to know someone :: brit ::

brit and I met in a pre-rec class for studio art. we didn't start off as friends, certainly not enemies, but not friends. and then, so much of the same happened to us over the past few years (getting accepted into the studio program, traveling for art, receiving our BFA's, making art) that without even realizing it, we became very close. sometimes close for me isn't that close anymore. making friends is harder as an adult. I think it's because everyone has their own path moving every which way and the chances to align paths, or even cross them, seems like a miracle. what else could you call it? I was lucky to not only cross paths with brittany, but parallel them, in a sense, for a good few years and I can't think of my experience with art without thinking of her. our paths are miles apart now but somehow they still feel aligned. we text/email every now and then and have become safe sounding boards for developing ideas. we have an art collaboration in the works, to encourage one another to keep creating, and it feels like we always will have this simple relationship that doesn't ask very much at all but somehow gives so easily.

we didn't spend much time together outside of the studio, but I requested to spend a day with her before her move to Washington last year. I had two goals: finding lilacs and photographing her. the two came together and produced these hauntingly beautiful photographs.


**I haven't fully converted to film photography (as I'm shy with my use of it, and am afraid of making mistakes on someone else's clock) but when shooting for myself, film is my obvious choice and I welcome my amateur mistakes. I'm hoping to start a little journaling series here, "to know someone", to collect a physical memory and document old ones, of people I've met. of people who've changed me.

Danielle

!!

I've been so excited to share these images with you but have had to be patient since her dress was a total surprise to the groom! Danielle and Colin were married on Saturday and it was the most beautiful day. My one and only regret is not getting my picture with the bride. I had so much fun working with her and getting to know her better. So much trust and communication is involved in photographing such a special day, it's hard not to feel a special bond with the couples, and even the families. So basically, if you don't want to be my friend, then you shouldn't hire me to do your wedding. I'm considering including rules about it in the contract ;) These are a select few from a roll of film I brought along the shoot. Don't worry, I'll post more soon, so we can continue to swoon over that dress...

A Summer Wedding

On cold winter days like this, I like to look at photos full of sunshine. These are from a particularly good summer night, celebrating the union of two great people. I'm just going to say it: SUMMER WEDDINGS TAKE THE CAKE. Great light. Great outfits. Great food (though really, pie is good anytime of the year).

one week ago

One week ago today, we welcomed another sister into the family.  Brandon's little brother, David, married Melanie on the coldest day in October at the LDS Oquirrh Mountain Temple.  In the hustle and bustle of preparing for the wedding, I failed to write Dave and Mel a letter full of my professional advice (insert laughs & snorts here) on marriage.  JK, I'd rather just share something my mom recently shared with me from C Jane Kendrick's "5 Loves" writings.  She pretty much nails it:

I came to realize this:  we think we go from partner to partner because there will be someone "better" for us. In reality, no one is better for us, we just get better for ourselves.

And this: relationships work when we sacrifice negative beliefs about ourselves, and in that process we become the best thing that's ever happened to anyone.

And this: a successful marriage is about two people engaged and dedicated to overcoming selfishness--for the rest of their lives.

ditto.  
ditto in all seriousness. 

love you david & mel! 

a quick pic

Brandon and I will likely be spending halloween not dressed up.  I'm not a hum-bug about costumes (actually I quite fancy them).  But if I'm going to do it, I want to do it right, and I just didn't have the time this year to put something great together.  Also, Brandon has yet to agree on a couples costume with me...I'm working on slowly breaking him down, so you can expect something amazing next year. like ketchup and mustard.

I got another roll of film developed.  There are some great treasures to share, but I'm especially loving this photo. We don't look our best, but we look like us: brandon in bolo tie, not smiling (I promise he smiles when camera's aren't pointing his direction....sometimes).  And me, smiling with my mouth closed as to not encourage my baby face cheeks to protrude any more than they need to :) And bad posture.  You'd think after 12 years of classical ballet training, I would have learned to tuck that duck tail of mine in.  I sorta like the duck tail in this photo though, it makes me look a wee bit pregnant, and that thought makes me happy.

and how's that for a happy halloween post?

p.s. I just had a brilliant idea for a couples + baby costume: ketchup, mustard, and fry sauce!

p.p.s. I'm pretty sure I'm turning into that lady I hated during halloween.  The one who'd give out healthy snacks instead of sugar....yes, I'm considering handing out apples.

i like this photo of my sister.
i think it feels like real real.

in other thoughts:

This message by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf from last LDS General Conference has really stuck with me; this line in particular:

"Isn't it true that we often get so busy?  And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life."

guilty.  

I'm finding 18 credits & 3+ jobs harder to juggle than I had anticipated.  I suppose I knew it was a pretty lofty plan to begin with, but I think I grinned at the challenge, happy to be an example to who-knows-who of hard productive work 24/7.  In fact, I added more goals to the plan.  A new style blog, scheduled to launch october 1st (didn't happen).  More branding and marketing of my shop (didn't happen).  Promoting fall family photo shoots (didn't happen.....unless this counts?).  But with each goal I added to the list, I stood a little taller, a little prouder.  And the weight of that silly badge got bigger. 

I've worn that badge for too long, and with too much unwarranted pride. I think I came to this conclusion on my own before, but with guilt attached.  Guilt because as much as it looked as though I were living this "superior" busy life, I knew, inside, that what it really meant was half-arsing (excuse my french) everything I did.  

