words

February 1, 2012

a different direction

oh where to begin!
most people would say to begin at the start...but i am not sure where that is!!
there have been some pretty big decisions made in our home lately...
homeschooling our son, my starting dayhome again...
our decision to propel our moving from this province to live our dream life at a faster rate...

and this...i am stepping back from my photography as a portrait business.
and i know for a lot of you reading this, this probably seems a bit out of the blue...
especially with how busy i have been lately...but it's not.
it's something i have wrestled with since before christmas...

i love photography...always have...it's been a part of my life since i was a child.
there are actually quite a few reasons as to why i have made this decision...
some of which i will not be sharing....
let me just say that i learned something about myself in this journey...
i just want to be a mom. just a mom. i want to be here for my children...
i am tired of saying, not right now, maybe later...can you leave me alone for a few minutes...
all so i can get some piece of work done for a client...
i have learned that i can do things i love, because i love them...they don't need to become a business venture.
and the most important thing i have learned...it's okay to just be a stay at home mom.
i don't need to do it all...i don't need to have lofty aspirations...because we all know that we are not "JUST" moms.
and that for me, being a stay at home mom IS a lofty aspiration

on the business side i have learned that i hate that part...i want nothing to do with that part.
i just want to take photo's
that that part was making me fall out of love with a hobby that is a part of me.
i am sacrificing time with my family that i no longer want to give up.
i don't want to deal with receipts and marketing and promoting and customer service.
i have given up other things i love for running this as a business
and the list goes on.

that's it...my big announcement...my big decision.
i am not giving up photography. i have photography plans to pursue...creative journeys and shoots i would like to do...because i can, because it will test my skill and let me play and practice.
i will most likely still take on the odd family or child session if contacted because i love family and children photography...
but i am excited to get back to life, landscape, abstract, and architecture photography.
i am excited as i feel the passion for this hobby returning and to see where it goes.

i will not be renewing my site when the renewal comes up...i will be creating another site thru blogger to share my photography and maintain something of a portfolio and for now i will keep my facebook page up as another place to share and a direct link to my new portfolio. once it's live i will share the link :)

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me in my old endeavor. i really enjoyed all the people i met, the families i photographed, the positive feedback. THANK YOU for making the 2yrs i did this as a portrait business successful. just...THANK YOU :)

January 30, 2012

part 1: why homeschool?

i don't believe in school as a system that can efficiently deliver education effectively for all children.

i believe that the public school system is an archaic system in desperate need of a change

and before i go on to give my reasons as to why i believe this; let me first state that this is an opinion and choice, and should be respected and taken as such. this is no less and no more than that. it is not intended to offend anyone or start a debate- this is quite simply an answer to a question. this is our choice...our answer. i am sharing this in the hopes that it may help someone who may be asking themselves the same questions we were about the public system.

here's what i believe...

*all children...in fact...all people...learn differently
*schools are designed to only teach to one learning style
*children are not efficiently engaged in school
*testing is not an accurate measure of how well someone knows the material
*that one shoe does not fit all, so why should education be any different
*that children who struggle often fall thru the cracks and/or are labeled any number of ways, which often is not accurate, but the schools way of ignoring the fact that that particular child has a different learning style
*that parents should have the right to govern the amount of tv a their child watches, that if i do not use tv as a babysitter in my home, then why should i tolerate it for my children at school?
* that kids have huge gaps in their education upon graduation
*that schools do not efficiently or effectively show or teach what the real world is like, life is unfair, there are winners and losers, 3 strikes really means you're out, you do not get rewarded for opening a door or saying please and thank you, etc.

i am the result of a child who learns in a way the schools do not teach. my loss of faith within the public education system came from being someone who struggled with this from grade 3 to grade 12. my grades reflected this...but yet, i am not stupid. huh. i can read...write...add...subtract...but let me say, this was not due to a D received on a exam, holing myself up in my room to study relentlessy...this is due to the fact that regardless of what my grades reflected...i am intelligent person.

