One of the many beauties of being a professional photographer is that headlines and shouting and division and insults and pettiness all evaporate. While shooting with clients, the entire world is a joyful, celebratory, loving place. What matters is connections.

I work with clients every day, and we’ve never once discussed what makes us different from one another. The conversation inevitably is about what bonds us together. We all love Bloomington and South-Central Indiana. We all love Indiana University, and the countless benefits it brings to our community. We all love our Farmer’s Market and B-Line Trail and the crisp air of autumn and breakfasts at the Runcible Spoon. We all embrace Kirkwood Avenue and the courthouse square, cocktails at C3 and Cardinal Spirits and attending performances at the Buskirk-Chumley. Everyone loves spending a day walking through little Nashville, relaxing on Lake Monroe and exploring the tranquil, winding, hilly country roads.

I’m disappointed with our present, and concerned about our future, on many levels. That said, we’re here to support each other, lend one another a helping hand, assist in easing the burdens others are carrying and, for me specifically, to do so with and through beautiful images of good people making their way through the wondrous, varied, fascinating, meaningful stages of life.

In many ways, portrait photography is the opposite of daily headlines. With portraits, I’m looking genuinely into someone’s eyes, committed to finding the essence of their spirit (and to present that in the image). I’m listening as they describe what they want, and talking with them about how we’ll reach that point. I’m patiently working with clients to help present a natural, good, complimentary representation of them. I’m committed to making sure that everyone understands that what they want — wonderful photographs — is exactly what I want. We’re a team. We’re working together. There’s a trust and a faith and a hope and a shared vision.

While many choose ideological steadfastness over thoughtful, nuanced discussion, I choose to make the world a tiny bit of a better place one small encounter after another small encounter…..

A young man with his first truck….. Such a joyful tandem. Landon was nervous at the start of his senior picture session, so we walked over to his new truck (he loves it!) and the magic happened immediately.

There’s such a joyful tandem for me, too. I love offering beautiful images at a fair price point. I love that Jeff Norris Photography is booming due to our caring, friendly connections and lovely photographs. We’ve grown in to one of the two leading photography options for Bloomington-area weddings, senior pictures, family reunions, professional headshots and corporate/commercial work. I’m delighted to have done so, specifically via the route of offering good Midwestern folks gorgeous pictures with a down-to-earth option to save money. There’s no need to pay higher prices for meaningful, lifelong images. Treating people the way we’d like others to treat our own children…. That’s our guiding principle, and our clients all agree it’s a wonderful, heartwarming, unifying path to travel.

Ah….. October…. What a gorgeous 31 days to be alive.

Alternately wishing I had a bit more free time to enjoy this beautiful month more intimately, and honored that i’ve got 31 sessions booked during it, October will be a fantastic experience….

Follow my business on Facebook and Instagram (“Jeff Norris Photography”), and my little pug (“Maggie the Pug and Amazing Grace”, on Facebook) for more updates on my work for the good folks of South-Central Indiana. And step outside every chance you get — giving thanks for the autumnal colors/smells/cool air/tastes — this upcoming four precious, unparalled weeks….

Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving

But how can they know it’s time for them to go?

Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming

I have no thought of time

For who knows where the time goes?

Who knows where the time goes?

Sandy Denny

Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Rumi

Such a joyful weekend shooting the Victor Oladipo basketball camp. As a guy who has loved all things Hoosiers since 1980, it was both a personal high as well as a professional responsibility. The three day/three night camp was a celebration of Indiana basketball, past, present and future. I must’ve shot 5,000 images over the throughout the event, and surely smiled at least 5,001.

My wife said at the end of the weekend, and she’s right, that the teenager-through-young-adult me would’ve been so proud to know that he’d one day be a professional photographer in his favorite town in America, with a studio on Bloomington’s beloved courthouse square, photographing basketball for IU and its amazing players, alums and fans. Not the straightest or easiest road to get to this point, but perseverance has been a friend to me all my life.

Sometimes life gives you moments where you can sit on a rock and say “I’m grateful”. Those are hard-earned, but much appreciated, moments.

Just this past three weeks I’ve shot a book cover, principle photography for a website rebuild, senior pictures, a wedding, a band’s CD cover, a birthday party, professional headshots, engagements, family portraits and a three-day basketball camp at Indiana University. Whew!

Every day is a remarkable mixture of preparation, juggling, working with clients, editing and, finally, a feeling of genuine fulfillment when finalizing a project.

Jay was a wonderful client. He’s a professional speaker (literally in the speaker’s Hall of Fame!) and New York Times best-selling author of six books. He’s razor-sharp, insightful, zany and interesting. We had a terrific afternoon getting shots for his business. He’s on the road 180 nights a year, so the only challenge in working with him is actually scheduling the session!

As I was walking through town and campus this week, saying “Hi” and “How are you?” and “Great to see you” to scores of students, the thought hit me that, at any given moment, 400-to-500 young adults who are currently attending Indiana University and the area high schools are clients of my business.

The actual students change every year, of course, through graduation, but the number is relatively constant.

I appreciate the opportunity to live a life in a wonderful, vibrant community, while providing meaningful photographs to the students and their families. It’s fulfilling, and enriches life with enhanced purpose, to gift beautiful images to good people.

What a fun commercial shoot for the newly-opened Eagle Library in Indianapolis!

They’ve done a wonderful job creating a peaceful spot for the community, and — I’m delighted to say — the most challenging part of the session was the number of patrons who were there reading, browsing and appreciating the new space. Awesome to see a neighborhood come out to love a new library.

Now, what book to read today…..?

I salute Alaska with a “See you again soon”, and am now fully reengaged into Bloomington-area photography for fall semester.

Headshots in Alaska are perhaps a bit more exhilarating than are headshots in my Bloomington studio, but, that said, they’re also justthatmuch more nerve-racking, as well….!!

Cheers, Alaska. Cheers, Bloomington.

Cheers, to a life fully engaged.