What I Would Be Doing...

I've known of this photographer for quite some time, his name is Zero Dean. My facts might be a little off, but I'm pretty sure he was based out of California when I arrived 5 years ago. I looked up to his work, he had photographed celebrities and some of my friends!

So today, I was a little surprised when I saw his Blog Title "I tried, I failed. It sucks. Life goes on". Interested, I read the entire long article about this adventure he considers a failure. He sold everything, got out of his lease, and started what turned into over a year long trek across the states in his car... Here, he write it best:

For 486 days I’ve traveled around the United States (they wouldn’t let me into Canada) — living out of and sleeping in my car, taking pretty pictures and doing things that people suggested — living my life as a real life adventure. I quit my job, terminated my lease, and sold everything I own to do it.

I put everything I had on the line and poured everything I had into it — believing that if I kept at it, I could find a way to monetize what I’m doing or find some sponsors or at least offset the cost. I hoped that out of what I was doing, an opportunity that I could grasp onto would present itself. I took a leap of faith to make my life better.

Then he gives us the downer...

 It didn’t happen. 

Old school photo of Oklahoma.

You can read the entire article if you're interested ... it's a long one but a good read none-the-less. It got me thinking, what would I be doing if I weren't staying at home w/ the kids? What would happen if Stacey never came into my life, and I never came into hers (hehe) and we didn't get married? What would I be doing right now if Z wasn't trying to take a nap in her crib and I wasn't sleeping peacefully in her swing behind me?

I almost think something like what happened to Zero Dean would've happened to me. I would've had a "great" idea, possibly sold everything I owned and traveled cross country in order to "make it big". This guy thought he had everything he needed. A camera, over 10,000 + people following him online and inspiration like none other. But he considers it a failure. He has lost faith in mankind. Mainly mankind on the internet.

So I start thinking - what am I working towards? Who is my audience and what happens if I get the recognition or attention I think I want? Haters gonna hate, but haters got to Zero. He got press releases out, attention via the news and social media buzz - but it wasn't enough.

This is why I'm so glad I have family. My family. It's the most important thing to me, and always will be. I will work hard at being a damn good photographer, but if that "fails" I will always have my wife and little girls. I will work 100 times harder at being a good father than trying to "make it" in whatever way as an artist. I won't sell my soul, is what I'm saying I guess. Not that Mr. Dean did, but you get what I'm saying.

That's why I try not to whore myself out too much on the internets. I'm not concerned with how many fans we have on Facebook, or how many Retweets I get on Twitter. I have a steady flow of word of mouth business coming in, and as long as I treat my clients equally, fairly, and with respect and give them an AWESOME final product, they will keep coming. I may never make millions of dollars (I mean, I will ... this is called reverse psychology) but I will always be a happy man.

Others have said "you have an attachment at home", which is true. And this "attachment", my family, saved my life with or without me knowing. When the kids are grown and gone, Stace and I will have opportunities to take bigger risks, and be more spontaneous... for now though, our number one focus like I've said a million times, is to provide a safe, happy and loving home for our little ladies.

That's all.

Cheers,
-marc

Testing Posting from iPhone

Does it work? Only time will tell! Until then, here's what today looked like!

*EDIT - Well, that didn't work as well as I had hoped. It was supposed to be funnier, with - really? I'm going to try and explain myself? In other news, iPhone E-mail Blogger Fail.

-marc

Just Parents

There are some things you will never understand unless you are a parent. It's just a fact. Like, you'll never know what it's like to be a paraplegic until you have no arms and legs. Not that I'm comparing parenthood to being a paraplegic, but sometimes it's very simliar*.

It's nothing disrespectful. I'm not putting down people, or frown up those who don't have kids ... that would be kind of absurd. But - like the poor analogy above, it goes both ways. Don't "put down", or "frown upon" people WITH kids. Hell, if it weren't for your parents having kids you wouldn't be here! I don't really know where this came from, or where it's going.

