Debrena Jackson Gandy - All the Joy You Can Stand

Debrena Jackson Gandy is a business consultant and success coach. She truly embodies what the title of her book says: All the joy you can stand. 

I photographed her during the Women in Small Biz Expo some weeks ago. It was fascinating to watch her speaking. There was so much beauty in expressing her mission:  " To empower others to create the life they desire and deserve."

You can hear - and see - her speaking tomorrow morning at 7am at the WBE breakfast at Washington Athletic Club.

Two amazing women: Big Hug with Bettina Carey, the founder of Women in Small Biz

FRIPP and FRIPP - The quality of our attention

On Saturday I attended an event with Patricia Fripp and Robert Fripp at Microsoft in Redmond. "How to be an Hero on and off the Platform, from Beginner to Mastery in Business, Performance and Life"

I nearly did not go, but thanks to my friend Jaxie Binder, the co producer of Tuning The Air, who helped organizing the day, I did. I am so glad and grateful that I did.

Patricia Fripp is a well known speaker and executive speaking coach. Energetic, funny, on the point and very present. She literally jumps in front of you with open arms, waking you up..  Her brother Robert Fripp, the legendary guitarist and founding member of King Crimson, has a different kind of presence: modest and preferring to be in the background, but extremely sharp in analyzing complex connections and bringing them down - or up - to basic (and wise) principles. With that there is a wicked sense of humor and a very generous spirit. You can see it in the twinkle in his eyes..

I met Robert Fripp for the first time in 1992 - I was still living in Berlin in Germany - when I attended my first Guitar Craft course in Texas. I did not know too much about King Crimson or Robert Fripp at that time, did not consider myself a "Fan" or having any musical ability, but suddenly I was sitting in an airplane to Austin, Texas with my newly acquired guitar, following an inner voice that this was the absolutely right thing to do and a question of life and death.

And it was the right thing. I did not become a musician - I gave up the guitar some month after that- but I got very involved in Guitar Craft projects in Germany and in America as well as in Seattle after I moved here 11 years ago. I also met my husband Frank on the first course. He was teaching the Alexander Technique for many years on these workshops in Europe, North and South America.

What does this all have to do with Photography? I believe that my experiences on these courses, many of them in a two hundred year old farmhouse in Grossderschau, a small village in former Eastern Germany, helped shape a certain sense of attention. Attention and openness for moments of sheer beauty, often connected with silence. Sometimes painful "lessons", stripping away the clutter in my head and the self perception and deception.

I believe it had an influence on my photography, on who I am in the act of photographing people. I feel I can "see" better because of that, the other person I photograph and myself. What I am aspiring to - to allow the truth and the beauty of the other person come through - became a little bit more available, by not getting into my own way all the time.

In Robert's talk on Saturday there were so many beautiful and eye opening things that hit me in the mark and that I can apply to my work as a photographer. It is still settling in in me and will be material for the next weeks to work with. The sentence that is there with me all the time like a subtle bell and sometimes like a rambling alarm clock is:

"The only thing we have in life is the quality of our attention"

---------–

The event in Seattle is over, the next one will be in Phoenix, but there are cd's available and more information on Patricia Fripp's website.

A funny description of Guitar Craft by Patricia.

Some clips on Youtube.

Tuning The Air, a project by some Guitar Craft people in Seattle, worthwhile checking out their weekly performances.

Mary

Mary gave herself the present of a photo shoot for her birthday, to celebrate herself a little bit. She looks so beautiful and there is something special about her eyes.

.

Ezra at 10 (nearly 11)

With Ezra and Deborah at Sandpoint Park. It was raining a little, but that did not take away the fun. The light was beautiful and the sprinkles in the air too. I photographed Ezra before. We did a shoot when he was eight and three. It's so interesting to see a baby become a boy and then (nearly) a teenager.









This one was Ezra's idea!

Nancy Rawles, a Little Bit More

I want to tell a little bit more about my photo shoot with Nancy Rawles.

Nancy initially was not so happy to be photographed. She is not very fond of publicity. I pointed out she would do the shoot for the other women, who will be happy to learn about her in the magazine and who will be encouraged and inspired by what she is doing in her writing. It's important for other women and girls to see which wonderful creative and productive women we have in Seattle.



Very soon into the shoot we talked about things that were close to both our hearts . Nancy showed me pictures about the creation of the sculpture "Sadie" and the story behind it. Sadie is Jim's wife from the book "My Jim", which refers to the story of Huckleberry Finn and the slave Jim, who escaped from slavery. For the book "My Jim", Nancy asked several artists to create objects and music that are part of the story. For the sculpture "Sadie" she asked a good friend to be the model for the artist. Many hours were spent to create just the right expression and body posture. You see all the attention and love that went into the sculpture and you get a very good feeling for the life and the struggles Sadie went through.

You find more about this on Nancy's site.

