Saturday, February 5, 2011

{What They Wear}

I just spent two days in Baltimore at Tastefully Simple On Tour, a high-energy, FUN conference where consultants receive training, recognition, inspiration and knowledge. We found out all kinds of super cool changes coming soon AND we got to taste the new spring / summer products that are coming your way. I had SO much fun! I'll share more when I'm allowed to (top secret stuff, you know), but I will say that if you have ever thought about hosting a fun taste-testing party OR if you have ever thought about partying for a living you need to do it n.o.w. I wish I could tell you why, but you'll have to trust me. This company just keeps getting better and better!




Anyway, because I've been in Baltimore this weekend I haven't been able to blog my Joy Of Love photos. I actually took Friday's photo yesterday morning before I left but didn't have time to post it. And I haven't even read today's assignment yet . . .


Yesterday's assignment was to photograph what our loved ones wear. As soon as I read the topic I knew I wanted Cory to be my subject. Cory doesn't dress like many men do for work. The dress shirts, ties, and suits that hang in his closet are worn to church, weddings, funerals and the occassional date. They certainly are not a regualar part of his wardrobe.


What does Cory wear to work every day? Layers. Lots of layers during the winter. He wears jeans (sometimes insulated), overalls, Under Armour tops, windbreakers, and finally coveralls. He has to wear so many layers because he is outside on dairy farms all day long. So there is no dressing up. While he does his best to stay clean, let's face it. It's hard to be a dairy vet and not get some yucky stuff on your clothes. So everyday he takes numerous coveralls and surgical jackets with him so he can change into clean ones between farm visits. I wanted to photograph him wearing his typical garb, but he refused. Once all of those layers are on, he looks about 35 pounds heavier than he is. So instead, I photographed a stack of his laundry that I folded. This is actually a rather small stack consisting of several pairs of coveralls and some Under Armour. Usually there are surgical jackets and clothes in the mix as well.



It's always interesting to do Cory's work laundry. Although I'll be honest and say that he almost always does his own wash. I just end up folding it for him. I find many items in the drier that most wives don't find: long plastic gloves (you can guess what they are used for), syringes, operating tools, tape, and needle caps to name some. Someday I hope we'll have a seperate laundry for his work clothes and the rest of the household laundry!

The other part of the photography assignment was to play around with the metering on our camera. The metering is what controls exposure. Depending on the composition of you photo and what you are photographing, you may decide to change the exposure and play around with the metering a bit. I took the same photo of Cory's pile of folded coveralls using three different metering settings. I liked this one the best because it kept the majority of the photo nicely exposed and the colors look natural and true.

I don't know that I ever would have photographed and documented Cory's work clothes if it weren't for this assignment and I'm glad that I got the nudge to do so. These little things are a part of our everyday lives - a part of the lives I love so much. The coveralls are also a symbol of how hard-working Cory is. He loves helping farmers take care of their herds and be more productive. He is passionate about what he does. I'm so grateful that he has such a strong work ethic and is such a wonderful provider. What a fantastic role model he is for our children!

We are very blessed to love the man who wears these clothes.

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