9/365 from the PhotogBlog

I thought for my second preview I'd take a slightly different approach.  My first preview image had a lot of drama. So much so, that many people asked me it was real.   (Yes. Yes! YES!  It was real. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.)

And while I love to capture those BIG moments, I also love to catch those other very real moment, like this one. This is also very much Chris and Claire.

I have a confession to make.  I just haven't been able to get into the holidays this year.  I'm not sure why.

Now I'll admit I've been known to grumble about the shopping part.  I can't stand all the traffic and crowds, but I usually enjoy all the other stuff, baking cookies, decorating the tree, building gingerbread houses, Christmas cards, wrapping presents. wearing my jingle bell Converse (Yes, I really own a pair) etc etc.   This year...no tree, no cookies, not even a wreath on the door.   For whatever reason the holiday spirit has taken an extra long time to reach me this year, but here it is Christmas Eve and I want to share with you some holiday cheer.

Enter Ashleigh, George, and Pierce.   They are familiar faces here on my little blog.  It just so happens that Ashleigh is my BFF and I refer to Little Pierce as my BBF (Baby Boyfriend.)   If any family embodies the spirit of season, it's these guys. Ashleigh will be the first one to tell you that Christmas is almost her favorite time of the year. It's second only to Fall, because Fall means Christmas is right around the corner.  She starts listening to Christmas music sometime around July or August.  She excitedly texts me at the sighting of the first snowflake. Missing out on the annual viewing of The Nutcracker, is a deal breaker.  I believe she could give Mrs. Clause a run for her money in terms of holiday spirit.

So when Ashleigh told me she didn't have any pictures for her Christmas cards years,  how could I not help out?  For a moment, I became Bubbles Peppermint, my elf name, and got my Christmas Spirit vicariously through this wonderful family.  :)

We took these earlier this month at a local Christmas tree farm.  Little Pierce had a great time running around decorating the pint-sized trees with peppermint sticks.

Peek-A-Boo

Ashleigh, put together a video of the photos from our session.  Every time I watch it, I get tears in my eyes.  Thankfully, she's given me permission to share it here.

The holidays are meant to be a special time shared with those you love. May you and yours be truly...

Blessed

Best wishes to you this Holiday Season.

Wear comfortable shoes, hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

I took this photo seven years ago, but I still very much enjoy it.  I shot this on the vaparetto in Venice as I was trying desperately to get from one side of the town to the other find the right spot to photograph the sunset.  PS. I never got the "right" spot, but it was sure fun trying. I got to see the almost the whole city in the process.

I didn't think this was anything special when I took it, but now it has become one of my favorite in the shoe series.

I think it is appropriate now as I get ready to enter a time where all things come into this crazy convergence.  Work commitments, photography commitments, family reunions, friends'/ family/ boyfriend's schedules to juggle, garden kicking into high gear, end of summer, beginning of the school year. You get the idea.  This happens to me every year.  I've come to just go with it, because really. I have no choice.

So with that in mind this image speaks a great deal to me.  It reminds me,  "Keep your talisman close to you.  Wear comfortable shoes, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride Who knows? Perhaps your favorite moments will be the little ones that along the way to the big ones. "  :)

Happy Friday.

A sense of time and taste

Several years ago, I found myself on top of this bridge, overlooking the Grand Canal.

The night before I had stopped here to have a cannoli, and when I found myself up very, very early this is the spot I chose to have breakfast. It was before tourists arrived; before the shops even opened. I watched the restaurants receive their daily shipment of supplies all by boat instead of bus, which to me was a total novelty. There was nothing particularly special about this moment, but I was fascinated by it. How many visitors get to see this everyday occurrence? And here I was experiencing it almost all by myself.
I shared the bridge with two others. There was me, and a older man in a bright orange suit. (We didn't speak, but I was really curious about his story, and I could not figure out a way so sneak a photo.)

We both watched quietly as along with this guy.

I suppose he sees this sort of thing everyday. But not me, this was my little moment to remember, and I tried to take it all in while I munched on my chocolate hazelnut cookies.

The cookies were such a treat, and rarely have I found them here in the states. Tonight, on an ordinary trip to my neighborhood Big Lots, I found these. A sweet reminder of an extraordinarily "ordinary" moment.

