A little romance...

One thing I really love about traveling is the discovery of new things. Finding that road less traveled and enjoying the journey of how you got there. Sometimes the most exciting part of a trip can be the mistake you made - that wrong turn down that cobblestone street, that led to that charming shop or hidden restaurant that you never would have found if your map reading skills were as honed as you believed them to be.

The above light house picture was taken while I was traveling around Lago di Garda - located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Venice and Milan. It happened to be raining quite heavily that day and there weren't a lot of opportunities to take photographs around the lake without getting soaking wet. This particular image was taken when there was a short break in the storm. I ran towards the pier hoping I wouldn't slip and fall because I wanted to catch the waves as they hit the rocks before the the downpour started again.

I snapped a few shots and started to run back to the car, but some innate sense made me stop in my tracks. I knew there was a better vantage point than the one I had just shot at. So I turned around and ran like a crazy woman back the way I came until I found the spot where I took this photo. It wasn't planned -- it was spontaneous. The best memories and the best images of any trip I have ever taken have come from moments such as this.

A few days later I traveled to Rome. I happened to glance up and see this dresser's dummy in the window of a shop. Doesn't it make you want to go in?
I made a wrong turn while going in search of the Trevi Fountain and came upon the "changing of the guard". It lasted about 15 seconds. Thank goodness I was ready for it. These two soldiers marched up to the young man facing the camera - clicked their heels and suddenly a new guard was in charge.
I discovered this woman at the bottem of the Spanish Steps. She was tucked into this corner and I almost didn't see her. Sometimes when I think my life is bad, I just have to look at an image like this and realize I have nothing to complain about.

Rain was hitting my lens as I shot this image. Don't you wish vacations could last forever? I would love to wake up to this view every morning - and not the stucco apartment that fills my bedroom window.
I was playing around with lines and forms when I shot this photo. I like the repeated angles and the texture and color of the sign that compliments the color of the awning. It was a fun find.

The light was changing from very bright to dark and overcast every few seconds. Rain threatened at any moment. I waited for some clouds to pass and then I snapped away. I love how you can almost feel the wind pushing against the olive trees.

Verona at sunset. The best time of day for that golden liquid light.

Now, why don't American restaurants ever have any of these things on the menu?

The colusium. How grand. And I was lucky to have beautiful clouds that day.

Being a traveler in Italy - one can never get too tired of buildings that have details like this. It really is a country filled with art. The famous kind and the every day kind.

Next Stop -- Florence Italy

I have found that early September is a wonderful time to visit Europe. The hot sticky month of August has passed and the majority of summer tourists have already gone home. Hotel and airfare rates tend to drop as well, which is always a good incentive to travel.

I arrived on a Tuesday afternoon and was greeted by a lovely 80 degree day. Although I was jet lagged and yearning for some shut eye, the excitement of being away from home filled me with intoxication. The sights and sounds of Italy immediately filled my senses, giving me the boost that I needed. The bells of the Campanile were chiming, dozens of passersby rode past on their bicycles, and the narrow cobblestone streets greeted me like an old friend.

There is so much history to the architecture and the streets, it's hard to know how to begin to describe it. At all times of the day and night people are out and about - socializing, walking to the market or cruising down the street on their motorbikes. Off in the distance a church bell chimes, mixing with the sounds of live jazz from some cafe down the street.

Every nook and cranny is packed full of texture and charm. Just an ordinary bike leaning against the wall becomes fascinating in my eyes. The water fountains carved by masters make you stop and gape in awe. Even the gelato cones in the shop window turn extraordinarily artistic.


Theses seemingly normal images stood out to me and filled me with a sense of exhillaration. I definitely got some strange looks from the locals. They were probably thinking - what the heck is so amazing about that? If they could only have seen what I saw in my viewfinder.

Here are few images from my first days in Florence. I will post more soon.

Here Comes the Bride...in 103 + weather....oh dear

Hi Everyone.
Sorry for the long delay in adding content to my blog. I was on vacation in Italy and just got back late last week. It was an amazing trip and I will definitely be blogging about it soon. I have so many photographs to comb through. Over 1000. Phew. But first I wanted to share a few wedding images I shot recently.

It was over one hundred degrees the day this wedding took place and the sun was baking everything in sight. Thank goodness I had several water bottles in my bag so I could keep hydrating myself throughout the day. Very important to keep your energy up.

I arrived at the Westlake Village Inn at 2:00 pm to begin photographing the "getting ready" shots of the bride. To my dismay the makeup artist was not very experienced and what should have taken her an hour, took her almost two and half. As the minutes passed, and I finished shooting the pre-wedding coverage -- I noticed my beautiful afternoon light beginning to wane and all my ideas for amazing bride shots flew right out the window. I could have panicked, but instead I decided my energy would be better spent just going with the flow. (what energy I had in the 100 plus degree heat)

Some challenges I encountered during the ceremony were: a squinting groom, a tearful bride (during the entire thing) flop sweat on the groomsmen, and guests who looked anything but cheerful in my photos. But these situations are all part of a days work. Sometimes you just have to shrug, realize there is no "take two" and just make the best of it.

I think that's what makes a good photographer into a great photographer. To be able to swallow the panic rising inside of you, and exude confidence and complete relaxation even when you know your light is gone, the mother of the bride has disappeared and the flower girl hates having her picture taken.

Here are some of my images. You'd never guess there were tears, sweat, grumpy children or any number of other small catastrophes going on. : )