Ingrid Damiani [documentary photography]

Sisters

2011-12-16T14:17:00.001-11:00

to see more, please visit my new blog.

more Yoga Series...

2011-11-17T11:25:00.001-11:00

Please visit my new blog to see new photographs from my yoga series....

Photographing families...

2011-10-25T03:54:00.000-11:00

see the full post on my new blog:

www.IngridDamiani.com/blog

Ahoy Matey! on new blog...

2011-10-12T02:05:00.001-11:00

www.IngridDamiani.com/blog

Amy and Mathew on my new blog...

2011-10-07T15:14:00.002-11:00

www.IngridDamiani.com/blog

The Adventure of Being Alive

2011-10-02T05:18:00.000-11:00

New post on my new blog: www.IngridDamiani.com/blog

It's new personal record!

2011-09-24T04:57:00.001-11:00

I am finally catching up on my blog posts on my new blog....I just posted three weddings from the spring:

Renee and Richard

Meredith and Rob

and
Lee and John

To see more images from these weddings, please head on over to my brand new website and blog:

www.IngridDamiani.com

Brand new blog and website!

2011-09-22T01:24:00.004-11:00

I am so happy to introduce a project I've been working on since January: my very own custom designed website and blog. Please visit me at IngridDamiani.com to see my new site and access my new blog.

Brunet-Garcia's inspired marketing pieces for One inThree

2011-09-01T12:28:00.000-11:00

Brunet-Garcia ROCKS! One of the many exciting parts of photographing the One in Three portraits was working with this team, so dedicated and passionate about engaging our community in a conversation about education. I love the branding they created! If you look at the new digital billboard on I-95 you might get a glimpse of the One in Three announcement.

Here's a link to their website with photographs of all of the marketing pieces they created to accompany this initiative:

http://www.brunetgarcia.com/client/one-by-one/branding/

One in Three Exhibition is up at the Cummer Museum

2011-08-16T11:13:00.011-11:00

If you have been around me in the past year, you have probably heard me talk about the One in Three project I've been working on (click here to ready a description of the project).

Since September, I have been working side by side with the Jacksonville Public Education Fund to create portraits of twenty Duval County High School students which are now on exhibit at the Cummer. This project has impacted me in many ways: it reignited my love of using traditional film cameras and it pushed me to create images larger than I imagined I could (5 feet by 4 feet). But most of all, it helped me see that the actions needed to change the direction of a life are do-able. Each of these students attributes their ability to overcome the challenges in their lives to the loving attention of one adult-- a parent, a teacher, a pastor, a mentor, a friend. I am so excited to begin mentoring this fall.

Over the next few weeks, I will be profiling some of these students and their stories on my blog. I was overwhelmed by their generosity of spirit, their willingness to share themselves and their stories. And I was struck by their hopefulness about the future.

Last night, Hope McMath, director of the Cummer Museum, invited me and my family to tour the exhibit which was installed at the end of last week. What a thrill it was after so many months of work to finally see my finished pieces on the wall.

I am so proud of this project and feel so priveleged to work beside the team at JPEF who care so much about improving the lives of teenagers in our community and to have my work presented so beautifully through the designs of Brunet-Garcia, I also feel incredibly blessed to live in a city which is home to a museum like the Cummer whose staff, led by Hope McMath, are committed to using art to inspire the best in us.

I hope you will consider coming to the free community opening of this exhibition on September 13 from 4-8 at the Cummer and learn about ways you can impact the quality of education for Jacksonville teenagers.

Yoga Series

2011-05-20T02:16:00.003-11:00

Graduation time...

2011-05-08T10:00:00.005-11:00

We've been spending a lot of time in Tallahassee the past six weeks as Jesse headed towards graduation from college. He'll be heading to Wisconsin to work on an MFA in poetry in the fall, so I've been bugging him and the people he's close to with my camera. A lot. It will be strange to have him so far away...but it's amazingly satisfying to see him so completely happy with his life.

Thank you to all of you clients who have been so patient with me during this busy and wonderful time in my life. You are the best!

Amelia {senior portraiture}

2011-04-20T01:24:00.006-11:00

I first met Amelia several years ago when I photographed her family at their beach house (http://ingriddamiani.blogspot.com/2008/01/in-memory-of-guy.html). One of the photographs from that day, the children spinning in a circle on the beach, is on my business card and framed in my studio. It is one of the photographs my clients all seem to love. What a pleasure it was for me to spend the afternoon with Amelia and her mom, Jill. It is such an enjoyable experience photographing teenagers I knew as children. I love how in some of these photographs, I can still see that playful 12 year old I met years ago...and in others I see the amazingly beautiful, strong and graceful woman she is growing into. Thank you, Amelia!

Tara and Brent {Wedding Commission--Ribault Club}

2011-04-19T01:06:00.018-11:00

Tara and Brent were married on a beautiful October afternoon and were surrounded by a wonderful group of loving friends and family.

new website and blog in the works

2011-04-16T15:29:00.004-11:00

In January, I attended a mind blowing artist professional development workshop through a very special non-profit, Creative Capital: http://creative-capital.org/pdp/about. This workshop was life changing in so many ways. I got to know some wonderful artists and have some very exciting collaborations planned with several of these artists.

It was also an opportunity to take a look at where I want to go as an artist, and what it takes to get there. One of the realizations I made was how important documentary projects are for me. I've never put the full force of my planning, imagination and dreaming towards that work, and yet, it is the heart of everything else I do.

As a result, I've been planning strategically towards that work. A big part of that effort at the moment is revising my website. I'm working with some amazing people to create a custom, integrated website and blog that will be easier to navigate, and that will allow me to show more fully some of the projects close to my heart.

I can't wait to launch it!

Traci and Shaun {wedding commission}

2011-04-03T09:33:00.007-11:00

Traci and Shaun were married last November at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. LOTS of fun and love at this wedding...it was such a joy for me to document this day for them! Traci's twin brother was her man of honor, and I must say he did a fine job of making sure her train was straight. Traci and Shaun know how to enjoy life--whenever I spend time with them, I walk away with a great big smile on my face. Traci, I am so glad you stumbled across my photos in Jacksonville Magazine and came to meet me. I am glad you are in my life!

Srujani's Grandparents Visiting from India

2011-03-31T03:41:00.003-11:00

Several years ago, I photographed Neha and Rahul's wedding. I loved photographing their wedding, and I especially enjoyed photographing all of the family that came in from India. Rahul's sister, Srujani, recently called and asked if I would come photograph her cooking with her grandmother and playing games with her grandfather while they were in town again. In addition to enjoying this wonderful family being together, I also enjoyed eating the delicious meal they prepared for Tim and me.

Musings, a few photographs and a poem

2011-03-20T04:07:00.017-11:00

I have been shooting A LOT the past two weeks. Normally my work has a rhythmic quality: photographing clients, meeting with potential clients, accounting, answering emails and calls, editing, designing books, photographing clients again, and so forth. But lately, my time has been completely absorbed in shooting. I very much appreciate all of you who have patiently waited for me to return calls and emails.

Here's a brief summary of the past seven days: I photographed Elizabeth and Alex's beachside wedding and adored being surrounded by their amazing loving family. The next day I photographed beautiful Allison and David from New York City on Fort George Island during their visit to finalize wedding plans for next October. I photographed three interesting and resilient teenagers for the One in Three project and I traveled to beautiful Ocala to photograph Srujani's grandparents, who were about to return to India after a month long visit. After photographing Srujani cooking delicious sweets with her grandmother, and her grandfather playing an Indian board game with his great grandchildren, they fed me the most delicious lunch. On Friday morning, I photographed artist and Next Gallery owner Sharla Valeski in a very cool fashion oriented shoot downtown and on Friday afternoon, I photographed Rachel, Ryan and their two year old daughter as they await the arrival of their second baby. Yesterday morning I photographed Bruce (on the eve of his 70th birthday) and his lively family, and yesterday afternoon, walked on the beach with Connor and Jamie and photographed them as they told the story of how they met and fell in love on the very same beach.

