Week 16: My Second Chance (Member Photos)
This week was all about second chances. If we had an idea for one of the past 15 weeks that didn't work out the way we hoped, or if we just ran out of time, we could do it this week. If we missed any of the weeks, now was our chance to catch up. Some members took the theme literally and represented an actual second chance in their photos. That is the beauty of art, in can be interpreted in so many different ways. This group's members are full of creativity and never seem to run out of ideas. Time... yes. Ideas... never!
Lynette Davis - Second Chances l Silly Me l Childhood Me |Unique Me | Word to Describe Me - {Living}. {lcdavisphotography.com}Ok so that's a lot to cover right?! My childhood was filled with music. Give me a wooden spoon or hairbrush and I could put on a One Girl Show. It really didn't matter what the song was - I could belt out Killing Me Softly or "rap" to the Devil Went Down to Georgia at the drop of a hat. I was unique that way - I had preferences, but all I really need was a beat. This was in my head for both Childhood Me and Silly Me. The irony of life - I.Cannot.Sing. At.All. How hysterical is that? I am the only non-musical person in my family. LOL. My week was ridiculously long and I honestly thought, "Dang it! I am going to miss another week." But then Thursday happened. Thursday I lost a part of my music loving heart. Prince was always my perfect package - guitar, piano, drums, bass etc. He is in almost all of my playlists - the happy, sad, thinking, leave me alone, dance off. . . He belonged to my teenage years (Controversy, 1999, Purple Rain); My college years (Adore, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Raspberry Beret). I am forever grateful to my siblings for pulling together the money for The Hits/The B-Sides and giving it to me for my birthday while I was in Law school. He sang to me during his 2004 Musicology tour (yes, I am pretty positive the Beautiful Ones was directed at me and only me that night) which was the first time I left my baby to do something for just me since his birth the year before. And lately, I have been introducing his guitar riffs to my tween musician. I am pretty sure my heart stopped when I saw the breaking news banner. You see, I live in Atlanta. I made the decision not to go to the concert because I got Adele tickets and I am going to a photography conference in Seattle. So it was decided that we would go see Prince the next time he was in town. I will not get a {second chance} to see him and that makes me incredibly sad. But here's the thing, I think Prince would say, "Learn something." I will not continue to put off for tomorrow what I can do today. It's not a cliche if I can make it work for me. Please accept my apology for this awfully long post. I am back to getting things done, because regret is a word I really want to let go. Here's me singing, "HARDROCKLOVER". Taken with the lensbaby, sweet 35 #prince
Emily Ingalls - Second Chance | Uniquely MeAt age 10, I broke the growth plate in my ankle while dismounting off a balance beam. The injury was devastating and ended my gymnastics dreams. It took me a while to recover physically. After recovery, I didn't know what to do. I always played a sport and really wanted to play again. After thinking hard, I chose to go into the martial arts of Tae Kwon Do. My mom was less than thrilled because it wasn't girly, but she supported my decision.After 4 years of hard work and dedication, I earned my 1st degree black belt, 2 years later, I earned my 2nd second black belt.Then came college, a husband, and children. I took a 14 year hiatus from a sport I loved. When I put my kids into it last summer, I wasn't expecting to join again. My husband knew I wanted to, so he signed me up (unbeknownst to me) for my birthday.And I couldn't be happier. The sport was such a huge part of my life and continues to be to this day. I can't describe how much I enjoy it. And now in August, I'll be testing for my 3rd degree black belt.I'm a fighter by nature. I'm stubborn and don't' give up, but it has driven me to great things. The fighter in me doesn't allow me to fully quit even when I'm at my lowest. I always go back and finish what I started. It's me by nature, but was nurtured and honed by the sport I Iove and continue to be active in. Uniquely Me: I'm a Fighter. www.emilyingallsphotography.com
MacKenzie Gilliam - Second chance - Emotional me This is my last baby, the last time I will ever have a fresh little babe. For the past 7 years, I've raised and made new life. I went through the cycle. Pregnancy, infant, toddler, 2. New baby. So on so forth. This is the last cycle. After this, I will be continuing with them as a mom of only 4. Everyone is growing older now. It makes me sad, because I don't know how to just be ME. I know how to be MOM. Not having anymore children makes me feel very lost. I don't even know what to do with myself, but here is to figuring it out. Mackenzie Gilliam Photography
Cai Vail - Second Chance /// Words To Describe MeI missed a few weeks recently but knew I wasn’t going to be able to shoot enough to cover them all this week, so I chose “Words to Describe Me” because I had had an idea for that week and was still inspired to try it. I only chose one word, Adaptable, because it describes a lot about me both in my positive aspects and some negative aspects as well. At age 11, a number of changes were suddenly thrust upon my family and I; my grandparents died, my father lost his business, we lost our house and had to declare bankruptcy, and my parents divorced, leaving my mother and I (I’m an only child) to share a bedroom in my grandparents house in another state. What followed was a seemingly endless rotation of rented homes, none of which ever felt like ‘home’, and the realization that I couldn’t really rely on my parents to take care of me, because at the time, they couldn’t take care of themselves. I learned how to adapt quickly. Never get too close to anyone or too tied to anything because the unsteady foundation beneath my feet could crumble at any time, time to pack up again, start all over again. I became very skilled at adapting quickly, learning new jobs quickly, being able to talk to anyone no matter their background, age, or opinions. When faced with a big transition, challenge, or upheaval, I feel confident that I can make it out the other side, and adapt quickly to a new situation. On the flip side, I often feel like I lose myself in the process, wanting to blend in or fit my personality to that of others. And because everything feels so transitory, I have a hard time trusting that I can really hold on to, or commit myself fully, to something. It’s hard at times to differentiate if I’m fitting in or disappearing into a new environment.