8/20-- Embracing Imperfection

Confession time. I did not take this image. My assistant at my most recent wedding did. I love the humor in it. It was just too good not to share.

Aug 25

When Ashleigh and I first talked about what she wanted for her maternity shoot. She said, "Do you remember the final scene in the movie Notting Hill? I want to do something kind of like that. "

Since it has been many, many moons since I recalled watching that movie, I actually had to look it up and I found this...

Oh yeah...It all came flashing back to me Julia Robert, Hugh Grant. American movie star falls in love with an Englishman that owns a bookstore, or works in a bookstore, or maybe just frequents bookstores. Something like that, but the plot of the movie really doesn't matter. These final minutes of the movie are all that were really relevant to me. We can definitely do something like that.

So here is our version of that final scene.

There is actually more to this story, but you're just going to have to wait until tomorrow for that bit. Ashleigh and George week continues. Stay tuned...

The Sisterhood of the Ugly Pants

I know, I've shared this story before on Facebook and on Flickr, but it's one of my favorites. Why not share it on the blog too?

My best friend was showing me some photos from when she was a child. She's in the photo on the left with the purple coat. At the time this photo was take she was living near Akron, Ohio. I grew up near Dayton, Ohio, on the completely opposite end of the state. We didn't meet until we both went to college in Kentucky. It was not until 5 or 6 years ago that I saw this photo.
The instant I saw it I screamed, "Oh My God! Hold on!" I ran to my photo album and dug out the two photos on the right. We apparently owned the same pair of ugly pants. What are the chances?

back[b]log | Missy + Johnny

(Did you notice the skinny crop? I told you. I'm really into that right now.)

Here is more from Missy and Johnny. I guess this also falls into the back[b]log category as we did this session way back in October. Fall is Missy's favorite time of year. When Missy asked if we could do the photos at the Arboretum because that is where Johnny actually proposed. I said "I think that's perfect."

I'm not going to lie I was a little nervous before doing this session. Missy and Johnny both are photographers. Admittedly, Missy doesn't do portraits, however Johnny has his own studio business, and even though we're all friends I was still a little intimidated. That is....until we got started.

As I'm sure you can tell Johnny is a bit of a nut, which made any sense of intimidation fly right out the window. These guys were so much fun to photography. I don't think I've ever laughed quite that hard during a session. And this is how they both are naturally...laid back, smiling and laughing. Like I said before, they are perfect for one another.

One thing you should know is that Johnny isn't just marrying Missy. Missy has a daughter named Sophia. It's a package deal. So, of course Sophie joined us for the session too.

One thing I've always said about Johnny is that he's such a nice guy. I think he has as much love for this little girl as he does her mom. It was so awesome to see how Johnny and Sophie interact on their own.

This session was full of smiles and laughter. So sweet and playful, exactly like Missy and Johnny. These guys were up for anything...including a silly, little dip at the end.

It was so much fun for me to be a part of.

As I said in my previous post, Missy and Johnny are getting married on Saturday. It is so wonderful to see two separate friends of mine both find love and happiness in each other. I am so happy for them both. I can't wait until the weekend.

back[b]log -- Meet Patrick and Liz

You'd never know how excited I get over doing a photo shoot. I come home and almost immediately start going through the photos on the computer. (This is after I've already scrolled through the images on the back of the camera at least five or six times.) As I go through them I make mental notes to myself. "This one would be great to blog." Have you seen these sessions on my blog?....no. That's because something more pressing comes up and simply life gets in the way of blogging, and before you know it I figure what's the point because it's been weeks or sometimes months now.

I know I've said it before, but I'm going to try really hard to not let that stop me anymore. Just because these images are from a few months ago doesn't make they or the people or places in them any less special or that I don't have stories to share about them. In fact sometimes the an image will be come more meaningful with time. Therefore I'm introducing the back[b]log.

Patrick and Liz.

We did these photos back at the end of last summer. I believe it was around ninety degrees that day, and these two were troopers. We spent the warm afternoon strolling through Gratz Park, one of my favorite spots in Lexington.

At the time we did the session these two were not engaged, but my dear friend, Ashleigh (Patrick's Sister-In-Law) told me she thought a proposal would be soon. She teased me about keeping my calendar open...just in case.