Today, as I pack to photograph Julie and Brian in St. Augustine, and I prepare to photograph a brand new baby tomorrow, I am struck by the astonishing beauty of human love. It is a powerful experience to be asked by families to come into their world and photograph what is most meaningful to them--it is sacred to me.

I am memorizing "Messenger", by Mary Oliver right now (she has captivated my attention lately), and it feels like it expresses so much better my feelings than I am able to.

Messenger, by Mary Oliver

My work is loving the world.

Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird

equal seekers of sweetness.

Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.

Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.
~ Mary Oliver

One in Three photography wins local ADDY Gold award

2011-02-23T07:18:00.008-11:00

For the past few months, I have been working in conjunction with the Jacksonville Public Education Fund on an incredible documentary portrait project called One in Three. I am photographing about twenty high school students who have succeeded despite staggering odds against them. These portraits will be 4 feet by 5 feet in size (BIG!) and exhibited at the Cummer Museum in the fall along with their stories printed on vinyl on the walls. The goal is to raise awareness of the staggering dropout rate in Duval County.

I am so proud of this project! I love the students I am meeting and so incredibly inspired by their stories and and also by the amazing adults in Jacksonville--ministers, teachers, volunteers who are making such a huge difference in the lives of students.

I just found out yesterday that my photography, which is used in the Sponsorship Kits that Brunet Garcia Advertising Agency designed was submitted for an ADDY and won GOLD! Woohoo! It now moves on to the state level. The photographs below show the brochure. I am so excited to share this project with you as it comes to fruition over the next few months.

Alligator Poem by Mary Oliver

2011-02-22T04:30:00.002-11:00

I knelt down

at the edge of the water

and if the white birds standing

in the tops of the trees whistled any warning

I didn't understand,

I drank up to the very moment it came

crashing toward me,

its tail flailing

like a bundle of swords,

slashing the grass,

and the inside of its cradle-shaped mouth

gaping,

and rimmed with teeth--

and that's how I almost died

of foolishness

in beautiful Florida.

But I didn't.

I leaped aside, and fell,

and it streamed past me, crushing everything in its path

as it swept down to the water

and threw itself in,

and, in the end,

this isn't a poem about foolishness

but about how I rose from the ground and saw the world as if for the second time,

the way it really is.

The water, that circle of shattered glass,

healed itself with a slow whisper

and lay back

with the back-lit light of polished steel,

and the birds, in the endless waterfalls of the trees,

shook open the snowy pleats of their wings, and drifted away,

while, for a keepsake, and to steady myself,

I reached out,

I picked the wild flowers from the grass around me--

blue stars

and blood-red trumpets

on long green stems--

for hours in my trembling hands they glittered

like fire.

Britt and Adam

2011-01-04T01:41:00.012-11:00

Here are a few of my favorites from Britt and Adam's beautiful June wedding. Britt loves Adam, and she loves pink.

Micaela at 18

2011-01-02T06:16:00.004-11:00

I have photographed Micaela since she was eight years old. It's hard to believe how fast she grew from a delightful child to a luminescent young woman.

Things to Think

2010-12-19T08:51:00.003-11:00

Someone wise and dear to me sent me this poem last week.

"Things to Think"

by Robert Bly

Think in ways you've never thought before,

If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message

Larger than anything you've ever heard,

Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.

Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,

Maybe wounded and deranged; or think that a moose

Has risen out of the lake, and he's carrying on his antlers

A child of your own whom you've never seen.

When someone knocks on the door, think that he's about

To give you something large: tell you you're forgiven,

Or that it's not necessary to work all the time, or that it's

Been decided that if you lie down no one will die."

my rapscallions!

2010-12-15T04:26:00.003-11:00

portrait

2010-12-11T08:12:00.003-11:00

I don't believe I will ever tire of photographing the human face. Each one is so different, expressive, beautiful.

