once you have slept on an island

May 22, 2013

if once you have slept on an island
you’ll never be quite the same;
you may look as you looked the day before
and go by the same old name,

you may bustle about in street and shop
you may sit at home and sew,
but you’ll see blue water and wheeling gulls
wherever your feet may go.

you may chat with the neighbors of this and that
and close to your fire keep,
but you’ll hear ship whistle and lighthouse bell
and tides beat through your sleep.

oh! you won’t know why and can’t say how
such a change upon you came
but once you have slept on an island,
you’ll never be quite the same.
– rachel lyman field

a beautiful poem shared in grandma’s celebration of life (funeral) program this past monday.

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win a bali or canada workshop scholarship

May 14, 2013

anyone who knows me knows that i am extremely passionate about giving back. i have been blessed with this gift of photography and one of the greatest parts of this journey is the gratitude i feel when i give back!

i am offering one workshop scholarship to each of my in-person workshops this year (tuition valued $2000+ each):
one  scholarship to my 2-day photography workshop in ontario, canada (june 22nd – 24th)
one scholarship to my 3-day photography workshop in bali (august 12th – 15th)

TO ENTER, all you need to do is this…
1. email me the following:

  • why would you like to attend my bali or canada in-person workshop?
  • and why do you believe you should receive the scholarship?

2. share (with link back to this blog post) about this opportunity on  your facebook page(s).

BOTH STEPS must be accomplished, to be considered for the scholarship. don’t forget to include your name, contact information and which workshop you’re interested in attending.  please limit to no more than 500 words or a 3-minute video. submission deadline is midnight EST may 17th 2013.

a panel of three photographers will review all submissions and select the the two winning entries.  three runner-ups will receive a discount  coupon at 3 annies camera bags.  good luck!!

IMPORTANT NOTE:  scholarship provides workshop tuition (and all that is included with tuition). winners will be responsible for travel expenses to workshop location and any additional expenses outside of workshop.

in closing, i share some of the images that i’ve photographed over the years, as part of my giving back…

kirsten sandstrom

no limits theatre group

max mikulak & max’s ring of fire

sam hutchison & team sam

the foundation for tomorrow

 

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BALI workshop | registration now open

May 13, 2013

it’s official!!  i’m headed to the majestic land of bali, a location booming with life, beauty and inspiration, for an exclusive 3-day photography workshop experience.  together, we will discuss, share and explore.  you will receive an intimate look at my photography and business (and even my life; i’m an open book).  you will be encouraged and inspired to find and embrace your unique voice and photography path.  this workshop will not only foster enlightenment, creativity and growth, but also promises to encourage and challenge you.  while the core information has been set, this workshop will be custom-tailored to the unique desires, needs and wishes of the group in attendance.  please find all the details below (everything is included with the workshop fee except airfare and dinner on 13th & 14th; we will be doing dinners both evenings together at amazing restaurants out in town).  i sure hope you can join me for this experience of a lifetime.

if you would like to stay additional days in bali, our host, rowe timson, will assist you in finding accommodations for an incredible and memorable holiday adventure.  please note that only 10 seats are available!!

BALI WORKSHOP:
DATES: august 12th – 15th
LOCATION : villa sayang d’amour, bali (the entire villa is ours!)
CLASS SIZE: limited to 10 photographers
TRAVEL: denpasar, indonesia (DPS) airport
ground transportation to and from resort will be arranged and is included

RETREAT INCLUDES:
• 3-day instruction by deb
• 3-night lodging at the breathtaking sayang d’amour luxury, private resort
• ground transportation to and from resort
• breakfast and lunch each day
• snacks & drinks throughout workshop
• inspirational one-of-a-kind 40-page photo book

TOPICS:
PRE-RETREAT:
• access to private online group
• exercises to work on in advance, to bring to retreat

DAY ONE  |  monday, august 12th (6 PM – 9 PM)
• dinner, followed by welcome mixer

DAY TWO  |  tuesday, august 13th (10 AM  - 6 PM)
• discussion

strong images & portfolio
inspiration
creativity
voice & vision
meaningful shooting & storytelling
natural light (discussion & demonstration)

• evening family session

DAY THREE  |  wednesday, august 14th (10 AM – 6 PM)
• discussion on organization & workflow
• discussion of pre-workshop exercises
• processing of images from previous evening’s shoot
• evening in-the-water session (hopefully in a rice paddy)

DAY FOUR  |  thursday, august 15th (9 AM – 12 PM)
• Q & A
• open-discussion portfolio reviews
• optional afternoon photographing on the streets of bali (will start after lunch)

while some aspects of technique will be discussed, this retreat is not centered around learning the basics of camera technique or image processing.  you should already have a good understanding of the use of your camera (shoot in AV or manual mode) and image processing (PS, LR, etc.).  if you have any questions if this workshop is the right fit for you, please email me.

TUITION :
$2250 for shared king bed
$2350 for double bed in shared room (4 available & booked first-come, first-serve)
** SPECIAL 3-DAY OFFER (today through 15 may)  – $200 DISCOUNT **
RETAINER: $1000 deposit to reserve your seat. remaining balance can be paid in installments.  due in full by july 15th.

TO REGISTER:
please email deb@debsphotographs.com for payment information.

*ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE; however, if cancellation is necessary, you may sell your seat to another photographer.

** above photos courtesy of villa saying d’amour
this is one of our fun dinner options for 13th & 14…
thanks for the photo rowe.

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words of inspiration

May 10, 2013

…from her, age nine.

Some people do art for a living. Others just do it for fun. Most people think art is just drawing or painting, but it is other things like photography or architecture. There are many different types of artists in the world. My mom is a photographer and so she is an artist.

My favorite thing to do in leftover time is draw. It soothes your mind when you’re angry. No one is bad at art. Everybody has their own style and texture. As I get older, I hope to become an artist. I hope that my artwork will mean something to everyone. I hope to be a painter or photographer when I grow up. People often tell me, ‘oh, you’re drawing is so good!’ and I tell them the same thing.

I love art.
It is my life.

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upcoming workshops

May 7, 2013

i’m super excited to have THREE future workshop opportunities available: 1.  ADVANCED ONLINE WORKSHOP | may 20th – june 3rd details and registration information below. 2. ONTARIO, CANADA WORKSHOP | june 22nd – 24th details and registration information HERE. only a few seats still open. 3. BALI WORKSHOP | tentatively august 12th – 15th details [...]

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online workshop starts monday

April 26, 2013

BREAKING THE MOLD  a two-week online workshop april 29th – may 13th space is limited registration details below some topics that will be discussed are: inspiration creativity thinking outside the box finding your style creating strong images building a strong portfolio participants will receive the following: an honest and intimate look into my photography daily, [...]

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lessons from grandma

April 25, 2013

today, i want to celebrate the life of grandma mary, who passed away in her sleep this morning. grandma was a woman who: was a woman of faith embraced life did not fear death felt blessed was happy, positive, optimistic, gracious and proud was strong and wise was practical and down-to-earth had a lot of [...]

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being good enough

April 24, 2013

a friend of mine shared with me that she saw one of my photos on the hands free revolution’s facebook page this morning. so i went to look. i was so happy to see that they had credited me for the image.  but then i read. their words were perfect and beautiful. and as a [...]

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her gift

April 22, 2013

i sometimes wake in the early morning & listen to the soft breathing of my children & i think to myself, this is one thing i will never regret & i carry that quiet with me all day long. – storypeople hilary emailed me months ago, sharing that the only thing she wanted for mother’s [...]

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who are you not to be?

April 17, 2013

our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. it is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. we ask ourselves, ‘who am i to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?’ actually, who are you not to be? – maryanne williamson

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