I must admit- my passion for photography has not always been as strong as it is now. There was a period of time, two years or so, where it took a back seat to other interests for me. What was particularly strange about it is that it occurred after I invested in and switched to digital. I have a whole theory on that, but I’ll explore that in another post…

Anyway, when I consider why I had a resurgent passion for photography, I can name two very significant factors.

The first is Lightroom. My wife got me Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for Father’s Day last year. Sure, I had asked for it as a gift. But even knowing that I wanted it, I had no idea how much I truly needed it until I loaded it up and the photos started flowing! Prior to Lightroom, I was mired in a crazy mix of software that did more harm than good. It was too cumbersome to be worth my effort. Lightroom was my savior! It enabled me to easily manage large groups of photos, including tagging, grouping, archiving, as well as all the development adjustments I could want, with incredible efficiency. It made photography fun again!

The second factor was the birth of my son, Quinn. With the arrival of Q, I finally had a subject I wouldn’t tire of shooting but, more importantly, he wouldn’t tire of being photographed! Plus, I got the bonuses of documenting his growth, sending weekly treats to the grandparents, and providing my wife with more ammo for her digital frames.

And, this second factor occurred exactly one year ago today! Happy Birthday, Q! I know it’s Quinn’s birthday, but I feel like the one who’s received the gift!