Last year at this time, I was gearing up for 7 weeks of back to back weddings. It was so much fun, a ton of hard work and took a whole lot of dedication and organization.  I grew so much as a photographer during those two months. This year I find myself with most of my weddings in Late Summer and well into Fall. Getting used to the ebb and flow of the photography business can be difficult, but instead of sending myself into a spiral of self doubt or concern, I’m embracing my extra time right now and loving every moment of it. After meeting for coffee with a friend and fellow photographer, Sarah and disclosing my need to be creative and keep myself current and my art alive during this oddly slow period- she so graciously invited me to join an on-line photography group whose members are dedicated to a weekly project based on different themes. Becoming a member of Project 52 came at the most perfect time, and I am so grateful! I hope to be able to commit to a weekly project, even when my business picks up at the end of the Summer…. but most importantly, I hope to be able to dedicate time to small projects that remind me about simplicity and staying true to what sparked my love of photography waaaaay back when. This week’s theme is Floral. And while I jumped on board pretty late, I contemplated waiting for next week’s theme to begin. But isn’t that what this project is all about? Giving yourself a challenge and putting forth the effort to stick with it may be even more important that the actual outcome. And so, this week I kept it simple with beautiful Peonies plucked from my mom’s garden and one of my favorite girls in the world. Enjoy!

Be sure to go visit the blog post from Marsette to see how she interpreted this week’s theme!   http://mdgphotographyonline.blogspot.com/2012/05/project-52-week-19-floral.html