shannon~marie's photostream  

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

There are no better words to describe the sunrise on Friday, December 30, 2011... I was barely awake and was turning to get comfortable and snuggle in under the covers again to try to get a little more sleep. As I turned -now facing my bedroom window ... my sleepy eyes were suddenly wide awake and I literally gasped in awe. The adrenaline now rushing there was no more sleep on my agenda! I quickly retrieved my camera to document such beauty the best way I know how... through my camera lens.

My first 2012 Flickr post.

©shannon marie artography
12.30.2011

One of several shots from a senior portrait session I did this past fall. Josh is actually my neighbor and nephew of a friend of mine and my son's. I really enjoy doing portraits... only wishing I had more time to spend doing them.

Photographed and created by:
©shannon marie artography

A specialty shot from a senior portrait session.

Photographed and created by:
©shannon marie artography

Autumn is my favorite season and I'm always saddened to see it go. The colors and the light are so incredibly beautiful and being an artist, it fills my entire being with joy. Each day brings forth a fresh new palette of chartreuse, gold, orange, red, rust and purple.... there are certainly moments when I wish I could make time stand still so I could enjoy it just a bit longer. But alas, it's way too short and the beauty soon fades taking with it the lingering warmth in the air and the long light filled days are superseded by early darkness and brisk, chilly autumn air that soon gives way to the grasp of winter, as the last crumpled brown leaf falls to the ground.

The turn of the seasons and the weather is inevitable, it brings with it many things.. the holidays, a sense of renewal in the spring time and quite simply change, which is more often than not a good thing for most of us. For me and unfortunately for way too many others, the change in seasons and weather brings a mixed bag of unwanted changes. For me personally, the cold winter months are the toughest by far. Chronic pain for whatever reason can be very debilitating, frustrating and highly misunderstood because many times it's invisible to those around you. After all you look fine ...on the outside. One day you can be fine and the next it's like your are in a completely different body. Truthfully that can change from hour to hour and even minute to minute at times. Reliable pain management is a must, but it's not an easy thing to get into place because sometimes a medication or therapy will work for only a short time then it's on to finding something else. This creates so much frustration and many times a sense of hopelessness.

These past few days have been almost unbearable for me and yesterday was one of the worst I've had in a while. I want and need my quality of life back, I'm tired of missing out on so many things... to much to do and life is too short to have so much wasted time! As hard as it is at times and as easy as it would be to do so, I don't want to give up, I have to keep fighting. I don't want to be defined or defeated by it.

This is a dedication to everyone out there who suffers from any form of chronic pain... know that you are not alone, there are many of us out here who completely understand and know just how real your pain is and how it affects your daily life. We all need encouragement and support, it's an important part of coping. Stay strong and hopeful, believe in yourself and never ever give up no matter what.

With Thanksgiving approaching I just wanted to share this message and give thanks for my many blessings. I thank God for granting me another day and for the strength to get through it. I want to thank all the friends and family in my life who are supportive and understanding, especially my fiancé Craig.... my life wouldn't be the same without him.

Photographed and created by:
©shannon marie artography

A view of a fenced farm field along Packing House Road in Hanover, PA. The light and colors were so amazing during and after the October 29, 2011 record setting snow storm that dumped nearly 8" in our area.

It was a clash of the seasons and never before have I seen so much beauty tangled in chaos! It was without a doubt a bad day for trees, electric companies and homeowners among others, but by all means it was most certainly a photographer's dream!

Here is a link to the rest of the photos I took that day: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1971224815136.82284.167...

©shannon marie artography