Honoring Veterans
I had the opportunity to go to the Field of Honor in Murrieta today. I found stories there. I’m sharing two of them with you, in honor of Veterans and active duty military personnel who give us our freedom. What I saw deeply moved me. Over 1200 large flags standing at attention in the park were blowing in the breezy morning. I read the stories, saw the names, and nearly cried over those who served our country either by valiant service or by laying down their lives.
As I turned away from the medal of honor section, my attention was drawn to one old man carefully making his way across the grass with his cane. I followed him, camera in hand, because I read the insignia on his cap: WWII Veteran.
I moved into the midst of the flags. He stopped at the edge and began to look around, as if he was looking for something or someone. He sighed and stood still for quite a while. I lifted my camera and took his picture. I caught his inner feelings to the point where I felt gulity for doing it, like I was peering into a private moment. So I wandered over to him and began a casual conversation.
Charles Smith, WWII Philippines
“It looks great, doesn’t it?” I said.
“It’s beautiful.” He looked through thick lenses at me and then again surveyed the flag-scape.
“So, you served in world war two, right? At least that’s what your cap says.”
“Yep.” He shuffled into a straighter posture. “I was in the Philippines.”
“What branch were you with?” I quietly changed my long lens out for the shorter one. I could sense another photo coming.
“Navy. I was on a carrier. You know about the dropping of the second bomb?” I nodded. “Well,” he continued, “I went over to Nagasaki right after it happened. It was horrible.” He paused and looked down at his hands. “Everything was gone. It was kind of like a junk yard.” He stopped.
“But I got out; I wanted to get married.” He smiled. “We were together only a short time… 58 years…”
“Not nearly long enough,” I said.
“Yep. Not nearly long enough. It’s been nearly six years now that she’s been gone.” He got a far off look in his eyes and focused on his hands again.
At that point, I asked him if I could take his picture. He was delighted and posed for me in front of the flags, smiling and talking about the war while mixing in the present day. It was only a few moments later that the driver of his bus came over to get him. “Time to go, Charlie,” he said. “Everyone else is on the bus.”
Charlie smiled and started shuffling towards the parking lot.
“Bye Charlie,” I said. He turned around and with one more smile, saluted not me, but the flags. My God, I thought. This is why we are free.
Medal of Honor Recipient
Private First Class David Gonzales, US Army, Company A, 127th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division
Villa Verde Trail, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 25 April, 1945
Gonzales was pinned down with his company. As enemy fire swept the area, making any movement extremely hazardous, a 500-lb bomb smashed into the company’s perimeter, burying five men in its explosion. Pfc Gonzales, without hesitation siezed an entrenching tool and under a hail of fire crawled 15 yards to his entombed comrades, where his commanding officer who had also rushed forward, was beginning to dig the men out. Nearing his goal, Gonzales saw his officer struck and instantly killed by machinegun fire.
Undismayed, he set to work swiftly and surely with his hands and the entrenching tool while enemy sniper and machinegun bullets struck all around him. He succeeded in digging out one of the men out of the pile of rock and sand. To dig faster, he stood up, not heeding the greater danger from so exposing himself.
He extricated a second man and then another. As he completed the liberation of the third, he was hit and mortally wounded, but the comrades for whom he so galantly gave his life were safely evacuated. Pfc Gonzales’ valiant and intrepid conduct exemplifies the highest tradition of the military service.
My blog today is dedicated to Bernard Dally, LtCmdr, US Navy, Ret. for 28 years of service to his country, and four years of giving me joy as my husband.
Halloween in Pink
I was asked to take pictures for a hair salon that wanted something different for Halloween. I complied and this is one of the photos from that shoot.
