Time to Gush

Yes. It's that time: the time when I have the sudden urge to gush about my husband. This urge was most likely prompted by the spouses deployment reunion brief we had last night; this deployment is almost over! While I was sitting there listening to all of the advice the Marine Corps Family Team Building director was giving us, I couldn't help but daydream about the day I finally get to wrap my arms around that man again (I think all of the wives were daydreaming as well, so I'm not the only guilty one).

I also started looking back at all of the wonderful times we've had together so far...and looking forward to all the times we'll soon have.
One of the things that really jumps out at me about those past times is the amount of support that Clayton has given me through everything. I know I already did a little bit of gushing in my opening post, but I just have to do more. He really has been my rock, through both good times and bad. On the days where I wake up and wonder where my photography is going to take me, if anywhere, and on the days where my confidence has been shot, he is always right there, cheering me on, saying, "You can do it, hun. And even if things don't work out, just remember you will always have me to fall back on." HE'S the one in the middle of the most dangerous place in the Middle East, yet he still sets his problems and worries aside to listen to mine and make me feel miles better.

Clayton isn't exactly the "artsy" type of person, but he IS the type of person to support my career choice, no matter how much he doesn't understand it sometimes. When we first started dating in high school, I warned him that I had a "photography-oriented mind." His response? "That's okay. I think it's cute." Even to this day, he still says it. Those simple, yet sweet things he says drives my motivation even more. I want him to be proud of me (though I know he already is). Someday, I want my work in photography to be able to pay off, especially financially, so that I can try to pay him back for everything he has done for me.

I know every wife says this, but I really do have the most fantastic husband. We're a young couple, that's for sure, but we've been through more than most people have in a lifetime, and we're still going strong.
I can't wait to be in his strong, protective arms again. Not too much longer, and I will be. =)

Sweethearts: Sierra & Jeremy

This photoshoot was a rather difficult one for me. Not only was it pouring rain and the sun had already gone down, but I was photographing my sister and her boyfriend.
Now, I love her boyfriend to pieces; I went to high school with him for a couple years before I graduated and he really is a great guy. The hard part was seeeing my sister. She'd had a boyfriend before, but I was never there to do a photoshoot with them; I hadn't seen my sister be all lovey-dovey with anyone before. It certainly wasn't a bad thing, but it was hard seeing my sister almost growing up before my eyes. I was genuinely happy for her, though; she deserves to be happy.

I'm looking forward to taking more photos of them when I visit Maine once again this fall after my husband comes home from Afghanistan. Hopefully the weather and the daylight will be more cooperative this time around...

Sweethearts: Sam & Mike

Before I start raving about these two, let me just clarify that Matt (from the last blog) and Mike are twins; this is not the same guy. No two-timing going on here. =)

Moving on.

As I've said once or twice before, Sam really is the easiest person I've ever worked with. Her mind works in a very creative way, much like mine does. As a photographer, a big part of my responsibility is thinking and loosely planning the shots, however, it does help immensely when I have some extra brain power working with me, especially on the days when my mind is a little foggy. Before we started the day, Sam had thought of a few specific shots she wanted me to get, and I did. Not only is she my best friend, but, that day, she was also a client, both of whom I wanted to make happy.

I also had a fantastic time working with this couple. I've been lucky. Nearly everyone I have worked with thus far have been cooperative and flexible. Of course it helps that I've known most of my clients for years and have become very close friends with them. But, I believe even if we didn't know each other, they still wouldn't have been a problem to work with; they're just that type of people.

We traveled the back roads of Monmouth and Winthrop to get not just one perfect shot, but many of them. I think-I hope-that they both felt, as I did, that it was a success.

Sweethearts: Kaylee & Matt

While I enjoyed all of the couples I've photographed so far, I have to say that these two are my favorite. Not only are they insanely adorable together, but they're both so much fun to work with. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during a photoshoot.

One of the best things about this couple, though, is just how natural they were. Half of the shots I got were them just being them; they didn't have to fake any of the cutesy emotions I asked them to show. The photo above happened by accident. Kaylee just happened to look over at me while Matt had his arms around her like this. There were even some poses they did when I didn't have my camera up that I just loved so much, I said, "Wait! Do that again! It was so cute!" Kaylee and I even convinced Matt to climb up a tree and hang upside down so I could get a Spider Man-esque kiss shot.

I honestly could have photographed these two all day. They were one of the reasons I fell in love with photography all over again. There was a period of time when I wasn't working at all, except for the occassional still-life photoshoot in our apartment. I was just so busy with school, adjusting to life in North Carolina, and getting my husband ready for Afghanistan that I didn't have time to promote myself in the Jacksonville area. Thank goodness I decided to take a trip up to Maine in May where I was able to book about a half-dozen jobs; not only was I able to make a little income, but I was able to get behind my camera again and remind myself how much I really love my job.

Dance Like No One Is Watching...Except The Photographer

My first dance recital.