Sure enough, he did. The couple got engaged over the holidays and I almost immediately got a phone call, asking to come share their day. (Thanks guys. You make me feel special.)

The wedding is this Friday in Huntington, WV, which is where they both live. I can't wait!

More to come soon...

Trees

I'll be the first one to admit it a part of me liked a certain aspects of the recent ice storm. (This shouldn't come as that much of a surprise from a girl named crystal.) Sure, it came with all kinds of challenges, however you have to admit it was beautiful. 

 

When the ice storm hit two weeks ago, I found myself  fascinated by the trees. There is magic transformation that occurs by seeing everything encased in ice.  Branches bow and droop under the weight of the snow and ice. Suddenly, many of the trees came to resemble weeping willows, which have always been my favorite.  The tree-lined walkways on campus became winter garden archways.  You can't help but feel a special (and a little nervous) walking beneath them. 

It's a strange balance between beauty and danger.  I remember watching the trees seem to dance and sway in the wind with a gentle motion. Then I'd hear a loud crack and turn to see limbs and ice crash to the ground, which would bring me back to reality.

Now the ice has melted and the trees appear to have lost their magic.  Many have damaged limbs or simply look broken altogether.   I feel sorry for the trees. I find myself wishing for spring not because of the warm weather, but  so the trees can hide the scars behind their leaves. 

For the past couple of days we've been treated to some of this spring-like weather, but it has come at a price. Tremendous wind and rain storms  have once again attacked the trees that are already weakened. Today, I saw more downed limbs and up-rooted trees, which makes me sigh a heavy sigh.  

So I'm posting some photos from a night when I still found the trees very magical.  I like to think of them all dressed up with glitz and glamour.

  

From c.heis

From c.heis

From c.heis

From c.heis

And of course they danced...

From c.heis

From c.heis

From c.heis

Ice Storm

Here are a few photos from campus today.   We were dismissed at 3:30 this afternoon and have had much more rain and freezing rain since then.   I snapped this images just as I headed to my car to brave the icy roads home.  Outside I hear branches snapping and crashing to the ground.

From c.heis

From c.heis

Now I am off to bed and hope that I'm lucky and can keep power throughout the night, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

From c.heis

Fall in photos

It seems that fall was cut short this year. I can remember when I moved into my house a few years back, the leaves stayed on the trees  well into December.  I recall the man at the local hardware store laughing at me when I asked for a leaf rake while standing  amidst the sea of inflatable Christmas decorations. (This was before Home Depot decided to start the Christmas season in early October....which is wrong, but don't get me started on that one.)  Admittedly, my "leaves on trees gauge" has been thrown off a bit this year, since the bulk of my leaf makers were wiped out this past February, but it still seems that the cold winter weather has arrived early. 

I feel like we were cheated out of fall a bit this year. But given the shortness of the season, I'm extremely thankful that I had the opportunity to enjoy the few days we did have. Here are some photos from my few fall excursions.

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I've always suggested the Lexington Cemetery to clients as a location for photographs. When I worked for another studio, I can remember talking to a lady on the phone.  She said, in a thick country accent, "Y'all take pictures in a graveyard?"  I had a hard time convincing her that it was a really beautiful place especially during the spring.  

So, a couple weeks ago my mom came to visit and she said "Can we take a drive through the cemetery? It was so pretty in the spring I want to see what it was looks like in fall."  I reluctantly agreed.  I've never thought to go there in fall.

I was blown away by the pallet of colors. I'm so glad my mom suggested it, and luckily I had my camera with me.

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The following weekend some friends and I traveled down Loraine, KY to visit the Maker's Mark Distillery.  Nestled down in a little valley, Makers Mark loaded with classic Kentucky imagery. 

We took the distillery tour, did a bourbon tasting and even dipped our own bottle. It was an awesome field trip on a dreary, rainy day.

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Now almost all the fall color is gone, and Christmas is looming. We've already had a significant snow (aka: a good dusting. It is Kentucky), and although I feel fall was way to short, today I'm going to tie up loose ends and prepare to embrace winter even if it's early.

