november mini-sessions | tampa photography

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so happy to offer a few fall mini-sessions... MINI-SESSION INFORMATION

four 20-minute fall mini-sessions saturday, november 12th at redington long pier starting at 3:50 PM

to reserve a session time, please email deb@debsphotographs.com or call 858-431-6214.

retainer fee | $300 • includes $200 print credit, applied at time of order • 20-minute photo session for one person [5 months & older] • additional siblings or parents $25 each 
[up to four additional people] • 10-plus edited images presented in online proofing gallery for five days • refer to special mini-session pricing below • tax not included • non-refundable retainer due to hold session reservation

PORTRAIT COLLECTIONS ONE | $500 one 11x14 giclée print one digital file three desk prints

TWO | $750 two 11x14 giclée prints one digital file four desk prints

THREE | $1000 one 16x20 giclée print one 11x14 giclée print two digital files five desk prints

* with purchase of any collection, add all digital files [presented in your gallery] for an additional $500.

A LA CARTE ITEMS desk prints [8x10 & smaller] | $80 11×14 fine art giclée print | $175 16x20 fine art giclée print | $260 individual digital file | $350

and some photos from a few of my most recent family sessions...

what ____ looks like | month two

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since i was traveling (shooting in san diego and chicago) the first two weeks of september, here's what 12 days in september looks like... hanging out at the (closed) golf course.

new bikes.

purging and the birth of a growing goodwill pile.

TV trance.

the build-a-bear bed that charley loves to sleep in (even though he's way too big for it).

more new friends at the horse farm.

goofing around (until someone usually gets hurt).

a few of her drawing spaces.

the joy of handmade cards.

his bottom bunk and hanging animal friends.

her taped american flag. and the surprise gifts she leaves me, which i love so much (even if his eye keeps falling off).

fun at a friend's birthday party.

if you're not familiar with the project, here's the initial post with a bit of an explanation.  there's a total of 12 of us participating in "what _____ looks like". i hope you’ll now head on over to stephanie's blog to see what she shared this month — stephanie moore | tucson family photographer. and if you're playing along with us or have your own monthly project, please share your link in a comment.  i'd love to follow your project too.  :-))

ETA: i just got out of the shower and this is how i found the littles, watching TV, of course. couldn't help but add it to my 'what 12 days in september looks like'.

lensbaby love

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most of the time when i photograph other photographers and their families, i try to focus on family shots and photos of the photographer with his or her kids (because we're just not in the family's photos very much).  needless to say, my heart was so very happy when karen requested some lensbaby photos of her kids.  here are a few of my favorites, from our time together in chicago (which reminded me so much of growing up and made me miss the midwest).

having a 14-year-old, who most of the time doesn't want to have anything to do with me, this photo melts my heart...

after 2-1/2 months away

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i did quite a bit of traveling this summer, which factored into my 2-1/2 month break slacking from crossfit and eating like shit.  i am huge into the routine of working out and when things got thrown off, they REALLY got thrown off.  and i had a hard time getting back into the swing of things.  i really have no excuse for not working out because i could have visited any crossfit gym across the country or i could have created my own body-weight workout.  anyways...i'm now officially back at it.  i did crossfit this past friday and monday (i try to get to crossfit every M-W-F).  monday's workout was... 1000 m row 50 thrusters 40 hand release push ups 30 1 arm snatches (15 each side) 20 burpees 10 pull ups 1000 m run

i about died. so, so hard.  i could barely move yesterday, let alone walk. today, i am still crazy sore. so i decided to give myself another day to recover (as i'm still walking like an old lady) and didn't go to crossfit this morning.  instead, i'm planning to do friday's crossfit workout and sunday's yoga class.

i've also started eating well again (at least much, much better than i was).  i'm determined to get back to how i was feeling before -- mentally and physically.

i took these this morning. i had gotten ready for crossfit but after walking the kids (painfully) to school, i decided i was going to skip today and just did these pictures instead.  here's my previous update (pre-working out and april 2011 photos), for comparison.

since i was so anxious to share my crossfit progress, i thought it equally important to share my falling off the wagon.  i'm SO READY to start feeling great again!!  i miss that feeling.

remembering

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kiele's dad's grandma sadly passed away last week at age 92. great-grammy was such an amazing, amazing woman -- one of the kindest people i have ever met. but i don't think i could ever share more beautifully about great-grammy as kiele did in this letter (below), a letter that was to be read at great-grammy's service this past weekend. Dear Great Grammy,

