Jean's Blog

FOSTER KITTY CRUSH

2010-04-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

I'm not a cat person. Probably because they're not needy enough. Lol. But this little bundle of sweet furry purry fun? Oh, be still my heart. She's Abbie's lastest foster kitten for the Humane Society and even I'm going to have trouble saying goodbye next week when she goes back for adoption.

Meet Zoe...aka Sarah (her HS name)

RUTHIE DAVIS' KICK ASS SHOES

2010-04-10T16:14:00.004-04:00

Fun FUn FUN! That's what I had at the New Britain Museum of Modern Art.

This is art for feet folks! Not MY feet mind you, but the feet of those with experience at great heights like Beyonce, Alicia Keys & Lady Gaga.

Connecticut's own Ruthie Davis' shoes are on display at the museum and my photographer friend and partner in fun Craig Norton let me tag along and do my thing while he photographed the exhibit for her.

Her exhibit includes her original design work and/or inspirations for the designs. It really is something to see. (even if you love bare footin like me)

Here's a peek at what I was seeing while Craig was shooting around the room.

Shoes named after sushi? Seriously? Does it get any better!?

Artist sees building. Artist thinks...hmm that'd make a cool pair of sandals....

I can totally see myself in a pair of these can't you??

John & Garrett's Elegant Wedding

2010-03-28T12:08:00.003-04:00

It's simple. Two people in love and the freedom to marry. The way it should be everywhere. And it's right here in my home state of Connecticut. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

John and Garrett wanted elegance for their wedding. Well they certainly succeeded. Here are some my highlights from their wedding as second shooter for Craig Norton. Elegance is beautifully done at the The Society Room of Hartford. What an amazing job they do and what a lovely evening it was.

Can John cut a rug? Wow could he ever! Rug optional.

Peace and happiness to you both John and Garrett.

SPRING FLOWERS

2010-03-22T14:44:00.010-04:00

Ahhhh it's Spring Flower time. It's becoming a tradition for me to have a trip over to Elizabeth Park's greenhouses as they gear up for the annual Spring Flower sale. Each year is a little different. I go during different weather, different times of day, sometimes with a friend. This year I went late. Late in the week and late in the day. The sun was beaming in, shadows everywhere, flowers bloomed and many blown. I went by myself but was definitely not alone. The greenhouse was packed with what seemed like an elders field trip. Moving about was a challenge but it left me time to really stop......and smell the flowers. :)

The elders waited patiently while I was laying on the floor for this one.

I wonder what next year will bring...

ANGEL HORSES

2010-01-14T16:27:00.005-05:00

These are photos I took for the Angel Horses organization. A wonderful, peaceful, welcoming place where therapy horses can retire. There are so many therapy horses that have given so much of their lives and love to many with mental and/or physical challenges. Angel Horses is a place they can go and be given to. They receive rest, comfort and all the loving attention they could ask for. This place gets me all warm and fuzzy.

Doc or Sonny? Um.....I don't know them 'that' well.

I'm pretty sure this is his better side.

"Who's the cutest pony?" Doogie

The horse whisperer was there that day. It was amazing what she got this horse to do with her...just by asking nicely.

This was my little shadow while I was there. She and I had fun together.

She was waiting for the fairies to come out of their house.

Katie, getting some lovin.

Not so sure about this horse thing.......

But Doogie wins them over every time.

PEACEFUL GRAZING EVERYONE!

Click on the link to learn more about Angel Horses and all the wonderful things they do.

HAPPY HAPPY, MERRY MERRY

2009-12-23T14:33:00.001-05:00

HOPE YOUR HOLIDAYS ARE THE BEST EVER.

LOVE & PEACE TO YOU ALL,

JEAN

Peek At The Oxbow

2009-10-27T08:37:00.028-04:00

I got a heapin helpin of "creative soul food" yesterday morning. My photographer friend Craig and I returned to a beautiful place at the base of Avon Mountain I'd seen weeks earlier to photograph the oxbow during peak fall. A shout out and a thank you to Vince for letting us explore!

Well....due to scheduling & weather challenges, I uh...missed peak and had to settle for just a 'peek'. But did I really settle? NOT. It was spectacular. A crisp fall morning complete with dew and mist on the fields. People (but not gun) shy geese and colors galore. I especially loved the carpet of duck weed that covered the oxbow waters. Nooooo, you go look it up. I did.

