To be a photographer is to note cloud formations and anticipate a glorious sunset.

To be a photographer is to know when the wildflowers bloom in the spring.
There is a not-to-miss invitation from Mother Nature each year.

To be a photographer is to learn the rules of light and composition,
and then realize that it is your own sense of artistry and detail that creates the magic.

To be a photographer is to know the excitement of a sports shot,
the patience required for a shot of a hummer, butterfly, or a wildlife shot,
the thrill of a spontaneous lucky shot,
and the reward of a carefully thought-out shot.

To be a photographer is to be sad at capturing haze, pollution, and litter with your camera
and knowing that air quality affects your life as well as your photos.

To be a photographer is to know that sometimes your bad photos are the ones that teach you the most.

To be a photographer is to first learn how to take good photos
and then progress to learning how to take interesting ones.

Finally, being a photographer is to walk, in some very small way,
in the footsteps of Ansel Adams and all the other great photographers of then and now,
experiencing the same wonder, frustration, and awe,
the same reverence for the Lord's creations,
and the same closeness to your favorite camera.

(c) 2004 Darlene Goff