Kim Yanick Portraits

We are moving

2014-07-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

In the process of rebranding and moving sites and blogs, and twitter accounts oh my! So this will be the last post on this page. To keep following me go to https://photographybyyanick.wordpress.com/ where you can see my newest works.

Thank you for your support!

~Kimberley

Letting Go

2013-12-19T20:19:00.001-08:00

Letting Go, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
There are so many things in our life that we do because, well, "that's how it's always been done". We've been doing it for so long that we no longer question it. That apathy keeps us stuck, repeating the same things over and over again. Just because it something we did in the '40's is no reason we still need to do it now. There is always a reason for holding on, sometimes it is fear, lack of education, lack of skill, children are involved, it's a financial challenging situation, you can't see it being any other way... so you hold on and each day a piece of you dies. One day you wake up and nothing feels right anymore. There is no external reason for the change, it's the same routine, same people, same situation, same coffee for pete's sake.. but something has shifted and it's time to let go.

It's time to move on and cut that cord to the past.. Happy Solstice everyone.

Dedicated to Erin Lawson - thank you.

Are you crying in Silence?

2013-12-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

My BFF Trish who is a healer and and author (www.questionjourney.com) recently came to me with an idea to collaborate. You see she has the awesome book called The Question Journey and it was instrumental in helping me work with my photography and back o capturing images about 5 years ago. You know taking that leap of faith. Well here we are years later and I am finding how synergistic things are. You see a few days ago I spoke with my talent (VIenna) to work with me on some images and we came up with this very powerful image which resonated with one of the questions from The Question Journey.

In Vienna's words:

FINDING OUR VOICE

There has come a point in all of our lives where we are put in a situation that renders us utterly speechless and immobilizes us to the point of paralysis.
That all we can do is cry.
We cannot speak as we are being choked and suffocated by our circumstance and Emotion.
We fight and struggle to bed freed of the ties that we may feel others have put there, but the truth is we hive wound ourselves in our own restraints.......

Loss of your voice can come stem from memories of physical, sexual, mental or emotional abuse that haunts our dreams and day to day lives periodically.

It can seed and fester in your soul from someone else or something that has happened to you, been done to you or something you've witnessed.

You CAN Reach within yourself and grab a strong hold of your voice and TAKE it back!
It is YOURS! No one else can hold your voice if you don't allow them to!

You are STRONGER than you think or believe you are. You just need to find the thread and pull softly and then hard and yank or cut it so that your binds will unravel, the grip that fear, intimidation, insecurity and so on can hold on your life and over you.

You have a VOICE and it belongs to you.

Now it's time for you to look within yourself and say, feel and believe that you are WORTH with every fibre of your being, being heard, seen, loved, cared for, acknowledged, respected, trusted by others but most of all by YOURSELF.
If you can't do these things for yourself, well no one can for you. You can never be truly happy with who you are, were and will be of you if you don't look within yourself and in the eye and state you are strong know you can weather all storms no matter how big or small
~Vienna Lamb~

Vienna's Fan Page www.facebook.com/ViennaAvrilQuintessentialFusion

Original Image

The Trees Are Talking to Us

2013-12-06T09:44:00.001-08:00

The Trees Are Talking to Us, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr. (to see image full sized click it to go to flickr)

Via Flickr:
Are you feeling it? The frenetic energy lately, the fast pace, monkey mind.. someone called it floating anxiety. What ever it is we all get caught up in it, the pace, the season, the demands of day to day the things that are the loudest. We lose ourselves in the crazy busy life, and we lose touch with the quiet whispers. Those whispers between the moments of crazy, the moments of connectedness where god talks to us. Where we fall back into the arms of our creator, our peace our warmth, glow and oneness. Those moments we had when we were children with light heartedness, we would play make believe and listen to the conversations of the trees.

Caught Day Dreaming

2013-12-02T12:24:00.001-08:00

Caught Day Dreaming, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
dreamcatcher
ˈdriːmkatʃə(r)/
noun

1. a small hoop containing a horsehair mesh decorated with feathers and beads, believed by American Indians to give its owner good dreams.

Believe it or not this concept came to me as I was driving to work very, very early one morning. I have been stymied - creatively over the past few weeks and feeling very disconnected. I have tried a number of ways to jar loose my block, and it has been a struggle. Of course with the cold weather, I have been tying to shoot more indoors... with limited space, and limited looks to the space (could be I am not thinking much outside my box) I was finding I was stagnant. I am sure we all have those times.
I would appreciate any input on how you unblock yourself.. or do you just allow yourself the space to be blocked? What do you do?

Black Swan

2013-10-27T15:14:00.001-07:00

Black Swan, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
SAD - not the word but the affliction Seasonal Affective Disorder - with the change in seasons, I am finding myself craving sunlight, and feeling blue, we have had some beautiful fog for the past few days here in the valley.. it actually lifted my spirits a bit with the beauty of it. I am not really looking forward to the winter months and the long nights. This image was taken a few months ago, and I just happened upon it again - it seemed to fit with the blues I had been feeling. Of course, shooting and hanging out with conversationalists gabbing about art always lifts me a little.

Hope as an Anchor

2013-10-17T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hope as an Anchor, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Water always makes me feel better. Especially salt water bodies, the smell, the sounds the birds. I am always relaxed and connected when I am beside the sea and I always walk away rejuvinated, and centered. Where is your place of hope, of being centered, or your happy place?

Messenger

2013-10-14T17:11:00.001-07:00

Messenger, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Crows and Ravens always intrigue me. They are said to be able to travel between worlds and signify magik, the tricksters, and death. Such intelligence in those birds - simply dazzling. Talent is Brookii Waldron

Konphuse

2013-10-09T09:01:00.001-07:00

Konphuse, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Make up your own story. ;)

Thrift Store Finds

2013-10-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, who wants to shoot in this gown? Seriously. Heavenly. (Novick Studio is a studio in Duncan I have partnered up with so yes I did shoot this image, it is mine along with the dress... bwahahahaha) I am thinking forest princess floating in the woods. hmmmm
Inspiration from lace and boots I gotta say this is awesome.

Conjure

2013-10-04T23:49:00.001-07:00

Conjure, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I recently read a blog of Brooke Shaeden, who spoke of the letter "F" and that she never uses it. In fact she successfully turns that around to work to her advantage. I was inspired by her to go back to a shoot from a few months back and rework an image, and not succumb to failure. So here we are a few hours later and at a point where I am pleased with what I have learned, and attained with this image. I will try this concept again for sure, and next time I will have a better idea how to get it out of my head and onto print.

www.kimyanick.com
www.facebook.com/capturingyou
www.wvp-kim.blogspot.com

Found

2013-09-20T07:29:00.001-07:00

Found, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

This week was a hectic week, with everything seeming to come to a head all at once and everyone needing something. Getting lost in the rush of the demands, and the success of achieving them sometimes I forget and lose myself to it all. Weekends shake me out of it, rudely sometimes when I feel buzzed like I need to get the next thing done NOW... and I have to force myself to stop, and hug a tree (as my mom used to say), and listen to the wind, and reconnect. I will admit sometimes it happens and sometimes I have to work at it a little but I always find it. Have a wonderful weekend.

Waiting to Fly

2013-09-17T19:22:00.001-07:00

Waiting to Fly, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

I was feeling a little playful, wistful or maybe just cheeky when I saw this image - then I felt a little more grounded. There is something about a tutu that makes me envious of the butterfly flying away.

Tempest

2013-09-10T19:51:00.001-07:00

Tempest, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
She's beautiful even when she is angry. Mother nature in all her glory can amaze, astound, humble and terrify you. We are guests of hers on this planet we call earth, we should live accordingly.

There is something in me that drives me to capture women in nature, to put a face to mother nature herself. She never seems to have the same face, or feeling, but each version of her I capture/create is a beautiful one.

Alice

2013-09-08T13:18:00.001-07:00

Alice, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Sometimes I feel as though I am just on the verge of a break through to some idea, some answer some escape. And sometimes I feel as though I fell into the Rabbit Hole and there is no end to the madness.

Ashes To Ashes

2013-09-05T21:00:00.001-07:00

Tonight's blog is brought to you by Bowie and a beautiful girl in red lipstick.
{Bowie was way out there creative. Somewhat an inspiration}

"Ashes to Ashes"

Hope one of these inspired you in some way.

Blessings on your week! Happy September

The Change

2013-09-03T13:09:00.002-07:00

The Change, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

"She enjoys rain for its wetness, winter for its cold, summer for its heat. She loves rainbows as much for fading as for their brilliance. It is easy for her, she opens her heart and accepts everything"

~Morgan Llywelyn, Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish

It's that time of year when the days are staring to become noticeably shorter, cooler and wet. I don't mind the change in seasons, each transition holds some great memories. My favorites are Fall and Winter, they remind me so much of my family, hearth, home, and heart. The roar of a fire to keep the house warm and the smell of wood burning. There is something so comforting about it for me. I imagine myself sitting all curled up reading a book and listening to the crackling of the wood and the snoring of my living feet warmers ( the dogs). It is so vivid for me I can feel the heat even now.

The change of seasons also bring about a change in shooting. On one hand I am blessed to have more overcast days to create DRAMA - oh how I love that in images - but on the other hand my talent tend to turn blue in a very short time frame. Perhaps I should entice them with my vivid recollections of my foot warmers and fire roaring.

