The Happiness of Challenges

How often do we face a challenge and stand still in the face of it and ask why me? and why now?  Maybe we even try to negotiate a bit with the powers-that-be.  Maybe we get nervous and we make the challenge only seem even bigger.

Last week, I had one of those moments of facing a challenge when I was asked about my availability and interest in joining the team from City Newspaper to cover the Rochester International Jazz Festival 2011.  The parameters for shooters at concerts are specific and, if violated, can result in a loss of credentials for the newspaper.  What am I talking about?  The one song rule.  It's get the shots and get out of the way, and do it without getting in the way of the audience.

The notion of covering more than one band per night in all different venues around Rochester in low and variable colored lighting with the action of the musicians with their instruments felt like a huge challenge -- one I nearly talked myself out of.  But, here we are in this blog challenge of 365-days of happy and I simply had to say out loud:  I'm going to do my best.

I'm not going to tell you this has been without challenge, missed shots, shots that blurred, near-black shots with incorrect settings, and crawling around on the floor in the pit in front of the stages.

But, I'm going to put up this photograph and ask if you can hear the music?

~ Paloma

Exam week, and I am terribly sick. The biggest challenge? Convincing myself that I am well enough to ace these little speed bumps!Music makes my head throb, and looking at a computer screen is probably also not the best. If I can get through this obstacle, the rest of my summer ought to be flawless. This is me, bargaining with some sort of higher power- get everything over with now, and let the rest of my holiday be fantastic. It will be wonderful, I am determined to make it so!
~Beth