Just 4 Fun
Watching Sunni enjoy herself reminds me of when I was a child. Being carefree, finding joy by simply doing things just for the sake of having fun.
Watching her play has taught me a valuable lesson as an adult, one that we all seem to lose sight of at one point or another. We get so preoccupied with the urgency of our lives that we lose our joy. We forget how to just have fun! No money, no fancy trips, or fancy clothes. No expensive electronics, just taking the time to enjoy the simple nuances of life.
Going outside meant everything as a child. It represented freedom. Freedom to roam about, freedom to use your imagination. We would find joy in a cool breeze, or watching the birds fly, pretending we had their capabilities. Watching a beautiful sunset…smelling the sweet aroma of the colorful flowers. Watching butterflies dance through the air, or the unique shape of the clouds above. It’s amazing how little things we once found so interesting as children get completely lost in time during our pursuit of money and a career.
There is something so peaceful and relaxing about slowing down to observe and appreciate all of the fine details of our lives. Taking time to be present in the moment. To reflect, and stop giving energy to our worries.
Watching Sunni reminded me that my camera has multiple purposes. But most importantly, my camera can be used as a tool for inspiring fun. You don’t need to worry about creating award winning photos every time you pick up your camera. You don’t have to drive yourself crazy trying to please strangers online with the quality of your work. It’s not necessary for everything to be so serious! So categorically important and immediate that it evokes anxiety and pressure.
It’s ok to use your camera just for the sake of having fun! So while you’re out creating your next “serious” work of art, remember to make some time to allow yourself to just have fun.
You can thank me later!
A Night Of Fun
Happy New Year!
Know you, a large portion of photography historically focuses on human suffering and atrocities. One aspect of being a photographer is documenting all sides of life, the good the bad, and the ugly. Throughout my career I’ve photographed a variety of situations, including those that aren’t pretty or positive. But these days I tend to move away from negative imagery. Even if I feel compelled to photograph something that could be considered negative, I often choose not to share those images for public consumption.
Having suffered a number of tragedies in my personal life, I’m at a stage where I feel I just want to immerse myself in positive energy only. So I love to photograph candid moments of people just being themselves. I love to see people enjoying themselves, going about their daily lives. My favorite subjects to photograph are those that depict joy. And I know happiness in “serious” photography still seems to be frowned upon, but it’s what I like to see, and more importantly, it’s what makes me feel good inside.
With that out of the way, here are some photos I made at one of my favorite places to hang out and people watch. Here you’ll notice ordinary moments of humor, fun, and details you might otherwise miss.
Moving forward I will continue to photograph any and everything that sparks my interests, but I will consistently share work that promotes positivity. I hope in some small way I inspire you to do the same. There’s NOTHING wrong with being happy. And it’s certainly nothing wrong with photographing people who AREN’T suffering. Believe me, choosing joy will help lift your spirits as well as add some much needed variety to your portfolio. If enough people adapt this mindset maybe we’ll finally start to make some positive changes in the photography community.
Peace and blessings!
State Fair 2022
Fall is my favorite time of the year, and each year I look forward to attending the State Fair.
I love the sights, the sounds, the smells. All of the different people interacting, having fun. The lights, the rides, the colors. It’s really a beautiful experience. It’s also a literal playground for photographers.
With that being said, I’d like to share a few moments from my trip to this year’s fair.
Enjoy!
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween everyone!
Just thought I’d share a few fun images of one of my favorite horror movie icons, Jason Voorhees. I hope that everyone has a very safe and fun time!
Enjoy!
Good Old Fashion Fun!
I love teaching modern kids about the many different ways us old-schoolers would entertain ourselves “back in the day” before the digital takeover. From board games, to marbles, jump rope, hula hoops, jacks, to flying kites, there were plenty of interesting options that didn’t require electricity. And believe it or not, we even had some awesome electronic games too! But, one of the most simple, yet enjoyable ways to have fun was blowing bubbles.
Nowadays there are plenty of fancy and elaborate bubble making devices that would wow even most adults. So I bought Sunni a cute little dolphin bubble gun that sprays hundreds of bubbles within seconds, all while emitting a cool multicolored LED light. She instantly fell in love with it and not a single day would pass where she wouldn’t ask to go outside to use it. I started thinking, I wonder if she would feel the same sense of enjoyment from using the old dip stick style bubble maker? Knowing that this 3 year old probably wouldn’t be thrilled initially to make bubbles manually, I figured maybe this could be a fun and more rewarding challenge?
Of course I needed to take the time to teach her the proper technique. Needless to say, the much slower paced process did not sit well with the anxious youngster. But what she didn’t realize was, I was also trying to teach her the art of patience. Being so accustomed to the instant gratification of toys that do all the work for her, it was very frustrating for her to learn how to slow down and be gentle. I told her, “you have to work for it” “you make the bubbles, not a machine”. “Take your time, and don’t give up”.
After a bunch of angry attempts and quitting a few times, she eventually figured it out. Just as I had hoped, learning to create bubbles on her own made her even more excited than the bubble gun! And after a few days of practice she was discovering all the little nuances of making bubbles. Multiple little bubbles, to giant singular bubbles. She was totally getting the hang of it.
Throughout this entire process I couldn’t help but think of one of my kid’s favorite old SpongeBob episodes, where he teaches Squidward how to make bubbles. If you know, you know… But, I had fun teaching Sunni something new, and I enjoyed watching her have fun the same way I did as a kid. What goes around can come back around if we continue to pass things on to the children. Now Sunni is a bubble making pro! 😉
Versatility By RNJ 