*Insert Narcissism*

I love self portraits. 

There I said it! 

I love them! 

Call me narcissistic, if you want 

but 

I think there is something to be said about the ability to document yourself 

and everything that comes with that. 

I love being able to document myself, 

my emotions, 

my changes, 

and more importantly, 

my journey. 

Everyone has a story. 

Everyone should tell their story. 

Most people choose to use their words, 

but I like to use photographs, 

my art,

my images,

to tell my story.

Here are some recent self portraits,

Take a look at them.   

I'm not going to say anything about them,

because I think they should speak for themselves.

Enjoy! :) 

"The time will come 

when, with elation 

you will greet yourself arriving 

at your own door, in your own mirror 

and each will smile at the other's welcome, 

and say, sit here. Eat. 

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart 

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you 

all your life, whom you ignored 

for another, who knows you by heart. 

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, 

the photographs, the desperate notes, 

peel your own image from the mirror. 

Sit. Feast on your life."

~Love After Love, Derek Walcott

The Earth Has Music....

"The Earth has music for those who choose to listen." ~George Santayana

The Earth has music for those who choose to listen! 

Tis' true

so very, very true.

The earth truly does have music, you just have to take the time to listen. 

That is why photographing the nature on this amazingly beautiful earth is my absolute favorite. 

I love stopping to admire...

to appreciate...

to wonder...

to my mystified 

and amazed...

to notice the small things. 

The things that sometime get overlooked.

the butterfly..

the bumble bee..

The contrast..

the contrast of the greens and the dirt

of all living, dying, and dead things

of all the bright, vibrant colors.

Words can't describe how much I love it

how much I am IN love with it. 

It brings me joy. 

I love basking in the earth

and all it has to offer. 

It's sunlight

It's rain

It's wind (o.k. maybe not so much)

It's beauty

and most importantly..

it's music. 

The earth's music...

Its soft...

sweet

subtle 

but intense.

For once you have heard 

its harmonies laced together by 

the breath of the tree's

the beat of birds

the love of rains

the strength of the wind

the light of the heavens

the harmonies of thunder

the gratitude of the leaves 

and the sunsets of mars.

For it is the indescribable Orchestra 

 that you will always long to hear again.

Listen......

The earth is waiting..

waiting for you to listen...

   to hear...

to love

and to fall in love. 

Soul Light

 For a while now I have been searching for the answer to what good self esteem is and what it truly means. I recently realized that the answer has been in front of me the whole time. Its reflected back to me from everywhere- reflected back by everyone, reflected with the people I have photographed...and reflected in the mirror. It's not the "strange" perception we all have of our physical self but it's the light that shines out from the inside, the light that makes the eyes twinkle, it's what makes you...well, you! Its something so beautiful it can only be called "Soul light."

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ~ Marianna Williams

Here are some photographs from recent shoots. I am in love with them and the people and souls in them! You like?!?! 

Some Photographs...

Well, Well, Well, where did the time go???? Seriously! My new years resolution this year was to blog at least twice a month but it is now the middle of March and not a single blog post until now. Boo on me!  Anyway, I thought I would take a few minutes and post a few photographs. I really love these so I thought I would share them! Enjoy :))

Some Thoughts

Recently I have been getting a lot of messages from a lot of different photographers, the statements I hear most in these messages are:  "Wow, you are so young, that's so inspirational"  Let me just say, having photographers that are much older then I am- some that I know, some that I don't and some that I really look up to say that to me, is by far the most humbling experience of my life!  It always brings tears to my eyes when I get told something along those lines.

I just feel a statement like that is so far from the truth. Me? Inspirational? Seriously? Your joking, right? That's just so difficult for me to grasp!! I just take pictures, there's nothing special about what I do! I photograph my surrounds and the people I love, how I truly see them. Each photograph is really personal because it allows the world to see something or someone through my point of view. I'm not bringing world peace, i'm not feeding all the hungry children of the world, I'm just doing what I love. To know that someone thinks that what I make is beautiful and inspirational is such a blessing and a gift- a gift so big and great words can not even describe how much it blesses me.

I wake up everyday and feel so incredibly overwhelmed with gratuidade.  The fact that people are so willing to pour so much into my life that they will go to such great lengths because they want me to succeed is absolutely mind blowing to me. I am so incredibly grateful for it all. I will never be able to say "Thank- you" enough. 

Let me leave you with this quote. I say this quote to myself at least once a day. It really fits where I am in my life right now. I hope it speaks to you the way it did to me! 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? As we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ~ Marianne Williamson 

Take a minute to breathe and relax and be grateful for all the beauty that surrounds you.

Have a nice week, friends

~The guy behind the camera, Chase :)