Blue, Blue or Blue?

The shower pours down like an east coast thunderstorm while I toss in bed pretending it's not 7am and the sun light isn't creeping into the room groping for my attention. My calculations give me another ten minutes while Alessandro finishes primping before I must peel myself away from my favorite spot on earth. I wait there for him to appear with the sheets pulled up to my neck and one foot peeking out from the covers. Finally, the loud hot air from the hair dryer simmers down, and he saunters around the corner. His back faces me while he stands in front of his closet door, arms folded across his clean white crew neck t-shirt deciphering which button-down to wear. My lips curl up into a grin as I imagine what he must be thinking. My voice cracks, "Hmmm quale dovrei scegliare - quello blu, blu…. oppuurrreeee la blu?!" (Hmmm, which one should I choose, the blue, blue ooorrrr, the blue?!) It perplexes me every time. All of his shirts are mainly some form of blue, so really, why does it take a year to figure out which one to wear each morning?! He spins around and attacks me, smothering me with his weight and we hug and kiss. Just the reaction I was hoping for. : )

Alessandro has been away on work for a long weekend in Pebble Beach, and I've been pretty busy myself.  Thank goodness for homecomings.

Happy Tuesday.

Janine Robin. French Lingerie.

This week I had the pleasure of shooting for the french lingerie brand, Janine Robin. In preparation for the shoot, I pulled together some swipe that inspired me - the light, the poses, the colors, the sensuality, the romance. The client had mixed reactions to the swipe: she swooned over it, but she also knew she needed to focus on the product and prefers when the model's face is in full view. I think the result of the final images is a good example of how often times client directive requires a more simple approach to the aspirational ideas we creatives have in our heads. After-all, per the client, customers really need to see the product. (Only a chosen few have the luxury of shooting for Anthropology!) BUT all that being said, had we not set the tone prior to the shoot, we may not have come up with, what I feel turned out to be, a happy compromise. Right?

Client: Janine Robin, France  Producer: Sandra Jones  Photographer: Sandra Fazzino  Model: Nicole G, LOOK  Hair + Make Up: Tamra, LOOK  Location: Rosy + Yanic's, San Francisco

Inspirational swipe pulled from Pinterest:

Final promotional piece client chose to launch their new product line, "Paris", at the Las Vegas International Lingerie Show this weekend. 

Libby + Phil. Dawn Ranch. Wedding.

Another beautiful wedding at Dawn Ranch 2nd shooting for First Comes Love Wedding Photography by Alison Bank. There are so many reasons why I'm falling madly in love with photographing weddings, and one reason is witnessing the kind of love that Libby, Phil and their families have for one another. The joy was tangible, the speeches were heartfelt, and the bride and groom were simply beautiful as were the venue and all the details… as you'll see here…. 

Happy Tuesday.

Megan + James. Wedding. Monte Rio.

These are a few photos of Megan and James that I took last month while second shooting for Alison Bank of First Comes Love Wedding Photography. While processing the files, I was reminiscing on how I landed here, in this moment. 

The question that kept creeping up was - will self discovery be a constant quest? My answer is an astounding, "Yes." Last year at this time, I had been out of the 9 to 5 task force for three months determined to be my own boss as a portrait photographer and to work hard for myself from a home office equipped with two cats, a Nikon D80, a very old iMac, and enough savings to get me through six months. If you're cringing here, you understand how crazy I was! Sure, I proved that I was a hard worker. As a photo producer I managed two to three week commercial print shoots on location managing 100+ models and creative staff making sure everyone was happy. I enjoyed what I did (because the bigger the fire the better I perform), but I also felt a constant nagging to be behind the camera as I was trained to do oh-so-many- years-ago. 

This is what I'm learning about my path to self discovery:

1. I wasn't ready to be a business owner until now. I had other big ticket items that needed my attention both financially and personally. So, a steady paycheck was really important to me. I'm glad for my past and excited about the present.

2. Humility is the foundation for growth. This doesn't mean humiliation, putting my head in the sand, oh-always-me. To the contrary, it means that by being truthful with myself, I can recognize I don't know it all, more will be revealed. I have to keep an open heart, no matter how painful the lessons are.

3. It's more scary to not take a risk. If I sit here and do nothing to pursue my dreams, I'll gain nothing. If I sit here and make an effort to reach out to others, do something different, invest in my business, then something will happen. Good or bad. Shifts will take place and again, more will be revealed. 

4. I may take good photos, but that doesn't mean I'm an excellent photographer! Consistency and wisdom come with continual and constant practice, thoughtfulness and a game plan. I'm learning this lesson by shooting for Alison.

5. What I thought I should be isn't what I am. Going through a four year photography program at RIT set me up to work in the commercial industry which is what I did, but the only rewarding aspect of my job was the relationships I made on set, not the creative work we did. I don't regret it, because I learned alot and made a great income. Only, when I'm done shooting a wedding, not only am I stoked about hanging out with Alison, but we're dancing and singing on the way back to our car at the end of the night. And I've just help create images that are going to last for generations, not be tossed in the recycling bin. This is the biggest piece to my puzzle and one of the values that is the foundation for my business.

And with all that said, I experimented with the post processing of these photos… again, took some risks, played a little, and had some fun. 

Happy Monday!