Today

Today is the day my father receives his second dose of chemo therapy (hopefully, depending on his blood work results). Transport U just came to pick him up and transport him to his appointment. Of course my mom rode right along in the back with my father. The entire time they were moving him, she was right there telling them what to do & what not to do. They graciously accepted her advice and took it as a token of her love for my father, opposed to being offended as some people have been when they think she's telling them "how to do their job"as one nurse put it.  As they walked to the vehicle, they joked about how much she "loooooves her husband" and my dad laughed.

my mom making sure they know my fathers restrictions.

daddy smiling @ kailynn-james

Kailynn-James watching... a little confused as to what is going on.

Strapped safely, ready to go

Joking with mommy about how much she loves her husband

waving @ us

she's always by his side

sheets stripped from bed , needed to carry dad onto stretcher. 

i felt empty seeing this room without him in it, if even for a few hours. We are awaiting the day that he can walk up the stairs so that we can move him into one of our bedrooms upstairs. For now, we converted my husbands office into my dads healing room. This picture shows me that his healing room doesn't look much like a healing room anymore. Perhaps I'l re-decorate today.

Amazing

I will take some time later today to update this blog on what's been going on with my dad. Today I'm just amazed @ how God works! 

Unis (my fathers nurse) came over yesterday to try and take blood from him prior to his chemo therapy. She tried over and over and over and over to take his blood but was unsuccessful & finally gave up. She told us she would be back tomorrow (which is today) to try again. We prayed and prayed that she'd be able to get his blood today because without the blood work, he wouldn't be able to get his 2nd dose of chemo. According to his Oncologist, his cancer is very aggressive so we can't waste any time with his chemo. She came in today and tried about 10 times and was unsuccessful. My mother came running upstairs to my room and said we should pray again. We prayed together and RIGHT AFTER, the blood came flowing! 

In addition to that, I received an e-mail from an old classmate of mine (Crystal L.) from high school telling me she saw my post about my mother needing donated leave so that she may continue to stay @ home with my father. My sister (Mecia) posted a message on facebook asking her friends to donate and I re-posted. She said that her as well as a few of her co-workers would like to donate leave to my mother. *If you work for the federal govt. and would be interested in donating leave to my mom, please get it touch! email- princessjamecia @ yahoo.com  

The most amazing news of the day thus far was a phone call from a gentleman by the name of Archie W. from Maryland Veterans Affairs letting us know that they will pay for my fathers transportation (by Transport U) to and from his chemo appointment tomorrow. My sister, mother and I were on the phone all day this week working to find someone to assist with transportation. Archie is a gentleman my sister got in touch with and within a couple of hours he gave my sister (Mecia) the wonderful news that they would take care of the payment for transportation. You see, Kaiser denied any requests for transportation amongst a lot of other things that my father needs. We were looking at paying anywhere between $450 - $800 per trip to my fathers appointments. If we would have had to pay the bill each time, we would have done so, but we are SO grateful that Archie has made this possible for us. 

Through all of this I have tried my best to capture a photo of my father everyday. Below is a photo I captured of my parents a couple months before my father was admitted into the hospital in August. My parents are now staying with me (& my husband & kids) and I am so happy about that. It seems as though he is now gaining weight, voice is stronger and his pain is being managed much better. 

I have to run for now, but I'll be back a bit later. 

Blogging for my dad

Today I have decided to change my old photography blog to a new blog about my dad and his battle with cancer. My sisters, mother and maybe sometimes my father will even post here. The new address is: http://4wewalkbyfaith.blogspot.com/  please update your bookmarks.

NEW BLOG

www.jatawnymchatmon.tumblr.com

:issue: i'll take that to go

so i'm officially working + connected on the go :)

:issue: ah ha!

i just found a safe way for my kids to play with bubble wrap!

http://fun.from.hell.pl/2003-11-24/bubblewrap.swf {go ahead + click, you know you can't resist}

:issue: marie claire

Did you know I initially began my career in FRONT of the camera...?

I received a scholarship for Dramatic Arts and had my heart set on being an Oscar nominated actress. I had it all planned out.  After a few more plays, auditions, shoots, etc. I found that my passion was to no longer be in front of the camera/on stage, it was behind the camera that I wanted to be...

However, if something is TRULY a part of you, it never dies. About 3-4 years ago before I began to focus on photography full time totally, I was given an awesome opportunity to be photographed for Marie Claire Magazine. Pretty cool huh? I received a message from the agency I was with (Cima Talent) letting me know that I was chosen as an "attractive actress" needing to pose with a model for a shoot. It was an AMAZING experience.

* that's me with the arrow pointing to my head.

But wait, that's not the point of my post... Fast forward 3 years as I'm going through a photographers website that I often look to for inspiration (as a photographer) and low & behold I find this image! 

At the time I had no clue who took this shot that I was featured in, I just enjoyed the chance to participate. But as a photographer, I find it absolutely amazing that I have been photographed by a photographer whose work I absolutely ADORE! Neil Kirk.

*screen capture from Neil's portfolio

Links to his work: 

http://www.patriciamcmahon.com/

Go here: http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/latest/america-fashion <~ for the editorial

:issue: h a m

going through and updating my pdf port before my e-promos go out tomorrow and came across this image of my Boopity. Shot taken when he was chosen as a model for Knuckleheads Clothing. Of course the photographers kid acts a little more like a ham when his mother is behind the camera...

:issue: new promo

i've been busy chasing the sun. What have you been up to?

:issue: sun stalker issuu 1

I had been looking for a neat way to keep my clients and potential clients up to date with what I've been doing as well as what's going on in my life. Since a lot of the work I'm going after requires that my work be displayed in a catalog, look book or magazine, I thought it would be a good idea to create a mock magazine for myself so that clients would be able to view and experience what my work looks like in print aside from the tearsheets I already have.

While going through one of my favorite kids magazines websites, I found issuu.com, a very nice and sleek online magazine display portal that turns your PDF files into pages of a magazine that people can flip to get the feeling they are looking at a magazine.

My first issuu includes assignments I've completed over the past 3 months, contests I've entered, personal projects and a look into my family life. Take a look &  enjoy!

sunstalker issuu 1

:issue: viewers choice

So as all photographers know, entering popular photo contests is very important for your career. If you win, it get's your name and work in front of the people who need photographers! A few months ago I entered a few of my favorite images to the Prix de la Photographie, Paris contest. They will announce their winners tomorrow *crossing my fingers!!!*

But what's really cool about this contest is that they allow viewers to vote for their viewers choice awards! If you have some time, sign up and vote on your favorite entries, particularly mine

I have 2 entries (pictured above) "Habesha" is located in the professional category under portraiture (family)

And also "Obsessed with iCandy" located in the professional category under Advertising (Self-Promotion)

Check it out & vote! http://px3.fr/submit/public/

:issue: golden

{ R.I.P rue mcclanahan}

:issue: day{dreaming}

Today I spent most of the day day{dreaming}... a lot of my inspiration came from Shannon Fricke's blog...

:issue: gorilla style

Today I had a shoot with a lovely model to update her portfolio! She did great. I pretty much did this shoot "gorilla style ". Just drove around and found different locations that fir the outfits we put together well. This is one of my fav. shots from today.

:issue: Enchanted Enfant

I am so excited to be working with a new client, Enchanted Enfant. Their line is soooo beautiful, dainty, classic, exquisite. I've completed 2 shoots for this line within the last month and I am in LOVE with the images we are capturing.

{sneak peek}

:issue: sun stalker

I've been stalking the sun for quite some time. Here's a photo of my son I took a few years ago

:issue: 31 is the new 21

So, yesterday was my birthday! I celebrated early with my husband/family/friends by going out to eat & to party :)

Yesterday, we did Friday's & Freddy! I have to say that I have always loved Nightmare on Elm Street and this new re-make did not disappoint... however, I was a little taken aback by the confirmation of Freddy's crimes :-/ I could have done without that!

 31 is the new 21! a shot of me on my 31st b-day

Below, check out shots from my Gossip Girl/Hula Star shoot last week! 

Right now I'm getting for part 2 of my shoot for Enchanted Enfant, I'll upload samples soon!

:issue: posted

pretty cool. I've received 4 different messages regarding 4 different shoots I completed in the past from friends letting me know that they saw my work published/posted somewhere.

1) kerry rhodes (psa posted on news blog)

2) picture of mya & myself posted on fan blog

3) images from my beetlejuice london shoot posted on ideeli

4) images I shot for no worries cosmetics published in Urbanite Magazine

:issue: no wonder

During my shoots, I typically encourage the children I'm working with to jump, hop, skip, tear stuff up, etc. I think it's extremely important to capture genuine emotion! Often times parents leave the shoot saying "wow! you work really well with kids, I don't know how you do it!!!" It's no wonder it comes natural to me, I have 1 daughter, 1 son, 3 nieces, 3 nephews, 1 God daughter, LITERALLY 50+ younger cousins who are required to call me "aunt", OH & approximately 40 cabbage patch kids that I raised since I was 10! 20 years of working with kids... no wonder!

:issue: on the next one..

new website + new domain

www.JaTawnyMChatmon.com