28 sentiments shared

Taking Breath.

Lately I’ve been struggling to keep time aside for my own creative pursuits and it’s been ever so frustrating.  Amidst a business that completely surrounds all things creative, I still end up with so little opportunity to explore the things that really inspire and motivate me.   Probably because when I’m not running the creative business, I’m buried underneath other business.. family business or school business or renovation business.   Oh, and did I ever mention we also have a childcare center?  That we do.

And another not so small something..you know when I said I was thinking of moving on from making babies?  Or trying to make babies? Well I didn’t.  I haven’t.  In a four year long moment of insanity, it seems I’m not yet able to let go of that particular wish and each babyless month continues to roll around while I continue to visit the doctor or the clinic or the acupuncturist, lugging along a confusing jumble of hope and resignation and frustration..all wrapped up in a heavy layer of meh.    If I ponder it too long I feel 1000 degrees of unstable so lets not.

My point is that much of my week is spent juggling a lot of balls, all of which I have a great deal of passion, good help and only just enough time for.  Generally, I manage okay.   I wouldn’t say I’m the most structured person on the Planet and every day is just about crossing off the things that absolutely have to be done but I seem to get from A to B with my sanity in tact most of the time.   Do I think there is a better way?  Hell yes.  Am I  going to pull that off any time soon?  Twice over, Hell no.  So I just accept the crazy that seems to be our lives and appreciate the good things that come out of the madness.  The trouble with this is that in the midst of trying to being efficient and organized and positive there are many days where I find I barely resemble myself anymore. Where a ponytail is essential and somehow a balanced meal is not.

So, I’ve gone and done something that feels awfully indulgent, but so very right.   I’ve taken back Thursdays.  Yes yes, I’m putting aside one day a week that belongs to me.  Not the busy, stretched, distracted, whats-next-on-the-list-me but the other one.  The girl who used to lie under the sprinkler outside, listening to The Doors.   Her.  I leave all of the grown up things back at Wednesday night and for just one day, I hang out.  I have hot chocolate with my sister.  We order nachos.  We reminisce and dream and sometimes we laugh so hard nothing comes out.  We swap Canon and Nikon.  We play with film.  Or Instagram.  It doesn’t matter.  We talk to strangers and we ask to take their photos and no one’s ever said no.  We’ve had massages and we’ve explored the dollar stores and we’ve tracked down the house we lived in as toddlers.  We drive with no set destination and no schedule and eventually, someone has to ring us to say come home.

It took me so very long to justify this time in my week..years actually..and now I can’t imagine it not being there.   So you, all of you frazzled working mothers, sahm mothers, self employed business owners,  dedicated employees,  stressed out students..I think we should all take back a day in our week.  If it feels hard to do, it isn’t.  Really, it isn’t.  It’s actually much harder to get by without it.   No matter how important your role in whatever realm, I’m inviting you to set aside something for yourself.   Your self will pay you back ten fold.  What say you?

xx

Tucked Away Under // Family, General, Simple Nothings

7 sentiments shared

Enhance November 2011

In June this year, we excitedly launched our latest Eye Candy Workshop – Enhance.  This is an intensive  three week online workshop designed for the beginner to intermediate photographer wanting to explore digital processing using Photoshop.   We’re running it again this November and registrations are now open!

Some of the topics covered will include:.

Setting up your Workspace
Menus and Tools
Creating a logical workflow
Layers, Masking and Blend Modes
Identifying and resolving image issues
Working with skin-tones
Easy image enhancement
Working with Photoshop Actions
Developing a consistent editing style
Correct cropping and resizing
Shortcuts
Adding polish
Color settings
Creatively displaying your images online

The workshop is designed to run at your own pace with comprehensive videos and written tutorials uploaded daily.  You will also have access to an interactive forum to share images, ask questions and receive peer feedback.    Co-facilitated by Fran Mackenzie, Enhance explores a variety of Photoshop methods, tips and tricks based in a logical workflow to give you the best possible editing outcomes with your images.  

The Enhance workshop will run in November 2011 and is $345 AUD per person.  We are able to offer payment plans for those interested.  Places are limited.  If you would like to register your place, you may do so here.  Previous Eye Candy students do not need to register and may go directly to the purchase page here.  If you have further questions, please email Fran at info@eyecandyworkshops.com.

