July 1, 2009
It’s hard to believe it was one year ago today that I traveled to Africa on one of the greatest journeys of my life. All day today, I find myself reflecting back to my experiences in Uganda. I can honestly say I wish I was going back again this year. There was so much more I wanted to do, see and photograph. Just about everyday I think about the people I met there, the struggles they face, the joy in their hearts, the gratitude they have for just about everything and their beautiful spirits.
I thought the one year anniversary would be a good time to update the blog with the images that I took in Uganda and my perspective a year later.
I had a conversation with a wonderful client the other day. I called her because I had photographed her and her 92 year old mother Anna more than a year ago and heard that Anna had passed away. I was heartbroken. I fell in love with Anna the minute I saw her. The first reason I was instantly drawn to her was that she shared the same name as my daughter and grandmother. She was also right around my height, Italian, outspoken and funny...what's not to love.
The point of this story and how it relates to Africa is coming.
When I called Kathy to express my condolences she was in tears. She was so grateful that I took the time to call and talk to her. She also thanked me for the portraits I had created of her and her mother. She talked about how proud of them her mother was and how now they are of great comfort to her now. I hung up in tears myself, both sad and happy tears. I was sad for the loss of Anna but happy that I had done something that brought her and her daughter so much joy.
It made me wonder how many people I have photographed over the past 20 years that are now comforted by photographs that I took of people they have loved and lost. It really is an overwhelming feeling.
That brings me back to Uganda one year ago. How many photographs did I leave behind that now have a new meaning. The mortality rate is so low that I know there are children and families that I photographed, hugged, spent time with, spoke with and laughed with that may longer be here. I hope I left something of them behind so that someone who misses them has a photograph for comfort and peace.
It’s then that I wish I could have done more. The thought drives me to want to go back next year and have a team of photographers that will help expand on what I have already done.
I miss the peaceful ways of Uganda. Running at sunrise and waving to people passing by. I miss the expressions on the faces of the children I handed photographs to. I miss the deep spiritual beliefs of the people of Uganda. I miss the gratefulness people have that I have not experienced since I returned home.
I can still hear the children singing “you are welcome our visitors, we are so happy to receive you today”.... One year later it sounds like they are singing in my ear and I still get teary eyed...
Everyday is a blessing, even the bad days. The bad days are there to remind us how wonderful the good days really are. It’s been said a million times... Life is Short....
What is here today may be gone tomorrow and so let’s try to be kinder, happier, spend more time with the people we love, hug our kids everyday, don’t worry so much about the bills, everything is temporary and this too shall pass.... (I think my grandmother is channeling her words of wisdom) if I add.... “the youth is wasted on the young...and penny saved is a penny earned”.... I’ll know I’m getting old.
The beauty of getting very close to 40 is finally all the things adults said to me as a child make sense.
Below are some of my favorite images from Africa. An experience I will forever be grateful for. The journey gave me a perspective on life I had not see before. It taught me lessons about life, love, tenacity, perseverance, kindness, humility and so much more... Those lessons live on in my heart everyday.
To all of you who helped me get there, thank you again from the bottom of my heart. You helped to deliver a gift that is immeasurable in value.
One of the reasons I love what I do so much is I am able to watch families and children grow. The only down side is that with every little one I see growing I am reminded of my own aging.... Children have an unconscious way of letting us know we are getting older too.
To me, the highest compliment I think I can receive is simply a client who returns to my studio time and time again to document the people and times in their lives.
The Schirm’s are just one of many of my favorite families that have been coming to me for several years and it has truly been a blessing to watch their family grow and to be a small part of it. I realize someday when the boys are older and have children and even grandchildren of their own that they will look at the work I have done for them and know how important the photographs are. I tell parents all the time that the portraits they purchase today are not for them but a gift for their children to have when they are older.
Below is a chronicle of some of the images I have created for the Schirm family over the past few years. They range from the first family session I did when there were only 2 Schirm sons (now there are 4) - to a wonderful generational portrait, to another family and yet and new baby.