Playing with the Ponies

Saturday was a good old fashioned play day for me.  It started off early by going out to a local farm with a couple of friends to photograph the horses for fun.  Photographing for fun....now there is a concept I too often forget.  Being out at the farm reminded me so much of how I miss being around horses, but then the allergies got in the final word. 

sigh......

I haven't posted any serious photographs lately. This one isn't really serious. It is one of the fun things I on trips. Since I sometimes travel by myself, it is a little hard to do the "I was here" self-portrait. So instead I do "My shoes were here," and you can presume, I was with my shoes.

In a training exercise yesterday, I had to plan a vacation with a group of fellow UK employees. My particularly easy-going group agreed to go anywhere that anyone wanted to go. A spontaneous trip around the world....why not?

So this makes me ponder...what is the next travel destination?

The story Behind the Image - Couples

My "couples" image is one included in the previous post for the calendars.  This is the image I get the most comments about.  It was completely a serendipity moment. Again I was wondering Venice, and I came across the older couple walking quite a ways off.   Instantly I thought they were perfect.  I love the fact that he seems to be helping her along.  (Did you see her walking with a cane?)  I wondered what they had been doing...perhaps shopping in the market nearby or maybe he was playing bocci ball.  Anyway,  I was walking very quickly to catch up with them. I had the camera up to my face focusing away, when I heard the footsteps of the other couple passing along side of me.   Without really getting a good look at them I swung the lens to wide angle and snapped the shutter. I was thrilled  when the film came back and I saw the image.  Some of my friends say it reminds them of the "a diamond is forever" commercial.  

Anyway it's a fun little image.  I've made several cards from it. It's great for anniversaries.

happily,

-crys

The Story Behind the Image - Rainstorm at the Colosseum

This was probably my favorite image taken in Rome. It rained everyday in Rome. Often the rainstorms were quick showers that didn't last long. Eventually, I came to welcome the rain as a break from the blazing sun and heat. This particular day was extremely hot. I had wandered through the Roman Forum saving the Colosseum for the later afternoon. I awestruck at he magnitude of the building. To think that something like this could be built at the time it was constructed.
I was trying to imagine how in the world the center of the arena could be flooded for naval battles, when I looked up and saw the dark clouds looming. Within a few minutes it began to rain. No, rain would be an understatement. It stormed. It even hailed.
Like many others I ducked into one of the many archways to ride out the storm. It was amazing watching the storm pass over the structure. It was almost as if Mother Nature was trying to say, "Ha! You think man can accomplish great things, well let me remind you of what I can do." I was one of many huddled into the niches for shelter, but it was a solitary experience.
The storm last about 20 minutes or so. Eventually the rain slowed to a gentle shower. I stepped out of my archway and saw this man standing with the umbrella. He seemd to be uneffected by the rain.

I don't know. I guess I love this image because it's quiet, which seems odd to say considering it happened during a storm. But for me its a very solitary image which I guess reminds me of that experience of getting caught in the Colesseum in a hailstorm.

The Story Behind the Image -- Lady in the Red Dress

Lady in the Red Dress is a simple little image that I have a fondness for. I was wandering the back alleyways of Venice, which honestly was one of the favorite parts of my trip. Most of the time, I wandered the streets without consulting a map. I figured eventually I’d come to the lagoon, and I’d figure out where I was then. Anyway, I came upon this very dark, narrow passageway and was struck by the color of the building at the end of the alley. I love beautiful faded red color. I set up to take a photo, but people kept passing through the scene. After waiting several moments, I thought “It might be more interesting if a person is passing through.” I decided to try to catch the next person that walked by whoever they may be. I prepared for my shot as I heard the footsteps of someone approaching. As pure luck would have it, the woman was wearing a red dress that matched the building and the flowers. I quickly clicked the shutter and hoped that I caught her in before she passed behind the building. She was walking very quickly, as you can see by the blurring motion of her figure. I was completely thrilled when I had the film printed that I caught the moment perfectly.

Finally....

It's been two years since my trip to Italy. This is one image that I was so excited about when I clicked the shutter. Then when the prints came back, I was underwhelmed. It lacked the vibrance of the moment. I knew if I played around with it. I could make the final image look like what I saw that day. Finally.... this IS what it was like to be there. This one is definately in the show.