Once again, photography has impacted my life and I apologize for not using a current photo for this entry.
These are just a few of the crazy women at the Dallas World Aquarium.

When I was thinking of retiring from nursing, several co-workers were asking if I would help them get started in photography and to buy a camera.
Well... the timing was right. For once I would have the time to devote to the things I love and it was time to re-invent my life.

Nooo... I am not a photography guru but I figured I could share some basic information and hopefully give them a passion for photography.
After all, photography has gotten me through some of the most difficult times in life and is excellent at relieving stress as you focus on the moment.

So... The CrAzY Women's Photography Club was a reality in March of 2012.
We started with a handful of members and now number 36. Many are in healthcare.
There are 3 requirements to joining this club:
#1- You must be female #2- You must own a camera (any kind) #3- You must be a little crazy!

There are no meetings because everyone works crazy hours.
Dues? Yes, one new member asked about dues.
I told her the dues are $1,000 paid directly to me in cash! LMAO! Actually... no dues!

We have outings every couple weeks to shoot a variety of subjects.
It is during these outings that we discuss our cameras, settings, light, depth of field, etc. Hands on learning!
We have monthly challenges and we have a blog to share the challenge photos.
http://cwpcblog.wordpress.com/

I have seen their photography improve drastically over this past year and they are shooting things they would have never thought of shooting before.
And... they are having fun! A comraderie has developed between these women (of all ages) that I have never really seen before.

When they embark on a new learning curve... that's when I know it is working.
When they e-mail me photos they are proud of just because they are excited to get out and shoot... that's when I know it is working.
When they tell me how stressful their work day is and they can't wait to get out and shoot something... that's when I know it is working.

So at the end of our first year, I put together a book on Blurb with some of their best photos and some stories to share about shooting together.

It has been a year of discovery and a year of passion for me as well as "the crazies".
Not all members are active. Some sit on the sidelines watching from afar.
The most active have submitted their bios which are included in the book and these are the gals who show up for the outings and participate the most.

By the end of an outing, my smile muscles are aching from laughter.
This is a non-competititive club and I encourage helping each other along the way.
We have all levels of expertise from newbies to a wedding photographer.
Many of these women deal with life and death on a daily basis and I would trust them with my life.
They are passionate and have dealt with a myriad of issues in their own lives and have come out stronger as a result of it.
It has been an honor to have the opportunity to introduce them to the joys of photography and I can only hope that this will be the foundation that makes photography a part of their life forever.

To see some of their beautiful photography, you may access our book on Blurb.
You may see the entire book on line...

http://www.blurb.com/b/4439493-the-crazy-women-s-photography-club

And a special thank you to the fella who was visiting with his family who so kindly got this photo of us.
He mentioned that he is a pro-photographer and I apologize for not getting his name.