This is Megan. She will be graduating next summer and hopes to become a vetenarian one day. She is as extraordinary on the inside as she is on the outside:  she loves animals (she has several fish tanks in her room!), adores her younger brother Wyatt, is best friends with her mother, is an awesome student, loves her community…and is as sweet as the day is long! For Megan’s senior shoot, we selected three different outfits to wear and photographed her both outside as well as inside of her home. She and her mom had laid out several wardrobe choices, complete with shoes and jewelry, which made our session more fun since we did not have to worry about what she was going to wear!

Thank you for the privilege of hanging out with you for a couple of hours, Miss Megan. It was a lot of fun:)

To view Megan’s slideshow, please click on this link: www.photoartbymarie.com/megan

 When you want to have fun outdoors and take some cool photos in the process, a great place to go is the beach. I recently spent an afternoon with Chausa and Daniel at Balboa Beach celebrating their engagement. They are going to be married in January ‘09 and could not wait to have images capturing their love for one another! I really love engagement shoots, it’s a great way for me to get to know couples such that by the time we get to the ceremony, we are old friends!

Here is the link to their engagement slideshow: www.photoartbymarie.com/danielandchausa

I love the wine country, it is one of the most scenic and romantic areas of the Inland Empire. I’m not sure how many wineries are here, but there are quite a few in the Temecula/Fallbrook area. There are wine tasting tours for those wanting to sample the local vintages and the Temecula Valley hot air balloon and wine festival in June is always a big draw. I must confess that I don’t know too much about wine but I do enjoy a good glass of cabernet with dinner:) My last visit to the wine country was a business trip, I was second shooting for my friend April who invited me to the gorgeous wedding of Heather and Jason at the Faulkner Winery.  It sits atop a hill so the view is extraordinary. The food was excellent and the staff very professional, I would recommend it highly.  Thank you Heather and Jason for the honor of sharing your day awesome day with you!

I have a beautiful, talented friend, her name is Jean. Jean recently married a wonderful man named John. Each has been married before, their children grown, both bring a lifetime of experiences and expectations to the table. There are probably lots of good reasons why people who have been married before do not want to do it again. It seems that the older we get, the list grows longer. Then something wonderful happens……we fall in love! Jean and John were married on 08/08/08 the luckiest date of the year, perhaps of a lifetime. I was not able to attend their wedding though I know it was beautiful. A couple of weeks ago, they found themselves in my part of the world–they live in Wisconsin–so we went out to the beach and played. And played! Seeing their love for one another warmed my heart–Congratulations you two. You are truly an inspiration!

Here is a link to their slideshow: www.photoartbymarie.com/jeanandjohn

Neither Jean nor John enjoy having their photo taken. I hope I changed their mind!

I usually have a lot of fun with my clients but I have to admit that none of them have ever tried to pick me up—literally! My crazy friend Jean thought she could do it, but found out she was wrong! LOL She is so silly!

There is a lot of talk these days about heroes. Usually, it’s a sports personality who hit the winning home run or someone with a noble profession such as a fireman, who risk their lives on a daily basis to save the lives of others. My hero is not flashy and not too many people have ever heard of him but to many of us, he is the greatest man on earth. He is my father. Today, we celebrated my daddy’s 82nd birthday in a quiet  unassuming way which defines him. Yes, I am a daddy’s girl, but then, so are my other two sisters. Unlike the traditional daddy’s girl, we were not spoiled with lavish gift and allowed to get away with murder, though we tried! No, his way of spoiling us was to give us the most precious and scarce of commodities; his time. My dad has always been there for us, no matter what. I have never heard him say that he would rather be somewhere else, or be something else other than what he was, the head of five rambunctious kids and husband to  a beautiful but high maintenance wife.

My father came from nothing, growing up in a house with dirt floors. With the help of the GI Bill, he was able to go to college, the only member of his family to do so, and became a chemical engineer. Through his guidance and abundant love and support, all of my five brothers and sisters have college degrees, three of us have masters degrees.   Although he is the biological father of only five of us, he has mentored countless others, teaching them his gentle and thoughtful ways of solving problems.

These days find my daddy taking care of my mother who suffered a stroke last October. It would be easier for him to have others take care of her but he refuses, insisting on doing it himself, a physically and emotionally draining job for someone half his age. Every morning he goes for a walk with his faithful dog “Patches” and once a week or so you can find him out on the golf course teaching young whipper snappers the meaning of the word respect! He is truly the embodiment of Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation.

So on this first day of Fall, my sisters and I and our families gathered together for a quiet celebration to commemorate the passing of yet another year of this remarkable man’s life. Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you so much, so very very much….

This is a photo of Sarah, Grandpa, me and Peter. Doesn’t he look great for 82????!!!

Three of grandpa’s seven grandkids let him know how much they love him.

Aiden and Peter having fun with the birthday boy…grandpa started it!

Peter and Sarah having a fun moment trying on Aiden’s Halloween costume.

