Being inspired has kept my passion for photography alive and energized.  Being inspired by someone in the industry who is genuinely a nice & giving person is just a cherry on top.  I have many photographers & friends that inspire me . . . too many to list, but one person that continues to drive me to be a better photographer and better colleague to others is my friend, Jasmine Star.  She has ROCKED the very foundation on the photography industry time & time & time AND time AGAIN~!  She motivates people.  She pushes people.  She encourages working together.  She thinks differently.  She does things first with no fear of failure.  And she has a mission to turn our industry into the BEST it can be and she is succeeding every day~!  Inspiring, encouraging, helping and GIVING of herself.  Most anyone within the photography industry has heard of her, whether you shoot weddings, families, kids, pets, fashion . . . no matter, you probably know her name.

I recently was blessed to attend a lecture/talk she did in Atlanta called “THE FIX“.   And I came away even more inspired, more motivated and more thankful that I work in an industry where there are so many talented & awesome people.  I was able to connect with photographers from Atlanta, Jacksonville, Alabama and North Carolina, just to name a few places.  The people I met were all so AMAZING and my heart was filled with a lot of great energy & excitement for 2012.  I was so re-energized that I left Atlanta at 11 pm and drove 4.5 hours home . . . SMILING & excited the whole way.  Simply put, it was Good Times~!

Here are a few photos I took AND before you scroll down, please know that ALL the images I took were off my iPhone 4S.  I was so super excited about seeing some friends in Athens and seeing Jasmine, JD & the group in Atlanta that I walked out of my house without a few things.  One thing left behind was my camera . . . YIKES~!!!!  Among other things, I misplaced my license & all my credit cards and sat through dinner with friends wondering how spastic I really was. My friend & I made a trip to Target so I could buy a few things and then other things had to be compromised, like my camera. (smile) But Apple didn’t fail me, my little iPhone took some rather great pics in low light.  Besides, it was just really about having the memory documented for myself.  I am sure all those girls with the professional camera’s were laughing inside at me and my iPhone, but I was improvising and nothing could upset the high I was on that night.

Jasmine Star “The Fix” was an absolutely wonderful night and I am excited about all the new friends I made . . .

The Fix was held at “The Foundry at Puritan Mill” in Atlanta and the place was beautiful.  Jasmine has her own style of setting up the stage for each show.  Very creative.  Very cool.

Ashley Goodwin, an amazing photographer from Hawaii, is on the tour assisting.  She had a wonderful Q&A session with Jasmine.

Me and the talented, beautiful & super amazing, Jasmine Star . . . (photo courtesy of Ashley, taken with . . . that’s right, My iPhone!!!)

Here are a few photos taken by volunteers at The Fix (with professional cameras . . . ha ha).  As you can see in the first photo, I was probably the ONLY person to arrive this EARLY.  I wasn’t sure about the Atlanta traffic and I didn’t want to be late, so I opted to be early.  Luckily I wasn’t turned away and I got to grab a front row seat.  Yay Yay Yay!  Look at me smiling to myself with happiness.  I kinda felt like a dork arriving so early, but everyone made me feel welcomed~!

This is my friend and an AMAZING photographer, Michelle : Michelle White Photography.  We originally met in 2009 at The Workshop by Jasmine Star in California.  We’ve remained friends and sharing another J* experience with her made my heart happy.  Michelle is simply fabulous~!

This is me talking with JD, Jasmine’s husband and business partner.  He is absolutely one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met.  His passion for photography and sharing makes him as cool as Jasmine.  Together they’ve built a strong business and gained respect from everyone in the industry. Together they continue to share, care and inspire on the roller coaster of fun they’ve created . . .

And this is a last photo of Michelle.  Making friends in the industry and supporting each other was something that Jasmine talked about in depth at The Fix.  I was happy to be living the philosophy as I sat by my friend & colleague.

I want to always make sure I help anyone who comes to me, so if you are reading this and we are not friends yet . . . well, please find me on facebook (personal) / facebook (photography) , or on twitter or email me.  I am always happy to grab a cup of coffee and talk photography or life or pets, I mean “fur babies” . . .