The Power of Love

Oh Huey Lewis, how I still love thee. The end of the 80s did not stop you. You even played the Orange County Fair this year, a mere 24 years after Back to the Future and Marty McFly transported us all back to the year 1955, and oh, I SO wanted to go see you play! I asked friends to join me, but no one seemed to want to go. (and yet, one friend ended up going... with her new boy. Such is life! :-) This is why I often end up doing things on my own! If I wait for everyone else, life is gonna pass me right on by... and I don't want to live life with regrets. And I regret not seeing the supporting star of "Duets" this summer when I had the chance!).

The Power of Love
Is a Curious Thing
Make One Man Weep
Make Another Man Sing

How much do I LOVE this song? If I'm ever in a funk or a bad mood with need of a pick-me-up (or even if I'm just in a peppy mood with a need for a ditty that reiterates my joyous state), I keep this song in my car on a custom CD I've created. It's instantaneous joy, sunshine, pure and simple. It's happiness incarnate (to me, at least!).

So... if I had to SUBTITLE this post, it would be "Blogging Rights." (Get it? Instead of Bragging Rights? Hello? **cricket, cricket** Is this thing on?)

Blogging Rights

Okay. I've been wanting to make this an official post for something like 2 weeks now! I could make all sorts of excuses and I've written bits and pieces of this in my head over those last 2 weeks, so I hope I remember it all. Better yet, maybe it will come out even better than it sounded in my head! **crossing fingers** Here goes (no more putting it off)!

So, I want to talk about the Power of Love. Here, I'm gonna give a run-down of the Power and its many forms of love wrapped up in social-media goodness:

Twitter
Who knew 140 characters or less could impart such joy, pure and simple? For example, I've posted things just because. Just because I believed in them, whether about the awesome products/service from McKenna Pro or WHCC... or maybe I'd tweet a shout-out to Scott Bourne, Terry White, Trey Ratcliff or Mike Wong (of onOne Software) for their inspirational posts, their ability to change my attitude/way of thinking for the day with a blog post of their own, their reviews/tutorials, etc... these are the people/companies on Twitter who took the time to either retweet me, stop and say THANK YOU for my post/response to something they tweeted (whether publicly or privately in a DM [Direct Message]), or even recommend me for a Follow Friday (FF).

Without a doubt, I of course appreciate the love from my professional and personal friends on Twitter, but when it comes from someone who literally must be receiving tons of @mentions/@replies and DMs, I am honored and touched when they take the 60 seconds (give or take) it took to stop, read, and respond. (Truthfully, I'm honored ANYONE takes time to listen to anything I have to say!) It doesn't matter to me the vehicle/package it comes in, just that someone was thoughtful enough to say "Thank you". (I'm thinking this appreciation comes of my upbringing from my ultra-thoughful and giving mom, who was born and raised in London... the English are famed for their manners, are they not?) To me, that translates to such an odd little bipolar-like lift. Is it crazy to be so honored by "the big people"? ... To be acknowledged by the idols I follow? Maybe I'm TwitterStruck! (you heard it HERE first, folks! Can I coin that phrase??)

I just sometimes feel like my own lowly little self, trying to become a great wedding photographer and "rubbing TwitterShoulders" (Twoulders?) with Da BIG Peeps is something that previously would have been so unattainable. It's like the line in the song from "Cheers": Makin your way in the world today / Takes everythin you've got. Ain't THAT the truth! I love this new era of sharing, not hoarding, information. It's amazing!

And the most incredible thing about Twitter to me is how easy it is to forge these new pathways to new friendships. (Quick story, cause I just thought this was soooo cool: last week, I was at the OC SmugMug, hosted by Jasmine Star, and Jeff Jochum of SmugMug was there as well. I follow him on Twitter, and a couple of days later, he tweeted about being at the Vancouver, BC SmugMug. He retweeted something from Jen Bebb, who retweeted another photographer named Katya Nova. I was curious about the subject of this particular tweet I'd read, so I followed Jen's link to Katya's blog. I LOVED Katya's post and images, and immediately began following both Jen and Katya on Twitter. Katya must have seen me as a new follower, because the next day, I got a DM from her, saying that she loved MY blog and "voice". How freakin honored was I??! Things like that put me on a little high, I swear it does. Maybe I'm too reliant on these little victories, but they're what I live for. I'm so happy when I've made a positive impact on someone ELSE'S day, you know?

