maui | part three

visits with old friends.meeting new friends. lunch and shopping at the super cool town of paia. gin and tonics with cucumber and mint. photo session on fleming beach. steve... kite boarding lessons. times two. early morning snorkeling at molokini crater. clear water. lots of fish, an eel and seven sea turtles. an incredible last-night's dinner at nick's fish house. and through it all, i feel so blessed to have experienced the most amazing reconnection with my husband. i never want to forget our time spent together in maui.

steve, thank you for loving me!!

and now... on to vail, for the awesome NAPCP retreat.  so excited to be speaking on the 27th.

maui | part II

yesterday was spent in west maui.  lots of hiking and driving, which in an open-top jeep is awesome at first but by hour seven, you can barely feel your face and even with SPF 45 (applied multiple times), you are sunburnt.  but really, who's complaining. our first stop was julia's shack, where we bought banana bread, taro chips and coconut candy.  all of which are so darn good (i can't stop eating the coconut candy).  then we came across this sign, which i yelled, "wait. stop.  back up.  i need a picture of that sign.".  driving through a certain part of west maui, there are a lot of one lane roads, which again totally scared the crap out of me.  you'll be driving, turn a corner and there, directly in front of you is a car, going in the opposite direction.  no way to go for one of the cars, except backwards, because if you pull over to the side, you'll be rolling down the mountain cliff.

anyways... i just had to get a picture of this sign.  steve and i never had a honeymoon.  we were instant family.  then separated for six months because of the AF-navy thing.  once together, we had a baby (skyler) a month later.  nine months after that, i was pregnant again and steve deployed, returning a couple weeks before ryder was born.  so, we talk about how this trip to hawaii is our 8-year honeymoon.  and yes...falling in love (all over again) rocks.  i'll definitely be printing and framing this photo for our house.

we also came across this cross along the way, in this open field along the ocean's edge.  the area wasn't really accessible.  such an incredible sight.  sadly, i don't think photos do this area justice.

hike 1 | iao needle (hawaiian god of the ocean):  a beautiful area but pretty touristy.  amazing history though.  we went hiking (off the paved path) for quite a ways, but not knowing where the trail went or how long it was, we eventually decided to turn around, making the hike beautiful but pretty anti-climactic.  i think the coolest part of the hike was seeing some of the local kids having a blast, swimming in the stream.

hike 2 | the ovilene pools:  so cool!!  we hiked down a small-ish, rocky mountain to get there.  there's these pools of water there.  one of them being deep enough to swim in, which we did.  there was a dad and his son there.  the boy was snorkeling and his dad fishing.  the dad had interesting stories to share about the pools (one of them being a story about a man, who was severely injured when a massive wave barreled him over, resulting in a mangled body and multiple broken bones).  but the place was absolutely amazing.  i wish i had my underwater camera there but it's just too big to hike with (especially down a mountain of lava boulders).  you can see the boy and his dad in the photo below.  the swimming pool is the one directly to the right of them.

hike 3 | nakalele blowhole:  another pretty spectacular site.  and another pretty good hike down a small-ish mountain.  there's a few signs along the way about the dangers of the blowhole and how dave potts got sucked in and lost his life. and OMG...little did i know (until i just googled it right now) that the incident just happened...about a week ago.  how sad and how terrible!!

and if you walked just a bit from the blowhole and turned the corner, there was this heart formation in the rocks.  we initially thought someone had to carve the hole, but looking at it, it didn't look that way.

after our visit to the blowhole, wind and sun burnt, we decided to head home.  tonight, i am so looking forward to a family session on west maui.

note to self:  next trip to hawaii, bring and wear hiking / water shoes.  the converse / barefoot thing is doable, but not always easy.

maui | part I

we arrived in maui TUESDAY afternoon.  photo session that evening.  and dinner with awesome (new) friends, who were visiting maui, from denver.  lucky for me, i get to see them again next week, while in CO for the NAPCP retreat that leah and i are speaking at.

WEDNESDAY was an admin type of day, for most of the day.  that afternoon, once everything was done, we drove out to this interesting area on the SW edge of the island, where in 1790 the lava exploded, after hitting the ocean. the phenomenon created this area looks like freshly tilled dirt except it is actually rock hard lava.  the trail we had been hoping to walk was closed; however, we did find another awesome trail that walked along the ocean's edge. there, we saw two wild goats that were standing on a lava rock cliff that jutted out into the ocean. from this land of broken-up lava rock to the random goats, it was all a bit surreal.

THURSDAY: we got up at 3 AM and drove to the top of haleakala (a 10,000 foot mountain) to view the most amazing (yet painfully windy and cold) sunrise ever. the entire horizon was clouds and as the sun rose, the clouds lit up like the filament of a lightbulb.  there was also a few locals, who sang a beautiful ceremonial chant.  truly a breathtaking moment to witness, but i have to say...i don't think i have ever been so cold.  we went home, took a nap and chilled most of the afternoon.

after dinner, we went snorkeling at a nearby area, where i almost drowned and was attacked by a shark (i mean a rock).  it really was quite comical.  but we did see a couple sea turtles, which was awesome.  steve got this photo (i could barely handle myself, let alone a huge camera).

YESTERDAY: we followed the road to hana (north side of the island).  along the way, we stopped to do various hikes.  each...absolutely majestic!!

hike 1 | puohokamoa falls:  this hike was pretty tough because we took it further than most do.  the falls were far away, but so beautiful.

hike 2 | punalau falls:  this was probably our favorite spot of the day.  we hiked through this dry stream of boulders, which ended in this pool of water.  the falls weren't much yet still amazing.  it was our own private waterfall and pool.

hike 3 | three bears falls:  pretty easy, short hike (all except the first few steps), leading to three incredible side-by-side falls.  there were quite a few people at these falls because they're easily seen from the road.

hike 4 | pua'a ka'a state park:  a super muddy hike.  towards the end, you have to walk along and across this viaduct on a platform that is about 1-1/2 feet wide.  as long as i didn't look down, i was just fine.

on our way out of hana, we stopped at red sands beach (wish i took a picture, but i was drained by this time).  the hike there scared the shit out of me because it was on the edge of the cliff and i had no traction on the dirt / sand (thanks to the chucks i was wearing).  we also stopped at hamoa beach, where steve did some bodysurfing.  by this time, i was really exhausted and simply enjoyed relaxing on the beach, while steve bodysurfed.

after hamoa beach, we continued driving south, which also scared the shit out of me -- super windy, narrow roads (most could not fit two cards side-by-side, without going up on the edge of the mountain side a bit).  also, most of the road was dirt and super bumpy.  i don't get car sick and towards the end, i did think about it.

all in all, the day was beyond spectacular, starting out at 7:30 AM and arriving in paia at 7:30 PM, for an incredible dinner of flatbread and salad (everything local, fresh and organic).  oh yea -- the cucumber, mint gin and tonic was pretty darn awesome too.  will definitely make that when back home.

today, we head to the west side, for more hiking and exploring.

the story of a charming girl

this is the story of a charming girlshe laughs out loud, sings off key and believes in taking chances she is quick and curious and playful and strong she lets her imagination run away with her she has never been one to stick to convention she is fond of daydreams that taker her places she can order a cocktail in six different languages she feels that understated is overrated

i love this video. i love the song in this video.

thanks for the share rosie.

steve, i will never love you more.** and i know... you love me more than everything.

** because i already love you more than everything too.

p.s. i really long for a (working) vintage typewriter. preferably orange or turquoise.

upcoming travel

here we go...i'm off and running.

flying. really. departing early morning tomorrow, traveling the rest of the month. i've always longed to travel. love that we move every few years. so while things are busy and a bit crazy, i'm super excited about my upcoming travels. and really... who wouldn't be excited about NINE DAYS in MAUI!

there are still sessions available in the following locations this month:

MAUI -- july 13-20 DENVER -- july 22-24

i also am looking for some older kids, to do some underwater photography, while in maui: ages 6 and older must be comfortable in the water must be willing to sign a model release complimentary session all edited images available for purchase

sessions are also still available for my september travels:

SAN DIEGO -- september 5-7 NYC -- september 9-11 CHICAGO -- september 16-19

and i'm thinking of heading to the NEW ENGLAND area september 12-14.

please email, if interested in a session at any of the above locations.

H2O love

be careful what you water your dreams with.water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream. - lao tzu

here i am in tampa. trying to get my business going. not easy task. uninspired by the landscape. missing the open fields. and the trees. wondering if i'll find my way here. knowing deep within that i'm on the right path. yet still struggling.

i've had the most incredible opportunities that wouldn't have been possible if i was swamped with client sessions. i know i'm right where i'm supposed to be, yet i yearn to be inspired with tampa and it's landscape. and today, it happened. that spark has been reignited and is burning bright.

i received my underwater housing today and tested it out a bit this afternoon, in my backyard pool. and i can't even begin to tell you how excited i am about the possibilities.  about the future. the adventure has just begun.

i will be bringing my housing with me, to hawaii (for the next nine days), to continue testing it out. i still have TONS to learn and luckily have a cooperative subject, who can hold his breath way longer than i can (my husband).

YES...i'm exactly where i'm supposed to be. and i'm dreaming big. really big (although i'm really sore and my shoulder and back are killing me. not sure if it's crossfit or heavy housing related.).

i'm so optimistic about the future, i can barely stand it.  more super big news coming soon!!

life's like a movie

life's like a movie,write your own ending... keep believing, keep pretending; we've done just what we've set out to do, thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you! - kermit the frog

spreading goodwill

Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags do not carry prayers to gods, a common misconception; rather, the Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Therefore, prayer flags are thought to bring benefit to all.

- wikipedia

when i was in wisconsin, i stayed at my dear friend, julie's house.  shortly after arriving, we had gone outside to look at julie's incredible garden and i noticed the prayer flags hanging from her front port.  later in the day, i mentioned how awesome it would be to have prayer flags at the fischer family's session (thinking maybe we could pick some up before the shoot).  the next thing i know...the prayer flags are down and ready to go with us to the shoot.

i absolutely love that we were able to have prayer flags with us at the fischer family's session.  i love it even more that they were worn from their days of dancing in the wind at julie's house.

i now long for prayer flags, to grace the front porch of my own house... prayer flags to flutter in the wind... prayer flags to bring good energy, luck and happiness... prayer flags to spread blessings and goodwill to those around.

i've been asking friends what they know about prayer flags and looking around.  while i'd love to make my own flags, i just know that that's not happening anytime soon.  so far, i've found...

these tibetan prayer flags, sold on amazon and here. or these prayer flags on etsy.  i'm a bit partial to the happiness-themed flags.

if you know a great place to purchase prayer flags or have any additional insight, i'd love to hear about it.

also, i just came across this PDF article on prayer flags, which i plan on reading later tonight.  seems like a great read.

ETA:  for anyone that might be offended because the prayer flags touched the ground, please know that at the time of these photos, i had no idea that prayer flags are not to touch the ground.  i had the absolute best of intentions in bringing them to the session and photographing them, with the fischer family.  i will never let that happen again, now that i am aware.

also, my friend, wendy, just shared this with me:

i do prayer flags with mighty girl...their flags fly to encourage the girls that come after them. i ripped an old white bed sheet into squares and give them fabric markers. http://mightygirlart.blogs​pot.com/2010/05/wind-horse​s-arriving.html

and after seeing this flag, created by nina beana, on the mighty girl art site... i'm feeling the strong need to make my own flags. a family project. designing, dreaming, gathering, creating, sewing...together as a family. my new (year old) sewing machine has been waiting for something like this, to finally make it's presence, from out of the box.  YES, our august pre-school project -- prayer flags.

