Collective Ideas

I've been working on an initiative that encompasses the concept of a Collective Idea.  I won't explain the details yet except to say it's amazing on what can be accomplished when everyone is aligned with the same goal.  Take a look at the pictures captured during Earth Hour from an interesting blog called bigpicture   

A combination of handout pictures shows a view of the Taipei 101 building before and after (L-R) Earth Hour in Taipei March 28, 2009. More than 80 countries have signed up for Earth Hour on Saturday in which homes, office towers and landmarks will turn off their lights from 8.30 pm local time to raise awareness about climate change and the threat from rising greenhouse gas emissions. (REUTERS/Taipei 101/Handout)

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Hong Kong's financial district's Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Centre, HSBC headquarters, Standard Chartered Bank and Legislative Council before during Earth Hour March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Bobby Yip) #

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A view of the hill of the Acropolis during Earth Hour in Athens, Greece March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Yiorgos Karahalis) #

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The Beijing Olympic swimming pool, better known as the "Water Cube" goes dark to observe the call to turn off non-essential lighting for one hour for climate change during World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour in Beijing on March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (STR/AFP/Getty Images) #

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The skyline of downtown Toronto before and after Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (AP Photo/THE CANADIAN PRESS - Darren Calabrese) #

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Rome's ancient Colosseum seen during Earth Hour in Rome, Italy on March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico) #

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The Sydney Opera House taken before and during Earth Hour in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (Jack Atley/Bloomberg News) #

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The Bund on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China before and during Earth Hour on March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

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The Bangkok skyline in Thailand, before and during Earth Hour March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang) #

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The Eiffel Tower before and during Earth Hour in Paris, France on March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier) #

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The Ericsson Globe Arena, seen during Earth Hour in Stockholm, Sweden March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Anders Wiklund/Scanpix Sweden) #

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The Houses of Parliament in central London, moments before the lights are turned off to mark "Earth Hour", and as the lights are turned off, on March 28, 2009.  [click image to see it fade]   (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Lausanne's cathedral before and after its lights were switched off, on March 28, 2009 in Lausanne, Switzerland as part of the "Earth Hour" campaign.   [click image to see it fade]   (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) #

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The main square in downtown Lima, Peru before and during Earth Hour March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Pilar Olivares) #

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Lights are turned off at 8:30pm at Nokia Plaza at the LA Live entertainment complex in downtown Los Angeles, California on March 28, 2009 during a celebration to mark Earth Hour.   [click image to see it fade]   (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Photographs taken before and after the lights at the main roundabout at the main business district are turned off during Earth Hour in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) #

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Lights on the Las Vegas Strip are viewed looking northbound from the Mandalay Bay Resort during "Earth Hour" in Las Vegas, Nevada March 28, 2009.   [click image to see it fade]   (REUTERS/Steve Marcus) #

The Last Image

I just finished reading a great book called the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. If you haven't read it make sure to pick up a copy. Not only was is a phenomenal book allowing you to peer into the soul of a dying man. But it also invokes questions surrounding your accomplishments in life; future goals and your legacy. Relating that to photography, I've already asked myself what are my desired goals and accomplishments. That's the easy part. My desired goals are to one day shoot a photo session for "Baby Couture, Esquire, Modern Weddings and Dwell. For my accomplishments, I want to shoot portraits that transform images into art. 

Now with regards to my "Last Image" that can be represent my legacy? That takes a little bit more time and effort to answer. At first my mind races to capturing images of Africa's culture and wildlife. But I can't also forget to pay homage to my birth country Jamaica by photographing the rising mist off the Blue Mountains, the beautiful Jamaican culture or just my footprints in the sand. Or I should also pay tribute to my home country Canada and make sure to capture our historical Inuit culture or breath taking wildlife of whales jumping across the ocean. Or perhaps even a chance to photograph people of interest like Barak Obama or my personal crush Haile Berry. 

While going through the infinite possibilities it then occurred to me. My "Last Image" should invoke feelings of my personal legacy...me and my family. Easy right?!?! Well I've come to realize that I go to such great lengths trying to capture great moments of my family that I forget to put my self in more than half those pictures as well. Hence going forward along with my goals and accomplishments I'm going to make sure my "Last Image" will be images of me enjoying my time with my family. Now all that is left is to capture my "Last Image" is to master my camera's timer and remote. 

I would love to hear from your thoughts...what would be your "Last Image"?