Dorothy Perry · Perry Portrait Art · Photography · Practice

See Here Now

Like Vincent Van Gogh, Vivian Maier’s fame

came after her death.

That decision to bring her camera,

to record her life in photographs

and practice and misstheshot and have agooddaybutbadlight

and haveabadday andgetstubborn andcryandkeepcomingback

and hoping the light is good when she can get some time.

The seeing, taking the photo all one can do,

becomes the art. The making it that counted.

Even in normal days,

there are times of beauty

and opportunities for awed appreciation.

Pay attention. And have your camera with you.

I welcome the opportunity to create thoughtful portraits for discerning clients.

Questions and inquiries through my Contact page here.

Photography · Practice · Vision

Grit And Pearl

I go online and Google myself sometimes, and saw an 2006 post from a fellow photographer, riffing on the theme of being a psychic photographer based on an ad I had written for my services. (To read the original post, click here.)

It was good-natured, but it stung a little that I had tried so carefully to describe what I did, only to have it be the butt of someoneโ€™s joke. And it apparently had still been smouldering, since it had caught my attention during a moment I had not expected.

I think to practice onesโ€™ gift is to know that many times, it will be misunderstood.

The difference is that now I am choosing to see these kinds of situations with a mindset of appreciation for what it teaches – (even though I could not see it while it was happening.)

Some memories arise to a neutral, dispassionate view that acknowledges that yes, something happened, and despite potential for a cautionary tale, yes, it is done.

Others create laughter: I can take a deep breath and smile at challenges to my ego or my vanity. And others can be seen with compassion for a young person’s mis-reading of emotion and information.

When this comes up again in the Slideshow of my Mind,

I will choose to see and feel it differently.

I’ll bring a gentle, open, and curious self to those formative incidents,

especially ones that โ€˜ring upโ€™ old memories or create unexpected charges of emotion.

I see it in the light of day,

the drama of the story dissolving.

I see it now for the best for everyone involved.

The energy of releasing old stories affects people differently.

Sometimes the act of getting it out happens quickly,

and other times, I have to let it work its way and have its say quietly,

as there is more under the surface that takes time to unfold.

The years since have created someone new:

Someone with a dream, even when another cannot see it (or see it yet.)

With that vision, even the irritations of life are welcomed for the ‘pearl’ created.


Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer specializing in custom family portraits, modern headshots, & personal branding for women and executives.  Contact her studio for commissioned work here.  

Creativity · Energy · Perry Portrait Art · Photography · Practice

Just For You

Being a freelance photographer really has made me

a person who has had many varied experiences in my career.

Emphasis on the ‘varied’.

But they were experiences that taught me much

about the ‘soft skills’ of working with people,

even if it taught me what not to do the next time.

When I chose to use my intuitive senses in my daily life,

I did so as a photographer as well.

And the people who came into my life in personal and business ways

were people who tested me. Emphasis on the ‘test.’

Communication breakdowns, money issues, ego bruising experiences.

Only thing I can do is choose my reaction to it,

knowing that self-control is the master class

in releasing glamourous holds on me.

My brilliant energy and heart are part of my backbone now,

and I have strength and determination

as if a spark had lit the fire in me

to create something extraordinary for you

in my pictures of everything

whether you see it or not.


Dorothy Perry shoots clear, honest work, play and family images

that show the beauty of everyday life at its’ best.

Let’s meet through the Contact Page if we click.

Consciousness · Energy · Vision

Roots and Branches


“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height.

Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches.

Happiness is like a tree going into the sky,

and sadness is like the roots

going down into the womb of the earth.

Both are needed,

and the higher a tree goes,

the deeper it goes, simultaneously.

The bigger the tree,

the bigger will be its roots.

In fact, it is always in proportion.

That’s its’ balance.” – Osho


I welcome the opportunity to create thoughtful portraits for discerning clients.

Questions and inquiries through my Contact page here.

Photography · Practice

Focus

Photograph,
not just for reels,
but for real.

Enjoy your present. Contact Dorothy here.

A Certain Way · Consciousness · Creativity · Perry Portrait Art · Practice · Vision

Ideas Of The Future

Over the years I have lived as a photographer, I have realized that being a creative artist has, over time, has enabled me to be a creative ‘see-er’, too!

I treasure and cultivate my ability to see things differently by actively listening, day-dreaming, and using counterintuitive ideas to access an ability to look at your questions in a fresh new way.

This discernment allows me to:
‘connect the dots’,
find new ideas / markets for your niche,
see new directions,
enhance and improve offerings,
and refine messages to reflect more accuracy.

It’s a great feeling when I hear:
“That’s a very good idea!”
“I haven’t thought about it but that’s a good idea!”
“I love this!!! Iโ€™m totally going to share it with my group tomorrow!”

Reach out here or via my website Contact Page, and I am happy to ‘take a look’ at a topic of interest for your business – or for you.

I feel that this way of envisioning will bring you an original idea or concept you have never heard before. And it’s my desire that it will benefit your life immensely!

Message me to reserve a consultation today!โœจ

Consciousness · Counterintuition · Dorothy Perry · Energy · Practice · Vision

Tend Your Chicks


Chickens come home to roost, and so do your thoughts. Be careful what sort of thoughts you send out.

The thoughts you send out to others will have a far greater impact upon you than upon them.

Unlike a material possession, when you release a thought or give it to someone else, it also stays with you.

It may remain buried in your subconscious long after your conscious mind has forgotten about it.

Like chickens that return to the coop at night, such thoughts may flash into your consciousness when you least expect them.

When your thoughts are positive, you never have to worry about the damage you may do to yourself through negative thinking.

Cheerful, productive, happy thoughts that are buried in your subconscious bring positive results when they recur, and by their presence they encourage the maintenance of a positive attitude in all that you do.

This is a thought-energy selection from my favorite, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.


I would love to help create and maintain positive energy in the home through intimate family and personal photography.

Contact me here to discuss creating that artwork today. .

Consciousness · Energy · Perry Portrait Art · Photography · Practice · Vision

Wiser

It started innocently enough: Someone has liked your post!

When I clicked the link,

the address was missing one letter:

Proofreader Me, thinking it was a mistake,

typed what I thought was the corrected address.

My laptop exploded with flashing blue screens

telling me that it was locked now,

and only their ‘expert’ could help me retrieve my data again.

Needless to say, after coloring the air blue with a few choice phrases,

(and an apology to Artist for them!)

I went about reclaiming my laptop, from where I’m posting!

After I’d had time to think,

it made me a little sad.

I always like to give the person

the benefit of the doubt,

and this person may not know

his site had been corrupted.

But I also would not be surprised

if he was part of the spidery web

of wanna-be hackers

wasting their God-given gifts in this way.

But if this causes one reader

to be alert for this image, this WP address,

and this ‘trick’, then it is worth it.

All the best to all of us

who strive for honest, connected communication.

Perry Portrait Art welcomes your inquiries about natural life photography throughout Chicago at http://www.dorothyperry.com/contact/.

Creativity · Energy · Perry Portrait Art · Photography · Vision

Conga Line

I love the conga line!

My cameras do, too!

It’s a dance the shy can do,

and the bolder ones can do with flair!

Group dancing is great for social skills practice

and positive social experiences,

a dance at a time!

Enjoy your events: Let me take the photos!

Contact Dorothy here.

Consciousness · Creativity · Energy · Perry Portrait Art · Photography · Vision

Stay

In birthdays past,

I have posted lists of things

I wish to accomplish,

or something I hope

may be of interest to you as well.

This birthday, I simply ask to

stay grounded in reality.

My skill is capturing photos of family and connection in beauty

that will stay fresh and vital for years to come.

Contact Perry Portrait Art today!