The Birthday Kids

Last Saturday the boys were invited to not one, but THREE birthday parties and Ben made it to all three. Sam and I only made it to two, so those are the two that have photos. First we went to Seamus' fifth birthday party at The Nature Center (Katherine's photos here). I had not yet been to the Nature Center and what a treasure it is. They had a great dino pit and the kids loved looking at all of the rescue animals housed there. After his nap, Sam and I headed to Natalie's sixth at the Simons' house. It has become an annual outdoor, bouncy castle, margarita drinking extravaganza (see last year here). Somehow they manage to get good weather every year, even in January. I think the 3 chocolate cupcakes and nothing else that Sam had for lunch (as evidenced in the photos) at Seamus' party caught up with him once we got to Natalie's because he was on a crazy kid performance tear (as evidenced in many of the photos). He then proceeded to eat about 25 pieces of cantaloupe--probably to counteract all the chocolate.Seamus' party: Natalie's Party:

Coffee Angst

I have always loved coffee. It is the one pleasure that gets me out of the bed in the morning. That first sip is heaven. The days that I come downstairs when we are out of milk are heartbreaking. For the past ten years I made a a latte for myself every morning with an old Krups espresso maker that my parents bought for me. I had it down to a streamlined system where I could tell by sound when the milk was hot enough. When I got pregnant with Ben I dreaded having to give up my coffee and I researched as many sites as I could that said I could have one cup a day. This all became moot when I was so sick in my first trimester that I had no interest. After I gave birth my taste buds changed somewhat and I had to develop the taste for coffee again. And suddenly, when all was well, the coffee from my trusted Krups started to taste like stale cigarette smoke. I did everything I could think of. I cleaned the machine multiple times, changed grinds, changed brands, all with no success. So I started going to Starbucks. And it was expensive and not great. I did research at Consumer Reports and was told that the Nespresso is the wave of the future. And my parents love theirs. So I got one. And I tried to like it, I really did. The design is cool, it doesn't make a mess and is easy to operate and it makes great crema. But the coffees aren't to my taste. I tried almost every one they make and no go. So I headed back online and did more research. I started considering $500 machines, which is out of my price range. I got caught up in the coffee frenzy. For Christmas Josh go me a new machine that is working out really well so far. It is a Delonghi Retro Pump-Driven Espresso Maker. At first the coffee did not taste great and I again did some research and found out that although we had a burr grinder (recommended for espresso grinds) that the one we had was not grinding it fine enough. So I bought a Baratza Maestro for under $100 and lo and behold they were right. It made a huge difference. Lastly I had to tackle the problem of what coffee to use. For many years I used Peet's Coffee's Major Dickason's, but I was ready for a change. So after I read even more reviews I setlled on trying Lavazza Super Crema, which I really like. If you want to learn more about the art of espresso you should check out this post at the amazing blog not without salt. And if you have any suggestions of coffee brands/makers etc you like please share. Also, if you live in Austin and have any great cafe recommendations please share those as well.

Bedtime Routine

This is he new post-bath routine. Jumping on the bed, dancing around, reading books. You will be seeing many more of these type of pics (sorry in advance).

The McCormicks | Austin Family Photographer

I had the honor of photographing the McCormick family again. We did a shoot last May at Mayfield. This time we opted for Laguna Gloria. The occasion this time was the imminent arrival of the newest member of the family. We thought he would come any day, but it was a full two weeks before little Devlin decided to come on out of the comfy spot he had inhabited over the last nine months. And he is a cutie. Can't wait to get my hands on him.

New Wedding Site | Austin Wedding Photographer

I updated my wedding site because the images on the previous one were just too small for my liking. Check it out here.

Right Before My Eyes

He is growing so fast. Like a weed. I want him to slow down some days and speed up others. It was just yesterday that he was a little 9 pound blob and now he is accessorizing.

Why Cheap Photography Doesn't Serve Anyone

Scott Bourne recently wrote a tweet that became an uproar. I didn't read most of it, but I did read his response on his blog and I really appreciate the things he wrote. Not only does it express a view that I also subscribe to, but it is articulate, concise and very well written. As member of the professional photographic community, I for one appreciate that he took the time to write it.

The Question You are DYING to Ask Me

I just found out about this application where you can ask people questions called formspring. Not sure what I think about it, but if you are dying to ask me what I had for lunch or something a little more substantial, you can ask me here. You could start with "Is your social life SO lame that you are surfing the internet at 9:00 on a Friday night?"

This is How Sam Looked When He Came Home from School Today

And no, none of his clothing is tie dyed.

Girls Trip to Tahoe

Last weekend I went to Tahoe Donner with my friends from high school. I didn't take too many photos because I was too busy drinking, eating, reading and watching dvds. Here are the few I did take. The first ones are of Jenny and Armando's daughter Eliana in their home in Reno and the next ones are their dog Chato and their cat Gato (hope I spelled those right). Gato is Spanish for cat and Chato for flat face. The poor Boston terrier gets no respect. The rest are from the weekend adventures with the grand finale being at In N Out, which I required we stop at before I left the state to come home. Then I threw in two shots from back in the day because I couldn't resist.

New Year's Eve at the Park

On New Year's Eve day we went hung out with Katherine and James and their kids as well as Lillia. Lillia's mom had just had a baby AND eye surgery to boot so we took her one day to give mom a bit of a break. We all had a great time together and it was a beautiful day. I LOVE the shots that Katherine took of the boys and I as well as the one of the three adults racing to see who could find a lunch solution the fastest on their cell phones.

