deb schwedhelm photography

I HAVE A NEW BLOG

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:50:00 +0000

and you can find it here!

please don't forget to change your bookmarks.

the ultimate gift

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:45:00 +0000

the gift of problems
the gift of friends
the gift of giving
the gift of gratitude
the gift of family
the gift of learning
the gift of money
the gift of laughter
the gift of a day
the gift of dreams
the gift of love,
which leads to the ultimate gift.
- from jim stovall's movie, the ultimate gift

my mother-in-law had recommended we watch the movie, the ultimate gift. and we did; we watched it together as a family last weekend. and just as she said, it was such a wonderful, heartwarming movie, with an incredible message. these gifts--problems, friends, giving, gratitude, family, learning, money, laughter, a day, dreams, love and the ultimate gift--truly are gifts in our lives, gifts to be recognized and appreciated as such.

++++++

i've had a number of people ask / email me over the past few days, inquiring how i am. really...i'm fine. a bit numb, but fine. it's funny how it feels like just another day, yet in 24 hours, steve will be gone, on his way to iraq. to return in 204 days. tomorrow, the countdown will begin. i know tomorrow will be hard. and i know some days will be harder than others but i will do my best to remain strong through the good and the not-so-good times. for the moment, today is a day that we are still together...as a family.

last weekend, i took steve and the kids out, for a pre-deployment photo session. i am going to print a photo for each of the kids, to keep on their dresser. i want them to see their dad whenever they want. i want them to be able to hold their dad, when they're having a rough day. i want them to know that their dad is thinking about them and loves them, while he is away.

and i know firsthand how important a photo can be for a child. in 2000, when kiele was three, her dad and i divorced. i moved (via the AF) to FL and mike separated from the military and moved to NH. in feb 2002, mike sent kiele a photo of himself. we laminated it and she has slept with it every day since she received it. it has been taped, re-taped and taped again. at one point, i tried to replace it, with a scanned, laminated copy, and kiele wouldn't have anything to do with the new print. this simple photo has become her treasure, her everyday connection with her dad.

FRONT:

BACK:

don't ever overestimate the power of a photo!

P.S. i have no idea what is going on with my blog. it's going crazy.

everyday happiness

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:27:00 +0000

nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.
- ralph waldo emerson

yesterday was a day i was thankful for, even if it involved an entire day of cleaning. it was our day of spring cleaning, just in the fall. since steve won't be here for the big spring cleaning, we decided to do it yesterday--we cleaned every screen and window (inside and out) in our house, washed the cars, thoroughly cleaned the bathrooms, and organized the garage. steve has also been working on finishing kiele's bed. he built it from scratch and is now doing the finishing touches. steve is amazing with woodworking. in the past, he's built a 7-drawer dresser, two beds and three book cases.

it was so refreshing to get all the stuff done that we did and...i can't even tell you how good it feels so good to have clean screens and windows. :-)

the last thing i did yesterday was scrub my tub and as i was scrubbing with a magic eraser, i thought i should share my love for the magic eraser on my blog. then i remembered how a dear and talented friend of mine had recently shared 10 of her favorite things on her blog. sooo...

i share with you ten of my favorite everyday things:

1. magic eraser.

if you haven't heard of magic eraser, run to the grocery store and buy yourself a few boxes. i promise, you won't regret it. if you have heard of magic eraser, i'm sure you're nodding your head in agreement. i love, love, love magic eraser. from cleaning my tubs to cleaning marks off the wall that won't come off with anything else. hands down, a must have in every household. although i do joke with my friends about how nothing should be able to do what magic eraser does and all our hands are probably going to fall off in 20 years b/c of the 'magic' chemical in magic eraser. seriously though, i use it all the time.

2. hoodies.

yep, i LOVE hoodies, especially lucky brand hoodies. i'm not sure what i would do without my hoodies. i wear them almost year round and the grungier they get, the more i love them. my favorite lucky brand hoody is currently hanging on by strands but yep, i still wear it and love it.

