The Unexpected Happened

This summer I started a series called, "Spur of the Moment". The intent was to get people out photographing. It was also, from a business and marketing point of view, a way for Alternative Focus to stay in front of it's customers.

How it worked. I would post an upcoming "Spur of the Moment" and then ask people to send me 2-3 photographs to share. For the most part it worked and was a lot of fun.

During all of this, something unexpected happen - a lot of the "Spur of the Moments" were centered around community events, so I spent a lot of time going to local community events - and I found myself not only enjoying photographing, but I found myself feeling 'grateful' at each event for living is such a vibrant, active, loving, giving, and fun community. My "Spur of the Moments" weren't just about photography anymore, or keeping my customers/students involved, it became more about the community in which I live and enjoy.

You don't have to travel to enjoy photography. Your own backyard is the perfect place to photograph. Happy "Spur of the Moment", it truly does 'just happen in a spur of a moment', so keep your cameras ready at all times.

The Art and Soul of Photography

The best camera, the biggest sensor, the newest, or the latest - may help images look somewhat better, but this does not make someone a 'photographer', or an 'artist'. I was recently asked to be the blogging editor for a new blog, "As I See It".   The purpose of the blog - to focus on the passion, the art, the soul of a true photographer. To get a glimpse of the artist within. Not the technical or what gear they use. It is the soul of the photographer that we wanted to focus on.

I am surrounded by photographers. I belong to the Skagit Valley Camera Club and I organize/produce photography workshops, so I get to see a lot of  images. Not everyone is a 'great' photographer, nor are all images technically correct, but it is the passion behind them that really shows in their work and it is what drives them. This is the true inspiration, it is not what kind of gear they have, it is their soul that shows through. In this way I am very lucky and grateful to be surrounded by such passion and beauty.

In our workshops we do teach the technical, but we also try to instill the passion, the creative side of photography, hopefully pushing our students to be more than just someone with a camera.

by Tony Locke

Spur of the Moment Fun

Busy lives lead to little time to do the things we want.  Spur of the Moment photo outings is set up to encourage everyone to come out and photograph, spend some quiet time with like-minds and your camera.

Our first one for the season was to the Tulip Fields.

Betty Wright

Gretchen Thompson

Karla Locke

Ron Zuber

Tony Locke

Bev Rud

Per Lea

Next it was flying high with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Anacortes Paddlefest.

Anne Elkins

Karla Locke

Lynne Hann

Ron Zuber

Tony Locke