Photography Inspiration

I have written this post over and over again, over the last 6 months or so, but I can't bring myself to finish it, because I'm afraid those involved would feel shy or embarrassed.....but then I thought, today, "Meh, who cares! When have I ever cared if something embarrasses someone? HA! I'm good at that!" So here goes:

Today, after a pretty trying weekend, and week, to say the least, I woke up feeling so happy, and so overwhelmed with gratitude, by the outpouring of love and support by my friends and family, that we have experienced through out our whole marriage. Thinking about the supportive people around me, has been overwhelming my emotions lately. Today, I was getting ready to drop my kids off at my moms house, so that I could go assist a friend of mine shoot a maternity session. Getting ready to go, I couldn't help but be so grateful for the influence my wonderful friends, and guides, in this world of photography have been on me. I hope, with all of my heart, that they see improvement, and growth, in the things that I am producing. I am all too aware of how cut throat this business can be, and I understand why it would be, and is. I have a great respect for what people do, and their reasons why they may not share a location, share a technique, share an action they used.....share anything. I really do understand that, and can't disagree with their reasons. But, I also have a great respect for those professionals who have a passion for what they do, so much that they when they see something in someone else, they want to help grow the art, and pass that knowledge that they have to someone else, just as it has been passed to them. I have 3 very good friends, that I am lucky enough to call friends, who are also professional photographers, that have influenced me, guided me, and just been there for me, at any moment that I needed them. They have been amazing examples to me in their styles, their relatability, each in their own interpretation of the art, and in their teaching methods. They have shown me how to have confidence in my work, given me great critique, and shown me how to incorporate other ideas in, and stay open to new ideas and new concepts. What I love about their styles, and what I see in each of their styles, is so different, from the other, but each one makes me think differently about a photo, and I love that! I love seeing how they might come at a photo, or thinking what they might do. I may not always agree, and I hope they aren't offended by that, but I love the ideas, and that they get me to think about things in other ways!

Scott has been a friend of ours for a long long time. He's been one of the only people to take photos of our family. I fell in love with his work (and yes, Scott, you too!), when I saw some of the photos he had done of our family a while back. When I saw the photos he had taken of our kids, and of Allan and I, I saw it. He captured us! It wasn't staged, or posed, or matchy matchy. It was just us, being a family. Not that it wasn't hard to get. I mean, come on! Do you know our family!? My favorite photo, besides those done of Ellie, that Scott has done, was the one of Sarah and the pine cone. Sarah was being wiggly, and she loves being the center of attention. So, Scott took Sarah aside, on her own, and just sat and talked to her, and let her do whatever silly thing she wanted. He allowed her to be her, and he just captured her perfectly, and simply.

Sarah. Photo taken by Scott Roeben

Scott, also, took the photos of Ellie, when we lost her. I've written about it before, but we asked him to do the hardest thing, I think, he's ever done. And he did it beautifully, and perfectly. He captured the moment. He then continued on, and came to the service, to support us, but to support us in the way he knew I would appreciate most, and maybe, the way he was most comfortable doing......being behind the lens. He captured the service for us. I would've never thought to do that, but he did it, and I couldn't be more grateful for those photographs. Because of the photos of those very difficult moments, Scott has made me want to give that to others. I love that he just wants to capture the moment. I love that he wants to keep things simple. I love that he doesn't care so much about the outfit matching the background. He gets close to his subject (or zooms in, HA!) and gets their face, gets their feelings and emotions, and gets who they are. He just gets the moment. It's not about the background, the clothing, the props, nothing......it's just the moment, and that's what we want to remember. I love him for giving me that perspective.

One of my favorites taken of Ellie. Photo taken by Scott Roeben.