3. jessica mcclintock perfume.

by far, my favorite perfume. i'm pretty much a minimalist so i only have a handful of perfume bottles but i've used jessica mcclintock since as long as i can remember. it smells beautiful and romantic, yet fresh and clean.

4. dwell magazine.

i love modern / mid-century modern. someday we hope to own a mid-century modern home. owning an eichler is our dream. i drool over the homes, furniture, wall decor...everything, in the magazine. love, love, love it so.

5. cucina

i discovered cucina products at a friend's house, and i've been hooked ever since. recently my mother-in-law was visiting and she, too, is now hooked. i prefer the 'coriander and olive tree' scent. but, if you're a liberal dish soap user, this product might not be for you (it's not cheap).

6. method.

well, i pretty much love method everything. but my huge fav is the lavender, all surface, non-toxic cleaning spray. i love lavender and i love clean...so for me, the combination is more than perfect. although i have to say that i do also love the clorox (with bleach) cleaning spray. did i mention that i love clean!

7. anthropologie.

i love the antrhopologie store. if i had all the money in the world, i would probably own one of everything in the store. not only do i love their clothing, but also their decor. i'll frequently go in there, just for some design ideas.

8. mexican food.

i could eat mexican food every single day--morning, noon and night. and i mean it. i love mexican food.

9. the sound of my kids giggling and laughing.

couldn't help list it in my top 10. they are outside playing and i just keep laughing as i listen to them play and giggle together. it makes me happier than anything else ever could. they always have so much fun playing on the trampoline (that's where they just were).

10. blogs.

i love posting on my blog. i love reading others' blogs.

and here are a couple blogs, that i recently stumbled upon and love checking (i couldn't tell you how, or though who, if you paid me). i check my blog feeds pretty much every day, for recent updates.

somewhere...i can't remember where, i heard about the nie nie dialogues blog. i want to say that it was on the radio or somewhere like that. i can't even remember what they were saying about it, but at the time, i remember saying to myself, i need to remember that name and google it when i'm home. and then one day, when blog surfing, i came across her sister's blog, c jane run..

stephanie, the author of nie nie dialogues, and her husband were in a private plane crash back in mid-august. her husband is now in rehabilitation; however, stephanie is still in the burn unit, fighting for her life. stephanie's sister, courtney, regularly posts updates on stephanie on her c jane run blog.

the bliss blog shares the most wonderful products.

a story of kindess and hope

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:35:00 +0000

i have this theory, that if one person will go out of their way to show compassion, it will start a chain reaction of the same. people will never know how far a little kindness can go.

glory only comes when one pursues their dreams. how many of us know what we really want and go for it? how many of us have enough trust, strength, and faith, to believe that we could do the impossible?

don't let your character change color with your environment. find out who you are and let it stay its true color.

these were the words of rachel joy scott, the first person killed in the columbine high school tragedy in 1999.

i had the opportunity to attend a 'friends of rachel' assembly at standley middle school (kiele's school) yesterday. it was an amazing assembly that shared a message of kindness and compassion...courage and hope.

rachel joy scott. rachel was the kind of person that always looked for the best in others. she treated everyone with kindness. she reached out to those, who were disabled, picked on, new at school or overlooked. rachel did little things, things that weren't a big deal to give out--but things that were huge when received, things that made a big difference in someone's life.

rachel joy scott. rachel died in 1999, when she was only 17. and today, her words live on, in the hearts of millions. her message is shared in thousands of schools and millions of students every single year. her message has now been shared with over 11 million people.

we were left with five challenges (based on rachel's actions and writings) :
1. look for the best in others and you will eliminate prejudice.
2. dare to dream. set goals for you live. keep a journal.
3. choose positive influences.
4. kind words and actions produce huge results.
5. start a chain reaction with your family and friends.

the assembly closed with the speaker having the audience close their eyes. he asked everyone to think about the five people closest to them.

go to those five people and tell them how much they mean to you, how much you love them, how much you care about them. someday, he said, when you're not around, they will remember the conversation. someday, you'll be glad you did it.

++++++

today, we were going to dinner and as we were stopped by the light, there was this car, going in the opposite direction, that wasn't moving. it would start and stop. and start and stop again. it was obvious that the person was driving a clutch and having troubles.

i said, steve, we have to help that person.

no, she'll be fine, he said.

no, i don't think she will. she's already stalled about 10 times. let me go help her. pull over and let me help her.

the light turned green and steve pulled over to the curb. i jumped out and ran to her car.

are you okay, i said. can i help you drive your car around the corner?

oh my gosh. thank you. thank you. i'm shaking and ready to cry. my car is new and i thought i'd be okay. i thought i was going to have to get out of my car and just stand there and cry. i'm shaking so much. thank you.

with the girl in the passenger seat, i drove her car up the street, talking to her about driving a clutch. i asked her if i could drive her somewhere. she said that she was trying to go to vons. i pulled over by steve and asked him to follow us to vons. on the way, i talked her through getting into first gear...over and over again. i told her how i thought it would be best to find an empty parking lot tonight, to practice starting and stopping...starting and stopping. the girl told me that she was meeting a friend at vons, who knew how to drive a stick, so i was felt okay leaving her. as we hugged and said good-bye, she thanked me over and over again--and said that she didn't know what she would have done if i didn't help her.

it was nothing on my part to do this for this person. yet, for her--it was huge! and i can't tell you how good it felt...
how good sharing a little bit of kindness felt.

you can find out more about rachel's challenge here.

the small things

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:20:00 +0000

be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
- mother teresa

the countdown has begun. that countdown that i've been dreading, but is happening none-the-less. steve leaves a week from today. that day will be my birthday. i will kiss him good-bye, knowing that the next time i see him, things will be different. we will all be 7 months older and whether we like it or not, things will have changed.

i'm sad. i'm strong. the words go hand in hand at the moment. i can't help the sadness. i must be strong. strong for my kids.

these last days, before his departure, are difficult. it's a battle with one's self--trying to stay connected, yet knowing that the disconnection has begun without my approval.

it's a coping mechanism, i share with my friends. i don't want to shy away from my husband, yet it's happening. i guess it will make the good-bye a bit easier, i tell myself.

i begin doing more and more things by myself, without his input. i begin looking inward more. i begin to get quiet, when he is around. i try and stay busy. and he doesn't argue with any of my senseless doings. i think he feels guilty. and sad. he doesn't want to go. he has to go. this is what he was trained to do.

+++++++

the other day, i had to leave the house for a 6 AM shoot. steve got the kids ready and off to school. when i got home, in the afternoon, sky was so proud to show me the braids that daddy did. and he was too. i laughed a little.

what's so funny, steve says. it's not funny. it's adorable, i said with a smile. i have to get my camera.

these little things. these little things that my husband does each and every day--i will miss them. i will remember them. i will remember the small things and the big things that steve does for the kids and i. i will cherish the memories and hold them tight, until new memories can once again be created. i will draw strength from the memories. steve will not be here by my side, but he will be with me, and he will help keep me strong. soon, a new countdown will begin...the countdown until steve returns home and our family is once again complete.

san diego military spouse casting call

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:13:00 +0000

i'm going to be photographing the december cover photo for military spouse magazine and i'm looking for the spouse!

age: 23-35 years old
must be a military spouse
date and time: to be determined (within the next few weeks)
application deadline: friday, october 10th

if interested, please email me (deb@debsphotographs.com) your name, age and a recent photo. please put 'MSM cover' in the subject line. also, if not selected for the cover, you might be selected to participate in a photo session for the inside article. i will be forwarding all photos that I receive to the military spouse magazine art director this friday.

the december issue is going to be the first issue that will be available for purchase in every military commissary.

sending it to 5 friends

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:44:00 +0000

make sure you're registered to vote (the deadline is approaching) and then vote!

images i need

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:35:00 +0000

there are images i need to complete my own reality.
- jim morrison

and this was one of them. i was just in the mood. it worked. i get like that sometimes. lots of times, actually. people often ask about my editing. and truly, i just edit what feels right, what i think works for the image. and it's always a bit different.

i feel like i've been a bad blogger lately. :-( not very chatty, i guess. but i have lots of excuses...
kids are back in school and homework is kicking *my* butt.
i started working out (running), which cuts into my free time (to work and post).
i've had lots of sessions this week.
steve leaves in less than two weeks.
i could go on, but i won't.

