A Photographer's Prayer

Browsing in my Google Reader list this morning I ran across a post by Nikki Incandela -  A Photographer's Prayer, that I just had to pass on to all my friends.  

           As I bring my subject into focus and prepare to make each 

           portrait, never let me forget that I'm creating treasures for 

           some family, a keepsake for loved ones, assisting others to get 

           their life's work out into the world. Keep me sensitive to the 

           qualities and virtues of others, that I may draw out into the 

           light the beautiful radiant belongings of their hearts.

           Help me to be an artist, collecting the beauty of every soul, the 

           glow of youth and inner child of every client, the gentleness, 

           the laughter or tears of each life that is precious in my sight. 

           Deeper than a means of livelihood, give me the perspective 

           to see my photographer's art as a service to others, making 

           life richer and more memorable.

           Between the lights and shadows, the ups and downs and the 

           rolling years, keep me from getting out of focus or off center, 

           so that my life and work may be framed with dignity and 
           colored with contentment. Allowing only the highest of myself 
           to shine and recognizing the highest self within all others. That 
           all come and go from a place of pure love......

                                                                                         Amen!

           ~The author of this prayer is unknown unfortunately and I've 
            adjusted it slightly to fit my core beliefs a little more. I hope 
            you enjoyed it and it allows you to know me just a little bit 
           more. :o)

Nikki's Blog

Thanks Nikki, I love it.  It's a prayer that expresses many of my own feelings about photography, It's not about making money or marketing for me, I just want to create images that families will treasure for ever. Yes I know I have to charge for my time, I'm not independently wealthy and all that gear costs, big bucks,  but I'm lucky enough to be in a part of life where making money is not as important as it once was - for me it's all about the joy of creation.  

O.K. - no more reading or writing -  it's back to looking for those *&%$# "lost" files - I've been searching for the last two days.  I should be sending up a prayer that I will find them soon - the silver lining on this cloud is that it has motivated me to reconstruct my whole Lightroom Catalog. 

Big Brother - My Uncle Edwin

My brother Thomas, and I were in Chicago for a few days to say goodbye to my Uncle Edwin who reached the wonderful age of 96.5  (isn't it interesting that young children and older adults always append their age with additional months  -  I'm 2 and 1/2 or I'm 87 and 1/2 - the rest of us mark the passage of time simply with yearly increments).

      Here is my uncle  a couple of years ago, cuddling his wife - they were 

married the year I was born - 1940.  Pretty close to 70 years of marriage 

now that is really something to crow about.

He was a strong man who lived a wonderful life. It made us sad to know
that we would no longer hear his stories about growing up in Texas or
about his work as the Director of the Physical Education Department at
Roosevelt University in Chicago but we were comforted by our memories
of our time together and our faith of his transition to an unlimited spiritual being.


We flew in to O'Hare Friday evening and awakened Saturday morning to snow. Snow everywhere - and me  (A California Girl) with not a clue how to drive in the snow or even walk in the snow.

View through the hotel window.

Plus,  the shoes I brought to wear were a pair of  cloth shoes and some sling backs - I was lucky I had traveled in a scruffy  pair of old boots - which I was
able to pull on and wear with my suit.   I ran down to the front desk  
to report I needed help getting to the car....   They looked a bit startled  
but sent someone out to shovel the walkway and brush the snow off the car - Thank You Marriott Courtyard....

Cerritos Library Book Signing

The Cerritos Library hosted 10 African American authors at "Ingredients for a Good Read" a book signing and panel discussion this past Sunday.  The event was sponsored by the Orange County Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and the National Black MBA Association.  The room was full of excited people sitting on the edge of their seats, anxious to hear about their books and learn more about their writing and marketing processes.  I had the good fortune of being invited to photograph the event.

Ivan Houston

Black Warriors: The Buffalo Soldiers of World War II

Denise Nicholas

Fresh Water Road 

Attica Locke

Black Water Rising

Paula Woods

Dirty Laundry

                  Pamela Samuels- Young Murder on the Down Low

Samella Lewis Art Historian, curator and author and editor

        Whitney LeBlanc Blues in the Wind and Denise Nicholas

                                                                               Christoher Johnson Hang up the Phone   

                Gar Haywood Cemetery Road

Gary Phillips The Jook

Cerritos Library Staff  Pat            ,  Julietta Williams, Cerritos Arts Commissioner, 

and Joyce Norwood, event chairperson

It was an exciting afternoon with the moderators Gary Phillips and Pamela Samuels-Young adroitly fielding the audience questions and managing the panel discussions so the audience remained engaged and interested.  

I had as much fun at this event as I usually have when I am working with little children...