Courtesy of a cyber-friend on Facebook.

Folks Should be Taking Notes

Bring on the Births

Today I drove all the way to Andover in an effort to find a Maternity Yoga Center to ask if I could promote my birth photography services there. Now in theory, Andover isn't far, but the directions were so convoluted, it was a bit of a project; Take 95 to 93, then 93 to 495, one exit to Route 28, follow 28 to the fifth light and take a right where there will be a Whole Foods on your right. Hang a left after that then a right at the tree. Pull into the second alley on the left and give the password, "Pregnant mama" to a guy named Don. He'll tell you where to go from there.

I drove and drove and...the place was closed. Doh! 'Teach me to not call beforehand.

So, I headed back to my good hometown of Wakefield and stopped at Om Yoga here in town. The instructor there was excited and said she had a prenatal yoga class tonight, and that she would hand-out my postcards.

I received an email from Nancy, the midwife that I have been working with. She said she met with a new client today and they sounded interested in having their birth photographed. I emailed the MA Friends of Midwifery, and they got back to me to tell me they would be willing to share my photos on their site. Very exciting!

I emailed a few bloggers in the area and gave them my plea for exposure. One woman connected with Citizens for Midwifery let me know that they couldn't promote commercial ventures (understandable) on their site, but that she was writing a book and could she use my pictures?!

Um, does a bear do his thing in the woods?

That would be yes.

Obamicon.me

I think this is my new favorite thing.
CLICK HERE

Career Block

I feel like I have hit a bit of a wall as far as getting my "business" going. There never seems to be too much time between ideas. First, I got my website up, then I marketed for portraits, complete with postcards and mailings. Kid photos, dog photos, weddings and engagements. Then, I contacted newspapers and publications in search of freelance. I looked into and found some teaching gigs at an adult education course, then I went from there to art centers. I got some work through them, too. Then came the births, which led to trying get the word about that service. Emailing mid-wives led to calling birth centers led to looking for local baby shops which lead to seeking out area bloggers and their networks. Non-profits, schools, one-on-one photography lessons.

I'm sure something new will come to me soon, but I am at a think-tank slump for the moment.

I have gotten a printer, which is totally impractical for printing photos because it runs out of ink so quickly. But, it is good for record keeping and letters and such. So, I'm glad I have that. I got insurance for my gear. I was looking into joining the Canon Professional Services, which we used at the paper. We used the membership numbers and discounts to send the gear in for repairs. As it turns out, you have to have more than one "professional" camera to be a member. I am a bit peeved about this. I have a 5d Mark II. That thing is no wimp. But, my back-up camera is a 50D, which to the CPS, is not big gun enough for me to claim myself a professional. So, no repair discounts or photo magazines for me! And I guess, according to canon, I am not a professional. My ten years of experience, multiple recognitions and a POY (Photog of the Year) suggests otherwise.

The other disappointment has been with the monthly clip contest with the National Press Photographer's Association. I still identify with being a documentary shooter. The best part about the birth photography I've been doing is that it allows me to do just that - be a fly on the wall. Document. But my images are not officially published anywhere but on my website and on my blog, so I am not allowed to share it in competition. At least not the monthly clip competition.

It makes sense. I mean I get it. The clip competition is for clips. Stuff that ran in a newspaper. It's just a shame that in a time when so many of us are no longer feeling connected to that career that we so closely identify with, we can't be a part of it in this way either. It's a bit strange considering the direction the field is going. More and more, images are being seen online. Not in newspapers. I'm not saying I like it that way. I'm just saying that's how it is.

I wrote an email to my former colleagues at the Post the other day and I have to say I got a bit choked-up sending it. I tend to be a bit of an out of sight out of mind kind of person. I don't live in sunny Florida anymore and, even when I was shovelling the driveway this morning, I don't really think about my life there. I knew my way around, knew where to get my favorite foods and where to meet my friends for a drink. I knew where the best beaches were, where to get the oil changed on my car, where all the movie theaters were and where to go for this craft supply and that one, and most importantly, I knew where my friends were, all over the city.

I'm not there anymore, and I'm ok with that. Still, I miss my coworkers and the camaraderie. You know you're bound to miss people when you leave the way I did. The way so many of us are. I just didn't expect it to wave over came a bit while sending an email. I'll be interested to see if I hear back from any of them. I suppose we can all be out of sight out of mind.

More Snow

It just doesn't seem to stop coming!

Photographing Food

Thanks to craigslist, I gave a second one-on-one photo lesson today with a woman who wanted to fine-tune her food photography. She writes a food blog and has been frustrated with her results. It was a really fun session, and I was especially pleased at the fact that Anna felt she had learned so much!

