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2011 Where Hast Thou Gone? | Wedding Photography Rochester NY
January 11, 20122011.
So I was faced with a dilemma about 2011.
How to talk about it. How to show you my work. How to make you happy to see it. (I’m still working on that one! ::grin:: )
Do I talk about the new studio?
Or how we’ve grown in leaps and bounds?
Or my team?
Or the cool projects I’ve gotten to do this year?
Or the traveling?
Or what I’ve learned?
Or what’s new?
…. I could. But then the blog entry would be 156 pages long and you’d be here until Sunday morning reading this. And I’m frankly, not that interesting. 
Then I thought, well, maybe I can post a lot of photographs and talk about each one…but I want you to watch all the way to the end, right? (Yes Tam, all the way to the end. Gheesh!) I don’t want you to get overwhelmed, or bored, and stop mid-story. Fail.
So my dilemma was (and always is, btw) — how can I present images in a way that pushes a little bit? …in a way that draws you in, makes you think and engages you from start to end?
This is the result. It was a huge CHALLENGE to put together because (and you’ll see this if and when you watch) it had to flow — so we had to edit down brutally. That infuriated me — but sometimes…less is more, eh? Tell me less is more. So I have forced myself to stop fretting over how much I COULDN’T show you. Or this would be 4 hours and 37 minutes instead of just a couple. I am exercising restraint. Someone had to!
So I am disproportionately proud of the final result. It’s EXACTLY what I had in mind when I was scribble-scrabbling for the right way to present 2011.
Be prepared. It made ME cry — and I TOOK the images.
Also — I just had this headshot done by the RIDICULOUS Carla Ten Eyck — and I LOVE. So I’m debuting it just because I think it’s perfectly ME.
So in order to see the review you have to click on my head. ::laughing::
Or…if you absolutely don’t WANT to click on my head (we can discuss the implications of this later… ) – then click here.
(And please do not judge the fact that I cannot figure out how to embed a video on this blog to SAVE MY LIFE. ) Now on to 2012. BRING. IT.
A story NOT about photography! | Rochester NY Photographer
December 14, 2011You may or may not know this but I am a mom to a 19 year old. Yes. NINETEEN. My standard response to people’s disbelief about how I could POSSIBLY have a 19 year old is : yes, I had him when I was 6! ::grin:: But none-the-less, he is 19, half way to 20 and I can’t believe it.
My son is either the luckiest boy in the world to have a mother like me — or the most long-suffering. Some days I think he wouldn’t be able to tell you either — but the best part about our relationship is that we ARE. We are close. We are friends. We support and love each other.
We took a trip together recently and my son shook his head “no” at a man who was, in my son’s opinion, “checking me out”. ::laughing:: How can you NOT love this kid? This is the look I imagine he gave:
Matt has wanted to be in Emergency Services since he was two years old. And has never waivered. Yesterday he found out he was accepted into the Paramedic Program — something he’s been planning for and working towards for years. He’s volunteered as a firefighter and worked as an EMT — long hours and helping people over and over again.
I took this photo of him at Family Day during his firefighter training program (and my heart gives a little thump when I look at this…):
Yesterday he got the call. Accepted!
He called me, his voice was shaking. He said. Mom, I’m freaking out! I couldn’t figure out who to tell first!
I said: Well, OBviously you call ME first.
He said: Mom, I’m talking to you first — even BEFORE I posted it on Facebook!!
::laughing and shaking head::
Later that night he was sitting next to me on the couch both of us on computers (yeah, dorks, I know) and this popped up on facebook (yes, he occaissionally calls me “Swales” and I think it’s funny!):
Dear Swales,
You are awesome.
Sincerely,
Your Son (who is achieving his dreams with the help of your awesomeness [aka your parenting!])
This is what I typed back (sitting next to him on the couch):
Dear Metzler… I am so very very proud of you. YOU deserve happiness and much success. And I am so inspired by watching you setting your mind to do something and then DOING IT. YOU ROCK. Sincerely, Your Mom (who is always behind you no matter what)
I know this is probably too much information — but my heart is full today. You see, my son lost his dad, suddenly, three months ago, and it’s been hard on everyone. I watched my son handle it with grace and sadness and respect — surrounded by his friends, co-workers and family. He is SO amazing. He is just one of those guys who will help you no matter what. He’s a great listener, and has this crazy sense of humor! So watching him, despite EVERYTHING going on, go after something, figure out how to do it and the ACHIEVE it.
Well. I don’t know what the right words are to tell you how I feel about it.
I just wanted to talk about him.
12.14.2011
Congratulations, Matt!!!! So well deserved. You rock! And Tammy, you made me tear up, you must be so proud. 
Love.
You’re a great inspiration to us who are in the early years of the parenthood journey. Pretty awesome! Big congrats to Matt!
great post Tammy. brought tears to my eyes. your son is awesome and so are you! and congratulations to Matt! we need more like him!
AWESOME Post Tammy! You both are very lucky/special/endearing/inspiring. You have (and I am sure busted your @$$e$ in working towards) a WONDERFUL relationship. Congrats Matt for making it to paramedic training – it’s a hard job, speaking from very little experience as an EMT a long long time ago, and I am proud that someone does that job and takes pride in it. To Tammy, you give mommies of young ones (like me, ages 7 and 5) hope that we can be parents and still have a great relationship with them after the “teen” years! Keep up the great work!
Tammy, this just brings the biggest smile to my face. Congrats Metzler!
That is so awesome…. good for him .. and how wonderful to see him set his mind to something and achieve it.. (I am also sorry to hear about the loss of his dad )
sending big virtual hugs!
1.14.2012
I love that photo. Your video is just perfect. I sent it to my daughter as she is in Costa Rico and I need to remind her to wear her sunscreen.
1.15.2012
Love the video…so many incredible photos in there! And I’m also a huge fan of the accompanying poem
Congrats on a wonderful 2011.