And... I wish I could SAY things succinctly like I want to, yet Twitter forces me to. (Have you had to put this blog post down yet and come back to it? MAN, I'm verbose. This is why I need to blog more often, maybe I won't write so darn much in one sitting!) Becker just made a tweet today that his OCD keeps him from posting anything other than the 140 character limit lets him. I'm SO the same way, but only because I write so much that I have to keep editing down til I get back to 140 characters. :-)


Facebook
I can keep this one short, but I don't want to ignore it... FB has been an AMAZING resource for me, and a way for free marketing and a way to promote my shoots, my work, etc. (Although, HELLO, Facebook: Get a CLUE! Get rid of the Live Feed/News Feed thing, put back the recent links on the right-hand column on the homepage... plus, this new News Feed is screwing up my live feed on my iPhone version of FB. If the wheel ain't broke, don't fix it! Or maybe... let the user customize their homepage as it works for them?? Argh. Okay. Soapbox: done... **Deep breath... Zen moment... and... Done**). Anywho, something as simple as getting a shout-out from someone I've done a shoot for, or compliments on recents shoots I've posted (even the "like/thumbs-up" thing brings a smile to my face)... or seeing that tons of my friends use my pix as their profile pictures. Better yet, I've made new friends from FB and found new photog shootout groups. And I love that it's easy to follow "fan pages" and find my fave software is on sale, or there's an impromptu shootout going on, who wants to meet up? LOVE the power of Social Networking Media!

Blogging
OMG. This is the huge one, and yet... probably the shortest paragraph. Last year, my friend Courtney got married to her re-acquainted high school sweetheart in upstate Washington. It was supposed to be a small affair, low-budget, DIY-rustic gorgeous touches that Courtney is fabulous at and known for (she's an AWESOME hair and makeup artist too!). I told her I HAD to come up to WA and take pictures of the magical day... I knew in my heart it was going to be incredible. And it was. Courtney just submitted her beautifully-written love story to two nationally-recognized wedding blogs (you have to read her story, she tells it so well), but my pictures were also included! What a RUSH, to be part of someone else's feature on a wedding blog! I felt kinda famous, even if just for a day or two. :-) Check out the posts on Wiley Valentine and 2 Sisters Blog. (**HOORAY!** Okay... I might have done a little jig in place just cause I was so happy.)

Networking (aka NetMAKING, per J*)
Last week, I attended the OC SmugMug. Jasmine was the presenter that night, and talked about a new phrase she'd just coined. I'm afraid I don't have the EXACT wording right, but netmaking is where you strive/aspire to do things for others without the intent of personal gain (I tried to encompass the essence of the message, but I just found her exact definition she gave, per her post: "The desire to put one's needs before your own as a way to help, invest, and grow another business.").

So, as it turned out, the very next day (Friday), I got a call from a photographer in San Diego who needed an assistant for a wedding he was shooting that day (he was referred to me from another photog friend of mine). I was absolutely unable to go, so I referred a name of a new friend and aspiring photographer to him that I was sure would be free and able to do the job. She's new to the industry and hungry for any assignment she can go to and learn from. I gave him her name and number, and 10 minutes later, I got a wonderful post from Jen, thanking me for passing along the job... she was on her way to SD to assist! She was beyond ecstatic, and I was thrilled to help make someone else's day (2 actually! The SD photog and Jen as well), with no intent to gain anything of my own. And just then, I remembered Jasmine's speech the night before, and thought: You know what? I did something good today, with no ulterior motives for personal gain (except maybe to make MYSELF feel good). And it DID feel good.

This is what I'm good at: connecting other people and putting them in touch (I think I get this trait from my Dad, he's amazing at connecting people in the professional world). I'm really good at connecting with people myself. I keep up with people I meet in random places. (My ex-boyfriend was always amazed and would joke that we could be in line for 5 minutes somewhere and by the front of the line I'd be their best friend. But it's so true... I connect to people fast, because I find SO MANY things about so many people just so darned interesting. I love to learn, whether about people, photography, business, life. Bring it on! I never want to STOP being a student!). Life is all about the connections we make.

And now, in closing, a big SHOUT OUT and THANK YOU to those of you who stuck it out and read to the end.

And I'll be back to posting more pix in just a day or two ... or three... at most! Cheers!

It don't take money and it don't take fame
don't need no credit card to ride this train
Tougher than diamonds and stronger than steel
you won't feel nothin' till you feel
you feel the power, just the power of love
That's the power, that's the power of love
You feel the power of love

Oh Huey ... I couldn't have said it better myself. At least, not in 140 characters or less.

