This is the last chance to sign up for the next round of beginner photography classes via Angie Seaman Photography which starts tomorrow. (Monday, January 4th, 2010) Some of you have already registered and if so, then you should have received my confirmatiom email back confirming your seat in class by now. If you are interested in taking a beginner photography class that teaches you the basics of beginner photography, how to use your camera and its settings, etc., then this class is for you.
You do not have to have a digital SLR to participate in our class. Any point and shoot will work as well. We will discuss the pros and cons to both styles of cameras as well as the ins and outs for both designs. For a few more details on the class, click HERE. If you are ready for a basic, beginner, photography class...go HERE to sign up. Once there, click on "portraiture," then on "classes." From there, you can walk thru the registration process. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com. This will be the LAST CLASS OFFERED AT THIS PRICE. I'm planning to do some different things for the new year ahead. Therefore, should you want in on this price, now is your chance. All of our past classes have sold out. Don't wait...we'd love to have you.
Beings that Kenidi and I had the H1N1 virus together, we've become quite the little bed buddies together. She hasn't left my side since her illness began which was almost two weeks ago. Even though she is better, she has stayed right by my side as I ride out what is left of my journey with it. (which is hopefully not much) Every now and again I'll look over at her and just stare at her as she watches TV aside me. I've caught myself thanking God for this little bed buddy of mine and how much she adores her Mommy. She is literally stuck to me at the hip. God help her when she has to return to school next Tuesday. Actually...God help me. :)
I am so excited about the fact that this is the New Year. TwentyTen is what I plan to refer to it as. (instead of two thousand ten) Reason being...I want to make this year twenty times better than a score of ten could ever be. I am so stoked about all of the plans God has in store for our family. This past year was a rough one but as always, we saw our way thru it only by way of Gods grace. I'm excited about our new lives here in Naples, Florida. My new business here next to the sea. My new photography classes I'll be teaching/adding onto this year. The kids new sports teams. New friends that we've made here. And the list goes on and on. God has always been so very good to us - even when we weren't reciprocating that to him. This past year leading up to today was no different. He still carries us in the palm of his hand. We are his children. Just as Kenidi is my daughter, I am his. For that...I am grateful. I am excited. I am me because of all the things I can do thru him. And in the end, when a fellow, dear, sweet, blogger friend mentioned coming up with a word for us to live by in 2010, I decided I needed two words instead of just one. As you all know, I'm not one to follow the rules much. My two words that will be privately tattooed across my two wrists baring wings - one word for each wrist - as my hands go to sink my head into them during those dark days/hours that we are sure to experience in TwentyTen...the words..."Abundant Courage." Two very small words that mean such HUGE things..."Abundant Courage." (wished from another photographer acquaintance on Twitter for the New Year) Because I'm "His" daughter, I know he is showering me with "abundant courage" as I crossed the thresh hold into TwentyTen last night. I cannot wait for New Years Eve 2011 - just so that I can look back and see where all that "abundant courage" via those wings - by way of Gods grace - allowed me to go. Many of the goals I'm after for myself this year will take an exceeding amount of "abundant courage." I've been given that courage by God. And it started today. January, 1st - TwentyTen! This date is significant today but will be VERY significant to me in the distant future, I'm sure. So...as I lay here, recovering from this eventful illness, and watch my gorgeous daughter bat those stunning eyelashes beside me, I pray that she too will one day have "abundant courage" as she walks beside God while attempting to tackle and attain her life goals. I pray that she knows him so well that she can lay in bed with her own children someday, laughing about being bed buddies, all the while thanking God for his enormous amount of grace, blessings, restoration, and the ability to turn her fears into abundant and overwhelming amounts of courage. Happy TwentyTen peeps. THIS is going to be "MY" year. I pray you will make it "yours" too!
I took this shot this morning with my iphone before heading to the beach with my Mom again for the day. It was too perfect of an angle to pass up. I looked up, breathed in the fresh sea salt warm Florida air and thought..."I must be dreaming. I can't believe I live here now." Mom and I hit the beach for the 2nd day in a row after the kids were all tidied in at school. I laughed when typing my facebook status this morning. I commented on how these daily beach trips with my Mom have the potential to become a very bad habit. God help my domestic duties at home. I'm in trouble! :) Mom and I sat there taking in the sites on the beach and just can't get over the shock of this being our home now. I was at Kenidi's school earlier and went to itch a spot on my arm only to suddenly realize how absolutely fried I was. (sun burned) I giggled to myself when I realized that this time I don't have to worry about my tan fading because my vacation will eventually end. Now we can just hit the beach or the backyard lanai and touch up the tan when need be. Oh yes...life is good sista's! Life is good. I know you guys must be getting so sick of seeing palm trees and hearing of Florida stuff and I apologize for that. This is our life now though and I'm not sure that the shock and awe of it all will ever wear off. Again, I apologize for that up front. :) Hopefully you can bare with me as I adjust to the sheer joy that living here brings me as well as the emotional side of it when I reflect on how much I miss my parents and friends back home in Indy. With this move comes a two way street. Lots of emotions that stem from opposite ends of the spectrum. Thank God for the individual who invented SKYPE. I love knowing my Dad and Cathy are only a computer screen away when I want to see their faces.
