As I looked around at the rocky peaks that surrounded the valley we were nestled in, I remember marveling at the rich tones of the sky as day turned to dusk... how the remaining light of the day played on the mountains. Little did I know how much I would grow to love evenings spent sitting in this spot alongside Goose Creek. But that night, my very first night at the ranch, the purpose of the evening was to provide some initial orientation to prepare us for the summer ahead. After nervously singing along to 'Home on the Range' and a few others Lost Valley classics, Bob Foster Sr. took the stage and began sharing the tale of how he and his wife dreamed and prayed their way into owning this valley 50 years ago. And as I sat on that plank of wood, my eyes began to sting with tears because, in that moment, I felt the magnitude of how my life was all the sudden intersecting with the vision that had been cast those many years ago by one man. Somehow my life had just been plucked out of "just a fun summer adventure" and into the script of a much greater purpose... a purpose of creating a place and space for families to come have an unforgettable experience, and beyond that, a legacy of turning guests into friends and friends into family. God felt very real and very near in that moment of realization.
I think it's safe to say that I quickly fell in love, hard and fast, with Lost Valley and everything about it! I spent 3 summers and a full year living, working and breathing the mission of the Ranch. And no, LVR is not perfect, but I can safely say, it is the place that has had the greatest impact on my life. Everything from work ethic/attitude, learning how to live in a close knit community, seeing the humble effectiveness of servant leadership, making lifelong friendships, taking my relationship with God to new heights and depths, and of course the common thread that ultimately wove Ross and I together (although that took more than 6 years after the first summer we met!).
Over the course of the next few weeks I'll be sharing some of my favorites moments or memories from my time at the Ranch, so those of you who don't know anything about it, can hopefully get more of taste for this place that I hold so near and dear to my heart!
My goal is take on a long-time dream of creating a coffee table book that creates a beautiful visual and emotional tribute to the legacy of Lost Valley and the stories of the people whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the ranch. So what I'm asking is for YOUR story about Lost Valley Ranch. How did LVR impact you or your family? (There have been families going to the Ranch for 50 years, wow.) Anything from funny anecdotes to heart-felt dramatic stories of the role that this very special and unique place has played in your life. Please email them to me (amy.noon.free@gmail.com) with the subject line {Lost Valley Ranch} - and please oh please, help me spread the word!
Also, I will be starting to plan my cross country travels to photograph some of the people who submit their stories, so please let me know if you are interested in having me come to see you! Here are some of the places I am already planning to be:
Atlanta area
Nashville area
Indianapolis area
Kansas City area
Colorado Springs/Denver area
LA/San Diego area
** Some old film images that I scanned in! I'm in the top two...
Love this! Want to buy it! Shots look fab :)
(01.06.10 @ 02:16 PM)I have to say - Towne & Reese's debut at the Atlanta Gift show was PHENOMENAL!!!! everyone loved it! :)
(01.13.10 @ 11:07 AM)The Towne & Reese product is amazing! We just received it in our shop after buying it in ATL and our staff and customers are loving it!! Your photography of it is beautiful also!
(02.24.10 @ 02:46 PM)Last week I had a really fun one-on-one teaching session with a client/friend, and I arranged for little man Eli to come model for us!
Over the course of the past few years I've watched several of my best friends become new mom's and I have to say that it truly is a marvelous transition. Watching them guide and help grow a new little life, well it sometimes makes a happy little lump in my throat. Angie, Eli's mom, is certainly no exception... she is an amazing mother to both Noah and Eli. But honestly, just look at Eli... how could you not be head over heels for those dark eyes and velvety cheeks? Not only is this little guy growing like crazy (this was just him a few short weeks ago), but I think he just might be getting more deliciously handsome with each passing day. Thanks for sharing him with us Angie!
his chubby cheeks are beyond precious! :)
(01.05.10 @ 10:41 AM)Amy.....
Love it ! Of course, Me Mama Beverly is gonna love it. I need prints......!!!!!!!!!!
I thank God for your gift and looking thru the lens with the eyes of love!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless!
Amy.....
Love it ! Of course, Me Mama Beverly is gonna love it. I need prints......!!!!!!!!!!
I thank God for your gift and looking thru the lens with the eyes of love!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless!
A lot can happen in 12 months. Let's see... let's take a stroll down memory lane shall we? I parted ways with my "work family" at BooneOakley and started my own company - an entirely scary and thrilling endeavor. Ross made his decision to leave private veterinary practice and start a career with the Air Force doing Public Health work. We moved from Davidson, back down to Charlotte, then were stationed at Pope AFB and moved again to Fayetteville. We bought our first house together. I've enjoying living right around the corner from family for the first time in my life. I had a big time wrestling match with the emotional and physical implications of my recent Type 1 diabetes diagnosis - and I mean serious wrestling. I got to travel all over the country shooting some really awesome weddings. Numerous families welcomed me into their lives and their homes to capture their relationships, their new babies, and their laughter. I've taken on some significant editorial projects and seen my work published. And our big great dane pup, Bristol, has been there through it all. I've laughed, cried, been happy, anxious, content, frustrated and thankful.
But even now as I look back over this summary of the year, what I pluck out of it all is that this year I have been "known"... and that is a deep, rich and beautiful blessing. I feel like my marriage was taken to a whole new level as we charted new waters with career changes (for both of us), a move out of our comfort zone (literally and figuratively) and being truly intentional about investing, serving and loving each other. It's pretty wild to have someone love me the way he does - it's truly through the good, the bad and the ugly. It's truly God-given. (Plus I would have never EVER even pursued photography if it weren't for Ross' encouragement and belief in me.) I've also been forced to know myself as I've worked to understand what it really means to be in tune with my body and learning the best ways to care for myself (goodness this is a hard one!). Creatively, I've also been challenged to learn/know myself and my style, and although I still wouldn't say that I've "arrived" in any way, shape or form... I have tapped into this beautiful truth that photography is an amazing gift that has made me come alive in ways that I only dreamed possible.
This year I want to re-connect with the giddy, adventurous, keep-me-up-at-night ideas that were so much a part of my early love story with photography. I am returning to the truth that my journey with my camera is completely my own, and that it will thrive the most when I stay true to my core passions. So, one way that I'm getting back to my core will be embarking on a rather significant personal project that pays a tribute to the legacy of Lost Valley Ranch, and the numerous lives it has profoundly impacted (and hopefully takes me on a wild whirlwind tour around the country). The other step in that direction will be attending a workshop lead by Deb Schwedhelm and Leah Zawadzki, which I feel confident will both inspire and enlighten me about photography and so much more. I want to return to the truth that I have a unique story to tell, and that with my camera, I can have both the opportunity and privilege to tell the stories of others.
So cheers, to what lies ahead in 2010! I'd be so honored to have you follow along for what lies ahead, and even hear more about YOUR adventures in the next 12 months.
I am so proud to be your husband and can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for you!
(01.03.10 @ 04:49 PM)Here's a hug from me because that is what this post makes me want to do :) Can't wait to hear about your LVL project, and I love this picture of you, dear friend!
(01.03.10 @ 08:42 PM)did everyone cry when they read this or just me? And then did you tear up again when you saw that Ross was the first commenter?!?!?! I love you guys and am SOOOOO inspired by you and honored to be your friend.
(01.04.10 @ 09:47 AM)I love this post and the picture. So cute. God has great things in store for you in 2010! :D
(01.04.10 @ 10:34 AM)love your heart. love your passion & i cannot wait to see these new inspirations that come from doing what you love!!
(01.04.10 @ 12:21 PM)May you look back on this journal entry and feel SO overjoyed at how far you have come! What an INCREDIBLE blessing you are Miss Amy, and how fun for all of us to be and this wonderful adventure with you! (and YES I cried!) Love you
(01.04.10 @ 02:51 PM)May you look back on this journal entry and feel SO overjoyed at how far you have come! What an INCREDIBLE blessing you are Miss Amy, and how fun for all of us to be and this wonderful adventure with you! (and YES I cried!) Love you
(01.04.10 @ 02:51 PM)May you look back on this journal entry and feel SO overjoyed at how far you have come! What an INCREDIBLE blessing you are Miss Amy, and how fun for all of us to be and this wonderful adventure with you! (and YES I cried!) Love you
(01.04.10 @ 02:51 PM)well, you've arrived in my book! and it's really disgustingly cute that ross was your first comment. thanks for sharing ames:)
(01.04.10 @ 10:28 PM)I love this Amy..so excited to follow you on this year's adventure!
(01.05.10 @ 08:19 PM)love you Amy! I feel so blessed to be able to call you my friend. :)
(01.06.10 @ 11:17 PM)WOW! Amy, you are one AMAAAAZING woman!!! And I am so thankful our paths crossed again....what a blessing you were to me, Todd, and our families on such a special day in our lives. But, thank you for being so transparent and sharing your heart. I am truly inspired and encouraged by your words.
(01.12.10 @ 03:06 PM)Ames. i miss you - reading this made me realize that i'm not tapped into what's going on in your life! let's grab coffee really soon! i'm finally back home for a while... love love love you dear friend
(01.13.10 @ 11:03 AM)When you point your lens toward another person, you are telling them that they noteworthy; that of all the people in the world, they alone have your attention at this moment in time. You have the golden and rare opportunity to transform the simple act of photographing a person, into the forming of a human connection that didn't exist before.Every time you photograph someone, you tell them, "You're important enough to remember." Make the most of it.
-- Cheryl Jacobs
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I feel like my nephew's shiner is noteworthy. I love how this shows off his rough and tumble personality. I feel like documenting these little elements in his life serves as a celebration of who he is, and that makes me happy.
I just love the quote amy! It's what I meant to say about photographing my friend Claire had I been smart enough to come up with it.
(01.07.10 @ 03:24 PM)
Now this I just love...the idea and the passion that you feel for this place. My YL camp in San Diego holds the same sort of importance to me. People don't "get it" unless they've done something like it. What a rush, what a treasure. Hope you are well - and good luck with this fabulous project!
(01.08.10 @ 09:33 AM)Holla! I fully plan on submitting a story. Thanks (big time) for doing this. I can't wait to see it unfold...
(01.08.10 @ 04:09 PM)When are you coming to NYC, Amy? If you head this way, let me know.
(01.09.10 @ 03:16 PM)I hope you got my email. I sure have stories to tell but also passing the plan on to lots of LV families. xo
(01.10.10 @ 10:49 PM)I totally get this - i experienced the same with my time in CO at Frontier Ranch & Trail West. There's something there that tugs at your heart and pulls you back to your memories from time to time, even years down the road... can't WAIT to see what you have to show/hear what you have to say!
(01.13.10 @ 11:21 AM)Whoooo Hooooo! i can't wait to see this develop :) and i can't wait for your Nashville Trip! love you and i'm proud that you are chasing this dream-
(01.14.10 @ 08:02 PM)Amy, I just got a GREAT email from Jill K Barker telling me about this and the connections continue to go on and on... Too many for this space but first, I DO remember you and the first LVL CD you put out under Dace's mgmt. Congrats on your marriage and also your business!! I always LOVED photography --as anyone who knew me at the ranch knows; i'd always send prints out after we'd been there. Anyway, I don't know when you'll be in the Indy area but I'd love to see you and tell you my story (ies!) FYI---our dghtr ended up working at Vista Verde ranch where Dace and Ben are now ( and Lee was) and she ended up dating/marrying ( 5-09-09) a guy on staff who is now in medical school in Detroit! Truly hope our paths will cross! What a cool idea!! Fondly, Pam Schilt of Carmel, IN Email me and I'll give you our phone #s etc.
(01.16.10 @ 09:54 AM)