that should ever be asked of anyone. Take a minute to breathe and relax and be grateful for all the beauty that surrounds you. 

~The guy behind the camera

Chase.