Brindisi Students Art and Music Festival

It’s a sunny afternoon in early May, and while students in other high schools throughout Italy are immersed in reading, writing and a host of other studies, over one thousand students from the Adriatic port city of Brindisi and surrounding area are gathered together to put on a show unlike anything that has been seen in recent times.

The event is called BAMS - “Brindisi, Arte, Musica and Spettacolo” and showcases the talents and creativity of students attending the Brindisi Liceo Artistico (Academy of Arts) and other upper-level institutions of higher learning in and around the city.

But far from just being a day spent in the sun showcasing arts and crafts, and listening to high school bands, vocalists and dancers - the theme of the BAMS festival touched a nerve in every student involved: “Better Art Than the Mafia”.

The Mafia - unfortunately - is alive and well in Italy and perhaps thrives strongest in the South. Students with no future to speak of will always be a reliable resource for underworld activities. The BAMS festival sought to demonstrate that there ARE students who care and who want something more out of life.

Guglielmo Carrozzo , President of the Puglia Board of Education, thinks a festival of this kind demonstrates solidarity among students. Remarked Carrozzo, “…The BAMS festival wasn’t just held in Brindisi, but in areas all over the Puglia Region. The student unions suggested it and I thought it was a good idea, but the kids had to put in the effort to coordinate the event in order for it to come together...”

Coordinating this festival was no easy task. Two student-representatives from each school in the region were responsible creating a work force that would garner participation, get the necessary permits, and assist in setting up the stages in addition to a dozen other jobs necessary for getting this event off the ground.

Adds one student, “...the city is showing its support by allowing this festival to happen, but it’s just the first step. The only way to get rid of the Mafia influence by demonstrating that the city is proactive in it’s obligation to young adults…”

Amid the blaring sounds of electric guitar and hip-hop dance demonstrations, the student union set up a kiosk to collect signatures to present to city hall along with a letter of intent to the Mayor.

Adds Caroozzo, “…one of the aims here was to get the support of local businesses to agree to try and underwrite a meeting place for the students. Not just a place where they can hang out, but a youth center of sorts where the students can come and feel free to be creative and in general have a sense of purpose. Hopefully, the Commune (city hall) will take a look at this and realize that it serves a deeper purpose than just spending a day out of school...”

In an area spread out in a piazza above and on a portion of port of Brindisi, two stages, 20 bands, dozens of artists, dancers and singers converged for a day that passed all to quickly.

Added physical education teacher Giulia Lezzi, “…The students wanted this and they deserve all the credit for pulling it off. It came together pretty good and the students behaved themselves which is important…”

Only time will tell whether this festival has any lasting impact, but at least for now, area students in Brindisi can enjoy knowing that voices were heard and that their hard work coordinating this festival was worht it.

Suspiria- a Film Between Dreamlike Imagery and Exploitative Shock

This classic tale of witchcraft is the most beautiful horror film I have ever seen. A young American woman Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) is accepted to a prestigious dance academy in Germany only to find it is a meeting place for a coven of witches. Based on the essays of Thomas Dequincy’s Suspiria de Profundiis. Director Dario Argento takes the first three essays of “The three mothers,” about ancient and powerful witches who live in various places of the world to spread their evil to create a film like no other. It is like a live-action Disney horror film of brilliant reds, green and blues filling the screen. A voice-over sets the uneasy tone of the film as he tells you over a black screen that Suzy Bannion has taken a plane from New York City to attend an exclusive dance academy in Germany. Suzy Bannion arrives at the airport and steps out into a driving rainstorm to hail a taxi. A cab arrives and there is a language barrier. Suzy shows the driver the schools brochure and she is off to the academy. She arrives at the academy to find a young woman at the doorway, screaming at someone inside. She hears pieces of the conversation, which become a helpful clue after the girl is murdered. The killer chases the girl through a dark forest until she arrives at a friend’s house. The friend tries to calm her down and leaves the girl to meet her death. Suzy immediately notices everyone at the academy look likecharacters from a dark Brothers Grim fairytale. The tall, gangly students are represented in stark angry colored lights. The ballet instructor is dressed all in black. The head mistress is a serious looking woman with bright painted red lips. The servant is a hunchback deaf-mute servant, and the Russian head cook is a knife-wielding lunatic. Suzy falls deeper into the threat of the coven when she suffers a nosebleed in ballet class causing her to collapse. The cause of the nosebleed is explained as a mild internal hemorrhage. Soft blues and pinkish reds represent Suzy, as she seems to float on air when she walks. Her discovery of the secret is handled in a sleep-like haze with red twinkling lights following her as she runs from the dying queen witch in the end. Scary and gory in 1977, the film looks fake and silly by today’s standards. The blood and gore looks like bright melted red crayons or wax. A scene stands out where a student is chased into a room full of piano wire, which doesn’t cut her as she thrashes around in the middle of it. The effect looks as if a giant slinky is attacking her. The film, despite all this is still a lot of fun to see with your friends on a Saturday night with the lights off and lots of popcorn. Digitally re-mastered. Rated R.

XALA - A Review of the Film "Curse"

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Xala: women representative of the generational transitions of Senegal

Xala  is a perfect illustration of the underdeveloped middle class and its staggering flaws. The film is an allegorical tale of corruption told with simplicity and is inundated with satire exposing the emerging neo-colonial bourgeoisie. The story is of an African businessman recently elected to the Chamber of Commerce in1960 during the initial onslaught of independence in Senegal.  El Hadji Abdou Kader Bèye has been inflicted with the xala on his wedding night with his third wife, Ngone. His impotence parallels the same cultural affliction emerging within Africa’s post-colonial and post-independence society of nouveaux riches, its peasants, beggars, and the unemployed. The pseudo-bourgeoisie is crippled by selfish motives to trade with Europeans and exploit local Africans. According to Frantz Fanon’s theory of post-coloniality:

Closing the road to the national bourgeoisie is, certainly, the means whereby the vicissitudes of newfound independence may be avoided… But it is also the only means toward progress. 

Instead of making productive investments in his community El Hadji exploits the local people while trying to imitate the foreign consumer culture. He is confronted with the problem of regaining his sexual potency to consummate his new marriage. This issue consumes the story as El Hadji neglects his business affairs and responsibilities as a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He hopelessly searches for a cure to the curse that has ruined his reputation and farcical idea of elitist success in Africa.  The result is his bankruptcy and the ultimate loss off all of his possessions including his wives.
The women of Xala are vital to the story. It is through the female characters that El Hadji’s power is given to him and taken away. They demonstrate the cultural alienation of the bourgeoisie and present alternative models of tradition and modernity. The women “function on both a ‘sociorealistic’ and symbolic level and can be viewed as integral characters whose structural and ideological facets not only reflect but are [as equally important as the male protagonist].”  Rama, Oumi, Awa , and N’Gone all become an inherent part of El Hadji’s ascent and decline economically, sexually, socially, and politically.  Polygamy no longer functions as a traditional structure that brings labor and communal kinship to the community. El Hadji’s second wife, Oumi N’doye helps to install the image of a ‘modern’ Westernized couple. N’Gone symbolizes economic affluence and satisfies El Hadji’s conceit. The first wife, Adja Awa Astou,  is representative of tradition, dignity, and devotion to Muslim principles. Whereas, Rama, their daughter, is a model of the future generation of Africa that will emancipate women from stifling patriarchal traditions.