i have watched my son struggle with this system since kindergarten. i have been involved with his schools...teachers...principals...t.a's...and still, he has been assessed, labelled, held back, pushed forward, special programs, intervention programs...the list is endless. you would think he's a slow kid. the thing is, he's incredibly intelligent...just not in a way the schools recognize. he has an incredible engineering brain and learns visually and kinesthetically. he is filled with restless energy...this need to move constantly. he needs to feel, touch, move, do to absorb information. but to the schools he is a problem. his confidence has been shot and he has started to feel like there are only certain options available to him in life...he's 11.

why do we measure success by academics at this age? when in the real world we measure success by so many other markers that have nothing to do with the grades they received in elementary, middle, or high school.

so after 2 years of horrible education received at the hands of teachers within the only school in the town we live...the last year being the worst...not only educationally but mentally as well, he was, along with the rest of his class pushed thru to the next grade. after the schools justification that it's not just my son, but the whole class who is behind like this...we decided to take action. my son is in grade 5 and at a language arts level of grade 3. just because his entire class is functioning below grade level does not make this okay!! that is not a valid justification and one i refused to be told continuously.

both my husband and i have been active involved parents within our children's education...this is not a decision that was made lightly but we were tired of seeing our son suffer at the hands of system that was failing in it's duty to him. we decided that homeschooling was the best choice for us.

i could get into details about how bad the teachers and principals and school has been...the political drivel that has been crammed down our throats...the defense of teachers when the teachers have crossed lines...the hypocrisy...but at the end of the day we made a decision based on the needs of our child, where the schools make decisions based on the vote of a school board.

we are starting our third week of homeschooling and i have already seen an incredible change in my son. and all those voices...in my head and from external sources that have had me questioning whether or not i...we...can really do this? and the answer is yes we can. this was a decision made as a family. and we are not alone, the support for homeschool families is incredible. the fact that homeschooling is a huge as it is should say something in and of itself.

i am looking forward to sharing our journey as it goes. it will not be without it's mistakes, frustrations, and moments of madness...but the ups and benefits will far out weigh any of that.

January 17, 2012

changes

wow! it really has been awhile since i blogged here!!!
life changes so fast sometimes!!!
and once more i find it changing again...you may have noticed that i combined my photography blog with my personal blog :)
one blog to maintain :P

but the biggest reason for this post was the biggest change going on in not just my life, but my family's life...we have decided to homeschool. we have been incredibly dissatisfied with the school in the town we live...and i could totally get on a soap box about my many other reasons as to why i no longer believe in the school system...but that's a post for another day.

so we pulled our son, our oldest child, from his school and gr.5 class this week and are embarking on a journey that i believe will enrich his education and our lives. we will be finishing this year by traditional homeschooling. my youngest will also be home schooled, but we decided since her education isn't suffereing the way my son's is within the school system, we would ease our way into this experience with just dakota. our middle child so far LOVES school and wants to continue going to school...so, for now, she will. we do wonder, if at some point she will change her mind.

and i'd like to share our experiences through my blog.

January 12, 2012

embracing the BFF ¦ innisfail & area family & children's photographer

my daughter has had the same best friend in school since gr.2, the girls just really bonded and with our family's plans to move out of province, i really felt the need to capture their special relationship. so on one of their sleepover weekends, i dragged them out and celebrated their friendship!! they giggled the entire time...what is with girls and the giggles??

did i mention it was cold?? these girls were troopers...the wind blowing across the prairies was not nice!! so i made the girls jump up and down to get warm :P

miss mya...haillee's best friend...and when i asked her to pose for a photo, this is what i got!! they couldn't stop giggling!!!

my daughter's isn't much better...couldn't get one with her eyes open she was laughing so hard...but i guess that is the point of having a BFF, right?

it was a great session and it felt so good to get out and play with my camera and the gorgeous lighting that day!!

enjoy your day!!

