Inspired

Inspiration can come from many different sources. Even your birthday. My recent birthday encouraged me to look back over the year to the people and events that inspired me, my photography, the way I choose to engage life. Creative inspiration that you share with other people especially, can explode into a  fire that spreads through each person until it completely envelops an entire project like little embers. I was very blessed to work this past year with a couple of such talented women. Both women inspired me to light that creative spark within me and while doing so, I had fun just being a girl with a camera, free to create.

Michelle Day of http://www.jewelrybyday.com/ is one such talented lady.  I've known Michelle for years, growing up and going to school together in a small town. We happily ran into each other at Wheatstock this summer. After some catching up and admitting that I drool over just about every piece of jewelry she makes, we came up with a plan to get together.  We spent an incredibly fun day collaborating in a beautiful valley in Eastern Oregon with the prettiest cowgirl modeling Michelle's gorgeous jewelry, while her creative sister assisted us with props, horses, and ideas. This I could do again and again.

The other incredibly fun day was with a photog friend from Couer d'Alene, Idaho. Christina Goold of  http://www.christinagphotography.com/blog/ is an amazing photographer that inspires me to keep pushing forward, finding my niche, my passion. She answers questions, shares insights she's learned and encourages me to allow God's gift to grow and mature.  We spent the day shooting the sweetest young woman. When Christina and I were planning the shoot she said we would start at a barn she likes to use, the she paused and said "Have you ever done a shoot in a laundry mat? I've been wanting to try it"  I actually squealed in delight over the phone because I had been working on a plan to do just that! When I told her, after I caught my breath and my heart slowed down, she said "This was meant to be then!" 

Our young model was so awesome! She would instinctively look back & forth to me and Chris sensing which of us was taking the picture at that moment as we fired off simultaneously like the paparazzi following the latest new star. I preferred to catch the shots when she would pose for Chris and forget I was there, or get lost in thought while she waited for us.



Chris thought it was so funny when I climbed on a chair to take these pics that she took a picture of me taking them and posted it on her blog!

Don't be afraid if inspiration takes you down an unknown path.  You just might stumble onto something great!

  The new year always brings new resolutions, hopes, and goals. It also causes reflection. Sometimes most often when laying in bed trying to fall asleep! I began this last year tiptoeing into a dream I had only quietly nurtured within my family since high school. My goal as I began this new adventure was simply to have fun, be myself, and try to touch some one's life with a memory through my photography. I didn't realize how much people and their pictures would touch me instead. Each session has taught me something about myself. Some more than others.
  One such picture is of a man, playing his guitar, at a music festival in late June, that benefits a music program for a small school. But there was a deeper hidden story I had no idea I had exposed. And it touched my heart in a way that left me speechless. Yes... Me. Okay, I cried. When I posted pictures from Wheatstock I was so happy so many people enjoyed them and surprised and excited when numerous new profiles popped up sporting one of my photographs. Then I got a message...which I saved and often reread to remind me why I love to capture a moment in time for someone. John, I hope you won't mind.

                                           It was titled "Something extra about that picture."
        He wrote:  I thought you might find this interesting and a little extra special about this photo. The bracelet that I am wearing was given to me by a friend who's best friend died in Iraq. The bracelet is made from the material from his camouflage uniform. His name was Sgt. Gary Livermore. I received this in April of this year.

It still gives me goosebumps. It still encourages me to follow my dream.
 I hope I've encouraged you to follow your dream.

Welcome

Hi,
I know that doesn't have the most welcoming sound for the first post of a new blog, but I say it with a big cheesy grin while I scratch my head on how else to sound inviting. I have had a personal blog before, and although I will strive to keep this more professional, it is about ME. I won't say that my occasional witty sarcasm won't surface from time to time, but I hope this will be an enjoyable stop while perusing for something interesting to read and maybe I'll just make you laugh ~ or smile.  Or, you can skip it all and just look at the pictures.. I do that too.  Regardless, welcome and enjoy!

I decided it might be fun to try the 365 project so many people are raving about. With a new career, two kids, (a daughter who's 11 and thinks she's 15 and a son who's 16 and thinks he's 20), a husband, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 4 horses and a handful of cattle, I'm not promising that I will post every detail of this crazy life that is constantly on the change. But, I promise to try. You can't fault me for trying, right? Then I won't get freaked out when I fail to report all things disrupting the normal flow of my life. I hope however, to report all the exciting new adventures in photography this year will bring.
So here goes, the first 3 days of the more personal view of the 365 Project for 2011.

 Jan 1. My job most mornings when everyone is headed off to school or work is to feed the critters. Who am I kidding? Most of the time it's because I'm the only one that will get up in the morning, because as a mom, I can feel the hungry stares of the animals outside and just can't help it.  So why a picture of rubber boots? Because I made the mistake of wearing them to feed New Year's Day in 26 degree weather when they are meant to be worn in 40+ degree weather for irrigating or muddy feeding. My toes were frozen by the time I got back inside. Don't do that. Take the time to bundle up.

Jan 2.  Just to pre-warn those reading this that don't know me, I am a pumpkin psycho. Yes, I love pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes.... me and Martha (except her garden is much nicer than mine).  Spring of 2010 I jumped into my photography with the gusto stored up from years of dreaming and sort of forgot about my garden. I blame my alter ego Penelope Pumpkin Weather for not doing a better job of reminding me to get out to the garden and weed. And water. *cringe* . Well, the hubs came in New Years Day after he had gone out to inspect my feeding technique (no, not really. He was on some kind of man mission) and informed me I still had two big round gourds left in the garden. They are called Bushel Gourds but okay, they are big and round. As you can see from the tall frozen weeds there was probably a good reason I did not see them during my small harvest season.  The good news is they look like they will dry and I can make them into bowls or something interesting. The bad news is I don't think I can free them until spring....

 Jan 3.  So for today's picture I really wanted to get a picture of my son driving himself to school for the first time in his new/old pickup. He's been waiting 2 weeks for vacation to get over while he and his dad fixed some radiator issues.  But it was very dark and very cold and I was still in my pj's so I decided to wait and see what else might come available to report for today. Then my daughter came out in her new vest from her Aunt and Uncle.  She became the target. Look how warm she looks! I want one.  And of course I couldn't make up my mind between the color and black & white. It's a mom's prerogative....