I am not a full time photographer.  It’s a passion.  I love it, from composition to processing.  I love it.  I go through some dry spells once in awhile, either due to work or family responsibilities, but sometimes I get to combine elements into a productive photography outing.  I don’t think I’ve mentioned in my blog what I “really” do for work.  I manage a 9-1-1 communications center.  The amazing people who work for me answer 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls for law, fire and medical services from about 300,000 citizens in Clackamas County, Oregon.  Four times a year I attend state meetings in various locations around Oregon.  Usually at least one in Bend and one on the coast, and the other two being in different locations.  The first week in June our meeting was in Newport.  For the most part, it rained.

But one evening, the clouds broke and there was a nice sunset.  I had some ideas of locations that might be nice for the sunset, but I had another priority that evening: get my 3 year old daughter on the beach.  So, she and I went out on Agate Beach and I set up my tripod and she started digging in the sand.  We played together until the sun started to set and I then took a few minutes to fire off a couple shots of Yaquina Head Lighthouse.  I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that spectacular, but it didn’t really matter as my daughter chased me around my tripod in a game of “catch me if you can/tag your it.”  No sunset compares to that.  That’s what is important.  Luckily, I was able to combine two loves (one vastly more than the other, and it’s not photography).

Speaking of Yaquina Head, it’s a wonderful natural area.  Many different birds and other creatures to photograph in addition to one of the coast’s nicest lighthouses.  It is a little more spending to park there compared to some of the other state areas, but it’s worth it, in my opinion.

All in all, it was a great opportunity to get some new photographs and spend time with my family, even if I did have to attend some meetings during the day.  It was a great break from the normal home routine for my family, and it turned that I came away with some photographs that I really liked too.

You can’t beat that.