Mike & Asheena

Every year my family spends Thanksgiving in Lake Tahoe; it's been a tradition for over 13 years now.  It's my absolute favorite holiday and I look forward to it all year long.  This year we ended up going to Tahoe the week before Thanksgiving and on the drive up I was pretty bummed out because there was no snow.  Four days later I was bummed out because we had to shovel the 3 feet of snow that covered the drive way!  (To be honest, the boys did the vast majority of the shoveling).  It was absolutely beautiful and it snowed pretty much our whole stay. 

While we were there I took some photos of my brother, Mike, and his wife, Asheena.  They wanted a picture for their Christmas cards and this year is a really special year as they are expecting their first child, Madison.  Asheena isn't due until the end of February but we still wanted to show off her baby bump!  I can't wait to shoot some more photos of them in the next couple months, and I really, really, really can't wait to meet my niece; I know she is going to be one beautiful little girl!

Mike, Asheena, and baby Madison

Of course Mike was in flip flops.... I'm not sure he owns any other shoes.

This is my favorite.  A gust of wind blew the snow off the trees and right onto them :)

Thank you to Mike and Asheena for letting me be your photographer.  Love you guys!

Happy Monday everyone!

Bum Glove Love

Dear Bum Gloves,

With you, time seems to stand still and fly by all at once. Here we are at another winter and there is nothing else I’d rather grace my hands than you. I have so many fond memories to call upon whenever I think of you, and I know we will make more this season. People may groan when they see I’ve got you with me, but I ignore their comments and stares; deep down I know they envy us.

I know you’re worried about the newer, trendier, fingerless gloves- with their fancy colors and fabrics. But fear not, my dear Bum Gloves, for you can never be replaced. There are those that want to me to replace you but there will never be a pair of gloves I love more. Even as you age and fray I will wear you with great pride. My love for you will continue to grow this winter, so let’s make it the best one yet. You have warmed my hands and stolen my heart! You are amazing!

Love,

Katie

Carpe Diem

About a year ago I was working on a project for my Color Theory class and drove by an amazing old barn. I thought, “I have to use this somehow.” The next day I went back and had a magic moment; I captured one of my favorite images.

Look familiar?

This was the most beautiful barn ever. It was ragged and the paint was stripping off the sides. I had big hopes for taking people out there and doing some surreal portraits. But when I drove by a week ago my heart sunk. This is what the barn looks like now.

While I might not have gotten around to shooting there a second time; I’m so happy I was able to get the image I did. One of the best and worst things about photography is that you are capturing a brief moment in time. No two images are ever the same. You can try your best to recreate a photograph, but it can never be exactly duplicated. As photographers we have to learn to capture the moment while it’s there.

Henri Cartier-Bresson is widely known for his photographs that seem to capture the moment that we miss when we blink; he called this the “decisive moment”. Here is one of my favorite photographs of Cartier-Bresson:

Every photographer longs to perfect this art, myself included. When I saw that my pretty old barn had been “revamped” for more practical use I realized that I need to take advantage of every situation. I had planned to take more photos in front of the barn, but procrastination got the best of me.

From here on out I will be better about taking advantage of time. I don’t want to have another missed opportunity. And who knows, maybe I will channel Henri and capture a moment in between moments…

There is a new week ahead and I’ve got some diem to carpe!

"I am the way"

One of my favorite things in the world is waking up to the sound of rain.  Even though I have to head off to work in a half hour or so, I can't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside.  Maybe it's the rain, maybe it's the extra hour of sleeping in... either way I feel good!   :)

Yesterday morning, before the sun was even up, I found myself standing in the middle of Fair Oaks Blvd.  I was finishing work on a set of pictures for my brother-from-another-mother, Danny, for a church's youth room where he works.  It was such a beautiful morning to finish up this project, the light was amazing and the fall colors of the trees was gorgeous!  I felt like the world was smiling at me.

Danny, if you're reading this, thanks for taking a chance on me!

Here are a few of my favorites from the series: