What a way to kick off the 2010 wedding season... jetting off to Kona tomorrow morning.

I'm especially excited about Rachel & Elie's wedding... obviously because it is in Hawaii... but ALSO because I met this  awesome couple last year on  Mackinac while photographing one of Rachel's best friends' wedding (Michelle & John).  I just love being a part of a circle of friends... I get to really know the friends and family in the group that much more.  So I was completely stoked when Rachel contacted me last fall about HER wedding. 

As always, I'll still be reachable... just not AS tied to the computer as usual...  this girl might pull herself away  from her laptop long enough to dip in the ocean and get a little tan... (but always use my sunscreen...  :-)

I wouldn't want to leave you with nothing to look at... so here are a few pics from my last time to Hawaii (when I photographed Candice & Micheal's beach side nuptials)...  is it sad it's been over a 1 1/2 years and I'm just now posting my fun "travel" pics from that trip!!

OH... and on a side night... speaking of fun travel pics... my little trip to Samy's today lead to me purchasing a new holga film camera... SOOO excited to play with that on this little adventure!

It's finally sunny and warm here in Santa Barbara... sun is setting later ....  summer is just around the corner!!

Sending you all a ray of sunshine... whether your basking on the beach right now or anxiously awaiting June... may you find a little "sun" somewhere in your day today and bask in it... even if its the simple smile of the loved one sitting next to you!!

Love,
A

It is that time of  year again.. time for the annual WPPI conference in Vegas...

.. and here I am again...  almost midnight... the night before I leave... unpacked... and of course what am I doing...  PROCRASTINATING... I've been on facebook .. twitter... and now  blogging... and I think its all because I don't want to face the fact that I HAVE to fit 4 pairs of boots, a pair of heels, tennis shoes, and flip flops (along with my clothes) into my small suitcase...  but come on... doesn't everyone take all of these shoes for 4 days in Vegas!!  You never know... it is Vegas baby!!

I'm starting to get excited... seeing old friends... meeting new ones... and hopefully learning A TON from all of the amazing speakers... and of course maybe a little equipment shopping (granted there may not be room in my suitcase for more camera gear... but a girl can always make it fit)!!

Have a fun week... 

Love
A

For being a one year old... this little boy has more expressions then anyone I've ever met!! 

A few weeks ago while others were prepping for their super bowl parties I was driving in Michigan to meet up with my dear college friend Jackie... it'd been ten years since last we saw each other... amazing how time can fly yet we both look and feel the exact same as we did when we were 21...  and here I was showing up on her doorstep with a camera in hand to photograph her adorable baby boy Brady (well some things have changed.. we're a little bit more responsible now)!! 

We had so much fun.  He is a little rascal...  and an explorer.  I just love letting kids do what they want and follow them around with the camera.  Plus as many of you know the minute you put a little one in place to sit still ... what do they do... cry or  crawl around... so why not go with the flow!!  The cutest part was every time Brady was crawling towards unknown territories he would look back to mom and dad...  "can I go here?"... and of course he did anyways!!

Just check out little Brady's eyebrows... sooooo expressive... he had us in stitches!!

Jackie... it was sooo wonderful to see you after all these years and to get a glimpse into your family. I can't wait to see how Brady grows.  I'll see you soon... we still have a dinner date with the "Dale" girls to plan!!

May you all experience the joys of reconnecting with friends and family from years gone by!!

Love,
A

I woke up this morning to the sun shining in my window and the birds chirping... and  instead of jumping out of bed running to the gym and starting my day... I stayed.. right there... and started reading a new favorite book... "Wedding Photography From the Heart"...

Now this book instantly grabbed me for two reasons... one... its my philosophy on life...I TRY to make it my goal to live and WORK "from the heart" (be it dancing at home or writing on my blog) ... so the title was perfect for me... and two... it's written by my favorite wedding photographer.. a man I greatly respect and admire.

First... a little about its author... Joe Buissink seems to do everything "from the heart"... his lectures, his photography, his philanthropic work... and the love he has for his family shines through in everything he does.  He is a man who openly shares his knowledge with the photography world without an ego or an agenda except to make this industry and the people in it better!!

So this book.... is inspiring to say the least... it just reaffirms what my goal has always been... to stop focusing so much on creating a perfect moment with the right lighting, background, pose, etc  . . but instead to wait and feel when that perfect moment arrives in front of me...  natural and real true emotion...  and really... how can I shoot from the heart if I don't know the hearts of my couples... which means we  become friends... and plus then its not work for me... its me getting to attend a friends' big party... and who doesn't like parties!!


A few quotes from the book:

I know I have been off the radar a bit... but its pretty hard to keep up with the blog when I am hopping from family to friend to family to friend all over the northeastern part of the US...

But I have a quick break from my niece and nephew (who are tired from ice skating... actually I think I'M more tired then they are) to hop on the computer and upload a few pics from New Years on the island... and this past week with my adorable niece and nephew...

I'll be hopping on a plane late tonight ... and finally back to my routine in my office Monday morning... in sunny California... (finally my feet with defrost)!!

Hope you are all enjoying the first week of 2010...

Love,
A

Here's some of a Wintry Mackinac....



And here a few of my favorite 4 and 8 year olds...