Archive for February, 2009
Dorothy Meets Alice
Lots going on here with me. This is the last week of class before spring break – and my road trip to Dallas, TX. with friend, Alyssa. I’m wrapping up two wedding processings, one wedding from Indiana, another, well actually they’re both Indiana weddings now that I think about it.
I started photographing my project on girls growing up too fast. Now I’m more confused than ever about the state of women after spending the better part of today in an elementary school. Oh well, there is definitely lots of content, just having a hard time defining what I would like to focus on. Any of you teachers reading have input, ideas….I would love to hear your take on the situation.
Last, but not least here are a couple more images from Dorothy Meets Alice, the play Shelby County High School did. The first is my super stellar summer assistant, Corie, as Alice with a classmate. The second is my silly middle sister, Sara, getting her hair done for playing Dorothy.
Comments for Cans: 32
#24 on my list of 28 in 2008 consisted of:
Get my readers to comment more, doesn’t matter how I get it done
After I spent the better part of my last semester working with a youth football team I was touched by their giving Thanksgiving baskets to families in need. A few days later many of my photographer friends started a Cans for Comments campaign during the holidays on their blogs. I decided to put these two projects together and commit to donating a can to someone in need for every comment made on this blog.
This morning I stopped by a sweet lady’s home. She was one of the places I stopped with the football team right before Thanksgiving. She has cancer, is caring for her two granddaughters, both suffering from conditions made by the drugs their mother used during their pregnancies. I spent an afternoon in the fall talking, crying and laughing with her. She taught me lots about faith, endurance and being grateful. I only wish you could have all been sitting on the couch with me as she shared her life.
I stopped by and left your 32 items of food on her doorstep while she was off to church. My hope in posting this is to initiate a little change, to remind you that such a simple act of kindness goes a long way. Comments or not, this is something we should all take a minute to do, me included. So many of our local food banks were depleted by the recent ice storms and could use a replenish.
Grab an extra can or two every time you go to the grocery, then take your collection somewhere at the end of the month. According to my blog stats, if half of you 100ish weekly readers collected 10 cans in March we would donate 500 cans. Just a little fuel for your fire. And if you comment about your cans donated, that’s another 50 coming from me, for a total of 550 cans.
Just an FYI, I will continue to donate to specific people I encounter while working on my stories at school. When I return to Shelbyville the goods will be donated to the Shelby County Backpack Project for a bit. You can read about that here. The project is a local outreach that sends home meals and snacks with needy children to feed them over the weekend. You can help support them by stopping in McKinley’s in Shelbyville and purchasing their art.
Hope your Sunday is swell. It’s sunny here and Leila and I got to take a pretty walk this morning – still a little too chilly :-)
28 to-do’s in 2008
At the beginning of 2008 I made a list of 28 things I wished to do over the year. Today, we’re revisiting the list. Those items in bold are completed, explanations for those not achieved will be to the side. I’m working on my list of 29 for 2009. I’m sure many of these may just roll over. Enjoy!
1. finish the office in our home, hanging all of the prints and making it cozy
2. sleep less…there is so much more to do than catch more shut-eye than I really need
3. grow flowers again this summer sad, but true. this didn’t happen.
4. make weekends my time….except for weddings I can say I sort of achieved this.
5. order stickers for Lizzie Loo…something I’ve wanted to do for a while, it transfers from one to-do list to the next Transfer it again.
6. file all paperwork as it comes in, no more stacking it because school is too crazy
7. overhaul the website, and update the images after each shoot March 1!!
8. take a road trip..just because…with the girls, by myself..whatever
9. stay in the Wigwam Hotel in Cave City
10. read 12 books for my business…all in december or one per month; just read ‘em
11. blog everyday for a year, or for a month straight
12. cook dinner once a week for other people, for a month
13. have lunch with someone business related that I don’t know once a month
14. write more notes: birthdays, thank you’s, thinking of you, etc…and mail them on time
15. visit the super-long yardsale that runs throught the South
16. visit a new state and Cousin Julie in Columbus
17. mentor a younger, girl photographer…or lots of mom photographers
18. add a new camera to the artillary, preferable the D3, but a D300 will work
19. make cake decorating class with sister, Abby…and pursue being the most versitile wedding photographer…”Hello, I’m Elizabeth. I can not only make you look great, but I can help you select the perfect wedding ring, the best photographer and construct your cake. In my younger days, I could even design your invitiations.”
20. no more fast food: Panera, Starkbucks and Chic-fil-a are ok, but McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Rally’s etc. are not
21. photograph a wedding with someone whom I REALLY admire; preferable someone whose blog I subscribe to…(bobbiandmike.com, melaniemauer.com, jessicarstrickland.com, the list goes on and on)
22. celebrate my 21st with class…I’m not really sure what that entails, but I’m open to suggestions
23. send more time with my clients, getting to know them and forming relationships, and much less being a service they just use
24. get my readers to comment more, doesn’t matter how I get it done
25. actually complete the books for book club (yes, I’m reeealll nerdy!)
26. attend a wedding as a guest
27. make new headers for the blog
28. Get to the Grand Ole Opry
So, 17 out of 28. That’s a number I can deal with. Some of the items (like 12 books) were partially completed.
A photo for your looking of Leila. Yesterday we drove to Franklin, Ky. to walk the square, visit the quilting shop and Pineapple Lily’s. Leila enjoyed looking out the window for much of the trip.
Dorothy Meets Alice
More soon. For now one of my sister, Sara, as Dorothy and my lovely summer assistant, Corie, as Alice.
Plastic Camera Fun
In my school photo class, our assignment was to make a photo with the theme of our environment. Check out these two images of Leila Loo, my dog (and business partner – ha).
Here’s another that seems to fit my environment a bit better. I shot this on the way back from Nashville’s airport. I’ve been jetting around from Dallas, TX to Nashville, TN to Bowling Green, KY to Finchville, KY back to Bowling Green, KY. So here it is….a very ‘out there’ representation of traveling, traveling in a storm of work.
Enjoy!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hello world, I hope your love day has been super so far. It is a beautiful sunshiney day here in Bowling Green and Leila and I are doing homework, cleaning and editing, editing, editing.
Lots and lots of Lizzie Loo cleanup has been going on. Our one outdated site is soon to split into three sections. My list of goals for 2008 needs an update and 2009 will be posted soon. I’m starting a new project on little girls growing up too fast. I shot a play and am working diligently to close out eveything from last year.
May brings to me a graduation, a move and an opportunity to devote all of my time to Lizzie Loo. No more school, no more journalistic shooting holding me back and many new surprises in store. I can’t even start to explain how excited I am.
Since no post is complete without a picture, here is an image I shot 4 years ago. One of the first portraits and for sure the first maternity. Sweet.
Hope your Valentines is filled with love and kindness…..what was your last random act of kindness?
I see my little girl in that face.