When I was first asked to do this job, I'm 99.9 percent sure my palms immediately started sweating. Not only had I never photographed a dance recital, but I also had never taken on a job of this size. By the time I put the finishing touches on the last shot, I had devoted three days to this one job. I know that doesn't seem like a whole lot, but it was three times the amount of time I usually put into a single photoshoot, plus editing.

The day of the dress rehearsal, most of my fears were put aside. I met the dancers and their parents, and they all seemed cooperative and enthusiastic about the fact that, for the first time, there would be a photographer to take both formal, posed shots, as well as candid shots from the actual recital.
The lighting during dress rehearsal was frustrating to work with. The stage wasn't well lit; there wasn't anyone to work the lights that day, so we all had to work with the bare minimum. I try not to rely too much on editing to make a great shot, but in this case, I had to make an exception.

Two days later, I was sitting in the front row at the recital, camera in hand, my palms still sweating, but having a fantastic time. The shots I got all came out incredible. The lighting was also much easier to work with.

But the best part of this experience was the opportunity I had to do something new. Even if this is the only dance recital I ever shoot (which I hope it's not), at least I can say that I've done it.

Sweethearts: Brittany & Jesse

My first couples photoshoot.

Brittany and Jesse needed to have a little coaxing before they were comfortable with being affectionate in front of the camera. It's understandable, though. I don't expect couples I photograph to come in and be prepared to go at it in front of the camera; that's not how I operate. However, I want them to know that they can be cute and lovey-dovey in front of me, especially if they're people I've known since junior high.

This is another photoshoot that I wished I had more time with. However, I also had to complete this shoot before the dance recital I mentioned in the last blog (and the one which you will see in my next blog). But, as I said before, I made the most of the time we had, and I was excited with the way the final shots came out.

Sing It Out: A CD Cover Shoot

Unfortunately, there is really not that much to say about this photoshoot; it pretty much speaks for itself. A high school friend of mine starting recording CDs about two years ago and has since asked me to shoot her cover art. I gladly accepted, excited to work on something new.

I was happy with the way that this particular photoshoot came out, but I wish we had more time. That day, we were really pressed for time. We started late (never a good thing), putting us behind from the beginning, and we had to stop early-I was shooting a dance recital later that night.

It was frustrating, especially because of the reason we started late (which I won't discuss here). But, like I always try to do, I made the best of the time we had.

A Bittersweet Homecoming

This past April, I had the incredible honor to shoot my very first military homecoming. While it was certainly a joyous occassion for the family, it was a bittersweet moment for me. I couldn't have been happier for the family, but I was fighting back tears behind the camera. My husband is currently deployed to Afghanistan and at that moment, the fact that at that time we still had months and months left before he came home hit me extremely hard. I secretly wished it was me that was greeting my husband at the airport. If that makes me a selfish person, so be it; ask any military spouse-it's a natural feeling. I put that feeling aside, however, and successfully finished this photoshoot.

Another element that added some sweetness to this occassion was how truly thankful the Dunomes were that I agreed to do this job at the last minute; the wife couldn't stop thanking me. Knowing how appreciative these people were just made me fall in love with my job even more.

People outside the military community think of homecomings as the media portrays them, but what this one was like was completely the opposite. Even I was surprised when I found out that we were picking the husband up from the airport (he was sent home early, before anyone else in his unit) rather than somewhere on base. Most people think that when our troops come home, there is a huge celebration after the families greet their soldiers, Marines, sailors, etc. But there really isn't. One the families are reunited, all they want to do is go home. Can we really blame them? I certainly can't; I know my husband will be the same way when he comes home. Once the hugs and kisses were over, the Dunomes thanked me, paid me, and we were all on our way. While the end of the photoshoot came quick, I was glad it did. After 8 months of serving overseas, the husband definitely deserved to speed home and spend time with his wife and little girl.

Sibling Rivalry

Shooting school photos for my siblings was the most comfortable, yet frustrating experience I have had thus far. Comfortable because they're family, so I don't have that pressure to impress them; they already know how I am when I'm behind the camera. Frustrating because they know my ticks and pet peeves; when they don't want to do something for me, they know just how to get me frustrated enough to give up and try something else.

Then there is dealing with the age-old sibling rivalry. All three of my siblings kept asking, "Do I have more pictures than [Sierra, Robbie, or Tori]? Why don't I have as many pictures? You need to take more pictures of me." In the end, they all got the same amount of photos taken, thank goodness.

But that wasn't the only rivalry I dealt with that day. My oldest younger sister (I'm the oldest in the family) is a tom-boy to the max, so getting her at least semi-dressed up for some nice pictures was like pulling teeth. Once we actually got the right clothes on her back, the complaints were almost never-ending.

The day was long and the whining was almost constant, but all in all, I honestly did enjoy doing a photoshoot with my siblings. As I said, I was comfortable, which is probably the first element I search for in a photoshoot. Not only do I want to feel comfortable, but I also want those who are in front of the camera to feel comfortable. I think both feelings were achieved that day.