2010-12-07T01:23:00.002-11:00

On my trip to Spain this summer, I loved learning about and seeing the work of so many Spanish painters and architects. As I begin to soak up the art, I feel I get such a better sense of the history and personality of a place. On this trip, I was delighted to stumble across the work of two Spanish documentary photographers.

I came across this book by Spanish photographer Fernando Maquieira in a bookstore at the Alhambra in Granada. This book caught my eye because it was a documentary collection of tourists encountering the Alhambra. Sometimes when I'm visiting a famous place, and trying to photograph it, I wish there weren't so many people around... But Maquierira actually incorporates the tourists into the place, making them a part of the story of the place. I purchased his book the day before we visited the Alhambra and found that his photographs enriched my perspective of place. Instead of trying to see the place in spite of the people, I began to observe the inhabitants as part of the place.

If you're interested, you can see more of his work here:
http://www.fernandomaquieira.com/index.php?/projects/anima/

Greg and Sarah

2010-12-03T04:25:00.007-11:00

I'm racing to get all of my 2010 weddings posted before the end of 2010. Here's another wonderful wedding from June! One of my favorite things about photographing weddings, is getting to see so many different families in action. Greg and Sarah were surrounded by so much love! And Greg's dance with his mother was one of the best mother/son dances I've ever seen! I love the look on Greg's father's face as he watches them together.

Mandar and Madeline

2010-12-01T01:14:00.009-11:00

Two beautiful ceremonies, an amazing reception celebration with Indian music and delicious Indian food and one beautiful summer day! Thank you to my INCREDIBLE team for your help in capturing Mandar and Madeline's wedding day!

Diana and Jonathan

2010-11-29T14:56:00.046-11:00

Diana had so much fun planning her wedding, she now coordinates weddings at Keeler Farm. She did a great job creating a beautiful, comfortable setting for her guests to celebrate.

Caroline and Luke

2010-10-24T01:31:00.008-11:00

I finally am having a little time to catch up on my blog. Here is a beautiful wedding from April.

Collector's Choice Exhibition

2010-09-18T09:06:00.007-11:00

Another project that kept me busy this past spring, was a series documenting Jacksonville art collectors. The series accompanied a collector's exhibition at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. The curator and director of the Cummer interviewed gave each collector the choice of which pieces to show in the exhibition and interviewed the collectors about the role of art in their lives. I photographed the collectors during this conversation about art. One of the fascinating parts of this project for me was seeing the large variety of art collected right here in Jacksonville. We met with collectors of Renoir paintings, modern sculpture, Shaker furniture, African masks and photography, and pottery made by African American slaves. Another interesting part of this project for me was that I was shooting this concurrently with the Off the Grid series--such an interesting juxtaposition of artists creating art and their impact on a community and those who collect and value that art.

complete simplicity

2010-06-28T01:36:00.010-11:00

For me words and photographs go hand in hand. They inform each other for me. They are both ways I explore meaning in my life. These words, excerpted from The Four Quartets move me. I seek this condition of complete simplicity he describes, complete presence. And occasionally I find it. Sometimes this is how I feel when I create a photograph I really love--like I'm discovering something familiar, something I've known all along.

"With the drawing of this Love and the voice of this Calling

We shall not cease from exploration 
And the end of all our exploring 
Will be to arrive where we started 
And know the place for the first time. 
Through the unknown, unremembered gate 
When the last of earth left to discover
 Is that which was the beginning; 
At the source of the longest river 
The voice of the hidden waterfall 
And the children in the apple-tree 
Not known, because not looked for 
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness 
Between two waves of the sea. 
Quick now, here, now, always—
 A condition of complete simplicity
 (Costing not less than everything) 
And all shall be well and
 All manner of thing shall be well
 When the tongues of flame are in-folded 
Into the crowned knot of fire
 And the fire and the rose are one."
--T.S. Eliot

love

2010-06-26T05:14:00.004-11:00

Life has been moving fast for me lately. Rachel's end of high school activities, graduation and prom, seeing Jesse off to a summer in Spain, enjoying David and Tim and adjusting to the way our home is changing as one more child leaves for college, three weddings in June, meeting new babies, spending time with couples expecting babies, lots of wonderful non-profit work.

