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Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Shift



Defying conventional wisdom. 
Not every blog post is required to boast a pretty picture. 
Or any picture at all, for that matter. 

When I entered blogging in 2009, 
I came in as a writer, and somehow ended up a photographer. 
I was winging it, as I was still seeking to find my blogging voice. 
Seven years later, I'm having a full-circle moment 
as once again, I'm in search of my voice. 
Not with regards to blogging, but as part of the bigger picture:

Purpose. 
Priorities. 
Peace. 

What mattered and who I was seven years ago 
have undergone a dramatic shift. 
Such is the case with late bloomers, I suppose. 
And the questions need answering and addressing, 
as much as I try and avoid them. 

My purpose:
What am I supposed to do? 
Big question, one I've been avoiding for ages. 
Just when I think I've got it figured out, 
I have a great big "nope" moment, re-calibrate, 
and set my course down another path. 

My priorities:
What comes first? 
What should be held onto and what must be sacrificed? 
Another question I had hoped would answer itself. 
The signs have always been there, plain as day, 
faith and family. Why then have I chosen to ignore them? 

My peace:
Where do I derive this from? 
Is what I'm doing fostering a sense of peace? 
And if I have to even ask this question, 
don't I already know the answer? 

And here's where I either cut my own creative throat, 
or feel a sense of liberation so exhilarating 
that I honestly don't give a flip about the fall-out. 

I no longer sense that I'm on the right path. 
That my primary expression of the heart, 
creatively or otherwise, is meant to be manifested 
via my photography. 

The shift has occurred. 

My priority, my purpose, and my peace 
are conveniently located in the same place, 
and via the same means....
my faith.

I've neglected to the point of rejection 
this basic truth, that only via my faith 
and only through Christ will I receive the answers 
and the peace that I've been lacking.   

In the wake of losing my mom in 2011, 
I climbed on the treadmill and haven't 
jumped off since. Burying myself in more work 
than I could realistically handle. 
It was a means of avoidance, 
and if I'm being truthful, there was a lot of ego involved. 

I always felt that if I could reach a certain level of "success",
if I could see my work in print "X" number of times, 
that I'd feel satiated. And to some extent, it worked, 
but only for a little while. 
With each project, I felt an internal sense 
of unrest building inside me. 
What once gave me a sense of worth 
now gave me the sense of being enslaved. 

Keep churning out content, 
stay in the public eye,
stay relevant,
stay "out there" lest you be forgotten.

What a load of misguided crap. 

I've felt it coming for a really long time now, 
the shift. 
The moving away from the superficial 
and the superfluous, and towards the only source 
of true purpose and peace. 

To most, it's been an imperceptible shift. 
People have noticed that I'm accepting less photography gigs. 
I've taken on quite a few rather reluctantly, recognizing that 
although I never gave less than 100%, 
that I was sacrificing something far more valuable 
than another byline or the money. 

I'm finding my way largely in the dark most days... 
knowing the source of the light, 
but traveling a maze-like path to get there. 
Oh, I'll get there, don't you worry. 
The sign-posts are there, I just have to 
break through the haze to find them. 
A clear mind and a pure heart 
are the surest ways I know to lift the fog. 

Time to stop talking and start doing. 






Monday, February 15, 2016

Published, Spring 2016 Where Women Create


My favorite magazine, 
Where Women Create, 
has a wonderfully inspiring column called 
"The Art of Organization". 
It's where artists share their tips and tricks 
for storing and organizing all of those 
tantalizing bits and baubles 
that fuel their creativity.

It was my privilege to photograph 
the studio of my wildly talented friend 
 Chris Berger in the new Spring issue!






Chris works in so many mediums, 
making her a natural for sharing her
uncanny gift of keeping all her pretties 
stored and at the ready. 




Her collection of vintage hatboxes 
house delicate millinery flowers...


  And embellished cards of 
every shape and size.


A sweet array of vintage bottles  
provide not only easy access, but allow Chris 
to visualize just the perfect touch for one of 
her stunning altered lingerie creations.


Speaking of....


Oh.


My. 


  Word.

Corsets, bras, undergarments have never 
looked so sublime. 
Victoria's Secret's got nuthin' on Chris.


Need storage for your art papers?
Not a problem, howzabout a vintage dish rack?


Clever gal, my friend Chris. 
And truly one of the most gifted, generous-hearted 
people I know. 

Only a couple of weeks after shooting this feature, 
Chris's sweet husband and our good friend Keith 
passed away suddenly. 
He was smart as a whip, hilarious,
and missed by all who were fortunate enough 
to know and love him.  

Keith, this one was for you.





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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Sneak Peek...Where Women Create





That's just a teensy corner of my friend 
Chris Berger's studio in the Spring 2016 issue of 
Where Women Create Magazine.

I was blessed to be given the opportunity 
to shoot her studio for the WWC column,
"The Art of Organization", 
and it will be my pleasure to 
share more of Chris's studio later this week. 

Yeppers, my monthly blog post, 
how the time flies, eh? ;-)



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Friday, January 8, 2016

New Year, New Focus



Everything you see in the above photo? 

Smile Bigger. 
Love Longer. 
Hug Harder. 
Laugh Louder. 

That's it for me, my goals for 2016.
Nothing terribly specific as far as 
New Year's resolutions go, 
but a very specific path 
has been chosen to achive this. 

It's called slowing down and refocusing. 
Taking a deep breath and recognizing 
that family and faith take a front seat, 
and all that other stuff is just that.... 
stuff. 

I'm pretty excited to be taking 
the first few months of 2016 
off from all my 
photography related work. 
Emphasis on WORK. 
I'm not putting down my camera, 
just putting the biz on the back burner for now. 

Heck, it might even feel so good 
that I won't resume until Summer. 
I mean, if something comes along 
that absolutely rocks my world 
and is life-changing, then I reserve the right 
to accept the occasional photo shoot.

I still have a couple of fun shoots completed  
last year for the Where Women Create 
family of magazines to share soon, 
so you will be hearing from me as I 
happily share my photos of these 
utterly amazing women. 

And maybe I'll share some "just for fun, just for me" 
photos. The kind of stuff I used to get really 
jazzed about doing before I went pro 
with my photography. 

But for now? 
It's all about smiling, loving, hugging and laughing. 

See you soon? 
Maybe.....



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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Vintage Rescue Squad 2016 Dreaming of Junking Calendars are HERE!


It's that time again, 
when Sue of Vintage Rescue Squad 
rolls out her yearly, must-have, 
DREAMING OF JUNKING 
calendars.

Why the name? 
Well, not only do you get 12 months worth 
of terrific junking photos, 
Sue also includes the dates of pretty much 
every major US flea market and 
vintage-antique-junk show 
in the country! 
Warrenton-Round Top, Brimfield, 
Country Living Fair... 
they're all here. And then some!

It's an indispensable resource for all you
hardcore Flea Market-eers. 
The 2016 calendar features images from Sue herself, 
Chartreuse and Co., 
and three from yours truly. 
Here's one of mine.... 


That's the counter space 
at Carol Hicks Bolton's latest 
show-stopper of a shop, 
Gus Antiques & Wonders



Hurry and order yours quick though, 
as this edition has a limited run of 150. 
These babies go FAST!


Order yours HERE! 

And Merry Christmas to you and yours!




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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Christmas in 'da Burg


Happy Holidays!
I'm sharing a Christmas post from 2014. 
Enjoy the festive sights from my sweet hometown!

Christmas in Fredericksburg 
is completely magical.
There's just no other word for it.

The sights, the sounds, the good cheer
which permeates every nook of our
sweet little 'burg....it's infectious.

Doing a little editorial shooting 
for my friend Sarah Batch, 
CEO of Pretty Smart-ish Media,
 I hit the streets yesterday and headed for the 
heart of our darling city.... 
Marktplatz. 
 Here are a handful to share with you.

Fröhliche Weihnachten!








 And the reason for the Season....


See all of this and SO much more 
by paying us a holiday visit here in Fred. 
We would love to have you!

Merry Christmas!





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Sunday, December 6, 2015

Christmas Past


I just wanted to share a handful of 
my favorite images from my commercial 
and editorial photo shoots these past few years. 

From the shops of Binky la Faye, 
to Timeless Menagerie, 
to Country Garden Antiques, 
and one from my first Christmas 
with a big girl camera! 

To you and yours.... 
Wishing you every blessing this Christmas! 















And from way back when, 
2009 to be exact, one of my very first 
photos ever taken....



Be blessed, be safe, be happy. 
And never forget the miraculous 
reason for the season!




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