Some Days Are Hard

Some days, things just don't go right.  Traffic is worse than normal, coffee just doesn't taste quite right, even your eggs are over-cooked and tough.


Today is not one of those days for me, but I'm still struggling with the photographs I made earlier this week as I sort through them and begin seeing the story of the day peeking through the files.  As my coffee cup empties, my frustration level grows.  I'm not upset at myself, but I wish I was in a different place with my photography.  Not quite happy.

One of my coworkers at my 9-5 made a comment as I left work early on Wednesday, that I'm probably a better photographer than what I give myself credit for.  I may be, but I sure don't feel that side of the equation as often as I feel not quite up to the task.  She's never seen any of my work, aside from what I have tacked up in my cubicle, and that's not at all what I normally shoot.


Check out this blog post by Chase Jarvis, one of my favorite inspiring artists.  Commercial photographer/videographer based out of Seattle, WA and I like the thought processess he puts out there.  He doesn't talk about his gear so much, but he does dig into the mental spaces he is exploring while on set, while wandering the city on "off-time" and while he's awake at 3AM with nothing but his thoughts. He riffs on the Creative Gap in this post.


Unfortunately, I signed a contract for this most recent solo shoot, so I can't even show Chelse the images before they get put into the ad campaign and website.  Hence, you won't be seeing them here.  But, as somewhat of a substitute, here's something entirely unrelated.

So much to do this Sunday!

A location scouting trip for a session later this week, maintenance on the car (new tires on the green bomb, plus more wrenching on the little white BMW), maintenance on the motorcycle (oil leak and replacing more hardware so it can be put up for sale), vinyl records to clean, turntable to repair so it doesn't hum, guitar to put up for sale, bicycles to put up for sale, coffee beans to buy, lunches for the week to make....and I could go on.



How do you guys keep everything in your life organized so you can decide what takes priority?  I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed today...

Just don't call me...

Walk.

Why hello all you fine young gentlemen and ladies. <3 It has indeed been a while since my knobby fingers typed out errant thoughts to you all, hasn't it? Well, here's another go!

I've been called a lot of things. Some self inflicted, others seemingly random or effortlessly befitting the moment. Names ranging from Eve, CC, Evangeline, Alexandria, Yvonne, Baby, Catch/Catcher, Batter, First base, Keep, Giant, Jolly Green Giant, Midget, McKenzie, Claire, Girlie, Sharkie, Beautiful, Fluffers, Belle, Babydoll.

I answer to them all. It's strange, this concept of a word defining you.

Doing so many different things in my life from being "CC" in theatre, "Eve" in modeling, "Catcher" in softball; being called so many different names, I answer to just about any name aimed in my direction with an inquiring inflection. I began wondering of other's and their names, knicked or given, and the story behind them.

For example. My name is Chelsé. A different spelling, to be sure. It's sort of pronounced Shell-say, but no one ever says it that way anymore. However, the interesting part of the story comes in to play in 3...2...1! My mom named me Chelsé after a character in Legal Eagles. (A movie I've yet to see...)


Funny, isn't it? 


It was a stress inducing turn of events for Boyo and I as we scoured our minds for our photo biz name. It was probably more stressful than naming a child (or so I imagine). Out last resort? AC Photography. Cool, isn't it... (Ka-dun.) That's what we thought, too. (chaaAaA.)


We stumbled into our name on a scavenger hunt of fate.  Sitting in a coffee shop waiting for a photo session to begin, a shirt caught the corner of my eye. Grey and kind of loose around the girl, it was one of those slim, yet overly large t-shirts with the wide necklines. Almost like it had been cut out. It wasn't the shirt that caught my fancy, it was what was written across in beautiful French. Voir la Joie, or See the Joy. Something in me clicked. It felt right, unlike the other ideas we were striving for. 


What we had, what we Saw was a part of joy, but more than that. It was each other, it was photography as a whole (wreaking of fixer and all), it was holding the memory in hand and glancing at it when we needed reassurance in ourselves, it's a major motivational factor in our lives, in our over all happiness. It was Love.


We love our lives, the fact that we're doing this, we're trying to do this! We love that we have the daring to try! Photography, creating and capturing! Every time someone holds one of our images, I truly hope they see the love in them, in the moment, in the capture and artistry, in themselves.


With all of this in mind, we invite you to follow along to "voir l'amour avec nous." See the love with us. Watch as it and we grow.


But just as a warning, yes, we're fun. But we're slightly humorous, especially in our awkward ways and instant urge of initiating you into THE GAME. >]