Back in February, after a trip to Maryland, I was home for a week and then had a trip to California. Yup, just call me the jet-setter..... I'll write about that trip later. Eric and I debated for a long time about whether to send me on this venture - more money spent and more time away. In the end, we looked at it as an investment and in hind-sight, I'm glad we did it.
My darling friend Rachel and her sister have both started school photography businesses, which I'm pretty sure is what God used to plant the idea of the same in my brain for here. Since they have been through it all and know the ropes, so to speak, I headed out to California to have Rachel help me get going on it.
Now, she had been doing that for a while already - through email and whatnot - but there was much I needed see. Basically I needed her to take my hand, sit me down, treat me like a 5-year-old (which is about my age in terms of learning digital-type stuff) and teach me how to organize and edit, order and package and all that stuff. I do have limited skills in some of these things, but the whole thing overwhelmed and intimidated me. Anything with computers and such puts a mental block in my way.
The time we had was invaluable to me. She really got me going. When I came back, I felt very prepared. I made files and organized just as she patiently showed me. And of course, God helped me to actually remember what she taught me.
The other bonus of being there was that Rachel and Becky were putting on a photography workshop for some ladies. Something I might want to do some day.
Rach and Beck did a great job. I know the ladies were very happy with their experience. After they had lunch and did some teaching at Rachel's house, we all went to a friend's farm to practice what they learned. I mostly took some photos of them teaching - but I got a few good pictures of the "models" (a family that are friends) as well.
Rachel took a few images of me taking pictures for the future website I want to have.
This is the whole group of ladies with Becky and Rachel at the very back.
I had the delightful privilege of playing with one of Rachel's lenses for a while. We mounted one of her great lenses on my camera - my new dream lens. It was a lot of fun - amazing. Then in the pictures that she took of me, I'm using her camera and other wonderful lens. I'm trying not to salivate too much over them. A few great shots I got were on her camera and I still need to get them from her, but I will one of these days.
Aside from the joys of all this photography business, I was able to enjoy my nephews - almost can't get enough of that - my in-laws, my wonderful mentor Dorothy and a great Sunday at church. There wasn't nearly enough of any of that, but I am thankful for what I got.
My brother-in-law Michael probably felt that he had more than enough time with me. He had the great pleasure of picking me up late from the airport, helping me deal with American Airlines as another passenger took my carry-on (filled with my laptop that needed repair and my camera equipment - yes, there was a bit of panic), drove me around to get the carry-on back, brought me to get the laptop repaired (although it had to get sent in) and then even got to have me again for night only to bring me to the airport at the crack of dawn to get my flight. What a guy. He's probably plenty happy that I am back in Ecuador - but he hid it well!
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