kat's eye view: 2010

Photographers are inspired by other photographers all the time, one that never ceases to stop amazing me is Amy Wenzel. Not only is she a phenomenal photographer, but the faith and courage she exhibits through her personal struggles are equally impressive. So, upon finding out there is a chance to win a spot at a workshop of hers, I knew I had to enter, just didn't know what I'd say, so I took some time and realized exactly why I wanted to have a spot in her workshop. I found this chance at one of my favorite places to peruse: Iheartfaces.com

Amy's blog, http://blog.amywenzel.com/
For this chance to win a spot at her workshop , Amy asked,
"Tell us how you love, serve or inspire other people in your life, and what attending the workshop might mean for your photography journey. "
My story :

I've been in business since 2002 and I didn't realize what I was doing or why it was important until June 4, 2007. A medical helicopter from the University of Michigan crashed into Lake Michigan . On it , a recent client, husband and father of three.

I had no idea that my little portrait session would be the last for their family, or that those images would live on , be included in his memorial, and sit in a frame in his children's rooms, a reminder of their incredible father. Since that day , I've never taken a photo with the same eyes. Photography matters because people matter, and it is my purpose to preserve those relationships so that moment in time does not blend with others. Each moment matters.

It isn't really my story that is the inspiring one, it's it the lives of my clients, and my wish to honor their moments with beautiful photographs. I am not as much of a servant as I hope to be, but I know that people come to me for their silent auctions, or families in need, because like we all learned in preschool, " it's nice to share. " I've been fortunate to do what I love for eight years, and I am so thrilled that opportunities for sharing have been plentiful.

My friend, Matt, amidst his fight against cancer kept a blog . Last spring he was fighting his "what ifs?" and wrote this,

"That morning three weeks ago was a beautiful Spring day, and I watched Ethan giggle as the warm breeze lifted the hair up off of his head. I was so worried about what my future may or may not look like, I was beginning to ignore the beauty of the moment. I was worried about whether I would be around to teach Ethan all of the things a father should teach a son, and then his joy in experiencing his first Spring breeze taught me a lesson. Whether faced with cancer or not, our days on this earth are numbered. In the face of cancer it may seem that the number is smaller than it should be, but we still have no way of knowing how many days are left in our lives. Why not spend them giggling at the wind in your hair, instead of pulling it out worrying about the future?"

Matt and his son, last summer.
Matt's post is worth a full read.. http://http//udayfam.blogspot.com/2009/06/enjoy-wind-in-your-hair.html

Matt's words live in me; I want to live there in the beauty of the moment. As a photographer, I serve my clients by freezing these beautiful moments for them and quite simply, I want to do it better . They deserve that, by hiring me, I owe them. We used images from a mini session with Matt, his wife, and son for his recent memorial service , and my heart broke. I knew, though, I take photographs not because people die, but because they live. Moments where the wind lifts your hair are worth photographing. I believe my camera, heart and eyes are my tools to serve.

My friend posted this as his facebook status , and it hit me.

Life can not be about a set of 'I gets' or 'I deserves' or 'thats mine' but 'How can I serve?', 'How can I love?', 'What can I give?'

I don't deserve this more than anyone else, but if given the opportunity, I truly believe a workshop with Amy Wenzel will teach me the skills I need to take photographs worthy of the incredible lives that are in them.