Mastering your Craft....

This weekend I took a few images and played with my friend Linda... I have set up a place at my home to do photos and still working on it...watching it manifest into something great!!!! So someone -my friend Rob- said to me one time about being good at many different things but not concentrating on mastering a specific craft. So the saying goes: "Jack of all trades , Master of None" found this on another link-------- "Jack of all trades, master of none" is an old saying, meaning that one is competent in a lot of things, but master of none. Such a person is also called a polymath or a renaissance man. A prime example of this personality is Leonardo da Vinci. Really is that so bad? Leaonardo da Vinci huh? In all reality it is not , but I get why Rob said that to me many years ago. As far as photography goes I need to work on mastering my craft , as much as that is possible for me anyhow. Shoot, shoot , shoot......and more shooting images. I have the eye I need to work on the lighting and stuff...stuff...see. My mind is going all the time on what I envision in my photography, paintings, etc. etc. I see it oh so clearly at times. So...maybe I need to Master the Jack of all Trades part.. :) thanks Rob!

"Boy" ---- my newest grandchild

My newest grandchild was born yesterday on the 3rd of September. Mommy and baby are doing great- thank goodness--- it takes a lot of strength to bring a child into this world , warrior goddess and I honor Colleen for that . My son Cameron and Colleen are the newest parents in the family and I couldn't be happier for them. He is a healthy , strong little boy...."Boy" is what I call him. "He who isn't named"... (..reminds me of the Harry Potter movie.......ha ha ha), the proud parents havent revealed the name of their son yet. It will be quite a surprise I am sure and excited to find out what they have chosen for their son. I was fortunate enough to see him a few hours old and be able to capture the little guy with his parents and his first bath and little mohawk....looking like he was a 1950's tough guy.... I surely had a flashback literaly like I was looking at one of my sons right after they were born. Welcome little "Boy" to this world and may you be blessed in it. Lovingly Always - G G

A New Life as one Passes

I was blessed enough to given the opportunity to take some shots of my eldest child and his fiance before they have the second grandchild (a boy) on the way. I was so honored that I could be a part of their experience in the slightest way. I became a grandmother first time just close to 3 years ago and have to be quite honest that I wasn't really privy to the idea that I was going to be a "Grandmother"! My vision of a grandmother in my mind was surely not what I had planned for myself , no way , no how. I struggled with the idea for months that this child was going to call me something cool and not label me with the stereotypical grandmother image. I was trying to figure out all these fabulous names, cultural, etc. and well when my little granddaughter arrived into this world , I just looked at her and said "you can call me anything that you wish precious little one". Now comes the second grandchild in my life ,and I believe not the last. Maybe one day after several more grandchildren I will be that vision of that grandmother that most see, but I doubt it!!!!!

So as a new life comes, we loose some in our lives. My sister/friend/family of many years lost her father around this same time, Pops. Oooh the times we have laughed (charades with pj's pulled to the neck and I still can't figure out what it was he was trying to do..ha ha ha) and cried over and with this man. My heart goes out to her. No matter how old you are and they may be it is never easy to lose a parent. In our minds we stay that child that looked at them ,with all their imperfections, as mountains that never could be moved. We hold them close to us in our memories and feel their presence around us and they live on in our children and those that come after.

Cheers to life and its many adventures!

The Coup

A few months ago I went to the San Diego Zoo with my family, utilizing the yearly passes we have. It is so nice to have it so close and just go for a walk. I always take my camera and every once in a while get a few really cool shots. I did stumble upon this pigeon coup in the area of the children's petting zoo. (Are they pigeons or white doves? Apparently one in the same?) I had never seen this before and I was really feeling and seeing the images in my mind. I am very pleased with the outcome. A great poem needs to go along with it !!!!

Target Practice

Simply put "target practice" that's exactly what this was used for . I grabbed it before the guys in the next suite of my working place had it for trash. I saw a perfect photo opportunity and it just spoke to me a little deeper than that. I felt as a woman many times like I was strickly "target practice" for others. Targets, sometimes masked in love, business, political and careers, family, motherhood......to often we as women allow ourselves to be just that. That is not always the case, many of us try to dodge those bullets and they find us like heat seeking missiles. It is a continued struggle at times to make sure that with caring, loving, nurturing , and undetermined strength that you don't forget that you are worth so much more and deserving. Opinions and inspiration are all mine - what do you see?