i heart mr. fischer

i  think i met terri when i reached out to her about her dreads.  but i actually might have met her (pre-dreads) because of her wonderful film photography. can't really remember (because i have a terrible memory).  but i do know that we became friends on facebook.  i always knew she was special.  and then terri and julie came to visit me last year, in kansas. and our friendship has just continued to grow. yes, she really is that special...and more. a few weeks ago, terri shared the news that tom was diagnosed with a slow-growing follicular lymphoma. while slow-growing might sound better, it's actually not.  it means it's been around longer.  and often tougher to combat.  six rounds of chemo are in tom's immediate future.  he begins round two tomorrow.

as soon as i heard of tom's diagnosis, i knew i had to get out there, to photograph the fischer family.  to capture all the magic that they are.  i tried to get out there immediately after i heard but lots of factors prevented me from doing so. but last weekend, everything fell into place (much thanks to the women of the witches brew) and i was able to travel to wisconsin to photograph the fischer family.

i'm not really sure how to do justice to the amazing family that they are.  but i'm hoping that photos will show what i am not able to put into words...

I LOVE YOU FISCHER FAMILY!!

also, please check out terri's t-shirts, for sale on etsy. she's saving the money to send tom on a dream-come-true fly fishing trip in alaska...once he's in remission and has beaten this beast (like seriously kicked it's ass kind of beaten). we HAVE to believe that that is the way this will all end up, right?!!!

i'm a proud owner of both an "i heart mr. fischer" t-shirt and a goddess t-shirt.  it's obvious how cool the t-shirts are but they're also seriously great quality.  i love my t-shirts.

a special thanks to julie, who opened up her house to me, while in WI...and drove me everywhere.  you are such a magical soul.  thank you for your friendship.  thank you for everything.

p.s. cancer fucking sucks!!

are you my mother?

sweet baby bird so innocentso beautiful and wise the future rests within your sights hope fills your tiny eyes your body warmed by fluffy down shields your heart from the rain rest softly on the leaves of brown your life has much to gain. - jill eisnaugle

before i photographed the fischer family in wisconsin, i really wanted to meet tom and the kids. so sunday morning, we met at a park playground. i wasn't sure if i should, but decided to bring my camera with me to the playground. little did i know that there would be a couple of children there, with a sweet little baby bird.

while baby bird might have thought this fabulous nest of brown was the perfect fit, sadly it just couldn't be so. i'm not sure what happened to the baby bird but i sure hope he was able to make it to rest softly on leaves of brown.

more tomorrow on the fischer family and my special days shared with them.

i ♥ mr. fischer!!

the everyday

as much as i hate the mess, i absolute love and cherish my kids' imaginary play.  i think the littles learned it from their big sister.  she's the pro at it. although...they were watching sponge bob at the time of this photo.  hence, the not-so-imaginary trance.

yesterday, i was here, spending the day with this awesome friend.

tonight, i will be in the fields of wisconsin.  photographing a most incredible and magical family tomorrow.  can't wait, but i'm a wee bit nervous too.

unapologetically me

last night, i watched this documentary...

i've loved sally mann, from pretty much day one, of photography. i love her even more, since seeing her documentary. she's truly such an amazing artist. she makes no excuses. she photographs what she loves. what she is deeply connected to. what she is passionate about. her children. her husband. her animals. her land. and yes, death.

there was a time when i worried about what others thought about my work. but more and more every day, i feel that the work that i produce is unapologetically me. you can take it or leave it. but i'm passionate and proud of what i do and the photographs that i produce.

i almost ditched the above images.  i'm beyond thankful i didn't!!

i woke up to foggy windows.  couldn't stop thinking about them.  hours went by.  i looked and still foggy.  the moment was not only there, it remained. so i asked sky if she'd do just a couple photos with me --

it will be fast.  i promise.  you can stay inside.  you just have to look out the window.

so i shot a few photos.  maybe a minute.  five frames at the max.  and thought, oh well...i guess my creative spirit wasn't with me today. i was so frustrated that i almost deleted the photos right then and there.  but i didn't; i put my camera back in my bag.  a few days went by and i thought about formatting my card (deleting the above images) but didn't.  i uploaded them today and well...i LOVE the above photos of sky.  they are...unapologetically me.

