The Portrait

It's one thing to take a picture of what a person looks like, and quite another to make a portrait of who they are.  The same holds true with a storm, the sea or a lonely tree.  When I manage to accomplish this, I believe that I become changed in some way.  The emotion of that photograph becomes etched into my soul and I don't ever see the world quite the same...

~Kj

I will never forget! Will you?

Ground Zero.  April, 2011

Wonder, Hope & Possibilities

Here's the third installment in my new Peace, Love & LiveSTRONG! inspirational series. 
Thank you Mckenna Grace for being the epitome of all three. 

Peace, Love & LiveSTRONG!

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?"
~Lance Armstrong. Because, It's not about the bike...

"Oh! The Places You'll Go..."

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

Kid, you'll move mountains...

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
~Dr. Seuss

"Ever After..."

In my opinion, "Once Upon a Times" are a dime a dozen.  But every one in a while, life surprises you and throws a Happily Every After in there.  Make sure you don't miss it... 

"Pilot Light of Memory"

"She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes." -Frank Deford

My mom took this photo of my sister and I in 1980.  My "Pilot Light" is definitely flickering today. 

Thanks Mom : )

Black & White



                When you photograph people in color,

   you photograph their clothes.

But when you photograph people in B&W,

 you photograph their souls."

 ~Ted Grant

Yep, it was a girl... : )

                 

This shoot was so much fun!  It brought back memories of expecting my first child.  The anticipation and  excitement was almost overwhelming.  And then there's that anxiety over the age old question, "What's it gonna feel like?"  (I'll leave that one unanswered for now : )  But then, you finally hold them, and all that anticipation and excitement shifts to wonder as you realize you never imagined you'd be capable of loving something so much. To my daughters Jamey Lynn & Jessy..."I love you as BIG as heaven!" 

Peace, Love & LiveSTRONG ~Kj

Destiny...

I figured I would start with a picture than means the most to me personally.  Pardon the quality, It was taken several years ago before I made the leap to digital, so what you are viewing is a scanned 35mm print.  It was taken in 2004 as I was hiking in the mountains of Blairsville, GA one July afternoon.  I stumbled upon this lonely rock pile in a riverbed along the way.  Strong yet vulnerable. Independent. Balanced.  Beautiful.  I said a quiet thank you to the unknown hiker that left it there for me to find, and then to Mother Nature for aligning the stars and tides so that it could remain standing until I found it. 

Fast forward several years to a chance encounter with an American soldier. "Here's my address. Stick it in your boot and take it with you."  Who says that anyway?  Well... apparently, I do.  And so it began, an intimately surreal penpal-ship (yes, I made that word up) that touched my heart and hugged my soul.  I included this photograph in one of my letters to him not knowing the impact it would have until his return.  I met him in his office one afternoon and there, framed on his desk, was this photo.  The edges were tattered and torn and it had been through Hell, but it had been through Hell with him.  Since the day he received it, the soldier carried it in his acu pocket.  I may never know exactly what it meant to him, but I do know what it meant to me... Destiny.

Peace, Love & LiveSTRONG,  ~Kj
  

Grand Opening

Welcome to Dash Photograhpy by KJ's first blogging experience.  In reality, I'm all over the place (my sister calls it "bouncing") so, I imagine that my blog probably will be too so... Let's give it a go by defining "Dash Photography" and what it means to me.  Peace, Love & LiveSTRONG, ~Kj

THE DASH

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came her date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

© 1996 All Rights Reserved, Linda Ellis