I Might As Well Admit It...

I might as well admit this now and deal with it, I fall in love every day; with people, places, colors, shapes, food, animals... It's why I am a photographer. I can devote my undivided attention to any one subject, like a person infatuated. I can drink in the shapes, colors, and even smells some times of my subject all without having the responsibility of a relationship.

I can truly admire a horse in all its splendor, strength and mystery, without getting up at 5 AM every day for years to care for it.

I see the colors of the desert at sunset, and breathe it in, soak it up, let my heart fill up to that horizon line. The purples, pinks and all those colors in between. I can see and enjoy all without cleaning one paint brush.

I can enjoy the incredible cuteness of a baby, its smiles and giggles and how he or she sees something new for the first time, and not change one diaper.

I can stare as long as I want at the deeper beauty of a woman, enjoying the curve of her check, the color of her skin at the base of her neck or the way she casts her eyes unknowingly that is so alluring. All without being seen as rude, or having any other implications projected on my gaze.

I can enjoy bodies, smiles and movements of humans in this world all without anyone ever questioning how I feel. I now know, this is a form of love too. Giving all my focus, my undivided attention to the person in my view finder is giving of a part of myself I know no other way of sharing.

And some days I get to fall in love with candy! Oh, the smells of the Candy Factory shoot will stay with me for a long time. Spicy cinnamon, deep licorice, sweet apple, and Christmas peppermint. Who do you know can say they fell in love with candy?

Clearing up and Cleaning House

Hi,

I want to clear a few things up about what I'm doing on-line.

First off I'll explain what I've been doing; as many have shared their confusion with me about my advertisements over the last few months.

I've been investigating and implementing on-line marketing techniques for mlm's (multi-level marketing) http://tamigramont.com/, KnewWay.com and network marketing programs http://www.tgramont.lifepathunlimited.com/.

At first I bought into the company's profile and began believing it was my path. Though the company's "Discovery Tools" http://www.tgramont.lifepathunlimited.com/ are fantastic and helped me get focused, it is not my path to focus all my attention in that area. This 56 day process helped me change my life one more level. Part of this change has been me honoring and understanding what I love, and what is most important to me.

After many months, expense (education can be costly) and confusion, I realized MLM's are not my passion. Not that MLM's and this type of marketing is worthless, not at all. It is that my passion, as many of my close friends will attest to, is around photography. This education is of great value with marketing my photography and I have met some amazing people who I now call friends.

I have been so focused on horses, which is my first love and the door that opened me up to a love of photography, that I was blind to other avenues. My love of horses was what I thought I needed to build my business around. I just couldn't change my mind in that area. After facing my fears, softening my resistance to photographing people, I realized THAT is what I love. Really, how could I have been so stubborn? My Portrait Portfolio .

All this time, the one thing that I have been consistent with was photography; I continued to practice Photoshop techniques I was learning. Someone asked me what I do to entertain myself... What do I fill in the gaps with? I work on photography. I heard myself say it and realized I could have traveled anywhere in the world in the last 2 years, and I worked on photography. I also was healing...

So, I am using all my marketing technique and strategies to offer my services as a photographer... Fully. I have been doing portraits New Horse Photo and am learning wedding photography. I'm always studying and am beginning another leg of this journey.

I am teaching what I know about photography. I have a video up New Horse Photography Training, #1 .
I believe everyone has an aptitude for photography if they have a love for it. We all see the world differently. Having a love for something doesn't equal making a living at it, however, it can add depth and meaning to your life that money can not create. How do you cultivate your unique eye? What parts to amplify and validate?

Thank you all who have been so patient with me during my learning curve. I've been in the hallway for over two years, not knowing what direction. I couldn't settle in to the idea that I was learning my craft. I am still learning and now I feel I actually have something to offer. No matter what the out come photography is what makes me most ultimately happy and I hope to help others feel a little of that too.

Change when Things Change

Hi,

I'm working hard at not working hard at change. Argh! Yup, that would be true.

Much of what I see in my life is valid data, however, my judgment on it is difficult to deal with.

I had a man from the ManKind Project steal a lens from me. Granted it was a piece of crap Sigma, it was still mine. I did not give it to him, and was perfectly clear he could use it, just to try it out. Anyone w/a camera knows their lens collection is valuable and sacred. I offered as a sign of good faith and trust.

After I loaned the lens and micro drive, I figured some things out about him. He had his children taken from him under the suspicion of child abuse. I didn't want to have anything to do with him and therefore told him. I also asked for my lens and memory drive back. He became abusive, (which I saved on my phone) texting me and calling saying things like "I guess you're not going to give me what I need" and laughing at the idea that I showed trust by loaning him my gear.

He did not return my equipment, and text me that he left it at my house and "don't ever contact me again."

I'm glad I got off with only that much loss. His boys did not get off so easily.

I did ask in the MKP community about him, and since he was a council member and no one had anything bad to say, I let my guard down. What I later discovered was no one had first hand knowledge of him either and he left the council and community without any notice at all.

I take responsibility for it, and consider it a lesson learned with very little damage. It is a wise Universe, I just don't always understand her language.