i'm home, from my three-day trip to san diego, and i just wanted to quickly share this. i want to share these, from freya art & design... which make my heart so happy. i could have prints like this all over my house. i had facebooked a while back about how i'd love to have an entire wall randomly covered with prints like this (kind of like wallpaper). the problem is the idea will have to wait about 12 years, until we're in a long-term home. it would be cool on a door too. :-)
i think i might get this one for one of my bathrooms. i have one water print in there and have been looking for another awesome water print to grace the other wall. i think this one would be perfect.
one of the most tragic things about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. we are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.- dale carnegie
i had driven by this field of weeds every day, since the kids started school. passing by the pillowy blanket of weeds, i dreamt of the possibilities of shooting there. and then this past weekend, i awoke to the most magical fog and asked the kids if we could go do a few photos.
no, they answered. we're playing.
please, just a few, i begged.
and with a bit of persuasion from their father, the girls agreed. ryder agreed at first, but in the end, he decided he'd have much more fun building with daddy, who's finishing a fifth bedroom in our house.
and so it was. the girls and i. in this magical field of weeds on this magical kind of kansas day.
consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. - pope john XXIII
i'm back, from my weekend in san diego. had such a blast, but so happy to be with my family again. and feeling quite drained and exhausted.
the art of photography show opening reception was amazing, inspiring and well...a bit surreal. i met so many incredible and talented artists. we also had the opportunity to hear charlotte cotton, the judge of the exhibition, speak the day after the opening reception. i had such an awesome time, learned so much and am thankful beyond words. and of course, i had such a super awesome time shooting the G and K families, while in san diego, too.
iphone pic. my silly look cracks me up ;-)
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and on a totally different subject...
have you heard?
urban outfitters teamed with the impossible project, to bring back instant film! how fricken awesome is that?!!
i've so been wanting to start a 365 days of gratefulness project (similar to hers), taking an 'i'm thankful' polaroid every day for a year...but at $2 a shot, the year's costs kept weighing in the back of my mind. i contemplated digital but there's something so magical about polaroids. the project just has to be polaroids. and so i've kept making procrastinating excuses. but with this announcement, there's no more excuses and...no stopping me now.
so in celebration of the revival of polaroid and instant film, here's a few of my favorite polaroids, scanned from a pile of about 500 or so.
you can read more about the impossible projecthere.
looking forward to 2010 and what polaroid has to offer. thank you urban outfitters. i love you even more now than i did before (if i was 20 years younger, i'd dress in even more of your clothes ;-)
let me introduce you to my friend, erin.erin used to shoot people.
and dogs.
but her passion was really just dogs.
her dream was to shoot dogs and only dogs (and an occasional cat).
we had a long talk one day about...
following your passion and dreams.
and erin did!
i'm so proud of erin and how things have evolved with her business. she is one person that has been true to herself and followed her heart...and she has created the most amazing portfolio and business, in doing so. her work is absolutely magnificent. without a doubt, erin is going to be wildly famous one day and i can't wait for that day (and i mean ridiculously wildly famous!). for now, i'm excited to watch her journey and the magic she creates.
love you erin!
and as i always tell you, i'm so proud of you and what you have done.
another awesome something i found on zack's blog. and jeremy cowart is behind this incredible idea. my wheels are turning. i have ideas. and i've already sent some emails to other photographers.
check out the help-portrait sitehere. excited to be part of this movement. can't wait to see where it goes.
and if you're not a photographer, but know a photographer involved, think about ways that you too can be a part. you never know what's possible!
art of photography show opening reception galathis saturday, august 29th, 6-9 PM
lyceum theatre, san diego
they say there is going to be over 1000 people attending this event, so it's suggested to arrive close to 6 PM.
all the details, including directions to the show, can be found here.
needless to say, i'm so excited and honored to have my photograph selected for this international exhibition. to be a part of this most amazing group of artists is beyond words.
if you go to the show's main page, you can see my photograph along with a few other images, as part of a sampling of the art of photography 2009 show.
i'm so excited i could scream!! hope to see you there.
for the love of doing what your heart and soul was meant to do...and believing in yourself.
this is passion.
this is inspirational.
this gave me the chills.
