This view comes from Heceta Beach in Oregon, a place where I found myself at the start of my photography journey. Everything during this time felt like such an experiment as I tried first one thing and then another to get a picture that fit what I had in mind. Being able to catch the rocky edge slipping into smooth water under a detailed sky is exactly what I had wanted to do, but honestly I wasn’t sure if I could. It was pretty easy to get down on my own work at the start, even when each shot was starting to turn out just a bit better than the last. Isn’t it strange how beginnings can be that way? Starting something new and reaching into the unfamiliar; it is both invigorating and let’s be honest – a bit terrifying. We have a goal in mind and are doing everything we can to reach it, but we are also witness to our own imperfections along the way. We have to choose to hope and believe that through the mess we will find our way, pick up the right skills, and be gifted an ounce of luck long enough to get going on solid ground. That’s the real power of beginnings and journeys. We take a chance at putting our rookie mistakes on display. We are a spectator in our own growth and it’s not always pretty. We spend a lot of time as our own harshest critic. Still we work, practice, and pursue until one day we realize we really are living our dream and not just surviving, but actually thriving in it. We go out and take pictures of beautiful places, seeking out details and one day a print draws a comment of appreciation from someone who knows the craft. We practice a sport day in and day out, until the score finally lands in our favor. We paint, draw, write or adventure until finally before we know it, the end result is something beautiful to ourselves and often to others.