Monday, September 27, 2010

Newborn Matthew

Absolutely love working with mothers and their newborns. What an amazingly beautiful and precious time in life! Thank you, Nicolle, for sharing your bundle of joy and motherly energy with me. It was a most wonderful morning!











Monday, September 20, 2010

Pet Portraits @ The Park


So Mitch and I were out and about yesterday, hanging these posters for my upcoming "Pet Portraits @ The Park" promo and fundraiser. We stopped at the Nevada Humane Society to hang a poster and decided to take a "quick" peruse through the adoptable animals. It was heartbreaking to see many of the over 600 cats available for adoption at the shelter. I was at the point of tears when we decided to look at some of the dogs before we left. We went through three different outdoor areas, each full of kennels. As we stepped out to what would be our last area, I had a momentary feeling that in this particular area we'd find "Cooper". "Who's Cooper?" you may ask. Cooper was a figment of Mitchell's imagination, a glimmer in his eye (if you will), an idea of a little boy dog to bring home to be part of our family.
So, we looked through the kennels, me more carefully than Mitch (because I had that feeling). I sat in front of a kennel of a little girl "Layloni" (a doberman mix). She was very timid and stayed near the inside area of her kennel. I called her name a few times and she carefully approached me for a sniff. She quickly retreated because of the misters spraying on her from above. Meanwhile, Mitch was also sitting next to the very last kennel playing meet and greet with a friendly little guy. I called him over, wondering if this was the one my intuition was telling me we'd meet. She wouldn't come back to the fence and seemed as though she had been hurt by a human hand in the past. In that moment, an imaginary flash of what her history may encompassed flashed before my eyes. I felt so much compassion for this little pup but knew that she was not the one we were meant to take home.
Mitch quickly saw this change in my energy and motioned me over to the last kennel. It was "Killian", a german shorthair pointer/lab mix. He was quite friendly for just having met us and he was calm and quiet. You could tell he was a pup though because he was still a bit lanky and clumsy.
Long story short...we were back within the hour with our dog Bailey for a meet n' greet session. They did great for the most part. Bailey is a bit possessive of her family so would bark when he got too close to mom's purse or when she was in the middle of getting pets from her parents and he barged right in, all 60 or so pounds of him, to be part of the group. I looked up at Mitchell and said, "we'd better get him home in time for a bath".
We didn't make it any further than the Nevada Human Society with the posters.

aside: Through the 27th of September, the NV Human Society is giving away all cats that are over 4 months old. Kittens are also discounted. If you are able and would like a companion, please consider adopting a cat (or dog) from the shelter. They are all such sweet, innocent animals who need a little food and lots of lovin'. Our pets have the ability to teach us so much about love, life, and joy in their short little lives. Take advantage of these wonderful little beings.

And, now "Killian" is "Cooper Dean".

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Self Portraits

As a photographer, I prefer to be behind the camera. Recently, I read a book of 365 self portraits (one for everyday in a year). I thought to myself, "there is no way I would be discipline enough to ever do something like that"; at the same time thinking that it would be a really great documentation of oneself. I also began questioning why I hate having my picture taken. As a kid, it never seemed a problem... posing on the beach in Mexico when I was one wearing my mother's negligee. But as I've grown up and been assimilated into a culture of judgements and self-loathing, I've become much less open to myself and others. I've become reclusive- knowing that in hiding oneself, there is no rejection. In the past, I've thought that hiding myself from others was easier than the alternative. And now, I realize that we are only granted one life on this earth, one chance to connect with others going through the same worldly experience, one opportunity to experience as much as we possibly can. It's not necessarily easier to close oneself off from the outside world but it is definitely much lonelier. So what if someone misunderstands you? We are not here to make everyone else happy. We are here to find happiness within ourselves.
Here are some preliminary self portraits. I'm learning to be closer to the other side of the lens and to be open to all the failure and rejection I will experience in the future. Without being open to all the failures in this life, you cannot be open to all the possibilities either.



I see myself in you.



The rest are from when I was living in Mexico in 2008.



Monday, September 6, 2010

Senior Style










Recently, I've been incorporating individual interests into senior portrait sessions. It's wonderful to see a teens individuality shine through. By including elements that convey their unique interests, the traditional senior portrait is transcended. It is a way to portray their unique perspective and vision.











Saturday, September 4, 2010

Edible Reno-Tahoe Publication!

If anyone has picked up the new Edible Reno-Tahoe, you may have noticed my photographs published in three of the stories. Photojournalism is one realm of photography that can make a difference in the world. In my eyes, it is a way to bring awareness to the people. Photographs are inherently powerful because they can convey reality flawlessly, unlike any other art form...photographs ARE reality. For us privileged Americans, everyone can read a story. The question is, do we take the time to read and/or do we really understand what that story is telling us?

Vision is one of our most powerful senses, one so powerful that we use it within our minds and outside of the real world. Reality is more easily understood if something tangible can be seen. Thus, "a photograph is worth a thousand words". When we read stories about suffering or violence (wherever in the world), it is a painful thing to think about so we tend to take it for granted. Our minds don't want to go to those unpleasant places and we avoid it at all costs. However, this awareness of reality is essential to making any change in the world. Without awareness, we are all sleep walkers. A powerful photograph has the ability to strike a cord deep within the soul. When this occurs something inside of us changes. It is through this change within ourselves that it becomes possible to change our environment.

Thank you to Edible Reno-Tahoe for publishing some of my first photojournalistic works. I like to think this is just the beginning of a rewarding career within the field. Thank you too to all the people and organizations within the community making a difference.
If you haven't picked up a copy, I strongly suggest you do so. Amanda Burden is so great to be bringing these local stories to the public eye. There are so many great things happening in our community. It is to our detriment not to support them. Buy local!