Today I was touched by three different people who contacted me about my photography. ( how kewl.. three people on my 3rd 365 journal posting day !!! awesome !! ) Each of them contacted me about different situations or images I had take to let me know that in some way my photography meant a lot to them or that they loved what I do. It really meant a lot to me. One of them even mentioned wanting to use on of my photographs in an upcoming promo for an event. I was completely floored. I have worked pretty hard over the past couple of years trying to master my craft.. but by NO means am I anywhere near where I want to be. But I make what I have work in my favor.... Would I like fancier better equipment? Certainly.. who wouldn't. Heck I'd even be happy with trying to figure out what kind of lights to purchase!! LOL But to have these people contact me to say "thank you".. really meant a lot to me.
There have been a few situations over the past year that made me truly appreciate what I do. No matter how awkward a situation might be, I'm always grateful to have the images later on. I know at both of my grandmothers funerals, I walked around with my lil bitty Kodak camera, going from table to table, snapping photos of people at the gatherings we had after the services. I felt disrespectful to my grandmothers.. I felt like I was intruding on a day that should have been filled with remorse and mourning. But sadly it was one of the only times that the entire family was together in one place. And now I look back at those photos and I am soooo grateful to have them. Sure it was horribly awkward taking them... but I love that I have the memories and faces of family I hardly ever get to see. I want to learn to move past that awkward 'invasive" feeling that I get. So many people's lives I've touched by the photos I've taken. And some of them were at events, and in passing.
A friend of Dale's and mine passed away last year. The last time I had seen him was at a gathering of some of our friends. I remember him giving me crap for taking so many photos of him. I was late getting to the get together, and I was kinda bored!! So kept snapping away. And thank god I did... because when he passed away, I had those photos to share with the other people who knew him and they too were grateful for having them.
I always wanted to do something that left an imprint on the world.. I wanted to leave some kind of legacy behind for my kids so they could look at it when I'm gone and say " My Mom did that"... and somehow I have found that legacy in my photography. And I really really love it. I just have to really work on moving out of my comfort level and capture the things that I know really matter and that will make a difference.
Another thing that made me think about it was I had to ask my daughter to check with one of her friends about copies of the prom photos I took of them last year. ( Yea I know. I still haven't made their CD's ! LOL ).. But I want to get those photos to them.. but sadly one of her friends that was there and her boyfriend have since split. I certainly didn't want to add salt to her wounds, but I felt it was important to ask her if she was okay with his photos being on her CD. Gladly she is.. which I think is wonderful. I know the pain of the breakup might still be fresh, but years from now I would think it would be nice to have the photos to look back on and smile at. When the wound has healed and she has moved on. And it got me to thinking about past loves or even friends that I wish I had had more photos of them. One of the boys I dated in high school, who was absolutely crazy about me, and I always just thought he was over the top. He used to get me roses every week... he was such a sweet guy. And I never got to tell him that. I actually called it off with him because of some stupid crush I had on someone else... boy was I dumb ! But many years later a friend of mine from high school found me online and told me he had been killed in a car accident. I felt horrible. He left behind a wife and three kids. Just a stupid car accident. Luckily I had kept some of the photos he had given me in high school - one thing I NEVER throw away is photos... a "gift" I get from my Mom who has bins full of photos..and from my Dad too who was an avid photographer as I was growing up.. and pretty much documented our entire childhood. I wanted my daughters friend to have those memories too for her to hold on to later on down the road. Life is soo precious and far too short that you just never know what can happen to people.
I am so thankful to have the creative DNA in my system that I received from my parents. The gift that was given to me.. and the passion I have for it. And I guess when people get snarky about me taking their photo, I'm just going to have to learn to push thru it because I KNOW the value that memory will have... or that moment in time...
I really really love what I do... and am sooo blessed and happy to have the chance to do it.
This is probably one of the few photos ever taken of my Dad in FRONT of the camera.... yep.. I get it honest !
This is my Uncle Philip, my Grandpa Hildreth and Grammy Hildreth. Man this was an old film camera I had when I was 11... but again.. soooo glad to have this image of the three of them. The three pictures hanging on the wall behind them are of me and my brothers. I remember how Grammy had a TON of framed photos sitting on top of the TV console in their formal sitting room of their house. Man I wish I had *those* photos too... I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them because I was young and when my parents seperated, our visits were less frequent. The kewl thing was, though, my parents grew up in the same town, on the same street! So visiting at holidays was fantastic because they were about 14 houses apart from one another.
This is my grandfather sitting in his favorite chair. A true saint this man was.... the writing on the image is a piece of paper I taped to the photo. He passed away my senior year of high school and I got the chance to see him one last time before he passed away. God I wish I could go back to that day and just sit and hold his hand and talk with him. But I was young and didn't understand just how precious life really is. I feel his spirit with me almost all the time. I really wish I had gotten to know him more. He was amazing. All my grands were amazing actually....
Well its the witching hour so I should wrap it up. No major excitement on the home front. Braves lost to the Rockies .. so Dale was bummed about that. Chris had his drama club meeting after school... No news on the homefront from Ryan and Ashley. Got some stuff done on my computer today... seems I'm making lots of to do lists these days ! Like this one...
Things to do: poke my brother Tim ( he's being too quiet ) ... write back to my brother Pat ( doh!).. call Mom.. check on Betty and see how her surgery went... and try to get more sleep!
