Tampa Bay Florida

TESTER: Through the Lens: Cats, Coffee, and Why Every Wednesday Feels Like Editing Purgatory

florida sunset

Ah, the photographer’s life. There’s something oddly poetic about living on caffeine, wrestling with Lightroom, and navigating that sea of half-empty memory cards scattered around the office like confetti. Let’s take a snapshot of a typical week, shall we?

Let’s start with cats. Specifically, the ones who believe that stepping on keyboards and knocking over gear is their sacred calling. Editing a portrait? Surprise! Here comes a rogue paw on the delete button. And just when you’re in the zone, they decide it’s prime time to play “zoomies” through your studio. Thanks for the assist, Mr. Whiskers.

Next up: coffee, the liquid lifeline of every photographer. That moment you’re prepping for an early sunrise shoot, bleary-eyed and clutching your coffee mug as if it holds the secrets of the universe. There’s the morning brew, then the “just one more” afternoon cup, then the “Oh, no, my brain is slowing down” cup at midnight when you’re deep in the rabbit hole of editing and realize you’ve color-corrected the same image five times.

And let’s not forget the Wednesday blues, that strange midweek lull where editing a gallery feels like crossing a desert with no end in sight. One minute, you’re reliving the joy of a couple’s first kiss as newlyweds; the next, you’re painstakingly cloning out Uncle Bob’s photobomb in the background for the fourth time. But then, there’s that moment—that image. The one where everything just clicks (pun intended). You’re suddenly reminded why you love this job.

So here’s to the little quirks: the cats, the coffee, and the rollercoaster that is a photographer’s week. Because in this beautifully chaotic world of ISO, apertures, and midnight editing marathons, every challenge is just another frame in the album of life.