WOW!
i can't embed the video but you can watch it here!
kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out.- abraham lincoln
it's truly amazing what life brings you sometimes...
this summer, kiele spent two months with her dad. on august 9th, she flew alone for the first time--new hampshire to kansas city. needless to say, with a gate change in chicago, i was a stressed-out-mess-of-a-mother that day. i waited for kiele in the terminal area, while steve and the little ones, peaking through the windows, anxiously waited outside the terminal door. as soon as i saw kiele, i gave her a huge hug, and after the token hi mom, kiele excitedly said,
wait mom. i want you to meet someone.
and from the jetway appears a mother and her six-year-old son, sarah and george. sarah and her family flew the same flights as kiele, from NH. sarah befriended kiele (or vice versa) on the first flight and as kiele turned the wrong way to find her connecting gate, sarah guided her in the right direction. sarah and i talked a short bit. i thanked sarah for her kindness and then we went our separate ways.
kiele and sarah had exchanged emails on the flight.
then a few days ago, i received an email from sarah (forwarding me what she had just emailed kiele)--an invitation to her house, dinner and an afternoon swimming at their local country club.
we had the best time! they're an amazing, wonderful family. i'm beyond thankful for their kindness and hospitality. more than once, sarah voiced that she would like to adopt our family, for the year that we're here. people like sarah don't come into your life very often. and so i want to tell the world (or at least my blog readers) how wonderful the mathews family, from kansas city, is and how very appreciative i am that they have come into our lives.
and i can't forget to share how thankful i am to kiele, who continues to be such an angelic, wonderful soul. the kind of spirit that is beyond anything a parent could instill or teach. we would never have met the mathews family if it wasn't for kiele and her kind and caring spirit.
i wish i had photos to share of the mathews boys but i don't. :-( i only had my camera out for a short, short bit.
watching akeelah and the bee last night, with my family, warmed my soul. it was such a great, great movie. i laughed. i cried. my heart was filled with joy. i even love the movie's tag line: changing the world...one word at a time.
in the movie, mr. larabee introduced this awesome quote, by marianne williamson, to akeelah:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
and then while catching up on blogs, i found this glorious, inspiring blog (from hailey's blog, which i so love and have mentioned here before). it is there that i read these fabulous 50 lessons, written by regina brett, when she turned 50. another one of those writings to print and read often.
50 LIFE LESSONS
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
i've only just begun to dive into the serendipity factory blog but had to post about it. i could find myself there all day and night--watching, reading and soaking in every bit of the goodness and inspiration it has to offer. definitely a new fav, already added to my google reader.
a few things that warm my soul...
the goodness in this world.
the inspiration and creativity of others.
spending time with my family and friends.
enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation and a pinch of creativity.- bo bennett
i had another blog post planned for tonight (actually for the past few days) but oh well. tonight has become about sharing inspiration and gratitude.
i met up with kelley, from kelley photo, for dinner tonight. and although we never actually had dinner, we had the most amazing time. we shared. we laughed. and while we're both photographers, most of our conversation was not about photography--but rather life and inspiration--which was refreshing and wonderful. she's refreshing and wonderful!!
one of the things that i shared with kelley was maggie doyne's blog. yes, again. i know. and well, i don't care because the world should know about maggie. as i shared maggie's story with kelley, we both got chills because maggie is an inspiration to all, young and old! if you haven't looked at maggie's blog yet...just look. you'll be hooked!
and nie nie. i actually think i learned of nie nie dialogues last year, in the airport, on my way home from hawaii, visiting steve...the same time i so sadly learned about max's passing. i had always felt that everyone must have heard about stephanie and been to her blog and therefore, i hadn't posted about her in the past. but today, boho girl shared about nie nie and i just wanted to share too. some words that immediately come to mind when i think about stephanie--beautiful, courageous, inspiring, strong, incredible, loving, and selfless. she is a true survivor, in every sense of the word, with the most unwavering faith. if you haven't heard stephanie's story and/or read her nie nie dialogues, you must go look. you will be inspired beyond words by her (and her family's) beauty and strength. truly and deeply. to the core!
lastly, i wanted to post about something personal, as a result of visiting tara's blog today. tara posted photos that she recently took of three friends--three friends, who met in nursing school 20 years ago and got together recently to celebrate one of them turning 40. i couldn't help but think about where i am today and who i'm here with.
