Years ago we used to have Denis Reggie speaking in the Hasselblad booth.  After each presentation there would always be at least one photographer who would come up and ask us to “spec out” every piece of gear Denis used.  A year later, this same photographer would come back disappointed that none of his images looked like anything Denis shot!  Of course,  in once case, the fact that he photographed everything at f8 1/125th might have something to do with it!

While creativity can definitely be learned and photograhic skill can be achieved by anyone dedicated to the craft, there’s still a unique gene that gives many of you a gift so many of us don’t have.  You see the world a little differently, truly through rose colored glasses, or maybe I should say lenses! 

So, this Saturday morning, I’m toasting each of you who have a “mind’s eye” that’s better than the two on your face!  You have vision, you have creativity and in some of the toughest situations you have absolute brilliance.  You have the same tools to work with as everybody else,  but you’re able to take that camera, lens, film or computer and create images that make us cry!

“The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results.” Edward De Bono.