Been Busy

Shooting weddings, school portraits, events, etc. No time for my Leica lately, but I will make time this weekend. Posted a picture of Hannah and Morgan. I shot their wedding about a month ago. I loved the location which made for great back drops.

I'm a busy girl!

Haven't posted in a long time because this summer has brought me lots of opportunities. I have been everywhere from Columbus, OH to Astoria, OR and of course various area's of California, to shoot weddings and portraits this year. Not to mention I am now the production assistant for Linda Russell Photography, and her Best of Marin business, Mugshots School photography. Needless to say, time has been flying by. My treat for myself was something that I have always wanted... a Leica M6. I have about 20 rolls of exposed film in my freezer dying to be processed and printed. I hope to get the store this weekend and by the last little odds and ends for my darkroom so I can do just that. Soon as I do... you better believe they will be right here to see. :)

Become a Mr. Potato Head Here!

This is an oldie but I like the colors. This is a shot of the VERY clean and professional Focus Piercing Studio located in Covington, KY's Mainstrasse.

Farmers Market

Every Wednesday Petaluma hosts an Evening Farmers Market. I thought these baskets were beautiful and the man that sells them sets up right across from my window. The boy zooming by on the skateboard helps tell the story, I think. I can't wait to take these shots with my Leica.

Sshhh... serenity now.

Photo of the Day

Today I am anxiously waiting for the Leica M6 body, that I am going to buy, is finished getting cleaned. I should be able to pick it up some time this week. I can hardly think about anything else. However, the guy I want to buy the lens from hasn't been answering his phone and his voicemail is filled up so I can't give him the go ahead to ship it to me. I fear that I will have this Leica body staring at me without a lens like a Mr. Potato Head missing a nose. It's like Christmas morning when you wake up to that toy you had your eyes on all year, sitting ready to go under the tree, only to find out you don't have the right batteries to make it work. Anyways, the anticipation is killing me. To bide my time I just look at every picture taken with a Leica that has ever been posted online. Robert Franks images are burned into my head. And I just read how even Ms. Digital, Annie Leibovitz herself carries her M6 with her in her backpack at all times.
I can hardly wait.

Nice Try Anyways

This is a major work in progress. I decided to dust off my old Crown Graphic the day of this wedding and see what I came up with. I was in such a hurry though (because it was raining and cold and the bride was freezing) that I didn't meter their faces. Instead I just took a metering with my digital camera and regretfully so, their faces are dark and details were lost. So now I am in the process of tweaking it this way and that to see if I can get a better photo somehow. None the less, I learned something and still came up with an interesting photo either way.

This is Keith Thompson. He is a freelance writer and talk radio personality. Keith is currently working on a new website so once he has that up and running I will post a link to his work. In the meantime, this is a short montage of the photo's I took of him on location. Really look's like he's on the air huh? Or is he?

Back to Film

So I finally processed my first batch of film last night since I was last in the darkroom of my photography school over 3 years ago. I mixed all the chemicals and brushed off the old rusty timer I just bought as a package deal with an old Besseler enlarger. As of right now I'll only be processing the film but won't be making any prints with the enlarger just yet. Anywho, this is what I've got so far. Back to my old dreamy style again. I shot this orchid with my 1947 Crown Graphic that shoots 4''x5'' film. I am a TERRIBLE film handler. I scratch it, put my fingers all over it, and smudge it no matter how hard I try not to. As you can also see somehow I allowed for a light leak to hit the edge of the film. All in all, it's my terrible handling job that makes the images come out the way they do. Ansel would probably hate to have me as an assistant, but it's my work and I like it. I do plan to be more careful in the future. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

"All art is a vision penetrating the illusions of reality, and photography is one form of this vision and revelation.
A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense about what is being photographed, and is, thereby, a true manifestation of what one feels about life in its entirety. This visual expression of feeling should be set forth in terms of a simple devotion to the medium. It should be a statement of the greatest clarity and perfection possible under the conditions of its creation and production.
My approach to photography is based upon my belief in the vigor and values of the world of nature, in aspects of grandeur and minutiae all about us. I believe in people, in the simpler aspects of human life, in the relation of man to nature. I believe man must be free, both in spirit and in society, that he must build strength into himself, affirming the enormous beauty of the world and acquiring the confidence to see and to express his vision. And I believe in photography as one means of expressing this affirmation and of achieving an ultimate happiness and faith." ---Ansel Adams

The picture is of no real significance to the post. Just pretty to look at. I'm really learning what it means to own a business. Everything from charging what I'm worth, to the book keeping aspects of it all. Any advice?