There have been a few situations over the past year that made me truly appreciate what I do. No matter how awkward a situation might be, I'm always grateful to have the images later on. I know at both of my grandmothers funerals, I walked around with my lil bitty Kodak camera, going from table to table, snapping photos of people at the gatherings we had after the services. I felt disrespectful to my grandmothers.. I felt like I was intruding on a day that should have been filled with remorse and mourning. But sadly it was one of the only times that the entire family was together in one place. And now I look back at those photos and I am soooo grateful to have them. Sure it was horribly awkward taking them... but I love that I have the memories and faces of family I hardly ever get to see. I want to learn to move past that awkward 'invasive" feeling that I get. So many people's lives I've touched by the photos I've taken. And some of them were at events, and in passing.
A friend of Dale's and mine passed away last year. The last time I had seen him was at a gathering of some of our friends. I remember him giving me crap for taking so many photos of him. I was late getting to the get together, and I was kinda bored!! So kept snapping away. And thank god I did... because when he passed away, I had those photos to share with the other people who knew him and they too were grateful for having them.
I always wanted to do something that left an imprint on the world.. I wanted to leave some kind of legacy behind for my kids so they could look at it when I'm gone and say " My Mom did that"... and somehow I have found that legacy in my photography. And I really really love it. I just have to really work on moving out of my comfort level and capture the things that I know really matter and that will make a difference.
Another thing that made me think about it was I had to ask my daughter to check with one of her friends about copies of the prom photos I took of them last year. ( Yea I know. I still haven't made their CD's ! LOL ).. But I want to get those photos to them.. but sadly one of her friends that was there and her boyfriend have since split. I certainly didn't want to add salt to her wounds, but I felt it was important to ask her if she was okay with his photos being on her CD. Gladly she is.. which I think is wonderful. I know the pain of the breakup might still be fresh, but years from now I would think it would be nice to have the photos to look back on and smile at. When the wound has healed and she has moved on. And it got me to thinking about past loves or even friends that I wish I had had more photos of them. One of the boys I dated in high school, who was absolutely crazy about me, and I always just thought he was over the top. He used to get me roses every week... he was such a sweet guy. And I never got to tell him that. I actually called it off with him because of some stupid crush I had on someone else... boy was I dumb ! But many years later a friend of mine from high school found me online and told me he had been killed in a car accident. I felt horrible. He left behind a wife and three kids. Just a stupid car accident. Luckily I had kept some of the photos he had given me in high school - one thing I NEVER throw away is photos... a "gift" I get from my Mom who has bins full of photos..and from my Dad too who was an avid photographer as I was growing up.. and pretty much documented our entire childhood. I wanted my daughters friend to have those memories too for her to hold on to later on down the road. Life is soo precious and far too short that you just never know what can happen to people.
I am so thankful to have the creative DNA in my system that I received from my parents. The gift that was given to me.. and the passion I have for it. And I guess when people get snarky about me taking their photo, I'm just going to have to learn to push thru it because I KNOW the value that memory will have... or that moment in time...
I really really love what I do... and am sooo blessed and happy to have the chance to do it.
Here are some of the photos that I've taken over the years that I am sooo grateful to have...
This is me at age 11.. and look! Camera in hand !! How funny! This was taken in NH just before we moved to Georgia... the shirt was from my Dad who had just moved to Atlanta. That's my brother, me and my mom, my Uncle Jim and his late wife Aunt Bernice, and my stepfather Dave. An old photo..but a good one! Check me out.. the young budding photographer! LOL
This was my boyfriend in high school. Glen McAvoy. He is the one who gave me roses every week. He was such a sweet guy. We were just kids when we dated... well not "kids"... we were 15 and 16. My first "true" boyfriend... rest in peace my dear man.
My Uncle Roger who passed away in 2006 in a motorcycle accident on his way to work. There is that " Another photo? Really ??? " look.. but still ..again I'm glad I have this... so genuine.. and such a remarkable man. I miss you Uncle Roger! * Note: I realized why I couldn't find this image on my computer or any saved discs.. my Mom actually took this photo of him. Here is one I took of him at my grandmothers services....
This is probably one of the few photos ever taken of my Dad in FRONT of the camera.... yep.. I get it honest !
This is my Uncle Philip, my Grandpa Hildreth and Grammy Hildreth. Man this was an old film camera I had when I was 11... but again.. soooo glad to have this image of the three of them. The three pictures hanging on the wall behind them are of me and my brothers. I remember how Grammy had a TON of framed photos sitting on top of the TV console in their formal sitting room of their house. Man I wish I had *those* photos too... I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them because I was young and when my parents seperated, our visits were less frequent. The kewl thing was, though, my parents grew up in the same town, on the same street! So visiting at holidays was fantastic because they were about 14 houses apart from one another.
I always loved this image of my grandparents. This is Mom and Dad Richards. She was fussing at him about something and he was mocking her. Man.. I still laugh when I think of how frustrated she got and then just had to laugh along with him. He absolutely adored her. And she him...
This is my grandfather sitting in his favorite chair. A true saint this man was.... the writing on the image is a piece of paper I taped to the photo. He passed away my senior year of high school and I got the chance to see him one last time before he passed away. God I wish I could go back to that day and just sit and hold his hand and talk with him. But I was young and didn't understand just how precious life really is. I feel his spirit with me almost all the time. I really wish I had gotten to know him more. He was amazing. All my grands were amazing actually....
Well its the witching hour so I should wrap it up. No major excitement on the home front. Braves lost to the Rockies .. so Dale was bummed about that. Chris had his drama club meeting after school... No news on the homefront from Ryan and Ashley. Got some stuff done on my computer today... seems I'm making lots of to do lists these days ! Like this one...
Things to do: poke my brother Tim ( he's being too quiet ) ... write back to my brother Pat ( doh!).. call Mom.. check on Betty and see how her surgery went... and try to get more sleep!
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