"I reject your reality...

and substitute my own.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

I was reminded of his quote today by a friend at the stables.  It is from Adam Savage on Mythbusters.

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Stop to think about that sentence for a moment.  I did.

At the time the reference was made, my friend was sitting on a young horse and I was sitting quietly on Arvo as emotional support.  His young horse was working through a bit of anxiety over the changes in the elements.  The wind was blowing a warm, yet strong, breeze; this young mare was highly tuned to the changes around her. Meanwhile, the three of us sat, smiling and enjoying the breeze, waiting for her to just relax back into the moment with us.  My friend did not take on her anxiety, did not amplify her nervousness by over compensating for her restless movements, he merely sat relaxed in the saddle and smiled- then said, "I reject your reality and substitute my own".

As he said that sentence, I had one of those "ah ha" moments.  That was exactly what it is about.

In a society that is so fiercely driven by individualism, work ethic, personal determination, and success against all odds- it becomes ever challenging to reject the idea of walking in the grass next to the path most are traveling.  The idea of  of plugging into the education system (switch conveyor belts) straight into the corporate system allows for such ideologies commonly represented as the white picket fence with the 2 car garage, health insurance, 401K, and a 40 hour work week dominate the long term goals of said individuals.

How does this relate to photography?  "I reject your reality and substitute my own".

I reject the embedded idea that human beings plug into the system for the security that the above mentioned lifestyle affords.  I am not rejecting working in the corporate world, mind you, but rather that it is too easy to allow the work to become work simply for the sake the the means.

We all want security.  We all need passion. We all crave inspiration.

I reject the idea that I may subjugate myself into working in a corporate environment to be more financially comfortable at the end of the month.  I substitute my willingness to be uncomfortable from time to time while embracing the knowledge that if I work hard enough, stay inspired, and learn from our inherent fear of success- that my reality will always be worth it.

I reject standardized work hours and understand that I may double your 40-hour work weeks to manifest my reality.

I reject the idea that any amount of security is worth a lack of inspiration in your life, job, or career.

I substitute that if I allow the flow of inspiration to merge with an awareness to manifest my personal goals and the flexibility to walk, run, and pause where needed- the "security" will follow suit.

I see this theory reflecting truth from the growth of my photography company.  That is my reality.

Yesterday, I witnessed a long standing goal of mine suddenly become a tangible reality as I unlocked the photo studio yesterday.  I sat for a quiet moment and thought about how much work, time, fear, challenges, growth, learning curves, technical purchases, new information and continued inspiration the last few years have afforded me... I smiled.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

NEW CO-OP STUDIO (the beginnings)!!!!!!

What's even better than being a photographer passionate about her job?

A group of passionate photographers getting together to start a co-op photography studio in North Salt Lake City, Utah- that's what!!

Yes, you read that correctly!  I am so excited to have officially signed on board to be a part of this venture.  The co-op studio is just in the beginning stages of formulation and in my hand I hold a key to the studio.  Well, the key is on my key chain currently- I found it difficult to grasp the key in the palm of my hands and type at the same time.  I'm sure with practice...  nevermind, I digress...

Anyway, we have a group of approximately 6 local Utah-based photographers that have come together to create a co-operative venture.  We will be plotting build-outs, gear usage, time management, and general fun shenanigans learning from each other.  Personally, I look forward to each individual photographer sharing their knowledge (and occasionally a frothy brew) while swapping stories.  I hope that we can cross paths the the Utah County Co-op to gather ideas and suggestions to help us bring together a studio that will resemble their success!

While we are all excited to hit the ground running with this venture, here are a few pictures I snapped of what it looks like currently.  These are the quickly shot "before" pictures!  (Do I need to say they are unedited??)  While we are planning on some pretty cool set-ups for the space, I wanted to make sure other local photogs know that we are also discussing being set-up to rent out the space hourly.  If you are interested in finding out more information about renting the studio, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us!!  In the meantime, here is what we are walking into:

PS- there will be a mini fridge.

You better believe I am booking this time out quickly!  Get in touch asap if you want to be part of the initial rush of in-studio sessions!  :D

Let's do this!!   {cue music for impending world domination}

Mehendi (Henna) Celebration!!

It is not often that I am a loss for words... my friends and associates can attest to that.  In this instance, I am having the opposite problem; I am brimming with enthusiasm for the last couple of days and the amazing imagery that has come out of them!

I have had the honor to shoot a traditional Hindu Wedding Ceremony here in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The entire experience has been inspiring beyond words and it is because of my overwhelming feeling of amazement that I am struggling to poetically depict the last few days.  In an attempt to explain all of the events in a somewhat coherent manner without resorting to blushing adjectives and near stream-of-consciousness babbling about colored fabric, I will start simply with the Mehendi Celebration.

What is a Mehendi Celebration??  It is also called a Henna Party.  I will not go into a detailed description of this celebration, so if you would like to know a little bit more about the celebration here is a website to get you started:

http://weddings.iloveindia.com/indian-weddings/pre-wedding-functions/mehendi-celebration.html

Obviously, this is a quick overview, but the above link has (hopefully) given you a short idea of the importance and ritualistic nature of what I was witness to.  Please don't hesitate to do more research on this subject!

While you are researching this amazing experience, I would like to express my appreciation for being asked to photograph this beautiful bride's day!  Without further ado, here are a few pictures from the Mehendi Celebration!!

As you can tell, I even had a difficult time choosing just a few photos to post here!!  What a great problem to have!  If you would like to see more photographs from this celebration, please visit my website here:

http://www.synergyimpressions.com/Weddings/Courtney-Mehndi-Party/17547682_RKZwHg#1335792264_2zgkh9R

Feel free to comment!