what is passion?it is surely the becoming of a person. are we not, for most of our lives, marking time? most of our being is at rest, unlived. in passion, the body and the spirit seek expression outside of self. passion is all that is other from self. the more extreme and the more expressed that passion is, the more unbearable does life seem without it. it reminds us that if passion dies or is denied, we are partly dead. - john boorman
as many of you probably already know, i'm pretty obsessed with underwater shooting. so i thought i'd share a couple behind-the-scenes photos and thoughts. shooting underwater is WAY tougher than it seems. i use equinox housing, which is large and heavy (originally designed for diving videography and photography), but the quality and security of the housing is amazing.
my friend, emily, who was visiting me last week said,
"you couldn't pay me enough to photograph underwater!"
although she did so-graciously oblige to be my underwater subject a time or two, while here. :-))
here i am in our backyard pool (photo courtesty of emily corey), being held down by ryder, while photographing underwater. i think i'm going to have to invest in a weight belt, to keep me down, in the very near future. and a swim cap for my dreads. it takes my dreads eight-plus hours to dry every time they get wet. it's kind of like having a wet dog wrapped around your head and neck for eight hours...not fun!!
and most of my dresses have now made their way into my pool. steve's bike has became my drying rack.
and a new 'flooded reverie' image from last week...
and a photo of em and lu, while they were visiting. capturing this photo of em reaching out her hands to lu makes my heart so incredibly happy (they waited a long time for their precious little girl).
super exciting things on the forefront with this underwater adventure. hoping to share some news and updates VERY soon.
i truly cherish my friends. and my dear friend emily and her daughter, lu, came to visit for the past three days. while we didn't really make it any further than my house, we had the most incredible, fun time together!! a few photos from the past few days...
em and lu, i love you so. can't wait for the next time. xo.
and NOW...it's back to that long to-do list. ugh.
...after six weeks with her dad. and she played with me in the water today. my heart is so happy.
and a couple others from the day before...
for the past few days (as i shared yesterday), i've been in a funk. the dark place, my head sometimes takes me. feeling paralyzed. not wanting to pick up my camera...for anything. yesterday, one of my photographer friends said, GO UNDER WATER! yea, maybe. whatever. we'll see...
...were my thoughts.
but i forced myself to get out there. my kids were playing in the pool. i picked up my camera, put my housing together, jumped in the pool and shot. and i'm so grateful i did. i'm not completely out of that dark place i was in, but i'm surely seeing the flickering of the light now. sometimes forcing yourself to pick up your camera is exactly what it takes.
i'm just so excited about my upcoming underwater adventures. it's hard. really hard. there's so many new / different things to think about and factor in. but like everything in photography, it takes passion, time, dedication, practice and patience. today, i hope to try again (providing i have some willing subjects). i have ideas. i'm excited. i do believe it's a direction i'm meant to be heading and i can't wait to see where it takes me. i know i have tons to learn and so much to explore, but i'm welcoming it all with open arms.
visits with old friends.meeting new friends.
lunch and shopping at the super cool town of paia.
gin and tonics with cucumber and mint.
photo session on fleming beach.
steve...
kite boarding lessons.
times two.
early morning snorkeling at molokini crater.
clear water.
lots of fish, an eel and seven sea turtles.
an incredible last-night's dinner at nick's fish house.
and through it all, i feel so blessed to have experienced the most amazing reconnection with my husband.
i never want to forget our time spent together in maui.
steve, thank you for loving me!!
and now... on to vail, for the awesome NAPCP retreat. so excited to be speaking on the 27th.
we arrived in maui TUESDAY afternoon. photo session that evening. and dinner with awesome (new) friends, who were visiting maui, from denver. lucky for me, i get to see them again next week, while in CO for the NAPCP retreat that leah and i are speaking at.
WEDNESDAY was an admin type of day, for most of the day. that afternoon, once everything was done, we drove out to this interesting area on the SW edge of the island, where in 1790 the lava exploded, after hitting the ocean. the phenomenon created this area looks like freshly tilled dirt except it is actually rock hard lava. the trail we had been hoping to walk was closed; however, we did find another awesome trail that walked along the ocean's edge. there, we saw two wild goats that were standing on a lava rock cliff that jutted out into the ocean. from this land of broken-up lava rock to the random goats, it was all a bit surreal.
THURSDAY: we got up at 3 AM and drove to the top of haleakala (a 10,000 foot mountain) to view the most amazing (yet painfully windy and cold) sunrise ever. the entire horizon was clouds and as the sun rose, the clouds lit up like the filament of a lightbulb. there was also a few locals, who sang a beautiful ceremonial chant. truly a breathtaking moment to witness, but i have to say...i don't think i have ever been so cold. we went home, took a nap and chilled most of the afternoon.
after dinner, we went snorkeling at a nearby area, where i almost drowned and was attacked by a shark (i mean a rock). it really was quite comical. but we did see a couple sea turtles, which was awesome. steve got this photo (i could barely handle myself, let alone a huge camera).
YESTERDAY: we followed the road to hana (north side of the island). along the way, we stopped to do various hikes. each...absolutely majestic!!
hike 1 | puohokamoa falls: this hike was pretty tough because we took it further than most do. the falls were far away, but so beautiful.
hike 2 | punalau falls: this was probably our favorite spot of the day. we hiked through this dry stream of boulders, which ended in this pool of water. the falls weren't much yet still amazing. it was our own private waterfall and pool.
hike 3 | three bears falls: pretty easy, short hike (all except the first few steps), leading to three incredible side-by-side falls. there were quite a few people at these falls because they're easily seen from the road.
hike 4 | pua'a ka'a state park: a super muddy hike. towards the end, you have to walk along and across this viaduct on a platform that is about 1-1/2 feet wide. as long as i didn't look down, i was just fine.
on our way out of hana, we stopped at red sands beach (wish i took a picture, but i was drained by this time). the hike there scared the shit out of me because it was on the edge of the cliff and i had no traction on the dirt / sand (thanks to the chucks i was wearing). we also stopped at hamoa beach, where steve did some bodysurfing. by this time, i was really exhausted and simply enjoyed relaxing on the beach, while steve bodysurfed.
after hamoa beach, we continued driving south, which also scared the shit out of me -- super windy, narrow roads (most could not fit two cards side-by-side, without going up on the edge of the mountain side a bit). also, most of the road was dirt and super bumpy. i don't get car sick and towards the end, i did think about it.
all in all, the day was beyond spectacular, starting out at 7:30 AM and arriving in paia at 7:30 PM, for an incredible dinner of flatbread and salad (everything local, fresh and organic). oh yea -- the cucumber, mint gin and tonic was pretty darn awesome too. will definitely make that when back home.
today, we head to the west side, for more hiking and exploring.
here we go...i'm off and running.
flying. really. departing early morning tomorrow, traveling the rest of the month. i've always longed to travel. love that we move every few years. so while things are busy and a bit crazy, i'm super excited about my upcoming travels. and really... who wouldn't be excited about NINE DAYS in MAUI!
there are still sessions available in the following locations this month:
MAUI -- july 13-20 DENVER -- july 22-24
i also am looking for some older kids, to do some underwater photography, while in maui: ages 6 and older must be comfortable in the water must be willing to sign a model release complimentary session all edited images available for purchase
sessions are also still available for my september travels:
SAN DIEGO -- september 5-7 NYC -- september 9-11 CHICAGO -- september 16-19
and i'm thinking of heading to the NEW ENGLAND area september 12-14.
please email, if interested in a session at any of the above locations.
be careful what you water your dreams with.water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream. - lao tzu
here i am in tampa. trying to get my business going. not easy task. uninspired by the landscape. missing the open fields. and the trees. wondering if i'll find my way here. knowing deep within that i'm on the right path. yet still struggling.
i've had the most incredible opportunities that wouldn't have been possible if i was swamped with client sessions. i know i'm right where i'm supposed to be, yet i yearn to be inspired with tampa and it's landscape. and today, it happened. that spark has been reignited and is burning bright.
i received my underwater housing today and tested it out a bit this afternoon, in my backyard pool. and i can't even begin to tell you how excited i am about the possibilities. about the future. the adventure has just begun.
i will be bringing my housing with me, to hawaii (for the next nine days), to continue testing it out. i still have TONS to learn and luckily have a cooperative subject, who can hold his breath way longer than i can (my husband).
YES...i'm exactly where i'm supposed to be. and i'm dreaming big. really big (although i'm really sore and my shoulder and back are killing me. not sure if it's crossfit or heavy housing related.).
i'm so optimistic about the future, i can barely stand it. more super big news coming soon!!
