10 on 10 - december

December 10, 2016

It's December, somehow. Looking back on 2016, I see that despite my best intentions this is only the third 10 on 10 I've managed this year. But I'm determined to end on a high note, so let's have a look at some random photos from my family's recent trip to New York City.

My daughter had never been to NYC, so we surprised her with a Thanksgiving trip and it was everything I'd hoped it would be.

It was freezing cold (I'm Canadian - I like the cold),

... we walked and took the subway everywhere,

... we ate good food, we knocked items off our to-do list (although there is SO much we missed),

... we looked at amazing art,

... spent time with dear friends,

... and most uplifting of all, my daughter was on board for all of it.

Even though walking the Highline might have been our coldest experience, she didn't complain once. Although bribery in the form of bagels, donuts and hot cocoa might have come into play.

And when we were just too tired to walk any further, we'd come back to our compact but cozy hotel to take a breather and warm our cold feet.

We love to travel, but always drag out feet when it comes to packing and preparing for a trip. But then we arrive, experience everything our destination has to offer and by the time we head back to the airport we are desperate to stay longer. Although as my husband commented, it was a good thing it was time to go home otherwise we would have gone broke.

Time to plan our next trip....

- - - - - - - - - -

Thanks for joining us on our final 10 on 10 of 2016! Next up is Leilani of 7th Sister Photography - click to see her lovely work and then click through to the next person til you've been right around the loop!

cheers,
kim

10 on 10 - july

July 10, 2016

Can you take too many pictures of the beach? At the beach? Your family on the beach? Your dog digging holes at the beach? I think not. This month's 10 on 10 photo project (10 photos on the 10th of the month) is all about the load-up-the-van get-out-of-town roadtrip.

This summer, we are staying close(ish) to home - no traveling overseas, just road trips, some camping, and beach visits for a few days here and there in between projects. Which is okay by us. And cheaper.

When we don't have a lot of time we just head up - or in this case, down - the Northern California coast for a few days. It's usually possible to find beaches with very few people on them. We stop for 10 minutes or a couple of hours, as the whim takes us.

This tirp we had some sun, and lots of fog.  Which makes the Northern California coastline even more beautiful.

This trip we had some sun and lots of fog. Didn't matter ... still beautiful in colour or black and white.

Dog inquires why we are posing for photos instead of playing.

Sometimes the photos are imperfect, but the fact that she is still happy to not only road trip with her parents but immerse herself in what is around her? Makes me incredibly happy.

The dog doing what he does.

Proof that I'm on this road trip too, while on our way to the campsite.

Saturated with sand, sea and sky, we headed to our campsite where our 12 year old led us in some unconventional yoga to loosen up before nightfall.

Marshmallows were roasted, drinks were made, meatballs were heated on the camp stove for dinner and our neighbour played his harp as accompaniment. So much better than a boombox.

We are back home already and dreaming of where the road will take us next.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thanks for joining us on our 10 on 10 this month! Next up is Maite Pons - click to see her delicious photography and then click through to the next person til you've been right around the loop!

cheers,
kim

10 on 10 - march

March 10, 2016

This month's 10 on 10 incorporates some of my favourite things - winter, time to wander with a camera in hand, coffee, colour, and a face-to-face with an online friend who is now a friend in real life.

In February, I flew home to Toronto with my daughter to visit family and experience some honest to goodness winter, with minus temperatures and snow. I always try to fit in a visit with a friend or two, new or old, and this time managed to coerce the incredibly talented Lisa Macintosh into meeting me for coffee. She invited me to visit the amazing space where she shoots her Great Hall Series. The Great Hall is a well loved local music hall on Queen Street, very close to my old stomping grounds and workplace of many years ago. "You've Changed" greeted me after I parked and made my way through the slush to the sidewalk, and it resonated deeply... it's almost a different lifetime since I worked in the neighbourhood almost thirty years ago.

I didn't have to go far to find the colour and street scenes I crave...

After coffee at the charming El Almacen (best almond latté ever), where Lisa and I chatted like long lost friends and discovered much in common, we made our way over to the Great Hall. Lisa was meeting another musician for the next installment in her absolutely fabulous series, but she had made time for us to hang out, and of course, take some photos of each other. Lisa is not only a gifted photographer, but generous with her knowledge and support. I came away from our short time together feeling inspired and ready to make a start on my next project, which I've been letting roll around in my head for more than a year. (Stay tuned for more news on that in the near future.)

I am a lucky girl. And change? All good.

- - - - - - - - - -

There are some amazingly talented ladies posting their 10 on 10 stories today. Please check out Maite Pon's, and then keep clicking on the links on each post to see them all!

10 on 10 - january

January 10, 2016

I haven't made any official resolutions this year (yet), or even picked a word to define what 2016's theme will be for me. It's not a given that I even will. But in conversations and in my journal, the word "accountability" keeps coming up. I decided that in an effort to not only pick up my camera more and live up to my intention of telling visual stories, I would take on some personal projects to really make me walk the talk this year.

One of the projects in which I'm taking part is a 10 on 10 with a group of talented photographers. We shoot 10 photos in one day, post them on the 10th of the month, then link to each other so we can see and be inspired by what stories are being told elsewhere.

In a lovely example of serendipity, an online friend came to San Francisco earlier this week and we met (in real life) for coffee and an honest-to-goodness old fashioned photo walk. It's one of the best ways I know to break the ice when meeting someone new. I loved meeting Cara Monaco of Tumbleweed in Eden. She is a film shooter who completely wows me with her work. We have known one another (online) since the early days when Flickr was all the rage and before Instagram filled the gap of community and photography so many of us craved. We walked and talked for a couple of hours in the Mission neighborhood, starting off with coffee and then a stroll down (and around) Valencia Street to Clarion Alley, which is always full of color and photographic goodness.

The rain luckily held off until the moment we hugged and said good-bye. A new friend, with the bonus of photos from my camera and my iPhone to remember the day. Color me happy.

- - - - - - - - - -

There are some amazingly talented ladies posting their 10 on 10 stories today. Please check out Stephanie Gough's, and then keep clicking on the links on each post to see them all!