Another thing that I love about Scott, and that has inspired me to use photography as a means of service, is all of his charity work that he does. I can't even begin to tell you all of the amazing things he does for our community. Photographing Joy Prom is one of the favorite things that I always look forward to seeing the photos of, and hearing the stories. Or the photographs he takes at Shade Tree, of all of the kids with their mothers, because for some, those will be the only photos they have of their children and them. Or his most recent project of photographing the animals at the shelters, a few days a week, so that the pictures of the animals will be better, and hopefully help get these sweet animals a good home. I hope that, one day, I will feel confident enough in my abilities, to be able to give back to others, even half of the capacity that he does. He doesn't do anything for the recognition (although, he doesn't turn it away either, HA!), or the profits. He just does it because he loves it, he's good at it, and he's just a good guy! Here are a few websites of Scott's work (Yup. This is happening Scott.): http://www.scottroebenphotography.com/ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/lvshooter.

Another friend of mine, Terrell Neasly, was introduced to me by Scott, actually at Scott's birthday party this last year. Terrell, I believe, was brought into my life at just the right moment. He has been a HUGE support to me, both personally, and with photography. When I first met him, he was introduced to me as a photographer here in town. He told me that he likes to shoot nudes. I was intrigued! HAHA! He explained that it was artistic nude, not erotic....I honestly didn't know the difference. Nude was nude to me, and I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea! However, after listening to him talk about it, I was softened to the idea, and was interested in learning more. THEN, he told me something interesting. He said he also did remembrance photography. He did what I wanted to do! He was one of many photographers in town, that volunteer their time and talent to an organization called, "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" (https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/), who goes to hospitals, anytime they are called, and photographs these beautiful angel babies, and some of their last moments with their parents and families. He was even more excited to learn that that is exactly what I wanted to do, except, I didn't, and still don't, feel my skills were at a level that they needed to be, to be able to give that kind of gift. He said he would LOVE to teach me everything I needed to know to be able to do this, and was excited to help me get there, because there was such a huge need for willing photographers. He was even more interested in helping me because I was a mom, who had lost a child, and understood why this gift is so important, and thought I would have a special perspective to offer these families.

Since that meeting, Terrell has helped me so much more than he realizes......much more than in just the world of photography. He is different from most people I know, and has a different perspective and outlook on things, and I think that shows in his style of photography. He's very passionate about what he does, very sure about how he wants it to look, and very sure about how to get it. He exudes a confidence that I hope to have one day in this art, and in life, in general. (I would share one of his photographs, that is my favorite, but I'm not sure if it's ok to share another photographers work. So, instead, if you want to see more, go here: http://www.photoanthems.com/#/page/home/.) Over time, I have really come to appreciate his nude photos. My favorites are the ones he has taken of "Panda", and especially the ones with her child. The difference in the ones without her child, and the ones with are night and day, to me, and perhaps is because I'm a mother myself. I look at her with her child, and I see her more relaxed than without. I see her more joyful. I feel like, when her child is with her, in those photos, I see who she really is. Her body language changes, her face changes, her eyes change.......her spirit changes. I have appreciated the nudes because, there's nothing to hide behind. It's just you. There's no distraction of bright colors of clothes, no backdrops to match to, nothing, but really, your face, and your body. It's not erotic. It's raw. And I love what he portrays in the photos of, especially, Panda.

I love when Terrell gives me his opinion on my photos. Sometimes it makes me want to throw something at my monitor when I see the words "more contrast", or when he shows me what he might do, and why my way is wrong, according to him. But, on the other side of things, I love it, because it makes me consider another way, and try it out. Also, if I don't like his way of doing something, countering his opinion, has made me more confident in my own vision for a photograph, and my own methods of doing something a certain way. He has made me feel that it's not wrong to do it my way, it's just different, and sometimes, different is good. He has made me really understand that there are rules that you need to learn, and know, and understand, for the art of photography, and he has taught me, and continues to teach me when is the time to follow those rules, or ignore those rules (if you haven't guessed....I'm kind of a rebel).

