Falling in love with the light - A Colorado Springs Photographer

Outdoor portraits and custom framing!

2011-05-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

www.deannagomes.com is busy with outdoor family portraits these days! There's something wonderful about the natural look of an outdoor family portrait that inspires large wall portrait purchases. We've been busy creating and printing them and have added a whole new line of custom in house framing to make your shopping simple! Did you know that we also have a lifetime guarantee on all of our frames? Yup! No matter what, it's covered. For life! Call us today to schedule a studio tour and to view samples of our products and frame sets!

We have a Groupon!

2011-04-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

We recently rolled out a Groupon special that was an enormous hit! Don't know what Groupon is? It's a daily coupon special for businesses in your area with more than 50% savings. Our Groupon featured 84% savings! Wow! Visit www.groupon.com to check out more local deals!

Don't forget to stop by our site at Deanna Gomes Fine Art Portraits and Photography to catch up on the latest gallery updates and studio information! www.deannagomes.com

Random Acts of Kindness are rewarded at Deanna Gomes Photography!

2010-09-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Deanna Gomes Photography, Colorado Springs Photographer of the Year, is honoring random acts of kindness! If you know someone who's been exceptionally NICE, please e-mail the studio with their full name and address with a description of their kind deeds and we will mail them a $75 gift certificate as well as enter them into a drawing for a FREE 16x20 wall portrait!!!! Send to: deannaphoto@msn.com
*Recipients must live in the Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver areas or be willing to travel to Colorado Springs to redeem their gift.*

2010 Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial

2010-09-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

I had the great honor of being asked to photograph the 2010 Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial by the International Association of Fire Fighters with Tom Sluder on September 11, 2010. I was so overcome with emotion during the ceremony that I could not keep myself from sharing tears with the families of this year's fallen heroes.
Fire fighters and their families traveled here to Colorado Springs from all over the United States and Canada in a unified expression of love and sorrow.
I will be forever changed for this experience. I encourage everyone to attend this memorial if they have the chance.
I've created a slide show of some of the images to share with you. I hope you are touched and moved like I was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_Qmptl6ChA

Deanna Gomes
Colorado Springs Photographer
2010 Colorado Photographer of the Year

Collaborating

2010-09-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

This week I collaborated with another photographer, Tom Sluder, to create a painting from one of his photographs. Truman is a lovely 6 year old boy and during his portrait session he dressed up as a Air Force pilot. I loved the intense look on his face and couldn't wait to start painting the image. I think it turned out wonderfully!

Free Portraits for residents of Ronald McDonald House - Colorado Springs

2010-07-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

Deanna Gomes Photography is teaming up with Ronald McDonald House to provide the families with complimentary portraits!
Ronald McDonald House provides clean, comfortable living quarters for families of critically and terminally ill children when they have to travel long distances for medical care.
At a time in a family's life when they need quality portraiture the most and can afford it the least, Deanna Gomes Photography is stepping in with the gift of family portraiture.
PhotoProp Floors and Backdrops is teaming up with Deanna as well and will be taking custom background designs that Deanna creates and will be offering them to their photographer clients with a portion of the proceeds going back to Deanna's portrait gift program.
If you or someone you know has a critically or terminally ill child, even if they don't use Ronald McDonald House, please contact us to find out more about this wonderful program!

Deanna Gomes wins Colorado Photographer of the Year 2010!

2010-07-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Professional photographers of Colorado has recently named me Photographer of the Year! It's an incredible honor and difficult to achieve. I've been a top 10 photographer in the state the last three years and photographer of the year in 2008 and 2010.

Here is the image that won our annual competition's Best Of Show award.

Beautiful Skye! Colorado Springs Photographer

2009-10-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

She's a beauty, that's for sure!

Winter Art

2008-11-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

I don't think I'm capable of putting adequate words together to express how excited, thrilled, passionate and satisfied I am when working on these art pieces. They really stretch my imagination in trying to come up with story telling concepts. Then the finished product just make my eyes so happy to rest on them. (hear that sigh of contentment?) I'm happy to share with you two recent pieces titled 'Winter Blessings' and 'Fire and Ice'.

