Tuesday, 30 March 2010
It's all about Drama
I heart faces is having a 'dramatic black and white' contest this week. This subject can be interpreted so many ways, but I love this image below for many reasons. First of all, I think the lighting and angle are dramatic in and of themselves. But what I find more dramatic is the unexpected femininity that accompanies such a muscular physique. For those of you new to my blog, Ryall is a body builder and she is extraordinarily talented and beautiful. And what I learned on our shoot is that she only lasts that pumped up for a few days while she is competing. Moments after we finished our shoot, she gulped gallons of water and tucked into a plateful of treats, and her crazy orange spray tan had already started peeling off. And what shocked me even more was that when I photographed her wedding a couple months later, she was had transformed into a little bird-like creature (albeit still very toned) that you would never believe had been so ripped with muscles only weeks before. Ryall is an inspiration.
There are a ton of entries this week so be sure to check out some of the 1200 plus great images others have submitted - such a fun community.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Earth Hour
Saturday night is Earth Hour. From 8:30 to 9:30, you can vote for the planet by switching off your lights. I have to say, I am a big fan of this event. Not because I think one hour of no lights will make a huge difference on the impact humans are having on our environment, from the exponential usage of fuel that is running out, to the terrifying potential consequences of global warming, to the distressing amount of rubbish we produce. But what I do think participating in Earth Hour does is change something else. It changes people's awareness, people's minds, people's attitudes. And hopefully, as a result, this small event will help to change people's actions, even just a little bit.
So Saturday night, please, for one hour, turn off your lights (and everything else if you can) in honour of our Earth - just a little sign of respect to let her, and everyone else living upon it now and in the future, know you are thinking of them, and perhaps make a little Earth Hour resolution of your own - just something small, something manageable, something attainable, some change that will make you feel good and give our children a bit more of a chance at a future.
And for the people who don't believe our carbon footprints are making the earth warm up, that is fine, but please turn your lights off anyway, because we are still running out of energy and although Oslo is sure he can do it, he is only five years old so has a lot of years in school ahead of him before he can discover the viable alternative to oil.
So light some candles, light a fire, roast some marshmallows and play your guitar, or simply enjoy the darkness, the quietness and the feel good factor of making a weensy itsy bitsy difference for just one hour - it all helps.
Happy Earth Hour.
xx
For more information, or if you have utterly no idea what I am talking about, please visit www.earthhour.org or their blog.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Happy Birthday to Mummy
It is my birthday today. I love my birthday. I love that I have lived another year of this amazing life and although, of course, I am not a fan of these creeping in wrinkles and all the other not-so-fun stuff that comes with age, I feel so blessed to have lived this long. I know that every line on my face tells part of my story and each is a thread in the tapestry of my life. Something terrible could have happened to me and the weaving could have stopped long ago, when I was young, wrinkle free and looked fabulous in a bikini. But I am lucky to be alive and today I am 39 and I still wear a bikini, although I probably shouldn't!
As you may have noticed, I don't have that fibbing-about-your-age button. I am not sure why I shout from the hill tops how old I am, but I think it is because I feel proud of who I am still becoming - I hope that I am becoming a better mother, a better photographer, a better wife, a better person. And most of all, I feel thankful that I have lived for another year! I have lines on my face that scream to you that I am middle aged (ok - this is where I may start to cringe a bit - just that word has so much weight and baggage to it!), yet that still means I have half my life laying before me. That is wonderful. So no, I don't wish I were younger. I don't wish I had less wrinkles or extra bits that were not there before. I just wish to feel as happy in the future as I do today.
Oslo was so sweet. He emptied all his lego and play mobil and building blocks on the floor yesterday and filled the empty wooden wine crates with all the baking goods, marshmallows, chocolate and junk food he could find in the cupboards. He said he wanted to make me a birthday cake and what shape did I want. Love shaped, I told him. He asked if that meant a heart (he knows I LOVE hearts). I told him it was whatever shape he thought love was.
So we make the most decadent chocolate brownies (gluten free of course!) and put marshmallows and chocolate chips in them for good measure. He chose the heart shaped muffin tray and the bigger round ones. He said mine was the big round one and he, Indigo, Daddy and Tin Tin would share the small hearts. Too cute.
So they blew out my candle for me and I made a wish to always feel the way I do today - happy for who I am and thankful - oh so thankful - for all I have. Everything.
Happy birthday to me.
xx
