Finding Light

This is an adaptation of my weekly newsletter, Adventures Big & Small. If you want to receive emails like these, click here to subscribe.

I skipped last week’s newsletter. That almost never happens.

Not because I was sad or overwhelmed—there’s plenty of joy in life right now. But creatively, I’ve just felt…flat.

I probably shouldn’t say that since theoretically I’m supposed to be selling you on family photography here, but I’m not worried because I’ve been diving into client work with the same energy and heart as always. I made a few pictures with a family last Friday that felt like some of my best.

But when it comes to personal photos, I haven’t been picking up the camera.

And honestly? That’s okay. I’ve never believed in documenting everything. Sometimes, a quiet stretch in the photo history of our lives feels natural—maybe even necessary.

I’m not entirely sure why. These things are mysterious. Probably a mix of too many house projects, too much travel, and too much thinking about the state of our country.

A lot of people seem to seek inspiration from outside themselves – adventure or current events. But for me it is the opposite. I need stillness. I need rhythm. I need quiet days at home to help me see the details that make our life extraordinary.

Finally, yesterday morning, I felt a shift.

Here in Marin, I can already sense the slow turn from summer into fall. The edges of the trees outside the kitchen are tipped with yellow. The nights are cooler. The garden is still abundant, but there’s a softness now—like the growth is winding down, making space for something else.

Am I getting ahead of myself? Certainly. But forgive me because with this change, I’m noticing things again, and I love it.

Sunrise has moved just far enough north that the low, early light now slips up our little valley and floods into the living room. I had forgotten how magical that light can be—soft and golden, brushing across the old wood floors, refracted through the warped glass of our leaded windows.

But yesterday, when my daughter walked right into one of those glowing pockets of light, without thinking I instinctively reached for my camera.

What a wonderful feeling. I’m so glad it’s back.