Charlotte days…

I’ve really been wanting to do some street photography. And I can’t even say its my niche but I’ve always loved walking the streets of a large city and seeing the tall buildings, looking at my reflections in windows, watching people rush busily about their lives, smelling hot dog stands, and hearing the large buses go by.  Time just never stops. And it seems like every city is full of its own magic if we look at it that way.

A long time friend of our family named “Ken Beebe” owns  Kugler Studio in uptown Charlotte. I’ve been asking him to teach me a bit about film. He’s been so gracious to let me come into his studio on a few days I have off and show me some beautiful black and white film prints he has matted all around his studio. We’ve talked long hours about photography, business, and film.

One morning we decided to go out and do just a little street photography. This was a beautiful January morning; the weather was surprisingly warm, the sky was a perfect egg shell blue. mmm…

There are two sets of photos here. One set is from that January morning, all shot with my digital. The second set is from another day shooting with Ken and Brandon all with my film camera. (With a few extra personal photos included)

Enjoy!

Super sweet people we met.

This is Ken Beebe.

Perfection.

All these below are shot with 35mm b&w film. My husband, Brandon works uptown Charlotte and I go have lunch with him every other week or so.

Above: is the view from Brandon’s window

Charlotte’s Lighrail

That’s all for now folks.

Yellow no more! – New office | guest room

Well… If you haven’t had a chance to see the transformation of my “red kitchen” click here and read the little story about my lovely taste at the age of 20. haha… Now is your chance. Since that blog, I’ve added curtains, 60′s canisters, we transformed our light fixture into mason jar lights, I added a wine rack, and a 60′s yellow clock! Maybe I should update that blog.

I’ve been waiting for a while to get this room done! And I feel like I’m about 85% complete. I want to get a light fixture, pillows for the futon, and some frames full of my photography. (I’m waiting to see some of my new photos I’ve been taking with film) I’m sure I’ll be switching things around and adding things over time. But here is the basics of what we did. I’m really excited to share!

I think this room was much worse then the kitchen. I don’t know what I was thinking when I painted this place four and a half years ago. But… I’m so glad I’ve changed whatever that was in me. Before the transformation I had a bright yellow room with a chocolate brown wall. (I’m sure if I would have worked on this room It could have been better. But I had no motivation with it looking this color)

*The old school desk, my Grandmother gave me. Its from the 20′s I think. It has a place to dip your pen in ink. I have it in my bedroom now. I need some ideas of what to do with it. I love it.

So then I picked Sherwin Williams “Willow Tree” paint for my transformation!

*Ikea curtains $20

*Ikea shelf $40

*Ikea desk $alot

*Ikea futon

*My parents gave this old dresser to me for Christmas. I likey. I’m trying to decide if I should paint it.

*yes, my cat, Miles is decoration

*Recognize the lantern My grandmother gave this to me for Christmas two Christmas ago. It became my logo piece for Tirzah Photography. My sister drew it for me.

*Ladder back chair $4 at Value Village (Its Miles favorite spot)

*yellow chalk board. I made it with chalk board paint. (my husband deserves some credit on it too)

*Hanging photos…. all my favorites of my husband and I with our friends and family.

*Old books are from a small book shop in Cardigan, Wales. And the cotton is from Anne Springs Greenway put in an old medicine jar.

And as a bonus!! I wanted to show you the mason jar lights that my husband, Brandon made for my kitchen a few months back. We took the light we had and hung these from them. I loooove it!

So whatcha think?

Vivian & Esther

Every once in a while you run across something that just takes your brain and rearranges it long enough for you to see different.  In those moments I feel like its important to remember those thoughts. The thoughts we think now are the very thoughts that shape our future. I can’t help but think,  “If think this way now, what will come out of these thoughts and desires in ten years.”  When I look back on this blog, I’ll remember the things that inspired me to go the route that I went.

Last night our neighbor friends came over and shared this video with me. The story of Vivian Maier; I sat in awe of this story. First you need to watch so that I can elaborate.

Am I wrong or is that just freakin’ amazing? I cried this morning when I watched it again. For me deeply I was inspired by her mindset in it all. (Which I can’t say for sure this was what she felt… but this is what I felt through it) Here is someone who has INCREDIBLE talent. Walking the streets, a nanny, she also worked in a sweatshop from what I read. When they got her images, many had not even been developed. She took photos for her heart. It fulfilled something inside of her that nothing else could fulfill. Seeing people, capturing beauty, capturing raw moments. Every photo is full of perfection to me. (I’m such a sucker for black and white film anyways.) She didn’t make a name for herself, she probably never made money from it. She didn’t have a blog, no one could see her work. She did it for her. Heck she did it so much for her that a lot of her film wasn’t even developed. This just inspired me, 1st to shoot for my heart, and 2nd not even so much for money. I think when we come to a place where our work fulfills that itching inside of us to create, it spills over into our work and people can’t help but want to hire us for the heart they see in our images. I’m so over the posed perfection of the industry. I’ve always adored street/photo journalism work. Its my heart, Its where I find my moments of inspiration. Its the one photography issue I cry about more then anything. I just want to create photos where people see other people’s beauty. I want to find the windows to their soul. This video made me want to go walk the streets and looks for the interesting beauty inside the normal mundane life that you and I are so used to seeing.

Next on my favorite photographers/ inspiration, is a girl who travels with Charity Water. Esther Havens is a humanitarian, photo journalistic photographer. She tells the stories of nations getting clean water. More than anyone she gives me language/images for what I deeply desire to do. I’ve always had a pure passion for nations, and when I look at her work I weep. She captures so much spirit in her images.  Capturing the smiles of nations, and the colours of street corners and market places. She is a deep well. I hope someday I can meet her and talk for hours with her. I hope for an opportunity like she has to travel the world and listen to the stories and snap the moment into a memory.

All photos below: Esther Havens Photography

So do me a favor and go through her blog. http://estherhavens.com/blog

Here is a video of her talking about her work… mmm… ilovethis

So with all of this… I think it really all comes down to “heart.” Photography is a window to the heart. If we do what we love, there will be unique passion in our images. I heard this quote from a video I love… “Why on Gods great green earth do we have this insatiable desire to compare ourselves with others? What is this great sickness?” – Zack Arias

I do it all to often in almost everything I do. And for me, I want to break out and explore what fascinates me. No one can do it or say it like you can. I’m tired of comparing and I’m tired of lacking maturity in judging others art so quickly. What is this great sickness? Are we creating for us or for the opinions of people?

<3 me

Christmas in the Carolinas…

This blog is probably a little bit late, but I really wanted to blog this even just for myself.

Brandon and I spent our first Christmas alone this year. (Which will probably be our first and last) We were so excited to decorate our home. The Sunday after Thanksgiving we put up a real tree and I decorated my tree with small little birds from Hobby Lobby & Pottery Barn. While we were in Dallas for Thanksgiving, my mom came in from outside with a big bag full of GIANT acorns. They looked like something out of a fairy tale. I immediately wanted to use their tops as little bird nests for my tree. So when we got home from Texas I pulled out the thrifty glue gun and glued little birds onto the tops of these acorns and then glued a piece of small rope/twine around the nest to hang from my tree. And if you know me, you know that I do not like art projects, but I really enjoyed decorating my little woodland tree. Topped it off with green and brown bulbs.

Because Brandon and I were so busy leading up to Christmas we did all our Christmas shopping on Christmas eve. (which I never want to do again) On Christmas eve we spent some time talking to Brandon’s family in Joplin on skype and opening the gifts that they had sent us. We toasted to Christmas and had Alfredo and Chicken. It was such a lovely evening.

Christmas day we got up and just spent the morning wrapping the last of our gifts to each other and sipping on tea and coffee. Around 11 we ripped open the gifts we got each other. I was so excited to find that my husband had granted to me my request of a film camera! eeeeee…… I can’t wait to use it.

Christmas evening we were invited with my parents to spend Christmas dinner at our second family, the Webbs home. Italian food on Christmas night is only okay if your with the Webbs. (They are Italian) We spent the evening snacking on the best cheese, the best pasta, pomegranates, and even a cheesecake that was shipped in from New York. *sigh* To top the evening off, around 10PM snow began falling. Brandon and I ran to the front porch to watch the lovely silhouettes of snow falling under the yellow street lights. A white Christmas! yes……

The next day we were awakened by a text message from our fellow Manor Lake Neighbors! “Snow Ball fight?” Yes… please. We spent the day enjoying the snow with our friends and family.

So yes, a perfect ending to a good year. A white Christmas included. (Which never happens in our state!)

I hope you enjoy these photos…

This is the new addition to our lovely Fancher Family. Little “Miles” the Mitted Ragdoll kitty. A week before Christmas we went to petsmart and fell in love with Miles. We ended up adopted this beautiful, sweet, handsome male model kitty.

This is one of my very favorite people ever. Molly Webb.

These are a bit blurry… but I still love them!

Molly, Me and Ashley

Manor Lake Snowball fight..

These next two photos are Ailsa, our neighbors little girl.

I asked her to smile… and this is the smile I got.

I hope you all had a grand, happy Christmas and an excellent New Year!

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

Christmas is next week! Oh my, I can’t believe it. These last few weeks have been so, so busy. I don’t think I’ve ever been this busy over the holidays ever in my life. We went to Dallas for Thanksgiving and spent quality time with my “other, other in laws” (Which is my Sister in-loves (Jessica Gatlyn) parents!) and my family. We had the best time lounging around, eating, laughing, dancing, singing… oh man! Brandon and I loved it.  And then a few days later we hopped on a plane to Ohio, where we were met with a winter wonderland (I thought I was in Narnia). Brandon and I shot my cousin’s lovely winter wedding up by Lake Erie in a little town called Conneaut. Yes, its cold. (like my hat!?)  My mom’s whole family is from up North and we stayed in my sweet Grandma’s 100+ year old house. I love visiting her home. I’m filled with childhood memories every time I visit. Its a bitter sweet time for me. It was fun though to be able to introduce Jessica (my sister-in-love) to all our family and  let her experience “Up North”and the “Gatlyn/Trutwin” side of life.

I shot a “day after wedding” session with my cousin and her new man. We went to a covered bridge and shot snow photos of them together. I think I had 3 pairs of pants on, 4 shirts, plus a jacket. I was so warm. The only thing that did get cold was my poor little fingers. Jessica and Brandon came as my little “helpers” Jessica saved Christina’s veil from flying off into cliff into a snowy, rushing, icy lake. (She’s a hero)  After the session Jessica shot some photos of Brandon and I together as well as some of me. (She should join my team, what do you think?) I love sharing my personal photos with everyone. I know its my family… but I love photographing them. I hope you love these!! MERRRRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!! ho ho ho ho!

He’s ice skating backwards…

This is my beautiful mom. She’s so gorgeous in these photos.

This photo below is my very favorite!

This next photo….. ahhh.. just makes me so getty! I’m in love with it.

Its a snowy Forest.

And here is a small sneak peek of the wedding in Ohio…