Fairy Godmother Photographer

My original image, with a very nice crop and rounded edge provided by Melissa, who is writing a magical baby blog for the daughter she will be meeting soon, Everly.

***

I've decided that January is my month. It's the month where I'm going to make things happen, photography-wise. Networking, marketing, whatever I can do. Like I mentioned before, it's not enough to just take the pictures now. I have to try to do something else with them.

I'm hoping that some solutions and ideas will come naturally to me (mostly because I really don't know where to start) and also because what I want to do most is take the pictures.

***

A few weeks ago, I did a maternity photo shoot with beautiful Melissa (who was one of my early adopters for i live here:SF) and her handsome and talented husband Brent (who is the latest subject). I'm loving how their set came out and found the shoot to be very inspiring. I'm also enjoying taking photos of parents and their kids and I have a few more shoots like that coming up. And some parties, a wedding. Maybe more in the hopper, who knows? Let's hope so.

Anyway, there's something very sweet about being on the sidelines of someone else's life. You get to peek in, share some beauty, and then give them something to remember forever. Kind of like being a fairy godmother. Bibbity bobbity boo!

So if any of you have ideas for me, business wise, networking wise, client wise: let me know. I'm looking for all kinds of connections and advice. You never know where the next great meeting will come from.

I'm still updating my site, and will be as more shoots come along.

No time to be sorry.

This wasn't the post I had planned to write. But it was one of those instances where I felt I really should get this recorded before I forgot what actually happened. I wanted to keep a little of the magic before I lost it in the normal course of forgetting things.

I was standing in line at the bank yesterday, holding a plain white envelope with a check in it. I hadn't looked at the check, but it was one I was expecting since I had apparently overpaid some taxes back in 2004.

I didn't open the envelope before I got to the bank, knowing that this money would really help me right now, and feeling like I didn't need to see the amount. I didn't want to spoil it. I felt so relieved to be able to deposit some money into my account.

As I was waiting in line, the man was sitting near the entry way, waiting for someone. He looked at my shoes, little faux patent leather flats with buckles, and said, "I wish I had someone who would run up to me with a nice pair of shoes like that."

I half-listened to him, as I opened the envelope to get the check ready for the teller. I think I smiled at him distractedly, not really listening. He repeated his comment, as I looked at the check, my heart sinking.

The check was for $8.33. Not even enough to buy dinner with the friends I was meeting. I was glad I was wearing my big black sunglasses. They hide a lot (tears, frustration) and I was hoping that the disappointment from receiving this dinky check was also hidden by the lenses. All my anticipated relief had instantly been dashed to pieces.

The man said to me, "I don't have anybody."

Then I heard him and snapped out of my stupor. "I'm sorry to hear that," I said to him.

Then he smiled, revealing a few missing teeth, and said, "Don't ever say you're sorry. Life's too short to be sorry. You're too pretty to be sorry."

And then the teller called me, as I had a lump in my throat, to cash that silly little check.

***

Outside the bank, I saw the man again, this time walking with a woman who he introduced as his sister. He said to me, laughingly, "So, you're following me, now?"

I said, Yes, because you give such good advice. I'm going to listen to what you said and live by it if I can.

Then he stuck out his hand to introduce himself. "I'm Jomo," he smiled again and shook my hand with a firm, warm grip.

"I'm Julie."

Then he pointed at the camera hanging around my neck, and made an imaginary movement with his hands, as if to fine tune a lens. "Stay focused," he said, laughing.

We parted ways at the corner, after I asked Jomo if I could take his photo to remember him by. He wished me well, and I was glad for the $8.33, and the advice that came unasked for but was worth so much more.

Of Kittens and Their Wisdom

Some of you may remember this little fella from a previous post.

***

I received an email from my sweet friend MJ over the weekend. She's a kindergarten teacher, and wanted to share a story with me. She used my Chinatown book in class for teaching her kids about the Chinese New Year. I was so thrilled!

Out of all the photos in the book, the kids fell in love with the Shy Kitten. (Which makes perfect sense to me.) It was their favorite photo out of the entire book.

I want to make a poster of the Shy Kitten for their classroom, and in doing so, was thinking about what words of wisdom the kitten might have for a group of five-year-olds, but I'm drawing a total blank.

***

If any of you have a idea for something I could print under the photo of the Shy Kitten, appropriate for a kindergarten class, please let me know and I'll love including your thoughts in the process, too.

Many heads are better than one, right? Mine's just all out of ideas right now.

;-)