Photography & Web Design

Since it’s been almost a month now since my last post I figure I am LONG overdue. This may seem like a random one, but it’s a topic that consistently comes up… so for anyone who is remotely interested here’s the deal.

Background

People are consistently confused about whether or not I still do photography and web design, and understandably so.  For many years I did freelance work.  I started doing freelance photography back in 1989 when I graduated from high school, then later got my undergraduate degree in photography from RIT one the top school two schools in the nation for the discipline.

I got a job doing digital imaging after I graduated from college and LOVED it!  Which is how I ended up going back for my masters in Interactive Media Communications (from Webster) in the late 90s.  I started doing freelance Web Design at that time. I enjoyed my freelance work, and found it to be a nice supplementary source of income for many years.

In addition to the freelance work, there were always people who wanted favors… whether they wanted a discounted rate or whether they wanted my work for free… something. Anyone who knows me knows I love to give.  And so give I would – the problem was that some of the relationships were somewhat one-sided, people using me.

God telling me to stop

Fast forward a few years and God began quietly talking to me about stopping doing freelance work.  Honestly, I completely ignored Him for quite a while for 2 reasons: 1) we needed the money and 2) fear of man.  You see, like many people, I struggled with people pleasing.  They liked me because I did stuff for them.  If I stopped doing stuff for them… they might stop liking me – and that in my mind was unacceptable.

Finally, in November of 2005, God told me again (and this time loud and clear) to stop doing freelance work.  I actually argued with Him – you see at that time, we needed the extra finances and so it was a bad time for me to stop!  God said to me, “So you think you are a better provider for your family than I am?”  How do you argue with that?

God getting my attention

He very specifically told me to stop doing all freelance-related work, which included all the freebie stuff.  Generally speaking I obeyed, but I had scheduled a shoot with a family at this new church we were attending (Destiny) and I liked them and didn’t want them to think I was odd if I had just explained and canceled.  (Gloria – girl, I know you well enough now to know you would NEVER have somebody please you at the expense of being disobedient to God!)

Also around the same time, I had volunteered to do a website for a ministry we had gotten involved in.  Lest you think I’m crazy – here’s what I’d said to God on this one… “God if you don’t want me to do this website, just tell me and I won’t do it.”  Here’s the flaw in that thinking – if God has already VERY clearly told you not to do something and He’s told you repeatedly – you need to assume He doesn’t want you to do it not assume that He does and tell Him to let you know if He doesn’t.

Anyhow, God decided to let me know very clearly how serious He was.  Both my camera and my computer stopped working inexplicably.  For anyone who knows me – either event alone is enough to completely freak me out but both together?  I was a basket case!

I tried a number of things with the camera – to no avail. The computer went in the shop where they repaired the same thing 3 times only to have it stop working three times.  Not surprisingly, God had a MUCH easier time keeping my attention during this period. 🙂  Again, He made it clear that I was to stop – completely.  I repented, removed myself from any obligation, and then – miraculously and without explanation after 3 weeks, both the camera and the computer began working again.

I’m not gonna lie, that put some SERIOUS fear of the Lord in me!  I didn’t shoot anything for a year and a half – I didn’t even do much web work for myself during that time and certainly none for anyone else.  At the end of that time, I felt the Lord releasing me to start doing some… but at His direction or at my pleasure.

So what stuff do I do now?

I do not do web design on request… unless you are my church – and then I make some exceptions 🙂   There are a couple ministries that God has prompted me to assist, and in those cases I offered.

With photography, my heart always has been to photograph women.  I love to document the beauty God has put in us (not that men aren’t beautiful – I’m sure He’s burdened someone else with a desire to shoot them… it’s just not me… unless that is, you are my husband or grandson!)

So sometimes I will offer to shoot someone at God’s prompting because I feel like God wants them to come into a deeper understanding of the beauty He’s put in them.  And sometimes I just personally want to bless a friend and will ask them if they’d like me to shoot them.  In all those cases you’ll notice I ask them…

Does that mean that I don’t like being asked? LOL! Yes and no. You know it’s frustrating being asked because people frequently don’t understand why I am saying no, and I feel like it’s taken personally (which it totally is not!).  So the part of me that still likes to have people like me dreads the question because I know I’m going to disappoint them.

On the other hand, being asked gives me an opportunity to continue walking out in freedom from people pleasing and it is a constant reminder that people appreciate the gifts God’s given me.  So for that I am grateful.

So that – in a rather large nutshell – is the “deal” on me and photography and web design… hopefully it’s brought some clarification… for anyone who is interested…

If you’re looking for a great photographer – Susan Jackson, David Boesch and Anna Acock with Creative Bent each have a fantastic eye and will give you incredible shots 🙂 And here’s who I recommend for Web Design

July 2010 update

The Lord has released me (in limited capacity) do help with web stuff in the event that the individual is using WordPress (I have a FAQ site that I constantly add to), is using my web host – MediaServe, and then the piece I will help with (if I feel led to) is the theme (read my web overview to get a better understanding of what I’m talking about). I do this either for an agreed upon amount or for one or more love offerings.

I still don’t do any freelance photography, though I’m shooting more often for the new Dyed4you Art images 🙂

8 August 2011 update

The Lord has released me to begin doing portrait photography again… Dyed4you Photo was birthed today!