This is my 87-year-old neighbor, Gloria. We lived next door when we were wintering over in Apache Junction, AZ (near Phoenix). She loves to dance and makes her own dance clothes. She is whip-smart, quick-witted and we really enjoy her as our neighbor. I try to join her at 3:30 pm on her porch every day where she has a glass of wine, and I have a cool glass of water.

We’re really glad we spent a few days in Fruita, Colorado. It had a 26-mile bike trail along the Colorado River, which we rode and then ate at the infamous Hot Tomato Cafe. We had delicious pizza for dinner.

We checked out the Colorado National Monument for our evening drive and Dinosaur Hill where Elmer Riggs excavated big, huge dino bones in the early 1900s. They’re still admired at the Chicago Field Museum today. I probably saw them as a teenager.

Happy February! It’s been an awesome few weeks down here in the Arizona desert. In between working with new clients, my husband and I found time to attend “Quartzsite RV Show” a few weeks ago. If you saw the movie “Nomadland” this should ring a bell.

Every January, as many as 750,000 to 1,000,000 people (mostly in RV’s) converge on the sleepy little desert town of Quartzsite, located just 20 miles east of the California border on Interstate 10, for the rock, gem, and mineral shows and numerous flea markets. The main attraction, though, is the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show. This phenomenon started over 40 years ago and is now billed as “The Largest Gathering Of RVers in the World.”

Visuals are an integral part of making a lasting first impression online. When potential clients, business partners, or employers want to put a face to your resume, what would they see?

A professional headshot session is a sound business investment for a number of reasons, but only if you use it to your advantage.

Here are the mistakes you should avoid.

Making It a National Park

The effort to designate the Grand Canyon as a national park started in the 1880s, but at first, Congress kept failing to pass a bill that would do that. But President Teddy Roosevelt loved the area so much that he finally declared it a national monument in 1908. The bill that finally made it a national park was signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The Grand Canyon is cared for by the National Park Service, the Hualapai Tribal Nation, and the Havasupai Tribe.

As a professional headshot photographer, I know from experience that you can have the best photographer money can buy, but if you don’t look relatable, comfortable, and engaging in your photos, they’re not going to have the effect you’re hoping for.

I’m sure you know that being relaxed before and during a headshot photo session makes it easier for your personality and professionalism to shine through. The question is, how do you get to a relaxed, comfortable state while doing an activity that most people avoid and dread? Great question! Here are some ideas I share with my clients that have made a huge difference in how their final photos turn out.

We checked out Zion National Park which is absolutely gorgeous! More red rock, varied plants and trees, and there ARE fall colors even in the desert. We went on a short hike and came across a Jerusalem Cricket that is described as a Frankenstein-like insect with a nasty bite.

The thing that cracks me up is the cow grates you pass as you enter or exit a freeway. They are designed to make the cows think they’ll fall if they walk on them. Very effective barriers.

Moab is in eastern Utah, near Arches National Park with its red rock formations. It has a rich history that includes uranium mines, World War II internment camps, being used as a movie set, and rock art created by indigenous people.

We stayed in Thompson Springs which was about 45 minutes away from Moab. Next time, we promised ourselves to stay closer. Driving back and forth got old quickly. We stayed a week at Moab and wished we had two weeks to explore and enjoy it. We enjoyed it so much, that we promised ourselves to come back in the Spring of 2022.

Elk mating season lasts from the end of August through October and the official name for elk mating is rutting. We were excited to be at Estes Park for their big elk rut.

The male elk are called bulls, the females are cows and their young are calves. When a big herd breaks up into smaller groups of cows and calves, they’re called harems. The cows come into estrus (heat) only every 20 days, so as soon as a cow is ready to mate, the bull has to be ready. Cows can have up to four estrus cycles each season, but most cows become pregnant during the first or second cycle.

In May 2021, we made it to Estes Park, CO! Estes Park is 10 minutes outside Rocky Mountain National Park, which has timed entries until 6:00p. We’ll be here from May through the end of September and we’re able to stay this long in a resort town because of Workamping.

In May 2021, we made it to Estes Park, CO! Estes Park is 10 minutes outside Rocky Mountain National Park, which has timed entries until 6:00p. We’ll be here from May through the end of September and we’re able to stay this long in a resort town because of Workamping.

I have always wanted to visit Santa Fe, so after it warmed up, we went there to explore. I’ve read Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and she has written about Santa Fe and Taos, so going there was a dream come true. In fact, there are many famous artists who have lived there and still do. See interesting facts about Santa Fe.

We signed up for a North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) membership which got us into a lot of museums for free. Love that! I wanted to see the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, but we weren’t able to because they offered a timed entry and I didn’t get our pass in time. We checked out the New Mexico History Museum and the New Mexico Art Museum. It was delightful, from the paintings to the wonderful sculptures to the turquoise jewelry.

Our friend Robyn told us we must enjoy Silver Springs State Park and take a Kayak trip. We decided that was the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The Silver River flows five miles from the head spring to its confluence with the Ocklawaha River, completely within the confines and protection of Silver Springs State Park. The river offers a wide, wild, and scenic paddle through Florida’s heartland. There have been movies filmed here.

I’ve always heard how amazing the Keys are and we wanted to check them out for ourselves. Wow! They didn’t disappoint. We heard we were lucky to come during COVID as it wasn’t as crowded.

Key West was the only place where I saw strict mask requirements. Even the police were patrolling the streets and reminding everyone to put on their masks as it was the only way they were going to stay open. We saw signs that said, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask - No Service”

We wanted a unique experience! I was yearning for a beach, sun, and a tropical location, but it was going to be hard to do a day trip to the Bahamas due to COVID travel restrictions. I hadn’t heard of the Dry Tortugas before and it finally hit my radar.

The Dry Tortugas National Park is made up of 7 islands and is one of the world’s most unique eco-attractions. It’s about 70 miles west of Key West, FL and they give you a discount for your day trip when you have a National Park Pass.

We were in for quite a treat!

We heard if you go to the Shark Valley part of the Everglades National Park, you can get up close and personal with the alligators. I brought my longest lens, my 600mm RF lens, but also my RF 70-200 mm because I heard these alligators even like to hang out on the bike path. I wanted to be ready for long shots and not-so-long shots and I got them all.

We went on the bike path and then returned the way we came because we heard you see the most gators next to the canal. These gators seem to know that their purpose is to thrill! Enjoy!

I thought I had paid attention. I hadn’t paid enough attention. There I was, in my naive cocoon, not even close to recognizing the full extent of my white privilege. 2020 was my wake-up call. Girls for a Change helped me see differently and gave me the opportunity to assist in the fight for the Forgotten Women.

I always wanted to explore Austin, Texas as I’ve heard it is a lot like Richmond, Virginia but better! We were about four hours away and we needed a cool place to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!

We stayed at an Airbnb which was conveniently located in Travis Heights and close bike trails. Austin has a wonderful biking infrastructure.

#1 - See the Bats at Sunset on Congress Avenue Bridge

We luckily stumbled across this on our way back from Whole Foods to our Airbnb. We found thousands of people waiting to see millions of bats coming out from under Congress Avenue Bridge to fill their stomachs with food. It is a unique experience. You can see it from the top of the bridge, under the bridge and from Lady Bird Lake.

I was curious to check out Forth Worth, TX the Longhorn Steer cattle drive through the Fort Worth Stockyards. The Fort Worth Herd is the world's only twice-daily longhorn cattle drive, held every day at 11:30 AM & 4:00 PM in the Fort Worth Stockyards. I caught both of the cattle drives.

I drove 2 hours from Athens to Fort Worth, TX to join my local friend Cynthia. We met years ago at a Photography Workshop taught by Tamara Lackey.