Better than us...

You think dogs will not be in heaven?  I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

I don't have a long drawn out story to tell about the next photos.  I am posting them because they are what I love most about photographing. They are what gets lost in posing and preconceiving an image like I am forced to do so often at a session with people. These creatures are honest, like babies and children, and the occasional adult that will let me in. They let the camera just eat them( a wierd expression I know, but it is for lack of a better term for just letting someone have you, just as you are, selflessly) When I get the shot right, and we make eye contact, there is no notion of what they look like. They just look right into your soul and let you have everything they have to give. Somewhere the rest of us turn that off, we learn that there is an expectation for what we are to portray, and what someone else wants us to be. Lately I am focusing on trying to see truth. Even in an everyday family session. I encourage people to sit like they normally sit, play with their hands, and talk to me. I want real. I am kind of desperate for it lately. I was trying to think of subject matter for a blog post,( It has been forever.) and I could think of nothing better than these lovely friends that I have photographed over the course of many family sessions. Enjoy, there are many more to come 

Sage, we miss you....probably one of my favorite dogs ever.

Third time's the charm;)

I got the opportunity a couple weeks ago to photograph a DELIGHTFUL family, the Moultrays. We tried for two weeks in a row and we had rain both days, in the middle of sunny streaks, and finally we just said we would go no matter what! I am so glad we did because it was a perfect, warm evening, a little overcast (there were sprinkles, but we didn't care!) We decided on ice cream to start (my favorite..) and then they got out some bubbles and wierd hats. Two things that I freakishly adore...  They were so genuine and fun and the kids loved to be in front of a camera. Clients like this make my life so easy! Until I am sitting here completely UNABLE to get choose which photos I will present to them in their package. I am finally done, and I have been reminded that that sometimes, even if it seems gloomy or impossible, you should just try...unless there is lightning...then you sit inside and have your ice cream!

Ill just be in my musical bath if you need me....

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body... (Oliver Wendell Holmes) 

So I couldn't have said it better myself. I saw this quote awhile ago on some piano chord sheet I looked up online. It was nestled there amongst the bad advertisements for protein shakes and ads for lizard insurance that inevitably pop up every time you go to the sheet music sites. I don't know why it caught my eye, but it did and it is on the money. You must know that feeling..when you hear an artist play for the first time, and you are engulfed. No cover songs needed. It is when it just makes sense to some unexplained part of you. The words don't even have to make sense. It is that moment that the songwriter probably longs for, to have that perfect symbiosis (I might have made that word up..) with the listener. Like a painting on the wall that a hundred people pass by and then there is that one. They pay 1000 dollars for it, never mind that they can't eat for a month, because it was somehow painted FOR THEM.  A song is the same thing I think, and on a grander scale because music is wrapped around every fiber of our being, no matter if it is Beethoven's Sonata 14 or Def Leppard's Love Bites from the 80's. (The first two I thought of, no particular reason....) You hear the song for the first time and you stop. The best way I can describe it is a little jolt. Right kind of behind your sternum, yes where I suppose your heart is, excuse my cheese but it is pretty much true. That moment is then carved inside of you. I remember where I was when I heard Dave Matthews "Crash"...I was in the YVCC hub with my binder and my hopeless math problems, drinking an americano 1/4 full with whipped cream instead of cream,(must have been about 1997ish) and holy crap there it was. "You've got your ball you've got your Chain, tied to me tight, tie me up again..."followed by the most perfect circles of guitar I had ever heard. What? What is this? Who is this heavenly being singing this? Well I sat there in total shock until MTV(remember that?) put the little name thing in the bottom corner and I ran like the wind to the CD store and that thing was mine. About 8 exact same trashed copies later, and every version of every song the man has ever done on my itunes...it stuck with me. A large piece of my life's soundtrack if you will. 

Yes, that was a long intro to this entry, but I had to try to describe that moment, and honestly it has been awhile since that sense of awe in music has hit me. But this past year really to my happy surprise it has been LOCAL yakima musicians that have really made impressions on me (keep in mind I am not a musical expert of any kind, I just like it alot and listen to it alot, and am baffled and intrigued by those who can WRITE IT) So the first in my musical praise is the group Cody Beebe and the Crooks. They are ridiculously good. 

