Waiting for the Clouds
Have you ever found yourself waiting on the perfect cloudy day? If you’re like me, probably not. My perfect forecast is sunshine and pretty blue skies.
A few months ago, our Telescope Casual Furniture family contacted Tim and I about hosting their 2022 catalog photoshoot. It would be a three-day production that included traveling to different locations within about a 10-mile radius of our home. We were thrilled to host. Mostly because we haven’t seen our Telescope family in person since before the pandemic hit, and for the first time the furniture show was coming to us instead of us hitting the road with the furniture in tow.
We immediately began planning for the arrival of Greta and Kait from the factory and the photographer and team from Millsaps’ Creative. The only thing we were anxious about was the uncertainty of our South Carolina weather in April. We can go from shorts and sandals to hunting for a sweatshirt and socks in the blink of an eye.
When Shannon Millsaps and his team arrived at 7:00 a.m. the first morning, Tim and I were bright-eyed and ready to see what all would be involved in shooting the shots for the 2022 catalog. Shannon’s team began unloading furniture and setting up the location. His stylist quickly sprang into action and with great detail began making things look beautiful. We were ready for lights, camera, and action when suddenly Shannon hit the pause button. We quickly realized this was a little more precise than snapping a few photos with our iPhones. We’d be waiting on the right light from that moment on and there were 21 shots to go.
By day three, I realized I’d heard Shannon mention more than once that he wanted to wait for the next cloud to be overhead before shooting the shot. He needed the clouds in order to show the furniture in the best light possible.
As I sat waiting on the right cloud that day, it occurred to me that it felt like a dichotomy to wait on the clouds on a perfectly sunny day.
I thought about life in general and how none of us would ever choose to wait on the clouds when things are looking bright, but sometimes we need the clouds to bring things into focus. It made me think of the past year and how the pandemic has been a cloud for so many on a personal level and from a business standpoint
Just as Shannon used the cloud to his advantage, I thought about Tim and I, our family, and the dealers and manufacturers we represent. I reflected on what we’ve learned from the cloud of the pandemic. How has the cloud made the picture crystal clear for each of us now and in the future? What changes will be made? What will stay the same? What is the silver lining? I am one hundred percent sure you have your own reflections as well.