Diana Sherblom - 2nd Chance | Me in Motion | Now You See Me Now You Don't
Briar Marie - Uniquely Me I asked my kids what was different about me. My oldest said: Your name is Briar!! Yep, that IS pretty unique. I love my name, but it's definitely a defining part of my life. I spent the 13 years of school life correcting every teacher on the first day and every substitute I ever met. I still correct every new doctor and every phone call. Sometimes, when they can see I'm a girl, I get Blair. When they're just reading my name off a list, it's always Brian. As a kid, it's super embarrassing. As a teen, it's exhausting. As an adult, it's amusing. The mis-speaker is embarrassed, and as an adult, I know I don't need to be. heart emoticon When people hear my name I get all kinds of reactions to it. Some exclaim how pretty it is. Some give an awkward pause and then say something like "oh, that's different". One (adult) girl laughed out loud and said "Wow, I thought my parents were mean!" So my name has definitely shaped me. I have a thicker skin. I am able to find amusement in something that could cause me discomfort. And I love that it's unique. It's tempting to always try to fit in, so it's nice to have something different to set me apart even when I want to shrivel into the crowd. It keeps me real. It keeps me ME.As for the rest of the image... Cheering for the Lions is pretty unique. Especially in Minnesota. wink emoticon But they're my home and I don't give up on them. And I think most of life is hilarious. I'm able to find the funny in everything from the ironic to the awkward to the inappropriate. Here I'm laughing at myself because I was wedged between the legs of my tripod, leaning on my elbows, trying to look up and not block the blocks, press the timer, tuck it away, and then look anything close to "not constipated". It wasn't working. So I laughed.
Jenny Parker - Emotional Me/ Some days, I am just sad. I just want to be alone, not spoken to, not even acknowledged. I see how beautiful it is outside, and I want to be out in it, taking in the people and the beauty, but I cannot do it.
Adriana Meixner - Second Chance (Restful ME)Somewhere in the last 2-3 weeks we turned a corner in my house and our toddler and preschooler finally started sleeping better at night, which has translated to more restful nights for my husband and I. This has made a world of difference as the fog has lifted and we no longer walk around the house like zombies drinking coffee pot after coffee pot. Now you may actually find me having a quiet moment on the sofa, lost in my thoughts as the kids entertain themselves by coloring or playing together. I've missed this quiet, meditative time so much in the last few years and I'm happy to say this is the new restful ME.www.adrianameixner.com
Sara Lowing-Wright - Second Chance This photo represents me and my relationship with light. My second chance is taking on this next phase of photography with a true understanding of the importance that light plays into the art. When I first started this hobby a couple years ago, I read about light and knew it was important, but I didn't understand it fully. I was so consumed with camera settings, composition, and keeping my subjects engaged; that light was just something I hoped was falling where it needed. Now that I have some confidence with the basics of photography I am fully committed to playing with light and letting it bathe my subjects; to bring out that magic that we all strive to achieve. This photo was taken in my hallway. The evening light comes through my kids' bedroom window and shines on a small area in my dark hallway. I have started utilizing that light for some directional light shots. As I was cleaning yesterday, I looked up and there was my silhouette. The light was discovered in a new way!
Kortney Fox - Oh ladies what a hard time I had trying to capture something this week. Plus what I wanted to achieve I do not have enough PS knowledge to pull off! So ironically I would like a second chance on my second chance (I guess that would be a third chance lol)...definitely would like to revisit again. There were images from previous themes that I definitely wanted to redo but with every "replacement" image I just was not happy. I guess I have too much on my brain this week...So, as I pondered about my images, my mind drifted off to photography as a whole. Photography has given me a second chance to be happy and do what I LOVE. Though I am only a fledgling now, "My Dreams" are becoming true. I will grow beautiful wings. The "New ME" will then spread those wings and sore. The "Emotional ME" is freaking out a little as this dream is becoming a reality.
