Friday November 13 2015  NOW I AM DONE

Today was my final shoot.  My PROFESSIONAL final shoot that is.  I photographed the last part of my last school session.  Dave went with me.  It was fun having him there watching as I corralled almost 100 students into a group photo.  A photo, in which I might add, you can see every single face.  This is a private school and the nicest students I have ever worked with.  The school has grades six through twelve.  I figured out that I have taken every student’s class picture if they have attended that school, from 6^th grade through 12^th grade. 

When the students walked into the large room where the session was to be photographed it was as if the world exploded in sound.  It is amazing what 100 young people can sound like in an enclosed room.  The principal got everyone’s attention and then I took over from there.  This morning I told Dave he was going to see a sergeant in action.  He corrected me and said He would see a “mini sergeant”.  Well little did he know this mini sergeant has a booming voice when needed.  Once I had their attention I told them that this was the first time my husband had come with me to watch me work at a school and that I wanted them to pay attention and really impress him with their behavior so I would look good. 

In short time with the help of the principal I had 6 rows of students lined up and posed.  I had all equipment set and ready before they came in.  First row cross legged on the floor.  The next row, also on the floor, were sitting on their knees, then a row sitting in chairs, the next row standing behind the chairs, the 5^th row standing on the seats of chairs behind those standing, and the final row standing on tables.  It makes for a very large group. 

Before I took the first photo I explained to all of them that this would be my last year to be their school photographer.  I told them how much I had enjoyed working with them and found them to be the most courteous and considerate students with whom I’ve ever worked.  I thanked them for being such a great group year after year.  I was caught off guard when the 6 rows of smiling students broke out in applause.  I have never had that happen before.  I was stunned, especially because it was all so spontaneous and went on for quite a few seconds.  It made tears come to my eyes to realize that I will not be working in the professional photographic world again.  I think this was my final curtain call, making me realize I am now truly retired.  I still have the post production work to do but I will no longer need to plan and prepare and expend all the emotional and physical energy that goes into being a professional photographer.

Just in case you don’t realize it, wedding photography has been determined to be the next highest stress level job right behind war correspondent.  I have done hundreds of weddings and all I know is that it is very high stress.  From spring to autumn I became married to my work.  I was always meeting deadlines, senior high school photos, newborns, hospital photos of stillborn babies for funerals, event photography, and occasionally photos taken of my family.  Most of our family photos are still in the computer and not created into the artistic books I created for clients.  I am ashamed to confess that fact.  When wedding season began my own life was put on hold. 

When I did film photography life was easy.  I took the photos, the lab I used printed them and my orders were done.  During film years I did as many as 40 weddings each season, occasionally two or three a weekend.  Once I was “forced” into the digital world, photography took over my life.  Digital photography for the professional is extremely expensive and time consuming.  People would often ask me why that was so.  For one reason, the investment for the digital equipment, from computers, software, lenses, cameras, (backup equipment for all shoots), lighting, camera cards, accessories so that everything attaches and works together, and I could go on and on. And then of course there are always the upgrades of computer programs,one costing about $1200 per upgrade every two years or so because the equipment would not work together without the upgrades.  I have spent a small fortune on cameras, computer equipment and software programs alone.  And this doesn’t even include the additional educational classes I paid for (some over a $1,000 each) and the time it took me to master the digital world.

Now I just hope that my equipment will last me long enough to finish all the projects I want to do for my family and myself.  I have thousands of photos of my own to plow through.  I hope to use some of my own prints for illustrations in some books.  So I still have lots I desire to finish and will probably never lay the camera down as long as  my fingers will allow me to hold one and my hands don’t shake.  Then I’ll just use my tripod.

NOW I AM DONE.

WOW!  That one sentence paragraph above makes it seem real for the first time.  It feels like a burden has been lifted.  I think when I finish all my work I will just take off in a hot air balloon someplace where I have never been before.  That sounds like a befitting activity to get my feet off the ground.  Besides, our daughter Rebecca and her husband Neil actually gave Dave and me the gift of a balloon ride.  Dave and I have been scouring the United States to see which state we want to balloon over.  Of course it will only be a few short hours but I know it will be spectacular.  Dave and I have been on one previous balloon ride in the past.  It was everything I thought it would be and more.  Now if I could just get the nerve up to sky dive.  Rebecca said she would go with me and we could sky dive from the same plane.  I’m not quite there yet.  When she sky dives I told her not to tell me until after the dive is over.  I don’t know if I could get into all that gear she wears.  It looks too heavy and too cumbersome.  A balloon ride is more my speed.  It was so awesome to travel with the speed of the wind.  Maybe I’ll be one of the fortunate souls who will be alive when Jesus returns in the air.  Then I’ll just sky dive (or would it be sky soar?) all the way up to heaven!  Oh man, that would be awesome experience.

Well, perhaps you can feel some of my excitement in being finished with my job.  Though I loved my profession, I am just so ready to be rid of all the responsibility.  I think the joy I received from my work was presenting beautiful pieces of art to families which would become treasured memories as the years pass.  When I am dead and gone my work will be left behind for the hundreds of families I have captured on film and digital prints.  People in the future will not even be concerned who took the photos, but it will put a smile on their face as they look at the baby faces of their now adult children, or the wedding pictures of years gone by and more.  I still love looking at my children’s baby photos.  It instills memories in my heart.  I guess you could say I am A Memory Maker.

CHERISH THE MOMENTS THAT YOU LIVE

By Kathleen Martens

November 13,  2015

One simple click of a camera lens

Can capture a moment in time,

And in years become a memory

 And a mother’s heart will shine

A simple expression caught in truth

In a moment of such innocence

Can become a work of art.

On a wall becomes magnificence.

And grandma’s grin on printed paper

Can outshine any face.

And when she is no longer alive

The photo a destination place.

A place to view and look upon

To remember joys all past.

One thing that a photo does,

It helps our memories last.

Cherish the moments that you live,

Capture moments for future care.

Looking through your album

Will recall, your memories shared.

Good night and God bless you from TREASURED MOMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY!