Beach Town

Spending time near the water is one of my absolute favorite things. I love the feeling you get just knowing you're in a beach town. You can smell it in the air, feel it in the wind, and most importantly see it in the beautiful light that shines so pure through the windows every morning. Put me on a beach with great friends, a good book and my camera... and I'm golden... ***Of course there was no pun intended in regards to my state of being and my sun kissed skin color ;)

morning light, pre surf stretch

Vero Beach

So after taking some me time in Sarasota I decided to set off to the east coast to hang with some friends that just "get me". These are the type of friends you don't really have to explain anything to, they just understand. They know your past your present and will most definitely be apart of your future. Stop number one was Vero Beach to see the magnificent Tom McCarthy Jr. After a delicious home cooked meal (Tom's an amazing cook!) we set out to the beach with our cameras for some late night star gazing. It was the perfect cure for my land locked blues.


(I know I would move that one piece of asparagus and turned the plate a little to the left if I was going to take the photo again. lol. Truth be told we were hungry and I just wanted a snap of the meal. And to be fair to Tom, I took the photo before he added the fresh Parmesan cheese to the asparagus!)

Creative vs Analytical

As I was driving the other day I had a great talk with the lovely Ariel Zambelich about a photographers mind and whether Creative or Analytical thought takes over first when we go to make a photo. We talked both sides of the equation and even discussed if one verse the other can be learned, or if they are both just innate skills.

I voiced that for me I thought creativity came more readily at first, and the logistics were the things I had to sort out before I pressed the button. I even took it as far as to say that sometimes when the moments happen, the creativity is what I seek out and the analytical techniques just happen subconsciously.

As we were in the middle of this conversation I saw a beautiful double rainbow appear out my driver window in the sunset illuminated sky. I pulled the "hold on I'll call you right back" line and picked up my camera from the front seat. As I exposed to shoot the rainbow, a white picket fence coming up on my right caught my eye. So, I waited to get directly in front of the driveway and snapped a photo through the window. At that moment, the only thing going through my head was the symmetry I wanted to capture with the fence and driveway. After I passed the house and I looked at the back of my camera I realized that the window had made a great frame for the shot.

So, at this point I can choose to believe one of two things. One would say that luck was on my side and I exposed for the right thing, and the wide angle lens took over and gave me a great border, where Two would say that my instincts took over and I knew subconsciously that I wanted a wide frame using the window frame to wrap around the scene. I choose to believe Two.. ;)


P.S. If you like the concept of shots taken out of windows, and want to see some beautiful work, check out Luceo photographer Matt Slaby's story called My Diving Bell. So Beautiful.

Stranger in a Familiar Place

So I've been in this place lately of rediscovering my own creativity. Removing myself from the influences that might crowd my mind and surrounding myself with things and people that help bring me comfort and rejuvenation.

To say that I enjoy spending time with people is an understatement. If it were up to me I would be around people 24/7.

For a person with this personality type one can only conclude how hard spending time alone to search deep inside can be.

Through this process I've learned that the best form of procrastination is a Mani/Pedi, and if you splurge for the spa pedicure you get 15 additional minutes in the massage chair. I've also learned to look to the little things for great distraction. For instance, I've never talked with my neighbors more or cleaned the house as much as I have while I've been procrastinating this journey of introspect.

So, all distractions aside I've headed to Florida for a vacation with ME!

I grew up in the lovely beach town of Sarasota, and up until about a week ago I could say my mom lived there. I've been out of SRQ now for over 7 years but every time I go "home" there are just some constants I can guarantee.

Well, this trip has been everything but constant. I showed up to an empty house, that at this point just holds memories. I drove around what might as well be a deserted town, as most all my friends and family are no longer there. And I ordered to-go from the local chinese restaurant like I was a stranger in a familiar place.

As I went to pick up dinner, there was a storm rolling in. It seemed very metaphorical for this time in space. The fortune inside the cookie could not have been more dead on. So I took some time in the emptiness to seek out art and let my mind wonder to a place of complete creativity.

This journey has been all sorts of wonderful, and I'm not even half way through. I have a big trip on the horizon for the summer and a renewed desires to make it my own. Stay tuned for details in the near future;)