I've been feeling like Lucy in the chocolate factory trying to keep up with all the sweet events, people, moments flying towards me. Lots of opportunity to practice mindfulness. When I take a deep breath and pause for a moment to really see, I am once again amazed by and grateful for this beautiful life. Thank you for reading my blog; thank you for allowing me a place to share my thoughts and my photographs. In my usual way, I am behind on sharing my favorite images from the work I've been doing...it's a balance between giving my full attention to the one in front of me and reflecting on the experiences my work brings me. More to come, I promise.

off the grid

2010-05-05T14:17:00.016-11:00

For a good part of March and April, I worked on a project with the Cultural Council documenting Off the Grid, a program which matches artists with downtown spaces. It was an amazing experience being present as these artists worked, and also feeling the wonderful energy of their spaces during Art Walk. Jacksonville has such a talented group of artists. Thank you, Amy Crane, for giving me the opportunity to see the good work they do up close. Here, in no particular order, are just a few of my favorites. If you'd like to see a larger collection, feel free to click on the slide show at the end of this post.

Link to slide show

prom

2010-05-03T03:48:00.006-11:00

Rachel...still 17 for a few more days...

brothers

2010-05-01T05:14:00.005-11:00

Audrey loves photography and has commissioned several different photographers to photograph her sons over the years. When she calls me, she's looking for a documentary collection of images about a certain experience of growing up. Several years ago, I photographed both boys when they had missing front teeth (you can see one of the images on my website--a black and white photograph of a boy laughing with his mom). Now the oldest boy is becoming a teenager, and she asked me to capture the crossroads. I love photographing this family--they have so much fun together.

Jude's World

2010-05-01T04:52:00.009-11:00

Page and Jordan {wedding commission}

2010-04-30T05:08:00.005-11:00

Here, at last, is another lovely wedding I photographed in January....

I first met Page when I photographed her sister, Emily's wedding two years ago. I always enjoy photographing friends and family members of clients. Each time, I get to know the family better. Emily and Page's father was still with us at Emily's wedding, and all of us could feel his loving presence at Page's wedding.

Cara and Carlos {Boca Grande, Florida}

2010-04-30T05:01:00.004-11:00

Here are a few of my favorites from Cara and Carlos' January wedding in Boca Grande.

twenty-one

2010-04-28T05:52:00.003-11:00

Dear Jesse,
Twenty one years ago, today, you were born, and I became a mother. Twenty-one years ago today, I met one of the most wonderful human beings a person can hope to meet. Twenty-one years ago, your dad and I held you for the first time, and our lives changed forever.

You brought with you energy, intensity, enormous intelligence, passion, more passion, wonderment, curiosity, and lots and lots of laughter. With you, I learned about dinosaurs and monkeys and wild things, and I learned that every truck has its own name and that it is possible for a person to watch a truck at work for an hour. I learned the power of art to calm and center the soul; I learned about emotional intelligence so I could teach you.

You taught me about the importance of play. You taught me that I am not in control of life. Being your mother helped me to learn that life is so much more magical when you let it unfold in its natural way...that one of the secrets to happiness is letting go of my thoughts of how life SHOULD be, how people should be, and instead learn to SEE how things are and learn how to allow myself to respond naturally to the beauty of life just as it is.

Two weeks ago, I sat next to you and watched your first film in a packed university theater. I could feel the energy pouring out of you; you greeted your friends with joy and laughter; you were grinning with excitement from ear to ear as the film you and your friends had labored over was shown. In that moment, you who have become so calm and grounded, I could see you at 3 bursting with instatiable excitement about life, unstoppable.

You are wonderful. I am so thankful to be a witness to your life. Happy birthday, Jesse!

