I am camera shy and that’s putting it mildly. I usually don’t like how I look in photos and I love observing and capturing photos so I frequently find that I’m not in photos, normally that wouldn’t bother me, but as time goes on and I try to age gracefully more wisdom comes with that age. With that wisdom comes an even greater appreciation for photographs and the importance that they have in my life and the lives of so many others.
Read moreWho says strength and courage comes in a big size, sometimes they are jam packed in a tiny 5’ frame. A true warrior fights every battle that comes their way. My mom is a true warrior and as time goes on she shows over and over again just what a warrior she is.
Read moreYes, it’s that time of the year here in LA County. It’s time for the fair. Casual and laid back it reminds me of attending the Michigan State Fair as a little girl. It was such a big deal to go to the fair, rather than just the Carnival that came every year to one of high school parking lots. Everything was bigger at the fair. Colorful busy there was so much to see and do. Fair food of course was a treat, picking your rides, checking out concerts, shows and events so many choices and so much to do.
Read moreThis week, I’m going to look back on the beautiful Glacier Park. I was recently going to head back for another visit, but parts of the road on the side of the park that I would be on are closed due to more wildfires. This really makes me sad, the last time I was there I got a chance to see some of the damage caused by the fires and since then there have been many more fires, one of which destroyed a 104 year old Chalet. If you are planning a visit, and can plan to make it to the East side of the park you’ll have less problems with road closures right now.
I’ve only had a chance to see a small portion of the park as on the West side of the park, the main scenic road the Going to the Sun road opens late and closes early depending on when the snow arrives, both times I’ve had a chance to visit, much of the road has been closed so I’ve seen a tiny sliver of the park, but that sliver is still beautiful.
Read moreWhenever I’m away from my camera for too long I miss it and it is always so good to come back. On a Sunday morning before she caught a flight back to Houston Drea and I made some time to get into the studio and play. She met me at my studio space in the Hawthorne Arts Center where we had the place to ourselves.
Read moreIf you’re interested in branding a business or even creating a brand for yourself, highly recommended you read Donald Miller’s Building a Story Brand.
Building a Story Brand encourages you to change the way you think about the relationship between you and your clients or customers: Customarily your business is the hero proving your services and goods to those that need them. Building a Story Brand presents switching things around and making the customer the hero of the story, which seems simple but not often found.
Read moreIt’s one of the largest urban parks and I will admit, it’s one of my favorite Los Angeles spots, I’m talking about Griffith Park. With something for everyone, it’s the perfect place to spend a day, and with so much to do, you’ll have to come back over and over again.
Read moreNestled in the northwest and including parts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, The Palouse is a picture perfect spot. I had a chance to drive through it several times but didn’t have a chance to stop. Finally I got to make the time to on stop briefly on the scenic byway and get a few photos of this beautiful area. Many people thought that Microsoft’s famous Bliss theme was taken in here and although was actually Napa Valley’s wine country, many people put the Palouse on their must have spot.
Read moreI grew up in Ann Arbor, spending my weekends hanging out with my friends as a teenager. I knew the best places to shop, the best places to eat it was home. While I still go back and forth I haven’t had a chance to spend much time downtown, so I recently had a chance to explore with my camera.
So much has changed, but there were still so many familiar sites. I didn’t have a lot of time, but often we don’t need a lot of time, a few minutes can work just fine and that’s how things ended up with me. Short and sweet but it was just perfect.
Read moreI will admit it I’ve always been intrigued by peacocks. Their bright bold colors have always drawn me in. So I was in luck, the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is the perfect place to spot these beautiful creatures. Blues, greens and purples, their colorful feathers have always been fascinating. I remember having a beautiful peacock feather as a child, it was one of my prized possessions. Introduced to the arboretum in the late 1800s they have thrived and freely roam the arboretum unfazed by all of the attention that they get.
Read moreLet’s look at another beautiful spot, here in Southern California to inspire me. This time it’s the lovely Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, California. It’s actually a research and educational institution and the grounds, gallery and library are beautiful.
Read moreYou have probably heard about it, it’s a hit series on Hulu. It started as a book by Margaret Atwell and as an avid reader, with all of the buzz about the show I had to go back and read the book. Written in 1985 the story seems quite farfetched with it’s tale of Gilead, formerly a part of the US that has turned into a totalitarian society in which women are property and many men have it no better.
Read moreI’ll admit it I’ve always loved fireworks. Fighting the crowds staking out the perfect spot, waiting in anticipation for the show to start. It always starts out slowly then it starts to build. Faster and faster they start to come one set barely explodes in brilliant color and then the next is coming all, leading up to the grand finale. I even loved the sound, getting louder and louder and the fireworks come faster and faster I couldn’t wait to see what was coming next. I’ve never lost that love for tor a great fireworks display and as a photographer of course I want to capture it in gorgeous photos. I will admit that photographing fireworks can be a challenge, as often the photos simply do not do them justice. I’m still getting better at it even though I’ve got a ways to go. With the 4thof July fast approaching I’d like to share a few tips that I’ve learned along the way that that helped me.
Read moreWhile I live in LA and love it, I grew up a Midwestern girl from Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of my favorite spots has always been Gallup Park. When I was small we’d spend the day there, my mom and dad would fish and some times I tried, but mostly I played. You can never play too much and we were free to explore. As I got older I was drawn there to walk and some times run especially if I was feeling anxious or stressed. It’s a beautiful park, with cute bridges connecting tiny islands and it is a draw for everyone.
On a recent trip home I had a chance to spend some time there, for the first time in a long time and it is just as inviting as ever with something to do for everyone. I was in the mood for walking so I just circled the park and got a bit of exercise in. With art installations, playgrounds, paddleboats; which I do remember are not as easy and relaxing as they look, snacks, you will find something to do. Of course there is still the ever-present canoe livery that I remember oh so well, updated with its now very colorful fleet of kayaks to keep you busy.
Read moreWhile I’m fortunate to have photography studio space in the Hawthorne Arts Center, I still love on location photography. I’m always on the lookout for new locations and there is no shortage of beautiful and unique locations to be found.
This time I ventured out to La Cañada to spend some time exploring Descanso Gardens. Considered an urban retreat, the gardens are the perfect spot to get a glimpse of nature in a nearby setting.
Read moreI am in a constant battle with living life and trying to be healthier. Is a get older and have a very busy lifestyle filled with business travel, constant eating out, and a fight to find the time and place to exercise what has always been hard for me has gotten even more difficult.
Read moreI have always been an avid reader and even thought I tend to get so busy that I don’t read as often as I like I still find so much joy in reading and with Kindle and Ibooks and a lot of airplane time, I’m finding that I can actually catch up on some much needed reading.
I love reading just for fun as a escape from the business of every day life. There are also so many helpful resources out there that you can never get enough. I know that many successful people make sure that they are reading and getting new information.
I’d love to share my finds and maybe you’ll find them enjoyable or helpful or in some cases maybe even both.
Read moreWedding planning is definitely an adventure. It can take well more hundreds of hours to plan your special day. With what feels like a million details to decide the planning process can often be stressful. But no matter what the process is like, how long it takes or how stressful, it might have been there is nothing like seeing all of your plans, down to every detail finally come together on your wedding day.
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