Their music is like the perfect salad dressing. (Bear with me on this), they include all the layers, the herbal earthy part, the salt, the pepper of course, a teeny splash of lemon because you need the acidity, just a tiny bit of honey for some sweet, and the best part is the oil for the smooth, then you take that and really shake it and then pour it on us...the lettuce. haha! That is OUR bath! (here is their bio on all the members Here)

 They played "THE BRICK" in Roslyn, a couple months ago and I for one,was blown away. I then got the spur of the moment chance to photograph their concert for Rock the Gap a couple weeks ago for Yakima Magazine.(YAY!)

These guys have it together,I love their music and style, and I hope they like the photos I came away with. I don't think it is possible to catch their energy on film. But I tried. ;) Check out their website here

Download their music and watch their video too...

 

Watch for the guys at Case of the Blues here in Yakima later this summer.  Also  watch for them all around the Northwest.

Cheers;)Jen

Last but not least...

I know, it's been a(long)while since I put anything up here...I keep thinking that tomorrow I will have more time, and todays ideas may not be stellar, but in a couple days I might have that epic thought train that would warrant expression.  But the last couple weeks I have been especially feeling guilty about not posting, mostly because I have had some really great images worth sharing. Ironically these come from the last minute senior sessions that inevitably happen in the late spring.  I always love these sessions because these kids are usually the opposite of procrastinators (me), they truly are the ones that have been so busy with sports, activities, work and mostly just life that they haven't had even a minute to themselves..and this is just the icing on their high school cake, or so to speak. This is definately the case with Jackson here, who is so actively involved in sports and school, this is truly the first chance he has had to take time for himself, and have some fun being himself . It is an understatement to say Jackson was brimming with epic ideas for his shoot, including his shoe collection, a mid-remodel room, a phone booth, a rosary (in almost every pic). He had every detail of his session planned to the enth degree. Nothing makes me happier than to just photograph an amazing, accomplished person inside of his own ideas and personality.  I love seeing someone so young be so transparent, and so comfortable letting me into his world. So here are a few from his session..watch for him, I'm sure he is going on to greatness;)

   Thank you again Jack- have a great year next year!

Heart of Gold

Let's face it. It is so uninspiring to look out the window right now as the green of our yards and trees have been sucked back down into the warm earth (or they say its warm once you go about a mile down....) waiting for the spring. I say this was a bright idea the plants and greenery had. I really have no desire to go outside either nor have I since October. I want my bed to just suck me in and spit me back when I can feel the warm yellow sun on my back again. Totally logical in my mind.

The anticipation of summer hit me yesterday (January 26th) when my youngest, Charley, asked if we could get the pool out. He cried when I said no. I love that he sees the sun and its instantly summer! Granted it was sunny, and tolerable, but being the oppressive mother that I am I had to decline his wish. My rule is no pool till its 80....I absolutely love it when I get my chaise lounge out and kick back while the kids throw water on each other and splash, then eventually the iconic chattering teeth come and beg for a towel! Then I put the towels out and we lay in the grass waiting for the sun to heat us through and through. Yes its as close to nirvana as I can possibly fathom at this grey dismal moment in my day.

I thought I would wait to post these pics till summer, but I just was so excited to find them while digging through my hard drive, building my new website, that they are going up now. Yes they were taken on what was I believe to be one of the hottest days of summer, at a concert in the park.(notice the sweaty hair ;) The ice cream was courtesy of one of the sweetest guys out there, Randy Kupp, who bought ALL of our kiddos(including his adorable toddler girls) the frozen loveliness from the Soda Fountain. I just wish I would have had my camera out in time to catch the image of him traipsing through the park, holding at least 6 drippy ice creams while jumping over the many lounging concertgoers. Priceless.

Cheers...and for the love of God, turn up the heat and eat some ice cream. It will make you feel better!
Jen

love the madness....

New Years...the proverbial day to change your life, yourself, your body, etc. BLAH BLAH! For me, all inclusive decisions like that prove to be disasterous simply because of my colossal degree of inability to maintain any and all forms of self control. Hmm. So I give up carbs. Immediately following I have the most insatiable desire to eat the entire bread basket at zesta cucina, where I have specifically ordered what I have told myself is the least fattening thing on the menu, the soup. Then I decide to go "RAW" oh thats a brilliant plan in winter, when everything is so freezing and the only thing I look forward to is eating COOKED food and drinking HOT coffee (not allowed on the raw plan) FAIL! ...hmm. Oh, and my favorite, "I WILL BECOME ORGANIZED" this is just not something you can say..because unfortunately when you say that, you start to do something that you think is your pathway to organization, and that is cleaning. But when you do that, it gets WORSE. Stuff is out everywhere, you have no idea where it even came from,  you go from this puffed chest, "I can do it" cape flapping in the breeze on the mountain peak girl of wonder, to looking around yourself in utter horror. Truly questioning why you are even allowed to exist, for fear of your mess spreading out to the masses and taking over the world, inch by frightening inch, piece of crap by hideous piece of crap. I must interject into my own interjections that this has already started to happen. Just ask my incredibly tolerant friends how much of my stuff is at each and every one of their houses...its like the Gremlins, as little pieces of myself start to multiply every time they even see me or I run over for ANY REASON. This little problem has become worse as of 10 years ago when I decided to procure offspring that carried my genetic material within them, now they do the same thing. We are totally the Gremlins. Jennifer and Larry Gremlin, and their lovely offspring, Gremlin 1, Gremlin 2, and baby Gremlin. ( this is not to mention the stinky beasty gremlindogs.)
Sigh. Ok so this morning I have been folding laundry while watching Modern Family. A show that gives me incredible happiness and joy. Meanwhile, pondering how I must combat my shortcomings as a housewife (home executive, what is the PC term?) wanna be artist, picture of health, workout maven and of course, hardbody.  I have concluded that before making drastic changes I must embrace and be at peace with my life the way it is, and work toward what I will be in the future, not just be like " TODAY IS THE DAY I WILL BE DIFFERENT!!!!!" (insert large booming echoous top of the mountain, girl with rippling cape voice here..) Maybe I need to be okay with who I am and what I have done so far..and not just feel like I am in a race to do more, and be more. I am going to try to do the stuff I do a little better, or with a little more thought and creativity each day, know some days I will suck, and then the next day suck a little less. No its not monumental, but I hope its realistic. I re discovered this series by one of my favorite photographers. So I will re share it with you.  And also a few more I love where people are not afraid to be in the moment. Cheers!

(copied and pasted below)
When a photographer named Sacha Goldberger realized his grandmother Frederika, age 91, was lonely and might be suffering from depression, he proposed an unusual course of therapy: a superhero photoshoot. "Super Mamika," as Frederika is now known, became an internet sensation thanks to the costumed photos, which show her in all kinds of exaggerated heroic poses. She's the grandma everyone wants to have, and she now has thousands of fans on MySpace.

Frederika is a hero in real life, too. Living in Hungary during World War II, she sheltered 10 Jewish people she knew from the Nazis. Later in her life, when Hungary was run by a communist regime, she fled to France under threat of execution. This is one granny who has definitely earned a superhero alter ego!

Below, check out some of the most awesome photos of Super Mamika.

 

 

 

 CHEERS!

If you blog about me, I'll blog about you! (or Kalea's E-session)

Snow, Snow, Don't Go Away...

I have been so excited to finally post this for my adorable friend, blogger and Event planner Kalea Harrison. She was so awesome to me and blogged about some of my photography on her amazing and well followed Seattle based wedding blog  Love Made Visible Events. We decided that a snowy engagement shoot was the look they were hoping for and this past week over Christmas break, she and her fiance Nate and I hiked through the snowy, freezing woods and found an abandoned swiss chalet just waiting for us. Magically, It was stocked with wine and provisions for a week! Ha! Just kidding!...no, actually we heard good old Camp Roganunda was abandoned, and for sale, so we went there and hung out by the sweet old cabins for their Shoot. Yes we froze, and got really wet and cranky (not really) but I think we got some fantastic photos of the lovebirds. I couldn't wait to post them for her privately, so I will just take my chances that she won't be mad...you aren't mad Kalea, are you? 

Happy New Year! Peace and much happiness to everyone! Jen