New York, According to Rachel's Camera

Last weekend, Greg and I went on a much needed and way-too-short getaway. We headed up to New York Saturday morning to visit some friends-of-friends we met in Venice last fall. I'll let the photos do most of the communicating, but first a few insights. It is so important, and not so easy, to be in the moment. Always. And I must leave room in my life for inspiration. Thank you, New York, for helping me do both this weekend!

It all started off with a few notes: "This moment is more precious than you think." & "Enjoy the day!"



The cast of characters.

  

 

I heart architecture! {Love, D700}

And no trip would be complete without a portrait of my favorite source of inspiration, and some nifty signs to compliment it.

Rediscovering Photography Through Film: Vivian Maier (Part 2)

First, I want to give a quick shout out again to our good friend Shelley of Shelley Castle Photography! I'm so thankful we have friends who constantly encourage us to get out and do things - like go see the Vivian Maier documentary at E Street Cinema, a really cool theater I plan on visiting much more often. Friends truly are one of the best gifts.

Okay, enough of that mushy stuff. Even though we sat in the very front row, and left the theater with an intense neck workout, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. In fact, I enjoyed it more because I was forced to be completely engrossed in the film. Vivian's story is so fascinating. It was a joy to sit there and allow myself to observe and wonder. To observe the simple, beautiful, and powerful photographs made by this closet creative. And it was also reassuring! This talented woman took so many photographs - SO many photographs. Some of them were breathtaking, some were beautiful, some were good, and some were not. As artists, we often forget that not every photograph - or painting, or poem, or mosaic - will be perfect. The important thing is to give your your best, to show up and do the work every time, and to continue loving the craft.

This film also reinvigorated my love for film photography, and the sheer mystery of it. Today, it's so easy to see your photo right now - a form of instant gratification. But with film, you have to wait, have patience, and sit back while the film is developed. I could re-create this sense of mystery in two ways: 1) bust out my old Nikon 8008s or 2) try to keep myself from checking the preview screen during some of our personal projects. I think I'll do both! :)

I also appreciate how many questions this film has raised. First, have we lost some of our appreciation for photography due to the sheer ubiquity of it? Or has our love for photography grown because it has been made so accessible? According to a CNN article I read a few weeks ago about photos from the 1964 World's Fair, "photography was a luxury because film was so expensive". So did this sense of luxury create more gratitude? For me, the verdict is still out on that one.

Second, even though we seem to be "documenting life" more and more, are we documenting it well? What are we doing with all these photos we take? Do we look at them? Do we print them? Do they leave our phones or social media platforms? Do those of us who are professional photographers give ourselves time to process our own photos and send them to the printer, like we do for everyone else? Again, I don't think there is one solid answer to this question of documentation.

Both of these questions, regarding the value and use of photography, have created another personal mission - to make more time to attend to our family photos. As I get better and better at all the systems we've created, this will continue to get easier. But in the meantime, I plan on using some of our less busy seasons to cull, edit, and print those personal photos....and finally put all those scrapbook supplies to use!

So what about you? What is your take on these questions? I'd love to hear!

Rediscovering Photography Through Film: Vivian Maier (Part 1)

I love street photography.  It's real.  It's raw.  Sometimes it's poignant, whimsical, experimental. Rachel and I spent the entirety of our three weeks in Europe taking photos of whatever we came upon.  We got some amazing images, and since we mostly stuck with our 50mm lenses, we had to get pretty close to people.  We varied our techniques, and became skilled at what we called "drive-bys" (shooting from the hip as we walked by scenes like seated trattoria patrons or street shows).  This type of photography requires a unique combination of luck and skill, as well as quick reaction to capture what's going on around you.  It also requires a good bit of gumption when you're photographing random people on the street and then disappearing into the crowd.  So when our good friend Shelley, of Shelley Castle Photography, invited us to see the new documentary film on Vivian Maier, Rachel and I jumped at the chance. 

For those of you who may not know her story, Vivian Maier was a nanny for many families over the course of her life.  She was a no-frills woman with an interesting fashion taste and an "acquired" French accent, who also happened to be one of the earliest and greatest street photographers the world has ever known.  What Rachel and I did in Europe for three weeks, Vivian did her whole life.  She carried a camera with her literally everywhere (usually a big medium format Rolleiflex, which could be shot from low and inconspicuous angles because the viewfinder was on top) and shot literally everything you could imagine, often with children in tow.  She was a packrat, and had hundreds of thousands of printed photographs and undeveloped rolls of film that were all sold in her estate sale a few years ago, recovered by a young man who gave her the exposure in death that she never got (nor probably wanted) in life. 

