I loved raising my girls,and being home for them. But don’t be fooled by these previous statements. I was hungry to be out in the world, I felt like I was missing out on all the “fun”, whatever that is, or was. But I had to divert those thoughts and remind myself that being a full time Mom was far more rewarding than going to a nightclub or working long hours to get a good paycheck.

By a complete fluke 11 years ago, i had posted some photos I had taken . I received a tremendous amount of feedback from both friends, family and industry professionals, encouraging me to pursue photography more seriously. So I did. My youngest was not breastfeeding anymore so I was able to pursue taking classes. During this time I was constantly writing blogs, family emails and annual Christmas letters. I was encouraged to pursue my writing also. I had a lot of doubts wondering if I could ever get a paying job without a college degree, but I decided that I would purse my hobbies in hopes they would be come a career.

In 2002 my oldest daughter noticed that I received a “press pass” from the photography school I was attending. She asked if that pass would allow me to take pictures of her favorite country artist, Kenny Chesney. I explained to her that this pass was intended for much smaller events, like parades. So she dared me, she dared me saying, “I bet you couldn’t get pictures of him anyway.” And that was the beginning of my career shooting in the music industry. I did in fact get credentials to photograph Kenny Chesney, among many others including Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, Weezer and many more. During this time several magazines requested that I freelance for them. At one point, one of them asked if I was any good at writing, I said yes hesitantly. That answer led me to my first interview with a band. I have been doing it since.

So, as far fetched as it seems, I combined both skills into a job I am extremely passionate about. Do I care that the people I shoot and interview are 20yrs younger than me? Nope. I am a seasoned pro, mature and respected. I like my age, I feel it gives me a healthy swagger. I am not a young person trying to prove myself, (I’m an older one LOL).

I guess my whole point of this blog is that I am tremendously grateful for the choices I have made in life. It’s really only beginning at age 41 for me. I’m a young hip Grandmother, still the mother of teenagers, and active in the music industry.

I get to share all of this with them and they have watched my success as it’s happening. I hope I can inspire them to pursue their dreams at whatever point in their lives they are ready to do so.

http://islandjenn.com/WWE.htm

WWE’s No Way OutKey Arena, Seattle,WA

by jenn dohner

 

 

 

I must admit that not long ago, I viewed professional wrestling as the man’s soap opera. I thought everything about it was ridiculous. My 12 yr old daughter and my best friend are huge fans, I mean like epic. Hell, even my editor admitted she was a fan of the old school stuff. Not gonna lie, I had a very difficult time figuring out why. It all just seemed so cheesy. I knew I wanted to write about it, but my intentions were to make fun of it. Ridicule it with my fabulous wit and slam the heck out of it. I had no idea I would actually become somewhat of a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to wear a John Cena T-shirt, or follow the storylines completely, but I am definitely entertained when I watch now. I think it’s only fair to give credit to the man who converted me. Chris Jericho.

Jericho won me over, with his over the top arrogance. That guy makes me belly laugh. He is a genius at provoking the fans to hate him. I find it truly entertaining to hear his banter and watch him work the crowd. So although everyone else might despise the guy, I think he’s brilliant. I cannot tell you the name of every wrestler, or tell you their storyline, but I am definitely learning. After attending No Way Out in Seattle, I should tell you that I am unable to write up a re-cap of the events that took place. Why? I was too busy trying to stay out of the way of the camera crew and figure out the settings on my camera. It definitely put my skills to the test and was a welcome challenge.

It was nothing like shooting a concert.

I was really amazed at how fiercely passionate the fans are. This was definitely like being at a concert. They had their signs, T-shirts, championship belts and were active participants at the event. Families brought their kids, a lot of which were wearing Rey Mysterio masks, and enjoyed the show together. WWE definitely breaks all barriers when it comes down to their fans. Every age group, male and female, rich, poor, rockers, preps, jocks, rednecks, you name it, they were there. That’s impressive!

The one thing that worries and concerns me, is the injury aspect. I used to think they always faked it. But after being up close and personal, I witnessed that there was no faking a bloody gash on your head. That’s what happened to Randy Orton. I even zoomed in as close as I could to see if it was fake blood. It was not. I did, however, witness a lot of exaggerated injuries, where the wrestlers really played up getting hit. My concern is this, how do they know when someone is truly injured? Is there a special safe word they use? After hearing about one wrestler actually falling to his death in the ring, and the fans not realizing it was real, I wonder how they do it? The death and injury rate of professional wrestlers are alarmingly high. I can only imagine the toll their career takes on their bodies. Anyone who thinks it’s all show, should attend an event. A lot of those maneuvers have got to hurt like hell.

So between having to act, perform, endure the physical strain, the non-stop touring and the dedication to their fans, WWE has earned my respect. I may not be a “super-fan”, but a fan, nonetheless. The only thing that I did not like was the unexpected BOOMS from the pyro. I jumped out of my skin every single time, much to the amusement of the WWE crew around me. A huge thank you to Joe for allowing me to cover this event, it was an experience I will not soon forget. I shall conclude with a big ole “WHOOOOOOOOOOooooooo!!!”, while waving my hand in front of my face, because I now know what that means. Damn, I’m cool , right? Ok maybe not just yet, but I’m getting there.

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to be honest the photo wouldm’t upload…lol…sorry about that

It’s really cold outside for this time of year and I just found out there is a baseball game happening right next door to the concert, which means finding a parking spot is gonna be brutal. Here’s hoping everything goes smoothly!!!!!

I forgot I even had this blogging account, nice eh? I am going to make a severe attempt to write in this thing every day. I wonder if it’ll work?

ANYWAY, this blog is dedicated to the AP Tour with All Time Low, The Matches, Forever The Sickest Kids and more….and by more I meane Verne Troyer..as in mini-me foolz!!! He crashed my interview with FTSK and it was quite exciting!

Here’s a link to the interview and photos www.islandjenn.com/APTour2008.htm

So does anyone even read these things?