I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated! Things are going really well!
The Move - I have yet to start packing for the move. I stopped by our new landlady's office to sign some papers this morning. She seems genuine, which is a good sign. She's fairly laid back. The community we're moving into might be more uptight then we're used to but the rules don't seem too outrageous compared to some of the communities I've heard about. I'm excited about this place. It's really nice and has so much space. I’m looking forward to getting over there.
My Weekend - I'm not even sure if I'll get a chance to post this since I only have a few spare moments to post this blog. Friday I got home at a reasonable hour. I enjoyed a leisurely evening because I knew the rest of my weekend would be non-stop. I stayed up later then I would have liked because a friend needed some advice. I have also been working on the engagement shoot pictures so that I can post a couple! I got to bed around 1:30.
I got up this morning and went tanning, rushed back home to go with my brother to meet our new landlords. Dropped Brian off and went over to Coco's to have lunch with Brandie who had brought Alexis up for the day! Alexis is adorable! She's so sweet and very alert. I had a great time catching up with Brandie. It was great to see her and the baby.
After that though, I came home truly exhausted. I really needed to be working on some graphic work for my brother but I couldn't keep my eyes open. I took an hour nap! I got up at 3:30 and started my graphic work for Brian. Amazingly enough the task only took me 10 minutes tops! Who rules? I do! hehe That was a pleasant surprise!
Now I have some spare time and I decided to update everyone on the happenings. Tonight Andie and I are going to the play Guys and Dolls at VVC. Ron and Amielle, a couple from the church are in it. I believe Jerret (my adopted little brother) is going to join us. I've heard the play is really good!
Sunday after church I'm heading to a family portrait shoot for my coworker Margarita. It's down in Rancho Cucamonga in their backyard which I hear is beautiful. After that I plan on heading over to spend the evening with my friend Sandeep who lives in Northern Cali but is going to be down here for a training class for work. I'm looking forward to hanging out with him. I don't get to see him enough. Then it’s back to the daily grind.
This Week - I have to start packing in the evenings. I'm taking Thursday off to go down to take pictures of the Steampunk Treehouse. James decided to go with me. Though I just found out this week that he's taken a job down in Santa Monica! I am actually pretty bummed! It's been nice to have a coworker that enjoys photography as much as I do. He says we'll still try to get together for our photography group but I'm sure him living down there will make it a little more difficult. Though I am happy for him and any time I'm down in Santa Monica I'll be sure to stop by and say hi. Anyways, my friend Drew wants us to stop by his place in Palm Springs the day we go to Indio. So that should be a full day. And Drew likes photography too. We'll see how the day works out.
Daniel and Mary Engagement Shoot 4/20/08 - Some of you have been asking to see some of the pictures I took of the couple last Sunday. I have not had any time to sit down and sift through them until yesterday and that was only because my plans Friday night changed to my benefit. So here are some of my shots. I took close to 550 pictures the whole day! These are a few that I like. Let me know what you think!
Labels: A Chair's Photography, Photoshoots, Pictures, Rambling, Updates
posted by Charity at 4/26/2008 04:49:00 PM
Where to begin!?! Life has been quite surprising!
A Chair's Photography - For so long I had been looking through windows of what could possibly be (with my photography in particular), but God just hadn't allowed those windows to open... until now. It was somewhat discouraging, but I tried to be patient. I got little glimpses of hope, with people like Joel Eckman Maus contacting me about working with him, (which I still hope to do someday)! Some of you may remember that post in January about him and another wedding photographer George Sillas. Well this week I was contacted by George Sillas's sister
Susan Whitney to be an assistant photographer for a wedding in June! I'm totally excited. And how she heard about me is short of a miracle or
maybe it was God. ;) His fingerprints are all over this stuff!
Anyways, I'm sort of getting ahead of myself, going back to that post about the wedding photographers. It was in that post that I made the declaration that I wanted to do whatever it took to be a professional photographer. I looked into a photography degree. Even researched some books that might help me organize a business. (I never purchased them and just today Joshua sent me a link to one of the ones I thought of getting. Seriously the signs are everywhere that someone upstairs wants me to pursue this!) But it seems that since I've made that declaration there has been a snowball effect in regards to my photography.
I originally went to this bridal fair because my friend Rashaell asked me to take pictures at her wedding and reluctantly, as well as being scared to death, I agreed to take her wedding pictures. The wedding was March 2nd. And I was happy with the way some of the pictures turned out!
