Sincerity is in the eyes

This post is dedicated to my little furry friends. Anyone who knows me well will know that I am an animal lover of the extreme. I think my adoration of animals stems from my fathers love of animals. As far back as I can remember I have always had a pet of some sort. While we lived in Bahrain our parents got my sister and I a parrot who lived with us a long, long time. Infact he became such a part of the family that when we moved from Bahrain to Pakistan instead of giving him away as most people in our culture probably would, we actually flew him out to Pakistan with us (no pun intended). We couldn't imagine life without the little guy. He would sleep next to us on our beds, and would follow us around the house. He was honestly more like a dog than a bird. He had such a wonderful presence that even friends who would visit from afar would get attached to him and ask about him.

A year after we moved to Pakistan my dad decided we would get a German Shephard much to my moms dismay. This story is quite funny. My mom had no idea my dad was scheming a plan with my sister and I. We woke up one morning and he had made plans for us to go see a 9 week old German Shepard puppy at a dog breeders pen. We were so excited not only at the prospects of finally owning a dog but also because our mom had no idea whatsoever what we were doing. So that morning we went to the breeder and spent a good 2 hrs with the little guy. He had the biggest paws I had ever seen especially for a little 9 week old puppy. But I think the most significant feature that stuck in my head were his big, beautiful honey brown eyes. Such warmth and innocence and loyalty just in his eyes alone. I will never forget those eyes. We were all in love the minute we saw him and ended up bringing him home that afternoon. My mom was of course really upset that we had without her permission brought home this little creature that she never wanted in the first place but within a few weeks she was doting over the fellah as well. She adored him so much that she would on occasion let him hang out in the house with us or would sneak treats to him.

It was really sweet to see her love for him grow and that I think is the therapeutic nature of pets in general. They have a presence and they become an integral part of ones life. My first baby before I had the kids was my African Grey, Neo. Now of course the kids come first but Neo has so much emotion and personality and is actually a very sensitive bird. He requires some one on one time almost daily. He shares the same emotions we as people share but obviously has different ways of expressing it. So this post is dedicated to those darling pets that have touched our hearts in ways we will never understand. Just stop for a second and look into their expression-full, innocent eyes and you will sense their sincerity and love. All they want is for you to reciprocate it.

Cheers,
Khadija

Here are a couple of pictures of Neo. We have had him since he was 12 weeks old and now he's 6 yrs old. He has become my next top model.

Surround yourself by people who care....

Artistic expression has always been a part of me in some way or form. Back in my teen years painting was my main medium of expression. I could pick up a paint brush anywhere, anytime and somehow create a piece of art that meant something more than just color thrown onto a canvas. It was art with feeling and emotion and even if it didn't look like much of anything to someone else it meant a lot to me and I was proud of it. From paints I moved onto pencil sketches which was another outlet of expression for me. I could pick up an interesting photograph or a picture from a magazine and would create pencil sketches so real that art shops would urge me to sell my work to them. I even dappled in poetry for a few years and thought about getting my work published. It was those younger years, a time when anything seemed possible, where the sky was the limit and 'no' was never an answer.

Over the years my passion for creativity still existed but my inspiration and motivation had fizzled away. I tried many a time to pick up a paintbrush and articulate color and form onto an empty canvas only to repaint it white hours later. It was frustration after frustration because the form of expression I was used to no longer existed for me and I felt like something was amiss in my life.

Thats when I started playing around with the camera. My little boys became my inspiration and I started seeing the world through their eyes. Getting down to their level helped me see things in a new light. But at that point it was just me playing with the camera and not really understanding the specifics and technicalities of lighting, exposure, composition etc. I took a class here and there but didn't really do much with it other than take pictures of my boys.

What pushed me to the next level with my new found artistic expression were the people who surrounded my life with love. If it wasn't for my dear friends and my husband I dont think I could have taken my love for photography to the next level. They threw me into the limelight and asked me to take pictures of special events for them. I did birthday parties and baby showers and other event photography pro bono. My husband bought me the best equipment and supported me through the learning phase. It wasn't until a couple of my closest friends asked me to do a few formal family shoots for them did I realize my confidence level slowly growing. I think for me the most challenging thing to get over was my lack of confidence in my work and ability. I always second guessed my pictures even though everyone always had the best things to say about them. Of course friends can be biased but I was getting positive feedback from people I didnt even know. So it was very encouraging and uplifting for me.

I have now started my own facebook page 'Khadija Pervez Photography" and even got gutsy enough to start my very first blog ever. This whole experience thus far is so new to me but Im thoroughly enjoying the ride and can't wait to see where it takes me. My sincerest thanks go to my dearest friends and family(and you know exactly who you are) who have always believed in me and encouraged me through this process. Im still in the beginning phase of this venture but I can proudly say I have found my new medium of artistic expression and hope to continue being inspired by my surroundings! Here's to a new year, new beginnings and a new form of expression for me.
Cheers
Khadija