27. Alicia and her Dad, at her wedding. Some couples are doing away with traditions that don’t represent them, interrupt the flow of their wedding day, or are outdated. This first dance with Dad is never one of them. I can see a lifetime of memories frozen in his face in this photo. In the way that she’s holding onto his neck, him onto her back. The guests are politely observing (or not paying attention at all) as he holds on for this symbolic last time. Transitioning her from the old days of their immediate family, to the new configuration of two. Two families, two histories, two priorities. For now though, it’s just him and his daughter, lost in thought and meaning. Lost in what must feel like the blink of an eye. But what’s around the bend, while different than the past, are not the days of ownership and dowry and distance. We’re in this beautiful new place on the planet when lives can expand to hold so many in a single heart.

26. I can hear John’s Irish brogue, telling his son what needs to be done before our  session begins. We need to put on our shoes before we go out with Miss Stacey. She’s going to take our picture today. Photography trains the eye (or does the eye train the photographer?) to see. To notice. The small details become incredibly powerful when the light hits them right.

25. Wedding photography has a reputation of sorts, and not a great one. I think that people feel like it’s a second choice. Like you really wanted to be a sports photographer, but failed, so got stuck doing weddings. Those people have no idea what they are talking about. Shooting a wedding is like being on Top Chef. Here is your basket:

200 people you don’t know

3 locations with distinct lighting and space challenges (remind me to tell you about the time I had to stand on a radiator for the cocktail hour to get any usable shots)

A ‘must shoot’ list that at times requires you to be in two places at the same time

Zero chance for a re-do.

And….go!

I love shooting weddings. They continually make me earn my place as a photographer. Technical knowledge and on-demand creativity is required, in addition to a sensitivity with people, a sense of calm, and serious physical stamina. In Ryan and Stepanie’s wedding, I wanted to capture their intimate details in a unique way. This image is of Ryan’s dad giving a deeply heartfelt toast. I had already covered their expressions and moved around. Ryan reached over and grabbed Stephanie’s hand, kissed it, and then her, as his Dad was sending them off in this rite of passage. Having my lights in the right place, and putting myself there too, gave me this image. Which might seem simple. But in that simplicity there is the true story of the evening.

24. It might not be for everyone, but there is something that I’ve always loved about this image. This is Victoria and her twin girls, waiting for their session to begin. I had just finished with a previous client, and looked across the way to see them – a splash fountain between us. So I just took a shot. Frozen in time like this, I feel like I’m looking through glass that had been splatter painted, and that they could be anything, really, paper dolls, a drawing, a painting. It delights me to no end to create something new, something I’ve never done before and didn’t plan. It doesn’t happen every shoot, or every day, but when it does, those are the ones I hang onto.

23. Sometimes, while I’m working, I’ll turn to see a version of this stare. Watching to see how and what I’m doing, as my camera is trained on something other than them (and in their house, no less). I admit that when I catch these glimpses, I hope that they’ll store away that little moment of curiosity, and pick up a camera someday.

22. There’s a way to get beyond both the January doldrums and the frustrating political reality of today. And that’s to shake it all up. Find connection. Build community. And give back. Therefore, I present to you my Tuesday:

1. In late November, I started a new company: Bird&Fish, Co.

I’m dedicated to bringing art into our everyday. I’ve been out and about this week, finding wholesale accounts for my new umbrellas (above). If you have any leads of shops who you think would love to carry these, please let me know. And if you want one for yourself, head on over to the site!

      2. I’m on an NPR binge. The government is shut down. Here we are thinking we could get to Hurricane Ridge anyway with our visiting cousins. To be met with (photo left unedited so I can get some sympathy for our rainy Seattle winters 🙂 :

I’m incredibly frustrated. Guatemala is a second home to me and Latin America is near to my heart. I believe that some of our political leadership is not engaged in discourse, but in a battle driven by ego and power. Therefore, I am offering free headshots to any female candidate, regardless of affiliation, running for local office in Seattle or Washington, D.C. in 2019/2020. Since posting this on Facebook at 10pm last night, I’ve received over 1000 likes and shares and a ton of personal emails.

Connection. Action. Inspiration. And mobilization. (Yahoo!) I can’t wait to meet the folks I get to work with. Please pass along.

3. This morning I did a video training for one of my clients, the awesome flower shop Little Acre. The owner Tobie and her new employee Amber are adding photos to Instagram each day of their products and needed some training on how to get great images from your iPhone. What a joy it is to spread knowledge. It fills you up.

That’s my noon update. What’s yours? Share with us, spread knowledge, inspiration, connection and action. I can’t wait to be inspired by you!