Readers: The Featured Mom series profiles women who are raising children and doing something else as well -- running their own business, doing charity work, or practicing an art. If you know of a mom to feature here, please e-mail me.
Debbie Sidenfaden-Sek is in the thick of the hardest mom years, with four-year-old Cyrus and two-year-old Cassia looking for as much mom attention as they can get. She runs her husband Paul Sek's certified green painting business, working on scheduling, advertising, photographing sites, helping clients select colors, and giving lectures on eco-friendly materials.
She's also an accomplished photographer, though she says these days a lot of that is getting lost in the shuffle.
"It's not just being able to just be mom, and having to run a really busy business," she says of the demands on her time. "When we're not busy, I have to work to get more business!"
That doesn't leave a lot of time for art, but Debbie says that her life has taught her that good things come to her when she's grasping new experiences and running with them. She should know: she never planned to become a photographer at all.
It started with Cody, her dog.
"He was much more than just an average dog," she says, gushing about the beauty of her chocolate lab like a mom about her child. Like many moms, she was inspired to photograph her favorite subject. "I had a 35-year-old Minolta camera, black and white, everything's manual. I just started clicking away and getting some really great shots. So many people at photo places when I printed them out said 'those are great photos, are you a professional?'"
The suggestion was comical because she was already an accomplished semi-professional -- in a very different field. She was a competitive longboard surfer who travelled the world, looking for the biggest waves, the fastest thrill. So the slow patience needed to get a good photograph wasn't something she knew she'd be interested in. But seeing her work, people started to ask her to take photos, and she started to pay more attention to her accidental career.
"I became more passionate about photography itself, and Paul and I hooked up and he encouraged me to buy the best equipment I could afford," she explains.
Her initial subjects were obvious: Cody and surfing. She soon found herself drawn to the camera more than to the waves.
"I ended up liking it a lot more than the competitive side," she explains. "I knew all the moves, I could anticipate what the person was going to do on the waves so the timing was right. It seemed to come to me relatively easy, and I would get great shots because of good equipment, a lot of passion, and some great luck."
She describes her study of photography like catching a wave.
"I've done this, what's next?" she says. "I'm a total thrill seeker, and I'm always looking for more."
Her next chance was the sort of once-in-a-lifetime event that she knew she had to jump on. In 2004, "this amazing epic New Zealand swell" was approaching our shore. And Debbie decided to give herself a birthday present.
"I decided that I would buy myself a trip in an airplane and I would get some aerial shots," she explains. "Those turned out to be awesome, as far as I know they're the only shots from that day that are aerial."
By the time she and Paul had married and were starting a family, Debbie had put together a career out of a passionate pastime. She did wedding photography, children, surf clothing -- anything she was asked to do. She was always looking to improve her skills and find new adventures.
Then...motherhood.
Debbie says that having children stopped her like nothing else had. Babies were incompatible with her fast decision-making and carefree career choice.
"I'm not able to just jump out and go," she explains. "Sometimes waiting for the right shot takes hours. You really just can't bring anyone else into it unless they're totally into photographing also."
Waiting for the right shot is something her children are currently not good at. They are, however, inspiring her in another way.
"I take about 200 photos a month of what we do around the house, the outings we do," she says. "We'll have a wonderful photo album to go through when the kids are older."
They may also have a mother with yet another inspiration to follow. Right now, she says, she feels like she's starting over.
"It's less for a business and more for back to the learning again that I once started with -- just for the experience."
She doesn't know what she'll do when her children are more independent, but for now she's enjoying this new, slower ride and watching to see where it will take her.
For more info: Visit Seafriendly Photography or T. Paul Sek Painting.
Featured Moms: Visit last week's Featured Mom, artist Donna vanDijk.
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