We're about to get into local festival season - and what better way to spend a fun, sun-filled and festive afternoon than strolling through a local festival? Being an amateur photographer (with a better-than-average knowledge of how to convert photos to digital via picture scanning), I always look forward to and take a special interest in the photo exhibits. Sometimes I find a really artful and unexpected collection... but more often than not I find the requisite famous people portraits, or tropical rainbows and sunsets. That's OK; I can ponder them from the hanging chair booth next door while noshing on something fried.

Recently I was at one of these festivals and came across a vendor who had spent time in the Mediterranean. He had the most beautiful photograph of a simple wood door with wrought iron, and a bougainvillea-like plant winding its way around the doorway, framing it in a spray of hot pink. I wondered why I was so struck by the photo, and I finally realized that it was the beautiful simplicity of it. Oftentimes when I take pictures, I try to capture too much in the frame and it only serves to clutter and confuse.

I’m having the door photo framed and will hang it in my study as a reminder that sometimes the most beautiful and special images are also the most simple and straightforward.

So get on out there with your camera and remember that Spring is a time of rebirth and celebration. Don't be afraid to re-invent yourself as a photographer... or even a serial local festival attendee. Both can lead to exciting adventures and a lot of great memories.