Professional Photographers of Colorado Fall Conference and Awards

2008-10-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

I was so fortunate to attend the fall conference and print competition. What an incredible and educational experience! I am humbled and awed at the amazing talent I stood shoulder to shoulder with and pleased to announce my list of awards

Third Place - Digital Imaging
Second Place - Digital Imaging
First Place - Digital Imaging
Best of Show - Forsaken
First Time Award - (given to highest scoring print case of all first time entrants)
Court of Honor Award - (given to top 10 photographers in the state)
Judges Choice Award - Forsaken
Judges Choice Award - An Intimate Pair
Photographer of the Year - (given to highest scoring print case of all entrants)
Kodak Gallery Award for Excellence in Imaging

A special thank you to Rick Avalos for your support and encouragement. You led me, frightened and uncertain, to this moment. With deep gratitude I revere you.

Amvona Catalog Feature Revealed!

2008-10-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

The catalog is in mailboxes today so it's time for the unveiling! Thanks to Sam for your kind words and support!

Graphic Beauty

2008-10-17T10:44:00.001-07:00

You've expressed an interest in a more simple type of digital art, one that keeps the integrity of the photograph. Your wish is my command! Introducing the Graphic Beauty line! A gallery of samples will be added to the web site soon!

Passing Moments

2008-09-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's a serious moment. You're prepared for it. You've practiced and focused your mind. Then....out of nowhere a random act of absolute silliness happens. What do you do?
Do you get irritated at the intrusion, the break in concentration? Or do you cut loose with a belly laugh?
I hope it will be the later.
I hope that when life throws you that proverbial curve ball that you will stop and marvel at the beauty in the momentary chaos.
I hope that pause in routine reminds you of what it means to be young at heart.
I hope that you will see how much richer your life can be when you embrace those passing moments.
I have big hopes for you.

Catalog Feature

2008-09-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be a featured artist on page 5 of the Amvona fall catalog! I'm sworn to secrecy and can't share a preview of what the page will look like but it's wonderful! They said such nice things about me! If you aren't familiar, Amvona is a national photographic supply company and the place I LOVE to shop for backdrops! Check them out at www.amvona.com. They also have an enormous community of photographers and message boards for help and inspiration! So, go there and sign up for the catalog, get an account and start sharing your images with others!

My Thoughts on Photography And On Being

2008-08-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Photography is the language with which my soul speaks. It is the miracle by which my spirit is transformed.

Photography is like poetry. It conveys the power of thought and word wrapped lovingly in the arms of the magic of light.

My best portraits are those moments when my own soul is revealed by telling the story of another. Those portraits are the definition of a unified humanity.

It is either the deepest act of reverence or the greatest act of foolishness to attempt to reveal the magnitude of a life with a photograph.

I am humbled in the presence of other living beings, for their essence reveals to me my own ignorance and insignificance.

It is both brave and humbling to hold my camera up to a living thing and proclaim 'I know you well enough to make your image'

Pause at the shutter and know to the depths of your soul that no living thing will ever be defined by your opinion of it.

Photoshop Creative Magazine!

2008-08-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Souls! I thought I'd share my latest magazine feature. I've got top billing (my work is displayed first in the feature) in Photoshop Creative Magazine due on the stands August 28th. UPDATE: The magazine was release in the UK on the 28th of August but runs up to two months behind in the US. It is estimated to be on the stands in the US sometime during the first week of October!
I've already received commissioned work from this feature so a huge shout out to Dani at Photoshop Creative for your faith in me as an artist and your continuous support!
This magazine is an enormous resource for learning photo editing and digital art. I recommend it!

Rediscovering Innocence

2008-08-15T09:10:00.001-07:00

This image has significant symbolism.
It tells a story of a man who has many life wounds, and has repeated the cycle of being broken and stitched again. He only needs to look back to his childhood and see that he was once perfect and whole, unconditionally loved and amazing in every possible way. Then, he must start over from the beginning, knowing that his soul has never changed. It's still beautiful. Still whole. Still perfect.
The only thing that has changed about his life are his thoughts about it.

Sharing me with you!

2008-08-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

The following list contains just a few of the things about me that make me who I am. Some of these things you may not want to know! LOL!
I think I am very real and genuine and I am happy to be an open book, sharing all of myself with you!

