Category Archives: portraits
mural
I drive by this mural every morning around 7:22a.m. when I take Kari to work. Yah, I know, I’m a good girlfriend. Every single time I drive by this mural which is alongside a wall of a music center in Portland called Music Union - I think to myself, “I must stop for a quick shot of its beauty.” So, it looks like yesterday was the golden day when I did just so.
I always think to myself when I look at this part of the mural, “Sing it, baby!” And, then I hear her say in a sexy, sultry voice, “Baby, you’ve got to do a lot more than shout from your car window like that to get ME to sing…” 
joy.
All I can say about this shot is, “pure joy.” I love to see children experience excitement and joy like this. It brings joy to my heart. And the best part is that she was playing with her momma at this moment. THE best.
perspective.
I had so much fun yesterday at FairyTaleTown with Junet and her daughters Lily and Kaylyn. Maybe it’s because I know those girls, but I definitely am putting my foot in my mouth. I thought that I wouldn’t enjoy clicking children’s photos. I thought I would rather stick with a daily experience, abstract, nature girl kind of style.
After yesterday’s shoot, I definitely know now that I enjoy doing shoots with children. Plus, I get to get my kid fix in at the same time. Life is good.
vintage
I am very pleased to see this photo framed. My mom asked if she could have it to be displayed in her new bar area in the house. It looks fabulous! We also framed another photo that I took when I went blueberry picking on Vashon Island in Seattle.
This is the third house that has now become decorated with my photography. I am humbled. I can’t wait to have my first show in April at the GiGi Bar.
celestin’s.
I had a great evening last night with Junet and some friends. Dinner at Tapa The World was yummers. After dinner, we went to Celestin’s for a drink and rum cake. The rum cake was served on a puddle of rum which tempted me to walk over to the bar, grab a straw and yep – take a sip. There’s nothin like doin shots through a straw.
I guess it doesn’t take long to begin living the motto: “Keep Portland Weird”. Although, I think I’ve always been weird.
pumpkins.
There is nothing like seeing the excitement in a child’s eyes over something as simple as a pumpkin. I got to experience that feeling this weekend after spending the weekend with my sister and her family out at the Oregon coast. On Sunday, we caravanned back to Portland to spend another night together. I had the best time playing with my nephew and experiencing the newness of life and words with him. It made me chuckle each time he’d run over to the pumpkinand worty gourds displayed in my living room and say, “PUMPkinssssssss!” I’d respond to him, “Yes, boo…that’s a pumpkin.” He’d smile big showing me all his new teeth and then run off into the living room to find more new things to play with.
My cup runneth over.
determined.
Sprina amazes me. She never stops. This look I was able to capture is what I think the essence of Sprina. Determination. This year alone, Sprina planned and organized her own wedding, she is currently going through Grad school, she’s working for a local designer in the northwest, she is the current board president of Step It Up, Inc., and she is involved with her family & local community. Every time I talk with her Sprina has a new project up her sleeve. She never stops.
I enjoy witnessing the fire inside of her that drives her to achieve her goals and dreams.
elephant’s
I had my first event photo shoot last night. The event was for a non profit that I’ve been volunteering for called Step It Up, Inc. It was held at Elephant’s Deli on 23rd and NW Burnside.
Capturing the faces and event was a bit challenging because of the night time, indoor, low lighting. I think I was able to grab a few.
It’s funny how I once was a ham in front of the camera, now I’m a geek behind the camera. Love it!
noble.
Last weekend was the opening for my sister’s summer public art project in Seattle. She was hired by the City of Seattle’s Arts and Cultural Affairs office to be a resident artist on the Fremont Bridge. The requirement was that she had all summer to create an art piece that would be temporarily displayed on the bridge. During her summer residency, one of the bridge operator towers was converted into her art studio where she integrated a “sound” art piece as the display. It was quite an incredible experience to participate as a volunteer or an Ambassadors of the Fremont Bridge Talks Back project. You see, the art piece that she developed was a sound piece that integrated and orchestrated all of the day-to-day sounds one would hear while crossing the bridge. For the next eight months (until April 2010), anytime the bridge opens for ships to pass through you will be able to hear the sound piece that she created. You can also call a toll free number to listen to this sound and a few heart felt stories from people who called in earlier this summer and spoke about their feelings or memories about the bridge (1-800-761-9941).
During the event on Saturday, Kristen recruited 100 volunteers to come out for 3 hours to participate as ambassadors of the bridge. Each volunteer wore an event t-shirt, an orange handkerchief, and processioned on one of 4 corners of the bridge while holding a sign. The bridge was decorated with colorful flags to incorporate all of the colors that the bridge had once been painted. Each time the bridge would open, horn players would come out of each tower to toot toot toot, the sound piece would play along the bridge, and all the volunteers would procession in a celebratory manner. One volunteer who I enjoyed getting to know during the 3-hour celebration was Mrs. Noble. She was very proud to explain to me that she was a member of the Fremont Neighborhood Council and was participating that day as a representative. She told me that she was disappointed that no other members came out to participate, but that despite her age she was determined to procession for the entire event. I quickly decided for myself that she was going to be one of those types of volunteers that I would have to handle with kid gloves. Throughout the event, I would always be sure to say hello to Mrs. Noble when I passed her and to ask how she was doing. She would simply say, “I’m fine. Doing fine.” as she would almost look away as a gesture to scurry me off.
As the day came to a close, I joined several other volunteers to help remove the flags that were hung along the sides of the bridge. I again stumbled upon Mrs. Noble standing along one side of the bridge with a proud look on her face that read, “I did it!” She stopped me in my tracks and said, “I didn’t know you were Kristen’s sister?!! That’s so wonderful that you and your family came up to help Kristen.” We continued to talk about the fun experience we all had celebrating the history of the bridge. Before I hustled off to remove some of the last strings of flags, I asked Mrs. Noble if I could take her picture. I wasn’t sure if she’d be offended by my request, but she allowed me to go ahead and click click click. As I stood up to review the photo that I captured, I showed it to her and became concerned from hearing her huge GASP! I said, “Oh no! You don’t like it!?” She answered with huge emotion, “I love it! It’s wonderful! Can I get a copy of that?” My day was complete.
One of the best parts of that day, was when my family went to a local McMeniman’s pub all dressed in our tshirts and kerchiefs with huge smiles on our sunkissed faces hungry for burgers, fries, and of course a few pitchers of frosty beers. I was tickled as I walked inside the pub and passed the bar to find Mrs. Noble sitting by herself at the bar enjoying a huge burger and a pint of beer. I thought, “Now that’s my kind of lady!”
