Concepts versus Instincts

Aren't our minds interesting? Our concepts are what determine how our lives manifest. If I were to tell myself that I couldn't be a good photographer without proper education, then I wouldn't be a photographer at all.


 Some of the best photos can be the shots that are not supposed to happen at all. An example of this would be the photos I took earlier this week. I keep reading that one "should" only take flower photos on overcast days so that the light will be even.

Using my own instincts, as always, I went out to shoot flower photos at high noon (another no no) on a bright and sunny day. I got some great shots! This makes me want to apply this idea to other areas of life....using basic common sense, of course. Who knows what I may do next? I certainly will be less likely to let my concepts get in the way. In my life, instinct always trumps concepts.

This photo is available at my website SusanBStambaugh.com

Get to Know the Real Arizona

The real Arizona is amazing. Don't let the recent politics turn you off to a visit. One of our biggest industries is tourism, and you can see why above. My husband and I just drove up a mountain about 15 minutes from our house and I took this photo. We have so much natural beauty on hand all the time. Wildlife is abundant and sometimes very different. Plant life is unusual, such as the beautiful saguaro cactus that grow only at specific elevations. So much to  see and do, so many places to visit that it is mind boggling!


Think about the Grand Canyon alone. You could spend a week there and never know the time went by, with so much to see. You can go by air, hike or ride a mule as you take in the sights. Hiking is fantastic there, of course.


Southern Arizona has it's charms as well, with Tucson, Tubac, Tombstone, Bisbee and Sierra Vista. Whew. That's a lot of sights to see. All are very beautiful in their own way.


Living in Tucson is a photographers dream. I always feel a lot of gratitude for being able to be here. I hope you enjoy the photograph above. If you are interested in purchasing it or in checking out my website at SusanBStambaugh.com , and if you have questions or need something special you can email me at the address on my site.