[chit chat]on the other side of the lens

It’s been a few years (call it five) since I have been to a weeklong photography workshop. For me, it’s the best way for me to stretch and expand my skills. By the end of the week, I don’t want to even pick up my camera, I am so fried. But when I get home, I am always amazed at what I created and how I have grown.

So, on Thursday, I am venturing to Louisiana to study with Debbie Fleming-Caffery and Carlan Tapp (Spicy Gumbo Workshop). The focus is documentary photography of the food and music of the South. Needless to say, I am excited. And I am even more excited to get on an airplane by myself and without my children.

I’ll be back in the office on Tuesday, May 25th…

Five years. Can you believe it? In those five years, there have been a lot of changes. It’s funny that you don’t think about how much you’ve done until you pause and take inventory.

Five years ago, I filled out the legal form to create my company. I had no idea that my home office would evolve to a 1,000 sq foot studio location with lofted ceilings and stained concrete floors. And most importantly, the amazing people that trust me every day to capture their lives with my camera. The friendships, the stories, the laughs. These are things that I cherish every day and am grateful for.

To celebrate this, I decided to have a party. A day to say thank you and to say hi. Plus, I love cake.

In the next few days, everyone on my mailing list will receive the official birthday party invitation. The party will be April 15 from 4-7 pm. Here are the details…

Stop in for a few minutes or stay longer to eat some cake and mingle. Bring a friend or two or three to see what’s new. At 6 pm, one lucky family will win a $500 gift certificate. You have to stop by the party to sign up, but you don’t need to be there at 6 to win. Plus, I’ll announce the official Doggy Daze winner. While you are eating cake, we’ll have some activities for the kids, like a drawing wall, pin the ‘nose on the dog’ and bean bag toss. Good fun.

To make sure I get enough of the goodies, RSVPs are appreciated. You can sign up on Facebook, send an email at hello@jenniferhassrick.com or call 608-831-0185.

A few months ago, I was asked to teach at the Peninsula Art School in Door County this summer (July 8-10). It’s a fabulous school and I am very excited to be a part of their programs. Before I had my girls, I used to teach quite a bit and it feels great to be heading back in that direction. If you aren’t familiar with the school, here’s the description…

For over a century now, Door County has worked its magic on artists, nurturing their creativity and inspiring their work. Peninsula School of Art’s roots go back to the years after World War I when faculty from The Art Institute of Chicago began spending summers in Door County to paint and teach. From its grassroots beginnings over 40 year ago, Peninsula School of Art has grown to be one of the most dynamic, important centers for visual arts education in the Midwest. Today, the School welcomes nearly 2,000 students ages three and up and includes four painting studios, children’s art studio, a ceramics studio, metals studio, darkroom, art resource library, lecture room, administrative offices and the landmark “round barn” of the Guenzel Gallery. In every season, Door County is spectacular. Located on a 75-mile peninsula and surrounded by the waters of Green Bay on the west and Lake Michigan on the east, Door County has more than 250 miles of picturesque shoreline, sandy beaches, rocky bluffs and large tracts of undisturbed woodlands. Ten lighthouses still guard the harbors and the more than 40 islands of the county. Door County’s natural beauty is astonishing. It has worked its magic on artists for over a century, nurturing their creativity and inspiring their work.

It’s almost the beginning of the new year and I am in the mood to streamline and shake things up a bit. And thus, it’s time to start a new blog….same name, different URL: http://www.jenniferhassrick.com/chitchat

This one is much easier for me to update and to keep it fresh! So…unfortunately, if you were a registered user on the old blog, you’ll need to start over and re-register.

p.s. In case you are wondering, I carried over the December blog entries from the other system. It just seemed so plain without them. But if you’d like to look at things from the past years, you’ll have to visit the old blog at: blog.jenniferhassrick.com.