Reverb 10: Day 25 - Photo

Today's Reverb 10 Prompt:

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself

Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

(Author: Tracey Clark)

I spent a few minutes scrolling through photos from the last year and realized that this was definitely a year where I spent a lot more time behind the camera than in front of it.  Since I find photography therapeutic, that's not really all that surprising, but it does make it interesting to try to find an image that best captures me from within the past year.

I narrowed it down to these three images.

A dear friend who I met in person because of this blog took the first shot.  It's taken at the beach at Coronado, and I love the smile that I'm wearing.  It's a smile that reflects the fact that I was resting, that this trip was an escape, to find joy and to pray.  I love the ocean and being near the ocean on a sunny day in early fall was just about perfect.  I also love that I'm wearing a scarf in this photo.  I wear them most days, and almost all of my scarves have a meaning or a place attached to them.  That particular scarf was a gift for my 27th birthday, and was purchased in Germany and mailed to me from the Czech Republic by my dear friend and former roommate, L.

The second photo was a self-portrait, taken in either Bragg Creek or Kananaskis, on a late fall day.  I was out hiking with my mom and her cousin, and I was happy.  I love being in the mountains, and as I recall, that day was particularly lovely.

The third portrait is also from California, and was taken by a mutual friend of myself and the other LP/CA, the friend I flew to California to meet.  I love that this photo shows a friendship that has been full of laughter, and that it showcases some very happy memories.  That particular day we attended a Moroccan Tea, and that tea is one of my favorite memories from that trip.