WOW if I could pocket $500 for every time people ask ‘what’ a photographer is doing, what a mum is capturing, what a photo is for. The mind boggles at what I could do. How often have you wondered ‘what’ someone is photographing?

I understand. Really I do, I have loved ‘taking photos’ for as long as I can remember and it was always a question of ‘what am I photographing today’? I ended up like most people, boxes of photos with content that makes little to no sense. I have photos of people that are just set aside. Then, on occasion I would take a photo and people would be drawn to it. What made the difference?

So many times I myself questioned myself and asked ‘what did I think I was doing? Most days I didn’t have an answer.

One day I was going to photograph animals, especially pets. It was fun. Animals are cute. Just like Wilson here.

Another day I said ‘I just have to photograph a rodeo’. I was passionate, determined and it was a ‘need’ not just a desire. I wondered why? When I asked why, wow, it not only changed the way I approached it, it changed the way I captured the photos, it changed my experience and it changed the photos I captured. Why was it important? When we were growing up my parents would take us to Warwick to watch the rodeo and it was wonderful. When dad was a sole parent, he took us to Warwick to watch the rodeo and to Tamworth and other places. It was a special thing we did together. It was the smells, sights, sounds. It was the warmth and fun and family. It was a time I felt secure, loved, and totally engaged in everything about it.

There is a deep-seeded ‘why’ for everything I photograph. Every genre (a fancy word for a subject) I love to photograph is borne of a story from my life and the impact of people, places, and events on my life. It has not only shaped my vision. It has become a part of every image I create. I am very thankful for God keeping me (I played and lived hard) so that the things that have shaped who I am now shape the way I see and am able to show others what I see.

The ‘what’ of photography brings a disjointedness. The ‘why’ brings connection and allows the story to be seen as much as heard. That along with learning skills has changed me and those I work with.

Photographing pets touches maybe the deepest part of me. When my world was in turmoil as a child, it was pets that came to me, comforted, and listened. When I ran away from me, it was a pet that didn’t care about the state of my mind. When I left home at 17 it was to travel as a Jillaroo and there were countless pets and animals. They have always been a safe, beautiful, personality-filled-up close and personal part of my life, of me. They are priceless and precious. I photograph them to show why.

Everyone has a why for what they do. I hope you find yours sooner rather than later. Change you, change your world. I know it works.

Stay safe. Keep well. Play nice.