Blast From The Past

As much as I loved this woman... (in the friend, sense) it is difficult to imagine that I hadn't previously showcased her images on this blog.  But, alas, I truly had not, so I correct that oversight right now.

I met Julie in the spring -- maybe summer -- of 2007. She is also a  professional photographer and came to check out one of our local photographers' society meetings.  Stunning, as you can see, we became friends instantly -- or almost instantly.

First I had to convince her that she and I were a perfect match. It didn't really take much.  Julie was 5'11" (6' 3" in heels). I was 5' 7".  She, at the time, was 27 and I was 54.  The perfect match was obvious once I explained to her that I was exactly twice her age and half her height.  Perfect!  I think she laughed herself into hyperventilating, at which point I had to save her life and THEN...after catching her breath, we were friends; and shortly thereafter she became my favorite model.

Julie moved back to Australia in October of 2008, but left a lasting impression in my world, and the walls of my studio. Not only was she an excellent photographer, she was an awesome interior decorator (I used those skills too) and one heck of a friend.  I miss her a lot; but, these images give me some solace.  I think the term "Amazon" might have been invented just for her.

Here's to you, my friend. Thanks for having come into my world.  I working on getting to Adelaide so she can buy me lunch :-)  "Will work for airfare."

Camera Shy?

Professional Photographers spend their lives capturing the special moments and occasions for our clients. We take great care to get just the right look, from the right angle to hide anything you might consider an imperfection, to ensure you have a portrait that depicts you and gives you that perfect memory. In my business, I call those "Images that make your heart smile."

It is amazing, however, the number of professional photographers who are themselves... quite camera shy (no, that would not include me.) Such is the case with my friend Renee Marquis, whose beautiful wedding images have brought so much joy to her clients for years, yet Renee hadn't a professional portrait of herself.

So after a little convincing (it only took about a year) she presented her awesome self at my studio door... and we captured some awesome images -- a few of which are presented here.

Some days, I *really*love my job.

Who Motivates the Motivator ?

I wrote a blog post a while back entitled "So, I Met This Guy... ," talking about my (now) friend and colleague, Steve Borek, business coach. Actually, "business coach" might be a bit of an understatement, but you can get all that from his web site, End Game Business.

Shortly after the meeting mentioned in that blog post, Steve awarded me the pleasure of updating his executive portrait and we came away with this image that portrays his personality: easy going, approachable, laid back, a kind of quiet confidence. That's also the way he conducts his coaching sessions -- quiet, laid back, and conversational; except he's not really doing the talking, you are (or in this case I was). And, he's not the one coming up with answers to your problems; he just casually facilitates you coming around to your own. Yup, he's as good a coach as he was invigorating conversationalist over coffee in my original blog post, and he helped me come to some life changing realizations.

And among other things, Steve also produces plays for the Baldwinsville Theatre Guild. As a matter of fact, right after I make this post I'll be heading there to see the closing performance of Exit the Body. So, if you have an urge to patronize your local theatre guild, give BTG a look.

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin