Last month, to be more specific, on August 19, World Photography Day was celebrated, well, throughout the world, I suppose. I became familiar with the day thanks to some of my co-workers who wanted to put together a post about me, showcasing some of the photos I have taken over the years.

I must be honest, as long as I have been dragging a camera around, you’d think I would be familiar with such a day, but I was not. However, I was honored that they would ask, and I did my best to pull together several photos that were some of my favorites to be used on a couple of our social media platforms.

After a couple of weeks of me sifting through hundreds of photo files to decide which ones to share, the day finally arrived, and the posts went live on social media.

While I knew of several friends who would likely respond to these posts, I was overwhelmed with the attention I received and the many kind and gracious things people said about my work and me, as a person, people I didn’t even know.

I felt incredibly blessed by all the attention and tried to read every word. At this writing, I’m still seeing where people have liked, loved, or commented.

All of this attention caused me to reflect a little on my life’s work and the many people who hopefully have been affected by it in a positive way.

As much as I love the written word, photography has always been my first love. I have my dad to thank for that. He was a remarkable photographer and was such an inspiration to me as I watched his every move with a camera in hand, and every photo he took, trying to be just like him.

I don’t think I have ever reached the level of his abilities, but he always told me I was a better photographer. His encouragement stays with me even though he has long since passed.

I rarely snap a photo that I don’t think about how he would see it. I feel as though he is still standing over my shoulder with every click of the camera. He is every bit as responsible for the photos that filled these posts as me.

In addition to the positive remarks about each picture, I was grateful for the things people said about me personally. I realized that a kind word can lift one’s spirits. It can enlighten one’s outlook on the day and perhaps change one’s life.

 Never underestimate what good you can do in the world simply by offering a kind word, or a pat on the back to those around us, and even to those people we don’t know. I wanted to take the opportunity in this column to thank the many people who responded to the World Photography Day posts. You all certainly made my day and reminded me how blessed I am to continue my journey, down the backroads.

Tim Thornberry,
Editor, Kentucky Farm Bureau News