A mediocre student.  

A mediocre employee.  

A mediocre blogger.  

and in turn: a mediocre human being.  

wrong.

I suppose I don't know how to say in words how wrong that thinking is.  It just is.  wrong.  I'm not totally okay with not being an excellent student/employee/blogger.  I want to be excellent.  I want to be the best.  but best can be measured differently if I choose for it to.  I have to remind myself that I do have that choice.  I don't want to regret my life in the moment of living it.  And because of that, you make choices, you slow down, and you listen to that voice inside of you that helps you see what's most important.  Like visiting Papa Ned and Gma Jo.  And hearing the stories of their first car.  Or engaging in an impromptu class discussion that gets you completely off track and onto something better.  Or going to the temple after much too long a wait and feeling like everything was going to be ok.  Or taking enough time to think of someone else's situation that it brings you to tears and to your knees because you actually feel pain for them.  

I know I've said this before so many times in so many ways: but I want to be right here in the now.  Why is that so hard?  It should be hard to be in the past or in the future, but that stuff is easy.  It's the right now that is the hardest thing to grasp and understand.  But maybe I'm complicating it.  Like this rambling that I have no idea how to conclude.

happy monday and happy october 1st!!
(maybe I like it a little too much when the first of the month falls on a monday...it helps with my mental calendar.)

 here's a list of things i'd like to get done this october (in no particular order)
-pass my dang adolescent development class
-take advantage of the pretty colors and do family photos shoots
-have a solo art show
-visit the spiral jetty
-get my geode jewelry on etsy
-start that style blog I keep thinking about
-build a coffee table
-make lots of art
-press my own grape juice
-make a dress
-dye my hair

what's on your october list?


 *film photo from NY trip last fall

601

This is my 601st post.  But it's only the 539th post I've actually published.  That means I have 62 drafts sitting in my cue.  Every once in a while I attempt sorting, reading, and actually publishing them, but I get extremely overwhelmed.  It's the same feeling I get when I'm on Facebook and have notifications I haven't read and friend requests that have built up over the last 6 months.  I just pretend they aren't there. 

obviously that ramble isn't related to this image.  But I'm not sure what I want to say about it.  I could tell you that it's my sister, and that she's lovely.  I could tell you it was an assignment for school.  I could tell you that I was thinking about personality contradictions and how I seem to have so many.  I could tell you that my walls used to be that peach color on the left but they are not that grayish color on the right.  I could tell you how my class thought this was "slick".  And I could tell you that "slick" is not a compliment.  I could tell you this was the last of the batch after I called the shoot quits, and had one last idea.  

I could tell you I rather like this photo, or I could tell you that I don't.  

cause the truth is, I'm not sure. 

the communicator

there's one in every relationship.

wall lake

We went camping in the Uintas last weekend with some friends.  We got a late start on the hike to Wall Lake but we set up camp fast, and sat around the fire laughing until it was too windy and too late.  All 6 of us slept in a 4 man tent :)  I could have sworn I heard a bear rummaging through our food outside our tent in the middle of the night...Brandon and I didn't get much sleep.  We woke with sore backs and good spirits and a determination to come back soon, on a day not so windy, so we can jump off the cliffs into the water.

fresh air a good friends can do a lot for the soul.
hoping to fit in a few more hikes this week before school starts up again.

dreamy

This bridal shoot was a dream! Can't wait for the wedding!

 *more to come (when I'm back from Guatemala)

the scenic route

Driving in the car with Brandon is one of my favorite things. Oh the topics we talk about! We decided to prolong our drive home from SF and take the scenic route. I saw Lake Tahoe for the first time (hopefully not the last!) and fell in love with an old cowboy town in Nevada called Virginia City. They have a board walk with all sorts of stuff like bathtubs full of plants and toy horses to ride. I think we'd like to spend our anniversary there next year :)

good eats SF {vegan}

There were so many vegan/vegetarian options in SF!   Ever since we've gone to a plant based diet, I've pretty much left the food prepping to Brandon.  Okay, so pretty much since we've been married, he's done the majority of the cooking.  But hey, He's a natural in the kitchen.  He's also the type that can eat kale and other gross tasting things like it's candy.  When I want candy, nothing else will suffice.  I don't have the will power to eat not good tasting stuff.  But everything we had in SF was sooo good!   It really opened my eyes to the possibilities, and gave me a bit of the cooking bug too.  I'm a huge fan of simple recipes made with just a few basic ingredients.  I took note of a few of my favorites from the trip and can't wait to try my own version of these vegan dishes at home!

Here's our favorite vegan restaurants in San Francisco

Ananda Fuara 

The loving hut

The Plant

House of Nanking

if you are ever in the city, give em' a try!

-Claire

*We've been on a plant-based diet since the beginning of the year.  Brandon is 100% vegan and I'm 80% vegan (I can't give up cheese....).  A lot of people have asked a lot of "why"s.  So far I haven't shared a whole lot about our decision (and it was a big one, believe me) but if you are curious let me know, maybe I'll do a little post about our "why".  Also, any fellow vegans/vegetarians/plant eaters?! I'd love any recommendations for recipe websites or blogs.  Thanks!

San Francisco Film

"If you're alive, you can't be bored in San Francisco.  If you're not alive, San Francisco will bring you to life."

-William Saroyan