April Rap-Up

I've been a busy little bee. Last week I had a few more practice photo shoots, then my computer went kaput. The bad news is I'm totally backed up (not the laxative kind). The great news is I got a new, much faster hard drive for my computer that makes photoshop editing a breeze. Other than the fact that I have to be hostess with the mostess for the next few days, I'll be done with editing the hundreds of pictures in no time (early next week?). So without further ado, here are the newest shoots and lessons from each.

New Lewi - My first on-location media shoot




Orville is a rapper extraordinaire. His shoot was both on-location and in the studio. Besides being the first media shoot, it was the first on-location adult shoot that I've done. It didn't last too long since it started to rain, but I enjoyed it the most. Being outside, finding locations in Manhattan that suited the look he was going for, seeing him in his element, it was fantastic. I didn't realize how much I absolutely love on-location shoots until I got to photograph Orville. I strongly prefer it to in-studio sessions. That has to be the biggest lesson there. Oh yeah, and that I'm short. I had to get up on a step ladder to shoot Orville in the studio so I could get him face to face. lol.

Lewinson Family - My first family shoot




The Lewinson Family shoot was also both on-location and in the studio. I got a lot of good practice photographing outdoor play. I also faced a new challenge...Isaac (my godson). lol. He's that in-between age where you don't have to chase him around to get a picture, but you can't exactly pose him, either. Getting a serious pose out of him was near impossible, but that made the pictures all the more genuine and fun to me. They were my first family shoot, and I realized it requires a lot of time. Before then, I thought I could "JC Penney" it and get a family in and out in 1/2 an hour - 45 minutes tops. Now I realize a full hour is needed for most family type shoots. I also enjoyed photographing the full range of skin tones in this family...absolutely gorgeous.

The Rolle Family - my first time with people who have their photos taken OFTEN


The Rolle Family was great fun. They are practically professional picture takers. Photographers building their portfolios should hire this family. They know how to pose and still look natural. They know how to be playful and still professional. Seriously, they should rent themselves out. Jo (mom) said I was too laid back and nice with their shoot. I don't know what they're used to, but they did everything I told them to do without any hassle. What's there not to be nice about? They were awesome. I learned that there are families out there like this who actually get their pictures taken often and come with certain expectations. I need to be aware of that and let them know ahead of time that my photo shoots are way more relaxed. Little by little through these practice shoots, I'm learning my own personal style.
I really like to capture the true essence of who people are in their photographs.

Kim McCray - my first on-location high-fashion shoot, and my first time shooting in Raw format


Kim McCray is absolutely stunning. She has been a good friend of mine for many years, and I've always thought she was beautiful - but this photo shoot showed me how breath taking she is. She was a natural. I had her climbing trees, walking through mud, treading over rocky and unstable ground - all while dressed completely in white and wearing heels...and she had a smile on her face the whole time. It was great practice for the practice "Trash the Dress" shoot I have coming up in May. The pictures from her shoot are my favorite so far because they captured her at the core of who she is. It was also my very first time shooting in Raw format (besides the few I took of Joshua in the house to get a feel for it). I always used to shoot in jpeg because I had a fear of the unknown in Raw. Yet Raw produces much higher quality pictures and most professionals shoot in this format. I decided to take the leap into Raw - and that very day Kim told me she's going Raw soon (foodwise). I was too thrilled. Perhaps I'll make my way back to raw foods, but I'm definitely an all raw photographer from now on. I also learned that I need an assistant for those types of shoots. She had all sorts of accessories she carried with her, and I would've liked to have someone else carry those things so she would've been more free to enjoy herself. It didn't seem to stop her, though. We both had a blast.

"Kiyeena" - my first little girl in costume




My last practice photo shoot of the month was Kiyeena. I have been forgetting to get model release forms signed, so I don't really know how to spell her name. Don't worry, these are all my friends...they won't sue me for posting their pictures without a written consent. lol. Ok, so honestly I didn't think I was going to learn much from this shoot. Boy was I wrong! This little girl was a ball of energy. She was rolling and entangling herself in the backdrop, having a blast. When she wasn't doing that, she was running at me (a la Joshua). A lot of time was spent waiting for her to settle into a spot where I could photograph her. I got a lot of cute shots of her on that bench...little did I know that the bench DOES NOT work with my chromakey green screen backdrop (which is what I had for her in the studio). I wanted to use the green so I could turn it into any color I wanted. Cool. The green backdrop bled icky green all over my subject and the props. Not cool. Even in the edited version, you can still see the green. From now on I will know not to use the green back drop with that bench, or the angel costume. I was so happy that her mom let me dress her up in a brand new costume I had bought. It was fun. I ended up taking her outdoors because it was just gorgeous out, and we got some great shots. Even Joshua decided to go for a run with his new angel.