my friend, gwenn, and i were air force nurses together in tucson, AZ, 10 years ago. she left in 1999, to become an AF air traffic controller. i stayed in tucson, to finish nursing grad school. i later got re-married to a navy guy (my wonderful husband, steve) and got out of the AF. gwenn married an AF guy and got out of the AF. having husbands in different services, doing way different jobs (gwenn's husband fly's A-10s and steve takes apart bombs), we knew the chances of us ever being stationed together were one in a million. well...here we are. our husbands both got assigned to fort leavenworth's general command and staff college (a one-year army school). i mean seriously...what are the chances?! and...while here, i'll be turning 40. so it's a year to celebrate. a year to cherish. a year stationed with one of my best friends, who i never thought i'd be stationed with and will most likely never again. a year of incredible family time. a year of celebrating the beauty of turning 40. i'm here for a reason, for sure.
where did this guy come from? his message is unbelievable. he was meant to come into the lives of millions and i fully believe he will.
if there's one video you take the time to watch, whether it be today, this week or this month, make sure this one is it. you need 10 minutes. that's all!
i promise you will be inspired--
to work harder, be better, think positively.
to live, dream, have goals and be patient.
so please (yes, i really am begging you), take 10 minutes and let derrick touch your life, as he has touched mine.
this is another one of zack's videos that will bring you to tears, inspire you beyond words and have you longing to watch it time and time again.
thank you zack for recognizing derrick's message and taking the time to share it with all of us!!
i picked up one of my photography magazines (the july issue of professional photographer) the other day and in there was this great article--an interview with marketing guru, seth godin. i had heard about mr. godin quite a while ago from somewhere (can't remember where) and i actually own a couple of his books.
so...i thought i'd share a few key questions and interesting points, from his interview:
how do you become somebody who is able to create a different sort of feature, a different sort of environment?
how do you become someone who goes to some edge where there is no one else like you?
how do you become that person where people will cross the street, pay extra and wait in line because what you do is different, better and more remarkable than everyone else in the yellow pages?
it's not how do i get the web to make my business work, it's how do i define a business that works well with the web.
step 1: do things regularly that are worth of becoming viral--connecting people so they spread the word about you.
step 2: don't try and make the most of your business from strangers, make the most of your business from friends and the friends they introduce you to.
making a living as a photographer is not about access to tools. anyone can buy a good camera these days. and it's much more than having the most or the best equipment. it's about doing photography worth paying for.
always remember that being a photographer is much more than taking pictures; it's about creating an experience (from beginning to end) that is remarkable and people can't help but talk about it.
yesterday i learned of two blogs that inspire me so. these two women are so darn talented, creative and not so serious. i love that. wish i was more of that.
i feel like when i'm having a bad day, i could go to either of their blogs and my spirits would be immediately lifted.
color me katie seems so incredibly free-spirited and fun. wish she was my neighbor. shoot, i wish she just lived in my city. you have to check out these two photography projects of hers: street art (brooklyn thought project and the shadow project) and little surprises, where she leaves little bits of goodness around her city for others to find. and her improv everywhere work too. the no pants video had me so cracking up. seriously, you can't help but love and be inspired by her work.
and then there's you can't be serious' blog. i actually knew about hailey from flickr, but had never been to her blog or website. she is so incredibly talented with everything she does. i mean look at her--claymation, photography, film. and every bit of it is absolutely incredible.
and while hailey might have a girl crush on katie, i think i have one on hailey. i'd hire her in a second for both photography and film, if she didn't live all the way around the world. maybe someday we will visit australia...maybe someday!
did you see her 365. GRATEFUL project? oh man. i love it so. i think i might try my own 365 days of being thankful photography project--of course, solely inspired by hailey's project. amazing! and remembering to be grateful each and every day is so important to me. i absolutely love the idea. yes...i shall start today ;-)
and this little family video (holiday in hastings) that hailey did. oh my. love.
reading these two blogs yesterday and today and soaking in as much goodness and inspiration that i possibly can, reminded me of a couple inspirational things i came across on the streets of california.
the first was when shooting the flohr family. we came across these signs posted on random poles and trees around their neighborhood, think of others -- smile & be nice! i just loved them so. peta shot the family with me and captured this photo of melis and her youngest, by one of the signs.
and in venice beach, i came across this mural painted on the garage of a house. had to drive around a couple times to get the photo b/c it was in an small alley, with no room for parking and cars kept coming. i have a wall, where i've been wondering what print to put up...i think it might just have to be this one.
very little is needed to make a happy life;it is all within yourself...
in your way of thinking.
- elisabeth kubler-ross
i'm not kidding when i say that i've rewritten this blog post three times today...and i had started and saved at least five different blog posts last week that never got published. so many thoughts running through my head, but none of those thoughts have made it farther than a blog draft thus far. but today is the day...to publish no matter what!
first, let me share that i'm back on the wagon--not the 'i'm going to abstain from drinking' wagon but the 'i'm going to get back in shape and not be so squishy' wagon. i was pretty much feeling crappy the past few weeks...really crappy. i had stopped working out a couple months before steve got home because i got too busy with work (photography). then i embraced steve's return and continued to not workout. a month later, we relocated and here we are--no more excuses--just feeling very "fluffy", as one of my dear friends says. it didn't matter how much i weighed; i knew i was fluffy and i felt like shit. a week ago, i committed that i'd get back on the wagon and begin working out. so i've been following a daily routine, alternating cardio and weight training. while i'm certain i haven't lost a pound and i'm not any less fluffy at this point, i'm standing taller and walking prouder already. i am determined!!
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i've also done a bunch of business thinking this week--ordered new business postcards, new business cards, and worked on a portfolio book. this morning, i began a blog post about my endeavors to market, in an effort to get clients while here in KS. by afternoon, i had decided that i'm not going to do any hard core marketing while here. instead, i'm going to use the next 11 months to hard core spend time with my family and shoot a bit (or maybe a lot) for me--personal work. i already have a few project ideas in mind, projects that actually having been keeping me up at night lately.
one of these days (soon) i'm going to feel settled enough to get back shooting. it's been a nice break but i really do miss my camera time.
if interested, you can preview (and even order a copy of) my portfolio book here. designing and sharing a book of your work, even if self-published, is always exciting. while the book started as a deb schwedhelm photography portfolio book accompanied by inspirational quotes...in the end, i decided to just let the photographs speak for themselves. i hope you enjoy! :-)
today has me thinking. i'm not talking about the thinking that i whined about in yesterday's post. this thinking is about passion, inspiring, exploring, discovery, freeing, supporting and really living.
some of you might recall that i've mentioned maggie doyne a few times in the past, here on my blog. today on maggie's blog, i read and want to share some incredible words of wisdom, from her mom, nancy doyne.
these words...
Frankly, my desire was that each of my 3 daughters, connect to their own passion, so that their passion would drive their lives. To wake up feeling passionate about life, one's own life, and to feel life as an adventure with you directing the course.
It is a journey that includes introspection, and a willingness to be honest with oneself. Know yourself, and not judge. All 3 of my daughters were offered opportunities to unplug from the world including family, social, educational and mental expectations. To let all these drop away is frightening, yet freeing. Because as those structures come down, YOU as your own source comes forward, and helps direct your path.
To take some time out/off from the world, and live below the radar, and off the grid, and truly connect to your SELF is not something most parents are comfortable with. They become frightened of the short sight, and don't trust the longer goal/objective. But, there is an intention for this unplugging... not just a form of procrastination and sense of being lost.
My daughter Kate worked on an organic lettuce farm in Hawaii. My daughter Libby just took a semester in New Zealand. Most parents and families are only comfortable when children follow the dotted line of social expectations. I have always felt the decade of the 20's was a time to connect your Self to the world, and to explore. This can be done cheaply, especially when there are no committed relationships and no obligations. So, keeping yourself free, allows time to be a little 'selfish' in a healthy definition of selfish. No debt, and working to save some money that you value is important. Clothes Labels are not important in our house. Being comfortable with the 'unknown' and being a good judge of healthy risk vs stupid risk is a must in the journey of 'self discovery'. It is almost like being an entrepreneur of your own life.