+++++++++

and today, i had the most awesome opportunity to photograph the military spouse of the year, chelle brewer, for USAA. i photographed chelle as she prepared for and rode on a L-39 jet, with the patriots jet demonstration team. it really was an amazing opportunity and i'm so thankful. i'm hoping to edit and post a couple of the photos tomorrow.

the rhythm of the ocean

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:41:00 +0000

we ourselves often feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean.
but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
- mother teresa

let us all be thankful

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:41:00 +0000

let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.
- buddha

i think i posted this quote before but...it's perfect for how i feel at the moment.

first, we had an amazing time at disneyland this past weekend. family time. we arrived to the most magical place on earth saturday morning. smiling, excited, happy faces. we spent the entire day riding rides at disney (ryder is now too short for only two of the rides). we stayed the night at the disneyland hotel and watched the fireworks right from our room. then back to disney all sunday. our disney day closed with really sore feet and a parade that the kids loved, especially sky, who waved and said hi to each and every princess. (even though my kids wouldn't come near the people in character suits b/c they were too afraid.)

then back to life. kiele had thrown up last week (15 times in one day). i was down a couple days with some kind of head cold. monday, steve came home early from work, tired and with a stomach ache. i thought it was because his small pox shot, which he got in preparation for his iraq deployment. nope. he threw up and was in bed all monday and tuesday. yesterday morning, i took ryder to the MD b/c i thought he had croup. he did and got put on steroids. he's doing much better today but still two more days of steroids. then...last night was sky's turn. to puke. ugh. it's a weird, early virus season and seems to be hitting the schwedhelm house, in full force. bam. can you take this virus? how about this one? okay, you handled those two...how about this virus?

my big concern at the moment is ryder and/or i getting the stomach virus. we'll probably get it (odds have it). but i want it to wait until after the weekend. steve's parents arrive friday, to see steve before he goes to iraq. and i'm hoping and praying that we're all healthy, while they're here. we will see. but we're definitely taking our vitamins, etc.

life is just crazy at the moment. tons of running around...errands. and i have barely shot lately. i took a few photos at disney but not many at all. camera was bulky and hard to carry on the rides. i need to get back to my thought of carrying around a point and shoot for the every day. that would have been much better and i would have actually shot...i think. feeling the urge to shoot. but need time. and need to get my family healthy first.

in the end, i am thankful. really thankful. i think about what i am thankful for many times throughout each day. i think it keeps me focused in the right direction, thinking about the positives and not dwelling on the present negatives.

a shot of steve and the kids, in our hotel room, planning their disney day.

let's celebrate

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:17:00 +0000

the more you praise and celebrate your life,
the more there is in life to celebrate.
- oprah winfrey

and today. today was a day to celebrate, i tell ya.
as i was cleaning my kitchen, i all of a sudden decided that it was time...time to finally remove the childproof cabinet locks. really? i hesitated, at first. could it be? could it be that my days of shoving my finger in the smallest of spaces, to press a lever, to simply open a cabinet door are over. yes! yes, they are. the cabinet locks are gone. G-O-N-E...gone! i hollered and danced around with the little ones, celebrating the occasion. we celebrated how big ryder was and that b/c he is now such a big boy, we no longer need the magic locks. they laughed at me. they danced with me. they celebrated with me. today was a big day.

also, today...i received ryder's preschool picture proofs. couldn't help but laugh. at his cuteness, of course. actually, i think i've officially warped my son. on the day of his photos, i asked him...
me: did you look cute?
ryder: yep?
me: how did you smile?
ryder: turns to me. smiles with tightly pursed lips. like that.

