2011 in review
Where did the “New Year” go already?! I like to do my annual review at the start of the year but I can’t believe how fast (and busy!) 2012 has been so far! I am approaching this year in review a bit different than I have in the past, partially because 2011 had so much work and partially because 2011 I also grew a ton as a photographer. I also spent a ton of time working on my website, and this mini review for me speaks to that!
I photographed many “Grown Local” features for Eucalyptus Magazine. It was wonderful to be able to meet so many awesome local farmers who not only love the work they do, but are doing great things.
I undertook a massive food photography project for a class.
I also put on a little group show based on abstraction that I photographed these Holga double exposures that I love.
More double exposed portraits!
2011 had many travel adventures… from Big Sur to Bay Area beaches to Marin Headlands to Humboldt to Oregon to Hawaii.
on break
A quick update to say that the blog is (and has been!) on “break”…I have been busy revamping my website (super excited about the changes!) and the blog will also have an overhaul (I have been messing up php left and right!)
So until then…no new updates. Though as always, there is lots to update. I hope to be back in action with the new site and revamped blog in the next month or so!
jarah & vince…engaged!
I was blessed recently to be able to photograph Jarah and Vince to celebrate their engagement. After some date wrangling they made the trip up from L.A. and I made the trip down from the Bay Area…to Fresno! It was the perfect place for their engagement photos and Jarah had in mind the Fulton Mall and some downtown wandering. I feel not only SUPER excited and happy for them but lucky to have them in my life…next stop Hawaii!
pentax & friends like family
I recently picked up a Pentax K1000 at the Santa Cruz flea market (I am hoping for more Meghan flea market adventures this summer…that girl can haggle!) and popped a roll of film in it despite the light meter not working. Summer (at the moment at least) means more free time with my favorite friends-like-family and luckily these kids are CUTE. I feel so lucky to not only have known Katie for so long, but to also to have been able to photograph so much of her life. Her beautiful children hardly shy away when I bust out my camera but this time they just stared as they watched me get used to the manual focus of the camera and take my best guess at the exposure without a light meter.
Before our next adventure a few weeks later I stopped to get a battery (and more film and a cap!) and like magic that little light meter needle started working. We visited Half Moon Bay on a blustery June day and made the most out of the beach. I am going to be sappy and say how lucky I am to have such an amazing friend in my life for so long but also how lucky I am that we can share all of these small moments.
forts & beaches
Earlier this week I went on a photo adventure with fellow students Brittany Rediger and Patrick Hodge. We headed up to the Marin Headlands to visit some of the forts and had a fun time wandering and photographing the decay of the buildings and the beauty of the beaches. I recently picked up an old camera at a flea market (another post on that later!) and decided to bring it along for this adventure. I forgot to buy extra film, so I ended up shooting mostly digital. The interesting thing is that for some reason I shot some of the same images in film AND digital (in reflection I have NO idea why?!) and sometimes digital won. Sometimes film won. One of my favorite things about this adventure was just being up at Marin Headlands on such a gorgeous day. Of the group I was the only one had had previously been in the area and I made Rodeo Beach a must stop. It is one of my favorite bay area beaches…beautiful at sunset, beautiful to get to and never very crowded. We are planning more summer photo adventures!
abstractions & alternatives
Tomorrow night I have some images in a group show at SJSU I organized. It is an unofficial group of fellow female undergraduate photo majors. The theme we settled on was Abstractions & Alternatives and then we each brought to the table our own interpretation of that…I chose to explore the Holga double exposure portraits I have been working on and made portraits of each of the women exhibiting in the show. I might be biased, but I think the show looks great! After the jump is the flyer for and a few installation photographs of the show.
food: in the studio
For advanced lighting class this semester I have been focusing a bit on photographing food…tons of work but tons of fun. These are the first few projects I have done, with more to come in the next 4 weeks or so. I am also working on a food portfolio for another class that is focusing more on scenes with natural light. Fingers crossed that when all is said and done this semester I will have a food portfolio to be proud of.
assignment: photograph 5 (I did 6) of the 25 healthiest foods in clean white style…sadly many of the other options where out of season. Oh how I would have loved to do figs!
assignment: photograph a reflective object.
woods with ariel
I spent a recent afternoon playing in the woods with Ariel…the light was just about perfect and she was fun to work with! These are a few of my favorites that have been edited thus far…with more to come!
headshots
I recently got to spend some time with the lovely, smart and talented Laura Klein. I got a mini tour of the Stanford campus and she got some new head shots…it was a win win! Need a new head shot or know someone who does? Contact me!
gallery update: i saw the sea
Quick note to say that there is an updated gallery under Projects…I Saw the Sea. These images (from THIS blog post) were originally part of a book assignment for a class but I loved them enough on their own. I am thinking prints maybe?!
at 100mm
Last fall I rented (I ♥ that borrowlenses.com is local-ish) the Canon 100mm Macro as a test lens when I was deciding between it and the one I ended up buying…I loved it and it was a great lens but the 50/1.2 won me over for many reasons. I love.love.loved. the macro aspect (more “macro” to come!) But I also loved it’s ability to shoot just about anything…If it is not the next lens I buy it will be the next-next one.
