Oil Painting

I'm absolutely thrilled! Ya know how sometimes you have something on your mind you want to do but either don't know where to start or how to do it? Well after seeing a webinar on digital oil painting, and knowing the photoshop 5 has the capabilities. I spent some time this afternoon practicing and have created my first digital oil painting. What a blast, I'm hooked. Now, once I am satisfied with my technique, I will have an artist add a layer of actual oil paint on the canvas to finish it. Now to find some of my favorite landscapes to work on!

Spring at the studio

Wow, where does the time go. I seem to go through phases of blogging well and then thinking I didn't have anything interesting and retreat into a shell of sorts. But with the sunshine (and apparently the heat) I have found some new-found inspirations. These are some views taken last Thursday right here in the studio courtyard. What a great time to have outdoor portraits made - but these flowers don't last long. New plantings are coming soon and we usually have flowers all summer long.

The upper back yard at the studio

Beautiful iris at stone wall and steps

The saturation on the rose bush is beautiful!

Cheryl Kaiser earns Blue Ribbon

Cheryl Kaiser earns Blue Ribbon

You just have to love a baby!

Most of our moms use headbands and tutus when it's their style, but this little cutie pie was like a model for the new strawberry hat and a couple headbands that were just too cute for mom to pass up! Baby portraits that really touch the heart.

A Bolt of Lightning

Have you ever had something move your thoughts to a point that it feels like you were hit by a bolt of lightning? It causes you to reflect back over time, trying to make sense of it all, and realize that there have been several signs for you that you just haven't acted on? It really makes you realize perhaps a direction for your career or your life or maybe for some element of your day. This is exactly what happened to me last week. An employee from The Fold, a teen Christian outreach school in Vermont spoke at church. Emily had attended our church and was back for a visit and talk about the school.

My mind was flooded immediately with how can I use what I do for a living to help make a difference in these kids' lives? Then I thought back over the last couple years. Various people who have come into my life for different reasons, programs and projects I've been excited to help with or support, and conversations I've had. I realized that all these different things came together to show me how yes, I do have an impact on people's lives, especially teens and now it's time for me to move foward. So after a brief conversation with Emily after the service, and again the other day on the telephone, I will be putting together a program for The Fold's students. It will encompass not just taking photographs but to help the students see and appreciate God's beauty in nature, themselves and in each other.

I'm so excited about this because I have a feeling it will take on a life of it's own. It's the overwhelming feeling that I must use the talent I've been blessed with to help others that is driving me. Over the next several weeks I will be working on the content of the program and then will be taking it to Vermont. I also forsee this program being something I will offer closer to home too.

While this whole concept is in its infancy, I'm very excited about it and all that it promises! I'm open to ideas and thoughts and of course, prayers.  Thank you for reading this...it's something from my heart.

More about The Fold
http://www.thefoldfamily.com/

Family Heirlooms

Im thrilled to be part of the March issue of Happenings magazine. The feature article is about our restorations and new Hand Tinting services!

See the whole magazine here http://happeningsmagazinepa.com/currentmagfiles.html

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!