here's to change..

November 5, 2008

A few years ago, I met Barack Obama, twice... before there was even a whisper of him being President, before I knew his name. He came to my workplace at the time to speak (Chicago Children’s Museum), and I was sent to his, the Illinois Capitol, to take photographs. I have shaken his hand, heard him speak, and walked and talked with him and Michelle.

Instantly, I was moved. I felt their sincerity and I liked them, but more importantly, I trusted them. I saw two intelligent, thoughtful, beautiful individuals that had such clear potential and an incredible path to follow.

My instant and innate feeling was: This man will be our President someday… someday. He has to be…

Here’s to hope and moving forward, breaking ground and rising above... to a new President that will inspire us to tears. Until now, I didn’t think that was possible and I never considered that “someday” would arrive so soon.

6 1/2 months of joy..

October 14, 2008

i search for meaning and fulfillment in everything i do. when i teach, i naturally feel fulfilled by the tiniest of challenges overcome by the kids i work with. when i see their confidence soar, i feel so grateful and proud that i am a part of their excitement and growth.

with photography, it happens in different ways at different times. saturday's session was a perfect example of a wonderful, meaningful experience.

it is very important to Jenny that she have pictures of herself with her baby, Della, since that is something she doesn't have of her and her mom. because her mother is no longer with us, i knew i had a very special and important responsibility. my goal was to honestly capture the love and joy i witnessed between this mother and daughter. in experiencing their love, my heart filled up with so much of it as well.

this is one of those sessions that makes me so proud to do what i do, that brings me such joy and inspiration to keep going, and that truly fulfills me to the core. thank you for inviting me in...

pause a while..

August 18, 2008

i've been feeling a bit contemplative lately.. craving peace and solitude. i took these at the grand canyon in june with my diana camera. long, patient exposures. the first one seems more like an impressionistic painting than a photograph and i wish i could dive right in.

"This benefit of seeing...can come only if you pause a while, extricate yourself from the maddening mob of quick impressions ceaselessly battering our lives, and look thoughtfully at a quiet image...the viewer must be willing to pause, to look again, to meditate." - Dorothea Lange

hang on big sur..

July 4, 2008

we first went to big sur last may and i declared it my favorite place..ever. we had another trip planned for last fall, but the campground cancelled at the last minute for mysterious reasons. i was crushed. we finally made it back a couple of weeks ago and i never wanted to leave.

i love this place.

i believe the fires started exactly one week later from a lightning strike and are still blazing. i am hoping that there are no other homes and buildings lost or trees burned.

ironically, the sun didn't come out much when we were there recently and my photographs reflect a different mood than the pictures from my first visit.

i love these photographs, however, as they say something about what i am feeling at this time. something i can't exactly put into words right now. it's as if big sur (this living place) was showing its calm, contemplative beauty before the fire.

it is my hope that these photographs bring a feeling of peace and inspiration to you, as well..

a surreal sight (without a picture to keep)

June 2, 2008

Sometimes you get a pick-me-up just when you need one…
But, unfortunately, sometimes when you really need a camera, it’s at home.

I decided this morning, things would change. Life has become so busy recently that I’ve let go of some things that bring me so much peace and calm, like yoga and hiking (and writing). So, today I woke up and without allowing a single excuse to take over my mind, I left for Runyon Canyon.

I am so happy I did.

I rolled the windows down, turned on some Green Day, and started to feel like myself again. But as I drove closer to Hollywood, I noticed the sky was awfully eerie over the hill, and I knew something wasn’t quite right. (I later learned there was a fire at Universal Studios, which is very unfortunate, but luckily no one was seriously hurt.)

And so I hiked and, despite the eeriness, I began to feel wonderful. And I grew wonderfully tired. As I approached the last few steps before reaching the top, I stared down at the ground to take my mind off the climb.

When I looked up I was instantly struck speechless by the gaze of two majestic and pristine white horses. It was a moment that makes you gasp, the least expected of all things to see… at the top of this hill I’ve climbed so many times before. In that moment, everything just left me. I had no worries, no stress, but pure wonder at these amazing creatures (that have never struck me as being so amazing).

Like a dream they stood there.. grounded in their glowing white in absolute contrast against the brown, smoke-filled sky on the edge of this plateau overlooking the overlapping hills and this crowded city that will forever blow my mind.

The eeriness turned to sheer beauty and my tired, overwhelmed mind turned clear...

matthew santos

March 24, 2008

i'm honored to call this amazing artist, matthew santos, a friend. i'm so proud to have witnessed his journey from playing coffee shops in Chicago during college to now headlining shows in LA. if you haven't yet heard his incredibly inspiring, soulful voice, take a moment and just listen.

here's a few pictures i took at the roxy on sunset last wednesday. he'll be back in LA on Wed, April 23rd at the Key Club, so mark your calendars!