Documentation Project

Before the BTPL begins their construction project for an expanded and updated space, I was hired to take "before" images of the library's façade and interior architecture. The photography project took a total of 8 hours over the course of two days and documented nearly every square inch of the public and private space within the library as well as the entire exterior. The library's construction project will take three years to complete with a budget of nearly 24 million dollars and will improve accessibility as well as technological enhancements for the public's growing needs.

New Car!

As some of you may know, my Dodge Neon was nearly totalled last December when a driver made a left turn into my car with a Dodge Ram (appropriately named). Ever since then, my purple Neon has looked like a raisin with one entire side of the car being smashed in. Since the car was paid off, I only had PL/PD coverage, which does not include collision. However, because the car was still in working order- I really couldn't justify the added cost of a new car. My husband was so patient when it came to borrowing his car, often reworking his schedule to allow me to meet clients or staying at home so that I could take care of an all-day wedding job with his more presentable car. (Which definitely came in handy when one bride surprised me by hitching a ride in my car!! That'll teach me to show up with a clean car!)

Well, the time has finally come to get a new car. While everyone is running out to grab the employee discounts being offered by the car companies- I thought it would be a good time to cash in on some of those trade-ins that must be rolling in right now. Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm a total bargain shopper! I refuse to pay retail for a brand new car that's going to depreciate as soon as it leaves the lot- but I will pay a little extra for an extended warranty ;-). I was able to find a certified pre-owned Grand Am for $1,200 UNDER blue book value! Now that's a deal. After driving a Neon and feeling almost invisible on the road, it's nice to have something more substantial that's also roomy enough for passengers (in case any brides surprise me again!)

So- for anyone meeting me for the first time- here's what I'll be showing up in :-) .... (please excuse the cheesy pose- and thanks to my hubby for taking the pic!)


PS. Have you ever noticed that car commercials are almost always filmed shortly before sunset?

Baby Fiona

It seems as though there are babies popping up everywhere! Recently, I did an in-home documentary shoot for a mother and her child which would become a birthday present for "dad". Even though I brought extra lighting with me, after seeing how young the child was (7 mos.) I decided added lighting would be a bit alarming to this girl and decided to work within her natural environment. Luckily, my digital equipment can produce excellent results without much extra light. Kate (mom) wanted a very natural shoot of her daughter (Fiona) going about their daily routines. We had a lot of fun together and Fiona was so intruiged by the camera that I had a hard time getting her to take her eyes off me! What really amazed me was the amount of fine motor skills Fiona had at such a young age. Kate is a pianist and Fiona seems to pick it up very naturally. She didn't bang on the keyboard as other children of her age would do, instead she pressed individual keys on the piano with independence among her fingers. Babies amaze me ;-)

Lily Study

The weather has been hot and humid lately- which is certainly not the best of conditions for holding a camera up to your face, but it does make for hearty flower pictures. Once again, I ventured into my garden, this time to the lilies which had finally survived the deer's hunger long enough to bloom. A few had fallen to the ground, beaten by the storms, but their beauty remains. This particular image is one of my favorite but can only be justified in a poster sized print, yet I attempt to place it here in a humble size in order to share it with you.

Aniridia

When I first met with Jen & Chris, I noticed something about Chris' eyes, but didn't want to ask at our first meeting. Luckily, I had accidentally given Jen & Chris the wrong contract which provided them with an engagement session that wouldn't normally have been included in their package. I say luckily, because I'm very grateful that I had an opportunity to learn more about Chris' condition before their wedding day.

Chris was born with a condition called aniridia which is described as having partial irises or none at all. This only happens to 1 out of every 100,000 - 250,000 people and is caused by a deletion in a strand of DNA. Because he has no irises, his eyes cannot dilate in bright sun, and he has difficulty keeping his eyes open in even shady areas on a clear day. I think this is one of the most difficult photographic challenges I've had yet. I wanted Chris to feel as comfortable as possible, so I sought out shady areas, avoided using flash, and tried to only venture into open areas when the clouds came out. Eventually we were able to create a system that worked for both of us, which allowed him to keep his eyes closed longer while still allowing me to capture a few prepared shots. More than anything, I'm glad that we had a chance to work together before the wedding, because there's absolutely no time to experiment when it comes to the day of the wedding. Luckily, their wedding will be in the winter and indoors, so sunlight will be at a minimum. They are a wonderful couple and it was incredible to see both of their faces just light up when they looked at each other. I share this story in order to bring awareness to this condition as it seems to be under-researched with no apparent cures or treatments.

Surrealism

While exchanging emails with an art loving bride, I was reminded of the time that I visited the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg, FL. At the time I had a mild interest in Dali's work and wanted to see an actual painting in order to better understand the madness to his craft. I feel there's a much deeper connection to the artist when you can look at the original work, instead of a print of the work. A print can only capture so much. In my mind, texture is an essential element of painted art and speaks volumes of the artist's process.

I didn't fully appreciate Dali until I found myself standing in front of one of the largest paintings on canvas that I had ever seen to that point. The Hallucinogenic Toreador was nearly two stories tall, and full of imagery, optical illusion, and symbolism. What the print cannot convey is how he managed to paint images within the texture of this painting. I must have looked at the painting for 15-30 minutes alone.. and I could have looked longer. The longer you look, the more you see, the more aborbed you become in the work, and the work becomes in you. If you ever find yourself in the area of St. Petersburg, FL, do yourself a favor and visit this museum, if nothing else but to stand in front of this amazing work and attempt to take it all in.

Happy Independence Day!

Last night my husband and I went to one of the local fireworks displays and found a great place on the lawn with a front-row view. The sky was perfect for fireworks- not a cloud in sight. Of course I took my camera with me for some long-exposure shots of fireworks. Click on the image above to see other fireworks shots, or to download a copy of this one for your desktop.

Today was a big party day as well. Our friends Mike & Betsy had an open house for their new baby Dahlia, and while I didn't take many pictures, I did get a few touching moments of the family with the new baby. Dahlia is now almost a month old and while she still eats and sleeps a lot, she has an amazing awareness of the world...

July Desktop Images

Every month or so I change my desktop image to a recent photograph I've taken and I thought it would be fun to share these images in my blog so that you can download them for your desktop as well! Every month I'll try to post a new image that is suitable for displaying at desktop size and resolution. Click on an image to download a copy for your desktop.


The texture of scattered clouds against a deep blue sky. I see a wedding cake. What do you see?


An old English-style farmhouse window sits under a copper gutter and wood shingles, with two healthy bushes adding a splash of bright green.