I think burps are funny

I'm totally obsessed with Snoopy

I love to cry

Purple is still my favorite color

I drink a six pack of diet coke a day

Some days I stay in pajamas and never get dressed

I drink hot tea and make popcorn on pajama days

I love giving everyone pet names

I love to touch and hug people

I have a deep and reverent love of humanity

Sometimes my affection for others makes them uncomfortable

Blue is my least favorite color

I like myself

I can NOT stay angry if someone has said 'I'm sorry'

I think dogs are experts at perfect, unconditional love

I think cats are retarded

I sometimes cry with deep emotion when I photograph people

I think I'm destined for greatness

I think everyone is destined for greatness

I think you don't have to get paid to do what you're passionate about in order to be happy

I can fall in love with anyone within 5 minutes and really mean it

I fall in love with ALL my friends!

I eat peanut butter straight out of the jar

I think peanut butter is quite possibly the world's most perfect food

I think if dark chocolate was sold by prescription nobody would ever think they needed anti-depressants

I have a crush on Scott Eccleston (of weeklyphototips.com)

I think I will marry him some day.

My favorite musicians are Enya, Hayley Westenra and Sarah Brightman

I always believed giving a man a child was the ultimate gift a woman can give

I see dead people ( no kidding!)

ALL my friends are BEST friends

Saying I love you is easy for me

Asking for help is easy for me

I sleep naked

The people at Starbucks think my name is 'Goddess'

I think creativity is a gift that should never be wasted

I think Dibblee Hoyt has an amazing heart and soul to match

Rain storms stir my soul

I strive to be full all the time. Full of joy, full of love, full of creativity, full of emotion, full of goodness. A full heart has a lot to give.

I'm a giver

I think giving is the easiest way to earn the space I take up in life

I want my heart to be a soft place for broken hearts to land

If I ever won an Oscar I would thank my daughter Cassie because she's the one that teaches me all about drama

I don't like people who hurt others on purpose or out of selfishness

I love little surprises

My favorite word is 'Serendipity'

I think that when you cook, your thoughts, feelings and emotions go into the food

I'm a loving cook

I really enjoy fine things

I like wine, but know nothing about it

I ate escargot once......and it wasn't slimy

I think that people who think love is all about feeling good are destined for broken hearts and they aren't the kind of people I want to love me.

I don't get excited about shopping for clothes

I'm a sheet snob. I have 1,000 thread count sheets on my bed right now.

I am in love with 'light'

I think my feet are ugly

I think ugly feet are better then none

I think babies dream about previous lives

I think Angels are real and that it's not a belief but a fact.

I don't think God cares WHAT you believe.

I think God cares how you behave.

I love seeing the work of photographers who are better then me, because I think they must be close to their dreams and that makes me happy!

I want love to always come rushing through me, effortlessly.

I like to feel yearning. It's a very creative force.

I think it shouldn't matter if being gay is genetic or a choice.

I cannot listen to 'The Little Drummer Boy' (or any Christmas music) without crying

I lost a baby once and I don't believe it was God's will. I think it just happened.

I think nice guys are hot!

I think I better stop now.

p.s.........sometimes I pee my pants when I laugh!

Magazine Feature

2008-08-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

I had the incredible opportunity to work with Jessica, the brilliant creative force behind J-Chan's Designs. Gothic Beauty Magazine did a four page story on her and her stunning costume work and I was lucky enough to have my photography featured in a full page spread for this article.
Congratulations Jessica on your success! You amaze me!

Art for the Heart

2008-03-24T23:14:00.001-07:00

2008-03-22T09:21:00.001-07:00

2008-03-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

The old man waltzed slowly down the crowded street. I stopped to watch him as he stood out from the crowd. It seemed that the busy shoppers that bumped and pushed each other instinctively avoided him. He commanded space and respect, though he never looked up.

I watch people all the time but it was this day that I realized something important about the people on the street. People who look down when they walk are really looking 'in'. They watch their feet and the slowly rolling sidewalk underneath as they let their minds wander through thoughts. I don't know what the old man was thinking but you can see it on his face. Maybe it was regret that stained his face as he walked. Maybe it was the revelation of how time has passed.

