Renewed Passion

     Its easy to get caught up with life and let the things go that make you truly happy as an individual.  It's even more difficult to cultivate passions when you have children of all ages needing you in different ways every second of everyday.  I wouldn't change anything that has happened to me in the 15 years I've been with my husband, raising five children.  Now though, looking back, I would have been a happier person at times if I hadn't let my passions slide in favor of the mundane chores of life.  The past year and a half has been a difficult one for my family.  We found out in January of 2011, on his birthday actually,  that my husband has leukemia.  Though manageable, its not curable at this point.  Since then, it's felt as though I'm trying to hold my family together during a tornado, hoping that no one gets sucked away in the storm.
     We are starting to see the sun again here in the backwoods.  My husband's condition is stable, he's doing well and the kids are doing well now too.  It's amazing how one event can nearly domino years of stability for a family.  During this tough time I realized how important it was for all of us that we follow our own dreams.  I decided to lead my example by following my own.
     Backwoods Photography is doing great and for the first time in several years there is hope here at home.  Not just because of photography but because by following my dreams, its leaked onto other members of my family.  My oldest daughter is now a CNA, my husband is playing music again and the younger kids are also pursuing hobby's again that they are proud to show off and talk about.
     To that end, I'm working to launch a different photography project this fall.  I have always loved "concept shoots".  I'm not booking these yet but I am working to build my portfolio over the fall to start offering these shoots by winter or spring.  What I wanted to do in this post was share some ideas I'm working with and get feedback on other ideas or things I could do.  Of course, that was before I started rambling about family.  I am very proud of them though and I'm pretty happy with life right now too.  (could use someone to clean my house though, my happiness hasn't extended to cleaning much yet)
     Anyway, I'm setting up a few concept shoots this fall with family members and special backwoods friends this fall.  A few that I'm working on are a "Little House on the Prairie" type shoot at an old log cabin.  Boys in suspenders and girls in bonnets and prairie dresses, that type thing.  Another is a mechanic shoot at a location with old gas pumps, and metal signage with some cute little mechanic dressed boys.  These are the kind of things I'm thinking of in my concept shoots.  These type of shoots are a lot more time intensive but I love planning them and finding the costumes to fit my vision.  I need a reasonable priced seamstress if anyone knows of one.  What kind of things would you like to see?  Would you pay for a shoot like this or as a customer do you prefer regular props and you pick your own clothes kind of shoots?
     This photo below is a similar finish that I'm loving, probably because I adore history and old rusty things.  Pretty sure there is a concept shoot in the future with this beautiful old car as the centerpiece.

I never plan to write a blog, something just pops into my head that inspires me or excites me and I come here and write it down.  Thanks for being a sounding board to my ramblings.  Be sure to check out my work and like us on Facebook!