My new intern.

It's a busy day around here. Can't you tell?

Seriously though, after my week with the intern at home, I have a lot of catching up to do - mainly, getting ready for my trip early this week for a 2 day shoot. I love a little travel. It shakes up the monotony of routine. And lucky for me, I have my new trusty intern to help with all my busy preparations.

I recently have come to realize how many days of my life are really not that routine after all. Some days, I am on an all day shoot. Other days, I can sit in yoga pants and edit all day. Sometimes I work Saturdays, and other times I take a whole Tuesday off for personal attention. And because of this back and forth, up and down, push and pull, I have actually come to realize how much I  love and expect a little disharmony in my life. When it's regular and predictable, I actually get a little bored

So Bella and I will experiment with lights today...on this working Saturday (Clearly it's a lot of work being a model). And we will pack all my gear and bags. And shop for snacks. And charge batteries. And do all the behind the scene things that happen when you have to travel for shoots so you can be prepared and on it. Thank goodness for good company while I work!

(Just a note, I will take 2 days off of the blog while I travel, but I'll be photo-ing and posting all my antics when I return.)

Sunset

"Clouds come floating into my life - no longer to carry rain or usher storm - but to add color to my sunset sky." R.Tagore

I have been on the slippery slope of sickness today - sliding down it's icy face with no hope. Despite being on a rapid decline downward, I watched the sunset from my dining room this evening and thought about good things - love and hope and family and sunsets. And I somehow let the sun take away all the sickness and pain and bad thoughts away - slipping into the darkness never to be seen again.

Thank you Sun. Until we meet again...

Behind the scenes

Today was filled with lots and lots of busy work. There was editing and emails (oh so many emails). And then I had a product shot to set up in my house. It is a little known fact, but I really love to do these sort of styled product shots. And honestly, I think I nailed it.

And while I do love the product shot, I really love a behind the scenes shot of how it all went down. While I'd like for you to believe I have some amazing product photography set up in my private studio,  the reality is that I set it up on my dining room floor, next the the pile of laundry that needs to be put away and my makeshift little bar. What you don't see is my trusty intern, marauding array of animals (both welcomed and not so much welcomed), a spilled water glass and some seriously frayed nerves.

Regardless, it's still fun to have a looksee behind the scenes. And always remember how much of our lives we get to curate on a daily basis my friends. It's really a real lot.

In other news, you really need to check out my friends over at Best Kept Self. (That's who this sweet little product shot is for). They are the real deal and do an amazing job with everything they do. I am currently working with their nutritionist, Jessie, to get myself in better shape health wise. And wow! What a difference I can already feel! Seriously. Get on over there and sign up for all things great.

The rollercoaster ride of parenthood

My little guy is turning into such a man these days. Responsible and noble. Kind and generous. At the same time he is still a little kid. Shy and awkward, with so much to learn.

It's such a thrilling age - this preteen/tween stage. So many people hate to parent kids of this age, but I am really loving it. You can see the shape of who they are going to be in a few short years when they spreads their wings and jump head-first into this big wide world. And they are like curious little sponges (probably looking for information to prove their parents wrong at any turn).

It's a rollercoaster ride - this parenting thing - filled with loop-de-loops, ups, downs, corkscrews and death defying tricks you are never sure if you will get out of alive. But at the end, I am sure I won't get off and think I am going to be sick. I think I will rather say - WOW! That was the ride of my life. I am so glad I took the chance to do it.

Each day brings it's own ride. But I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world.

Work

What.A.Day.

Photo shoot in the most amazing place on the most spectacular day with the most lovely crew of folks. I had my little intern assisting again today on his first ever photoshoot. He did a pretty good job, all things considered. It's a lot of fun to be the photographer...but unfortunately less so to be the assistant. Alas, we all have to start somewhere. When he is rich and famous, he will thank me for setting him on the right path early on.

I am so happy about today's shoot, but need to hold off on posting photos of the real thing since they are waiting on the amazing Charleston Shop Curator to post whenever she is ready.

Our staging spot was the historic and lovely Legare Waring House at Charles Towne Landing. And it was so beautiful. I would love to have an event/wedding/live in that spot. It's so amazingly preserved and cared for. I can only imagine all the gatherings that took place here.

Above is a shot I took while scouting the grounds this mornings ...these blue skies we get in the winter here in Charleston are to die for. TO.DIE.FOR. They make my heart happy...and my body very warm on an otherwise chilly day.

The Intern

So... my son has to do an internship for a week with his school. They have to show up at a real-life job and do real-life job things. Today was my little guy's first day on the job as photographer's assistant. And since we couldn't find other friends/family/suckers to take him, I am the boss.

Here he is...Day 1. Reporting for duty!  "Seriously dude. Wake up already. Its 8:00 AM and I have accomplished about 40 things already."

I kid...this is what my intern really looked like today:

Just a few hours in and he was editing photos in a program he had never used before. He mastered that software like he'd been doing it all his life - LIKE A BOSS. What's even more awesome is that he is a perfectionist (Mom...that's not in focus! *sigh*) and a good worker! I am super proud of him today.

Tomorrow, we have an exciting shoot and some additional fun things on the books for the rest of the week. So I am looking forward to a fun and fruitful week with my main man.

Stay tuned for more adventures this week in interning.

Project 365

Carrots from my garden. I am learning here too.

I have long admired the discipline of people who do a 365 project. I just never got into one of my own. Often I am taken away from my desk for stretches of time on shoots out of town (I am unfortunately not a laptop user). I also seem to struggle with something that I have to do every day - like take a daily supplement, for example. And these projects always sounded like more work added into my already busy life.

Besides all that, I think the vulnerability of posting something every day to the world that might not be your "best work" is something all photographers struggle with. Will people like this photo? Is it good enough? Am I good enough? Will I look too narcissistic or (insert other harsh adjective here) if I just post stuff about my life all the time? Self doubt can stop you before you have even begun a project. And so far, for me, it has succeeded.

Fear is real. And putting yourself out there can be hard. But like everything, you just have to do it. Leap and the net will appear. You just have to show up and keep trying...keep practicing...keep working towards the goal.  A 365 project is just this - practice. It's there so you can keep working on that craft, so you can keep addressing the things you love to do, and so you can ultimately be better - be it gardening, yoga, photography or motherhood. Practice builds the ultimate confidence we seek out. 

So here I am, working on my very own Project 365. I can't wait to see what it brings. I can't wait for the mishaps and the hiccups and the trials and tribulations that comes with growth and learning. I can't wait to see what comes next.

#postcardsfromcharleston

Over the past several months, I have been working on a really fun project on social media. I didn't start this project to get more followers. It wasn't started as a way to get people to notice me in any way. I simply started it as a way to fall in love again with this lovely little city. Turns out, it was much bigger than that in the first place.

_____________

I live in one of the most popular cities in the world - according to Conde Nast and Travel & Leisure. And it's no surprise. These awards were a long time coming. Beautiful beaches, diverse culture, and world-renowned food make the trifecta of perfection in this lovely little city. People have finally taken note of all the Charleston has to offer.

I love Charleston. I do. But for much of my life, it never really loved me back. I moved here as a young teen during those developmental years when you really start laying a foundation of who you think you are (I am gonna let that sink in for a minute...WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE). Turns out, all I really thought I was in Charleston as a teenager was not enough. (I mean...come on....it was 9th grade. Is anyone enough in 9th grade? If only I knew then...)  I always felt like an outsider looking in - peering into the well-lit South of Broad windows on breezy, sultry southern evenings.

I left Charleston promptly after those tumultuous days in prep school. And even though I ran away, there was always something that pulled me back. My aging parents. My sister and her ever-growing family. The spanish moss dripping from live oaks on my long drive home. The marsh. The sunshine. The beach. It tugged at me, begging me to stay, promising me love all those things I never found here as a vulnerable and awkward teenager.

So I came back. I packed my bags and found a comfortable corner of the world. I put down roots and started raising a wonderful little boy of my own. I found old friends and met new ones. I settled into life a little bit - working, carpooling, grocery shopping, and visiting the corners of my long lost past that I once loved. Somehow though, it still wasn't the same. Ghosts of my uncomfortable life lingered around every corner. They waited for me in alleyways and down long stretches of highway. They hid behind wrought-iron fences and imposing church doors. They lurked in graveyards and playgrounds, waiting to catch me off guard...waiting to remind me of who I never really was in the first place. 

One hot day in October last year, I got tired. Tired of all the pain and all the memories. I got sick of the new faces in the city telling me how great it was here. I hated wrestling with the heat and the humidity and the long days of air conditioning inside. Simply put - I had grown weary of the fight I had created for myself. My parents were now long gone, as was our once modest home in a remote corner of one of the fanciest resorts in the world. My friends had all moved on. Only the shadows remained of a life that I had once come here for.  I was ready to pack my bags and leave this city that tortured me like some dumb boy who was there for nothing but to string me along in a ridiculous game of cat and mouse.

Something stirred inside me that day. I took a drive. I hopped in the car with my camera and set off to find something I loved. The beach? Spanish moss? Cobblestone streets? I had to find something to be positive about. It couldn't all be as bad as the demons in my head were telling me. So, I set out to find something to embrace about where I was - right here and right now.

#postcardsfromcharleston developed because I wanted to like Charleston for what Charleston was - pretty, quaint, serene...and home.  But over time, it became so much more than that. It became Love. And Peace. It became a sense of belonging in my otherwise displaced heart. It's became a place for contentment and gratitude and appreciation. And mostly, it is now a place me to find myself again and let go of old notions I once had.

The best part for me is that I have found this space. It was with me all the time. I just had to want to see it and refocus the picture that had become all too blurry to me. And let go...

Note: you can find me on instagram or twitter to follow the project #postcardsfromcharleston.

CALLING ALL VALENTINE'S DAY FRIENDS!

(Shameless plug below.)

CALLING ALL LOVE NUTS

Did you just get engaged? Or maybe the holidays were so busy you forgot to do cards. Whatever the case, I am offering minisessions for Valentine's Day this year! $250 gets you a 45 minute session and edited images to send to your favorite Valentine! Or keep and treasure for the rest of the year!

Email me at libby (at) libbywilliamsphotographs.com for more information or to set up a session today!

Can you feel the love?

Snapshots.

Mr. Ravenel, talking about the history of his Charleston, outside of a Freedman's Cottage.

I assisted on an amazing video shoot last week with a friend. He was taping a spot for the Historic Charleston Foundation who are doing a series of videos of local Charleston residents and recording their histories - stories that are pivotal to the community and the history of this lovely city. This was my first experience assisting on a video shoot, so I had a lot to learn and juggle. Luckily, I had a patient teacher in Arnie and a fascinating topic with long time resident of Upper King Street, Mr. Ravenel. His stories were so captivating, I think I got a little lost in my job as PA. He shared his stories about growing up in a segregated city, what the neighborhood used to look like (complete with a downtown peanut farm!), and the changes he has seen in his lifetime. His story was humbling in the best sort of way. 

My experience with Mr. Ravenel got me thinking about telling stories - both visually and verbally. He was so humbled and nice and kind. He grew up in a time in history that was very different to what we see now. As he answered the questions posed by his interviewer, he never mentioned any of the really uncomfortable parts I imagine he has seen in his time. He just spoke with kindness and gratitude.

His stories were so sugary at times, I felt like I was looking inside a Norman Rockwell painting. Picking up gum at the corner store. Listening to the "piccolo" (otherwise known as the jukebox). Walking to school. Working his part time job at the market. In my mind, all I could picture was happiness and joy. But I felt like there was more. Something bigger. Perhaps there were stories he couldn't bear to remember. Or maybe he knows we live in a very different world now. But he accounted growing up in a segregated city much like most average childhoods. One where fear was squashed by love and light.

As Mr. Ravenel told more stories, I realized that my photography is much like his anecdotes - brightly colored, well lit, pretty, and somewhat art directed. My work rarely shows the behind-the-scenes events taking place - the chaos of misbehaving children, the waiting in the cold for clouds to pass, or the living room studio I set up. My pictures don't show you the people I had to crop out or the wrinkles I may have softened on a mom's tired face. They show the parts we want to remember - a sort of altered reality in a way. Sort of like the stories Mr. Ravenel was telling us.