Start with taking long weekends, and going hiking, backpacking or some other form of inexpensive adventure, that reconnects you with nature. The natural world allows your soul to remember and to commune with you and your mind. Go to the library, and read some books that inspire and support you.
Stay drug free and be careful of surrounding yourself with people who are into drama and victimhood. Like attracts Like, so surround yourself with people/places that inspire you.
1000 people on 1000 different paths all going in the same direction..toward love and light. Connect to and trust your own instincts.
My daughter Kate has a wonderful blog. She has a different style than Maggie, but read the archives, and she will give you additional courage to BE YOURSELF with all the ups and downs of being the artist of your own life. She may help inspire you as well as Maggie.
It is truly a GREAT time to be young. Stay away from news/news media and TV as much as possible. It is a brain dead megaphone. I hope this helps.
My very best wishes, Nancy Doyne.
these words of nancy doyne blow my mind, in the best and most powerful way. you see, once steve retires (in nine years), our plan is to buy a sailboat and sail around the americas. we're planning to do so for at least a year...maybe more. we're going to make stops and give back, wherever and whenever we can. the little ones, who will no longer be little (13 and 15 years) will come with us. kiele, who will be 21, will have the choice, although she has already shared that she wants to come too. we're doing this for a couple different reasons: 1) steve flat out loves to sail and 2) for the exact reasons that nancy doyne writes about--a journey of living without constraints. a journey of not only connecting with nature and the world around us, but also connecting with ourselves and one another. a journey of living and being free. of teaching and inspiring. of giving.
steve has always said that he doesn't care if our kids go to college and obtain a bachelors degree. maybe they have some natural skill/ability/talent that doesn't need a four-year degree or any degree for that matter. and while i haven't always completely agreed with him...he is right! in the end, it's about teaching our children about passion and what's possible, not what the majority of society has deemed as successful.
i wish i could be as free as nancy doyne, but i'm not. i do get tangled up in having a nice house and nice things. i wish i didn't. and that's why i can't wait for the day when we can pack up 99.9% of our belongings (our nice shit!) and just go and be free-- totake some time out / off from the world and live below the radar, off the grid and truly connect (nancy doyne).
thank you nancy for your incredible words of wisdom. i look forward to the day when we can read more from you.
and i encourage everyone to read maggie doyne's journal. she is one inspiring young woman doing incredible things in this world.
dreams are like the paints of a great artist.your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas.
believing is the brush that converts your dreams into a masterpiece of reality.
- author unknown
i still can't believe it. and am excited beyond words. this photograph, entitled welcome home, was selected into the art of photography show, in san diego.
out of 15,000 entries, from 57 countries, only 111 photographs were selected by judge, charlotte cotton.
i found out while en route to kansas, but waited to post until i could get my hands on the image, to accompany the post. while it's such an incredible honor to have any image chosen for the art of photography show, having this specific image selected means even that much more. yep, still can't believe it!
the opening reception is august 29th, at the lyceum theatre in san diego. my plan is to return to san diego that weekend, to attend the gala. i'm incredibly excited...and so hope i will get to see a bunch of my friends, clients, peers and colleagues, while there.
i don’t think you will ever...fully understand how you've touched my life
and made me who i am.
i don't think you could ever...
know just how truly special you are.
- erica jong
i have this thing. always have. i'm good at blocking things out. the bad things. the things that have been difficult in my life. i put them in a place, a place where i can't find them and they cannot escape. it's part of my personal survival mechanism in life. how i survived my past. i know...it's not exactly a good thing but i've become very good at it.
well, i have this thing with leaving too. this coping mechanism. if i keep telling everyone that i'll see them again before i go (truly believing that i just might), then i might not have to say an official good-bye. well this all hit me today. as i arranged to meet one of my greatest friends here in san diego, for a last play date together, because she is going out of town tomorrow and if we don't see each other today, i won't see her before we leave.
damn. that screws up my ability to say, i'll see you again before i go.
because i won't.
this play date arrangement all happened via email, while i was editing max's family's photos. and all of a sudden it hit me--the moving, the leaving. it hit me like a train and the tears began to uncontrollably flow. i couldn't keep them in that magic place, unable to escape...and i breathed and let them flow.
i have made some of the best friends i have ever had in my entire life, while here in san diego. and while i know for certain that i will see most of them again, it just doesn't matter...this leaving thing just sucks!
