Just like it was January of 2002. I was under anesteshia having a screw drilled and hammered out of my knee from a previous ACL surgery. It was my 3rd (or was this my 4th?) time having knee surgery and I have never done well coming off of anesthesia. This time was no different. Just as fast as my consciousness rose, my body temperature dropped. And, just like they've done every time before they piled warm blankets on top of me to try and keep me warm. This time all I wanted was my dad. I don't remember all of the circumstances. Maybe Mom was at work and I knew somehow that he was there. Nonetheless, I just WANTED MY DAD! And, I remember asking for him over and over.
Spoken by Bono last night at the California Women's Conference:
From the magazine Real Simple's website:
Note To Self
Get Professional Photos of Your Children
I’ve never forgotten an invaluable piece of advice that I heard from an older friend right after my first child was born. She told me, “One of my greatest regrets about my children’s childhoods was that I didn’t have more professional pictures taken.”
“You didn’t take many pictures?” I asked.
“I took tons of pictures,” she said, “but the fact is, professional photographs are so much better than even the best snapshots.”
I absolutely agree—professional photos are better. And keeping her advice in mind, ever since my daughters were born, I’ve been zealous about getting their photos taken professionally at least once a year.
While it’s a lot of fun (and also a pain) to take pictures myself, it’s terrific to have some pictures that are truly excellent. These photos don’t take the place of the on-the-spot pictures that I take myself—I still take scads of photos at birthday parties, first days of school, on the slide, with a popsicle—but these pictures memorialize my children’s childhoods in a different way.
Plus they make great family gifts. I can never figure out a good present for the grandparents and great-grandparents, but they always love to get a really great photograph—especially the relatives who don’t often get a chance to see the girls in person.
Also, research shows that one way to boost your happiness is to reflect on happy times, and looking at photographs helps keep memories more vivid.
It’s a splurge, of course. Professional photos aren’t cheap.
However, I figure that the money I spend on these photographs will strengthen family bonds, enhance happy memories, and capture the fleeting moments of childhood. They give me more pleasure than practically any other purchases that I make. That strikes me as pretty good happiness bang for the buck.
A friend’s family had another great photography tradition. For her whole life, at every milestone, her parents took a picture of her and her brother sitting exactly the same way on their front stoop. It’s fascinating to see them change through the years. Along the same lines, the artist Nicholas Nixon took a photograph of his wife and her three sisters once a year for 33 years. The collection of these photographs, The Brown Sisters, is riveting.
Getting professional photos take is a great example of the tiresome fact that happiness takes thought and effort. These photographs are easy to arrange; in the scheme of things, not terribly expensive; contribute greatly to our family happiness—and yet it probably never would have occurred to me to do it if my friend hadn’t suggested it.
Rubin, Gretchen. REAL SIMPLE.
Original article is located here: http://simplystated.realsimple.com/life/2008/03/unforgettable-a.html
"You've gotta listen to this", my husband's larger-than-life-second-out-of-five-brother, Zach, would always say, calling me with another artist I just had to listen to immediately. "Jess, they're gonna be famous. Promise."
There have been numerous times I have gone to some unknown Myspace page to listen to someone's music for 30 seconds or so before I got bored and moved on. Yea, their voices sounded good, but I wasn't all that interested. Two of those people he mentioned years ago (no lie) are Regina Spektor and Missy Higgins. I often times feel guilty when one of their voices starts to play over my computer's speakers. "It's not that I didn't love you then, [Regina / Missy]...it's just that....well, you didn't sound quite as wonderful over Myspace."
Christmas 2006 Corey and I drove out of Knoxville, heading back to Memphis with another one of Zach's must-hears in our CD player. It was Seabird's first studio CD. Not perfectly polished, but the kind of music mix where you appreciate all it's rough edges. Corey and I drove the 6 hours home listening to Seabird's first CD (all of 5 songs) on repeat. We were hooked. Aaron has the type of voice that is the perfect mix of all things talented, distinctive, perfectly unrefined - Chris Martinish, Tom Chaplinish, maybe even a little Bonoish.
Two months later Corey planned an entire get-away-weekend to Nashville where we were to meet up with Zach and see our newfound, favorite band. I sat there listening, satisfied as can be. I even bought a t-shirt (which were homemade), marking myself as an official groupie.
While photographing Zach's groomsman, I found myself looking at Aaron (who, did I mention, is a dear friend of Zach's?) through my viewfinder thinking with certainty that that boy would one day be famous.
Then, just tonight I stumbled upon their voices outside of my iTunes playlist. If ABC has already jumped on board, these guys are for sure to become a household name. And, I have their homemade t-shirt to prove that I've been a fan since day one.
Go ahead. Call me cool. Call them cool. Go buy their CD and then call yourself cool.
...but I saw this video on another photographer's blog today and I just had to share. I don't normally like to watch videos of people getting hurt, but for whatever reason this video has left me in absolute stitches. Also, if a man's gonna have his 15 seconds of fame, get his name correct for peet's sake (is it Chris or Kevin!?)
This is one of those posts that is more for me than anyone else. A post that I'll be happy to look back on months...maybe even years from now. I got two emails this week that meant the world to me. When you're contemplating making that big jump - whatever it might be - there's sweet satisfaction to be found in seeing what you'd always dreamed of come to life. As an artist a dream that is inevitable to dream is seeing your work - big. beautiful. framed. treasured by it's owner. That's precisely what I got in my inbox this week. Two emails. Two proud mothers. Thank you both for making me :D {and rather humbled, too}. You put a little jump in my step for my week ahead.
Happy Email #1
{16x20, matted & framed. in the mirror you can see a series of 4, 5x7's}
{2, 20x20 storyboards}
Here they are close-up:
Happy Email #2:
{bottom left pic (one of my fav's!) is a 16x20, picture under light is a 24x30 canvas mounted on masonite and framed...gorgeous! this picture shows just how awesome a large picture can be - the picture under the light is 24x30! that's huge!! but, so fitting for that space.}.jpg)
{pic at landing: another 24x30" canvas on masonite}
{isn't that canvas G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.?!!?! love the clarity.}
{Here are the 24x30's before being framed next to "Nikki" herself. Here you can see just how life-size they are!}
{pic on top right shelf is a 16x20" mounted on 1/4" foamboard}
LOVE this set-up - so crisp & clean. prints are 16x20 & storyboards (mounted on masonite & framed) are 16x20}
*happy to be home
*missing my family on the west coast (i can't even stand to look at the previous post)
*up to my eyeballs in proof editing, but actually pretty happy about it
*excited that my new ad just launched in the Baby Guide!
*needing to unpack, go to the grocery store and do laundry (too bad it's all so boring.)
*listening to some good, new music by Citizen Cope
*dreaming of my soon to come office (the dining room isn't cutting it)
*thankful that so many people trusted me to capture their lives while in California
*procrastinating from all the things on my to-do list....
*and since a post seems naked without a picture, I'll post a random one. it's nothing, but a pile of old tree branches, leaves and lots of diesel dad was turning into ashes a few weekends back when we were all up at the lodge in banner elk, nc. just looking at this picture makes chills run up my spine. my #1 fear: someone breaking in while i'm at home. my #2 fear: fire!
The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.
If you have a heart for social justice or are simply interested in our world, read this book. Jean-Robert is a fascinating writer. I'm not much of a reader, but I read this book in less than a week. It's excellent and very well written. But, be informed - it will make your heart ache in a way it maybe never has before. Personally, I'd rather walk around with a heart that's aching for suffering children then an ignorant heart believing that the world is just as I see it. An aching heart forces me to do something about it. An ignorant one allows me to be content with shopping malls, iPods, laptops and DVRs. I'll take an aching one over an ignorant one any day of the week.
{Click on the picture to order the book.}
for more info visit: The Restavec Freedom Foundation.
For any of you who follow my blog, you'll remember this blog post: http://503photography.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-it-still-winter.html
Well, today I noticed the most beautiful, new buds coming to life in our backyard.
Ahhh...the sweet, free gift of spring.
While in Memphis last week I swung by my old place of work to snap some new staff photos. Nothing fancy - all I had to do was focus in the right place, snap, crop, turn into high-contrast b&w's (oh and remove blemishes, wrinkles, double chins....I'm totally kidding...maybe).
Hi everyone. So many of you are sweet to email me and give me your thoughts, ideas, comments on stuff you see on my blog. Will you be so kind to leave your comments on my actual blog? I so enjoy it when people do and I would love to know any thoughts any of you have at any time. So, the ones of you who keep it to yourself - cough 'em up! :) Also, I know it's fun for families to read comments posted about their pictures.
xoxo
Jessica
(*not my picture. i wish.)
{3 days later}: Well, that was a bit short lived...
...at least that's what my dad used to always say. ;) So, in case you don't already know this fast fact, here's your one thing for the day:
So, it only took about 2 minutes to spend my $50 on one of NicholeV's items. I decided to use it on her GORGEOUS textures. I just love the vintage/victorian look of them. Here's a few pictures I used them on...
Kate 1
Kate 2.
(in case you were wondering this is not a victorian doll. she is a real child that just looks like one.)
(*made up name)I hate wishing the days away, but it's January and I am dying for spring to arrive. I stumbled upon this picture today. I took it over a year ago and although it was fall when this picture was taken, the flowers, the sun and her adorable sundress makes me long for warm weather. I checked weather.com and it doesn't look like warm weather makes its way to Ohio until May. (Long sigh...)
Ahhh....I love the connection between parents and their offspring. This is why I do what I do.
p.s. I took this picture with Canon's very first Elph (2.0 mp). For all lovers of photography art, you do not have to have an expensive camera to make a good photo. I realize I'm saying my own picture is good, but it's true. I do believe that. And, I believe even more so that anyone can make still-life art with any sort of camera they can get their hands on.
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Here is a blog post from one of my favorite photographers and blog writers. Although I have not yet had the priviledge to become a mom I am counting down the days and I only hope that I can remember pieces of invaluable truths like Sheye shares in this post: http://sheyerosemeyer.blogspot.com/2007/12/seven-skirt-rule.html
(The crazy, passionate, in-love with life almost four-year-old)