- A pink wig makes a striking image
Images that are fun and different make for memorable photos. These can be used in all kinds of marketing material, like brochures, business cards, coupons, web sites, and so on. A little imagination is a great thing! If you’d like to have something different, why not ask us about it? www.gentrystudio.com
At South Coast Winery
Although I love taking pictures of people (it’s my very favorite task) I also treat myself to therapuetic photography, such as these that I took at South Coast Winery during a high school senior photo shoot. To see larger files, click on http://bit.ly/fQ4vB
At the Mall
golden harley shopping
A few days ago I received an assignment from the local mall to shoot photos for an upcoming calendar and newsletter. The director’s comments to me used the words, “cozy”, “atmosphere”, “place where you want to be.” In the course of wandering around (as any good shopper would do!) I saw this motorcycle parked nosing towards one of the best restaurants in the valley. It seemed fitting to me. I crouched low enough to include all elements in the photo and then added a filter to give the photo a golden hue and misty feeling. Taking the picture at the end of a hot summer day helped with the atmospheric conditions: haze, mist from the restaurants misters, a low raking sunlight…. all the elements were there. I was just lucky enough to see it.
Here’s another photo I’ve been working on. It was taken during a maternity shoot. I really like the flow of her hair, downcast eyes and softness of the skin.
Don’t know how I got so blessed as to work on photos every day. It never seems like work, just enjoying one beautiful scenic after another. Of course there are lots of photos that never make it to the web, into an album, or on a wall. That’s because there are better ones!
Working some with high school seniors right now, a couple of weddings and personal portraits. I decided to take myself out shooting again and recently ended up in Old Town Temecula shooting that area early in the morning before other people came around. It was refreshing! If you’d like to see my favorites from that trip, please visit this link: http://www.gentrystudio.com/old_town_shoot/index.htm
Thanks! see you soon….
Slippin’ into summer
Laguna Beach Resort
I must be feeling quiet. Lately my pictures are of serene subjects and places. Like this one from a trip to Laguna Beach. I like out of the way spots and places that are not run over by crowds.
It’s getting harder and harder to find such a place in southern California, but here is one. I thought it was nice of the management to make seating available in this cooridor between two buildings. I saw no one there, not even walking by.
Some of my other favorite places include the desert and Death Valley, especially for the solitude. We all need to recharge sometimes.
We’re moving into the busy season for our industry: high school seniors, weddings, vacations, and so forth. I just got a bunch of cards made for handing out and advertising ourselves. It’s something we have to do even if we are busy, otherwise, people forget about us. It’s sad, isn’t it, that you have to constantly promote yourself otherwise you loose ground. Right now (after six years) I am just getting to the point where most people recognize my studio name in town. It’s taken a lot of work, but ya gotta do it!
Ghost Town General Store
In a hot and dusty ghost town, a few miles off the Interstate and baking in the southern California sun, I wandered into the cool darkness of the General Store. The very first thing that struck my imagination with full force was this collection of garments hanging from the rafters.
A fanciful idea settled in my mind that, since we were in a ghost town, these were the off-casts of those who lived here a hundred years ago and then were called to heaven. Only, the old fashioned undergarments were captured by some silver force and remained here, on Earth, forever, while their previous owners were free from the Earthly bounds.
The breeze caused them to flutter; someone walked by and the floor groaned. I think I would have sat down and cried if I had not had my camera with me: this was too good to pass up.
I’m sure more than one casual observer wondered what the heck I was doing, but frankly, I didn’t really care. I was–once again–transported to another place and dimension courtesy of my Canon.
Romantic Photos
I got enthusiastic about this photo shoot. The couple would work with me and were happy to have photos that were just a little bit different. I like this photo a lot, but think it looks just a little bit strained. Maybe I should have had the girl bring her head up just a little….
I was taken by her long wavy hair. I told her she had “romantic” hair, and it was true. It photographed really well.
I didn’t know she had been involved in dancing and theater, but when I asked for “more bending” she delivered. The longer we worked, the happier I got. The blues just drifted away and I forgot my problems and pain. I guess that’s why I take pictures. They loved the photos and I loved directing the shoot.
Fantasy Portraits
Wow. I love working on fantasy portraits. I don’t want to limit myself to this kind of work, but it is completely compelling and absorbing! Some of the tasks, such as researching for picture parts, is as fascinating as the compilation and artistic endeavor. Now I just need to find a market for this kind of work.
