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.

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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!

5 on 5 - march

March 5, 2016

Time for another 5 on 5 (five photos on the fifth of the month) - a no pressure photo project with like-minded photo friends. No rules and no themes, just tell a story with some favourite photos from the previous month, and link to the next person in line.

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For winter break, my daughter and I visited my hometown outside of Toronto, traveling from the beginnings of spring in Northern California to sub-zero temperatures and frozen nose hairs.

Although we spent short stints outside, the cold required warmer pursuits so we went to Casa Loma - a local landmark - where my eye was immediately drawn to the small details (who doesn't love an old typewriter?) ...

...and dinners cooked by both my sister and my mother, whose well-loved and dog-eared cookbooks are as familiar to me as the meals made from them.

In between staying warm, family dinners and planning fun events for my daughter and nieces, my sister and I always try to carve out some time to spend together. At the very least it's a glass of wine and a movie, collapsed on the couch in her family room, but even that didn't work out during this visit. So on our last afternoon she and I dropped the kids like hot potatoes at home and went in search of things to photograph in the snowy landscape and time to chat without interruption.

When I was growing up in Ontario, we would head north in the summers to lake country and I was always charmed by turn-of-the-century farmhouses and barns along the way. I've always wanted to go back and photograph a series of them, especially since these days they are an increasingly rare species as developers buy up the farm land and contribute to urban sprawl.

My sister and I found two farmhouses on our afternoon jaunt. I found it sad to see them unloved and abandoned...

On a future trip, I'm determined to make time for drives in the country in search of not only the sad and empty, but the many remaining working farmhouses and barns.

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Please check out Janice of Shine Photo+Design's 5 on 5 for this month and then click on to the next person in our blogroll. Thanks for joining us!

cheers.

5 on 5 - february

February 5, 2016

Another photo project and more reasons to stay inspired, accountable, creative, and have some fun with fellow shooters! This 5 on 5 (five photos on the fifth of the month) is a no pressure project cooked up with some online and IRL friends, and one real life sister. There are no rules and no themes, just post some favourite photos from the previous month (or two. or three.), tell a story about them (or not) and link on to the next person in line.

In my most recent post on Viewfinders, I ended with a teaser of sorts about rewarding my dog Toby for waiting patiently in the car while I made numerous stops on a photo jaunt.

Just look at him.... what a good boy. Okay buddy, it's your turn.

Where else would we go but the beach?

Where there is ample sand to dig and dig...

... and dig some more.

And after an hour of running and barking and chasing balls and digging at least ten holes, there was this....

Because sometimes a nap is exactly what's needed.

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Please check out Janice of Shine Photo & Design's 5 on 5 for this month. She's got a brand spankin' new website and after you've had a look around, click on to the next person in our blogroll. Thanks for joining us!

cheers.

c+p wedding - 10/2015

January 22, 2016

I don't shoot weddings as a rule, except when I do! There are incredibly talented wedding photographers out there whose experience at capturing a bride's and groom's special day far outstrips my own. However, sometimes you just have to say yes when a bride-to-be asks you to capture their day for the simple reason that she wants her day documented in your photographic style. I was completely honored to be asked and hoped I could deliver photos that were true to my candid style and which lived up to their expectations.

The incredibly beautiful bride, her gracious groom, and the location at the San Francisco Film Centre in the Presidio made my job (relatively) easy.

These two lovely people were completely supportive and I felt fortunate that they had so much faith in me. In the end, I learned an incredible amount about shooting a wedding and enjoyed every moment.

When I do shoot another wedding, my only requirement will be that the bride have tattoos.

Flowers by Ha Rue Floral Design Studio.

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.

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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!

portrait series - meghen

January 8, 2016

In early December, I was thrilled to shoot a Portrait Day at The Hivery.

Meghen was one of the ladies who signed up and she made me realize once again how lucky I am that I get to do what I do. Because not only is she beautiful and photogenic, willing to walk around on a chilly day looking for the right location, and then posing without a coat and making it look like it was actually balmy out, she is an amazing writer and it was so much fun working with her.

It was an added bonus that she and I have both co-produced Listen To Your Mother shows in San Francisco. She is a published author in the compilation "Mamas Write: 29 Tales of Truth, Wit, and Grit".

Please pay her a visit at: Meghen Kurtzig .com

firefly institute photo camp

January 5, 2016

I recently did an interview on Viewfinders with my friend Hillary Sloss, creator of a photo camp for women called FIREFLY INSTITUTE.

Hillary was a photojournalist for many years and has a longstanding love affair with photography. She has long held a dream of collaborating and sharing inspiration with other women photographers and in November 2016 will be holding the first photo camp in Sonoma, CA. The venue is beautiful, many in depth classes will be offered for the intermediate to advanced photographer, and because it is a camp, there will be FUN!

I will be teaching iPhone and DSLR video classes, alongside some incredible women teaching classes in everything from polaroid to iPhoneography, lighting, food styling, Photoshop and Lightroom, and how to market your own work.

My interview with Hillary on Viewfinders is HERE.

REGISTRATION for the first camp opens this Sunday January 10 at 8 a.m. PST.

It is going to be AMAZING - I highly encourage anyone with an interest in not only expanding their skills but creating connection with other women photographers to register.

video by kim thompson steel

video for suzanne o'brien studio

November 27, 2015

Suzanne O'Brien has created an online workshop for those of us who might have months or years worth of photos on our computers and want to see them printed in beautiful photo books. She announces her class here...

New Workshop Announcement

...with information on how to sign up through Big Picture Classes.

Suzanne and I spent a fun afternoon together shooting a video intro for her workshop, with a special appearance from her dog who wanted to be part of the action.

The Hivery

September 12, 2015

Finding a part-time workspace outside my home this past year has brought a fresh breath of inspiration to my life and work. The Hivery is a co-working, collaborative, women's "inspiration lab" in Sausalito, CA founded by Grace Kraaijvanger. Grace is one of those people with whom you can only hope you might get to meet or work with at least once in your life - she is welcoming and lovely, the physical space she created is beautiful, and her background in both ballet and marketing give her a unique perspective on not only reinventing your career but doing it mindfully and creatively.

She inspired me so much that we worked on a promotional video together which now lives on The Hivery's front page.

Enjoy: