David Archuleta photo Jennifer Barry
Fans of former American Idol contestant David Archuleta will be scrambling to get a copy of his new calendar. The calendar is the brainchild of one of his biggest fans photographer Jennifer Barry, who lives in Portland Oregon, with her husband Christian, and 4 year old son Sean.
Says Barry “ My husband is amazing and I wouldn't be where I am today without him by my side. He is my best friend.”
Crooner David Archuleta first caught Leigh’s attention when he sang John Lennon’s ballad “Imagine”. SaidBarry “After his performance, I was stunned and the first word I said was "beautiful". I was mesmerized by his performance.” Since then she began investigating the man behind the music, and found that he is “A remarkable and inspirational person. He is genuine and truly wants to help people.” She cites one example of this as his recent travels to Guatemala and Honduras through “Mentors International”, and recent song for Haiti relief.
The singer has many fan clubs and sites which Barry says she visits often. She has been lucky enough to meet Archuleta on eight occasions and see him in concert 9 times. The first time she saw him live was on July 11, 2008 when he performed in Portland for the American Idol Concert . He appeared along with other Idol contestants from that season.
David Archuleta and Jennifer Barry ( FILE)
Barry: “He, along with the other idols, came out to the buses in the afternoon before the concert to meet with fans. I was truly blown away by his willingness to chat with the fans and sign autographs. He was the last idol to leave the area. You could tell that while all this was new, he really enjoyed talking to everyone and it was genuine and very sincere.”
She recounts that she felt “blessed” that she was able to go to the American Idol Concert in Tulsa Oklahoma, and the VIP after party when it was over. Said Barry “ I finally had an opportunity to talk to him in Tulsa. I was amazed that he recognized me from a photo. Another amazing quality of David is that he remembers his fans, and he truly listens to what you say to him. He takes a genuine interest in what his fans say to him or want to show him. David makes you feel important.”
Her next behind the scenes experience with Archuleta will make any fan drool with envy. Barry purchased a “VIP Meet and Greet” pass which allowed her to get her photo and chat with David. Then they were escorted to the arena where they were able to watch him perform his sound check before the concert. “The VIP experience was truly amazing, memorable and so worth it. David makes each VIP special, unique and unforgettable”, said Leigh.
Said Barry “I have never traveled to see an artist perform before. But she has traveled many times to see Archuleta saying she thinks it is because “every concert he performs is so unique”. Meeting all the other fans has also become a important part of her Archuleta experience says Barry “Seeing all the fans is just as exciting because they make this experience so much more special, fun and one of a kind.”
In 2009 she had a chance to see his “Christmas From The Heart” tour in Salt Lake City. “It is very hard to describe the feelings seeing him perform in his hometown to songs that mean a lot to him,” said Barry
“The concert was phenomenal and awe inspiring. David's voice soared, lifted and filled the venue and he took you on a special journey into something he holds very dear to him. I felt honored he shared something so special with his fans, “ said Barry .
Watching David perform “rekindled” her love of photography says Barry “I never realized that taking photos of David could make such an impact in my life.” The self taught photographer started shooting photos at age 10. She bought her first SLR Canon 40D, 6 years ago, and says that “After meeting David my photography took on a whole new perspective. If it wasn't for the amazing support of David's fans, I am not sure where my photography would be today. David has the best fans, period!”
Her “photo philosophy” : “I believe photography allows you to capture a moment in time that you can cherish forever. A photo can capture a moment that 10 years from now, a person can look at it and remember the feelings they had or memories they had simply by looking at a photo.” Her favorite shots are candid shots because as she says they “allow you to really capture someone. I love to capture who someone truly is in a photo.” She also enjoys shooting landscapes, flowers, horses, aviation, and sports.
She is inspired by the work of photographer Barbara Livingston who takes photos of horses. Said Barry “She takes amazing photographs of horses. She truly captures the beauty of a horse. Her photograph can tell a story by simply looking at it, which is what I hope to achieve in my photography.” Another photographer she admires is photographer Matthew McDermott, who captured the shot of a young boy being rescued 8 days after being buried in rubble in Haiti. “I checked out his photos and he captures the moment, whether harsh to look at or not, he captures the feelings”, said Barry
She says she has been able to get her amazing shots of David by being “lucky to get great seats”. Other times she says “ I had to wait patiently to see if better seats open up...the closer the better to take pictures. But it isn't easy because camera polices vary from every venue you go to see a concert.”
She had been planning the calendar since her last one in 2009. The 2010 charity calendar "Be The Change, Be The Difference" David Archuleta Calendar so that all proceeds can go to support CRUSH MS. Said Barry “I created it in hopes of raising money and awareness to support Crush MS which is an important charity to David because so many people close to him like Brett Hales have been diagnosed with it. After being diagnosed with MS he (Brett Hales) has such an amazing spirit and outlook that impresses me and I am very inspired by him, which is why I wanted to try and "do a little" for MS” said Barry .
Barry: "If Jenny one of the writers of Fans of David.com (FOD) www.fansofdavid.com had not posted my photos on their site, I more than likely would not be here now." Thank you Jenny!!
You can do your part to fight MS by purchasing the calendar at :
my.qoop.com/store/Jennifer-Barry-235706841930180/Be-The-Change-by-Jennifer-Barry-1111949049116/
Twitter: twitter.com/jenleighbarry
Upcoming Archuleta Appearance: www.jordinsparksexperience.com/
Related links:
main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Events/UTUChapter
www.jenleighbarry.smugmug.com/
my.qoop.com/store/Jennifer-Barry-235706841930180/Be-The-Change-by-Jennifer-Barry-1111949049116/
RELATED STORIES:
Comments
What a great story about two great people... one creating the moments and one capturing them! I have seen Jennifer spend countless hours, and probably money, all just to simply enrich the lives of those around her. What an amazing world we live in when someone can get behind a cause to lift others without even really knowing them. Thank you, Jen!
This is a great article! Jennifer is one of David's biggest and best fans! David has helped put so much awareness for MS and other charities. He helps us to understand that there are so many people out there that have it worse off then we do.He's not only an amazing artist but he's an amazing person deep down inside and as a huge heart, as does Mrs. Jennifer Barry. He has inspired mt to not take things for granted.And there are alot of people that are worse off then me. I am very proud to be a fan of David's and VERY proud to know Jennifer.
Dawnn, thank you for this wonderful article about Jenleigh. Those of us who have been following David's brilliant career and inspirational light are very familiar with Jenleigh's photography, and she describes so well here in your article how inspiring David is. Thanks again.
Great article! Thanks so much for your support of David and his fans!!!!
thanks for posting this article. Jennifer B is such a great and amazing David fan and supporter of his music and the charities David holds close to his heart. I'm honored to know not only her but so many many wonderful David fans. My story is much like hers. I have followed David since his first audition on American Idol. I am in awe of his talent, and I have continued to follow and support 'the man' because of the outstanding person he is to all. He is as genuine as they come. I am a fan of his for life. I can't wait for his new CD to be released this year.
Great story! Jennifer Barry is a great fan and a great photographer who uses her talent to help support the many charitable organizations that David supports. David has inspired so many of his fans to get involved and to help those in need and no one represents that more than Jennifer does!
A beautifully written article about a truly inspiring young man! Congrats to Jennifer for her efforts in raising awareness for the Crush MS charity.
this is a great article!!! Thank for posting it! Jennifer's photography is amazing and i love the pics so much! She's such a great fan and raising such awareness for the Crush MS charity is wonderful! David has been inspiring lot of people like me & Jennifer that's why i look up to him as my role model! Keep up the great work Jen :) I know David will be honored when he will see this :)
Thank you so much for bringing to light 2 inspirations...David Archuleta and Jen's love of photography and the charitable way in which she uses it. I've watched her grow as David's career has and it has truly inspired me.
David has Inspired All of his fans to give back..if its through Crush MS,Invisible Children,Angels For A Cause,Charities in general,Or our Fan run Virtual Cupcake Drive..Donated to Haiti in honor of @JambaJim & @DavidArchie.His caring & giving heart,flows to his fans&that makes us want to contribute&donate our time,money to charities.
