Have you joined Steller yet? It’s a fun way to microblog. I love the clean layout and the ability to tie a set of photos together in a magazine style layout.
Here is my latest story. A mobile photography set from Monday’s meet-up with fellow photographers.

Enjoy!

 

As the family becomes settled in the Pacific Northwest, my photography business is also doing the same. I am excited to announce a new space on the internet. My portfolio and a new blog are up! Please have a look around and follow along if you like what you see. This space will soon be password protected and primarily for close friends and family.

Click on over to Focus In Photography! I am so excited for this new start!

I woke up super early this morning. I tossed on some clothes, brushed my teeth and headed out the door with my gear in hand. My first stop at Starbucks met me with dark windows. You know it’s early when they haven’t turned on the lights yet.

I headed north and found my way to the second coffee shop. Extra hot latte in hand, I made my way up to the windy meeting spot that we had all agreed to the day before. I was the first one there, but was soon joined by three other cars. We unloaded and realized that we couldn’t get to the part of the park we wanted because of locked gates.

A quick change of plans and we piled back into our cars and headed to one of the parking garages in downtown. We shot as long as we could stand with the cold wind and then decided it was time to head over to breakfast.

 

 

I love that I have local photography friends that will dork out over ISO and shutter speeds. Who talk shit to each other about Nikon or Canon and who are all willing to teach and learn from one another. Thanks for waking up early gang! that was a fun morning.

Last January I decided to write out goals for the year. I had 13 things I wanted to do. I don’t really like resolutions, but I guess goals are a resolve to do things so…

I fulfilled so many of these on the list and that makes me feel really good.

• I took a class from a local photographer, Jeff Ross.

• I ran the RTO, which was only one race but holy hanana-banana

• We went to the aquarium, the Exploritorium, and the California Academy of Sciences and the SF MOMA

• I did swim in Donner, but only once, but we spent the entire day there and it was SO good.

• We fulfilled our camping quote and had so many great adventures! Santa Cruz (twice), Half Moon Bay, Smith Creek Playa, Morro Bay, and the kids and I went Cabin Camping at Steep Ravine. Also, I am not sure that you could call what we did this year camping, it was more like “Glamping” with Pop-up Penny!

• Although the application process isn’t traditional, I worked with three new photographers, partnered with two local blogs, photographed for several local businesses as well as families, and I wrote up my first major proposal for a photography gig.

• The strangers challenge wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I had more of a street photography idea when I wrote this out, but I fulfilled this and then some. I photographed several business owners and artists in Midtown Reno (see my images and interviews here), during weddings I captured so many faces and moments that I can’t even count them all, and while documenting the various events around town I was forced to get over my shyness and hit the shutter button. I found out a little about myself during this process. I always am a nervous wreck before I start. It takes me a few shots to get warmed up and over myself and then I get in the zone and am a snapping machine.

• Not sure if I did this completely, but we sure did cook and bake a lot this year. And the kids have started to BEG me to let them help out, which is a hoot (and a tad bit of a PITA) but I will take it since I want them to be kitchen kids! 

• I may have failed at the book reading- I did finish the Hunger Games trilogy and LOVED it!

• I know I did a lot of painting with my girl, Fifi and I made this a regular activity during the week.

• I don’t know if I spent time alone or not. I know I feel a lot less claustrophobic then I did last January and a lot more ‘me’. So that’s a good thing.

• I shot a ton of film. The majority of it was with my two Polaroid Land Cameras, but I also messed with my range finders and Minolta a bit too. Oh and I can’t forget about the Indisposable Concept! The most exciting film news? Three of my film photographs are in print. I can’t wait to get my copy of the NSEW book.

• We really worked on making time for each other this year. Date nights were sometimes quiet nights at home without the kids, other evenings included a couple of friends and a few drinks. Making time for our marriage was and is important.

Last year I choose the word, “Shine” as my year long mantra.I truly feel like I did just that- I stepped outside of my comfort zone artistically, I pushed myself to ask and the majority of the time it was a yes and not a no. I wrote, photographed, networked and have made so many new friends along the way. I feel the light inside and out.

 

 

 

 

It’s hard to know where to start with this post… Alice is a hoot. She has such a talent and yet, is incredibly humble about her art. As we sat and talked throughout the day, I was a little in awe. I have been following Alice since she used to write a food blog, bread & honey. She laughed as she told us how ironic the title is now. She doesn’t eat gluten and has dropped a ton of weight since she test tasting pie all the time…

 

 

The phone rang several times during the day- each time the call ended, she said one of two things…

1. “That chick could hardly breathe while she talked to me. It’s like I have groupies.” (*duh) 
2. “I’m gonna be doing some flowers tomorrow. Yep flowers. Sucks that I like to draw flowers and that’s my job its…”

 

 

We talked and talked as the tattoo gun buzzed. We discussed other bloggers that we all know from the interwebs, and if we happened to know them in real life, how funny some of the online persona are. Stoner laughing and certain ‘characters’ don’t seem to go hand in hand- but it’s real life and that kind of thing happens more than we like to admit. There was also an hour long discussion about beautiful qualities of Justin Timberlake. I thought Alice (and the other tattoo artist in the studio) was joking about wanting to listen to him while she gave me my new flowers. She was not. Not one little bit.

Ani sat like a champ during her 3.5 hours and the result is amazing. I am still in shock that we got to do this together. Now pass me the SeaSnax and some Aquaphor. I’m hungry and my arm is itching like crazy.

When we were on vacation last month, we stopped in at the Cannery Row  Brewing Company for a bite and a brew. After a full day of wandering around the aquarium, both are not just a want, but a necessity. We sat outside on the deck, perfect for us since we had the kids. Who were not going to sit still at a table. 

As we were getting ready to leave I snapped a few shots of the details around me. When I look at these images I  am taken right back to that great afternoon and the laughter the five of us shared together.

 

Wooooo-wee, was October full of amazing photography moments. It was a month full of weddings, family sessions, a week long vacation to the ocean, local events, and of course, Halloween.  I am having a really hard time narrowing my choices down to just five photos for today’s post, but I am going to do my best.

Ready, GO!

My mom and me during our camp trip to the Santa Cruz area. What a super fun week it was. I was snapping a couple of self portraits when she photo-bombed me. Best EVER.

The sunsets on our vacation were out of this world… Guess why they call the place, Sunset Beach?

I shot a little bit of film at the train museum.

I got to photograph a very gorgeous lady. Wowzers, that is all.

Out on the town photographing for a Creative Coalition of Midtown event. I love how the way she is framed, and can’t quite get over the stack of drinks she has going there!

Ready for more??? Off you go then to Adriana’s blog….