One of the best things about being a photographer is connecting with other photographers especially during a time when people are so about sharing the ins & outs of the business and not as cut throat as they use to be. I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with some really cool and amazing photographers who constantly inspire, mentor and guide each other every single day.

One of the best places to connect with other photogs is on flickr.  For me it’s been one of the best places to connect with other photogs both locally and internationally.  I have a few fave groups on flickr that I check out daily. I had to take a break for a while because it was sucking up all my time. I just started popping back in and as usual tons of great inspiration and topics happening.

This a.m. I popped on and ran across a thread  which lead me to the Mental Floss Blog where this post is up about Jamie Livingston’s Photo of the Day  project. This could possibly be one of  the coolest things I’ve ran across in a loong time. What I find so amazing about the entire project is that as photographer’s and artists alike it is so easy to get caught up in the art of it all…which we all know inevitably leads us down the path of perfection….and we all know perfection is quite simply a way to feed our inner need to be desireable, accepted and renowned for what we do.  Really, we all know what a bunch of crap that really is.

So during my time wandering through Jamie Livingston’s life in polaroids it’s obvious that by today’s technical photographic standards these photos fall short. The beauty lies in the fact that an emotional connection is made between the photographer and the viewer. That is inspiration for any photographer. Professional or not..that is what we should set out to acheive each and every time we pull out our camera.

Since first viewing these images I’ve thought about Jamie Livingston a number of times today. I don’t know this man. I don’t know a single thing about him other than what he let me see.

 Somehow that is enough.

The image is enough.

The message is enough.

His life was enough.

Inspiration at it’s finest.

And because every post is better with a photo here are a couple random snapshots of my life taken recently on Mother’s Day in Lockhart, Texas.