It was a revelation for me, watching him pass by. Whenever I see someone looking downward when they walk, I'll know that they are really looking in.

photography because we age

2008-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I just found an entire collection of photographs of myself from many years ago that had completely forgotten about. I went through the photographs bouncing between laughter, reverence and sadness. A photograph can be so powerful! Through the retrospective power of the photograph I was able to recall days I had completely lost. Looking back through time with just a little more maturity under my belt was an incredibly profound experience. Now I ask you this, and please take your time to think of the answer, but WHO are we without our memories? This is just one of the reasons why I photograph.

A whole new look!

2008-03-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

My website has gone through a complete change and I'm so thrilled with the results! To celebrate the new site, we're offering an incredible 30% off portraits on canvas! Hurry! The sale ends Thursday, March 20th!

Mother and Child

2008-01-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to work with a lot of mothers with their babies this fall for a Mother and Child showcase. Amy was particularly beautiful and so graceful. I absolutely love quiet portrait moments when there are no big cheesey grins to behold. I love capturing what looks like silent love, the kind that sits in the background but compells you to look twice. Amy had that kind of love for her baby. Again, it was so lovely I had to paint it.

Silly girl with a rose

2008-01-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Kirstin came to me for a portrait session as a gift from her God Father. She unfolder her personality before the camera like a crisp linen sheet on a summer day.......with snap and freshness! I could see in her that she was a young girl, struggling at the edge of pre-teen anxiety. That last step before the leap is always filled with so much emotion. By the time we were done with her session, she was giddy and glowing. This was a boost her self esteem needed and I felt so reverent for the small role I played in her big important life. I loved this silly portrait of Kirstin with a rose in her mouth so much that I had to paint it!

a tender dream

2007-12-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

A poem brought from time's stirring embrace

I stand on cliffs of tender dreams
looking out and far below
I hear the ocean somewhere, there
but I cannot believe you'd be this close
are you there?
Is that you?
anticipation grows
no, a yearning from within the soul
that never breathes the air of satisfaction
a hunger that is never fed
beckons me

I breathe a sigh from the edge of reason
and fall toward you
to take my last breath
and die inside you
swallow me whole
I beg you

I touch the scar
that lies just over my heart
where love once burned
where love was cut from
by screaming protest
I touch the scar
proof that you once existed
and with perverse pleasure
I pretend you still live
inside me

I breathe a sigh
catching, halting
in perfect bliss
I fall toward you
and breathe you in, my final sigh
consume me
I beg you
I will die inside you
forever inside you

For you are my tender dream

Gifts of the Season

2007-11-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

I've got a new collection of fine art prints in a collection titled 'Gifts of the Season'. I was wandering around my front yard with my camera in tow, trying to escape the noise and activity of a current kitchen remodel. I became entranced with the curling leaves I found so I decided to photograph one, hoping to capture it's beauty and perfection. I think I did just that!

The images are available on fine art watercolor paper in the size of 11x14, matted in white and signed. Contact me at deannaphoto@msn.com to order. There's still time to receive your prints well before Christmas for holiday gift giving!

What you'd miss.......

2006-12-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

I was waiting for a client to show up to a very early morning photo shoot at a wilderness type park. I sat in my truck listening to satelite radio and pushing back irritation. I decided to take my camera out and walk around, just to see what I could come up with. I took this picture only because it seemed there was very little else that interested me. I realized then that I was starting to let my art become 'just a job'. I remember when I used to get up at 5:30 in the morning so I could find a great vantage point for a new sunset. I photographed for the sake of just doing it........for me. I decided that I wouldn't ever see another missed appointment or 10 mile drive for a no-show become an inconvenience for me, but rather a window of artistic opportunity flung wide open. I came home and set to turning this simple pine branch with cone into a piece of watercolor fine art...........for me. I'm so thrilled with the results!

Fields of Gold

2006-10-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

There's something about the golden fields that makes my heart warm. I step out into the tall grasses and suddenly feel more peaceful, more connected as I leave the pavement and feel the soft earth collapsing underneath my feet. I love the way the grasses whisper in the breeze and reach out to touch me as I pass through, as if they know me and welcome me back home.
Visit http://www.deannagomesphotography.com/fields to see a slideshow of beautiful fall pictures and hear the very moving song 'Fields of Gold' by the late Eva Cassidy.

FALLing asleep by the fire

2006-09-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Cassie has always loved making a bed in a laundry basket. I've got photos of her throughout the years all camped out in different laundry baskets. She still asks me every night if I'll let her sleep in a basket all night. We built our first fire of the fall season and the first thing she did was bring down a basket with pillows, snuggly (her blanket) and Meekins the lamb. I went up stairs to take a bath and when I returned I found her sleeping. It was a heart breakingly beautiful site.

Signs from the Universe or superstitious crap?

2006-09-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was at the book store the other day with my family. I let the younger girls go to the children's section under strict instructions they weren't to leave that carpeted area. I wandered around looking at computer books on html and art photography. I decided I should go check on the girls and as I passed by the self help section a book fell off the shelf. There was no one in the isle so I stopped. I had always been of the mind that the Universe speaks to us in many ways, with signs, some not so subtle. I considered that I was being led to read a book I might not have otherwise noticed. Then I hesitated and looked toward the children's section. I really should be checking on them, I thought. I started to walk away and then, wracked with guilt, turned back. 'What if someone picks up the book and I never know the message I was being sent?' I had a fear that I would be punnished for ignoring the divine message. And then more guilt that I wasn't checking on my girls. So walked down the isle intending to pick the book up and take it with me to check on the kids. When I got there I almost laughed hysterically. I was experiencing a little momentary anxiety over wanting to pass that book up and not wanting to 'miss out' on a message. Look what I found! Anxiety Disorders and Phobias. Wow. Now who says the universe doesn't speak out? It does, and often in very funny ways!

ps...... I didn't buy the book. I thought the title did the trick!

Love is always a gift

2006-09-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

I've been trying
to be more aware of my attention to the girls....or lack thereof. Over the years there have been more then a handful of repeated questions because I was inattentive, or snappy 'WHAT?!' comments I made when I was being interrupted. I was working on an order for a client last week. I had told the girls that once my office doors were closed I really needed them to leave me alone for a while. They all agreed and I set about getting my work done to meet a deadline. It seemed I'd hardly been at it for 10 minutes when Cassie popped her head in the door saying "Mommy......?" I was irritated. I turned to her and snapped "I told you to stay out. Now go. Please!" She smiled so sweetly and said "I just wanted to tell you that I love you and you're the best Mommy ever." I nearly blubbered out load with guilt. She was trying to give me a gift of love and I was trying to shove her out the door. I called her into my office and pulled her onto my lap. I hugged her and kissed her and for five minutes let her tell me stories of ladybugs and neighborhood puppy dogs and then sent her on her way. There weren't any interruptions after that. I ended up meeting my deadline......and I learned a lot about the gift of love in the process.

Defined by Love

2006-09-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

"We are not defined by whom we love but by the depth and intensity with which we love them." She's 10 years old and just the sweetest most loving soul...
and she completely adores me. I've been waiting for the emotional seperation that starts between 7 and 9 years of age and it hasn't come yet. Not that 7 year olds don't love to be with their parents, but you start to notice how they will choose their friends over their parents for play time and such. Angelina would still rather paint her toenails next to mine then play barbies with the next door neighbor. She's my partner. She's MY girl. Her heart balances on the edge of anticipation each time she asks me to volunteer some time in her classroom. She proudly shows me off to her classmates as if I were some shiny, glowing prize. And then a lightbulb clicks on.....As if I were a prize. That is so profound to me. I have spent a lot of time trying to define myself by what I do or how much I give to others and the community. But on a Monday morning at 6:45 when she staggers into my room for a kiss and a snuggle before she even thinks of getting breakfast, all I can think of is that I truly am defined by love. It's an emotional realization when you have it, that your children step into the world each day, judging life, measuring it up, all with your love as the guide with which all things are compared. Their security, their bravery, self-esteem....it's all woven with the integrity of your love. As I walked into my daughter's classroom and was greeted by the teacher and other students, I looked at Angelina and saw that I was her rock. And I knew that she was my safe place to land when things weren't going right. She wouldn't judge me or make fun of my mistakes. She loves me like the earth loves the sun. It's a tremendous gift to be loved like that. And I am happy to let her love define me.

Taste Bud Mutiny

2006-08-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

I had baked chips with dinner tonight. I hate baked chips. They really taste nasty. I think anyone that says they taste good is brainwashed by the potato chip marketing ploy. (yes Laura, I'm talking about you! = )
I wonder how many people eat stuff like that, that they don't like, because it's the best alternative to the real thing. Like their mind says 'but it's chips, it's good' when their taste buds say 'stop now or we'll mutiny'..ya know? I was eating the damned things because I 'couldn't' have any other kind and halfway through it occurred to me that I was forcing myself to eat something I hated. Now, I can see working through the acquired taste issues for really healthy foods but for fake potato chips? What was I thinking? Then I was reminded of the time I bought a box of snack cakes for myself and the kids. I had eaten three of them and on the last one I really started to 'taste' it. It had a very chemical like taste to the frosting. I spit it out into my hand, fake chocolate, fake frosting plus chemichals and unpronounceable additives clinging to my dragging tongue like barnacles to a ship. My brain had just talked itself into thinking it was good because it was SWEET. But it wasn't good at all. So I decided that I'd eat what I truly liked and not eat just to satisfy some mind trick about cravings and IDEAS of what should be good. I threw away the baked chips and didn't miss them at all. Nasty little things.

The photo with this post is an out-take of my daughter, Angelina. I thought the expression suited my feelings about the baked potato chips! I would have taken a photograph of those things had I had my camera with me. I seem to be leaving her at home too often when I have my little epiphanies!

Meekins is REAL!

2006-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Meekins is Cassie's best friend. A beenie baby stuffed lamb hardly bigger then the palm of my hand, she lives and breathes like a genuine member of our family. We found her hanging around a gift shop in Pismo Beach, California. My family is fond of tag shopping the beenies for birth dates that match our friends and family. Meekins shares a birthday with Cassie and we knew when we found her that she had to be ours. Stuffed animals are typically loved on and drug around the house for a few weeks before they join the hordes of other stuffed animals in plastic tubs in the garage. I feel a twinge of guilt each time we stash another loved one in the fluffy graveyard, reminded of the velveteen rabbit. But Meekins was different. She never lost her allure, gaining royal status instead. She sat at the breakfast table and shared cereal bits with Cassie every morning and I was forced to make Meekins talk in a high squeaky voice so Cassie could have a conversation with her. Meekins rode along with us on road trips and slept in bed with Cassie each night, demanding a kiss and cuddle of her own. Being that I am a photographer and Meekins is a very important member of the family I set up a portrait session for her one day and this photograph here is matted and framed not only on our fireplace mantel but also on her Daddy's desk. We can't look at Meekins without seeing Cassie's brilliant love and adoration. She is a gift to us all. She's a warm soft place for the tender love of a 6 year old to land, teaching her about friendship and perfect love. Meekins looks like a bundle of fluff and stitches but I know she is real. Go here www.deannagomesphotography.com/meekins to see a slideshow about how Meekins has come to life through the love of a little girl! Be patient because it may take a little time to load and make sure to turn your speakers on because there's great music too!

A cabin in Montana

2006-08-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a week long trip to Monana. On my 13 hour drive I saw many beautiful sights but none so lovely as this little lonely cabin in the middle of a field being kissed by the heavens. I stood there watching the light dance on the prarie, and filled with the anticipation of going home, I knew I could never really go home. People change. Places change. All the things you loved and thought you 'knew' morph into realizations that the adult mind can't see the world like the heart of a child can. I can physically visit all the places of my youth but I can never see them the same. I visited Montana with a rush of joy at seeing old friends and a mixture of regret for all the many losses that were born there and that still live inside me like tiny seeds, blooming at times in the fertile grounds of sorrow, nourished by timely tearful showers. While the cabin on the prarie mezmerized me, I could only hold my breath until I truly came home. Home to Colorado. My home of 6 weeks. My new home with my husband, my three kids and our new beginnings. For me, home is where ever we are together, not where we came from. Not where we were born or where we had our first crush or learned to drive, but where we lay our heads at night listening to each other breathe softly. And when my daughter rises in the night to visit the bathroom or get a drink of water, bumping into the unfamiliar corners of our new home, I sigh with contentment that we are indeed, truly, completely, at Home.

My daughter the socialite

2006-07-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Cassie is only six years old and completely vulnerable and helpless in her father's eyes. He refuses to see her as the growing girl she is, opting rather to acknowledge only the traits that remind him of her as a baby. She adapts her personality to the people she's with at the moment. Sharp of intellect and with savy observational skills, she knows how to endear herself to anyone. She creeps around the house dragging her 'snuggly' and Meekins, her very best stuffed animal friend. Who wouldn't melt at such a site as Cassie crawling up on your lap, batting her long eye lashes and pretending to be a whimpering puppy, extracting every ounce of gushing love you had? But I see her when she ventures out to play with the older girls in the neighborhood. 8 to 10 year olds. They are good girls and Cassie is much like their pet at times, hanging on them in the deepest throes of hero worship. After just a week with these girls she came home asking for a pair of high heeled shoes. I didn't think they made them for 6 year olds, but, you guessed it, they do. They can't be more then an inch and a half high but the hot pink and white mules are as trendy and daring as you'd expect. Cassie teeters to and fro in them and I hear myself saying over and over again 'Don't sprain your ankle in those things!' She wants to be like her friends, wearing heels and dragging around purses with nothing but gum and lip balm inside. In just the few short weeks we've lived here my darling baby girl went from mostly indoor activities and scheduled play dates to running the neighborhood, stuffed animals in tow, daily picnics on the neighborhood lawns with any child who happened to smell the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and wandering for hours two doors up and two doors down ( the distant boundaries of a 6 year old socialite). She's growing up. It delights me and frightens me so. With news of little Destiny Norton being murdered by the next door neighbor, it's hard to give her room to play and experience life outside the confines of my fierce protective presence. But I want her to LIVE. I want her to touch the world and grow without restraint into a joyful, life embracing human being that sees the beauty in our world, not just the fear. I wonder if my struggles will ever end.........?

Waiting for him...

2006-07-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Melanie is getting married in August. She came to my studio on Saturday and we spent the morning taking her bridal portraits. She was so lovely. Her big green eyes spoke of anticipation and nervousness. She's in love and it shows in everything about her. I felt so honored to share this time with her and I was aware that even though we'd just met, she'll likely remember me for the rest of her life because of the role I'm playing now as her photographer. I'm excited to photograph her wedding but wonder how I will keep from crying? Patrick and Melanie......I wish you a lifetime of joy and bliss. Visit www.deannagomesphotography.com/Mertz to see her full gallery of bridal images.

The Senator and I

2006-07-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

I was invited to document the congressional campaign of Sentator Doug Lamborn. I photographed him receiving an endorsment from an immigration reform group. I met a lot of great people, including Devin Eskew of KKTV 11 news. I razzed him for being late and he entertained me with stories of how he just chased down a mountain lion within the city limits.....and got too close for comfort! Unfortunately the blogger photo upload tool isn't working right now. I will post it as soon as tech support fixes our troubles!

Garden of the Gods....and a boy

2006-07-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

I went to Garden of the Gods on Wednesday to take senior portraits of Thomas. It was a beautiful place and he's a wonderful and very intelligent boy. Here are a few of my favorites from the day! Visit www.deannagomesphotography.com/Hastings to see his complete senior portrait gallery.

garden mystery

2006-07-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

I just bought a house in Colorado Springs and am finding all sorts of lovely flowers blooming. Do you know what this orange flower is?

Painting Portraits

2006-07-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm learning to paint portraits in photoshop and with Corel Painter IX. It's incredibly complex but absolutely addicting! This is a small sample of something that was done in photoshop. I'm excited to try a painting of my chidren as I'd like to get a large canvas printed!

My eyes

2006-07-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night that I was going blind. It was an unbearable pain for me. Photography is an extension of self for me. It is who I am. What would I do if I could not see?
In my dream I went from place to place, leaf to leaf, absorbing the memory of each curve, shape, color and idea these images gave me before I would lose my sight completely. When I awoke, even the pile of dirty laundry at the foot of my bed held a wonderous beauty of shape, texture and color for me. It was like a much anticipated homecoming, a joyous rememberance that I awake each day starting over, fresh and new.
I challenge you to find what it is in life that pleases you most and truly embrace it. Find that one drop of amazing in everything you see and enjoy it!