New Blog Location!

Hello Everyone,

It has been a long time, I know!  I got busy with all things life.  I hope you all have been doing well.

I wanted to pop in and say that I'm starting to blog again, but this time in a new location.  My new blog is attached to my actual website and I hope that you will all visit me there!

My latest post asks how you feel about family Christmas pictures, do they stress you out or do you look forward to them every year?  If I am your photographer, I hope you look forward to them each year!  If not, then I hope to get the chance to be your photographer someday.

Anyway, come check it out!  http://inthelightphotography.zenfolio.com/blog

Just because I simply can't leave you without pictures to view, here are some of my all time favorite Christmas pictures of my kiddos.  I deemed all of these as failures when I first took them because they weren't happening according to my plan, but as I look back on them, I see how perfect they really are.   To read more, come check out the most recent post at the link above!

Overcoming My "Artist Fears"

Last year I followed an artist mentorship.  I wasn't being mentored personally, but was in an online group following another artist in the process.   During the course, the instructor/mentor talked about having a uniform way to present your artwork so that it didn't look schizophrenic or as if many different artists had contributed to the collection.   I immediately realized that my presentation variety was the epitome of the schizophrenic style he had been talking about.  Most of my work is printed, matted with a white matt and framed in a simple, black frame, but I have a series in brown, wood frames and a series in copper frames as well.  I also have a canvas print and prints that have been mounted on gator board and laminated, complete with a wire hanger on back for direct hanging.   Some of my pieces have colored matts and some even have colored frames!  Aside from the bright, vibrant colors, it does not look like one complete body of work by one artist.  It does show how my preferences have changed and shifted throughout the years.  I didn't know what to do except to start over with one focused style of printing (fully knowing that even the new style would shift and change through the years, but at least it would all match now).  The problem was, what to do with all of the artwork in my current possession that has been finished in different styles?   I asked the mentor.   His answer was to have a sale.   Now, in fairness to him, in general he believes in not discounting your artwork, but in my situation, he thought a stock reduction sale would be in order.  

I was excited by the idea of this at first, but when I set out to make it happen, I became paralyzed with fear.   I called it busyness at the time.  I mean, I did have plenty on my plate.  I was homeschooling my kids and running my photography business, as well as volunteering at church.  However, it wasn't the busyness that stopped me, it was fear.  Fear that my work wouldn't be good enough to actually sell, and then where would I be?  Feeling rejected and insufficient as an artist.  Feeling as if I may as well stop trying because really, who was going to like my work enough to buy it other than my friends and family when they felt sorry for me?  I guess you can see that it doesn't take me very long to spiral into negative self talk when it comes to my artwork.  That is a problem that I'm working on, this post is part of that work.  I'm identifying the problem so that I can address it.

Now, I know that artwork is subjective.  You really do need to find the right audience for your work to sell.  So, even if it didn't sell, that doesn't mean it's not good enough for someone to buy, it just means that the right person hasn't seen it and doesn't even realize it's out there for them.   Enter my second fear....that I just didn't know how to market it in a way that it would actually reach the "right audience", the audience that would appreciate it enough to want to own it.   This was accompanied by my third fear, how do I price it?!?!?!   Some of these pieces have been with me for years.  They have hung on our walls, they have moved with us, they have traveled to different art shows and been hung in varies gallery spaces, etc.  Because of this, some of them have scratches or even dents.   Some of the matting isn't perfect, because I cut it myself, years ago when I was trying so hard to do it all myself.  That was before I learned that it is better to do the parts I am great at and let someone who is great at the parts I am not, do the rest.    I was so tempted to get rid of any of the work that had imperfections, but I couldn't, I still love them, they are still part of me.  I have an attachment to each piece.   Even the fact that the thought crossed my mind, that there were some I should leave out, made me extra thankful that God doesn't work like that.  He sees our flaws, but doesn't discount us because of them, instead He makes strengths out of our weaknesses.  So, here He is in me now, giving me this work to do so that my weaknesses can be turned into strengths.   Of course, I'm not God, I can't turn the dents or scratches into strengths for my artwork, so I am going to discount those, but not by an unreasonable amount, because I'm finally learning that they are valuable.  They were each inspired by God and created with love by me as a response to His inspiration.   They are collaboration pieces.  Each one illustrates a different point in my life, a different season of growth, and a different level of learning.   None of them are completely masterful, because as long as I am alive, I will continue to be learning new skills and depths of skills, but they are all masterpieces, and they are all valuable.   I realize that one of my problems has been that I have been estimating their value solely on what other people say about them and whether or not they sell.  That isn't an accurate way to asses value.

