I tried to write yesterday but I felt like I was just talking about my self and my 2011 achievements.  Blech. Sharing these photos  just seemed more important today.    I also have stuff to share about upcoming offerings and such but the pieces are still falling together. I am trying to take a little break.  I got about half way through pulling photos for a 2011 year end review.  The year in review photos will come. Most likely in the form of a portfolio update.

The reality of cancer hit me in the face in 2011. First, a girl in one of my photography forum groups passed away and our group didn’t even  really know what was going on. You think people get busy, stop running their business, or go on a social media break and you don’t think to much about it. That bothered me considerably. In June I lost one of my long term client mamas to brain cancer that was in remission the first year I photographed them and then came back with a vengeance. The second year she was back in chemo but was deemed terminal. Heartbreaking. I was glad to photo the sweet little family again this holiday…this year without mama…it was one of her wishes that dad carry out. Shooting is not the hard part but the reality gives you a punch in the gut when it comes time to edit. Then in August a photographer acquaintance friend and I were experiencing very similar symptoms.  Mine turned out to be very benign comparatively and she diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and is currently in the throws of it all. You can see her amazing journey here.  Cancer is a total bitch.

This is Lisa. Lisa and I worked together nearly every day for two years at King’s Fish House in Orange County circa 2000-2001. It’s where she swooned over her future husband while he folded napkins and cleaned soda fountain pieces. It was a good time.  An inside joke from camp in Maine made it’s way home….Her name got her on the inside of this one and boy did we run with it.  We had this thing with talking in Ralph’s high voice. “Lisa, it smells like burning.”  and something about making her into a pie.  We beat it to death.  The phrase got whittled down to just our names during busy fish slinging scenarios.  Pretty soon we were talking this high pitched lingo that spread through the restaurant.  We used it for everything and determined it’s weight by the look in our eye and the tone in our voice.  We even had the boys doing it. We would also hijack the stereo system, play full Dave Matthews CDs that blasted through the entire restaurant until we got caught.  after a long night you could find us at table 100 eating way too much macaroni and cheese and sharing war stories. The cutest trouble makers ya ever did see.  I am also sure we filled each others salt and peppers, melted ice or polished silver for one another on more than one occasion.  Cause we’re cool like that.