New Mexico

It's amazing, different parts of our own country look like it is somewhere else...like maybe another country? At least to me anyway... I LOVE the diversity of this country!

Click on the collage to see a larger version!

State of a FAIR

Enough said... some of the highlights of a Fair.

Click on the collage to see a larger version!

2 Hours in Philly

I had about two hours to rush around Philadelphia to take some photos. I had to be quick quick quick... and many times, my husband would drive around the block while I jumped out to grab a shot.

Click on the group of photos to see a larger version, so you can really appreciate my running around the streets of Philly!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's Mothers Day today! I was awakened by my husband holding our kitty and doggy with a card that he made and had them sign with their paws... VERY cute! What a sweet way to be awakened!

The days lately have been very challenging. When you're not getting along with your mate (most of the time) can be saddening and debilitating at the same time... at least, that's the way it seems for me. Since nobody seems to be reading my blog, I guess I can just be as honest as I want to be... the blog is for me anyway, right? RIGHT!

So, I am taking each day separately, and reacting with self-love and self-care to the best of my ability. I have learned to accept the feelings of others (through 12 step and therapy) unconditionally, although at times, my husband will challenge this philosophy constantly.

Anyway, "Happy Mother's Day" to all of you out there that are Mothers even without having birthed another human being!

I think this picture of my Mom and me in a photo booth is really cute!

Jesus LIVES!

Last night I attended the monthly Brentwood Camera Club meeting and entered a few photos into the monthly contest. One of my works received a nod by the members as runner up on photo of the month (no theme); well temporarily anyway... (there really wasn't supposed to be a runner up I found out later).Anyway, a guest member came up and wanted to see the photo closer up... and low and behold she immediately blurts out... Jesus is in your photo!!! Do you see him? I did right after she mentioned it. This is the first time Jesus has appeared, but not the first time an apparition has made it into my photography...

By the way, this is through the back window of a VERY old and rusty Chevy pick-up truck in East Nashville, the neighborhood where this car sits was doing there job as I was approached by a neighbor who wanted to know what I was doing... good job neighborhood watch! I showed her my photos on the back of my digital camera, and she just looked at me like I was nuts... she didn't see the art I guess... to each his own, right?

On Acting

It's been a busy week or so for me as an actor. So far in the month of April I have been a part of three productions; "Seeking Mary" was screened at the Nashville Independent Film Festival; "Scare Me" was completed and screened by the cast and crew (A Vanderbilt University Film); and "A Father's Choice" (and Independent Feature Film) is currently in production.

I love acting, I love it, I love it! Especially film and TV, my first love.

A Father's Choice

Here is a picture on the set of the movie "A Father's Choice" being shot here in Tennessee (Dickson). I have a part in the movie; I play "Nurse Bower" in the maternity ward. The script is really GREAT and is based on a true story about a father in Tennessee that was kept from seeing his daughter after birth, and how he has fought to get the rights of father's changed in the state of Tennessee - the true story of William Fain is heart-wrenching, I cried when I read the end of the script.
I am pictured here with two of my dearest friends, Karen Carlson and Kathy Knox (William Fain in the background). Karen will be playing the part of "Ms. Little" as well as Associate-Producing. Kathy is the much needed and very important Script Supervisor.

My experience shooting was as fun as ever, I love acting, it really is my FIRST Love!

A study of roses

I saw these roses the other day at Costco. And, since I had never picked out my roses for Valentines day, I thought that I'd make these the ones.
And of course, I decided to do a rose study with them. I spent about 1.5 to 2 hours working with these roses trying to get the PERFECT shot. I remember the days when I would point and shoot, and that was great enough, but not now... Now I have to make it more difficult for myself, now I have to do what a pro would do... blah blah blah...

Anyway, here are the two favorite shots I created. I think they are beautiful.

An Acting Sculpture

I attended an acting retreat this weekend. We did active sculptures using eachother as the medium. I grabbed my camera for the final sculpture... the word was RISK. One actor sculpted the other three actors into place... very cool, huh?

New Orleans - A Quick Trip

A FEW of the photographs I took while in and around New Orleans a couple of days ago. I cannot describe in words the devistation that still remains in New Orleans, I had to see it for myself - and I did. Life will never be the same there... and maybe that is a good thing... the neighborhoods reminded me of Tijuana, Mexico.