All in all, April was a great month. I do not regret taking this time to learn and grow. I know that neither one of those processes ever stop, so I'm looking forward to more learning and growth ahead!

Sugar Mama?

When Pierre and I were dating, I would flinch and fight at his mere mention that I might make more money than him one day. That was just unacceptable to me. I was raised with a very strict idea of male and female roles, and I rebelled against most of them - but the one that says the man should be the main bread winner in the house really stuck. We have a term in Spanish, "Vividor", which is a man that lives off his woman. It's a very bad title to have.

Fast forward to yesterday, I said the following to Pierre:

"Wouldn't it be cool if because you've worked and allowed me to stay home and follow my dreams, that I would be so successful that I could tell you you didn't have to work anymore so you could follow your own dreams (writing books, ministering around the world, etc)? Then we would both be successful and doing what Yahweh has put on our hearts to do!"

Just the fact that I could concieve and be cool with that is proof that Yahweh has done a work in my heart without me even noticing He was doing it. It brings me back to a prophesy I received at the Art of Hearing God classes:

"You are a beautiful garden. You have your head down and you're looking at all the weeds. Yahweh is saying to look up and see the beautiful flowers he has planted in your garden (joy, love, compassion, wisdom, etc). He will take care of the weeds."

When we focus on Him and leave our faults alone, He gets rid of them in His time. I'm now looking forward to the day when I can tell my husband to leave his job because my income is exceedingly above what we need to live and be a blessing to others. I'm looking forward to my husband having the free time to write and express his gifts. I praise Yah for teamwork and the beautiful example of true covenant He has placed in my heart. Pierre and I are both "vividores" - living off the limitless life Yahweh has provided us. :)

He IS the Point of Creation

So since blogging about Expelled in a few different places (here, Myspace, Cafemom) I've gotten a bit of backlash. I've been sent links to sites that "expose" the movie for being lies, I've been told Intelligent Design is not science at all and that the whole premise is a waste of time. I've been sent links to Darwin's books to show where Ben Stein paraphrased what was actually said about survival of the fittest. All of these have been sent in an attempt to discredit the movie and its claims. I welcome intelligent debate. I welcome conversation. The funny thing is that these comments have been sent by self proclaimed Atheists...the smallest group (other than Scientologists, that is) with the largest mouths. Why are the "78%" of Americans who believe in the Judeo-Christian God so silent? Where is their conversation? I will not be silenced.

Scientists are still grappling with the concept of how life began. There are various theories, but no absolutes in the science world as of yet. Being a Christian, I honestly don't understand how it's acceptable to believe that every superbly organized thing we see under the sun and beyond "just happened" by chance...and how ever since that marvelous cosmic accident, everything else we see has needed a designer. It just seems like common sense to me that if mankind cannot mix a bunch of random elements into a living being, as advanced as we've become in technology, we should not be expected to believe it happened thousands of years ago with no intelligent intervention (and no, I'm not speaking of aliens who seeded the earth - another actual scientific theory).

For us, the believers and many scientists on this path, the answer is right before our eyes. As I meditated the name of Yahweh this morning it hit me. Yud Hei Vav Hei. He put the answer in His very name. The first Hebrew letter, Yud, is symbolic of the Point of Creation. He could have named Himself anything and started that name with any letter (why not aleph?), but He starts it with Yud - the very commencement of creation…and He doesn't stop there. The second letter, Hei, stands for breath. Breath is a creative force. Even the humanists of today teach how we can create with our words. It's the truth, but truth without Truth is seriously lacking. The next letter is the Vav - the number of man. Finally He ends His name with breath again. Yahweh's name tells us that He created and breathed life into man who then was able to breath and bring life forth forever more with his own words. Let me say that again. Yahweh was the commencement of all creation and life. He spoke order into the earth on his breath. He then breathed His very life into man, giving Him the ability to breath life into others. Yud Hei Vav Hei. Yahweh - the name that has been hidden, the name that the Jews were persecuted for and not allowed to utter, the name that He gave Himself when He revealed Himself to Moses (translated from the original Hebrew into English as "I am that I am"), is the very name that holds the secret to all of creation. How perfect.

This message is not for people who arrogantly say there is no God. I have nothing to say that will sway or persuade them from their position. This message is for those who believe by the Holy Spirit that not only was there Intelligent Design involved, His name is Yahweh, He sent His visible reflection to earth to shed His blood for all mankind, went to hell to take the keys of life back from death and rose from the dead with such power that other graves were emptied around him in the process. For those that dare to believe Truth, I dare you to not be silenced any longer.

Expelled - excellent movie!

Pierre and I just got back from watching "Expelled", a documentary by Ben Stein (Beuller...Bueller...) about the freedom of inquiry in science. The movie got more and more disturbing as it went on, delving deeper into how constrained our scientific studies are in this day and age. Back in the day, science was for rich aristocrats with spare time. It was a hobby, and most scientists worked from a premise that God exists. Today, it is a multi-million dollar conglomerate and is very well guarded against any belief in God.

Basically the problem is that the theory of evolution (Darwinism) from the 1800s has many holes in it, including how life originated. Yet this theory is held up as a fact in the scientific community and anyone who dares question it in public is ostracized. There are scientists who now believe that life is so unbelievably complicated it must be an intelligent design. Yet they are not allowed to pursue these theories even though the Darwinists themselves do not have the answers.

For so long I've heard atheists and scientists say that God cannot be scientifically proven. Here we are in a day and age where He actually can be, but there is so much persecution to keep the evolution theory from unravelling that they won't even let anyone do the research. I personally had no idea that Darwinism was such a huge thing. I just thought, "Evolution...that's just a silly little theory that leaves the creator out." I didn't take it seriously. This movie shows just how seriously we should take it, and how seriously we should fight against it in our educational systems.

I'm not doing this movie justice. There were so many parts that touched me. I urge you to watch it and tell your friends to watch it. It is not a "religious" movie by any means. It is about freedom, one that has been taken away in our science community. The movie even shows a link between Darwinism and the Holocaust. Hitler was a very strong believer in Darwin's theories, including "natural selection" and "survival of the fittest". It was his desire to create a pure and strong race that led him to kill millions of "inferior" humans. The movie even speaks of how the creator of Planned Parenthood was an atheist who believed in these theories and wanted to stop the underprivelaged from breeding. Her name was Margaret Sanger - google it.

Ok, I'm done. Watch the movie. Tell people to watch the movie.

Addendum to my bhag (two posts before this one)

Thanks, Kelly*Jones, for reminding me...our school will be the first of many. People from all over the country (and the world?) will bring our team in to train them on building their own Christian campuses for the performing arts. Yep, that's the plan.

Now that my bhag's written, gotta write some more

I've started my "practice" shoots this week. I decided that for the month of April I was going to schedule a variety of shoots to build my portfolio so that I could officially start in May. I am so glad I did it that way. The two shoots I've had this week were both very different.

On Monday, Benna Lani came in for her 1 year portraits. She was a doll. I was asking her to give Joshua some tips - but in his defense, he's been my only subject for a very long time. He's due a vacation. Anyway, she came complete with three wardrobe changes and a smile to light up the room. Her mom was very interactive with her the entire shoot, and had very specific requests. I like that. I'm pretty much a veteran of baby shoots by now (lol not really), but I did learn some new things with this one:

1. Even if the mom has specific requests, still suggest poses and props that you think might be suitable. I think because she was so in control, I just kinda let it happen. The pictures came out well, but in retrospect I would've liked to have taken some of her on her belly.
2. Be prepared. Taking Joshua's pics is one thing, inviting someone else into my home to do their children's pics is totally different. I praise Yah that I followed his leading and all went well. By the time they got here, my studio was fully set up, water was boiled for herbal tea, and all necessary forms were printed. Mom felt very relaxed and well served. When moms come here with their little ones, I want to offer them as much comfort as I can. I aced that with this shoot, and got rave reviews.
3. Christine (the momma) suggested that I have a wardrobe for babies available of little suits, party dressed and dressy shoes. I like that idea. Most people will undoubtedly bring their own, but it's good to have it available.