Courtney and Lance {wedding}

2010-03-18T06:02:00.017-11:00

Whew! I am behind on my blog posts! I've been enjoying my amazing clients, visiting colleges with my daughter who will graduate from high school this year, trying to keep up with Jesse and his travels, and photographing some interesting projects for the Cummer Museum and the Cultural Council of Jacksonville. The one thing that seems to suffer is my updates on the blog. So here, at last are some of my favorite images from Courtney and Lance's January wedding. I love going back through their photographs. They were so much fun and were so happy on their wedding day. It was wonderful watching the joy on the faces of their friends and family on their wedding day. Thank you, Courtney and Lance, for inviting me to document your beautiful wedding. I can't wait for their album to come in. Courtney picked one of my new leather covers. I may not want to let go of her album. Thank you also to my team for this wedding, Christy Pellicer and Jaime Smith. You guys rock!!!

In memory of Mary : November 11 to February 21, 2008

2010-02-22T12:23:00.004-11:00

Bailey and Larry {a very happy wedding commission}

2010-01-07T12:42:00.014-11:00

Jamie and Scott

2009-12-30T03:30:00.007-11:00

Jamie

2009-12-29T12:05:00.004-11:00

Crown Graphic Camera

2009-12-29T10:13:00.004-11:00

Three years ago, my father gave me an old Crown Graphic camera for Christmas. He had purchased it at a salvage sale at Tulane and lovingly refinished it for me. I love old cameras and have collected quite a few. This one is by far my favorite... and it has been calling my name. But I have been swamped and, quite frankly, intimidated by the bellows, the film holders, which have to be individually loaded with sheets of 4x5 film, focusing on ground glass. But I have been eyeing December and my calm shooting schedule as a good time to begin learning this camera. I am interested in creating a series of portraits with it. I am curious to see how the process of slowing down, releasing the shutter with a cable release (after metering, carefully focusing, closing the shutter, inserting the film holder, removing the film slide) affects my relationship with the person in front of the camera. Last week, my son Jesse and Maggie, one of my interns ( who just finished a semester-long course on large format photography at SCAD ) headed up to my studio to learn and experiment. I just picked up the processed film today. And even though these first two shots are far from perfect, I have to say I LOVE FILM! I'm not saying I love film more than digital. But there is something special about film that digital just can't quite imitate.

So, even though I have weddings and portrait sessions waiting to be posted here on my blog, I am posting these two beginning shots. As always, Jesse is a patient and entertaining model.

so thankful!

2009-12-01T03:09:00.004-11:00

It's way more nerve wracking watching Rachel play now, knowing how easy it is to get injured. But it is SO much fun seeing her out on the court again! She has worked so hard to rehab her knee after surgery. One of the best things about watching her play now, is how much joy she takes in playing. As I go through the many photographs I try to take to get a few decent shots, I love seeing how often her eyes twinkle as she plays. Thank you to all of you who asked about her and kept her in your thoughts and prayers as she went through surgery and physical therapy.

Sisters {portrait commission}

2009-11-19T13:44:00.005-11:00

family portrait commission

2009-11-19T13:41:00.002-11:00

Emily {senior portrait commission and 3 generations}

2009-11-19T13:39:00.001-11:00

Sarah and Raj {Wedding Commission--Korean, Indian and Christian Ceremony}

2009-11-11T12:49:00.008-11:00

Diana and Jonathan {engagement}

2009-11-11T12:46:00.004-11:00

A Pirate and a Princess

2009-10-28T05:26:00.013-11:00

Sarah and Raj {engagement}

2009-10-25T05:35:00.005-11:00

Claire and Kiley {wedding commission--North Carolina mountains}

2009-09-29T10:45:00.015-11:00

I always enjoy seeing a couple LOVING their wedding day. Claire and Kiley love the outdoors and their friends. Even the non-stop rain couldn't dampen their happiness. They enjoyed every minute of their wedding day, savoring the mountains they love, their time with each other and having lots and lots of fun with friends. They got married in a tiny old church up nestled away in the mountains. Their reception was a blast. Midway through the reception, wigs started flying and the fun was on. I think Claire had over 5 different looks--that is her with the white afro wig on. That's also her doing ONE HANDED PUSH UPS in her wedding dress and heels. What a woman!