In the middle of March James (from work) sent me a link to the
Steampunk Tree House. James is a fairly new employee of Alliance who also loves photography. He's invited me to join a photography blog and group. The Steampunk Tree House was his idea of the groups first photography outing. The Steampunk Tree House originates in Northern California but they are bringing it down for the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals. The more I thought about it, the more I realized seeing it during the festival won't be much fun because I'm sure it will be crowded. I emailed the project manager and explained my desire to see and take pictures of the Tree House and asked if there was any way it would be open to the public outside of the festivals. He said that it would have minimal access during the festival for liability reasons and he may be able to get me in to see it sometime between the two festivals. After a week or so of no confirmation I emailed him again and asked if he had given it any more thought and sure enough he's opening it up for me on May 1st!!!! I'm totally stoked!
Shortly after that I heard George Sillas was looking for another assistant photographer. I already told my brother about what I thought of his work the day I came back from the bridal fair. Sure enough Brian knows his sister from an old job and his friends, Eirik and Angie are good friends of the sister and they recommended me! This is how it all came to be that she called and asked me to be an assistant photographer. Networking is an awesome thing but I haven't seen it work for my benefit so completely!
The day my brother called and asked me if I'd be interested in being an assistant photographer my coworker asked me to take a family portrait for her and she was willing to pay me. This was shortly after my successful photo shoot of my (at the time) pregnant friend Brandie. I am confident in my abilities to take portraits, or I should say I feel more comfortable with taking portraits. And we have a tentative date scheduled for the last weekend this month.
I spoke with Susan Whitney yesterday and she's invited me to join her for a couple engagement shoots! I'm excited for the experience! It's also going to push me to prepare and study before the shoots. One is going to be done in Vegas at 4am! I'm excited by the challenge night shots will be and what I can learn. Another is scheduled for Pasadena next Sunday. I've already told her I would like to go. She gave me the details of the wedding and what she's expecting of me. Honestly this is the best way to learn! I'm so excited that I get this opportunity to take some great shots without the stress that all the responsibility is on me. I would definitely love to assist more!
Then just yesterday my friend Turtle called me as I was leaving work and asked if I would be willing to be the photographer at his reception! He asked my rate and I told him I would get back to him. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that he's a friend, it's not the full ceremony and being that I was already going to the reception meant I was already going to bring my camera and already be taking pictures! So I kept the price low. I'm excited for the experience! It'll be a gothic style so it should be quite fun to shoot!
Moving - So I dropped off our 30 day notice to our landlady tonight. Yup, just like that we're moving. Last Friday on my way up the hill I spoke to my sister about Misty and Jeremy moving out of their place and them needing replacement tenants ASAP and how it's the perfect place for me, Brian and Mike. It did sound nice. Five bedrooms (Mike sleeping on the couch just isn't cutting it anymore and Brian needs an office to work out of), it's a nice neighborhood, we'd each have our own bathroom, and rent was reasonable considering we'd be moving to a nicer place with more space, A LOT more space! Saturday I went and got my hair done at the Salon and Brian stopped by. He was meeting Jeremy to go check out the place. At this point I realized he was taking it seriously. Sure enough we had a meeting at our place that night and decided to pray about it because we had to give them an answer by Monday. As my first sentence indicated we all felt it was the right choice. Now I get to start packing. Yay!
Well I think there was more that I wanted to share but this is becoming a large post. Goodnight!
Labels: A Chair's Photography, Inspiration, Photography, Rambling
posted by Charity at 4/12/2008 02:43:00 AM
My good friend Mel felt the need to share this with me early the week before last. It stuck with me but it didn't have it's full impact until the church service last sunday. I figured it's definitely worth sharing!
Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone; to have a full, deep relationship with another; to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God says 'no'- not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and content with being loved by me alone; with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me; to have an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone. I love you, my child, until you discover that only in me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with me; exclusive of anyone or anything else; exclusive of any other desires or longings I want you to stop planning and stop wishing. Allow me to bring that person to you. You just keep watching me, expecting the greatest things. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you. You just wait, that's all.
Don’t be anxious, don't worry, don't look around at the things others have or what I've given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. Just keep looking up to me, or you will miss what I want to show you. When you are ready, I'll surprise you with a love more wonderful then you would have ever dreamed of. You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready- I am working even this minute to have both ready at the same tine- until you are both satisfied, exclusively with me and the life I have prepared for you, you will not be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me. This is perfect love. And dear one, I want you to have this wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me and enjoy materially and concretely. True, everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer you with myself, Please know that I love you utterly, believe it and be satisfied.
It is hard to stumble... on your knees.
I plan on putting together an update post. Lots of great things going on and I can't wait to share!
Labels: Inspiration
posted by Charity at 4/05/2008 10:23:00 PM 
