This post borders on too personal, but at the moment I really feel the need to write and publish it. I don’t want this to be about sympathy or to gather donations, I just need to vent and get things off my chest, and to let all of my readers out there know what’s going on with my life and with my photography.

This past Tuesday I was in New Jersey visiting my girlfriend when my brand new car was broken into (window smashed) and robbed. The thieves took my entire camera bag full of gear, worth well over 4 thousand dollars, as well as my IPod and GPS. I did not have camera insurance, and my auto insurance won’t cover the camera gear. I’m currently looking into homeowner’s inurance, but that may not work out either. In all likelyhood, I may end up having to replace all of my gear one item at a time. But … it’s “just stuff”. It’s a huge inconvenience, but it can be replaced. If the week had ended there, it would have been a bad week, but not as bad as it got tonight.

Tonight - my girlfriend Kari Post and I, together for 3 years, broke up. Kari Post is an amazing girl and nature photographer, and every moment since that horrible call I’ve wished that we were still together. But to be honest - we had some differences that just weren’t working out right now. And so … with tears in my heart (I don’t think there are any left in my eyes), I can’t help but look at the photographs in my house, or even think about going out to photograph without thinking of her. What a sad sob story, right? Who wants to hear this? I agree - but with this pain, and to give this blog post some purpose, I must say that I think I need to take a break from photography for a little while to just live life. Photography probably gives me the most joy of anything, but I just need to take a moment away from it before I’m in a better place myself, before I can fully enjoy it without thinking of this huge gap in my life.

Thank you everyone so much for commenting on the blog, and thanks still to the others who have seen and enjoyed my pictures. I really want to come back to it … I just don’t think I can at this time.

I’ll leave with one last bit of advice that I myself have learned well over the past few days. Never take what you have for granted. Love it and cherish it with everything you have. And even if it can’t be loved, like camera gear, at least protect it. Don’t be like me, get some insurance!

Take care,
Chris