hope

hope - (noun) a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen

"i'll admit that my garden now grows hope in lavish profusion, leaving little room for anything else.  i suppose it has squeezed out more practical plants like caution and common sense.  still, though, hope does not flourish in every garden, and i feel thankful it has taken root in mine"

~sharon kay penman

how does your garden grow?

peace & bliss,
amy

you think it...he inks it

"tattooing is about personalizing the body, making it a true home and fit temple for the spirit that dwells inside it." ~michelle delio, tattoo: the exotic art of skin decoration

meet infamous jones...an artist devoted to creating unique personalizations to the body.

marlon a.k.a. infamous jones

i could have hung out at body animations tattoo parlor all day, but only had time to meet a couple of the guys & shoot a few pics...

can't wait to visit again soon...

peace & bliss, 

amy

fedoras and family

"sometimes being a big brother is better than being a superhero!"  ~marc brown

oh what fun we had with these family photos!

i love me some creative kids...while i finished getting prepared for their shoot, justice and fain - all fedora'd out - got down on the chalkboard wall.  the end results?  amazing (...and funny)!

this family is ready to welcome baby sister...what a lucky little one to have such charismatic & entertaining big brothers...congrats to you all!
peace & bliss,
amy
p.s. oh yea! check out this totally awesome unsolicited advertising

"i love this studyoe (studio)!!! i love picures (pictures)!!!"...thanks fain - bliss studio loves you too!

the aquarian girl...

been a busy aquarian girl...so busy i needed a little break to recharge.  but i am back and have lots of stuff to share...stay posted!
peace & bliss,
amy

no such thing?

"nothing happens by chance, my friend...no such thing as luck.  a meaning behind every little thing, and such meaning behind this.  part for you, part for me, may not see it all real clear right now, but we will, before long." ~ richard bach

taken last fall at easy acre farm

i believe in luck but i also believe in fate...what about you?

peace & bliss, 

amy 

more "love the skin i'm in"...

"by plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower." ~rabindrath tagore

and yes, that is me in the middle - checking lighting, experimenting with poses...always a good time!

i love, love, love doing "love the skin i'm in" sessions! yes, the lady's photos are beautiful but what is most satisfying is seeing a woman walk with her head high & a lil' more pep in her step after her photo shoot because she has captured all the awesomeness about herself - from her sense of humor or confidence to her bright eyes or jaw dropping curves.  

comfort is overrated.  the more anxious the better...why?  because going out of the norm, out of your "comfort zone" is exciting & once you push through that nervousness or fear, the result is amazing!  i get nervous before each session too...a friend once told me that my anxiety is ok..."good" even because it just means i care about what i am doing and that is so true. i put a lot of thought into each individual and preparation for each session.  hopefully, that "feeling" will spill over to life's other challenges for all of us...just think of all the possibilities.

kudos to all women "lovin' the skin they're in..." 

peace & bliss, 

amy

   

 

help-portrait 2011 at bliss studio-a picture IS worth

for those of you who know me, you know that i am a social worker. this profession is near and dear to my heart - i knew my calling probably before i even started school - elementary school that is! ...i mean i remember empathizing with kermit the frog when he sang "it ain't easy being green." who does that!?  all i know is social work is truly an extension of who i am as a person - i love what i do, but there are times when my heart grows heavy & i wonder if what i do [ because i am only ONE person ] matters.

on 12.10.11 i was reminded...it does matter.

one person here and one person there, etcetera, etcetera...adds up.

the 2011 help-portrait stats were released in january...

• 56 countries
• 67,927 portraits given
• 4,984 photographers
• 8,793 volunteers

as a social worker, i am familiar with several helping organizations who meet needs such as food, clothing, shoes...but help-portrait provides a photo that represents value.  it is more than a keepsake or a representation of a person's likeness - it becomes a receipt of an exchange between individuals & the currency is dignity, courage, love, and hope.  

when people come together to work toward the common good, something magical & tangible is produced.  it may look like a picture, but it's often worth more than a 1,000 words...

artists have created self-portraits since the beginning of time...a self-portrait, in artistic circles, could prove your worth.  the wealthiest members of society have always commissioned portraits of themselves & their family as a way to prove their social setting. 

while the technological development of the camera, film, and then digital brought photography to the masses, professional portraiture still remains a luxury most of the world cannot afford.  

help-portrait is a global event each december when photographers, stylists, and other volunteers team together to GIVE instead of take, photos...

(borrowed & adapted from help-portrait)

surprising to me, two local non-profit organizations turned down this opportunity.  as i result, i extended the invitation to teen parents - "current" teen parents in high school and "former" teen parents who are working, continuing their education, or both.  i too, was a teen parent and thank goodness for our family friend who was a photographer & took pictures of my little ones as they grew. otherwise,  i would not have had the money to spend on professional photos...

it was a pleasure to "pay it forward" - and share this experience with my own kids.  deztanie and her friend did an awesome job helping me set up, organize and keep my "cool." jaylen did an amazing job capturing moments through his lens of choice...the video camera and producing a great video!  i am bummed i cannot get it to upload to here!

overall, the turnout at bliss studio was small in comparison to other help-portrait events, but it was HUGE in terms of joy & positivity - there were so many smiles all around & not just for the camera...

team bliss - missing a volunteer, kaelyn who had to leave before our group pic!

cannot wait to do this again next year!

peace & bliss, 

amy  

exhausting...

umm, yea - what she said...

peace & bliss,
amy