WELCOME to my blog and my photographic journey, where my photography style is dictated by my environment. I am a full time executive member of my household. That's right, I care, feed, instruct, inspire, maintain, a group of amazing individuals and the space they live in. These individuals are my children and husband, that place is my home. Most of the time I photograph where we are together, what we are doing together and most importantly their beautiful expressions. Sometimes I have the wonderful opportunity to photograph another family or event. I post my journey here.
My photographic philosophy: I celebrate the unique differences in each person, event and place. I relish in capturing life as it happens naturally. I anticipate it! I love creating an emotional image, one that will be cherished. I seek for beauty in the simplest most unexpected places. I enjoy carrying my camera where I go, making an interpretation of that moment and archiving it for good. Creating a beautiful, stunning final print and giving lasting memories of people loved. These things put a smile on my face.
This past weekend we had the opportunity to use our newly purchased wood permit and venture on Pine Valley Mountain and cut wood for the winter. We love using our wood burning stove during the winter and the smell of firewood pine is fantastic. My husband cut and hauled the wood, our eight year old son and I hefted some of the cut wood into the trailer and truck. Being 6 months pregnant and with a two year old trailing around me, I soon retired my job and allowed my son & husband to pick up the rest. I went to work on tin foil potato dinners roasted over coals, hot chocolate and roasted hotdogs. It was tiring, hard work and rewarding. After everything was loaded, we ate our little feast next to our fire and watched the stars appear. It was magnificent and the breeze was fresh and crisp. We were so busy I didn't take too many photos but had the chance to snap a few along the way. I found a few naturally placed old wood and weeds that seemed to make fantastic compositions that reminded me of fireworks and Pinocchio, I know, random but fun. The other images seemed to capture the essence of the area we were in. The fall leaves were few and barely visible. In a few more weeks the area will be covered in yellow and orange hues. We will have to go back soon! :)
My Amazing Husband
Pine Valley Mountain
Pinocchio
Pine...smells good
My Daughter
My Son
Fireworks
Can you find the wood that looks like a hand reaching out?
My husband went up to the farm this week to harvest the corn and hay. Rather than focus on the harvest like I did last year, I focused on the kids walking together. It was Sunday and although I love lessons at church, sometimes your just tired and the meetings seem long. This was one of those days. The kids and I were thrilled to go for a walk that afternoon. Later in the evening we met up with "DAD" just getting done with chopping the corn to silage. I begged him to take us for a drive, so we hopped in the truck and took a mountain pass up past the farm over to Marysville, UT. It was beautiful. We met up with a rattlesnake, took some lovely images, the kids played in the dirt (like always). My eight year old son fretted over the cliffs on one side of the truck, my daughter fell asleep and my husband and I got to visit an old bridge where we had a very memorable date, just before we were engaged. It was a good day. Thanks again for looking at my photographs!
BREATH IN! AHHHH! I love the smell of spring. I love being able to open my windows, air out the house. Plant the bulbs for beautiful cutting flowers. Pick out the seeds I want to plant in the back yard. Yes, we plant nearly 75% garden in our back yard, because we have no grass. YET. Why not turn it into something functional, till we can afford to landscape? Here are three images that I shot that seem to have nothing in common, yet they all speak, SPRING TIME to me.
Getting a "warm weather haircut" from Grandpa "The Barber."
Everyone seems to only go to beauty salons these days. If your a guy, go get your hair cut in the "MAN SHOP" from my dad.
Kids Playing in the mud while we plant the garden. I love it when they get dirty.
Every kind of play out there involves sanitizer and safety pads.
Let your kids play in mud and get dirty. It will be good for them.
Plum tree blossoming. Smells good!
Nothing social analytical about this shot.
I guess, I could say. "Learn to can jam from your fruit trees. It's fun and makes a good
Christmas gift."
What do you and your family do in the spring time?
What kind of spring shots do you capture, that best describe how you live in spring?
Que. Kung fu music, Que. Me dramatically tying a handkerchief with an ambiguous Japanese symbol across my forehead. Que. Me painting. Que. My husband laying tile. Picturing my life as The Karate Kid movie, helps me put remodeling our house, into perspective. Just another life lesson, and this remodel feels like a lesson in everything and anything, including how to remodel a home.
The laundry room is my favorite place in the house, because its nearly finished. During the remodel we live, crammed in one side of the house. I dug a fire pit in the back yard so I could cook via dutch oven. I have learned that one can cook pancakes somewhat successfully in the microwave, scrambled eggs are not so good. Eating out is as expensive as the remodel itself so we have been trying to keep it to the minimum with the help of the beloved coupons. The baby's room has turned into quite the entertainment room with TV, Computer, bed and rocking chair. Popcorn is our favorite snack.
