How can a Photo change the World?

I love to take photos. Does that mean I just have fun all day? Well, yeah...but I make sure I can make a difference with what I do also!
How so? Well, I pride myself on being a person that doesn't just talk the talk, but my family and I will walk the walk also! We have been involved with American Cancer Society events, fundraisers for various schools and the Children's Home of Stockton, and rescue work (with animals) just to name a few. What does this have to do with anything? I bring my camera along!

If I really want to bring awareness to something, I like to do my part and take photos I can share to generate donations for the cause, and teach others. Photos generate questions like, "why" and "how can I help". If photos weren't important, you wouldn't see them on EVERYTHING. Statements today can hardly be made without a photo involved to 'capture' attention! Posts in social media are now photos with words across them to bring attention to the words, so that people will actually stop and read something! In a world that is hungry for a story told with photos, candids at fundraising events are PRICELESS!


I most recently attended a "Making Strides against Breast Cancer" event in Stockton this year, and it is always wonderful to see the teams that come out support a loved one. Everyone dresses up, and there is such a story! Here are a few images from this event.

 I get my "photographer's" pass, we fundraise, walk in the walk, and I carry my camera the whole time and capture everything- then I post the images on my Facebook page and donate my images to the event coordinator so they can use the images for additional fundraising, meetings, newsletters, and to drum up participation the following year!

If you are a photographer, get involved in things you care about, and take your talent with you. Most fundraisers don't have tons of cash to pour into advertising and are always looking for sponsors.

It is so important to give back to your community. Don't let your life revolve around work,

 use your work to make a difference!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed citizens can change the world;

 indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

                                                                                                   -Margaret Mead

-Cameo Rose

Cameo Rose Photography

www.cameorosephotography.com

209-623-3302

Indians in the Valley

Pow Wow's are pretty popular here in the Valley with Angel's Camp, Valley Springs, Jackson, and frankly the dozens of Indian towns around here! I have been wanting to attend a pow wow for quite some time and this year I finally had an opportunity.

Of course bringing my camera wasn't optional for me, beautiful headdresses and dancing, the camera was a MUST! This seemed to become a stumbling block at an Indian pow wow though! Many Native American Indians hold to tradition and do not like to be photographed. I respect that. I deleted the first group of shots I got due to the fact that you are not supposed to photograph the ground being blessed, and I didn't know what was going on till someone explained it to me. Luckily after that, photos were permitted.

It was a beautiful but HOT 98`, but everyone wore their traditional outfits for their own tribe and danced to live drums and Indian songs. I thought it was inspiring to witness such pride. I don't really know anything about my own culture and I personally got to witness a group of people that was strong in their beliefs, culture, traditions, and language. Old and young alike were present and ready to party for 2 days!

UOP hosts this pow wow every year on labor day and I believe a great time was had by all. I definitely had a wonderful time talking to people and seeing all the different dance styles, and outfits. Beside all the traditional pow wow activity, there were Indian jewelry, shirts, art and food to enjoy. This event is free to the public and great for the entire family.  I had a wonderful time capturing some wonderful people on camera! Hope to see you there next year!

"It is not the honor that you take with you,

 but the heritage you leave behind." Branch Rickey

Always inspired,
Cameo Rose
www.cameorosephotography.com
(209)623-3302

Relay for Life

I haven't posted a blog...in too long. Sorry for that. So, here is a quick update! I got married, I am celebrating my first year (Yeah) and I am getting ready to move! The kids finished school, my business is growing, and I think," Hey, I should blog about that!". Then I get busy and don't do it. This past weekend, I did my first "Relay for Life" with my kids and my some great teammates. I can't just say everything cool about this life changing event in a little Facebook blast, so the blog was  perfect.
Now if you don't know anything about "Relay for Life", let me explain. "Relay for Life" is an American Cancer Society event that is put on to bring attention to cancer prevention for those that do not have cancer, finding a cure for those that do, celebrating survivors, and remembering loved ones that lost their battle to cancer. It is not just for one specific cancer, but educating regarding well known cancer's (such as breast cancer or colon cancer) but also lesser known cancers (such as brain cancer or Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma) and how to test and prevent them. Each "Team" fund raises from sign up to relay day. All proceeds go to Cancer research through the American Cancer Society.

What is the "Relay"? Relay is a 24 hour walking/running track event. The rules? Each team member needs to participate by fundraising and/or staying on the track walking or running for 24 hours straight. That is no typo, this is a 24 hr. relay, meaning if you are on the track and you get tired and need to leave the course, you need to have another member from your team take your place and continue walking for your team, and so on and so on. Since this relay takes place over 24 hours, you have plenty of opportunity to walk for your team.

What do you do when you aren't walking? Well, the rest of your team is fundraising to other team members by selling raffle tickets for gifts, or selling lumpia. I saw some crazy fundraisers, our team included! Teams sold  such things as t-shirts, jewelry, food, cold beverages, cheers, songs, dances, water balloons, glow sticks, hair chalking, pineapple upside down cake, plants, and a Justin Bieber ticket! I got my hair chalked, see below!

Relay for Life is not for the weak in spirit. It is about being a survivor and kicking Cancer's butt. It was 109 degrees on Saturday (so I was told) and there were plenty of runners out there anyway. My son's best friend Alex ran 50 laps to beat a team members record. Sountha Key  from "Austin's Bullriding Buckaroos" ran the most laps, he got to 138!

 I came home with every muscle sore, and blistered feet. My 12 year old son got heat exhaustion, and had to be taken home so he could get better. Our team was made up of  7 team members, and 3 out of 7 got sick from the heat. Only 4 of us spent the night, and none of us got through the night without sleeping a little. That is the point of the 24 hours.



Cancer doesn't sleep, so we don't either. You walk, you run, you are tired, you are sweaty, you ache, and by morning, you are delirious. The Relay starts with 100s of particants, and ends with about 100. Cancer is something loved ones suffer great pain from. Those that survive, went through agony in order to survive, so walking for 24 hours seems like a small sacrifice when you are trying to walk in someone else's shoes. Cancer kills 1 in 3 now. It used to kill 1 in 10. Cancer kills babies, mothers, daughters, sons and fathers. It doesn't care who you are, and it needs to be stopped. That is what Relay for Life is for- finding a cure.

Families and friends come together for a common purpose, walking to celebrate life, remember loved ones who have fought and are fighting cancer, and to fight back with education and hope.
Hope is the key.

During the night hours, a "HOPE" sign is lit, big enough for all to see. Lumenaria's for Loved ones encircle the track to remind us why we are walking. That sign was why I was able to keep walking at night. That sign was why when some walkers were so tired they couldn't walk anymore, so they laid down on the track just so they wouldn't break the rules and "a team member" was on the track at all times. Hope was what kept team members running around the track at 4am in the morning.

If you ever have a chance to participate

 in a Relay for Life, take the opportunity, it is a life changing experience that you should have. I did it with my friend and cancer survivor Donna Abbott and both of my kids. We came home exhausted, burned, and delirious, but wouldn't have changed a moment. We will be back next year. This years Relay for Life earned $70,000 for research, and you can still donate till August 31st. If you want to help, here is the link : http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/?team_id=1302747&pg=team&fr_id=49126

"The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it."

C.C. Scott

Thanks for reading my words,

Cameo Rose

Cameo Rose Photography

www.cameorosephotography.com

209-623-3302