When Things Just Fall Into Place

I've been working very hard on music for a new album for the past 3 and 1/2 years.  I'm sure it wouldn't take the normal musician that long, except that for me I've had 2 babies within that time frame.  Things just take longer.  

But I truly believe that things happen within the Lord's time frame, and good things truly do come to the patient and diligent.

I'm so excited for this upcoming album because my hard work on it has truly been some of my best work. Ever.  Aside from the music, there is also the artistic side of the project which involves the theme, photographs, artwork for the CD cover and more.  My dad is a huge part of this part of the project - as I am using his landscape photography as part of the theme for the album.  He will also be taking my portrait shots as well.  It has taken him the past 3 years to get shots for the album as well.  

For the photos of me, since the title of my album is "Illumination",  I have been wanting to do some sort of illuminated back-lit effect for the photos.  This has been my inspiration:

It is an ad for some Dior perfume.

There are only a few places that have a beautiful gaudy look to them.  Yesterday my dad and I went to downtown Seattle to "venue shop".  The first place was the Fairmont Olympic Hotel - one of the oldest and most prestigious hotels in Seattle.  Not only did they have several grand pianos scattered throughout the hotel, but 2 beautiful ballrooms, a garden, and an ornate lobby.

However, they wanted $3,000 from us to take photos.  Gulp.  I can understand paying that sort of money to rent the place out for a wedding reception or something, but for 2 people to come in and shoot photos for a couple of hours - definitely not!  So we didn't go there.

We visited a very beautiful home on a lake (courtesy of some friends).  It was simply gorgeous and had a grand piano right in front of a window, but it was a bit too contemporary.  Don't get me wrong - absolutely beautiful home, but just not what we were wanting for these particular photos.

I started getting a little sad because to be honest the Fairmont was really what I was wanting.  However, we still had the Paramount Theater to visit. I wasn't sure if this venue would work, but....as it turns out....it was PERFECT.  (the photos below are just some test shots we took and won't look at all what the final ones will because we didn't have proper lenses or lighting but you get the idea of the venue).

We wandered around the theater and I could feel my heart pounding as I got so excited. THIS was the place. It was exactly what I had in mind.

After we looked around took several test shots, I went spoke with the events coordinator.  I'd been talking with her for a couple of months over email and so she had a good idea of what I was trying to accomplish.  I asked the big question of how much it would cost me to shoot the photos here.  I cringed as I waited for her response.  Please don't say $3,000....please don't say $3,000 I kept thinking.

She said that they normally charge $3,000 to rent out the lobby of the theater. However...since I was just an independent artist and wouldn't be using it for some big commercial photo shoot....she could either let us use it for next to nothing or even for a service trade. They do several events and I would come and perform at one of them as a service to the theater.

Um, hello? Can we say that I was all over that idea??!!  Yes....so very excited.  I think I jumped for joy once we got outside the theater.  I was ecstatic.

It's just so great when things come together like this.  Ahhhhh so excited.  So we will be shooting my photos for the album probably late January or early February (I'm trying to get the rest of my pregnancy weight off first).