Kent Island, Maryland | Child and Senior Photography» Personal

A Wee Bit Busy…

Jennie — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:00:02 +0000

You may have noticed that I’ve been quiet, unusually quiet, over the last month. It has been a month of Mommy and Me sessions, weddings in CT and newborns but mostly a month of moving…

Let take a step back, shall we. You would be correct if you thought “Wait. Didn’t she just move last year at this time?” Why yes I did and what a move that was. On a complete leap of faith, not knowing anyone, I moved to Upper Baltimore County, Maryland. I found this sweet, sweet little cottage and set up camp. I loved my little cottage but as time passed I found myself spending more and more time on the Eastern Shore. Queen Anne’s County to be exact. The majority of the people who wove themselves into my life over the last year live down here. So a week or so before Christmas I made the decision that I was going to move yet again when my lease came up at the end of May.

Life, being what it is, never goes exactly to plan… The original place I had lined up to move into fell apart a few weeks before my actual move day. A mad, mad scramble in sued, many emails were sent to friends, and I asked anyone who would listen if they knew of a place. Which is actually how, in a round about way, I found my farm house.

I was talking with a group of women and brought up my dilemma. One of them brought out a local paper and inside was an ad for a house in Old Centreville. When I called the number the woman said yes the house was available and she also may have another house available – a farm house. My ears perked up immediately when she said that. Growing up I always told my parents that I was going to live on a farm. No idea why, but it’s what I always said and I’d say it with conviction. We set a time to meet the next day.

I saw the other house first and it was lovely. I could tell immediately that the landlord loved her properties and took very good care of them. Then we went clear across town and don’t you know I fell in love. It was like this little house had been waiting for me. I have a huge yard with two perfect trees for hanging a hammock, a porch the length of the house and I’m surrounded by wheat and corn fields on all sides. All these years later and I found my farm house! Last night there was a soft breeze and fireflies were playing in the cornfields and I fell in love all over again!

Sometimes It’s Better You Don’t Know…

Jennie — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:31:05 +0000

“Wow. Working on a project and going through all my old work I did in photography school. I wasn’t just bad – I was HORRIBLE!!! Thank goodness I didn’t know it then!” Facebook Status May 8 2011

Yep, that was an actual status update a few days ago. I knew once I put that out I’d have to share the badness with you…

How did this revelation come about you ask? I went searching for some inspiration for a new project on which I’ve been working. This project will involve working with others and some teaching. So naturally, I thought “Ah ha! The photo assignments I did at school are the perfect place to start!!”

What I found – “WOW” and not in a good way!! I was horrible, horrible. All I could think was “Thank goodness I didn’t know it then!”

I give you exhibit #1:

This assignment was to take portraits in a natural setting with different types of lighting. Um, yeah didn’t knock this outta the park and what’s up with the toilet obsession in the last 3 frames??

Next we have exhibit #2 (may Nolyn forgive me!!)

Here we had moved on to a studio setting. How about my stellar skills in taking control of a session and award winning posing techniques? Wait! Did you miss the middle pose? Here let me give you a close up…

In hopes that Nolyn doesn’t hate me for life – there is actually one decent portrait in those 12 shots! This is actually how I remember her from school best – relaxed, fun and natural.

There are times I am so thankful I didn’t know what I didn’t know! In retrospect, this is one of them. It hit me, as I was going through all my school negatives, if I had know then how bad I was I don’t know that I would have kept trying and moving forward. Instead, with complete blinders on, I pushed on, persevered and grew. Boy did I grow!

Cherry Blossoms Festival – Better Late Than Never…

Jennie — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:52:18 +0000

Year after year, it never failed. We would be sitting in our kitchen, stilled bundled in winter clothing and across the tv screen would come images of beautiful, sunny weather – flowers and trees in full bloom – spring shouting out its arrival. We’d look at each in wonder. Where the heck is that and how can we get there!?! That, my friends, was the yearly DC Cherry Blossom news headliner. Spring was no where to be found in Connecticut, in fact, it would be weeks and weeks until we’d get catch even a glimmer of it!

I always promised myself, one day, one day I’m going to actually see those dang cherry blossoms! A flurry of texts between friends and a date was set and then reset (because you know how it is when you try to get more than two in the same room). I hadn’t been to DC since my 8th grade trip way back when (a fact I may have mentioned more than once on the day we were there….) so I was a little more than excited for this day trip!

We had been promised sunny, warm weather for the day. That morning brought grey clouds and cold damp weather. Undeterred, we met at the New Carrollton Station and took the Metro in to the Smithsonian stop. As we exited on to the mall, immediately to our left were two protesters – two! – and walking by a Park Ranger. We flagged the Park Ranger down and asked him the best way to the blossoms (because, yeah, we had tourist written all over us!). He informed us that we were about a week to late, most of the petals were on the ground now. All these years and I still missed it!!

We wandered our way past the Washington Memorial and down to the basin. Most of the trees were definitely past their prime but there was one tree that completely made the trip worth it! This tree was in lush full bloom and gorgeous! Now I totally have to see them when they are all in their full glory!

We had a fabulous day – two girls lazily wandering around DC, covering all topics of discussion along the way – what could be better than that!?!

Umm… There’s a Deer in Your Closet!?!

Jennie — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:39:53 +0000

Taxidermy – the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display (e.g. as hunting trophies) or for other sources of study.

When I moved to Maryland I had no idea that I would quickly become exposed to the finer art of taxidermy. Quickly, as in, spend three seconds on the Eastern Shore and you will find that animal parts and pieces adorn many a room and wall in the community. The size and finer points of racks are discussed and some are described as being record breaking. (I have no idea where the records for this are kept but I am assured that this is serious business.)

I now understand the strange look I got from a Maryland man while on a date when I still lived in CT. We were in the P.T. Barnum Museum in Bridgeport and somehow the subject of his brother keeping a dead raccoon in their freezer for six months before he brought it to a taxidermist came up. Say what!??! (and yes I already know I’ve been on some highly unusual dates – that is not the topic of discussion here!!) I think I blurted out “Ew! Stuffed dead animals are creepy!!” And the look he gave me – head tilted, quizzical, like I was from a completely different planet – I’ll never forget. And now, now I understand. According to Maryland standards, yes, I do come from another planet!

I like to believe I am adaptable and quickly getting use to the idea of dead animals as wall art, but still there is an exception to all things. A friend of mine was showing me around her house and she opened a closet door for me to see the space. Imagine my surprised when I looked in and there staring back at me was a deer head hanging on the wall. Honestly it was one of the funniest things I ever saw – I laughed so hard I think I cried! I know for sure I said “We don’t do THAT in CT!!”

So one night I’m down at her house. I’ve got my cameras and lighting from another shoot and I decided I had to photograph the deer in the closet. I mean really – how could you pass that up?? As I’m in the middle of contorting myself trying to get lights and myself in this closet looking for the right angle, any angle, my friend walks by and says “You know you’re not right in the head”. To which I answered “umm hmmm” all the while thinking “But I’m NOT the one with a deer head hanging in my closet!!”

Kicking the Fever – Cabin Fever That Is!

Jennie — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:45:23 +0000

“I don’t care what the back of the can says – there is no way a large can of Reddi Wip holds 80 servings!!”

“Maybe, possibly a slight bit bored. Is it wrong that I’m thinking of going outside and giving my new snowman friend a reddi wip hairdo??”

“ANNND I’m still bored…. Who wants to amuse me??”

Now if you’re a friend of mine on Facebook (and really now, why wouldn’t you be!?!) you would recognize the above quotes as some of my more recent status updates. Um, yeah… I was basically climbing the walls!! My friend Hillel finally took pity on me and invited me to go with him on his next flying lesson. Can you say “Boo Yah!!” I’ve been interested in learning to fly for years. There is something magical and daring about being up in the air in a tiny little plane. There was no way I was going to let this invitation pass me by!

I pulled into the main entrance of Martin State Airport in Middle River, MD and quickly found the Phoenix Aviation sign. Hillel was there waiting for me. We entered the office, I met the owner and then we headed to the small private hangers in the back. Hillel did the flight pre-check and pulled the plane out of the hanger while I was madly snapping away. Shortly we were joined by Bruce Hollen, an instructor with Phoenix Aviation. We all settled in to the tiny little compartment and away we went!

Up and over the Chesapeake Bay, along the Bay Bridge, over Kent Island we went and then briefly touched down in Ridgely before heading back for home again. Sitting in back, I was only able to hear about a 1/3 of the conversation going on up front. My headset kept blanking out; which may not have been a bad thing! Sitting in silence, looking at the beauty below me and letting my thoughts wander it struck me what an incredible life I live, that I have been blessed with many incredible experiences. I also realized that the majority of these experiences come to be because of the amazing people I’ve met along the way and am now lucky enough to call friend! Thank you Hillel!!

Now a few images and a video from up above. Think my Kent Island friends should recognize many of these landmarks!

We Don’t Do THAT in Connecticut!! (A CT Girl’s Love for Kent Island)

Jennie — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:53:02 +0000

Take a look at the image up above. Old Lyme, CT is on the left and Kent Island, MD is on the right. Now as you can see, there are many, many miles between the two. Still, you wouldn’t think they would be that different – both small communities surrounded by water, boating and an influx of crazy outsiders known as summer people between the months of June and August. But oooh, you would be so wrong!

Apparently, the most oft heard phrase coming out of my mouth for the last 6 months or so is “We don’t do THAT in Connecticut!!” You would think I moved to another country or planet and not just down the eastern seaboard. A few months ago I asked, what I thought, a very basic question “When does hunting season start?” The reply I got went something like this: “Well, let’s see… I think this week is cross bow for deer, rat poison for chickens and steel traps for mice. Next week is definitely shotgun for deer.” Say what!??! Ok I exaggerated slightly – but not much!

Truthfully, I love the differences. I want to share my observations and love for this unique little island. So, with that in mind I’m starting a new series all about Kent Island. I couldn’t decide between “We Don’t Do THAT in CT” and “A CT Girl’s Love for Kent Island”. In the end I went with both. There is now an overall category called “Kent Island” which has the subcategories “Kent Island Love” and “We Don’t Do THAT in CT!” Can’t wait to start sharing!

P and C’s, P and C’s…

Jennie — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:31:46 +0000

Every January, like clockwork, it begins. He starts pacing around the house muttering under his breath – P and C’s, P and C’s. Soon afterwards you can find him throwing phantom curve and knuckle balls from his lazy-boy. My Dad is a huge baseball fan – Red Sox to be exact. What exactly does the P and C’s he’s muttering about stand for? It’s his shortened, bring spring on, mantra for Pitchers and Catchers – the day that the MLB Pitchers and Catchers can first report for spring training. This year it’s February 14th.

I attract baseball fans in my life like gum to perfectly white sneakers. I don’t go looking for them, but there they are in my life. Briefly, last year, I was seeing a man who is a huge Mets fan. Had he been a Yankees fan he wouldn’t have gotten a second date. My Daddy taught me well!! My good friend Mary’s happy place is Camden Yards. This woman LOVES baseball and her Orioles. I swear she owns more orange clothing than anyone I know! It was Mary who made it possible for me to see my beloved Red Sox again – this time in Camden Yards and several other games last season. The ball in the images above are from a first date last summer. What did we do? Drove across 3 states to watch him play baseball with his brother! I told you! Baseball fans just find me!!

Actually, I love baseball. I love being in the park; being part of the crowd and watching the game. I have so many memories attached to baseball: my first live game at Shea Stadium, the annual family excursions to Fenway and the huge Citgo sign, the years and years of hope and utter despair of being a Red Sox fan, my nephew Cooper being born the same week of “The Ultimate Pennant Race” between the Red Sox and Yankees, catching a game at Camden Yards with a 19 year old wounded solider and it goes on and on. All of the baseball fans in my life (Dad, Mary, Tom, Paul, Katie, Noah…) inspired this series. Now if I somehow manage to marry a left handed pitcher, all of my Dad’s baseball dreams will be realized..

The Year of Flow – 2011

Jennie — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 03:22:58 +0000

Flow – to move or progress freely as if in a stream.

