I'd like to introduce you to Ang and Phil Kemper. One of my very first friends at First Assembly of God, I met them at Overflow, the young adults group both Shelvie and I were leaders for. That's where I formally named Jaelynn as our mascot - you see, they were the first of my friends and the first couple in the group to have kids, so naturally, it made sense - to me anyway!
These two, for me, represent true faith in Christ. That when given lemons they make lemonade, lemon meringue pie and lemon Italian ice ... yummm. And, although they will be missed when they move to Tennessee - booo - they will forever be in my heart. *sniff*.
Here are some images I captured while spending the afternoon with them. A beautiful family.
I'm entering a contest and I need your help picking a winner!!
The contest is via Creative Live, where you can win the lighting set up used by Tamara Lackey on her 'Children's Portrait Photography' workshop. I bought this workshop. I have since watched it more than once, some parts more than that! The information has been invaluable and has helped me make leaps and bounds in the way I shoot.
I would like to enter one of the four images below - snagged during a recent maternity shoot, with the amazing Ang and Phil Kemper (more on that day to come). Plus, I've known Jaelynn all of her life - labeling her my mascot prior to birth, there is no one better to help me take my first step into this career then her!
Winning this would be a true blessing, but I have the worst luck! So, I'm turning it over to you guys to help me pick. I figure, if I'm not the one picking the image then my bad luck can't be attached to it ... so, PICK ME A WINNER - in the comments, please include which image is your favorite (numbers 1-4 to make it easy). Feel free to leave your reason why, I'd LOVE to know!
The contest ends January 31st, so I'll be officially entering the winning photo on Tuesday, January 25th. This way, I have enough time for voting.
We are almost through January - where does the time go?! - and, although late, my goals for 2011. It's a long one, so I hope you stay :)
This year I really wanted to approach things a little differently. I'm usually good at creating lists or new year resolutions, however, mid-year and all that life stuff later, I'd either forget, become unmotivated or think - ah, it's unreasonable anyway.
Lately, I've been doing a lot of soul searching - call it getting older, not letting one more day go wasted, what have you. I noticed that most of my life I was running away - a dysfunctional family, people telling me what I was before they even knew who I was, or a unhealthy, co-dependent, abusive relationship. I always felt that there was more to my life, so I'd leave just.like.that - move to another state, go to another school, get into another unhealthy, co-dependent, abusive relationship. I spent most of my teens and all of my twenties running. Now that I'm in my thirties, I'm playing catch up, trying to slow life down.
So now, I'm approaching 2011 with a fresh perspective. This year my main goal is to find MY authentic self - not who I should have been or could have been, but as God made me to be. His perfect plan.
Enter Making Things Happen 2011 (here, here, here and here). I prayed for change, for direction, for the strength to get.it.together. Then, one day I was surfing around, I happen to click on a link and there it was - que the angles, storm clouds partying, and God's mighty hand smacking me on the back of the head - no, just kidding ... LOL. It wasn't the first time I had seen these fabulous ladies! I first happened to stumble upon Making Brands Happen, but at the time, it didn't apply to me, so I moved on.
I entered to win the scholarship they were giving away - but, I know my luck - so I went ahead and bought my seat anyway. While anxiously awaiting the drawing - which was extended because of the holiday ... kill me why don't you - I scoured the internet for everything I could find on the workshop. Blogs, peoples reviews, everything I found only confirmed the feeling that I needed to be there. I didn't win, by the way. booo.
On my journey to fully educate myself - ah, hem. cyber stalk. - I started to read the MTH blog. There I learned invaluable lessons, tidbits of information, positive reinforcement and daily motivation. WOWZERS!
One thing I learned is to be true to who I am. I love lists, but mine are PAGES people (oh, learned how to make that less daunting - check it out here - love these girls!). Anyway, as much as I thought it was amazing how people were doing 101 in 1001 days, I'm more an immediate gratification kind of person. So, to keep it more manageable, I created a list of 11 in 2011. corny. I know.
At first I just started writing everything that came to mind. I noticed how I kept going back to - how is she doing it, what do I want them to think - it was becoming more about the mask I've worn for so long verses the person behind it saying, yoo hoo?!
I then scrapped it completely, right there on the spot. I started a new list on a clean sheet of paper...ahhh. I kindly labeled it: FIND MY AUTHENTIC SELF. I then proceeded to write the top eleven things that will get me there.
1. Submit, wholeheartedly, to God
2. Choose love, EVERY. TIME.
3. Make time for things I love and that inspire me
4. Be an amazing photographer
5. Create an authentic creative business
6. Be a better sister, daughter, friend, wife and mom (to my dog, Alice)
7. Mind + Body = Synergy
8. Support Shelvie in his worship (music) through prayer and encouragement
9. Stop creating my own roadblocks
10. Learn to let go
11. Take risks
I created an inspiration board to go along with this list and to help inspire me as life happens.
from left to right, top to bottom
Bokeh (taken by a friend, Liz Luderer). This represents number seven, mind + body. Even though it is out of focus, the colors work in harmony to create balance. It creates an ...ahh... moment for me. Life sometimes is all over the place, unfocused, but as this image represents, sometimes that can be beautiful and equally settling.
This picture was taken (with an iPhone) by a good friend, Gina, last September when we were in Vegas. It's me and Shelvie holding hands and represents number two for me, choose love every time. He didn't want to be there - I was at a convention and gone all day - but he went anyway to support me and because I didn't want to go alone. He's like that, always supportive, and in return I want to learn to choose love. EVERY. TIME. because he's sooo worth it!
