The Walk of Life

To sum up my Life...

Halloween is creeping up. I have flu. I also have a house full of teenage girls sleeping over for the holiday, compliments of my fifteen-year-old daughter who thought this would be the BEST time to have a Halloween Party. The CharityWorks GreenHouse ended today where my work has been on display in the lovely Virtual golf room. Deer are taking over my yard. My friend, Lynni Megginson, who has been working in the Virtual golf Room for the past 3 weeks (almost every day tirelessly), now has a sick child, probably from me. (See www.facebook.com/pages/Virtual-Golf-Girl) And I have learnt the Art of the ReTweet.

Now I know this sounds a little sad. But I have been stuck in bed.... constantly taking my temperature, and *coughing* everywhere. And, "yes", I did miss my flu shots this year -- surprise, surprise!! But I have had very little to amuse me but an iPhone and a Computer. So, I am NOT getting much photography done at all!!! And I am very frustrated with this part of my life, but I am getting to check out everyone else's photography online and to Twitter.

For instance. I have a friend on Facebook, Kate Benjamin, who took a fabulous photo to start off my Halloween celebration. See http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2901300&id=693003799 to get a glimpse of it. It reminded me of #legstuesday on Twitter where all the Twitter people take photos with their phones of legs and upload them to Twitter for a wonderful worthy cause to raise awareness of RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) or otherwise known as CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). This often difficult to understand syndrome can lead to limbs that just don't move. Just ask my friend @Carus925 on Twitter who deals with having to educate people on this each day of her life because she personally suffers from RSD.

So as I look around me this Halloween, and I think about all the (loud) sound coming from my basement, I can't really complain. I see lots of funny legs. And I really want to photograph them. Maybe I will this year. Maybe I will start an album of just legs for #legstuesday on Twitter.

Many professionals have much to say on the subject of being "role models". Many have more to say on how they should be "responsible" to society. But if we aren't, who is? I mean, who is supposed to be the ones to watch out for the next generation? I read the news (or watch it) most days and I don't like a lot of what I see. But then I keep on doing what I do and never change my path. I don't get out of my seat and write a letter to my Congressman which I KNOW will make a huge difference in that one vote. I don't volunteer in that particular charity I KNOW needs extra help this time of year. I don't give as much money as I should to charities in my area. I don't even keep my house as "green" as I would like.

But I am an Art Photographer. And I can take (great) photos.

So.... for this time around, I am going to try and help my friend on Twitter.

I know many of you don't have Twitter, so I will post my photos up on Facebook for you to see and try to give updates as much as I can.

I will take photographs of legs. All types of legs. And I welcome suggestions from everyone. And if you are on Twitter, join me @fototwit , and on #legstuesday, upload a shot of your legs and mark it with #legstuesday on the post and #RSD and #CRPS . That way the awareness will spread and you can help me spread the word. If you aren't on Twitter, just talk to people about RSD and read about it. Carus Culver (@Carus925) needs everyones help. I want to help her, and if your limbs move and you can see or hear the people around you moving this season, remember we all have a responsibility to each other in some small way.

Even if it is to just upload a cellphone photo to Twitter.

My name is Sara Friedman. I believe that I can make a difference in this world. You can too.

How to handle the Monet.

I just spent the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia with my husband. One of the highlights of our trip was, of course, visiting the beautiful Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's house that he designed and decorated himself. Jefferson, as a man of the period of the Enlightenment kept himself unusually busy and had diverse interests and was well educated. Everything he found that he had trouble understanding, he tried to educate himself in, or spend the time to have someone around him educated in that particular field.

One thing that really caught my notice was his notebooks. They had these preserved at the museum rooms just down from the (magnificent) house. This was a man who had a large slave population to carry out his commands at Monticello, but he took a huge amount of time with all the details. He chose ever piece of furniture, every bit of wallpaper, designed the house, sent back measurements for every beam, delivered detailed floorplans and outer sketches of the house, and had NO ARCHITECTURAL TRAINING. And, by the way, he did this while he was largely the Ambassador to France and was abroad.

The notebooks and all their scribbled notes, sketches, measurements and details... are just incredible.

This set me to thinking.

Since I am in the middle of reorganization of my Studio (again) and have just finished my business paperwork this week for my art photography.... When did Jefferson sleep? I know he had all those slaves. Not that I condone slavery in any way ! But he chose to do a lot of it himself. How? When?

And then I thought about artists from years ago. How would a Michaelangelo do today in business as an artist, or Monet, or any of the more famous artists? Would they be able to keep up with government papers, Studio space, taxes, websites, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, social networking, keeping in touch with fans... while still producing their work? Would they get their filing done each night? Would they agonize over their business card stock? Or would some of the better-off ones just keep efficient personal assistants to track their UPS and FEDEX accounts and keep things straight in accounting on the computer?

You just have to wonder.

The first "image" artist I can think of was Andy Warhol. He was a great. He would do well today, I'm sure. But the more hermit-like artists... wow... how the world has changed! Marketing used to be a dirty word when I was a kid. Now it is the everyday. Not that I really have an "image" (lol)! THAT would be WAY too much work!!! I am no Andy Warhol!!! But still, everywhere I go, I not only carry cameras, but my iPhone. The cellphone takes so many pictures (as many of my Twitter fans know) when I travel, and at other times too. And everything goes up to Twitter ever day. Not the best way to take photos, but instant... and sometimes with maps! (yes, I have that app too).

I apologize to fans now. For all those times that I have not had this blog up in a timely fashion. For not having recent photos on my Facebook fan site (until a few days ago). For not working out how to link Twitter to Facebook until this week. And for not personally answering all the Twitter and Facebook and Website messages straight away.

But you should really try this job.

Not that I am complaining. Well... everyone envisions the life of an Art Photographer as exotic and fun. No one sees the paperwork and the site maintenance time. No one sees your family chasing you off the Twitter at the Dinner table. Or all the rest....

But then, all the wonder and beauty you have the chance to capture. All the things you see at home and when traveling. All the people you meet.

But "They" are right.

This is a FABULOUS job. And I wouldn't do anything in place of it in the world! I have trouble thinking of this as a job. I love it.

Well... maybe... a few additional things I would take on.... lol.