photo news...

finally... an official photoshop iphone app from adobe they took their time on that one, but i think it was pretty worth the wait...

also this makes me happy : the guys over at the impossible project have one vision... "reinventing instant film for vintage polaroid cameras" and they're actually doing it! they even made rad t-shirts to support the cause. which you can purchase here in red, blue, or black. nothin' says i love vintage polaroid cameras like a splash page to a website. smile.

Mana Road...

I love this pic Kathy took of ruth and i in hawaii. you know, just shooting some very friendly horses, on a gorgeous road half way up to mauna kea... have i ever mentioned that i love hawaii???photo by: kathy fitts

"youth is wasted on the young"

i love this quote. because it resonates so true with me. so here's a little compilation of a few things i've learned from 20-30... and wish someone had told me earlier... but most likely wouldn't have listened to even if they had...

i wish i'd started an untouchable savings account and ira at 20 years old.

i wish i'd known earlier the value of being ready and punctual... for every meeting and appointment or scheduled work shift. (note: i did learn this value in my early 20's, i haven't been running late these past 7 years... but still wish i'd known it earlier)

if you look hard enough, you can always find it cheaper. get things used, or the no name brand, or direct from the source, or look around harder. i head to trader joe's for the dairy staples because it's so much cheaper than the competitor. i buy books used or use a library. swap magazines with friends, so spend an afternoon at a bookstore reading them... their lives are short, and their graves are our recycling bins. think thru what's ok to buy generic (batteries, contact lens solution, medication...) and what's not (camera lenses, computers, perfume)

make your coffee at home. maybe this is more specific to seattle people, since we're such a coffee culture... but seriously, i have so many broke friends that i see with those paper coffee cups regularly. and if you're a good coffee shop patron, you tip... we're talking $4-5 per cup, and possibly per day. i used to get a latte or americano nearly every single day. now it's a treat... but mostly i home brew.

don't feel guilty about throwing down the $$$ for things that last. like art, good shoes, a good pair of jeans, that warm winter coat, high thread count sheets, or a decent sturdy car.

floss regularly, and get a sonic care toothbrush. i'm a total believer.... those tooth brushes are amazing...

the internet can be equally a great educator or mindless entertainer. i'm still learning to shut it down and say enough is enough... and it's only ten years old!

just ask. i used to live more by the idea of "it's easier to ask for an apology than ask for permission." while this may be true, i've found that simply asking permission goes a really long ways in finding ones way into good graces. taking my photos and reposting may be really irritating to me, but ask permission and you'll get an enthusiastic nod and thorough go ahead.

eat locally, seasonally, and sustainably. sometimes it's more expensive to shop at a farmer's market than at safeway. but your local farmers need your money and support a lot more than safeway does. plus, cheaper does not always mean better. i'm ok with spending more to believe in where my money's going, and to trust what's going into me.

stop being in such a hurry. probably nearly everyone can relate to that. when i was 11, i wanted to be 13. when i was 13, i wanted to be 16. when i was in high school i wanted to be in college. when i was 19 i wanted to be married. when i was married, i wanted to be single. when i was 25 i wanted to have it all together. now i'm 29, and i realize that i really kind of do.

thankfully as far as i can so far tell, wisdom is not wasted on the wise.

things i'm thinking...

autumn, seasons, change, falling, invigorate, comfort, the importance of..., color, light, reading, lists, things to start (writing more), things to quit (facebook), solidarity, stress, future, questions, discipline, snow boarding, hoodies, clogs, boots, and sweaters, gratefulness for being able to use my trade for trade... i.e. free yoga and accounting help!, networking, friendship, pursuing, travel, food, things to make, things to eat, discovering new music, seeking out sources of inspiration, walking, warmth, gratefulness for a way to pay the rent, knitting, making art, shooting for my self, steadying a wild heart, breathing deeply

Q & A

Nicole over at The Chocolate Rose somehow came across my work and asked if I would be willing to do a vendor spotlight feature for her. I loved the questions she asked, and they made me really sit down and think before answering. So I thought I'd repost her q&a here.... But head over to her awesome blog and check her out! Thanks for the feature, nicole! xo, brooke

• 1) Please briefly detail your business and what you do.

Freelance photographer specializing in weddings, people, and love in general. Editorial photographer for Seattle Magazine. Sometimes fine art photographer and restaurant server.

• 2) What and when was your "aha!" moment (if one) that you discovered photography was something you wanted to turn into a profession/career? If applicable, what was your previous profession?

I'm never sure how to answer this sort of question, as I've felt a pull towards photography since my teens. I was always trying to get into the photography classes in highschool, but it was always full so I never did. I've always been incredibly determined to figure out a way to do something I truly love and get paid for it, so I just never stopped pushing myself harder to get better and create more compelling imagery. I've waited tables for years, (and still do a few nights a week) and have always been so grateful for the opportunity it lends to being able to make rent and still provide free days for productivity in other fields.

• 3) How did you get your start in this industry?

Photo taking and picture making has always felt very natural to me. My mind just sees images in everything everyday. But wedding photography per se was never something I had intended on doing. I was living in Hawaii and simply wanted to assist other photographers for experience. There were plenty of wedding photographers around who were happy to have me tag along and ask questions while carrying heavy bags and lights, so I just began feeling really comfortable being a presence on someone's wedding day. Assisting turned into second shooting, and when I felt like I had enough of a portfolio, I started shooting for friends and friends of friends. I feel blessed and lucky to say that 99% of my jobs are word of mouth.

• 4) What is the passion that drives you to do what you do? In other words, what is it that you wish to express to your clients and the world through your work?

I love striving to find and capture that moment within someone when they relax in front of my camera and their true self and beauty comes thru. Making my clients feel comfortable and beautiful is half the job of taking a good photo, and I'm driven to never stop looking for that instant. I see beauty all the time, everywhere. I want my images to communicate an uncommon beauty in common things, a story, and expression.

• 5) Have you had a moment where you wanted to quit? If so, what made you want to continue? If not, what would you say to encourage someone who has?

You have no idea how many moments I've wanted to quit. Nobody said being an artist was easy, and there's been more than a few times that I've thought how nice it would be just to have a steady income, 401K, and health insurance. Or how many times I've felt so inadequate and inundated by all the amazing photography and photographers out there. But my love of photography keeps me coming back every time. Whenever I've thought about quitting, I just can't imagine what else I would do that would bring me as much happiness and contentedness, so I just keep plugging along. Pluck and determination are two of the major components in pursuing any passion or dream. And I firmly believe that with enough of those two and timing in the mix, there's just not a whole lot of room for failure.

• 6) What has been your most memorable (good, bad, funny, etc.) experience so far?

I once had a bride that cried and cried most of her wedding day because it rained. Pouring torrential summer rain. She had even researched 5 years of weather to find the least likely day for rain, and had her wedding on a weekday because of the prognosis. The ironic thing is that her photos turned out beautifully. The light was all pretty and diffused, and we did some fun stuff with umbrella and reflections in puddles. I'm a big believer in just dealing the best you know how with whatever life tosses your way. See the beauty in everything and the possibility in things going unexpectedly. Kind of like that quote... "when life hands you lemons, make lemondade."

• 7) What is one thing you know now that you wish someone had told you before you started in this profession?

I wish someone had told me how to manage my time and to take Sundays off. I wasted a lot of good working hours surfing the internet and looking at other people's work... and then feeling badly of my mismanagement of time, I would feel guilty taking a day off and not working on "work". So I got really overwhelmed and felt stretched too thin by being in a work mode 24/7, but never feeling like I was getting that much accomplished. Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art" has been hugely helpful in my case of time management. Sometimes we just have to turn off the internet, and facebook and twitter and get down to business... And take one day a week away from the computer, email, and maybe even your phone!

r&r

things have been a little quiet around here as I've been in Hawaii... getting some rays, doing some yoga, and eating lots of tropical fruit and fresh fish. and shooting this gorgeous wedding... more pics soon!

city of god...

i had the amazing chance to get to spend a few weeks traveling around this amazing country earlier this year and fell head over heels in love with rio. see tons of pics here... i'm so happy that they got "the" games, and am already plotting how i can move there permanently. check out the rad 2 minute clip below directed by Fernando Meirelles (director of "city of god") that gives such a real sense of the country and culture. and if you haven't seen "city of god", go rent it now. it'll change your life.

erik+cambria=love&marriage...

about me:

i like to wake up slowly and just lay and think for a while in the mornings... yoga is one of my favorite practices. i adore beauty, and find it in the least common places. i google everything and don't like using capital letters when i type. my favorite book is east of eden by john steinbeck because it relates to me. i love music, but can never pick a favorite song, musician, or genre. someday i plan to stop being so hard on myself... but not yet. as for work i take photos of things for people... or of people for things. lots of weddings. i have finally come to a point in my life where i make money doing this. but i would do it for free, and will never quit making pictures. these are a few of my favorite places: the green sand beach in hawaii, the blue lagoon in iceland, karo land in the south omo river valley (ethiopia), a greek island (any of them), a washington drive thru the cascades or the olympics... i lived in greece until i was 13, and therefore often miss certain references to 80's pop culture. no, i've never seen the breakfast club, pretty in pink, or 16 candles. and didn't see ditry dancing till 2008. i never really know what to say when someone asks me where i come from. i don't really feel like i'm from anywhere, more likely from everywhere.

this is love...