Palms

This blog has been kind of quiet the last week or so. I just returned from a vacation in Puerto Plata. It was beautiful there. Unlike many other vacations, I took some better camera equipment and decided to take time for myself to just play. I walked all over taking different angles of anything that captured my eye. I did what I also recommend to anyone who says they love to take pictures - I would take several images from different angles or levels of the same subject. It was wonderful. I tend to see the patterns and textures in nature, almost moreso than the traditional tourist things. In those cases I see an image and know that I'm going to finish it one way or another. Black and white is my favorite, always has been. So here are a couple images I've finished and thought I'd share. Enjoy

Time off

Folks, Im taking a little time off. I will be posting again next week. Stay tuned for some good stories and Photographs!

Pure Joy

This little girl was so comfortable once we got rolling during her photo session that she was just posing and posing and was a joy to watch and laugh with! Makes you wish that as adults we can be so uninhibited.

Baby Giggles

When baby Kali came in today with Mom to pick up her 1 year portrait order, she was so cute and giggly. As I talked to Mom about things Kali just started to laugh and giggle. Of course how can you help but turn your attention away from whatever the discussion was and toward the bright-eyed giggling. The giggles continued as we tickled her tummy and talked to her. Mom said she woke up on the "right side of the bed" from her nap and was taking full advantage of that! She is so sweet.

Just playing

Every once in a while, ok, fairly often, I'm easily distracted and find myself playing. I found this image from our trip to Rochester, NY and then found myself seeing what I can do with it. I always seem to find myself creating abstracts and graphic photographs from parts of scenes and buildings I come across.

This morning, as I do every morning, I spend some quiet time enjoying my coffee, my two cats and some reading. Anyway, this morning as I was reading a little bit from one paticular book, I had an "ah-ha" moment (I just love those!).  I realized that my new tagline "Legacy Portraits of the Heart" that came to me to use, was no coincidence. This phrase which came to MY heart, really speaks volumes. I just reaized this morning that I strive to know each client so the art I produce from MY heart will speak to and have a place in THEIR heart as well as the hearts of their future generations. I want to provide them a Legacy to pass down.

This may sound so simple or maybe too deep, I don't know, but it caused me to just stop in my tracks and dwell on while I finished my coffee. It suddently took on a life meaning for me and seemed to help me define what I have done until now and add some clarity to the things I want to do.  For starters, I think this blog should not just be a theme of inspiration but thoughts and other things OF THE HEART. From there - we will see where my heart leads me! How about you?

Inspiration in a Christening

Meet Sophia Ann Estelle and her mom. My husband and I were asked to be part of their family today for this very special occasion. This is the only photograph I was allowed to take. It was a nice service and dinner. As a photographer it doesn't get any better than being part of a family like this. Sophia's older brother has come for portraits since he too was a newborn. What a blessing.

Just a thought

"As the blossom can't tell what becomes of its fragrance, we can't tell what becomes of our influence."

A different inspiration.

This time of year many of us suffer from winter blues. For me this is the hardest part of the winter. Snow or no snow, just the dreary days can cause mood swings. I found this link and hope it helps! http://www.wikihow.com/Fight-Winter-Blues

Inspiration in fellow photographers

Tonight I had an opportunity to talk to the Northeast Photo Club about our visual journey. Even though I wrote the program it was also what I needed to hear. To pay more attention to my own visual journey and nourish it. I also was part of their competition and found it wonderful to see so much great work. Very inspiring! Next is to refresh my knowledge of my favorite artists.

Inspiration in Humor

I just returned from a girls night out at the Terrace Gardens in Clarks Summit. My friend Jeannine Luby has been producing a comedy tour and tonight the tour came to Clarks Summit. Comedian, Liz opened and got the audience laughing and loosened up. Jeannine came to the mic had everyone laughing. many people, myself included, crying laughing. It's amazing that life happening is so funny because life happens to you too and you can totally appreciate the jokes because they are so true! It was a great evening and there's nothing like laughing to relieve stress!

Inspiration in color

Hello! Well, today I needed to reach a little deeper for inspiration. This image caught my eye simply because of the contrast in color and the harsh stucco look contrasted by the organic shapes of the plant which actually repeat some of the shape in the stucco itself. I took this photograph in October in Rehoboth Beach.

Happenings Magazine has asked me to discuss in an editorial about my Hand Tinting on not just restorations (shown) but about our new Oil Hand Tinted portraits. It will be in the March issue along with some photographs! About the photograph. While I have done many restorations with hand or digital tinting, the original goes to the client. In the photograph above I created a sample for the article, this is my aunt and uncle.

Inspiration soars

So this is how the day started out. With the promise of spring right in my windowsill as I sipped my morning coffee. The paper daffodils my mom gave me for Christmas have sprouted and bloomed rather quickly. So even in spite of the dreary day outside, it was a little ray of sunshine.  THEN it got better!

I decided a month ago that 2012 was going to totally rock. Although I have grand plans every year, I was determined to get out of my own way and accomplish what I set out to do with God's guidance and occasional kicks in the butt from my friends.  So today while I was working on all the things I had to do, the phone rang. I was asked to be part of an editorial for Happenings Magazine next month. I will be showcasing restorations and the oil hand tinting I've begun to do. Wow! So now I have to work diligently to get that information to the editor. THEN another call came in and it was the N.E. Pa. Business Journal letting me know that I was selected as one of the Top 25 Women in Business that they honor each year. WOW WOW! And let's not forget the opportunity to speak to the Northeast Photography Club next Wednesday. They asked about a specific topic and I'm excited about preparing that talk also!  Thank goodness it's Friday, I'm not sure I could handle more excitement!  Have a great weekend!

Inspiring quotes

I love reading various books and magazines for inspiration. First would be my various devotionals but also on my bookshelf is Success magazine and a variety of dare to dream kind of positive books. These quotes I thought were nice. I have so many great plans for this year and see it as a year of transition that I felt these were fitting. Enjoy.

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem imporbably, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."

Christopher Reeve

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Walt Disney

"Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity."

Investor's Business Daily

Just a thought

Each day I try to find a nugget of inspiration that will be my thought for the day. Today was a big one one that I am going to work on being a new habit. It amounts to Stop-Look-Listen. For me this means to stop and think through things before acting or reacting. Look around at the blessings I have and the people that were brought onto my life and what they mean to me and Listen for that internal voice for guidance before moving foward. All to avoid acting on impulse which usually won't yield the best result to the decision or circumstance at hand. It stayed with me today and I am working to make sure I remember to use that technique going foward. It just seems to fit every kind of situation from losing weight to making purchases to dealing with less than desirable situations.

Who would have thought...

Who would have thought that one would see this kind of scene on a bustling, lively Bourbon Street? It was kind of interesting though. This sad lonely building even in its current state had character and color. It made me wonder. Why was it abandoned? Did something happen to the owner of the building? Did they just give up? Why don't they sell it or rent it out? I kind of felt sorry for the building...almost as if it had its own personality and it was sad. It makes you wonder...

My morning inspiration

Each morning I spend a little time by myself in reflection and prayer. Here is one of my favorite Sites to learn and listen - www.joycemeyer.org. I encourage you to check out her broadcasts and books

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in determination." 

Tommy Lasorda, Sportsman

About the photograph - I took this image during (obviously) a blazing snowstorm, a couple years ago in East Benton. It is one of my favorites. Cheryl

And what do you do with that inspiration?

Well, I arrived home happily from my New Orleans trip to the Professional Photographers of America national convention. My luggage followed by about 9 hours (woo hoo! we women all know how we don't want to appear in public without our cosmetics!).

This morning I arrived at the studio and spent several hours going over all sorts of things with Stephanie, my part time employee and idea bouncer-off'r. Might I add that I also warned her that I'd be coming home with lots of news! So much information that we had to take a break and I took her to lunch to continue the conversation. All my inspiration came bubbling to the surface....New lab to service us personally, new management software that we both have to learn...together, as well as lots of new ideas for custom backgrounds, newly purchased props, and books for fiuture ideas.

As I talked about the classes and people, I told her about how inspiration came bubbling forth in the form of offering to help with the Professional Photographers Certification Commission. I personally expressed my interest in helping on a national level to encourage photographers to become Certified.

As if that wasn't enough... Ten years ago I wanted to prove myself to me and the world, my capabilites and comittment by earning the Certified Professional Photographer designation. NOW I've made the next (and overdue) comitment to myself and my friends and clients that I now seek the PPA Masters degree. This is obtained through continued education and earning merits through print competion. My goal is that by the Imaging convetion 2015, I will stand before my family and peers as I earn this coveted designation.  I find this inspiration in my family, friends and you, my clients. I will earn my competition print merits on tthe images I make for you, my clients.

That is what I do with my inspiration....what do you do?