So you'll have to excuse anything in this note that does not make sense... I am trying my hardest to stay up to 10:30 p.m. and beat this jet lag... I will win.. oh yes I will win...

I arrived home last night... THANK GOODNESS...  my flight out of Amsterdam was the VERY last flight out before the whole place (or should I say all of northern Europe) shut down for what they are saying could be 6 days.... THANK YOU!!!  That's all I have to say. 

So here I am in front of my computer...  with 30 minutes to go before I am allowed to lay my head down to rest.... must be ready for tomorrow's wedding with Janey here in Santa Barbara (so excited to see her... its always fun to shoot with a friend, especially such a talented one).

Okay... I digress...  while I was in Paris I had mentioned that I was lucky enough to meet up with Fady and photograph some head shots.  He is an extremely talented Opera singer. It was quite interesting and super fun. As you know my style is super lax and comfortable my favorite portrait shoots are done over a conversation and a coffee... so this one was especially up my alley... LITERALLY at a Parisian cafe right near the Bastille Opera House... then a little walk to the steps.

Here are a few pics from that afternoon...

Thanks Fady for the photo shoot... and the cafe!  Good Luck with all your upcoming adventures.

I just love it when projects appear out of no where... may you all have unexpected little gems pop into your horizons!!

OH.. and don't think I forgot to blog about ITALY... its coming.. I just had SO many pics... I'm trying to narrow it down... it will be up shortly!!

Love
A

Brit's official birthday began with a cocktail at the George V... then off to Chanel... every girl deserves a little indulgence on her birthday... especially on her 30th!!

We then left Paris headed over the waters to London...  Paris was amazing... beautiful...  but LONDON... is officially my new love.  I was not expecting to fall so hard for this city.  the streets... the people... the cabs... and the food.. YES the food... I was always under the impression that the English were "not known for their food" (to put it nicely) ...but  WOW... we have had some of the best food yet...  I had the most amazin Falafel I have had in 11 years... no joke (my friends keep laughing because its been over a day or two now and I am STILL talking about the falafel). 

I also have to send out a thank you to "the boys"...  Guy, George, and Charlie (Britainy's close English friends from college) were such good sports for putting up with our ridiculous Americaness...  thank you thank you! 

Now... one more day left in London... then off to Italia...  ahhh mi Firenze... 

I hope you all had a beautiful Easter holiday!

Love
A

BTW... we were SUCH tourists... the dark night city shots were done during the Jack the Ripper tour.... SOOOO creepy!!

WHAT I LEARNED ON THE WAY TO PARIS...

I left for Paris on Sunday.. on my way I learned three things...  I know this may be random...  but it's what I learned...

1)...  Wearing all white to a wedding doesn't have to be a faux pas...  I sat next to a lovely lady from Amsterdam who was recently married.. (I only wish I would have grabbed a couple of her pics)... she had the most beautiful Ibiza wedding.  She asked all of her 50 guests to wear all white... and it gave the whole event not only an incredibly beautiful aesthetic but also such a sense of softness, love, and tenderness...  it is hard to explain ... but if you are looking to do something different... think about it.   I was especially interested in seeing her pictures because I will be flying back across the Atlantic in May to photograph my own Ibiza wedding...

2)...   Pictures truly are memory keepers.. obviously I believe this and knew this... but it wasn't until I experience it first hand (yet again) that I remember how amazing the feeling can be.  I was in a taxi heading to my hotel in Paris when we drove through a plaza... I instantly remembered it... not only did I remember it.. I remembered the EXACT photo I had taken of this plaza 12 years ago... and not only did I remember the photo... but I remembered what I thinking, what I was doing.. and where I was in life (ironically enough photography was the farthest thing from  a career  for me... funny what 12 years can do)... I wish I had the photograph to show you.

3)...  Rescue Remedy Sleep, Calms Forte, A Glass of Wine, and Airborne Sleep .DOES NOT equal sleeping on the plane

So, that was my trip there... day 1... 4 of us girls converge upon Paris from four different flights all leaving LAX and Arriving Charles De Galle... don't ask why we didn;t fly together... we haven't quite figured that out yet.

After trying to sleep off the jetlag.. it was off to Muse D'Orsay...  (to see my favortie Toulous Latrec)...  and dinner with a French friend... 

Day 2.. TODAY...  we awoke had a lovely lunch ... checked out Pere Lachaise.. where I saw Oscar Wilde's tomb... this cemetary was amazing and Oscar is ALWAYS inspiring. And then... I was soo happy to meet up with my dear dear dear Parisian friend Diana...  (you look amazing... and always make my day... so happy to have had the time with you my sweet).

AND TONIGHT... the BIG EVENT... watching the Sparkling Eiffel Tower at exactly midnight as my amazing, inspiring and beautiful friend Britainy turned 30.. (I truly feel honored to be a part of your celebration and to be a part of your life)

SO...  One more day in Paris... till its off to London... tomorrow's agenda  a portrait shoot of an opera singer at the Bastille Opera house... then off to the George V to cheers Brits official birthday.

Here are a few pics... enjoy...  drop me a note...

May you all have adventures and find a few friends along the way... it sure does make the world small.

Love,
A

Oh and along the way... TONS of croissants, pain au chocolates, and cappuccinos!!



 

So I had mentioned last week that I was so excited to be heading to Kona Hawaii to photograph Rachel & Elie's wedding.  It was even better than I had imagined. It was so fun to see these two again.  The last time I saw them Rachel was a bridesmaid at her best friend Michelle's wedding on Mackinac ... and here I was months later with them in Hawaii... man I love my job!

I arrived to the rehearsal and was instantly welcomed by their family and friends.  Everyone there was so incredibly warm and welcoming. It is just a testament to Rachel and Elie.  The ceremony was one of the most intimate ceremonies I have ever witnessed... everyone circled around the hoopa.. everyone was involved with the ceremony by reading and just by being so close.  It was incredibly touching. 

Now I'll be honest I don't usually go through all the pics before I blog... I quickly pic a few of my favorites and that's it. Well, for some reason this time I've already looked through all the pics... and you know...  I have never felt this way... I walked away feeling like I know Rachel and Elie even more ... seeing the procession of images... the looks they give each other... the little touches between moments... it is clear that these two are not only madly in love... but incredibly comfortable  and happy with each other.  Some couples are bubbling over with excitement... some couples are filled with butterflies in anticipation... Rachel and Elie seemed to be truly serene.  I loved it!!... then again being on Hawaii doesn't hurt!!

Rachel & Elie,  thank you so much for asking me to be a part of this incredibly intimate and beautiful celebration of your love.  I truly feel honored.  I can't wait to meet up with you again.. maybe for a little reunion in SF!!!

Love,
A





 

So I know I just got back from shooting a wedding in Hawaii... that's coming... but before I talk about that trip I have to talk about the weekend before where I was so excited to do not one but TWO family portrait & baby sessions.     The coolest thing I walked away with from these two sessions.. was finally knowing EXACTLY what my portrait style is... and you'll see it from the pics.  I'm not a posey posey person... pictures with the whole family looking at the camera smiling are fine and nice... but to me... I love to capture the reality... the funny faces.. .the running around in the back yard...  a family at home where they are comfortable and living their normal life.  This truly captures a period of time in the history of the family... think about it... 15 years from now when the kids are in college, what pics are going to be more fun to look at... Sweet Casima jumping on the trampoline... or being forced to sit still and smile for the camera (I mean really how often do little girls sit still anyways).

as you look at these pics...  they really don't need much explanation... its "A day in the life" on a sunny Santa Barbara afternoon.  These pictures aren't "perfect". . . but life doesn't look like a perfectly painted canvas.

Hope you enjoy them...