The lower nineth ward of course is the worst. Where houses used to be there are fields of clover... LOTS of clover.

Click on the collage to see a larger verison.

Whadayathink?

I am completely STRUCK by this photograph that I took during a recent prison visit. Can you tell this is a prison inmate? His body language shows me many emotions and thoughts. I can't stop looking at it. I hope this man has found the gift(s) of this experience and has learned from the experience(s) he has been presented. There's an opportunity for growth in everything.

Thoughts? Anybody? Bueller?

Who is that?

I hadn't seen Tim for seven weeks... He always grows a beard while we are apart, this was the longest one I had ever seen. I'm not too terribly fond of a beard on my husband, and when he comes home from the road, he likes to play with it before he shaves it off. He came downstairs to show me what he had done with it, and I snapped this shot.

I think what I did with it is pretty cool... he's the man in black (and white).

About FREAKIN' Time!

I have had BLOGGER BLOCK lately... nothing to talk about, nothing to post - even in the photography arena... until TODAY! The weather was gorgeous, and I actually got to spend some time with my husband... Yahoo! We went to a CRAFT fair, bought a couple of small original pieces of affordable art ($25 bucks worth)... and then unexpectedly got off the freeway downtown Nashville, and began to "tool around" a little looking for interesting things to photograph. My husband was kicking himself for leaving his camera at home... I on the other hand... like American Express card holder... I never leave home without a CAMERA!

So here are a couple of things we found... a cool old neon business sign that will someday disappear... my husband on an OLD dock where homeless probably sleep; cause there were some items there that indicated as such... a Nashville mural that I had seen on TV, but could never find... a couple of WHITE Graffiti artists who wanted to remain anonymous, and a VERY old farm house and barn that has 700 acres attached to it that is up for sale, AND where I shot my multiple award winning cow's shot... not a bad days photography if you ask me.

Click on the images to see a larger version that my blog won't let us see... butt heads... I guess you get what you pay for...

Another day... another Prison...

Another day, another prison visit... that sounds pretty casual doesn't it? Well, there was NOTHING casual about this visit inside a medium security prison. I thought the day was mine to work on backlog for my business, but the call came at 10:30 AM from my client. He wanted to know if there was any way I could make it to this event... it was last minute for everybody involved, AND, they were allowing photography inside this prison!

I had several things on my plate that I didn't feel like juggling, but the thought of getting to photograph inside a prison had me VERY intrigued... so I made the calls to see if the juggle would happen, and then I rushed to get ready to meet my client. I had to walk through the medal detectors more than anyone in our group... I just kept beeping... finally, I had everything off but my clothes... I'm in.

We walked down this never-ending hallway that had large elaborately painted words (TRUST, INTEGRITY, RESPECT, & LOYALTY) on our way to the cellblock where we would spend the next couple of hours with medium security inmates who had qualified to hear my clients talk.

I was given free reign of the facility (photographically) with an escort whom I welcomed to carry my gear so I could easily change lenses. All I can say is, "it took a few days for the numbness of this experience to wear off." I shot close to 200 photos, I could have taken 1000 (easily).

It was a day that I will NEVER forget. These are people inside paying for what mistakes they've made... hopefully LEARNING from those mistakes. I figure we're all just one mistake away from being just like them. And, as my client would say, "You each have been presented with an Opportunity!"

Busy isn't the word...

Yep, I've been a bad blogger as of late because I have been soooo busy. This week is really no different because I am working on a project within the IBI or CEO Space organization. This project is unique in that the CEO is a former-felon who turned his life around by helping other inmates prepare for the REAL world outside the confines of prison.

Don Kirchner is the writer of the book "A Matter of Time," a very interesting read. It chronicles his life on the run as a fugitive, and then his release aided by the man who helped to put him away... the prosecutor. Sounds like a movie huh? Well, the screenplay has been completed and the national book tour is happening.

I was with Don yesterday driving him around Nashville to different locations to meet some of the folks here in Nashville who actually HELP former-felons get on their feet when they enter back into the "system." It has been an eye opening experience as well as empowering for me to help someone else get their message out to the world.Here is one of the photographs I shot last night at the Nashville Drug Court. A resident program for drug offenders and drug addicts; this program is run by the state of Tennessee.