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Journey to the Poppies

This week I finally had the chance to run away for a few hours and visit the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, CA. The super-bloom has almost come to an end, with most of the wildflowers gone, and a few patches of poppies left gracing the earth with their warm orange glow. Thursday morning there wasn’t a large crowd of people to navigate through, and it was just all open fields. More images can be found on my Flickr!

The winds were extreme, it made it very challenging to enjoy a steady walk through the trails. I also had trouble reviewing my photos, and had to wait to peek at them until we got back to the car.

One of the reserve personnel was pointing out how the poppies were, “going to seed” If you look in the photos below, you can see the sort of pink base with a green stem shooting out. Hopefully we get enough rain again this year, so that they will all rise from their slumber and bloom again next spring.

Who doesn’t want to fall asleep in the poppies and dream like Dorothy?

Photography, Sewing

Happy 3rd Birthday Gianna!

My little love turned 3 on February 6th this year. I didn’t get to fly out to Arizona for her birthday last year, so I made sure to make a quick trip for the weekend to attend her 3rd birthday party. With her obsession of monkeys, I also decided that sewing a fairy-princess-monkey skirt would be all too appropriate for her celebration day. Found this adorable fabric, and matched the red toadstools with the red tulle underskirt and frilly trimming.

The party was held at the Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, AZ, the perfect spot for this 3 year old’s love for outdoor play, and trains/”engines”. We had picnic area 2, and as soon as we arrived at our picnic spot, little Gianna was running in circles yelling out in joy, “it’s my birthday party!” so cute.

First up was glitter tattoos! Miss Gianna picked out a fairy, and my favorite color! Of course I had to get one, so I had Gianna pick one for me…she insisted we had matching tattoos.

Some friends and family started to arrive! Carrlee and Gianna started with a shy hello, then held hands like best friends and took a walk together to see the peacocks!

Time for a train ride around the farm!

Pizza time!

Off to the petting zoo! We saw the chickens, and a giant bull, and also got to groom some of the friendly billie goats! She was timid at first, but after my sister showed her (Gianna) there was nothing to be afraid of, she grabbed a brush and said hello to mr. goat.

Jumping was way too fun! Maybe too much, because we had to take a break! Giant pillows that had all the kids bouncing around like monkeys! It was challenging for me to sit on that pillow and take photos and stand my ground from all the jumping kids!

Time for a carousel ride!

Hayride to feed “Santa’s Reindeer” was my favorite part!

Note to Gianna:

Happy 3rd birthday to my little monkey, Gianna! Can’t wait to see how much you grow this year, and to all the memories we will share together. I’m glad I was there to document the day, so you can look back at it one day a long time from now and remember how much fun it was to be 3!

Photography

My First Wedding…As “Photographer”

Weddings are a beautiful thing…and everything happens so fast, if you stop to blink you might just miss that perfect photo-op moment!

I have avoided photographing weddings for quite some time now…due to the high physical and emotional artistic demand it requires. Maybe some (photographers) may think differently, or maybe it’s only because I haven’t shot weddings, but the way I work is a little different than others. My brother in-law has been pushing me to try and shoot weddings for a while now too, but I alway explain to him my hesitations…and how as an artist, it’s just very stressful!

Well I finally caved in after I was approached by a friend of a friend who asked me to shoot her wedding at The Castle Green, on November 11, 2016. Congratulations to John and Kelly! Also, thank you for trusting me with your wedding photos.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

It really was a lot of work. If you are questioning photographer’s rates for your wedding, I would really stop and think about how much value good photography is worth…personally I think it’s the most important aspect of planning a wedding (but I am a bit biased as the photographer of course)…I don’t think people at the wedding are thinking about it, but the photographer is right there with the bride from start to finish (depending on how long you hire your photographer to be there of course-but I didn’t want to miss anything) and has to basically turn into a photo journalist for what feels like about 12 hours (not including the editing process)! I felt like a photo making machine/energizer bunny, going going…you get the picture. Finding it hard to run away for a second to keep myself hydrated!

I was very fortunate to have been able to hire a second shooter to capture a handful of photos while I was distracted with other things…I feel like when you are new to wedding photography or even in the long run, having a second shooter is vital. Although, after a dozen times, I’d personally want to take a run at it on my own.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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No matter how many photos I looked at for reference, or inspiration, or youtube videos I watched to try and better prepare me for the day of the shoot, I knew it would only come together when it was time to take the photos. I tend to work more organically, finding the art within the moments, and that’s why I had a little bit of a struggle at first. I did have my bride create a shot list of images, so at least I had a personal guide if I got stuck on the timeline, I could prepare myself for what was coming up next for photos, or what I had missed.

Sifting through the many images, I seemed to gravitate towards mostly the unplanned images as my personal favorites. I hope that as time goes on, perhaps I might have more opportunities in wedding photography, maybe as a second shooter, so that I can gain more of a feel for it all in general.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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(See more images on my Flickr!)

Photography, Poetry

Hourglass

I live in a house where all the clocks read a different number, where time is uncertainty. The only constant is that clock, ticking each minute away; every second another breath cycle we create without an inkling of our last. Forget not what you know, but what you don’t. Remembering the years I spent breathing for you. 1:52a.m.

Photography

The Goldstein Family-Beach Photoshoot

It’s not much of an easy task when you are photographing a family with small children. Well, perhaps just families in general…the bigger the family the more directing and attention to detail. Trying to get at least a few good photos where the children are looking AND smiling at the camera, is a rarity…and even the adults sometimes. It’s about making beautiful images with what you have available to you, no matter the circumstances.

I’m certain that as the years go by, photos for this family (my sister!!!) will just get keep getting easier, because I know that I’ll be taking photos of my niece indefinitely. They’ve put me through a few challenges so far, and I find myself trying to make the best of the harsh light situations and whatnot, but we always find a way.

When you’re photographing your family, it’s hard to set a strict time, or “make an appointment” for the shoot. This makes finding that perfect time of day for photos obsolete…ish. Since I’m mostly working around my sister’s schedule for the day, it is rare that we can get the photos done during that golden hour, or before the sun is in it’s highest point. I’m usually visiting when I’m asked to bring my camera along, and so we just act on spontaneity.

This beach shoot was taken on the shore of Margate City, NJ. We planned on shooting later in the day, and that quickly turned into the middle of the day, when we noticed an overcast sky creating a perfect obstacle for the harsh sunlight. As soon as our feet touched the sand, there was not a cloud in the sky, the sun was beaming…and everyone was dressed and ready to go, so there was no turning back. Racing to the shade, I found photographic refuge under the pier…which gave me the relief from the harsh conditions.

After Gianna (my niece) became a little too fussy (she just wanted to play in the sand already), we wrapped up the photo session and changed into our beachwear to enjoy the most perfect beach day (also my 1st) of the year!