I wanted to include Stephanie in this project for two main reasons. First, she’s awesome. Second, she represents the relationships in my life which have been formed through blogging. You see, I’ve never actually met Stephanie. Yesterday when we video chatted for our ‘portrait session’ was the first time we’d ever spoken face to face (as it were).
There is a moment when a reader/commenter relationship on a blog turns into a friendship. I can’t put my finger on exactly where that moment is, but with Stephanie it was soon after discovering each other that we became friends. Much of what I know about her, you could know too if you read her delightful blog. But I’m learning more through our email and phone conversations and we have plans to meet in the flesh this summer.
It’s an oddly intimate relationship where you start from a place of knowing someone before you’ve even met.
I know that Stephanie is trained as a social worker and worked as such until recently. And that she recently made a leap of faith to follow her dream and become a professional photographer. I know that the choice to become a stay at home mother and freelance photographer was driven by passion but that the transition to it’s reality has been somewhat bumpy. I know that Stephanie has deep and private feelings about spirituality and that they aren’t exactly the ones she was raised with. I know that Stephanie takes great pride in being a woman and a mother and that both of these things are paramount in her life choices.
She writes with a strong and irreverent voice but her actual voice is soft and sweet. To me, her photography illustrates her straightforward and insightful view of the world as her images are revealing without being contrived.
And in addition to all these things, I also know that when we finally meet, it will be wonderful.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I am thrilled that you’ve included one of your online relationships in this series! I have honestly never actually “met” so many of the women who I currently consider friends. And I kind of know Stephanie via Kathleen {Mamas Always Write}…it’s such a small blog world, right? Anyway…beautiful choice. Stephanie does seem rather awesome!
I’m blown away. What wonderful words, and, coming from you, I believe them.
What an honor. Thank you.
Steph
you have really captured something here, amy. and i have loved reading stephanie’s words for a couple of years now…but you said something so nice: that her writing voice is so strong but her speaking voice is soft and sweet. that’s just how i always imagined her to be.
hope you have a great meet up this summer!
very cool indeed. the “portrait” is such an old, old “view” i like this new modern thing, incorporating the computer, since it’s how you see her, how your relationship began…is. i agree, oddly intimate. yes it is something so new to but so great. i think we went through a time where, as women, as mothers, we lost our “village”. the world of blogging and facebook and skype… it’s like we’re getting our support group back but miles don’t matter.
This is so cool. I love that you picked someone from your blog interactions, because as someone who only knows you through your blog it seems so appropriate. I totally agree with everything Tara said, so I echo it (I’m allowed to do that since we are related
I have met several of my blogging friends face-to-face and I have to say that with each and every one of them, there was a certain connection there that almost took me by surprise. Here was a person that you have never met, and that you already like, even love. It’s an amazing thing, these connections we build across the miles.