Testimonials from Enhance Participants, June 2011:

I feel like this has been one of the most important photography workshops I have taken to date.  I am amazed at how much I learned and how “unlocked” photoshop feels to me. I had so many “aha! THAT’S how you do it!” moments I can’t even count.   I was extremely impressed with the amount of information shared with us, the way it was presented, and how absolutely thorough it felt (to me). Once again, everyone was very friendly and helpful. :) I really enjoyed the videos, they really brought the material in the modules together and helped with the practice. Thank you, Fran and Sheye for another wonderful and meaningful workshop!   Catherine Runyan

I actually feel comfortable using Photoshop now. I don’t quake with fear when I open it any more…! The videos made HEAPS of difference to me. Early on I had the videos on the laptop and I had PS open on my desktop and I followed along. It was perfect. It was so nice to put voices to the words and faces too!     Jane Dando

The modules and the videos were very informative and presented in a way that made it fun to learn. Sheye & Fran, you are both superstars at photography and Photoshop and i am extremely happy that i was able to participate in this workshop and learn from you both. Thank you so much!      Carissa Campbell

I liked that the learning was multi-faceted, with reading material, videos and tasks. This meant that applying the knowledge was much easier than just reading and assuming you understood what was meant to happen… Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge and allowing others to share in your thoughts and workflows. I am so much more efficient, skillful and knowledgeable on PS and know that doing the workshop will enhance my life in so many ways – better photos, less stress, more free time… and the list goes on. xx    Jodie Vass

I found everything about the workshop to be relevant and useful. All Eye Candy workshops have a great feel to them and a wonderful supportive atmosphere.   It is great that we can all learn from each others questions and the fact that responses from the two of you were so prompt, there was a real sense of momentum. I am thrilled with what I have learned and to have a fantastic printed resource sitting in my bookcase beside the computer is brilliant. Having seen the videos as well, I feel much more confident. Thanks so much for all you have taught me. I love growing as a person and the three Eye Candy Workshops I have done this year really have helped me grow as both a photographer and a woman. The friendships I have made are an added bonus to this wonderful experience.    Mish Mackay

Enhance has been nothing but inspiring and I cannot believe that you are both so helpful and willing to share. I love that about you!! I am happy to say since Evolve I have made some wonderful friendships and I am so proud to say that you are both set in stone in my photography journey x  Cassie Van Baak

The Enhance experience was just like other Eye Candy Workshops, where Sheye and Fran not only share so much new knowledge, but also provide such a kind and supporting environment to learn in. And as they say, like attracts like, and Eye Candy Workshops always seem to be filled with participants as lovely as the facilitators, and this truly makes it special : )   Sharlene Britton

We do hope you can join us!
Sheye & Fran xx

ps: Just a quick reminder that the Evolve Workshop begins on October 3rd.  We will be emailing all participants in the next couple of days so please keep an eye out!

Tucked Away Under // Eye Candy, Photography

16 sentiments shared

Frankie’s in the house.

This is Frankie.
He has a great name.
And is pretty damn cute to boot.
He belongs to Marissa and David.
As do big brother Jasper and sister Scarlet.

It’s so wonderful  to see this beautiful family growing and do you know what I love about three?  Three is where you have a fair idea about what you’re doing.  Lets face it, the first is amazing, but also rather shocking.  Two kind of doubles the shock, for at least a little while.  Then it starts to fall into place and by the time three arrives, you’re just all kinds of whatever and while the sleeplessness and the feeding challenges may not get any easier, at least you’ve pretty much forgotten what that other life looked like.   This is my own experience anyway and spending time with Marissa and David last month after Frankie the third arrived..I got the same feeling all over again.  He’s divine, they’re relaxed, it just all looks way too wonderful from over here.   (I should mention that David does in fact have three older babies so Frankie gets to bathe in the total mellowness that is a Dad of six).

Thankyou, sweet little family, for letting me hang out with you.

Sheye xx

Tucked Away Under // Photography

22 sentiments shared

Sea to shining Sea.

