Captured.

falling in love, all over again.

2011-10-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

i'm having one of those days where i sit here, at the computer, and i type. and i type and i type and i type. and then, i erase, erase, erase. my mind is flooding with things i want to say, to share. but there doesn't ever seem to be the right wording. i feel like anything i say will only unjustly represent what it is that i want to say.

i think part of the problem is that my heart bursting at the seems with the ridiculous amount of caffine that is flowing through my blood stream. but that is neither here nor there. the second problem is, there really are no words, except, i love you. oregon, i am 100 percent, madly, in love with you.

i am so happy that the colder months are approaching because i want to wrap your long beautiful arms around me, i want to snuggle into your warm embrace as the frost hits. i want to revel in your beauty. i want to squeal and kick and frolic in your falling leaves, releasing the inner child within. i want to laugh uncontrollably in your cold air, watching as each giggle lifts into the sky, sharing the love, one cold breath at a time. i want i want i want. and truth be told (and as some of you know all to well) what i want, i take.

i took off last weekend to a beautiful place known as welches oregon, armed with nothing more than a dying camera (silly me forgot the damn camera charger), great friends, and the desire to take it all in. and man oh man, i came, i saw, i conquered. although i wasn't able to take as many photos as i wanted, ( i am sure my walking companions are wondering how that is even possible) i did take these. and i wanted to share. because sharing is caring. and i care, a lot.

xoxo.

sense of humor.

2011-10-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

so last month was a big month, filled with a lot of firsts for me and my friends, from homes to babies and everywhere around and between. i finally moved into a home of my very own and revel in the daily chaos of it all. so what brings me here today was a little encounter that i had this morning with a new neighbor i had yet to meet. it went a bit like this:

her: are you my new neighbor?

me: oh hi! yes i am.

her: are you an artist?

me: um, i wouldn't say that, no. why?

her: well i know i shouldn't do this but, i peaked in your windows the other day and was sure that i saw an easel set up in your living room and thought, how fun! a painter has moved in.

me: (insert laughter). oh, well i hate to disappoint but no, i'm not a painter, i was just making a friend a gift.

which brings me to this post. for those that know me, you know that i am not now nor will i ever be a painter. that requires a type of discipline that i have no real desire to work on. i am however a very funny friend and LOVE to blindside people with (insert humble moment) TOTAL AWESOMENESS!!! my darling friend had her first baby last month and i wanted to give her something special, something no one else could give her, and so, i hatched a plan and went to work. the following is an example of how sometimes, if you put your dreams or visions to paper, miracles can happen.

the following photos are what the peeping tom (she actually is a very nice lady, just gonna have to keep an eye out for her) next door was witnessing....

every time i see this i just laugh, i love it so much because i know that my beautiful friend is laughing with me, and that every time she, her husband, her beautiful baby boy, or even her cat and dog, see this, hanging in the baby room, it will bring a smile to their faces. and the point isn't too be super awesome at something, it's to spread the love. from one nerd, to a family of nerds, to now the interwebs, love and smiles are spreading across the world. cheers, and you're welcome.

the sketch:

no turning back now:

the beginning of the end:

painted a base, time to decoupage:

a little texture:

a few more finishing touches and VOILA!:

xoxo.

a band of horses that are likable humans.

2011-09-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

so i have to admit. although i have been surrounded by their music for many years due to a friends affiliation, i have never really listened to them extensively. but last night changed that forever. i was given the opportunity to go see band of horses last night and as i never look a gift horse in the mouth (is that even the saying? seems weird to see it written.) i took the opportunity and i rolled with it. there's something a little shameful about going to a coveted show and not being a fan, i felt almost bad, thinking i should give my ticket to someone else, but thank the gods i didn't! my face was melted and my mind was blown.

one of the highlights was seeing a friends work (he is the photographer for the band) displayed throughout the entire show (his photographs that were taken on the road were the backdrop to the entire show). the simplicity of the photos set the entire tone of the night. no crazy pyrotechnics, no fancy laser light shows. just simple and pure (mind you there were lights but nothing distracting and over the top) a lot like the music and from what i hear from friends, like the band themselves.

another thing that made this a top 10 show was the venue itself, nestled in the middle of downtown portland, surrounded by gorgeous buildings, this outdoor show took place in our very own pioneer square. it made for a fantastic intimate setting even though it was outdoors, no one was more than maybe a few hundred feet (i could be totally wrong about the distance as math and numbers have never been my strong suit) away from the band at any given time.

they had this wonderful loving banter that went on on stage, it solidified the intimacy of the show, making you feel a part of this beautiful friendship, not just a fly on the wall.

for those of you that know me or have read some of my rants, my very favorite thing about the show was that they did not participate in the mandatory fake surprise encore. it felt like they left their heart and soul on the floor of the stage after their final song, "am i a good man", with no need to ruin such a beautiful finish with a contrived list of songs to sing at the beckoning of the fans. you got what they wanted to give you, no more, no less. and although i could have listened for hours more, my respect and admiration grew to no end because of that.

anyways, to make a long story short, i absolutely loved every minute of it and i tried to capture a few photos. armed with nothing but my camera phone and my little camera, i tried working with the little tools that i had. and as you would already know if you have been following my work for a while now, i do not now, nor do i ever, call or consider myself to be a concert photographer, it's not my strong suit by any means. but i just wanted to share.

xoxo.

mountainside lavender farming.

2011-08-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

it's hard to believe how long it has been since i have written on here. i suppose that whole living life thing has just gotten in the way of that whole, observing and photographing others living life thing. yay for me! boo for the blogosphere! anywho, fret not, i have returned and i'm hoping to not turn this into a limited engagement type of thing as i plan for adventures, and spontaneity, (can one plan for spontaneity? seems a wee bit oxymoronic.) and picture taking!!! yahhhooozie! anyways, enough of the gibber jabber and more of the pictures that flatter....

so yesterday my roomie and i hopped in le coche (that's car for those not fluent in spanglish) and took a rode adventure of sorts 45 min outside of our beautiful city of portland. while weaving through the farmlands we finally arrived and our destination, the mountainside lavender farm. having no idea what to expect, armed with sunblock, camera, and clipping sheers we set out on a, what will be repeated yearly exploration, into the wonderful world of lavender farming. 5 bushels of lavender were cut down in a beautiful labor of love and in anticipation of delicious crafting. surrounded by the friendliest of bee swarms that i have ever met, i chopped and photographed my way into a blissful gathering of lavender that is now coming out my wazoo (so to speak). (does anyone else smell or sense christmas gifts that will be in the works? shhhhh, don't tell). ooooooh, side bar about the bees.... i was later told that they most likely were so docile because they were stoned off the lavender juju. how awesome is that!!! anyways, without further adieu, here ya go.... some pics of flowers, bees, a little girl on a swing carrying a cat named bubbles, a rad barn with hops and so much more......

xoxo.

shopping.

2011-06-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

i was walking home the other night, through my usual "short cut", when i happened upon the most spectacular thing to date. ( well most spectacular as far as grocery store parking lots go). right there in front of me were rows and rows of shopping carts. i know, i know, i know, you are probably wondering to yourself, "what on earth would make that spectacular?". well here's the thing. it just is and was. the way the lights glistened off of the steal. the way the rain beaded on the handles. the simplicity of so many lines in a row, creating the most magnificent visual imagery. glorious i say, glorious! anyways, me being me, and that being that, i stopped, shocking i know, and took a few quick pictures. what you will see below are the fruits of my not so laborious labors. enjoy.

now, upon post editing, no longer looking at them on my phone screen, analysis, i have come to the conclusion that two things need to happen. 1. i need to start using the camera i bought instead of my camera phone (although the resolution really is outstanding for it being a fecking cellular phone devise). and 2. i need to be a little steadier handed as they really aren't quite as crisp as i would like. oh well, living and learning.

xoxo.

raptured and captured.

2011-05-24T00:07:00.000-07:00

i fall in love with oregon a little more each day. spending the weekend on the coast helped solidify all that just a little more. never in my life have i been somewhere where forest meets the ocean in such a magnificent way. climbing through trees only to meet a rocky path that pours itself into the ocean... it's a heart melting, breath taking, twitterpating kind of love. and one that i suspect, will never be fleeting. oregon rocks, and i heart her.

xoxo.

super sprung.

2011-03-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

xoxo.

sprung.

2011-03-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

i have fallen in love. spring time in portland rocks.

xoxo.

to each their own.