Flow. Relax, sit back and flow. Over and over again this thought has been popping up in my head these past few weeks. I have a bad habit of not acknowledging all that I have done or the steps that I have taken in my life. In the last few years I’ve put aside some time to take a moment and look back at where I was exactly a year ago. When I sit back and really look at 2010 I can see and appreciate all the amazing changes that happened in 12 months!

This time last year I was living in Connecticut. Moving to Maryland was a still a hope and a dream. I didn’t know if it would happen. I just knew that it was the direction in which I was moving. The big trend I noticed this year was if I put out into the world the direction I wanted to go in, sat back and let timing and circumstances take their natural course, things worked better than I could have ever imagined. Often times quicker too. The things that I so so wanted, pushed for, tried to rush and make happen in my time frame failed miserably! Deep wanting and pushing starts to swim in the waters of desperation. Nobody and no thing wants to swim in those waters for fear it might take them down too.

It’s not a new lesson but one that I think I’ve finally learned and now will be putting into practice in 2011. I will have a direction, know where I want to go, who I want to be etc.. I’ll put it out into the world – talk to people about it, keep it in my mind, blog and journal about it. And then, sit back and be open to the opportunities that come. Be prepared for things to go not exactly as I had planned, for there to be a twist or two and realize that I am actually receiving what I asked for just maybe not in the package I thought it would come.

I took this image last night standing on the top of a parking garage surrounded by friends. Last year I wrote in my journal the image of the life I wanted to live. It included being surrounded by friends – friends I consider family. Last night I found myself there. It was more and different than I had imagined but exactly what my heart had wanted all those months ago. These friendships just sort of evolved over time by saying yes to opportunities and in their own way. Exactly as they were meant to.

I think subconsciously my brain has been mulling this over for weeks. I literally have had an image of the word FLOW (all capitals, big and bold!) pop up in my head randomly all December. So it’s not surprising that my reflections and lessons from 2010 brought this to the forefront! In 2011 I will flow. I will relax, sit back and flow.

Defining 2010: 3 Little Words – revisited

Jennie — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:03:51 +0000

Last year, at the end of December (December 30th to be exact), I shared 3 Little Words that I had chosen to Define 2010. They were: sleek, ownership and remarkable. Out of curiosity I reread the post a few days ago. I wanted to read my definitions and see if I had accomplished or met my goals.

This past year has been one of big changes – from selling my Gram’s house (which I was care taking) to taking a leap of faith and moving to Maryland. They definitely weren’t factored in when I chose my words to lead me through 2010! I think I did well on one – sleek. I still bum around the house in my yoga pants/fleece and if you happen to catch me on my morning 7-11 run to pick up my daily caffeine fix I most decidedly am not looking sleek! I have however been successful in other ways. When I go out I am dress neatly and surprisingly in bolder colors – blue and tan having been my staple for years. More surprisingly, I wear heels and makeup 9 out of the 10 times I leave the house. And in November, I actually broke down and bought a new wardrobe of clothes! Score one for me!

On to ownership. I’m having a hard time deciding how I did on this. In my definition I focused on it in a work kind of way – ownership of my skills and promoting them. With all the changes and move, Lil Blu Dragonfly, in many ways, was put into a holding pattern. Maintaining the status quo if you will. I needed to get my footing underneath me before I could make the changes I wanted to in my work. Not knowing where I was physically going to live made it difficult to decide on how to move forward workwise! But, if I take a personal view, I think I have done well. I am coming to an age where I am comfortable in my skin – reaching an acceptance and self knowledge of who I really am. I have taken ownership of my sense of self and am very, very happy with where I find myself.

Lastly, remarkable. Most of my close friends would say I have been and always will be remarkable. That I am little quirky and walk the unbeaten path. I once had a recruiter tell me I was quite the free spirit. In taking ownership of self I have, if any thing, become more remarkable. While this wasn’t what I set out to do in 2010 – again I was focusing on work – I’m ok with that. I like being me, even if it means others find me a little quirky and thankfully my friends find it delightful!

In retrospect, I believed I fulfilled what I set out to do. It just wasn’t in the area of my life that I had expected. Defining the words, setting down my expectations and revisiting them has been a fun exercise. However I think I work better in themes. The theme for 2008 was “play” and 2009 was “be bold”. I won’t be defining any words for 2011 but I do have a theme in mind (The UnKitchen Diva has one too!). I know you’re all holding your breath with anticipation but you’ll just have to wait until tomorrow!

