August 20, 2008
August 19, 2008
I just found out that I’ll be at Blue Apple Studios teaching classes again this fall. Yeah! The details aren’t finalized yet, but I’ll announce the class dates and times next week. Look for more Polaroid transfer classes for kids as well as a special workshop for parents. We’re also kicking around ideas for a Holga class…oooh yeah! Good stuff on the way!
August 18, 2008
OK, so today I want to talk about Karaoke.
Not a typical blog post, I know. Nevertheless, this has been on my mind quite a bit lately and I just have to get it off my chest…
So, my friends Annie and Jonathan, who were married on August 9th, had this amazing wedding weekend with three days of festivities. After the rehearsal dinner on Friday night there was a Karaoke party planned. I’ll be honest, up until last Friday night, I hated karaoke. I assumed that it was something that sad, lonely people did after having a few too many cheap domestic beers at really lame bars. Admittedly, when I got the wedding schedule I cringed when I saw Karaoke as a late-night festivity and prayed to the Gods of sanity that this was simply a misprint and that I wouldn’t have to endure this type of torture the night before a big shoot. Usually on the night before a wedding, I like to spend a quiet evening relaxing, cleaning my lenses, and ironing my clothes for the next day. I wasn’t sure what a late night Karaoke party would do for my emotional well-being on a wedding day.
I’m not sure how it happened, exactly…but my ice-cold aversion to this odd activity melted first into understanding, then to respect, then to…well…love. I don’t have the correct words for the change that transpired inside of me on 8/8/08, but I do have a few photos. Enjoy.
I showed up to the bride-to-be belting out a duet with her friend Dave and was mildly disturbed amused.
Apparently there is this book that lists song choices. It was circulating all evening and receiving a fair bit of chuckles.
Karaoke can be quite macho. I noticed some big talk amongst the crowd.
But then I observed the smiles on people’s faces and thought…”Maybe karaoke isn’t so sad and lonely after all…”
I love this shot:
Ok, now down to business:
The talent was pretty tight. I mean, this has got to be the best rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody that two high school biology teachers have ever performed. Ever.
I won’t lie, things did get a little intense there for a moment…
So I headed outside to the campfire, had a s’more, and took a breather. The s’more lady was adorable, don’t you think?
Thankfully, when I returned, things had simmered down a bit. My love for karaoke was pretty much solidified here.
And here.
And here, of course.
The look of a performer after smoking the competition.
And the look of a satisfied customer. I’d definitely say that Friday night’s kareoke show was well worth the price of admission!
The die hards. Notice Kevin, my second shooter in the background. What a slacker!
Biology, bowling, and belting it out!
Was karaoke an elective at Pomona or something?
Make no mistake, though…Annie was the star of the show!
More on this awesome weekend to come!
**EDITED TO ADD: My apologies to anyone who saw the early version of this post, where I repeatedly misspelled the word Karaoke. I didn’t even think to spell check this as I had never even considered it a real word! My Bad.
August 15, 2008
My dear friends Annie and Jonathan were married last weekend at Oak Lodge in beautiful Stahlstown, Pennsylvania. Stahlstown is nestled in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania and has a country charm that is uniquely it’s own. We arrived late on Thursday evening and woke up to a glorious morning. I arrived on the property and instantly began snapping away at a few signs that caught my eye (for those of you who may not know, I have quite an affinity for signs of all types)…
I was lucky enough to be included in the bridesmaid’s lunch, which was held at the fabulous Ivy Cafe in nearby Ligonier. The food was to die for!
The beautiful bride taking care of a few last-minute details…
I absolutely love Annie’s new mother-in-law, she is lovely.
It’s just too bad that the flower girl was so camera-shy!
It just so happened that T. Cumberledge Floral, the wedding florist’s shop was across the street from Ivy Cafe. I couldn’t resist popping in and checking out the flowers. I loved the way that they looked in the buckets, just waiting for Karen’s magic touch…
And then it was off to the rehearsal dinner. The happy couple received a warm welcome.
Some new friends…
And a few details…
I love this touch of Pennsylvania charm, designed by none other than the amazing “Donut John” (more on D.J. later), who did all of the rehearsal dinner centerpieces.
The rehearsal dinner guests were entertained by The Boilermakers. They were unbelievable! here are a few candid shots of them performing.
What would I have done without my brother-in-law, Kevin?? He flew in all the way from Lake Tahoe to be my second shooter for the weekend. Although he looks pretty bitter in this image, he’s actually one of the kindest individuals you’ll ever meet, and although it may not appear like it, we get along quite well. More on Kevin and his work soon (send me those shots, Kev!).
Please check back over the weekend for Annie and Jonathan’s Country Wedding Part 2. This was such a fun-filled weekend that I’ve decided to post many images over the course of a few days. Oh, and I almost forgot one last image…
I do love this candid moment between Annie and Jonathan during the toasts on Friday night. Congratulations, you two!
Happy Friday, everyone!
August 13, 2008
This weekend’s wedding was amazing. I just returned home last night, and after 16 hours of sleep, I am finally feeling recovered! I will be posting a few favorites from the weekend in the next few days, but until then, a tiny little sneak peek…
Check back tomorrow for Annie & Jonathan’s Country Wedding Part 1!
August 5, 2008
Please excuse my lack of blogging, we have been traveling for both work and personal reasons and have been without much internet access. I’ve found myself bouncing back and forth between anxiety and relief without internet access…technology is funny that way.