We have had a great amount of support and help from friends as well as Laramies brother who stays for a few days and helps tremendously (he is single by the way, I just had to put that plug in for him). How can I adequately thank these helpers? I try with food, but my cooking isn't quite where it should be for a gift. I keep trying though. No one has complained, so far.
After a few days of not having the normal things (aka, hot water, washer, dryer, fridge and oven) one can feel mangy and happy to finally go to the neglected gym (even for a hot shower). To give myself a little sanity, I went to help out a few friends and family with their messes. I know, weird eh? Granted, my mess trumps all, but it was nice to see families working at the same old grind of keeping their lives in order. It was wonderful for my ears to hear a few couples lovingly argue. It was therapy without having to pay for therapy!
I guess in simple terms, I felt VALIDATED. I am not the only one to go through mess and argue my point to my spouse. Especially when I buy a new can of paint color for the zillionth time and my husband slaps his forehead. I am grateful for the experience. It's been fun. I think Lowes or Home Depot should post a disclaimer on the front doors for any do-it-yourself adventure stricken lad or laddess.
"DO IT YOURSELF will make you dig deep into your soul to find the stuff your really made of. If you lack some kind of quality, like patience, your home project will yank it out of you and dare you to try to come get it."
Okay that is a little too long for a front door disclaimer.
Let's try it again...
"DO IT YOURSELF really means PROLONGED SUFFERING, till you accept it as SELF IMPROVEMENT."
Yeah, that sounds better.
I imagine myself with my own Japanese mentor. I imagine him telling me to wax on and wax off, or instead of painting the fence, I paint the walls only to have him come to my house and show me my movements from sanding the ceiling, leveling the floor or painting the walls are just training me to become a black belt karate champion. In short as we remodel, my husband and I are "Daniel Son" and our home improvement projects are our "Mr. Miagy." It may not end with me kicking some guy in the face and a huge crowd coming unglued and cheering triumphantly. Hopfully it will end with me snuggling with my family on the couch, drinking a hot cup of cocoa by the fire admiring our hard work. Okay, there will be some cheering. Until then, wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off...
I have discovered something life altering. I think you will agree, when you make this particular discovery, your life changes for the better. Be careful, this kind of attitude adjustment requires you to take personal time for growth. Are you ready for it? I am not sure you are. You want speed. You want MASS validation from the world. Your are comfortable with complacency. How about taking the time to learn how to enjoy what you have?
This discovery has helped me.
I want peace, I want to really get to know my children. I want to hold my husband. I want the time to serve my family and those put in my path. I don't want to miss a sweet sigh, a defining question, a smile, a hug from my husband and children. I want to enjoy the simple things in life.
Do you know what I am talking about yet? Okay. I will tell you. But I think it will require additional convincing.
YOUR EVERY DAY LIFE IS NOT BORING! Yes, Its true. I know you don't believe me, but please try. Just because the world is unaware of your everyday efforts does not mean your life does not have meaning. Just because you may feel uncomfortable in some way does not mean your life does not hold value! I think this is where you might have confused the issue: just because you feel discomfort, irritation and you don't get your way 99.9% of the time doesn't mean your life falls short in any way.
I believe that irritation, discomfort and NOT getting your way helps you stretch and grow, grants you depth and enjoyment that you deserve in every way.
Here are ways to enjoy your life and change your attitude and feel JOY!
#1 SLOW DOWN. I find that slowing down allows you to take the time to listen to that little voice and find opportunistic moments to serve your family and those around you.
#4 THINK POSITIVE. Work hard to muster up all the positive things you have gained from your service. You see, this kind of positive self talk requires lots and lots of practice, and does not come easily. Think of your positive self talk like a muscle; it takes consistent and most ALWAYS uncomfortable effort to think positive.
Just because a negative thought pops into your head doesn't mean you are a depressed person. It is when you take that thought and you allow it to fester and build; you give it a name, you dress it up, you take it out to eat and give it a place to sleep. This is when this thought will lead you down the inevitable road of depression and chronic negativity.
On the flip side, when a negative thought pops in your head, you must practice letting it go. Don't invite it in to stay. Sometimes, this can be very difficult and may require additional effort like, writing down your thought, you can even burn it later. Find a safe, appropriate person to vent. You can even get on your knees and pray to Heavenly Father for help! (Now just because I brought up prayer and Father in Heaven, don't discount me.) Prayer to Father in Heaven is a very real and live source of help. I have found deep insight for myself when I have been on my knees pleading for a change of attitude. I have also felt a sense of acceptance for myself as well as a comfort in my life.
Try to read on a little more. When I struggle with more difficult situations, I go through a study process. I write down my feelings and thoughts. Not as a rant session. I dig for insight. I give my feelings words and try to describe them. I determine I must let go, I must exercise a bit more. I do this by finding a positive song (often times in the hymn book) and then I WRITE IT DOWN. I read a lesson out of the ENSIGN that pertains to my situation and I write down my favorite quotes from the article. I search the scriptures for verses that pertain to me, I write down those favorite verses. Last, I write down the thoughts that come to me as my attitude alters and changes. I write down what I have learned and gained. I write down my blessings. I write down a past experiences. I have even found other helpful books, articles and online talks that provide inspired insight to the situation. You can start the study process with a prayer and end it with a prayer. I get on my knees and beg Heavenly Father for additional help and insight and then I write down those thoughts that come to me as inspiration. I must always pray and thank my Father in Heaven for helping me with inspiration as well as the materials I searched to find insight.
This has been like my personal university, my personal study hall as I have tried to create an environment of learning, from my personal life experiences. I am less afraid of feeling irritated or feeling inconvenienced, because I have found that I can exercise my agency and turn these feelings into "moments of learning and self growth."
I challenge you to find ways to be positive on a regular basis. I have other ways of remaining positive, like, surrounding myself with positive media, uplifting music, books, shows, etc. I keep my conversations positive with family and friends and learn from their efforts to remain positive.
#5 APOLOGIZE. You may feel you are always right in certain situations. You may have a good point. But your point of view is just that, YOUR POINT OF VIEW. No one else's. If you express an opinion and it is rejected or you have offended the other person. STOP talking and listen. Listen as hard as it may be for you. If you find your situation escalating out of control take a breather, internally or step away. Show maturity and do it calmly. Then apologize without the use of the word "but." For example, "I apologize for arguing and not hearing your point of view but I did it because you..." Just apologize and try to hear and see another point of view.
#6 FORGIVE. Forgive, forgive, forgive. Your perspective will be altered and you will find joy in this.
#7 LAUGH! LAUGH! Laugh. Laugh, love, enjoy life and people. If you don't feel like laughing. Smile, even while driving down the road. Force yourself to smile and see what happens.
Look at every day life as a positive experience that will grant you a wonderful new perspective. This perspective will streatch you and allow you to become a well refined human being. I challenge you to stretch and exercise your positive muscles!
Yep, they did it. They crept in and stole my bed. How can two little bodies shove me out of my space? Between nightmares and nursing it is a struggle to maintain what is rightfully mine! These little people, I love! Children in the most quiet moments take everything you have. The most important thing you must allow them to steal is your heart. They are the most wonderful gifts we have. Not only do they allow our hearts to expand in an unbelievable way. They push us to see ourselves honestly and force us to expand and grow our abilities as human beings! I am grateful to be a mother and must take a moment to plug the greatest job of all time. Motherhood. I believe it is a constant struggle to keep yourself feeling good about your job as a mother these days. There is not much praise in society for mothers for taking up the task. So like the responsibility of raising your children, it is also our responsibility to maintaining a healthy attitude as a mother. Any time a negative thought flows in, to let it flow right off you, like water off a duck. Replace it with the feel good attitude of service to the people who will benefit the most from your time and positive energy. Your children and husband. So let them steal more than your bed (your space), let them steal your life and your heart.
Love this time of year! Busy, with family photos everywhere. I think the idea of thinking you can get small children to be prefect all at one moment is false. It is tough to describe the energy, trust and play that you have to develop with children to get them to respond to you as well as their parents. But these are essential things a photographer must develop quickly in order to photograph true emotion and especially when photographing total strangers. Here is a slideshow of my sister's family Malea. You would think that since I know them well and I photograph them every year it gets easier. Not totally true. Yes, they can be better behaved from one moment to the next. It can sometimes be tougher. I would like to believe when photographing a moment, rather than completely forcing the entire situation, I allow it to happen and happen it does. Knowing that I will anticipate the moment is sort of an energy rush for me. So when it came to this photoshoot, I was lucky to have well, behaved (for a moment) children and that is all good for me. Then after they (the boys) start to burn out, we leave it to play.
