Twyla Tharp, the American dancer, choreographer, and author celebrated a birthday this month, so I want to honor her by sharing one of her quotes. I love this particular quote. I think any creative will tell you that when he/she is working on their art, when you are truly present in your work, you lose track of time and place. 

I have spent many nights/early mornings drawing or painting only to realize it was 3:00 am and I never made it to bed to sleep. As far a photography, I remember one crisp fall morning when my husband stopped for me to capture a grouping of “Old man’s beard”. Old man’s beard is also known as “Love-in-the-mist”, “Goat’s beard”… but it is a vine that grows along fence rows, near shrubs, etc.

On this particular morning, the dew was still on the blooms so I accepted the offer to stop for a photo op, and BOY! was I in my happy place. As I continued “sketching” with my camera, trying to capture just the right story, just the right composition, just the right light before the sun was too harsh, I was aware of the running vehicle near me. I really thought I was hurrying since the vehicle was running and my husband was waiting patiently. It only seemed like a split second to me, but it was probably an eternity for my husband who was postponing work to indulge my pursuit of photography. I remember getting in the vehicle and excitedly announcing that I could spend HOURS just photographing that one clump of Old man’s beard. There was just something in the way he responded, “I KNOW” that told me perhaps I had taken a little longer than I thought.

Here are a few “camera sketches” from that morning - when I ran away without leaving home. Enjoy!