A Project From My Heart To Theirs...

Greetings Folks...

It's been a busy few months.  I realized that Ihave neglected my blog since August!

I have been working on the plans to launch a project that involves the families in New Orleans that were affected by Katrina.  The ball is in motion.  I worked on a budget, sponsorship levels and the project scope.  It's all a work in progress.  I submitted my project to Kickstarter.com and I'm praying that it gets approved.  Then the funding component of this project can begin...  I'm nervous, just like I am before every shoot! 

Details to follow...  Pray for me and wish me luck!
xoxo

As EYE See Them - Sabrina and Evan

A wedding is so much more than buying  the white gown that you've always dreamt of.   It's much bigger than the tiara and veil and the shoes or the limos.  It's not about the linens on the table, the types of flowers, what colors your attendants are wearing or the even rings. 

And it goes way beyond walking down that aisle.  A wedding is the celebration of the joining together of two lives, and two families.  It's a celebration of love and the creation of a husband and wife team!  And it is the happiness at the prospect of the creation of a whole new generation. 

I had the honor...  the privilege of photographing Sabrina and Evan Flores' Wedding on Thursday. 

I met them back in April.  We did two engagement shoots, had a few meetings and countless phone calls.  As si was shooting, I cried during their ceremony and at the reception during the dances because they have become like family.  They are two of the sweetest, most grounded, focused and just awesome young people you will ever meet.   And their families...  Mom and Dad on both sides and the brothers and sisters are just as wonderful as they are - I can only imagine that Thanksgiving at their house is going to be loads of fun this year! 

As of the writing of this blog entry, they are spending their honeymoon together in the Dominican Republic.  I know they will have a fabulous time there and I look forward to seeing them when they return and hearing all about their adventures!  ♥

As EYE See It - Blackberry Barcode Technology...

Hi!  I'm Renee and I'm a Blackberry addict.  (the group says, Hi Renee!).  The newest version of Blackberry Messenger has a barcode reader which is a cool way to exchange contact information without having to type anything.  So!  I created one for my website and for all you techhies out there, here it is!  Barcode for RYMImages.

Woo Hoo!

As EYE See Her - Chloe!

Marta gave birth to Chloe - a beautiful baby girl... 

I went for a visit, but couldnt resist the urge to capture her in all her cuteness!  I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking...

As EYE See Her - Dawn!

Dawn Fant and I shared 4 years within the walls and halls of Brooklyn Technical High School.  I  just LOVE her and I love my relationship with her.  I can't say I remember a time when we have ever experienced any level of discord - the friendly roller coaster that most friendships endure. 

She is brilliant and beautiful.  Loving, caring and a raging smart ass!  I think part of the reason we have always gotten along so well is that I understand and appreciate her cutting sense of humor, where it gets lost or miscontrued on others.

Dawn was in town recently and we discussed photographing the women in her family.  Her Grandmother, Mom, Aunts, sister and cousins were present.  Being a photographer is mostly about observation.  And what I observed was Love, Strength, Power, Caring, Nurturing and Respect.

These women are so strong - I can see why they are the backbone of the family.  And what a fun bunch to be around!   Laughter and jokes were the overall theme!  There were 4 sets of sisters and 4 generations - how special and rare was that?

As EYE See It - The Female Form

American Culture is much less comfortable with the human body and sexuality than our European counterparts.  The human body is beautiful and should be celebrated.  I'm looking forward to doing some male art nude shoots as well...

As EYE See It - Engagement! Meet Sabrina and Evan!

Meet Sabrina and Evan...

A lovely young couple planning their wedding.  We went one Saturday to Astoria Park in Queens to take their engagement photos.

Stay Tuned for their August Wedding!

As EYE See It - The Natural Beauty of Pregnancy

What's as precious as a tiny new life?  Her Mom waiting to bring this precious new life into the world.  The pregnant face is beautiful and the pregnant form is simply a work of <what else?> art! 

I met Marta several years ago when I worked with a dear friend of hers.  We clicked immediately.  She is sweet and personable and the absolute life of the party!  It had been years since Marta and I had seen each other.  I remember her having a natural gravitation towards children and watching her play with my youngest son and nurturing a friend's baby, I couldnt help but think how lucky a child might be to have her as a mom. 

When I found out that she was expecting, I was overjoyed and immediately needed to photograph her in her pregnant state.   As most of us express when we're expecting, Marta referred to herself as a 'whale' when I crested her doorway.  I couldnt disagree more - I thought she was stunning and quickly told her so.

Can I tell you...  this shoot was SO much fun!  Marta is such a free spirit and was very easy to work with.  She doesnt have the normal body hang ups that some of us have.  Yes she feels bigger than she normally is because she's with child, but she is comfortable in her own skin and she was a pleasure to work with her.

Looking forward to the new arrival...  Stay tuned!

As EYE See It! - The Brooklyn Bridge.

