California

All Images © 2010 Declan J. Dillon
Please do not use/reproduce without my explicit, written permission.

I'm back home for a week, so I figured I'd revisit a few of my favorite places. Sadly, I came to discover that one of my all-time favorite locations, a hidden junkyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, had been cleaned out, the property put up for sale. Although I am disappointed, I am glad that I went up there in the first place, choosing not to relegate it to my "I'll come back to it" list. Far too many opportunities are squandered with the "I'll come back to it" mentality. The chance to capture a phenomenal shot occurs only once. One must be there to capture it at the right time, even if it means disregarding other commitments. I cannot even begin to recall the number times that I blew off rowing practice in order to take pictures. Although some did not and still do not approve of this, I prefer to weigh the benefits against the detriments. After all, it's been nearly three years since I last set an oar in the water, but only three minutes since I last tweaked my camera (and yes, when I get a Leica, I WILL sleep with it). I think back to of all the potentially amazing shots I have missed because I told myself "I'll come back to it." Certain things are worth sacrificing for. The difficult part is deciding where to draw the line.