and yep, that's basically what he did. oh, i adore that little boy. or should i say...big boy ;-)

one

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:20:00 +0000

i am only one, but still I am one. i cannot do everything, but still can do something; and because i cannot do everything, i will not refuse to do something that i can do.
- helen keller

kiele was able to choose any autobiography, to read, for her new english assignment and she chose helen keller. she had already known a bit about helen keller, from first grade, but i'm excited for kiele to really know about her, her life and what a truly incredible woman she was.

yesterday, i rested. in bed for the night, by 5 PM. not out of choice, but due to sickness. a head cold, flu...whatever. it's kicking my butt.

and this morning, i awoke, to discover that kiele had been throwing up through the night. and she hasn't stopped.

it's no fun being sick but i also worry about our limited time left with steve (27 days, to be exact). we have big family plans for this weekend and i want us all to be healthy. i want to have fun. together. whole. as a family.

so i think throughout the day today about positive things and healthy thoughts. and i remember. it is easier for us all to be sick, while steve is still here. and maybe that's what this is all about. i have to be thankful that this is happening right now. and hopefully not on the weekend. and hopefully not while i'm managing life and the three kids by myself (although seven months is a long time to go without sickness ;-).

no matter what.
i will remember.
i am only one.
i can't do everything.
i will do my best.
i am blessed.

magical

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:58:00 +0000

believe in yourself.
if you can do that, you can make anything happen.
- author unknown

this was taken on my recent trip to hawaii and...hawaii was absolutely magical. it was the first time steve and i have been alone together (more than 2 hours), since meeting. basically...we were instantly a family of three, b/c kiele is from my previous marriage. and within 15 months of being married, we were a family of five. and in that 15 months, we were separate from one another 11 months (5 months b/c i was still in the air force [me in FL and steve in WA] and then steve's 6 month deployment). i LOVED our time together in hawaii. and needless to say...we so needed it.

if you haven't done it...time alone with your spouse, do it!!

the heights you can soar

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:35:00 +0000

no one can prepare you for what heights you will soar until you spread your wings.
- author unknown

taken in hawaii. and i had THE MOST magical time in hawaii. five days alone with my husband. if you haven't done it...days alone with your spouse. do it!

when no one else is watching

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:23:00 +0000

for a long time, she flew only when she thought no one else was watching.
- storypeople

i've rewritten this post three times now. unable to find the right words. feeling far behind in blogging...my mind is flooded with thoughts. i write. rewrite. hoping that one of the times, the words will flow. but they don't and i erase. again and again. it's late. i need to get up early. so i close for the night, hoping to wake to a clearer mind tomorrow.

celebrating his life

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:53:00 +0000

what you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
- pericles

and the beauty of max and his goodness have become woven into so many lives.

this morning was the celebration of max's life. it was so incredibly beautiful...
on a grassy patch overlooking del mar beach.
tons of people (adults and children).
wonderful speakers.
so many beautiful stories about max.
tables filled with legos for the kids.
two children's books read.
memory tables.
a fly by with two vintage WWIIi aircraft.
a raptor, that flew in.
truly an amazing celebration of a little boy's life, who has touched so many.

i took tons of photos for the mikulak family. this one was the last...a photo of a tree at max's school. every tree surrounding the school has an orange ribbon tied around it.

i hope to post many more photos over the next few days on the mashed potatoes blog. i know the blog has had many followers and i hope that sharing the celebration of max's life and it's beauty will help offer a closure of some sort for all.

thank you for all the wonderful support and encouragement...from the bottom of my heart.

the beauty of it all

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:26:00 +0000

there are a lot of things that i think about, with max...and i can't help but think that many things that happened, happened for a reason, to include something as simple as my receiving these flowers. having found out about max's passing in the morning, i was so sad when i got home from hawaii in the evening. i had a five hour flight to sit, think and cry. when i walked in the door, i almost immediately noticed the pot of orange flowers, sitting on my dining room table. i thought that it was so sweet for my mother-in-law to have bought them for me. to decorate my house? to cheer me up? i'm not sure why...but i was appreciative. later, i read on max's blog that his favorite color was orange. right then, i knew i had to photograph these flowers, in max's memory. whether real or not, for me, there was something greater in the simple pot of beautiful orange flowers. i'm making a print to give to max's parents at max's celebration of life this saturday.