This is a quick pic I took with my camera. I only took two photos, actually. We really used her camera for the most part.

Statement from A Match.com Profile

I know that writing a profile on a dating site can be uncomfortable, but if I read one more which starts with "OK, so, here it goes..." or, "Describing yourself in one short paragraph is really hard but here it goes..." I will scream. You just wasted a whole sentence which could have been used on describing yourself.

This one cracked me up though - "Obviously I prefer those who are truly self aware of themselves."

I like guys who can self-edit their profiles themselves too. You know, ones who aren't redundant in their statements by repeating the same thing again in the same sentence?

And the answer your question, yes, I'm feeling sassy.

More Rumi!

Leyea gave me the OK to share these photos with you so here they are! There are more on my website, listed under "BIRTH: The Arrival of Rumi" under PORTFOLIOS.

The Arrival of Rumi

I got a call this morning around 6:30. One of my mom's was in labor. We had some snow over night and into the morning, but the roads weren't too bad. Despite being trapped behind a caravan of snowplows on the highway, and then getting lost trying to find my way on the Babson College Campus, I made it in time. It wasn't the marathon birth that I attended with Jeremiah. Leyea was so impressive, "Welcome, baby" she would say quietly, while having contractions. She gave birth to little Rumi while on the edge of her bed. The baby came out screaming good and strong.

I'll be posting more on the site once Ben and Leyea OK them.

Untitled

It's been a while since I've really written an entry. It's not that life is boring, it's just lacking story-telling, I think. I have been home in MA for three-and-a-half months now. Professionally, it has been difficult. I have been throwing ideas at the wall to see if they stick. Advertising to get portrait clients hasn't proven to be worth it, really. I will be teaching some courses in a few weeks, both in a continuing ed situation, and in a one-day seminar scenario. I'm not sure if I even enjoy teaching, but we'll see. I have been taking on photography clients for one-on-one sessions too. That starts tomorrow.

I have been scheduled to photograph a wedding. Actually, two people came to me to cover their wedding and the weddings were on the same day. How weird is that?! I'm interested in continuing with birth coverage, but it's tricky. Area birthing centers either do not want a photographer in their center or they are contracted with a company already - I'm pretty sure they just photograph the baby once they are no longer gooey and purple. Where's the fun in that?

My parents are going to hire me to photograph some of the architectural spaces they designed. I don't have much experience in architectural photography, so that should be interesting.

I miss what I do/did for a living. (If you're not making a living, I guess you're not actually doing it for a living anymore. Or, at least not for the time being). I entered random homes every day. Interacted with new people every day. I miss shooting every day. Every day.

And it's not the same to go out and simply find something to photograph. That's like when I would complain to mom that I was bored and she would say, "Well, I can think of plenty of things for you to do!" Doing chores doesn't fix the boredom. They're just chores.

Personally, life is different too. I love my friends here, of course, but they are in a different place than I am my FL friends were when I lived down south. Most of my friends here, aside from my one friend from FL who moved to Boston, are married and having children. It's a strange change from being surrounded by single friends in FL.

I have gone on a few dates since being home in MA. They were shrug-inducing, basically. And that's not to say they weren't perfectly nice people. It's just that I didn't want to hang out with them again.

Last week, I went on a date with a guy who seemed promising. It's rare that I meet someone who I genuinely find interesting. Very rare. After a few dates, he seemed cool. Then, ultimately, he just disappeared. I have a guess as to why (oh, I'm sorry, was I not interested in sleeping with you on our second date? Too bad so sad for you).

It's strange, this feeling that things just aren't going to go your way. Ever. I believe that it will, eventually. I mean, it kind of has too, right? Otherwise, what the fuck is the point? I just wonder how long it will take. I hope karma exists and I hope that jerk gets the clap. The tall, ivy-leaguer with a sense of humor turned out to be a grade-A a-hole. 'Does wonders for a girl's faith in others.

But still, I had a great time at my friend, Amanda's baby shower today. There were lots of people there who I haven't seen in nearly ten years. Friends from high school. And last night, I went in to Somerville to hear The Grown-Up Noise. A college acquaintance of mine, who is becoming a friend along with his wife, is the front man. It was really great.

'Made this recently - a new duvet cover from a cool tapestry I found at Target.

BIRTH; The Arrival of Jeremiah

Linda was kind enough to let me share some more pictures from the birth of her son!

You can see the whole collection by going to cydneyscott.com and selecting "Birth; The Arrival of Jeremiah" under the Portfolio drop-down at the top of the homepage.

The Wisdom Project

Wisdombook.org