Awa, El Hadji’s first and oldest wife, retains the essential elements and character of African tradition even though her surrounding environment is rapidly transforming at the expense of modernity. She is docile, yet firm and is seemingly accepting of her role as a faithful and supportive wife in a polygamous situation. When Rama, her daughter, tries to convince her to divorce El Hadji Awa responds in a calm manner saying, “We must be patient in the face of adversity.  You think I’d find a husband. I’ll be a third or fourth wife.” Awa compromises displaying an aggressive character  towards El Hadji’s actions for emotional security and financial support in a patriarchal Islamic society. She stands by her husband in his professional and financial ruin. Awa exhibits passive resistance when relating to Oumi, the second wife. When asked to come inside of Oumi’s house, she refuses  in the name of the marital laws that place submissive restraints on her actions.  She explicitly reminds El Hadji saying, “Do you forget I’m your first? Go and say hello for me.” In a later scene Awa demonstrates solidarity with her co-wife. When Oumi is complaining about the third wife, N’Gone, Awa bestows words of wisdom about the situation. She tells Oumi with cynical humor: “Patience does not kill. If so, I would be dead.”  Once Oumi leaves the wedding Awa openly invites her to her home reminding her that she is the elder in the relationship.

Awa is a representation of Africa in its most unadulterated essence. Though she is rigidly traditional, she is a model for all Senegalese women. She personifies loyalty, patience, dignity, and poise. The African woman is the strength of the family; she is an advisor during times of struggle, in charge of educating the future generations, and a pillar of compliment and support to her husband.  Awa predominately speaks to El Hadji in Wolof , thus retaining the essence of cultural pride. She is also the refuge El Hadji seeks in his state of impotence after he is deserted by his community and three wives.
Oumi, the second wife, is a strikingly different type of woman compared to Awa.

This contrast is explored in the wedding scene where Awa is wearing a traditional African dress and Oumi is shown in a modish wig and a revealing black European style dress. She is a materialistic character and is overtly aggressive when she relates to El Hadji. She believes that due to her youth and sophistication she has the right to say and do whatever she feels.  When El Hadji visits Oumi to take her to the wedding she speaks in French and refers to Awa as an “old dried up fish” as she demands money from El Hadji: “Since you’re spending, I will too! This is not enough, hand it over.” In a later scene she unremittingly reminds El Hadji of his sexual duties in the marriage: “It is my turn. I want you at the house tonight. You know I am always ready.” Oumi arrogantly implies that she will uphold her duties as a wife as long as El Hadji continues to perform his financial and sexual duties when asked. She remains faithful to El Hadji until she realizes his downfall is inevitable.

At this point she decides to depart with the children and all of her belongings to another place far away from such a despicable man. Oumi is the archetypal seductive and disparaging mistress. Her character does not support El Hadji in any productive ways and she is the stereotypical representation of a woman who is foolishly attracted to the hallucinations of Western consumer society and negative post-colonial thought patterns.  Sembene uses Oumi as an example of the caricature that emerges from cupidity, shallowness, denial of culture, and the disillusioned eagerness to follow Western and foreign mores. Oumi is not a successful symbol of the strong progressive African woman. Her character is paralleled with that of El Hadji because her existence is counterproductive to post-colonial African cultural and economic success. 

N’Gone, El Hadji’s third wife illustrates his materialistically motivated greed. “A long panoramic shot of the endless parade of gifts displayed by El-Hadji as her dowry stresses the corrupted patterns of such a tradition. N’Gone is merely traded and exhibited to El Hadji’s middle-aged friends and colleagues.”  He uses N’Gone as his bragging trophy to the Chamber of Commerce by emphasizing her “virginal value.” He tells the counsel men: “My first wife was a virgin and so was my second.”  Accordingly, the brides’ mother teaches her about her duties of a subservient wife. She stresses: “Man is the master, you must always be available. Don’t raise your voice. Be submissive.”  N’Gone does not have an active role in the film; she is merely El Hadji’s “femme objet.”  The poster of N’Gone with her back exposed, located in the bedroom directly “presents the graphic correlation between the businessman’s sexual and economic impotence.”  After several failed attempts to “deflower” his new wife, El Hadji seeks the help of the marabout (herbal healer) only to discover that he has the xala.  His sexual impotence with his new wife portends his symbolic dis-function as a member of the corrupt neo-colonial bourgeoisie. El Hadji’s superficial economic pursuits and greed for elite status backfires into something much greater than sexual disfunction. His lack of cultural, spiritual, economic, and political wisdom causes his entire existence to become impotent and useless in African society.

