After a very long and tiresome journey, I made it back home safely and in the arms of my loving family. It is so nice to have such warm people to come home to...I truly am blessed. This week was a whirlwind of knowledge, friendship and personal achievement. I feel chalked full of creativity and inspiration and I just want so badly to share this excitement with anyone I meet in the photography world. The East Coast is notorious for being a little less "open" about sharing with one another. It seems the West Coast is full of available help at every turn and I want so badly to spread that same wealth in my own neck of the woods. There is absolutely no reason why we can't all open up, share with one another and watch each other grow and prosper. This life is about giving, not taking and certainly not taking what you know and putting it on a shelf for only you to enjoy. I want everyone that reads my blog to know that if there is anything I can ever do...if you ever need or want to just sit down and talk or shoot or meet for dinner and talk about photography-related topics, then I am totally game. I'm so filled to the brim with excitement about meeting more of my peers and just becoming close as can be and networking with a really amazing group of individuals. Why on earth would you ever want to hold back your knowledge? I think it's time for a change...if I learned anything in California it's that we need to make ourselves available to one another. I can't imagine anything more satisfying than seeing my friends and fellow photographers rise to the top! I'm thrilled to see where we all go...it goes beyond words to explain how happy it will make me to see you guys obtain the clients that you truly deserve...and the best thing is that we can all do it together!
A few pics of some great photographers working together :) More tomorrow...
OMG!!! I just saw the vids on Cutframe! Looks like you had such a blast, and made so many great friends!
Welcome home!
Hows the fam? Piper?
Posted by: Nick Haskins | January 26, 2008 at 09:24 AM
Hi Courtney! I just found your site and blog tonight from Mike Colon's blog. I'm a fellow Tampa area photographer and I'd LOVE to get to know you. Seems like we have lots in common...besides our love for photography, we both have a three year old (mine's a boy - Joshua, and I have a one year old - Andrew), we both have a brother living in Ohio (mine just left Tampa this morning which makes me so very sad - until this past week it had been ages since I'd spent time with him, and I just love him so much), and we both love the Lord. Oh, and we both have fabulous husbands. God is very good, right? Are you available for coffee anytime soon? I'd love to here more about your time on the West Coast!
Take care,
Gina Leigh Bargerhuff
Posted by: gina leigh | January 28, 2008 at 10:18 PM
I linked to your page from Nick Haskins (I've been following his blog since I bought his 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, hehe) and just wanted to leave you a little note saying how much I really like your work and totally agree with the new wave of bringing openness to the east coast. My husband and I are fairly new to the photography business and follow a lot of the west coast photographers and would love to be part of bringing that vibe to this coast. I'll stay tuned for any meet-ups you might be having in the future! -Erin
Posted by: Erin | January 30, 2008 at 04:39 AM