Showing posts with label Destination Wedding Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Destination Wedding Photography. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
A Nut Orchard Vacaville, CA ~ Picture of the Week
I've spent some time in Vacaville, CA now that my in-laws live there, but I had no idea what I was missing out on. I went wandering one afternoon and this is what I found. I think I walked about 100 steps to find this nut orchard. Who knew it would be that easy to find light worth dying for?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Which is your favorite? ~ Picture of the Week
These are two of my very favorite images from our trip to Cambodia. I love how the sunlight seeps through the canopy and creates diagonal lines of light on the little girl. I also love how her reaction changes in an instant. At the sight of the camera she was super shy, but when her friends made her giggle and laugh; that's when I saw her.
It's easy for me to decide which image I like best, but I am more curious to know which of these images you like better. It would be great to know which is your favorite and why. Make a little comment below.
It's easy for me to decide which image I like best, but I am more curious to know which of these images you like better. It would be great to know which is your favorite and why. Make a little comment below.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Just Another Day at the Office~Picture of the Week
This picture -- metaphorically speaking -- is what it's like to start a business. It's pretty scary some days. Fear and doubt are the biggest black holes that can consume you. They eat at your ambitions and your attitude. They foster bad self-esteem and are outright unproductive.
It's tough to admit, but I've been in the black hole once or twice. However, I've always made it out. Largely because failure is not in my dictionary. And secondly, because the journey has been one of the best things I have done since marrying my husband.
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It's tough to admit, but I've been in the black hole once or twice. However, I've always made it out. Largely because failure is not in my dictionary. And secondly, because the journey has been one of the best things I have done since marrying my husband.
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ISO 500
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Waking A Stranger~Picture of the Week
"He's asleep. What should I do?" Brian asked me as I crammed our souvenirs into our REI backpack. We had to take an early flight from the Atatürk International Airport so Brian could get to his temporary work place in Little Chesterford at a decent time.
I tiptoed from our room to the lobby where the front desk man was fast asleep. His head rested on his upper arm while his forearm covered his eyes. Horizontal on the wee couch he snored. If we were in a cartoon, the lobby chandelier would be swaying to-and-fro as the over-weight man inhaled and exhaled.
My walk back to the room was not quieted by tiptoes because it was going to take an earthquake to wake this dark-haired man from his deep slumber.
"We don't have a phone to call a taxi so you have to wake him up," I responded.
"Do you want me to wake him up?" I asked Brian expecting him to turn down my offer.
He replied how any loving husband would, "No, I will do it."
As Brian disappeared around the corner, my heart steadied it's pace and I sighed with relief. I was afraid to wake a complete stranger in a foreign country. Was it polite? Would he be angry when he woke up? Does he speak English?
"Is he up?" I asked when Brian returned from the bear's den.
After a few laughs and a couple deep breaths Brian gave me a quick update of the situation. "Yes, he is awake now. I had to shake him a few times before he finally opened his eyes. I apologized for waking him, but he said it was okay. He is calling for a taxi now."
We stayed a couple blocks from this view in Istanbul. It's a 10 minute walk from the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and the Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia). Even though we had to disturb the front desk man from his nap, we -- without a doubt -- would stay there again.
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ISO 500
I tiptoed from our room to the lobby where the front desk man was fast asleep. His head rested on his upper arm while his forearm covered his eyes. Horizontal on the wee couch he snored. If we were in a cartoon, the lobby chandelier would be swaying to-and-fro as the over-weight man inhaled and exhaled.
My walk back to the room was not quieted by tiptoes because it was going to take an earthquake to wake this dark-haired man from his deep slumber.
"We don't have a phone to call a taxi so you have to wake him up," I responded.
"Do you want me to wake him up?" I asked Brian expecting him to turn down my offer.
He replied how any loving husband would, "No, I will do it."
As Brian disappeared around the corner, my heart steadied it's pace and I sighed with relief. I was afraid to wake a complete stranger in a foreign country. Was it polite? Would he be angry when he woke up? Does he speak English?
"Is he up?" I asked when Brian returned from the bear's den.
After a few laughs and a couple deep breaths Brian gave me a quick update of the situation. "Yes, he is awake now. I had to shake him a few times before he finally opened his eyes. I apologized for waking him, but he said it was okay. He is calling for a taxi now."
We stayed a couple blocks from this view in Istanbul. It's a 10 minute walk from the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and the Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia). Even though we had to disturb the front desk man from his nap, we -- without a doubt -- would stay there again.
f/8.0
1/80
ISO 500
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sheepish Sheep~Picture of the Week
After a brief discussion with Brian about today's blog post, we came to the same conclusion: write about trying to take pictures of New Zealand's sheep.
