Better than Botox

Someone recently confided in us that he/she (that's my feeble attempt to conceal the person's gender) had tried Botox. It reminded me of a few years ago, when I didn't want to admit to anyone besides Scott that I'd had Restylane injections. Restylane was supposed to last longer and give about the same result as Botox. I had decided that if my marionette lines, those crevices extending from my nose toward my sagging jowls, got any deeper, I could start charging folks for tours.

My daughters can attest to seeing me stand in front of the mirror over the years, pulling my cheeks back to take off the years, if only momentarily. I had attempted to let my hair grow longer so I could braid it really tight, but the combination of very thick hair, no patience with blow drying in the morning, and the fact that with my ears, tight braids might give me some uplift, but my wing span would only become more prominent.

I finally decided to do it. While I was at it, I had a little lip filler too. I did ask about my jowls and was told, of course, they could just inject more into my chin. I immediately had visions of looking a lot like Jay Leno and said that could wait for awhile - a long while. Like never.

Scott liked the results. I did have a bruise on my chin from one of the injections, but couldn't bring myself to admit to colleagues at work where I'd gotten it. I thought I had caked on enough makeup to cover it up, but I was asked about it anyway. I worked with a very observant lot. I did tell the truth - sort of. I said I had dropped something in my dark utility room, bent over and hit my chin on the utility tub. Actually, I had hit my forehead, but there was no bruise there. Had I been able to "man up" or in my case "woman up", I should have stood in the middle of the office and announced, "I did it. I had injections. I paid lots of money for the pain, the results will only last about a year; I'll probably never do it again - but by the way, how do I look?"

A year later, the grand canyons on my face returned and other parts of my body started heading south. You know it's time to join AARP when your knee caps sag. I chose not to re-up my injections, although I was passing up a returning customer discount. Instead I decided to take up photography and learn the wonders of software that can melt away the years with the tap of a few keys - computer magic!

Ladies and gents too, just let me know if you're interested in something better than Botox - and a lot less expensive!

See more magic at bonniekingphotography.com

Vintage Hats & Classic Women

Last week one of my WIT friends and I took a road trip to the Cedar Chest Antique Mall in Renton. (Click http://bonnie-king.blogspot.com/2010/11/women-in-transition-wit.html for more about WIT). Luella was game to be a vintage hat model along with friends, JoAnn and Linda. Bev, one of the owners, also modeled. The inspiration for this photo shoot was my friend Joann. She invited me to see the shop a few weeks ago and once I spotted the hats, I knew it would be great fun to take portraits of classic women in the vintage hats. I wasn't disappointed and the women had a ball wearing the furs and hats from days gone by.

Bev Franklin shared with us that she has been in the antique business almost 40 years. Her mother was an antique dealer also. She knows the business. Her partner of several years, David Olds, like Bev, was more than hospitable to us. They have a special corner of the shop called "Pretty Woman" with a wonderful assortment of vintage clothing. This includes a wonderful collection of hats dating from as early as the 20's (the straw hat Bev is wearing) through the 50's (modeled by Luella, JoAnn and Linda).

The shop is meticulously arranged with a vast array of wonderful finds. There is even a Western section in addition to other antiques, including furniture. You'll see some of the pictures on my website, bonniekingphotography.com, taken with the model's reflection in a beautiful antique dressing table. The album can be found in the Glamour and Business categories.

The shop is located in downtown Renton at 916 So. 3rd St, Renton, WA 98057. Call 425-271-0511 for directions and information.

Perspective & Traditional Korean Dress

"Nine feet back. You must stand nine feet back to take the picture," my new Korean friend said adamantly. She was sure that I would not be able to get a full length photo of her beautiful traditional summer and winter Korean dresses, unless I was much farther away. Perhaps the last time she had pictures taken, that was true!

Fortunately her sister was watching the photo session. I was able to show her in my preview screen that I could stand close and get the desired result with the lens I was using.

The following information  is from a web site about Korean traditional dress: www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/clothes/clothes.cfm.   

Traditional Korean clothing has its roots extending back at least as far as the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C. - 668 A.D.), as evidenced by wall paintings in tombs dating from this period. The Korean hanbok represents one of the most visible aspects of Korean culture. The top part called a jeogori is blouse-like with long sleeves with the men's version being longer, stretching down to the waist. Women wear skirts (chima) while men wear baggy pants (paji). Commoners wore white, except during festivals and special occasions such as weddings. Clothes for the upper classes were made of bright colors and indicated the wearer's social status. Various accessories such as foot gear, jewelry, and headdresses or hair pins completed the outfit.  

The darker dresses are winter attire; the lighter one, summer. Kyung wore foot gear, one headdress, and beautiful pins with each dress. Although she wanted full length photos, I so admired this classic woman's face that I did take a few close ups. You would never know this lovely lady is 78 years old. She proudly told me so.

Her perspective - I was too close to get the best picture. My perspective - I was in just the right place to capture her beauty.

For more photos of Kyung: bonniekingphotography.com

Women in Transition (WIT)

This year I reconnected with Mary Beth, a friend I hadn't seen for years. We caught up at a Master Gardener plant sale in Puyallup and I introduced her to my good friends, Janine and Susan, who are also Master Gardener Interns, like me. We discussed our transitions and from that conversation, the idea of WIT was born.

The WITee women meet monthly for breakfast at Charlie's in Puyallup to discuss what's happening in our lives and to support one another in whatever our latest venture might be. We're a diverse group, but have really clicked. Ardith is recently retired and encouraging her husband to do the same so they can travel. Luella is already doing some traveling. Susan, a commercial interior designer, is looking for a new passion. Janine is working on a new career in wedding floral design and small business office management. Kim, who wasn't at this breakfast, is also looking for a new career opportunity. There I am, the one who managed to get the camera to take the picture without someone holding it or a tripod! That was good for a laugh or two.

Last , but not least is Mary Beth, who will soon be off on an incredible journey in her new/old RV. She's heading south and turning left to Florida for a few months - all by herself. As she put it, "From Seattle to Tampa, following the sun." She has established her plate route, starting with an early Thanksgiving dinner in Oregon. We'll all be following her on her new blog, Mary Beth's Road Trip.

Is there a time when women aren't in transition? Nonetheless, this  common thread has given me the opportunity to make new friends and spend a couple of wonderful hours with them every month.

There will be a couple of empty seats at the table in the next few months. Want to join us? www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

It's that Age Thing

"It's that age thing," explained the medical assistant as she was taking a blood sample this morning. I laughed and laughed telling her she had just given me another post idea for my blog! I was about to have a CT scan as follow-up to surgery I had in July. When I asked what it was for she said, "It's the age thing," and explained anyone over 60 has to have a blood draw first to make sure the kidneys will get rid of contrast dye administered during the procedure. I passed the test, but never thought I wouldn't.

In fact, I don't think of myself as an age. I often have to subtract my birth year from the current year to remember how old I am. I know some of you are saying, It's that age thing. No really! I'm not an age, I'm a person who is blessed with good health, lots of energy and - Oh my goodness - so much to do! My daughters recently gave me the compliment of a lifetime. They said, "Mom, you make old not look so old any more." What a difference! At age 5, my youngest daughter, Kendall, loudly proclaimed on my 40th birthday, "Mom, you're ancient!" See - I'm getting younger, not older.

Because of photography, I've met a lot of wonderful "classic" women 60 and older who are vibrant, full of life and ready to do things in their lives they may not have had a chance to do earlier on. Pictured here are women who fit the description. They range from 60 to over 90 years young. You can see more pictures of these beautiful women and many others in the Families, Children & Pets Album at bonniekingphotography.com.

Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG)

This past year, I've had the privilege of taking pictures of Senior Housing Assistance Group apartment residents. I've met some very interesting and fun people. My friend Shannon, on the left, is one of those people. She's become my "agent" at Boardwalk II in Olympia helping to promote the photo days. While Shannon and I knew each other before we both retired from state service, we've become even better friends since then. 

Shannon is pictured here with her "sister" Pat. Since they're mistaken for each other, the two decided to call one another sister and have fun with it. When I was there on Thursday, we all decided it would be a good time to photograph the sassy sisters. When I asked them to tilt their heads closer together, Pat told Shannon she was going to get her cooties. That started it. They couldn't stop laughing. You would have thought they were school girls, not great grandmothers. I love this work! You can learn more about SHAG at www.housing4seniors.com. See more photos of classic men and women on my photo website, bonniekingphotography.com.