Samantha (Class of 2009)

And here it is: a shot from my very first PAID (and therefore "official?") photo job. My best friend asked me to take her senior portraits and, of course, as a best friend should, I said, "Yes!" Working with Sam is always such an easy job, which is why I use her so often (she can be seen in my post "Looking Back"). While she has no real modeling experience, she knows exactly what to do with her facial expressions, her hands, her body language; it just makes me job easier. Her experience in cheerleading certainly helped when I asked her to climb on top of uneven rocks and twist her body, all the while trying not to fall into the freezing ocean water. She's short, she's blonde, and she's just an adorable person to have in front of the camera.

From this senior portrait session stemmed others, all of which I had an enjoyable time shooting.

Once again, when I get a facebook page up with multiple examples of my work, I will be sure to post links.

Viva l'Italia!

Before I began getting paid, before I started falling in love with taking couples portrait sessions, before my Canon EOS, I fell in love with the landscape with the land of Italy. Not only did I love photographing it, but I loved simply looking at it.

Second to, of course, the memories with my husband, the time I spent in Italy was the best time I have ever had. During my junior year of high school, my best friend and I had the chance to go to Italy for ten days with one of our English teachers and about a dozen other students from our school. It was incredible. I saw places and things I never thought that I would see: the Coliseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Duomo, the David. These famous tourist attractions, however beautiful, are rather dwarfed compared to the landscape of the country. The photograph above is one that I actually took from a moving bus when we were traveling through Sorrento. No zoom was used- we really were that close to the edge of the cliff. Thankfully, our bus driver was skilled enough to navigate through the dangerous territory; a few minutes down the road, he actually managed to turn our Greyhound bus around in a one-way street. And, if I may add, the one-ways in Sorrento are even narrower than those we see in the U.S.

I digress.

Photographing the streets, people, places, and vast landscapes of Italy was probably where my love for photography actually stemmed, but I was so focused on the trip as a whole that it was put on the back burner of my mind. Too bad. To say my passion for photography started in Italy would have been much more..."romantico."

Looking Back.

The image above is one in a storybook series I shot during my senior year in high school. I wish I could show the entire story, but unfortunately, that will have to wait until I get a facebook page up and running. Once that happens, I'll be sure to include the URL in this blog so you can check out the project as a whole.

Moving on.

This shot concludes the story I told for this assignment. I titled my project "A Soldier's Story"- a simple story about a young man who enlists in the military, goes through boot camp, comes home only to find he is assigned to a deployment, and, as you can see above, makes the ultimate sacrifice for his country. To help me with this project, I enlisted (no pun intended) the help of two of my close friends, Dustin and Sam. Working with them was a breeze; both were cooperative, easy to direct, and were willing to do the same sometimes difficult positions over and over again just so I could get the perfect shot. In the end, the series came out better than I could have ever imagined.

While the digital world has certainly improved photography immensely, the best part of this project was working in the darkroom and putting a little more elbow grease into the work than normal.

Ironically, I started dating my husband about two or three weeks after I finished this project; I soon found out that he himself had enlisted in the military. Just a short, sweet side note.

How The Journey Began

Photography began as more of a hobby for me; I didn't pick up a camera one day and decide that I was a photographer right then and there. As my senior year of high school approached, I realized I still wasn't 100 percent sure about what I wanted to do with my life after graduation. However, after taking a photography class my senior year out of pure interest, I fell in love with capturing images; from that first class on, my friends and family rarely saw me without a camera near.

My love continued as I began getting "hired" by my friends to do their last-minute senior pictures for the yearbook. It was at this point I decided I wanted to go to college for photography, and I did. My first year at the University of Maine at Augusta was spent majoring in photography.

However, as it is with life, things changed. My love and passion for photography had not died-not even close, but my life outside of photography had taken a turn, but thankfully, it was for the better. My husband and I got married during my 2nd semester of college, and after that semester was over, we both wanted me to move to North Carolina with him so we could finally be physically together (he was then and still is serving in the Marine Corps). When I moved, I stayed with the same school, beginning to take online classes. Since I couldn't finish my photography degree online, I switched my major.

Just because my college degree will not say "B.A. Photography" does not mean I don't want that career in my future.

That career, I believe, has finally begun to take off. Whenever I am visiting family and friends up in Maine, I can always count on someone needing photos done; one photoshoot leads to another, most of the time, and before I know it, I've expanded my portfolio to twice its size.

I love this job. It may not be a steady one, but I love it. But what really drives me is not only my love for photography, but for the support my family, especially my husband, has given me through all of this. I hope you all will excuse my gushing, but I really do need to give my husband the credit he deserves. I know it's not always easy on him to be the bread-winner of the house, but he rarely complains, and he always, always supports me in my artist ventures. He really is my rock in all of this, even when he is thousands of miles away.

So there you have it: how this journey began in a nutshell. Please continue following! =)