“What happens in your day Liz?”

People often say to me,  “What do you do in your days Liz in your job?”

Not every day is so full. Some days are just spent in the office, or just a shoot or two but this was my day today and it was relaxing and very social every step of the way ….. 

About half way through my day today I thought about how diverse this job is and today was a very good example. So I thought I’d share with you.

This morning the birds flying by my window truly sounded like they were laughing. I could have stayed in bed longer but I didn’t. I figured the birds were telling me something. Perhaps today was going to be an extra wonderful day. I guess they were right.

I got up took my son to school and then headed to photograph a little bit for a didgital story of a food forest – a garden that is run by school students as part of their ‘Paddock to Plate’ program at Bourchier St Primary School, Shepparton. I photographed and recorded a short interview with Susan who runs the program. I walked with her as she checked the garden just like she was checking on her children. The joy and excitement that grew on her face and her whole being as she spotted and showed me the tiniest of tiny olives forming and other fruits and vegies budding, even the colourful wasp flying around that eats the spiders and the bees in the poppies, the multicoloured corn growing, the little tree that popped up and watching her take the giant sunflowers in her hands just like they were her children’s faces. She cares for this garden with the same care we would a baby. I am sure this excitement and care has to flow onto the children she works with, how can it not?

Then I headed back to the gallery at home turned on the music and lights ready for a client who I was meeting for the first time. I am booked to photograph her wedding in February but we’d never met. I had a lovely time with Shannon as we chatted yes about her wedding and why Mt Buffalo is such a special area for them to be married and what they had planned and I helped her chose the sort of album she wanted for her wedding story but we also chatted about life and what was important to us especially our loved ones. I really love to get to know my clients that I am working with and likewise I share back. I really feel this helps form the bonds we have working together and probably the reason why so many clients become friends. Knowing someone more helps me capture more of who they are when I photograph for them.

Next I headed to a forum – the LGBTI rural youth and resilient communities forum put on by Out In the Open Festival. This was great for me to go to as I always learn more. I work in different community projects in many diverse communities with my photography and storymaking etc. I’ve done a bit of work with the LGBTI community and may do more in the future. I try to get to different forums to learn more. It was really great to see the “what makes an ally?” project and I learnt heaps more too at the youth panel with the amazing brave open young people that shared so much. Two of the youth I knew and had worked with on the Think About It Project but the others I didn’t know. Everyone has different stories. Their discussions and feedback teaches me something new everytime.
Then I got to share lunch with people I knew and people I didn’t and collect some more literature to learn even more.

Next it was off to the post office to collect my mail from my post office box and track down a parcel that I wanted to deliver to a client today but sadly it was found still in transit. I made a phone call to my lab in Melbourne and we chatted for a bit again not just about work but about each other’s families and what was happening.

Then a trip to the carwash – my car was pretty filthy. I knew I couldn’t go to a wedding like that tomorrow or even my shoot this afternoon.
Then fill up at the petrol station. Ok, ready for a little drive to Euroa later on today.

Back into the office – check the emails, do some quoting, a little look at facebook, download some memory cards and backup, ring some clients, ring some people for the next exciting project I am working on called ‘Living Recipes’  for the SheppARTon festival, and then did some editing.

Late afternoon I jumped into my car with a favourite cd – Nahko and Medicine for the People and loved my drive to Euroa – about 40 minutes away to a shoot. I love time in the car to listen to my music and this cd really gives me energy and has me singing out loud. I don’t think you’d want to hear that though 😉

In Euroa I photographed a wonderful bunch of people include the bride and her family and friends all working together on the back verandah of a place they call the White House in Euroa. They were making flower arrangements for Leanne and Sean’s wedding tomorrow. Many jars were laid out, filled with a little bit of water and the many many flowers of all different sorts were arranged into the many little jars and big jars and all size jars. The flowers had been gathered from different yards and roadsides. Leanne contacted me during the week thinking that it would be nice to capture this part of their wedding story and I am so pleased I could. I just photographed as they worked and we chatted about the wedding and got to know each other a little more.

After photographing for Leanne I stopped by to see my friend Deb at the local cinema who was organising a youth movie event and it was a lovely surprise to run into another old friend Kobe who had recently moved to Euroa.

I drove home with a smile on my face thinking about the wonderful day I had and listened to more of my cd of course 

Then back in the office to downloaded the cards and back up, and prep a blog post of a dear friend to post tomorrow.

That is what my day brought me. Did it make me tired? Not really. It was lovely and relaxed at every part of my day. It was really enjoyable. 

The weekend will be wonderful too – A wedding at the Euroa Butter Factory – my favourite venue in this region. And Sunday I head down early morning to Broadford to photograph a father and his sons, time off in the middle of the day and then up to Numurkah to do some more photos of a great band called The Murks.

My days can be diverse like this, other days are not and I have 2-3 days off a week where possible. I love what each day brings.
Each part of my day and the many people that are part of that day are all just as important as one another.

Do I get tired ? Yes sometimes
(but not as much as I use to as I do have a lot more balance in my life now)

Do I find time to recharge ? Oh yes I do. This is really important to me.
I love time with my children. But at age 15 and 20 they have their own lives too and are quite independent. I value the time we do have together. Each day we come together at the dinner table and share what’s happened in our day and chat about life. Other times we love to go to concerts together, watch movies and hang out. Each year we go on a holiday together. This year we were lucky to have two holidays. A roadtrip to Byron Bay for Bluesfest at Easter and then Bali in September (blog post to come soon). I myself regularly take time out in nature and enjoy African drumming, labyrinth walking and yoga, catching up with friends or just doing nothing and sleepins are divine.

I feel my life is very blessed. To me it’s way more than just being a photographer – it’s sharing in peoples’ lives and being a friend to all I come in contact with. I love working with NFP organisations just as much as private clients. I get to meet so many – many different people from many different backgrounds.