Finally sharing

Ok… finally time to open up my gut and share about my trip to Haiti…

I wrote the below the week I returned (I was supposed to share in church, but had lost my voice)…

Every time I visit a new country, it seems I leave a little bit of my heart there.

This time, I left a huge chunk of my heart in Haiti.

I'm not exactly sure why… I've been processing to figure it out.

Maybe it was the blatant poverty that is apparent as soon as you cross the border into Haiti.

Maybe it was the sea of yellow ribbons on all the students I finally got to meet in real life after watching so many videos of them from my comfortable home in Canada. Those kids were almost like celebrities in my mind!

But I do know that God pretty clearly showed me how my teacher's heart, my passion for photography and my involvement in the art industry could all come together to help some of the most needy I've ever seen.

On the final day in Haiti, the school had a farewell party for us… this is something they only do a few times each year as there are sadly not a lot of Live Different groups that go to Haiti… it is expensive and far more physically demanding than other trips.

As we arrived to the party, the Christian principal and teachers led the students in singing "How Great Thou Art" in English for us… it took everything in me to not go into ugly cry while listening and knowing how harsh their lives really are living in the slums of Haiti.

Following a bit of a presentation (they LOVE Canadians by the way!), we were given the opportunity to serve the children a huge plateful of rice, beans and a small piece of chicken.  As each child ate, I walked around taking a good look (and some photos) of each and every student… saying a silent prayer for each one that God would somehow help them meet their daily needs of shelter, clothing, food and yes, even education.

I will never forget those beautiful children, their smiles and their hugs… nor do I want to. So now I'm figuring out what is my "do something" that I can still do for this vast need in Haiti.

So since writing the above, I have processed even more and am excited to say I have come up with some ways to further to help this school in Haiti as they struggle to continue building their school (we helped build the 5th classroom while there) and offer education to more and more needy students!!! So be sure to watch for the details for that and see how YOU can also get involved :)

Meanwhile, here is a short video of our trip to both Dominican to build a home and Haiti to build the school.  While watching, I challenge YOU to think about… "What is YOUR do-something"???

My Most Dangerous Mission Yet...

Since moving almost 3 years ago, I have been basically taking a hiatus from my studio photography business.  In case you didn't know, about 17 years ago I started a portrait business out of my home shooting black and white... mostly babies and children... especially my own... 

And I specialized in hand-painting colour onto my images... a true combo of photography and art!!!

Babies and children are so EASY to shoot as it seems like all moms LOVE any and ALL images of their precious children!!!  But if/when I would suggest that Mom get in on the pictures, there was usually a swift and definitive decline of the offer!!!  And I didn't really push because I had learned long ago, most women do NOT like themselves in photographs and complain bitterly about how they look (which REALLY hurls a photographer's ego down the drain as our pictures are our "art"!)

But as a scrapbooker and photographer, I have spent years trying to tell women to get OUT from behind the camera and get IN to some photos... if for no other reason than to document that you in fact DID exist on this earth!!!  And some did listen, but they would still complain about the photos :(

And so I had pretty much decided that I was NOT going to pursue taking photos of women and stick to babies and children (which I do still LOVE to do!!!).  But I was NOT going to "sign up" for getting "kicked down" when women didn't like their photos!!

But then it happened....

During my hiatus, I was taking a TON of photography courses and came across a style of photography that is a contemporary modern version of the "glamour" photography of the 80s!! 

And my heart lept inside of me

 as I realized that my passion 

for helping women truly value themselves... 

all the messages I have presented for years 

at our Scrapbook Your Heart retreats... 

could be partnered with my photography... 

if done right!!!!

And there definitely is a RIGHT way of doing it and I have been studying it and practicing it ever since!!

And it just makes so much sense to me now... every woman wants to be loved and feel valued and feel beautiful!!  As young girls, we pretend we are princesses and dream of finding true love...

And although we grow up and put aside our fairy tale dreams, we are still captivated with stories of princesses (look at how we still gravitate to everything and anything about the Royal Family) and dream of true love (hundreds of classic romantic movies)... and yearn to feel young and beautiful (just look at the billions of dollars spent on beauty aids).

And the more I learned and studied, the more excited I became that I could quite possibly take beautiful photos of women that they actually like themselves in!!!!!!!

But I tell you... 

it is my most DANGEROUS mission yet!!!!

Why?

Because I am battling society's messages that you need to look a certain way, be a certain weight, be a certain height, have a certain body type, dress a certain way and be a certain age,

...in order to be beautiful.

And I'm battling...

...generations of women, unbeknownst to themselves, complaining out loud about themselves and by doing so, are teaching their daughters to also worry about their hair, their weight, their age, and perpetuating the belief that our worth is tied to our exterior traits... 

Why can't we simply see ourselves for who we are... 

the woman that God created us to be... exactly as we are...

...a beautiful 82 year old mother, grandmother, wife, sister, friend, woman of faith, musician.

And I'm definitely battling those inner voices... 

women who feel guilty spending time and money on themselves... who don't feel worthy enough especially for something as "frivolous" as a photo (that they probably won't like anyways) and who don't think it's important to document themselves in pictures much past their wedding day!!!

And most of all, I'm battling my own fears...

I'm scared to death of putting my heart and soul

into photos of women that I think are beautiful

spending hours planning the shoot 

employing every little tip and trick I've learned

then enhancing and adjusting in post

all to make them look beautiful in a photo

...only to have them hate it.

Told you this whole idea was DANGEROUS!!!!!

But I'm not going to quit.  

I've already experienced so many wonderful reactions even from women who say they have never liked a picture of themselves... EVER!!!  

Watch as I share their images and stories here and/or join my new Facebook Page. 

And because the happy reactions far outweigh the negative, I will continue to make it my  dangerous mission...

To take beautiful photos of every day women.

Sneak Peek!!!

Guess what one of my next BIG REVEALS is going to be????!!!!!

My NEW STUDIO!!!!!!!

This is just a "sneak peek" of what I've been working VERY hard to get ready!!  I did a "test run" this past week with this cutie patootie and absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this new look!!!!

Since moving over a year ago, I haven't really been doing any "official" studio shoots because I have been planning, dreaming, creating and collecting "FUN STUFF" for my NEW studio and working on my NEW website!!!  And it's oh so close to all coming together!!!

So this little "test run" has done two things... first, it has just reaffirmed how much I miss doing creative and unique portraits in a studio and second, it's inspired me to get'r done!!!!   Not sure if it will be in time for Christmas, but at the very least, I'll have gift certificates available!!

So what do you think????  I know I'm excited :)