The Celebration Continues!

January's celebration of women continues. Karen is the lady with the purple business card. (Can you tell she likes purple? I LOVE her hair!) She is a health insurance agent who specializes in helping the self-employed. I highly recommend her. (You can contact her for your health insurance needs at: 503.623.6381.)

Karen visited my studio today because she needed to update her publicity portrait. We did that, of course, and lots more. Here are a couple of images from her session. Thank you, Karen!

In Celebration of Women

January is Romanza month here at the studio. Our Romanza sessions in Celebration of Women are half-price. This week, Terri visited the studio. We talked and laughed and created some wonderful artwork.

In deference to her modesty, I've only displayed here some images taken as potential publicity portraits. But let me tell you, I'd LOVE to show some of the more romantic art, because she looks like a million dollars!

As women, we are finally realizing that we are beautiful at all times and in all stages of our life. It's wonderful to see so many of you this month - it's a great time to reconnect & have girl time. Thanks for coming in, Terri!

The madness of the artist

I had a client recently request the raw files from a publicity session, because her book is soon to be published, and the publisher requires unretouched images. She obviously compared the image I initially presented her with the raw file, because she commented on how much more she appreciated what I did in my digital darkroom. Here was my response to her:

In the camera, I capture the physical. In the digital darkroom, I capture the spirit. Together, I capture the person. An artist shows what mere medium cannot.

But that's why I hate to have people see their images unretouched, because they mistakenly think that's the 'real' them.

But that’s not true, anymore than a corpse is the 'real' person. If you've ever seen someone who's just passed, you know how NOT true that is. It is our spirit that gives animation and life to our corporeal fluff.

And it’s the artist’s job to capture that that magical combination of body and spirit. We work in two dimensions to capture what exists in three-four-more? dimensions (for in how many dimensions resides the spirit?) It is an unattainable undertaking. Perhaps that’s why artists are often perceived as half-mad. We have to be, to be so driven to attempt the impossible.

But it is in our striving that we create art that lifts the soul and brings hope and healing to the body, which gives people the emotional fortitude to face the challenges of every day.

Artists gift to people the vision of their true selves, and there is no more potent medicine nor more powerful talisman than that.

Studio Redecorate

OK, this isn't news for many of you, who have visited my studio in the past 6 months. Still, I thought it would be fun for everyone to see the makeover, ala my business consultant, Ariel. (See her profile here.)


Gone is the pool table :( but the newly decorated studio definitely captures the boutique-style that matches the photography you love!

Sunny Solstice

Aloha from Kaua'i! The wedding was beautiful. The weather was rainy at times, but turned gorgeous on the day we were leaving. It figures, huh? Except that the Portland airport was shut down due to inclement weather (guess there's a whale of a snow and ice storm going on in the PNW), so we were stuck here for three more days.

I'm guessing that no one is feeling sorry for us, huh? Congratulations to Dannielle & Nels!

And if you're looking for a fabulous destination wedding site, check out Smith Family Gardens.

And remember to bring your favorite photographer!

Aloha!

I leave on Saturday to photograph a destination wedding in...Hawaii! Nels & Dannielle originally hoped to marry in Salem this summer, but Nels is a nuclear engineer on the USS Abraham Lincoln, and summer found him deployed in the Gulf. The wedding was delayed until December, and they decided upon a tropical location.

Nels & Dannielle highly value photography (Nels is the son of renowned photographers Neil & Miriam Haugen) so they asked me to consider going to Hawaii to photograph the wedding. I considered for a good 2 or 3 seconds before I said - yes!

So, the house sitter is in place, the bags are almost packed, the camera equipment checked and checked again. Aloha!

Please Call Me Back!

In August, I had the privilege of judging Youth and Student prints at the State Fair. I was so pleased to see the depth of talent exhibited by these young people.

After the awards ceremony, I got to talk with several of the entrants. I provided my telephone number and encouraged them to call me for further photography chatting.

A couple of weeks ago, one of the young women called me. I was in a session, so she left a message on my answering machine. I was so excited to hear from her. Since it was after hours, I saved the message, intending to call the next day.

Except that when I went to call her, I discovered that I'd accidentally DELETED her message, rather than saving it! I've been hoping she would call me back, but I haven't heard from her.

If you are the young woman who called me, PLEASE call me again. I promise I won't lose your message this time! :)