Under the Boardwalk

Okay, well, it's not a true boardwalk per se, but the song fits. :-) A week ago Sunday in Orange County, we got our first cold and blustery-at-the-beach day of the season, right after our (hopefully) last heat wave of the late summer/early fall. But, the sunset and smell of salt air imparted the feelings of true peace and happiness in me that being at the beach at sunset ALWAYS imprints on my pysche.

I was so happy to get an email from Paula several weeks ago, asking to schedule holiday portraits with her family. I worked with Paula in 2008 for several months while I was freelancing as a graphic artist on-site for a direct-mail firm, and ended up taking their holiday photos last year. It was such a charmed day that we not only got a ton of wonderful portraits, but a ton of amazing candids of her 2 daughters. Her older daughter had just turned 6 last year, and was adorable with an upper front tooth missing, which adds a modicum of impishness and innocence to all the pictures in such a natural, fun-loving way. Paula's younger daughter was approximately 6 months old and so sweet and mellow.

So I couldn't wait to see her girls again this year! Lila is now approximately 18 months old, walking, quick to smile and full of curiosity. Maxine just turned 7 the day before our shoot, and her hair had grown out soooo long; I had a glimpse of the elegant girl she was growing into, but while I sensed more maturity, she still had the carefree, slightly awkward movements of a growing girl who is still a free spirit, unhampered by worries that can plague us as maturity threatens to squash our creativity and ability to imagine what we can do in this great big wonderful world we've been given to grow in.

Paula suggested we take pictures at the San Clemente Pier in South Orange County, and the second she mentioned it, I knew it would be perfect — I love this place! (I actually went on a date there last year and couldn't believe I'd never been there before then... the sunsets from the pier are so calming there. Plus the vibe of San Clemente is not the same as every beach town... this city retains a small-town feel, low-key and pure. It doesn't strike me as "OC" as other beaches I've visited... it's like they remain unaffected by outside influences. But — what a shock — I digress). ;-)

Paula and her husband John walked up with the girls on the afternoon of our shoot, and as soon as Lila was let loose (and even before, while she was still in her stroller), I started snapping pictures of her:

I love how the light catches Lila's eyes here... they absolutely glow in the sun!

Then, it was time to do our first costume change... and Maxine and Lila became the cutest gosh-darn cowgirls west of the Mississipi! These are their Halloween outfits too... how adorable are they?!

Then, it was time to get into their holiday dresses — so elegant and colorful! — and head under the San Clemente Pier for "official" holiday portraits (this first one, a black-and-white, was more of an outtake, but I still love it):

And I love these as well, the first one for how sweet the sisters look, the second one because of Lila's funny expression!

I love this image, and although you can sense Lila's frustration ("Let me get up and be FREE! I need to go explore!"), I adore the serene, peaceful quality of Maxine as she envelopes Lila in a gentle hug...

Here Maxine is writing her name in the sand, a favorite activity this particular Sunday. She even wrote her name along with Lila's in the sand:

 

It really was getting cold, so I got a picture of John cuddling with Lila as he wrapped her up in warm fuzzy blankety goodness...

One more wardrobe change; Maxine is channeling her retro-50's look with a white t-shirt and hot-pink poodle skirt, she's so adorable!...

And last but not least, this picture holds special significance. Lila was born very premature, and at her time of birth, her torso was the same length as the little bear she's holding in her hand. They took pictures of her in the hospital next to the bear, as a frame of reference to just how small she was. But as you can see, she's WAY outgrown the bear! She's a vibrant, happy and healthy little girl. I love seeing how great she's doing; it's a scary way to start life as a preemie, but I especially love hearing the stories of children with strong spirits and a will to live that is strong and powerful, and they supercede all expectations. What can I say? I'm a sucker for happy endings!

Tomorrow I'm going to try to post some additional pictures I took after Paula and her family left. As the San Clemente Pier is right by the train tracks, I had fun hanging around on my own and snapping pictures of the RR crossing, as well as surfers silhouetted in the water, bathed in a golden purple-ly twilight. I didn't want to leave, so I found excuses to stay as long as I possibly could!!

Second Chance

Tonight's post has everything to do with Seconds (as in, "That dinner was so delicious, I think I need to have SECONDS!"). Tonight's post's title was inspired from the group Shinedown, with a new(er) song called "Second Chance" (if you're a fan of KROQ, Los Angeles & Orange County's leading alternative-music station, you'll have heard it there, which is where I first heard it. In fact, I liked it so much that I unwittingly tagged it more than once in Shazam, one of my fave iPhone apps). But, I digress... which is not uncommon with me. Come along on Karen's Mind Road Trip, the ride is a magically wonderful one, I promise.

But back to the subject at hand. While the main refrain of the song is that "sometimes goodbye is a second chance", my thoughts are that it's about making #1 out of seconds. As in, second shooting. And, I **love** second shooting. Tomorrow (or, later today, as it's after midnight) I'm assisting my friend Colleen Bell (whom I've mentioned before) on another wedding up in LA. If you're a "glass is half-empty" type, you may say that you're not the "star of the show". But haven't you ever been to a movie or play where one of the supporting actors was so amazing, they blew away everything and everyone else for you in that movie/play? And so, while you're there to support, help and anticipate what the primary shooter needs -- and it's still work! -- for me, it's a license for creative freedom, to take time to capture those beautiful moments from unusual angles, where no one is anticipating me. Instead of being just work, or just a job, it's a chance to get back to basics, when you are reminded of why you do what you love, it re-ignites the passion for being behind the lens. Obviously, your first objective should be to enhance and round out the primary shooter's body of work, get all of the moments that they can't be there to capture themselves, or help switch out lenses, carry extra gear, etc... but oh the moments I've been able to get! Colleen and I have talked about this, that somehow there's less pressure on you as a second shooter, you get to do "the fun stuff", the creative stuff. So really, isn't being "second" really just all about your attitude?

And while we're on the subject of "seconds", regarding the concept of "add-ons": I'd like to mention plug-ins. Yup, plug-ins. I use them for my favorite programs, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. The programs on their own are hands-down, fantastic. But through years of using them, I always find things that I would like, to streamline and speed up my processes, all while improving my images. Well, ask and ye shall receive! That's where these plug-ins come in handy (I've mentioned these before too), such as action sets and tools from Kubota Imaging Tools, Totally Rad Actions, Jeffrey Friedl and Tim Armes. I'm planning a post soon for other photographers and aspiring photographers on my faves, where you can read more about what each one is, what they do, where to get them and why you should have them in your own workflow. I rely heavily on posts from my own photographic inspirations/heroes/mentors/teachers on Facebook and Twitter about the best of what's out there, and the options available to me and why I would want them. Often there are links for reviews of new or little known time-savers/gems, and I try to read about as many of them as I can. I believe in being informed, and I love sharing any knowledge I'm able to get as well!

So, not being first isn't always a bad thing. Being second, or even getting a second chance? Now THAT'S something worth being proud of, that you've made it so high on the food chain! Embrace it, make it your own. By loving what you do... that's when you turn your seconds into being firsts, especially in attitude. And that's something worth being proud of. Don't measure your failures, but rather, your successes, no matter how incremental -- being and staying positive is a key factor in how high you will be able to go not just in your career/profession, but in your personal life as well.

By the end of the weekend, I'll have more posts up, from a holiday family shoot I did at the San Clemente Pier recently to images from the Santa Barbara wedding that I shot (my previous post featured the slideshow I created for the bride and groom). Can't wait to share! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ahead!

Everybody's Got Their Somethin'...

Today's post is WAY overdue ... I always write WAY too much, which is usually my deterrent from starting a new story. So, let me use tonight's post as an exercise in brevity (hahaha! Oh, how I love to tell myself these tall tales). As y'all know, I like to use song titles, and this particular title is in homage to Nikka Costa, whose funky-fun groovin' sounds makes me think of a modern-day Janis Joplin. And true to the title, the slideshow I am posting below is from Rachelle and Brian's wedding (in Santa Barbara on Saturday, September 26th, 2009), who definitely have their own Somethin' that makes them So unique and So much fun. (alliteration alert!) I love that they took their Somethin and branded their wedding with their signature way of doing things!

First of all, they wanted a really good party. Instead of champagne, they had tequila toasts (yep, custom shot glasses and Patron at every table! I like 'em already!). They wanted to have their wedding outside, and so Godric Grove in Elings Park was the destination, with an amazing outdoor amphitheatre for the ceremony, and then just over the hill was a fabulous wooden deck at the top of the park, with round Japanese-style paper lanterns everywhere that lit up as dusk disappeared ... and dinner was a Mexican buffet... and who doesn't like Mexican food?! Seriously! The cake was hands-down: The. Best. Ever. It was red velvet cake with cream-cheese frosting. And yes... in embracing part of Rachelle's Jewish heritage, they also celebrated to Hava Nagila with the Hora, soon to be followed by Brian doing a knee-slide across the dance floor ... and better yet, he then entertained his guests with air guitar and ended up crowd-surfing across his adoring fans (aka, the guests!). Oh yeah, and there was an impromptu conga-line too. Great music really helped round out the vibe of the evening and kept virtually everyone up on their feet all night dancing! These are my kinds o' people!

See what I mean? Everybody's got their Somethin'... and I love the Somethin' they gots to give!

One last thing that I love about Rachelle and Brian is how they even have their own PERSONAL signature style... Rachelle is constantly hopping up on Brian's back and getting piggyback rides... and that's when they come alive in photos! It's so THEM. So, of course, I had to get some pictures of Rachelle in her wedding dress up on Brian's back, and they look so adorable & deliciously happy together -- all growed-up and fancy-like, yet they have a child-like enthusiasm that is wonderfully infectious too.

The slideshow below showcases the highlights that tell the Somethin' Story of their day. Rachelle and her bridesmaids got ready in a gorgeous suite at the Fess Parker Santa Barbara Hotel (love love love!), and then I met up with Brian and his groomsmen at Shoreline Park... they looked like rockstars admist a perfect blue sky with glittering water. After that, it was back to Fess Parker for the bridesmaids' portraits with the gorgeous Rachelle, and then we moseyed over to Elings. I simply couldn't have asked for cooler, more fun people who I am now also so honored to be able to call friends, too.

Pictures to follow soon... Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy the show!
(and once again, music credit for the original instrumental to my friend Danny Hamilton. Thanks, Danny!)

Get Busy, Child!

Today's (short) post is with apologies (or THANKS!) to the Crystal Method... this is a great song (well, it's electronica, not so much a traditional "song" per se). I remember dancing to this back in the late 90s at my fave club that played our favorite genre of music (in SoCal, it's KROQ music, or the top 40 of alternative music). Anyways, in keeping with the theme of using songs as my blog titles, this one seems applicable because in this economy, it's hard on a lot of people. And, I want to get busy! Get busier! Busy-bee! **tap tap ** hello? Is this thing ON??! (Was that a tumbleweed I just saw blow by...?)

But, there's one thing that holds true: people are still getting married, people still need holiday pictures done (and yes! I just got my first inquiry for holiday pix and it's a repeat customer from last year!), babies are still being born. And there's an art to staying busy, as it turns out, in the absence of work. See, I'm a graphic artist by trade working my way (transitioning, if you will) into full-time pro photography, and the daily graphic design assignments are what pay the bills. But, I got laid-off of my year-long on-site contract back in February (and since then, they've laid off about 25 or 30 more people; this is a good chunk of the company, so I guess it was bound to happen soon or later), and everything has been touch-and-go since. And I've been "working on my new website" since then (hello?! It's been 7 months!), but my problem has never been motivation, it's confidence. I really think though, when the new site launches, it will turn things around. I am constantly striving to better myself, through art and/or business ... but always second-guessing myself in the process. Part of my problem lies in the fact that I am truly one of the most "middle-brained" people you will meet, and I read recently that it's difficult for those who are middle-brained to fully commit to decision-making, because both halves of the brain's hemispheres are constantly at war with each other; in effect, playing a tug-of-war and making it difficult to make a definitive decision.

Some of the problems I encounter is the psychology of the layout of a website. Keep in mind, I received my BA in Communications/Advertising (specializing in Creative Advertising). I know a lot of the prominent ways of thinking, but I graduated from college in 1995, and since then, we've had the internet boom. The science of the internet and multimedia design has been intensively studied and reviewed since then, yet the old axioms still hold true as well. Finally though, what it boils down to is this: everyone is different, their brains work differently, and what works great for one, will be completely backwards to another. What I have to try to do is speak to the common denominator, of a specific audience I'm trying to capture. I've tried to simplify my site as much as possible, making the pictures big and prominent, and everything else is just frosting, the little details.

One of the big things I keep wrestling with is listing my prices online. The argument goes like this in my head (I'm going on the memory that I **think** the right hemisphere is the creative side, the emotional side, and the left hemisphere is the side of reason, the "numbers" side... right? Even if I'm wrong, go with me here, I'm on a roll and not willing to stop to go look it up):

Right Hemisphere : Why WOULDN'T I want to post my prices online? Shouldn't they see my work and fall in love, so that price doesn't matter, listed or not?

