True Inspiration

Inspiration is a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation. I can already tell that Inspiration will be the most used word throughout my entire blog, but honestly, where would I be without my inspiration? I think it is extremely important in the beginning stages of photography to express the underlying inspiration of my photos; my pictures clearly do not phsycially speak for themselves. So my long term goal is to one day have my audience be able to look at my photographs, and without any text at all, be able to see my inspiration, feel the emotion captured in the picture, and in total, be able to sense the same feeling I did the exact moment I snapped the shutter.

This is a letter inspired by my soon to be mentor of photography, more importantly the skeleton of my photography world, that if never met, I would have never started my blog or gotten deeper into my photographic thoughts and expression, and that is Rob Goldman. Thank you for being the one to see the strong passion inside of me, and for pulling it all out. For finally, after years of my creativity brewing, showing me the right door to walk through. I didn't know how to do it myself, but you most certainly did. Thanks for providing the cherry on my 23 tier cake, and for these reasons, I know our mentorship has only just begun.

Ken Dashow-

Today was only my second instruction with a very well established photographer, and I have already been advised to reach out to you. A quick synopsis of my story as to why I just needed to create this letter... My name is Samantha Hill and I was diagnosed with colon cancer shortly after my 23rd birthday, and that just so happened to be this past summer. I lived in the hospital for 23 hard days and 23 hard nights, but I am so fortunate to say that I walked out of there cancer free. This entire experience, as I'm sure you could imagine, has completely changed a huge portion of my life. The other portion that has, over the past few years, changed my life, I must say, has stemmed from a great inspirer of mine, and that's you. How many days I have sat in my car, rather than lounging in my bed or anywhere else for that matter, with the sole purpose of being able to sit outside and listen to the sweet melodies of Q104.3. The station itself is what enhanced this whole experience of mine, bringing me to find you. But listening to your voice and the endless amounts of knowledgeable facts you have to share with the world, with me, about my original inspirers, the greatest artists to ever live, the artists of the two best decades our world has ever experienced, the people you and I live for, and that is the artists of the 60s and 70s. You fill my mind with exactly everything I want to hear. And with that love of mine, I have dove very deeply into photography. My photographs have then inspired me to write a blog in order to spread my true passion with the world. This is strictly for your enjoyment purposes, http://whatinthesamhillnow.blogspot.com, feel free to check out my blog, especially the post titled True Inspiration. With all this thrown at you, I am the girl you sent a t-shirt to this summer, signed by you sending me your love and admiration to get me through my struggle. I never thought that I could honestly find love in someone that I have yet to meet, but Ken Dashow you have proved me wrong. I have really big plans and ideas in mind for my photography and blog so if you'd like to follow along with me, please do! On that note, on the opening page of my blog, I wrote about if I were to ever find a magic lamp with a genie in it, how my #1 wish would be to go back in time to be able to experience the 60s and 70s the way I only dream about. And in writing you this letter, I have thought of my second wish, and that would be to sit and chat with one of my truest inspirers, working for the radio station that enhanced my love and knowledge for classic rock and the decades of peace, love, and happiness, and who helped pull out the greatest life inside of me. And with that, Ken Dashow, my second wish is to meet the man who fills my mind with inspiring lyrics and quotes, and that man is you. 

Signed, sealed, and delivered. When discussing this letter with Rob, the two photos that triggered the inspiration and the direction of our conversation, the pictures which have brought my underlying feelings of true passion and love for photography to the surface, are posted below... 

 

 A favorite quote of mine that speaks through these pictures-
         In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first.
                                                                                  -Jimi Hendrix