Caged by a cacoon of habit

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is the right to change. Shedding the old skin of undesirable thoughts is as beautifying to our spirits as any facial is to our physical glow.  Do we choose safety in  doing the same old same old, thinking thoughts that stifle us, or do we prepare to become different, better than we are? We should join the trees as they shed their leaves getting ready for the next year of green productivity, a necessity for the world if it is to remain a healthy place for us to live. What I wonder is, how do I want to change me into a better person, or can I change me? God is good and loves and accepts us like no other can! I’m going to rest in that thought!I give Him permission to work at me, mold and make me.

“DREAM” is the WORD

Don’t forget to DREAM!

Livin’ the DREAM

Caught in a DREAM

Bad Dream

Dreeeeam… Dream,Dream,Dream

California DREAMIN’

Dreaming of the one I love.

Interpret your Dreams?

Follow your Dreams

Dare to DREAM

Daydreamer

I have a Dream….

Just DREAM!

The Mexican Hat Dance

    When I was about 7 yrs. old I was in a recital dance called The Mexican Hat Dance. I danced the boy part and my best childhood dancer friend, Wendy, danced the girl role.

     Our costumes were stunning, black shiny taffeta boleros and pants and big mexicano hats with fuzzy balls, (this will be important later on) dangling from the edge of the large circular brim for the gringos. The senoritas had colorful ruffled skirts and tops.

     We, Wendy and I,  were the leaders.  We were supposed to be the best in the class so we earned the postion of leaders. All the other dancers were supposed to follow us. The dance consisted of heel step steps that took us back and forth, changing sides over and over. All the boys were on the right at the same time and then we would all be on the left. We practiced for weeks baack and forth. Then the night of the show came. It was our turn and we began dancing, dancing our little hearts out. Toward the end of the piece, Wendy and I looked up and happened to notice that all the other dancers were on the wrong side, but how could they all be wrong?

    Well, this sparked a very lively discussion between my good friend and I. Right there and then we were going to get to the bottom of the discression. In the heat of the moment, the little balls on my hat never stopped dancing, bingity bongity bing while I shook my head no,no,no. All over they went as the hat bounced around. We looked out into the faces of the crowd and you would have thought we were great comedians. The audience loved it. They laughed and laughed. We were the hit of the show. Not exactly the kind of success that we dreamed of but regardless, it was entertainment.

    Wendy and I spent a good deal of time after that, vieing for the same solo roles, taking dance, laughing, playing, being good friends and to this day, she and I can remember exactly how that moment felt. As the Arabian Proverb says, a friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keeping what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.

• Thanks for the memories.

To be in my skin. I like!!!

         Every morning when I wake up, I go thru the navigation of who I want to be that very day, I procede into my storehouse of clothing (my walk in closet), tossing up into the air: pants, shoes, clothes of all kinds, left and right, trying them on only to see images that I don’t like. Then the juxtaposition of the next outfit appears from the mirror into my mind. It draws me to think positive thoughts about myself, and causes at times a cyclone of activity all around me. (Certainly causing me extra work when the clean up from this extravaganza passes). Do I want on this day to look like the professional with fitted suit that induces people into a need to treat me with respect, or how about the edgey artist look, you know, all black, still fitted but sharp, strong lines that have an ere of rebelliousness causing peaps to be a little standoff-ish, or maybe the artist gone playful with color and textures, soft materials that allow my real person’s shape to show and make others think that somewhere along the line, I’d lost my marbles, cause nobody in their right mind would wear that many colors together at one time. Still the choices are innumerable, running the gammut of all the sterotypes of people in the world, but the main thing is that there are choices! Nothing is worse than that feeling of having no options. So I do it, present the canvas of flesh, adorning it with all the manifestations of character, flawed or perfect, thru visual stimuli, have painted the picture of myself for the day. Like it or not, I’m ME! Woo hoo      Choose with care your photographer. You need to be You.

Alone

Image by Melinda      Quote by Blaise Pascal

SOLITUDE

Image by Melinda      Quote by May Sarton

SILENCE

Image by Melinda    Quote by Marian Wright Edelman

The Family Photographer, Thanks for the Memories

Your life, is busy making memories, the only thing you really own. Those thoughts live vividly in your mind. But a photographer can help you keep them where they can be shared with others. Photographic images can preserve those special events. Family and friend gatherings, children being born and growing up, and much more can be captured in still shots. A photographer works to create ways in which the richness of your life can be remembered always. Passed down to your children, their children, and to the generations to come, the memories that you have owned now become theirs, too. This composite of images shows how one young family contracted the use of a photographer, me, to record parts of their lives. Weddings, engagement, pregnancy, birth and more are all photo opportunities.   For a more complete look at my portfolio, take a look at Frantzfoto.com   .

A Beach Wedding, Choosing your photographer

Choose your photographer based on:

 1.Friendliness. There is no way you can end up with great images of your wedding day if you are having to handle a tense, bossy, photographer. You should be able to relax and count on this professional you are paying, to make all the people at your wedding feel the specialness of this moment and most of all, you the bride and groom should be able to trust this photog to tell the story of your day.

2. Check the vision of your intended photographer. Is their way of presenting the wedding in images the same as yours. Traditional, Staged photos of the bridal party, extended family groupings, the reception moments, cake cutting, bouquet throw, traditional. Photojournalistic, Moments as they happen, quick shutter mode to capture a sense of action used in Photoshop groupings, spontaneous moments, some black and white work, capturing all the special shared emotions of the wedding and reception. Mixture of the two styles.

3. Does the photographer have the neccessary skills to finish the images in the most professional manner. Artistic eye, Photoshop skills, computer savy, printing ability?

4. Get to know the person who will be preserving the memories of  this most  wonderful day.

 Note: For a more complete portfolio, check out my website at Frantzfoto.com

 

Mysterious Pod

Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace.[Frederick  Buechner]