Libby @ 12

In the few hours I got to spend taking photos of Libby with her family and friends, I couldn’t help but think of what life must be like for the newly 12 year old. She’s such a funloving young lady, with two sets of parents who love her, a group of friends who I’m sure have been and will be there in, what I expect to be, a most formidable part of her adolescence…plus she’s so young, with so much more life to live ahead of her. At 31 years old, I have to say that I’m almost jealous. =)

Happy, Happy Birthday, Libby! I hope this day is something you won’t soon forget!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I had forgotten how much energy 12-year olds have, and I was reminded this past Saturday after spending about 2 1/2 hours shooting photos of ten of them. Libby, my friend Christy’s step-daughter, celebrated her 12th birthday getting dolled up with her friends for a photo shoot at the beach.

I have to admit that upon getting this assignment, I was a bit concerned. I’d taken thousands of pictures of brides and grooms, children even, but pre-teens? Oh dear. How deep into my adolescence would I have to dig in order to find a way to relate to these girls? How do I get them to be comfortable  in front of the camera? In the end, I was worried for nothing because Libby and her friends barely needed any motivation at all. The energy? I was the one who had to keep up. They were a boisterous and friendly bunch of gals who did everything I asked of them – please sit on the sand, please run through the waves, please climb that big rock, JUMP!  I really couldn’t have asked for a better group of subjects to shoot…well, actually, Libby’s family was right up there too. But I’ll save that for the next post. =)

Maui: Part 3 – Rachey & Mark’s Day

All I’m sure they asked for was this one perfect day…

…some sunshine, a pacific ocean breeze, to be surrounded by family, friends and the wishes of loved ones who couldn’t join them…

…One perfect day – to be married and bound together in love FOREVER…

Rachey and Mark’s wedding was one I won’t ever forget. From the busride filled with guests who had flown from afar to celebrate, to the orchid leis that lined the church pews, the paper lanterns that hung above a balcony reception under nothing but Maui’s sky.

Most of all, I won’t forget the stunningly beautiful bride and handsome groom who I get to call friends. Thank you for allowing us to be part of such a beautiful day…

 

Maui: Part 2 – Playtime

So what’s time spent in Maui without time spent on the beaches? On my 2nd day there, Leia, Gwen, James, Larnie, Andrew and I drove around beach-hopping. Before the sun set, we took advantage of the excellent lighting and location to get some shots in. James saw the opportunity for backlit images and went nuts. Haha! As usual, we were more than happy to comply…

Maui: Part I – Atmosphere

I’ve been to the island of O’ahu three times, but this was my first time in Maui. It would only be a short trip for me, but even given the quick turnaround, I honestly can’t complain. I was there to 1) witness and celebrate the marriage of two friends and 2) escape from the weekly 40-hour grind. I know 4 days isn’t exactly what you’d call an “escape,”  but when I landed on the island, felt the warm breeze, saw the crystal blue water, nothing much could really matter.

The inevitable feeling of total relaxation is not rare in Hawai’i. Something is awfully wrong with you if you don’t feel this way when you get there. This overwhelming feeling of ease lends itself to mere atmostphere on the islands. Life is relatively slow there, and everywhere you turn, there is something beautiful to look at, listen to, or touch:

…brightly-colored hibiscus reaching out of bushes and trees to greet you…

 …palm trees that seem to radiate warmth…

…palm trees that look like shadows in the sky at dusk…

 …a setting sun that causes you to stand still and watch life pass you by…

…a gentle breeze that brushes your face…

…a canopy of clouds that either shield you from heat or drizzle you with coolness…

…the ebb and flow of waves on the shore that tells you it’s ok to sit and do nothing…

Makes Me Happy…

These are my nephews, Toby and Bradley. Really, they couldn’t be cuter. Looking at them, just being around them, makes me forget everything that could ever possibly bother me.

Memories so clear…

I’m transcribing my travel journal entries from my notebook onto a word file. I know, I know…it’s from my trip to Europe 3 years ago, and I’m still not done. Anyhow, I couldn’t help but want to look at some photos in the process. It was such a wonderful experience, filled with countless memories, but there’s one that always makes me laugh when I remember that trip. We snuck into a castle in Switzerland, high atop this mountain. I still can’t believe some of us had to climb up a wall to get in. I was the problem child that morning, but I know my friends don’t regret the laugh they got out of watching me. I could’ve died! Geez! =)

Cile took all the pictures. Some of them are blurry cuz SHE’S LAUGHING. hahaha!

I can’t wait to go back…maybe climb up another castle or two…

Flying Solo

I’ve known my cousin, Elisha, since she was a baby! I was a flower girl at her mom’s wedding! Now she’s all grown up – still cute, still has the sweetest singing voice…but still a baby to me. She asked if I could take some photos of her to submit to a modeling agency. How fun, I thought, my own fashion photo shoot! Then I realized…uh oh…no help from Ja, Bev, James or Andrew? What seemed to be a great opportunity for me to figure my way through a shoot, soon turned into, well, fear. I’d never done anything other than engagement shoots or weddings, and I’d never ever been left to do it ALONE! Plus, these photos were going to be submitted to get my cousin a modeling agent? HAHA…no pressure. =)

I wasn’t totally alone, though, thank goodness. With help from my cousins, Mari (who took care of wardrobe and hair) and her sister Keshia (who is a make-up expert), the shoot turned out to be really fun. At times during the hours waiting for the sun to start going down (man, was it hot!), I kind of felt like I was babysitting. Haha! I feel like these girls are so much younger than me. Young or not, however, they sure made this day a time well spent outdoors. What started out to be a pressure-filled task for me, turned out to be nothing but quality time with some really great girls. I can’t wait for the next shoot with them!

Destined…

Before Rachey and Mark got married in beautiful Maui (photos of that soon to come), I got to spend a whole afternoon taking pictures of them here. It was the first time I had to lead a shoot. Thank goodness for my awesome friend and 2nd shooter, Andrew (of the soon-to-be famous ABDS. His photos are the un-logo’d ones)! I really couldn’t have asked for a better “assistant” and we really couldn’t have asked for a better day. The sun shone high above Santa Monica that June afternoon, but it was warm, not scorching. The breeze that ran through 3rd Street Promenade was a welcome and gentle relief.

Rachey and Mark’s new apartment was still a bit bare back then, with furniture placed in scattered spots. But what made it a home wasn’t really anything they had to carry. Having been together since high school, Rachey and Mark’s history in love permeated throughout. It’s easy to see how long ago this marriage was planned.

Thanks so much, Rachey and Mark, for letting a couple of your amature photographer friends take pictures of you for 4 hours. I know all the kissing must’ve been unbearable =) 

Divine Design

Our trip to Maui for Rachey and Mark’s wedding did not only give us a reason to go on vacation to watch friends get married. It gave me, personally, an opportunity to take in the sights and write and snap away. I didn’t shoot JUST sights though. I actually had an assignment…a shoot with one of my most talented buddies, Mr. Andrew Boquiren. This wonderful friend of mine has an eye for everything aesthetically pleasing, from his acumen for graphic design to his photographer’s senses. It was only fitting that we shot him in as aesthetic an environment as Maui.

Thanks for letting me shoot you, Andrew!