green – The World According to Luke

I took this photo this afternoon after seeing little sprouts of green the last few days… After all the harsh weather we’ve had, this is a welcome change.

I have lots of exciting news to report as Spring is off to what appears to be a great start! The weather has been warming after months of extreme, chilly cold and more-than-drafty winds, with the occasional snowstorm making an unwelcome appearance. Well, unwelcome, at least, to me. It is with this change to temps in the 60s and 70s that I am eager and hopeful for a season filled with healthy flowers to focus on and shoot, as well as a brighter scene to get out of the winter muck. Green is my favorite color (but, you know this), so it’s nice to see it come back.

Luckily (on the same subject as “green”!), I was due a tax refund this year, and – perhaps more luckily – it was better than I had originally expected! As such, I was able to purchase my Nikon D7100 just in time for my trip last weekend to Kearney, Nebraska, to meet my friend Laura to photograph the migration of Sandhill Cranes stopping by the area to feed and bulk up for their mating and breeding season. I took just over a thousand photos, but due to the incredibly frenetic weather and not having the proper equipment and know-how, many did not turn out. However, I think I have a few usable ones, but between hundreds of field and flight shots, I’m struggling to find the best few to share; when I do, I’ll post them here.

Another weight was lifted yesterday when I was able to make my final payment for my Europe trip this July a couple months ahead of time. Normally for these group tours, I would make a couple of large payments and call it good. This time around, however, I wanted to feel the pain of having monthly payments, as that’s kind of what life is – a series of payments, whether it is financially, emotionally or otherwise. And, because of this method of paying off my trip, I realized just how expensive it was and how much I need to be present on the trip so I can make it worth my time and money. With the company I’m expecting to have around, as well as the gorgeous scenery and historic sites in Athens, Rome, Barcelona and Morocco, I’m sure I will.

I wish you all a wonderful Spring season, as well as lots of wonderful things to observe, enjoy, write and photograph!

Luke