The Journal

A Hard Right Turn

Last week, a photographer from Halifax had a written opinion piece published on an online-photography-rag mocking amateur photographers and hobbyists and used the hashtag '#everyonesaphotographer'. It wasn't funny. It was mean-spirited. Guess what Mr. McCombs....everyone is a photographer. Everyone who presses that shutter button is a photographer. Every 4-H kid, mom, dad, grandmother, iPhone user, d3100, PhaseOne, Mark III shooter. We're all in this together. We all have a story to tell. Not everyone wants to shoot fashion or portraits. All this putting down instead of lifting up has gotten to me and I'm not playing anymore. I have a group of photographer friends that are THE BEST. They are a beautiful mix of top professionals and crazy talented amateurs and our friendship exists way beyond pixels; I know I can count on them for anything and there is never judgement. There is (often) a kick in the ass, but who doesn't need that regularly?

So what does this mean for Heartwork Photography? Well, for now, I'm making a hard right turn and ditching shooting for work. I need to find a little more adventure in my 48th year and Heartwork Photography will now (maybe forever?) be A Heartwork Journal. All personal work. Heart work. My heart work. 

I met The Red Balloon Gals, who have now morphed into Take Flight: A Collective Of inspired Perspectives and they posted this a while back:

THE HEARTWORKER DECLARATION: 
We are lifelong students. We are full of enthusiasm for this life. We don’t peak because we keep growing instead. 
We believe that if you wanna go big, you gotta feel big. 
If you wanna do big things, you gotta have big thoughts. 
We ask why. We wonder, what if? 
We are willing to change our minds. 
Our curiosity is infinite. 
We continue to raise the bar. 
Not because achievement matters, but because trying does. 
We are entrepreneurs and employees, parents and volunteers, advocates and artists. 
We are not the same, but we are all makers. 
Mark-makers. Change-makers. Difference-makers. 
We make bold ideas take flight.
We do not, will not, leave this world the same way we found it. 
We define success as the creation of interesting outcomes. 
We bring heart to what we do and soul to how we do it. 
We collaborate where others compete. 
We care about finding each other. 
Because together, we are changing the definition of what it means to follow your heart. 
We live with passion and we work with meaning. 
WE ARE HEARTWORKERS.

 

HO.LY SHIT. The song of my people.  It's like a hundred fireworks going off in my head all at once. 

What does this mean for you? I have no idea. You will see CONTENT from me that is relevant to my rural experience. You'll have someone you can ASK questions of; someone who will lift you up or give you a kick in the pants if that's what you need. If you need family photos, photos of your horses, cows or chickens, you can ask. If I can't do it, I will point you in the direction of someone who can.  Deal? Awesome!!

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring at The Pelton Lot Camp

The first day of Spring was beautiful at the camp. Marron de-rodent-ed it after the winter and had a cozy fire on to warm up by. Jack heard the 'whoo-whooooo' of a Great Horned Owl nearby and Blake was happy bouncing around in her usual way. The sap was running well and hopefully Lindsay will soon have oodles of maple treats!