sherry boles

BetterPhoto winner

2011-09-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

No matter where I go with my photography, I never leave my first online home. I've mentioned several times that BetterPhoto.com is where I got my start in seriously learning photography. That site inspired me to want more from my photography and dream bigger! (My BetterPhoto gallery)
BetterPhoto has always been a special place to me because of the memories that I have and friends that I have made...several of which that I've gotten to meet in real life. Although I don't compete as frequently as I did, I do try to enter an image every now and then. I was even fortunate enough to have a 2nd place winner in the animal category in July! :)

pit stop ~ BetterPhoto 2nd place winner (animals)

Learning is pleasurable but doing is the height of enjoyment. (Quote by - Novalis)

project shoot

2011-08-22T19:38:00.001-05:00

Themed photo shoots are a chance for my creative mind to go wild. This photo project was a creative response to the book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." From the time that I was presented with the idea, I started becoming excited about it. However, I didn't realize how much that I would enjoy the finished product until I saw it with my own eyes. I am honored to have been a part of this project.

Goodbye, Farewell...See ya' later

2011-08-15T15:15:00.079-05:00

This post is to announce that I will be no longer be accepting photography sessions for the general public. I will be taking a break and refocusing my photography to share with those who will truly appreciate it, even if the audience that appreciates it is my family alone. My family has experienced some huge changes this year. I will also be taking this time to adjust to those circumstances.
I have photographed some super-fantastic people over the years. Sharing with those who appreciate what I do is a gift to me. However, I will not be offering sessions to the public, in general.

You are welcome to request a session if you are interested in my photography specifically

and share my artistic vision of portrait photography.

(My goal has always been working with people who appreciate my style...not my price.)

However if you are looking for cheap photography or just any photographer,

please inquire elsewhere.

Over the past few years, I have worked to provide high-quality, non-traditional images, using the natural light photography techniques that I took the time to study and to learn. As an artist and a person, I am drawn to that style and have desired to share with others the beauty that I see. Regretfully, I can no longer accept the costs of providing that service to others.

I refuse to compromise the quality of my images.

I refuse to pretend to be someone that I am not in order to dip into your wallet.

I refuse to be untrue to myself and/or my vision.

I have searched deep within myself and found that putting my heart (as well as time and cost) into images for others, when they are taken for granted has taken a huge toll on my personal satisfaction. And I am not alone…
I see (and know personally) many amazing photographers who rarely share their talent with the world due to an unwillingness of others to financially value such a talent. I am personally saddened by this loss. I miss sharing in their beautiful visions.

Photography to me is about what you see and the way those images make you feel… In my opinion, if you do not see the beauty and feel the emotion, the point is lost.

You cannot make someone see

when they refuse to open their eyes, heart and mind.

To my family: I am incredibly thankful for a family who sees, feels and appreciates! I love you all! Your support is priceless!

So Real

2011-08-09T17:55:00.000-05:00

Kidney disease has always been a part of my life. I have always been aware through a kidney disease that affects my family. In fact, I don't remember any time in my life when I didn't know about Polycystic Kidney Disease. (I won't go into details of PKD since you can easily do a search and find plenty of information if you are interested.)

As part of learning about the disease, the possibility of a kidney transplant being necessary is a very real possibility. At times, that possibility has seemed so far away. This week transplant became a real part of my life as my loved one received a kidney. I am so thankful to the donor!
Throughout this process, I have been so overwhelmed that it is hard to form coherent thoughts. This post is evidence of that fact. It seems so unreal...like a dream that keeps on going...but a good dream. :)

hospital visit - outside the elevator door

three's a charm

2011-07-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

It's turning into one HOT summer here! Hope y'all are enjoying the heat...or perhaps the AC?

For those of you who know me, you know that I have a huge love of animals. The unconditional love that a pet provides is something special...and I think my pack is pretty special! ♥
We have just recently added the little one. He has been in my family (one of the surprise babies born to my sister's rescue). He was given to my granny, cared for by my parents, returned to my sister and has finally found a home with my crew. Ironically, he was my "pick of the litter" when he was born but I couldn't take him at the time. I like to think of it as he took the long road around and finally made it home! :)

Thanks to my hubby for the pic! :)

my opinion on photography shopping

2011-07-02T00:58:00.003-05:00

It never occurred to me until today how much photography is like shampoo. Yes…shampoo.
I recently purchased shampoo. I was satisfied with what I had been using so I didn’t even consider the other bottles, I simply grabbed my choice and left.
Before my satisfaction with that shampoo, I had to “shop” for a shampoo. I mean, really shop. I had a list of goals for my shampoo to meet.
So, what does that have to do with photography. Simple. My goals were arranged by priority to try to assure my maximum satisfaction with the product. Photography should be all about maximum satisfaction. Your memories deserve to be captured in a way that makes you most happy!

My number one priority in shampoo was style/type. There are shampoos for all kinds of hair types (dry, frizzy, color-treated, etc.). By looking first at specifically what effect I wanted from the shampoo, I could automatically eliminate many unnecessary options.
There are many styles of photography (studio, location, lifestyle, etc.). By simply knowing what you want, you can eliminate some of the options. While there are many talented photographers in all of these areas, if you want maximum satisfaction, you have to choose what photographer’s images make you most happy. Even if you have to pay more for these services/products, you will be more happy if you go with what you really want.

Next, I looked at my price range. Notice I said “range”…not just price. If “cheap” is your only consideration, you have plenty of options to easily compare.
I didn’t want the cheapest product. I wanted a certain level of performance to give me more satisfaction. My price range left room for flexibility in my selection. I had the freedom to go up or down the price scale. I even had the option of increasing my range for a better deal. :)
A lot of people get stuck on this point with photography. Photographers raise your hand if you have gotten the “how much do you charge?” email. (OK…I wish you could see all the hands that just flew into the air.) The real question that should be considered goes beyond a simple number. What do you want? What’s your price range? What can you get that will satisfy you most within that range? If you can find a better deal, will you extend your range? If price is all you base your photography decision on…Get a camera. You can pictures with a camera. Not what you were looking for? Then maybe you should weigh the value of the price and not just the number.
[Hint: If you break it down, most “school photographers,” with their generic five second shot of your kid, will charge you as much as some custom photographers. They simply give you “packages” to make you not look at the individual cost. I compared my daughter’s school pictures and could always find a better deal in photography with a better price.]
Would I pay more for images of my kids if I valued the photographer’s talent? Absolutely! And, I have!
Not all shampoos are created equal…Just as not all photographers are created equal. You have to decide what matters to you!

Shampoos advertise their advantages and market toward the customers that they want. Photographers advertise their advantages and market toward the customers that they want. Sounds a lot alike.
Now here is where shampoo and photography are different…
Unless someone you know has used the shampoo, then you will be taking a somewhat blind chance on the quality. However, photographers share the images (usually all over the web). At least you can get some idea of the quality that you are getting. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to determine quality in photography.
Here’s a hint: It is neither the lady with the fanciest camera or the guy with the longest lens. Sure those things may be impressive but they are not always what they seem. While shooting wildlife with fellow photographers, people often wander by and are impressed with the length of a lens…or the size of a lens…thinking that the bigger the lens, the closer the shots. Truth is…My more impressive looking lens actually has less zoom. It is the quality of the lens that makes it more impressive not the distance.

In other words…It’s not what’s on the outside but what’s on the inside that counts!
Some photographers shoot for a paycheck. Some photographers shoot the same way over and over with no changes or individuality in their images. Then, some photographers put lots of creativity (time, talent and TLC) into each of their images.
Photography is an art form to that last group of photographers…not just the snap of a shutter or a buck in the pocket. Basically, they care deeply about you and your images. They spend hours making sure that the images are worthy of their stamp of approval.
They don’t want you to have just a reflection of the outside of you…They want to know who you are and capture that emotion in their images. They don’t want you to simple see an image…They want you to feel the image.

I can tell you all day how talented someone is but if you don't see it or (probably more importantly) appreciate it, then their talent is wasted on you. I can try to impress you with my titles, awards and publications, but if you don't know the value of those, they are meaningless words.
Just like the old saying "you can lead a horse to water but you can't force it to drink." I can show you beauty but I cannot force you to feel the beauty of it.

May all your images be filled with LOVE and YOU!!! :)

Adopt a Shelter Cat month

2011-06-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

In honor of June being Adopt a Shelter Cat month, I decided to feature our rescued kitties. They are actually two years old but I still think of them as kittens. We got them when they were three months old from a local rescue. (Thanks, Robin!)

These two are sisters...who I didn't have the heart to separate. :)
We found out that a local rescue had three kittens remaining from a litter for adoption. My sister wanted one. My oldest daughter wanted one. Well, we just couldn't leave the third one by herself, of course.
We took all three to my house when we got them and immediately I noticed a connection between these two. (Ironically, my sister had already chosen the other kitten, who was much more independent.) Although they look so much alike, these two are so opposite. One is outgoing; the other reserved. One is easy-going; the other is more easily irritated. One loves dogs; the other one tolerates the dogs.
When they are separated for too long, they will search the house for the other one...crying for the "missing" one if she isn't located quickly. They are so bonded. I lovingly nicknamed them "the twins" not only due to their close likeness in looks but their unique bond. They eat together, play together, sleep together...do everything together.
Both of them are sweethearts...and we are so happy to have them!

