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My ride home today took a while; Sarah was ready to scream each time I pulled over to get a shot.  Oh the hazards of having a mom with a camera.

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Out of the 100 images I took of her in this tutu, I managed to salvage a few.  As it turns out, the girl of many faces found a few new expressions to show me and I assure you, they were not keepers.

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I’m home after a really fun weekend, which I really needed.  I’m going to try to summarize, so bear with my rambling.

The trip was really wonderful and I met some new friends.  We had a really good time in-between classes and on Friday night, took the Hotel shuttle into downtown Stamford to have dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.  As it turned out, not one of us wanted to $17.00 for a quesadilla from the hotel.  And I can’t imagine why?

Stamford is just a short ride on the train into Manhattan, but we were all too tired to make the trip, so we decided to stay in town.   However, I have made a mental note to myself to stay in Stamford next time I wanted to go into the city.   Aside from the room service and any other amenity you may need, the Stamford Hilton’s rooms were quite reasonable.  Just don’t get hungry or thirsty while you are there.

Dinner out was a lot of fun and there was a lot a laughing, which did my spirit good.  Laughter lightens the soul and mine sure needed some lightening after the past week.

Classes were also good, but there was a lot of review for me.  I knew that the conference was geared more towards the beginning photographer; however, there is always more to learn and I was right.

The best classes were taught by Candace Stringham,  Matt Adcock, from Del Sol Photography, (with his beautiful wife assisting, Sol Tamargo) and Cheryl Muhr, who by the way, is a total trip and full of energy.

I knew the trip was a success by what I learned.  I had a lot of technique questions answered, especially in Candace’s class on Writing with Light.

There were a few things I about the weekend that would have changed.  Except for Candace’s class, there was NO opportunity to use our cameras during class.  I would have liked the workshop to be more like a workshop and not a bunch of lectures.  People see by doing and it would have been really cool to have fewer photographers there, with longer time periods to go outside and practice what we learned with some guidance.  Some of the classes seemed more about the photographer and their portfolio, than about technique.

I also would have changed the fact that I had my windshield cracked on the way to the event by a rock that a dump truck kicked up, but I was blessed that it is a very small crack and it didn’t cause more damage, or an accident.  I also would change the fact that every one of my photos from the weekend were erased accidentally.  I have no idea how, but they are gone.  The photos I posted for Thursday and Friday were all taken on my way out of the hotel,  wearing a frown because my photos were gone.

All things aside, I had fun and relaxation.  I was blessed by the whole trip and would definitely do it again, if given the chance.

The photos of the front desk area below, didn’t really come out to good, but I’m posting the shots anyway.  The lights would constantly change color and it was really cool to look at.  Sort of a had to be there moment.

My weekend photo buddies:  Louise, JoAnne, Maureen and Deenie.

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The lights on the rail road crossing sign serve as a warning to protect us when we might not be paying attention to where we are going.  To stop us from driving onto the tracks when there is an oncoming train.  Two weeks ago, I received a warning.  I didn’t see it as a warning, I just viewed it as one more tragic event in our lives.

However, God is there to watch over us and I needed a reminder that sometimes bad things happen, so He can protect us from harm.  However, it can be hard to see the end result, when the details seem so grim.  When your life is already so filled with chaos and you cannot imagine why one more thing is taking place.

I thank you all for your prayers.  We made it through today and God met me at the door and gave me grace to step through it.  Yesterday, I couldn’t eat and terror filled me.  The thought of facing today was worse than anything I could have imagined.  And then God sent someone that spoke words to me, that instantaneously calmed my fears.  He knew just what I needed and when.  I had the grace today and was not even one tiny bit nervous.  That is God’s hand for sure.

Now, in the midst of this storm, God has given me a good thing.  The timing of all these events just makes me laugh, but God has made it possible for me to go to a photography workshop at a hotel a couple of hours away for three days.  I am going away alone for the first time in my life and although it is a bit frightening, I know that this is time for me to rejuvenate and rest.  Just what I needed.  I am in awe that He gave this to me during such a time as this.  All I can think about is…big bed and room service.  

Thank you all for your prayers and support.   You are all as much my friends as anyone I know in person. 

Photo by Sarah

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Here is the overcast daytime version.