The sky was filled with gold light and love...

As you may have noticed, I changed the layout of this blog to accommodate larger photos and rid the ads. More beauty, less junk :). I've been noticing the greater impact of larger images, so I hope this will bring more inspiration to everyone. I know it does to me!

June is my absolute favorite month. The long days allow for GORGEOUS light. While the colors were obviously manipulated in these photos, the actual colors were all golden and green. I took these while my boyfriend and I were driving through the mountains yesterday evening (no idea where we actually were, but we started in Gilroy!) and the beauty was just astounding. I highly recommend getting into your car with some good music and just driving on these long June evenings!

I'm gonna give all my secrets away.....

{well maybe just one.. for now.}



Because of the bad weather last weekend I had to reschedule two shoots. I was expecting to have a load of work to do finishing them up this week, and now I've got too much time on my hands, and no material to post!

As a photographer who gets her joy out of taking pictures of people, times when people aren't around and I've got the creative itch, are tough! That's where the self-portraits (above) come in. I could go out into public, there are always people there, but I'm shy. I'm sure if I practiced talking to strangers on the street it would get easier. But it's just that first one, that breakthrough (or disaster) that I'm scared of.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I've had this project brewing in my head. I want to approach complete strangers on the street, interview them and take their picture, and post it to share. That is one of the goals for RendeZvous, and a big part in why I chose the name. Each post will be short "rendezvous" with people that you will probably never meet otherwise. And any insights or wisdom that they may share you would have never known.

So pray for me to have the courage to do this. I am starting a similar project that will hopefully be posted soon. Off to work...

Carmel Snapshots - Use Your Imagination

 

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions."
-Albert Einstein




I took a little walk in Carmel By-the-Sea today after work. Everything was closed and it was sprinkling so it wasn't very long, but I'll go back again soon.

Images:
(1) A new little friend I met sitting in a store window.
(2) One of the many little tucked away spaces in downtown Carmel.
(3) A fence surrounding a restaurant patio.

Where the Wild Things Are

I watched Where the Wild Things Are last night and was thoroughly impressed. The story had depth and a strong message, and not just for kids. The theme had much to say about the human condition and our social tendencies... gave me a lot to chew on. Even though the main characters were beastly creatures, they had human voices, which I think was an important touch. It made me think about our human emotions. How in the moment when we feel pain, anger, sadness, etc., reacting with those feelings seems completely justified. When we take a moment to step back however, to think about how we have treated that person, we realize how much we care and love them. It's easy to act purely on emotion and in turn hurt someone; it's part of the human condition. Lucky for us, God gave us the ability to love and forgive one another!

The soft golden light and the lens flares throughout were gorgeous..... super inspiring, especially since I've been waiting for all this rain to go away and craving the sun.....

So all of this AND some beautiful cinematography. A new favorite most definitely!

Creativity.

I recently discovered kanyewest.com. If you haven't been there yet, go. The layout of the site is a piece of art in itself and if there is anything truly original anymore, I would consider this to be it.


His post, Creativity, really got me. "I am tormented by the need to create." That quote relates directly to this blog. My feelings of frustration from not finding the perfect outlet to share my creativity was tormenting me. As an artist, it makes you feel like a failure. Like you have so much to offer the world but can't get it out. Those lucky enough to be able to express it through classical mediums such as painting, sculpture, or music, and are lucky enough to be naturally talented at it, have it made. For me, it has taken longer to find what I can work through. Photography and fashion are the closest I have found yet. A blog lets me share my visual and verbal opinions, and right now it is doing the trick.


"The way you dress is an expression of your opinion." Also from the same post. A way I feel, but never put into words. I am never completely myself on days that I don't have time to put an outfit together that expresses the way I feel. Looking back, jobs where a uniform was required made me feel trapped. Some may think it shallow, but how I dress corresponds with how I feel. And I know I'm not the only one. If you are someone who is not effected by what they put on, share your thoughts with me. I'd love to hear another point of view. And just like with voicing your opinion, the way you dress comes with the risk of being judged. I will admit that I hesitate to put on items of clothing for fear of being judged, in the same way that I will keep my opinions to myself on some issues for fear of being judged. Moral of the story: judge less. Appreciate more. We can all feel free to dress how we want. Those who are offended are probably not happy with their outfit choice from the day. Go home and change.