Fifty/fifty - Part III

Finally, after Part I where I described the 50/50 exchange I had last April with a Colorado Springs fellow photographer, and Part II where I shared with you the photos I took of Katherine, you get to see the ISSUU magazine she created for me. If you know me, prepare to be blown away (click to read!):

I am in awe of her work and oh so happy with the final result. Not just the learning and the feedback and the exchange this experiment represented for us. But also the photos we made while we carried it through. And I can only hope that this experience and these keepsakes is what I can offer to every single one of my clients. It is my wish that I can help them find the courage to exist in photos, the joy of unveiling themselves, the strength to look back into their own eyes and know how powerful they truly are.

Fifty/fifty - Part II

Last week I posted Part I of a series describing a photography exchange I had the privilege to take part in. It was mostly aimed at portrait photographers in search of feedback. I gave you a small sneak peek of a photo I took of my fellow college Katherine, and promised more. More there is.

This post is for you. The tender woman who thinks she doesn't look good in photos. The hurricane who loves who she is and shines in everything she does. The mother who was born into a new body with her children. The dancer with aching feet and passionate soul. The baker who treasures one more cupcake more than a starving figure. The cancer survivor. The fit athlete. The curvy goddess. The white-hair lover. The powerful warrior who brandishes the banner of the female for the benefit of all humanity.

These are my favorite photos I took of her. These are the photos I want her to cherish and frame and proudly display. These are the photos I want her to look at five or ten years down the line and say "This was me, then. And I love it". Because all of those things is what the pictures she took of me represent to me. She captured my soul, my uneven eyes, my tension and my love for my newly-found body... but you'll have to wait for Part III to see those!

Fifty/fifty - Part I

If you are a photographer or a small business owner offering a service, this post is for you. If you are just here for the eye candy, go ahead and sneak peek the photo of Katherine below. You may want to wait for part two of this series for the whole gallery.

Katherine is a photographer in Colorado Springs. We both dove in the world of contemporary women portraits at around the same time, and have similar business models. We met in a photographer's gathering last April in Denver, and I instantly knew we were going to foster a friendship. We have more in common than just our businesses, both having young children, husbands who struggle to understand our passion for art (having always known us as scientists), and perseverance to succeed at what we do. We decided that the next step for us was to have an exchange (known as "a 50/50"), where we would both "play" being the other person's client. That way not only we could each see how the other photographer works, but also we could get feedback on our process from a professional who knows the inside of it all.

This past Thursday I drove over three hours to Colorado Springs, where the exchange took place. Due to the nature of Katherine's "day job", she wasn't able to come to Laramie to be photographed in my studio, so we arranged a whole day of shooting at her AMAZING space. I recommend this to anybody feeling stuck. I would say we have just passed the half way mark of the process, and so far it has been an intense journey: a long list of things to improve but also a longer list of things we've learned. About our process and the other person's. We had a speedy lunch were we bonded in a hurry and ended up feeling like we needed a whole other day to decompress, connect, and have a much deserved glass of wine.

I will write more about the details in Part II. In the meantime, here is an image of Katherine I took in a stunning red dress; a present from her husband. She hasn't had a chance to wear it out yet, but when she rediscovers her curves after seeing these images of herself, I am sure she will find an opportunity to slip it on and go on a hot date with her man.

Every Day is Mother's Day

As cliche as that sounds, it is true. Being a mother is a job in which you can't call in sick; one in which you think you are your own boss although in the beginning years the boss is actually your child; one with a payment that is invaluable, useless, and invisible.

If the world was a perfect place, for Mother's Day (that one day a year when mothers' year-round job is officially recognized) would be celebrated as follows:

1) Everybody in the world would spend the day with their mothers
2) The present they each would offer would be a celebration with mama's favorite things (of course, those that can be shared)
3) There would be no blenders involved but also no shoes: those are the perfect gifts for Chef's Day and Feet Women's Day
4) Bonds that may have stretched would be mended, faults would be acknowledged, love would be shared and spread
5) A memento of the day would be created to remember one more year of selflessness and gratitude

Somebody recently pointed out that this is quite far from many people's experience of this day. So I say:

1) If your mom is not with you, embrace a mom whose children may not be there
2) If your children are not with you, be a mom to somebody who needs one
3) If you and your mom are distanced, reach out
4) If you and your child are distanced, reach out even further
5) If you don't know who your mom is, celebrate with the closest motherly figure you've had in your life.

And if you do this everyday, and not only next Sunday, the world will slowly be a little closer to a perfect place.