My Peeps

These ladies are my heart.  They joined together to make my birthday unforgettable. 

From longest running friend to most recent:

Tracy - we share DNA since she's my baby sister so it's cool to have her as a best friend too!

Amy - we share loads of Jr. High and High School secrets about each other so I keep her close in case she decides to write a book.

Ange - we share memories of lots of laughs and tears.  I can show up at her house early on a Sunday morning in my pjs because I am locked out of my house and it's perfectly okay, possibly expected.

Susan - we share in a piercing desire for our kids to be the men and women God wants them to be.  She also is perfect companion for spur-of-the-moment adventures where anything can happen (yes, she's been Zombie hunting with me, but that's another story).

So me and my peeps headed out to a remote location.  We piled out of the van decorated with lots of crazy slogans like, "Honk if you think 45 is old!"; laughing and giggling like we were all in high school.  I made them shake off all their troubles (this took a while because they are all loaded, but was quite effective) before we proceeded down the path loaded with cheese, crackers and wine. 

just Breathing

Laughing

Sighing

Sharing memories

Laughing

Tasting

and just Breathing

Of course I had to take a few pictures, but almost reluctantly.  I didn't want to lose a single moment by putting the camera between me and them. 


As the light faded, the conversation turned deeper and more intimate.  We were safe with each other and could say anything.  What a treasure it is to find others different than you, yet melded at the heart. 

Then the coyotes started their yipping somewhere in the dark and someone (I won't name Who, but you know who You are) decided it was time to wrap it up, saying something to the effect, "I will do spiders, but coyotes are not my thing".  (*sniff*...stupid coyotes -- they ruin everything) 

So we headed back having basked in the glow of true friendship and sisterhood. 

Because of them, I am richer than I ever could have imagined. 

Best Compliment Ever

Today, I had the best compliment ever.  I was fiddling with my camera settings at a dear friend's retirement reception and another co-worker said, "You know what I love about you?  You really care how good a picture is."  I almost teared up.  That was the best thing anyone could have said to me. 

I think about all the struggles I've had with my cameras, computers and programs and how many times I've lost sleep worrying about this and that.  It is because I do care that I won't give up.  



Clark Cunningham - Senior 2011

 I've come so far in learning about photography.  Now I want to go back, use my new-found knowledge and redo everything that I've ever done before.  The work is never ending!

Austin in the Park

We care for our grandson, Austin, on the nights that his mother, Amanda, works at the hospital.  At 8.5 months, he has more energy than grandma and grandpa combined -- on a good day.  Instead of saying throughout the evening, "Stay out of the cat's litterbox", "The stairs cause owies", "You can't eat catfood", or (our favorite) "Keep your diaper on!" we have decided to take him on scenic adventures.  Somtimes it is just a walk downtown to see all the barking dogs and inhale the fragrance of eggrolls from Jasmin Restaurant wafting through the air.  Tonight, we visited the PARK. 

He was totally wowed by the whole experience:  the Huge Bouncy Duck, the Red Tunnel Slide, the Twisty Slide, the Rock Climbing Wall, and The Swing.  I was especially thrilled because Grandpa was caught in a frame or two!    

Our sweet little man; may he always stay as free and happy in all of his life as he was this evening. 

Family Photo Session with Mom and 2 Active Boys

I chased (yes, chased) two boys around with my camera last weekend.  It was quite an experience in winning over a camera-shy model.  It went well, even though my equipment tried to give me grief.  Even with all the hiccups, it was so much fun. 

Super Busy Weekend

It was a super-busy photography/birthday weekend!  I spent Saturday in my wonderful new birthday boots marching around the Kansas City Arboretum with a photographer named Malinda from Missouri that I met at a conference.  We shared information and equipment strategies.  She is awesome!  I came to the conclusion that my wish list should include a radio controlled remote flash sensor.  

Then I went to Joy's place in Baldwin to talk about having a show at her bed and breakfast with some of my best work. 

After that, onto Kaley's 17th birthday at the lake to take pictures of teens
having lots of good, clean fun at the lake. 

 What a beautiful sunset! 

Grandbaby Time

I'm a young grandma.  There are a lot of goals I had in mind for the age of 45, and being a grandmother wasn't one of them.  I watched my highly intelligent sister lose her mind over her grandson and I didn't think I'd be like that.  Somehow I figured that I'd be level-headed;  firmly saying NO to too much babysitting and YES to all the things I'd put off while parenting my own three girls to adulthood.  What happened to ME?

I find that I want to feed him all the time.  He sees me and like a baby bird, his arms start flapping and his mouth opens wide.  I'd like to say that I only poke wholesome foods in that sweet mouth, but NO, I give him whatever his heart desires.  At least I'm not as bad has his grandpa who tickles him constantly and wants to make a game out of everything from feeding time to really-messy-diaper changing time. 

My days off from work were going to be about skinny, fashionable ME finding my style.  I dreamed of strolling, lazily through malls; not worrying about finances or pressed for time.  In my fantasies, I'd sip a diet soda while laughing with a friend as we tried on 50 pairs of jeans to find that perfect fit. 

Alas, the real ME takes a day off work for the Pumpkin Patch so I can chase toddlers through the fields with my camera and rejoices in the moments of new discovery on innocent faces.  So what if my jeans are too tight in the thighs and belted at the waist to prevent plumbers butt?  So what if my daughter is criticizing my photojournalistic intensity by saying that I am embarrassing her.  So what? 

I AM GRANDMA.  Anyone want a snack?

Why I love this picture: to see what I see

I've talked with several close friends and come to realize that everyone sees things differently.  (gasp!)  The way I see what I call 'beautiful' is in a stage of transformation.  I am finding that I don't enjoy perfection in a photograph as much as catching A Story within a frame.  When I see it, I want it to speak to my heart about something I felt in the moment.

Here is an example of my latest favorite picture. 

This one is unaltered and straight from the camera.  When Brandon was waiting while I was adjusting my camera settings, I happened to glance up and saw the aura of light surrounding him.  I literally stopped breathing, and whispered 'don't move!' 

I'd been studying how to catch light rays filled with color.  I knew how to set the camera to catch the blue sky as well as the green grasses closest to me.  What I couldn't predict was the pure, relaxed stance of my subject.  We'd been talking about his future plans and the life decisions that had to be made in a few short weeks.  He was taking a break from all the smiling and just pausing to think; his shoulders bowed slightly with the weight of responsibility he carried.

Do you remember the scene in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, where Beast is being lifted in the air, spinning with glorious bursts of light?  Up, up he rises, and with a final blinding flash, he is gently set to the ground and we discover that he's become the Prince.

Brandon is in metamorphosis; the process of leaving childhood and becoming a man.  In this image I see him surrounded by beams of light which set the clouds, the grass and his hair on fire.  The earth is at his feet, weighting him down; the sky is at his head lifting him up.  Bubbles of color are gently cascading over him bringing hope and promise of things to come.  

I am thrilled to have caught the moment in all its glory.  Do you see it too? 

Someone recently told me that I need to concentrate strictly on formal portraiture if I wanted to succeed.  That may be true, but more than money, I find the discovery of art in a common moment to be exceedingly rewarding.

Brandon Elliott's Senior Year

Looks like I am moving forward again.  Thank you to everyone -- your patience with my technical delays has been a huge blessing.  I've figured out how to get DVD's burning again and how to get my photo colors to stay the same in various photo editing programs.  I just want to take pretty pictures!  Does it really have to be this difficult?

I pushed through and finished Brandon's Senior session.  His mother was my roommate when I transitioned from single life to married.  I have the honor of having introduced her to her husband, Brandon's father.  I really should go into a third career of matching making. 

So I've pretty much had the honor of knowing Brandon his whole life.  He's an authentic, super-nice guy who is examining who he wants to be in his life and what it will take to get there. I've never met a high school senior so serious about deciding his future so if you are a praying person, be sure to say one for him.  I know he'd appreciate it.

Here's my slideshow of his portrait session....