When the Sun Shines

I've had a lot of reasons to smile lately...

A new apartment just a short walk from the beach and my favourite coffee shop on the east coast in the most picturesque town. I have met some amazing Brides and Grooms who have asked me to be their wedding photographer. My best friend has set a date for her wedding so I know for sure at least one trip I will be making home to BC next year! While unpacking I came across a series of short papers I wrote in my first year of university that made me smile because of how bad the grammar was (and it is not much better now!). I spent an evening with two lovely photographer friends photographing each other and then talking about our mutual love of photography. I remembered that garbage day was today so I put out the bags last night! My macro lens did not break when I dropped it the other day. This weekend I get to celebrate my friend Shelley's birthday with her in Fredericton. I feel pretty content most days.

Today, my smile is attributed to the brilliant sunshine that was pouring into my bedroom as I woke up this morning! Normally I keep my curtains closed until I am dressed, bed made and everything and everyone is presentable, but today I had to open wide the window coverings to let in the light. As it filled my room with warmth, a smile of contentment and happiness crept across my face and remains.

This little hairball who sits upon her throne is also a regular reason to smile. Oh Ruthie...

Love & Sunshine,

Shannon-May

Food for Entrepreneurial Thought

If you are not familiar with TedTalks then I suggest you familiarize yourself asap! I was first introduced to this organization in my second year of university and regularly revisit the website when I am looking to be inspired, encouraged, challenged and convicted. Most videos last about twenty minutes but the ideas presented linger forever. 

Since moving into my new apartment I have been listening to a few talks a day while unpacking, making myself breakfast or just needing the company of a pleasant voice. Yesterday I was all about listening to talks on finance, forcing myself further in the mindset of investing for the future. Check this one out...

Today, however I have been listening to the same talk on repeat, trying to sort through the brilliance of 
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's talk on women entrepreneurs. The facts, reflections and ideas that she presents has me remembering the various discussions I came across while researching for my undergrad thesis (I wrote about gendered occupational segregation) and the often "ugh" feeling I would have reading article after article written from a victim voice, disregarding the leaps and bounds society made with women and the achievements of our humanist mothers made! I love the language that Tzemach Lemmon uses, one of empowerment rather than entitlement, one of survivor rather than victim. She is realistic about the conditions of women in the countries she references but she focuses on the examples they are for half of the world's population and reacts against the popular thought that successful women are just exceptions!

And, as a women entrepreneur myself, I found this TedTalk very inspiring - empowering myself to keep striving until I reach my goals, create new goals and to use my strength within! And that when my colleagues and clients alike see this, they will more confidently invest me!

If you have twenty minutes, I highly recommend this video!

Love and Valentines

This Thursday is Valentines Day. You know the day I am talking about. The one wear guys are expected to send flowers or candy to their ladies, kids exchange Valentines at school with their friends and secret crushes, and many couples try to be intentional about going out on a date. And I am pretty sure if I looked up the statistics, February 14th is a pretty popular date for engagements, weddings and conceptions :)

It is also the one where singles moan and complain about being single and in some cases, such as in the movie Valentines Day, throw anti-Valentines Day parties! And the day that many chastise and boycott because they believe it to be a Hallmark invention or just another day for businesses to make money. However history, legend and the romantic in all of us dictates a very different story.

Valentine's Day has it roots in Christian Feast Days, which celebrated the lives of many Saints by the name Valentine, and the earliest associations between February 14th and romantic love dates back to the fourteenth century in a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer and in the following century the celebration of Valentines Day as a day for lovers began to spread. And while Hallmark is generally toted as inventing Valentines cards,  this custom of exchanging cards and love notes began in the nineteenth century, long before Hallmark began its business in the early twentieth century. Additionally, legend tells us about one Saint Valentine who believed in love so much that he risked his life to marry, in secret, soldiers who had been forbidden from marriage. Many of the symbols we associate with Valentines emerged from it's sorted history and legend.

Regardless of its origins and whether it is a tradition that need be perpetuated, the romantic in me (and in many others I assume) is grateful for this day that is set aside once a year to reflect on Love - whether it be romantic love or just the love of family, friends and life! This emotion, this choice, this concept, which seems to be desired by all and for which many of us get out of bed in the morning to experience, is what gives us life, affirms our humanity and makes life worth the struggles and pain. 

So, since I am such a lover of Love and still riding the creative high from Rosie and Raymond's engagement session yesterday I want to celebrate Valentine's Day with you in two different ways...