p.s. i wonder if sally mann would allow me photograph her family? maybe one day, i could knock on her door and ask her. not sure how i'd find her house. who knows...maybe someday, somehow.

goodness, i love sally mann. always have. always will.

your problem is...

your problem is how you are going to spend this one and precious life you have been issued.whether you’re going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over circumstances or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are. - anne lamot

folly beach * smile *

two weeks ago, i met my friend, em, and her daughter, at folly beach, SC. a mini-vacation, of sorts. we went for the break. to have fun with our kids. but it was also so much more. it was a magical weekend of sharing, challenging, reflection and growth -- as friends.  as photographers. part of our time together was my photographing em. challenging her. challenging myself.

it's not often that i have the opportunity to photograph adults.  it's not often that em is in front of the camera.  last time i tried to photograph emily (when i did her family's photos about a year ago), all she could do was stand there and giggle.  of course, we did still end up with a few giggles because laughter is so much of who em is.  but we also ended up with so much more.

i hope that i never stop challenging myself. learning and growing and...exploring what's possible.  i hope that i can always say and truly believe that my journey in photography has only just begun!

my dream is to one day hook up with a model or two, makeup artist and stylist and see what happens.  i know it will happen...some day!!

thanks em for trusting me and allowing me to capture all the beauty that you are -- inside and out.  can't wait until the next time.  xo.

birthday party hangover

okay, so i should have posted this days ago.  but then this happened.  and that happened.  and it didn't get posted when it was supposed to. sky had a most-awesome birthday party, filled with...

screaming swimming crafting ramen noodles, hot dogs & pickles more screaming homemade vanilla cake dancing movie watching whispering and not sleeping

it was a fabulous day and evening -- one that i hope she'll never forget (especially since her actual birthday day was "the worst ever"...an eight-hour car ride home).

the gang...

the homemade vanilla cake...

the crafts...

the dancing (the bit about "i'm doing them a favor" kills me)...

the hangover...

hope you have an awesome EIGHT sky!!

do what you love

holy crap, this is so good!!

do what you love. do what you're about. and you will kill it. you will win. - gary vaynerchuk

thanks david duchemin for the awesome share.

p.s. i did see someone comment about the fact that sure this guy walked away from his wine business, but he probably did so as a millionaire.  regardless, he has a great message and is dynamic as hell.

strong and paranoid

vivian maier. the pre-production trailer is out -- a teaser of what is to come. and i so fricken can't wait till this documentary.

Trailer: Finding Vivian Maier from John Maloof on Vimeo.

she's a riddle. you don't know what is really behind everything. - maren baylaender

i love that. i can't wait to hear and learn more about her.  gives me chills to think about what she would think about all of this, if she was still alive.

have you seen...

courtney courtney? if you follow my facebook, you've probably noticed some courtney courtney posts recently.  that's because i love and support her product.  i have basically told her that i'll help her any way i can.

i've been wanting to blog about her for a while now and decided that it would be fun if i asked her some questions and let her speak for herself.  so here we go.  introducing the fabulous owner and designer of courtney courtney...

name: Courtney Anne Chu location: Chicago, IL age: 28

have you always loved to design and sew? No, but I have always loved making things.  Especially jewelry when I was little up until high school, then I began experimenting with textiles and silkscreens one summer in high school.  My only experience with sewing was home economics (is it still called that?) in 7th grade.  I got my first sewing machine after my first year of college.  Slowly I began experimenting with knits and got my serger which changed everything!

do you work alone or do you have a staff that assists you? No staff!  My mom and friend help me cut fabric sometimes (but they don’t live here) and my dad also enjoys hitting up the thrift stores :D I guess I’m just fast.  And I guess I’m a quick decision maker.

did you formally study fashion design?  if not, what did you study and where? Another no here, I studied Industrial Design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.  I did a summer pre-college program at Rhode Island School of Design, for textile design, so I think most of my interest in dyeing fabrics and silkscreening came from that.

how did you get started in designing upscaled children's clothing? It was more of a reaction to my full-time job.  As a designer you rarely get to see your designs 100% through to production.  My sewing allowed me to do that.  As my friends might know about me, I don’t really like to plan or set goals.  So the sewing at first was just a feeling of, I want to make this and I want to see a complete little dress.  Every little dress I try new things.  With my full-time job also in children’s fashion, I know what else is out there and what I like.  I am able to make what I do not see.

what is your inspiration, in designing your dresses?  what inspires you in general? Everything can be inspiration.  It’s kind of funny to think that when I see boring dresses I am inspired.  I do look at range of fashion, so that surely inspires me.  The fabrics of course play a huge part.  Knits have a little bit of wiggle room but you have to know how they behave.

I like a challenge, it seems lately that I like to see how I can pair fabrics and patterns that no one expects to see together.

I like to think the person who is buying the dress, the child who will wear the dress, will have something no one else will have.  Of course they will be comfortable cause it’s knit and it’s like wearing a tshirt, but they have on a special dress that no one else has, which is ready for any adventure.

have you thought of expanding into a physical or online store? I used to want a physical store, but then when would I sew!

I did the online store thing, but I spent so much time listing items only to be bought up immediately.

have you ever considered doing boy's or adult clothing? The issue here seems to be that I save my ‘boy’ fabrics for the girls.

And women are so picky about their bodies!

what does courtney courtney look like in five years?  in 10 years? Ha!  Someone asked me this before, and my response is the same. Ask me in 5 years, ask me in 10.

how can someone go about purchasing one of your dresses? Right now I offer my dresses through email.  So every other day or so, an email will go out to the sizes offered that day. http://eepurl.com/cgS2P Sign up here and make sure to select your size(s).

please share one thing you want everyone to know about you or you or your work. I never want my work to be anything but one-of-a-kind.

+++

i've tried to convince courtney that i'm not picky about my body, but she's not buying it and still not making adult clothing.  DARN!!

seriously though, i can't say enough about courtney and the clothing she designs and sews.  sky owns a number of dresses now and i've seriously considered dumping all of sky's clothes and just stocking up on nothing but courtney courtney.

and here are all the links for courtney courtney... mailing list, to view and purchase her dresses: http://eepurl.com/cgS2P blog: http://courtneychu.blogspot.com facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courtneycourtney.designs

never lose hope

a couple days ago, i wrote an article about giving back on the creative mama blog. today, i listened to her voice (see max mikulak post, third down) on the new york times. and i hope you'll take 2 minute and 38 seconds and listen too.

it's hard for me to believe that max passed away almost three years ago. i miss him.

please take some time to explore max's site.  and if you'd like to donate (every penny helps), you can do so here, on max's ring of fire.

in a week, i fly to wisconsin, to photograph a friend's family.  her husband is beginning his battle with lymphoma. he's in his thirties and they have four young children.  i can't wait to capture their magic and all that they are, as a family!!

please... give back and never lose hope.

fathers and statues

to all the fathers out there...i hope you have a most-fabulous day today!!

and here's to steve, who became an instant father when he met me.  he has always treated kiele like his own, while also respecting mike as her father.  and kiele was tough at first...she once told steve that he wasn't her stepdad; he was just her step.  while i'm sure it shook him, you would never have known.

once we were married, steve quickly became a father again. and again.

steve is not only an amazing father, but also an equally amazing husband. the kids and i are truly blessed!! happy father's day honey!!

and as if i haven't already blogged enough about SYTYCD.  well, i just can't help but blog this routine.  the first week and already a breathtaking routine.  and these two dancers just happen to be my favorites.  have been from the very beginning, for some reason.

goodness... just love...

i really think there's dance in my soul. i really wish that i was a dancer.  i really wish my mom didn't let me quit, as a young child (just because all they had us do were butterflies around the room on the first day and i wanted to do the real stuff). although i was probably stubborn as hell and told her that there was no way she was getting me back there.  and so my dance career came to an end after one day of butterflies.