Slow it down.

All of life is just passing us by in a moment - whizzing around me at top speeds as we wind our way up the glorious summit. And all I want to do is stop the car, smell the fresh air, pick some wildflowers and watch some of the clouds wander aimlessly by. All I want to do is slow it down.

Below my Feet

"And now I sleep.
Sleep the hours that I can't weep.
When all I knew was steeped in blackened holes.
I was lost.

Keep the earth below my feet.
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak.
Let me learn from where I have been.
Keep my eyes to serve my hands to learn.
Keep my eyes to serve my hands to learn."

Below My Feet, Mumford & Sons.

Sweet Sips of Summer

Finishing off summer with a sweet goodbye is something I need to get into the practice of a little more often. By this time of year, I am usually drowning in the shift of seasons - back to school alarms combined with the humidity of September is enough to make me want to quit life and move to cooler pastures with crunchy leaves, sweatshirts and fireplaces ablaze all day. I quickly forget summer's bounty she promises to me in May, with bursting vegetable gardens full of color and warm water you can float away the days in until you are pruned, waterlogged and pink and ripe as a juicy watermelon.

This year, I am trying to see summer for all it's colorful, sweet gifts and be grateful for the time we spent together. I am trying to lean into these last few tough days as I wait eagerly for Fall and her gloriously cooler weather celebrated with long evenings by backyard fire pits.

For now, I plan on getting as much of Summer as I can. Watch a few more sunset. Take in a few more summer storms rolling in from the west. And get a few more grains of sand stuck between my toes. For now, I will suck out these last little sweet sips of summer through a straw - and linger with it just a little bit longer.

Happy Birthday to Me.

This weekend, I had another birthday. It was simple, sweet and perfect to quietly ring in another year while I let go of the past once again with a long deep, breath as I blew out all my candles.

I am another year older and wiser.  I don't mind getting a little older...really. I just have realized I don't want this life to be wasted anymore. I am becoming acutely aware of the limited time we have in this planet and while I am here, I want to live my moments with purpose and passion. I want to be loved and feel love. I want my life to have direction - even during those lazy hours lying in my comfortable bed or pointless walks on the beach back and forth to nowhere in particular. The time I want to stop wasting time is the time I spend cozied up with worry and fret and the fear of not measuring up to a standard I think only I put there to mark myself against in the first place.

I have learned a few things. Mostly, I have learned that I am still learning...a lot. And I have learned that unlearning things you deeply believed is probably the hardest part. But everyday I show up. Somedays it looks a lot tidier that others. But I try to make myself better all the time. I try to address those fears and march on a little taller and prouder. Every day, a little stronger.

So today, a few short days into my next year, I started to live once again. I faced fears and wasted time today. I learned again in yet another life lesson that I have much left to learn. I saw myself breaking an old habit while learning I needed to let go of another one. I loved today and was loved today. I was grateful for the simple things.  Mostly I learned - like I do every day - to love myself where I am.

I am here today and now. And I am ready to face the rest of it all, regardless of whether the wind is in my face or at my back gentle pushing me along.

Happy Birthday to me!

The Outtakes

If you know anything about me, it's that I love capturing the story during any session I am working. It's loads easier to do with a family than...say...bankers. But I can almost always capture a little bit of personality no matter what the outcome or who the client.

At the above shoot, we worked hard to get a portrait of the family with their departing and well-loved nanny. She was preparing to go off on a new adventure, and the family wanted some photos together with everyone. It was a steamy August day during the week after 5 PM. Mom and dad were just home from work and the kids were reaching their maximum capacity for the day. Instead of forcing more portraits, we decided to just let them play and have some fun running and giggling and being 100% boys.

Not every client has this level of trust with me. Most everyone has a preconceived notion about what they are going to get as an end product. Clearly, on  commercial shoots I have to deliver a specific product. And I do - every time. But sometimes (especially a family shoot with young children), our plan has to be a little looser. We have to get what we can in the hour or so I am with them. And that requires flexibility and an open mind on everyone's part. Even mine.

Truly though, this always when the magic happens. Little hands playing with planes. Teddybears strewn about. Storytime. We got all of it in which I hope they find much more important in the end than their formal portrait - which was sort of like trying to wrestle greased frogs. 

Actually, being a photographer is a lot like wrestling greased frogs.

For the record - sweet photos of little boys playing in boxes might be my new favorite.

The Rhythm of August.

Fezzie, our 15 year old kitty, enjoying some world order and peace in our quiet little corner of the world.

I hate to admit this, but I actually love the end of August. To me, it feels like a time of quiet rebirth for my weary and weathered soul...a time you can set new goals and resolutions that you don't have to share with anyone. January comes along predictably with it's loud and boisterous claims to resolve my world and bring order to every corner of it.  But August is different. August promises to resolve problems with subdued style, like she is keeping my little secret plan tucked away in her quiet corners. It's my favorite month to dig in my heels and start something fresh while I pull back on the reigns I dropped when I heard someone claim it was Summertime.

Maybe it's because August is my birth month (yayyy birthdays!) and I feel the need to check in with myself and my ever-growing, evolving Bucket List. Or maybe it's the natural rhythm of life starting over again with school and schedules and order after floating around aimlessly through summer. But whatever brings it on, I know I truly enjoy these rediscovered moments of list checking and goal setting. I enjoy being wrapped up once again in Possibility.

So this year, instead of mourning the school year that brings it's 6:00 AM alarms and piles of homework and carpool lines, I will embrace it and appreciate that I again know what is expected of me. I will once again fall in love with those quiet mornings of making tea, folding laundry and setting out on the path of check boxes and goals set bravely in the morning light.

Twelve.

My little man...August, 2005. On his first day of preschool.

It's getting harder and harder to write these posts.

Twelve.

That's a long time to know someone. Twelve years. I haven't know many people that long. But it's more than 12 years, isn't it? I have known you longer.  And it wasn't even at the moment I knew you were a part of me. It was light years beyond that day.

I remember a good friend of mine saying to me when you were just a wee little thing "Can you ever imagine a day in your life where you didn't know this person?" The thing is, I couldn't. There was no other way to describe that feeling either. It's as if I had you with me all along. It's like I knew you when I was 3. And then when we were 9 on the playground. And today at 12. You see, you have been in my heart forever.

I don't expect you to understand this now. As a matter of fact, you may never understand this feeling. But it's as real as you are in my life. I have loved you forever.

I never thought when I pictured myself being a mom that one day you would be here. I never though you would be a cell phone carrying, video game playing, almost as tall as your mother twelve year old.

Twelve.

I never pictured 12. I pictured a little baby. Snuggled up with me. Toddling around in front of me. Giggling gleefully at peek-a-boo and splashing in the tub. I pictured Sesame Street and Elmo and baby powder and diapers. But I never pictured 12.

But here we are. And I am so glad I am here with you today on your 12th birthday. Because you are all those things. And you were all those things. But you are so much more. So much more, Graham. You are gentle and kind-hearted. You are smart...so smart! You are strong and brave. You are grown and responsible and funny and true. You are my heart and my soul walking this planet more bravely than I ever could. I don't think I could be more proud to watch you grow and change and learn. I couldn't be more proud to be in your life. I couldn't be more happy to be someone's mother.

I am not afraid of these next years anymore. I can't wait to see you become an adult and morph into the superhero you really are. I have mourned a lot of the time that slipped through my fingers like water that you try to hold on to. It doesn't stay. Only droplets remain and the feeling that you sort of know what had been there. But the holding is futile. It only stands in the way and limits the possibility of what is to come.

You are going to make this world a better place just by being yourself. Don't forget that. You are going to make the people around you kinder, gentler, softer and braver. We need more people like you walking around this planet. So please, don't stop growing into the amazing person you were put on this planet to be. You will be faced with challenges and doubt. It's part of the game of life. Push through them and stay grounded to the person you are right here and right now.

Be brave, my little warrior. And love large. And remember everyday that I will always have your back.

Love,

Momma

Blurred Lines.

When I started off on my own path, I looked for the clearly lines of a well worn trail in front of me. I think we are trained to believe this is the way of The Game of Life from the time we are teeny, impressionable, normalcy-seeking children looking for clear rules and a well-defined path. So early on, I always wanted to be lead directly to my Destination, marked with descriptive signs and no indication of any messy undergrowth. The signs would say "GO THIS WAY" making sure I didn't miss anything important to The Game along the way - husband, 2.5 kids, mortgage, cars and a white picket fence.

Apparently, I don't like to play by the rules.

So, with no certain path, I jumped tracks and found nothing but blurry lines. The one where I wasn't 100% sure where I would end up. It's scary some days. And I am never sure what I am truly doing. But what I have come to find out is that I love that I have the power to rewrite the ending every single day no matter what those Rule Makers had in mind for me in the beginning.

The thing is, I really don't think any of the lines are clearly defined in life after all. Sure some paths are marked a little better than others, but there are always obstacles and challenges along the way. There are twists and turns and uphill climbs and treacherous downhill slopes. There are also easy, flat paths to cruise calmly along. But things change and don't always go as planned. Life requires us to compromise a little and learn how to lean into the discomfort. Most of life is a big, blurry, messy pile.

So I will keep marching along this path - blurred lines and all. And be delighted at the things I pick up along the way, focusing in on them long enough to appreciate where we are in the present since that's the only real thing I can see anyhow.

Weather the storm.

Some days that water comes in strong,
washing the secure foundation
out from around you
and leaving you on shaky, unfamiliar grounds.

Nothing between you and the sea anymore.
Nothing to hold you up.
Nothing to catch your fall.

But still, there you are.
Standing strong in the face of it all.
Ready to weather it again.

Ready to rebuild whenever needed.

#weekend10 - 12 weeks and counting

I want to write about the beautiful weekend I had. Fun in the sun. Exploring a new place I had never been. I want to tell you how I tried a new restaurant and loved every minute of it. Or how I did something spectacular on a whim like ohhhh...I don't know....skydiving or kite boarding or something exciting and thrilling.

But this weekend was none of those things. It was rainy and hard and boring and sad. I had to deal with some major life issues that have crossed my path. Not to mention that back to school stuff looms over our heads like a dark cloud around here. And then there was the rain. The non-stop, incessant rain. The never-ending grey days where you are never quite sure if it's 6 AM or 6 PM. Dark. Dreary. And downright depressing.

It's okay that sometimes weekends aren't magical. Like my previous post says, sometimes you have to lean into those dark spots to come out on the other end and appreciate the bright days where things actually do feel right.

Before you start thinking to yourself - man what a whiner. Her life doesn't look that bad - I am aware things could be a lot worse. As a matter of fact, they have been a lot worse before. And I am still standing. That's how this works. You dust yourself off and carry on with life. But we all have to know sometimes life isn't as easy as it looks.

Despite it all, I found a few frames that felt right to show you how my weekend looked.

Inaugural swim at my sister's new pool! Yayyyy pools! (iphone photo)

Karate practice. He is brushing up for his black belt test. That's right. BLACK BELT! (iphone photo)

The legos came out. I love it when the legos come back out!

This is what the 12 year old playdate looks like.

The Birthday Banner makes the annual appearance. For Birthday month! (5 birthdays in less than 4 weeks. We still celebrate the ones who are gone.)

Apparently naps are better on fresh laundry.

I picked up a copy of Skirt and found a full page image that I shot inside! Complete with credit!This certainly was a bright spot in my weekend!

Oh....the rain. I sometimes wonder if I could just jump in and swim to the other side. (iphone photo)

One more practice to round out the weekend. I am so proud of him! He is working really hard for this goal! (iphone photo)

It doesn't look half bad in photos. Funny how photos have a way of masking the reality that happens behind the lens.

The bright spot.

I wish this wasn't true about me, but I spend a lot of time mourning the things that don't go right, particularly when I am in the middle of an unfortunate bad streak. When everything feels broken, dusty, worn out, and just plain old tired, I find it hard to look on the bright side and be perky with positivity. I get bogged down with the little things like lunches and laundry and back to school bullshit (seriously...what's with all the emails already!). So when a day comes along where everything seems to go along without a hitch in the middle of a bad streak, I feel like I am walking on sunbeams down a golden street headed straight for the promised land.

That was this day. Perfect. Sunny. And bright blue in my happy heart.

It's those stormy skies that make me appreciate these sunny, perfect days even more than usual...like when you see a polished piece of silver in the middle of a pile of worn and tarnished plates, it seems to sparkle more brightly and look fresher. 

I look forward to days like this...days where the sun shines brighter and the clouds seem like fluffy, pillowey piles of cotton candy floating by. But because not everyday can be that kind of a day, I will put on my rainboots and trudge through to the other side. Because if there is one thing I know, there is always a bright spot to sit and stay for a while at the end of it all.

#weekend10 - Eleven weeks

Sleepover and pancakes. Pools and puppies. Fruit and Farmers Markets. I love you summer.

Frankie says "Relax."

Look at that little beggar!

Blueberries. Eggplant. Okra. (Taken with my trusty little iPhone.)

Making banana pancakes.

floaty concoction thing

When I dream of summer, this is what it looks like.

The end of my summer bounty.