Vivian's story is captivating and mysterious on so many levels.  She hated men and was strict with children, possibly a product of some unknown abuse.  She once confided in a friend that she was a nanny because it allowed her to photograph the way she wanted to.  She went to the worst parts of whatever town she happened to be in at the moment to walk the streets and photograph strangers.  She often took a tape recorder with her and asked political questions of other women standing in line at the market.  She took eight months for herself and traveled the world…alone…as a woman…in the early '60s…talk about independent and driven!  Having the intestinal fortitude to be experimental and different is something many only dream of.  She did it every day without hesitation. 

I think, more than anything, it was this aspect of her personality that drew me to her.  She found a love, a true passion, and pursued it in any way she could.  She experimented.  She got up-close and personal with her subjects.  And most of all, she was fearless with her photographs and the way she lived.  She rearranged her life around photography more than once.  That's love, and that's beautiful to me. 

I've rearranged my life a few times for what's important to me, and every day I make choices to support that arrangement because of the things I love and hold most dear.  I'm sure you have, as well.  And it's hard sometimes.  But I truly feel that Vivian's story reminds us that at the end of the day, those things are what help to make life worth living, and they are gifts to share. 

TIM 2014 - A Look Back (Part 2)

I must have listened to it twelve times. Rachel stood in the living room shuffling cards and making notes, adjusting this phrase and tweaking that timing. She worked for weeks on that speech. But I didn't care how many times I heard it, it got more and more awesome. Rachel had dreamt of speaking at a TED-type conference, and she was finally getting her shot.

Rachel's talk was thought-provoking and inspiring. She discussed what she's learned about her faith through photography, principles that cross over between the two, and then connections that can be made through art. She told the story of how the Eiffel tower unexpectedly shut off on us when we were in Paris and when she cued the photo, it was incredible to hear the awe of the crowd. She ended her talk with an amazing photo she got on the vaporetto from Murano and Burano to Venice, a wide shot of the skyline with rays of light spilling out of the clouds onto the buildings. She quoted Ansel Adams: "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have me click the shutter." I was glad she couldn't see me from the stage, because I was so proud I think I popped shirt button!

Not only did she show our work, she encouraged members of the audience to share their personal expressions of faith in photography with us as a way to keep the discussion going. At lunch we had some amazing conversations with other attendees, and a few people even came up to Rachel with photos they had snapped on their phones. It was cool to see how people connected with what she said, and how they wanted to share themselves, too. If you haven't seen it already, check out Rachel's talk (below)! Share your thoughts and your work with us; we'd love to hear from you! 

And in case you're interested in seeing any of the photos up close, here you go!

TIM 2014 - A Look Back (Part 1)

A few months ago, Greg and I were honored to be the official photographers for a new movement spearheaded by our own Pastor from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Together in Mission (or TIM for short) is a TEDx-style event focused on ideas that will help strengthen, improve, and broaden ministry in the Metro DC area. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was also asked to speak at the event (more on that tomorrow).

The event highlighted 13 speakers who spilled their heart about topics ranging from sustainability to taking care of the elderly to embracing our inner quitter. And, as is customary at these events, the audience was just as amazing as the speakers! Greg and I had a chance to connect with several of them during breaks and made a few new close friendships - something I believe everyone needs more of!

The TIM team is already in planning mode for the 2015 event, so be sure to like their Facebook page to keep up with the latest news and updates. And in the meantime, be sure to watch the videos of each speaker!

So much energy during registration!

Delicious lunch in the "Hogwarts-esque" dining hall. 

Getting to know each other during the breaks.

Getting ready on the sidelines.

The awesome audience.

Our incredible hosts for the day!

Speaker - Connie Thompson

Speaker - Erik Backus

Speaker - Mike Stavlund

Speaker - Donald Zimmer

Speaker - Larry Bradshaw

Speaker - Megan Roher

Speaker - Bishop Richard Graham

Speaker - Karen Brau

Speaker - Jason Micheli

Speaker - Phil Hirsch

Speaker - Leila Ortiz

Speaker - Bonnie Martin

And a special thanks to the folks who made it possible to view these great videos - Breasea Productions. Thank you!

Sean & Jimena: A Day in DC

Normally, when we plan an engagement session, our first question is, "What do you like to do together?" Sean & Jimena took that question and ran with it. The engagement session followed them to some of their favorite spots, including Eastern Market, District Taco, Union Station, and of course, Board Room (including a rousing game of Catan). These two are absolutely adorable, and such a joy to hang out with. And we were so happy we could capture them and their favorite places in style!