Cameras and coffee

When we moved permanently to Sacramento over two years ago, one of the first things I did was look for local photography clubs to check out. There are quite a few active ones here, which was nice. But any female photographer would tell you, there's a fear of showing to photography meets to find dozens of men simultaneously shooting one woman in her underwear. I don't know why these meets always lean towards boudoir photography, but I have some guesses.

So that fear along with my erratic schedule meant being unable to attend any meetups until today. I found Cameras and Coffee 916 on social media, and I thought, "Wow, two of my favorite things in the world!" I also liked that the community seemed way more diverse than the others. The group meets up once a month in different local coffee shops and then do photo walks together in the city. Such a great, simple premise for a community.

Today, the group ended up at Cosumnes River Preserve, a nature preserve just south of Sacramento, with lots of wildlife and gorgeous wetland scenes. My schedule finally lined up and I got to go. I brought a bunch of Peak Design products with me as well to give away, because one of my side goals at my job is to stay connected with the photography community and hook up as many photographers as I can with our gear. Although half the attendees were already sporting our straps, which was pretty cool.

I've been a professional photographer for over 12 years at this point, and it's so rare for me to take pictures outside of any professional capacity. Even when I take photos in my own time, it's out of a desire to pursue "personal projects". I think I love our travels and even just our random walks so much because I can just take a photo and not think too deeply about it. I also really enjoy nerding out over gear with people who are just as obsessed as I am.

The whole experience reinforced my opinion that people in Sacramento are just so goddamn nice. Bobby and I talk about this pretty often, especially when we compare it to our experiences living in Los Angeles. People here say hi and genuinely want to chat. And it doesn't feel fake. I can't stand small talk, but I think I especially hate it when I know the person I'm small talking with is only doing it out of obligation and not out of real interest. I haven't felt that in a long time since moving here.

I'm kind of repeating some LA cliches here, but ultimately, I think it's just not an easy city to live in for a person who's in between an introvert and extrovert (aka me). Sacramento, on the other hand, gives me the space I need to be myself. Interactions don't feel overwhelming. In fact, they feel pleasant most of the time. I just don't get stressed in social situations here because I don't feel the pressure to be anything other than myself.