the women of P31

i am not a big fan shooting of weddings.

it's not all the emotion, i can handle that - makes for great REAL life moments that no photographer could ever "create"!

no, it's the large group shots that don't exactly thrill me - you know, the ones with great aunts & great grandfathers & little nieces and cousins from iowa & the dog.

i understand the desire to capture entire families, but the challenge for me is that there's someone in that group who is expecting EVERYBODY in the shot to look perfect.

now according to murphy's law, no matter how many shots i take, someone in that posse of thirty odd people will blink, sneeze, turn their head, blow their nose, scratch, etc. in every single frame. hence rendering my chance at pleasing "great grandmother from topeka" impossible.

personally, i like the "non-perfect" ones - they reveal people's true personalities & trigger memories that aren't recalled with images of perfect poses.

because real life isn't - posed that is.

so when amy asked me if i would be interested in shooting some pictures of the women of Proverbs 31, i paused.......

she said it would involve about 20 - 25 women.

hmmmmmmmmm....... groups of many women........ large group photo session....... hmmmmmmm?

truly i paused.

but in that moment of hesitation, i thought about all these women do and how they have influenced me.

- a friend of mine sent me a devotion from their site about 5 years ago & since then i've been a regular subscriber who has gleaned much from their insights.

- several of the women have adopted children - a foundation at the center of my family.

- the women are strong supporters of compassion international and our family sponsors a little girl in rwanda through that same organization.

- but most importantly, they are women whose hearts seek God and His will.
"when she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
and she always says it kindly" - The Message
they inspire, encourage, and support other women to do so.

after my BRIEF hesitation, i knew there was no way i could refuse.

so today i ventured to the convention center near the speedway to try and capture some of the beauty of these proverbs 31 women....

their conference is entitled



and it encourages women to share their experiences and thoughts through writing and public speaking

we started out with a rock -



followed by much discussion of where to stand -





then we attempted some "non-blinking" portraits of the speakers -



(uummmmmm, strike one )

positions had to be shifted a bit -



and we tried again -



[ not bad ; ) ]

then we added everybody else -



here, however are a few of my favorites.....




- and nothing like a little bling on the feet of those who bring good news!!



ladies, thank you - for all you do.
you are a blessing to many.
blessings, peace, & joy for all of you this weekend.

-s