Elevate: A Fine Art Photography Exploration | March 2012

I think it's high time I get myself posting regularly on this blog again, what do you say?  Photography is healing for me, after all.  And so is writing.  Maybe this is part of what I've been missing lately? After what we've been through for the past six months, I feel like I need to celebrate this sweet little one a little more.  My darling Charlotte.  Perfectly happy 99.5% of the time, and the other .5% she only gently fusses to let us know she needs something (usually milk or a nap).  She could never know how much her birth has meant to me.  Even through my ppd, she has remained so happy and pleasant.  Charlotte has been our angel.  She has the sweetest smile each morning.  She pushes up on her hands and gives me a wrinkled-nose grin that melts my heart.  Each night when I nurse her to sleep, she quietly holds on to me and drifts off; content, peaceful, full.

In comparison to my other two children, Charlotte and I have a lot of catching up to do in the quantity-of-photographs department.  But hopefully this is a good start toward making up the difference...

Sweet girl.  You can't possibly know how much you're loved.  But I promise to try and show you, now and every day until forever.

I'm honored to be a part of Elevate: A Fine Art Exploration with some extremely talented photographers.  Each month, these women and I have vowed to push ourselves and simply shoot for us.  I've had to skip a couple of months recently, but this month, I am ever so grateful for this project and for the healing comfort it's given my heart.  I encourage you to follow our circle, read on and discover what beauty the extremely talented Renee Popat is sharing with the world today.  Thank you so much for being here.  I so appreciate you, friends.  xo

xo

Elevate: A Fine Art Photography Exploration | December 2011

This image spoke to me as soon as I pressed the shutter.  My little girl is in between waves.  One has just swept over her, and another is breaking and tumbling toward her.  But she's peaceful, focused, and she takes each wave as it comes.

Some days I wish I could just slow down and take it one wave at a time, don't you?  In the family portrait photography business, these late months are always the busiest of the entire year.  We squeeze in extra sessions, we stay up late at night editing, we rush print deliveries and we package them up just as soon as they come in.  We appreciate this time while it lasts, because we know that January and February will be much different.  The phones won't ring as much and we will get a bit of a break until the next wave comes onshore.

My goal this season is to be peaceful in the midst of these waves, to focus on my tasks as well as my own family's contentment, and to make sure I get up from my place at the edge of the water and take my kids for a stroll on the beach.

I read this quote on Pinterest some time ago, and I whipped up a very simple art print to remind me to slow down and take the waves in my life as they come... one at a time.  You're welcome to click the image to download it.  Print it for yourself to always remember that the tide does ebb and flow.  I hope you don't simply dip your toes in the water, but that you jump in with both feet and enjoy the surf.

The Elevate Project is a circle of photographers who long to indulge our artistic sides at least once a month, by exploring photography as a fine art form.  You can see my October and November posts here if you'd like to.  As we think, and shoot, and think some more... we grow, and we develop, and we become better at our craft.  I encourage you to follow our circle by visiting my very talented friend Gina Oh  |  Arroyo Grande, CA Photographer next.

xxoo

Elevate: A Fine Art Photography Exploration | November 2011

"When my heart is heavy, the sun helps make it light."  -Astrid Alauda

This week has been so tiring.  Even though Charlotte is truly an angel baby, so easy and adaptable, just go-with-the-flow... I have to admit that being a mama to three little ones is much more exhausting than I'd imagined!  With a busy shooting season, a last-minute school presentation on the night that Daddy is working late, a bit of forgotten homework, a temper tantrum (or three), a broken A/C and far too little sleep...  you have the makings of a tired and weary mama and photographer.

But.  (And thank goodness for the "but", right?)  But, this weekend I got to see some of my favorite families during our mini-sessions.  And being drenched in such sweet morning light in the park was like therapy for my soul.  A tiny escape, thanks to my camera, my friend, lending me a fresh new perspective for a few hours.  My mind switching gears and letting me concentrate on something other than myself for a bit.  The fresh morning sun reminding me that today is "a new day, with no mistakes in it yet."

My intention this particular morning was to also shoot something different for my Elevate project; however, the more I tried to force myself to shoot something out of the ordinary for me, to stretch myself creatively and fulfill this vision I had brought with me..... the more I realized that on this particular day, simply being out in the sunshine and photographing these sweet clients and friends was what my heart needed more than anything.  I needn't look further.  I needed to take smaller steps, in fact, after being out on somewhat of a maternity leave for these past several weeks.  I didn't need to move outside the box, I needed desperately to be inside that box.  Where it's comfortable.  Calm.  Reassuring.

And yet, it's still new to me.  Sweet faces in sweet light.  Sunshine on my skin.  After being on maternity leave for several weeks, it feels good to feel like I'm back IN my element again!

I'm so grateful for the peace that photography brings to my heart, just when I need it.  I'm so very blessed.

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As you know, I'm joining several other photographers who are exploring Fine Art Photography, and pushing our creative spirits each month.  I hope you'll visit Gina Oh next, and see what loveliness she has to share with us.