The Diva Divulges

The first six weeks of 2011 have been quite an amazing journey.  My 2011 New Year’s resolution was to improve my photographic skills through learning and doing.  Well, I held my nose and I jumped in feet first, right into a documentary  photography class at Loyola New Orleans – yep, me and the undergrads!  So far, so good.  Most days I’m just loving it and hate it when the teacher says “That’s all the time we have for today”.  “No, please, just one more story” I shout in my head, wishing I didn’t have to go back to the reality of my grown up life.  I just wish I could sit in that desk forever, or at least until I know everything about every photographer there ever was.  That ‘s what goes on in the classroom … and then there’s the project.

Welcoming Committee

For my project, I’ve chosen to document the work being done at the St. Joseph Rebuild Center.  The St. Joseph Rebuild Center, housed in the parking lot of St. Joseph Church, was opened after hurricane Katrina, as a place where the homeless and needy struggling to rebuild can come to find assistance with their daily lives and basic needs.  Every day approximately 150 – 200 guests come to be fed, to get a shower, to get mail, use the phones, to get their laundry done, to get legal and medical assistance – basically, to get assistance while getting back on their feet.   What I’m also seeing is that they come to get a hand held, a shoulder hugged and to find a listening ear.  The work of the staff and volunteers at the Rebuild Center is utterly awe inspiring.

The project is going well.  The photographic quality gets a little better every week and the content will continue to improve the more time I spend with my subject.  I’ve been at it for three weeks now and I find that I’m stretching and growing in ways that I never imagined.

James Rudolph

While photographing people still makes me squirm a bit, it’s getting easier.  I’m learning that if you respect people’s dignity and show them that you care about them, they are generally more than happy to oblige you  (although not everybody wants to be photographed and they will not hesitate to let you know it!) I’m learning that education does not always insure against homelessness, and that a storm, or a recession, or a lost job can bring people to the streets through no fault of their own.  I’m learning that a camera can be used as an instrument for change and if it is used correctly, can advocate for those who have no voice or stature  in  society.  And I’m learning that if I ask for God’s assistance in guiding my hands to tell the story of the beautiful work being done at the St. Joseph Rebuild Center, He’s going to be there for me.

Seconds

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you and watch over you.

~Psalm 32:8

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I love to read Chris Brogan for ideas about business, marketing and social media.  His post today is his annual three words to be used as guiding pillars for what he will focus on in the coming year.   He states that “Instead of resolutions, which don’t usually help me very much, I work hard on using these words as a lighthouse for my actions and efforts.”

So in that vain, Shutterbug Diva’s three words for 2011 are Learn . Improve . Do.

Learn – I am a firm believer in the old adage that the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know.  In that vain, education in all aspects of my life, is top priority, but especially when it comes to photography.  There is still so much to be learned.  I started out 2010 with a wonderful educational experience at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, and noticed an immediate improvement in my photographic work.  Nonetheless, it also opened my eyes to how much better I can be!  2011 will definitely hold more RMSP weeks for me to learn new skill and technique …. and in Spring 2011 I will be studying documentary photography at Loyola New Orleans to help bolster my photographic content.

Improve – is just a natural flow from learn … if I go about the learning process fully applied and conscious, the result should be to improve … at least that’s the goal!

Do – and finally I end with “Do”, a directive to myself to stop thinking about it, stop talking about, stop waiting for everything in the universe to be perfect before I attempt it, but to just do it.

2010 was a great year – I have great expectations for 2011.

So what are your three words?

I worked on a little project for my mom this Christmas – it’s a project that I’ve named “Chalk Talk”.  I got the idea when I was planning my wedding this summer.  I didn’t want a videographer, but I did want to have a way for our guests to leave us messages.  So I left little chalk boards around the room with instructions to write a note to the bride and groom and find a photographer and get photographed with the chalkboard.  The results were amazing!  When we opened our wedding pictures we were absolutely tickled to read the sentiments and heart felt thoughts of our guests.  And some were just downright hilarious – like this one below from my dear friend, Paul.

