last year was also our first winter back after living in southern california for almost 5 years. to say that the first cold season tested my patience is an understatement. i’m sure i could have reduced some of the self-torture by not checking the weather in los angeles on a daily basis and imagining what i would have been doing there… a runyon canyon hike, a chill by the pool, gelato on the sunset strip… ah, the memories.

BUT, then summer finally arrived and holy smokes.. i have to say, it was probably the best summer of our adult lives. nearly every weekend we were off to Lake Michigan. day trips and lazy rivers in Ludington State Park, weekend trips to Sleeping Bear and Traverse City, beach afternoons in Saugatuck. i fell in love with the state i grew up in and now i know for sure, the summer is so much sweeter after you’ve endured a little (or a very long) winter..

the following photographs were taken on our drive back to Grand Rapids from the Sleeping Bear Dunes last September (better late than never, right?), where the Platte River meets Lake Michigan. we are totally going to get stand up paddle boards asap, so we can be like these cool people:

by the way, if you’d like to schedule a fine art family photography session at this beautiful beach, where the Platte River meets Lake Michigan, the travel fee is waived! picture your family having an incredibly relaxing beach day.. i’ll just happen to be there documenting the moments!

. . .

Why the untimely post from… LAST SUMMER? Last year, when I wrote THIS POST, I vowed I would take my own advice and keep up with printing my personal digital photos on a monthly basis. Whoops! Cobbler’s son syndrome, I guess. So, it became my winter goal once again to finally catch up with printing and sharing last year’s personal snapshots. I’m up to 317 prints and counting and it feels SO good to catch up

To be honest, I miss the simpler days of shooting film, but I am determined to keep printing and archiving my personal digital photos. When we’re 80, this hard drive and my plethora of digital files and DVD back-ups (like the floppy discs of yesteryear, remember those?) will mean nothing. It’s the prints that will matter. It’s the tangible prints that I file in boxes and design into photo books & albums that will last through the years and bring back memories.

Have you backed up your digital photos and made prints lately?
If you need a little help (or a kick in the pants!) to get started, I’ve compiled some simple tips here.

and some iPhone photo goodness from our 10 mile hike, thanks to the always handy Hipstamatic!

- Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat

meet Mandy: a beautifully talented yogi and inspiring teacher, who will calm your mind and challenge your entire being simultaneously.
a special thanks to Seva Yoga for this beautiful space.

i’ll soon be posting more photos from Mandy’s lifestyle maternity session on my Facebook page.. i hope you’ll follow me there!

how i did not know about this amazing beach when i lived in los angeles is beyond me. is it not extraordinary? these photographs were captured this past november during my 3rd trip back to california since the move. and while i could kick myself for not discovering this beach sooner, i am beyond grateful that this family continues to choose me to create artful memories of their children. i will never forget watching the brilliant pink sky from the parking lot as we said our good-byes. this beach day was a breath of fresh air for all of us – a deep, long exhale – and if i could have paused time, i certainly would have.

it’s because of times like these, there will always be a piece of los angeles that feels like home to me.

- Brene Brown

When I first reviewed the photographs from my NYC portrait sessions, the irony leapt off the screen… my favorite images were not captured amidst extraordinary Central Park landmarks or sweeping cityscapes. The photographs that instantly grabbed my attention and tugged at my heart were the quiet moments when an honest glance seamlessly intersected with the click of my shutter. Upon this wise mom’s request, I was honored to document a simple glimpse of their “everyday.” Afterall, it is inside their fleeting childhood bedrooms and on the bustling city streets where life actually happens. Beautifully ordinary moments, indeed.

What is happening in your daily life right now that you never want to forget?

i absolutely adored these two boys on this beautiful September day. major props to this 3 1/2 year old big brother who kept this photo session a secret for almost 3 weeks! these photographs were planned as a special anniversary gift for his dad.. and i was honored to be a part of the surprise!

. . .

Meet Jill:

a kind-spirited, deeply inspiring, and soulful yoga teacher and fashion designer who founded Awear Yoga. i recently had the honor of photographing her unique yoga clothing line: locally-made, organic, inspiring designs.. many of which are handmade and all of which are truly beautiful pieces to wear on and off the mat. a portion of her profits are also donated to various charitable organizations.. jill is doing all sorts of good!

i just happened to meet Jill within days of moving to Grand Rapids at the first yoga class i attended here, nearly a year ago. our friendship has been blossoming ever since and i am beyond grateful that our paths have crossed..

A huge thank you to the lovely models who spent their day with us in and around Grand Rapids! This yoga community is a pretty special one – I’m so proud to be a part of it

Follow Awear Yoga on Facebook

love… this family. loved seeing how much these 3 little ladies have grown up, how much they love their michigan summers, the big swing, the land, their horse. grateful that they asked me to come down for the evening to capture the girls as they truly are. love that this mom appreciates my approach to photography and shares my love for genuinely beautiful moments as they unfold on a regular day.

this last photograph is one of my favorites. it was the very last image taken, as we awaited the massive storm that rolled through and cut our session a bit short. so, we ate dinner, made brownies, and caught up in the kitchen til the day turned to night.

-excerpt from my travel journal

(the photographs below were taken during our stay at Hotel Tjampuhan, a magical place and the first hotel in Ubud – built in 1928.)

i recently entered a series of my documentary Bali photographs in the One Life Photography Competition. i hope you’ll take a moment to view my entry (click image below). if you feel compelled, you may vote once a day. thank you!!

All Images Copyright 2011 Teri Genovese Photography. May not be used, posted, or published without consent.

a tour of the Palace of Pelitian and coffee, tea, and delicious cakes with the Prince… amazing and beautiful in every way:

an incredibly peaceful walk through the Amed countryside with Roy to the Holy Springs. earlier in the day, we had tea and cakes at Roy’s home and he took us snorkeling. in the evening, he cooked us dinner on the beach – fresh caught baracuda! we also learned we share the same birthday

this ceremonial cock fight was a very spontaneous stop en route to Amed in the village of Sidemen. i was engulfed by the complexity of it all. there was so much going on in every direction, i hardly noticed the actual ‘cock fight.’

without a doubt, the best decision we made was planning this trip through the Bali Institute. a huge thanks to Marcia and her organization that helps to honor and preserve this incredible culture through “conscious” tourism and in too many other ways to list here. the photos of the experiences shared above are just 3 of the highlights of this cultural immersion experience that we found particularly fascinating!

All Images Copyright 2011 Teri Genovese Photography. May not be used, posted, or published without consent.