I have named my lens' starbursts Maria because I like to think of her when I'm out in nature enjoying myself. Maria joined us for the outing.

This reminded me of a fish trapped in a net. The webs were glistening....everywhere!

Ok, here is the oxbow (a body of water that has been cut off from it's river source). I first saw it on a hayride and damn near jumped out of the wagon to get more time with it. I imagined coming back and it being surrounded by fall foliage at peak. oops. It's still pretty though isn't it?

Shy geese.

Dinosaur remains.

Oh, and this little sneak was trying very gingerly to get over that barbed wire fence. Careful dude you might get a stick in your fork.......

And of course a pause for personal reflection......uh reflection? Ok, close.

A HEALTHY HELPING OF TABACCO

2009-09-08T15:32:00.015-04:00

My creative soul was happily filled up on Saturday morning when I met up with my photographer friend Heather Whitehouse and we went on photo safari. Heather had seen some barns she wanted to photograph not far from her home but I had no idea till we got there what a visual feast I was in for! The barns with filled with drying tobacco in various stages, fresh picked green, semi dry golden & ready to roll browns. The scenery was heaven, the smells absolutely devine.

Thanks to the very generous permission of the 5th generation farmer/owner we were given free reign to wonder about and photograph the farm. And we did, happily for a couple of hours. Thank you Mr. Farmer. We'll put some prints in your mailbox for your collection. And thank you Heather for an amazing, creative blast of a morning!

Love this shot in color & black in white. Such a different feel between the two.

I just loved the smoke house door. Yummy textures, warm colors.

Just yummy.

Peekaboo Sunflower

And before we left I stopped in front of a old Ford tractor to reflect on a perfect morning. tee hee.

SENATOR JONATHAN HARRIS' WEDDING

2009-07-23T13:23:00.036-04:00

Once upon a very rainy day in June I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of our Connecticut Senator, Jonathan Harris & Lucy Morin under the perennial garden pagoda in Elizabeth Park. It was an honor to photograph this man I have voted for throughout the years and happily find out that his approachable, real, and friendly nature is still intact.

It was rose weekend and it had been raining for days but the roses were in full bloom. Lucy's wish was to get married among the roses and the beautiful gardens there. She arrived beaming with smiles and positive energies and did not let the rain dampen her spirits or her plan.

She and Jonathan were troopers with umbrellas and they were quickly joined under the pagoda by their families. We all got pretty close under that pagoda...but we stayed dry!

With me that day was my sister Ann, who helped me with my gear, kept me grounded and even picked up my other camera with my big zoom. The close quarters under the pagoda was no place for my killer zoom but she managed to catch some candid action from the sidelines. Thanks Ann!

Jonathan awaits his bride.

Slipping the camera down low for a peek under umbrellas.

Little bridesmaids.

The lovely bride, Lucy.

Senator Harris' boutineer advisor.

Standing up for Jonathan is Lucy's son.

And here's one of Ann's shots from the sidelines. Sweet!

Whew.....a job well done.

A congratulations for Uncle Jonathan?

Details were caught in a quick and candid fashion. Everything happened pretty quickly during a break in the downpours.

Right after the ceremony there was a break in the rain and some beautiful butter light of sunset sneaked through the clouds for a second or two. We got about 8 minutes out in the rose garden for some shots before the rain started up again. But we got there!

My personal highlights from the wedding.......every time he looked at her. He is smitten!

CONGRATULATIONS JONATHAN & LUCY.

AND.....a special thanks to my photographer friend Craig for referring me!

ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN

2009-07-01T12:50:00.014-04:00

Shamus, thank you for your soft ears, sweet personality, your unconditional love, playful spirit, unwavering loyalty and all the happiness you have brought our family for more than 14 years. How blessed we feel to have had you share your life with us.

May your tail wag forever in your new home and may you find a companion to run and play frisbee with once again. You are the best dog ever. We love you and we will miss you every day.

REST IN PEACE DEAR SHAMUS

ANNA & SCOTT'S WEDDING

2009-06-28T11:04:00.043-04:00

I had the greatest pleasure a few weeks back now, of photographing Anna & Scott's wedding day. It was the best of June. A day full of sunshine and large puffy white clouds. A day of fun, excitement and anticipation and lots of giggles. I hung out with the ladies of the bride for the afternoon, some I met that day, some I've known for a short while and one I've known for more than uh...um... 30 years. Wow.

While I mull that over, enjoy the photo story of the day along with some puns from me. I seriously cannot help myself. I love punnies. Especially if they cause an eye roll or even better, an audible groan. ;)

The afternoon......... was a bowl of cherries!

But hair is where it really begins, at Anna's place. A lot of banter, a lot of activity, an afternoon of giggles and witnessing the wonderful transformations from weekend casual to formal and stunning. Dress up is still fun.

The result? Lady Anna, our lovely bride.

Her Cameo appearance.

The glass is definitely half full. I loved finding the blue skies captured in the glass as well. I should probably send a copy to Anna's neighbors. I'm sure they were wondering why I was laying on my belly in their driveway.

There was a blue theme......with jelly beans.

I do believe this one is my favorite of the day.

It was a sunny, lush day in June. The only one that I can recall.

Anna surrounded by her supportive brides maids. Good thing because she was already tipsy....(kidding).

Scott, getting ready to rock n roll.

Just a peek.

Anna connects with Scott at the other end of the aisle.

The kiss was spectacular! And my assistant shooter Molly nailed it!

We're married....you know it...

Groom and groomsmen take a breather.

No really, sit back and relax.

Two thumbs up for all the sugar from the brides maids.

And some fun with the groomsmen.

Maids of honor in repose....

One of my oldest and closest friends, Nan, and her handsome hubby John. She does dressed up so elegantly.

Molly's double take on the cake action.

Every party...has a pooper. That's why we invited you. Uh.....little boy next to him doesn't look too happy either.

A moment taken for personal reflection........

I do believe this speaks for itself.

The flowing brides maid dresses in action. Another fun Molly shot.

Molly also got this trippy shot of a surprise performance by Eli, Scott's best man. Eli, aka, Mr. Roboto.......(that's a long song dude!) He took us with him for the whole hypnotic robotic ride. Domo.

Great catch you got there Scott...Good luck and best wishes to you both!

So Happy Together.....

2009-05-28T19:03:00.002-04:00

The brothers got together for a good round of wrestling in the yard. They don't even look related anymore.

MY BUDDY

2009-05-23T08:43:00.009-04:00

He's still the sweetest pup.....Buddy's growing up.

Anna & Scott Engagement Shoot

2009-05-07T14:38:00.032-04:00

I had a great romp through Elizabeth Park last Sunday with Anna & Scott. Romp is such an appropriate word, for these two are full of such fun and playfulness with each other. You may recognize them from Venessa & Eli's wedding photos of several posts ago. They were both in the wedding party and are now getting married to each other in June! I'm very excited for them and look forward to photographing their wedding.

You see, I'm very fond of Lady Anna. She is not only part of the family of friends in the web of my life but she was also our babysitter for years. As a parent, I would always sigh with relief when I knew she was in charge of our kids because she certainly was "in charge". She's a decisive, intelligent, quick witted, strong willed young woman who is equally talented as an artist and quick with a laugh or warm, sweet smile. She also has a Great Scott!

I could gush and gush, but I'll stop and let the photos say it instead.

But first I will introduce my assistant for the session. My son Evan. He did a great job schlepping gear and did a little shooting when he saw something to go for. He's got an eye for it. I hope he does more with me.

There were no roses blooming yet in the gardens but Evan did manage to photograph the rare "Dandyrose" of Spring.

The day was also Anna & Scott's 3rd anniversary.

Anna really liked the entwined vines and branches in this secluded area under the Spruces. I do too, I must say!

I think this one is my favorite. A whisper, an affectionate exchange. For that moment aware only of each other.

May I have the first dance?

I did mention they were playful right?. They were 'game' for anything.

I think I was the funny one this time.

We also explored the animal face world. Here, a beautiful example of 'fish face'.

In the orchard tree it was naturally time for 'monkey face'.

Tulips are about to meet........tee hee.

And in between the dancing, skipping, tree climbing and face making, there were these exchanges too.

CONGRATULATIONS ANNA & SCOTT!

Spring Flowers

2009-03-23T14:00:00.008-04:00

Ahhhh Spring.......where are you?? It doesn't feel much like a Spring day today but my photographer friend Kim Bova and I found a greenhouse full of it at the annual Elizabeth Park Spring Flower Show last week. It was cold cold outside but inside the greenhouse, warm and colors popping everywhere. I brought only my 50mm lens which made for a lot of leaning in and Kim had her big 80-200mm which meant she did a lot of backing up! And we both spent our fair share on the floor...cause that's a fun way to see things.