Traveling with OCD Man

One thing that people who frequent this blog have to endure is my ramblings that become more verbose when I am traveling, since I have no access to posting photos.Airplanes have become petri dishes for humanity at large. I am currently reading 'Up in the Air' and I find it curious how little he talks about how surreal air travel can be. Today I am flying Southwest and it sucks. I hate not being assigned a seat. I am an aisle girl. At 5 foot 10 I need some extra leg room. So I boarded the plane in the very last group (of course). And all that was left were middle seats in between TWO people. So I sat in between two men, both middle aged who looked like the quiet types. Boy was I wrong. The guy sitting next to the window was a small man who was thin and wiry. Little did I know that he was OCD guy. This man moved around so much that he makes Ben look lethargic. He moved constantly, grabbing this and that out of his bag. And each time he did so he elbowed me with his sharp, skinny elbow. And did he say sorry? NO! Did he even acknowledge that he was being rude? No way. When he pulled out an inflatable full sized pilow and a PILLOW CASE I almost burst out laughing. It reminded me of the episode of 'Sex in the City' where Carrie is on jury duty and this one man keeps bringing a briefcase with him and every day he pulls out a different piece if fruit that is not an obvious choice to eat on the fly--like a mango or a persimmon. So my neighbor blows up his inflatable pillow and stuffs it into his plain vanilla white case. He then spends the next ten minutes trying to get every aspect of the pillow just right. He adjusted and readjusted. And it took every ounce of control that I had not to back knuckle him and tell him he is an idiot. So he puts his pillow on his lap and proceeds to test it by hugging it and putting his head down on it. He then--I kid you not--pulled out an eye mask and ear plugs. It was 1:00 in the afternoon and while I applaud anyone who can sleep in the middle of the day, his methods were a tad excessive. And this flight was loud. Super loud. Every time I am on a plane to Vegas it is party central and this was no exception. I even overheard a conversation where a guy was saying "I actually own a breathalyzer". So he proceeds to nap and then every ten minutes or so he abruptly lifts his head, opens the window shade, looks out the window, shuts the shade and puts his head on the pillow. What fresh hell is this I wonder? He does it over and over again. When his nap is over he starts rumaging through his bag (which he needs to hit and elbow me to get at) takes something out and puts it back. He does this over and OVER and OVER AGAIN. He applies lip balm, grabs his paper and I wonder why he cannot get everything he needs at once. But of course he cannot because this would be less annoying to me. At the end of the flight he is on his cell phone calling the company that is picking him up. When he spells his last name, it is I kid you not, FROCKMAN. Enough said.

Katy and Daniel | Austin Engagement Photographer

Katy and Daniel didn't want to do the typical schmaltzy engagement session and I was curious to see what we would come up with. So we headed out on a Sunday morning armed with props and their two year old Basset Hound Obi. Those of you who know me know I am a sucker for short legged, long backed dogs and bassets are some of my favorites. Obi did not disappoint. We had a wonderful time and I had such a great time chatting with them that I had to remind myself to raise my camera every once in awhile. Since they asked me to shoot some film at their wedding in April I brought along my Hasselblad and had some fun shooting medium format again. I can't wait for their wedding, if for no other reason than to spend some more time with them.

At the Playground

A couple of days before Christmas we went down to Mollie's for a little impromptu playdate. Right after I got the cute one of Sam with the rake in the trees he whacked me with it on the head. A photographer's life is never easy.

A December Dinner at the Simons

Baby Jasper Part II | Austin Newborn Photographer

I was thrilled to do a newborn shoot with baby Jasper (and of course his big sister Lillia). He is so beautiful and was a wonderful model. I especially love the last shot because to me it illustrates the craziness of family life with dog(s) and babies and the chaos and adventure of it all.

Why I Take Photographs

Baby Makes Three | Austin Family Photographer

I had such a great time with this family. They are also recent Bay Area transplants so it was fun to talk about places we loved there and to share some good finds here. And Lauren has the BEST laugh. It is so infectious. I love the natural light portraits in the bedroom the best--I posted my favorite one yesterday. I love when baby plays with mom's pearls. It reminds me of the iconic image of Caroline Kennedy playing with her mom's. And darn aren't these beautiful people?

What is Voice?

I have been thinking a great deal about style and voice and wondering what mine is. Is it true to itself or have I not realized it fully yet? Is where I am now simply a step on my way to finding what I really want to say?Lately I have been really interested in the work of Sally Mann and continue to be a huge fan of Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai. I recently saw the documentary "What Remains" about Sally Mann's history, her work and her process. I was fascinated by her and what she does. And I admire the intent that goes in to these two women's work as well as the work of Julie Blackmon. I feel like I too often react instead of planning. And maybe that is okay. Maybe I prefer to have the story unfold in front of me and to act as translator rather than to create and write the story myself. I worked as a graphic designer for many years and after I graduated from art school I went to a design intensive for a month in Maine for Project M. John Bielenberg, who founded it, often talked about beauty being irrelevant and that design is all about message. But I argued that beauty had an intrinsic message, although I could never articulate what it was. In photography I seek for them both to exist. But am I simply doing the same thing all over again and checking meaning at the front door? I feel like I have two very distinct sides to what I do. I have the sharp, clear, documentary style work that I do (and which compromises probably 90% of my work) and then I have the softer, moodier side (like what I have shown here). And I cannot seem to make them work together. And so I wonder which one is my 'real' voice? Is the stuff I am showing here simply imitations of other people's work and not my true path? What I really seek to convey is emotion in all of its forms. I want to show it all: tears, smiles, laughter, frustration, annoyance, everything. I want to look beyond the face we show to the world to find what is inside. I am not afraid to see it all and I find it all has beauty in one form or another. Perhaps it is an impossible goal, but a worthy one to strive for nonetheless.

Siblings

This shot pretty much illustrates their relationship.