I was reminded last weekend at church, from Dr. Dave Martin, that we shouldn't rate ourselves by the way others see us, or even the way we see ourselves, but only by the way God sees us.  I think the same is true of the work we do.  I can't rate it by how I think others perceive it, or even through my own eyes (because as an artist, I am ALWAYS my worst critic).  I have to learn to look past those and see in them what God sees.  He sees the heart behind them.  The surrender and the love that it took to make them.  He sees the time I spent with Him as I was "perfecting" them, all the questions that I asked Him as I was trying to figure out the perfect color or opacity to use.  He sees who He created me to be, a vessel through which He could flow.  He sees that I was working through the gifts that He gave me.  He sees my love for my husband that inspired me to make certain pieces or my desire to grow that inspired others.  He sees my appreciation for the small details in His creation that led me to photograph a small flower or how my heart leapt when I saw the perfect light it was framed in at the moment I came across it.   He sees the love story in each piece.  It's a love story that I can almost perceive as I work on an image and that I may vaguely remember years later when I catch a glimpse of the artwork out of the corner of my eye, but He sees it fully and someday I will too.

I was listening to Les Brown the other night and one of the things that he said really struck my heart, "A lot of people don't act on their ideas and dreams because they are scared because they don't know how to do it and they aren't willing to be awkward.  Find something that will make it worth it to become an explorer in life."  He likened it to a baby first learning to walk.  They don't just give up after the first few falls, they keep going until they can do it.  They aren't inhibited by failure, and likewise, we don't try to stop them because we think they will never learn.  We encourage them to keep going because we know it's worth it.   Today, I think that my artwork is worth it.   Maybe I should say that I'm on my way to knowing it's worth it, because that last sentence made me cringe a bit.  ;)    Anyway, I'm putting this out here in a willingness to be awkward for the growth that it will bring.

If you would like to view the gallery of my current personal collection for sale, please do, you can find it here.

Trainer Silhouettes

I had so much fun photographing Michelle, of Ripped By Rycroft.  She wanted some silhouettes for her website, so I got to play with light!  We did a few silhouettes and a few where I let some light spill onto her to show just how "ripped" she actually is, or should I say, was.  Since this session, she has continued to improve, not only her own physique, but the physiques of many clients as well.

I should admit that my nine year old daughter was greatly disturbed by this image, "Mom, that's not the right way to hold those!  She's going to get hurt."  I told her that we just did that for the picture, she doesn't normally lift like that.  Her response, "Oh, so those aren't real weights?  Phew!"  Actually, they are very real and they are VERY heavy, but I don't think we did any damage to Michelle in the taking of this picture.  Some of the other poses however, she did have to hold for quite some time, and I'm pretty sure she was sore the next day.  Hey, what can I say, it was my only chance to give the trainer a workout.  :)

 I had to take at least one that showed her beautiful smile.  She talks a tough game and she'll get you into shape, but she's an encourager all the way because she's rooting for your success.

God's Love For Us, Illustrated Through Performance Art

One of my favorite jobs as a photographer is getting to capture the still images of Experience Arts School's students and shows.  I recently photographed their spring performance, "Wonder" and I can honestly say that the quality of their art gets better and better each semester.  

One performance in particular stood out to me this year.  I had the privilege of photographing it twice, once in the run-through and again at the final performance.  I was in tears both times.  The piece illustrated God's love for us so intensely that I just have to share it here.  All of the descriptions you'll read are my own interpretation of what I saw.  I wanted to just put that in there in case my understanding doesn't match the intent of the original artist.

The dance opens as God creates man.  He breathes life into him, provides for him, and communes with him.  Man is in awe of God and is completely cared for by Him.

Soon, distractions (I say distractions as opposed to sins because that is how they start, seemingly innocent distractions that steal our attention and hearts away from the One who created them) start entering the stage.  At first, it seems harmless enough to enjoy a dance with Seduction, but this temptation was sent by the enemy to take man's eyes off of God.  Man is wooed away from the One who loves him and once he has followed after the Seduction, he is cast aside, the once distraction, now  sin, takes it's place between man and God.  

As Seduction casts man aside, Greed enters the stage and tempts man with money and man chases after it.  When he finally attains the riches, Greed rips them from his hand, leaving man nothing and takes his place between God and man.

Alone and broke, man is "befriended" by Drunkenness and Addiction.  The ones that would have him throw all of his cares away and drown them in a party lifestyle filled with anything to numb the pain and emptiness he feels.

When man realizes that what he has been seeking comfort in is poison, he shoves it away, but he can no longer see God for all of the sin that stands between them.  Alone again, man is confronted by the world's view of perfection and beauty.  He doesn't measure up to the iconic image and is left feeling ashamed, defeated, hopeless and alone.  Self hatred has taken hold.

The distractions that enter no longer seem harmless, they are destructive and evil and they try to bring death along with them.  It is often this way in our own lives.  The more distractions we allow to come between us and our Creator, the darker they become and the further out of reach He seems to be.

Enter Self-Loathing who teaches man to begin his own physical destruction, man follows along because he sees no other alternative.  There is a long line of his past failures that now stand between him and the Lover of his soul.  God however, has not taken His eyes off of man and He calls to him continually, trying to get his attention, but man doesn't see, he is caught up in his despair.  

Suicide comes in alongside Self-Loathing and tries to shove a gun into man's hand.  Man sees no other alternative, he knows it's the wrong choice and he is obviously torn, but he is blocked from hope.  Hope is not blocked from him, and God cries out to His creation.  Man hears His call and briefly reaches toward the loving voice,  but he feels incapable of escaping the enemy's hold and he takes the gun.  After an internal struggle between choosing life or choosing death, he realizes that God is his only chance, he throws down the gun, turns, and tries to run into the arms of the Savior who loves him.  All he has to do now is break through the long line of sin and failures that stand between him and God.   He can't do it.

This is where I was thrown for a loop the first time I saw the dance.  I couldn't understand why God didn't just come between the sin and man.  He could have, but He didn't.  Then I saw why.  Man was trying to get to Him.... yes....but he was doing it in his own strength, he was coming against the enemy on his own and trying to break through by himself.  God was reaching out to him and pulling him in by the cords of His lovingkindness (Hosea 11:4 "I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love.  I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him." and  Jeremiah 31:3 "The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love;  Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness..."") and man was responding by trying to get to God, but not in the right way.  Man can't reach God on his own.  We need a Savior to come between us and the sin we are entangled in.  The Savior comes when we surrender.  

After several failed attempts to run through the enemy to God, man surrenders.  He falls to ground and prays, he lifts his hands in abandon and lets Jesus step in and do the work.  The instant man repents, God, as Jesus, jumps between man and his accusers.  They continue to fight to get at man and Jesus holds them back as man comes to God in surrender and prayer.  Then, He pushes back and throws the enemy aside.  Man is free.  Free again to walk with the Lover of his soul.  Jesus leans down and puts His banner around man's shoulders.  He calls him by His own name and man walks with God, the Holy Spirit holds man in a long embrace and leads him off the stage to walk with him and lead him through his life.

Not only was this piece a poignant illustration of God's saving grace for mankind in general, it can also be applied to each of us as individuals.  Even when we have given our lives to God, distractions have a way of entering in and standing between us and our Savior.  God calls out to us and draws us to Him with His cords of loving kindness.  At any time, we can call out to Him in surrender and give all that is between us to Him so that all areas of our lives are completely under His Lordship and we can walk in the path He has laid out for us.  If there is sin or past failures standing between you and God now, just take some time to cry out to Him, let Him defeat the enemies in your life.  Then, accept His forgiveness and walk alongside Him through your life.

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If you would like to know more about Experience Arts School, go here.  I couldn't recommend the school more highly.  My own kids go there and I love how they are taught, not only do they learn performance arts, but they are also taught how to use their gifts as a means of worship.  That to me, is priceless. EAS even has a summer camp coming up soon, there is still time to register!  There are tracks in dance, theatre, music and tech.  Here is the info for this year's camp.  I hope to see you there!

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And now, here are some images taken of the, "Everything" performance on the night of the show.  Enjoy!

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Fun Family Portraits by an Arizona Lake

 A couple of posts ago, I introduced you to one of my favorite families to photograph.  Here is another one of my absolute favorite families!  This family exudes energy and fun-loving antics.  The kids are not only beautiful beyond belief, but they are full of giggles and grins and up for anything!  It is easy to see where they get it too, their parents are two of the most creative, loving and enthusiastic people I've ever met.  I LOVE photographing this family!  Here are some images from a session we had at Freestone Park in Gilbert, Arizona.

 

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Here is one that shows Grammy.  Everyone should be blessed with a Grammy like this woman!  Those kids (parents included) could never doubt her love, dedication and devotion!  This picture is a bit out of date however, I saw her recently and she looks like a different person!  Time for some new pictures! 

 See what I mean about fun and energetic?  You can see the making of this image here, on my YouTube channel.

Love his gorgeous curls!!!!

 This miraculously quiet, contemplative moment was brought to you by those fascinating ducks.

 No wonder they make such great looking kids!

Even their eyes look like they were made to go together.

Last but not least, my personal favorite.  I have four young kids of my own, so I know that sometimes, this is what life feels like.  What I love about this couple is that they are such a strong team.  There can be a whirlwind going on around them, but they don't let it seperate them.  They are rooted in God and completely in love.  Their children are blessed to have this example of parents who love each other in such an unwavering way.