For this picture, I used a model for the original photo shoot. I did some work on making the photo look like it was cross-processed, added an ethereal filter and then went to work on the wings which came from some clip art. I found the pink/green background in another photo (but changed the colors to get what I wanted), and even flipped it upside down for the right effect. The rock wall was texturized and then all the grunge and aging was added by hand, one stroke at a time.
If you have suggestions or pictures or even subjects you’d like for me to work on, please feel free to contact me. I’m excited about finding my next “masterpiece”.
Stories of Inspiration
As the new year starts, I’m beginning a new book, this one I hope will be inspirational. However, I need your help in writing it. I’m looking for stories of courage, inspiration, answered prayers, religious awakenings, spiritual epiphanies, and the like. I want to take the stories and novelize them while remaining true to the impact and truth found in them. If you have a story you’d consider sharing, please let me know and I will send you more information. You can make a comment here, leave a message on my Facebook account, send email, visit my website: www.gentrystudio.com, or connect with me via Plaxo or Linked In. The purpose behind my request? to help us never forget how God has led us and taken care of us. Thanks! ~jann
Wedding Portraiture
I work on updating my website frequently. Once in a while I’m rewarded by finding a forgotten portrait that I haven’t used before and adding it to my portfolio. Such is the case with this wedding scene I photographed about two and a half years ago. I did some extreme cropping on it (something I didn’t think of before) and found a dramatic, powerful photo that I love.
Something else I’ve learned: There is usually one photo that becomes my favorite out of a shoot. On the other hand, sometimes I don’t like all that many–except that one. It’s such a tricky balance between pleasing my customers (most important) and pleasing myself (a serendipitous moment). But think about it: why does anyone become a full-time photographer? Because he or she is enchanted or enthralled or mesmerized by the process. Then we have to have victims–er, I mean models–to work with. And THEN, if we foolishly quit our jobs, we have to support our addiction and so we try to get people to pay us for what we do. That’s a little insider information. ….
Weddings are hard to do, but pay the best. Going to a wedding and taking pictures isn’t the end of the story. Once back to the studio, we have to process the pictures and get them ready to show the client–usually online, since we are a “green” studio (at least we’re trying). Then, we start to build the album, which is expensive. Really. Work with the couple’s choices, process any other photos ordered by their families and friends and so on. It can take months. That’s why we charge what we do. Sometimes, the money is the only reason we can work with those occasional bridezillas, or–heavens!–the MOM. Don’t get me wrong: a bridezilla only comes along once in a great while. Most of the brides we work with are the sweetest, cutest girls.
Christmas Party at Gentry Studio!
We’ve come up with a great idea for our Christmas Party this year. We’re hiring a limousine to take us, our employees and their dates from here to San Diego for dinner. Then, the limo will take us on a tour of the holiday lights around San Diego. I think this is going to be reaaaalllly fun! All I need to do now is find the right restaurant.
Here is a photo I took a couple of years ago of the San Diego skyline from a yacht in the harbor. We were hired for a wedding and after the sun went down, I got this great photo from the bow of the boat…. love the moon shining through the clouds! You can click on the photo to go to a larger photo on my website.
OH, and here’s a marketing idea for you to think about. Many of my business owner friends cannot afford to give much as gifts to their clients and/or vendors this season. So, I gave them gift certificates for a photo sitting and finished portrait that they in turn give to everyone on their mailing list. It’s a complete gift, no strings attached, nothing else to purchase by either the business owner or his or her clients. Think of the marketing exposure! And think also of the good, warm, fuzzy feelings that come from being able to help out my friends with holiday gifting ideas.
There’s only a couple of framers left in town now. Another one closed at the end of the month. That means we’re getting their clients, at least a few of them that are still spending money to decorate with hand-made frames. In many cases, though, people just aren’t spending the money. The trickle-down effect has reached us and our usually-slow January has grinded down even more. It’s a good opportunity to make marketing plans and redo the business plan in general. So, we’re spending our free time planning for a more prosperous summer. What about you?
