fav finds | week seventeen

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oh this picture.

i heart twiggy.

i just want him.

no sugar oat drops. must try.

i love this idea so much. need to photograph sky's toys & create stories with the kids.

growing older is a privilege!

life is art. [source unknown]

cool coloring books for kids.

so incredibly inspired by sally mann.

intrigued.

beautiful simple portrait

and another stunning portrait.

this could possibly be the best kid's backpack ever.

want these shoes bad.

banana bread [with applesauce and honey, instead of oil and sugar.  i bet you could also substitute coconut flour for wheat flour]

this is so great.  gotta love her.  and ellen at the end...hilarious.

and OMG...this had me in tears.

 

 

under water

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a couple weeks ago, i was emailed by K, inquiring about my pricing for an underwater maternity session. i shared with her that my underwater work was a personal project and that i had yet to extend my underwater photography to clients. K shared that she was really disappointed -- this was most likely her last pregnancy and she was confident that she wanted  fine art underwater maternity photographs. our communication continued and the more we talked, the more i felt we were a perfect fit.  within just a couple days, K located a heated pool we could use and her session was scheduled.

underwater shooting is tough and has it's unique challenges but goodness, i love the results so much, i can barely stand it.  i CAN'T WAIT until summer, when i can shoot underwater much more often.

here's a few of my favorite photos from our time together...

fav finds | week sixteen

in

pretty swim suit.

i've been trying to think what ryder could do for his 100th day of school project and then i saw this. [although the chest hair is throwing me off a bit.]

happy day print.

no use comparing.

vegan. yum.

not vegan. yum.

super love johnny cash.

i shoot like a girl.

packaged with love.

i hate perfume.

chips and salsa. my weakness.

new favorite pants.

so much inspiration here.

drawn to this.

always on my mind.

i love hummus. said to be the best.

he would make a fun kids collage project.

be a girl with a mind. a woman with attitude. a lady with class. [author unknown]

a weekend of inspiration

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to say that this past weekend was incredible and inspiring would be an understatement -- i had the awesome opportunity to spend the weekend with jock sturges in palm neach, where he was there teaching at FOTOfusion. we arrived saturday afternoon.  my kids were modeling for his ‘the meaningful portrait’ demonstration shoot. it was wonderful to hear his thoughts on shooting people and so great to see him in action. one thing that i really grasped onto is jock’s deep respect for the people he shoots.  he also stressed the importance of getting to know your subjects – something that i’ve always believed as an essential part of making a great photograph.

my kids and i also had the opportunity to visit the ‘full of grace’ exhibit at the palm beach photographic center, with jock.  the exhibition was so well put together and it was incredible to hear jock’s knowledge and thoughts on much of the displayed photographs.  he also took the time to teach and inspire my kids, who are now asking to visit museums here in tampa. if you happen to live in florida and can make the trip to palm beach, i so highly recommend the ‘full of grace’ exhibition.  i guarantee you will not be disappointed.

on sunday, jock and i spent hours talking about painters and their influences, not only on one another, but also on various photographers.  we began with cave paintings and journeyed through time – discussing artists such as sandro botitcelli, hieronymus bosch, jan vermeer, eugene delacroix, van gogh, picasso, piet mondrian and mark rothko. it was fascinating and something i plan to engross myself in, in the coming months.

we [my kids and i] then watched a slideshow of jock’s work, from the time he was a child through last summer’s work, sharing his thoughts and stories along the way.  it was impressive that jock knew every person’s name and many of them, he’s photographed for generations.

throughout the weekend, we laughed and shared.  he took the time to teach my kids – not only about photography and art, but also a few magic tricks, which of course, they thought was the best thing ever.  we left palm beach sunday evening and the first thing my kids said was, we really like him; when are we going to see him again.

jock sturges is one of the most kind, caring, giving people i have ever met.  he selflessly shared so much time, knowledge and information, asking for absolutely nothing in return. to think he’s a master photographer pretty much blows my mind.  he inspired me and encouraged me.  i'm not sure how i got so lucky, but i am beyond grateful.  he shared with me that he sees something special in my work and well, i’m not taking that lightly.  he had some recommendations for me, which i am going to see through.  one thing for sure, i’m going to make his time and energy spent worth it – i will not disappoint!

jock -- i can’t thank you enough for your friendship and the gift you have given me.  i feel more than blessed and i will make you proud.  my children and i thank you for a most-magical weekend -- a weekend we will never forget.

and a few photos from the weekend...

a dreaded thought

in

yesterday evening, while driving home from gymnastics... SKY: mom, there's something in your hair. I'M NOT KIDDING, there's REALLY something in your hair. ME: where, sky? what is it? SKY: it's brown and has eight legs. ME: [now frantically banging on my dreads] sky, where? get it? SKY: i don't know. i think it's crawling.

so i pulled over on the side of the highway. shook my hair all over the place and rubbed my dreads as much as possible.  i can only imagine how things looked to those driving by.

back in the car...

