Dear Kryspa
I really want a bubble bath, the one with the sparkles in it, you know the pink one?  In a minute, I’m going to draw you some more rainbows.  I wish you were still here.  Umm, Mummy said you will send me more princess bubbles. Did you know,  your big boy, umm Brady, is going to get me everything from the Wizard of Oz, even the real Toto and when I come to America you can give it to me.  I really miss you and I want you to come back.
Ivish

Dear Krystarella
What she said. (Sans the Toto.)
Sheye.

day three.
the gold coast.  our old house. (ava’s house).  surfers paradise.   low sun, laying on grass, cameras in hand.  the tourists and the lights and Australian Summer.    we debate over alicia keys and mushrooms.  (sharing this makes my heart happy).

As promised, a few more photos from the Wovenplay shoot.  It’s not often commercial clients request some grain and blur so, yet another reason why I loved working for them.   These images here were the last of the day..you know my favorite moments to shoot are always right before the sun slips away. Thank you, Molly & Poppy – you were the most gorgeous, perfect models.

Sheye xx

ps, I saw today that Tiny People had a little Wovenplay at half price.  Go! Quickly! x

Image:  Mary Lowe

Through workshops, I see first hand the struggles of aspiring photographers wanting to develop their skills whilst remaining patient.  It’s hard not to want to know it all now and the frustrations of getting to know the “technicals” and Photoshop are at times overwhelming.  It’s only after a few years of learning myself that I can recognize and enjoy the fact that photography is an ongoing journey.

This week, one of my Actions customers emailed with a technical query.  We wrote back and forth a few times until my customer just happened to mention that, at the same time she is taking digital photos and enhancing them with Photoshop actions,  she also is seventy six years old.   I was immediately intrigued and hugely inspired.  I only wished Mary lived across town, not across the World.  I’d love nothing more than to spend an afternoon delving into the life and times of this amazing lady so I did the next best thing and sent her an interview.  How thrilled I am that she did indeed reply.

For all of those wondering if you will ever come to terms with photography, or whether you’re ready to even try,  or whether you’ve missed the boat, or to those of you who are simply afraid of failing, at anything…I share this for you.

Welcome Mary!

Firstly, when did you start your journey into photography & what inspired you to do so?

I have always loved photography and acquired a 35mm SLR as a gift from my older sister when I was around 19.  I loved this camera but eventually I recognized the fact that I knew nothing about taking pictures.   I muddled my way through life until I was 50 years old at which time I enrolled in an adult education photography class at the local high school.  I learned a few rules of proper composition but the thing that set me on fire was the dark room belonging to the instructor.  He had one set up in his spare bathroom and as an assignment for our class we had to shoot a roll of black & white film & develop it in his darkroom.  I was hooked.  Shortly after this experience we made a decision to build an addition onto our house, making room for my widowed mother to move in with us.  I said, “Why don’t we make it just this much bigger (stretching my arms out wide) and put in a darkroom ?”  My oldest son was sitting there and he echoed my sentiments, “GO FOR IT, MA, GO FOR IT!”   The rest is history.

My oldest daughter was the assistant yearbook editor in her junior year at the high school which meant she would be the editor as a senior.  We pitched in and learned how to use the darkroom, helping to produce the best yearbook Beaver High School had ever published.  As a result, people began calling on me to take pictures for various reasons.  At first I developed them in my home darkroom, even venturing into color.  Then I realized that a 35mm just didn’t cut it for producing professional pictures and I couldn’t keep up with the darkroom work.  My next investment was a medium format camera which led to backdrops and lighting and everything I could think of.  I read every book I could find to sharpen my skills.  All of my color film was sent to a reliable lab & the darkroom was exclusively for B&W.  Eventually my niece asked me to shoot a wedding for her brother-in-law who couldn’t afford a photographer and it took off from there.

Mostly, I didn’t have any idea what I was doing and I made a lot of mistakes.   I tell everyone who inquires about my photography that if there was ever a mistake to be made I had already made it.  That’s the biggest teaching tool I know of.  The trick is to learn from your mistakes and only do that which pleases your eye.  I remember reading somewhere, “Just keep on shooting frames of film and eventually you will realize that you can “actually see” before you push the shutter button.  It was a delight when I reached that summit.
I was practically the only photographer in our little town of 2,000 so I was called upon to shoot every wedding that came along.  Add to that, taking pictures of families, seniors, babies, children, and I was one busy mom.  Besides that I worked full time at the local hospital.  Word of mouth was my only advertising and soon I was shooting weddings in nearby communities as well.  I averaged 40 to 50 weddings a year and traveled lots of miles.

What inspires you now?

I have now reached the age of 76  and my clients have migrated to the younger photographers.  I thought I would simply retire but when the owner of my lab confided in me that they were phasing out film by the end of the year I was horrified.  I planned on shooting my grandchildren’s weddings and  many other things.  What do you mean, film will be obsolete?  I couldn’t stand it.  I dug down into my savings and bought a Canon D5 Mark II and proceeded to  learn how to use it.  I was unprepared for the results.  I was once more “hooked” on photography.  I love the freedom of the digital camera, to be able to shoot without a tripod and to use all that wonderful ambient light, to be able to instantly tell if you have a good image.  It has been a challenge to do my own editing in Photoshop but I SHALL CONQUER.  I have a lot to learn but that has never stopped me before.