Firstly, for the rest of the month I am offering a special on "Anytime Love" Sessions in Saint Andrews and surrounding area!! $250, for a one hour photo session, one location/two outfits, a DVD of High Resolution images and a print release and an 8x10 print of your favourite image. Book before February 28th for a session date in February, March and April. Whether you are dating, engaged, newly married or about to celebrate 50 years of marriage, I would love to document your love!

The other way I wish to celebrate Love this month is to give away an "Anytime Love" session to one lucky couple. 

All you have to do is "Like" my Facebook Page, leave a comment on my page and then email your love story to shannon@shannonmayphotography.com (it can be in essay or video format; please write "love story contest" in the subject line of your email).  The winner will be chosen at random* (I'll have a friend of mine pull the name of the luck couple from a hat!!!).  I will announce the winning couple by posting their story to my blog and Facebook page on Valentines Day.** Be sure to share this with your friends!!!

*Participants must be over the age of 19 to enter.

**Winning session must take place in Saint Andrews or surrounding area.

If you have any questions please email me at shannon@shannonmayphotography.com

Love & Sunshine,

Shannon-May

Tangible Memories

I remember using my spare set of keys to start and warm up my car in the morning and then using my main set to lock the car so that I could take Ruthie for a walk before we began our long trip to Vancouver BC. I used my keys to get back into my apartment and gather my suitcase and carry-on bag while my car continued to warm up. It wasn't until my friend Katie picked me in my car and I noticed my spare set of car keys in the ignition that I even gave this any thought. The next thought was where is my other set? When we arrived at my apartment I spent some minutes routing through my carry-on bag as this was the most natural place they would be but I knew they weren't there.

Losing one's keys really isn't that big a deal. Every key is replaceable with some effort and for a cost. Losing keys is more of an inconvenience than anything else. What is not replaceable, however, are the charms I had on my key ring. Gone is the gold heart with the personal message my parents gave me for my sweet sixteen birthday that I have had for more than half my life. And gone is the pink sparkly "S" charm I bought for myself to mark the beginning of my photography career when I attended my first WPPI in Las Vegas.

These things are just that things and losing them is not a tragedy. But like a photograph, these items were tangible memories for me. The gold heart prompted the memory of my sixteenth birthday, the special right of passage in turning "sweet 16" for which a key ring charm is the ideal gift.  And, the pink sparkly "S" charm prompted the emotions and uncertainty that surrounded that time in my life when I was facing my fear and riding the wave of love and encouragement I received from my family, friends and new industry friends.

For now my key ring will be embellished with the hand written tag my Dad wrote years ago, when I still lived at home, to mark my spare car key set. This too has a tangible memory and keeps my Dad's hand writing ever present in my mind and close to my heart. But one day there will be another moment in my life or another meaningful trip for which a key charm will be an ideal tangible memory.

Love & Sunshine,
Shannon-May

If You're Young at Heart

Like most philosophers, wisdom comes when I am washing the dishes. Or at least that is when the most unexpected but very much needed ideas pop into my head. Yesterday, the idea was in the form of song. Frank Sinatra's "Young At Heart" to be exact. The lyrics go something like this...

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you 

If you're young at heart. 

For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind

If you're young at heart. 

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes. 

You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams. 

And life gets more exciting with each passing day. 

And love is either in your heart, or on it's way. 

I am often critical of my childlikeness.  It was only a few years ago where I began to appreciate this quality about myself, and that was only after a friend pointed out that my childlikeness was a source of joy and entertainment for the other in the midst distress or hardship.  Historically, I always thought my easy-to-tease-ness, gullible-ness, excitement about silly little things, head-in-the-clouds-ness and propensity to put people on pillars was immaturity and ignorance. I spent many nights loathing this about my personality and worrying what others thought about me. But I couldn’t have been more wrong; and while was washing dishes I was reminded of the importance of being young at heart.

Being young at heart, or childlike, has enabled me to dream and remain hopeful in the midst of despairing moments. Being childlike has enabled me to maintain faith in others and continue to expect excellence from them even when trust has been broken. And being childlike has enabled me to believe in myself and continue working towards goals I set out for myself even when I let me down. Being childlike helps me to have faith in the human race when the news is full of despicable happenings. And being childlike has enabled me to holdfast to my belief in God during times when you can't help but wonder "where was He?" 

I needed to hear this song today and be reminded of these things I already know, for as I look ahead onto this new year of possibilities and go through the mental list of all the things I hope to accomplish, the people I want to have time to invest in, and the various creative projects I wish to plan and carry out, I get a wee bit overwhelmed and begin to naysay it all. But, as the song says, “Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you if you're young at heart. For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind if you're young at heart.” 

And just to make you giggle a little, here is a picture from when I was unabashedly young at heart.