January 9, 2012

grabill family ¦ innisfail & area family & children's photogrpaher

i was stoked to bring in the new year with a family session on the first of january...and excited that yet another family wanted to brave the alberta cold and snow to do outdoor photo's!! the grabill family were extremely good natured and full of good humor...but wow! it was a cold day we shot on!!
becky was looking to update her family photo's, as the last time they had a family photo taken professionally was 10 years and 2 kids ago...with her oldest son 18 and in college and home only so often...it was now or never!! so on a day that was so cold we probably should have rescheduled we all braved the -20 temperature...even dragging one of their couches outside...in between blanket warm up and hot chocolate breaks managed to get through the session with smiles and laughs...and some pretty great images :)
so let me introduce you to...
the grabill family :)

a fun shot...the family may be moving in the near future and wanted a memento of the snow and canada :)

don't forget to leave a comment to help the family earn a complimentary print, they need 10 comments by the end of january 12th!!

December 29, 2011

fox family ¦ innisfail & area family & children's photographer

whew! past the crazy chaos of christmas...finally having a moment to breathe!! just before christmas i had the pleasure of photographing possibly one of the sweetest family's i have had the pleasure of photographing!! the fox family was easy going and super funny...they were easy to joke with and we had some great laughs!!! one of my favourite parts of the session was the fact that they were brave enough to take on alberta winter...and we did the session outdoors in the snow!! so without further adieu, i'd like to introduce you to the fox family...

and i really wasn't kidding when i said they had a great sense of humor...

photography tactic 101 to help the family forget the camera and loosen up...everyone look at each other and make a funny face!! which thanks to bret...had the family laughing and kari remarking..."now watch this be the only decent photo of us!!" and the funny this is, i LOVE this photo!!!

and then i was asked to do something special. kari brought her point and shoot camera and asked if i might be able to take a photo of the family wearing bandana's with her camera for her sister, a somewhat unusual request but she quickly explained why...

kari's sister was diagnosed in June 2011 with breast cancer, had surgery and is now doing chemo. She is keeping a journal (her ABC Journal - Adventures in Breast Cancer). She, of course, lost her hair and wears a bandana daily...so to show support, her family decided for their Christmas picture they would all put bandanas on for the picture and then challenge all family and friends and anyone who wanted to take a picture with their bandanas on, email it to her and she would add it to her journal. It just adds a touch of fun to her fight!!

so here is the fox family showing support for kari's sister's fight...

and in showing support for such a cause...this photo and another one i gifted to this amazing family and i am offering to do complimentary photo's of anyone who would like to show support and add their photo to kari's sister's journal.

i hope everyone had a fabulous christmas!! help this family earn a complimentary 8x10 by leaving a comment on this post!! they only need 10 comments!!

November 6, 2011

sliva family ¦ innisfail & area family & children's photographer

over the halloween weekend i had the pleasure of meeting and photographing the sliva family...super friendly and laid back!!! their adorable little 3yr old kept me smiling and laughing...he is certainly a little comedy man. i also had the experience of doing this session in red deer at a fabulous location...one that i have yet to use and have always loved...the pedestrian train bridge.

wanna see some photo's from their session??? well of course you do!!!!

now help the sliva's earn a complimentary print by leaving on comment on this blog post...they only need 10!!!!

happy sunday!!!

October 11, 2011

rogaczyk family ¦ innisfail & area family & children's photographer

happy tuesday everyone!!! hope everyone enjoyed their thanksgiving weekends...ours was full of enjoying family, laughter and food!!! i LOVE fall...so pretty no matter what part of the country you reside in...i was happy to take advantage of the fall colours and beauty when photographing the rogalczyk family...i have been privileged to have come to know this family over the last couple of years through dayhome...the whole family was amazing during the session and i was thrilled to finally use the river for location!!
some images from the rogalczyk session...

help this family receive a complimentary print by leaving a comment on this post, they only need 10!!!

October 10, 2011

jennifer ¦ innisfail & area family & children's photogrpaher

i LOVE photographing teens...and i LOVE photographing them with the instrument of their chosen passion...in this case a grand piano, an upright piano, and a keyboard...jennifer was a pure joy to work with and incredibly talented with the keys!!! after our session we were thrilled to hear her play a few pieces and to know that i was blessed to have been a small part in capturing something she is truly passionate about. a few images from the session...

help jennifer and her family earn a complimentary 11x14 from her session by leaving a comment...she only needs 10!!!!