What has photography given you?

Photography has given me great satisfaction.  I take pride in producing the best possible images for my clients that I can and it makes me happy when they return year after year to have their families photographed.  It has made me more aware of  this beautiful world and God’s wonderful creations.  When you are a photographer you look at everything as if you were going to take a picture of it, even if you don’t have your camera with you.

Do you have some advice for those starting out in photography and feeling daunted?

My advice to all you photographers out there is that you are never too old to begin, or too young.  I never dreamed that I would be able to accomplish all that I have after age 50 but I have loved every minute of it.  Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.  If you can laugh at your goofs, so will everybody else.

Any disasters along the way?

Let me tell you of one of my experiences.  I was shooting a wedding in a community 50 miles away.  I had no assistant, I was all by myself.  The wedding ceremony turned out to be long and drawn out and I could see my valuable shooting time slipping away.  Finally it was over and I hurried to get set up so I could  take as many pictures as possible before the reception began.  Part of my wedding package was to take some formal pictures of everybody, using a small backdrop.  It was assembled by erecting two stands with a pole stretched between them.  The backdrop was then lifted up over the pole where I always held my breath that it wouldn’t fall down.  I had the stands and the pole set up and was lifting the backdrop up to sling over the top.  Suddenly the stands began to tip and the only thing I could do was lower the backdrop to see where the stands were going to land.  To my horror  I caught sight of the cake directly in it’s path.   I could see that it was a four-layer cake but instead of being stacked, each layer was separately laid out on the table, all elegantly decorated.  Well, the left stand, with pole still attached, dipped down and  zeroed in on the closest layer.  Just then the right stand did a little maneuver thingy that caused the left stand to become a missile launcher.  It picked that layer up and catapulted it ten feet into the air where it did a little flip and began it’s descent upside down.   I kid you not, but it landed in the exact same spot it had started out in, only this time it was in a million pieces, icing everywhere.  I heard a scream behind me and immediately knew the bride was aware of my dilemma.  The bride’s mother, without missing a beat, commenced scooping up the horrible mess and rearranging the other three layers.  When she finished you would never have known that it was supposed to be four layers instead of
three.

I learned something that day.  Never set up a backdrop anywhere near the cake,  find a better way to attach the backdrop and hire an assistant, then go outside and have a big belly laugh.  I might add I have enough experiences like that to write a book.

What is your dream image?

I haven’t really thought about having a dream image but I  suppose every photographer hopes to be responsible for something spectacular.  That’s what keeps me shooting, I guess.

Thankyou again Mary, for taking the time to share your experiences.  I think you’re amazing and I’m sure my readers will too.  I can only dream of waking up forty years from now and still holding my passion tight.

Sheye xx

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you’re fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep

- Ilene Woods (Cinderella)

Ivy is our fairy.  She always has been.  Elfin-like, tiny.   Our totally enchanting and perfectly mischievous fairy.   She loves them herself, donning wings and fluttering around the house frequently..asking for fairy merchandise at the shops, watching The Fairies on tv. Secretly, I was relieved that this was her love..  Something I’d not had seen with Ava..a new experience, no association.

But there was a day, I knew it would come, where someone fondly called her Princess.     And in that moment, smiling and making polite conversation, my mind reeled.     My proper self knew it was as it should be..all three year old girls, along with being fairies and ballerinas and pretend Mommies, are Princesses.   But my sorrow-filled self could not bear the thought.   I had only ever known one Princess until that day.   But “the firsts” come and go..Ivy pested for her own sparkly, polyester frocks and I helped her perfect her curtsy.

And then, such is the way with grief and a whole lot of time, I made my way to the land of all things Princess – Disneyland.   With one sweet girl by my side and another on my mind, I sighed at tiaras and marveled at castles.    Time skipped back and forth and I wished for different but I was there, and doing it.  For Ivy.   We went to the Princess Makeover Salon.  She got to choose her whole outfit and spent an hour being made up by a Fairy Godmother.  It was so special and magical and so very, very hard.   With impossible sadness and so much gratitude, I took these photos.

Seeing the Princess costumes hanging up:

About to be taken into her dressing room after three spins and a wish:

THE dress:

And, the Princess:

The makeover: (A little miffed  that one’s hair has to be upswept – surely it’s all about the golden locks?)

But happy now there’s eye shadow involved:

On the news there will be sparkles:

The big unveil:

Happy girl :) (Natural light,  I love you).

And ten minutes later back at the hotel..hair un-assembled, mid flight.
I hereby give you Princess Ivy.

I love these photos.  I loved this day.  How thankful I am.  Grief almost stopped me from having this moment.   There are times I loathe grief to my core..and times I don’t.  There are hours and days and minutes of unbearable sorrow, this is true.  But oh the joy of being able to fully appreciate.  To breathe it in and find thankfulness and cherish too.  Grief..an external being but part of my soul.  It makes up who I am, it shows me a different view – every single day.  It tires me, it enlightens me.

Seeing these photos again, on a day filled with happiness and hope, I am just a little bit thankful for the grief.

Sheye xx

(And to my darling Ava.. Wish you were here.)