Nichole {senior portrait commission}

2009-08-11T05:31:00.006-11:00

Blair and Peter {wedding commission}

2009-08-10T14:34:00.009-11:00

full of life

2009-08-09T05:08:00.003-11:00

Susan and Mark

2009-08-07T03:09:00.005-11:00

Susan is an amazing interior designer. She has such a good eye for creating a soulful space. She and her husband love running, swimming and hanging out on their dock with their dogs and cats.

"On with the dance!...

2009-08-06T09:56:00.006-11:00

Let joy be unconfined." --Lord Byron

Brian and Elizabeth {wedding commission}

2009-08-06T00:48:00.006-11:00

2009-08-05T03:49:00.000-11:00

Courtney {senior portrait commission}

2009-08-04T23:54:00.005-11:00

as I edit thousands of photographs of...

2009-08-04T15:43:00.006-11:00

all of the amazing people I've been photographing--babies and teenagers, families, couples, weddings, faces for corporations-- I can't help but be in awe of the beauty in a human face. I come home from a long day of photographing people...and I begin to sort through the images and feel myself come alive with excitement as I notice all the nuances and details--so many varieties of expression. I've said it so many times, but what I'm looking for isn't a beautiful setting or a pretty face. What I'm after, ALWAYS, is what feels real and authentic and true about someone. I feel like I'm always on this quest to know a person, to see who they are. Because what I know to be true is we are all lovely at our core, and it is at our core where our deepest beauty resides.

Aquarium

2009-08-04T09:16:00.006-11:00

enjoying my studio with a very cool kid

2009-07-01T03:54:00.006-11:00

Jesse agreed to be my guinea pig before he left for Spain. He allowed me to try out some different lighting set-ups in my studio in preparation for a series of portraits commissioned by Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. I am finding, ever so slowly, that I really love the atmosphere of photographing portraits in a studio. I love the warmth and light in my studio, and I love the way it creates a quiet space to connect with a person. I am also enjoying the simplicity of a blank wall or drape.

Jesse is mostly a very good model. On this day, he was a little sleepy after staying up late into the night editing. But his sleepiness probably helped him stand still longer. Jesse is normally full of energy and boisterous, CONTAGIOUS laughter. He is also very knowledgeable about lighting because of his own love of film making. I am very happy with these portraits of Jesse at 20. Next time, I'll try to get his uproarious side.

David before braces

2009-06-27T05:08:00.007-11:00

My children are an enormous source of inspiration for me. It was my love for them and their unique ways of expressing themselves that taught me about photographing a person. I knew that I wanted to study more than just how they looked--I wanted to be able to document those distinct facets of their personalities, to observe how the ways they moved in the world as babies evolved into their interests and expressiveness in the world as adults. As I've become busier photographing clients, I find I am having to make a concerted effort to continue photographing them.

Here are some pictures of David the day before he got braces. David is such an interesting person (see my first blog entry, which was about him). He is methodical, reasonable, clear minded, curious. One of my most favorite qualities about David is that he loves music. I mean he REALLY loves music. He recently took a school trip to Washington, DC and put everything from rock to pop to country to classical to jazz on his iPod. He also loves to sing. It's a great quality, that joy of music. The challenge is, he is REALLY tone deaf, and readily acknowledges the facts. But that doesn't stop him from singing. When he hears a song he likes, or when a song he loves pops into his head, he sings with gusto. In these photos he is singing songs from Ray LaMontagne's Gossip in the Grain album. He LOVES the album. I think the songs he is singing in these photos are "You are the best thing!" and "Hey Me, Hey Mama!"

If I am having a stressful day, and the image of him belting out a song he loves with utter joy, and way out of tune, comes to my mind, I can't help but smile.

Hope Haven Children's Clinic

2009-06-22T02:06:00.005-11:00

Katherine and Nate

2009-06-12T05:06:00.006-11:00