Photograph by Collin Richie

I’ve decided to keep the series going.   So I started working on my first Chalk Talk Project – “Chalk it up to Love, Messages for a Merry Christmas”.  The results were phenomenal – got lots of tears (joyful ones!) and the project seemed to be an overall success!  Mimaw loved the book and the participants liked seeing themselves in the book.  Stay tuned for other Chalk Talk projects because these are fun and sentimental!

You can check it out here:

I know its hard to believe but it’s holiday shopping time again!  Where did this year go?  I’m catching up on e-mail, website and FB posts this morning.  The Christmas cards are ready!

I’ll probably be out shooting this week, now that holiday decorations are in full swing, so keep checking back.

I’m also reading about those ambitious folks that were out shopping at 3 a.m. this morning, and I am so happy that there are folks like that out stimulating our economy!  However, that’s so not me … I really hate to go to the mall.  I much prefer to shop in my PJ’s & slippers from my desktop.  If you share my sentiment, feel free to grab a cup of your favorite beverage (preferably an adult one, but hot cocoa will do on a day like today), throw on a few Christmas tunes, and shop right along with me.  I’ve rounded up some of my favorites in one easy to find place.

And if you are looking for a great gift, remember that all proceeds from Photos for Gulf are donated to The Gulf Relief Foundation and LA Gulf Response to help support their relief efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Happy Shopping!

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They say that breaking up is hard to do – but what I’ve found this last few months is that getting hitched has it challenges, as well!  Yep, since the last time I posted, I got married, which, in large part accounts for the huge chasm in my posts.  It has been a hectic, whirlwind of a year, but its been really good!  On July 10 of this year I was escorted down the aisle by my two wonderful sons, and given away to my equally wonderful husband.  Like I said, life has been really good, but the process of merging two households and two 50-year-old lives (I’m close enough to say that), I’ve discovered, is not exactly for the faint of heart.  We’re having a garage sale this weekend to handle the stuff, but on the intangible side, one of the most daunting tasks has been changing my name.  It’s been a royal pain in the rear from a technical side, and a little unnerving on the emotional side.  “Who am I?”, I have to stop and think every time I introduce my self to someone or try to use my credit cards to make an online purchase.  “If I tell you my new last name, will you know who I really am”, I find myself questioning? I know, I know, I didn’t really have to change it – but “Marcell” was actually my ex-husband’s name so I thought it was time to let it go.  But I had a lot of things associated with that name, like children, research and photographs.  I want to state for the record right now that I love being a Sabrier, and couldn’t have handpicked a more beautiful moniker!  And I’m sure it’ll just roll off my tongue in another few months.

So why do I bring this up today?  Well, I have some exciting news to share!

An image by Marianne Marcell (that’s me in case you didn’t remember) has been published in a new photobook entitled “Photos for the Gulf” that has just been released today!  It includes photographs and reflections by 22 photographers that depict a range of activities, communities, and ecosystems of the vast Gulf region.  All proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to The Gulf Relief Foundation and LA Gulf Response to help support their relief efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.  The book was produced by Composing With Images, a side by side photoblog with weekly themes.  The book is being released today, on the 6-month anniversary of the gulf oil spill. You can find the book here, and you will find my image entitled “Tranquility at Sunset” on page 31.  So check it out, and support the gulf relief effort.

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I have been in Nashville for the last couple of days and was hoping to get out and about to shoot some of the nightlife.  Between time and weather limitations, I was only able to meander the Vanderbilt campus for a few hours.  Nonetheless, in spite of the grayness of the day and chilling temperatures, I found some cheerful signs of spring juxtaposing themselves against the bleakness.  I’m not sure why, but for some reason I have found the young buds of new growth on all of the trees and plants to be particularly beautiful this year.

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So Mardi Gras, Lombardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day and everything else holiday is over for 2010!  Exhale … wow, I’m sitting here on a lovely Saturday realizing that for the first time since Christmas we are not rushing to go somewhere or do something.  That’s actually a big part of the charm of living in New Orleans … I always say that if you can’t find something to do in this town, you’re not trying!  Anyhow, all of the New Orleans visitors have been accounted for so I actually got to go out for lunch this week!  I stopped to have lunch in City Park and take advantage of the glorious weather when I noticed a sure sign of spring – a bevy of wheelbarrows!  Actually, I wasn’t sure what to call a gathering of wheelbarrows so I checked Wikipedia listing of collective nouns.  I didn’t find a listing for wheelbarrows, but did you know that a collective group of lizards is called a “lounge of lizards”? Is it just me, or does that conjure up images of a smoke-filled room full of “Geico geckos” ordering cocktails for you, too?