Left Hemisphere: Well, why WOULD I want to post my prices online? What if they look at the bottom line FIRST, then even though they love they pictures, they decide I'm out of their price range?

RH: But the classes I go to say that I **should** post my prices, so I immediately get the target that I want, the customers who value pictures so much, that they know the value of a good photographer. I just want to focus on the art!

LH: But what if they end up being a source of many referrals? Isn't SOME work better than NO work? And bottom line, work is work, no one should be overlooked as a source of a potential referral, right?

RH/LH: So, which side wins out? Both arguments make sense. Grrr.

This is what goes on in my head daily, about every aspect of my business. My downfall is I am my own best (or worst?) devil's advocate, so I CAN see both sides to every point. And because of this, I have to decide ultimately what is the best decision for me personally. But then it turns into the same old song and dance in my own head: WHICH is the best choice for me? And it's a self-perpetuating cyclical argument. I simply am the poorest person I know for making decisions regarding myself. Which is why when I feel SOLID, in my core, about a decision, I know it's right. And being in photography is a solid feeling, one I don't and never doubt. I doubt my work all the time, which is why I am constantly striving to do better, but I will emerge victorious!

But in the meantime, it's time to get that website up, it's time to get holiday pictures going, and start booking numerous weddings in a calendar year! It's time to get busy, child!

Oh, and I DO have a series of new pictures to post... coming soon. I post directly from Lightroom to Facebook or my Zenfolio portfolio site, using these great plug-ins by Jeffrey Friedl (he's awesome, check out his plug-ins for LR here), and it's easy to export direct to these programs without ever creating the new file, so it's something I need to incorporate into my workflow, exporting my faves for upload directly to my blog too. I SWEAR, I'll get this blog thing under control and part of my daily life soon. See? Get busy, child!)

p.s. -- I was trying to get to Jeffrey's blog, but the site isn't connecting tonight for some reason. I will update this post with a proper link soon. In the meantime, if you want to know more, Google "Jeffrey Friedl Lightroom plugin" You'll find it right away!)

Don't You... Forget About me... don't don't don't...

Today's blog post title brought to you by Simple Minds. I choose this for 2 reasons: #1, because this past weekend was my 20-year (yes... I said, TWENTY-year!) high school reunion, and #2, it represents my generation (the 80s) and I don't think anyone wants to show up at their reunion and think that no one will remember them! (luckily, name tags and the influx of Facebook into our lives helped to alleviate much of that, for many of us, I'm thinking!) I'd also like to add an honorary #3 as to why this song title is so appropos: I think it's timely to mention a moment of rememberance for John Hughes (yes, again, please!), as this was the keystone song that represents "The Breakfast Club", an 80s icon unto itself, and that TOO was symbolic of this weekend's anniversary, because in high school, everyone is broken up into a title, a clique, a symbol, because it's easier to fit into a pre-determined label than to carve your own way. And even if you ventured out to find your own unique voice, then you were an outsider, because you weren't like everyone else. Unless of course, you were a POPULAR person who walked to the beat of your own drum, and then you were hailed as innovative and people yearned to be like you... (and in doing so, they fit into another pre-determined label as follower, but hoping to be a COOL follower). In The Breakfast Club, I think it was nailed down pretty succinctly in the letter Brian wrote to the principal: "You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... and an athlete... and a basket case... a princess... and a criminal... " (hoping no one from our class was a criminal though!)

We graduated 1989, when we voted Erasure's "The Innocents" as a favorite album, the year before moving into the 90s and away from a decade of over-abundance and excess. I could get all Dickensian (is that proper terminology?) and say "It was the best of times... it was the worst of times..." but then again, it's HIGH SCHOOL for goodness' sake!

But you know what is beautiful about time? People change and most of us (although maybe afraid of change at times) also learn to embrace it. High school is about finding your voice; once you get into college, it's about USING it, it's about being HEARD. At that point, no one is chastised for it anymore, they are heralded! And although I attended my 5 and 10 year reunions as well, I found everyone still to be welcoming and wonderful at each one, I didn't understand why anyone would hold onto reservations for that long. Heck, maybe it was my OWN attitude that matured. I came into a public high school system as a freshman knowing only a few people there, as I transferred in from a small private Montessori school. I had never attended public school a day in my life, and I was scared beyond belief. I went from being a big fish in a small school to a small fish in a big school... and it makes you WORK to be the person you want to be, I had to work to go find my friends and the people I would fit in with. The few people I knew when I came to public school already had their existing friends and cliques, I wasn't openly invited in. They were comfortable -- they'd already known each other since early grade school. But, I found my way over time, and joining drama and sticking with it for all 4 years (not to mention I had my love after school: dance -- ballet, tap, jazz, etc) actually made me visible, I guess... well, that and I also was in a bunch of the GATE classes with the other people I wanted to be liked by. The view from inside one's self is a very different world than how the world sees you. And no matter how apprehensive you are, you have to remember that you're not alone. Everyone had (and has) insecurities, and we had to learn to support each other, not try to outdo each other. But then again, that concept still always should apply, no matter the time and place.