A Pounamu, Dreams and Changes

Jennie — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 16:36:58 +0000

Three years ago today, I was on a plane jetting back to New Zealand for a three week visit. I had made my host sister, Elise, a deal. Pay for my airfare and I will photograph your wedding. Much to my surprise, I found myself on a plane on Christmas morning going to the one place on earth I most needed to be.

You see three years ago I was going through a very rough patch – I refer to it as my early mid-life crisis… In four weeks not only did I moved back to my home town but also back into my parents home, put my business on hold, said good-bye to someone I cared very much about and to top it off sold my car. As I said to my Dad, “I hope life doesn’t ask anymore from me right now. I have nothing left to give!” But life can be funny, wild and weird. When I was feeling like so much had been taken away here it was providing me with what I most needed in that moment. I was going home.

Home. Twenty-two years ago I found home. I was an exchange student to New Zealand. That year formed and made an impression on me in so many ways. I have never found another place on earth where walking, moving and living has made me feel so complete. In fact, on my last trip back almost all my friends and family asked me “When are you finally going to move home?” I so wanted to right then and there but there was also a part of me that knew I hadn’t finished whatever it was I had to do back in the States. It wasn’t time for me to move home yet.

What has this got to do with a poumamu, dreams and changes? I had a bone carving from a previous trip. It was carved in the shape of the infinity symbol. This shape symbolized paths crossed, no beginning no end and eternal friendship. I had worn it on my first date with the man that 4 weeks before my trip I said good bye to. It’s a Maori tradition to pass a carving/poumanu on – from warm body to warm body. I already knew when I got back from this trip I was going to gift him with this carving. I also knew I wanted to replace it with a new one. I just didn’t know how or when that would happen.

About a week into my trip I found myself in Wellington on a side street. I was walking away from this row of shops when I was suddenly drawn to a small shop and directly in front of a cabinet full of pounamus and the one that was meant to be mine. I knew at first glance that this was my replacement. It was carved in the shape of a fern uncoiling which symbolizes new beginnings. How apropos. My whole life was in flux and the ground work for a new beginning was being laid down in that exact moment.

The moment I put it on I knew two things. That I would wear this until it was time to take it off. That intuitively I would know when the time was. The second was that it was never really mine. That I was just keeping it warm for my daughter. Now mind you, I didn’t have a daughter then, nor do I now, but I still believe that at some point in my life I will be passing this on to a daughter.

I have not taken my pounamu off for the last three years. I slept, showered, swam… lived life with it as a part of me. In the three years of non stop change that followed it was a constant. Then 2 weeks ago I had a dream. I dreamt I was wearing my pounamu and the cross my mother had given me for confirmation. In the dream, I found the pounamu right away, but searched and searched for my cross watching it slip down a drain and then suddenly finding it again. I woke up bewildered. My cross has sat in my jewelry box for close to 20 years. I think the last time I wore it was back in college. That morning I was on a mission – find my cross and wear it. I knew when I woke up that morning that it was time to take my pounamu off. The moment had arrived.

In a compartment of a jewelry box my host mother had given me was my cross. I put it on and for a few hours that day wore both my poumanu and my cross. My plans for the day consisted of a trip out to Kent Island. A place, that since the moment I moved to Maryland, seems to be calling me. Earlier in the day I hadn’t been ready to take my pounamu off but half way through the drive I knew, it was ok – I could now take it off. The ironic, wild, funny part of this all. This was the same day I told a friend he was right I belonged on Kent Island and a few hours later an opportunity to make it happen presented itself!

So now I find myself with one more big change in my future. In the next few months I’ll be moving to Kent Island. I won’t deny I have some anxiety about it and definitely wasn’t looking to make another big move within twelve months of my last one! But when I search down in my gut I know I’m suppose to be on Kent Island. That everything over the last three years has been leading me to here. That it was time to take my pounamu off because the time of new beginnings and change was coming to an end. So yes life is funny, wild and weird but most of all it’s a journey. A journey that I’m most interested in seeing where it takes me!