It's very easy to live in a city - any city - and overlook it's inherent beauty. I had some business to take care of in the downtown Brooklyn area. I went to the Celeste Diner - the one at the very beginning of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Now, this doesn't have anything to do with this blog entry really - just venting!  A pet peeve of mine is incorrectly delivered food... Let me explain. I ordered scrambled eggs with cheese and what I got was a feeble attempt at an omelet with a few slices of cheese slapped on top. <Sigh>. The bacon was weird - it was perfectly flat! Now I'm a city girl with deep southern roots so bacon to me, whether or not it's crispy, is supposed to have the waves! Cooked bacon is not supposed to be flat. Period!  To end the meal on a positive note, I'll say that the pancakes were good! 

So after paying 10 bux for this travesty of a meal, I thought I'd walk off the breakfast by taking a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.

I hadn't done that in a long time, the sky was as beautifully blue and as clear as it could possibly be and the sun made me an offer I couldn't refuse.  This mini-journey over the bridge was very different than the last time. As a photographer, I see beauty in things that I would have normally overlooked. I now find interesting the things that I once thought were completely boring.  So the Brooklyn Bridge is no longer just a span that goes from Brooklyn to Manhattan.  Now it's a relationship amongst wood, steel, concrete, nuts, bolts, cables, and the most amazing mix of people!   Walkers, drivers, bikers, skaters, bladers and stroller and scooter riders share this fabulous space.

So the next time you need to cross the east river, consider taking a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and see it again for the first time!

Be Patient!

"You have the patience of a saint!" That is absolutely NOT a quote that I often heard applied to me. In fact, my level of patience was nearly non-existent.  I am a self-admitted control freak, so perhaps the source of my lack of patience comes from that?

Later today at 10:18am, I will celebrate the 43rd Anniversary of my birth, and one of the things I've had to learn the hard way is that if it's meant to happen it will happen, just not necessarily when you want it to. 

Friends and family have told me over the years to "let go and let GOD".  I listened.  And funny enough, I'm not quite as impatient anymore.  At least not with the big stuff.   All things in time...

“Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out It's all about God's timing.” Stacey Charter

As EY ESee It - Beauty Make Overs - The Before and After

Delilah R is a Professional MUA (Make Up Artist) and Skin Care Specialist based in Glendale, NY.  Watching her work was like watching water flow from a stream to a river.  It was almost poetic.  More to my thoughts about Passion...  watching someone live their dream - that is doing what they LOVE - is magic.

I had the pleasure of watching and documenting Delilah in action!  Her subjects were beautiful women to begin with, but their transformations were amazing!   Every lash applied, every stroke of the brush and every pass of lipstick was done with love.  She is the  consummate perfectionist.

Delilah shared with me that she has Lupus, a blood disease which causes her to look and feel tired and affected severe changes in her skin.  She said that always looking tired fueled an interest in learning about skin care.  In addition to skin care, she took an interest in make up application.  When in Delilah's hands, you're not just getting some colored 'stuff' put on your face, she advises her clients on the best products to use to give them the best results.

I realized from watching and documenting today's transformations, and perhaps from my own past experiences, that something changes inside a woman when she gets a makeover.  No matter how subdued and timid she may inherantly be, the 'other' side comes out when the makeup is applied and she realized just how good she looks.  Whatever hidden sultry sexiness exists appears, even if it's only for a fleeting moment.

Need quality skin care or makeup application?  Call Delilah R at 516.473.6531.  I'm sure you will be just as impressed as I was!

Taking Risks

I've always been in the middle of the road in terms of taking risks, leaning more towards the safe side.  Now, my 40's have introduced me first hand to the concept of "nothing ventured, nothing gained".

Leo F. Buscaglia said...  "The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live."

As EYE See It - About Passion...

Passion is the drive behind the things we do. It's the force within us that wakes us up in the morning and gives us a sense of purpose.  It's our reason for being.  And what's more beautiful than to follow your passion and do what you LOVE for a living?

My dear friend Dennis Cokley is a NYC school teacher.  He has a profound  dedication to children and the shaping of their minds and their futures.  He doesnt have children of his own (and what lucky children they would be if he did), but is absolutely surrounded by them 24 hours a day.  In addition to teaching within the New York City Public School system, he tutors for the better part of Saturdays AND is very involved in children's activities at his church on Sunday. 

I had the opportunity to spend some time with him during a tutoring session.  He worked with three boys of different ages and in different grades, and was attentive to each of them seemlessly.  As I observed him and the boys - their interaction and the way they responded to each other, the word that came to me was Passion.  I was moved to capture the moment - the respect the boys had for him and the love he has for them.  Every right answer to a question was a sense of accomplishment for Dennis and it showed.  I've known Dennis for close to 30 years, and I'm realizing more and more each day what a complex and amazing human being he really is!

Let passion be the guiding light in everything you do...

Library

I went to the Brooklyn Public Library - the big one at Grand Army Plaza - for the first time in a million years! I am now the proud owner of a library card. Just last week, I spend a whopping $120.00 on only 4 books from Barnes and Noble. Yesterday, I borrowed four really awesome books on photography as follows: 

• PhotoJournalism by Andy Steel
• Classic Essays on Photography by Alan Trachtenberg
• Icons of Photography by Presetel
• Committed to the Image - Contemporary Black Photographers from the Brooklyn Museum of Art

I feel a sense of accomplishment and stupidity at the same time... the former for taking out such great books, the latter for spending king's ransom just a few days prior...

If you dont have one already, do yourself a favor and get a library card!

Happy Shooting!