Kitty footprints, inspiration, and National Geographic

My absolute favorite magazine ever is National Geographic. Hands down. That’s it. Game Over. So much so that I usually get a subscription as a Christmas gift, and I really hope someone… *cough* mom *cough*… continues that tradition this year. In reality, I am a huge nerd. A geek. I majored in Biology and I read my National Geographics cover to cover, and then study all the colorful, well-composed amazing photographs, and wondering what the people in them were thinking as the photo was taken. I’ve been so busy this last month with all of October’s weddings, and getting myself ready for the holidays that I haven’t even read my November issue of National Geographic! This is sacrilege in my opinion, so I am catching up today as I watch The Holiday on TV. The Holiday also happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time, and is perfect for getting into an uplifted holiday spirit. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend it!

I don’t think anyone, even a client, has ever asked me what my inspiration is for my photography, but I’m going to put it out there anyway. I definitely find my inspiration between the pages of the yellow bound magazine covers of National Geographic. For the aforementioned reasons, the sparkling photography, and the amazingly exotic places featured in them, I can’t help but feeling that we are all so similar, rather than different. Each of us only want the best for ourselves and our families, no matter where we’re from, or what language we speak. Everyone feels love, and pain, and excitement and sorrow, and although not always in the same way, our emotions are the same. If I can just capture a tiny sliver of your happiness, sorrow, excitement, nervousness and contentment in an image that lasts long after we are all gone, I could sincerely call myself the luckiest women alive.

In my November issue of National Geographic, there is an article about the pets of the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, and I can’t wait to read it! As you might have already noticed, I love cats, and have always been curious about the whole mummification of cats thing… I mean, I think it’s a fabulous idea because every time I lose a pet, it just kills me. Literally, a piece of myself goes with them. Sometimes, the reverence I have for animals, especially cats, gets taken to a whole new level. Now don’t laugh, but I believe that it is absolutely fabulous good luck to find kitty footprints on your car. It makes me feel lucky. So, I suppose I’m a nutty, slightly superstitious, nerdy, National Geographic reading, wedding photographer in Fresno, California, watching a sappy Christmas movie, and I couldn’t be more content with myself!