www.lumierephotoartistry.com

So, I'm really excited that as of Monday, my new blog and website will launch...or at least my website hosting creator and hoster says it will launch.

YAY!

Join me there. It's going to look lots cooler - why? Well, because I am no computer programming expert, so I am now paying someone for it to look cooler.

I'll post the new blog link when "they" tell me what it is:-)

The Workshop Workbook!

Photogs - this is such a great tool! The Workshop Workbook is full of tips for posing, shooting, and creating beautiful master pieces! Purchase it at www.theworkshopworkbook.com

Rwanda the Beautiful!

Well, I am back in one piece and I must say, it feels gooooooooood to be home. The soles of my feet were black from trekking the African soil for 10 days, but I took care of that little problem today.

The thing I was most impressed by my trip to Rwanda was the power of the human spirit that so many of the people there possess. We met women who had lost their husbands, all of their children, all of their families, and some men/women were children when the genocide happened who were heading homes because they lost their parents. The genocide in Rwanda wasn't just a tiny little uprising in the country - over one MILLION people were slaughtered over the course of three months. The history is vast when it comes to the genocide, but more prevalent is a nation that is in the process of renewal and revival.

I remember the next to the last day of ministry, heading into the Village of Hope to meet with some widows who were living there. Upon pulling into the village we could hear celebration coming from one of the meeting houses - they were praising God and dancing like they had never had a worry in the world. Yet, when we heard their stories, we heard of loss like nothing else I have ever heard. Their strength is just beautiful to me.

The orphans were also little rays of sunshine within themselves. Literally, all they wanted was love. Now, suckers (or "bombos" as they call them) were a big hit too, as they barely have food, much less candy...but, mostly all they wanted was to be held and to have someone show them attention. We painted faces, made them bracelets, and our main gift to them was a water purification system.

I will absolutely never forget the beauty of the people of Rwanda. From Lake Kivu to the Nyunda Noel Orphange, to Muzanze, and on into the villages of Kigali - there was beauty in the strength of what will someday be a great nation.

POTD - Photo of the Day!

Two - sunny Finley and Braelyn the beautiful!

I miss when my little man was 4 days old!

I shot Rayney when she was 4 days old - she was so good, that I couldn't stop shooting. She is sooooo calm - which is good for her mother, as she is a third child and neither of her brothers are over 2 years old. Brooke gets a medal in my book for being the most amazing mother in the world!

So many Photos, so little time!

Leaving for Africa very soon - for those of you looking at my work that are not facebookers, I wanted to post some additional things on here for you!

I thank everyone for the kind words - I am incredibly blessed to have you as clients, as friends, and many times clients that become friends!

What a Great Weekend of Shooting!

I was given so many great gifts this weekend - several families chose to give me their time and share their beautiful kids with me. I couldn't be more thankful for that privilege...

Some of the pics are surprise gifts for some unnamed peeps, so I cannot post those previews for another few weeks...but I'll attach a few gems that I love!

Hangin' in there ...

My last post was done on April 3, 2010 - that same night I lost the first man I ever loved and the greatest man that ever lived, my father. I am just not quite ready to write about that. At some point, I am sure that I will write about the loss and the legacy that my father left, but it's just too fresh right now.

Mostly, I am just trying to pick up my camera again and keep learning. It is in my father's honor that I do this, as he was an incredibly hard worker and wouldn't want me to become tepid about that which I was passionate about before his death.

We have had some firsts since losing him - one of them was Preston's first baseball game. He had two hits that night. My best friend Hannah said it best when she said that my dad was so proud of Preston and that he probably rounded up a crowd of people up above just to watch the big game.

Each day, I put one foot in front of the other and try to make myself better than I was the day before. I know my Dad is patting me on the back with the heavy hand of his, every small step of the way.

I included one pic of P at the big game, and another of Jett, my best friend Jeanne's baby. I picked up the ole' camera after a few weeks off and I need to start shooting more. She sure is sweet. It reminds me of how sweet they are when they are first born - I think it is because they are coming straight from the presence of God, to Earth, to teach us just what the important things in life are.

More frequent posts to come...

Unknown fact about me...

I'm scared of large animals. This includes mini-horses. Yes, that qualifies as a large animal. So, when my friend Brooke asked me to take some family pics before she has child no.3, I whole heartedly agreed without knowing that she wanted to shoot with the mini-horses.

Yikes.

I know they are mini, but technically, they could eat me. Have you seen a horse's mouth? I mean, their mouth is NOT MINI! Anyway,the shoot turned out to be a lot of fun. In my typical fashion, I automatically sprawled across the grass in the mini-horse stable without even thinking about the fact that I was laying in mini-horse manure.

Brooke's parents have about one million beautiful back drops for photos, but we had to work quickly because she has two boys. Which means they don't have time for us women to be setting up the shot! Anyway, they were so stinkin' cute. Easton smiles at everything you say to him and Jackson was a little ham.

I didn't get eaten by the mini-horses and I managed to capture this beautiful family without making the boys too, too mad. Success!

One thing I know about Photography ...

I guess there is one important thing I have learned that seems to be true across the board - If you are ever comfortable when you are taking the pic - it probably won't be the best shot of the day. When I shot my best friend Nik and her daughter Fin the other day, we were both laughing at the fact that I seem to take all my pics while laying on the ground. I always leave a shoot dirtier than when I came. We were at the daffodil patch and I was rolling around in the dirt without even thinking about it. Fun stuff.

Taking pictures makes me happy. I get even giddier when the end result is something that I love. Which was the case on the most recent two trips I took to Wye Mountain. When kiddos are happy and it is captured, there is just nothing like it.

Last Day of March

Today, I went out and shot one of my best friends and her daughter. It was so much fun. Most of the time Finley was wanting to play with Preston's guns...but, I managed to get some good stuff. It doesn't hurt that my girlfriend is beautiful and I don't know that I have ever seen her take a bad picture! No fair...

I'll post a few just for kicks.