And the biggest thing I think that makes you visible is your ATTITUDE. Over years, I stifled my insecurities and pushed them down where others didn't see it on a regular basis, and I put myself out there. I smiled at everyone, I worked in retail and loved working in music stores in high school and college and I made it my own goal to get people to smile and come out of THEIR shells. Maybe I felt I related to those people, their issues, and I wanted to make other people feel better. And in turn, I felt better about myself too.

And when I work at a wedding (especially the reception), I feel oddly at home. Maybe it's being surrounded by happy people for a happy occasion, but I love getting to know new people, I love hearing their stories and capturing their moments. And so I offered to bring my camera to the high school reunion, I think it was part of my own (in)security blanket. Because when I have my camera in hand, I have a perfectly legitimate excuse to approach anyone I want -- carte blanche at an event -- and ask them if they'd like a picture. It worked out especially well because I knew a lot of these people already (and attended with 2 good friends, one that I've known since the 1st day of high school and kept up with for the last 24 years, and the other one is one I recently reconnected with). Plus, I happened to email one of the reunion organizers (another classmate) asking if I could bring my camera along and take pix during the night, it turned out that the budget hadn't alloted for a photographer, so it worked out perfectly. And I end up feeling like a little A.D.D-social-butterfly, flitting from one corner of the room to the other, trying to get that perfect moment, then getting swept up in the conversation, then moving on to the next moment I happen to see out of the corner of my eye across the room. (And, if a convo started to get stale, it made a perfect exit excuse, no? But, not that I had any of those moments, thankfully!)

Oh! And, I even approached a guy I had a crush on senior year (name withheld!) -- he never knew I had a crush on him -- and went up and said hi the other night. I didn't think he'd remember me, even though we had at least one class together, he didn't have any reason TO remember me specifically because we didn't have reason to talk to each other. But all the same, he SAID he remembered me, and you know, it's the little things that make you feel victorious after all those years. Isn't that silly? He's married now and I knew it before saying hi, so it wasn't like I was approaching him with any sort of hope; ultimately, it was just about saying hi, and connecting with another being with whom I had a shared past, albeit a minor one on a momentous milestone night 2 decades later. We spoke only a few minutes, but it was enough that if I were able to travel back in time, a la Marty McFly, and tell my younger self that he would know who I was 20 years later (or even lie in saying that he did), that would be enough to get me through that class without him ever speaking to me. Sometimes, you make a bigger impact on the world around you than you ever realize. That's one of my big hopes -- that I can leave an impression on the world around me -- not just professionally, but personally, too.

The evening went by entirely too fast. But it was so good to see everyone again. Tonight I finished going through and sorting the pix from the night, and tomorrow night I will post them and send out the link. And... in a momentary blip of the old insecurity resurrecting itself, I suddenly wondered and hoped to myself that they all like the pictures too and I will garner acceptance and make my way into the cool kids' club. ;-) At which point the song fades into my brain again, the refrain repeating itself over and over along with all the key and pertinent lyrics: "Don't you... forget about me // I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby --" (that's so me! "Dancing, you know it baby") -- "Slow change may pull us apart ... Will you recognize me // Call my name or walk on by ... Don't you try to pretend ... It's my feeling we'll win in the end // I won't harm you or touch your defenses // Vanity and security ... Don't you forget about me."

I know I won't forget.

It's Friday... I'm in Love...

Or Wednesday, as the case may be. But, this post's title has TWO meanings to it... besides being a song by the Cure (and a Friday that I post this entry), it's also representative of my friend and photographer, Kelly Reiter, who LOVES the Cure. And without her, I would not have been able to shoot this wedding!

