I started writing a blog post this morning about my mentoring session yesterday for a nine-year old aspiring photographer. It was a “job shadow”, where she came to learn about photogrpahing flowers for a couple of hours. I took it very seriously, though we of course ended with a cupcake.

I’ve been asked to do this sort of thing in the past, but I’ve always shied away or thought I was “too busy”. But I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to start paying back all the time and energy that others have put into me over the years. Plus, I have a little boy now and I sure hope someone will take the time to do the same for him one day.

As I began this post to talk about yesterday’s protege, I did a quick Google search for one of my tried and true fans named Jean-Michel Addor who was relentless in wanting to teach me everything he knew about photography. He was, what we’d refer to now as, an “old school” photographer with a scientist’s mind and incredible technical proficiency. At the time, I was right out of college and working in a digital photography studio in the same building as his studio. He would come over to watch me use Photoshop and we’d talk about digital cameras. In turn, he’d have me over to look through his 4×5 camera and ask for my opinion on his lighting and composition, both which I was fairly clueless about at the time. So, he would teach me.

We’ve kept in touch over the years and it had been a long time since we’d spoken. I was heartbroken to learn this morning, as I searched for his website to link to this post, that he had passed away without my knowing. I feel as if a little bit of my past died with him. I hope he knew how much his believing in me  helped me to believe in myself.

Here’s to you Jean-Michel.You will be missed.

Above: “Bella” (or what happens when your Polariod of Bella gets eaten by your camera) I actually really love it. An accidental abstract. 

There’s nothing like dedicating yourself to a weekly project to make you realize how quickly the week goes by! But I’m having fun with this one and have been putting my Evernote account to good use. Do you use Evernote too? I love it as a way to file all my thoughts, ideas and online inspiration into categories and label and tag them, etc.

I have an idea to do a series called (I don’t know what? Waiting on Bryan to help me come up with a clever title) where I photograph and write a little bit about 25 special ornaments that are on my tree. Each one that we hang has a history. I grew up in a family where we received a new ornament each year that signified something special that had happened that year. This makes me want to (finally) go and dig out the box of childhood ornaments I still have in my parent’s attic.

If you can’t tell, I enjoy the 52 Week, 25 day projects. I’ve got another one up my sleeve for 2013. Until then, here’s a little insight as to what’s inspiring me now!

—> Noah Fecks + Paul Wagtouicz cook, style and shoot their way through all 815 published issues of Gourmet Magazine. This image always cheers me up.

—> I’m pretty sure we need one of these little gems in the office. I’d get LOTS of work done!

—> A link for my friend Jenny Badman on the sets left over from Indian weddings.

—> My new favorite word, which I learned about from my new favorite magazine.

—> Have you seen these extraordinary “Day to Night” photographs by Stephen Wilkes? He takes over 1400 4×5 images and composites them together into an image that will make you stop and think.

—> As much as I love Maddie on Things, I also love the story of what made her owner, Theron Humphrey, set out and eventually be named National Geographic Traveler’s “Traveler of the Year”.

—> This article on the similarities between a mother’s newborn and her dying grandmother had me thinking.

—>Lastly, I laughed when I saw that Allison Tate had a new article in the Huffington Post, “The Mom Stays in the Holiday Picture”.  Not sure my mug will be on our holiday card, but it will be in photos we put around the house from last night’s photo shoot with my awesome friend, Jennifer Bearden!

(above image f/2.8, 1/80 sec, ISO2500 – Alyson & Brian’s wedding)

Welcome to the Thanksgiving Edition! I hope that you are all safe and warm and splayed out on the couch with full bellies. Thanksgiving really is the perfect holiday for the current world we live it. There are no politics or no religious biases to debate, just our own families to navigate.

I’m feel grateful recently for the extra time I’ve had recently to just let my mind wander. You see, I recently increased Seamus’ preschool schedule from 3 days/week to 5 days/week. Of course it comes with a trade off, but let me tell you… after 2+ years of caring for that little bugger’s “everything”, I feel a welcome relief. When you spend all your free time cramming in as much client work as possible, it leaves very little space for creativity. And I missed that, big time.

Enough about me, here are a few links I found myself lingering on this week…

—> Did you see this gorgeous graphic on the history of photography and its explosion in the mobile phone era?

—> I want to learn to do this, as seen on FStoppers

—> Definitely addicted to Danielle LaPorte’s daily Truth Bomb in my inbox each morning. I especially like this one, “ Who reminds you of who you are?”

—> This would be the perfect front door for my house!

—> I find myself thinking about this piece Simon T. Bailey wrote. How many times have you placed your self-value on some one else’s choices?

—> I’m putting some goodies from Lulie Wallace’s new textile line on my wish list for sure, get the heads up for her big debut here. Her paintings are to die for!

—> Have you heard of Timehop yet? I lurve it! Each day you get an email with your updates and photos that you posted a year ago. It’s a great little journal reminder.

—> Reminds me of a Rothko painting and how much I really want to be a painter, I just hate washing brushes.

—> Last but not least, the most hilarious Twitter account that I wish I’d started, Preschool Gems.

Following the lead of a few bloggers whom I admire (I’m looking at you Swissmiss, Dooce, & Heidi Swanson), I have decided to try to put together a weekly post with links to what’s inspiring me now.

I am a 21st century gal and I spend way too much time online. I like to think of it as furthering my education, strengthening my business skills and massaging the creative flow. Sometimes it does, other times it just kills time nicely.

Either way, my brain is crammed full of ideas and images and I thougt it might be fun to share a few of those gems with you once a week, so here it goes….

(The pic up top is one I took of a dying peony while hanging out over at Stems.)

—> Quotes on dark slides, brilliant! Makes me want to shoot more film from the Impossible Project.

—> Wise words by Simon Collision in his Creative Mornings talk:  “I want to be an individual, but I don’t want to be an individual like everyone else.”

—> My alter ego, who in addition to being stylish and put together, is also a food illustrator.

—> I totally wish I could go to this workshop.

—> I’m all aboard that train!

—> “The way we relate to imagery is changing…” Steven Mayes, director of VII Photo Agency is interviewed by Wired.com. These are revolutionary times, people.

—> A shout out to my new office roomie who is one of the most creative people I know!

—> Lastly, a little note from the universe….

I had an awesome time photographing Alex’s 13th birthday party last weekend on the Isle of Palms. It reminded me of Simon’s bar mitzvah that I photographed last year and of how much I love photographing 13 year olds. They are vibrant, energetic and love having their photo taken. Could I ask for anything more?

Happy Birthday Alex!

I photographed a space for a friend recently and found myself really enjoying finding compositions within the structures. It’s not often that I get to photograph this way. It felt like painting.