First… we have a WINNER!! Erin Sommers will be joining us in Cincinnati and I can’t wait! There were almost 500 entries and I can’t thank you all enough for taking the time to enter… so sad we can’t just invite everyone!
Speaking of sad… I live in the NW which means I am blessed to live amongst lots of green. I take it for granted at times that my views, commutes and places I play & work are beautiful. A couple weeks ago I noticed a huge group of trees that I drive by everyday had orange tape spread throughout… within a few days all that remained were a couple of lonely evergreens spaced few and far between… with a view of the once hidden apartments now in their place. I think it hit me harder because this wasn’t a place I had taken for granted. Every time I drove through I thought how lucky I was to have that be my welcome home.
I decided to walk through the next morning, see what the ‘plans’ were (as suspected- strip malls & offices)… a man walking his dog passed me and remarked “So sad, isn’t it?”, his words were drowned by more bird sounds than I have ever heard in one place (save the bird aviary at the zoo). I instantly thought “The Lorax” (and the Swomee-Swans gathering to fly away). It was one of my favorite books to read to my kids and I felt like I was standing in it. I came home and told my kids about the trees, birds & plans and my daughter said “Mom, it’s like The Lorax. You should do a shoot to remember it before they put up all the buildings.” She was right, so I gathered my favorite little model and took a last walk through the ‘forest’ that evening…
Even bunnies were out…
beautiful skirt provided by Ritchie Rags
Roxana: All those trees... heart-breaking! Your [and mine also] favorite model was right to shoot that before the constructions begin. Huge visual impact! A beautiful lonely girl looking over that destruction. It is impressive! (06.28.2012 07:45am)
Amy C: Beautiful, as always. I do sometimes hate "progress". We live on a nature preserve and I can't imagine if it weren't a preserve. I love hearing all the birds and trying to figure out what each one is. I love seeing the deer and bunnies. (06.28.2012 12:45pm)
Amy C: Beautiful, as always. I do sometimes hate "progress". We live on a nature preserve and I can't imagine if it weren't a preserve. I love hearing all the birds and trying to figure out what each one is. I love seeing the deer and bunnies. (06.28.2012 12:45pm)
jennifer beitchman: Sad and hauntingly beautiful. That shot of your daughter sitting in the big logs is completely swoon-worthy. (06.28.2012 06:35pm)
catherine lacey dodd: Making me very sad... (06.28.2012 06:35pm)
Tara S.: These are amazing, and your daughter is so breathtakingly beautiful. (06.28.2012 06:47pm)
renee waters: THESE are AMAZING Shannon!! (06.28.2012 06:51pm)
Rebecca Tolley-Stokes: stunning. i love them, especially the last, black and white. it has an evocative feel to it--very Dorothea Lange. (06.28.2012 07:00pm)
kim "YO ROCK STAR FRIEND": soo sad for you , yall totally rocked this shoot though (06.29.2012 03:24am)
Tania: Oh, wow. Look at the size of those trees. It's very sad. You do live in a beautiful spot, shame that people sometimes see beauty as places to shop! I still believe that everything will turn around and we'll head back to where nature is adored and service and manners are the norm. Fingers crossed! Beautiful shoot, powerful story (06.29.2012 07:43am)
Kara Layfield: So sad...yet so beautiful! (06.29.2012 01:15pm)
kasandra: i love that your daughter wanted to capture the moment ... you're obviously an amazing mother for not only instilling that compasion but also encouraging it! (06.29.2012 01:43pm)
kasandra: oh and ps ... that b/w has amazing tones!!! (06.29.2012 01:44pm)
Julie: Anyone ever told you are kinda good at this photography thing? ;) (06.29.2012 11:29pm)
Toria: This is so beautiful! A few months ago my junior high school was torn down. When I first got the news that they were soon going to, I had an idea to do a shoot there so I can always have those memories of the building. I wanted to do a shoot with children on the stairs like old times. Before I could get to it they put gates around the building making it impossible to do the shoot. I tried contacting a few people for permission to still do the shoot but no one ever responded. Needless to say, all that is there now is a big field. It makes me sad that it's gone but even more sad that I never had a chance to get those last photos before it was destroyed. I'm happy your daughter had this brilliant idea and that you were able to get the photos before the construction starts! :) (07.04.2012 08:17am)
Kelley WC: Auch a gorgeous shoot and sooo sad! :( it breaks my heart whenever they clear out trees for "progress" too. Especially when there's hundreds of buildings standing around empty from failed Best Buys and Taco Bells. Ugh :( (07.17.2012 11:56am)
sev from France: this B&W pic is stunning and the whole session is inspiring. (07.24.2012 05:34am)