Here are some favorites from the morning.

Thanks for the flower fun Kim! Here's one of yours from when we traded cameras.

REUNITED

2009-01-22T08:00:00.005-05:00

After 3 weeks, the pups were reunited for some fun in the snow. Buster changed his name to Sam when he settled into his new home. But the dynamics remain the same between the brothers and they go nuts in the snow!

Snowflaked Sam.

Brothers break for a photo op.

DISNEY OR HALLMARK?

2009-01-07T11:17:00.017-05:00

I know it doesn't look it but here's the short version. My family fell so totally and completely for these two puppies we actually decided we wanted to adopt both of them. Our hearts could not fathom life without them in our home. Even our....dare I say it....rational? minds had no problem wrapping around the chaotic scenario of raising two instead of one. But alas, many in the know wrote about it on the internet and their wise words brought us to our senses. Words I've seen before so the information was easy to follow. "NO! DON'T!, and NEVER!" were used quite a bit with regard to raising litter mate males. For so many reasons related to dog world it became clear that it wouldn't be good for any of us and so we had to make a choice.

OMG! From joy to agony in less than 60. Buddy or Buster... who can stay, who goes? And where would the other end up? How would we ever know what became of him? If he were cared for with the "over the top" helpings of love we had showered on him for almost 2 months. The Humane Society takes the adoption process very seriously and would find him a good match but we were in "parental" mind mode!

So we chose. My little thinker and survivor Buddy would stay with us. I tried to make our information available to the adoptive family of Buster but it happened very fast and HS policy does not include hooking up adoption families. :( We had to trust in the powers of our universe, wishes, prayers and energies if we wanted to see Buster again.

On Abbie's birthday she had only one wish before she blew out those candles. "let Buster be adopted by someone we know, or will know someday so the brothers can play together again" We all wished with her.

You're guessing her wish came true aren't you? No Disney or Hallmark movies ever end without wishes being granted right? Well I'm currently working on the script for them.

WISH GRANTED!

Hours after we brought Buddy home from his official adoption, my sister came rushing into my house, waking me from a rare nap....grrrrrr. She was laughing and crying (we do that quite a bit) and waving a paper with a phone number at me. "You're never going to guess! I found Buster! Right down the street!" She had reluctantly left her house to run an errand and saw someone walking him two blocks from where we live. She probably jumped from the car while it was still moving to get to the girl walking him! (and if she didn't her stunt double will....in the movie version.)

We knew that Buster could end up anywhere in the state. But not only is Buster right here in our very own neighborhood, he was adopted by the family of someone in Abbie's class at school! Someone we have been acquainted with since she went to nursery school! I now have no doubt he will be showered with perfectly "over the top" love every single day.

Coincidence.....or the power of a wish???? You decide.

Welcome home Buddy.

Now all I need is theme music for the movie version...........

Stay tuned for "Puppy Brothers Reunited".

SNOW BUDDY

2008-12-09T06:18:00.005-05:00

His paws were spread as wide as a duck as they approached the first snow,.......Buddy loved it!

THE PUPPY CHRONICLES

2008-12-01T16:37:00.014-05:00

For the past 5 weeks my family has been the proud and doting caretakers of two foster pups from the Humane Society.

We usually foster kittens, but when the call went out about these two week old pups we could not resist, even knowing there were around the clock feedings involved. I have spared you all the 3am feeding photos. You're welcome.

Their story....nothing short of amazing to me. Their mom was hit by a car and during surgery to amputate one of her legs, the puppies (7 of them) were taken by c-section. The dedicated staff there took great care around the clock for their first two weeks, then they were fostered out to families to stay until they are ready for vaccinations and finding their "forever home".

Even as sleep deprived as we became we remained smitten with these little furry bundles of warmth.

This is Buddy. He arrived with one naked ear. His brother Buster had sucked all the fur off his ear trying to feed from it. We had to keep them separated at first because of this crazy strong instinct to suckle anything warm they could get their mouth on. I nicknamed them "the heatseekers".

During the day, they stayed together........very much together at all times.

Abbie (future veterinarian) mastered the technique of bottle feeding both of them at the same time. She also got up for many of the middle of the night feedings with a sleepy smile on her face the whole time.

Talk about sleepy smiles.....this is Buster, aka "Buster the Belly". I think he looks like a bear cub.

With full bellies they would sleep anywhere!

And they love their little bunnies.

Abbie wants to adopt them both.......and every other animal at the Humane Society.

This is Buster now. Resting after a heavy session of Puppy Wrestling Mania! in the huge puppy pen that used to be our living room.

And this is Buddy, my little champion. We almost lost him after he stopped eating early on. I'm a sucker for an underdog. (pun totally intended)

Go ahead, just try and resist me!

They only have one more week with us, but they will always have a "forever home" in our hearts.

Allie & Robs Wedding

2008-11-14T11:06:00.032-05:00

Allie & Rob got married!.....in August! Ok, so I'm a bit behind in posting.

I have known Allie all her life. She captured my attention (and heart) as a baby with her command of a room and her funny little antics. She maintains my heart's affection along with admiration for her humor, grace and determination to be herself, express herself and apply herself in all aspects of her life. She met a man, Rob, who compliments and challenges her (in a good way) and let me tell you.....he's nuts for her.

August 2nd was their beautiful wedding overlooking Lake Bomeseen in Vermont. I not only had the pleasure of being a guest, but also helping photograph her day when/how and wherever I was. It thundered and rained and wouldn't let up so the whole event was moved under the big top for an intimate affair for 280! No spirits were dampened but many feet were soaked in the end. Was I challenged? You bet! I was either inside the cave-like clubhouse or under the big top dodging heads and tent poles from where I sat. Here are some highlights.

I have many favorites.....so hang on, this post is a long one!

The two families blended the Jewish & Irish background details beautifully. This is their handmade Chuppah representing people of all kinds together.

Eager but patient, the ring bearer waits for his cue.

Lovely bridesmaid surveys the crowd.

I could not resist putting Allie in the Adam's family chair....she's a good sport.

Inside the dark cave of the clubhouse my flash did not fire but I pulled up what was captured and loved this moment between sisters.

Mother & Father hand over their daughter to marriage. HA, I crack myself up.....anyway, I love the peace in the embracelets.

Don't want to get wet......at petticoat junction. Ok, I'll stop.

Her beautifully detailed dress was handmade by her mother in-law.

Allie during the candle lighting ceremony. The ceremony of every single person in the tent lighting a candle off of each others candle was really moving.

There was sooooo much humor in their vows to each other.

And the touching moments that choked up the handsome groom.

Leon, Allie's dad, made a wonderful, funny speech about the similarities between Irish & Jewish traditions.

If I hadn't ended up sitting behind them during the ceremony, I would have missed out on this.

From my seat behind a tent pole.

Brenda may have been the only woman who didn't shed her shoes in the deep, spongy grass, but hey, if I were sporting these babies I wouldn't have taken them off either.

The preferred method of transporting family to the portrait area at the top of the green was a HUGE hit.

Maid of honor, Molly hangs on for the ride.

Flower girl? You bet.

Flower bearer and future lady killer....

Dad's driving is better than a Disney ride.

The chuppah was hung in the window of the tent after the ceremony. Beyond it....rain on the green.

Boogey on Allie and Rob?.....I swear that's Rob......that's Rob isn't it? Cause someone told me it was Patrick.....crazy resemblance.

The following day at the brunch on the lake, it rained some more.

Rings true.

Instead of a wedding cake, Rob's family made cupcakes.....hundreds of cupcakes. These were the best carrot cake cupcakes ever. Enough about the cupcakes....check out those rings they had made for each other!

So I love ring shots. By the time I was done with all my ring play Allie & Rob were hunting me down so they could wear them and show them off. ;)

And finally I got one of them together.

I just really like this one.

And where would I be without personal reflection?

Congratulations again Allie & Rob. I loved being a part of your wedding weekend and love being a part of your life together.

LOVIN FALL

2008-10-16T15:24:00.015-04:00

Fall is by far my favorite time of year. I LOVE the colors of New England. This year has been a wonderful combination of Fall colors and almost Summer weather. So much so that during a Fall day outing, David and I spent most of it at the beach! During that day we saw many flowers & insects you wouldn't expect to see this time of year, especially those damn mosquitos!

Soured grapes.

So warm that day the Monarch figured it was already in Mexico.

Do I need to say it? Mums the word. There.

I could have sat in these chairs all day.

A Look Back

2008-10-01T09:56:00.017-04:00

I was looking back on photographs I have taken over the last year. Boy do I have a lot to post about! So I will dig in with a sampling of a very joyous day last September. I've known Eli since before he was born....can you do that? He is the older of the two amazing sons of my LONGtime close friend Nan.