Dearest America,

When I first met you, I was an early twenty something.  I was impressionable and you, you were all things impressive.  I marveled at your glamor, I swooned at your glossy stores.  You were the same as home, but different.  Calvin Klein t-shirts for under fifty dollars?  A whole restaurant serving only vegetarian food?  Cirque de Soleil in Vegas and sugary bignettes in the French Quarter.  Sunny walks through San Francisco.  Needless to say,  I fell rather hard for your amazing self and then, well,  it was over.  Ten days later and I made my way back to the simpler life.

Fifteen years on, I’d mostly forgotten our love affair.  I’m sorry.  Life got busy.  I grew up, a bit.  I found another love and we made four children and honestly, I had no plans to meet up with you again.  Fate however, guided me back and one Summer day,  I found myself strolling through Laguna Beach.  Surrounded by breath-taking Spanish architecture and late afternoon sunlight, my heart swelled while I declared that I had found my Heaven on Earth.  I dreamed out loud of spending every day with you.  I soaked you up and I embraced the other you I hadn’t seen through younger eyes.  Your natural beauty.

It wasn’t just me though, we all fell for your charms and between then and now have returned more than once.  Every time, we travel further, we discover more.   We return to the same community where we’re welcomed in by our neighbors and little by little, you have become our home away from home.   And every single day, when the light drops over that ocean, my heart swells all over again and I ponder how it feels to be really and truly in love with you.  I know there’s more of you to see, so much more.  I dream of Summer road-trips though the desert and meandering down Madison Avenue in Winter.   We both know that Australia will always be my first love,  but you will always live in my heart as the refuge that gave us hope for a happy future when our present was nothing but unbearable.  You offered sunshine through the clouds and a place to create new memories with our children.  You helped us find a way forward.

This past weekend, we’ve never felt closer, or further away from you.  Watching one of your darkest days retold from the safety of our lounge-rooms, we’re so awfully sad for you and we’re so filled with pride seeing how you have rebuilt.   Your loss is big, but your strength is bigger.  You’re an amazing example of resilience and unity and today, you make us very very grateful for the luxury of freedom.  To sleep safe in our beds and to spend simple days at the beach with our children.  America, we think you’re pretty special and just wanted to tell you so.

Love Always,
Sheye x

Tucked Away Under // Family

17 sentiments shared

Ava’s Tea Party 2011

Farewell, August.  It’s been very umm, just very.  I’m standing on my step and you’re pushing luggage into the trunk and we’re waving cheery goodbyes while your tyres crunch up the driveway.  I’m a huge mix of content and tired and grateful and relieved.

The lead up to Ava’s Tea Party is really big for me.  All sorts of big.  I want it to be amazing, I want everyone in the World to stop what they’re doing and participate, I want it to matter. And to so many of you, it does. Words can’t express how it feels to see the stream of beautiful tea parties images, or to hear tales of family gatherings and cuddles. To know that Ava’s Rule is being shared and that our girl is being remembered. It is incredible and it is comforting.  And yes,  it is big.  And then, behind all that, lies the strange, quiet hum that persists throughout the planning and the emailing and the baking.  (Well, other people’s baking).  Sometimes it gets really very loud and then I’m lost in what should be. Not tea parties and everyone else hugging their eight year olds. That should be me. I can’t see past just missing my daughter and wondering how we got here. Then, someone will send a beautiful photo of a pink sky.  Someone will tell me how Ava’s Rule helped their child.  Someone, some thing, will remind me that Ava’s Tea Party is worth it and it’s making a difference and it means so much to so many families – not just ours.   It’s an endless see-saw of emotion and honestly, getting to the other side is just a little bit of a relief.

This year, the weather meant our simple plans for a family gathering were relocated indoors last minute. I didn’t really have an ideas for pretty decor – I’m no party planner so it really was just an gathering of little bits I already had along with home made and store bought treats.  We marked her day and we shared happy conversation and we took time to show love for those we love.

Thank you to every one of you who sent support this year, one way or another, and especially to those of you who joined in with Ava’s Tea Party.  Lets do it again next year, shall we?  :)

Love and gratitude, always.

Sheye x

Tucked Away Under // Ava, Family