The second shoot I did this week was for my girl, Tarsha. This was the first time I had a subject who was posable (you should see the twists, bends and acrobatics I made this girl get into!). LOL. She was a great sport. We did a "high fashion" photo shoot. To this day I'm still not fully sure what that means, I just knew the look I was going for in my head. I believe we achieved it to some degree...but Tarsha's diva personality came through in all her pictures. She's too fly for grunge. I learned A TON on this shoot:

1. Dress the part. I shoulda known...afterall, it's Tarsha. I wore my pink jogging suit and thought I was perfect. Tarsha said I gave off an unprofessional aura and that if we weren't friends, she would think I was a girl playing with a camera. She said my image needs to be funky and artistic at all times so that the models feel like I know what I'm doing. Hmmm...I guess I didn't realize rolling around on the floor with babies requires slightly different attire than taking professional headshots. Point taken! lol
2. Editing adult photos takes WAY longer than editing children's photos. Babies are perfect already. Adults have pores that show up on camera.
3. Adult photo shoots yield a lot more usable prints than baby photos. I take an average of 200 baby pictures to get 20 pictures I can use. I took about 100 photos of Tarsha and I like about 80 of them. It could be because she wasn't sucking her thumb or running at me in any of the pictures.
4. I do not want to book shoots in the evening. I thought it would be kosher to book people after Joshua's in bed. Not kosher. By that time I'm exhausted and my client would be getting my left overs instead of my best. Daytime and weekend shoots all the way!
5. Study poses. I looked over a sheet of poses a few nights before the shoot and thought it was enough. It wasn't. I need to study them more. Taking long pauses in the middle of the shoot to "think of" what else I want her to do is not acceptable. Just like Tarsha needs to be able to see a person and know what clothing works best on them (she's an image consultant), I need to see a person and know what poses they would look best in. It was a lot of trial and error. Some things looked fierce, others looked awkward. Those will most likely end up on the chopping block. lol.
6. I really do need that new lens. I didn't buy it (the one I spoke about in a previous blog) because I spoke to some professionals who said I needed a mounted flash more. I need the lens. I had a lot of lighting issues with Tarsha's shoot that could've been avoided with a lens that lets in more light. Taking pictures of babies where the light is concentrated on a small area is way different than adults where the light must fill the entire room. I'm getting the lens tomorrow. Case closed.
7. Just like Benna Lani, Tarsha also came complete with wardrobe change and accessory changes. Including the time it took her to change (not long), her shoot took about 2 hours - compared to the baby shoot with three wardrobe changes that took about 40 minutes. A baby shoot is non-stop clicking. An adult shoot is more precise.

I think that's it for now. I'm still editing Tarsha's photos and I have a few more shoots coming up next week. I'll keep you posted on how they go.

My bhag

Wow, I didn't realize so much time had passed since my last entry. Where have I been? Well, I do have a lot to say, but I want to make sure that my bhag gets posted before I forget to do it again. For those that don't know, bhag stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal (or as my girl Rachael puts it, Big Holy Anointed Goal). Mine is pretty big. The wonderful thing is that I have 5 other women who are in on it with me...and more are coming from the north, south, east and west. I'm excited as I move from imagination stage to this being a reality. I encourage you to write your own bhag. Look into the depths of your heart and find the gifts Yah has placed within you for His purposes. You were not created for anything insignificant. One time a lady was googling "vision board" and my blog came up so she read it. If you're here because you've googled "bhag", read on. Here's mine:

I want an accredited Christian school that runs from K-12. It is an entire campus that contains the following:

1. Four private schools for the performing arts (like the TV show “Fame”). The first one is Nursery school and Pre-K. The second one is grades K-5. The third one is grades 6-9. The fourth one is grades 10-12.

2. Dormitories on the campus for High School students (grades 10-12) from out of town (or out of state) and their families who come to visit.

3. A very large, state of the art Performing Arts Center where the students perform and have lessons.

4. A student-run television studio, radio station, science lab, and photography studio.

5. A very large, up to date library with a separate meditation room where worship is playing softly 24-7 and people can go to soak in the presence of Yahweh.

6. A café where students and staff can get a variety of fresh squeezed juices, vegan and vegetarian snacks, fresh local produce and salads.

7. A state of the art gym with an Olympic sized swimming pool, weight room, and aerobics rooms.

8. A nursing station staffed wtih people who are well versed in homeopathic remedies.

The first 3 schools have a cafeteria within them where lunch is provided for the students. All the provided meals are made with fresh, organic ingredients. There are plenty of scholarships available for lower income families to send their children to this school. It is completely privately run, therefore we teach the unadulterated word of Yahweh, including the working of miracles, praying in tongues, discovering your divine calling, paying tithes and giving offering. The students are required to serve the community and go on at least one mission’s trip abroad before graduating. We have the best teachers in every subject and our staff is paid really well (with full benefits). There is plenty of parking. Preferably the school is in northern NJ - but will most likely end up in NY. The campus is extremely well manicured, all the buildings have plenty of large windows, there is a 3 story shooting water fountain in the center of campus and plenty of beautiful trees, flowers and benches (hey, I went to SUNY Albany - I'm stealing Fountain Day). Everything is wheel chair accessible. Through the different projects the school puts out to the public, the campus is self-sustaining.

