A moment before
the official portrait,
another one
was already there.
(Portrait by Chris Levine.)
If I can help record your legacy (and personality!), let’s talk here.
Before
Tag: Energy
This is Why
To witness the moment in photographs.
To record the beautiful grace of infancy.
To remember the elders, travelling to see their new young one.
To document time, place, and reality for the future.
To make good energy visible for the home.
To celebrate the two, becoming three.
To honor the spirit of family.
This is why.
If I can help record your family legacy with fine lifestyle portraits, I welcome your inquiry at http://www.dorothyperry.com/contact/.
Personal-ity
Sometimes I make my own version of ‘royal portraits’ as artistic or memorial art. I take commissions in whatever you want them to wear (smile.)
Dorothy Perry is a Chicago photographer of custom family portraits, including four legged ones. Start here.
I Love What I Do
Love what you’ve done!
These words usually accompany a new hairdo or living room design.
But this was the response from a father, freshly grieving the loss of his only son,
viewing what I created from the candid image he sent me.
These natural words really meant a lot to me on an emotional level,
knowing what this picture meant to him.
I love what I do
in creating something personal and special for those who are bereaved:
remembering and honoring their loved ones in contemplative art.
If this idea ‘sparks’ a feeling for the need
to see a treasured photo transformed into a memorial portrait,
I would love to help make it a reality.
May your loved one’s memory be a blessing.
Dorothy Perry creates purposeful portraits in beautiful daylight. Contact her here.
Group Photo
His dad asked for an updated image.
But rather than take a new one,
I sought an expression with staying power,
containing the potential
to stand in lieu of contact for months,
and soothe the pangs
of conscience and distance
until they met again.
To create a new or renewed image of a loved one in your family, let’s talk. Reach out through the Contact Page.
Words From Friends
Sometimes, someone captures a beautiful,
evocative idea
to inspire the week ahead.
This quote by Epicurus
on a friends’ Instagram post
‘speaks’ to me today.
Do not spoil
what you have
by desiring what you have not.
Remember that
what you now have
was once among
the things
you only hoped for.
After years of chasing this dream
through the ups and downs of life,
I feel blessed and grateful
every time I look through the lens
at someone who trusts me
to capture a beautiful, personal moment
of their private lives.
If I can be of service to you or yours,
I appreciate meeting and working with you.
Dorothy Perry specializes in personal portraits imbued with deep feeling.
Contact her here.
Original Face
Cease practice based
on intellectual understanding,
pursuing words and
following after speech.
Learn the backward step
that turns your light inward
to illuminate within.
Body and mind of themselves
will drop away,
and your original face
will be manifest. — Dogen
This ancient poem
holds the energy
of what I choose to see
in the world around me –
and what I seek to create.
Contact Dorothy here to commission portraits
that stand the test of time.
Notice What You Notice
I have always had an affinity for quirky, unconventional heroes in cartoons, books and movies.
It has taken me years to understand why these heroes attract me so. The skill of using this type of attention and focus is the result of a system called reticular activation.
Imagine thinking of a special color, then slowly but surely starting to see that special color around you, and in many things you see throughout the day. The reticular activator filters and curates the pictures, patterns, and connections you are subconsciously thinking about.
Now I know that ‘as within, so without’, I use it now to help me notice what I am noticing – as a way to confirm if I am indeed moving towards the goals I seek.
My interest in cartoons and paladin-type heroes are that they embody a creative mindset, a never-give-up attitude, and ability to adjust with zen immediacy to whatever comes their way, all the while maintaining their autonomy and personal inner values.
My ‘mentors’ walk out on clouds without falling, stretch like rubber, find clothes and wigs wherever they are needed, and never give up, even if at first they seem to lose!
The reticular activator is also the visible language of the inner spirit. I enclose an inspirational piece from another mentor, Napoleon Hill.
A most beneficial use of time is silent meditation, while searching for guidance from within.
We all experience rare moments when a blinding revelation comes to us, when we suddenly see things differently than ever before. Usually, however, we learn the truth about ourselves gradually, over long periods of time, from quiet introspection.
We are all spiritual, but some of us have learned to tap more effectively into the great strength that resides in the spiritual portion of ourselves.
The spirit is not boisterous and noisy. Getting in touch with your spiritual self demands tranquility and solitude.
Make sure you dedicate a portion of every day to thought and study, to think and reflect upon your life. Choose a time and place that best allow you to relax your mind and devote your thoughts to reflection.
It is my hope that these thoughts and methods will help assist you in your search for purpose in your life.
All the best,
On the Easel
Today’s On The Easel is an infant’s portrait in natural light.
Very small infants are absolutely lovely while they observe their world around them –
They truly embody innocence, essential energy, and innate purity.
I’d love to help record the fresh energy of newborns, toddlers and early youth
that changes so quickly (don’t we moms know!)
If you are interested in commissioning a portrait of your family,
let’s talk about how to make yours special.
Dorothy Perry photographs family and group portraits with a warm, emotional feel.
A Moveable Feast
In the early nineties, I cut my teeth working for local weekly newspapers like the Defender, New City, and the Chicago Reader.
I loved seeing the interiors of cafes and restaurants in natural light, where the simplest things created artistic still lives, and photographed my meals before eating.
The food magazine Saveur was an inspiration to me, as for what could be done in capturing the zest of the real things happening in creating food,
and sometimes when I was lucky, I was able to photograph the people beginning the prep for the evening menu.
I got assignments from a SF startup called TurnHere and another called Seamless, photographing the dishes of local restaurants in their settings that would be included in their online advertisement.
My favorite assignment was shooting images for a book about local ‘greasy spoon’ diners, who found me by an image of the quirky scenes at Chicago’s famous White Castle.
Moving into digital and past newspapers, I began to photograph for walks, special events, and expos, and photographed private events such as the Chicago WineFests in their various locations through the year.
Past clients have included Sweet Thang Bakery, Letizia’s Bakery and Spacca Napoli, not to mention the restaurants captured for the start up companies.
I’m a behind the scenes type of person, so I really enjoyed capturing the graceful rhythms of chefs within crowded rooms and the skill in creating the dishes for their customers.
I always pinch myself that I really do the thing I love every day. And I’d love to have the opportunity to work with you, too!
Fill out the Contact Page for photographic art of your event or experience soon!
All the best, Dorothy