Invisible Man

2013-09-01T14:10:00.001-07:00

Invisible Man, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
Albert Einstein

We live in a world where nothing really is as it seems, everything is a result of how we process what we see, hear, taste, feel, and what our egos want to make it out to be. It's a result of our experiences in our past, and colors everything. On some level I know that.. and I, at times, recognize it when I find myself locked in some disagreement holding my position of being "right". As someone older and wiser once said to me there are 3 sides to any story or argument, his side, the other guys side and then somewhere in the middle is something closer to reality.

My Job

2013-08-28T20:18:00.001-07:00

Home, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Your job is not who you are, your car is not who you are, your looks are not who you are, not even your body, Kim, is who you are.

You're simply on a journey, just trying things out, to see what you like, to see what you don't... because you can, because it's temporary, and because it's all on the way "home."

Ohh-h-h-h-h-h . . .
The Universe

Well it is clear that I am trying new things out and incorporating them into my shooting style. Sometimes the idea I get inspired to shoot I think 'I can do that' .. and then attempt to implement it and realize ... 'whoa, why did I think I could do that'. Ya, that is me when I am working with water. I ADORE the way water looks with fabric, and how dreamy it is, how awesome it is, how out of this world it is. The problem is it is so out of my world I don't seem to get it. I have to say those that shoot water themed images, wow, power to you - that stuff is difficult.

First off, it is cold for the model, it is hard to hold a pose or get exactly what you want with tweaks to the fabric, or positioning, or the camera angel. Then there is that darn reflection to deal with. I have to admit, trying out water elements are certainly trying me. All I can say is there is room to grow.

Have a blessed week.

In-spi-ration

2013-08-26T18:41:00.001-07:00

Inspiration, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

1. The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative: "flashes of inspiration".

2. The quality of having been so stimulated, esp. when evident in something: "a moment of inspiration in an otherwise dull display

I would say that my "flashes of inspiration" come at the most inappropriate times - like when I am driving to work early in the morning, or when I am in the shower. They tend to be when I can't really do much about them like draw them out or get it noted somewhere and sometimes they slip away like a dream when I finally get the chance to make some notes. Totally unfair. I find that I can't just get inspired, it comes when I am not thinking.

Obviously there are artists that inspire me to think differently, see the possibilities and try this, that or the other. One in particular is Brooke Shaeden, who I happened upon one day following one blog thread to another. I was BLOWN. A. WAY. Wow. By chance I saw she would be at CreativeLive as well. I could only catch a little of the 3 day event but what I had seen opened my mind to ideas, and lit a fire of inspiration. Some of what I do works out, and other times...well you can guess.

Don't miss out on those moments of inspiration, take them when they come, and run with them. They are gifts.

What are you inspired to do, create, be? How do you find your inspiration? What inspires you?

Shadow

2013-08-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

Shadow, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

What's in a dream. I found myself remembering a dream from last night.. and it was unnerving. Clearly I am either meant to learn something from it or I am just so disturbed by it I can remember it. That does not happen very often.

So here it goes..

In my dream I found a house or a home. ( I already have a home so it was strange to be dreaming of purchasing a new home), it was cute little 60's art deco type home, white and was stuccoed, with a flat roof, and all the doorways and entrance ways were rounded corners. (Yes some of the details are strange that I remember) It was a cute bungalo, and the inside was just delicious.. so I walk through with the realtor person, and buy it. In my dream I am so freakin happy.. finally got out of where I am and all the responsibilities of owning a house that has so many updates needed and have a house that does not need work, it's going to save $$ etc.. and then we move in that night.. (it's a dream so things happen fast.. ) as we are moving in the owners are moving out, I believe we were friends or aquaintences so I felt like I could trust them. My husband and I get all moved in, and I realize.. omg.. I did not do an inspection on the house! I bought it without inspection..
then I start getting nervous and begin to notice all the issues with the house, like one of the walls is wall papered with this white and gold reflective wall paper I am sure you have seen it in your grandparents bathrooms of the 60's and 70's.. I notice the paper is comming away and upon inspection it is actually not a wall but tin that was put up to separate the rooms and make 2 rooms (give the appearance of rooms). My husband pushes it over and steps forward and his foot goes through the wood floor boards (at this point I am stunned)! He steps back and where his foot went is loose panelling, we move some of the panels and there is a hole in the floor, with a pull out couch filling the hole, with planks covering it to make it look like a floor. (OMG are you kidding me! I am freaking out in my dream like how the hell am I going to manage this! I can't carry this on my own, I can't afford this) At this point my husband makes a comment about well that's not too bad for 50 years of stuff (something to that effect) I am racking my brain to understand what that has to do with anything still internally flipping out. The dream faded just around that point.

sheesh - what a way to ruin a Friday.

