Planning for the future

Well, it looks like spring is on it's way! Today is a beautiful Saturday, the sun is shining, and the shrubs and flowers are slowing peeking out with their greenery!  Winter, hopefully, is in the rear view!

It has been, for me, a season of planning, starting over, and thinking of the best road to go down for the happiest future.  I have surrounded myself with a multitude of great ideas, both my own and others that are shared.  It is a game to sift through to come out on the other side with a combination of the best!

Stock photography is something that I have been studying for a long time.  The things that to me are interesting are not necessarily the ones that sell, so I have hesitated signing up with a stock site.  I think I am getting a better idea of what is needed, simple seems to be better, with lots of open space.  I'm considering the option of shooting for the holidays, greeting card, calendar, etc.  With a theme comes more ideas - a color that stands out, a background that uses the theme well.  All of these are things to think about when I begin this project.

FineArtAmerica.com is a great website for photography sales!  The site is buyer friendly, doing all of the work for you - all you have to do is post your image and keyword.  I'd love it if this was automatic..not my strong point!  I've posted some of my favorite shots on here - no sales, but I have quite a few followers.  
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/susan-jones.html 
Redbubble.com is another of the sales sites that I use, including a few of my photos into groups and contests..I have won recognition in the groups with quite a few..which is of course VERY good for the photographer's ego!
http://www.redbubble.com/people/mountainshadows 

I have 2 weddings, a shoot with a dog breeder ( and friend!) horse shows to travel to, and another beach trip in the back of my head.  This fall's cruise is something that I'll never forget - and the photos that came home with me bring it all to mind! Plans for the future and memories already made make the time I spend with my camera some of the best times I have!

  

Taking another step forward

Baby steps - that's how we learn how to walk.. and how to live! Learning where we belong in this world can sometimes be a treacherous trail, much like a hike up a steep mountain. Unfortunately, sometimes the rocks slide out from under our feet, or we slip on a slick rock, and we land flat on our behinds. It is at that point that we have to decide whether to sit there until we get a hand up, or pick ourselves up and move on. I have been slipping and sliding quite a bit lately, but when I walk, I have been afraid to step out. Baby steps were a safe way to avoid disappointment and failure. I have spent a lot of the last four days - short vacation from the money job - trying to decide if I had grown enough to walk alone. I have spent the day with a man and woman who were ready to commit their lives to each other on a mountain in front of friends and family - and God! I know he was there, because he held my hand through a lot of it.

I have been witness to a man and a woman just getting started their life together. I was just in the right place at the right time..sometimes photography is a little bit of luck!

Children are such a gift! I was given a gift by my daughter Sarah two years ago..a wonderful mini of her mother, some of her Aunt Meg, and most of her very own self. She loves the neurotic yorkie, is a master of her mother's Ipad, and can get her way with a smile or a tear. She has been my favorite subject, both posed and candid, and I have caught her in most of her milestones.

Through all of these wonderful people, I haven't forgotten that I love a walk in the woods or along the water's edge more than anything. How nice it will be to photograph my next customers in one of my favorite nature spots! I'm ready to go, and to grow. We never stop growing, unless we lose our dreams.. I've taken baby steps to get to that point, but now I'm ready to run! My family and my friends that have encouraged this step are the wind beneath my wings..I hope I don't disappoint you. I love you all!

Sunday in February - waiting for spring

This morning as the thermometer dipped into the high teens, I went outside to walk the dogs..I prefer owning dogs only in the spring and summer, but unfortunaltely I have to keep them in fall and winter in order to maintain a relationship with them. The sun had risen above Lone Mountain, and the wind was blowing pretty strong in the pines behind the house. There were birds trying to fly against the wind. Their efforts were thwarted as they turned around and rerouted their courses. Even though we have only had two days of winter this month, I decided that was more than I want.

Don't get me wrong, Tennessee is a nice place to live. I've been here a long time, and probably will be here a little while longer. Questions of relocation through my head, not only because I love to travel, but because when we have winter, it is too cold for me. 70 degrees on Monday, and 20 on Saturday..if you don't like the weather in Tennessee , just wait until tomorrow. We have a summer that is too hot for most (not me, I love the heat!) and a winter that is cold and blustery (usually) but produces no snow (usually). Still our winter is a bleak, dreary bunch of days that we spend wishing for flowers and green.

To be a photographer in a bleak world you have to seek out the details. God has given us these details if we only pay attention.

Then he has provided the southeast corner of Tennessee many lakes and rivers. The opportunities to photograph become much better on a cool winter morning, with a fog rising from the water.

Now as the sun is setting and the frigid temperatures are returning, I'm reminded of the brightness of the winter sun..in it is a promise of spring and summer..the shadows are long and the air is cold, but the clear blue skies give you the most beautiful sunsets..

this is what God's day of rest is to me..a day to revive my spirituality and my beliefs.

Finding a new direction for the new year..

As the year 2011 is coming to a close, I'm thankful that 2012 is giving me the chance to go in another direction..the one I have traveled this year has only taken me in a circle.

We will start with a new job..a new challenge! I always loved a challenge..unless it involves a very steep hill with a waterfall on the top. I'm leaving behind almost two years of knowledge, but in leaving it behind, my only regret is the people who have become my everyday friends. Some are only a familiar face, while some know of my shortcomings and of my strengths. These will probably see a tear in my eye as I leave them, but I hope they will remain in my life as I move on.

Then there is my photography..I try to learn something new everyday. There are websites that teach you tips and tricks to use the lens of your camera to show the world a whole new perspective. The underside of a mushroom, the backside of a horse that is usually viewed from the front..maybe a broken side mirror of an old, rusty car with the reflection of a blue,sunny sky in it. When we pick up a camera to shoot, we see the same thing with or without the viewfinder. We take photographs to present our view to someone else. We draw the attention of another person with another point of view. We can present our point without a single word. Photography is an amazing language, and it needs no interpreter. I will continue to learn to share this language with anyone who chooses to listen..

