every now and then, i have an encounter that brings me to the most peaceful place... centers me, makes me smile, giggle even, and makes me feel special.  this is one of them.  

today, as i walked briskly through our neighborhood, i startled this young deer.  i didn't see her until she scampered away from the sidewalk.  i never expected, as i called out to her, that she might stop, look, even interact with me.  i live in town, so i will say that deer here do not start the way they would in a deep forest.  still, the fact that she stopped at the sound of my voice amazed me.  it was as if i'd called to one of my dogs.  i truly think for a moment she thought about walking to me, and though i did not capture that here, i can't tell you how happy i was to have my phone with me. 

we stood for what felt like forever and though i didn't want our interaction to end, when all was said and done, i wanted her to go.  i wanted her to be scared enough to protect herself... wanted her to not take a risk on me so that she might, ultimately, stay safe.  on the other hand, in this span of sweet seconds, i imagined a life together with this little thing... meeting her for daily "hellos" and bringing her snacks and such.  it's funny how the mind can want two things at once.

i was honored to meet this beautiful, sweet, well-mannered dog today... he has a silly side, too, and i fell immediately in love!  it was a rainy, wet day, and bayliss did not care to be outside for more than a moment. this was the closest we got to nature during today's shoot.

image: camera looking in at pup looking out... i love the texture the screen adds to the image.  had bayliss wanted to be outside, this image might not exist.

this one will change the world.  she has already begun.

image: a still moment in what was, for the most part, a flurry of activity on set.

let the beauty we love be what we do.  there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. 

-rumi

image: evening sun, endless water, tortilla chip crumbs, enthusiastic kiddos, and seagulls.  

i frequently find my biggest inspirations coming from artists outside my field.  one of my biggest and best (inspirations, that is) is my long-time, super-talented friend, kristin morris.  she has based and built her business on her passion for style and design and her ever-emerging creations are, quite often, one of a kind.  spending time in her charlotte-based workspace is perfectly overwhelming and i find myself ridiculously excited and personally motivated, each time finding new energy for my own work.  there is wonder in doing what you love for a living.  she's doing it.  i'm doing it.  no one said it was going to be easy... and if it were, there would be no story.

though product does not fall neatly into one of my website galleries, i love shooting it.  even simple, on white images become dynamic through placement and shaping with light.  i'm looking forward to getting my hands on another round of kristin's jewelry, but in the meantime, here are a couple of my favorites i've had the privelege of shooting.  you can find out more about kristin and her work through her website, www.kristinmorris.com.

image (above): one of my favorite pieces from kristin morris's emerald hayes collection.

image: a bold, beautiful design that became part of kristin's bridal collection... you can find it featured here as well.

one of my favorite pairings from some recent urban shooting...

image: this bucket of berries sang with color and i loved the guy on top, who kept his stem on the pick.

image: a sink full of berries for washing... water, a hint of motion, and tons of poppy color.  yummy!

image: this berry still has its flower feel.

some of spring's best views are discovered by simply looking toward the sky.  this family of sprouting ginkgo leaves was the highlight of my morning walk and the pups were as patient as pups can be as i explored them.

image: backlit leaves on a grey sky backdrop

 

image: beautiful in form. tattered and torn.  a downtown vintage shop find.  thanks, agora, for the inspiration!