Finally, my little Lisa. Lisa happens to be the bereavement coordinator at Summerlin Hospital, where she is also a Labor and Delivery nurse (one of the best, in my opinion, but that could be completely biased, HA!). She runs the bereavement group that I attend, which is where I met her. I can't really tell you how a relationship formed, in the regard of photography, but even before we were friends, I knew that she was a photographer, and owned her own business doing so (http://www.littleloophotography.com/). I secretly Facebook stalked her for quite a while before I ever said anything to her about photography, because of my own confidence issues, again. I have been a fan for such a long time.

One day, I told her that my husband worked for Adobe, and had gotten me CS6, but I had no idea what I was doing. I knew Lightroom pretty well, but opening Photoshop made my head explode. So, she offered to teach me, one day a week, for 30 minutes a day. That actually went on for quite a little while. She taught me, ugh, she taught me so much. She was always so sweet with me, and so patient. She knew I was nervous, and never pushed anything, if I felt uncomfortable. A while after, she asked me to make something for her photo book to fit into, for a client, after she found out that I could sew (squares. I can sew squares. HA!). I know it sounds like a silly project, but I was so excited to do it. You see, when I love something that someone is doing, I want to support them any way I possibly can. I LOVE what she does, and I wanted to help her succeed, and help her business grow into whatever she wanted it to be, even if it was something small like this project of making sleeves for a photo book to go into.

She has since asked me to assist on some of her shoots, and I have loved every minute of it! It is one of my favorite things, ever, to do! If I can't shoot it, I want to assist! (the other favorite is quilting, in case you were wondering). I love assisting her because, I learn so much. I learn how she interacts with the people she is shooting. I learn why she uses certain poses, certain colors against another color, certain lighting techniques, and attention to details that I may have overlooked in the past. Not only that, she has allowed me to interject ideas and opinions, some she tries, and some she takes the time to explain why something may or may not work for what she's thinking. She has taught me so many things, just by watching her, and being around her, that I can't begin to list everything out. I often wonder if I am helping her at all, or if I am causing her more stress. HAHAHA! You never know how your perception of something is different from another persons. But, that's what I get out of it. I love working with her, because I feel like we are usually on the same page with things, and it's an easy relationship, in that regard.

Lisa is genuinely such a kind, loving, giving and amazing woman, and I believe that she, like Scott and Terrell, gives you a window into her subjects true selves, but she also, through her photos, gives you a window into herself. Her photos are always warm, loving, soft, fun, vibrant and full of stories, some quirky and funny, and some serious and sweet. Those qualities describe what I have come to know, and love, about her. I love that, if you look through her photos, you see her. You see her passion for what she's doing, and what kind of a quality person she is. Through her photos, you see the amount of love she has for the people she is photographing, and for the art of photography.

A common thread, between these 3 talented photographers is their heart. They are all just good people, and all, in their own way, do service for others. They have all been willing to let me into a little spec of the this world, that is so closely guarded, a lot of the times, and have been willing to teach me, guide me, and build my confidence, both in photography, and personally. I feel incredibly lucky, and blessed, to even say I know, and am friends with, these amazing photographers. They have all taken the time to teach me, hold my hand, come into my life, and change everything about it, in a positive way. I hope that, over time, I make these 3 people proud, especially. It is one of the best feelings in the world when, not only my husband says he likes a photo I've taken (he's my toughest critic, but my biggest support), but when one of them, or all three, say that they like something I've done, I feel like I'm finally getting it, and I've actually done a good job. I hope that, they can see, someday, how their influences have affected my own photos, and my life. I look up to these three so much, and not only am I huge fan of theirs, and a huge support for them, and their work, but I love them so much, and look up to them personally. They are amazing, wonderful, and great people, friends of mine, and I am lucky to be able to call them that. (Again, sorry that I'm not sharing any of Lisa or Terrell's pictures! They haven't taken any of our family, and I'm not sure the etiquette or rules of sharing other photographers work. But please, go check out their websites!)