Sissy says, “Happy Birthday Grandpa! See you next year!!”

After two long years, I decided to give myself time off for vacation! A real vacation, not just the usual day off here and there. Sarah was spending a month in Minnesota and rather than simply fly out to pick her up, I decided to make it an adventure of sorts. My good  friend Mary Lou, her daughter Angela and Angela’s friend Amy were my travel companions.  Our itinerary included a trip to the beautiful state of Colorado, where I went whitewater rafting for the first time, soaked in Glenwood Canyon hot springs (heaven!), crashed a wedding (chech out the slideshow at www.photoartbymarie.com/sarahandbuck), stood on the Continental Divide (whoo-hoo!), actually began and finished reading a novel Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (fun summer read), and rode an Amtrak Train to Chicago…..sort of.  I had packed a library’s worth of books, thinking I would catch up on reading, something I love to do but seldom find the time to do it.  A 17-hour train ride should have been perfect for that, right? Well, overnight there was a tornado which had derailed a cargo train which in turn converted our train ride into a bus ride to the great city of Chicago. I don’t know the actual millage between Omaha, Nebraska and Chicago, but it must be a LOT because it took at least 12 hours to get there. Twelve hours! I can read on a train, in a car or bus, not so much, so I found myself playing “Go Fish” with the 10-year old sitting in front of me…..11 1/2 hrs to go. I’ve traveled throughout the Midwest, it is green and lush, serene, and the people who live there are truly the salt of the earth, but after about a half an hour, the scenery looks pretty much the same, especially if, like me, long bus rides are not your cup of tea (I am not used to sitting in one spot for hours and hours on end…I know, I’m whinning! ) In route, we traveled through Iowa, and though it had been at least a month since the floods, the water level remained increadibly high. Homes and farms remain under water, roadways washed away, telephone poles stuck out of what appeared to be a lake….it took your breath away, but for all the wrong reasons. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to those affected by the floods. Chicago was everything I expected and so much more. It was my first time there, and sadly, we had only 4 hours to cram as much sight-seeing (on foot) as possible–I enjoyed  every minute of it! From Chicago, we rented a car to take us to our final destination of Winona, MN, argualbly one of the most beautiful small towns on the Mississippi River. Really! There, I reunited with my beautiful daughter Sarah, and visited with as many friends and family as time would permit in a few short days…..Whew! Who knew vacations could be so fatiguing! I can’t wait for next year and do it all over again, although I think I’ll skip the train next time;)

I took a ton of photos but here are a few of my faves. There are more on the slideshow if you want to take a peek!

SLIDESHOW (double click here)

The Continental Divide. It’s called that because it separates the water sheds of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. So if it rains to my left, it ends up in the Pacific, to my right, the Atlantic. In the middle??  On my head!

Somewhere in Colorado…I shot this from a speeding red Jeep. No, I wasn’t driving though I have done that before….

I took this photo at the wedding I crashed. This cowboy informed us that the way to a woman’s heart was to make love to her four times a week……must be true because his wife sure looked happy!

I am somewhat afraid of horses, mostly because they are BIG: they have big eyes, big teeth, big hooves….but they sure are pretty. Maybe one day I will learn more about how to handle them so I won’t be so afraid.

These are Mrs. Beacon’s Grandchildren. Mrs. Beacon is a remarkable woman who makes quilts for people who have lost a loved one as a tribute to their memory. She asked me to take this photo for her, the day after Sarah and Buck’s wedding—for you, my dear lady, anything.

Amy practicing for a career on Broadway!

Denver, CO. Don’t you love the lighting right before a storm???!

We got off (detrained?) the Amtrak train early in the morning. Most passengers  were still too sleepy to say much, some complained loudly of their inconvenience and how they were never going to take a train again, etc. Amongst the commotion sat this woman, sitting tall, waiting patiently, without saying a word. Extraordinary.

I don’t have the words to describe how this photo makes me feel. It is in Iowa, near Burlington, I believe.

Chicago is an amazing city. If you haven’t been, go!  Say hi to Oprah for me!

Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. Don’t you love old ladies!

Minnesota wild flower. They’re wild, they’re beautiful……I love them.

This is Fernando. He has always been there for me and I love him like a brother…..Wait! He is my brother! Thanks for taking care of Sarah while she was in MN!

My niece Olivia, who is not only adorable but reall, really funny. Can you tell?

My good friend Jean and her husband John. They are newlyweds, once again proving that it is possible to find love after 45! Congratulations you two lovebirds;)

This beautiful path is part of Lake Winona. I have put in a lot of miles running here, the city keeps it groomed even in the winter. It never fails to renew my spirit.

Sunrise over Lake Winona. Ahhhh.

