This week got off on a rough start. I found myself on Monday wrapped up in a blanket with a heating pad until 2:00 P.M. watching reruns of Friends and eating food like applesauce, Cream of Wheat, frozen mashed up bananas, and noodles with butter for the next couple of days. By Friday though I was out at my favorite bar with one of my favorite people drinking red wine and eating sweet potato fries. And Saturday I ate beef, which was not only a huge step up from applesauce and mashed banana, but a gigantic cheat on my usual vegetarian diet. (In all fairness it was beef from a local, very humane, ranch. Totally worth it.) I think it's safe to say February 2012 can be remembered as THE month I was sick. And I think it's safe to say this week can be recorded as the week I slowly, finally came out of it. For this being the shortest month in the year, it sure has been a long one.

So consequently I didn't take any pictures. I didn't even take my camera out of the bag. You should probably thank me for it though, seeing as the images would have just resulted in being pretty boring anyway. Instead, I was lazy and took a few pictures with my iphone using instagram. I know it's lame. I'm a photographer, not a phone-ographer. I'll make up for it next week. Promise.

 

work and play.

The following pictures are a true testament that every wedding is so, so, SO different. It's also a testament that my work fashion improved as the season matured. That is if "improvement" means shooting a wedding reception in an 80's prom dress. I love weddings. They are the most challenging job I've ever had, and I'm not just talking about photography. But they are also the most rewarding. And if these images are a testament to anything, it's that.

I thought it would be fun to put together behind the scenes photos of me at work in 2011, shot by each of my lovely assistants along the way. Each wedding was shot in a different city and all but one was shot in a different state. Looking back at these pictures makes me want to shoot a winter wedding right now. (Please call me if interested!) It also makes me appreciate my "job." I mean, where else can you wear lipstick in your teeth, teased hair, and a princess crown and call it work? Never mind, don't answer that.

Special thanks to Jenna, Claire, and Chad for the photos.

self.

I haven't felt much like myself the last several days. Going on week three of being sick can have that effect on you I guess.

I took these images in September just shortly after getting my new camera in the mail. I loved the light that day and the way these images captured the soft fragility inside me then. Even so, there's a strength in those eyes. A strength that has always carried me.  Is carrying me.  Something I admire about myself.

I thought for a long while this evening on what to say about this week and I am left with nothing really. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't necessarily a bad week. It had just as many high points as it did low. I guess by the end though it's just left me feeling a little tired, a little quiet, and still a little sick. 

I never get sick or tired of good food though, and this week was no exception for that. There was sushi at my favorite restaurant, a lazy breakfast at my favorite pub, homemade buttermilk biscuits, and a homey Sunday gathering of waffles, bacon, coffee and friends (just to name a few.) I also never get tired of the scenery as you drive to Mancos at sunset, or the way my dog's feet make the cutest footprints in the snow. I'll also never tire of birthday parties where everyone sports a mustache and I learn how to do a dance called the "pencil sharpener." Like I said, it wasn't a bad week. I think I'm just ready for a fresh start. A new set of days.

This weeks photos were taken with my iphone. :)

Latchkeys ::: NYC

The day started late with a ride on the Staten Island Ferry with my sister. We wandered the streets of NYC afterwards, seeing what was left of the Occupy protestors, exploring Chinatown, eating pizza in Little Italy, standing under the arch at Washington square park, and ending, finally, at a tiny bar down the street from Katz's deli. We met up with my brother-in-law Jeff to get a couple drinks and watch the Latchkeys perform their first show. After ordering a quick beer the three of us were whisked away down a dark stairwell and through a maze of rooms. Before we knew it we were sitting in the basement with the band, Jeff with his tape recorder and me with my camera. My sister turned to me, bright-eyed, and said, "How's this for a New York City experience?"

Jeff is the creator and editor-in-chief of The Fiddleback - the coolest online magazine with fresh takes on music, literature and art. He discovered The Latchkeys at a private party, and was hooked. He asked me to come along that night to not only enjoy some good music, but take photos for the band and for The Fiddleback February issue. I was stoked. 

Please take a moment to check out the magazine and the band's music. You can find the article, music, and my photos here. I promise you will not be disappointed. I found myself listening to them while I edited these photos. It brought me back to that day in NYC. That day that started with a ferry ride and ended with beer, fantastic music, great company, and some late night pizza, for the second time that evening. Thank you Jeff, for being one of my biggest fans, and Tom and Jakenna for letting me be a part of what I know is only the beginning of an amazing music career.

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