We were in Minnesota last week for my niece’s birthday party and are now hanging out with family in my native Ohio. On Thursday I leave for Stahlstown, PA for Annie and Jonathan’s fabulous destination wedding, which I couldn’t be more excited about! My awesome brother-in-law, Kevin, is flying out from his new home in Lake Tahoe to be my second shooter. He recently started his photography business and we’ll be working together for the first time. He’s an awesome person and a fabulous photographer, so I’m honored to have him and I’ll be posting some of his images from the weekend as well. The wedding is actually a three day event, so I plan on writing a separate post for each day. Needless to say, I have a ton to blog and I promise to be better about this for the remainder of my trip.
For now, here are some random images from our adventures…
Meet two of our new friends, Coty the dog and Penny the kitten. Aren’t they handsome/lovely???
One thing I love so much about Ohio in the summer is the wildflowers. Particularly Queen Anne’s Lace (I’m not sure if this is the flower’s real name, but it’s what we called it as kids). I see it a little bit in California, but the fields are literally covered in it here. I actually asked my florist to put some in my wedding bouquet and he looked at me as if I was crazy. As kids we would pick a bunch of these flowers, put them in food-coloring and watch in awe as they turned colors. They were always prettier in white, but it was fun to do.
We found a field and the girls had fun…
My blog is almost one year old and I wanted to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of my readers. You are all wonderful and are very much appreciated. What started out as a simple addition to my website has manifested into a small online community of really great people. I appreciate the fact that you take time out of your busy schedules to peek in on my life and work, it is truly an honor.
I have a really cool one year anniversary celebration in store and it involves prizes for my blog readers, so stay tuned!
Thanks again for stopping by and enjoy this day…
July 12, 2008
We had so much fun at Swanton Berry Farm last weekend that we decided to join our friends for another visit yesterday. It was too much fun, so I had to share.
When we arrived, the sun was struggling to make it’s way through the fog and was offering the most gorgeous light.
Little Miss Aoiffa had a wonderful time.
The boys worked hard.
Dressed appropriately for berry picking!
Here’s the crew. Up to no good if you ask me.
The sun came out just in time for our picnic. After the picnic, Ki was the star of the show.
Can someone tell me why we bother buying toys?
Even Aoiffa got in on the fun.
We hated to leave, but plan on returning next week again. You can never eat enough fresh berries!
July 6, 2008
My awesome friend Marina told us that the olallieberries at Swanton Berry Farm were going crazy, so we took a drive up the coast and did some berry picking. I remember doing this as a kid in Ohio and eating berries until I felt sick. It was fun to basically watch my kid do the exact same thing. Here are a few fun shots from our adventure:
Our first stop was the strawberry field.
What do you think, Grandpa???
I had to get one of him on the truck showing off his goods.
And then off to the olallieberry fields. We went straight to work.
Busted snacking.
But they just smelled so good…
In berry heaven.
mmmmm…
On the way home, we stopped at Waddell Beach near Davenport to watch the kiteboarders.
If you live in town, check out the u-pick at Swanton Berry Farms, you’ll be glad you did. I’ve been inspired by the life and death of our cousin Meghan. She didn’t waste any time, so we’re trying not to, either. More adventures on the way…
June 30, 2008
This has been an incredibly sad week for Pat and I. Our beautiful cousin, Meghan passed away last week after a 17 month battle with cancer. She and her husband, Steve were the first family members of Pat’s that I met. I remember loving her smile and her fabulous New Jersey accent.
She was loved by so many people for so many reasons, and although I could write about Meghan for days, I wanted to post just a few things about her that always struck me. Things that I’ll never forget and always relish.
Meghan was fascinated by religion, always up for a good joke, ornery, hilarious, sexy, an awesome painter, a hard worker, and not afraid of much.
She loved children, road trips, her husband like crazy, animals (I’ll never forget the time that she invited a soaking-wet neighborhood cat inside on a rainy evening…they cuddled all night), Ben & Jerry’s, good food, good beer, good wine, and the ocean.
She had photographs of her family on her walls, UFO stories that would blow your mind, surfboards stacked in her family room, a heart of gold, a crazy-successful business, and a laugh that was infectious.
She cursed like a sailor, fought like a champ, smiled like the warm sun, and left us with countless laugh-out-loud memories.
Pat and I are inspired by her humor, her courage, her life. She left a permanent thumb print on our hearts. We will never forget her.
Our thoughts and prayers are with our wonderful cousin Steve and Meghan’s amazing family.
With love and tears, we’ll miss you, Megs.
June 23, 2008
I’m excited to share some really great news today.
I use a company called Collages.net for my online event viewing and print sales. I love them for so many reasons. Their event galleries are simple and easy to navigate. Their customer service is awesome. They donate their services to a charity that I recently became a member of (more about that later this week). I could go on and on…but, bottom line: they’re great.
Each week, Collages.net looks through hundreds of their newest event websites and chooses both a portrait and a wedding site to feature as their Website of the Week. I’ve been viewing these featured sites for over a year now and have always marveled at the amazing talent out there.
That’s why I can admit that I was shocked when they informed me that I was chosen as this week’s Portrait Website of the Week! Needless to say, I’m honored and very grateful.
I will, however, give most of the credit to this amazing family who made my job look and feel easy by making it impossible to take a bad picture!
If I’ve learned one thing in my career so far, it is that there is nothing more beautiful than happy children…