I just started to read Nancy's book "Crawfish Dreams". As in "My Jim", "Crawfish Dreams" is about one woman's struggle to create a life of dignity and meaning for herself and her family. Camille is 68 and has the dream of opening a restaurant. She "cooks up a plan to bring her family back together and discovers that love, sharing, and a dash of daring are the secret ingredients that can turn drams into reality." The language with a wry sense of humor and the love of how the people are described in their weaknesses and in their dreams are captivating.

Nancy Rawles is also a teacher. By listening to her stories about her work as a teacher you can hear that she does it with a lot of love for her profession and for the students. I wish I had a teacher like her. I was very touched by what she said about the importance of daydreaming and the importance of giving students some space for that in the daily duties. The daydreaming part comes often to my mind. It has kind of a bad reputation. You are so used to filling up your days with all the things of the list. You need to be productive and show results. It's often overlooked that there is another kind of productivity working in daydreaming.

I discovered a beautiful website with interviews from Seattle related authors: Booklust by Nancy Pearl.

Look for the one with Nancy. She has a beautiful voice...

Nancy Rawles, Writer

Nancy Rawles, author of 'My Jim: A Novel,'
'Love Like Gumbo,' and 'Crawfish Dreams.' Ingrid did this for Seattle Woman Magazine.

The Grotto by Niki de Saint Phalle

Here are some pictures from my trip to Germany some months ago. This unassuming building is part of the Royal Herrenhaeuser Gardens, a large Baroque garden in Hannover. Once there was a castle too but it was destroyed in the Second World War, I seem to remember. The remaining gardens are very beautiful and open to the public. It was just across the street from my former art school.

I wasn't here for at least 12 years, and I remember this small building always closed. This time I went with my good friend Heide and she said "Let's see the Grotto". I had no idea what was waiting for me. I went inside and was shear overwhelmed by the colors, light and the sparkle I was surrounded with.



The artist Niki de Saint Phalle created this piece of art you can walk into. It's magical. There was this surprise in me that it is possible to totally “follow your bliss,” no stops in going for your own sense of beauty. It makes you dance. The room around you becomes an inner one.









It is remarkable to me that this was her last project the last project she completed herself * before she died in 2002. There is this feeling of going into another world…

. . . . . . . . . . .

And here we go again into the historical part of the garden.

It's amazing how it all works together and complements each other, the old and the new, the formal and the playful.





* ETA: Someone left a comment pointing to this: Queen Califia's Magical Circle in Escondido, California which started after The Grotto and completed posthumously. Well worth a look

My Main Site

Amalia Martino, owner of BlueShoes Media

I recently photographed beautiful Amalia Martino.

Amalia is the owner of BlueShoes Media, offering publicity, marketing and business consultation for music groups.

www.blueshoesmedia.com/blueshoesmedia/Welcome.html

My Main Site

Port of Seattle OSR Team

Port of Seattle Office of Social Responsibility. From left to right: Stan Evans, Elaine Ko, Lilyian Caswell-Isley, Tina Lyles, Gloria Contreras, Zanes Cypress, René Finnie

Yesterday I picked up the March issue of Colors NW Magazine with the full page ad from the Port of Seattle featuring my photo. This was for the Office of Social Responsibility, a new department of the Port of Seattle.

The whole shoot had to happen in half an hour, and we got it to work. The intensively colored wall is part of the beautiful architectural elements in the headquarters of the Port of Seattle at Alaskan Way. It turned out to be perfect for the mood of the shoot. Most importantly, everybody looks great, relaxed and open, which is the message of the ad: “Call us, we want to talk to you.“

People are encouraged to contact them and talk about small business initiatives and a number of other projects such as transitioning military veterans into the workplace and getting surplus cruise ship supplies and equipment to needy residents. I am proud if my photo helps to bring out the message.

It's always exiting to see how the colors came out and I am really happy with the printing.

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Megan Griffiths, Film Director

Writer and director Megan Griffiths.

From Left to Right are Off Hours Producers Mischa Jakupcak, Joy Saez, Megan Griffiths and Lacey Leavitt.

Megan with the three women she brought together to produce The Off Hours, a new indie film starring Alicia Silverstone and Aidan Quinn.

Ingrid did this shoot at Randy’s Restaurant, an all-night diner on Seattle's E. Marginal Way and the primary set for the film. It's often frequented by test pilots and crew from nearby Boeing Field and well worth the quick detour off I-5.

My Main Site

Plates Clicking Against The Table

This year Frank and I were invited to spend Thanksgiving at the house of our good friends Jaxie and Bob, together with their daughters Isabel and Eve and invited friends. We had a wonderful meal and a peaceful and playful time together.

Eve is 7 years old . She made this poem for Thanksgiving:



Quite amazing, these observations and thoughts of a seven year old girl. It keeps me speechless.

. . . . . . . .

Thanksgiving was also Eve's birthday.

Part of my birthday present for her this year was a big piece of silky red fabric. It's one of the last pieces of my big collection of fabric dreams I acquired in Germany. Most of it I left behind when I moved to the America ten years ago.

I thought it might be of use in all kinds of ways for a girl like Eve, and I am glad to see it becoming and giving wings...

