I Had an Amazing Thanksgiving Weekend, How About You?

A portion of the SF skyline. This photo has nothing to do with this blog post. I just liked it. Shot on film, Fuji Acros 100.

Seriously, it was pretty epic. Aside from the new recipe I tried out that almost poisoned everyone (how was I supposed to know that two tablespoons of ground pepper is totally different from two tablespoons of cracked pepper? Apparently, it's a lot spicier) and the bear that made its way into the house it was a very relaxing weekend.

We sat around, ate pie for breakfast, wished for snow, and went for not-too-strenuous walks. And did I mention the pie for breakfast? Mmmmm .  .  .

Certainly, one of the highlights was when a baby bear wandered into the foyer while we were barbecuing one evening. We all banged on pots and pans to scare it (and probably its lurking mama bear) off, but really I just wanted to invite it in and pet it. So fluffy! And definitely fat enough to survive the winter.

So yeah, it was a wonderful weekend. And now it's hard to get back to the daily grind (witness how long it took me to write a blog post about the weekend). I hope you all had an equally relaxing time.

Street Cats

Saw these two in Zanzibar.

Christmas Cards!

It's become a bit of a tradition now, I guess, and I'm certainly not one to complain. What started off innocently last year as a marriage between a dress-up party and a photoshoot seems destined to continue, with each year getting a little crazier than the last! What can I say, Barrie and Ed certainly seem to know how to have a good time!

This year, we added new roommates John and Seth to the mix. They got into the mood in no time flat.

Of course, furry family members Killer and Lupe were included (whether they really wanted to be or not - thanks for your patience, Killer!). And Maggie and Megan joined again.

What we ended up with was almost too much holiday spirit to be contained in one room! Luckily it was a pretty big room.

And of course, I couldn't help but leave you with another shot of the furballs.

*Want your own Christmas/Holiday card photoshoot? It isn't too late to get it all done before the holidays! Contact me to plan it out!*

How I Feel About Film Right Now

Kodak Tri-X

This photograph almost perfectly illustrates my current feelings about shooting film (you know, that floppy plastic tape-like stuff). When I saw these heart-shaped leaves while we were in Africa I visualized what a great image they would make: the lighter new leaves against the background of the older leaves, a gentle arc, and as always, three is a powerful number in a photograph. So I took the picture and I waited to see the result.

And when I did, I'll admit I was a little underwhelmed. For me, part of the problem (maybe the whole problem) is certainly the black and white - in real life these leaves were such a vibrant green, and of course that doesn't translate at all in this image. But what's also missing for me is the detail that was present in the original. All the veins and texture that were present in the leaves themselves are nowhere in this photo. And I think that's the other part of the problem, the fact that I'm not familiar enough with the film I'm using to know what it's going to photograph well and what it's not.

So far, I'm not a big fan of Tri-X, even though I know that many other photographers swear by it. Fuji Acros, on the other hand, I absolutely loved almost all the shots from the one roll I've used of it so far.

So black and white continues to kind of elude me. And so whenever I stick a roll of it in my camera, my film shooting speed crawls to a standstill. I feel like it's very subject specific - great for people, patterns of light and shadow, cityscapes, and unpredictable for other uses, such as landscapes or, for example, photos of leaves.

So I guess I'm kind of asking a question here. Does anyone else out there shoot film? Black and white film? And if you do, do you have any insights?

I'm all ears here.

Blue, Blue Sky

I hope you're all enjoying this day after Thanksgiving, whether sprawled on comfortable sofas, or off on an adventure, or braving the shopping malls (better you than me!).

This weekend is the perfect time to sit back and look around and realize how great our lives really are - how lucky we are to have friends, family, clean air and water, and the freedom to change our own lives and make our own choices. Also (from time to time) blue skies! This really was the color of the sky a couple of weeks ago in the Mission district of San Francisco.


Nothing better than a blue sky, am I right?

I'm So Thankful For . . .

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Yeah, he's pretty great.

My wonderful husband
My two adorable and rambunctious cats
My warm, safe, beautiful house
Hot water showers
Hot coffee with steamed milk in the morning
A glass of red wine in the evening
Clean water to drink at any time
All the opportunities I have had to travel
My amazing, amazing friends, who continue to amaze and inspire me
A warm bed at night
Fresh fruit in season
Carbonated drinks
The amazing, vibrant city we live in
Good smells
YOU, my wonderful, fantastic blog readers and commenters
My AMAZING clients - thanks to all of you!
And so much more!