This has been a year of low times and good times..it has been full of friends and quiet to the point of dismal. I have pushed myself to explore both situations and relationships..some of which have flourished, and some which have stalled at the starting gate. Being alone with yourself is what so many people yearn for, until they are there. I am thankful for the family and friends that always seem to show their love at just the right times..this year will be better, my horoscope says so....

I've watched sunrises and sunsets, watched the birds on the water, longed for the sound of an ocean wave, and climbed mountaintops. Next year I will see more of what nature has to offer, and search out the seldom seen miracles that God has given us. I will make new friends and keep the old. As my children grow up, they grow farther away from home, but closer to my heart. They will accomplish great things, and realize their dreams.

In the coming year I will touch an ocean wave and photograph the foam it leaves behind. I will climb a mountain top, and stand in awe of another waterfall. And I will attempt to make every day count, learning something new every day - and I will be happy...

Looking for Happily Ever After - Part the Second

Now where was I? Oh, yeah, looking for my new "relationship" in the land far, far away! The search was interesting, as I had to look no farther than the front gate of the kingdom.

This fine looking young man smiled as I walked by. I turned my head for a moment, and saw that he smiled at everyone..

Maybe I needed to step up in age to an older gentlemen. So I took a look at this one -

After careful consideration, I decided I need a man with common interests. Though in the real world, I will watch a good UFC showdown, I needed to find someone who could cook, travel, fish, and take long walks. Then there was the music..I decided to look for a guy in the band!

Though these were both lovely gentlemen, I continued to look for that special man. It was then that I spotted my King! So handsome he was, I was taken aback for a moment..

A beautiful man, but I decided against this option, too. I would have to attend all those state dinners, with wild game that I didn't like to eat. And the clothes were hot and heavy..I'm a "double denim" kinda girl! And he had much better hair than I!

And then I found one like I'd already had..this was definitely not an option!

The horseman were interesting, but all they wanted to do was stick each other with a "lance". All that fighting, and very brave~ but I had made a decision - none of them! Alone still, but able to go to my photography clinic on Saturday without asking permission! So, for today, I am still living "happily Ever After".

Looking for Happily Ever After

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there was a castle..well, not SO far away, because I got there in three hours, but not in Dayton, TN either. The castle was white, with twin towers and a curved stair. At the top, in the window - Taylor Swift singing a song..nah, just another visitor. Anyway, arriving in my new location, I scoped out the opportunities - jobs, relationships, modes of transportation. First, I moved into my new home.

Then for the job hunt. Not a lot of options are available, but there was a nice bunch of girls that said I could go to work with them. They called themselves wenches, but I had too many teeth to work in their laundry business.

Then I could join the group of falconers, wear a nice hat, and perform in front of lots of people. But the gloves you have to wear are unattractive, and I'm not real fond of having big birds flying over my head! So though they are fun to watch, not so much fun to be.

I could sell bling to the consumers, maybe work for that really cute guy in the corner booth. I took a picture of him so I could remember those dreamy eyes if he closed up shop and moved away.

Or maybe I could open a hat shop, because EVERYONE wears a hat of some kind..I even have a good inventory to start with - see?

I finally decided just to become the queen of the castle, a lady in a long dress that squeezed the heck out of you, but made you look really skinny...

(to be continued..stay tuned for my preview of eligible bachelors I met while looking for Prince Charming)

Being a part of a dream - observing through the lens

When you wake up in the morning with a plan, you never know what will happen. You have a time, a place, and an itinerary... then you wait for the results.

Sunday morning was one of those days. Scheduling completed, phone calls made, equipment ready - out the door! I attended a Lady Mocs girls softball game at Frost Park. Loved music that played on the loud speakers. With an overcast sky, I was able to shoot some really good action shots from my spot behind third base. No brightness issues..overexposure was not going to happen..ballgame over, next stop. The Chattanooga Choo-choo for an engagement shoot with friends from Cookeville. Timing was perfect, the sun was peeking out, and I had already scoped out the spots I wanted to shoot from. Perfection! Great couple to work with, they were funny, and in love!

It was then that fate stepped in..not necessarily for the three of us. I had seen a young couple sitting in the gazebo, talking quietly, sitting closely.. the gentleman called out to me as we walked by, asking if I would shoot a couple of pictures of them. Of course, I agreed - I just love "LOVE"! So I got them to stand together, holding each other, and shot a few photos. And then, he said, "I have a photographer, and I have witnesses..no better time than this!" And all of a sudden......

I dropped to my knees and started shooting! No time for concern in a blown out overcast sky - I was so in the moment! And she said yes, and they hugged, and I wanted to cry, just because I was able to be a part of their future! I was the one that got to capture the moment..and I realized why I love the camera..it allows you to be a part of someone's life, part of God's nature, and in doing so it makes you feel good. Copngratulations, you two!

Scott, Lynn, Anthony, and Yolnique - old friends and our new friends!

Then it was time for a trip downtown. A trip to a local restaurant, and over my shoulder I see an amazing miracle..a little girl, so tiny, sleeping on the shoulder of someone who loves her so. And of course, being interested in capturing everything I see, I ask to photograph her. Her mom and dad agreed, and this is what we got..

After finishing up the day with a walk through Coolidge Park, I headed home with a good feeling inside..I had a beautiful day, good friends, new friends, miracles, surprises..and most of all, I was lucky to be part of a dream..through the lens..I'm living my dreams.