A Closer Look

Well, to be very, very honest, I have been overextended so much this week that blogging has not been on my mind. Working on my photo challenge is in the back of my mind, since I have been taking photos of the festival all week. I am still working on downloading photos from my camera.

But, I had added a picture of Connor as my desktop and the computer cropped it. After seeing it for a few days, I decided to put the original and the cropped version together to see which one I liked. I'll let you see and decide for yourself.

This is little C at the park last weekend after our bike ride with Michael and Terri. He had a death grip on the pine cone. He even climbed the playground stairs standing up with the pine cone in hand (and Mommy right behind him in case he lost balance).


Here is my own up-close crop. I used Microsoft Photo Editor just to crop. I didn't do any other changes because I try really hard not fix things but just take a better picture from the start. I listened to a whole article on NPR about photographers changing and editing photos. Many of the photographers were okay with some use of Photoshop, but one made the point that the art is to get the photo right the first time. So, I think about that statement when I have my camera in hand.

All that being said, I liked the photo moved in and now I know for next time how I might like to frame this little face.


As an aside, the music festival has concluded and we are all about to put our feet up and enjoy an afternoon of "We're done!". Connections have been made and several major community members are interested in fund-raising and sponsoring the festival next year after seeing Maria's programming and how things were run.

The work was hard and I might not be paid for more than my expenses and travel this year. It put us in more of a precarious situation and I have to consider what my role will be in the future. Truthfully, I was losing steam this week because the newness of this project demanded so many last minute changes and errands that I felt pulled in a thousand directions.

But what made the difference were the musicians. It could not have been a nicer, more professional group of people. No divas, no looking down the nose. These people were here to play. The conversations were friendly and engaging and the music was great fun.

This week has taught me to look closely at myself. I know what I need to operate. I know that I need organization, schedule, focus. I know that without it, I feel like I cannot function. So, I am moving in a little closer to define my role in this organization and see if I can now put the organization, schedule and focus where it should be.