Ode To Bald

Ode to Bald

Dear breast cancer: Once again it is October and your name is one everyone’s lips.  The world has turned to a sea of pink and large and small corporations and companies look to make money based on your infamy and the fear that lurks in the hearts and souls of women the world over.  So many women, who buy this, support that, donate to this fundraiser, walk for 2 days, run for 5 kilometres and all the while, hoping and praying that you and they never come face to face.   They can run from you but sadly too many cannot hide. You are a sneaky, insidious devil aren’t you breast cancer.  You hide where you can and then when someone least expects you, out you come ready to wreak havoc on the life of the woman (or man) you have claimed as “your own”, their family and their friends.  You think you rule with the upper hand but remember this breast cancer...we know so much more about you now and we are prepared to do battle with you and show you that we are not to be trifled with. It’s true that some of the people you visit are not aware of your presence and you manage to get a firm grip into their lives and for that I say shame on you.  But remember this...we are educated now about early detection and having yearly mammograms and doing breast self exams and we are well informed about how you operate.  Oh yes we are. After seven years, I still refer to you as breast cancer is small letters because even though you claimed a large part of my time and my energy and my life, you are still just this small, insignificant, bothersome little runt.  You do not deserve to be spoken to with respect.  You need to remember that whatever else you have brought into my life and the lives of so many others, what you gave me was the biggest gift of all. You made me remember how much life is to be savoured and appreciated.  You reminded me of all the small and large things to be grateful for in my life, every single day.  You gave me freedom and you taught me how to deal with fear.  You gave me the gift of every day – that this day; the one I am in is the one that matters.   Not yesterday, not tomorrow but simply today. When my hair started to fall out, I had my hair dresser shave it off and I loved being bald.  True, I wore a wig when I went outdoors and I lived in bandanas the rest of the time, but the minute I hit the front door, you know that wig went flying onto the bench in the hall.  And how many times did I open the front door to guests bald as a billiard ball?  And how comfortable were people with me...with the real me, the open, honest, bare to the bones this is who I am me?  But most importantly breast cancer, you taught me to love myself and to see myself right down to my soul. You arrived thinking you were going to be my final nemesis.  You left knowing that I had the gumption, the spirit, the courage and the strength to say “not just yet”. With fists up, Sherry Smyth Contributor I am SO excited about my partnership with the amazing people over at I Picture Hope! Free sessions for women battling breast cancer. If you are a make up artist and would like to help me give these women a day of feeling as beautiful as they are, PLEASE contact me.  Stay Sassy!  -Candy

Labreck Fam ♥

Sunday i had the pleasure of meeting the Labreck Family. A military family originally from Maine. They were SO nice and even though i woke up only seconds before the session was to begin, and it was SOOOOOO bright outside, and to be honest, i had NO idea where i was going, i think the outcome was pretty good! you can see for yourself! these are my FAVES from their family session!! 

Mr. & Mrs. Smith :)

Last Saturday i had the chance to catch up with a classmate from High School! :) I had a great time taking their pictures! Brittany you haven't changed a bit!! Here is a few of my faves from their session! 

Brooks Fam♥

I had the great pleasure of meeting the Brooks Family and taking their family photos. There is a possibility they are THE sweetest people i have ever met. Here is a few of my favorite photos from their session! 

Brittany and James: i appreciate you driving well over an hour to come and let me take your family photos! i enjoyed your session and i cant wait for you to see the whole shebang! ♥ -Candy

 **To schedule a session please contact me via email- sweetshotsbycandy@yahoo.com OR you can send me a message through my Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/SweetShotsbyCandy

First Bloggie!

WELL! this is my first blog post. (i made one a while back on a different site and can't find it again! whoops!)

I want to use this first one to be a little mushy, 100% honest, and if you know me at all, you know that is NOT hard for me. :)

Here goes...

i received an email from a girl asking me questions about how to start out in photography. Well, to me, this is humbling and completely shocking that ANYONE would want advice from ME. i am just a girl who picked up a camera when her son was little, decided i could maybe go somewhere with this, and just kept doing it. There are SOO many other AH-MAZ-ING photogs to ask questions, but this girl (lets call her K) asked ME.

She wrote:
Candy,

I loove your pics! Can i ask you a few questions? How did you start out? Did you go to school for photography? What advice do you have for someone just starting out? Thanks! -K (name erased!)

Now, when i recieved this, i wasnt sure exactly how to take it. In my mind, i am no better than any other Joe Blow that has a fancy schmancy camera. But, THIS girl thought enough of MY hard work, to ask ME. so here is my response to her.

Dear K,

First of all THANK YOU for looving my "pics"! :) i am going to answer your questions in order or "try" to anyhow. Q #1-How did you start out?

Well, that is an easy enough question, but i am not sure what you mean by it. I started out like anyone else does. doing (honestly) terrible work, without the first clue as to what i was doing. But people kept telling me oh this is great! and more people kept calling me to do theirs, so i thought i was "THE SHIZ!" i soooo wasnt. lol in fact, looking back at the work i did back then, makes me want to apologize to the people i took pictures of my first couple of years doing it! you start out like anyone else, trying to figure it all out.

Q #2- Did you go to school for photography?

EH. NO. i hated high school and am not sure i could commit to doing even online courses, because i feel stupid 99% of the time because i do not know what in GODs name they are talking about half the time. I attended the university of Google, and the University of YouTube. If there is something i want to know, i look it up FIRST and then try it. For me, that is how I learn. i have to DO IT and know WHY i have to do it this way, to be able to do anything. Google and YouTube are a photogs BFF, in my opinion.


Q #3-What advice do you have for someone just starting out?

Find a few friends that do the same thing you do. As a matter of fact, find some that are so much better than you, you are jealous of them. ;) WHY? Because, just like people without kids have NO idea what they are talking about when they try to tell you how to raise your kids, people that are not in this business have NO clue what we do and how much work it ACTUALLY takes. You dont JUST go take the pictures and thats it. and even if it was, you STILL have to know your camera inside and out, to be able to get the best results possible. you dont JUST do it for the money, because if you think it is an easy way to make a few bucks, sister, you are horribly wrong. this job, (like any other) takes time away from your family, you miss important events because you scheduled someone on the day of, and even when you are at home with your family, you are still not really there, because you are always either editing the session you just shot, or marketing, trying to get NEW clients, you may be home, but youre not really there. In my opinion you have to be 100% committed  and this is where the awesome friends come in. NOONE but them will understand why you just totally wrecked that last session, because you forgot to put your ISO back down. NOONE but your friends will understand or be able to talk you off the "I AM READY TO CUSS THIS CLIENT!!!!" ledge when said client is driving you totally insane calling you REPEATEDLY  about their pictures when you are at the hospital with your grandpa who just had a heart attack. your photog friends are the ONLY ones who will give you HONEST constructive criticism, not to hurt you or even give you the big head, but because they WANT you to succeed. I hope i have answered your questions. feel free to ask me any more you may have!

i myself, am lucky to have like 12 of these awesome friends. they know who they are, some live in Austrailia, one in Canada, the rest are either right here at home or scattered across the US. i LURVE them all for the help they give me.

i know its long and i dont apologize. ;) who knows? i may have answered someone elses question with my ramblings.

Stay Sassy! -Candy