Maybe that's what life is at the end...a series of pleasant snapshots when you look back on the overall picture. I have a few more years to catch up to his wise soul, but in the meantime, I hope I keep remembering the album of snapshots filled with the best moments. I hope I keep believing in the power of the pretty parts.

Simple.

Plant.

Sow.

Reap.

Nourish.

Repeat.

It's that simple.

This is the year...

From a recent shoot with a new client. More on these awesome people to come.

This is the year...the year of gratitude and abundance. This is the year of committing to yourself. It's the year of doing the hard work, getting messy, getting muddy...and dreaming bigger than you ever thought you could.

This year it's time to freshen your view. Wipe the slate clean now. Unravel all those old beliefs that hold you back. Because nobody ever got anywhere mired in doubt or disbelief.

It's time to move forward with everything. And leave behind nothing. Jump on the luck bus, because it's coming through your neighborhood.

This is the year for Trusting. Believing. Seeing. Doing.

This is the year...the year of you.

Adventure is out there.

Caw Caw Interpretive Center is just outside of Charleston and WORTH THE TRIP! Go there. Now.

I am a huge wanderer. Both in my mind and my heart, I feel a sense of pull to explore the world with my camera and document everything I see. I have a restless mind and an even more restless soul when it comes to the subject of seeing the world.

Usually, my heart is telling me there are better places than in my own back yard - new places that I have never seen or smelled or felt on my skin. But as loud as they may be, I still try very hard to find as much adventure right here where I live (I mean, it is a great city after all!). It gets harder and harder with every outing or adventure. And let's face it - life keeps me pretty busy with a home and child and groceries and being present and carpool and the gym and getting time for me...you get the picture. Plus, it's kind of hard to explore what you think you already know.

Let me say that again...it's kind of hard to explore what you think you already know.

Yes. Let that sink in.

The point is, we don't know everything. And we surely haven't been everywhere. So it's nice to experience something new and wonderful every now and then. Or it's nice to RE-experience something we thought we knew all over again. You never know what has changed about that place. Or how your memory skewed things.

I can say the journey I took this week was new. And I will tell you I will make a point of RE-experiencing this journey again. It was one of the most remarkable places I hve seen. And it's right here in my backyard. And it's free to explore. FREE!

So what I have found in my wanderlust is this: adventure is out there. It's everywhere. You just have to want to find it. No matter how much you think you already know it. No matter how tired you are of the same place. It's there. Waiting to happen.

Here's to a year of adventuring. Cheers to 2015.

Armed with Love.

While I am usually pretty excited to say goodbye to the year we are leaving behind on New Year's Eve, I am not much for the celebrations and huzzahs that ensue. I am glad we are ushering out the old, but I prefer the celebration of New Year's Day.

New Year's Eve feels a little difficult to me.  I always feel like I have come through some epic battle, bruised and scarred and worn completely down, like a soldier coming home from battle abroad. Maybe it's the run of the holidays craziness. Maybe it's the blow of last year's losses that cut me in half. Maybe it's just the anticipation of starting something new and fresh all over again that makes me want to jump feet first into the potential of the shiny new year ahead - running and screaming away from what I have been through. This year seems to be no exception.

For some reason, I have come to the belief that I won't haul all my baggage around the next year. It's too heavy and cumbersome and this body has grown weary of carrying all that crap. Somewhere between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, I believe that I am going to drop off the load somewhere so it can't weigh me down as I forge my way on the unknown path ahead.  I have a belief that things will be lighter, shinier, better the next year.

I try only to carry the tools that serve me best...the ones that allow me to practice everything perfectly. And the one tool I keep coming back to - the one I use the most - is Love.

Love carries me through the days I can't imagine. It strengthens all my skills. It aids every tool in my kit. And it guides me safely to where I need to go, banishing doubt and fear from my questioning and tired mind.

I have always known Love is the strongest object we carry with us. (I write about it a lot.) The best tool. The brightest light. But the moment I come back to it, clarity is restored. Balance is given. It's the immediate solution to all my problems.

Love is the answer to the things we try so desperately to work out. It is the solution to your problems and worries. After love, the rest of it falls in line - despite the heaviness or size of the issue.