MTH represents number nine, stop creating my own roadblocks. Lara states that goals can be really overwhelming if you don’t break them down. This exercise helps you to break your goals down to more manageable steps or decisions, making it less daunting and more likely to be finished - providing that sense of accomplishment, that thing we all need to keep moving forward.
What else could represent taking risks (number eleven) better then jumping off a cliff?! (image provided by the MTH blog) I remember, as a teenager, I used to do some really daring things - one being cliff jumping - and into some really sketchy waters I might add. I don't know at what point in life I decided to live 'safe', but I want to get back to that girl that used to look challenge head on and a say - oh yeah, watch me?! - that even when scared, do it anyway, take the risk, JUMP.
'LIVE WHAT YOU LOVE' represents number six - be a better sister, daughter, friend, wife and mom (to my dog, Alice). I think when I'm doing that which makes me happy and fills me, it will overflow over to those I love the most.
Number one - submit, wholeheartedly, to God - is represented by the stormy sky (don't know where I grabbed this image from, I think I did a Google search). That even through the midst of the storm, call on Him and he will break through and shine a light for you to follow. It gives me peace and encouragement to know that when life crashes around you, wants to defeat you from every direction, God is there. He is almighty, faithful. He is your fighter, your protector and your deliverer through it all.
The Steve Martin quote, 'Be so good they can't ignore you', is number five - create an authentic creative business. This quote, another one from the MTH blog - telling you, these girls are amazing! - empowers me! If I can just learn to be me, stop holding myself back, I would knock peoples socks off with what I can do and accomplish. hmmmm...
This image is just so beautiful, I seriously want to jump right into this photo shoot!
This represents number three - make time for things I love and that inspire me. I love artsy, crafty, DIY projects. I want to learn how to sing and play the piano so I can be with my husband as we worship our Creator together. I want to learn how to knit, ride a horse (I'm talking about full on speed here, not a cheesy gallop) and to drive a motorcycle.
This photograph, by Rodney Smith, represents a lot about photography for me - location, composition, living + nonliving, color, less is more, cropping, balance - I could go on and on. This picture is my number four, be an amazing photographer. I don't just want to take pretty pictures, I want to evoke thought, capture emotion and create visual art.
I wish I was amazing at drawing - life-like, not interpretation - but I'm not, never had the opportunity to let the hand + mind bond. Instead, photography accomplishes that for me. I guess my mind + eye have a better relationship .. lol
Confetti is my number ten - learn to let go. Like New Years Eve in NY, when your ready to walk away from the mistakes and let downs of that year and hopeful for the new start that comes with a new year. In 2011, I would like to adopt that attitude for longer than a fleeting moment. To let go of the things I can't control, to give it to God when it becomes to big for me. To appreciate the smaller moments that make up my life rather than define it by bigger events.
and, last but not least, number eight - support Shelvie in his worship (music) through prayer and encouragement. I actually picked this particular song because it was the song I walked down the aisle to. For years, this song represented to Shelvie what his future wife would be and mean to him. When someone has a clear picture of something, it's often hard to fill that and your constantly let down. It's humbling to know I fit that description. He loves me like nothing else in this world, flaws and all. Because of that, I want to be a prayer warrior for him. I know God has great things in store for him, one being music, and with prayer on his side and some gentle pushing/prodding/poking from me, he'll be where he wants to be one day.
What are your 2011 goals? What inspires you, challenges you to be a better you?!
I would love to know! Please tell me and attach a link so I can read about it :) Thanks for sharing!
When they asked me to take some head-shots to help them with their marketing materials,
I jumped at the opportunity to help.
True people of faith, they are awesome role models and amazing encouragers. To learn more about Julie and Dave, you can go to their website, Scotland or Bust, or view more of their videos on their Vimeo page.
I'm still working on my inspiration board and goals for 2011. It's funny, I look at beautiful pictures all day long, but when it came time to pick images that reflected how I feel, I'm at a loss ... LOL
So, in the meantime, I'm piggy-backing off of a previous post, and adding - to read more!
I love to read fiction - being transported to another world, having super powers, solving a crime or walking around in a totally different era. Inspiration flows most freely then and it always helps me out of a creative rut.
Along the way someone told me, if you read ten books (in your profession) a year, within ten years you'll be within the top 10% of your field. Ten, ten and ten ... perhaps I got that mixed up somehow but I'm going with it!
I finally got my first order of the year! woo hoo, top 10% WATCH OUT
all books can be found on Amazon
In TRUST AGENTS, two social media veterans show you how to tap into the power of social networks to build your brand's influence, reputation, and, of course, profits. excerpt from Amazon's editorial review
THE BRAND GAP bridges the gap between brand strategy and customer experience. excerpt from the back cover
I'm currently launching a brand upgrade and, in today's day, social media is the driving force of so many businesses, I'm hoping these two books will help me further define a solid and cohesive brand identity. My goal is to create brand recognition and loyalty among my clients, future clients and peers.
I especially can't wait to dig into the Logo Design Love. Logos aren't my specialty and I really want to work on that!
LOGO DESIGN LOVE includes sketches and final results of designs to explain why well-crafted brand identity systems are important, how to create iconic logos, and how to best work with clients to achieve success. summary by me, taken from Amazon's product description
Check back for my reviews!
What do you like to read? Any good books you want to share?
