Freddy's Photos (16-17/52)

I don't know why it took me so long to decide to take a 7-day solo vacation to the gorgeous state of Utah. But I'm so glad I took the leap of faith, turned my cell phones off (yes - multiple) and took some concentrated ME time. I was fortunate to be with some fantastic guides that not only helped me physically scale mountains, but mentally regroup and focus on what's important. Even taking a break from photography was an important step to re-look at the world with fresh eyes.  I am reminded to never take moments like this for granted, and to take moments in my day to breathe it all in. Then again, it's easy when you have vista's like this in front of you. The challenge is to breathe that deeply and concentrated day to day, but luckily I have photographs to keep reminding me.

Freddy's Photos (15/52)

At work, I often have to take the role of an extrovert - speaking my mind in front of full rooms of people. On my own time, I prefer being an introvert - spending time alone is needed for me to fuel my creativity. Photography, is a continuous balance beam of these 2 extremes of life. Working in the pit of a show, it works best for me to remain introverted - completely concentrated on what is going on around me. But when I deal with clients in the studio, I have to let myself become more open to those around me to achieve the best work and exude more extroverted qualities. Because of this constant shift, I need to take moments away from trying to create images, just to let my mind breathe. And this weekend I chose to breathe in a hammock, in the Canadian wilderness. It doesn't get better than that.