I am the least trained before any previous backpacks. Walking around MHCC carrying a pack filled with 28 pounds is not really much training. Saturday I lead the hiking group on an 8 mile PCT hike north of the Whitewater River. Our group gains the PCT from the Mission Creek Preserve parking area. We have the gate code to drive within 2 miles of the PCT where we’ll park.

Sunday I also hope to get in a little longer hike, maybe going up Murray Hill.

But this morning I was just happy I made time to at least get out and move about. Driving into LA on Thursdays takes its toll.

The flowers are beautiful and in full glorious bloom in our neighborhood. I shot about 20 photos on the walk this morning but they were all boring, except this one I took of me using a dirty car’s right-side rear reflective area. It’s not often I miss an opportunity for a good reflection or shadow shot of me. The woman who walked by me as I was repeatedly trying to get this shot was kind enough to only smile and keep walking. So many people say, “What ARE you doing?”

Me and my backpack out for a walk this morning.

3/1/10 – I received a very complimentary email from a local MHCC resident who had found my blog from a MHCC Hiking Club link.

He mentioned that he does wedding photography. http://www.palmspringsphotography.net/.

3/1/10 – I very excitedly responded to him offering up that I’d be interested in assisting him if he ever needed help, writing I really have a desire to learn more about photography.
3/2/10 – Rick responds asking if I’d mind letting him know what equipment I am currently using.
3/2/10 – I respond 3 hours later listing all my gear.
3/3/10 – Rick liked my gear. (See LR, its good I spend a lot of money on lenses.) He also asked if I’d be interested in being a 2nd shooter at weddings with him.

My thoughts went like this………I can’t wait to get on the phone. I’m so excited I don’t know what to do with myself. I need a reality check. Can I really do this? Am I kidding myself? Self doubt and fears are overtaking my excitement. I call my sponsor first, and then call someone I know will tell me the truth, my photography teacher, Carol Leigh. She’s excited too, once I calm down enough to let her process what I’m saying. At the end of our talk she mentions that my busy life (she reads my blog and knows) might be a deal breaker. I fear this too. Then I run this by Ray. I can see he is excited for me too. He thinks it sounds great.

Things you don’t know about me:
1. I’ve not had a job since I was 19 or 20 years old. That’s a loooooooooong time ago.
2. And because I’m not had a job, I’ve not had an interview.
3. My days are usually of my own making.
4. I don’t usually put myself in situations that I am not at least a little familiar with.

I was a wee bit nervous about meeting Rick, but what was different about me was I just trusted the outcome of this meeting was going to be what it was going to be and I was just going to show up and be present and available.

I got to our public meeting place before Rick this morning. We started in talking like we‘d known each other before. Our first meeting was so nice, so easy, AND fun. We are alike. It’s nice to have someone to share with who understands and is so excited about what you are excited about.

One hour and 40 minutes later we began to end our visit. Actually I could have stayed a lot longer. I found our visit exhilarating. I was given an envelope filled with four pages of all the information Rick gives his potential clients. Rick asked me to talk to my husband, think about what we had talked about and get back to him with an answer as to whether I would like to be his 2nd shooter.

At home, my head raced. It raced mostly with thoughts of how am I going to find time to work with him. I know better than to think too long about a problem. I started going through my calendar, month by month, making a list of all my already scheduled committed days. The list revealed I have no time in March or April to be available to work. I continued listing dates in May, June, July, etc. through December. Thank God my schedule lightened up considerably after April.

I printed out the list of already scheduled dates and showed it to Ray. He said, “I’m glad that’s not my calendar!”

I copied and pasted the list and emailed it to Rick. I was sure he would say, “No way. You aren’t available to work.” But I sent it anyway, letting him know I would like to work but would understand if he said he needed someone to begin right away.

Surprisingly my busy March and April weren’t a problem as he often books assignments out 6 months in advance. His only concern was staying ahead of my busy schedule, surmising that soon my June, July and August would begin to fill up.

In this same email, Rick asked if I’d be willing to do something he’d mentioned during our talk this morning…..whether I’d be interested in shooting and covering the action shots after Rick leaves the wedding he is shooting in a few months.

I replied, “Yes.”

It begins.……just like it began the day I started planning for and setting out on my 2,660 mile thru-hike in 2002 when I backpacked from Mexico to Canada, at first not knowing how I was ever going to do it. I have a love/hate feeling about leaving the comfort of the known and venturing into the unknown. All is good.

Here is one paragraph in David’s book I highlighted…….. p. 29 -”You don’t see the thousands and thousands of frames of garbage we’ve shot–and still shoot–the visual experiments that we’ve tried and failed at, the stages we’ve gone through to find our vision and master our craft. But this can be your path, too–and because time both speeds by too fast and seems to take forever to get here, I can confidently say, “Be patient, you’ll get there.” If you study your craft. If you shoot and shoot and shoot some more. If you give up trusting your gear to create great images and start trusting your vision instead. And most importantly, if you love putting the world into a frame for the sheer sake of it, for your love of expression.”

I’m home and haven’t exercised since Friday morning. I haven’t photographed anything for way too many days. Time. I’ve got to make the time. I did sneak out for a quick grab shot when I noticed the back-lit clouds, blanketing the snow covered San Jacinto range. Soon Ray was calling me to come back in and watch the Emmy Awards show.

A quick peak before the clouds moved back in.

I’m on the fence again with the Canon G11. I used the G11 for this handheld shot. I didn’t take the time to pay attention to my settings: F4, 1/2000, ISO 200, focal length 13.7 mm, focusing on the lightest part of the clouds. I see the subject distance reads 64.4m, with a lens that is 6.1-305mm. I’m trying to figure out why the photo is so grainy when I view it actual size. I wish I’d taken more shots with a variety of different settings. If I don’t start doing this, I won’t learn. Time, again.

Each State is broken into many Areas and Districts. The portion of our group in this photo are from Mid-Southern California.

We were told to meet by the pool at 3pm for our District group photo. One of the previous meetings ran overtime. The photographer kept trying to reorganize us for the photo, asking us to move closer and closer, so we’d all fit in the shot, as more and more District 9 members kept showing up over a 15 minute period. I raised my cell phone to take this photo. Only about half of us lined up at the pool are visible.

It’s been very informative being here, but there has been way too much sitting. I’ll be happy to hopefully get home by 1pm-ish tomorrow. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry