“Sunshine surrounds the earth as love surrounds our souls.”

“Sadness. I think thats the word I’m looking for but can’t really be sure,” I thought to myself as kicked at the grass with the heel of my foot. “No, not sadness. Something else. Something I can’t really put my finger on,” I corrected the voice in my head.  The word evaded me but whatever it was, it would undoubtedly describe what I was feeling at this very moment. Under these dark clouds. In this field. With this couple. The storm had blown in without warning bringing with it a sky so beautifully haunting, so surreal that one could only be dreaming but to lay eyes upon it. A befitting ending to this tale. Mark and Loro had made their way out of the meadow and back to the car leaving me alone with my thoughts. I had told them that I would be right behind them but for the life of me my feet refused to budge. Planted there, surrounded by the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies. I looked back over my shoulder and watched as Mark led Loro by the hand until they disappeared into the thick of Quaking Aspens. I smiled and closed my eyes as the cool north wind nipped at my nose.

He had loved her for so long. Well, he had wanted the chance to love her that is. They had grown up together, attending the same schools and even the same church since they were children. And even then he had pursued her with reckless abandon. One needs only to spend but a few moments in her presence to understand why. Loro is simply stunning. A beautifully kindred spirit, the likes of which I have rarely known. Graceful and funny and all things good in a person. And Mark would be lost without her. I know this because I see it in the subtle way his mouth turns slightly upward whenever he steals a glance in her direction. Even when she isn’t looking. Especially when she isn’t looking. Whether from across the room or hand in hand, its always the grin that gives him away.  I had witnessed this with my own eyes on more than one occasion.

And good for him. He had earned that grin with all his might and his heart had finally been rewarded…

“I love working on cars,” Mark had began his story. “And so whenever Loro’s car needed work I was the first to volunteer. Anything to be close to her.” Loro interjected. “Oh, I hate this story,” she giggled from behind a folded napkin. “I feel so sad the way he tells it.” Mark jokingly rolled his eyes and continued. “And I remember this one time in particular that I was over at her house working on yet another one of her clunkers when she decided to go out with all her friends. And as they were leaving through the garage they passed right by me and I remember them laughing and having having so much fun, and I had wished so badly that Loro would invite me come with her. But she never did. She left me behind. With her broken down car.”

Loro hid her face in her napkin and even my heart wrenched for the poor guy. But he never gave up. And he continued to fix her cars and ask her to dinner. And she continued to politely decline. And then one day he decided to get tickets to a local show knowing that he would try, perhaps one last time. And he carried those tickets with him for months, along with the certain despair of what was sure to be yet another rejection. And then, finally, the day before the show he approached her with butterflies in his stomach. And he asked her. And somewhere in that conversation he assured her that if after one date she still was not interested than he wanted her to know he would be fine. It would be hard, but he would finally move on. And in that one moment, that one small statement her eyes were opened. And she said yes. And the following evening a girl went on a date with a boy and fell in love…

As small drops of rain began to sprinkle around me I realized that the knot in my stomach was not sadness after all. It was a deep gratitude for the opportunity to take a picture of these two amazing human beings in this place where I can assure you no other love like this had ever been photographed before. No story ever told in such a way and even though I was saddened by its end, and homesick for my own love, deep down it was gratefulness that I was feeling. I looked back over my shoulder one last time just to be sure I was truly alone and then I reached down and pulled a grey stone from the soft ground. The top had the most beautiful orange fungus growing in a random pattern. I pulled a tiny pocket knife from my gear bag and chiseled a small “V” on the bottom in the shape of a single bird. And then I replaced it “V” side down exactly as I had found it. One stone among thousands. This experience had a left a significant mark on me. It was only right that I return the favor…

“Nothing is more beautiful than the love that has weathered the storms of life.
The love of the young for the young, that is the beginning of things new.
But the love of the old for the old, that is the beginning of things longer.”