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Luly Yang

Luly Yang for Seattle Woman Magazine

Luly is Seattle's top designer for bridal and evening gowns and just won the Nellie Cashmann Award as the Business Owner of the Year. She has an exquisite store full of sparkle on 4th and University Street.

I was very much looking forward to this photo shoot, though, like all of them, this one had its challenges. There was no time to meet Luly beforehand or to check out the location. Also, I unfortunately missed her amazing fashion show a week before the shoot, because I was still in Germany.

Karen, the editor of Seattle woman, was there with me and started with the interview. It's a different thing, the atmosphere of an interview and the atmosphere of a shoot. The first one is words and so an act of expression. What I do is something else: a feeling or mood at least is allowed to enter and, with patience, a fundamental quality of the person or situation comes to light.

For me it's important that the person to be photographed is fully present and part of the photographic dialog. That, of course, includes myself. I had probably still a little bit of jet lag and realized that I did not fully arrive yet in my surroundings. There is this interesting mixture in a photo portrait session, the need to be active and push things forward, to be in control. At the same time, you need to be receptive and open, aware so you see what is falling in your lap. Suddenly something hits you, a certain constellation of body posture in relation to the surroundings, a certain something in the eyes, a fleeting moment... Letting go is required, on the side of the person to be photographed as well as on the side of the photographer, if the real beauty is to come out.

Luly is a charming and graceful woman. What impressed me strongly is how she combines a child-like playful enthusiasm and joy about colors and shapes along with a strong business sense. In the shoot, I wanted to get through this business consciousness and was waiting for something that really spoke to me and exited me, and woke me up.



We got there, I feel. Luly was patient and went through the choreography of the shoot with me without complaint. Suddenly, after hard work, it was there. A certain mystery, an expression that you cannot pin down, knowing eyes, strength and softness at the same time, a Mona Lisa gaze that draws you in.

Thank you, Luly, for staying with me in this.

In the end we gave each other a hug, and I had finally "arrived" back in Seattle.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

A few more that were not in the magazine that show the different sides of Luly:



A shot in between shots of an exuberant young woman...




...and the queen who reigns over her empire.

My Main Site

Friederike

This is Friederike, the daughter of my very dear friend Barbara T. in Hamburg, Germany. I visited them when I was in Germany some weeks ago. There was only time to spend together for one evening.

I love this picture. It might be not perfect, technically. I photographed her just after I arrived. She was standing there, in the door, watching me in her quiet way. It was a little dark.

I love her eyes. There is a certain poetic quality around this girl. She has her inner world that she has to protect a little and keep it for herself or to share it only with a view friends.

I sent this picture to Barbara, her mother. She called me back the next day and told me that she was very touched. She felt relieved because she saw in it a quality she felt might not be there anymore or that she would not see anymore, something in her daughter that tends to get invisible in the day-to-day routine.

It was beautiful to hear Barbara describe what she saw in the photo, and once again I am amazed what a photograph can do.

My Main Site

Pepper Schwartz at WBE

You have the chance to see and hear Pepper Schwartz, who I recently photographed, talking about her book Prime. She will be at the Women's Business Exchange Breakfast on this coming Thursday morning, that is, October 11th, 2007.

The Women's Business Exchange is one of Seattle's largest networking organizations. Each month on the 2nd Thursday they have the breakfast meeting from 7 to 9am at the Washington Athletic Club downtown.

I still remember the first time I went to a breakfast around 4 years ago. I was impressed by seeing ca. 150 business women buzzing around. The air was full of sparkle and energy. Everything seemed possible.

. . . . . . . . . .

Here again is the picture of Pepper Schwartz for the cover, this time without the text:


I love the light on the wall. It was not easy to find the right spot to take the photos in and around her house. We looked at everything, Pepper's horse stable, the beautiful garden and rooms in the house. In spite of being beautiful, it all did not seem to be the right spot. So many things have to come together: the light, the colors, not distracting from the person, working for the cover and the text position, and in the end, it has to give the person the right "frame" and make them feel comfortable. All of this will affect the position of the body and the expressions.

I finally decided for this small spot in the kitchen. The warm yellow color and the streams of light seemed to be the right background for Pepper. I felt it connected with her ability to enjoy the moment, being exuberant and glowing from inside.

The dog who peeks in on the bottom of the picture contributed to the fun as well. Meanwhile her other big dog was lying on the opposite side under my tripod and between my feet. They wanted to take part too.

By the way, the cherries in the other picture were just there, we were eating them. They tasted so good. No bigger meaning, I just liked the little splash of red color...

My Main Site

Cover Shot: Pepper Schwartz

I was away for a while, in Germany. Some good photos came from this trip, and I will put them up later. Meanwhile, I did these photos of Dr. Pepper Schwartz for an article in Seattle Woman Magazine:



They did an especially great job on the layout this time. The one below was used for the article inside:



Seattle Woman is a print magazine, but you can also download the latest issue here.

I did them at her ranch, about an hour's drive from Seattle. A beautiful place inside and out. Pepper raises horses there, but is more widely known as a sociology professor at the University of Washington and now as the author of Prime.

My Main Site