Earth Day | 2016

Let's be aware of what we're growing. On this day, Earth Day, let's begin to choose our steps carefully. Let's be present. Whether it's with recycling, with waste, or with starting a garden.
   
Sow a seed—any seed. Just plant something. One teeny, tiny seed will change your life and in turn, will change the life of our planet. Don't think about the reasons why not. One tiny seed makes you feel like you are a part of something big—that you are a part of helping Mother Earth grow. Choose to strengthen this beautiful planet, not weaken her. 
   
Sow a seed like this six year old, like this thirteen year old. These two boys live very different lives, in two very different countries. One is a six year old boy living in a big city in the United States and the other is a 13 year old boy, living deep in the countryside of Haiti. They are both gardeners. And these are their seedlings.
   
We are all gardeners. And we get to decide what we grow. How incredible is that?! 
   
What will you grow today?
   
More from this six year old gardener on this blog and in the latest Family Fun magazine "A Boy and his Garden."

A Boy and His Garden

"I put seeds in the soil. And then we get babies. Not like a baby in your belly but a baby flower." -Oliver, Age 6, on gardening 

Check out the April issue of the always amazing FamilyFun Magazine. "A Boy and his Garden" was written beautifully by Catherine Newman — who takes you in to the little green world of a six year old boy, Ollie. All the gardening was done by my son, Oliver. I had the easy part, the taking pictures part. 

Inspiration.

I'm not sure if I’m tired this morning because of the margaritas from Rosa Mexicana and Committee Boston last night and wine from the amazing McBride Sisters at the AdClub Women’s event yesterday OR if my exhaustion comes from the amazing female speakers whose inspirational words flooded my mind and heart yesterday at the Women’s Leadership Forum.

I’m still trying to process it all — from the young mountain climber Sasha DiGiulian, who climbed even though the dudes climbing next to her told her ’This is no place for a girl.’ (talk about climbing mountains!) to Reshma Saujani who began the non-profit and movement, Girls Who Code, striving to get more girls into STEM fields. From Kelli Carlin, daughter of George Carlin, telling us that if you don’t have your own truth, you don’t have your own power, to a local mother and nurse, Christine McSherry who not only saved her son, she saved thousands of other children who were dying from rare diseases in this country by never giving up. Unbelievable!! You’re tired just reading this right?!

And that was just who was on stage. There were 1200 amazing women in the room!! (And a small handful of brave men.) Not only was I lucky enough to hear these incredibly inspiring stories from the speakers, I got to spend the day connecting with amazing women right here in Boston: Amy Flanagan, Andrea Becker, DeMane Davis, Jane Hirschi, Rachel Houk-Seeger, Carol Lee Kelleher, Sue Kingsbury, Molly Scannell, Kathy Kiely, Ellen Lacey, Noreen Moross, Margie Sullivan, Julie Paquette, Michelle Coughlin, Kathleen Schiffman, Margaux Stunzi, Julianna Akuamoah and so, so many more. What a day!

I felt so lucky to be in that room and to have played a small part of the event by filming and photographing some of these incredible women. With my ad in the WLF program reading “Inspiration is contagious. Congratulations, you’re a carrier.” I was trying to speak to each individual person at the event, but I’m also speaking to you now. We are all carriers of inspiration. Small or big. Think about that for a little while. And I hope it makes you tired, too.

[ View the videos here: http://vimeo.com/kimlowe/videos ]

NEW WORK: Unfiltered

Sometimes the trickiest part of a shoot for me, as a director or as a photographer, is actually just picking up the camera. THIS was one of those shoots.

On this day, there were so many moments I didn't want to be shooting — I wanted to put the camera down and just start talking with the amazing women I was shooting. I was moved and inspired by them repeatedly. It took all my energy to lift my camera and do my job.

Here's just one of many videos:
http://vimeo.com/154069780

To see five other videos from this shoot and be inspired yourself, click here: http://vimeo.com/kimlowe

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I feel very lucky to have played a small role in a big event this week. 
   
The AdClub had their annual Women's Leadership Forum. A few weeks ago, they approached me about using my photography for their banners, programs, books and more. Of course I said 'Of course!' Their theme this year was "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And they needed photographs of girls to work alongside quotes and answers to this question. Well I have shot some incredible girls in the past ten years and I was happy to share those beautiful, happy faces with the AdClub for their event. 
   
What I didn't realize was how amazing they would make my work look. Big, bright banners rose up over my head as I entered the venue. Photographs flickered on big screens. A book met me on my chair filled with smart, funny quotes and beautiful photographs. For a second, I didn't even realize they were MY photographs. 
   
I was honored that they used my photography. I was even more honored to be in a room filled with 700+ great women (especially at a table with two of my favorite women) and be in the audience listening to and absorbing messages from leaders that I've admired for a long time. 
   
When you get a chance, not IF, but when you get a chance, watch the video on the AdClub website. You will be inspired by the amazing speakers. Listen to Azure Antoinette's poem — not once, but twice, so you don't miss anything. And you will be moved by my friend Chris Edward's remarkable story. You'll want to give him a standing ovation right there in your living room.   
   
http://adclub.org  

Six Days in Haiti

I've been here in Haiti for six days. And it feels like a month. I've seen so much. I feel as if my heart, my head and my camera are going to burst. There is so much to capture and I can't move fast enough. There is so much to digest and my heart can't take it. This has been a journey of a lifetime. I don't know how to go home.
   

It is very difficult to see this kind of poverty. I've seen poverty. I'm lucky to have never lived in poverty. I never realized how lucky though until now. But this is extreme. This poor country has been stripped of so much and not just from the earthquake. And yet it still shines.

Our team traveled an impossible route to a small town of Manac yesterday. I hiked four hours in and four hours out with food and friends and water and hiking shoes and nothing to carry but a camera. And it was difficult, to say the least. There were rocks moving under your feet, mud making you slip, tall grass hitting you in the face and keeping you from seeing the trail that was on the edge of a cliff at times, and the sun was beating you on the head like it's raining rocks on you. 

   

An entire community of Haitians who barely eat two meals a day, without shoes, without water carried on their backs and on their heads (YES!) all the supplies to build a school in Manac. Think about the metal, the concrete, the wood for shelves, for desks, for chairs along with all the tools to make these buildings. They wanted their children to learn so much that they carried every piece of that school four hours up these mountains. Then they began to build a school, A COMMUNITY, with their own hands. They broke ground. They sang. And a school rose up. There is so much more to this story. This is just a piece. 

   

I was explaining to a friend how beautiful the light is here in Haiti. Everything glows. 'Luminous' might be the word I'd choose but still it's not a strong enough word. After being here for only six days— having feeling so loved, so welcomed, having children hold my hand and follow me with giant smiles and giggles, having elderly women make me promise to come visit again and kiss me, having families show me their tiny, tiny but beautiful homes with so much pride — I'm convinced that the only reason this country shines so bright is because of the people.

   

We shot stills and motion — which means we shot a lot. It'll be another journey just editing and digesting this amazing, life-changing experience. 

Please visit Haiti via this link:

http://tinyurl.com/sixdaysinhaiti 

Six Days in Haiti

Over the past six years I've been incredibly lucky to work with an amazing woman, the brilliant toy-maker of B. Toys, Gisela Voss. With every B. toy purchase, she made sure portions of that sale go to 'Free the Children.' Her story is emotional and large and inspiring. And she's heading to Haiti to not only see the schools and communities she (and you) have helped grow but she's bringing light. Really. She's delivering solar-powered lights to families without electricity. The word 'amazing' might be too small a word to describe her actually.

And I have the opportunity to travel to Haiti with her and Free the Children. We leave Thursday and will be trekking to six villages in six days. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I've never felt luckier in my life. It's pretty fair to say that I'll be sharing stories and photos here and on my facebook page. Stay tuned.

http://www.mybtoys.com/ftc/
http://lukeslights.org
http://www.freethechildren.com

http://www.facebook.com/kimlowephoto 

Day and Night with an Artist

A little "throwback-thursday" to a few years ago in Vermont shooting the amazing Robert Compton. It was an honor and an amazing experience to watch him at work for a day. A true artist. You couldn't leave his studio without being completely inspired to create something — anything! 
   

NEW WORK: Messy, messy.

A little peek at some new work in the August issue of Family Fun magazine. I think you can tell from the photos that this was a total blast to shoot! Lots more to come.  
   

One little seed.

We live in Boston and my children go to a Boston public school. We truly love this city so we'd like to live here as long as we can. The schools have not always been great but we're very lucky — my children got into (via a lottery, yes a lottery) one of Boston's best schools.  
  
A couple months ago we learned that our little school would need to cut a significant amount of money off the already tight budget. Our amazing little school, undeterred and strong, stood up and began thinking of ways to fundraise and alter the budget to make the school successful still next year. And I decided to do a little fundraiser on the side, too, with my sons. I let them know that we needed to raise some money to pay for some really fun field trips next year. They were totally game after I said field trips!  
  
So we put together a small seedling sale — selling plants we started in our basement. My two sons, ages 4 and 6, helped with every step. Their favorite step was the dirt, of course. Even in their pajamas my two little guys would mix compost into the potting soil and then fill every pot for us to sow seeds in. We're talking about hundreds of pots — little ones to start the seeds and then larger ones to transplant those seedlings into. They didn't see it as a chore. They were accomplishing something — something bigger than themselves, so they were excited. 
  
They helped water and tend to the seedlings for two months. Two months! Then they helped advertise and sell our wonderful seedlings. They even decided, on their own, to have a lemonade stand. And we had a kids table where kids could make their own plant tags out of old recyclable blinds. 

In total — we raised $500 for our little school. Just the three of us. I didn't even realize what I was teaching them when we started this project a couple months ago, until my 6 year old started making plans for his next fundraiser. 
  
It's amazing what one little seed can do.
   

Adulthood is overrated.

Take a break from being a grown up today.
   
Visit kimlowe.com. Four completely new portfolios are now up — full of imagery that'll make you want to be a kid again.
   

Ray Bradbury

If you're not moved, inspired or stirred by this then please take two fingers and check your pulse.  
   



http://youtu.be/EBtZjbTDTDk

On the Road, on my wall.

Best line ever. Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road.'  Hope you have a wonderful long weekend and that you find some quiet time to read a great book. 
    

  

Wild Things

"Live your life. Live your life. Live your life." Maurice Sendak 1928-2012 | And how lucky we all are that he lived his.  
    
Click here to see a cool chalk drawing done by an art director at Arnold Worldwide.
  

iPad, iPod, iMac, iTV, iPhone... We own them all.

My sons' grandfather didn't even have a tv when he was their age. And look what they have available to them at two and four years old. I bought the iPad for me—but it's clear who it belongs to. Good-bye to a visionary—Steve Jobs.

   

Inspiration

Follow this link to the beautiful and inspiring series, Where Children Sleep, by James Mollison. I promise, you will be moved by this series of photographs.

Inspiration

Worth watching... twice. Follow this link:

Photographer Timothy Allen | Human Planet

  

SHOOT: More Than Just Toys

Over the years, I've been lucky enough to meet and work with some very talented, creative people in the advertising world, who inspire me to no end—here are two of those people: Andrea Gavin and Amy Flanagan. Their talent shines in the new work for B. Toys. A few months ago I shot some kids for the catalog but not until I shot some of the actual toys yesterday did I realize the depth of their talent. Really. Every inch of the toy packaging is covered in color and texture and personality. Here's a tiny taste:   
And if you're a mama reading this post, get to Target now because the toys are flying off the shelves!


click here for an earlier post on the B. Toys Catalog 2010 photoshoot
and follow this link to chief B. toymaker Gisela Voss' wonderfully inspiring and funny blog  

Photographer, Elena Kalis

Amazing work! Take a look:
Alice in Wonderland 
  

Photographer, Andy Anderson

As an art director on Royal Caribbean, I always hoped to hire Andy Anderson. As a photographer now, I am both envious and inspired. I follow his work and admire every step he takes. His images completely transport me into that space, that place, that mood he captured. Immediately, without hesitation. It's truly amazing when an artist does this. And it's truly amazing when an artist continually does this. This is one of my favorite photographs:

Andy Anderson's website