beach day + good snack day + ryan day = good day

Last Wednesday I escaped the little town of Aumsville with my friend Ryan at my favorite beach here in Oregon, Neskowin. Maybe it's the fact that it's not over-populated, maybe the creek that winds around the 'little mountain' into the gushing ocean, or perhaps the memories from many visits past. Anyhow, I spent half my time there taking photos, thank goodness for understanding and supportive friends. Speaking of which, here's a photo of just such a person and me, one of the last pictures I shot off before we retired to a warm crackling fire to cook hot dogs and use a whole container of lighter fluid.


Now I'll track to the beginning and work my way back to this lovely sunset! Here's the 'little mountain'. We sort of climbed it, but my bare feet did not agree well with the jagged rock and poky barnacles.

Me on the rock, taking some self portraits/killing time/mustering up the courage to continue the hike.


I do love photographing my feet, how original, right?



I realized after taking this one below the footprints were really birdprints....it seems it should be human feet as it leads to people in the background. Oh well, I still like it.




Ryan!


We had tons of fun...love beach days!

Early Morning Fog

This last Tuesday I woke up early (something I don't make a habit of doing) to get my younger sis on her school bus. As we stepped outside I first sensed discomfort, the cold poked at my skin like a million needles. I pulled my thin sweater tight around my body and hid under it's red hood as I watched my breath materialize like smoke. The cold of the moment was quickly overtaken by the mystery of the early calm. There's a stillness that's only found in the morning, a peace, or maybe just the void of stress and hurry, that instantly soothes the senses. The only other time I experience this feeling is in my dreams, the ones that don't involve peeing in the middle of the mall, being chased, or realizing I can fly out of my house that's full of water and giant-sized toothpicks. But in all seriousness, I have been obsessed lately with this drive to capture photos that remind me of dreams, or maybe it's more a heavenly beauty and mystery that brings me back to the pure innocence of my deeply missed childhood imagination. As children I think we have this ability to create such glorious stories, moments, and images in our head, ones that could only be accepted by one who hasn't experienced the harsh trials and responsibilities of life.

What I saw that morning gave me a special feeling as the fog hovered over the dewy grass softly highlighted by a rising sun. I grabbed my camera, and unreservedly gave my heart to the moment.








And I couldn't help but take a couple snaps of my car, Farley. He's a 1989 volvo wagon that I have a slight obsession with.

Johnson - Salem, OR Family Photographer

This last Friday evening I got together with long-time friends Jed & Kim Johnson to do some family photos for them and their two little kiddos Addie Mae & Ezra. I was greeted at the front door by Stella, their 1 1/3 lb Chiwawa they inherited from a work associate. Inside I found Jed recording music on his make-shift recording studio tucked into the family room, the kids running around in their new outfits specially purchased for the photos, and Kim bustling around just as fast as any 8-month pregnant mommy I've ever seen. Addie showed me her new shoes and brown long-sleeved shirt while Kim insisted Ezra be extra careful not to spill his snack on his crisp clean outfit. I sat on their couch and considered what I wanted to capture of this wonderfully talented, loving family, and one word came to mind, (well maybe more like two or three). Quirky, Fun, and Close.






I couldn't have asked for better kids than Addie & Ezra who were full of energy, ideas, and grins the whole time, and it made for some beautiful moments.



Moments after I captured this Ezra would have fallen through the bars onto me and the camera if it wasn't for his daddy catching him in the nick of time. Wew!









Aren't they just so cute?!? Love you guys!

Just a quick catch up to my recent personal work

I thought I’d post some photographs I’ve taken over that last couple months from my personal work. Some were taken while driving, a practice I don’t recommend trying if you plan to stay within the designated lane lines. There’s just so many interesting sights on my route into town and not always time to stop, so I figured I’d show them the way I really see them while driving by, a quick, fleeting instant of (sometimes) blur. Maybe too abstract for most people's taste, but to me they and the rest of these photos represent an uncomfortable, difficult stage, and a time that is a (hopefully) short, but most certainly significant piece of my life.

This is Neskowin, my beach of choice on these Oregon shores. The following two shots were taken on my way...wasn't driving for those ones.

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Fall is fast approaching, which I'm VERY excited about....but I couldn't keep the simple beauty of these flowers to myself so I snapped some shots before it was too late.
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A look out the dining room window around 8:00pm, yes, fall is here!

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I pass by these trees every time I go into town. I know that statement, 'go into town' makes it sound like I live in a hick town...that assumption would be completely right.


Again, a shot while driving, this time through my neighborhood.

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selffffff portrait.

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This and the next one I shot while helping my grandma at her garage sale. I was feeling inspired to try something new, so I threw a plastic bag over my lens.

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And a few more self portraits.




The end.