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?"

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. Bookmark and Share

New Year's Eve at the Park

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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. Bookmark and Share

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

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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. Bookmark and Share

Baby Makes Three | Austin Family Photographer

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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? Bookmark and Share

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. Bookmark and Share

Retro Wedding | Austin Wedding Photographer

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A few weeks ago I shot a wedding with my dear friend Mollie at The Crossings. It was a beautiful spot, but it was the couple that was so extraordinary. They were smart, funny and oh so handsome. I couldn't take my eyes off the bride all night. Not only did she look spectacular, but she was just so kind and had such spark to her. She looked like a 2009 version of Veronica Lake (and for those of you who do not know who Veronica Lake is--shame on you). See Mollie's amazing wedding photos here and their beautiful engagement shots here. Thanks for having me along Mollie. Bookmark and Share

Experimenting

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This has been a big fad for awhile--shooting digitally through the viewfinder of an analog camera. But I couldn't resist playing with the trend. Especially since Sam wants me to watch him play, but not to actually JOIN IN on the play. To say it is a bit dull is like saying Pat Robertson is a little Christian. They were both taken through the prism viewfinder (because I was too lazy to switch it out for the waist level one). The first one is with my 35 and the second with a macro. Bookmark and Share