working it out

I know I talk all the time about how hard it is to choose photos for my website but now that the new one is really truly near and I am really truly having to narrow down years worth of wedding work it is really all the superlatives I've already used...agony and ecstasy....emotional roller coaster...completely overwhelming....

And then I see little moments and it's like falling in love with my job all over again...anna and kevin were so cute and so into each other made me so in love with them. The whole wedding is them staring at each other in disbelief at their good luck....

Oh, and they also made a big banner out of one of their engagment photos I took of them...need I say more?

Fall is here

You always think summer is going to go on forever. Especially when you have 80 degree September days...I don't think we had 80 degree July days around here. I don't know what happened to me this summer...usually it is neighborhood bar be ques, berry picking and grass mowing (my life between work is terribly exciting). But this summer we could just squeak in a celebratory end of summer BBQ and a last minute double pail full of berry picking.

Of course now there is no denying fall is here. I'm back at work...Seattle Arts and Lectures kicked off their season...and I'm back worrying that I'll get rained out...which I did this weekend. But...I'm also back to seeing my regular fall clients in all their one year older glory!

Ahhh...shorts and steaks....

Richard Russo is a pretty funny guy...he took it in stride when I asked him to look up and give me a little sugar...but I think it caught him off guard just a little...

You know how I feel about big banners, right? Love them...Well, that's my big banner right on stage of a totally packed Benaroya Hall...

Last time I saw this family Jayden wasn't even walking...now he very clearly runs the show...

This isn't exactly what I had in mind for this shot but I think it might perfectly sum up the kids...

press release

The funny thing about being a photographer and self employed is that things often snow ball. Like photographing a fund raising luncheon for a friend which led to photographing a few of Seattle Arts and Lectures events which led to my second season now photographing all of their events. And for those of you keeping score, yes, that means that this November I will be photographing Annie Leibovitz (OMG)...

So, some of my photos will be in City Hall for an exhibit...that's exciting! And look...I'm in a press release!

SEATTLE —A City Hall exhibition will feature writings by Seattle public school students and photographs capturing their interactions and discoveries, Sept. 17 to Oct. 10. Titled “Dive Down into the Loud,” the exhibition features 15 photographs and 15 pieces of student poetry and prose by students who participated in Seattle Arts & Lectures’ 2007-08 Writers in the Schools (WITS) program.

Seattle photographers Libby Lewis and Susie Fitzhugh captured the students at work in the WITS program. Their images show students reading their work, participating in classroom writing assignments and projects and attending local Seattle Arts & Lectures sponsored events.
A free reading and book signing of “Dive Down into the Loud,” featuring writings by the youth authors, will be held, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 24, in the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall.

The exhibition will be on display in the City Hall Lobby Gallery on the first floor and the Anne Focke Gallery located on the L2 level of City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave. City Hall is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. For more information about the City Hall gallery program, call (206) 684-7171. The exhibition is presented by the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs.

The universe answering

I'm a pretty big believer in the universe's ability to give you what you want and are ready for. Not in a hugely dire cosmic way but so many times I've gotten that email from a mom telling me how much she loves her photos just when I'm most down or that homemade meal just when I'm feeling overwhelmed and overworked.

So the other night, way too late, I was reading Tara Whitney's awesome blog and it led me to her friends post about how their 5 year old daughters had a 40 minute impromptu dance party and it made me sad that I don't have my nieces near me and that so many of my friends live so far away and that Ari has gone to school and we can't have dance parties. And then I met him and his mama after school and we had a picnic and I got to visit with a good friend and while she made a phone call he gave me a 10 minute impromptu dance party. The universe is good like that...

Just to laugh

Sometimes, when I spend all day in front of the computer I just need a little chuckle. And a sure fire place to find one is the "personal pulls" folder...the dirty secret of my computer...the nose picks, half blinks, screaming tantrums and yes, all the goofy shots I try to get of my assistants during weddings so that I can create funny holiday cards....So, just in case you need a laugh today too here are a few of me (since I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone else...)

jazz hands...



and a personal fave....

Exie's getting big

Well, she's definitely getting bigger...even though you technically aren't big until you can sit up...

Coco was totally ticked that I came and spoiled her tea party with gramma but she's never one to be shy for the camera...

Laura and Shawn

Okay, a little secret...In case you are wondering if I ever do any work besides my friends and family....I've been putting off the loads of awesome couples and families I've been doing this summer in hopes that my new website and blog would be done...it's going to be so wonderful when it is and the light is at the end of the tunnel but I was scooting through images today and Laura and Shawn's made me smile so I thought I would sneak a few on...It's pretty much everything of Seattle all rolled together but was able to still be perfectly personal to them.

So I had a little crush on Zeno...


A few members of the Tall Boys played and clog danced!



And finally, because she is awesome, Laura went into the lake!

Have you ever been to the Cedar River Watershed Educational Center? It's right on Rattlesnake Lake and is seriously beautiful

A last Wednesday

I know that Ari and I are going to still hang out but next week he is going to start preschool and it just feels different...so we had a great day today...scooters and new jumpy trampolines and sneaked dried mangoes.

I realized that what I really really like about hanging out with Ari is that we stop to smell the roses. Literally...we walk slowly around the neighborhood and consider things, find soft leaves to rub on our cheeks, blow dandelion puffs, climb rocks, name herbs and yep, we stop to smell the flowers...