As someone who's trying to break out of the bondage of a 8-5 office job by putting in countless hours in the evenings, I just run out of steam sometimes. My energy levels are very much like a roller coaster. For a week, I will put my nose to the grind stone and pump out tons of work and then I come crashing down and can't seem to do much of anything. I'm at the end of one of those down cycles and it brought me to think about this whole idea of what keeps me motivated. How do I recharge my batteries?

Most of this week, I spent with my family which has been wonderful. We had Father's day and wedding reception so there was a lot of chatting with friends and family, eating and just plain relaxation. As someone who would probably be diagnosed as a work-a-holic, I have to give myself time away from work. Photography for me has always been an escape from work and I don't want to fall in to the trap where I actually resent the thing I love.

So there you have it. No 6 step blog post outlining how to save your life, just one guiding principle to take time to give yourself some rest.

Brandy Creek in Whiskeytown

One of my favorite things to do when the weather and light is right is simply hike up creeks and look for pretty cascade. This isn't a documented waterfall and it wasn't particularly easy to get down to. It's pure serenity when I get into position and everything comes together. I bet this would look great printed huge on metal. Don't forget, use the discount code "happybirthday" at checkout to save 33% through the end of June.