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Not sure life could get any more hectic … well, I guess I shouldn’t say that because last time I stated that, Katrina hit, totally proving to me that life can get really hectic sometimes!  Nonetheless, between work, wedding planning, and just plain living, things have been very hectic for the last week.  I slept nearly half the day on Saturday because, well, frankly, it feels like life has just been kicking my butt this last week, and on Saturday, I just let it win!  Now that I have finished “counting” all of the visitors to New Orleans for 2009 I am finally catching up on a few things … finally got the new Nikon D90 set up and took it out for a spin.  And what a beautiful day to walk around the park and experiment!  Wow … can’t believe I lived without this new toy for so long.  It has awesome, easy to use features and with the 50 mm fixed focus lens, I’ll be shooting like a rock star in no time!  This is just a little warmup … I love that there are signs of imminent Spring popping up all over the place!

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I know the calendar says is February, but the sunshine says its spring!  Wow, what a beautiful day in NOLA.  With the Japanese plums starting to bloom, it’s hard not to believe that spring has sprung.  Caught this one while I was unloading groceries … I noticed the way the late afternoon light was hitting the neighbor’s tree and it just took my breath away.

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The last couple of days have been an absolute whirlwind!  I’m just catching my breath and glancing at the calendar and suddenly … ooops!  I note that I’ve lost a couple of days here.  I can only hope I will be better at the marriage commitment than the everyday post commitment!  I have been shooting, albeit not necessarily doing anything more creative than documenting the blur of activity that has become our existence … but carrying the camera everywhere and having it become part of me is part of the process, as well.  So in that regard, I have been successful.  Its rather challenging to be artistic when shooting on the fly to dodge the crush of a Mardi Gras crowd, or, particularly when I have to rely on the “point and shoot” because the conditions are not conducive to carrying the Nikon. Nonetheless, what follows is my recount of the weekend.

(Friday, February 12, 2010) We started the weekend by riding in Morpheus.  It was absolutely freezing, but we still managed to have a great time.  By including “Big Daddy” on his costume, Steve added a whole new level of fun to the ride; its all about the “relationship” to him, as opposed to just throwing with wild abandon!

(Saturday, February 13, 2010) We managed to scrape ourselves up after a full day on Friday, to attend Endymion.  In spite of strolling out after the parade had begun, our wonderful friend Michelle had staked out real estate near the barricades, which allowed me a place to wiggle up to the front of the crowd to sneak in a few shots under outreached arms.

After Endymion, we strolled back to Michelle’s, where a spontaneous dance party broke out in the driveway.  Can anyone say “second wind”?  Who knew we had any left!

And speaking of “wind” … Steve convinced Julia to stop at Gennaro’s on the way home under the guise of having to go to the bathroom … but he actually was able to slip in his favorite Karaoke tune, “Summer Wind”.  This guy really gives Frank Sinatra a run for the money.  It was here that a whole new definition of friendship was written … a true friend will help you with your Karaoke tune if you’ve had too much to drink and can’t get the words out right! (Put that on a T-shirt!)

(Sunday,  February 14, 2010) We found ourselves again, out and about ready to celebrate Valentine’s day.  We had dinner at LeForet on Camp Street, a new restaurant that we are considering for our rehearsal dinner.  I did actually take my time capturing this image of our dessert, because in and of itself, the presentation was a work of art, not to mention the taste.  This was a carrot cake with a ginger ice cream.

During the entire meal, the chef kept sending out the most fabulous amuse-bouches (I have no idea if that is supposed to be plural … just know that this happened more than once).  Featured here are the mardi gras macaroons, and the rabbit pate.

When we finished a fabulous meal, we toured the facility.  This is the second floor dining room that we will use for the rehearsal dinner if we decide to use this venue.  The building is just stunning.

We ended the night with a walk out to Canal Street to catch Bacchus.  Love certainly was in the air … it was a perfect Valentine’s Day, and a lovely way to cap off a hectic, but wonderful weekend.

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