Eli, all grown up now, got married to a sweet, spunky little lady named Venessa. They met years ago as camp counselors and married each other lakeside at the campground chapel. Their good humor, love of theatrics and their butterfly theme were major highlights of the day.

I began the day at Venessa's parents lovely cottage home near Long Island Sound. Although it threatened rain throughout the day, we also had sunshine.

No rain but plenty of umbrellas.

Debonair groom & groomsmen.

Eli loves his hat. He managed to put it aside for the ceremony & photos.

May the best bestman win!

The cool temperature of the day kept the butterflies they released from flying away. It made for some really magical photos.

Is this the sweetest little flowergirl face or what?

I loved how many heart shapes are in this photo just the way they are entwined.

I'd love to take some directing credit but these two are just naturals.

Did I mention that Eli was a lightweight? Note the hat. ;)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ELI & VENESSA!

Portraits of Jenn

2008-09-08T16:38:00.015-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing Jenn (a sister red head!) She needed some head shots for an upcoming Connecticut teen pageant and she's also interested in pursuing modeling. She was up for an outdoor experience so she and her Mom and their little dog Bootles met me at one of my all time favorite places, Elizabeth Park.

We had a lot of fun exploring the gardens and surrounding areas for locations. And I had a great time directing her all over the place! Yes, you read that right.......I had a great time directing. It was like I was speaking from a different source, a direct line from vision to mouth. It rocked! I'm sure it helped that Jenn was so into it, she made my visions a reality in the .....uh....click of a shutter. ;) Here are some highlights from the shoot.

She's a natural model.

This was after a couple cart wheels to loosen up the moment. It worked.

I loved her sandals.

And of course we stopped to smell the roses. This one is my personal favorite.

Good Luck in the Pageant Jenn!

Riding High

2008-08-07T15:38:00.018-04:00

One of this summer's highlight has to be Abbie's riding lessons. She's been eager for years but also a little scared of the whole idea. All her fears melted away when we got to spend some time at Julia's beautiful horse farm.

It was kizmit that I reconnected with Julia (a former instructor at a horse therapy barn where I volunteered) at Carla's studio opening party last Spring.....small world. I told her my daughter wanted to be around horses and do barn work and grooming and she said "come on over". Well it only took about 10 minutes of watching Julia's gift of humor and patience with a student rider and Abbie knew she didn't want to wait any longer to learn. So she and Pippin the pony got busy.....

I just love the way she beams through her entire lesson.

Look Ma......no hands! Naa, actually she was doing her balance exercises.

Evan and Julia's son Mason kept each other busy during Abbie's lesson.

And this beauty is Beau. I just loved the way Beau and Abbie were in stride together......

And of course I could not ignore Mason's awesome boots!

And that's how I pass the time during her lessons. ;)

Rhode Island Yaahhhhd Sale

2008-05-22T08:22:00.014-04:00

Last weekend I got to visit one of my favorite families and one particular lady I've known for probably many lives. I met Yesha when she was just 11 and knew I wanted her for my little sister. She's my soul sister for sure and one of the most positive forces walking this planet. Well, she's moving away and I went to visit during her weekend long Rhode Island "Yaahhhd Sale". Liquidating a day care center certainly makes for colorful images. To top it off I had the great pleasure of sharing the trip and surprising them with their friend Susannah. Susannah is so much fun and so easy to be with, it's no surprise that I eventually came down with a case of laughing pains. She's also crazy (like me) over Lucky Charms.....how can you not love that!

A trip to the mall late in the day resulted in some killer Converse Sneaks for Leif & Susannah.

Nicky, carpenter extraordinaire & super neighbor friend, displays his permanent allegiance to his team.

As this door closes, there's another in SD about to open.

It's not just the Red high tops that inspire this artist. Leif has always had a talent for drawing, and his dragons are wild and intricate.

Little ball, big hope.

Happy hour feet.

Rockin the high tops....

Susannah's funkadelic Converse

Nicky's Preston

Impossible not to get great shots of the "Bops"

Genuine Brotherly love.

The goodie jars in Yesha's kitchen are always a huge hit

At their house, all is colorful.

That's me, chillin in their guest house with a cold one.

Leif did a great job keeping an eye on the lemonade sales.

Thanks for a super weekend Yesha, Matt, Leif, Finn, Xan, Susannah, Elizabeth, Nicky, Barbara & Preston!

