“An image in hand can touch your heart more deeply than an image on a computer screen. Printed photographs are gifts.” ~ Meredith Winn

That is EXACTLY how I feel too. Thanks Meredith.

Some Handy Resources …

A little something, at a reasonable price, for keeping your printed photos:
Live-Love-Laugh Black Bookbound Photo Album w/ Memo Holds 200 Photos

Pearhead Side Photo Album

Malden Family Bookbound Photo Album, Holds 200 Photos, Black

Or if you prefer to read about family snapshots:
Phototherapy Techniques: Exploring the Secrets of Personal Snapshots and Family Albums

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

Call today to book your fall session — only a few limited sessions available.

Don’t forget to sign up for the monthly newsletter to get tips, ideas, news, and advance notice of specials.

Today I’m beginning by leaving our place and showing you one of my three office assistants, Pearl.

And this is a photo of the back of the tire shop in Hythe, with one of the many feral cats watching me very closely before slinking away to safety. The owner of the tire store leaves food out for the feral cats but they do have a tough life, despite his kind efforts.

You’ll see more photos of the tire store in the nearby town in future “my neck of the woods” series. The tire store appears to have a fairly thriving business going for them. As with most places in small towns, the people are very friendly.

Last night I had to make a trip to the Hythe Library and on the way home, I stopped at a nearby dugout with the hopes of taking some reflection photos. Although I always have a camera with me, I had the wrong one for what I wanted to do. My old camera is not great for low light situations so I didn’t get my reflection photos but I got much more in personal satisfaction. The only sounds were of the wind aerator quietly clunking in the distance, and gentle little plops from the fish surfacing. I could really smell the fish too so there must be quite a few of them in that dugout. I also ended up being entertainment, of sorts, for the resident muskrat. S/he swam towards me then veered off. I remained totally still and it swam back my way a little closer to try and get a good look at my ghostly figure standing on the edge of the water. The air was warm and it felt so good standing there in the silence so I stayed a while. As I climbed back up to the road, I saw an opportunity for a couple photos. Here’s one of them.

If you’re not from here and are thinking you may like to plan a trip to Alberta, I’d recommend Frommer’s Alberta (Frommer’s Complete) and if you’re a real hiker, my favourite place is Waterton so I’d recommend this book with great details on the best hiking there, Hiking Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks, 3rd: A Guide to More Than 60 of the Area’s Greatest Hiking Adventures (Regional Hiking Series).

If a good novel is more your cup of tea, I’d recommend the most recent novel by my friend and Hythe’s librarian, Karen Bass. Pick up Summer of Fire to read yourself or as a gift for your favourite teen. See! there is a lot of great talent up in our neck of the woods!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my first installment on the My Neck of the Woods project. There’s more to come.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” ~ Paulo Coelho from The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream

A question I’ve been asked several times goes something like, “How did you get involved in photography?” or “How did you know photography was the right thing for you?” Since the question keeps popping up and since another visitor to my photo journal has asked me the question, I’ll attempt to articulate it in as short a post as possible.

My entire life I’ve had a creative tide within me and it has manifested itself in many ways: writing; drawing, especially with pencil and charcoal; sewing; crafts; photography; and less obvious creative elements such as gardening, cooking, and decorating. I’ve delved into each of these at different parts of my life, some of these pursuits continuing to be a part of my life. I’ve also always been a very visual person. I learn best by seeing things being done or demonstrated. I’ve always paid attention to details and love lines, curves, shadows, as well as colours, tones/shades, and the multiple effects of light. I love the beauty in the ordinary and the extraordinary, and in subjects that evoke any form of emotion.

I remember how I was fascinated with the first camera our family purchased. It was a big deal back then and a bit of a splurge to be sure. The splurge was a leather covered Brownie box camera with a leather carrying handle on the top. I always thought the front looked like a face. Seeing photographs taken with the camera was as exciting to me as remembering the thrill of learning to read. I told you this goes back a long way! I was the primary photo taker in my family by default I think but certainly I was pleased to be behind the camera.

As I grew older, I had so many different distractions — horses and dogs, primarily — and the more creative pursuits were put on life’s backburner for a while. In high school, the main careers for women were still teacher or nurse, though admittedly it was a time when girls were being encouraged to expand their career options. I never for a moment considered writing or photography would be a way to make a living and those were the two creative pursuits that most held my interest. So they remained nothing more than hobbies. Marriage, raising children, and working to support ourselves became priorities.

While growing up my family knew I loved photography. I received the occasional camera for birthdays or Christmas, technical books on photography (which I still have), and albums so I’d have a place to put all the photos I was always taking.

I didn’t put any effort into my creative pursuits other than to write letters or in my journal (for the writing) or to take ordinary snapshots (in the case of photography). Earning a living and being an involved parent was more important. Writing and photography gave me enjoyment but I didn’t feel they were anything more than private hobbies. Fast forward to a lot of life changes and situations and things began to change. My son grew up and began his own career and I moved up north to remarry. For the first time since I was a teenager, I had more time on my hands and began putting more effort and gleaning enjoyment in three different pursuits: gardening, writing, and photography. Some of my writing was published, first in a couple business magazines and then in gardening publications. The more validation I got from my writing, the more I began to really focus on improving and growing particularly with creative writing (short stories was my thing). In 2000, after surviving cancer, I made the decision to quit making excuses why I couldn’t pursue my creative desires. Like a tidal wave I put everything into my writing and that’s when I realized I should have done so far sooner. I was making up for lost time.

Although I was successful with the creative writing, having won a few short story contests, and getting some published, I still knew there was more I wanted to pursue. I transitioned into freelance writing, getting numerous articles published in a variety of magazines. With most of those articles, it was necessary to provide photographs to go along with the article. That was the juice I needed to shift from my photographs becoming more than a sidebar. I enjoyed the photography far more than the writing and a couple years ago decided, as I had done with the writing, to take the dive and get serious about the photography. It was time to improve my skills and to upgrade my camera.

How did I know? That’s the hardest part to explain. The best answer I can give to that is that I had the time to explore the creative pursuits I most love and, by being totally consumed in learning and improving, it became evident to me it was meant to be. My only wish is that I would have realized decades ago to take formal training in photography. By taking it up at this time in my life, it is more difficult to build a business. I view that challenge as merely one wave in a big sea. When I pursue anything, I take it seriously and I dive right in the deep end, forcing myself to paddle or swim no matter what. But that’s my personality — I was raised to be independent, to always do my absolute best in whatever I pursue, and to overload on the effort. My mother realized that one of her weaknesses was avoiding taking risks so she always encouraged me, urged me, to take risks and I’m so grateful she mentored me in that way. My mother also taught me some excellent business skills from the time I was about 10 or so — yes, no kidding. I remember her talking to me about business and business ethics, showing me and explaining things to me and why they were so important. So with all that she taught me, those attributes contribute greatly to anything I pursue. The important thing is that I finally began to pursue my photography in a way that I always thought was only a dream.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain

Coming Soon: A series of posts here in my photo journal with a visual tour of “my neck of the woods”.

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Photographs Never Forget!  Keeping memories alive with custom albums and portraits.

Two quick things today. First, a simple reminder that I do sell some my own photographic art if you’re looking for something beautiful for your home or office. Photographic prints can be purchased as mounted prints ready for framing; already matted & framed; or for a real classic look they can be ordered as a canvas gallery wrap. The fine art photo above would be ideal for printing on canvas. In a range of subject matter, these also make great gifts for anything from: corporate gifts, employee reward program, farewell gifts for employees, Christmas or birthdays, or as a housewarming. A gift certificate for a custom lifestyle photo session also makes an excellent gift whether as a corporate gift or for a family member.

The second reminder is a show-and-tell of my press printed portrait books. If there are several photos from your photo session that you really need to have and you don’t have room on the walls for all of them, the portrait books are an excellent and cost-effective option. Besides, they look beautiful for showing off on your coffee- or end-tables. And the bonus, they last for years so you can look back on them with pride enjoying those great memories. Here is a sample of one of the many cover options (photo covers also available). This is one of the gorgeous floral covers that gleams something like a hologram, depending upon how the light hits it. A variety of leathers are also available for the covers. Of course, inside are your beautiful photos. I can design a lovely set of page formats especially for you — and you can include some of your favourite quotes as well, if you like. These also make great gifts for grandparents or parents — far more tangible and beautiful than a fleeting image on a computer screen.

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom albums and portraits

So on that note, I thought I’d share with you my wish list — it’s all about photography don’t you know?

MY WISHES:

Things I’d love to photograph …

• An ethnic wedding;
• An RCMP in his/her red serge but in a completely relaxed way (like walking down a lone country road);
• A military wedding or one in which either the bride or groom are in uniform (police, RCMP, etc);
• A mother / daughter outing;
• A father / son outing;
• Any photo shoot where the guy(s) are wearing funky socks (bright colours, stripes, polka dots, anything outrageous);
• Any creative getaway (dogsled team? rickshaw? hot air balloon? magical glass elevator? kayaking?);
• A photo shoot (individual, couple, or a family) in a genuine old fashioned theme park with a roller coaster, ferris wheel, and a carousel ride;
• A photo shoot in a genuine old diner, complete with jukebox;
• Photographing “a day in the life” on a genuine working farm/ranch (especially if horses and/or dogs are also hired hands);
• Photographing a horse or horses just before the sun goes down (if the horse was an Arabian, that would be like two wishes).

And anything that involves:

• bold stripes or lots of dots;
• costumes;
• lit candles everywhere;
• paper lanterns bobbing in the breeze;
• cowboys, cowboy hats, Wrangler jeans, and real cowboy boots;
• people at work (think of all the trades and hands-on occupations);

I also welcome fairy godmothers or godfathers who can help make a wish come true.

What do YOU wish for?

{I took this image last night just at sunset. There was an amazing rainbow in a purplish sky and enveloped in such a rich sunset pink. Sorry I didn’t take the time to remove the power line but you get the idea of what I saw!}

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom albums and portraits.

“The fence that makes good neighbors needs a gate to make good friends” ~ Anonymous

Think of all the beauty that’s still left in and around you and be happy! ~ Anne Frank

Check out some of the previous posts — especially the last one with some lovely canine photos.

