honored to have been asked to participate in THE CHORUS this week — sharing a photo and thoughts on the subject of risk.

this is what i shared…

my journey
i tread along this path of comfort
this route of familiarity
then i see it
as i had so many times before
“NO CROSSING” the sign demands
but this wondrous space ahead
it calls to me
full of longing
i ache for it
this unknown
mystery
magic in the distance
could it be?
i see the the lingering trail of others
do i take the chance?
go where i haven’t gone before
only a fool would enter, a familiar voice whispers
yes, only a fool
my heart races
my palms sweaty
maybe tomorrow
always tomorrow
but tomorrow may never come
and i remind myself…
you never know what will happen
you never know what you will find
so i venture in
slowly
bravely
step
by
step
and suddenly
my feathers ruffled
my wings are spread
and just like that…
i am free to soar!
[deb schwedhelm, 2013]

so many more beautiful images and words, on the topic of risk, shared HERE.

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.

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

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 :
$2350 for shared king bed
$2450 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.

…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.

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 and registration information coming soon. seats will be very limited. if interested in being on the workshop notification list, please EMAIL ME.

+++

ADVANCED ONLING WORKSHOP | continuing the journey 
a two-week online workshop
april 29th – may 13th
space is very limited
registration details below

TOPICS:
purpose of photography
passion & vision
advancement of style
fine art photography
inspiration
meaningful shooting
previsualization & storytelling
developing your portfolio
showing and promoting your work

EXERCISES / CHALLENGES:
accompanying exercise with almost every topic
a minimum of three photo challenges

details for early registration:

i hope you’ll join me!!

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, interactive communication
assignments followed by feedback
an inspirational e-book

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 common sense
was organized
was grateful
was compassionate and thoughtful
respected and was respected
admired mother nature and father time
loved the colors of nature
graduated from college at 61
saw the world and traveled until 81

you can grasp a bit of the beauty that grandma mary was, when reading her final requests and wishes:

She wanted to be treated with kindness and cheerfulness, not sadness.
She asked that her time of dying and death be used as a time of personal growth, for the family as well as her.
She wished to be forgiven, for any time she hurt or offended her family, friends, or others.
If you must bury something, let it be her faults, weaknesses and all prejudices against her fellow man.
Lastly, if you wish to remember her, do it with a kind word or deed to someone who needs it.

i feel that if everyone had just the tiniest bit of grandma mary in them, this world would be a better place.

i’m so grateful that we were able to visit grandma a few weeks ago. while we were there, i asked her what’s the secret to a long, happy life and she replied, “always have a pleasant disposition”.

so here’s to embracing life with a pleasant disposition.  rest in peace grandma!

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 self-proclaimed perfectionist, being good enough is something that i often need to remind myself. so today, i embrace and celebrate things in my life being ‘good enough’.  

yes…good enough!

Children are learning how to be adults by watching the adults in their lives. I want my children to grow up to be adults who embrace “Good Enough.” Here is what Good Enough looks like to me…

Good Enough is spacious. Room for spills, or unkind words, or loud public meltdowns, fielded with love and understanding in-the-middle-of-the-grocery-store-with-the-ice-cream-melting-and-the-produce-overflowing-the-cart when we all agree to just walk away and try again tomorrow.

Good Enough accepts mistakes. Voices them. Owns them. Apologizes. And moves on.

Good Enough asks for help. And never refuses it when it is offered, no matter how awkward it is to send baskets full of dirty laundry home with a friend who is offering to wash, dry, and fold load after load when the dryer is broken.

Good Enough know that “best” requires balance. Especially when life circumstances tax your emotional reserves. When the basement floods, the television is a fantastic substitute for that fabulous, intentional care you typically provide but can’t because you are knee deep in flood water. When your partner travels and you don’t have support with child care, then fish sticks, pizza, or ice cream, (or all three!) are the perfect dinner.

Good Enough doesn’t wallow in defeat. But instead, assumes a posture of problem-solving and solution-seeking. Not in pursuit of perfection, but as a way to a fuller life.” -Emily Plank

When we embrace our imperfectly perfect life, we give our children the freedom to do the same. I invite you to read the post in its entirety and be inspired by Emily’s enlightening perspective. It’s the essence of letting go to grasp what really matters.

thank you hands free mama for sharing.

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 day was for me to photograph her family, while they were vacationing here in florida. she wondered if i was available. i made sure i was available.  hilary, i’m flattered and honored and i hope that your photos are everything you dreamed for and more.  thank you for trusting me!

the girls are night and day from one another.  one loves math.  the other loves to sing. one is serious. the other giggly. one couldn’t wait to get in the water.  the other never got in.  and i had an awesome time photographing each of them.

i hope you’re all treating the moms in your life to something special for mother’s day.

oh yea…
and happy earth day.