2011-03-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

alright kids. my apologies but i'm over not being able to keep up with this 365 project. i could keep posting with numbers under the fake assumption that i am keeping up but lets get real, i'm not and i feel like a posting poser even pretending. so i am officially throwing the number racket out and going to continue with the normal banter and pics that i am used to doing. no more of this chronological ordered silence. i mean come on, there is nothing in my life that is a) silent or b) in any kind of order. so there's that.

on that note, let me have a quick one sided discussion about this weekend. i turned 32 on friday. a number that i not only like the feel of but, have a great feeling about. it's going to be a fantastic year. i can feel it in my bones. i celebrated the occasion surrounded by amazing people that have truly made me realize that i am home. portland fits. i already knew that but this weekend really just made it, well, real.

im having a really hard time putting yesterday into words. i spent the day doing my favorite things: traveling, exploring, learning, seeing. there was not a moment yesterday that was clouded with sadness. in fact, not shocking, i probably giggled my way through it.

with that in mind, while going through the very few photos that i took, i came across this one that, although it makes me go "yesss!!!", there is a certain melancholy to it. it occurred to me while trying to pinpoint that subconscious emotion, that on the other side of the ocean, this calm, drawn out tide, doesn't exist. that the experience i was having was the polar opposite to the also life altering experience so many thousands of others were experiencing. maybe besides the obvious gray, that is what makes it melancholy for me.

to me, at this moment, this photograph serves as a gentle reminder that not everything is the same to everyone. one persons experience is always unique and subjective to that moment for them and them alone.

someone once reminded me to have others edit photographs for me, because we all interject are own emotions into our work, that when it comes to an art or a craft, as the creator, we can't ever be truly objective. i think this is that moment.

xoxo.

26/365.

2011-02-21T00:33:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

25/365.

2011-02-21T00:32:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

24/365.

2011-02-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

23/365.

2011-01-30T21:51:00.000-08:00

vroom vroom.

xoxo.

22/365.

2011-01-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

so many people are able to categorize themselves into a specific group that they can be typecast into. big city folk, cow folk, tropical folk, mountain folk, etc, etc.... i however can never seem to choose. perhaps its the pisces woman in me, always able to adapt but honestly, i feel like i can play house in all of those roles, and in fact, kinda already have. from the exotic beaches of rio to the farmlands of colombia, to the mountain ranges of the eastern sierras to the bordering city of san diego, all varied, all home. maybe that's one of the many reasons i have fallen so easily in love with the pacific northwest. it encompasses all of those places, all in one lovely package with any situation within an hours drive away. anywho, the point of the tangent is that i love farms. i love barns and animals and fields and and and..... not putting it lightly, obsessed. and i can guarantee that as i delve further into this whole photography thing, this will not be the last of farmesque things you will see from me! (nor is it the first).... so for this post and the next post i present to you, a most excellent surprise that i found in a field in oak harbor, washington.

xoxo.

21/365.

2011-01-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

oh me oh my yet another mailbox you can see through my eye. (<------nerd alert.)

xoxo.

20/365.

2011-01-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

as promised. the top of a mail box. voila.

xoxo.

19/365.

2011-01-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

why i am even continuing to post these as the 365 project i really am not sure. clearly it has gotten away from me. here i am on day 30 and i have only 19 photos, many not posted on a "daily" basis.....hard to believe it only took me a week to get off track. ce la vie. so until i get tired of numbering them and decide to go back to my comfy ways over over wording and over sharing, i will continue to post as such, under the guise of follow through and project success.

this my dears was a series of mailboxes in oak harbor, washington. i like mail boxes. so you will see that the following two posts will also contain mail boxes, but of the out of context variety.

xoxo.

18/365.

2011-01-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

17/365.

2011-01-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

16/365.

2011-01-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

15/365.

2011-01-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

14/365.

2011-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

13/365.

2011-01-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

alright. well, clearly i am not so good at this whole, committing to a project thingamadooger. i am not sure what my issue is really (a broken camera and using a phone camera may be a factor), but regardless, i just can't seem to post with any sort of consistency. it's a whole lot of nothing followed up with a whole lot of somethings. but for lack of better phrasing and ironic pun intended, that's just how i roll. get used to it. so without further ado, as promised a whole lot of somethings.

xoxo.

12/365.

2011-01-17T01:45:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

11/365.

2011-01-17T01:43:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

10/365.

2011-01-17T01:42:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

word. 9/365.

2011-01-11T23:18:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

da blur. 8/365.

2011-01-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

this here is a blurry photo taken on a blur of a night.

xoxo.

7/365.

2011-01-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

things are looking up. 6/365.

2011-01-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

well, here it is, blew it yesterday for the second time in this first week. arg. at this rate i will run out of excuses faster than being able to just sigh, shrug, and accept that shit happens. so, yeah, i didn't post a picture yesterday. in fact, i don't think that i even took a single picture. no bueno mis amigos. HOWEVER, i took more than a photo today as i went to the hoyt arboretum. a tree zoo of sorts here in portland. and good lord it's beautiful there. a space where i could happily get lost for hours on end. constantly seeing photos amongst the trees. sitting on benches and weaving magical stories of fairly like proportions. ugh, heaven. sometimes though, when walking through such a beautiful forest, it's hard to remember that sometimes, it's just as stunning to just look up. lets just hope that it's a sign that things are looking up in 2011.

xoxo.

recorded. 5/365.

2011-01-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

xoxo.

wrong turn, right time. 4/365.

2011-01-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

what a great start i'm already off to, eh? here it was day 4 and i wasn't able to post in time. this does not bode well for the next 361 days! although i do have an excuse, i forgot my computer while house sitting and couldn't figure out how to mobile upload a photo. but really, excuses excuses. i did however go on a photo expedition while hunting for a freeway late last night. it seemed that every wrong turn was a right opportunity to take some cool pictures. although rolling around industrial areas probably wasn't the most street savvy decision i have ever made (sorry mom), i came out unscathed. unfortunately i finally broke my little camera so these days, i am only armed with my phone camera. nonetheless, here is one image that i came up with, the portland convention center on a foggy foggy thursday night.

xoxo.

upclose and personal. 3/365.

2011-01-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

this is the face that i've been waking up to these last few mornings. what a stud.

xoxo.

a berry cold oregon morning. (2/365)

2011-01-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

i'm currently house sitting out in this beaverton/west hills area outside of downtown portland, and it's kind of out in no-mans land. (although it is ironically a cookie cutter town home overdeveloped area so why it feels like no-mans land i have no idea....) anywho, this project 365 gave me a fantastic opportunity to walk around a bit, emphasis on a bit because no coat and 25 degrees makes for a brisk walk....... again with the anywho, because really, that's neither here nor there.... the point being, i tried to capture some images on my walk which later turned out to be fails. this one however, i liked. i feel like it reads the mood loud and clear. cold and gray. although the berries were bright red, the silhouetteidness (ha i love making up words) of it, just helps to emphasize that yup, it's cold and gray.

xoxo.

project 365.

2011-01-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

365 photos. one a day for the next year. it's not a resolution, because if it was, quite frankly i'd quit trying after a few months. it's just a fact. 365 photos. one a day. this one was taken at cannon beach, or. my first solo mission in 6 months. far too many months for me to have spent an afternoon on my own, doing something that took me out of my comfort zone. i'm comfortable with that. what a rare, gorgeous, cold, january day in oregon.

xoxo.

giving thanks.

2010-11-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

today is my favorite day of the entire year. it's a day filled with laughter, tears, love, friends, family, cooking, food, wine and memories. it's not about gifts, it's not about giving, it's about recognizing how blessed we are regardless of our circumstances. i have so many things to be thankful for it's hard to even start.

i have two healthy parents that have been in love for over 45 years. they have taught me more lessons than i can imagine. they support me unconditionally even if it means picking up and moving my life 1000 miles away chasing my dreams.

i have a sister that is my best friend regardless of growing pains. she and my brothers have brought me a gaggle of nieces and nephews that although at times make me want to pull out my hair, life would never be the same without.

i have two cats that stick with me through thick and thin (mainly because i feed them). they lick my salty tears, they curl up in the crook of my knees at night when it's cold, and they teach me lessons in patience everyday.

i have amazing friends that stick with me through all of my crazies. they keep me grounded like a kite, allowing me to soar in the wind and fly away, yet tethering me to the them regardless of how far i fly.

5 months ago i picked up my life and i moved, scared and alone i found myself in an amazing community that instantly felt like home. i have met amazing people, that have made me part of their own. i have had the opportunity to sell my crafts, i have been encouraged and inspired to think bigger, i have been given the tools to do all of this. i love my life, i love my family, i love my friends.

this is the first holiday in my 31 years that i have spent without my "family" and although tears are shed, i know that my afternoon that is to be filled with friends, laughter, and wine, awaits me with open arms.

i'm not sure who even reads this but i just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. this is me. all me. and your silent support is more important to me than you will ever know.

the picture i am posting today is sort of odd for today yet incredibly appropriate in it's own way. there's a bit of sadness to it, yet, something about it makes me incredibly happy.

have a happy thanksgiving everyone! may your day be filled with love, laughter, and grace.

xoxo.

finding gems in webs.