I got up off the couch after filling out baby book information for 2 and said "Honey! I'm gonna blog!". She said "What about?". I said "About how it's more fun sometimes to swim in a pool with your 2 year old than hang out with your friends". I think she thought I was trying to stir stuff up, because today that was true! Don't get me wrong, I love our friends - they're awesome people and I cherish the time I get to spend with them, because it's not as much as it used to be. But, (hehe, there it was, the big butt in the room) and this is something PARENTS will only understand ... sometimes it is more fun to swim in a pool with your 2 year old than hang out with your friends!

When was the last time you were in the pool with a 2 year old? A 2 year old who has no fear of the water, who jumps in like a frog and any time she goes under water she comes right back up with a big ole' smile! It's contagious! It's beautiful and fun and so careful. I only hope that Stacey and I, Z and I can hold on to this childhood happiness. These kids are pure, and innocent, and love simple pleasures in life like water! They have changed my life.

I don't worry about petty stuff anymore. I find amusement in squirrels and airplanes. I've rediscovered every thing, like, literally everything through the eyes of my daughters. Ants, cheese, trees, puppies ... life is this beautiful adventure that some how gets distorted as you get older! What happens? How can we hold on to what Z has, right now? No cares, no worries, only friends and happiness? I have that, now, thanks to my family. As they get older I consider it my job to remind us all, to keep us all in that happy place, and to continue to provide an atmosphere where joy can thrive.

Sure, I am a sucker for the real world. I am on Facebook. I do worry about money, and bills, and the whole "Hollywood thing". I make humanly adult mistakes. That is the difference between children and adults, is we know right from wrong - where as kids don't necessarily and that gives them a sort of freedom to roam and be curious in a healthy and growing way. But I want to always remember, and encourage those around me, and/or you peeps who read my blog, that we should hang on to as much childhood ness ish as we can. You get what I'm sayin'?

OK. I'm done. Are you? I appreciate you reading, for no other reason than you're reading. I don't know who would be interested, but I feel there are a lot of Mommy blogs on the market, like I've been saying. Are there Daddy blogs? I know ShayCarl and several other dads have taken to YouTube ... that's a little invasive for me, and I see where it leads. (No where bad, just the video limelight which is where I'd rather not be) Is there a Daddy Blogosphere? I should ask Google. Until then, if not ... look out. This whole Stay At Home Mom thing has changed. Mr. Mom is here and ready to kick some ass!

Cheers,
-marc

*I in no way intend to be rude, hateful, or a smartass to paraplegic people ... if you're reading this you have figured out how to surf the internet minus hands! That's pretty effin' cool. All I'm saying is that sometimes, as a parent, I have no hands because I'm carrying a 2 year in one arm, a carseat in the other and 4 bags plus a blow up swim toy! Guess I still have feet, so this analogy fails and the point of adding an asterisk to look cool and make my old hot high school english teacher proud has no purpose. But if you're still reading ... kudos and I love your face.

Labor Day Inspiration

My beautiful 12 week old baby (today!)

Z being a rockstar w/ Mom's sunnies

Let me just put it out there right now, that I am soooo blessed. I have a great life. One beautiful, caring, loving, motherly, amazing, talented, hard working wife and 2 just as beautiful, smart, funny, inspiring and loving girls. Life could not be better.

*knock on wood*

Stacey loves to read blogs. It's how I know what I'm doing. Soon I'll be putting these little "Mommy Blog" ads on the side and be knee deep in contests, give aways, and marketing ... blah blah blah. Naw, I dunno if that'll happen ... we'll see. But I love blogging for a couple reasons:

1.) It helps me keep track of my life. Putting photos online and writing about what happens on a day to day basis is a way I have found in the past almost 10 years of blogging. I can go back, look at photos and remember what I was feeling when.

2.) It attracts clients. I've said it before, but anything I do online is either for work or pleasure. This is a little bit of both. When more people are coming to my personal blog, more people are going to our website. When more people are going to our website, we get more photoshoots! It's the law of physics. ;)

Being creative via painting w/ Water Colors

3.) My family loves it. OK, they haven't come out and told me this directly, but friends of family, friends of my late mom, they LOVE seeing photos of the girls and reading what I have to say. When my mom was alive she used to "force" me to write newsletters to our friends and family. Like most good things in my life, my mom inspired me to write and that creates the 4th reason to blog:

4.) It helps me be creative. I don't remember the last time I picked up a pen and wrote in my journal. I used to do it all the time. Spill the beans to no one in particular. While this is different, and I have no idea who is reading it, I'm not always 100% honest. Don't get me wrong, I don't straight out lie ... but I'm not going to tell you how much money we have in the bank. I won't tell you if Stacey and I get in a fight (cuz we're perfect ... we never fight!) ;) but I will be real with you. Just not a completely open book like other blogs.

I think the thing about writing a blog (sorry if this is all about writing a blog "geee, all Marc blogs about is blogging" is to just write. Create some kind of idea in your head and sit down and just let it flow.

Now that blog university is over with here are more cute pictures of my family!

I chillin' pool side!

Z eating a chip (which she loves) pool side on Saturday.

Just a side note and something for all your stalkers to look forward to, my familias are coming out for Christmas! Stacey's parents and my entire family are trekking out to Cali for a Cali Christmas! Fun stuff, huh?

OK... time to get ready to go to the pool and labor through this day. Hahaha, get it? Labor day? Ok, I'm done.

-marc

p.s. my family is cooler than yours ;)

Saturday Morning Vloggity Vlog

Since y'all love my face, I talked to a camera and uploaded it to the internets for your viewing pleasure!

Cheers,
-marc

Butterfly Blob

Last night the kiddos and I took a walk and I brought the old trusty dusty iPhone w/ me to shoot some more Hipstamatic photos.

Don't know what Hipstamatic is? Check it out here: http://hipstamatic.com/the_app.html It's a cool iPhone (and Android?) camera app that emulates film. While there are limitations (you can only take 9 high resolution images at a time?!) and some of the filters suck (dots in the frame), it's a fun app to play with. I actually downloaded it in the hospital when I was born. Some friends had gotten me a $50 iTunes gift card so I downloaded every film, lens and feature. The debate between Instagram and Hipsamatic is an intense one, and I've only played with Instagram a little bit ... for now I'll stick to Hips.

As far as the kiddies go, Z decided to wake up before 6:30 this morning and wanted to eat. So ... we've been up since 6:30! Let the early mornings begin again! I, however, did not want to wake up and was so stinkin' cute in our bed. She slept til like 8 o'clock! That's why this blog is coming out in the morning, I'm a cup of coffee down (surprisingly not more).

Stacey mentioned how I and I are very similar, and while writing I might get you confused when I'm talking about I. Am I intentionally messing with you? Or is I just so dang beautiful that I want to call her I? ;)

Have a good weekend! Stacey gets off early today so we're super excited!!

-marc

p.s. click here to check out all the photos from last nights walk.

Day 1!

Ha! The question on the interwebs today was "How's Day 1?" Someone asked me at like, 8:30! "How's it goin' so far?" "Um...great, just got back in the door from droppin' Stacey off! No hospital visits or melt downs yet!"

We chilled this morning while I tried to keep Z away from the electrician, I attempted to check my e-mail, and we even got to Gmail Video Chat with the Grandparents! Always fun stuff. Then we went to see mom at work and have lunch, cuz, yeah - we miss her.

So as the day kinda winds down, Stace gets off work in less than an hour, I'd call it a success. Z is still sleeping, I just woke up and I have a few seconds to punch out this blog. As Stacey was ordering our food I took a table from a business man who was just a little bit older than me. He offered me the shady table for what I call our Limo Stroller and we started talking. He had a 9 week old at home, and wished he could stay at home with his wife and child. We somehow got around to it being the first day (DAY ONE!!!!) of my time staying home w/ two and he applauded my bravery, I gave him a business card (booyah) and he went on his way. Verrrry interesting.

Stacey is such a trooper. I don't know a stronger, more beautiful and motherly woman than her. You'll hear me brag 100x on this woman, because even through teary eyes she can see the benefits of being away from her babies for a few hours a day. We are a team, doing the best we can even though it's not always easy, we'll always be together pushing forward.

Cheers,
-marc