Scouts Honor

I have had a lot of reactions to this photo. I must say, I didn't vote (it is really a hassle signing up for that stuff when your between addresses for the military), and I am not into politics much at all. I fit more along the lines of John Lennon's famous song, "Imagine". As for this picture, I just documented my version of history. Something to look back on when they ask me in the future, "Where were you when...".

Shot a wedding the other day with local Petaluma photographer, Cindi de Channes (www.cindidechannes.com). I am waiting for permission to use the photo's I shot for my portfolio. SO... here's their feet! ha ha

Katie & Frank

Tribute to American Graffiti

Never seen the movie but I live where they filmed it. Every year Petaluma holds an annual tribute to the movie "American Graffiti" with a HUGE vintage car show, live music, and a recreation of the famous Mel's Diner. I shot some film but this is a slideshow of some of the cars I took with my holga mod.

Another shot from Paradise Ridge Winery...

I shot my first wedding in California two weekends ago. It was held at a winery called Paradise Ridge in Santa Rosa. Of course it rained that day, and it had been a while since I last shot a wedding so I was extremely nervous. That's just how I am though. Always on edge. My neck gets tense, and my stomach starts to ache. Been that way as long as I can remember. I always manage though. Pictures turned out great for the most part though. I am my own worst critic so maybe the ones I am disappointed in aren't as bad to another. All I ever give is my best, and I always look to get better.

My new favorite place to be, and I have hardly scratched the surface! Innnnnnnnn Sannnn Francisco! Home of the late great Ansel Adams, amongst many others. My favorite arcade game when I was a kid was called "Quake Attack" and it was set up kind of like a pin ball machine but the board was supposed to be a scaled down version of famous buildings in San Francisco. You would drop your coin in the machine and it would slide down a little ramp onto the board and all of sudden the city began to shake! The goal was to tilt the board with the metal handles sticking out of the front of the machine so that your coin would drop in the various holes on the board. Depending which hole your coin went in determined the amount of tickets the machine spit out at you for redemption of some crappy toy at the front counter. Now when I see the buildings in person I remember that game. That and the show "Full House". Why couldn't I be one of the Tanner kids raised in the heart of downtown San Francisco? So much to see and do. Art everywhere. And food. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a long and ever changing series of that city for me. Long meaning I don't want to leave just yet. Not even close.

Doogie Houser M.D.

Oregon Coast

Thought I would post a picture of the Oregon Coast as I knew it. I can't say I miss the weather, but it sure was purdy! I definitely have way more energy down here in Petaluma than I did up there. Petaluma has a sun that orbits the town or something. :P

Digital Holga!

The Digital Holga is NOT a german robot lady who bleaches your tighty whitey's for you every Monday afternoon. No, it's just a cheap way to make the boring digital camera make really dreamy photographs. At least that's what it did for me. I made it a long time ago for poops and giggles but it became my only alternative to my regular digital camera for a while. You see, I was broke, and for that matter, I still am, but I really prefer shooting with all my old, wacky, film cameras. However, when we moved across the country to Astoria, Oregon, I had no job prospects, and no moolah for film and chemicals. Sooooo, my only option was my digital camera. BORING!!! Then I remembered the crappy holga lens mount I had made a while back, complete with the lens cap with a hole cut into it to create the vignetting affect. So I popped it on, and went for a walk along the river, and made some of my most favorite images to date. Remember, it isn't what you shoot with, it's how you shoot. Or to shoot at all!

The First Blog

So here's my first official blog. I recently had my website critiqued on a web design forum, and by the great photographer Marc Atkins, and basically everyone tore it to shreds! Of course they were just trying to help, and they did, because I know absolutely nothing about web design. Some tips were to eliminate a few of my portfolio's, have a separate web page just for weddings, say something different in the "about me" section, and last, to have a link to a blog. Well, I narrowed down my portfolio's to include just my absolute favorites, and here I am starting up a blog. Don't go looking for me on Twitter anytime soon though. This is as far as I go for now. It's almost a full time job keeping up with all the pages a person can have now! As for the other recommendations... in due time.