TREEs continued

Okay, so I feel like I live in Seattle again… only the coffee isn’t as good and the people are way too chipper.  It’s been raining for about a week straight.  I have been feeling the gray gloom and doom settling in; which is allowing me to start really pining for Colorado.

Here is my favorite band, Grizzly Bear, with my favorite song about Colorado (sorry John Denver)

Have I told you how much I love Grizzly Bear? I will tell you more someday…

Fall has finally fallen.

Apparently all at once in Alamo:

Winter is here.

And I want to be snowboarding.

Oh F.

You want me to let you in on a little secret? One that I am beginning to realize is true, every time, my whole life….?

And no, it’s not “The Secret”, like that bogus marketing ploy. But the real life secret, the one that a friend reminded me of, not so long ago.  He said “Will you do me a favor?” I replied “No, I will not photograph your wedding for free.”

“Oh, sorry, what then?”

He told me to ask the universe for what it was that I really truly wanted. To do it tonight, before I fell asleep, to just throw it out there, to the Cosmos, Carl Sagan style. And not necessarily to God or whoever, whatever (because I am not really a religious type) but to focus on that desire and let the universe figure out how it is supposed to work for you.

So I did.

And by golly geez it worked! Or is starting to work.

Just as I am beginning to regret the recent life decisions I made and starting to doubt my skill as a photographer, I am thrown a fastball–right to my gut.  One that makes me want to vomit at that fact that I had those hesitations in the first place. And I am not surprised, as I am constantly second guessing anything that I ever do, have done.

Which is really getting exhausting at this point.

This fastball.  It starts with the network I am beginning to build in this town.  The reason I got this job at Trader Joe’s was to meet people.  And turns out, even in the bubble of a place where people wear their sunglasses inside, there is always someone who knows someone else, who will be beneficial for you, me.

My weekend started with a holiday party at a photographer’s studio in Oakland, who was very inspiring and had a lovely little live-in, studio set-up.   The weekend ended with attending a free seminar on how to shoot a Boudoir session, complete with an introduction to a huge web of fellow East Bay photographers.  And what makes it even better, is that all of the people I have encountered are genuine and encouraging. YES!

Check out my new friend Jennifer Skog [Skog as in Vogue] who gave the talk about this newish photog niche. She has a pretty great stylist sister as well!

And yes, Boudoir means bedroom, and that is exactly what kind of sessions they are… but (as Pencey so tastefully put it) “no bush”.

If you would have told me on Friday morning that by Wednesday of next week, you will have a new drive and direction for your photography business– I would have said you can eat it, and the horse you came in on.

I have had many other encounters that have terrifically helped me mold the motivation that I need. But I won’t bore you with every detail; just know that is has been eerie and timely.

So apparently, I am supposed to be a photographer.

NEAT.

As you can probably imagine, I was quite elated after the seminar. So I bought a delightful bottle of Pinot Noir (Mia’s Playground 2007, Russian River Valley-in case you were wondering) some Dark Chocolate with Lemon-Pepper to pair. And then some Fashion Mags for inspiration: Vogue, Nylon and the local Diablo, and East Bay Kids. And that’s apparently what makes me most happy. Drinking wine, alone, with some magazines.

———-

Furthermore, I went back to that place I told you of before, on the top the mountain (hill). And took some shots, at sunset. Since I was merely equipped with my iPod before.

And in furthering my love on trees, they are also symbolic of a network.  The network of people I hope to create out here, like the ones that I am lured back to in Colorado.

That's some Alamo.

So I say, bring it rain, bring it on… DEPRESSION vs UNIVERSE… Who’s it gonna be?

A song about rain, RAIN ON! Mutherfucker,

Rain On. By Woods.

Tonight, please ask the universe for what you want.

(She’s pretty cool about it)