Mary Bedy Photography

  I have been thinking a lot about how I compare myself and my work with the work of other people. In my case, I specifically compare my photography with that of others. This is an on-going process, but the parameters have changed over the years. Many younger people start out with the attitude “I’m going to be the next best (insert profession or activity here) and I will be applauded and noticed for my (art, athletic ability, scientific achievement, photography).” Usually after that train of thought, there is a period of adjustment when a person finds out how much work is actually involved in this adventure they chose, and there is some decision whether to continue and perhaps narrow down the focus of this endeavor. For example, a track and field athlete may find their strongest area and specialize in long-distance running instead of sprinting. A visual artist may love to work in watercolor and not really enjoy painting in acrylics or oil. As a photographer, perhaps someone becomes a t

I live in a small town in Michigan called Saint Clair, population about 5,000. It’s located about 18 miles south of the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron which links Sarnia Canada with the US mainland. Most of you know from your geography classes that in this part of Michigan, Canada is directly East of the US instead of north. When I go downtown, I’m looking at Courtright, Canada across the river from Saint Clair. The river at this point is a little over a mile wide, so I can clearly see the houses and the traffic on the road along the river there unless it’s really foggy or there’s a heavy snowstorm. The Saint Clair river runs between Lake Huron and Lake Saint Clair, with the current running south from Lake Huron at about eight or nine knots. Some days the river is angry with white caps, but most days she’s relatively calm and just goes about her business of flowing south. Along the river here in town, we have the supposedly longest fresh water boardwalk in the world. That is a b