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom albums and portraits.

• It’s time to book for fall portraits!
• Be sure to take photos of your child(ren) as they get ready and head back to school.
• Sign up for my monthly newsletter for tips and ideas with your own photos.

“To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace.” ~Milan Kundera

Pretty much sums up my afternoon — I desperately needed a break.

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

“Not on one strand are all life’s jewels strung.” ~ William Morris.

Mr. Morris had a great point. I’ve had so many diverse experiences in my life and have travelled along numerous side roads that I feel I’ve picked up some of life’s jewels Mr. Morris spoke of in that quote.

Lately, I have been so busy and working such long hours that I’ve become incredibly tired. I’ve also realized that I’ve been so bogged down with work I’ve really allowed myself to forget about posting anything other than work notes here, even after promising I’d begin posting more about me — the person behind the camera.

While my computer is busy backing up, which takes nearly 2 hours, I’m taking a much needed break to have a wee visit with you. I’ll try keeping it fairly brief though since I like keeping my posts fairly short and as sweet as possible [insert a silly grin here].

As I mentioned earlier, that photo of my tree hugger was picked up by Canwest and the journalist informed me it will appear in next Friday’s (August 27, 2010) edition of The Edmonton Journal in their lifestyle section.

Since I’ve been so busy and working so many  hours, I’ve been getting antsy for some fresh air, exercise, and simply getting away. I had a trip planned for Edmonton to take a photography workshop next weekend but had to cancel because my husband’s relatives will be coming to spend the weekend with us. I’ve been wishing I had a small little Tab trailer or a tent trailer because I’d love to take a week off and drive down to see my dad and camp along the way. He was honoured a few weeks ago by having the air terminal named for him and I’ve been wanting to go down and get photos of him at the terminal.

These are my darling little barn swallows. This was taken early one morning and I loved the silhouette with the soft hazy sky as backdrop. Early morning is when they line up on the power line to preen and chatter. This morning ritual warms my heart.  The one thing I will really miss when we move from here are the barn swallows. We only have two families of them each year — we open up the attic of our old garage plus one of the empty granaries for them to nest in. I love watching the antics of the young once they fledge. They tend to play and cavort much like human teenagers — well teenagers who aren’t obsessed with phones, video games, and the like.

This last photo is one I took on my last trip to Edmonton, my home town. I love that city. I was on my way back to our condo from my son’s home and decided to take a walk in the river valley. Although I took numerous photos of the walk itself, of some boaters on the river, and all sorts of other interesting features along the way, this is one of my favourites. There was only a hint of light left just as the sun was about to slide over the horizon. I loved these new (well new since I lived there) benches the way they’re shaped like a treble cleff on the ends. I also loved how they were catching the last of the day’s light so took a couple quick shots before the sun slid away.  And now it’s time for me to slide away until the next time. G’night and thanks for popping by — you’ve been great company.

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Photographs Never Forget!

This first trio of photos I put on a sample storyboard — just thought these three fit nicely together. I wish I had more ‘play’ time because I love creating storyboards and putting together design pages. For some I use templates I have purchased and others I design myself. This is a nice little sample though, don’t you think? The perky little dog is Chewy and that noble looking Great Dane is Eva. The handsome couple are A & S.

I had such an enjoyable time with this couple. They were also a delight to photograph. I’ll likely post a few more from their session in a day or two. For today, here is one more photo of Chewy and one artistic photo of Eva.

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Photographs Never Forget! … Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

It’s already time to start booking for fall photos. I will be taking a very limited number of bookings this fall so contact me today to ensure you get a spot. I will also be running a special for all 2010 clients who wish to order Christmas cards for this year. Watch my newsletter and this photo journal for details.

Meet my tree hugger. Some people might call me a tree hugger because of my strong views on caring for our planet and ourselves, but most people don’t think of dogs as tree huggers. Well, if we take the term literally you can see one of my dogs truly is a tree hugger. I’m sharing this because, the dog in this photo is actually very unwell at the moment. We rushed her to the vet yesterday and, though she’s not yet out of the woods (no pun intended), she seems to be likely making a recovery. The other reason I posted this particular photo of her is because this photo has been picked up by Canwest and will likely be printed in The Edmonton Journal this week.

Since I brought up the environment, I realized I haven’t shared links for my environment column, Everyday Earth Wise, for a long time. It does appear in print each week in the Peace Country Sun newspaper and then a week later, each column is posted online. Here are a couple of the recent columns you may be interested in, but you can always view the archives online to check out other topics:

“Tips to Becoming a Lifelong Clothes Pegger”

“Serving Up Some Compost Tea”

“Greenwashing is Everywhere These Days”

Speaking of trees, they are already beginning to change colour. You know what that means! Fall photo sessions are the busiest time of year. Since they are popular and because I really limit the number of photo sessions I take on, dates book up quickly. If you’re thinking of having a fall photo session, contact me today to book for your colourful autumn photo session (whether you’re one person, a couple, or a family — and yes, we can definitely include your dog(s) or horse(s) too!).

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Photographs Never Forget!  Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.