As for the kiddo's, they had another great day at school today. Kenidi's teacher and aides have informed me that our child is quite the dancer. The aide told me again today that "this child can dance." We laugh because we know. She can put Shakira's hip shaking to shame. Ha ha! Tomorrow (Thursday) will be a big day for me. Kenidi will start riding the bus to and from school so I'm a bit nervous about that. I've been taking her and picking her up thus far. Please pray that she'll do well on the bus and that it will be an easy transition for her from the bus into the school and vice-versa. Sometimes going from point A to point B with Kenidi is trying - especially for those not familiar with her. I know I am already loving her teacher though. I've learned so much from her in the past 48 hours regarding how to deal with certain behavior issues Kenidi has. (running for doors, dropping to the ground seeking attention, etc.) The stuff she has helped me with thus far has been amazing. Things I would've never thought of but yet they make so much sense now that they've been explained to me. And the door issue - her escape tactics - this teacher already has her "stopping" at the door and not opening it as she normally would have. I'm blown away. The teacher also told me that when we return from Christmas break she will help me tackle the potty training issue with Kenidi. I'm so eager to start that process. I know Kenidi can do it - she was almost there last May but then got spooked and reversed. She just needs someone who can help her communicate it and I feel like this teacher is already breaking those barriers for her on the 2nd day in class. I'm hopeful and confident that this change - this move to Florida - was yet again just another stepping stone toward what is best for Kenidi and Brennen's future. I know God has his hand in every direction we go in life. This move South was no different even though we had moved just a year and a half earlier in Indy. It's all in God's timing - his stepping stones - block by block - path by path - house to house - school to school. Each exit or diversion has a reason. I'm confident in that. And on a funny note...normally when I take Kenidi's shoes off back home after a long day of school, a bunch of mulch from the school playgrounds would sometimes fall out. In the past two days when I take off her shoes following her day here at school, a bunch of white sand falls out from her playtime at recess. Some would find that annoying. I find it absolutely "MARVVVVAAAALOUS!" :) Oh yes...life is good sista's - life is good!
Kenidi being pushed around on the dolly by her Dad...
I love how she fits just perfectly inside the contour of it. So funny!
Also, I'm sure you can see that we are in the process of altering the blog a hair. I thought that I wanted to give it a new fresh makeover. You girls know how I love to change things up a bit from time to time - never keeping anything long enough for it to get stale. Same goes for my AGD logo. If you have a good eye, you'll notice that I changed up my logo design a bit. Well Crystal did it for me - I just told her what I wanted and she magically makes it happen. I had her remove the crown and the heart from my logo. I wanted only wings from here on out. Reason being, it is the wings that AGD is known for - not the heart - and not the crown. Not only that but I have had the logo just long enough for several people to copy the design. I'm not fond of the copying especially when one of them was supposed to be a good blog friend. Therefore, in an attempt to always stay ahead of the game and keep the AGD look but yet always keep it fresh and out of the box, I trashed the heart and the crown, and made it a bit more grown up. Less girlie and more cottage chic. Less zebra-ish or less of a black and fuchsia color scheme and opted for a more beachy look. A fresh and clean new vibe. Angie. I just wanted it to scream AGD & Angie. So...I'm thankful to have a look that isn't blending in with the over saturated amounts of wings, crowns, and hearts now. I love the look and think that Crystal and Amy ROCKED it like they always do. I hope that when you log onto this page now that you will instantly be propelled to the shoreline with us and that you will enjoy your time here as though it was a virtual vacation of sorts. I can't wait to share the Naples treasures with each of you.
This card was given to me by my dear friend Tamara. I met Tamara several years ago when Brennen became friends with her son in 2nd grade. We've enjoyed our time with them ever since. They are great to vacation with and we love their company no matter where we are. Tamara and Joe are considering buying a vacation home in the same neighborhood that our Bonita Springs house is in. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they will so that they will have an excuse to come down and hang out with us all of the time. :) Either way, Tamara gave me this card after our dinner together the other night along with a bag full of "good-bye" gifts that I fell in love with. The card was my favorite though. The wordage on it couldn't be any more perfect. Just had to share...
And speaking of Brennen...a couple of you have asked how the kids are taking the move. Well, it's like this...Brennen is now 10 years old and in 5th grade. He adores his friends here and will miss them terribly. We've assured them that they are welcome at our home in Naples anytime they want to come down. Fortunately, the area where we live has lots of families who go on Spring Break to the Ft. Myers Beach area each year. Beings that we will only be about 40 minutes from Ft. Myers Beach, we are hoping to keep in touch with many of his friends just on Spring break alone not to mention the rest of the year too. Brennen is excited and nervous all at the same time regarding this move. I am the same. Thankfully he is a pretty outgoing kid and makes friends easily. I'm praying that lunch time and recess will be a breeze for him that first day/week. That is my only worry - those moments in general. Brent and I decided that if we were going to move, we needed to do it NOW. It was going to be easier to transplant Brennen there in Naples now - rather than waiting until junior high or high school. He will be at the elementary school for about 5 months before migrating over into the middle school next year with everyone else. The next 5 months will give him just enough time to meet some friends to "move over" into the middle school with. We didn't want to throw him into the junior high next year to fend for himself. We truly believe that getting in the elementary school for the next few months will be a plus for him as he transitions to the junior high next year.
And Kenidi...well...she is a whole other story. Although she doesn't quite understand what is going on, I realize the transition will be tough for her into this new school - mid year. It will be tough for me as well to have to watch her adjust. However, without going into a ton of detail here on the blog...I'd rather watch her transition into a new school in Naples than have her stay in her current school even one more day. I have not discussed her school much here lately out of fear of hurting some feelings or causing an uproar. However, after meetings with the principal of the school as well as repeated conversations with her current teacher, to say that Brent and I are disappointed would be an understatement. Kenidi has come home with multiple incident reports from the school nurse this year - sometimes weekly and even twice a week - due to injuries she is receiving while at school. Sometimes the injuries are explained by acknowledging another child hurt her within the class but then there are most times when no one seems to know what happened to her to cause the injuries. The aide doesn't know, the teacher doesn't know, etc. As you can imagine, sending your child - who can't talk and tell you about her day - to a school where she is coming home injured on a regular basis, really makes your job as a parent even that much more heart wrenching. The school is understaffed and has admitted that they are short on aides and now her teacher has even left for the year due to maternity leave. Kenidi is extremely scared - more like "petrified" of a particular aide in the classroom. When I take her to drop her off, she breaks down and goes into a mode I've never witnessed before when she thinks I'm about to leave her with this particular aide. The bus driver has noted it as did Kenidi's speech therapist at the school. They all confirmed what we were seeing. I don't believe this aide is harming Kenidi but there are other factors that I know cause her fear when it comes to this woman. We've repeatedly asked the school to work with helping Kenidi and this aide transition together but no one is listening. And the final straw came just a couple of weeks ago when I went to drop Kenidi off at school one morning. Her teacher never came outside to get her as scheduled - nor did the aide who was working that morning. When I called inside the school after all of the buses had come and gone and we were the only ones left, the front office staff sent out a school janitor to come and get my daughter from me at the back of the school and walk her to her class. Oh yes they did. Now...I know the janitor is definitely an up and up kind of guy. The principal assured me that he would have released his kids to this janitor anytime. However, I am NOT the principal. I'm a parent who is responsible for the well-fare of my children and I'll be darned if I'm going to release her to a school maintenance worker instead of her teacher - as planned. That janitors job is not to get my kid to class. That is my job and her teachers job! Nuff' said.
So...let me repeat myself again...I would rather watch Kenidi have to endure the adjustment of a new school mid-year rather than to have to watch her go thru one more day of torment at her current school. Clearly there are issues there. People are dropping the ball and they've admitted it. The children in that special needs class have gotten less than 50% since the first day of school began. I'd like to say that her teacher "checked out" in recent weeks when she got further along in her pregnancy. However, the truth is...she was never "checked in" from day one. As you can imagine, this is hurtful for us because we had her in the best school with the best teacher and the absolute BEST aides last year.
Unfortunately, the district let most of those people go and then shuffled everyone else around to different areas. So...it's tough when one school, one principal, one teacher, and four different aides spoiled us rotten regarding the care and love they showered our daughter with when she was in their care - only to go to the polar opposite when the district changed her school this year. Thankfully, I've been able to remain good friends with her teacher as well as an aide of hers last year. We love them dearly and miss them being in her life more than words can describe. I used to always hear about the horrible time that parents of special needs kids have with schools before I had Kenidi. However, I never realized the drama and its complexity until I had a special needs child of my own. As her only advocate in life, Brent and I will do whatever we feel necessary to keep this child safe and comfortable. And at this point in time, that means moving her to a new school.
Are we moving just because of her school, No. Not at all. Truth be told...this move to Naples has been in the works for 10 plus years. Deep down, even you guys knew I'd end up there someday. An opportunity presented itself to go now, so we are going - before I change my mind again. I swore I'd never leave my parents and move there. Now look, I'm leaving my Dad and Cathy behind as well as Brent's mom. It's a tough decision. In the end though, life's curve balls helped me make that decision. My goal is to get to Naples, dig in deep, and go gung-ho with my photography business there. I want to make a name for myself and build a business that can sustain itself for my family. Photography is a HUGE passion of mine and I feel that I can promote it there better than here in Indy. I can shoot year round there. As a natural light photographer, I only get 5 months or so here in Indy to shoot each year. And that is if Mother Nature doesn't cause me to have to cancel sessions due to weather issues. Naples is a tourist area. People flock there for family vacations and tons of them want family photos on the beach when in town. I want to embrace those wants and cater to the those families willing to let me photography them. I've been there and know how hard it is to find a beach photographer or any photographer for that matter when on vacation in a tropical area. Due to my own experiences when searching for a photographer, I plan to hopefully saturate the market there in Naples and Southwest Florida in general. We'll see where the good Lord takes this. I'm letting him lead the way. For all I know, he'll get me down there and away from photography doing something else totally different. I heard a saying the other day that said something to the effect that God laughs at our "10 year plans." I truly believe that. He totally has his own agenda and I'm confident that his agenda is always best. :) Less than 48 hours to go...
It's Tuesday night. In three short days it will be Friday. In three days, we will be packing our cars and the moving trucks. Cars and moving trucks bound for Naples, Florida. We will depart Indiana on Friday evening - driving half way, stopping to sleep for the night at a hotel mid-way, then picking up where we left off on Saturday morning. If all goes as planned, we shall be official "Floridians" as of Saturday night - around 9pm. We will leave the title of "Hoosier" behind but it will forever be embedded in my heart - just like the initials 'CG' are.
And for those who've asked...yes, my Mom is moving and becoming a "Floridian" right along with us. She is not moving in with us but she will be staying in our Bonita Springs house until she finds a place of her own. We on the other hand will be about 20 minutes south of there - in the heart of Naples. 4 minutes from the beach and 5 minutes from 5th avenue. Although moving from Indy will be tough, the geographic location where we will now reside sure will make it easier to stomach leaving the "Hoosier" state. Those flights back and forth to Naples over the past couple of months paid off. Our mission was accomplished. We found a place where our family of four will be comfortable and where the schools are rumored to be great. The schools were a big part of our research. Florida isn't really known for great public schools. Therefore, we spent many hours on the phone, speaking to other locals, and just investigating the schools in general. We based our new residence on the school(s) we wanted our kids in and were NOT about to move until all of the stars aligned and we found something within that few mile radius.
But back to my Mom...beings that I'm an only child and my Mom isn't married, she hasn't got a whole lot tying her to Indy right now. She has sisters here whom she will miss a lot and whom are already missing her at the mere thought of her departure. However, she has always said - for years - that if we should ever decide to pack up and move to Florida, she would be going too. And she is. I didn't even have to ask her. It was just an unspoken and automatic notion. I am thankful to have my Mom coming with us. She immediately said..."When do I need to start packing?" It will be great to have someone there that I know. It will be lovely that she is just down the street in Bonita in case we should need help with the kids. But the best part will be on those mornings when I put the kids on the bus and can call her up and say...get your beach bag ready...I'm picking you up and we are going to go lay by the seashore all day - catching the suns BEST rays. You see...my love for the sun came from my Mom. It was genetically instilled in me from the time of conception. My Mom is the type that back in the day...when I was little...used to climb a ladder to her roof and then lay on that 'said roof' all day long until she was fried beyond belief from the sun. She truly believed that the black shingled roof helped her tan easier and quicker. Not only did she tan on the roof, but she would use one of those aluminum foil looking reflector blankets to lay on. You guys remember those back in the day, right? Yeap, those are a few of the fondest memories of my Mom. Ha ha! So...my love for a good tan, the warm sunshine on my face, and the mere feel of the melanin rising to the top surface of my skin from the heat outside is a direct result of watching my Mom do what she did best during our Indiana summers when I was a kid. I remember taking a trip to the Bahamas with just my Mom and my aunt when I was in high school. We laid on the beach all day long - soaking in the sun - like it was the last day we'd ever see it. Yes, we are addicts. Yes, we will look 80 by the time I'm 40. But know this...Florida senior citizens are WAAYYYYY healthier than Indiana senior citizens. Why? It's because of all that vitamin D they get from the sun. I'm sure of it. We see 80 and 90 year old men and women out boating, walking the beach, perusing the shops, and dining at the ritzy restaurants in Naples just as though they were 30 again. They ROCK it out - living like they are dying - everyday in Florida. We always talk about how healthy they all look and what a gorgeous glow they all have. They keep a kick to their step unlike our older/elderly community here in Indiana. The Hoosiers of that age are old, frail, brittle, and fragile. Indiana winters cause falls which causes bad injuries in the elderly. It's no wonder why they age quicker and harder here.
There is a reason why we - as human beings - have a natural radar that goes or gravitates toward beaches when vacationing. God totally knew what he was doing when he made the shorelines and invented beach chairs.
This is "C" man. I had a shoot with him a couple of months back and am way behind in getting his and other sessions up and posted here on my blog. Either way, "C" man was lots of fun. I've included a few images from our session together. The camera loved him. His Mom is a fellow photographer so he knew EXACTLY what to do in front of the camera. I had a ball with their family.
I honestly didn't have to tell him to do anything. His Mom was there helping him along but for the most part, he was a seasoned pro in front of the lens. It helps when there is a bit of bribery involved for some new lego sets as well. Ha ha!
Like his brother and sister, he has gorgeous eyes. Mom look out...the girls will be ringing your phone off the hook very soon. Wink wink! :-)
I loved his attire as well. Photography sessions depend so much on the clothing choices for the shoot. His Mom, being a photographer, knew exactly how to pull off "the look." As you all know, I love the beach and C-mans clothing ensemble reminded me of the perfect walk on a beach at sunset. He made me want to grab my suntan oil, my flip flops, and a beach towel like ASAP!
Speaking of the beach, I'll be back in the Naples, Florida area come November 22nd. Should you have a need for a beach session or an urban session around the Naples, Bonita Springs, Ft. Myers, Sanibel Island, or Cape Coral areas...look me up. I'd love to work with your family in photographing some images for your perfect holiday card this season.
For the first time in over ten years, I traveled thru an airport this morning without my children in tow. It was odd. Strangely unfamiliar actually. When we travel, the kids are always with us. I am missing them already. :( With that oneness though, I am able to whip out my laptop and type in peace though from 30,000 feet in the air. I can't decide which I prefer best...Kenidi climbing all over my laptop when she is present or if her and Brennen not being here with us causes too much "Mommy ache" as I commonly refer to it. Well, yeah...I know which I prefer best. I'd take the climbing across my laptop any day. Wink wink! ;0) As we left Indy this morning (which required a 4am wake up call that I'm not real happy about), it was 42 degrees. At touchdown into the Southwest Florida airport, the temps are forecasted to hit 92 degrees for the high today. Needless to say, it's an "instant summer" kind of thing. It is that instantaneous climate change that I always love when you go from flying out of the Midwest into the Southern tropics of Florida any time of the year. It is also why our family chooses to travel to the Southern most tip of Florida rather than anywhere else within the state. Other locals in Florida are not this warm year round like Naples is. No matter what time of the year, the temperatures never disappoint - nor does the overall forecast. So for that, I am thankful today. I'm enjoying the sunshine even though it will be short lived due to our quick flight in and out.
Thank you for all of your prayers for safe flights as we peruse the friendly skies this morning and later tonight. You ladies know how much I always appreciate those travel prayers. So...until tomorrows update...enjoy your day and be safe. Details to come...
In comparison to the turtle we found in the neighborhood last week, this little guy deserves a sash and a crown for most beautiful. Is he/she not a cutie or what? Brennen found it in the driveway earlier today. Needless to say, I busted out the ol' 50mm 1.4 lens as well as my macro 105mm lens and started shooting away.
It amazes me what a macro lens can show in a photograph. If you could see in person how tiny this little guy was, you'd know what I meant. For example, just being able to see the granules of beach sand on his back is spectacular. I think that is my favorite part. He is apparently a "beach lovah" too!
And the little nostrils in the nose...oh my goodness...he is too cute for words. You couldn't see those with the human eye but you sure can with the macro lens on board.
And his leather like skin...oh how "turtle-ish!" Kenidi just couldn't get enough of this little dude. She kept getting down in his face and flapping her hands at him while yelling..."Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi." :) It was hysterical. I had uneasy feelings about her taking her foot and just stomping him with one fail swoop. That or visions of her running over him with her bicycle tire which she was sitting on for a bit while by him.
I had Brennen grab me a quarter so that I could place it beside him and snap a shot - revealing his true to life size. Yes, he was really no bigger then an oversized quarter. A half dollar maybe. He was a tiny little guy. Very tiny.
He is now outside in a white bucket in the driveway. Brennen has discussed with us how he feels we need to go buy him an aquarium. How if we don't, he'll just build him one in the yard with shells and rocks and coconuts. (I quickly reminded him that snakes would probably eat him in one bite if he stuck him out in the grass) He then resorted back to assuring me he had seen a pet store near by and that we could go get him an aquarium. In 5 small and short words...Brennen has lost his mind! Until I convince him that he "will not" be traveling home on the plane with us back to Indiana, the white bucket will remain his home for now. I told Brennen that he would have to release him back into the amazon wild before we leave. Now Brennen isn't overly happy with me. I'm pretty much the meanest Mom on the planet who doesn't care about the safety of animals on this earth. I think a reminder of me running over the snake 4 different times in 30.2 seconds was brought up and thrown out there a few times. Instead of his Mom that took him for Tony Sacco's pizza tonight (his fav), I'm pretty much now his mortal enemy. Remind me...is he 16 or is he 10? Oh lawdy lawdy...someone help me.
Much love,
The snake killin' - no aquarium gettin' - mean to God's creatures - Mom
When you look at this picture in general, what comes to mind? What do you see? If you were driving down the road and passed this lot/property, would anything register? Pay close attention now...
Maybe come in a little closer. Now what do you see...?
Well let me show you what I see.
I see these...
And my eyes see tons and tons of color. More color then my brain can wrap itself around...
How about this pink canoe (shown below) by the way??? Think we could letter it up with some AGD wings maybe? I think so!
Needless to say, despite the no-see-um mosquito type bugs that ate me alive the whole time I was shooting as well as the fear I had that a snake was going to come crawling out from underneath one of these stored kayaks and bite my ankles, my camera, my lenses, and myself had a ball capturing all of this color - this intrigue - these photographs.
You see...this is a small kayaking business off the side off the road which I happen to drive down many times a week while here in Southwest Florida. And each time I pass this store, my heart skips a beat (well it does that normally but you guys know that story - Ha ha!). Anyway, my heart skips a beat whenever I look over and see all of these phenomenal angles coming off the boats as well as all of this outrageous color. I have continually had the urge to get back there on this property and shoot these boats.
Finally one day, I got up the urge to call the owner of the business. I wanted to ask permission to get onto their property after hours and shoot. Although the woman I spoke with on the phone that day seemed confused on why I'd want to shoot there, she gave me the OK. She asked me if I could do it during the day rather then after hours. I explained to her that I wanted the evening hours so that the sun wasn't so harsh in my shots. Again, confused...but she gave me the permission I needed. She asked me if she could get copies of any of the shots I did and I told her "of course!" Definitely! We agreed that I'd leave my business card in her mailbox once I had completed everything. So, I waited until the perfect evening - where the sun was going down and we had a bit of an overcast cloud cover in the sky. Finally, it happened. The sky was perfect. The clouds were perfect. Even the palm trees on their property were perfect! Wink wink! ;)
I can't thank the owner enough for allowing my heart and I to skip a few beats together during this process. Yes, as the old saying goes..."Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." However, my intention of posting this shoot here on the blog was to prove that although that saying is somewhat true...I believe that there is beauty to be found, to be seen, to be had in everything if we will just take the time to look for it. I've said it before but I'll say it again...One of the best things about being a photographer is that life looks completely different from inside a camera. The things we'd normally pass up in day to day life become things we can't pass up behind a camera. Photography allows you to see things you never saw before. One of the major misconceptions people who aren't photographers have about photography is that the art of it is all about the beautiful things in life. Photography is about all walks of life. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Again, it's all in how you choose to see or view it. The other cool thing about photography is that you are the artist. It's your gig - you make the rules. Therefore, if you want to shoot an old lot full of kayaks...you can. And I did.
So today...I'm encouraging you to go seek out the beauty in the mundane or the not so pretty today. Find it. Hunt it down. It's just another way to actively turn the negative into a positive. And with that comes a better day then maybe the day you had before...you can be sure of it. Thanking God today for all of the beauty in life. Even when it comes to kayaks. :)
PS...Should your travels ever bring you to Southwest Florida and leave you wanting to take a kayaking trip for the day or leave you wanting to go canoeing, be sure to look up Estero River Outfitters. They have a great selection of boats and have a wonderful owner who was ever so kind & gracious to me.
Lou (Brent's friend) has already gone home to Michigan but out of appreciation for his good Mexican cookin', I had to post a couple more photos of the dinner he made for us on the 2nd night he was here. He made taco's as well as cheese/onion enchilada's. I was in heaven. Again.
I didn't really get my cameras settings where they were supposed to be before I took these because we were all in a hurry to eat. So...you get what you get - don't throw a fit. Ha ha!