Now here's what I need...

1. Qualified teachers in every academic and artistic subject
2. Contractors and Land Developers
3. Professionals in running various studios (media, photography)
4. Live-In staff for the dormitories
5. Gardeners and Landscapers
6. Chefs and restaurant management
7. Personal trainers and life guards
8. Accountants, Lawyers, Homeopathic nurses
9. Investors (actually, more like givers)
10. Space and location – the square footage of this campus is large. It has to be easily accessible and close enough to civilization where it doesn’t feel like it’s in the middle of nowhere.

Yep. Stay tuned. You read it here first.

Camera Toys

I'm so excited - today I'm going to purchase my first piece of camera equipment. It's a lens that is perfect for indoors and portraits (what I love to photograph the most). The lenses I currently own are best used with lots of light (studios, outdoors in daylight) and for landscapes or macro (think magnifying glass pictures). I plan to take more indoor shots (away from my studio)where the lighting is dimmer and my current lenses won't cut it. I'm so excited about this new little toy I'm getting today. I will be able to get better shots at church and events, without using flash (which casts harsh shadows everywhere and is distracting). I won't have to do as much post-editing (although I still will because I love that slightly more than the photography itself).

My calendar is booking fast with photo shoots this month. My portfolio is growing and so is my experience. When I'm a world renowned graphic designer and photographer, I want to remember these days when I charged $35 for my services as a seed. I want to remember the days when I worked out of a studio in a spare room of my home. I want to remember how it all began - on faith and answered prayer, generous gifts from my father-in-law, a husband who was willing to invest in my gift and push me out there before "I was ready". I want to remember chasing Joshua around the room with my camera around my neck, the look on his face every time he sees me coming with that thing ("here we go again - first that little silver shiny thing and now that big black thing"). I love photography. I love art. I'm so blessed.

www.myspace.com/YLDesigns

I am NOT old

I find myself having to repeat this mantra over and over in my head. I am NOT old. I am NOT old. It's bizarre because I didn't think I would ever feel embarrased or uncomfortable about my age. I have a good understanding that we're all eternal beings, some of us have just been wearing our earth suits a few moments longer than others. I get that. Yet seeing my picture, my bio, or anything else online with the #30 next to it just makes me feel old. Knowing that I can't stay up all hours of the night and not feel it the next day makes me feel old.

Oh good - PIerre just got home! I feel better.

Gasp

Joshua and I went on a walk down the street today. I was looking into all the windows of the little "Mom and Pop" stores in my quaint little town. The ice cream place that just opened up about a year ago went out of business. Man, that was good gelato. Then I see another empty store with a huge sign: COMING SOON! Studio 6 Photography.

My first reaction was a gasp. I'm not sure why. I was thinking, "Is this my competition? Why here - right down the street from my little home studio??" I didn't know how to feel about it. Then in my typical "We Win, Let's Play" attitude, I got really happy. These are my mentors. This could potentially be REALLY fun.

In other news, I did a painting today. It's been quite a long time. The easel came out from the back of the closet last week. Today the new brushes, acrylics and canvas were unwrapped. My art teacher in 9th grade told me not to be afraid to mess up white pages - it'll work out. With her in mind as I stared at the crisp white canvas, and having no idea what I was going to paint, I just started. A third grader could've done better, but I believe the point was to conquer the intimidating blank canvas that caused me to delay every time I looked at it. Mission accomplished.

No computer for me

Yeah, so I noticed that once I stopped watching television my biggest problem is the computer. I decided to turn off my computer when I went to sleep yesterday and not turn it on today until after Joshua went to bed. Mind you, I went to sleep "yesterday" at 3:20am and it is now 2:10am so I have no idea what day it actually is. Anyway, I truly enjoyed my computerless day. I put up curtains in my studio, cleaned up around the house, played outside with Joshua, took lots of pictures of everything. Joshua went down for his hour nap without a fuss and went to sleep at 7:15pm because he was so tired and content from spending the day hanging out with mommy (instead of whining for mommy to get off the computer). Yep. No more computer for me during the day. Now if I can get myself to bed at a decent hour I'll be cooking with gas.

Virtual Vision Board

I got this idea from someone on Cafemom. My actual vision board is almost complete, but is now in my husband's office (which is no longer in my line of vision on a regular basis) sooooo...I made this one in photoshop and have posted it as my desktop background. SWEET!

You can view it HERE.