57

eric's 57 chevy - rebuilt during his high school years, made me nostalgic over my lost 55 ford. he asked me to photograph it if i had the chance. here's a little fun for you, mickey to share with him. ohhhh the ideas i have for you and the kids and a future shoot. more for you to download at www.zenfolio.com/fuloflyfe (better colors there than blogger provides)

16th birthday surprise

she didn't see it coming. and once she knew something was up, she nearly refused to participate. which is funny, really, the irony. but she doesn't like trickery, or having zero advance notice. she prefers being prepared, and truly dislikes being center of attention. i know, i know.
finally convinced that it would be good, she allowed me and her brother to walk her from the car, eyes closed, to a little gathering of girlfriends where, "surprise!" from behind the menus in the back booths sprung up a 16th birthday celebration.

every one of them a dancer, we have known these girls for years, from homeschooling co-ops to scottish dance and livermore school of dance. a few were missing but they live in santa rosa and pennsylvania, and another had a previous commitment. each and every one is unique, talented, and lovely in her own way. 

happy early birthday sarah. i love you. and i know they do too.

rachel & nicolas

such a lovely event, the joining of rachel and nicolas in the holy union of marriage. they came from california, the midwest, and france. it was the first service i've attended where everything was announced in pairs: english and french.

they'd both waited a long time for this day, and made it their own in every way. instead of a matron of honor, rachel had her brother by her side as her 'man of honor'. dry eyes? not to be.

a lovely reception followed inside the winery

the french factions were plenty

the love of good american friends

"at last..."

ginger

she is the sweetest little companion, this labradoodle girl. she accompanies the Shepodd family on many excursions so today during a karate school picnic, i decided it was time for her formal portrait. let me introduce you to Ginger...

jacks, illuminated

signs at night take on a new presence, illumination is nearly magical...there was something missing in my last series from this restaurant, so i returned another day, after nightfall, with cosby. :) .

anderson and gordon

what i love most about dancers is their fearlessness. to try. to try harder. to try something new. to push themselves. and to be able to laugh through it. really, it is nothing less than honorable, and i am honored every single time they ask me to create their portraits.

so continues the adventures of sign shooting. it is so contrary to what i am accustomed: the subject stays put and i must move to find the dynamic shots. in short, the image has to be about the sign and how it defines or accentuates a space.  turns out i love this type of work. the only downside is the wierd factor. how bizarre i might look to the passersby watching...i wonder when i will be visited by a uniform, in this day and age of strange doings. but all is well. i hope my client will be happy and the managers/owners of jack's will reap rewards from the assignment as well. the very cool retro-inspired bulb light had 8 burned out lightbulbs. i simply fixed them in photoshop, which beats climbing the ladder.

a special jazz number

there are many reasons i enjoy our dance studio. aside from the commitment to company work, and the importance of performance over competition, the all-school shows incorporate every level of dance skill from beginner to highly technically trained. miss j caught me off guard during dress rehearsal, however. a bright girl whose intellect is ahead of her physical limitations, she was included in this fun jazz number, surrounded by a group of kids that inspired me to no end. during bows, the big kids helped her onto stage. the support behind her throughout this dance and during bows took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. this kind of compassion and inclusion is indicative of the leadership behind livermore school of dance, and why, of all the dance schools in the area, we continue to call it home. 

hiking with a camera phone

traveling lightly, i set out with my phone and dog this morning. it's been a long time since i've hiked in our local hills and it was quite a nice way to start the day. although in truth, i'd already waged war against the spiders who are outnumbering us. by weight. i'd been to osh for said insect soap (and bone meal which i added to the patio plants) so i suppose we didn't actually start our day on the trail. but the fog had crept in over the hills, creating a gentle breeze and cool temps. the freshness of the air, crunch of gravel under foot, sight of horses grazing among adjacent hills, a quietly meandering creek. it's been too long since my last visit. am thankful it is practically in my backyard. the view from the phone: