Bonjour Claude...

I went out today just down the street to do a photo shoot with my dad. I've driven past this one spot so many times and wondered if it would make for a good place for a photo shoot and was so happy to find that it was. We spent just a quick half hour there where I helped my dad relax in front of the camera while I gained some more experience and practice in directing shoots. It was fun to try to make him laugh in order to catch a natural smile (he doesn't like smiling in front of the camera), and I hope that I can eventually have the skills to be able to do this with strangers.

My biggest weakness, in fact, is client interaction while directing the shoot, and I'm hoping to continue to work past that, to push myself more and to eventually become good in this area through merely continuing to just practice, practice, practice. I always want to naturally just be good at everything and I've used my lack of social ease as an excuse to not pursue photography as intensely as I could be. I've been realising lately, that with every job, whatever it may be, there are and always will be some areas that you just have to work at that little bit harder because it just doesn't come naturally. Of course, I feel like I'm already working so hard on the whole photography part itself, that I obviously find the social side even more overwhelming!

Anyway. It was really fun to spend some time with my dad today. He went along with my direction and it was fun to share this aspect of my life with him. It's been so great to have him live here in Redding with us this last year and I've appreciated his grandpa-ness towards my baby girl, his incredible help as a dad to me while I was pregnant and his humility and eagerness to learn during this time that he is a the School of Supernatural Ministry here at Bethel. He's grown a lot and remained open to a lot of things and it's inspired me to be humble and willing to learn when I'm his age.

Here's my dad: