Illumination

It was cold.  It was late.  It was crappy weather.  Any one of these reasons were enough to keep me at home, warm and snugly under my electric blanket, with my favorite 7 year old next to me.  But I had an appointment and I needed to be there.  I was capturing my good friend and her family today for their Christmas cards and I was stoked to be doing so... but the cold, the weather and the time.. !!! As I was driving out to ocean beach I was happy to see the sun breaking through and these amazing clouds.  I texted my gal friend and told her to hurry.. the lighting!!  I got there before her and took a few photos.. this is one of them.  So glad I manned up and headed out today.. otherwise I would've missed this beautiful sight.. which left me wondering what other opportunities have I traded for comfort.. hmm..

Peace

So the 2nd half of the holiday season is upon us.  Im listening to people talk and it seems to me that this Christmas is going to be a tight one for some.  Many are stressed out to the max.. people pepper spraying one another over a deal on t.v.'s.. people flipping each other off.. families torn apart from harsh words.. raw and brutal, like cave people.  Why is this happening?  Have we lost our minds?  our focus?  I honestly don't know.. and I don't have the answer but I'm gonna try my hardest to not be part of the problem.  Peace.. and breathe..

Eve

Over the thanksgiving break I went up North to photograph my Niece.  I didn't have much of a plan other than to take great photos of her.. (isn't that always the plan?).  We drove around for awhile and pulled over when we saw something we liked.  In the apple orchard the trees were bare except for this one tenacious apple still hanging on.  I thought about the contrast between the cold, her mink hat and sweater and the fact that there was still some growth left on the tree..  and how in probably a week the apple will fall and the tree will hibernate for the cold season.  Its that time of year again.. time to hunker down and stay warm.. sweater and boots.. my favorite time of year.. although when you live in Pacifica, it is almost always boot wearing time.  So I hope that Thanksgiving was as wonderful for you as it was for me and my family.  I was blessed to have three celebration dinners with family and extended family.  Peace for the upcoming holidays.

Waiting in the Park

It has been such beautiful weather these past few days.  I spent a few minutes hanging out in Dolores Park waiting for an appointment.. yes I was early.. a rare occurrence for me.. so I sat and watched the people.. workers had fenced off part of the park and were busy doing their thing... a few women were working out with a trainer, doing sprints and lunges.. lots and lots of dogs running back and forth.. and a few people were sprawled out on the grass.  It felt good to just sit in the sun, feel its warmth -  and waste time.  I have been listening to a song by Arcade Fire called "We Used to Wait".. the words stick with me.. "I used to write letters, I used to sign my name.. now our lives are changing fast.. we used to wait."  What is waiting?  My kids certainly don't know what it is.. they grow impatient and bored when things don't move quick enough.. just hesitate for a second at a stop light and see what happens.. We don't wait much anymore do we?  The funny thing is that we all have the same destination in the end.. so why are we in such a hurry to get there?

These legs were made for walking..

Yes, these are my two legs.. legs that have carried me for 40+ years.  I love my legs.  I am thankful for them.  They have literally supported me through every event in my life.. sad times, happy times, fun times... they walked me down the aisle to meet my husband-to-be 21 years ago.. carried me across the stage when I received my Masters degree... bared witness to the birth of my three boys.. climbed mountains.. played tag.. rode bikes... roller skated..you name it.. they've done it.  They are strong legs and I hope that they will continue to be as I move through my life.  Today, though, I gave them a rest.  It was a gorgeous day and we drove along the coast to Half Moon Bay stopping at Sam's Chowder House for a bit.  There is a little stretch of beach with such fine sand.  Immediately when we got there Adam asked if I would help him dig a hole.. which is something I love to do when at the beach.  After the hole was dug, I lay back and relaxed and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my legs. 

Echoes of Summer

 This pool is from my childhood.. I spent many summers here with my family.  This diving board is the first diving board I ever jumped off.. probably not THE same board.. surely it has been long since replaced.  On this day, the pool was empty except for the floaty.  Not a person in sight.  Towels were strewn on the fence and chairs were folded and stacked.  Standing on the edge of the pool, I can hear the echoes of laughter, screams and splashing.. all the noises that made up the soundtrack of my summers spent here.  I stand on the spot where my Dad taught me how to dive and remember his impatience with me.. I just couldn't fall forward.. always jumping in at the last second..  In this pool, I sat tall on my brothers shoulders and chicken fought with my sister and cousins.. played marco polo.. rescued lady bugs.. had tea parties in the shallow end underwater.. the summer was always long and slow.. spread out ahead of us.    

Still Life...

Headed up to Cobb mountain for a few days with the family.. it was long overdue..  No cell service, no internet, no television.. just us.  At first I checked my cell phone ALOT.. trying to see if I had any text messages or missed calls.. it took me a full day and a half to fully come to terms with the fact that it was just me, the hubby, the three boys and the dog.. oh, and the gal that runs the resort (thankful for some girl energy).  I knew that this was the deal and specifically that is why we chose to make this our vacation destination.  It was time to reconnect with my family and we did just that.  We played games, rode bikes, played tennis, the guys golfed, we swam (well, jumped in and quickly got out - water was very cold at this time of year).. and just "were".  It wasn't easy.. man the older boys sure know how to make the youngest shriek!... yes, shriek!!  But all in all, I got to "see" my kids in a different way.. and I have to say man those boys are pretty cool.. all in their own way.. and FUNNY!!  man, we laughed a lot...  I took a ton of photos and will share a few more in the coming days, but I chose this one because it was taken during the one time that I was alone.. I was walking through some weeds picking blackberries - marveling at the quiet.. but also reflecting on the time that I was spending with my family.. how precious this time was and how if we forget to take these trips/moments we lose so much more than memories.. we lose each other..

Sept. 11th past and present

On this day, I have no words to describe the horribleness that occurred ten years ago.. The bottom photo is present day New York, the rebuilding at Ground Zero..the top photo was taken Jan 2001 from the restaurant/bar on one of the top floors of the World Trade Center.. rest in peace those that didn't make it out on that day.. and those that chose to go in to help.. you will never be forgotten.

Love Lights

My sis-in-law Treva got married a couple of weeks ago.  His name is Glenn.  It was a simple wedding held on the deck of my in-laws house up in Grass Valley.  The day was warm and the view was beautiful.  Each of the family member's had a part to read during the ceremony.. standing up when it was their turn to speak.  Treva had written the script and it went perfectly.  We were all so very happy for this couple and it truly was touching to hear all of us partake in the ceremony.. one by one... voice by voice.. as if our participation would be the glue to help join this couple.. This was the final photo of the night.. the funny thing about this photo is when I viewed it on the camera screen, I thought the lights were stars... but realized later they were the reflection of the lighted canopy.  I am a bit amazed that they appear to be coming from each of their heads.. I call them "love lights".

Just a little bit of bravery goes a long way..

"I don't like horses" says Adam.. as a mom you learn to listen to the subtext and what I was really hearing was.. horses are big and scary.. therefore I don't want to like them (or.. maybe that was just me...)  Adam and I and my gal friend Marie spent the night and day up in Sebastapol at my brother Tim's house.  He owns two horses and is thinking about taking another one on.. this one here in the photo, her name is Ellie.  We got up there after dark so we only got to see the horses for a short time.. basically a meet and greet.  There was Roger, a tall copper  colored drink of water.. Tucker, mean and a bit on the wild-eyed side.. and Ellie, small and quiet with a sprinkling of salt and pepper here and there.  Uncle Tim asked Adam if he wanted to ride in the morning and after saying no a few times.. Adam finally said he would think about it.  Well, the next morning comes and Adam is ready to do it.. I was so proud of him and kept my mouth shut as I didn't want my fears to attach to him and ruin this opportunity for him...  He climbed right up and after a few feet asked to go faster.. I followed in front, behind and on his side... moving back and forth between pride and fear.. until finally I trusted the situation and knew that it was going to be all good.
I learned a lesson today from my son.  Face down your fears and do not let them keep you from having wonderful, fun experiences.  Sometimes you just have to push on through.

FYI: I even rode Ellie for a few moments.. and I have to admit I was pretty scared.. horses are big!

Palms

Something about palm trees.. we have palm trees growing in SF along the Embarcadero but they do not trigger the same emotions that ones on vacation do in me... when I see them here, I glance and move on.. but when I am on vacation and see them.. I stare for hours - just in awe at how tall they can get.. how come they don't tip over?   why aren't there coconuts?  .. if you live in warmer climates these probably remind you of home.. for me, they are a memory of precious time spent doing nothing but recharging...and staying still...  Hope your summer was good and relaxing..

Hanksy

I had just watched the movie.. "Exit by the gift shop" which is a 'documentary' on guerrilla graffiti artists and the elusive Banksy was featured in it along with Sheppard Fairy.. (wrong spelling, i know..) and a few others...  Anyway, it was pretty interesting and I love graffiti (well most of it anyway).. I thought that this was really funny.. I wonder if Tom Hanks has any idea that he is a graffiti artists star.... he'd probably think it to be funny as well..

AMERY

The sun was low in the sky.. just an exquisite time of day to photograph.. This is Amery, my friend Sara's teenage daughter, and we were in Carmel Valley for a few nights.  The weather was perfect.. hot and sunny.. nice for a Pacifica fog dweller.. (at least for a few days anyway..).  She has features that remind me of a silent film star.. very interesting.

New York.. New York

I have a few of these images that I captured on the subway on our last day in New York that I have been going through.. trying to get my creative inspirations moving... these are totally random and lucky as I was standing and pointing the lens out the window and pressing the shutter. I got about twenty shots.. ten are pretty cool and interesting to look at.. the rest throwaways.. This image was taken through another train going the opposite way which is why it looks the way it does.. I am very taken with this image.. it might be my favorite.. I was going to wait until next week to post another one but I can't wait to share this one as well.. take a look..

;)

My Dad's passing

As an avid photographer, I live my life through my lens.. but I was hesitant to be the photographer at my dad's funeral. After the Wake on Sunday night I realized that I needed to document and capture this day. There were so many beautiful moments and such respect shown towards my dad - it was unbelievable..

Walking Through

I've been very sporadic in regards to my photo of the week.. have you noticed? I've been going for days without lifting my camera up to my eye.. I see and recognize photo opportunities everywhere, but I just haven't had the energy for it... I still take the family and friend photos.. Adam doing this.. Buster doing that.. girls hamming it up.. its the creativity "want" that has been laying dormant inside me for a few months now.. am I depressed? maybe.. will it pass.. most definitely.. hang with me..

Blue Monday

I am always drawn to this smoke/steam stack whenever I drive into the city.. I like its industrial look and on this cold day the vapor coming out of it was way more pronounced than usual... add it to the blue tones of the day and it just has an amazing feel to it..

The Moon and Two Palm Trees

This was taken on the night that the moon was closest to the earth.. it hasn't been this close in twenty years (or so I was told..). This was taken in Arizona over the weekend. The night was warm and the clouds gave added interest to the sky. I did a few things in photoshop to the original photo to give it a little more "pop"... and I am loving my borders that I finally got back in working order last week..

70's magic

This photo was captured in 2009 in Dallas..My most favorite photography is street photography where the images happen in front of me and I am there to bear witness.. the scenes are usually most interesting when there are people involved but it isn't a must. I just love this womans hair and her stance.. so Jackie Brown-ish..

Blue Elephant....

Elephants and Rhinos are the two animals that I have always associated with strength.. for pretty obvious reasons, right? They are large and solidly built... over the past week I realized that strength can come in small forms as well. .. perhaps as an ant that can lift 10 - 50 times its own weight or in the form of my small boned 86 year old mom who fell and broke her neck last week. We were pretty much told to say our good-byes as best as we could and expect the worst. Well, one week later.. she's now moved on to hospice, feeding herself and getting up for short walks.. the strength of my mom has left us all in amazement and awe.. and filled with gratefulness that she is still here with us...

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes....

Shoo fly..

Pesky little things that they are.. have you ever really looked closely at how beautiful this bothersome insect can be? Eyes like amber jewels.. body like some fluorescent green metal.. delicate wings.. yes, I know.. it's a fly and we all know what they like to land on.. but take a moment (and try to forget about that for a second or two) and really look closely at it... now try to not see it's beauty the next time one flies into your house..

Sassy Seaside Burlesque

Me and the girls went out last night to Winters - the local bar - to see the burlesque show. The place was packed as you can imagine.. half nekkid girls dancing are always a big draw.. What I liked about this show and these women was their attitudes. Their sex appeal came from within.. the way they carried themselves. They oozed badass - ness ..

Shadows and reflections

The sun was shining today and the warmth was a welcome respite from the cold and rainy weather we have been having. I understand that there are some crazy snow blizzards happening out there as well - even more reasons to live here in CA. I got inspired today to take photographs and as I was walking around my back and front yards I was struck by this shadow/reflection on the wall made by a wooden window frame and something else that I was unable to identify..???

This second photo is from the back yard..

full moon

This photo was taken in response to a text from one of my girlfriends telling me to take a look outside at the moon. I always have had a hard time taking photos of the moon.. either the photo is too light and the moon looks like a giant white blob or the photos too dark and there's no definition.. well this one almost falls into the second category except for the house lights at the bottom. I need to use a tripod which is impossible to use hanging out of my bathroom window but I think that this is the closest I have come to actually producing what I am seeing. I will keep practicing.. stay tuned.

boardwalk infra-red

Went to Santa Cruz over the weekend and stayed right across the street from the pier and beach. The weather was perfect - sunny and in the 70's! Santa Cruz is full of lots of colorful characters and we were kept quite entertained. This is a photo of one of the many we had the opportunity to observe...

Happy New Year

1.1.11.....Hope everyone has made it through the first day of the year safely and in good spirits... Here's wishing you all a wonderful and prosperous year to come.. with lots of love, laughter and good friends..