ME: sky, is it gone? do you see it? SKY: you know, there's lots of poisonous brown spiders. like brown recluses. ME: sky, do you see it? SKY: no, maybe it crawled in deeper. ME: that's so not funny.

true story.

i HATE bugs. and the thought of some bug deciding to make it's home in my dreads is one of the worst things i could possibly dream up. i basically messed with my dreads the entire way home. yuck, yuck, yuck!!  once home, i asked kiele to look for a bug in my dreads and she just laughed.  the thought still makes my heart race.

it's been two years, two months that i've had my dreads. i love them more and more as time goes on. can't imagine not having dreads.  i'm pretty lazy about doing anything to them. i don't do any maintenance, except occasionally ripping them apart, when they begin mingling with one another. and i wash them about every 4-6 weeks. the span between washings seems to keep lengthening.

they've come a long way since HERE!

p.s. i just really dislike self portraits. makes me cringe. i'll try and get some better shots of my dreads to share, when my friend, jen, gets here next week.

what ____ looks like | month six

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january has brought some new changes, in regards to my personal photography. i've started a 366, which i'm so excited about. i've also started a monthly project with my kids, which i'm hoping to share about tomorrow. i've also had some pretty amazing a-ha moments this weekend, which will take a while for me to properly compose my thoughts, to share.  but for today, here's what our everyday-kind-of-days in january looks like... new years day. net-fishing and shell hunting with friends.

first fire of 2012.

37th birthday.

really wanting a fish replacement.

one of our favorites at the petting | horse riding farm.

new barn cat. someone stole our favorite siamese.

homework on the bunk bed.

friends visiting orlando, from DC [they were our next-door-neighbors in san diego]. so happy to see them.

swimming together at shades of green.

showing me her orange telescope with twisted jammy pants.

double hooping.

TV and ipad trance.

flipping. every. single. day.

tricks for treats.

testing out a location by the petting farm.

she has the best laugh.

riding lessons.

an afternoon at the beach with friends.

attacked by the crazy gulls [they stole the cracker from his hand].

silly at mcdonalds.

first bike ride to and from school.

just laying there.

shooting a new dress for courtney courtney.

freshly groomed.

charley watching sky work on her laptop.

she was creating this -- sky and ryder when they're grown up.

bronchitis sick day, after four hours in the ER (IV, antibiotics, oxygen, labs & chest xray). he was SO brave.

and more sickness.

how i found her one afternoon.

shower night.

playing in front.

a weekend with jock sturges.

a break for the models.

in the hotel, when the day is done.

there’s a circle of 12 photographers participating in this what ____ looks like monthly project.  i hope you’ll check them all out [clicking link to link]. next up… stephanie moore | tucson senior photographer.

fav finds | week fifteen

in

embrace it.

can't wait to make these.

i so want to create a family time capsule.  added to my next week's to-do list!

love my orange townie.  but i really need to ride it more.

hoping my kids will be inspired to make me something like this.

it would be such a dream to meet her. or photograph her. both really.

been wanting a fire pit for a while. this seems perfect.

i really want these but they're all sold our right now.

love these postcards so much, especially the bullshit makes people ugly one.

so hilarious!

roasted vegetable enchiladas. yum!

i am so getting this shirt.

magical photograph.

i really want to get a pouf for my house. preferably a bit cheaper.

roasted banana rum cake.

i was laughing so hard watching this, i could barely breathe.

new & fascinating

in ,

i was at the apple store yesterday with my sick computer.  there for a couple hours, chatting with the apple guy, and we got on the subject of photography.  he actually has an art degree and was pursuing photography on the side [he loves working at the apple store].  he asked me if i heard of the new camera concept, where you can select focus AFTER the fact.  i hadn't. so we talked some more. i guess before steve jobs died, he was trying to buy out this company, so he could bring the concept to apple.  it's just fascinating. so what is it? it's a camera, where you take a photograph, and then you or anyone you share the photograph with, can select a focal point anywhere on the image.  i investigated it a bit and the technology uses 11 megarays to capture a living image via a light field picture file [.lfp].  no printing of the pictures right now, just sharing digitally.  but my guess is printing [converting of these files] is around the corner.

the camera is small [1.61 in x 1.61 in x 4.41 in] and light.  prices range from  $399-$499, depending on how many images the camera can hold.

meet the lytro camera...

you can see the kinds of images the camera captures and what the image can do HERE.  just click anywhere on the image and see the focal point change.  so what do you think?  i'm curious to hear what others have to say about this new technology.

cleanse | days 19-21

in ,

DAY 19 --breakfast: smoothie [protein, bee pollen, coconut water, mixed berries, peaches, mango, spinach] snack: none lunch: [applegate] chicken sausage, avocado, herb lettuce, wrapped in a brown rice tortilla snack: 1/2 larabar dinner: juice [2 large kale leaves, 3 carrots, 1 beet, 1 lemon, 1 pear, piece of ginger]

the thoughts of cheating keep getting stronger and stronger. everything i look at that i am not allowed to eat right now, i think about taking a bite.

just one bite. no, don't! you're so close. but no one would know. just a tiny nibble. no way!

my mind goes back and forth. back and forth. thankfully, the side that really wants to see this through prevails every time.

