I Heart Faces is sponsoring a give away to Amy Wenzel’s workshop. To enter, Amy wants to know about how wannabe workshop attendees, “love, serve or inspire,” and “what attending the workshop might mean for [our] photography journey.” This blog post is my entry to the contest. Wish me luck!

I will leave this world a better place than it was when I came into it. WOAH. That’s a bold statement. I’m a bold person — believe it. I have never set out to consciously inspire people but I hope I do. I go around and I do what I see needs doing. Better said by Dr. Turkleton, “Well, you know, I do what I do — when I do what I do.” PS. If that quote doesn’t make you laugh, I don’t want to be your friend. But seriously, if I see a starving dog, I give it a home. If I find a couple that needs me, I give them the best gift I’m capable of. If my adopted country is in need, I help.

I’m an expat living in Chile (from Grandville, Michigan). Aside from being infamous after getting devastated by an 8.8 earthquake 5 days ago, Chile is one of the most unequal countries in the world. A regular working class Chilean, on average, makes 30 times less than someone in the top wealthiest 10%. Since I arrived, I’ve been looking for ways to make a difference, but opportunity knocked on the door when my husband, Seba, met Marcelo at his old job working in construction. Marcelo was a smart kid, but he had gone to a poor public school (if you can’t afford private school here, in layman’s terms, you’re pretty much screwed). With a high school degree he would never go much further than his job as a surveyor’s assistant because he didn’t have the qualifications, meaning he would be making around $700 dollars a month for the rest of his life. But, Marcelo was a hard worker. He never played hooky, he stayed late if necessary, he made sure to do the job right, and most importantly, seemed to genuinely love the field of construction. We offered to put him through college. With the help of a blog fundraiser that paid for an entire semester, Marcelo has a year and a half left until graduation. Seba and I are a just starting out ourselves. Marcelo’s tuition is a little over 10% of our combined salary. We’re living proof that you don’t have to be a millionaire to do something worthwhile. And 25 year old Marcelo, who supports both his mom and his girlfriend, and continues to work full time and study full time (impossible?) is living proof that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it — and give up that little nasty habit called sleeping.

One reason I want to go to this workshop is because the supposed tried and true Amy Wenzel smile method has me intrigued. During family sessions I sometimes get a little frustrated – “Do what I say! I’m an Earthquake Survivor!” doesn’t work quite as well with a 4 year old as it does with my dad.

But aside from that, I want to go to this workshop because I want to be pushed. My focus is on weddings. I think I could learn a lot if I came to see the business from the perspective of someone who focuses on kids. I want to get creative with someone who inspires me — both in the business as well as the personal. Basically, I want Amy to teach me how to do what I do, even better than I do what I do already.

He’s such a good boy. Please contact me if you know of anyone that could give him a good home.

The shaking in this aftershock didn’t feel at all like The Big One. It felt more like the way The Big One started — an almost gentle sort of rocking the house back and forth. The scariest part about it for me was the noise. The earth made the same dull roaring noise I heard the other night. At first you think it’s just your brain making noise and blocking out your thoughts. And then you realize — no, that sound is coming from the bowels of our planet.

That’s something that you shakes you. It doesn’t shake you in the physical way an earthquake or an aftershock does, but in a way that shakes everything you ever knew — The Earth is solid ground to stand on. And then, I’m not sure if anyone goes there immediately after feeling the floor ripple underneath them, but when I hear that noise of the Earth moving, all I do is try to imagine what the plates below us look like when they’re adjusting themselves. In a sense, to be able to rationalize the shaking and think about exactly where it’s coming from, and why, makes me feel better.

I am no longer afraid of earthquakes or aftershocks. Strangely enough, all this shaking had the opposite effect on me. Before, I had never felt an earthquake and only (comparatively) very small tremors. My fear of the unknown was what made me panic when I’d think about an earthquake hitting. Cold fear would creep up my spine and I’d literally have to fight back shudders every time people in Chile would tell me that they were “due,” for a big one any day now. They were right.

And now I’ve lived through a big one — which is a statement that sounds much more dramatic than it really is. My house didn’t fall. My car wasn’t swept away by the ocean. All I had to do was sit tight and not have a heart attack for three minutes while the Earth took me for a ride. I’m happy to be where we’re living now, with Seba’s parents, because this house withstood the ‘quake of ‘85 — now looking back, coming in at a measly 7.8, seems like NADA — especially after we just had a 7.2 aftershock this morning. But anyway, if this house withstood ‘85 and now ‘10, I am not worried it’s going to fall in an aftershock. The only thing about these large aftershocks that scares me is when I think about what damage they are doing to the people who’s houses had already fallen, or were on the brink of falling.

So this morning, when a 7.2 moved the Earth beneath my feet, and then  kept rocking us again and again and again and again until finally we were hit with another strong one of 6.6 — I stood in the doorway because I needed something to do. I picked up Papi who was flipping out at my feet — not because of the aftershock, but because of a cat in the treet (who was flipping out because of the aftershock). As I stood there in the doorway, Seba came out into the other doorway and smiled at me with no trace of fear in his face, holding Papi in my arms — I thought, “If by some freak of nature, this house really does fall on my head, I could think of worse ways to go. If it’s my time, it’s my time.”

And then the ground was still again, the roaring stopped and I headed to edit some photos, take a shower and meet someone for lunch. Life goes on.

On with the post…

Keith is Emily’s father, and he’s getting married to the lovely and elegant (in a very Kristin Scott Thomas sort of way) Jane  in just a few short weeks! I fully realize that his gorgeous daughter’s wedding, plus a hot semi-naked girl in Santiago is a difficult act to follow but I adore how these pictures turned out. Photo session at any age = awesome.

I  have to say, while 20-something year olds tend to be a bit shy in front of the camera, Keith and Jane were totally unselfconscious. It was wonderful. Seba and I had fun laughing with them and grabbing a few shots in between

Seba always takes the best silhouette pictures. And isn’t it amazing how different a photo of the same moment can look from two different angles?!? Above^ is mine and below is Seba’s. Seba for the win!

Shooting in front of these little people on the wall was Keith’s idea and I love how it turned out. Hmmm, maybe I should hire him to location scout for me

This is by far my favorite picture of them. They look so happy and natural together — just the way it should be. So adorable!

May I present to you…Ms. Chile Earthquake 2010!

Ok being serious now — isn’t she gorgeous?!?

This might have been the first photo of the day that I took, and she was really nervous at first — but I love how this picture came out!

This is a little diddy I like to call “Naked in Santiago,” or alternatively, “C. has a ridiculous body.”

Hot girls in Santiago hang out in their lingerie on hills all the time. That’s how we roll in Chile.

So fricken gorgeous.

My brave subject absolutely slays me in this picture. STUNNING.