hiatus & happenings

There hasn't been a silence on this blog lasting 7 whole days in awhile, so you'll have to humor me when I say that seven days away from posting feels less like a momentary pause and more like a lengthy hiatus!

Lots of good things have been happening over here during the past week, including a big family get-together to honor my mom on her birthday, and to celebrate my little brother's return to the area (to work for the Philadelphia 76ers, no less!) In spite of the mosquitoes, who seemed hell bent on sabotaging our little backyard shin dig, we enjoyed the most divine veggie lasagna (courtesy of the best hubby-chef on the planet!), followed up by dark chocolate S'mores around the fire pit. Definitely a night worth repeating... (Sans mosquitoes, of course!)

I've also been working quite intensively on a handful of exciting projects, developments and upcoming events at Red Dirt Girl Photography that I'm hoping to unveil here on the blog over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

In the midst of all that's been going on in my corner of the world, I've spent a good chunk of time thinking about what it is that I do (take pictures and tell stories), and why it is that I've chosen to do it.

Starting a photography business from the ground up is no walk in the park, of that much I am certain. And yet, since starting this business I feel fulfilled and inspired in my work, in ways that I haven't in any other job I've held. So I'm also certain that this uncharted trail of creative entrepreneurship is my path, and I'm determined to see it through.

Why portrait photography? Well, let's start with this little something I've said before over on my website. It's something I wrote when I first climbed aboard this crazy roller coaster ride, and that still rings true each time I read it:

To slow down and be present.

To savor the fleeting innocence of childhood.

To stop time for a moment...

and pay tribute to love's sweet serenade.

To silence the ever-present rush of noise...

and tune in to the whispers of the soul.

To listen attentively to the stories of others...

...and tell some stories of my own:

And what better way to do all of that, than with camera in hand?

***

come along and ride

Friends and the fun slide. Highs in the 90s. Lemonade, funnel cake and cotton candy.

Long lines, laughter and "local color." A child's delight...

The fair!

***

old macdonald

I have to say that in light of all of the recent hubbub surrounding nationwide food recalls, it gives me even greater pleasure and reassurance than usual to be looking my farmers in the eye each week, as I make my egg, meat and produce purchases.

Buy fresh. Buy local!

clouds in my coffee

If you know me at all, you know that coffee is not just a summer staple around these parts. (In fact, I consider it an essential item in my survival kit.)

And if you know me even better than that, you also know that not just any coffee will do. About 3 years ago now, we chucked our coffee maker, in favor of a french press. (Actually, we didn't dispose of it right away...we weren't sure that the french press would 'stick' and we hung onto the ol' drip machine and glass carafe in the basement for a spell, just in case. Eventually we came to the conclusion that there was no 'case' in our family that the french press would not fill. Literally. We even eventually bought this spare french press
for our suitcase so that we would never be without our coffee of choice.) We're all about whole bean coffees- organically grown, sustainably harvested, fairly traded, and roasted in small batches.

We also try to 'buy local' as much as possible, and support small businesses whenever we are able. This is just an image I snapped in a small, local kitchenware shop that struck my fancy. It holds a little more meaning for me now, because this particular trip was one of the last outings we had with my Pop Pop.

**All Amazon links in this post are "associate links." That means if you click over, and decide to purchase the item I linked to, I will get a pennies-on-the-dollar deposit in my Amazon associate account. If about a hundred of you did this, I might be able to pick a free book up from Amazon, rather than from my local library. You should know this, and you should also know that it's never happened yet. ::wink, wink::

thankful thursday

things that i am thankful for:

that smile. these days i never quite know whether an encounter with you will end with a grin or a groan. in light of that uncertainty, i'm always sure to take note of the smiles, and tuck them away inside my memory and my heart for safekeeping.

your 'ocean eyes.' they swim and swirl with the depth of emotion and complexity of thought that already characterize you, at a mere 5 years old. (or, as you would correct me: 5 & 3/4 years old!)

your nonconformity. the confidence with which you combine color, and revel in being 'mismatched.' may you always march to the beat of your own drum, refuse to shrink to others' underwhelming expectations, and assert your individuality unapologetically.

your strength of spirit. some would call you stubborn. i would argue that point. while your intense and ferocious temperament can be an enormous challenge at this age, it is also what gives me ultimate confidence in the quality of woman you are becoming.

your theatrics. once upon a time, before you were born and when mommy and daddy lived in "music city," a stranger took your daddy aside to inform him that he looked like he possessed the 'soul of a songwriter.' perhaps what they saw inside of him was the little kernel of creativity that would come to life in you. your soulful songs and dramatic dances, your works of art, your vivid imagination (and even your feats of engineering genius) constantly amaze and inspire me, and cause my heart to swell with pride.

i am so thankful to be YOUR mama.


*

a chance and a rock

Over the weekend, Robert and I visited an awesome local bookstore that, in addition to a carefully curated selection of new and used books, boasts a great little $2 bargain table. And because the universe knows just how much I need every little kick in the pants possible to get to work on my writing aspirations, here is the title on the $2 table that immediately jumped out at me:

(I'm realizing that this allusion may be lost on those of you who don't know that my last name is Gauthier.
With a silent 'h.' So, there you have it.)


*

inside, outside, upside-down

For me, right now, this is one of those pictures that is worth a thousand words. AT LEAST.

These days it feels like life is speeding past at a million miles an hour- Flipping speed limit signs on their heads. Flipping off notions of balance, sanity, a consistently clean house, and oh, you know, that lovely little luxury called SLEEP.

But this is life. My life. The life of a mom and wife working two jobs, while trying to reserve enough hours and energy for my most important work of all- marriage and motherhood.

So, if you see me speeding by, wild eyes fixed on the road, and two hands at the wheel of this runaway vehicle called my life, just smile and wave. Perhaps I'll catch your eye, slam on the emergency break, and stop for some much-needed coffee and conversation.

fire in the kitchen, music in the air

Let's just get this out of the way up front. Ella has spent this past weekend with her grandparents, and all it takes is a little bit of separation for a mama to start waxing sentimental. 'kay. You've been duly warned ;)

Today's snapshot is just further proof that a picture need not be 'spot on' or technically perfect to be important. To speak volumes. To sum up the weight of a relationship, the essence of a person.

This weekend has been characterized, by and large, by stillness. There have been lots of silent moments. I've had plenty of space carved out for uninterrupted thought. And as an introvert, I can't tell you how refreshing it's been.

And yet...

I find myself, 2 days in, missing the perpetual motion of my girl. The constant cloud of chatter. The continual pile-up of play-related clutter. I miss the temperature of her small, sleep-warmed body when she crawls straight out of her bed and into my lap. The tug of her hand, the tangle of her hair. The energy of my little extrovert.



Come home, Ella...

will you still need me, will you still feed me

Today, as we strolled home from the Farmer's Market, arms weighted down with fresh, local produce, I felt especially glad that I'd made a last minute dash for my camera before leaving the house. I mean, really- that HAT?! Too much!



I definitely stepped outside of my comfort zone to stop this kind gent on the street, and ask if he'd mind posing for a photo. But boy am I glad I mustered up the courage. He was such a good sport to indulge me!

What do you think of his hat? When I read that sentiment, my hope is that I can embody a similar spunk and tenacity long before I achieve senior citizen status. In fact, I'd like to start living like this TODAY! Doing my best with what I have at my disposal right now, rather than assuming that there is something more that I need. Appreciating all that is present in my life today, while still reaching for the stars. Not getting down on myself because I don't quite feel like I've "arrived" yet. (Whatever that means.) Embracing myself in this moment and knowing that I am enough.

(And that out of this raw material, great things will emerge.)

i wanna hold your hand

On Wednesday evening I had the privilege of taking my niece Riley's "1 year" photos. Our last session together was her newborn shoot, so I was excited to document all of the growing and changing she'd done in the meantime. (Not to mention, the growing I've done as a photographer.) She was a gem as always. Just like her big cousin Ella was at that age, she is an absolute ham for the camera. Destined for show biz, I tell ya ;)

I'll have a proper 'sneak peek' up sometime within the next week or so, but in the meantime, I thought I'd slip this sweet shot in to my "Snapshots of a Summer" series.

These girls could. not. love one another more deeply. Their friendship (and this picture) both take my breath away.

wordless wednesday

there is a season

This past week has been heavenly- at least, if we're speaking in terms of weather. After two months characterized by oppressive heat & humidity, these days of gentle sunshine, soft breezes and temperatures topping out in the low 80's have been blissful. Kind of makes me long for Fall. For sweater weather. For high school football games and backyard bonfires. For that time of year when I slip my feet back into these- my favorite boots.

damp throats of flowers

Last week a looping, loping butterfly found its way into the kindergarten building at the school. Of course once inside, all she wanted was her freedom. Soon she found her way to the huge picture window. (Which I might add, is directly adjacent to the wide open front doors of the building.) The small, student-tended garden just beyond the window beckoned to the butterfly. And so again and again she banged her fragile wings up against the glass, in a futile attempt to break free of those four walls.

With a gaggle of 4 to 6 year old campers looking on, I climbed atop the nature table, carefully cupped the resistant butterfly in my hands, and then released her back to nature. When I photographed this butterfly the next day, I liked to imagine that it was my same little friend from the kindergarten building, and that the images I captured before she took flight were her gift back to me...

One or Two Things

Don’t bother me.

I’ve just

been born.

The butterfly’s loping flight

carries it through the country of the leaves

delicately, and well enough to get it

where it wants to go, wherever that is, stopping

here and there to fuzzle the damp throats

of flowers and the black mud; up

and down it swings, frenzied and aimless; and sometimes

for long delicious moments it is perfectly

lazy, riding motionless in the breeze on the soft stalk

of some ordinary flower.

The god of dirt

came up to me many times and said

so many wise and delectable things, I lay

on the grass listening

to his dog voice,

crow voice,

frog voice; now,

he said, and now,

and never once mentioned forever,

which has nevertheless always been,

like a sharp iron hoof,

at the center of my mind.

One or two things are all you need

to travel over the blue pond, over the deep

roughage of the trees and through the stiff

flowers of lightning — some deep

memory of pleasure, some cutting

knowledge of pain.

But to lift the hoof!

For that you need

an idea.

For years and years I struggled

just to love my life. And then

the butterfly

rose, weightless, in the wind.

“Don’t love your life

too much,” it said,

and vanished

into the world.

-Mary Oliver

swollen in the woods

August

When the blackberries hang

swollen in the woods, in the brambles

nobody owns, I spend

all day among the high

branches, reaching

my ripped arms, thinking

of nothing, cramming

the black honey of summer

into my mouth; all day my body

accepts what it is. In the dark

creeks that run by there is

this thick paw of my life darting among

the black bells, the leaves; there is

this happy tongue.

-Mary Oliver

These blackberries, sun-warmed, sweet-and-sour on the tongue, grow behind my daughter's school. They grow in a glorious tangle of tomatoes, wildflowers and fruit.



We (my family and I) are surrounded by such an overflow of beauty in our day-to-day life, that more often than I'd like to admit, my eyes begin to glaze over and my gratitude slinks off into hiding.

Lately, I've been trying to freeze-frame these scenes that surround me, refocus my awareness, and tap back into a spirit of perpetual thanksgiving.

No Way, Jose'

Any photographer with children will tell you that it doesn't take long for their kids to grow a bit (ahem) "disillusioned" with the camera being constantly shoved in their face.

Exhibit A:



But for those of us who can't wrangle our little angels into willingly (and happily) posing for us, we can at least parade them around in something like this, right?



Thanks to my longtime friend Teej for tipping me off to the sale, which led me to this great find. And, of course, to J.Crew for offering it at an additional 30% off of the current (low!) sale price, when you use the coupon code EXTRA30 at checkout!

that's my daughter in the water

Because I don't wish for my daughter to end up like the cobbler's shoeless progeny, I'm making a concerted effort to be more intentional about recording our own days through the lens of my camera. I figure if I share them here, there's more than just an incentive to take the pictures, there's accountability as well. So, here you go- the first in a series that I'm calling "Snapshots of a Summer."

And as a little added treat, this is the song from which I plucked the title of this blog post. Enjoy!