Look who popped up to say hi! A surprise visitor.

And a little shoot at the Victor Social Club - which I shall be returning to promptly this week.

Building.

"Whatever good things we build end up building us." Jim Rohn

From a recent commissioned shoot.

#weekend10 - the 10th week

Wow! Ten weeks of #weekend10. Where does the time go? But this one... this one didn't disappoint. I had lifelong friends - Kelly and John - visiting me here in Charleston for the past week. These two have been friends of ours since I can remember. Seriously. It's a long time. I really can't remember them not being a part of my life. We have spent family trips together, summers floating in pools and eating grilled cheese sandwiches togehter, skiing together, sledding together in the ice cold weather, and the general misbehaving that children do together.  John was even my roommate in college for a short stint (Oh...those hazy days of college!).  Over more recent years, we have fallen in and out of touch, but we spent the past few days reconnecting and enjoying old stories with the backdrop of amazing food in a lovely city. There is far too much to post to cover all the details of the fun we had in just 10 little photos, but here's the overview with family, friends and fun for all:

My peeps.

Farmers Market is always on the list.

The end of the Hydrangeas. Am I the only one that loves them at this stage?

Some snacks...al fresco style!

A good little lowcountry view: Marsh + Kayak + Sullivan's Island = Lowcountry still life.

A little tour of the Old Village in style.

A good old Lowcountry boil...of COURSE!

Dinner or drinks at the Sanctuary on Kiawah is one of the best ways to impress your guest.

Our fancy evening cocktails.

Our last big group supper at Rue de Jean. One of my all time favorite restaurants.

A side of bourbon. mmmmmm

What you don't see: Brunch at High Cotton. Dessert. The beach (!). Too much rain. Power shopping. Loads of laughs. Dinner at Cypress. Touristing around town. Work (how I squeezed work into this schedule is beyond me). Karate camp. And one proud boy about to receive his BLACK BELT!!! (So exciting!!!!!)

What about you? What did you do this weekend!

Rest

"Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future...Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us."  Maya Angelou

My 3 little nappers.

I think we have packed so much into this summer that we have reached the point where we need to recharge and disconnect a little. Powering down is going to be penciled into a To Do list in the very near future. With school looming over the horizon, I am dreading the ever-present and nagging reality of early morning alarms, lunchboxes and too much homework.

So, before it all comes crashing down, I will sharpen my pencils and write out our escape plan. We will schedule some much needed time in cooler temps with no particular agenda but to explore, see and do something new. I will cherish these few last moments that I escape regular days and trade them in for some much needed rest and relaxation.

Today we rest. Because tomorrow will come soon enough.

#weekend10 - week 8 (or 9)

What I have realized by shooting this #weekend10 project is that there are some truths about my life.

1. My weekends are pretty regular (read: boring). And if I showed you piles of laundry or more tomatoes, I may actually lose you as readers. All 3 of you.

2. It's harder than it sounds to shoot on the weekends. Because often I am already shooting for work and then I want to divorce myself from the camera. Completely. For 2 days. But then I remember all 3 of you, and feel committed to making the magic.

3. I travel more than I thought I did. Yet somehow I don't feel like I travel at all.

4. I love food. And I love to photograph the stories around food (hence all the tomato photos.)

5. I love to garden and photograph the stories around gardening (hence all the tomato photos...plus I finally got it right this year! Props to my awesome raised bed builder, Paul.)

6. Lots of people fill the interwebs with crap that is irrelevant. I am now one of those people.

7. I really love my kid. I take lots of photos of him. And I post a lot of them. Forgive me.

8. I really also love my pets. I also post a lot of photos of them. Forgive me.

9. Photography makes me happy. When I look back on everything, I love all the photos that are weaving together to tell the Story of Me. I hope the 3 of you like it too.

What about you? What did you get up to last weekend?

We chicken sat this weekend. I didn't know that was actually a thing. But we did it. And now I want my own.

I named them Agnes and Hattie. I really think it fits.

I also did a Christening at the Greek Orthodox Church on Race Street in Charleston. I highly recommend a visit here. It is alive with color.

The ceiling at the church.

After the Christening, it was time for some beers! (Of course) And futbal! Alles Deutchland!

And of course, brownie sundaes are a necessity with soccer!

Magical flower season.

Mrs. Fezziwig. That's right. Call her Missus. Or The Fez.

The often overlooked Sasha. (She doesn't like having her photo taken. Seriously. I am not kidding.)