If you asked any farmer, he'd say we were a bunch of tourist city kids giving fright to his sheep, but all we wanted were some pictures of New Zealand's cream fleeced friends.
"Wow! Look at all those sheep! Pull over! Pull over!" It was tough for me to stare in one direction because I was driving and Brian was navigating. Katie, Matt and Jim were in the back seat gawking out the window as if aliens had just landed in the field next to us.
The sheep-herder--a guy driving a beat-up truck--was waiting patiently for his flock to funnel through the open gate. It was like watching a white cloud of smoke being sucked into an empty room.
Our five-door, silver chariot slowed to a stop on the shoulder of the two-lane road. "Camera! Where's the camera?" I asked frantically.
By the time we got out of the car and crossed the road a majority of the sheep had already passed through the gate's mouth. But as we got closer the herd stopped in their tracks and changed their direction. They ran back into the field away from us. We knew this couldn't be good so we withdrew our forces for another encounter.
Unfortunately the next showdown was less successful. The sound of our wagon's rubber tires against the gravel shoulder signaled the sheep to run before we came to a complete stop. There was no point of even getting out of the car, especially since my f/2.8 70-200mm was parked at home in our 26th-floor apartment in Singapore.
A few more attempts left us empty handed, and by now it was just Brian and I left to duel. As we drove we noticed that some fields were surrounded by waist-high hedges crowded with thorns. It was the perfect plot: walk below the hedge until the fluffy, four-legged animals were in shutter-release range.
We parked the car about 70 meters down the road and walked as if we were Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Giggling like children we drew closer. Small holes in the thorny hedges allowed us to calculate our distance to the confrontation. Slowly we observed the view above the hedge and the curly-haired mammals froze. Our heads popped back, below the hedge as we gathered ourselves for our last chance to capture a digital image of these shy creatures.
"On the count of three..one..two...three!" I whispered as we jumped standing tall seizing as many frames per second as we could. First the sheep stiffened as if frozen in time. Then every muscle in their body screamed, "release" and out came the liquid and solid waste of a grass-fed farm animals. Despite the slight delay the white-faced cowards took off running to the opposite side of their home front and we walked back to our hatchback gleaming with victory.
It's not what I had visualized in my mind, but it is such a good picture of the immense stare before the flee.
f/2.8
1/3200
ISO 100
If you asked any farmer, he'd say we were a bunch of tourist city kids giving fright to his sheep, but all we wanted were some pictures of New Zealand's cream fleeced friends.
"Wow! Look at all those sheep! Pull over! Pull over!" It was tough for me to stare in one direction because I was driving and Brian was navigating. Katie, Matt and Jim were in the back seat gawking out the window as if aliens had just landed in the field next to us.
The sheep-herder--a guy driving a beat-up truck--was waiting patiently for his flock to funnel through the open gate. It was like watching a white cloud of smoke being sucked into an empty room.
Our five-door, silver chariot slowed to a stop on the shoulder of the two-lane road. "Camera! Where's the camera?" I asked frantically.
By the time we got out of the car and crossed the road a majority of the sheep had already passed through the gate's mouth. But as we got closer the herd stopped in their tracks and changed their direction. They ran back into the field away from us. We knew this couldn't be good so we withdrew our forces for another encounter.
Unfortunately the next showdown was less successful. The sound of our wagon's rubber tires against the gravel shoulder signaled the sheep to run before we came to a complete stop. There was no point of even getting out of the car, especially since my f/2.8 70-200mm was parked at home in our 26th-floor apartment in Singapore.
A few more attempts left us empty handed, and by now it was just Brian and I left to duel. As we drove we noticed that some fields were surrounded by waist-high hedges crowded with thorns. It was the perfect plot: walk below the hedge until the fluffy, four-legged animals were in shutter-release range.
We parked the car about 70 meters down the road and walked as if we were Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Giggling like children we drew closer. Small holes in the thorny hedges allowed us to calculate our distance to the confrontation. Slowly we observed the view above the hedge and the curly-haired mammals froze. Our heads popped back, below the hedge as we gathered ourselves for our last chance to capture a digital image of these shy creatures.
"On the count of three..one..two...three!" I whispered as we jumped standing tall seizing as many frames per second as we could. First the sheep stiffened as if frozen in time. Then every muscle in their body screamed, "release" and out came the liquid and solid waste of a grass-fed farm animals. Despite the slight delay the white-faced cowards took off running to the opposite side of their home front and we walked back to our hatchback gleaming with victory.
It's not what I had visualized in my mind, but it is such a good picture of the immense stare before the flee.
f/2.8
1/3200
ISO 100
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Erin and Adam~Engagement~La Jolla, CA
My grandmother has always said that good things come in small packages and I know Adam would agree with me on this one. Erin is petite and she fits perfectly in his arms.
If you recognize this beach it's because they were taken at Windansea. It's the hot spot for this month and for good reason; there are endless photography opportunities.
I am super excited for their wedding at the Bali Hai Restaurant. It is going to be a fantastic day and I am honored to document it with my camera!
If you recognize this beach it's because they were taken at Windansea. It's the hot spot for this month and for good reason; there are endless photography opportunities.
I am super excited for their wedding at the Bali Hai Restaurant. It is going to be a fantastic day and I am honored to document it with my camera!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Brittany and Rich~Engagement~La Jolla, CA
They traveled the world together, from New Zealand to Australia to Thailand to Laos to Vietnam to Cambodia to Mauritius to South Africa to Greece to Italy to Austria to Hungary to the Czech Republic to Poland to Germany to Switzerland to France to Spain to Portugal to the Netherlands to England and to Scotland.
Now they are ready to embark on their next journey together. And with the help of their handsome, well-behaved, chocolate Labrador Retriever, Jack, it will be the expedition of a lifetime.
For Rich and Brittany's engagement session we met at the noble Windansea Beach, which is famous for its epic reef break, but it also beckons photographers for its unique backdrop. It's tough to deny a perfect A-frame, but we still had a smashing good time.
Now they are ready to embark on their next journey together. And with the help of their handsome, well-behaved, chocolate Labrador Retriever, Jack, it will be the expedition of a lifetime.
For Rich and Brittany's engagement session we met at the noble Windansea Beach, which is famous for its epic reef break, but it also beckons photographers for its unique backdrop. It's tough to deny a perfect A-frame, but we still had a smashing good time.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Stronger
Have you ever wanted to jump for joy and cry at the same time? Well today was one of those days for me. I was driving when Brian called. "We had the best offer on the house so it looks like we could be home owners." "Cool," I said with some enthusiasm. It was tough for me to wrap my brain around the idea because I was headed to the doctor's office.
I have been afraid of going to the doctor since I can remember. For most people the fear is being stuck with a needle or stepping on the scale. For me it's what the doctor has to say, and today it was something I was not ready to hear, "With your condition you can expect to have surgery every ten years. It may not be what happens, but you should be aware of it."
Surgery? That seven-letter word made my palms sweaty and my stomach turn upside down. I had surgery five years ago and I am doing just fine. I finished listening to my doctor and I returned to the car feeling defeated by Crohn's Disease.
When I got home I looked at my work space and I picked up a card that I received from a client just yesterday. I began to read it. "Jackie--We just wanted to send a note of thanks for our engagement session on Saturday. We both enjoyed it more than we thought we would. We are SO excited to see the photos! You did such a great job and we are so happy to have you for our photographer. Until May! Erin and Adam"
Tears filled my eyes, and as I blinked I could feel them leave watery trails down my cheeks. Their thank you card meant the world to me and I am incredibly blessed to document their wedding day in May.
Today wasn't easy, and I feel more vulnerable now that I have shared this with you, but I cannot hide how my challenges have made me a better a person, wife and photographer. With my husband's support and my love for photography, I know I can achieve anything. We get one life so we must live it with love, passion and laughter!
Here is the picture of the week from Queenstown, New Zealand.
f/4
1/800
ISO 100
I have been afraid of going to the doctor since I can remember. For most people the fear is being stuck with a needle or stepping on the scale. For me it's what the doctor has to say, and today it was something I was not ready to hear, "With your condition you can expect to have surgery every ten years. It may not be what happens, but you should be aware of it."
Surgery? That seven-letter word made my palms sweaty and my stomach turn upside down. I had surgery five years ago and I am doing just fine. I finished listening to my doctor and I returned to the car feeling defeated by Crohn's Disease.
When I got home I looked at my work space and I picked up a card that I received from a client just yesterday. I began to read it. "Jackie--We just wanted to send a note of thanks for our engagement session on Saturday. We both enjoyed it more than we thought we would. We are SO excited to see the photos! You did such a great job and we are so happy to have you for our photographer. Until May! Erin and Adam"
Tears filled my eyes, and as I blinked I could feel them leave watery trails down my cheeks. Their thank you card meant the world to me and I am incredibly blessed to document their wedding day in May.
Today wasn't easy, and I feel more vulnerable now that I have shared this with you, but I cannot hide how my challenges have made me a better a person, wife and photographer. With my husband's support and my love for photography, I know I can achieve anything. We get one life so we must live it with love, passion and laughter!
Here is the picture of the week from Queenstown, New Zealand.
f/4
1/800
ISO 100
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