Lou also made more guacamole dip for us beings that I "wanted to marry it" by that point. :) Lou not only is a great cook but he is also an artist. For those of you who know us well, you've seen the drawings that Lou has made for us. He takes original pictures of our kids and then hand draws them for us. We have a couple of them in our home framed already. Well, see the little yellow lobster on the side of the bowl below? Lou made that. He sculpted it with Brennen's clay. Too funny, huh? He actually had Brent and I print out some new and recent photos of Brennen and Kenidi so that he could take them back to Michigan and draw them out for us. I can't wait to get them. I know they will be gorgeous. They always are.
Needless to say, I'm probably 20 lbs. heavier since Lou left. His cooking was just too good to pass up. :)
For now, I'm off to go check in on the photography workshop I'm leading. Can I just tell you what a wonderful group of 24 women we have in that class? They all have such awesome talents and are doing great in the course. I'm thoroughly enjoying getting to know each of them all that much better. Of course while teaching the basics of beginner photography to each of them, I myself, am also still taking classes of my own. I've enrolled in more photoshop classes as well as some composition/style photography classes. Then, at the end of August, I have a 3 day workshop in downtown Chicago that is sure to be a blast. It's taught by a very talented instructor and I can't wait to learn from her when there. And finally, I am so very stoked for the middle of September to roll around as well. Reason being, I registered and got into "The Learnfest" workshop that is held in Atlanta. The last time this workshop was offered, it sold out in 4 hours. I am very thankful to be "in" the workshop for September's class. I thought for sure it was going to sell out before I could register this time. The Learnfest is a 4 day/3 night workshop at a Chateau in Atlanta that is put on by some very "prestigious" photographer's within the industry. Basically they spend that 4 days with you teaching you everything that they can in that time frame. As the site says, you experience in-depth instruction on shooting, post-production, marketing, business strategy, revenue generation, and studio and daily work flow. It's also a great way to get to know and network with other photographer's from around the world. The photographer's teaching you are ones that have shot for or had images place within People magazine, Vogue, Pottery Barn kids, Kids R Us, the Disney Store, O Magazine, Elle, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, Parenting Magazine, The Knot Weddings, Food & Wine, Brides Magazine, The Knot, Modern Bride and Inside Weddings. Needless to say, I'm sooooo very excited to learn from these photographers. Nervous? Yes, that too! Very much so. These are shots that are done in person in different lighting situations and such. I am nervous but so very excited to learn too. September can't come soon enough. Not that I'm wishing summer away by any means. Ha ha! :) The August workshop in downtown Chicago is an urban shoot. We'll be going as a group around the streets of downtown Chi-town and shooting professional models that will be there for our use during the learning process. How cool will the streets of Chicago be for three days??? I'm going to be on cloud nine! I can't wait to meet the other photographers in both of the workshops too. It will be great to make the connections with each of them. I'm ready for all that the next couple of months has to hold. Exciting times for sure! And for the many of you who have asked me...yes...I will be teaching another beginner photography workshop class online. If you are interested in it, stay tuned. I'll be announcing the new dates for it next month. In the meantime, have a great night and sleep well.
For whatever reason, whenever we have guests into town while down here in Florida, they always "want" to cook for us. When my Mom was here, she cooked. When my step-mom and my Dad were here, they cooked and grilled out for us - together. When my inlaws, Debbie and Ron were here, they cooked and grilled out together for us. And last night while Lou (Brent's friend), was here...he cooked for us. I'm always amused at how people come on vacation and then want to cook for us. Brent and I always try to detour them from it but they always insist on doing it. Gosh knows I don't cook on a normal day let alone while on vacation. Ha ha! So as you can imagine, Brent, myself, and the kids are always grateful for their cooking considering how we normally wouldn't do it if it were just the four of us.
Last night though, I ate so much of Lou's cooking that I almost needed to check myself into a hospital or better yet into a Rehab center for over eaters. I haven't stuffed myself like that in a looonnngggg time. Ya see...Lou has "Mexican" running through his veins. So when he arrived last Thursday, he was adamant that he would be cooking a meal for us while in town. Again, we tried to assure him that we could hit a great dinner out instead but he was bound and determined to cook. So...we let him. We took him to the local grocery store and found some things. However, they were lacking a few "authentic" Mexican ingredients. Therefore, Brent ultimately took him to a little Mexican grocery store that we knew of here in Bonita. Thankfully, they found the real thing and the main ingredients that he was after. By the time he was done, we had THE BEST guacamole dip I have ever tasted in my entire life. And I am not just saying that because he is Brent's friend and this is my blog. I assure you that it was the best recipe you will ever taste when it comes to guacamole dip. Unfortunately, I didn't watch him make the whole thing. Therefore, I'm unsure of his recipe. And when my facebook friends got a prelude to the pictures and the news last night, he had a fan fair of people wanting the recipe. The emails were rolling in - my FB friends wanted a taste of his "Mexican" cuisine. However, he told me that the recipe was straight from the interior mountains of Mexico. He told Brent and I the story of how a lady he had met gave it to him many, many years ago when he was out in the middle of no where - in the heart of Meh'-hi-co! And in the end, he kept the recipe a secret and wouldn't cough it up. I should have paid more attention because I NEED THAT RECIPE. We had FB friends emailing in telling us to "tell Brent that he needs new friends. Better friends! We want that recipe!!!" It was hysterical. But...yet still...he never gave up the goods. I can assure you all though that I watched him put in a full brick of cream cheese when making it. Apparently this isn't typical. I believe that is part of what made his guacamole dip so creamy and delicious. Brent and I sat there and ate through this HUGE entire bowl of guac dip until the bag of chips were gone. This is a big like serving bowl too by the way. It's not just a "side bowl" of dip. It was massive - I assure you. We were pitiful! Just pitiful!
And as if the guac dip wasn't enough, we still had "dinner" to go. Yeah, the dip was just a prelude to the dinner he was making. And for the dinner, he made chicken flauta's. Oh my GAWSH...heavenly I tell you. Heavenly! I'm not a big meat eater so it is saying something for me to sit down and actually consume any kind of meat - including chicken. Ask my Dad...he cracked up a few weeks ago (when here) after witnessing me sit down to a filet off the grill and immediately alert everyone that the meat smelled like "wet dog." I just couldn't eat it. It truly smelled like a wet dog from outside. Come on you guys...you've been there. I know there has to be someone out there who can relate to the moment when red meat has smelled like cooked wet dog to you, right? Surely I am not the only freak-a-zoid on this planet. I mean I know I'm a nut job but you know you guys are lying if you say you've never thought your red meat smells like wet dog. HA!
With that said, I carefully watched the chicken flauta's being cooked and assembled. I wanted to make sure there weren't any macaroni style veins ending up in my flauta's. Come on peeps, you've seen the macaroni vein I'm speaking of before. They are on chicken legs or drumsticks all the time and boy are they disgusting. But anyway, back to the assembly and cooking...
Check out all of the oil in that pan. And yes, my pans are turquoise. You didn't possibly think I'd pick any other color than turquoise, did you? Hee hee!
These photos are while Lou was deep frying these babies up. Chicken Flauta's - authentic chicken flauta's at that. None of this - Chi Chi's or South of the Border type Chicken flauta's. They were layered on the inside with well seasoned meat, spices, and ingredients that made them so scrumptious and out of this world. Check out their coloring...
When all was said and done, Lou served up these flauta's with heap loads of the guacamole dip and a heaping spoon full of sour cream. Also along with them came a special Mexican red sauce that graced the top of them. (I failed to capture a picture of that though - sorry!)
Once Brent and I finally quit eating, we had to be rolled away from the table. It was bad. Real bad! I've never eaten anything quite so wonderful in all my life. I love Mexican food too so this was beauty at its finest to my tummy and especially to my taste buds. It was great to step away from the Florida surf and turf for just one night and then experience the interior mountains of Mexico - authentic style! And I'm embarrassed to even admit this but I'm going to anyway. Because you know...we keep it real over here on the ol' AGD blog. Truth is...after we rolled ourselves away from the table...we rolled ourselves right on into the car and then rolled right on down the street to the Coconut Point mall for what else? ICE CREAM! Oh my L-A-W-D! Can you believe it? Yes, ice cream on top of all that. Lou said had he known we would have wanted ice cream - he would've made fried ice cream for us. No matter what, we ate ice cream after that huge meal. I told you we were pitiful! Fun thing was though, when we got to Coconut Point, Pagelli's and Hemingway's restaurants were having a huge hoppin' party on the water. There were singers, dancers, Elvis impersonators, etc. It was a great time and a beautiful night. For those of you who are facebook friends of mine, you already got the privilege of seeing pictures from the party last night via my phone. I don't ever post my phone pictures on the blog - just on Facebook. We had a great time. And yes, my cookie dough ice cream from the Marble slab made the night even that much more grand. YUM!
Before I sign off though, you didn't think I'd post all of those pictures of Lou's yummy foodwithout posting a photo of him too, did ya? Here is one of him and Brent. They are great friends. They share a bond like most will never know. To say they have been through a lot together is the understatement of the century.
Our "authentic" Mexican Chef. Ha ha! Love it! (although is was raised in Michigan). Hee hee!
Thanks Lou! We enjoyed every bite of your fabulous creations. As you know, Brennen would like to hire you as his full time chef. HA HA!
Hope everyone is having a superb Saturday! Blessings, Angie
