I feel a bit as though I am being swept up in a whirlwind... in a good way of course. Not a whirlwind of discord or confusion, but rather one of excitement and anticipation. Actually, I was almost caught up in the former until I recognized a big problem. I realized that my original vision for my photography was slipping away. I took a step back in order to see what it was that I needed to do to get back on track with my dream. The action I needed to take was right in front of my face... it seemed so simple... why hadn't I seen it before? I needed to get back to the basics. I asked myself, "What moved your heart toward photography in the first place? What ignited that passion deep within you?" The answer came as I recalled the journey which brought me to this place and time. This is my story.
One day, about 2 years ago, I was driving down the highway with my husband. I looked up at the sky and was amazed to see the most breathtaking view of the sky that I've ever beheld. The clouds were perfect brushstrokes of pink, light orange, and purple on a backdrop of the deepest blue I've ever seen. The colors just melted into one another so seamlessly. At that moment I realized how many times throughout just one day we are so preoccupied with our lives, and hurrying from point A to point B, that we miss the beautiful art of the true Master Artist. Skyscapes, as I like to call them, are one of a kind art work that our Heavenly Father shares with us everyday. You will never see the same sky twice, so if you miss it... it is lost forever. I turned and expressed this to my husband and he agreed we should spend more time observing the sky and other creation all around us. I remember saying something like, "I wish there was a way for me to capture exactly what I see, and share it with the world."
A few months later we were staying with a friend, as my husband had lost his job, and I was searching the internet for something that I could call a career. I had been out of Corporate America for a year and a half at that point, and knew I didn't want to go back. I was doing very well selling Avon; however, that was not what I saw myself doing for the rest of my life either. I was looking for my passion in life. It was then that I stumbled upon a photography contest. I entered a photo that I had taken of my daughter with my small 8 year old digital camera. Although I did not win, I did receive a lot of wonderful feedback for my photo. I thought, "If I can take pictures this good with this old thing, imagine what I could do with a real camera!" I had a vision of creating unique and original works of art through photography and, at the same time, capturing God's one of a kind skyscapes, and other wondrous creations, in order to bring awareness to the beauty of the world around us. I became very excited at the prospect, but we were jobless, almost homeless, and broke.
I eventually served one more year in Corporate America in order to save money for my pro-grade camera. The day finally came in February 2011 that I was able to buy my dream camera, (Nikon D3000). I took it out of the box, read the manual front to back, while the battery charged, and then hit the road with my husband and daughter to try it out. That camera changed the way I shot photos immediately, and I have been constantly amazed at the versatility and expansion of creativity that I've encountered ever since. Around this time big changes were being made at my corporate job and I realized that I just could not be there anymore. However, the very idea of giving up yet another corporate career left me feeling obligated to immediately find a way to bring in another full time income. After long discussions with my husband, and praying, we agreed that I would be able to quit my job to pursue my photography. In my desperation to contribute to the household, I grasped at the idea of beginning a business as a portraiture photographer. I figured I could bring in an income and work on my art at the same time, and Crystal Campbell Photography was born.
In April 2011 I said goodbye to Corporate America for the last time. Things were going well as I finished by website and Facebook page a month later, and did a few shoots in the meantime. However, as my portraiture business took off, it became apparent that marketing and building the business was consuming all my time, energy, and resources. No art was seeing the light of day. I became very disillusioned, frustrated, and even stagnate in my creative process. I then became very unmotivated, and when we moved back to the McKinney area 3 months ago, I didn't even unpack my camera.
In the past 3 months I have been on a journey to get motivated and to find out, once and for all, what I am supposed to be doing. A few weeks ago my mother and I began attending a women's bible study class. Through the bible study class, my individual bible study, and my prayer life, God has revealed himself to me in a whole new light. He has been answering tough questions that have plagued me for years, and given me much needed reassurance in the path of my life. And he showed me that I had not given everything in my life up to him. So I did the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I let go of the one part of me that I've been holding back from God all these years... my hopes and dreams. I have always feared that if I gave those to God, he would take them away or change them. But unless I did, I could not be in total obedience to him, have a complete faith walk with him, or have true freedom. So one evening I took a deep breath, got down on my knees, and expressed all my hopes and dreams to God and then gave them over to him. And then I said something that I never thought I would say... I asked God to bless my hopes and dreams or, if they were not in his will, to give me new ones. I now trusted him with every part of my life. I have to tell you that I have not regretted it one bit. Not only did God not take away my hopes and dreams, but he made them clearer to me! Yes, that's right... read on to find out how.
In the past 2 weeks I began thinking about my place in photography again. I even unpacked my camera and went on a photo taking adventure around McKinney. I once again started to work on my portraiture business and spent hours putting together collections for my clients. However, it wasn't until last week, when I had a complete emotional breakdown, that I realized I was headed in the wrong direction with my photography. In fact, I had been headed there all along. That is when God prompted me to ask myself the 2 most important questions thus far: "What moved your heart toward photography in the first place? What ignited that passion deep within you?" After much prayer and talking it over with my loving husband I decided to give up the portraiture business and focus on the art of photography. Let me tell you that it was the most awesome and freeing feeling that I have had in a long time. Immediately, creative ideas began flowing through my mind... like a whirlwind. This is the first time that I have told my entire story to anyone.
My hopes and dreams now lie in the path God creates for my life. Unfolding chapter by exciting chapter. My dream as an artistic photographer is to create wonderful works of art through photographs and bring an awareness of the world around us in a "stop and smell the roses" kind of way. I hope to one day have an art gallery.
I have done an entire overhaul on my Facebook page. Please go by and check it out. There is still much to be done, but I'm just gonna enjoy the journey! =)
Thank you for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Artistic Photography by Crystal Campbell
www.facebook.com/crystalcampbellphoto
Scottsdale, AZ
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Busy, Busy, Busy...
After a short break, I am busier than ever. We moved back to the McKinney area in July. This time I had a business to move along with a family. Since my business is fairly new you wouldn't think there would be that much to do, but there was. My daughter started homeschooling online for her freshman year and so far is not liking it. She chose this so she will just have to deal with it, at least for this year. And of course we are not without our financial troubles... nothing new there. All that aside, I am now able to focus on my photography business once again. I have also been working with the youth department at our church. I love it!
My mom and I are involved in a women's bible study group every Wednesday morning. After the first class we went to she said she was glad I dragged her there after all. LOL We are really enjoying the class and learning so much. God is really using this to answer some questions I've had and to reveal his truth to me. It's a devotional study by Kay Arthur to deepen faith by studying the sermon on the mount. It is a great book and I would recommend it to everyone who wants to go deeper in their relationship with God. The book is called "Lord, I'm Torn Between Two Masters."
Right now I'm having to use my Facebook as my entire portfolio until I can get another website going. However, I'm hoping to have a website up again very soon. I've been out a few times lately taking some nature shots. I think that is my favorite thing to do. I'll be uploading some to my Facebook page tonight. I'm super excited to be putting my camera to good use again. I am currently trying to save up for some more equipment I really need as well.
Here are some previews of what I will be putting on my Facebook page.
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.facebook.com/crystalcampbellphoto
My mom and I are involved in a women's bible study group every Wednesday morning. After the first class we went to she said she was glad I dragged her there after all. LOL We are really enjoying the class and learning so much. God is really using this to answer some questions I've had and to reveal his truth to me. It's a devotional study by Kay Arthur to deepen faith by studying the sermon on the mount. It is a great book and I would recommend it to everyone who wants to go deeper in their relationship with God. The book is called "Lord, I'm Torn Between Two Masters."
Right now I'm having to use my Facebook as my entire portfolio until I can get another website going. However, I'm hoping to have a website up again very soon. I've been out a few times lately taking some nature shots. I think that is my favorite thing to do. I'll be uploading some to my Facebook page tonight. I'm super excited to be putting my camera to good use again. I am currently trying to save up for some more equipment I really need as well.
Here are some previews of what I will be putting on my Facebook page.
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.facebook.com/crystalcampbellphoto
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Summer Tent Camping in Texas... Boooo!!
We left last Monday to go camping at Possum Kingdom Lake. The lake is surrounded by the Palo Pinto Mountains, so it is very pretty there. We also saw lots of deer. They just walked along the campgrounds, grazing, in the evening and early morning hours. Those were the two best things about our experience. It seemed from the moment we began unpacking at the campsite, we were bombarded by a million flies. OMG!! I have never seen so many flies in all my life! Especially while we tried to eat. We had to eat with one hand while fanning off flies with the other. They would disappear late into the evening, but return with even more friends first thing the next morning... geez. Where do they go at night??? Do they have little "fly homes?"
On Tuesday morning, we switched campsites to be closer to the marked off swimming area. At first it seemed there would be less flies there too; however, we quickly found out otherwise. There was also a nasty wasp there too. We kept cool in the lake when we could; however, the sun was just too much. There was just no escape from the heat. Also, we had to keep moving while in the lake. If we stood still too long a minnow or small fish of some sort would come and bite us!! We all got nipped several times... ugh... Our dog, Bentley, loved the lake. He swam so much those two days that we had to make him get out of the water before he drowned from exhaustion... but he did sleep well at night... LOL
No matter how much sunscreen Cheyenne and her friend used, they still got very burnt. In fact, Cheyenne got sick that night so we decided to go home the next morning, (a day early). The last night we were there it was still so hot, but there was at least a good wind blowing. Of course, we didn't get the wind in our tent, so we laid out some blankets and slept out under the stars. It was very beautiful watching all the shooting stars, (once Cheyenne stopped puking up her guts), and we all slept fairly well.
Wednesday morning my wonderful husband got up early and packed up the campsite while me and the girls sat in the air conditioned car because it was already almost 90 degrees by 10:00 am. That's when we all decided that we would never, ever, go camping during the summer in Texas again unless it was in an air conditioned RV, cabin, hotel... etc. I also woke up Wednesday morning with a small place on my leg that itched. I thought it was a bug bite, but I was wrong. Since then, it has spread all up and down both my legs and my back. It itches like mad and it's driving me crazy!! I soak in oatmeal baths and use itch cream as much as possible. I have no idea what this is, but hopefully it will go away soon. It's probably some funky fish disease from whatever was in that water biting me!
Needless to say, we all rested well Wednesday night in our nice, cool, beds at home. =) I have a renewed appreciation for my "creature comforts" at home. Thursday was better. Scott and I met my parents up at Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma. We didn't win anything, but had a wonderful time. =) We rested on Friday and didn't really do much. Yesterday we went to a pool party at my sister-in-law's new house. It was so nice. She has a wonderful huge pool with a deep end at least 10 ft. deep!! They just don't make pools like that anymore. I got to actually "dive" into the water for the first time in almost 20 years! It was a great party with great food and lots of family. =) After the party we came home, showered, got ready and went out to dinner with my cousin, Lisa, and her husband, Chris. Lisa and I were inseparable as kids and teenagers; however, life, (and stupid ex-husbands), got in our way as adults. Last night was the first time I've spent time with her in over 10 years! Never again will I let that much time go by between me and any of my family members or friends. We had a great dinner then went and shot some pool until the wee morning hours.
Today, my hubby and I are just chillin' out. We are going to my parent's house tonight, then we are all going back to Choctaw tomorrow for some more fun and fireworks. Maybe we will win something this time... LOL Wish us luck!
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com
On Tuesday morning, we switched campsites to be closer to the marked off swimming area. At first it seemed there would be less flies there too; however, we quickly found out otherwise. There was also a nasty wasp there too. We kept cool in the lake when we could; however, the sun was just too much. There was just no escape from the heat. Also, we had to keep moving while in the lake. If we stood still too long a minnow or small fish of some sort would come and bite us!! We all got nipped several times... ugh... Our dog, Bentley, loved the lake. He swam so much those two days that we had to make him get out of the water before he drowned from exhaustion... but he did sleep well at night... LOL
No matter how much sunscreen Cheyenne and her friend used, they still got very burnt. In fact, Cheyenne got sick that night so we decided to go home the next morning, (a day early). The last night we were there it was still so hot, but there was at least a good wind blowing. Of course, we didn't get the wind in our tent, so we laid out some blankets and slept out under the stars. It was very beautiful watching all the shooting stars, (once Cheyenne stopped puking up her guts), and we all slept fairly well.
Wednesday morning my wonderful husband got up early and packed up the campsite while me and the girls sat in the air conditioned car because it was already almost 90 degrees by 10:00 am. That's when we all decided that we would never, ever, go camping during the summer in Texas again unless it was in an air conditioned RV, cabin, hotel... etc. I also woke up Wednesday morning with a small place on my leg that itched. I thought it was a bug bite, but I was wrong. Since then, it has spread all up and down both my legs and my back. It itches like mad and it's driving me crazy!! I soak in oatmeal baths and use itch cream as much as possible. I have no idea what this is, but hopefully it will go away soon. It's probably some funky fish disease from whatever was in that water biting me!
Needless to say, we all rested well Wednesday night in our nice, cool, beds at home. =) I have a renewed appreciation for my "creature comforts" at home. Thursday was better. Scott and I met my parents up at Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma. We didn't win anything, but had a wonderful time. =) We rested on Friday and didn't really do much. Yesterday we went to a pool party at my sister-in-law's new house. It was so nice. She has a wonderful huge pool with a deep end at least 10 ft. deep!! They just don't make pools like that anymore. I got to actually "dive" into the water for the first time in almost 20 years! It was a great party with great food and lots of family. =) After the party we came home, showered, got ready and went out to dinner with my cousin, Lisa, and her husband, Chris. Lisa and I were inseparable as kids and teenagers; however, life, (and stupid ex-husbands), got in our way as adults. Last night was the first time I've spent time with her in over 10 years! Never again will I let that much time go by between me and any of my family members or friends. We had a great dinner then went and shot some pool until the wee morning hours.
Today, my hubby and I are just chillin' out. We are going to my parent's house tonight, then we are all going back to Choctaw tomorrow for some more fun and fireworks. Maybe we will win something this time... LOL Wish us luck!
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com
Here are some camping photos taken with my daughter's "Baby Nikon."
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Vacation time is here!! =)
So Scott officially began his vacation on Wednesday. It's been wonderful having him home! =) Tomorrow we will be celebrating my Mom's birthday at my brother's house all day. In other words, we are taking a trip to "Margaritaville." Woo Hoo!! There will most certainly be lots of great food and alcohol there. That's just how we roll in our family. LOL
We are leaving early Monday morning for our camping trip at Possum Kingdom Lake. I have never been there, but it looks so beautiful online, (no, they were not affected by the recent wildfires), and I cannot wait. We are going to spend 5 days just eating, swimming, and relaxing... exactly in that order and repeatedly. We will most likely not have cell phone service out there, so we will be completely out of touch, (which means peace...lol). That also means that I will not be able to update my Facebook Fan Page or this blog for a week... sorry. But I should have plenty of photos and stories to share upon my return.
A friend of mine from high school, Diana Almand, is in the process of creating a logo for my business... yay! I am super excited because she is an awesome artist! You can see her work on her Facebook page: Click here. I will also have a special surprise for all my Facebook Fans when I return, so tell anyone who is not already one of my fans to become one before the end of next week. Well, I need to go finish up our laundry and begin packing for our trip. Hope you all have a great upcoming week!
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com
We are leaving early Monday morning for our camping trip at Possum Kingdom Lake. I have never been there, but it looks so beautiful online, (no, they were not affected by the recent wildfires), and I cannot wait. We are going to spend 5 days just eating, swimming, and relaxing... exactly in that order and repeatedly. We will most likely not have cell phone service out there, so we will be completely out of touch, (which means peace...lol). That also means that I will not be able to update my Facebook Fan Page or this blog for a week... sorry. But I should have plenty of photos and stories to share upon my return.
A friend of mine from high school, Diana Almand, is in the process of creating a logo for my business... yay! I am super excited because she is an awesome artist! You can see her work on her Facebook page: Click here. I will also have a special surprise for all my Facebook Fans when I return, so tell anyone who is not already one of my fans to become one before the end of next week. Well, I need to go finish up our laundry and begin packing for our trip. Hope you all have a great upcoming week!
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com
Monday, June 20, 2011
Fun and Busy Times
This past weekend was the most fun I have had in a while. On Friday, Cheyenne, Madi and I spent the day with my cousin Tonya. We hung out at the mall for a little while, had lunch at Taco Bell, then went to see Bridesmaids, (yes, again). It was just as funny the second time around. My cousin had not seen it yet, so it was fun watching her experience it for the first time. After the movie we went back to my cousin's place to swim. =) Later that evening my husband joined us and we had burgers from Wendy's, some Mike's Margarita coolers, and sat in the hot tub! Yes, it was 100 degrees, in Texas, and we were in the hot tub... LOL It was very relaxing and we all slept so good that night.
We got up early on Saturday morning and hit the water park, (NRH2O). We were there from 11:00am til about 10:00pm. The park officially closed at 9:00pm, but they had fireworks after so we stayed for that. It was a fun day of swimming... eating.... applying sun block... swimming... eating... applying sun block... etc. All of us reapplied our sun block every hour to hour and a half and we all still got burnt. What??!! Isn't it called sun block for a reason? I guess it's time for a different brand. Oh well, it was still very fun.
On Sunday, we all went to church and saw the Annie Moses Band perform. They are a wonderful christian family music group. They are amazing! You can check them out here. Then we came home and rested for a while, and Scott cooked steaks on the grill for dinner.
Today I began writing in my personal journal again. I have been kind of astray from God the past several months and felt that I needed to draw closer to Him. I had my prayer and Bible study time, then wrote in my journal. My journal helps me to keep track of how God is constantly working in my life, and helps keep me on track with my spiritual walk. I don't want to neglect my spiritual life anymore. I get too close to that dark place in my mind, and heart, when I do. The love of my Lord and Savior has been a miracle in my life.
I also worked on the photo shoot I did with Cheyenne and Madi. I now have them on a website for viewing and purchasing. Tomorrow I will need to do some tweaking on my business website and Facebook page. Scott's 2 week vacation begins on Wednesday. I'm so excited to have my man all to myself for 2 whole weeks!! =) Right now we are having a very intense lightening storm, so I had better get off the computer before it gets hit by a power surge or something.
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com
We got up early on Saturday morning and hit the water park, (NRH2O). We were there from 11:00am til about 10:00pm. The park officially closed at 9:00pm, but they had fireworks after so we stayed for that. It was a fun day of swimming... eating.... applying sun block... swimming... eating... applying sun block... etc. All of us reapplied our sun block every hour to hour and a half and we all still got burnt. What??!! Isn't it called sun block for a reason? I guess it's time for a different brand. Oh well, it was still very fun.
On Sunday, we all went to church and saw the Annie Moses Band perform. They are a wonderful christian family music group. They are amazing! You can check them out here. Then we came home and rested for a while, and Scott cooked steaks on the grill for dinner.
Today I began writing in my personal journal again. I have been kind of astray from God the past several months and felt that I needed to draw closer to Him. I had my prayer and Bible study time, then wrote in my journal. My journal helps me to keep track of how God is constantly working in my life, and helps keep me on track with my spiritual walk. I don't want to neglect my spiritual life anymore. I get too close to that dark place in my mind, and heart, when I do. The love of my Lord and Savior has been a miracle in my life.
I also worked on the photo shoot I did with Cheyenne and Madi. I now have them on a website for viewing and purchasing. Tomorrow I will need to do some tweaking on my business website and Facebook page. Scott's 2 week vacation begins on Wednesday. I'm so excited to have my man all to myself for 2 whole weeks!! =) Right now we are having a very intense lightening storm, so I had better get off the computer before it gets hit by a power surge or something.
Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com
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