DAY 20 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, bee pollen, water, mixed berries, peaches, spinach] snack: carrots with hummus lunch: turkey lunchmeat, guacamole, lettuce, onion wrapped in brown rice tortilla snack: none dinner: smoothie [protein, flax meal, almond milk, mixed berries, mango, kale]

i confess. day 20 and i cheated.  i had carrots at 11 PM. the closer i get to the end, the stronger the urges to cheat.  all in all, a great day though.

DAY 21 -- breakfast: none snack: none lunch: smoothie [protein, flax meal, bee pollen, fiber, coconut water, raspberries, mango, kale, spinach] snack: piece of [applegate] turkey lunch meat dinner: smoothie [protein, flax meal, coconut water, raspberries, mango, kale]

i rushed around early morning and then headed to apple store at 9:30 AM, to get my computer fixed.  i was there two hours, hence my not eating breakfast or a snack. needless to say, i was starving by the time i got back home at 12:30 PM and rushed to make a quick smoothie. so here i am now, just a few hours from being done with my 21-day clean program cleanse.  can't believe i made it. proud that i made it. feeling great.

so what's my first day post-cleanse going to be like? coffee smoothie for breakfast [water, ice, 1/2 banana, peanut butter, protein, fiber, kale] i might try a gluten free cookie, that i've been eyeing at the health food store [hope it's yummy as i've been fantasizing it is, but probably not] something super clean for lunch dinner out with a friend, which will include a beer

i'll be sharing my cleanse conclusion in a few days. i figured i'd get a couple regular days under my belt before sharing all my post-cleanse thoughts.

so happy i'm done!!!

i love

in , ,

i love when clients share their photo displays with me -- displays of photographs that i have taken.  makes my heart so, so happy. francesca shared these with me last week [all photographs from our session in chicago, this past october]...

and em sent this to me yesterday, sharing that it was her most favorite wall in her house.  the wall that makes her smile every time she walks by.  the boots and happy trash can photographs are enlargements made from polaroids i took, while in north and south carolina. the i love you so much print is from another artist.

seeing these has me longing to get my polaroid camera out this week.  i think i'll play a bit.

and you can see some of the photographs on the walls of my home, featured here.  i hope you are displaying  your family's photographs proudly.  if not, you should!

cleanse | 10:30 AM

in

it's only 10:30 AM and...i have a headache. i'm so over this cleanse. but only today and tomorrow left. had to convince myself to not cheat constantly, especially late last night. all i want is a fricken cookie. or anything that i'm not supposed to have. no motivation to workout while cleansing. probably because i haven't eaten enough for three weeks straight. no one to blame but me for that. trying to stay focused. and i really have nothing to bitch about. so i guess i'll stop. only two more days!

needing to reset

days 1-3

days 4-6

days 7-9

days 10-12

days 13-15

days 16-18

days 19-12 and cleanse conclusion posts coming SOON!!

keep, protect, share

in , ,

keep me, protect me, share me...

i will live forever.

such an awesome kodak ad, which i think and hope is going viral right now.  a video from 2005.  and now sadly, kodak files for bankruptcy. but i don't think this will be the end for kodak. or film. just as the impossible project is doing everything they can to keep instant film alive.

the video also has me thinking about the amazing opportunities we now have to capture a photograph -- film, instant, digital, phone, etc. but are yours protected? will yours have the opportunity to live forever? are your digital photographs backed up? have your images come off your phone? off your computer? something to definitely think about. something i personally am passionate about.

cleanse | days 16-18

in

DAY 16 --breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, coconut oil, coconut water, raspberries, mango, kale] snack: none lunch: two applegate chicken sausages snack: none dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, almond milk, water, raspberries, mango, kale]

pretty uneventful day. felt great but at the computer or running errands most of the day.  once done with the cleanse, my plan is to do a 'cleanse conclusion' post, sharing my overall thoughts regarding my three weeks of doing the clean program.  so if you have a question, please ask and i'll be sure to answer it in my final cleanse post.