Restoring and restructuring

2011-06-17T19:23:00.000-05:00

When I was a teenager, my daddy purchased a 1966 Mustang. It was my dream car! Needless to say, I drooled over the potential of driving such a gorgeous vehicle.
My dad has done some work to restore it over the years. However, recently he passed the treasure to me (and my hubby)! I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work on restoring my dream!

If you have noticed that I have been a bad blogger lately. I have.
I'm working on restructuring (particularly with regard to my photography).
My current website is out-of-date with no plans to update it. I have worked on another website and will more than likely be using it instead.
I am planning to keep this blog and hopefully will be sharing some images from time to time.

Until the next time... :)

sunset on the way home

2011-04-10T20:06:00.002-05:00

a simple smile

2011-04-09T02:39:00.001-05:00

for the love of education

2011-04-08T21:58:00.001-05:00

No matter what stage I am in life, learning new things has always been a priority to me. That's why I'm such a huge fan of creativeLIVE! I always learn something new from their workshops. It doesn't hurt when one of my favorite instructors/photographers is leading the virtual classroom. :)
Thank you, creativeLIVE and Jasmine Star!!!

at the last minute

2011-03-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

The sun was quickly setting when my daughter requested a quick photo session. We hurried outside to catch the last of the golden rays of sunlight for the day. The bonus: I captured another favorite image of a very special person in my life! ♥

Better Photo Finalist ~ Februrary

2011-03-24T15:19:00.000-05:00

"Over 15700 photos were entered into the competition; it is an honor
to have your image selected among the top 650 finalist photos."

the not-so-patient patient

2011-03-22T00:28:00.000-05:00

The song "This is the Stuff" sung by the talented Francesca Battistelli has been my theme of the month. (If you haven't checked her out, I encourage you to do that!) Lots of little things have been taking up a large portion of my life. It seems that everything is happening at once and I'm having to look to see the bright side.

The staff at our new veterinarian clinic has had the privilege of seeing me at least six times in the first two weeks of March (and I've still got a few more visits scheduled this month)! I think they are probably tired of seeing my face by now...

It all started with a simple late night hop onto the recliner. Not sure exactly what happened by my sweet boy missed his mark in the dark, tried to pull himself up and somehow dislocated his hip (badly) in the process. The vet said that it was so bad that he looked like he had been hit by a car. :(
So after the procedure to relocate his hip, he returned to us in a complicated sling. He quickly took to walking on three legs...so quickly that he actually wore himself out the first night (and wasn't happy that he couldn't take his daily walk).
It only took him a week to figure out how to work his way out of the tight bandages by slipping them off his backside using his good hip! Such a talented one!
Fortunately, I was able to put a very temporary bandage (which he proceeded to twist out of within hours) on him to get him to the vet because they were sure that he had re-dislocated his hip in the process. Well, (long story short) he didn't. He got a new sling (special fitted to -hopefully- outwit his "talent"). He's still not happy about not getting his regular walks but at least he's on the mend. :)

Resting...

showing off his sling (we treated him to a short hike at the park)

observing the super-moon

2011-03-20T23:29:00.000-05:00

the beauty of a sunset

2011-03-12T01:02:00.000-06:00

After a long hard week, it's great to slow down and appreciate the simple yet magnificent beauty of a sunset. :)

POTD and my favorite

2011-03-11T01:22:00.000-06:00

This poor blog has been so neglected! So sorry...I'll try to do better! :)

BetterPhoto.com selected this image as Photo of the Day on March 3!

Another image from the same session ~ One of my very favorite images EVER!

dedication

2011-02-01T15:23:00.000-06:00

Labels are such a huge part of life. As far back as I can remember, I've been labeled ~ daughter of my parents, member of some organization, shy, stuck-up, top 10, not-good-enough, bookworm, ugly, good girl, perfectionist, anti-social, Christian, mom, wife, sister, friend, accountant, teacher, photographer, coach, youth leader...

Some of the labels were positive. Others were not.
Some of the labels were given by people who may or may not have even known me. Others were given by someone who knows me so well...MYSELF!
Why?
I will never fit neatly into a box. I am a creative and expressive individual who cannot be defined in just a few words! My multi-faceted personality IS complex...and I do not feel a need to apologize for that!
I want to feel comfortable in my own skin and embrace all the variety within my own self! I want to throw the labels out the window and simply be who I am in the moment!
I know that it's an enormous goal...but, hey...that's what goals are for ~ to push ourselves into accomplishing new things!

Welcome to my new blog!

It's about my life, my loves and the beauty that I see. It's about not limiting myself but instead setting myself free to embrace the moments of my life! It's about growing to accept all the elements of my personality and photography.

Welcome to my little corner that I call home! :)

welcome to my newest blog

2011-01-31T02:02:00.000-06:00

There's no better way for me to kick off a new blog than featuring one of my favorite (and most beautiful) models! :)