Rockin Out!

2008-04-25T20:53:00.007-04:00

Last Friday night Dave and I surprised ourselves and managed to get down to an after 10pm gig and a 45 minute drive to see that crazy cat Johnny Vibrato rock out on his guitar. He's one of our favorite musicians. He does mostly his own rockin blues songs and whatever favorite covers he's in the mood for. We love him cause he's the real raw deal. I've never seen anyone disappear so completely into an instrument! He and his guitar rock as one.....even on top of the bar or tables or whatever he can work in the room.

I brought my camera to play with in the intimate and intensely dark restaurant/bar La Vita Gustosa. Then when I walked in and heard the music I looked at the drummer and found it was none other than our favorite drummer man Liviu Pop! He's a rockin, funky jazz drummer who we catch at the jazz shows at Szechuan Tokyo in town. We could not have seen that coming. So we were doubly treated to major talent and endless energy. And I have add that Johnny and Liviu are sooooo genuine, gracious and fun loving it's energizing to be around them.

I think it was going on like 2am and Johnny brought out his acoustic guitar and played some of his new songs and John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery" (which I sing at least every day in the car....with Bonnie) Be still my heart.......I love acoustic guitar! Then after the show, he shared some more acoustic with us. What a night... and morning!......we didn't get home till 3am.

It's good to know Dave and I can still manage that once in awhile.

Spring vacation

2008-04-21T14:53:00.006-04:00

Thankfully I was not on the receiving end of his next throw........but ya gotta love the electric doo!

Zach's bliss......

I got to spend some time last week during this blissful weather down on Mari's farm. They have lots of animals to snuggle especially bunnies. The kids love to spend the day there......ok, who am I kidding, they'd love to live there and spend their days exploring the woods and swamps, climbing trees and catching critters.

Some down time

2008-04-17T12:16:00.018-04:00

Oren, the charmer, at 3 1/2 months.

Discovery is everywhere.......

The simple pleasure of making spit bubbles to impress Mom...

Joy's joy.

You know you wish you could ROCK this hat............

It's school vacation week so I've had the opportunity to have a little down time while home with my kids during this super warm Spring week. On Monday I got to hang out with my friend Joy, who brought her 3 1/2 month old son. Now, as much as I love being with Joy, I gotta say, her baby boy stole the spotlight all afternoon.

Photographers Workshop

2008-04-12T08:08:00.008-04:00

On Monday I joined about 20 other photographers at an all day workshop that the super talented Carla Ten Eyck and Steve Depino led.

What a fun challenge the day was! It was a "get out of your comfort zone" day. We did a lot of shooting with the basic instructions of "use a lens you're not comfortable using" and "direct the models". Now for some that may be no big deal, but for me (and some others there) candid, observational shooting is my thing. But you know what? I got into the moment and really tried to communicate the vision of what I wanted to capture to the models. They were amazing too and game for anything......including the "escaping bride scaling a fence" that I envisioned the moment I saw Cara, our bride model.

It was also such a great experience to watch the other photographers set up and direct their shots. There certainly was a lot of creativity flowing ALL day long.

After shooting the couple, the fun loving and super posable Justin & Mary Marantz we all had to choose 4 photos from the day to throw up on the big screen for everyone to critique. What worked in the photo, how it could be better with a crop or color change etc. I loved seeing the resulting shots after having watched their creation.

Thank you Carla and Steve........I can't wait till the next one!

Animals in the House

2008-04-06T19:27:00.006-04:00

A very spoiled foster kitten "Danny" who fell asleep in a doll bed........really, all we did was tuck him in.

My daughter has a big heart and some of her happiest moments are when she is with animals. She does foster care for the Humane Society, so on past occasions our home has been host to several sets of motherless kittens, a mother rat with 14 little pinky babies that grew into very sweet, attention loving pets, and most recently a mother rabbit and her 4 one week old babies. It's a lot of fun to watch them grow and also a lot of work too. She never complains, just names each one as they come in the door and showers them with love and affection until the day they have reached an age when we must bring them back to the Humane Society to be adopted out to permanent homes. Recently she and her friend started a neighborhood pet sitting/walking business. I thought it was a great way for her to earn some money and do what she loves. She told me she wanted to give all the money to the Humane Society so they can help more animals. Like I said, she's got a big heart.

Today's the Day

2008-03-31T06:45:00.000-04:00

I have joined the blog world....finally.

HAPPY SPRING!