Rich, Heather and Alana’s Blog

For the unaware, Open Source Photo (OSP) is an online forum for photographers that was started by David Jay and has grown from just a few to over 2,000 photographers from all over the country, who love the forum for networking, building relationships, and sharing professional ideas and insights with each other. Many photographers have forged lifelong friendships as a result!

It was through our good friends Nathan and Amber Holritz that Rich and I have had the unique opportunity to be part of this year’s OSP South conference, which was hosted by the Holritz’s and the Nudd’s here in Chattanooga. Being only a few days long, it went by WAY too quickly and the time to meet and get to know everyone was hardly adequate. The time we did share was AMAZING, and in keeping with everything Nathan and Amber have told us, this forum is truly a huge family, even though distance prevents many people from seeing each other as often as they would like.

Rich and I were asked to model for photo shoots that would take place in the afternoon once the speaking sessions had ended and before the big dinner get-togethers. The large group of about 100 photographers broke into 4 smaller groups and met at different locations in Chattanooga with their models. We had a blast, and were surprised at how easy and fun it was to be shot by a group of photographers! Their personalities made it so enjoyable, and we loved meeting everyone!

Below are shots that were taken by Charles Bordner of Greenville, South Carolina. Charles, we so enjoyed meeting you and laughing a ton! It was an honor to model for you and we love your work!

Another wonderful person that we met was Carole Foret, an incredibly talented painter and photographer from Athens, Alabama. Check out her website to enjoy her fabulous painting and photography!

Below are a few photos that she took of us…

These next pictures are by Jamie Weiss, who we were so privileged to meet and get to talk to for a short while. Jamie, you are so pleasant and kind, and are such a talented photographer! Thank you so much for the beautiful shots you captured!

Here are a couple shots of the photographers in action! I love these, also by Jamie Weiss…

Here is Charles lying down on the job capturing one of his pics above…

And below is our new friend Davina Fear from Utah. Davina is just an incredible person. We felt like lifelong friends after just moments of hanging with her. She is beautiful, super fun, and incredibly talented! We can’t wait to see you again, Davina!

These are photos taken of us by Davina, and we love them!

We had the pleasure of meeting Keith and Becca Rocha, (below) who we have heard so much about through Nathan and Amber. They are awesome people and great photographers and live here in Chattanooga! Keith and Becca, we can’t wait to get to know you better and look forward to many more times! We loved meeting you guys!

Also in the picture below is Mark Adams of Lacour Photography, who gave an amazing presentation on Tuesday. What professional giftedness and all around amazing people! It was our pleasure to meet you, Mark, as well as the rest of the Lacour team.

There is no way I could get through this blog post without telling you, Amy Nave, (below) how awesome it was to finally meet you! As you know, Amber loves you and can’t say enough positive things about you. So you can imagine my delight when I heard that you were coming all the way from Santa Barbara, CA, to OSP South! It was obvious right away that Amber is right about you! I only wish we could have met under better circumstances (not with Amber’s car accident and me all emotional!) I hope to see you again in the NEAR future!!!

And last but definitely not least, here we are with Matt and Erin Dunmore, good friends, and Matt is one talented photographer. Rich has so enjoyed going shooting with Matt and borrowing lenses and getting to know him. Matt and Erin, we are so glad for the chances to spend time with you lately and we are thankful for your friendship! May there be many more nights of lively game activity

Whew! And that is a recap of our few days at OSP South! To everyone we met, it was a pleasure, an honor, and a total RIOT! We can’t wait for next year!!!

Well, it’s time to update everyone about my back problems…unfortunately.

Many of you know that for the past several years (about 3) I have struggled with neck and shoulder pain on a predictably unpredictable basis. Every couple of weeks I tend to have a really bad week, having these “headaches” every day, growing worse throughout the day until, in the evening, I often have to stay home from the commitments I’ve made. Then, some weeks I’m fine and I just feel a bit tight but nothing severe. I haven’t been able to detect any pattern of diet, sleep, exercise, or behavior that would indicate what is causing the pain and tension in my neck and shoulders. Well, now we know what is going on. Here’s the story:

I was working out one day at my gym (World Gym) and there was a special event in which local vendors came with free samples. There was also a chiropractor there, giving free spinal evaluations, so I was one of the first in line. I was given a test and the impressive digital screen immediately showed that I have some healthy areas in my spine, but some severely unhealthy areas as well. And it was no surprise that the unhealthy areas of my spine are where I feel the most pain and tension on a regular basis.

I was given a coupon for a free consultation, free x-rays, and a free visit to review my results. I took advantage of all three, and my follow up visit was so discouraging. I was shown my x-rays and shown a poster of what a healthy spine looks like. There was quite a disparity between the two. The spinal cord in my neck is virtually without curvature…it is straight, which is called Phase One of Spinal Degeneration. Yikes. I didn’t like the sound of that. As a result, my weight bearing muscles are experiencing tension and knotting from carrying either too much, or not enough weight. The distribution of weight is unbalanced when the spine doesn’t curve properly. It’s amazing how God designed our bodies to function so specifically. I also found out that I have a fracture in my lower back, as well as exaggerated curvature, which also causes much pain, especially as people age. I didn’t like the sound of that, either.

These problems can come from a variety of issues, from car accidents (I have been in two), to athletic wear and tear (I have had much), to years of poor posture (I’m really working on having great posture now). My understanding is that the best a doctor can do is give an educated guess as to why a person has these problems. Any and all of the above could have caused my problems. Sigh. And I’ll only be turning 26 next month.

So, I have begun a treatment plan that will strive to bring curvature back to the spinal cord in my neck and to reduce it in my lower back. Through a series of adjustments, electrical stem, and specialized exercises, I hope to be in much better condition in a few months. In the meantime, our checking account is going to take a big hit, so please pray for us to be ultra wise with our financial decisions. And I could use some prayer for my spinal cord as well!!!

I did some research about chiropractic, and should you feel a similar urge, I found the American Chiropractic Association site helpful.

I have to give a “shout out” to my wonderful husband, who is patiently supporting and encouraging me, and who is probably going crazy because he wants to be able to “fix” me and not feel so helpless. You’re awesome, babe! I love you more than anything in the world.