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

Where are the people?

Why aren't there people in that photo? Well sometimes, I just want to grab my camera and drive into nowhere and see what I find! Now that may not sound surprising to you, but in the portrait industry, that's CRAZY!

Regular people take pictures of everything, their food, their house, their pets, EVERYTHING. If you are a portrait photographer-for some reason we are taught unless there is a person in the photo, it just isn't worth anything. I was actually told that by a fellow photographer years ago, and I am just as offended by that statement now as I was then. The world is beautiful-and who writes these "rules" anyway? So I thought I would take a photo day and enjoy what the world has to offer. I haven't had time or opportunity lately to do that while building my new business-so I was excited to say the least! I love photographing people, but my next passion in photography is nature.

There is art in everything, I really truly believe that. If you are a photographer and you feel you have gotten caught in a "rut", you should just pick up your camera, and GO! I headed out on the freeway and pulled over where ever I wanted. I crossed "Private Property/No Trespassing" signs without flinching, I laid on the side of the freeway, I leaned over the edge, and then I got lost. I don't mean that figuratively, I seriously got very, very lost. I was driving on some dirt road on the edge of nowhere at least an hour (maybe more) a little freaked out, so don't do THAT, bring GPS of some sort! Other than getting lost, I had a wonderful day with my camera, it was worth it. It would be worth it for you also.

Remember-You make your own rules. Photograph what you want, how you want. As long you know how to control your camera and your light, you can do anything. Get up early and drive far away to photograph the dawn. Drive into the woods on a rainy day. Bundle up with your camera and tripod and photograph the night. Be creative and have fun! A beautiful photo won't always have people in it, get over it!

"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today"-James Dean

Cameo Rose
Cameo Rose Photography
Like me on Facebook!

Off the Beaten Path

How do you find that special spot to photograph your client? Do you go to all the local "hangouts" the other photographers go to? Boring. You have to find locations of your own that are private and special, somewhat off the beaten path. As a photographer you shouldn't be afraid to photograph in the rain, or in the river, on the beach, or at night. You need to stretch your wings and just go for it!

First get in your car and drive! If your client is calling you and wants to be photographed somewhere special-better make sure it is special. Get in your car early in the morning so you are looking at a location during the time you may be photographing. Adversely, get in your car in the evening if it is going to be an evening shoot. You never want to find the perfect "location", and make the mistake of booking the appointment when the sun is in your clients eyes in the evening, when the spot was perfect in the morning. I have locations I use specifically in the morning, and others I will go to in the evening.
Be prepared. Sometimes you need artificial light to fill in "raccoon eyes" and sometimes you may only need a reflector. Other times you need to set up a "movie set", while for another all you needed to bring was a chair. You should always think about your location choice vs. time vs. group. For example, if you want to photograph a sexy woman on a carousel horse, you may want to arrange to go after hours to make sure you have privacy! Another example-if you are photographing a large family group with Grandma and Grandpa-you better bring chairs for them, because they can't be expected to stand very long. Also, if you have a group that wants to be photographed outside, make sure the weather is good, don't (A.) Make your group sweat during the hottest time of the day on the hottest day of the year or (B.) Freeze outside in Winter.

Sometimes you can't do anything about a particular situation-it is going to be cold tomorrow, what should you do? You can either reschedule the appointment, find a location that will work indoors, or at least warn your client to dress appropriately. It is your job as a professional to make sure your clients are prepared for a situation, that is why they called you and didn't try to do it themselves.
The bottom line is, sometimes you have to jump the fence to get a great picture. As a passionate artist, that shouldn't bother you. You can't be afraid to "go off the path" if you plan to be a successful photographer. Do something memorable and you will have a customer for life!

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."-Andre Gide

Cameo Rose
Cameo Rose Photography

Making a Dream Real

Well today I went to photograph a lovely family group in Walnut Creek. It was something Oma had been wanting for quite some time and I was honored to be the photographer of their choice. I left Stockton all packed up and ready for anything at 3pm, arrived at my location at 4:40 for a shoot at 5pm!

I start to unpack, I find Oma-but where is this lovely spot we have discussed and they sent me photographs of ? I haul equipment down a ramp, down some stairs, find a narrow walkway and set everything down. Wait, you mean this hill with little signs everywhere surrounded by rails is the destination? Oh oh. What to do? Well, Opa and I start to see if there are other desirable locations that Oma may like. Nope, this is the spot.

Now, if the lighting in this spot was bad, I would have said no, this spot won't work. The light here was perfect. Oma had her heart set on this location because she renewed her vows here with Opa 7 years ago.  Not in "this" spot, she wanted the memory of the beautiful wedding without it looking the same. This location had little waterfalls, but to my camera and from my vantage point, they were difficult to see.

Can't see any can you?

What to do? I don't want to break Oma's heart, and she hasn't liked any of the pretty choices Opa and I searched out, because this spot is the spot she has wanted for months. It's in her head, she already has the vision of the beautiful portrait with all of her loved ones. I can't say no to her. Allright, let's do this.



If you would like to view this larger, check it out on my facebook page Like me on Facebook!!



When you have a client like this, it is important to do what you can- if you can, to make the vision happen. I have some graphic art talent, so this is what I did. Photoshop and patience, viola. Removed some random hands, fixed shoes, fixed background "fixtures" and added Oma's waterfalls (yes, there really were little waterfalls and I took pictures of them to use them later).

Why do you call me instead of your "friend" with a camera? I can make the dream a reality, and your friend, probably couldn't have handled this. You need to know people skills, posing, photography, lighting, and graphic art to make something like this happen. The full package-and that is what I am all about!

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. -Colin Powell

Cameo Rose
Cameo Rose Photography

The Early Bird Gets the Best Image?

Well, I have never seen an early bird with a camera, I guess I am not getting up that early, but I have had my share of early excursions! One was out of town, so my client had to get up even earlier than I to get ready.

 Be aware, if you want an early "sun coming up" session, you will have to be up before the sun to get ready for the big event! I am actually so excited about early sessions, till I have to get up...which wouldn't be so bad, if I had actually slept! Generally I am so excited about your session, I have pictures in my head, visions of these dreamy perfect moments I plan to capture.I go over equipment in my head, going through my mental checklist, did I charge everything? Well it is worth it, and since the light is changing with the season, good news everyone won't have to get up quite so early. By the way, for those of you that sleep in the morning and have no idea when "sun up" is-it was as early as 6:30, yikes!

I don't just get up early for the sun, I also work early for the "early risers". You know, babies who can't tell time and wake up before everyone and are excruciatingly happy at 7:30 in the morning! Oh yeah, I will  show up to photograph a baby anytime, anywhere!

Well the point is, does the Early Bird get the best image? I think so, if the pictures are important to you, getting up early for portraits is totally worth the effort. Images, just don't lie! If you want a gorgeous image early in the morning, in the right location-don't hesitate to ask for it! Get happy, dawn isn't quite as early now, sessions can begin at 8am or 9am now! I can sleep in!

"I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird, and not enough of the bad luck of the early worm!" -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Cameo Rose
Cameo Rose Photography