LIFE LATELY

I started venturing into photography back in 2017 with a borrowed camera. I mostly took pictures of my friends and family. I especially enjoyed documenting fun outings, even if it was simply going out to eat.

I finally bought my brother’s camera right before getting married in 2019. It wasn’t until 2021 that I started making it a point to shoot every week and actively learning camera settings and the rules of photography. Now in 2024 I finally got my very own NEW camera!

Here’s the thing: I love photography. I really do. I love getting beautiful pictures for friends, family, and even strangers. I thoroughly enjoy setting up a scene, whether that be indoors or outside, for a beautiful backdrop.

Here’s the other thing: It’s been pretty darn difficult. I know what you’re thinking, what is so hard about standing behind a camera and pushing a button? That’s what I thought. Learning to maneuver a digital camera takes time and effort. More than that, making opportunities to go out and shoot is a big commitment. It is also expensive to invest in lenses, editing software, lights, and tripods—not to mention the cameras themselves!

As I’ve taken on this hobby, over and over I’ve run into various challenges. Something is wrong with the focus, the tripod breaks, certain children have no desire to cooperate, our schedule gets full, nap time turns into chore duties, the editing isn’t quite right, the photo is grainy… and so on. At every juncture I’ve wondered: is this God telling me I shouldn’t take this on? Am I forcing something that doesn’t work for my family? Is this a waste of my time? After all, it’s not like I’m making millions with this small side hustle. It’s not like there aren’t 10 thousand other things I need to get done in a day.

As women, I think we tend to doubt the validity of our ambitions, especially if they take time away from our families and especially if they don’t bring in substantial income! We are acutely aware of our obligations and can feel guilty if we take time away from them to invest in other facets of life. Even something small like asking for a few hours alone every now and then or getting together with a friend can seem like a huge ask!

When it comes to these ambitions, the smallest roadblock can be interpreted as a ‘sign’ it’s not meant to be. As I’ve continued with this endeavor of mastering photography (at least in some amateur capacity), and seemingly met a roadblock at every turn, something that has helped me is this: do I question this much every other hard thing in my life? Do I question taking care of my physical health? Even though eating well takes more time and getting up early in the mornings to exercise feels herculean? Do I decide against trying to keep my house clean because my children do their best to undo my work? You could argue that these examples are different because they ‘need’ to be done. To this I would like to say: perhaps our ambitions ‘need’ to be done too. Possibly we feel a pull toward them despite countless obstacles because they have been entrusted to us. Maybe we are meant to learn the value of perseverance, hard work, and confidence in our own capabilities along the way.

INSPO

This episode from Healthy Catholic Moms was all about how we as wives/mothers/homemakers set the tone for our household. This is a message I’ve really taken to heart and try to remind myself of often. Grumpy mom = grumpy household. Therefore, the more we can do to set ourselves up for success and keep an optimistic mindset, the better off everyone else will be! Well-worth a listen.

PRETTY THINGS

I recently bought this book to read to the kids and am loving it. I enjoy so much learning about the saints and these short biographies are perfect for a quick daily read. The writing is ‘kid’-friendly’ however also edifying for any adult. If you and your family want to be introduced to more holy men and women this is a great place to start!

Here’s to doing hard things.

In camaraderie,

Miranda Kate