As photographers, we're often taught to chase perfect focus, flawless composition, and technical mastery. Letting go of the pursuit of perfect focus has been one of the hardest shifts I've had to make. I'm still fighting it, honestly. There's a deep part of me that worries— is this what people expect? Will they interpret softness as a mistake. But over time, I've come to understand that this tension is part of my journey. I'm learning to trust the emotional pull of an image over tack sharp focus.

I'd always been interested in photography, but for years, I had never owned a proper camera. It was one of those things I thought I'd get to "one day". That changed during our first overseas trip to Europe—specifically, when we arrived in Paris.

the internet has been an incredible tool for learning and inspiration. With endless tutorials and beautiful work to admire, it's all right there at our fingertips. But with all of that inspiration comes something else: overwhelm.

Of all the photography techniques I've been experimenting with lately, I have to admit that the Lensbaby OMNI filters and crystals have been the real game changer for me. While I have always enjoyed working with soft focus lenses and artistic blur, these simple but powerful tools have unlocked whole new dimension in my floral art photography.

As someone deeply passionate about impressionistic botanical photography, I'm always seeking tools that help bring my creative vision to life.  Recently, I took the leap and upgraded my camera from the Fuji XT3 to the XT5. The main motivator? The XT5's enhanced functionality for multiple exposures, which allows for up to nine images and introduces various blending modes.

For years, my flower photography was an indoor affair. I had the perfect setup - a cozy corner bathed in soft, natural light that produced consistent high-key floral portraits set against a white background. If you scroll through my older instagram posts, you'll see this signature style. I clung to it for a long time, hesitant to try anything different for fear of disrupting my curated feed.

In my journey to create more artistic and meaningful photographs, I have found myself drawn back to tools and techniques I once set aside.

There comes a point in any creative pursuit where you ask yourself, What am I really trying to achieve? For me, I've reached that point in my photography. I no longer feel the urge to chase technically perfect images or invest in the latest lenses and grear

With endless resources like YouTube videos, and online courses there has never been a better time to learn something new. The ability to teach yourself new skills at your own pace and in your own home is empowering.

Its been about 8 weeks since we moved house and I still can't say that I am completely settled.   Big life changes have a way of bringing issues to the surface that you think were done and dusted years ago.   I loved our last home, it was the first house that I lived in alone as an adult.  I felt safe and free there to do anything I chose for the first time in my life.   So moving even though we were both ready for it seemed a little bitter sweet.