I closed my weekend out with brunch and mimosas with this little beauty who I photographed a few weeks ago. She is already so big!

Clearly...she is done with me.

What you don't see: Harry Potter Marathon (whoop whoop! - I have an unhealthy love for the Harry Potter movies). Summer storms. Bill paying. Laundry. Cleaning. All the babies I got to play with (!). And yummy food!

The Textures of Mexico

"I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it... I always want to see the third dimension of something... I want to come alive with the object."  - Andrew Wyeth

I love to travel. I love to see the world and witness the details - large and small - that make the place unique. The new and different landscape, varied people, and even the architecture leave me awestruck...like a child on there first trip to a candy story. Every turn leads to a new discovery that paints a picture for me of new and distinct and varied culture of each new place.

Recently, I was lucky enough to spend a week in Mexico on the Mayan Riveria. The fabric of Mexico is rich in texture and alive with color and culture. I could have stayed months wandering around little pueblos, breathing into the spaces of their real, authentic, everyday life. To me, the best parts are where the people really are living their every day lives - shopping, eating, or simply sitting around, watching the days go by...and simply lingering in the fabric of the place they call home.

Selling her goods.

Catching a lift.

Layers and layers.

I love the plant life. It amazes me.

Chichén Itzá.

The local barber. Closed for Siesta.

Our pool. Azul.

So many tiny details.

Coconut trees. Everywhere.

The colors of the sea made me want to redecorate my house.

These bikes. This sign. :)

The architecture was incredible. I could have studied it for hours.

Beach cabana.

The colors. Everywhere. So vivid and bright.

#weekend10 - week 7

If you have been following along with my old blog (www.libbywilliamsphotoblog.com), you know that over the course of the summer I have been inspired to do a project close to my heart called #weekend10. I am loving the challenge it's brought me to look at my life and capture it with a fire in my belly that I thought I had lost when your passion becomes your career. It's not as much fun to tote a camera around on the weekend after you have been shooting all week. And lets face it - my kid is pretty tired of me taking his photo these days. But he obliges me, knowing the pain will quickly subside.

This weekend was rainy, cloudy and pretty boring - aside from the 4th of July...fireworks and sunshine for the win!  The rest of it was spent doing laundry, packing and reading for camp this week and a big shoot I am off to do. So weekends like that prove especially hard for me to supply content.

I somehow managed to get it done - despite myself and the dreary days. So here you go:

Because...4th of July! Whoop whoop!

These 2 goofballs. And their frescas!

Palmetto trees...you know, still being patriotic.

Even Bella got to be a little patriotic on the beach! She loves the water. Silly dog.

There was lots of this happening.

What does one do with a daily harvest of tomatoes like this?

Why...make tomato pie, of course!

These 2 goofballs are off to camp for the first time. Friends since they were infants! So happy for them. But not for the mommas. (sniff, sniff)

He even let me take a photo so I can look at him every day. And even though it out of focus and soft, I am showing it to you. You know you need more photos of the Boy.

alligator #10 is where he will be making his new home this week...sniff sniff.

So what about you? Did you do anything fun? I would love to see your photos from the 4th!

Also, I want to thank all of you for your undying support and kindness on my new venture. My blog won't change much, but my mission finally got focused. I have been talking about going after what you want for so long, I had to heed my own advice. It's scary to change and declare what you want, but hopefully the rest of the world will follow along with my little plan!
 

With gratitude,

Libby

Welcome to the new site!

As you can see, I have been busy. Really busy. And there have been a few changes around here the past few weeks. I launched this new site...yayy! And blog (yayy more!). And am really happy about how it has all come together (yayy even more).

If you have been following me for a while, you can see some differences. My current focus with Libby Williams Photographs is changing a little. But fear not, I have a plan for some of my other work. Families, weddings and other personal work will be housed at another location as I try to grow my commercial brand a little bigger.

My blog will remain basically the same - a personal photoblog where I explore my photography and how it relates to my life and my heart. It's just in a new place with handy dandy new commenting and a new look!

I am really excited about this new adventure as if finally feels more in keeping with my goals as a photographer. I look forward to your comments, questions and votes of confidence over the next few weeks! Let me know what you love and what you miss. And what you want to see more of!

Also in the next weeks, stay tuned for the launch of my sister site which will house the personal end of my business that many of you know me best for - families, weddings, kids, and newborns.

In the meantime, email me anytime at libby(at)libbywilliamsphotographs.com! I look forward to hearing from you and answering any questions you may have!

Thanks for your continued support!

Libby