I've never felt this way before..but being David's fan,makes me feel Blessed and makes me want to be a better person. He literally changes your life through his Music&speech.David's not a normal Artist...he's a Person who has an Amazing Voice but is very Humble..That is one thing thats unusual these days,& I'm extremely Thankful for it.
He's inspired me to Reach for goals&dreams&never give up!I learned new things because of him,I'm running a website now..that I never thought I'd do.I designed shirts,collages&editing Pictures,That I never thought I was capable of doing.
There are tons of things I've done because of David.He's a true inspiration&Bl
Thank you for the inspirational and heart warming story. Jen Barry has always given of herself and her photography talent to help some of the charities closest to David's heart, as well as her own. Two amazing people, two giving hearts, that I have had the privilege of meeting!
What an inspiring story! I've met Jennifer several times at various David concerts and can say truthfully that she is one of the most giving, and talented, people I have ever met. Thank you for writing this article, and thank you David for inspiring so many of us to do more for others than we thought we ever could. You have changed all of our lives for the better.
Jen, I'm so proud of you and you've always inspired me. I think David couldn't ask for a better fan. I loved meeting you in Tulsa, and I hope our paths will cross again one day soon. You are truly gifted and such a sweet person. God Bless you. Never stop taking those gorgeous pics. Love ya!
Thank you, Dawn, for this wonderful article! David is such an inspiration to so many. Thank you Jen for your beautiful photos of a beautiful person, inside and out.
Awesome article! Thanks for capturing the real essence of David Archuleta thru the heart of a great photographer in Jennifer Barry. David has been a true inspiration to his fans in many different ways. Jennifer has a great eye to capture the great moments of David on or off stage. Her dedication to creating the calendar to help a such a worthy cause is very commendable.
Thanks for posting this wonderful article about Jennifer! She is an amazing person who is helping to bring awareness of one of David's favorite charities through her brilliant photography! She describes beautifully how a picture can bring back memories of times you've shared with others and special moments. So true! Thank you Jennifer for sharing your talent and thank you David for inspiring us to give back to those less fortunate. David has brought awareness to causes that I would never have known about. He is an amazing artist with a heart of gold and I'm very proud to be a fan of his!
Dawnn,
What a terrific article! You have captured Jennifer's generous spirit and commitment to charitable causes through her photography! David has inspired so many to contribute in ways that they can because of HIS goodness and incredible talent. I am also from Oregon and have been fortunate to attend the Seattle concert and the SLC concerts that Jennifer attended and let me tell you it is something special to have her photos from a concert that you actually experienced! Getting to know some of David's fans has been an inspiring experience for me. These are some of the most altruistic, sensitive and generous people I have ever met. Other charities that David is involved with are Angels for a Cause/Rising Star Outreach, Invisible Children and Build A Bear to name a few. Thanks again Dawnn!
Thanks for posting this wonderful article about Jennifer! She is an amazing person who is helping to bring awareness of one of David's favorite charities through her brilliant photography! She describes beautifully how a picture can bring back memories of times you've shared with others and special moments. So true! Thank you Jennifer for sharing your talent and thank you David for inspiring us to give back to those less fortunate. David has brought awareness to causes that I would never have known about. He is an amazing artist with a heart of gold and I'm very proud to be a fan of his!
Happy to see attention brought here to Jenn and David and their talents. I have been blessed by the generosity of their work and passion.
Thank you so much for a wonderful article about an amazing young man that keeps giving endlessly of himself and inspires his fans to do the same. Jennifer B is one of his amazing fans who by capturing David's spirit in her photography has allowed fans like me to cherish the moments forever. She has also raised awareness and $$ for some great causes!!
I loved this article. Jen is an amazing photographer and she has graciously shared with us her beautifully captured moments of David. She is very much appreciated and as an avid David Archuleta fan I can say that she has brought so much beauty and enjoyment to us. David exemplifies so much beauty, love, joy and charity through his music and through who he is. I have one of the lovely calendars that Jen created. Thanks to Jen and thanks to David for their giving hearts!
awesome articleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......
cant stop cryingggggggggggggggg, jen you rockkkkkkk!!!!!!!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!