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long overdue, i am working hard to finish max's family's photos, to get the photos to the them before i leave. in the beginning of the year, i had told andy and melis that i really hoped to do a family photo of them before i left, if and when they were ready. in april, they were ready. i knew they would include max's shark, bruce, in the photos (always), but i had an idea for them to release seven orange balloons--max is forever seven and his favorite color was orange. they agreed. we walked around and shot all over balboa park, one of max's special places. a couple hours later and almost to our cars, melis says,
darn, we forgot about the balloons.
no worries, just get them and we'll photograph them somewhere here [near the parking lot], i replied.
and we did. i photographed the family releasing seven orange balloons for max to catch and hold onto in Heaven.
while editing the photos this morning, i came across this one, which literally took my breath away. it was my test shot for lighting. i'm not even sure what i focused on in the shot...it was just a test shot. but it wasn't; it turned out to be much, much more than just the test shot. it's like the light is pulling the balloons, calling for them. how did the wind of the balloons and the light of the flare line up so perfectly? i have to believe it's max's light shining down, letting them know that he's okay. and did andy see it? did he see or sense something that was beyond what he even knew at the time? all the other balloon shots i have...not a hint of wind.
the first shot, just testing the light
the moment the balloons were released, beginning to float away
watching them float to Heaven. to max.
will these people that have come into my life and changed my life forever...
will they ever know how much they mean to me?
how special they are?
how they have become a part of my soul?
free. radical. independent.her style is her own.
it's personal, existential.
her only fear is convention.
her only weakness, shoes.
the bump on her nose adds character.,
the scar on her shoulder adds strength,
the curl in her hair adds attitude.
there is no such thing as imperfection,
just originality.
unmovable, unshakeable, unstoppable,
she is america's next top role model.
someone both inspired and inspiring.
she embraces her spirituality,
aspires to her dreams,
lives through her passions.
she is a world changer.
she is bohemian.
she is boho girl.
- boho magazine
denise shared boho magazine with me today and when i read the above description of boho girl, my heart sang and my lungs filled with air. a smile consumed my face. i really do believe that denise's path and mine were meant to cross...and at just the right time. i also believe that the boho in me is on the brink of exploding. naturally. beautifully. and i can't wait till it does. sigh...amidst the chaos of my house, my life, our move, my heart is so happy.
boho girl (aka denise, of boho photo) and i talked months and months ago about getting together and swapping photo sessions. both of us busy--me managing temporarily single momness and her raising their new baby boy. the months passed and before i knew it, we were preparing for our move to kansas, with no further discussion of photo session swaps. but then, the end of may...boho girl emailed me about the exchange.
i know you're busy and leaving, but is there any way that we could do this for one another soon?!?
knowing it was just she and i to coordinate and that i adored her blog loveliness, i said yes. surely we could figure something out, right?! and we did...this past weekend. very, very early in the morning. just she and i, being girls and doing this for one another.
when we met, i was nervous...amazed that this awesome artist (of mainly incredible and talented women) wanted me to photograph her. it's always incredibly flattering when another artist asks you to photograph them, but this was boho girl wanting me to photograph her, just her--as a woman, a writer, an artist. but i dug deep, to find the confidence to capture her, just as she hoped and dreamt.
in the end, it turned out to be easy because boho girl is incredible. her body screams with goodness, strength, beauty and confidence. just being around her makes me happy. and makes me want more of her.
and then it was my turn, to be in front of the camera. i had contemplated at least 100 times about canceling but i knew it was something i needed to do. and i'm so thankful i did. boho girl helped me see my own beauty--something i have always struggled with. not good enough. not pretty enough. not thin enough. not smart enough. the list goes on. but boho girl made me feel comfortable in my own skin. boho girl made me feel beautiful. and gave me photos of myself that i will forever treasure.
boho girl needed me. and i needed her. i know our paths were meant to cross and our photo sessions meant to happen. i'm thankful for it all. deeply thankful.
i leave you with some photos of boho girl and a special photo of me, taken by boho girl, where i feel she captured the essence of who i am and how i feel.
love you boho girl. and while our friendship has only just begun, i know it will continue to bloom--a special and forever friendship, for sure!
xo.
me
