So, whaddaya think of this young lady?  Beautiful, right?!!! 


We took a day trip home last Saturday to celebrate yet another birthday with another one of those wonderful and special angels walking the earth; my Momma.

Mom just turned 84 and she's not ashamed to say it!  Look at her skin - could it be any more beautiful at her age?  (I refused to retouch this photo!)  She will probably tell you it's all that good livin' she's always done.  You know, like laundry, house keeping, working outside in the yard, and at Hammermill too, but  most importantly, it's probably because of all the chocolate she's ever eaten...and that is a LOT of chocolate!

My mother can pretty much run circles around everyone I know; I've never seen someone w/ so much energy and spunk!  She cooks, and cleans and cooks and cleans for everyone.  And on occasion she'll even help me organize my paperwork - she loves to be busy.  And look at that mischievous but sweet smile. It's there 'cause she really does possess both of those qualities simultaneously!  This woman is P-U-R-E goodness to the core!  She can still put me in my place too with a resounding "I don't care how old you are you will always be my baby" remark that can still leave me defenseless when trying to tell her that I'm an adult and can take care of myself!  What typically follows that remark is her handing me a container of her frozen homemade red sauce (or gravy, as some Italians call it) and meatballs to take home, which to refuse is nearly a sin.

She's an angel, I tell you, with little horns peeking from beneath her halo!  I wish I could share her with everyone who needs a good mom; no I take that back...with anyone who needs the BEST mom on earth.  You've not met her yet, but I can tell you...if you did you'd just love her!

My mom and my dad; how fortunate am I?  That's one of those rhetorical questions that really doesn't need answering...I already know...VERY fortunate!

Happy Birthday Momma!  ...and many more!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer  ::  www.joannebartone.com  ::  tele: 412.418.8075

T H E   I M A G E   W I T H I N  : :  A   C R E A T I V E   L E S S O N   F O R   P H O T O G R A P H E R S  : :   I N S P I R A T I O N   B Y   J O A N N E   B A R T O N E

This is the first of many ideas I have in mind that are meant to present this concept. It is a joy for me to finally be actualizing this Art Photography project after having conceptualized it for at least four years now!  I was INSPIRED to embark on this journey in composition and creativity as a means to broaden my ability to view an original image differently, and in many different ways.  My hopes are that the photographers that visit my blog will consider integrating this idea for themselves. I would suspect this creative concept is not new, but I've not seen it or previously done it myself, so here is my version...

THE IMAGE WITHIN:
A visual enigma of many photographic compositions extracted from the whole.

The Original Image:

Karen and I photographed a wedding on Saturday for a fabulous couple from 1:30 PM to 12 AM made it to sleep around 1:30 AM then woke up at 6:30 AM to head up to Erie for my father's 85TH birthday!  No three-nap-Sunday for me, which is the norm since after a wedding I am completely spent physically and mentally.  No sir-E...very important things to do...like spend time with my dad talking about our plans for the future to help save the soil so the world can continue to sustain itself with nutritious topsoil and food.  But that is a future topic of discussion somewhere in this blog...

I've come to know a number of angels walking the earth and just so happened to be blessed enough to be born to two of them and equally blessed to be able to say that I get to talk with both of them every day...lucky, lucky, lucky ME!

This is my Daddio; his name is John.  He calls me "Cheerio!"  I like that a lot.

He's quite a handsome fella and a great catch!  Like those blue eyes?  They are all-knowing and filled with compassion and knowledge beyond belief.

He was a Staff Sergeant in the 5th Armored Division, 387th Battalion D during World War ii.  He, and my mother are two of the reasons we have a great country to live in - she worked in a factory at GE during the war assembling parts used for bazooka guns...another future topic of discussion somewhere here...

I could go on all day about the pride and love I have for my dad (and my mom), but will just leave you with this...  Ever since I was a kid I recognized the goodness and the value of having wonderful parents, even if I did rebel a bit as a teenager.  I've always wished I could share my father with those who didn't have a good father or a father at all because he is such a good man.  My dad is absolutely, hands down, the best man I have ever known in my life.  My wish is that every little or every grown-up girl can say those very same words about her own father too!

Both of my parents INSPIRE me to strive to be a better person every day.  I am so very fortunate and so very blessed.

Happy Birthday Dad!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer  ::  www.joannebartone.com  ::  tele: 412.418.8075