Mompreneur Myths-Extra Money?

I'm writing this post on behalf of all my fellow Photographer Moms, but also on behalf of Mom Entrepreneurs of all kinds. I'm sure many of you are in the same situation as me.

Today I had someone refer to my Photography Business as "extra money".  I have great respect for this person, and I know she didn't mean anything by it, but it made me feel that it might be time to dispel some myths and misconceptions about we Moms who run businesses from our homes. 

After my first son was born, and maternity leave was almost over, it become apparent that between child care costs, and the cost to commute to work each day, retuning to work would not be very profitable. So like many mothers I made the choice to stay home with my son, and work from home. 

I've been fortunate enough to be able to do this. I love that I can stay home with my sons, and accommodate my work day around their needs. But I do need to work. I love my husband, he works very hard, and he is a good provider. But in this increasingly expensive world in which we live, if I don't contribute to our family's income, we fall behind. 

So like many Mom's out there, I do my best to supplement our family's income with the talents I have, mine being Photography. What I'm able to bring in pays for bills, groceries, and clothes. It's not extra money. It's money we need.

If some of you Moms out there are fortunate enough that what you bring in from your home business is "extra money", then I am happy for you. But even if it is extra income, it still needs to be enough to cover your time, and expenses that are incurred when you provide a service, or make a product for sale.

Given the misconception that money a Mompreneur make is all "extra money", people often think we should provide our services, skills or talents for a very cheap price, like a Department Store.

Too often Big Box stores are creating the attitude of "that's too much money", and "I can get it cheaper at ________". I know this is increasingly the case for Photographers. We can hardly compete with Department Store prices. But the level of quality and service being offered by an individual who takes their business seriously, does not even compare to what you can buy in a Big Box store. 

What you are getting from me, and my fellow Mompreneurs, is our time, talents, skills, and hand-crafted work. You can't buy that at a Big Box store, or even compare it to that. If something is crocheted, knitted or sewn by a Mom from her home, you can't compare it in price or quality from something made from a sweat-shop or factory. If a Photographer provides an on-location sitting, helps you select a beautiful presentation for your home, and hand-delivers your order, you can't compare their price to Wal-Mart or Sears. 

Our work is often our biggest passion, next to our children and family. It's a labour of love. We are up late after our children are in bed, working hard to provide the best of our skills and talents to our customers. Please do not begrudge Mompreneurs their living. We love the work we do, but we also need to support our families. 

Father's Day-Generations

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Although there is truth to this saying, I often find that you need to know the story that goes along with the images to fully understand their relevance and meaning. So is the case with these images I captured in time for Father's Day this year.

I knew I wanted to make my husband a photo gift for Father's Day, with images of our two sons. The opportunity fully presented itself when we went to High Prairie the weekend of June 9th, for my brother's Wedding. 

We stayed the weekend with Josh's parents, Allen and Jean, as we always do when we go up North for a visit. Josh had been working very hard on a wooden rocking horse, a gift our baby nephew, since my brother and his wife did not want Wedding Gifts.

Josh, and Allen, went out to the workshop to work on this horse. 

Both men are very talented carpenters, as many men in the Imrie family are, including Neil Imrie, Allen's dad, Josh's Grandfather. 

Neil passed away at 90 years of age, in 2006. He had moved up to High Prairie, to live with Jean and Allen during the last several years of his life. It was nice to have spent so much time with him, during these years. 

Neil always held onto the hope, and desire to live in his own cottage, on Allen and Jean's property. Josh and Neil worked very hard to build this cottage, but unfortunately Neil's age, and health took it's toll, and he never did get to live in the cottage. 

The cottage has now become Allen's workshop. It's filled with all kinds of tools. Many of Neil's belongings and mementos still adorn the shelves and walls.

So when our son's, Brodie and David, went out to the workshop to see what their Daddy and Grandpa were doing, I knew it was a true family moment. Great-Grandfather's workshop, Grandpa, Daddy, and Grandchildren, all under one roof, carrying on the Imrie tradition of carpentry and woodworking. 

I love the pictures of the kids exploring the workshop, and discovering things as little boys do. I really love the photos of Father and Son working together, as they have done so many times. (Years ago, when we still lived in High Prairie, they even had a Contracting Business together)

The images I captured of their day in the workshop made a beautiful album, a special Father's Day gift for both my husband, and my father-in-law. 

I love them so much, I have to share. 

Celebrating The Last Day of School

A lot of people really focus on a child's First Day of School. For our family, we were rather stressed, and feeling so rushed, that unfortunately that moment passed us by. The "first day of school picture", I failed to capture of my own son.

I felt rather disappointed in myself for this, but I have plenty of great pictures of my kids, so I didn't let it bother me too much. 

Then, as the last day of school approached, it occured to me, that was the real celebration. For Brodie overcame a lot of challenges during his first year of school, and we are so very proud of him.

In September, at 3-1/2 years old, Brodie still did not say a word. He had said a few words over the years, so we knew he could talk, but he just didn't seem to know how to talk to us. 

He was also painfully shy.

He had been diagnosed with a Severe Expressive Language Delay, and qualified for some help with a Educational Assistant to work with him in his Pre-School class, and once a month help from a Speech Therapist. 

We were so lucky to have Christine Bates as Brodie's Educational Assistant. With her help in the classroom, as well as their one-on-one sessions together, Brodie was able to achieve so much this year. 

He went from not speaking at all, to now using full sentences. He is not quite as shy around adults, and actually likes to play with other kids his age, calling them by name. 

I could go on and on, the transformation of Brodie this year has been amazing. It has been so exciting for us to see all of his achievements, and most of all, to finally have him talk to us, and hear what is on his mind. 

Thank you so much to the Foothills School Division, to Ms. Phillips, and Mrs. Currie, Brodie's Pre-School teachers, and especially to Christine, for all of the hard work, and attention you gave Brodie, to help him get to the point he is at today. 

For us, Brodie's Last Day of School is truly a celebration. 

Switching Gears

My Blog started out as a update for my family and friends when we were on a trip a couple years ago. 

We've long since been home, but now I'd like to start blogging again. 

I have personal thoughts and topics I'd like to Blog about, but I also want to use my Blog to promote my photography business, Illuminessence Designs. 

So my Blog will follow a variety of topics that are on my mind, and close to my heart, but there will be one common thread to hold it all together. That will be my Photography. Stories, thoughts, and ideas, all supported by my photographic images. 

So I hope you enjoy the stories and photos I share. Thanks for reading.

Rachel Imrie

Since Being Home from Our Alaska Adventure

Now that we have been home for a while, we often are amazed at how perilous our trip really was. We are just so grateful to have had an adventure, and that we made it home safely. 

To our shock, and horror, we heard the news that in June 2010, Lonnie, our helicopter pilot was killed in a fatal helicopter accident. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009480/Fatal-helicopter-crash-caused-battle-bull-ensnared-choppers-landing-skid.html

Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies go out to Lonnie's family and friends. He touched many lives, and was well liked by everyone. Umnak will never be the same. 

On a happier note, Julian Olivas, another Helicopter Pilot and Ranch Hand from Umnak, and an amazing Photographer, is making a book of some of his images and experiences on Umnak Island. I can't wait to see it in print.

See some of Julian's images here: http://julianolivas.blogspot.ca/

Departure Day-Friday, November 6th, 2009

It was still a bit stormy, but there were signs of the storm residing. The wind had calmed to a breezy 35-40 knots. Still quite windy, but better than it had been all week. 

At 5 AM, we couldn't sleep. We had packed most of our things, and now we wondered if we would be leaving today. Even Josh, the more common sense one of the two of us at that point, was very ready to leave, even if it was still quite windy.

We went to the ranch house at around 7AM, our nerves really frayed, wondering if we would get to leave that day, or if we'd be stuck on Umnak for who even new how long. 

Lonnie seemed to think that we would be alright to fly to Dutch Harbor, despite the winds, so we went back to the cabin, and finished packing. We had to leave several things behind, to try and decrease our weight. Rubber boots, some clothes, and a few of the small artifacts, and keepsakes we had contemplated bringing home, were left behind. 

With our luggage crammed tightly into the R44, which was only half filled with fuel to further decrease our weight, our family, together with Lonnie, stuffed ourselves into the helicopter, and took off. 

Our hearts were beating franticly. There was still enough of a wind to make the flight treacherous. The sea was still roiling. Every 5-10 miles there was a storm squall over the ocean. It was amazing beautiful, and completely terrifying at the same time. I would have loved to capture a few images from this flight, but I was far too scared, my camera was stuffed away somewhere, and there was not really any room to move one's arms anyway, as I had Brodie on my lap.

We finally made it to Dutch Harbor, after dodging several storm squalls. Josh and I felt so relieved, and happy to have completed the scariest part of the journey. We checked in at the tiny airport, and then went to have a snack at the restaurant. Josh and I hadn't had a beer for a whole month, and our nerves suggested we should have one. Wouldn't you know it, the first beer we go to enjoy after a whole month was skunky. How disappointing. 

Oh well. We enjoyed the rest of our snack, went to the airport, said our good-byes to Lonnie, and got ready to leave the Aleutian Islands.

The weather was continuing to improve, and our flight to Anchorage, and then on to Seattle was uneventful. 

We arrived in Calgary the next day, everybody unscathed, with a whole lot of stories and adventures to share. 

Our Last Week on Umnak-November 2-5, 2009

It stormed hard all week. As the week wore on we grew more and more apprehensive about our departure date of November 6th, and if we would even be able to leave. 

Josh, Art, and Ace worked hard all week, even through the storm, trying to complete as much of the building as they could. They finished all of the building's exterior, and covered it with tin siding. 

I felt more and more restless and agitated, as we were cooped up indoors, and I was feeling very anxious to leave the island, and return home. The winds howled at night up to 70 knots. The walls of our cabin shook and groaned in the wind. Sheets of ice and snow pelted the cabin. I found every night nearly impossible to sleep. The storm, and the cabin shuddering in it, was so loud. I was terrified that our weathered old cabin would fall down on top of us in the storm. I believed this wasn't too remote a possibility, considering all the other old army buildings around us had suffered this fate. So I lay there, my heart beating wildly, hoping each night that we'd make it to morning 

It was cold, too. Our little propane heater in our cabin could barely keep us warm. The wind came drafting through every crack, of which there are many. All three of us would go to be fully clothed, wearing toques. Three of us, sleeping in one bed was not going too well either. Josh and Brodie weren't sleeping well either, and everyone tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. And Brodie is a bed hog.

Our nerves were terribly frayed after a few days of this, and not knowing if we would even leave on Friday. I felt I could not stand to be there another minute. But obviously, we couldn't fly in the storm. We'd just have to wait and see. 

Helicopter Flight, Tour of Umnak-November 1st, 2009

As this would be our last Sunday on Umnak, Lonnie said he would give us a Helicopter Tour of the island. I had been hoping for the past weeks to have one more look at Okmok, the Caldera, and today would hopefully be my chance. 

  It was a cloudy day, and Okmok had clouds right on top of it. Lonnie wasn't sure we'd be able to fly into it, but he said there were other things we could look at.

  We flew over the waterfall that Brodie and I had hiked to earlier in the week.

  We flew over some left over ammunition from the war.

  We saw the place where scientists keep some equipment for monitoring the volcanic activity.

  We finally saw the cows, that they are ranching. Some of the cattle are really big. They have very long horns. They are a tough breed, and fend entirely for themselves.

  As we came around the north side of the caldera, we could see into it quite well. So Lonnie said we'd be able to fly in and take a look. 

  At the entrance to the caldera, there are two waterfalls, that are really nice to see. It used to be very green and lush around them, but since the eruption in 2008, everything is now black.

  When Okmok erupted, it blew out the north side of the crater, leaving a entrance in the rim. 

  Inside Okmok there are several volcanic cones, lakes, streams, lakes inside volcanos, and now, at this time of year, lots of snow. It's 6 miles wide, with a large rim around the outside. It's very amazing, and very dangerous. I read on the internet that Okmok has an eruption approximately every 10 years. It erupted in 2008, in 1997, and in the 1960's. I'm not sure what other times in between then. 

  After we explored the inside of Okmok, we flew along the beach, and spotted a glass float, so Lonnie set down so we could take it for a souvenir. 

  We saw more reindeer, the Weeping Wall (a cliff face of many waterfalls), and several other waterfalls. 

  Lonnie then flew us across the Pass, to Unalaska Island, where we went and looked at the wild horses again. We chased them around with the helicopter for quite awhile, looking at them, and photographing them. They sure are a sight. Their wild beauty captures the imagination. 