Time goes by without you realizing it until there are no more seconds left and the clock stops ticking. Many years have passed by and I’ve always cherished those few special moments when we could be together. Other times I let the days slip off my fingers just glad you're there, but not paying too much attention. I remember when you would come from your house and we’d walk down the road heading towards big rock. You asking me about school and would find nice little raspberries for the two of us to munch on. I was happy then and I’m still glad to have the memory. Even when I left the camps in Maine and was at my house we still maintained a little connection throughout the years. You would write me letters that I struggled to read, but still figured out what you meant. I’d write you back disappointed my handwriting couldn’t match yours and put your letters in a special place. The letters are still here -- old, wrinkled from time, and a treasure to keep always. When Great Grampy died, I felt for you and while shedding tears I began making a little story about how happy he was and about his life. I drew pictures of the events in a my little kitty notebook, waiting happily to send it to you as a birthday present. Not getting the ending finished, I never sent it. Something I will always regret. Those times from when I was little, to last year sculpting a butterfly for your birthday, and just about to write a letter to you before you passed away are some things I’m glad I was able to do for you. I really hope you had a great life. I think you did because when Brooke and I got persuaded by Dad to do an interview about your life, you sounded content about what happened. Even when you were little at a picnic with your family at a lake and swimming to the middle of the lake unconisously before realizing what was going on. Drowning, your dad rescued you and since then you’ve had a fear of water. To driving into Canada with your dad and sibilings to a little store to purchase root beer and enjoy the summer evenings. Explaining these, you were happy and satisfied with the results. You will remain in my heart and memory forever. Someone like you is not meant to be forgotten and blown away with the whispers of the wind. No, you shall stay with me...a spirit watching over all of us. Thank you for the adventures and sharing the story of your life with us. The words in your story will never be forgotten, from the beginning word to the ending chapter.

I love you and will miss you always Great Grammy.

Love you, Kiele

kiele also wrote this poem, in remembering great-grammy...

One day I did happen to see A trail of red ribbon like the sea Astonished, I stepped towards it The world became dark and moonlit I stared up into the light A voice of mind began a fight Should I stay? Should I run? Wide-eyed, I turned ashen With a panic and dropped down To watch myself begin to drown The ashes floated away in the breeze And soon I felt at ease When the kind angel appeared And up to Heaven I was steered One day I did happen to see A trail of red ribbon that set me free

as i re-read what kiele wrote, tears well.  so proud of kiele, in writing such a heartfelt, poignant letter.  remembering what an incredible woman great-grammy was.  hoping that i can grow old as beautifully and gracefully as she did and that i, too, can pass on such wonderful memories to my great grandchildren.

note: i asked both kiele and mike if it was okay for me to share this photo and kiele's writings, before posting today.

the good, bad and ugly

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...the real. where should i start? okay, let's start with the good. i had such an awesome time in both san diego and chicago. i got to hang out with lots of friends (old and new).  i shot a ton, which of course, i love and i'm so, so grateful for all the families who entrusted me with their photographs. i'm all caught up on mail and bill paying after two weeks away. i just read this post by the awesome tara whitney. reading that poem makes my heart so happy (tara also recently shared this awesome post). i'm now back home with my family!! YAY!! and i was recently interviewed by lensbaby and the interview went live a few days ago (so, so exciting, even if i do sound a bit like minnie mouse).

the bad and ugly. so it's really not THAT bad or THAT ugly but... i'm 12 sessions in the hole and trying to crawl my way out. but it's slow going. very slow going. i need to unpack. i have to clean, do laundry and grocery shop. i have a shit-load of emails to respond to, but i seem to have become an expert procrastinator with that right now. i need to finish writing something for another photographer (promised i'd get it to her tonight). i need to return phone calls. and well...there's much more where that came from.  yes...after two weeks away, i'm trying not to feel overwhelmed.  every now and then, i feel it sneaking up on me, trying to creep into my soul. but i keep fighting it. shaking it off.

to top things off, i haven't worked out in 2-1/2 months and have been eating like total shit, which isn't helping me feel very good right now. i've gained five pounds, feel fluffy and overall just feel yucky. i'm back to crossfit three times a week, starting tomorrow. i also decided that i'm going to take a couple photos like this tomorrow morning because it's only fair.  i want to keep being real and not just share about my health and fitness when the going is good. it's not going to be pretty strong and healthy, but it will be real.

i sit here blogging as i'm transferring photo files from my laptop to my main computer.  i'm trying to i WILL resist all temptation to visit facebook, pinterest and twitter because each of those usually equates to a major time-suck. i'm trying to keep focused, prioritize and work hard, knowing that eventually it will all get done. i also need to keep myself in check that once my kids are home from school, work stops.  i am theirs -- all theirs!! work doesn't resume until after they go to bed and then it's back at it... tackling one to-do item at a time.

hope this doesn't come across as complaining. it's just life. and i'm grateful for every bit of it -- the good and the not-so-good.

what is passion?

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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

what ____ looks like

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"your kids must have the most amazing pictures." i get that comment A LOT.  and while my kids do have some pretty fabulous photos from the past five years that i've been doing photography, somehow along the way, i seem to have lost my ability to capture the every day lives of my family.  you know, those photos that document the simple joys and everyday moments.  it bums me out.  and i have complained about it for years, yet i haven't done a whole lot, in an effort to remedy the situation.

so when i was recently approached by a photographer about participating in a project entitled "what _______ looks like", i jumped at the opportunity.  i will be working on this project along side a group of eleven other incredible photographers. the goal of the project is to capture our families in a real, everyday kind of way -- to capture moments that document the reality, the beauty, the mess, the truth, the everyday of our family life.

each month we will each choose to fill in the blank with a word of our choice.  some of us may choose to use the same word all year. others may choose to change it up every month or every couple months.  at the end of every month, we will all be sharing some of our photos on our blogs. we will each link to another photographer until our circle of 12 is complete.

i'm excited about this.  i needed this.  but more-so, i feel that my children deserve this. along the way, i also hope this project will inspire you to take more everyday pictures of your own famiy!!

so here we go.  this is what a bit of our everyday august looks like...

all the cousins together, at oma and opa's, in NV.

standard toy mess. watching TV.

sweaty.

steve jumping.

first day of school.

in the pool. almost every single day in august.

not-so-pretty toenails, courtesy of the pool.

how he always sits.  his favorite toy. and the littles' handmade cardboard box chair.

on our way to gymnastics.

new friends at the horse farm.

play time.

their fort.

computer games.

girl time.

before school. forgot to brush.

so what have i learned in the first month, with this project?  i learned that i have a long way to go in documenting my family's everyday. and that i need to try and carry my camera around with me more. but honestly, even in this short bit, i already feel like i'm noticing and capturing more of the beauty and magic of our everyday.  and that makes my heart so very happy.

can't help but think of this quote... enjoy [and capture] the little things, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things. - robert brault

i hope you'll now head on over to stephanie moore's blog to see what she had to share about her project this month -- stephanie moore | tucson family photographer.

p.s. i used more than one word for my blank...hope that's okay.

behind the scenes

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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.

where have all my babies gone?

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my friend, steph, is a brilliant writer and photographer and today she posted THIS on the creative mama.  tears strolled down my cheeks as i read her words and thought about my own kids (and no steph, i'm not PMSing). kiele started high school this year. sky is in third grade. and my baby, ryder, is now in first grade (and for some reason, a first grader just seems so much older than a kindergardener).

my babies aren't babies anymore and... i ache at the thought that i am no longer cool in kiele's eyes or that she would rather spend time in her cave than with the family.  i ache at the thought of skyler no longer wanting me to kiss or hug her in front of her classmates. i ache at the thought of ryder not asking me to snuggle with him or him not coming into my bed in the middle of the night.  the thought of my last baby no longer being my baby makes me want to throw up.

how is this happening?  so quickly?  where did the time go?

not long ago, i saw this photo of my friend, heather, with her youngest, who is about ryder's age.  i now long for such a photo of ryder and i.  i can barely hold him anymore (he's so big) and before long, that will be gone too.

above image copyright heather starr

don't get me wrong, i do celebrate the wonderful children my babies have grown to be, but i can't help but think about how quickly the time has passed and the memories i hold onto so tightly.

in closing, i share a few recent photos of my babies...

sky and ryder yesterday, their first day of school

i wasn't able to get a photo of kiele yesterday because she was running late and had to rush off to school to test all her cochlear implant equipment before the other students started arriving in the classroom.  however, i was able to get a photo of part of her teenage cave.  ;-))

and the little ones' shoes.  couldn't help it.  every year, we have major shoe drama (too big, too tight, not bendy enough, hurts my pinky toe, etc.). also, i love their independence in selecting their own clothes. check out sky's rolled down striped socks (selecting their own clothes in the morning is something i have always encouraged).  oh...and...sky's knees are pretty darn cute too.

note:  we're actually headed to payless this afternoon because the shoe drama continued this morning.

and the dog, who is hard as hell to photograph, makes a mess of my doors and anxiously awaits their return home every day.

max's angels

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the first time i photographed max and his siblings (april 2008), i saw this angel in the clouds, immediately after our session together.

yesterday, max's dad emailed me about how their family saw this angel in the clouds, while on a vacation in mammoth a couple weeks ago.  andy wrote about it all here.

chills.  serious chills.

+++

i also wanted to share this post written yesterday by my friend, amy boring -- if i could turn back time.

i hope you'll take a few minutes to not only read a bit about max and all that his parents are currently doing to raise money for neuroblastoma research, but also amy's blog post.  i promise...it will be time well spent.

when friends come to visit...