I belong to a networking group of photographers, known as the LA PUG  (Pictage Users Group), led by Jules Bianchi. It is a fun bunch of folks, all photographers of some sort or another. Some famous, most not, but all willing to share trick of the trade with one another. Usually, our monthly meetings are a little bit more formal, someone showcases their studio and shares whatever info will help others in their business. During our last meeting, we paired up and shot one another. It’s a bit odd being in front of the camera instead of behind it! My team mate was Nick Collins (the tall guy in the black shirt– Thanks for the great shots Nick! ) I hadn’t been to a meeting for a couple of months and it was a lot of fun to catch up with old friends (great to see you Marianne–you are sooohhh much fun to hang out with!)  Adam  (Happy Birthday!) and Matt  (thanks for carpooling with me), and make some new ones (great shirt, Ty!).  See you all next month!

Family portraits are amazing; each family is different, each uniquely wonderful. It is always an honor to be invited in someone’s home to capture them as they are, surrounded by the things and people they love most. I photographed this gorgeous family one sunny afternoon, they wanted photos both inside and outside of their beautiful home. I hope you like these images as much as I loved creating them:)

SLIDESHOW

Last Spring, I shared with you my love/hate relationship with running, why I run, and what it does for me, and that aside from my family and a handful of friends, it has been a constant in my life for a very long time (see “Run, Run as Fast as You Can“) . It occurred to me recently that I have been running longer than not running, which is amusing because I never set out to become a runner, it just sort of happened. It started off as a huge challenge (my first mile almost killed me), then two miles was about right, now anything less than four seems like a waste of time. I am not a natural runner, and years of pounding the pavement have taken a toll on my knees, ankles, back, and toenails. Most of my friends are not runners and they complain of the same things so maybe it’s just age. Oh dear!

Yesterday, I competed in the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is a set of three half marathons, the Carlsbad Half Marathon, the La Jolla Half Marathon, and Americas Finest City Half Marathon, all in the San Diego area, which take place about 3 months apart. Run all three and get an extra medal at the end. Whoo–hooo! I usually only run the Carlbad Half Marathon but this year decided to do all three just for fun, plus I wanted that extra medal:) I average anywhere from 2hrs 15 min to 2hrs 30 min, pretty standard for women runners my age, so the real story is has little to do with running at all. Mostly, it’s a about a girl who likes to run because it keeps her mind and body healthy and makes her feel like she can climb Mt. Whitney some day. It’s a good thing. Tell me about what you like to do to challenge yourself. I’d love to hear about it!

This is me wearing my four medals. It took a lot of effort to get here but it was a lot of fun too so am grateful I did it!

Completing this race meant so much to me that I had my nails manicured the day before plus bought a skirt to run in (an actual running skirt, not something from my closet–that would be a sight!)

Sarah gets dragged to these races with me and she does a good job at pretending she is having a good time although she doesn’t get why people run in the first place and pay money to do it…….out of the mouths of babes!

This is my sister Liz and her boyfriend Greg. Without them, I could not do what I do or at least it would not be as fun! They feed me, give me a place to sleep, offer me wine even though I’m not supposed to have any the night before a race….. they take good care of me. Did I mention Greg has a jacuzzi in his backyard overlooking a golf course? Nice! It’s good to be loved:)

These two guys and some 5,000 others just like them ran the race with me. The guy on the right is Tom, the guy on the left is Ted. (I thought his name was Jerry but Tom straightened me out). Thank you for running with me, Tom:) Ted left us in the dust!

My next race will be the Long Beach Half Marathon in October. See you there!

I have a confession to make: I crashed a wedding and loved every minute of it! The wedding took place about an hour outside of Denver while I was on “vacation”. I had intended on reading, sleeping and doing all those things that I never seem to have enough time to do…..so what do I end up doing? Photographing a wedding! While complete strangers to me, the bride Sarah, is the daughter of good friends of a good buddy of mine, Mary Lou. She had been invited, I had not, but I had my camera and it sounded like fun, so what the heck:) It was amazing! Sarah and Buck were married on a meadow surrounded by pine trees and fresh mountain air. Each had written vows for one another that were so beautiful and touching that there was not a dry eye in the house (meadow!). These photos are a brief glimpse of a truly blessed day.

Buck reads his vows to his beautiful bride whom he promises to love forever……sigh.

This little furry guy started to growl at me so I took a quick photo and went on my way. Down boy!

Armed with roses representing their love for one another, Sarah and Buck are introduced as husband and wife for the first time.

It doesn’t get much better than this.

Sarah’s parents, Dawn and Dave, share a moment of serenity after the ceremony.

This is my wacky friend Mary Lou and her long time friends Dawn and Dave. These beautiful people were kind enough to not only host a truly magical wedding but were also generous enough to invite us to stay for a couple of days with them. Fortunately for me, they really liked their photos:)

This is the view of the golf course across from the reception……kinda takes your breath away, huh?

One of the youngest guest and her daddy came out to see the elk on the golf course.

This is Elsa who according to her mother Edye has never met a camera that she didn’t like–I can see why!

The lovely Sarah is an accomplished horsewoman.

Elsa and I spent time shooting around the outside of the reception hall. She is a great little model and was a lot of fun to hang out with too:)

She’s a natural!

Me and my new best friend!