and then...
last night, i removed the tag on the plant, to discover that it said...
life is simple when you're surrounded by the beauty of it all.

so often, we get worked up about how difficult or complicated our lives seem to be, but if we just sit back and really think about things, we can realize how beautiful and yes, simple, our lives really are.

i will miss him so much

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:56:00 +0000

for those who don't read the mashed potatoes blog or max's regular blog, max passed away august 31st at 8:45 PM. i am so incredibly saddened...and shocked. and i can't even begin to imagine the grief and pain that the mikulaks are going through.

i was in hawaii, when i found out about max. i was on vacation for five days, visiting steve, while he is there for pre-deployment training. i checked max's blog every day via my iphone and this morning, prior to steve and i leaving, to take me to the airport, i read max's blog and couldn't believe that he had passed away. i kept reading and re-reading thinking that it just couldn't be. i was numb. i was speechless. and now, the tears fall...as they have almost the entire day, as i try to find the right words for this post.

the night before I left on vacation, wednesday, aug 27th, i shot max. it wasn't a planned shoot; it was a last minute thing that max's mom and I had decided to do. my kids and I would go over to the their house for a "play date", in an attempt to be with Max for an longer period of time and hopefully catch some of those precious, but fleeting, smiles of max's.

i first met max back in december 07 and began photographing him weekly in april 08. truly, without a doubt, knowing max and his family has made me a better person. they have taught me so much. it's hard for me to put it all into words but a few words that immediately come to mind...
strength
courage
kindness
love
unselfishness
and truly, living life to the max.

so i close this post with a shot from the first time i met max (dec 07) and the last time i saw and photographed him (aug 27, 08). he was such an amazing child.

please, please keep the mikulak family in your thoughts and prayers.

thoughts for max and his family

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:18:00 +0000

max. seven years old. started his first day of 2nd grade yesterday. the middle child, with an older sister and a younger brother. a boy who loves video games, star wars and WWII aircraft. a boy with the biggest heart and the best smile. a boy, who is dying of neuroblastoma.

max's cancer has now spread from his bones (skull, spine, femurs and ribs) into his lungs, abdomen, liver and kidneys, despite continual treatment. they are going to be starting palliative radiation today on his liver b/c max's enlarged liver is causing him so much pain. they are hoping that the radiation relieves some of the pressure in his abdominal area so that he can be more comfortable. my heart aches for max and his family. to tell you the truth, i've basically been in tears all day about this.

the mikulak family and i have become more than photographer / client, we have become friends and i adore them. i adore their love, strength and courage. they are amazing and truly have embraced the words live life to the max.

i have discussed photographing max with max's parents in-depth and i will continue to photograph max at least once a week (probably much more) until he is pain free. you can see max's photoblog (mashed potatoes for breakfast) here and his regular blog here.

if you're the praying kind, please say a prayer for max and his family. and if you stop by his blog, please share some thoughts of strength and support. even though i see them all often, i still cannot fathom the pain they are all going through right now.

one day at a time.

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:05:00 +0000

one day at a time...
this is enough.
do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone;
and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come.
live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.
- author unknown

Deb Schwedhelm Photography

the beach

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:09:00 +0000

when i walk to the beach on a cloudy morning
i hear the waves from the ocean say welcome
i take off my sandals and feel the sand tickle my feet like a gentle touch
the salty wind blows through my hair like wind blowing through a horse's mane
seagulls sit on mounds that were once sandcastles
i walk down to the water seeing the shells
while the icy water licks my feet
i keep walking and see the endless sand
the ocean brings down the seaweed, as gifts to me
it is time to go back now...
once i get out of the sand, i take a deep breath and wave good-bye.
- kiele marston, age 11

today, we spent a wonderful day at laguna beach, meeting new friends. friends through photography. friends i hope i will be able to call life long. and on the way home, kiele wrote the above poem...in about 10 minutes. her abilities blow my mind. the beach...the first poem in her new poem spiral notebook. she inspires me more than words can say.

and a special thank you to those who believed in kiele through the years. truly, i thank you. she wouldn't be where she is today without you.

I
AM
BLESSED!

Deb Schwedhelm Photography

flashes of light

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:35:00 +0000

knowledge does not come to us in details, but in flashes of light from heaven.
- henry david thoreau

Deb Schwedhelm Photography

max and his magic water

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:37:00 +0000

i hope everyone who reads my blog knows that i also post weekly on the mashed potatoes for breakfast blog, and then ends up reading max's regular blog. i know it's a lot to hope for but i do. just in case, i wanted to share this here--

there are a couple magic water project fundraisers coming up next month, which i will be participating in.

the first one is a 5-mile walk, on september 7th, in an effort to raise at least $15,000, for a new scanner at rady's children hospital in san diego. i will be walking. you can read more about the fundraiser and if interested, pledge here.

the second fundraising event will take place on september 24th, at casa blanca salon and spa, from 3-6:30 PM. it will include various spa stations and a silent auction. i will be donating a number of prints to be auctioned off and possibly a photo session.

the photo in the above flyer was from back in december 2007, when i first met max. since then, his cancer has continued to progress and his health has significantly declined. today, his cancer indicators (certain lab values) are very high and continue to rapidly climb. he's not walking. he's dealing with nausea, constipation and leg, neck and head pain. and he's going through a new chemo combination, which his parents say is likely their last shot at stopping max's cancer.

please, if you haven't in the past, please consider donating to the magic water project's 5-mile walk or if you're local, attending the spa event fundraiser. you can read more about the magic water project foundation here and max here and here.

dreams begin with a dreamer

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:49:00 +0000

every great dream begins with a dreamer.
always remember...
you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion
to reach for the stars and change the world.
- harriet tubman

i'm so happy to share with you my new website.

i still, to this day...cannot believe that i'm living my dream. i'm a photographer doing what i love and am so passionate about. doing what i used to only dream about. i'm not sure if i'll change the world but i sure hope that i can bring happiness and inspiration into peoples lives with my photography.

making memories

noreply@blogger.com (debsphotographs) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:21:00 +0000

as we grow together, change together, dream together, cry together, laugh together, i will look back on our days and cherish each and every one. the past may be gone forever and who knows what the future holds, but our todays are making memories of tomorrow.
- author unknown

yesterday, we went to my dear friend, leah's house, for dinner and then a photo session of my family. i had ideas of what it was going to be like, but it wasn't. it's so different being in front of the camera. and this time, it all ended up being such a learning and growing and...in the end, a pretty emotional experience for me.

almost every time i shoot a family session, i'm telling a parent (or parents) to relax and not worry about the kids...that i'll worry about the kids. last night, as i kept worrying about my kids, i realized how tough, yet important that really is. sometimes the best, most meaningful images, are those where someone is not looking at the camera. or maybe the focus isn't perfect. but the moment is captured. the moment of being together and loving one another, is captured.

i learned that...
it's not about looking perfect. acting perfect. or being perfect.
it's not about the perfect pose or the 'perfect' picture.
it's about being together as a family.
capturing moments together.
having fun together.
that's what's important.

this whole experience has been emotional for me...more than usual b/c of steve's deployment being right around the corner. i dropped him off at the airport this morning, for three weeks of training in HI, and it's almost like a preparation separation for us, for our seven months apart. so these photos...these photos of us together...are so incredibly special.

i can't thank leah enough for taking the time to photograph our family and process the photos. for capturing the moments together that i, myself, cannot. i will forever cherish these photos...my family photos.
thanks again leah...
for everything.
love ya pal.

here's a few of my favorites...