Kelly is friends with a good friend of mine, and they both live in Arizona. I once tried to help Kelly out by getting tickets to a Cure concert for her (you had to be a resident of California to even be able to attempt to purchase the tickets), but even though it didn't work out, it gave us a chance to bond over our love of photography, especially anything to do with kids, weddings, events... anything with PEOPLE! When I was in AZ this past January for the Professional Photographers of America-sponsored Imaging USA Conference, I was even able to go by and see Kelly's booth at the Bridal Expo, which just happened to be in another building at the same conference center. Since then, we've become "Facebook Friends" as well. (And seriously... who doesn't love FB? What a GREAT way to connect, reconnect, and just keep up with all of those friends that when you don't necessarily have time to write long emails, you can at least see what's going on at a glance. Brilliant!).

So, Kelly's husband's father, David, has been with Elizabeth for 12 years now. They decided this year to make it official. As Elizabeth grew up in Laguna, once a year they come out to California and stay at the Arabella Cottages for a week (awesome, you must check them out! They're quaint and have a lovely old, warm feel to them). This year they decided a very small, private ceremony on the beach would be an ideal time to celebrate their love, and so Kelly asked me if I might be able to shoot it for them. So began a series of emails back and forth with David and Elizabeth, but I was so happy to be able to meet them when I was most recently in AZ in July, the 3 of us went to dinner, and they are so warm and fun, I felt immediately like I was part of their family too -- and so honored to be able to capture this special day for them!

I met with them again briefly this past Monday morning, so that I was able to see the specific area they were getting married... on the beach right next to the Montage Hotel in south Laguna. What a spectacular area. Not as if the rest of Laguna is anythin' to sneeze at, but this was just that much more secluded and picturesque.

Wednesday, I arrived at the cottage, where Elizabeth and David were with their closest friends and having a little wine and appetizers before heading down to the beach, but I started snapping a few pictures...

David is a Mickey Mouse fan... and so his cufflinks had Mickey on them (he also has a Mickey Mouse tattoo on his leg!).


And a picture of Elizabeth, looking lovely as she spoke with friends...


And I couldn't resist this light, or the old-style phone on the end-table, or the card that happened to be sitting right next to it, so perfect...

Then we snapped a couple of pictures in the garden. I love how David and Elizabeth look at each other! 12 years together and there's still so much love to share and to give. I find it inspirational and something to strive for in my own life... and not to settle for anything less than the best.


Then it was time to head down to the beach... look at Elizabeth's dress. Isn't it -- and doesn't she look -- gorgeous, in it? And... we had to sneak in a picture of David looking rather dapper in his jacket, sunglasses and wine glass in hand. Almost makes me think a little James Bond? But without the martini ... ;-)


And so the ceremony with Pastor Paul began. Look at the water and the sky! At sunset no less... you couldn't ask for a better day to get married.


There was a lot of laughter during the ceremony (in a good way!), and a lot of tears (in a good way)... it was very emotional too. Look at Elizabeth... cracking up and with a tear at the same time. Kind of symbolic of life, too, isn't it? That laughter and tears often go hand-in-hand.


I *love* this one... I could be super-cool and say that I totally saw Pastor Paul holding the ring in his hand before passing it to David to put on Elizabeth's finger, but really, I was concentrating on getting their faces and emotions and framing it just a certain way. Later, when I saw the ring there (and the rings on the outside of his booklet too!), let's just say I was very happy for a happy accident. Good pic anyway... but BETTER with the ring. I almost feel like you can hear what he is saying.


Then it was time for Elizabeth to reach under her dress and remove... a ROLEX! (this was David's ring) And look at his expression as she puts it on him! Love it!


Prayers...


...and then the kiss!


A close-up of the ring (Rolex in the background)... isn't it GORGEOUS? Elizabeth was so happy with what a good job David did in picking it out:


A couple of portraits of the happy couple...

On our way back up to the cars, we came across this little cutie. He was only 2 months old and just so tiny and sweet, we had to stop to say hi. How adorable is he (or she? not sure which)?!


And lastly... a quick view of Laguna Beach at sunset on a Wednesday night, August 13th:


As the song by the Cure goes (this is for Kelly!) ... "I don't care if Monday's blue. Tuesday's great and Wednesday too. Thursday I don't care about you. It's Friday, I'm in love." Well... I beg to differ. I think Wednesday is the day Elizabeth and David chose to proclaim their love, legally, spiritually and in front of the world. But in this case, I'd even go so far as to say, it's EVERY DAY they're in love. And again... thank you to Kelly, for giving me the opportunity of having such a great evening with some wonderful people. I wish them many more years of love and happiness.

And on the early morning hours of the last day of the week before the weekend, may I wish you a Happy Friday and a great weekend ahead.

Peace out! :-)