personal:: a note about my writing style!

something you should know about me: i cannot write anything these days without using an excessive amount of exclamation  marks!!! i feel that my excitement and happiness can not be communicated any other way!! and usually, one exclamation mark is not enough!!! there has to be multiple exclamation marks in order for to me to be satisfied that my enthusiasm has been received!!!!!!!

i think too, that the reason i use so many exclamation marks is because it is the only way i can be confident, when i write an email or some other web-communication to someone, that my intonation is received correctly. web communication can be the WORST sometimes!! i swear it is the reason for so many misunderstandings and break downs in the communication process and in relationships!!!!! when i write an email (or a blog post) i generally hear in my head a certain tone or emotion; for example, right now as i type this i hear a happy, expressive, positive, and exuberant voice!! but someone could read this completely different than i intended because they do not hear the voice inside my head! thus, i use exclamation marks (and more recently a semi-colon and bracket to create smiley face) in order to communicate the intonation of voice that i intended, thus avoiding misunderstandings!!! but of course, we all know that no matter how hard one tries, things happen and our emails, blogs or other forms of web-communication breaks down, and our efforts get lost in a nebulous pile of misunderstandings that we attempt to correct through yet another series of emails etc. the worst is, that being aware of this fact - that an email etc does very little good at communicating the author's intention, or at least mood when the email was written -  i am guilty for misreading the intended voice of the author, or for being hurt/insulted/mad!!! oi vey!

anyone identify with what i am talking about?

why am i writing this? oh, yes. because i recognize that a large part of my job as a photographer involves communication, much of which is done via the internet. therefore, i want people to know that i use an obscene amount of exclamation marks when communicating with people so that they know i am a happy, enthusiastic, positive, bubbly person!! i worked in an office for over eight years writing very formal, administrative memos, letters and emails, and i have spent the last four years writing academic papers, both in which correct use of punctuation is required and necessary, and intonation is not necessarily important... but in my "business" as a photographer i want to throw out the rules so that my heart is in every letter, word and punctuation mark because my heart in the photography that i do and is open to the people i will collaborate with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so, i use an obscene amount of exclamation marks.

i chose this photo of three year old Maddie because is perfectly illustrates my excitement for photography and  the process of giving families, couples and individuals beautiful images! yes, i get so excited that i twirl around (and sometimes i wear a princess dress!!!!)