“Its different than I had imagined” I thought to myself as I kicked my flip-flops off to the side. It had just rained and the ground was soft, real soft, and my Birkenstocks had been sticking to the mud, gaining a layer of muck with each step. Being barefoot felt much better anyway. I love being barefoot. Many people don’t know this but the name I had originally chosen for my business was Barefoot Fotography. Funny, I know. But even in the early stages of building I was drawn to things that reminded me of my childhood. My grandmother use to joke that I hadn’t acquired my first pair of shoes until I was almost four. Now whether that is actually true or not is another story. But I like to believe it is.
Now where was I? Oh, yes, barefoot. The soggy ground squished between my toes and made me smile. And then there was that smell again. September showers in Texas. I reached out and plucked the soft, billowy goodness from its stem. Not quite like the mass produced stuff at your local Walgreens. It was better. The real deal. Full of seeds and straight from the earth. And there were fields of it as far as the eye could see. It was beautifully deceiving. From far away the fields look so delicate and fluffy. But now that I was standing right in the middle of it I could see that the plants were about a foot from each other. Far enough in fact, that one could walk in a straight line with your arms stretched out to the plants and run your finger tips across the tops. The thing about cotton is that it really is a finicky thing. It takes a certain kind of  person to tend it. Someone with the love and patience that it demands. I read this morning that its successful cultivation requires a long frost-free period, plenty of warmth and sunshine, and lots of watering with a tender hand. But most importantly it needs a solid foundation. Healthy soil in which it can plant its roots, spring forth from nothing, and eventually become the “fabric of our lives”. Of course, I am speaking of relationships. Oh, did you think I was still talking about cotton?

“Our love is like Cotton. Grown from a seed, soft to the touch, and at the mercy of the wind.”

With only a few weeks left before I embark on the journey of my life and still ecstatic from my 1st place win in the WPPI International Photography Competition I am so excited to announce a very special Love Shoot giveaway sponsored by wedding blog extraordinaire, Green Wedding Shoes! The shoot must take place on Sunday, October 24 in Malibu, CA where I will be at that time during my Hammers and Strings tour.

Prize will consist of:

• Hammers & Strings session on Sunday, October 24, 2010

• 50 images

• DVD of high resolution images on DVD with limited rights to print

• 1 10×10, 20 side flush mount album

• 1 11×14 print signed and numbered as limited edition.

So, if you are interested in having your photos taken by yours truly and can be in Malibu on Sunday, October 24th, just leave a comment on Green Wedding Shoes with a single line from a song that best represents your love/relationship. Fun and easy, right? Jen and I will pick our favorites and then we’ll have you, the readers vote for the couple you would like to see photographed! We will close comments on Sunday Sept 26th at 10pm PST and name the finalists later in the week.

*Note: Comments must be left via Green Wedding Shoes to be considered. Thanks!

Sponsored by the ever amazing Green Wedding Shoes!

I just don’t have much of a competitive spirit. Its just not in me. Maybe all those years of being last picked in Dodge ball had an effect on me after all. It was on whim late one night that I decided to take a chance and enter an image into one of the largest photography competitions in the world. The WPPI International Photography Competition. Many weeks have gone by since that daring evening and just moments ago I opened my email to see a note from WPPI. It was short and to the point and simply stated the following.

Dear Clayton,

Thank you for entering the 2010 Intl. Photography Competition.

The WPPI Monthly Newsletter will run the Accolades of Excellence list and the First, Second and Third Place image winners. Your image titles and scores are shown below.

[1st]  D319 “Hammers and Strings”

Honestly, I think I am still in shock. Yet, I am humbly thankful. On the eve of my Hammer’s and Strings tour, this couldn’t have come at a better time. I absolutely believe in this project but a little confirmation never hurt…

WPPI Intl. Photography Competition
Hammers & Strings
Anna & Tyler
1st Place

From the very first time I laid eyes on your photos, I knew I had stumbled upon something extraordinary…something unique …It felt like when you are a little kid discovering chocolate for the first time- thrilling and exciting and eager for more! I was instantly hooked! Yet, as I continued to scroll down on each photo, flawless shot after the next, each one revealing the beautiful story you captured so perfectly, I was deeply moved. I knew then this was like no other photography I had ever experienced before- after all, no other photography had ever intrigued me and stirred up so many feelings within me. I knew then, this was something incomparable and the work of a truly amazing and passionate artist. Being a hopeless romantic, I decided then that someway somehow you would be THE ONE to shoot our engagement photos. NO MATTER WHAT IT TOOK! Literally! And after a looong and exhausting day of travel for you, a 118 degree heat index + thousands of good ol’ New Orleans mosquitoes… you were such a good sport about capturing our story. It not only demonstrated that you were a remarkable photographer but a genuine and kind individual. Your passion, guidance and professionalism during the shoot combined with your sense of humor and laid back personality made us feel at ease throughout the whole experience. You made it easy and we trusted in you wholeheartedly. When I first saw OUR pictures featured on your blog, I literally pinched myself. Charlie and I sat together and just like I did the very first time I came across your work, I gasped in disbelief at each beautiful shot. We cried together and laughed together and then sat in awe to admire the story of “US” you so perfectly told! I thank you not only for leaving us with beautiful photos…but for listening and catering to our vision and then making the entire experience come to life so flawlessly! It made for a great start to our lives together. Hats off to you! Hope we meet again one day!
XOXO,

Andrea & Charlie