  We flew back to Umnak, and stopped at a small island to see the seals.

  As we flew back to the ranch we had another look at all the buildings now left to crumble by he Army. Their base on Umnak was quite large. A few thousand soldiers lived there during the war. They built many, many buildings. Mess Halls, barber shops, theaters, pool halls, aircraft hangers, houses, munitions stores, and quanset huts for storing supplies and ammunition. Quite an operation the Army had here. There isn't much left now. Everything is weathered and collapsing. The cabin we sleep in, and the Ranch House are some of the few remaining structures.

Hike to a Waterfall, October 28th, 2009

More nice weather this week, so we went for another hike to get some fresh air. I had been told there was a waterfall within hiking distance, so Brodie and I set out to see if we could get to it. I decided to hike along the stream bed for a change of pace. 

  It was a bit harder hiking in spots, as we were used to hiking along the road. The sound of the rushing stream was relaxing. In some places there was a lot of army junk left over. Old pipes, pieces of metal, and the remains of old power lines. I felt a bit nervous as we hiked, as I hoped we would not accidentally stumble over any unexploded ammunition.

  After hiking a few miles, I said to myself as I came to another bend in the stream, "If the waterfall is not around this bend, then we will turn back." We went around the bend, and there it was. 

  It was very nice to see, worth the hike. Waterfalls, and moving water,  are some of my favorite things to photograph. I made a few images. I could have stayed for quite awhile, but Brodie was not having much fun. I'm not sure if it scared him, or what, but he didn't want us to be there, so we hiked back. 

  The light turned to nice evening light as we walked back, giving nice color to the landscape. We could see Unalaska Island very well, and Mt. Mucushion. 

Hike and Fishing Trip-Sunday, October 25th, 2009

As Sunday was a decent day, and it was everyone's day off, another Fishing Trip was planned. This time out on the Ocean for Halibut.

I really wanted to go fishing too, but I refused to take Brodie out in a open boat on the open sea. So Brodie and I stayed behind. 

Josh went, and caught a Halibut, and another kind of fish. Everyone had a good time, but it was very cold, and the water was quite rough, so I was glad I didn't go after all.

After Brodie had his nap, we went for a walk to the beach. It seemed nice when we started out, but as we hiked it got pretty windy. 

We saw a fox on the hike. Brodie liked that. There are lots of foxes on this island, brought here by the Russians. There are no other predators for the foxes. I think they would have a hard living though, as there are no mice or rats, and I don't think there are rabbits. So they have to catch birds, which can be hard to catch.

Brodie and I walked along the beach. I collected a few volcanic rocks. The wind was really strong, and cold. The waves were pretty big as they crashed on the beach. We kept our distance.

Although I had dressed Brodie warmly, he became very cold. The temperature was above freezing, but the wind really robs body heat. So as we hiked back to the ranch, he cried pretty much the whole way. And it's a three mile hike. I felt bad, like a terrible mother. 

We finally made it, and not a moment too soon, because it started raining just then. I cuddled him and warmed him up in the cabin. 

Then we went to the ranch house, and feasted on halibut, the catch of the day. It was delicious!

Hike, Snow Day- October 24th, 2009

We had a week of bad weather. Lots of wind, rain, and snow. The spell of nasty weather broke by the weekend though. 

Saturday was a nice day, and the fresh snow on the ground put everyone in a playful mood. I let Brodie play outside for a few hours.  There are some swings in the Helicopter Hanger, that you can use when the Helicopters are out, so we had a swing ride.

Later in the afternoon we went for a hike, and took in some of the scenery with the coating of new snow.

Progress on the Building Project, October 21, 2009

Now they are building the rafters/trusses, and lifting them into place. And the nice spell of weather has broke, very nasty out today. I hope they will be OK as they put the last trusses up, the roof will be slippery with all this rain. 

Helicopters at Ft. Glenn

From October 2009

Helicopters are used to do many things here at the Bering Pacific Ranch. They are the main mode of transportation, and are used as a work vehicle. 

They often transport the ranch hands to the worksite, where the fence is being built. They carry tools and supplies, and go to town for groceries. Helicopters are even used to herd cattle and sheep on the ranch. And sometimes they are used for recreation. 

A lot of Helicopter Pilots are here, and Pilots in training.

The Helicopters are both Robinsons, an R22, and a R44.