DAY 17 -- breakfast: none snack: none lunch: white chicken chili snack: 1/2 larabar [i would have eaten a whole one but that's all i had] dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, avocado coconut water, mixed berries, mango, spinach, kale]

i woke up at 2:30 AM, from hearing ryder struggle to breathe. rushed him to the ER, where his oxygen saturation was low and he had a 101.5 fever. ended up receiving IV, labwork, chest xray, IV antibiotics and was put on oxygen. four hours later, he was diagnosed with bronchitis and we were sent home. and all of that threw off my morning and is the reason i didn't have breakfast or snack. the chili was such a great change from my daily roll-ups.  day 17 was just weird probably because of the combination of stress, lack of sleep and not enough food.  had a lingering headache pretty much the entire day.  blah! made grilled cheese with bacon and avocado for the family and it took everything i had not to nibble on the bacon.

DAY 18 -- late breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, bee pollen, coconut water, mixed berries, mango, carrots, spinach] snack: apple with almond butter and carrots with hummus lunch: none snack: a couple pieces of [applegate] turkey breast lunchmeat dinner: a smoothie [protein, water, almond milk, mixed berries, peaches, spinach]

i'm getting kind of lazy. with my food. with my supplements. keep forgetting to take my supplements here and there. not wanting to really cook anything. although i never really wanted to cook anything just for myself. it's just that much worse now. just munching and wanting to get through these last few days. i should have eaten lunch but i had a late breakfast and then snacked a bit and lunch time had come and gone. thinking about cheating with all kinds of crazy stuff -- cookies, a coke, a hamburger. i don't even really drink coke but i'm really wanting some at the moment. these past three days have really been kind of weird.

only three more days. monday tuesday wednesday. monday tuesday wednesday. monday tuesday wednesday. that's all. three days. and i'm DONE!!!!!!

as confident as i am that this cleanse absolutely was the right thing for me to do, i absolutely cannot wait to be done!

workshop giveaway winner

in

and the winner is...number 85

CONGRATULATIONS melissa weicker!

melissa has won:

melissa, please email me at deb@debsphotographs.com, for all the details!

thank you to all those who entered. maybe i'll do some more giveaways, in the near future.  :-)

fav finds | week fourteen

in

just follow the rules.

this website is so amazing [recipes, meal planning, shopping list printouts, food labels & so much more].

and yet, more terrarium love.

excited that these are coming to nordstroms in just a few weeks.

love this portrait so much.

be awesome -- today and everyday.

lucky us -- i'd love to make something like this [year we married & years the kids were born].

i think skyler might like this.

and ryder this.

not sure i would ever do this in my house, but i totally dig this corner. or maybe i would.

i wish i had a bigger freezer. this just seems to make sense to me.

trying to figure out where this happy reading rainbow could go in my house. i've even considered the new bathroom.

these recipes seem pretty darn amazing.

please!

want for the littles room.

i'm making these in six days.

cleanse | days 13-15

in ,

DAY 13 --breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, bee pollen, coconut oil, water, mixed berries, mango, carrots, spinach] snack: carrots with hummus lunch: lettuce, spinach, chicken, avocado, mustard wrapped in brown rice tortilla snack: larabar dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, almond milk, water, raspberries, mango, kale]

pretty much blah day because of the day before. was tired the entire day. feeling so ready to be done.

DAY 14 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, bee pollen, coconut oil, water, mixed berries, mango, carrots, spinach] snack: none lunch: [applegate] chicken breast lunchmeat, herb lettuce, hummus, mustard wrapped in brown rice tortilla snack: half a larabar dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, coconut oil, coconut water, peaches, raspberries, carrots, kale]

felt back to normal on day 14, but was really hungry by late evening [probably should have been in bed].  i think about quitting multiple times every day, this day included. just really ready to be done, but then also i've come this far and so why quit now. but yes, i'm so darn excited about day 21 being only a week away. wondering how i should celebrate the big day?

DAY 15 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, bee pollen, coconut water, raspberries, mango, carrots, spinach] snack:  apple with almond butter lunch:  [applegate] chicken breast lunchmeat, herb lettuce, hummus wrapped in brown rice tortilla and 1/2 larabar snack: 1/2 larabar dinner: you guessed it. a smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, coconut water, mixed berries, mango, kale]

man i woke up hungry on day 15 and stayed hungry most of the day. late night, i was so hungry that i couldn't think straight. it's funny how the days vary so much [not in my eating, but in my level of hunger]. besides being hungry, i felt great.

i know my lunches are boring and repetitive but i have no desire to really cook anything different or special. and i'm really not a very big vegetable eater ever. i tell myself every day that i'm going to make a juice, but that seems to never happen. maybe tomorrow. i have beets, carrots, apples and ginger waiting for me. i really need to juice more.

six more days and i'm DONE! cannot wait, cannot wait, cannot wait. kiele asked me today what my first meal was going to be post-cleanse...a donut? ummm...no, not a donut. but what IS my first meal going to be? it's kind of exciting to think about.

you can find my original post regarding this clean program cleanse here.