Club Mermaid

The Mermaid Project is rolling along. And oh my stars, I am having ever so much fun with it!

Our latest mermaid sessions have been utterly fantastic. Getting my feet wet (ha ha) with underwater photography has been an unyielding and terrifying adventure. But being surrounded by a talented group of models, artists, and friends who have been more than patient and endlessly willing to quite literally jump in with me as I learn and work? Wow. I couldn't ask for more.

I often ask myself how it is that I got so lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of people who continually support me as I grow and who are always willing to help with my experimentation and shenanigans. This project has been no exception to that rule.

I'm still sorting through what we got during our second set of mermaid sessions, and I'm super jazzed for the next round of photos for this project and beyond as my underwater skills develop. I can't wait to share more, and while every trip into the water with my beloved cameras is scary, it's a good kind of scary, because it rattles me out of my normal comfort zone. If you're an artist or a creative-type person of any persuasion, you understand how important it is to find something that challenges you and shakes you out of what you consider normal and safe. For me, that thing is underwater photography. I am taking my profession and my knowledge and (eeeep) my gear into an environment that pushes me past the boundaries of what I've classically been doing, and despite the fact that it is scary, I am so in love with it and scared of it and in awe of it. I want to get better and better at it. Challenge accepted.

GoodNESS. Could I be a luckier girl? I don't think so. Can't wait to see where this adventure takes me!

World Photo Day

Happy World Photo Day, everyone! I am slightly ashamed to admit that I forget this day is coming every year until someone reminds me. I almost feel like I'm supposed to be outside, whirling around on a hilltop, a giant smile on my face, the sun shining, camera in hand, celebrating this day by shooting all manner of fun things and beautiful sights. The reality is, though, that I'm sitting at my desk, editing the past few weeks' worth of sessions and prepping stuff for clients, and getting ready for a sunrise engagement session I have at the beach tomorrow morning. (Which means I'll need to go to bed early tonight...let's not hold our collective breaths on that one, though. I'll probably still stay up late like a moron even though I know better. Ha.)

Photography has given me innumerable blessings in my silly little life. The opportunities, the adventures, and most importantly, so so many of the people in my world are a part of my existence because of my job. So many amazing, funny, awesome, wonderful things that I have in my life are there simply because, way back in the day when I was a little kid, I thought to pick up a camera and start tinkering around with it. I fell in love with photography and taking pictures at a very early age and I've been lucky enough to turn it into a career. I try to never lose sight of this fact.

So I suppose I'm still celebrating World Photo Day in my own way, even though I'm not outside shooting right at the moment; I'm celebrating the fact that on this, a day where we all rejoice in the art of photography, that I'm lucky enough to say that I AM a photographer, professional and full time. This is my only job and I love it every damn day. There are many people who are aspiring photographers who would love to be able to do this professionally and many others who do it part time but would love to make it full time, but that's incredibly difficult to do, so I know I'm lucky. It's exciting and scary and challenging and exhilarating, but I love it. Photography has given me so much and I am eternally grateful for every single moment I'm behind a camera. And to the people in my life who are here because of photography and to the family, friends, and clients who always support me, cheer me on, help me out, jump in front of my camera when I have some crazy idea, and give me motivation? Well, I'm pretty darn grateful for you guys, too.

“When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.”
~Alfred Eisenstaedt~

Art Boners

When's the last time you got an art boner? 

All giggles aside, we were talking about this idea after seeing this funny graffiti yesterday at the Ringling College of Art and Design during a session trip that took us out near Sarasota. When we were done shooting, we just drove around and explored, because Sarasota is a place we haven't seen much of in our many years in the Sunshine State. We saw the graffiti as we were driving around on the Ringling campus, laughed, pulled a quick u-turn, and took a photo. And then, we discussed. 

We're both artists and we are paid for our art and our time. And that is freakin' AWESOME. Because there are a lot of people in the world who would like to be where we are; we know this and we are grateful and in awe of and humbled by this fact. But if we're pro art-bonerists (if that's not a word, it should be), when is the last time we made something just because, just for ourselves? That's tricky. 

My last time was probably last weekend when shooting in Key West and the Dry Tortugas. (AMAZING. Photos coming soon.) But for Bren? It was a different answer. He is a professional artist and designer, and he creates every single day. He loves his job and he loves that he's lucky enough to do it for a living. This is legitimately how he pays the bills. But he couldn't think of when he last actually sat and made something for himself just because. So today, he's sculpting some Tiki gods for our backyard. 

He is sitting in his studio. Drinking beer from the Big Top Brewery in Sarasota (delicious, go check them out). Hands dirty. Sculpting. Just because he wants to.  

And it's awesome. 

He's going to use his sculptures as reference for a series of wood Tiki carvings he wants to make for our yard and pool area. He's happy. I'm happy. There's a cool vibe in the house as he makes something with just his hands and some clay. (And a coffee can I sacrificed for the cause to serve as an armature.)

The point of this? 

Go get an art boner. Even if you're not an artist. Just draw (even if, like me, all you can draw is goofy stick figures because it's the best you can do) or paint or sculpt or sing or dance or whatever. Get a crayon, draw a dinosaur. Do a paint by number. Create a masterpiece or just something that makes you smile. Make a windchime out of seashells that will make your heart happy every time the wind blows. Write a nice poem and give it to a friend. Sculpt a Tiki God and name him Beavis. (Note: I'm totally naming one of Brendan's sculptures Beavis...just try to stop me.) Just make something, for yourself or for someone else. You'll be happy to get some creative energy out of yourself and into the world. We are. (Also, we not only encourage you to continue to giggle at the word "boner", but we absolutely DEMAND that you do, because, if there's something wrong with continually snickering at that, then, we don't wanna be right. Ha.)