Well i decided it was so strange I wanted to know what my subconscious mind is doing. So here is some of the interpretations I found.

To see an old, run-down house in your dream represents your old beliefs, attitudes and how you used to think or feel. A situation in your current life may be bringing about those same old attitudes and feelings. Alternatively, the old house may symbolize your need to update you mode of thinking. If you see messy and/or dilapidated houses in your dream, then it implies that an aspect of your own life is in chaos. You may be suffering from some emotional or psychological clutter. You need to release these feelings in order to regain control. To dream that your house is damaged indicates your waking concerns about the condition of your house.

To dream of the number 50 represents change in your life that is causing conflict. You may be struggling to deal with a change, having difficulty adjusting, or finally being forced to confront something you don't want to. See the themes section for numbers for more information on dream number symbolism.

Wow. So, have you had dreams that un-nerve you. Did you try to figure out the meaning? I would love to hear.

Monday Morning Creeper

2013-08-20T18:37:00.001-07:00

Monday Morning Creeper, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Aristotle
"Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil."

I have a friend who bases alot of her life's decisions on fear. Not the avoidance of but seeking it out...to confront it, usually head on. In her world fear is a sign post to growth and experience. I, on the other hand, have no desire to face fear even out of the corner of my eye watching a scary movie. I am that girl who has a pillow up around her head and face and then peeks through her finders ... and when I get that googlie feeling in my gut that says "oh this is a little uncomfortable and I am starting to get scared" I bail. End of story, even at home I will stand up and walk out of the room. Sigh. I am not going to apologize for being a rabbit and dodging as soon as I hear the slightest unknown sound, or such it is the way it is. I am in awe of those who are inquisitive enough to follow fear, face it and if nothing else diminish it a little.

So recently I was asked a question

"Would you let fear dictate your physical, emotional and spiritual health?"

What kind of question is THAT!?!

"Of course not!!!"

Immediately I started to think.. really?

Who am I kidding.

That's a total lie! I do it all the time.

Sigh. So here I am now, contemplating fear and how it steers my life in perceived safe directions - but is that living - I mean really living. I am not suggesting I am going to go out and jump out of a plane, or speed down the highway to get over my fears, but it certainly makes me stop and wonder...What am I afraid of?

J'Adore

2013-08-18T10:35:00.001-07:00

J'Adore, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

I have been on a bit of a life journey, you could call it continual learning, getting older and wiser or you could say it is a spiritual journey. All of which would be correct. Twenty plus years ago, I had been given a book by James Redfield, that book started me looking at the meaning of life, finding happiness, love and connection something I believe we all strive for.

Fast forward 20 years and I am still searching, still yearning for something to fill that "ache". A new car, a bigger paycheque, renovations.. a makeover. Recently, I listened to a Canadian Doctor and Speaker who literally hit me with a 2x4. I am not quite sure why the message did not come through over the years, I've read a load of spiritual, self help and create a better life books.. etc. I have heard it over and over and over ad nauseam - how could I not have listened, or heard what I was being told. 'External things and circumstances will not complete me, it comes from internal being.' Oh it sounds so simple.

I really think E. Tolle said it best.

“Is there a difference between happiness and inner peace? Yes. Happiness depends on conditions being perceived as positive; inner peace does not.”
― Eckhart Tolle

{Peace to you}

~Kimberley

The Color Orange

2013-08-16T09:27:00.001-07:00

The Color Orange, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I am not a fan of green, at least not in photographs. Yes I live in a fain forest and am surrounded by greenery, pine trees, and birch and forests full of beautiful trees. However, I am from Ontario, where leaves change color, and the forest sheds its newness for some amazing peacock colors. I am drawn to those tones, those amazing colors mother nature created and so I am constantly making adjustments. Maybe I miss that change in season, or maybe I am just a dreamer.
Thank you Jenni who I have worked with many times.

Introspection

2013-08-14T11:14:00.001-07:00

Introspection, a photo by kim.yanick on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I have been so inspired lately and it seem that alot of my permission for inspiration has came from CreativeLive sessions. This image in particular was inspired by Jen Hudson this week, and her tintype images. (I am getting so much inspiration from CL!).
My model Alazlea and I had finished the fantasty images (to come) I was trying to attempt but the light was so gorgeous and Azalea was stunning in the shift dress I created we just kept shooting. I saw some amazing golden light in the open field so as we were getting her set up for the next shot, she bent over to sort out her hair and voila, this amazing amazing image. I really love the reverse C she created along with the dress. Shot at somenos marsh in Duncan, BC.