For A Moment Photography

My Local Treasures

This year on my summer bucket list was the Brimfield Antique Fair. It’s the largest most popular antique fair in the country.  It’s only open three times a year and over 6,000 vendors come with their goods.  

 As the days got closer I lost my motivation to go.  It was going to be a far drive and I couldn’t find anyone excited to go with me.  Normally I don’t mind doing things alone but this was going to be a full day with the fair being 3 hours away.  Mark did kindly offer to go but I knew it’s not how he’ll really like to spend a summer day.  I talked myself out of it, because I really wasn’t looking for anything specific and I had since heard the one in the fall is better.

 We had were having such fun the friends here that I also forgot about the fair for a few days.  But towards the end of the week, and the end of the fair I wondered if I was just being lazy.  I mean who knows what amazing things I could find there.

 Then as luck would have it I found two wonderful antiques here.  On a visit into Rathbun Jewelers I noticed a beautiful pocket watch in the estate section.  It caught my eye but I usually let things like that sit for a day or two before I buy.  If I still want them, then I know it’s not just an impulse buy.  

 A few days later we were in the store and I had Mr. Rathbun put it on a silver chain for me and now it’s one of my most favorite possessions.  It’s a european watch from the 1880’s- and it works!  I carefully wind it up and admire the sounds it makes.  

 Then if that wasn’t sweet enough I found a working 1938 Remington Rand Model 1 Typewriter.  Presley and I were in a store in Vermont poking around for possible fairy house items (that’s another blog post).  We stopped in Clemetines and saw these typewrites placed around the store.  I started asking a few questions about how hard it was to find the ribbon, if they worked etc.  She answered all my questions and then invited us to type a note.  

 Presley having never seen one before needed a little help with the paper but then began typing.  Her first note, “i love lenny and momma and dad”...  Yeah, we’ll take it!  We were in the store about 45 minutes and I just couldn’t leave without it.  It was a bit of a quick decision but I love buying local, I didn’t want it shipped and it’s so beautifully charming (the only way to describe it).  Presley let me know today that it’s not mine it’s hers.  One day it will be, just not yet...

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Where has the time gone? The older I get the faster time seems to hum along. Our time in the Adirondack Mountains, for that reason is a time that I cherish. Presley seems to be more connected to all the tiny creatures around us and the landscape itself is more inviting than the sometimes harsh terrain of our desert home. Summers on Lake George are as cliche as it sounds, a time to slow down and be thankful for all the real gifts in life.

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t feel lucky to be here. Even with this year’s rainy beginning, followed by the buggy, muggy days to follow. I can walk out my door and takes hikes through grand trees to views that remind me how small I really am. I am awaken to sunrises that are so exquisite they touch my core as I try foolishly to etch that view in my memory. Each year my heart aches to leave.

This year I wanted to take photos of the places and things that bring me joy. It’s my hope that everyone has a place and time in their life that they go to do feel small and thankful for the wonderfully wide world around them. My summer is coming to a close but my photos will keep my spirit fed until next summer.

Summer Bucket List 2013

A red newt we found last summer

berries we picked

Visit a few favorite spots!

Summer is here and we are getting ready to head to the Adirondack Mountains.  Over the past few months I have tried not to wish the days away, but now it’s time to start planning my summer bucket list.

Here is a look (and a link) at our list from a few years ago.  I know we had one last year, hmm.  Where did I post it?!..  Here is my summer bucket list, Presley is still working on her's.   

 

 1. drive to the Antique Show in Brimfield, MA.

2. drive to Sharon Springs, NY

3. visit Boston, because we love it!

4. visit NYC because it’s been 7 years!  

5. build a tree swing

6. eat ice cream

7. look for fire flies, red newts and frogs

8. play tennis

9. go berry picking

 10. build a camp fire

11. climb Rogers Rock

12. go sailing

 13. go fishing

 14. jump in the lake

15. read a book

 16. visit Norman Rockwell Museum

17. hike several of the 46 high peaks in the ADK.  One is named, Mt. Colvin

 18. play shuffle board, haha- I love it!  

