I began my photography journey in 1985, and for more than four decades I’ve photographed everything from weddings and graduations to commercial projects, wildlife, and nature. Photography has been both my profession and my passion. But over the past few years, something changed, it started to feel like work, even when it wasn’t.
Running a studio and photo lab meant I had access to every tool imaginable. Yet the more gear I had, the less I wanted to carry it. Photography had become an effort: packing bags, hauling equipment, planning every outing around what I thought I needed instead of what I wanted to experience.
Falling Back in Love with Photography in the Lethbridge River Valley
Living near the coulees of Lethbridge should make spontaneous photography easy as I walk the coulees daily. But I found myself stuck in an either-or situation, go for a walk with no camera, or bring a pile of gear and focus only on shooting. The simple joy of wandering and photographing whatever caught my eye had disappeared.
So in mid-2025, I made a decision: go back to basics. One small camera. One lens. No bag full of accessories. No pressure to capture everything perfectly. Just something light enough to carry everywhere.
Of course, that meant accepting limitations. A single lens can’t do it all, wildlife, macro, sweeping landscapes. But that was the point. Instead of chasing every possible shot, I started enjoying the moments I was actually in.
Falling Back in Love with Photography in the Lethbridge River Valley
Yes, smartphones can capture images anytime, anywhere. But for me, they lack the tactile connection, the physical controls, the intentional act of making a photograph. I wanted to feel like a photographer again, not just someone tapping a screen.
In early 2026, I found a simple camera that brought that feeling back. The camera I settled on was the FujiFilm X-T50 and a 15 – 45 mm lens. Even in the dull grey of winter, it encouraged me to document everyday moments, quiet trails, frozen riverbanks, subtle light on the coulees. Not assignments. Not projects. Just life as it happened.
Falling Back in Love with Photography in the Lethbridge River Valley
What surprised me most was how meaningful those small images became. Ordinary scenes suddenly felt important again, not because they were technically perfect, but because they captured real experiences.
Photography stopped being about gear, specifications, or expectations. It became about curiosity, observation, and enjoyment, the same reasons I picked up a camera in the first place.
My hope is that more people rediscover photography this way. Ignore the pressure to own everything and try to carry everything. Whether you use a simple camera or something you already have, carry it often and shoot for the joy of it.
Because sometimes, falling back in love with photography isn’t about finding new places, it’s about seeing familiar ones with fresh eyes.
