So often, we find ourselves in a rat race.. desperately seeking that better life, better tool, better day …any magical wand to move us to the level we really want to be. But before reaching for that new lens, considering using what you’ve got already.

Sometimes I wonder, looking back on my photographs, if I wasn’t better without the choices. Without the quality.

Or maybe the light is just better in the USA after all.

My “most interesting” shots on Flickr come from a time when Flickr was smaller, quieter, and drew less attention. The people who frequented it were real photography enthusiasts, hobbyists, and even professionals. Agencies contacted me to use my work in their advertisements and on their book covers. I (well, my feet anyway) was featured on the front page.

I participated in groups on technique, themes, and even charity. We raised thousands of dollars for Hurricane Katrina relief.

Camera tossing became a worldwide phenomenon. I made good friends. I found and fell in love with my husband.

My photographs were different back then. Brighter. More colourful. And nearly all with a point & shoot camera.

Now, I don’t participate in groups. I rarely comment. I use Flickr mostly to share my British life with my American family. And participate in the Bollington photography scene, of course.

Nearly a year ago, Tom and I were guests at Dino & Christine’s wedding in Pennsylvania, USA. As Dino and Christine both attended Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, PA, many of the guests were alumni/ae, including an old friend, Jessica. It was a lovely traditional wedding, and everyone looked beautiful and happy.

I still can’t believe anything has really changed!

I’m very glad I’m not a wedding photographer, as it looked quite challenging to cover such a big wedding in such a dark room. My own wedding reception was a dinner party, and we asked our friend, Paul, to take ‘a few’ shots. The result was fantastic — we are lucky to have such talented friends. Here is a shot I took at Styal Chapel (can you spy Dino and Christine?):

I am looking forward to (another) Paul & Claire’s wedding in December, which will be a similarly small event. I hope Claire feels as beautiful and happy as I did on my wedding day — and I hope I am able to capture even just a fraction of the adoration and love between Paul and Claire in their resulting photographs!

Photographs below were taken at our wedding by Paul Maddox (or otherwise by me or Tom) and processed by me.

Migrating to a new computer means I’m uncovering loads of unprocessed and unshared photographs from past events — including my own Blessing in the US in 2007! Uncovering all of these images from such a bright and happy day was perhaps exactly what I needed right now, though it has been a hard reminder of the last time I really saw Papa John and Gram properly before they each passed away.

My UK wedding and US blessing both went by with minimal planning and maximum fun, despite the overwhelming amount of stress. In both occasions, I opted out of hiring a photographer despite finding and knowing some excellent candidates. Now, two years later, I can say with confidence that the time I spent holding the camera myself was worth way more than being the one in front of it.