A friend of mine posted some photos the other day on Flickr of a t-shirt she had gotten in the mail. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it. Of course, as soon as my daughter saw it she had to have it as well. Yes, we are Jane Austen geeks.

The packaging it comes in is so cute…

I just love the butterfly tag and the brown wrapping paper with twine…

And then there is the quote…

The store is Brookish and they have some very cute things… not just the t-shirt. If you are a Jane Austen fan, definitely check it out…

I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.
~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1811

I have been thinking a lot lately about what a huge influence photography has been over the past 150 years or so. The stories that have been told, the faces we have been privileged to see, the events that have been recorded. Miraculous may seem like somewhat of an exaggeration, but I really don’t think it is. Photography is vital to all of us. With it we have a link to not only the world’s history, but our own history; as families and as individuals.

I think most of us tend to look at photography as just something fun, nothing out of the ordinary; when, in fact, it is nothing but ordinary. Albert Camus said, “If we understood the enigmas of life there would be no need for art.” There are things in photographs that cannot be written about, cannot be described. When I look at pictures of my father or my grandparents or even just a trip that I took long ago, I am there once again, in that moment. I could not describe that feeling to anyone, although I’m sure most people have felt it.

Most people these days have cameras, whether it’s in your phone or a small pocket camera or a big, expensive DSLR. If you do have a camera, here are some tips on getting the most out of your photography…

1) Get better at it. Read your manual. Find out what all the buttons do. Experiment. Have fun.

2) Back up your files. Make sure you have more than one copy on just one computer. Use DVDs or put them on an external drive. Your best option is to put them in another location in case of a fire or burglary.

3) If you are a parent and you are the one always taking the pictures, get in front of the camera every so often. I have known plenty of people whose parents did not like to get their photos taken and therefore were behind the camera (I am one of them). Force yourself to let your kids take your pictures. I hate to bring up such a morbid topic of death, but we do all die and our kids and grandkids want pictures of us. They don’t care if we had a bad hair day, look fat, feel ugly… doesn’t matter to them. Get in front of the camera.

4) Use whatever camera you have. The type of camera doesn’t matter; what matters is that it is used.

5) Organize your picture files. Make sure you use a folder structure that is easy for you to use and access. Use keywords so you are able to search.

6) Share your pictures. It is so easy to do today using Flickr and Facebook. Just a click of a button and relatives on the other side of the country can keep in touch.

7) After you share on the computer, print your pictures. This is so important. We tend to just leave our photos on the computer these days. We share them online, but no one sees the actual print. There is nothing like an actual printed photograph, especially framed and hung up on your wall.

8 ) Get your family photographed professionally. It doesn’t matter if you hire me or someone else, but you never know what the future holds and those pictures could be priceless.

9) If you are a photographer like me, make sure you leave your camera behind sometimes. It’s also important to actually be in the moment. You can miss a lot standing behind the lens, seeing life through the viewfinder. When you are out from behind it you can actually participate.

10) Don’t stress. Photography should be fun. Enjoy your camera. Enjoy pressing the shutter. There are no more worries about cost of film or developing. Just shoot.

After the past few months of feeling like I’m just going through life day by day without really living it, I have been consciously trying to make a change the past few days. I haven’t been depressed, but I haven’t been very “up” either. Life is meant to be enjoyed. We don’t get a lot of time here, but as my favorite running podcaster, Steve Runner says, “Life is short, but it should be long enough.” If I am just phoning it in, that means, for me, life won’t be long enough, no matter when it ends. I need to take the moments to laugh and not just be thinking about the next “thing” on my list to check off.

I don’t know about most of you, but I can always use a good laugh. It’s such a great stress relief and it is SO much better than crying. So here are a few things that will hopefully at least put a smile on your face, or, if nothing else, give you a lift to your day:

Who’s on First? by Abbot and Costello

The Hansons (from MMMBop fame) have a new song and you’ll have to chair dance to this one. Love the tribute to the Blues Brothers!

One of my favorite strips of all time…

This painting of Van Gogh’s never fails to make me feel better. The colors, the couple relaxing, the bare feet… so incredible.

Or if that one didn’t do it for you, there is this one from Lord Frederic Leighton called The Painter’s Honeymoon. This is the height of romance to me. He holds her hand while still intently working and she is just in awe of what he is doing.

And if art is not your thing, chocolate is always a good pick-me-up.

Don’t forget tomorrow is Worldwide Photo Walk Day! Check out the map for walks in your neck of the woods and get out and shoot! I will be in Los Angeles with Faded & Blurred… where it all started…