2010 in review
Where to begin with 2010! It was a good year. But as I sit here looking out at the trees outside of my office window all of my thoughts are on the year ahead. I turn 32 today and I like that I have a birthday so close to the beginning of the year. It is a good time to look back in reflection and ahead with excitement.
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in my 30′s…
By and far the biggest project I did at the end of last year was a photo project for my Image & Idea class. I struggled with concepts and changed my mind a million times only to settle on something personal. I did a portrait series of friends, all women in their early 30′s. But the big thing for me beyond just the image was finding a way to share their thoughts and emotions on the topic. I had each woman complete the statement “In my 30′s…” and then arranged these hand written notes into the installation. I received a wonderful response from men and women of all ages and I am excited to see what we have to say “in my 40′s…”
Below are some shots from the installation, with the larger project ahead of scanning each hand written note and making an electronic home for the project.
congratulations dean & becky!
On a beautiful Saturday this October Dean & Becky got married. I was lucky enough to not only be a part of their special day by photographing it, but to also welcome an awesome sister-in-law to the family.
Mini gallery after the cut!
I saw the sea and the sea saw me
The final for my photographic illustration course was to photographically illustrated a children’s book. I chose “I Saw the Sea and the Sea Saw Me” by Megan Montague Cash. Katie was beyond lovely to help me…and I am so happy with the photos. These represent part/most of the story.
(with geek apologies to the internets, as I didn’t convert the profiles and the colors are a tad off)
working backwards: photo illustration part one
It would make more sense if I would have posted these as they were made…but life and busy and stuff. Below are my three most recent assignments for my photo illustration course, with two more and the final (re-illustrate a children’s book!) to come:
illustrate a personal pet peeve (mouse over for mine!):
re-illustrate an illustration:
illustrate and assigned phrase (mouse over for mine!):
a wedding in monterey: irene & sterling
Last month I had the great privilege of playing a very small part in a beautiful celebration in Monterey. The Amazing and Talented Christina Richards let me assist her for the wedding of Irene & Sterling. I felt so lucky not not only get to see Christina in action, but also to share in Irene & Sterlings beautiful day. What a great couple with great friends and family…you really felt the love all around.
jumping off cliffs
While in Tahoe we went on a mini hang gliding excursion with Dave. While Jason and Becky had both gone with him before, this was my first time. I was envisioning some nice grassy knoll we could sit on and relax while he held his finger to the air to check the wind. In reality we were on the side of a mountain standing in the road next to a guard rail…”you are JUMPING here?!” was running through all of our (except Dave’s I am sure!) heads. We waited. We watched the wind sock. We talked to some locals. We waited some more. We watched the wind sock some more. Then it was a go! Crazy amount of setup! Which makes sense because you are FLYING IN THE SKY. More watching the wind sock. But then it was time and all of a sudden- he JUMPED off the edge of the mountain. So awesome! I could never do it. I could never even go tandem. But it was awesome to watch. And maybe next time there will be a grassy knoll.
sur, big
I never cease to be amazed by Big Sur. We try and go at least once a year and every time I am in awe. Word fail.
photo 121: lighting
Still playing catchup! I am not so much a studio lighting person…but the intro class last semester was fun, I learned a ton and has made me look forward to taking the next level studio lighting class (strobes!). (OH! And yeah, THE FOOD was my favorite studio work!) So for now….I share:
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- …not what I turned in, but one of my favorites…
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- …a product…in it’s environment…
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- …glass! gels!…
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- …composite image…or “painted with light”…
on workshops
Now that summer has started I am finally catching up. I also have a super awesome new computer which makes catching up a breeze! These images were made while I was assisting on two photo workshops for Aperture Academy. For the most part, I was shooting images of people shooting images. But I was able to sneak in a few here and there, all handheld, though many should have been shot on a tripod. The workshops are awesome and you get great instruction in beautiful locations and get to meet some awesome people…now I need to find the time to go out and shoot at these spots as a student rather than an instructor ;)
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- golden gate at sunset
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- marin headlands: sunset splash
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- marin headlands
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- fort point: more chain
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- fort point: chain
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- fort point: chain rust
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- fort point: (I can’t help it, I like lens flare)
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- fort point
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- fort point: old window
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- fort point: powder room
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- fort point: spiral stairs
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- fort point: this is exactly what you would see if you attempted to jump from the base of the golden gate bridge into the ocean.
food…in the studio
So far, the favorite subject I have shot for my studio class is food…In my dreams, I will have time this summer to produce more food shots.
where I go
When I got my new camera the very first place I took it the moment it stopped raining (which seemed like forever) is my lunch spot. I am lucky to work so close to so much awesome nature and lucky that it is close enough to play on lunch. Previous play here and here. I like how I can go to the same spot so many times and still see it with new eyes each time.