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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.

underwater adventures

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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.

being a gypsy

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i just discovered this photographer, iain mckell, via a friend's pinterest board.  and his the new gypsies series takes my breath away. i connect so deeply with this photograph...

copyright iain mckell

what is it?  the fact that i feel the image is so soulful?  or maybe that i i think, this could have been a photo of me...IF i grew up as a gypsy.  and i wonder, is it as fabulous as i think it might be...growing up as a gypsy?  living the gypsy life? there's a part of me that so longs to throw all our shit away and just be gypsies.  just be free.  to be.

i'm in a bit of a funk right now.  it happens from time to time.  and with that said and the busy craziness of fall approaching, i thought it was a perfect time to get this powerful and motivational video recirculating.

last glimpse of light

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yesterday was not the best day. at all. but it ended more beautifully than i could have dreamed (despite the ridiculous heat, humidity and amount of mosquitoes). i wish i could have kept shooting, but this was it -- the last few shots before the light was gone.  sigh...my heart is happy.  and i so love my job.  i know i always say it, but truly...i am blessed.

nikon D3, 35mm, f/2.0, 1/100, ISO 3200

ETA:  the last shot makes my heart ache.  ache for photos of me with my own children.  i can barely hold ryder anymore; he's so big.  he still wants to snuggle (most of the time) but i know the days are numbered.  sigh...to look back on the photographs. on the memories that the camera captured.  memories that my mind has trouble holding onto.  longing...

another mini-workshop | aug 8th - 21st

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i'm super excited to share that i'll be holding a SECOND online breaking the mold mini-workshop via the bloom forum -- august 8th - 21st.  this workshop is for bloom forum members only -- so if you're interested in registering for this workshop, the first step is to become a bloom forum member. workshop registration now open!! please refer to details below on how to register.

to become a bloom forum member or for additional information, please click the bloom logo below...

The Bloom Forum

i am so, so grateful for another opportunity to teach and share. i can't wait!!

this is what a few of the previous workshop participants had to say about my breaking the mold workhsop...

I can't thank you enough for your amazing workshop. It went above and beyond anything I had ever expected. I came into the workshop hoping to learn more about photography, I never dreamed of the personal journey it would take me on or the growth I would have. I have come away appreciating my vision as an artist and not worrying about others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so open and honest. I have grown leaps and bounds and look forward to continuing to grow even more. - Stephanie

i'm so sad that our workshop is over, but i just wanted to take a minute to send you a quick note. this was the very first workshop i have ever taken, i had no real expectations. i can tell you that the last three weeks were unlike anything i thought i would experience in a photography workshop... it was almost like therapy for me, really!  i am self taught, and have struggled with the mentality that i'm not up to par because i don't have the piece of paper to prove that i deserve to be here. i finally think i'm starting to see that i don't need to be technically perfect to be great at what i do. really, i could ramble on forever but i really just wanted to say thank you! thank you for helping me believe in myself, for bringing so much passion and inspiration to me in a short time and thank you for taking the time to teach us all and for being you!! i have never really surrounded myself with a group of my peers, it's been an amazing ride. - lila

I am sad that our time has come to an end in your new workshop 'Breaking the Mold'. I have enjoyed it immensely.

We so often second-guess our instincts and I have learned lately that mine are very loud and rarely go away. It is funny too, I don't often shy away from it, unless there is fear involved - fear of rejection, fear of not being validated, fear of moving forward, fear of dwelling too much on the past, fear of trying something new, fear of the competition. Your workshop has not only validated me, my strengths, my weaknesses, but it also brought my journey to a whole other level. I hope that I will continue to adapt and transform and ask myself all the questions you asked of us in your workshop. It was fast moving, made me reflect and helped me see things way more clearly. That is a gift.

There are very few people in my life who have truly given me inspiration, made me want to move forward and try something new. But you sure have! You have allowed me to let loose and share in a comfortable and giving environment. You were warm, generous and giving!!! I so appreciated all your candor. In our short two weeks, you have definitely given me confidence, helped me make sense of the issues and doubts I have been feeling for awhile and made me want to be a better me, for my clients and for my family and friends. Everyone needs that someone to get you "unstuck". Your words, your exercises for us, and your explanation of your own photography has heightened my love and passion for photography so much more than I ever thought possible. - Sara

ETA | THE DETAILS: 1. This workshop is for forum members only therefore you must be a member of the forum to take the workshop. If not already a member, click the above bloom logo and click JOIN to sign up. Once a member, you can sign up within the bloom forum, under the 'Mini Workshops Information' section. 2. The workshop will run from Monday, August 8th – Monday, August 21st. 3. active seat | $200.00 4. silent (read-along) seat | $150 5. Registration is NOW OPEN inside the forum!