Links of Love (2)

I'd like to share another wedding ring photo. These rings belong to two good friends of mine who are big fans of the Angels. Simple and sweet concept. 

Backup Johnny

This Friday was the CD release party and summer tour kick off for a favorite band of mine, Backup Johnny. My friend Alan, from Urquhart Townson Design and Photography, and I were asked to photograph the festivities. The show was a blast, as usual. Their new EP, Dive, has some great songs. The guys also played their usual crowd pleasing covers. If you want to hear their music or find out where you can catch them live click here.

Cats and Dogs

Since I mentioned dailypuppy.com in my blog yesterday I thought it be nice to share some of my own puppy photos with you this morning. This is Brutus the Boston Terrier and Braxton the Westie. This website is seriously the ultimate pick me up. If you ever need an instant smile just go look at an adorable puppy. If you don't smile, then your heart is made of stone or maybe you just don't like dogs (which I also find weird).

I am a dog lover even though I don't have a dog. Dogs are not allowed in my apartment, but if I could I would get one in a heartbeat. Instead I have a cat. Don't get me wrong, I love my cat. I'll even post a photo so he doesn't feel left out.

Cats are great, there is just something about puppies that just make you smile no matter what. Everyone loves a puppy. With cats it's either a love or hate thing. People are rarely indifferent to cats. For some reason it is even acceptable to hate cats. Puppies on the other hand... if someone said, "I hate puppies."... you would probably think they are some kind of sociopath.

This is my cat, Apollo, right before he attacked my camera.

Time Machine

Lately I have been getting a lot of comments on my driver’s license. Normally people don’t even look at your face when they ask to see your ID. They look at the birth date or just check if the name matches the credit card. Rarely are they careful enough to actually take a look at your face to make sure it’s you.

The person on my ID is not me. It's not just the face looking at you from my driver’s license that hardly resembles the person who owns it. There is an entirely new person in her place - a person with a little more self-confidence, new opinions, evolving philosophies on life.... and bangs.

This weekend I was carded buying a movie ticket to see the Hangover. I may look young on occasion, but it is hard to believe I look under 18. This made me laugh. As I headed over to the Mexican restaurant nearby (for pre-movie margaritas with friends,) I wondered if I should have rethought my attire for the evening.

Once I was at the restaurant I had a new perspective on being carded. Go ahead and card me for drinks. In fact, if you don’t, this makes me a little sad. When the server arrived I didn’t even have to worry because we were all carded as usual. Yet, when I was carded the server asked, “So you got rid of the long hair?”
...

“Well, sir… in that photo I am 19. Now I am 25, so... yes, I guess you can say I got rid of the long hair. Furthermore, am I that weird looking in the photo that you had to comment on my ID after carding the whole table?” Of course that is not actually what I said to him, but I did say a version of that to my friends. Then we immediately started to compare our IDs,

My favorite belonged to my friend who still has her 16-year-old self awkwardly smiling back at you. If I were our server, it would have been hard for me not to laugh after comparing her ID photo to the beautifully put together women at the table.

One thing I love about photographs is how they are the closest thing to a time machine that we can get. No matter what kind of photos it is, it has the power to take you back. I can look at a photo from years ago and still evoke that emotion. For this reason, I only carry one photo in my wallet. I keep it in there because no matter how much time has passed it always makes me laugh. It’s like having dailypuppy.com with you everywhere you go (you can’t look at it and be sad). I also can’t I look at it without evoking “rolling on the floor” kind of laughter. This is why photos are awesome.

The memory and the personal connection people have with photographs is why it is my favorite form of art.

This is more fun if it's a two way conversation...

Comments are now open for everyone, and you don't have to register or sign in. A big thanks to KP who pointed that out to me. I didn't know I had that setting turned on, all this time I've just been talking at you! So leave me some love, opinions, thoughts, etc. If you have been lurking say hi! If you are actually reading, tell a friend to read too. AND - if this is your first time here, welcome. :)

Links of Love

I was going to wait and share this photo with you after I got a collection of them together, but I couldn't wait. This is a photo of my parents wedding rings and after I shot it, I realized how special it was to me.

The wedding ring shot has become a staple in wedding photography today. If your photographer didn't steal your rings away to take this photo, then contact me and we will do one for you now. It doesn't have to be the day of your wedding to create this personal little symbol of your love, and that's what inspired me to borrow my parents rings for a quick minute last time I popped in for a visit.

Weddings span from an extravaganza to simple civil service. However, today the wedding norm is some variation of celebration for family and friends.

When my parents were married they got one wedding photo and they are the only two people in it. My sister and I love that photo. It was a simpler time and that was all they needed. Yet, the photographer in me now couldn't wait to create a new style of wedding photo for them 29 years later.

It was so sweet, when I asked my dad if I could borrow his ring for a minute, he was very hesitant to take it off. Yet, my parents are always super awesome about indulging all of my photographic subject needs. So, after some struggle with his ring and his finger, he handed it to me and said, "this is the first time I have taken it off since i put it on." I couldn't believe it, that was one of the sweetest things I have ever heard. My mom had a similar struggle removing a ring that she never takes off.

No fancy ceremony or clothing. Only one photo to commemorate it, and yet here they were years later, letting their daughter go back in time to create a symbol of love for them they never had... but also never needed.

The photo (sorry for the poor quailty, camera phone of a photo)...

Mixer Mania!

Take a drive out to Shafter, California. Drive through town, keep driving... a little further now, and just when you think you probably missed your turn, there it is! The Park Place - a unique venue with a romantic country vibe located in Shafter, California. It was also the meeting location for my first Kern County Bridal Association mixer. Mingling with other people in the local wedding industry was a lot of fun. It got me pysched to participate in my first bridal show in October and inspired some projects I will be sharing with you soon.

The photos I am sharing with you this evening were all taken at the mixer. A pond, complete with paddle boats and fountain, is responsible for the majority of the ambiance at the venue. I also thought the cowboy style men's and women's restrooms were adorably charming. However, my favorite thing was the bold red bench. Can't you just see an adorable couple dressed in vintage wedding attire posing on the bench together?

The doves and butterfly you see are courtesy of MaryAnn's Country.There was no way I would pass up an opportunity to get that close to doves and butterflies and not attempt to take their photo. I thought the live monarch displays were a super orginial idea for wedding decor, and MaryAnn breeds them herself. She was even kind enough to let me hold her sweet little dove and snap a photo with it. It was the nicest little bird, if it weren't for my cat, I would have tried to take it home!

Random Acts of Kindness and Karma

Today I said some really mean things to someone I really love. I'd like to say I didn't mean them, but sometimes words start flowing out of my mouth like water from a broken dam. Before I know it, I do my best to patch it up, but I can't put back what already got out.

So, for that reason I am feeling a little melancholy tonight, and what better to cheer me up than doing some random acts of kindness for other people. I made little note cards I will be sending out to future brides. I also put together a little photo package for the most polite bouncer I have ever met, Andre, who is the bouncer at Sandrini's on trivia nights. (my favorite night of the week!) One night I happen to have my camera and took a few photos for him so I am finally following through on my promise to bring him some prints.

I would also like to spread some link love and point you towards these hairpieces on Etsy. I recently stumbled across them during a webs surf session. These feathered and flowered creations are beautiful. Not only will you probably see me wearing one soon, I hope to center some photo shoot fashion around these gorgeous pieces.

Well, I hope that balanced out my karma for the day. I am assuming since I misdirected my anger, I can misdirect my kindness and everything will come around full circle. Or is that not how it works? :) 

Sometimes I can be a book worm...

A good friend of mine gave me a gift card to Barnes and Noble for my birthday back in March. I love gifts like this because it encourages you to go and look for something you would never think to buy for yourself. I browsed the aisle for about an hour trying to decide what I would purchase. A new design book? A CD or movie? Honestly, the possibilities are endless at this "book" store. Then, I saw it. I don't usually read non-fiction. I am a sucker for almost anything imaginary with a good story. Instead on this day I was drawn to a very simple photography book about a photographer I greatly admired, Annie Leibovitz. I highly recommend this read for anyone who shares a passion and love for photography... and a love for Leibovitz's work. It is not a step by step technical book, or is it a coffee table book full of images. The book also doesn't dive deep into her personal life and only lightly touches on her childhood. However, what is unique about the book, and what I liked most, was the way Leibovitz explained how each shot came to being and her thoughts on this experience. This is the first non-fiction book I have read since I was in college and I highly recommend it.

In fiction, I am recommending The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin. All I can say is that this book is most definitely funny... to me. I can't promise it will be funny to you. However, if you dig the sometimes dry, sometimes quirky, but always smart humor like I do, you will enjoy this book. Most likely, it is not what you will expect but in a good way. It is a quick read and it will leave you being jealous of how gosh darn talented this man is. Some people just have it... and Steve Martin... well, he's got it. It is one of the most unique books I have read in a while.

Get them on Amazon:
The Pleasure of My Company
Annie Leibovitz at Work

Love for the Kern...

Just thought I would share with you a few little snippets of my weekend. While on a hike along Brush Creek, which runs into the Kern River, I couldn't help but snap a few photos of sights along the way. I've spent a lot of time paddling and guiding through the white water of the Kern this season, but I haven't had a lot of time to take photos of the experience. This will be a new goal of mine, and hopefully I will have more to share with you soon. 

Related Links:

Brush Creek Kayaking Video

Seriously awesome athletes at work.

Mountain and River Adventures

This is the company I guide for. If you have never experienced white water rafting or have never experienced it at the Kern, you are in for a hell of a time!

Jeremy & Ninfa, Engagement Session

I'm very happy to be sharing these images with you. Jeremy & Ninfa are an adorable couple from Tuscan, Arizona. In their own words: "We Are In Love and not afraid to show it or talk about... I couldn't imagine life without my other half... We Love spending time with each other and making each other happy...." So, what's left to for me to say really? We'll just let the photos speak or themselves.

Welcome to my new blog!

I created this blog as a place to share my work, thoughts, and everyday life. Once you get to know me, I think you will really want me to take your picture. :) If you already know me, then I will continue to entertain you by creating unique images and sharing little snippets of my life. I have taken some of my old blogs and re posted them here. I am also going to try and add new blogs daily.

If you haven't yet, also check out my website and feel free to follow me on twitter or add me on myspace.

Lets get to know each other shall we?
Some random info about me:
I am a 25 year old designer and photographer who currently resides in Bakersfield, California but will travel anywhere... anywhere.
I am in love with humor and originality.
I believe everyone has a story to tell and not one of them needs words, just a photo.
People in love touch my heart.
I am fearless with my camera in hand. Without it, I am afraid of heights.
Hugs are the best medicine and laughter is a life necessity.
My favorite pass times, other than art related activities, are trivia nights, learning to guide the Kern River, watching movies, and running.

Your turn! Feel free to tell me about you.