I am both honored and thrilled to have been featured in 1839, the blog of Dawn Schuck. In addition to the amazing artists of whom she has featured, you can check out my feature here:
http://eighteen39.com/2011/09/10/a-rebirth-waterbabies-by-christine-durst/
I love the water – especially the ocean. I will take a pool as well because I love swimming. I do despise cold water though so I am thankful for my wetsuit. My kids – they are water babies too. The beauty of being kids is that cold water doesn’t seem to bother them much. This of course gives me a chance to take their pictures. It is fun. They liked “sleeping” in the water for me. I hope you can feel the emotions we all felt shooting these.
Ohhhhh “mental illness” – that’s not really a real problem just something parents label their kids with when they don’t know how to be “good” parents right? Or what “crazy” people are, right? Well not exactly… My 12 year old daughter has BiPolar (in addition to Type I Diabetes and Celiac disease). And well she’s not crazy. And she is no less worthy of help, compassion, understanding, support, nurturing, consistency, love, laughter, or a hopeful future than anyone else’s child.
Please read the article by Susan Resko of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation and take a moment to contact Viacom in support of children and adolescents with Mental Illness. Copy and paste this link and help me help my daughter remove the social stigma…
http://www.bpkids.org/connect/blog/2011/08/nickelodeons-icarly-stigmatizes-mental-illness
Here is what I had to say: iCarly – DISASTER. OK I barely tolerate this show with its overuse of inappropriate sarcasm and intolerance (beyond a level any adolescent is truly cognitively capable of comprehending – read up on child and adolescent behavior and neurological development). The upcoming episode in which that horrific, overly aggressive, Sam girl admits herself into a psychiatric facility is simply too much. My official opinion is that Sam’s character clearly suffers from Conduct Disorder and thus perhaps would benefit from a stay in a residential treatment facility.
The worst of it is my own child has Bipolar. At 8 years old she attempted suicide and has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals since then (which is now going on three years). She feels stigmatized and on the outside of the world in which her “normal” peers live. To have mental illness and its medically warranted treatments be so inappropriately portrayed on a show such as iCarly that so many adolescents watch is reprehensible. My daughter is not “nuts” or “crazy.”
Her bipolar disorder is a medical disease the same as is her Type I Diabetes Mellitus. She suffers equally with both DISEASES. Would Sam and Carly find it so horrifying to be hospitalized for a diabetic ketoacidosis? My daughter almost died from that once as well.
I have faced losing my daughter to both her MEDICAL illness. How dare you all make light, no make fun of mental illness. Might your writer’s not have better skills? Or perhaps there’s an Autistic child they might want to ridicule in the next season. Or maybe you could build in a joke about Carly losing her hair and looking like a Cancer patient. Wouldn’t THAT be funny? No.
I promise you this – my children will NEVER watch iCarly and perhaps we will boycott Nick completely. But what do you care?
Maybe when my daughter returns to school some kid will remember this episode of iCarly and find it funny to ridicule my daughter for being “nuts” or “crazy.” And maybe it will be just that one final injury my daughter might not be able to withstand… and maybe something terrible will happen. But most likely Viacom and Nick and its writers and advertisers won’t care. What’s one less viewer???
I’m having a bit of a conundrum with regard to my work. You see I have received feedback form a couple of people I respect: one being in the photography world and one completely removed. You see I fear that people who see my work because well perhaps they like me by default say they like my work. Yet I aim for constructive feedback. And if that is – I like this or that – great. But if it is – that is too dark or too processed looking or too this or too that – that is BETTER! You see I cannot improve if I don’t hear what works or what doesn’t work. I’m one of those “needs feedback” type of people.
Here is what one of my “critics” said:
I don’t see your concept, philosophy, angst, love, acceptance, challenge, fears, of the world around you. these seem more like pictures you’ve taken that show an evolution of your technical skills more than anything.
I’ve always told you that yours is a rare personality. I´m fascinated by the idea of seeing ordinary or extraordinary from your view. You’re very much a people person and perhaps your greatest experiences in life revolve around humanity simple, humane, troubled, surviving/settling, living, funny- maybe this could transcend into your photography? Landscapes, monuments, fauna, flora could be devices to be used against your true insight into the world but i don’t think you’re setting out to be naturalist.
Are there any images you feel need to be captured but you just don’t know yet if that’s acceptable/understood in mainstream? Perhaps, you’re getting caught up in a commercial loop and feel the need to just capture good images to print and share??
I want to see what’s really seeping in the receses of your eyes and thoughts.
You see – I totally agree. I have been really just learning the photography ropes up til now, playing and experimenting with shutter, aperture, and the like. And I haven’t even touched on using my flash yet! But now I feel the need to bite into life with my lens. And there are things I want to shoot and do. I have ideas. And how do I bring those ideas to life?
I want to shoot a series on contrast between wealth and poverty where I live; another on tattooing; another on abandoned farm houses; and some “street” photography which is challenging here in rural America (where are the “streets” in a farming community???!!!). And damnit – I’ve put some of these ideas out here and now someone’s going to steal them from me – always happens because I open my big mouth all excited and such!
So now – some of you “seasoned” photogs – what’s your trick? How do you get these kinds of projects going? Shooting people in their homes for a project (versus a portrait shoot) well that’s not easy to get buy-in on is it? I guess I just do it. Cursed over-thinking mind of mine!!!
Oh here are a few recent photos I actually like…
Pictures and views from the tower (yes THE tower of our first date and subsequent first kiss!). There are some images that simply feel better in black in white. I rather like shooting in B&W. There is something in the starkness of the image that is so appealing. Then others are best in color. I guess that is part of the magic I find in photography. The shadowed figures are my kiddoos – good sports posing for me.
Well my lovely mother despises having her picture taken (so that’s probably why I have inherited that trait as well!). However today I was blessed to have been able to catch some really wonderful shots of her, her awesome doggie, and my son. I love my Mom. I love my son! And I just love the doggie. My Mom is just lovely and has always been beautiful as you will see…
What summer would be complete without a trip to the boardwalk and the sheer terror of the rides? I have more images on my flickr page. I don’t post too many here because… oh there’s a whole bunch of reasons. Once the tourist season dies down a bit the kids and I will make our seasonal venture to partake in the joys of the boardwalk. And I will of course spend a fortune trying to win prizes for them… The water gun thingy – that’s the best one for me. Enjoy… PEACE. CMD
Given that it IS summer after all I have been taking the kids to the community pool. I refuse to go before 2pm-ish. Simply too hot and a bit too crowded (I am not antisocial I just have little tolerance for annoying people). We have had a lovely time (save the arse of a boy bullying my son and his mother doing nothing about it!). I will relish in the moments of my two children actually getting along and enjoying each others’ company if but for a couple of hours. And me? Well I actually do swim but if the water is remotely chilly it takes a near-drowning to get me in the water. That said I actually do love swimming. Based on the toe-dip test of yesterday, I think a swim might be in order today.
When not swimming, I read or sit back and take pictures, experimenting with my manual settings and my metering all whilst documenting my children getting along. I love those moments. So here are a few to share…
Here it is my “new” blog name. And well it’s about “photography” and, oh, words too. So I am going to try everyday to post a new pic. Having something to 
say everyday might be more of a challenge (and not because I don’t have anything to say but because I just don’t have that much time). As always I appreciate your comments and thoughts.
Peace
CMD
OK yes.. Please vote on the name of my new blog persona… ’bout ready to transition “Happibird” to my “artiste” persona. I can’t do it without you. Get your poll on. Oh 13 is the number I like most. Nothing more or less I just dig it.
Christine.13
Photography
C.13
Photography
Christine Marie
Photographer
Christine M.
Photography
Voting begins… NOW!
PS Not really sure how this Poll Daddy thing works. If it is suckish, just tell me in a comment what your “vote” is. Peace
