It's the beginning of a new week and I'm a little bit glad. Last week was the busiest week I've had in a long time between new clients and places to go. Depression crept up this weekend so I didn't really get the chance to relax, but I'm really grateful for all I got to do last week. The highlights were, going to a fundraiser for the first time, and taking the first step towards my dream of working in the outdoor industry. It's been busy, but sooooooo good! Anyway, I know this is a few days late since I try to make this a Friday thing, but I really wanted to include my Saturday adventures, so hooray! You get two Cairns this week.

MINI SESSION WITH KEELY
The week kicked off with a mini session with Keely, who so willingly rearranged her living room and braved the kind-of cold to be my model. I had never shot in an apartment before, so I was worried that it wasn't going to go that well, but, you can get great images anywhere you have room for any lights/modifiers you need. These two are my favorite images.

PINTS FOR PAIGE
Wednesday night brought about the first fundraiser I'd ever been to. As I mentioned in a previous post, a colleague of mine was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. 818 hosted their fundraiser, and packed the Iowa Taproom with people who love Paige. It was really humbling and joyful to see how many people showed up to support her! So far, they've raised around $23k for Paige's medical expenses. The local creative community is a community who loves! If you can spare it, please go make a donation on the gofundme page, and let Paige know #wegotyou.

PINGORA STORE OPENING
Friday night brought reminders that Iowa has an outdoor community. We may not have mountains or legendary paddling or mountain biking, but we have enough of a playground within our state lines to have some fun. I bought this sweet t-shirt and a sticker to slap on my new water bottle. PIngora is a small store, but they have a little bit of something for everyone! Not to mention their branding is on point. You can check them out at pingoraoutdoors.com or stop by and say hello at 604 SW 3rd Street, Ankeny, IA 50023.

PHOTOGRAPHY MEETUP
Saturday morning invited me into more good company. I met up with some local photographers at Smokey Row (local coffee shop in Des Moines, for those of you reading from afar). I met seven photographers, and we spend the morning snacking, sipping coffee and talking about the creative life. It was such a joy. I think, as photographers, we like to focus on our work and hesitate to talk shop. Even more, we hesitate to talk about the creative life. Saturday morning dove head first into the vulnerable. We discussed our insecurities, our businesses, our goals, and even the worst injuries sustained on the job. In case you're wondering what my worst injury was, I tripped over a kitten once while scouting a wedding. I'm looking forward to our next get-together!

That's all for last week, but not all for this week! Take time to love yourself today, and find some good community! Stay tuned for this week's adventures in mental health and the Small Business Success Summit!

happy trails,

—emma