2010-11-23T16:09:00.000-08:00

i feel like a broken record. constantly talking about the beauty i find in the rain. i just can't help it though, here in portland it is literally everywhere. just the other day while walking out of my front door i was once again confronted with stunning visual imagery. now although the rain droplets on the web aren't an original image, meaning it's been taken before, i still absolutely love the effect that it creates. like pearls dangling from a web. this is an image that i will take over and over as i wasn't able to fully capture it the way it was scene in my minds eye but this is just the beginning.

attached to the web above was this fallen leaf. it was waving in the gentle breeze so being able to take a picture was a lot harder than it appears, the leaf being a moving target and all.... i was however delighted by the images i was able to capture. my favorite being the reflection in the droplet.

xoxo.

falling in love...

2010-11-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

so i know i keep saying this BUT what an amazing life altering experience this has been leaving everything i know and moving somewhere completely different. it's not just about learning to readjust your life, learning to weave your ways into the lives of others, learning to be completely open and vulnerable to everything around you. there is so much "new" happening that it's hard to forget that what's new to you isn't new to everyone around you. and although i like to think that my enthusiasm is catching and contagious, the truth is, it's not for everyone. just like weather isn't for everyone. of course, we will have this conversation again in a couple of months as everyone keeps drilling into my head that the doom of the gloom of the winters of the pacific northwest is coming and that it is surely to pierce through my positiveness. but screw that, why look ahead to what awful is to come? why not just experience and enjoy the now??? it's like riding a bicycle up a hill, never look up, just down. see whats directly underfoot, not the giant hill that is gonna cause muscle spasms and heart palpitations. so that's exactly what i'm gonna do. enjoy and experience what is happening around me now, and then just wait to see what fun comes "then". ironically of course, unlike the hill, i am gonna look up. because although one persons leaves falling signifies the cold and dark to come, to me, it's simply the beauty of mother nature in all of her glory. and hot damn she's beautiful.

xoxo.

to each their own, right?

2010-10-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

what can i say. i have a strange affinity for the supernatural. always have, always will. and with that strange affinity comes an even odder sense of calmness and beauty that i find in cemetery's. the older the better. i remember throwing a hissy in paris because i didn't want to go to the louvre, i wanted to go to pere lachaise cemetery instead. there is something so, um, awe invoking, about the quiet there, the history, the tears and sorrow that soak the earth, the amount of passion whether good or bad that is expressed there. there is a beauty to the stone work for tombstones, the love put into mausoleums, the poetry (or not) chosen to be written as a final glance into who someone once was... mother, father, woodsman, teacher..... and when i write "there", it's not anywhere in particular, its just cemetery's in general. the point of all this is, while a friend was in town visiting, we happened upon a beautiful cemetery. both of us being fans, we stopped and walked around. (this being her first place out of the car in portland, leading later to good stories and odd looks). i was instantly struck by the fact that these beautiful grounds were over shadowed by towers of some sort, be they radio or cellular, it was an incredible juxtaposition! and being me, i whipped out the ever handy powershot from my purse and embarked on a new expedition. i wanted to share the following photos. there's a certain calmness to them that i have a hard time explaining, i just feel it. maybe it's all in my head. maybe this is why other people are supposed to help edit, it's harder to step away and see things for what they are when you have an emotional attachment to it. but regardless.... on this all hallows eve weekend i bring you something a little creepy....... muhahahhahaha.

oh, and is it just me or is "kuehle" just a really neato way of making "cool" your last name?

xoxo.

what a difference three months makes.

2010-10-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

3 months ago, before i left san diego, i went to what was by far the very best show i had ever been to. i was completely in awe as i watched these 4 young gents from london put their heart and soul into this very intimate show at the belly up in san diego. there was so much pride and excitement exuding from these men, the energy completely contagious. it felt to every person there that marcus mumford was singing directly at you. as if it was you and him and his guitar. intimacy at it's finest in a crowd of a couple hundred at most. when i saw they were coming to portland i didn't even blink when it came to buying my ticket, this was one show i was not going to miss. oh how i wish i had. not to say that they weren't still amazing, that the music still didn't move me, it's just that, well, there was no way that they could ever recreate that moment that we shared a mere three months ago. i was trying to explain this disappointment to a friend and i came up with a couple of things. to start, it was perhaps one of the most obnoxious venues i have ever been to. the crystal ballroom should be ashamed. i have never experienced a place where the 80's dance party that they were throwing downstairs completely overshadowed the sold out show occurring in the ballroom. you could literally hear the downstairs music over the band. wtf!!! the second thing that i had a harder time explaining yet, thankfully captured, was the new found pyrotechnics that they added to their show. (now, perhaps i am a bit biased as i was thoroughly annoyed with kings of leon and their pyrotechnics as well BUT......) some may say that the fireworks happen when a band makes it big, that that's kind of like how you know they are now somebody, well, if that's the case, i want mumford and sons to remain nobodies. it completely took away from the beauty of the music. it was an absolute distraction and spectacle. i think those kinds of hyjinks should be reserved for bands that need the distractions from their lacking in substance music. it makes me sad to write this and feel so disappointed. it makes me sad to feel that there went another great band.... le sigh. anyways, i took a few pictures, shocking i know, and thought i would share. the last one being the only one i like. it's simple, quiet, beautiful, like their music, before it got all out of control.

hurts, doesn't it.

xoxo.

a little bit about inspiration.

2010-09-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

so i have been a bit on hiatus and i recognize that i need to get back to the basics. i have been having a lul in my photography but a surge in my other creative sides. so i started getting back into playing with feathers and it's funny, they are actually being sold. in a store and everything. who woulda thunk that this was one avenue that this journey was going to take! the other day, while chicken sitting, i suddenly found myself at this intersecting point where my crafts crossed paths so to speak. the chickens not only photographically inspired me, but they also inspired my feathers, my colors, my hair clips. here is a slight glimpse into a creative journey that i embarked on.

xoxo.

fun with aperture.

2010-08-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

i've been staring at this photo for a couple of days now, and i really want to like it, but i don't, it's just not perfect. granted,i was slightly tipsy (wink wink), camera hanging out of bus window, blindly attempting to capture it right. harrumphing when i knew i hadn't. regardless of blowing the shot, i'm just tickled pink to think about the fact that for a couple of minutes, i stood up on a big yellow school bus, slightly tipsy (wink wink), wind blowing mischievously, arms hanging outside, crossing the st. johns bridge.

today i decided to remember that inner child i recaptured on the bus and let loose, be a kid again, go wild. so, i played with aperture. i know i know i know. but what the heck. it turned out kinda fun. thoughts?

the first one is the original photo taken without the manipulation.

and then this is where i decided to start to play.

xoxo.

sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

2010-08-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

since moving to the pnw, i have done something that i RARELY do, i have gotten lost in the moment. i can't count the number of times that i have stopped and gone, crap, no camera, or crap, how did i only take 5 pictures, or crap, none at all. well the truth is, i have been to busy living to stop and watch. which is awesome for me, piss poor for sticking to goals and working on what i am here for. although, really, i am here for life anyways so i guess, who's to say that i am not doing exactly what i am supposed to be doing. but anywho, as always, i digress. but i am making an honest attempt to get back into the swing of things, start carving out my niche and going with it.

i took this picture the other day. for those of you who know me, know i love birds, and this i love. too me it's haunting and poetic. enough said by me. what do you think?

xoxo.

music to my eyes.

2010-07-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

well, there is no surprise here that i am a big ol fan of le music. not that i know a thing about it, or have the ability to carry a tune, or play an instrument for that matter. but for those who actually posses the ability to do so, a grand stand of kudos to you. i bow to you. i salute you. so as i am trying to work out through the kinks of my photographic abilities, i decided to take a great opportunity and photograph some friends while they were at work. i am by no means a music photographer, it's so much harder than it looks, but i am gonna practice practice practice until i feel comfortable about it. and portland, oh my, could there be a better place to learn? and at least i get to learn in the comfort of my own devices, no horrendous josephina here to smack my hand because of improper technique. sheesh, that flashback just made me realize why the piano never took for me. what an asshole that woman was. oh well, i digress. no josephina here. and hopefully those whom i will be able to learn from, will do so with a delicate touch. as always, all constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated. this is a forum for me to grow people, and i can't learn if no one tells me different. and i can hardly believe that i am just that awesome. :)

xoxo.

excitment.

2010-07-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

well kids. i did it. i packed up my life and moved to oregon. and so far my friends, it has been an exciting adventure to the say the least. it's funny the first question anyone asks here is, what brings you to portland. lets face it, you kinda have to move here for a purpose as the weather lacks a bit in the open arm friendly inviting kind of way. but here's the deal, i don't really have a purpose. i came here to fine tone my passions. to follow them. live them wildly. to explore. to get excited.

it has taken me a week and i am happy to say i have finally began taking photos. and more importantly, mistakes or not, i am finally getting excited about what i am taking. it's what i needed to jump back on track and get with the program for what i am doing here. so next time someone asks, instead of saying life, i wanna proudly say, i am chasing my passion. that's why i am here. that's what i am doing. and gosh darn it. i am excited about it.

i took this from the car while road tripping up here. it wasn't where my intention laid but for some inexplicable reason, i love it.

some more car driving photo taking gone right.

a washington state river.

more river runs through it action. i wanted my friends to come out in the photo and just not be the focal point. i love how it turned out.

the following two flowers were taken with two seperate

cameras. i wasn't sure why the background kept overexposing but i totally dug it. and on the second one, i wanted the follow through of the red in the background to be there.... both were taken intentionally, i just can't decide which i like better. maybe i don't have to pick favorites...

what's exciting about this one above is that i feel like it looks photoshopped where really it was just the way i shot it.

xoxo.

buggin' out and then some.

2010-06-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

stress is really not even a word that qualifies what it feels like to move states with in two weeks, have no income, and have no place to call home. so buggin out qualifies beautifully for right now. anywho, i am short on words but here are a couple of bug pics i've captured this week and the last one is an orchid that i seem to think looks like a penguin. or mole. or something.

xoxo.

diving into boudoir from all sorts of angles.

2010-06-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

i had the amazing opportunity to work with a terrific model and dive into the world of boudoir photography the other day. it was really funny because it was something i had never done before, nor had she, and we were both a little nervous to begin with. ( i would probably recommend a glass of wine for both the model and the photographer to start in the future! :) ) it was also interesting trying to figure out what type of angle i wanted to take. she had asked me to take these for her because she appreciated my "eye" and i wanted to be sure to not disapoint. the thing with boudoir is, there is such a fine line between tasteful and tasteless, tacky and classy, porno and art. as i snapped away i just wasn't achieving what i wanted. and then finally, it clicked. i was looking at this all wrong. she wanted my eye and i wasn't using it. i was too busy trying to "get pictures" as a whole that i stopped being true to my artistic self and stopped looking for what i do best, seeing the picture within the picture, working out the lines. and when that mental click finally occurred, everything after that was just gold. she and i couldn't help but loosen up and smile. i personally think that i was able to achieve tasteful, classy, artistic shots, what do you think?

so the following sequence of photos just shows how a little shift in position can change a photo dramatically. this is why i have such a hard time self editing, i like each one for a completely different reason.

oh, and as usual, no photoshop involved. just a yellow filter and a beautiful canvas.

xoxo.

temporary hiatus.

2010-06-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

sometimes life just starts to happen and i forget to pull out my camera. truth be told, i actually love it when this happens. it means that i am busy living life and not just standing on the outskirts observing and capturing. but at the same time, it makes me feel like i am not using my creativity. and that is a le boo kind of moment. when cleaning out my camera last night i ran across this picture. its so simple and it was taken while waiting for some mexican food in a drive thru. at the time i was just struck by the simplicity and beauty of the juxtaposition of the flowers and the wall. it still has that same effect on me.

xoxo.

fighting gray with color.

2010-05-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

in perfect clockwork, may arrives, the gray comes in tow. it's a san diego phenomenon known as may gray, which is followed by june gloom. two months out of the year in which mother nature threatens the onset of weather. of course it doesn't come, but the threat constantly looms. everyone keeps telling me, "you know, this is what portland is like, always", as if that would deter me. i get it. the pacific northwest is gloomy. it's overcast and gray. but the thing is, it doesn't make me sad. it doesn't bum me out. i love it. i love what it does to the colors that surround. it makes everything pop! so, in preparation for what i have been threatened to be a life time of gray, i have decided that the best way to combat that is to fill my life with color. so on today, when it's all gray out and the beers of last night have me a little less than motivated today, i want to share some more flowers. pretty, sunny flowers.

everyone's life paths take them along different roads...

it's up to you if you just walk along the outskirts,

or if you stop and surround yourself with it's beauty.

the choice is yours.

xoxo.

changing the ways of the flower.

2010-05-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

no surprise here but i have been working on perspective lately and how you can drastically change an image just based on the angle you photograph it and how up close and personal you get to it. below you are going to find three different flowers (the two roses are different) and three different ways to photograph them that makes each one unique, so i hope. with the roses i was trying to figure out a way to maintain its softness. i wish i was able to do that and still keep detail. that's my next learning project i suppose. anywho, the very last photo is my very very favorite. love the detail that i was able to capture in the pollen and the definition of the petals. i wanted it to be rougher than the roses as the flower itself had a spiky feel to it......

xoxo.

the collar and the window.

2010-05-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

so the last few weeks have been crazy. i completed my first 5k with an under 35 minute run. wooowho. for me, a non runner, that is awesome. also, i have been putting all the final plans in motion for my big move to portland. of course between the training, the minor emotional melt downs, the trying to work my tush off to pay for moving and all that, there has been very little time left for writing or photographing. oh, not to mention del mar fair deadlines....... le boo. but today as the reality of loading up my car with two parents and two cats and driving 18hrs started to sink in, i realized, i've lately been feeling a bit like this guy..... unable to scratch that itch, and stuck inside a house with only a window between me and my life to come. it's like i am staring out at portland but just not able to get to it yet..... come a month from now, that will all change.......that window will open, and that collar will finally come off.

xoxo.

taking it to the streets.

2010-05-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

ok, seriously. there is no better song out there to accompany this post so click play and listen for a minute and then peruse the photos because that exactly what i am about to do, take it to the streets.

the streets of new orleans that is. anyone that has ever spent any amount of time in the french quarter knows these images all to well. infact, they are very likely sitting in your own photo album at home, on your book shelf. so maybe this will inspire you to get up and brush the dust off that said album (do people even use albums anymore?) and take a wee little trip down the old memory lane. for those that have never been, well...... here is a taste of a little something that is very french quarter. street performers. be they musicians or the scarier (for me) still life performers. of course every corner is littered with men (or women) that are painted from head to toe with metallic gold or silver that play music and act all robotic like but shooot, we have those here in san diego, so what's the originality in showing that? the two non musicians that i am going to show you are a lot more like still life paintings. a bit more unique and inventive. (albeit creepy, yeah i'm talking to you dude with the frame). nonetheless, when frozen in time, they are beautiful. with frame dude i am kicking myself for not having noticed the woman in the background. it would have been WAY better without her in it. le boo. anywho, se la vie!

so without further ado, let us take it to the streets!

xoxo.

words pictured.

2010-04-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

if you happened to be paying attention a few months ago, you will remember that i love signs on walls, ala port townsend. it's kind of like the advertising billboards of the centuries past. i just love the way stencil looks on brick, and how over time the weather and probably just time begin to alter the colors. i also love the textures of paint and dirt on concrete walls. well, new orleans was not only able to satisfy that personal visual delight but they also were able to indulge me in a whole new one. tile. they used to use tile, on the ground to denote street names. at this point most of them have broken, been worn into the ground or simply just removed, but occasionally, occasionally you can find an entire one intact. and to me, that is just so cool!!!! and to fulfill my new affinity for close up photos to reveal texture, i ran across this pealing streetcar sign. i didn't pay enough attention so the cropping isn't exactly what i was shooting for but it will certainly work as far as being able to see the paint actually peal off! and finally the last is an unsatisfying image of the new orleans water meter. i probably could have done without sharing this one but the seal itself is so cool i just had to!

xoxo.

reflecting on time spent in new orleans.

2010-04-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

well i am back bitches! bruised, defeated, headache driven and dehydrated but i am back. this second time in new orleans for me did nothing other than solidify the fact that man i love that city! the people, the architecture, the food and the music! 5 days spent drinking and dancing and taking in an endless supply of fantastic music. well as too be suspected i took way too many photos and i am having a rough go at organizing and all that jazz. but this first round of what will be a whole lot of new orleans posts revolves around a fun little i decided to have. it's all about reflections baby, ya you rite!

xoxo.

capturing a real swingingly good time.

2010-04-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

i was jogging one day through my favorite canyon when i noticed that someone happened to have set up a swing, hanging from my favorite tree, that was in this favorite canyon of mine. instantly my brain went to pictures. i had to take them there. i saw the entire scenes in many variations laid out right before me and honestly i had no option other than to make it happen. and from there, this amazing swinging sunday sprung. a fantastic day spent in the company of my amazing and creative sisters, with paints, swings, parasols, champagne, food, and lots and lots and lots of love and laughter!

while getting together the props that i wanted to use i ran across my old camera. now i will be honest in telling you that i was seconds away of taking the old 35mm out for a ride but in the end decided against it. i did however find my old filters. i really thought that they would make an awesome addition to the photos, give them that vintage rustic feel that i was trying to achieve.

anyways, here are a few of the images captured from today. not surprising in any sort of way, the candid photos came out WAY better than any of the "posed" photos. just goes to show the value in what it is that i like to do, and that is to "capture" real moments in time. today really validated the fact that i am not and really don't want to be a studio photographer. i'm finding that perhaps that is where my talent lies...hmmm, go figure.

xoxo.

inspiration point or rather point of inspiration.

2010-04-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

so i am moving soon. and if i could have my way, i would blow the following three photographs up huge like and put them on my walls. but im talking ginormous! well perhaps after everything pans out and i am making money for my crafts and am well reknowned i will be able to do so. until then, my shallow pockets will print them tiny like and tape them to whatever wall or mirror i deem vital. these are photographs of an ad campaign that was running for some over self indulgent apartment complex in la brea. i obviously messed with the contrast a bit, and while photographing i eliminated the cheesy pictures and just kept the words. those are what mattered to me anyways. they are my constant reminders for all things life, work and art related. as if there is a separation.

xoxo.

LA, gaged and bound.

2010-04-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

i went to LA a while ago. it's funny while reviewing the photos that i took while there, i am totally bored and honestly a bit disappointed! especially since at the time i just thought they were the bees knees. ugh! but that's kind of how i feel about everything right now so it's rather suiting. anywho, out of the hundreds of pictures that i took, these still curl the edges of my mouth. my very very very favorite being that of my parents, but that is rather suiting as they are my most favorite people ever.

it's funny, i made a suiting pun above which is an excellent transition to the next photo which makes me wish for the days when we could forget about being practical and still carry suitcases such as these. but now with the invention of wheels who could be bothered to actually carry? so for now, they can continue to dance into our hearts as decor.

and imagine that, another totally intentional and ill placed pun! this one being of course dancing. the following photo makes me smile as it makes me think of happy dancing feet, floating off into the sky.

xoxo.

angles angles angles.

2010-04-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

i feel like i talk about perspective a lot. how looking at something from different angles can totally change what it is that you are seeing. with this in mind, i went out on a photo expedition to to prove my point. using two different subjects, i changed my focus in three different ways. you know what, explaining it is kinda monotonous. let me show you instead. as you are going to see, the picture can change dramatically, depending on how you frame it.

xoxo.

unexpected surprises.

2010-04-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

so, i work in an amazing park. and i rarely get to experience it. it's a whole lot more like i sit back and watch as others get to enjoy it. well i got lucky this weekend and was able to get out there and take it in for all it was worth. and of course i brought my camera with me to experiment along the way. surprised, i know. anyways, here is what happened along my travels. 3 very different images with 3 very different techniques. can ya dig it?

xoxo.

perspectives.

2010-04-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

i picked up a book today at costco that got me all amp'd up and super jazzed. it was all about macro photography. now granted close ups are always cool but this was just awesome! it was all on distorting images. an example. if you zoomed up real close on a dew ridden spider web, with the proper technique you could create the image of pearls. hard to explain without a visual but anyways, it has inspired me in a manner that i haven't been inspired in a while. i am super stoked to go out there and take some new photos with this in mind. but that's a post for a future date. today i want to share a few things that i have already done in which i have taken the average, and through careful visual cropping, captured something unique that was within something simple. for example, tree bark or moss growing on trees or empty boxes.... here, let me show you instead of all this blah blah blahing.

so here is an example of how what something looks like from afar,

can change when seen upclose.

this is an example of texture that can be created from tree bark.

or what you can see if you looked at a telephone pole that is used for flyers, a little closer.

or moss on a tree.

or nifty designs that are naturally formed on trees.

or as this case is, in trees.

xoxo.

sometimes it takes more than once to learn life's lessons.

2010-03-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

so i have been watching these cherry blossoms behind my work for over a week and because apparently i learned nothing from my travels to japan a few years ago, i missed them. while i was in japan i was stopped by a little japanese man who had an affinity for english and "ros angeros" and telling young american ladies about the beauty of the cherry blossom. how one small flower has such a strong correlation to life. and how if we sit back and wait, we will miss it. (the life cycle of a cherry blossom is two weeks). i had gone to japan on a mission to photograph the cycle, from beginning to end which was really quite risky, as is with mother nature, there is no set time schedule for when the blossoms occur. they come when they are good and ready to. well, luck was on my side this trip because the first blossoms sprung the day our plane touched down and they began to fall the day i left. oh fortuna! but if you are paying attention to my rambles you will know imediately where my faux pas today occured. i have been watching them for over a week, from a far, and the life cycle is..........???? very good young padawan! two weeks. so lets flash forward to today......

here i go, all excited to see what 2 years of improving on my photographic tendencies would produce, when i turn the corner and low and behold, the effin trees are almost bare! "wtf" i think to myself! ok, screw it, i hate all those lol's, and omg's, so ,"what the fuck" i think to myself.... how the hell did that happen? they were in full bloom last week....... ding ding ding. well this genius deserves a wicked round of applause. but lesson re-learned, i will never again forget the unforgettable story of the "ros angeros" loving japanese man. i have remembered that life can be fleeting. stop waiting, grab the bull by the horns, and just do it. because if you don't, what ever it is that you thought would be there, won't be. but with this in mind, when what you planned changes, make the best of it. don't dwell on what you missed, but revel in what you have.

xoxo.

envy can be an evil mistress and i'm riding her like a bull riding cowgirl in a rodeo.

2010-03-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

ugh, spring. spring is love. and love is, puke. just kidding. kind of. well, when you are not in love, it's all too easy to be annoyed with it. and today, it was everywhere. while strolling through balboa park, there were couples making out EVERYWHERE! ew. leave that lovey dovey smootchy woochy business at home. not on romantic hills, surrounded by flowers. not on swing sets. not under trees. not not not. (can anyone else see the transparency of this blog rant????? hence the title.) anyways. as any good, slightly invading space photog, i snuck in a couple pictures of a puke worthy moment. ok, fuck it, it was beautiful. totally out of some romantic comedy that i would watch over and over. (i was trying to not be an obvious strange girl taking their photo so did it right quick, hence the quality.) anyways, i hate the couple on the lower right. no, not really. hates a strong word, but so is that evil bitch envy.

xoxo.

i need a ringer.

2010-03-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

so while at brunch after several mimosas i decided to take a go at shooting rings. it's a lot harder than i realized! so i am learning from it, but wanted to share! clearly i need to work on where i am focusing and also avoid being in the actual picture..... but i think the idea is kind of cool. i especially like the cracked paint.......

xoxo.

the art of throwing a hoedown.

2010-03-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

i love parties. and the only thing i like more than going to them, is throwing them. (although if you ask me this the day before and the day of, my opinion will have changed drastically.) anyways. parties. love love love them. especially when you see something in your head and then all of a sudden it actually turns out that way. i like the cooking. i like the decorating. i like the creating. not so much with the cleaning but, it's all part of it i suppose. anyways. another party is now under my belt. a post bachelorette party for 13 girls. it was a two day event so everything had to say, night time hoedown and breakfast bridal brunch all in one.i am really really proud of it. what i envisioned was a "chic hoedown". or "haute hoedown" as some would say. this was for a bestie who went off and got herself hitched...i wanted to see rustic country. i wanted simple, fun, yet still retain it's well deserved class. many hands made light work which allowed for this event to happen, the following are just a few of my personal design touches... whatcha think?

this is the appetizer station

i found an old ironing board closest in the yard and used it as decor....

i took some hay and an old window frame and created this center piece.

when i realized i didn't have enough flowers i took to their garden and picked some lavender and threw it in glass milk bottles.

this is another window that i took and worked it into the decor.

this is what it looked like when all the food was laid out.

although my day job is executing events, throwing this party made me remember how much i love doing this kind of thing. i can only hope that the bride was as thrilled with it as i!

xoxo.

music to my ears.

2010-03-19T03:06:00.000-07:00

i had a conversation with a friend the other day that made me realize how often i turn the tv on as companionship, as background noise to fill my empty house. i do so so often that i don't even realize that i have turned it on, or that it's on for that matter. the reason it bothers me so is that it means that i am not listening to music.
its funny. i have to stop and remind myself how much music means to me. how important it is. how it fuels my fire. how it inspires. i laugh because whenever i am asked who my favorite is, i am ALWAYS stumped. certain music is important to me at certain times. there is no absolute about anyone that i have ever listened to. they all have their time and place in my life.

well, the current flavor of the week are theses guys..... mumford and sons. i am head over heals for them currently. listen to them on repeat. although they are british they make me want to go to the country. to lay in endless fields of wildflowers. to run. they paint my brain with delightful visions. conjure delicious ideas. they right now are music to my ears.

and since they make me want to go to the country, i will share a picture. shocker. i know. anyways. i like this photo. i hope you do too.

xoxo.

the spirit of ireland.

2010-03-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

today is my favorite. and i will tell you why. when i was a wee lass, the ripe age of 18, my family took me on a couple of fantastic adventures through ireland. on bicycle we traveled, over the rolling hills, through the rain, in desperate search for our next pub and that beautiful glass of guiness that awaited. i met life altering people on this journey. friends that i have kept now for almost 13 years. although countries and states and ages separated us, we all held one thing in common. spirit. and it is that very spirit that i am reminded of on this day. from riding in the back of a van, legs crossing over each other, crackling voices singing out, irish rover and danny boy echoing through the steel walls. oasis's wonderwall being repeated over and over. to toughing out 35 miles, a sore ass, a spliting headache, blinding rains and stopping in your tracks winds, all the while supporting each other to keep the two wheels turning. to drinking whiskey in caverns. to telling ghost stories in cemeteries under irish stars. to playing fuzzy duck in parking lots, to swimming in icy lakes and chasing donkeys country side. to getting on an irish radio show. spirit consumed us all and continues to do so. it's binding. and it still makes my heart smile.

i fell absolutely in love with each and everyone of my friends and family along those journeys. i fell in love with people, my family (who lets face it the few years prior had been a bit rough with the parentals, damn that age 14-15!), ireland, photography, cycling, guiness, and spirit. and i think that THAT is the true reason i love today, the 1/4 irish in me aside. to me st patty's means ireland. and to me, ireland means love. i found my soulmate there. that soulmate is spirit, which unequivocally is love.

ironically, the picture below has nothing to do with ireland. it was taken in san diego on a rare rainy, rainbow kind of day.

this photo reminds me of spirit. And although i am well aware that i have no one to share an umbrella with, i have something better. i have the power of love. and i believe in it 100%. and if you know me, you know that i say, screw sharing an umbrella! together, lets dance in the rain! and that my dears, is spirit!

so with a glass raised i cheers to spirit, friendship, family, dreams, memories, rainbows, umbrellas, bicycles and green.

xoxo.

sealed.

2010-03-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

so i have been completely uninspired. can't seem to get my creative grove on. boooooooo. maybe it coincides with birthday week. maybe not. although i still can't believe i am turning 31. i know it's still young and a life time ahead still awaits but, for those of you chuckling at me right now for my temporary panic, think back to when you turned 31. get back to that moment, not this moment where you are reflecting on then, but actually go back to then. there is always the, if i knew then what i know now, well guess what, you didn't know then for a reason. and i don't know now. but i will, one day. but for now, i am gonna sit and stew in this non creative panic and try to recalibrate myself for this life time of learning that is to come. until then, in the spirit of fate being sealed, here are some pictures of seals.

xoxo.

lather, wash, rinse, repeat.

2010-02-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

i have an unhealthy relationship with the rain. i love it. i love the wetness, i love the pounding noises it creates, i love the tink tink tink that the drops make as they hit my furnace. it's a symphony of sounds and i love it all. but the coolest part of the rain is what happens when the rain lifts. the way the lighting reflects off of the clouds and the trees. the rainbows it creates. ah. i just love love love it! i crave it, i want it. again with the unhealthy relationship thingy......... anywho, yesterday was terrific! it would downpour in bone soaking spurts. and then it would clear. and then it would pour. and then it would clear.

it's really a lot like shampoo, lather, wash, rinse, repeat.

xoxo.

lounging with the lions and the gorrilas.....

2010-02-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

one of the most common experiences at any type of zoo environment is that of lazy animals! i swear, do they ever get up and run around? here is a few images from the wild animal park in which i got to document the lounging that takes place.....

xoxo.

birds of different feathers flock together.

2010-02-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

as promised here are a couple more photos from my wild animal park adventure. theses are of the winged variety. in fact, if you could capture an animal that is the most opposite to an elephant, i would have to say a bird fits that bill! from the dainty size, delicateness of feathers, and fluttering of activity, i would definitely have to say opposite indeed....which brings me to think about how opposites attract because often (not here) you will see images of birds catching a ride on the back of an elephant.....i'd like to thank paula abdul at this time for making that song which now won't exit my head and subsequently imputing that video in my brain too so now i have images of an animated wolf with eyes popping and tongue rolling out.....(maybe i should have rethought making that second pot of coffee...)

anywho, back to the birds......

those aren't ears ps. just some feathers to make him look more mammal like in case of a threat! doesn't he look like a furby??!!!

these two were fighting for fish! it was like a bird bill sword fight!

did you know that flamingos could walk on water? and here i thought that was reserved for jesus...

xoxo.

le elephante.

2010-02-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

so yesterday i went the the wild animal park. it is a wannabephotographers dream! the fact that you can get fairly up close and personal with animals is just amazing. and at times, i would swear to you that they are actually posing! well i took a crapton of photos and i want to share them ALL with you. but that would just make for one long snoozefest of photo after photo. so here is what i am going to do. i am going to divide them up into several different posts so that you have something to look forward to all week long. can't promise that they will come daily, but they will come. so today i want to share with you one of my very favorite animals, the elephant. i am not really sure where this obsession of mine comes from but i absolutely love them. their wrinkly skin. their long eyelashes. the oddness and dexterity of their trunks...... the list is endless! i even love the view from behind! strange i know. so here are some elephant pics, mind you the little tiny one, was only 8 days old! adorable!

i also did a little playing with depth of field. it's fun to see what happens when you shift your focus around a little, such a small adjustment can change a photograph so dramatically! love it!

this one is.....

kinda cool.

where as this one is.....

eh... boring and normal.

but this one.... this one is.....

my favorite.

xoxo.

birds a humming.

2010-02-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

very rarely do hummingbirds stop and just sit. their little wings laying still. well by my house, this is no rarity. a family of birds teasingly hum by window, stopping and winking as my kitties watch on. the other day, i was able to actually capture this. so here is my ode, to the little birds, that rarely stop humming.

xoxo.

mardi gras gaslamp style.

2010-02-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

so last night i went to the mardi gras celebration in san diego's gaslamp district. for those of you who know me, although i have a predisposition for parties and fun, i'm not huge into the whole over crowded, wasted frat boy, half naked chicks scene. so to go was a bit out of character. but as i find myself recalibrating, i need to step out of my comfort zone every once and a while. not only that BUT, i won free tickets AND the thought of the photographic potential was amazing. and that it did turn out to be. i have to say, i was really happy with the outcome of the whole evening, the photos and the fun. from a brief encounter with a canadian of a beautiful kind, to the non stop dancing and laughing, to the 22 year old navy boys buying us shots, its a wonder that i was even able to take photographs. but somehow, somehow like always, i not only managed, but i also managed to surprise myself. as a disclaimer i'd like to add that camera's weren't allowed, these photos were taken with no flash and a shaky hand.

laissez bon temps roulez!

xoxo.

it's a mardi gras kinda day.

2010-02-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

for as long as i can remember, i have found beauty in some of the most unusual things. i love the good, the bad, and the ugly. i find equal beauty in gorgeous flowers and broken buildings. so naturally, when i was in new orleans back in 2008, i fell in love. no doubt about it. the sights, the sounds, the culture the people. the good, the bad, and the ugly. and i can think of any better way than to share a little bit more of my visions of new orleans with you, on this mardi gras fat tuesday. ya you right!

xoxo.

big open skies.

2010-02-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

last night i went with some of my besties to the movies and watched "crazy heart". and let me just say, i am crazy about it. it wasn't just the superb acting or the phenomenal soundtrack.(i have been totally obsessed with one of the songs but didn't write it down and can't find it ANYWHERE. waaaaaaah.) it was the off the charts incredible cinematography. holy crap, it was just beautiful. the big open skies, extended wide angles, oh my i could just go on and on and on and on. it made me want to jump in my car and embark on a life altering road trip. it made me just want to go go go.

practicality putting a damper on my parade, i did the very next best thing. i reviewed my last phenomenal road trip, hopefully putting a plug on my desire to go, at least until my next BIG, life altering, road trip commences in june.

these are a few images of some big skies and wide open spaces that i have been able to capture.

ryan bingham is behind a lot of the music in "crazy heart". i am crazy about his voice and i stumbled across this song in my searching today. he could sing me to sleep any day, or to rise and shine for that matter. i know not everyone like country music but i happen to love it and this is my world here so, suck it up and enjoy! :)

xoxo.

pelican or pelicant?

2010-02-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

i learned some valuable lessons today. bring a camera everywhere. spontaneous photo shoots are fantastic. and when armed with a camera, be sure to be ready, at all times. so today, in need of some material to use for the examiner gig, i decided to go out and about and see if i could be inspired. i had to go to the midway anyways, so i decided to go photograph the kissing sailor statue next to it.(those will be used at a later date no doubt) i made a second choice to go check out the harbor and photograph some boats(those too will be pulled out when the going gets tough, some other time.) anywho, so besides from the sailor/nurse kissing and the boats, i ran across something i hadn't seen before, up close and personal. there was a boat load (pun intended) of pelicans just flocking around (another intentional pun). so luck be my lady tonight, i decided to photograph some birds. the following is what i saw and took. there was only one picture that i was disappointed by. the reason behind the disappointment was that i wasn't ready for ANYTHING. i missed what could have been a monumental shot by a millisecond, or in this case, misjudged the frame by less than an inch. le boo i say! but i will post it regardless, because i have to learn from my mistakes. and guess what, i am not afraid to say and show that i do make them. although the photograph (the first one posted) isn't terrible, it could have been better. but that is life. live and learn. se la vie!

xoxo.

fun things i like to do.