Rama is a revolutionary and positive source of resistance to her father’s perpetuation of the corrupt bourgeoisie and the French Colonial presence in Senegal. Rama wears a short Afro hairstyle and alternates between modern clothing and her traditional Senegalese boubou. She rides a moped around her town, rejecting unnecessary luxuries of Western society such as her father’s Mercedes. She only uses aspects of Western culture that can directly serve her educational and technological needs.  She consistently speaks in Wolof when her father speaks in French and denies his promotion of foreign products such as French mineral water. She confronts her father in a responsible and mature manner when expressing her vehement enmity towards the traditions of polygamy and stifling post-colonial thought. During a conversation with her mother and father, she expresses that “men are all dirty dogs and every polygamous man is a liar.” As a result, Rama is slapped by El Hadji, but her spirit remains unbroken. “Xala’s evocation of this [issue] allows Sembene to highlight the suffering that [traditional] marriages cause to women and to denounce men’s egotistical motivations for taking several wives.”  El Hadji’s violent response to Rama’s statement is a confirmation of his unrealistic ways of perpetuating and understanding the patriarchal order influenced by the male/religious-instigated system of polygamy.

Rama is the only woman in Xala who is liberated from having to participate in a sexual relationship in exchange for economic support. She is well educated and she is a positive icon for hope in Senegal created by a balance of traditional and modern values. Rama is the single character who has succeeded in assimilating her African principles and European culture into a progressive way of life. Her advocacy of her mother and father’s divorce is symbolic of her mother’s separation from a draining relationship as well as Senegal’s annulment from paternalistic neo-colonial rule. She refuses financial help from her father and expresses that she is more concerned about her mother whom her father has neglected.  Rama demonstrates a synthesis of her mother’s wisdom and dignity and she embodies a universal view of the future, reborn Africa. Her character is indicative of a society that will create a synthesized language and culture indigenous to and reflective of the richness of African ethos while simultaneously emancipating women from patriarchal traditions.  Rama’s function in the film is penetrating and reveals significant issues of the new Africa dealing with progressive post-colonial and post-independence development.

Sembene’s female protagonists are archetypical and play imperative roles in his sociopolitical dialectics. The women in this film do not represent all types of Senegalese women, however they are symbols for the evolution of Africa. Awa represents the traditional culture and history of a transforming continent. Oumi is symbolic of a transitional Africa that places too much value on Western goods and ideology and thus she must “pack up” metaphorically to make room for the new Africa epitomized by Rama. She is the essence of a balanced conglomeration of modern and traditional values, synthesized to bring about the economic, educational, political, cultural, and social emancipation of the oppressed African. Senegal cannot develop with out the emancipation of its women. Sembene implies that Africa’s true growth will come from adopting the fecundity and nurturing qualities of the African woman.  Xala differs from Black Girl because the women of the contemporary generations use their agency to reject and combat the forces of post-coloniality that cause them to feel repressed and captivated.  Diouana chose to passively eliminate her troubles whereas the women in this film are predominately active in catalyzing change.  Xala is an evolution from Sembene’s dialectical messages in Black Girl. The female is the link between generations and she is the “genitrix” of a new Africa. “El Hadji is impotent because he has misused the fecundity of Africa/woman to assert his social and male ascendancy.”  His greed and neo-colonial ignorance overshadows his agency to change his situation and righteously serve his community as one of the first African members of the Chamber of Commerce.

The last scene of Xala is important because both the traditional and the modern, politically committed African women observe El Hadji’s rebirth as the beggars spit on his corruption, greed, and westernized illusion of success.  He is crowned by one of the beggars with the white flower crown worn by his third wife at the wedding. The crown symbolizes the preserved virginity of the woman he was unable to deflower.  It is also representative of the fertile, pure, virginal quality of Africa that will be restored through the elimination of the stagnating middle class bourgeoisie.  The women are the only dignified characters still standing in support of El Hadji in the end of the story, indicating that the fate of the community now lies in the fate of its grandmothers, mothers, and daughters.

Great Tips for Memorable Baby Shower Gifts

baby clothes gifts

I never realized how complicated buying a baby shower present could be.  I always loved to shop for the gifts before I had a baby.  Unknown to me, I actually thought I knew the best things to get.  You just pull up the registry and get something.  This is a full proof way o make sure you get something the new mommy wants.  However, let me propose another idea.

I have a 13 month old little girl.  When I was pregnant, I had 3 baby showers.  I was very fortunate and my friends and co-workers were very generous.  I didn’t have to buy any clothes or onezies for about 6 months.  I also found out, after my showers and registry completion, which I didn’t know what to register for when my daughter grew a little. 

These are some of my tips on baby shower gifts that I give friends when they ask:

1. How much I spend depends on how well I know the person.  If it is an acquaintance, I usually spend $20-$25.  If it is a close girlfriend, I usually spend a little more.  I also keep some basic stuff on hand and buy it when it goes on sale.  That way it is cheaper.  Those items are infant Tylenol and gas drops. 
   
   


2. I start buying for close friends when they are about 4 months along.  This way I can spend a little more and not feel it so bad in the wallet.
   
   


3. I always start out with a basic set for everybody. This consists of diapers, infant Tylenol, and gas drops.  Usually I can find a box of wipes on sale and include a couple of packages.
   
   


4. Other items I try to include off the registry are things that the baby will need later on.  Such items are usually spoons that change colors when too hot, sippy cups, other feeding items, and bibs that are for when the baby starts eating solids as opposed to the adorable drooling bibs that the new mommy will probably get a ton of.  I have found that these are very much needed and are usually not purchased off the registry as they are not “cute” gifts to give.
   
   


5. Filler items that I can usually find for $1 or less are teething rings, socks, generic bottles (make sure you get the right size nipple neck the new mommy registered for), and toys/rattles.
   
   


6. Things I don’t get are onezies, cute drooling bibs, towels, washrags, and outfits.  I have found by going to many showers and by my own experience, that the new mommy gets plenty of these whether she has registered for them or not.
   
   


7. Diapers are an item all to themselves.  I loved getting all kinds of diapers.  That way I got to try different brands without having to buy them myself.  I do have a confession, however.  I was so blessed that when I figured out that only Pampers didn’t leak or break out my little girl, I returned $105 worth of unopened diapers to Wal-Mart.  So I don’t worry about whether I look cheap or not when I buy different kinds of diapers.
   

Here are some tips I would give the new mommy that I learned the hard way.  I made the mistake of washing all my new clothes as soon as I received them.  I would whole-heartedly recommend not washing anything until you are all done with your showers.  I probably would have exchanged some onezies for other things I needed but didn’t get but couldn’t because I washed everything as soon as I got them.  I also received duplicates but didn’t realize it until I had washed both items.  I could have exchanged these as well.  I also saved all of my shower bags and have used them for other baby showers that I have been invited to since then.  This allows you to spend a little more on the gift since you don’t have to spend anything wrapping it.

I hope you have a great time buying for your baby shower.  It is one of my favorite gifts to buy.  New mommies are so appreciative of anything they get.  I know I was.  Not to mention that they are usually starting off with a clean slate and have nothing to begin with.  Maybe these tips can help you buy the best gift sets you know the new mommy will love.  I have gotten lots of complements even though I never buy the “cute” stuff.

Baby Photos and the Art of Photography

Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes

"Seize the Moment" This is one of my favorite sayings. How often do we take advantage of the MOMENT? The moment is instantaneous. What happens right now will not happen again, ever! Will you remember the moment?

Photography is the art of capturing an image of that moment. It could be a face, a plant or a mountain. It could be something that will be there tomorrow but will look different or it could be something that won't be seen again. I read in a comic book once of a conversation between a father and son. The young son asked his father why old photos were always in black and white and new photos were in color? His father said there was always color film in the old days, but the world was only in black and white then! It was funny but some of our most famous photography "artist" worked in black and white such as Ansel Adams. He and so many others were artists that couldn't make up their work but had to capture it at the right instant of time.

I was going through some photos with my wife the other day. Some of them would take my breath away. They were images captured in time of babies in our family. Some of these babies are now 5, 8, 10, 14, 17 years of age. They are my children, nephews and nieces. Some of them are of my wife and her sisters. They're baby pictures! They are an instant caught in time. They were either taken by my in-laws or given to them as gifts. They may not have been present at the time the photo was taken but they had that image of that instant in time to carry with them until they died. These images were no different than the images that Ansel Adams gave me as a gift when he photographed San Francisco bay where the Golden Gate Bridge is before it was built. He gave me a memory that I could not have had otherwise. My family and my sister-in-laws' families gave my mother -in-law and father-in-law memories that they would never have had if it weren't for photography.

Even if you aren't a great photographer, a picture is still worth a 1,000 words. When a newborn baby comes home from the hospital and the family and extended family come by to see him or her, what comes out? Of course, the cameras come out and start snapping. I learned two schools of thought from photographers that I took courses from. One was in a roll of 36 exposures, 34 better be the top quality photos that you intend to sell. The other photographer taught that in a roll of 36 exposures, expect 2-3 quality photos that are worthy of selling. What I learned from this is spend your time taking posed photos but keep snapping for candid photos.

If you are taking photos of babies or children, take your time for both types of photos. I personally do not like posed photography but that's me. I prefer to capture a child that is at play trying to solve a problem or just being natural. I like the expressions when they are deep in thought or interacting with other children. I found a photo of my son that I took through a car window when he was five holding his hand up with his fingers stretched out. That photo is so memorable to me because I sent it to my mother before she passed away. It was exactly the same photo that my mother took of me when I was five years old.

May I suggest that you seriously consider studying photography to get a better understanding of the capabilities of using a camera properly? If you are just starting out, you need to start with the basics and work from there. Here is a good site to learn various aspects of photography from: http://www.photographytips.com/ For some detailed photography, study someone like Ansel Adams and look at this website: http://www.anseladams.com/

Upgrade Your Digital Photography Studio on a Budget

photo source

Digital photography is progressing almost as fast as the computer industry. Mega-pixels are multiplying faster than you can count them. As with all advances in technology, a higher price tag is attached. So, how do you upgrade your digital photography studio with out breaking your budget?

Let's go over a few ways to do just that.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Don't Buy New

The more mega pixels the better, I know. But, if you are using a 5.0 mega pixel camera now, wouldn't a 6.0 one be an upgrade? There is no need to spend the extra $3000 to get the newest 10 mega pixel digital camera.

There are plenty of used camera stores to find newer equipment that will fit your budget as well. KEH offers a huge selection of both new and used digital camera equipment, all of which has been cleaned and tested.

Let's not forget about eBay either. The deals there on new equipment are sometimes better then buying older used equipment. You never know when some college kid is going to sell off his $3000 digital camera just so he can make rent.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Compensatory Upgrades
Find way to stream line your business. Odds are, you don't have a lot of people working at your digital photography studio. So, you probably wont be buying equipment that saves you money by eliminating workers. Still, there is always new software coming out to help you stream line your business.

Such software may be expensive at first, but will be worth the price. Even if the software does nothing more than free up two hours in your work day, that is two more hours to make money. That is two more hours to see customers. Those customers could then turn into lifetime customers who bring your repeat business and great word of mouth advertising. All because you freed up two hours in your work day.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Upgrade Only What You Need
Upgrading your digital photography studio doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on new gear, lights, printers, computers, and what have you. Take some time to really identify what it is in your digital photography studio that needs to be upgraded.

Lets say you bought an expensive sub dye printer years ago to start printing photographs in house. 60,000 prints later, it's just not what it used to be. This doesn't mean you have fork over a huge amount of money to buy a new one. You could out source your printing for a while or you could even look into getting the printer refurbished by the manufacturer.

Upgrade your Digital Photography Studio - Upgrade Your Staff
Not every digital photography studio upgrade is a piece of expensive new gear. Invest some of your budget by training your staff. If you have other photographers working for you, try spending some money on a training workshop. The more your employees know about their job, the better they are at it. These workshops will help increase your staffs skills, but it will also help them get a better picture of what you want. Being on the same wavelength with your employees will also help them operate more efficiently

If you have complicated software programs, consider having a sales rep come out and teach your staff about the software. This goes back the same point, the more your employees know, the better they operate. Often, sales reps will be more than happy to come out and teach refresher courses or how to use new programs free of charge. After all, the happier you are with their product, the more you will buy from them in the future.

These are just a few ways to upgrade your digital photography studio with out breaking your budget. There are always ways to pinch pennies if you think about. The biggest obstacle to get over is the, must have the new stuff, mentality. You almost never need the new stuff, it is almost certainly nothing more than a want. Think before you buy and you are sure to save money in the now and make more in the future.

Blair Hill Photography in Salt Lake City, Utah

credit,photo source

Blair Hill Photography services the Wasatch Valley areas locating between Provo to Logan Utah.

Blair Hill Photography began in the year 2000 when Blair first decided she wanted to use her camera for something other than fun. Though Blair had been taking photographs for a long time, and was very familiar with the SLR camera she owned, she was always just snapping photographs of family & friend adventures, music events, or other various events around the town. She had been published several times in her local newspaper and other various sources, but still never quite thought of the idea to go 'professional.'

When Blair decided that it was time to put her passion to work, she started to attend classes right away on her new favorite subject, so that she could learn as much as she could aside from what she already knew. She attended classes at her local community college, a local arts program, and MICA - Maryland Institute College of Art. She began developing her progressing in the field of musical/industrial photography, and developed a clientel very quickly.

To the downside of all the progress Blair had made with her work, in 2003 she moved 2000 miles across the county, which means her clients were not locals anymore. Discouraged, and looking for a refreshing moment in life, Blair took a break from her passion of photography until 2005. In 2005, Blair realized how much she missed doing what she loved most, taking pictures. She realized how much her focus of photography had changed though, and began to pursue portrait photography.

Since 2005, Blair has been an active portrait photographer in the greater Wasatch Valley in Utah. She has been complemented again and again on her wonderful work, with a repeat clientel that simply keeps growing and growing.

With astonishing photography, incomparable to any of the other local photographers here in Utah, yet still with the most amazingly affordable prices, Blair Hill Photography is completely unique, and perfect. Every day Blair is coming up with new ideas on how to make her work different, better. She is constantly attending trainings and schooling to further her educational background in photography, and to learn anything new she could possibly learn.

Her current creditinals include the following:

Anne Arundel Community College - 2001, Photography Certificate

Maryland Institute College of Art - 2002-2003 Photography Classes

Salt Lake Community College - 2006-current A.A. Photography Classes

In addition to her passion of photography, Blair has a B.S. In sociology from the University of Utah, and is currently working towards her masters in Gerontology. She hopes to one day mix her love for people and culture with her love and passion for photography.

To see Blairs work, please visit Blair Hill Photography by Clicking Here.