So 2015...here I come. Armed with Love and light to fight all of your days and fill me with the strength needed to carry on. I am ready.

love

Love! it is our shelter.
Love! it is our cause.
Love goes on forever.
Yeah, love will leads us all.
Love! it is our honor.
Love! it is our all.
Love goes on forever.
Yeah, love it is our home.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Love is all around us. It's there to give. It's there if you need some to take. We are amidst the season of love right now...the season of miracles. So stand back and breathe it all in. That's all you have to worry about. The only thing you need to do right now is to give and receive these everyday miracles and the glorious, unyielding love that surrounds you. That's my wish for you all this holiday season. No presents. No toys. Just love.

Happy Holidays friends and family, clients and curious onlookers. Peace. Light. And Love.

So Quick.

It's getting harder now.

The growing pains we are feeling now aren't from his rapidly growing body. The drama doesn't come from his outburst of frustration that only a teenager could manufacture. The angst isn't from his preteen self navigating complicated issues with peers at school.

The pain is from me now. The hurt. The angst. The drama. It's from the letting go. It's from the change that I am not prepared for. I blink and he grows an inch right now. I sleep and his voice deepens ever so slightly. I turn around and he has become a small man wearing man pants from the Men's Department while he just independently navigates the world now.

Today, I took him out for our annual Christmas card shoot. It's funny really. I have always loved this part. Capturing him on our Christmas cards that line my refrigerator is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. But nothing feels right this year. No wreath or tiny tree looks good in his big hands. The Santa hat doesn't make sense these days. No cheeky grinned boy pointing at sugarplums on the chalkboard fits him now.

So, instead of a Christmas card this year, I took him out today to capture him in a portrait just like this...just as he is right here and now. Because I am going to blink and he is going to be 20 and in college. And honestly, I want to be able to remember this day here with him.

It seems so cliche to say to new moms and dads "Oh, it goes so fast...enjoy every minute." But it's all I can do not shake them and scream "IT'S GOING TO DISAPPEAR BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES! LIKE A MAGIC TRICK!  IT HAPPENS AND POOF THEY ARE 12 WITH SMELLY FEET AND MONEY IN THEIR WALLET AND OPINIONS LIKE YOUR TODDLER COULD NEVER EVER KNOW! PAY ATTENTION NOW!!!"

Instead, I smile, swallow the 12 year old lump in my throat, and say it again... "Enjoy it all...it goes so quick."

The Clearest Way.

Angel Oak Tree, Johns Island, SC

"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest."

John Muir

Sunshine for days

From my recent shoot with Charleston Shop Curator! Check her out!

I can't stop dreaming of sunny skies, sunshine and the bright beautiful colors from this recent shoot! Can't wait to share the rest!

So he knows...

There he stands. Right there. Open to the elements of the world. The evil forces. The intense pressure. The heartaches and heartbreaks that I can't shield him from anymore. There he stands...facing it all alone and vulnerable, yet always with a soft place to land. There he stands carrying the most powerful force anyone could ask for - the power of Love. Full Love. Whole Love. Pure and complete Love.

All I can do is give him this gift. All I can do is give him the wings to fly and let him hold my heart in his pocket so he knows he is Love...so he knows I am with him every step of the way...so he knows that no matter what - he is Love.

The meaning of life.

The joyful photo above was taken at my sweet godchild's 2nd birthday party this year.

The following is a selection from an article I stumbled across the other day (thanks Rowan!) You can read the entire delightful, sunshine-for-your-soul article here. I highly recommend it!

 “What is the meaning of life?”

In my entire week with the Dalai Lama, every conceivable question had been asked—except this one. People had been afraid to ask the one—the really big—question. There was a brief, stunned silence at the table.

The Dalai Lama answered immediately. “The meaning of life is happiness.” He raised his finger, leaning forward, focusing on her as if she were the only person in the world. “Hard question is not, ‘What is meaning of life?’ That is easy question to answer! No, hard question is what make happiness. Money? Big house? Accomplishment? Friends? Or …” He paused. “Compassion and good heart? This is question all human beings must try to answer: What make true happiness?” He gave this last question a peculiar emphasis and then fell silent, gazing at her with a smile.

“Thank you,” she said, “thank you.” She got up and finished stacking the dirty dishes and cups, and took them away.