Thank you Ron and Kristine for allowing me to be a small part of your family history - I hope you love the portraits I have created for you as much as I loved creating them.
These are in no particular order.
It is always a blessing to have newborn babies in the studio. New life and the idea of a perfectly clean slate and a full life ahead is enough to make my day. It especially touches my heart when I know both or one of the parents. Lisa and Mark brought Mckenna in about 2 weeks ago. Mark is one of my trainers and so I have known him for a few years. Getting to know Lisa and meeting their beautiful baby girl was awesome. Lisa and Mark went through quite a bit to get her here and she is truly a blessing.
Here are a few of my favorite images from the session.
Thank you Lisa and Mark for the opportunity to provide you with images that I hope you will love for a lifetime.
Wow... so much for keeping up with the blog on a regular basis. It has been a crazy month and a half. It all started with the passing of my husbands grandmother, Ethel. She had been recovering from a knee replacement while staying at a rehab/nursing facility. She had some complications but then seemed to be getting better - then she took a turn for the worse and suddenly passed away. She wanted to be cremated and buried next to her husband in Chicago. The family made the trip back to honor her wishes and I was able to spend some time with Paul’s family. The week I returned home from Chicago my step-dad called to say his mom passed away and within a couple of days I was on my way to NJ for her funeral. It’s so true what people say about weddings and funerals... they really do bring families together. I prefer the weddings.
It was of course great to be back east if only for two days. It was well worth the trip to the Italian market where I picked up all kinds of goodies not easily found in AZ.
I arrived home Sunday morning and went straight home to cook for a house full of company. While pouring the boiling water out of the pasta pot I managed to burn my left arm with the boiling water. The arm is much better but I have a funky tan line from the burn. In the meantime I am due to be back on a plane headed to NY Wednesday of that week for a meeting at Canon’s corporate offices. An overnight turnaround from the east coast is a bit rough but I had the good fortune of having dinner with Eddie Tapp while I was there. Bonus!
About a week and a half later I was on my way back to the east coast for a program.
I presented a full day program to the Berk’s Photographic Society. My flight arrived home early on Saturday and from the airport went straight to a friends home to take care of her after a major surgery. I spent a week with her and managed to relax. We stayed at her parents beautiful winter home where she could recuperate in peace and quiet. Although I missed my family - it was a relaxing break for me. I worked on the laptop designing albums, placed orders online, cooked a few meals and even had a chance to run almost everyday - all while playing the part of Florence Nightingale!
I’m finally back at the studio and ready to jump into work. Hopefully no surprise trips are coming my way. I do have a trip to San Diego in July where I’ll be photographing some of my favorite families from AZ on the beach. I’m totally looking forward to the beach week!
Kristina and her mom Michelle are coming into the studio today to view the senior portraits I shot for her last Friday. I can't wait! I had a blast with Kristina at the park. She is perfectly beautiful in every way. When she came in for her consultation she expressed that she loved the outdoors, lots of color and flowers. I think we incorporated all of that in this session. I loved her energy and bright personality.
Funny thing is like I said earlier I never really set out to photograph seniors but I am really enjoying it.
Here are a few of my favorites from Kristina's session.
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The next few blogs are all about HS Seniors.
I have been having a blast photographing these amazing teenagers. I love hearing about where they are going to collage and what there interests are. This video is of Lauren - she is so fantastic. She wanted something a little different than what all of her friends were doing. We went to a great location with old buildings and great light. I shot a couple of images of her and her brother for mom. Sometimes I am in my own mind with one plan of what I want to do and then my senior will suggest something I hadn't thought of and it really adds to the session.
I will be posting some more of these sessions in the next week.
Many of you have asked about my images and experiences in Uganda and since this blog did not save the posts from the previous one I will back track and blog about Africa too.
Thanks for reading.... it means a lot!
Run Tyler run! Early on a Saturday morning while training at the gym, young Tyler whose legs are twice the length of mine was trailing behind me in sprinting exercises. I of course called him out on this embarrassment. How could you let an almost 40 year old, four foot eleven woman out run a more than six foot tall, 17 year old. Needless to say I never out ran Tyler again.