2010-02-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

whenever the holidays arrive, i become martha stewart. creating, creating, creating. paper is involved, yarn is involved, glue is involved, chaos is involved. this year i made a bunch of fun stuff that i thought i'd share. so here i am, sharing. oh. and funny enough, i just looked over and saw them still sitting on my table, unmailed. so for some of you, surprise!

merry christmas!

i made some card sets this year......

i knit some pot holders.....

(geaux saints!)

and i of course gifted some pictures....

hopefully one day people will buy them from me, but for now, i just like the giving.

xoxo.

a conversation with daibutsu.

2010-02-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

way back when in 2008, a friend and i went to japan on an a fantastic miss.adventure as we lovingly dubbed it. on one of our miss.adventures we went to the little town of kamakura. while there, like every other tourist in the area, we went and visited with daibutsu, or the "giant buddha". well needless to say, my camera and i were able to have a fantastic conversation with him. he taught me the importance of centering. he taught me the value in seeing things just a little differently. he taught me. and i thank him.

xoxo.

broken hearts.

2010-02-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

hearts get broken. it happens all the time. and it's not something that is exclusive to lovers. friends and families are equally capable of doing the damage. i think that that's why disappointment hurts more than anything else. it's like a little chisel being hammered into your heart. this morning, while thinking of a series of disappointments, i ran across my tree. my broken heart tree. and with this tree came the reminder to love unconditionally, for better or worse. i can't let other peoples actions turn me into someone i am not. i can feel the sad, and i can feel the mad, but in the end, even though disappointment has been chiseled into my heart, i can't allow others to defeat me. every chisel creates a crack that can turn into a new branch. and every branch allows me to open my arms into a bigger embrace. i'm not waiting open armed for disappointment to find me, but when it does, i know that ever chisel is just going to make me stronger. after all, at least my heart is still beating. and why waste a beating heart on a fallen cause.

xoxo.

symphony sunday.

2010-01-31T12:39:00.000-08:00

so i am off to see the symphony with my sisters and their kiddos. it's the "funny side of music". its all about the interesting sounds that instruments make. i think it's gonna be a noisy blast! so what better way to celebrate that then by posting some photographs that were taken in New Orleans back in 2008.

xoxo.

searching for my lucky clover.

2010-01-31T00:02:00.000-08:00

i have these terrific memories as a child, laying in the fields of barra de tijuca. sun blazing overhead keeping us warm. the sweet smell of ripening guava in the trees tickling our noses. the sounds of sugar cane stalks gently clanking together in the breeze, nature's wind chimes. as we lay bellies to the ground, giggling and telling tales, we searched. always wanting to find our fortuna in fields of clovers. convinced that one of us would indeed find the mythical 4 leaf clover. so much happiness and joy happened during those lazy hours. innocence bellowing. even though we never found one, luck was with us already. what i would give to be able to be that innocent again. to find so much joy in doing something so mundane, even though we knew the odds were against us in finding that clover. i want those moments back. some days, i would do anything to be a kid again. free of responsibility. not having to be "adult" about things. so on days like today, where fortuna is nowhere to be found, looking at the following photographs brings me back to that time, where luck was always with me.

xoxo.

an ART-official sky.

2010-01-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

yesterday, while i was working, i looked out the window and noticed the most amazing thing happening in the sky. granted this was not going to be an epic, ground breaking sunset, but, it was going to be incredible. and not only was it going to be incredible but, it was gonna change the lighting in the air, soften it if you will, give photographs, if taken properly, that "rosy eyed" effect. so i grabbed my keys, grabbed boo, (whom i always wish we had spelt her name as bue, like sue), our family black lab, and ran like a bat out of hell, (just ask my dad whom almost got knocked over in the process), to my car. windows down, both heads out the window (someone shoulda photographed that one), we dashed to the beach.

granted we coulda really ran but why be hasty when you can drive three blocks so much faster. truth of the matter is, with photography, time is of the essence. and when you have the timely essence of fighting the sun, (remember when i was able to put the sun on hold for fossil falls????) you just have got to go go go. sorry greeny's but gas guzzling is a must. carbon footprint a little bigger, check! (i've got to make my stamp somehow people!) well, before you chastise me for some of my non green tendency's (i use ziplock bags too if you wanna add that to the growing list), check out the following pics. because to me, adding to the atmospheric pinks with my car exhaust was well worth it!

two things. one i love sunsets. two i love it when pictures blur the lines between photographs and paintings. that is, when it's not digitally done. otherwise it's just an artificial illusion. these, are an "ART-official illusion".(i just made that up, but shoot, maybe i'll coin it.)

xoxo.

sunshine.

2010-01-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

here's a little mock sunshine for this rainy evening.

xoxo.

picture is worth a thousand words.

2010-01-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

i was at work the other day when i looked out the window and watched as the following moment unfolded. thank god i had a camera on my phone. in a way, this image captured just leaves me speechless. i hope you enjoy it as much as i.

xoxo.

port townsend.

2010-01-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

i had a delightful conversation this am with my lovely friend up in washington so i felt it only appropriate to share today some photos from our terrific, albeit intoxicating, trip to a little town in washington called port townsend.

these first pictures are taken from the ferry. legend has it that the town was built on two levels intentionally. above the bluffs, old victorian houses lie, housing the moral and pure. at sea level, was where the debautchary occured. sailors and ladies of the night flocked the streets, as did brew houses and brothels. well the brothels are gone, but brew houses not.

although we never made it to the above bluff side (no snickering), sea level proved to be a beautiful array of buildings and well, brew houses.

one of the most beautiful parts (for me) about this town was the array of signs that hung on, and comprised of, walls. as well as tattered doorways.

our final stop, although at the time we did not know it, was into a fantastic brew house called,

water street brewing. http://www.waterstreetbrewing.com/ i highly recommend going there and trying their brew and just "enjoying" it. the decor is amazing as is their blown glass. just look at the beer handles!

anyways, i absolutely adore this town. and even though at the time i was bummed that i didn't do more, i wouldn't change what i did see there for anything. but, heed my warning. i will return!

xoxo.

conquering fear.

2010-01-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

there's a few things that i really don't like. one of them is heights. and it's not that i can't drive over bridges or fly in airplanes. i just can't stand on bridges, or look over edges, or hike on vertical hills or or or... lets face it. the reality is, i am clumsy. i am ungraceful. and i have big feet. all these things just add to the practical reasoning that when looking over the edge, i will somehow, trip and fall. now at times, like peering over the side of a bridge, this trip would logically have to be HUGE! i mean like stumbling, being propelled across the ground and some how include a vertical leap of 5+ feet to make it over the railing and falling. but like i said, grace here. so SOMEHOW i will probably manage to logically do the unlogical and fall over the railing. but then again, who said logic had anything to do with fear. although, if you're afraid of bears (which logically you should be) my theory kinda goes to the dumpster (which illogically one time i stalked, camera in hand, as a couple of of bear cubs rummaged through. now why the heck does that NOT scare me????) anyways. the point of this rant is. i am having having a bad day. i am sick. and when i am sick i get all woe is me. and i don't like feeling that way so i want to go back and remember what it feels like to do something that makes you inexplicably proud. and for me, it's conquering a fear.

so here we go, back to bridges. in washington state there is a little bridge called deception pass. the damn thing terrified me to walk across... in fact, i get to the middle of this perfectly safe bridge and for no reason, my legs just locked. no thank you, i will go no further. and i am talking about the kind of leg paralyzing, knock you to your knees, fear. well. as i was here on this great solo adventure, i decided to one up the damn fear thing. so i did the scariest thing imaginable. i climbed down a muddy cliff, under the bridge so that i could take pictures of this beast that strikes such irrational fear in me. and legs shaking, falling to my knees occasionally, shedding a couple of misguided tears, i photographed the crap out of the thing. i went all paparazzi on this bridge. britney spears and her mental breakdown got off easier than this bridge did.

the point of this total ramble is that i was able to do something that was bigger than myself and bigger than my fears. i was able to conquer them temporarily. and when i ran, and ran i did, back up the hill, (which was formally a cliff, anyone see the symbolism there? it's intentional people. keep up.) rocky's "eye of the tiger" screaming in my head, (pretty sure if i didn't have one hand on the ground, (i was realistically probably crawling up it), and the other hand on the camera, fists would definitely have been pumping) and pride was exuding from my pours. for those very short moments, i felt and believed that at that moment i could do anything.

with that being said, this is a perfect example of how emotional connections occur through photography. because as most of you will see the following series of photos as images of a bridge, to me, well to me, its a world of fear conquering.

every straight, non blurred line, symbolizes non shaking hands (which when petrified is really hard to do!).

every hard angle reminds me of digging my muddy feet into the ground, leaning towards the "cliff" so as not to fall into the water.

but more importantly, every photograph reminds me that even though i was petrified, i was able to shut the fear up and use my brain to rationally photograph an image.

in a way we are a lot like bridges. all of our experiences, flaws perfections and fears creates our human strucuture. (not to mention bridges kinda look like dna strands). but like bridges, we are stronger than we think. and every time we fear that we are at our breaking point, it's always in us to shut that fear up and move through it. just like by now, i have shut up that i am sick, woe is me, and pushed through.

xoxo.

do you see what i see?

2010-01-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

i had the most interesting experience on sunday. i sat and listened as someone else described my photography. for those of you that know me, i'm not a show boater. i am humble and i am quiet about what i do. (can you be self described humble or does saying your humble negate the actual humbleness?) the point is, my least favorite thing to do is talk about myself or what i do. i seem to have some sort of social retardation occur if you ask me about myself point blank. so while trying to answer a question on sunday, noticing that i was dumbing the situation down, a wonderful friend stepped in and started to talk about me and what i do. the warmth and love that filled my heart listening to him talk about who i feel is a complete stranger really struck me.

so as i try to do with everything, i carried this conversation along with me for the rest of my day. later that evening, as another friend and i crossed the street, something caught my eye. as the usual curiosity that follows when i pull out my camera and start taking pictures of random things, she asked to see what it was that i saw. from across the street, through a window, with a street lamp casting a ray of light, this is what i saw.

i take quiet pride in my ability to frame and inability to photoshop. the dot and bolts are part of the storefronts window graphics. the bicycle is painted along the wall. the four lights are reflections on the window of the lights across the street. so if you are curious, next time you are in downtown san diego. go to the corner of 16th and g. take a look. then let me know, do you see what i see?

xoxo.

writers block.

2010-01-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

not sure if its the combination of post holidaze blues or this working day time thing but, i haven't been very motivated to pick up the proverbial keyboard this week. which would totally be fine if it wasn't for that whole examiner.com gig. for that i have to write. i will prob have to start scheduling a time to actually sit and write. what would be fantastic is if i could start a backlog of articles so in these types of moments i would have a fail safe! but, alas, that is neither here nor there..... in the mean time, here is a picture of snow flakes. which like my days lately, although similar, it seems that nothing is ever the same.

xoxo.

wanna feel like you're on mars?

2010-01-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

have you ever tried to put the sun in a state of pause? i have. and after begging and pleading, the sun, she finally obeyed. driving home from mammoth, there was one mission at hand. beat the sunset to fossil falls. there is this fantastic little area right off of the 395 called fossil falls. it boasts being these natural formations that have been created by fire and ice. and they are awesome. as you walk across this rocky plain, you suddenly come across, what i can only describe as a mars like, world. caverns and gullys, all made of this petrified lava rock, litter the canvas. it is sensational. i have been there several times but trying to hit it, right when the sunlight is at it's rosiest, was an absolute mission. and on this particular day, two girls were able to put the sun on pause for one afternoon, as operation beat the sun to fossil falls was in full effect.

so to get to the falls, you have to take a quick little detour down a dirt road off of the hwy 395.

once you park, you'll get out and follow the sign towards.....

(ps. they have a delightful bathroom there if the need is there)

once you are on your way, follow the path forward....

(doesn't it seem a little mars like???)

in approximately .21 miles you will start to notice low and behold, giant lava rocks.

according to the helpful sign i now know that these are formed by the flowing fire and ice.

some of the crevasse's are so big that you can sit inside them!

mars i tell ya.

and then the sunset and we had to high tail it out of there!

xoxo.

diary of a wannabe phototaking fashionista.

2010-01-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

for those that were there for the very first fashion shoot i ever pretended to shoot (ie katie, my little sister, who i would dress up and then make "model" in the back yard), you know that secretly, i have always wanted to take editorial photos. well, fortuna was with me this month and i not only happened to have a beautiful friend with me, but she was more than willing to be my guinea pig. as mentioned in the previous post, i stopped at red mountain, ca along my travels across the 395. not only is the town a fantastic photo shoot on its own, it is an amazing back drop. so with the assistance of a beautiful, willing model, and an incredible location, i present you with the following.......

xoxo.

population 130.

2010-01-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

for years, while traveling down highway 395, i have passed the little town of red mountain, ca. now this is the type of place where rob zombie movies are filmed. (or as we lovingly dubbed it, place #321 along the 395 that people go to to get murdered.) and i have always had this uncontrollable and overwhelming desire, urge even, to photograph it for EVER! well, this trip, i finally stopped. thank god. i am so overwhelmed with how beautiful these photographs came out. editing last night honestly became a, "did i really take that?", kind of moment. i am so so so so so very pleased and excited to share these with you!

xoxo.

screeech...break.....

2010-01-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

hey all. i am off in mammoth mountains. had some exciting photo shoots along the 395 that i can't wait to share. but you're gonna have to wait. i'll be back soon and back on track. pinky swear.

here is just a teaser of what may, or may not come....

xoxo.

happy 2010.

2010-01-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

welcome to 2010! what a year this is going to be. i wanted to start this year by posting my first picture of the new year, tonight's sunset.

enjoy.

xoxo.

diablo dimes blues.

2009-12-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

i haven't been to a great local show in a really long time. and i think that that has helped cause my diablo dimes blues. i miss my friend gio. his one of a kind quirkiness, his amazing musical talent, and shoot, just his dang personality. anyways. in honor of him, mr diablo dimes himself, i wanted to post a few pictures, more than the usual, of his last show i had the pleasure to go to. by the way, he is down in miami currently so if you happen to see his name on a playbill, be sure to check him out. its an experience you will never forget. in fact, take a listen on his myspace page.......

http://www.myspace.com/diablodimes

xoxo.

skating on thin ice.

2009-12-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

today, i am not so much in the mood to write. but i do want to show. here is the oddest thing. at the hotel del coronado, not only can you not where open toe shoes on the beach (see previous post), but, you can ice skate. now the ridiculous part about this is, well, its san diego. and it is NOT COLD. the day i came here it was over 60 degrees and surprise, the rink had puddles. now mind you, i kinda dig the juxtaposition of the frozen water and the ocean but.... i don't know. just odd. but, pretty to photograph.

xoxo.

they're talking about a revolution....

2009-12-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

ok. i rarely question authority. ok. that's not true. lets start over. ok. i often, but respectfully, question authority. i believe that rules need to be in place, to keep chaos organized. i also think that we need to question that authority when we have doubts. well. i have doubts. and hotel del authority, i here by, officially question you! what on earth, do you have against open-toe shoes on the beach. hit me with your logic oh mighty one. i triple dog dare you. otherwise, REVOLUTION!

xoxo.

time to get merry-ed.

2009-12-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

two of my oldest and dearest friends got engaged (to each other) on christmas morning! yippee!!!! i love them both dearly and am so excited for them. with that being said,and because i am me and this is how i roll....

i love you both and in the best mockery spirit intended only.......

OH MY GOD, HE WENT TO JARED! :)

xoxo.

holy merriment.

2009-12-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

for his sons birthday, god threw up on a little house in north park. and as far as i can tell, he must have been eating and drinking LOTS of holiday cheer and merriment! enough for all to hear, feel, and see. probably even from space. feeling quite festivis, me and a gaggle of very merry besties, hit the streets of san diego in order to find the spirit of merriment. and well, as indicated above, we found it. a beautiful pile of unearthly, definitely somewhere near godly, amazing, chaotic, noisy, house o' cheer. please enjoy.

xoxo.

eye see you.

2009-12-21T10:02:00.000-08:00

i've been asked before why it is that i choose photography as a medium to express myself. the truth of the matter is, i didn't choose it, it chose me. i dont have a choice. i just see things differently. when asked to explain that into further detail, the only way i can describe it is, i tend to see pictures with in pictures. while looking at something as a whole, i see a lot of little things happen with in that"bigger picture". (fitting i suppose that i ended up with a degree in sociology). i have a couple of pictures that i think capture this idea of a picture with in a picture.

at a dance recital, with over 30 acts, and only 2 including family, my nephew and i found ourselves a little ADD driven. in an effort to entertain our selves, out came the camera, in came the fun.

so here is where the picture within a picture comes in......... if ya look with in the rolled up program, you get this.......

xoxo.

discovering hidden moments.

2009-12-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

i wanted to take a second and share just a couple of moments from another amazing wedding that i had the honor to shoot this year. as i am sitting here going through the photos, i can't help but smile. i think that my favorite part of photographing weddings is to capture the emotions that run high and rampant. whether its family or friends, weddings always seem to bring out the best in people. well, that is until the open bars get the best of peoples! :) hee hee hee. anyways, today i want to only share three of these moments. all un-staged and merely "captured".

my absolute favorite thing of this photo is the background scene in the right hand corner.

although recognizable blurry, i think with a biased opinion that the emotions occurring right then and there can be read like an open book, or should i say, live blog? :)

need i say more?

xoxo.