 

I hope to make it over to Burlington, VT. and a few other favorites spots but summer is so short.  EEKKK, I hope you all are making a summer bucket list too!  

Table for One in The City of Love

The Louvre

On Lock Bridge with Notre Dame behind me.

Museum Rodin with The Thinking Man.

EEk, first night seeing The Eiffel Tower.

My recent trip to Paris was the first vacation/photography workshop I have ever done alone.  Traveling (for vacation) alone is not something that I had ever thought I would to do.  However when this opportunity presented itself I couldn’t pass it up.  As much as I wanted some company it wouldn’t be much fun considering I was there for a workshop. 

 Being in Paris was such a great experience, traveling alone did present unrealized complications but any trip does.  The positive side was each day I was able to plan what I wanted to do, when, how long and I had to figure out how (train, taxi etc) to make it happen.  This is not a very difficult task but not speaking the language did create a little anxiety in me.  I thankfully successfully did this at every attempt...  

 The only time I had a problem was when I tried to meet up with an Australian photographer and her daughter.  We both waited at different terminals for a few hours.  The problem there was lack of communication, which I felt very bad about... 

 Upon arriving in Paris I had to figure out how to get from the airport to the country where I was staying by train.  The train system was easy enough, a bit of an undertaking my large 50 pound bag with two other carry ons made the many, many stairs difficult to maneuver.  Oh and did I mention it was a holiday, so the station was packed.  I felt like a silly girl for having such ridiculous amount of bags.  When I finally made it on my last train I sat down with a huge sense of accomplishment.  My first hurdle of the trip was over and done successfully. 

 My next task was getting settled in the city after a few days in the country.  I got my apartment in the Latin Quarter, grabbed some fresh bread, champagne, and pistachios (my diet for the next few days) and with in an hour was off to my first museum.  EEkk!  Ok being a Mom I'm not use to that sort of freedom.  It was great for the next four days I did whatever I wanted- for as long as I wanted!  And not being with my family (as much as I missed them) I felt like I had soo much time on my hands!  I actually lost 4 lbs.  I'm so use to running around I kept the same momentum in Paris and somehow lost weight even thought I ate more bread, croissants and champagne (and had a few Coke's) then I ever do at home.  I did do a lot of walking but I didn't work out other than the push ups and sit ups I did in my room....  The fresh warm baguettes, mini chocolate croissants, and other pastries they sold by Notre Dame were amazing.  And now you know one reason why I stopped there daily. 

 Having a smart phone has really made traveling easier I have to admit.  I was able to see on my GPS if I was along the right path.  I didn’t get lost and I had another personal win under my belt.  For the rest of my time there that’s pretty much how it went.  Everything I had planned work outed and I never got lost.

 Now traveling as a woman alone does have it’s down side.  At first I was receptive to people striking up conversation.  Within a day of being there I realized I could not sit alone for too long with out being bothered.  It seems that a woman alone is an easy target, this caused a mixture of emotions.  

At first it was kind of laughable, these guys would linger, if I moved they would pop up again then strike.  After a day or so it became a bit unnerving.  It felt as though I had neon sign pointing me out *woman alone* I became concerned I would become a target of any host of crimes.  It’s something I tried not to think too much about.  

 Being a petite woman being aware of my surroundings is something I’ve always had to do.  So I tried not to let this become a major focus.  As normal I told anyone I spoke with that I was meeting friends or that someone was expecting me.  Most of the people were very helpful and overall I felt very comfortable throughout my trip.

I will never forget Paris.  

Few Stops Not To Be Missed In Paris.

 

Today I walked to Sainte Chapelle, a beautiful piece of history that was started in 1242 and completed 6 years later.  It was built so King Louie IX could place the relics he purchased, fragments of the cross and the crown of thorns.  The size and detail of the stain glass is truly breath taking.  As I sat in one of the few chairs I looked around and try to conjure up the people that have walked and worshipped in this space, it's pretty incredible to think about.  This often leads me to wish that I had been able to walk these spaces back then...   

This photo was from my second trip to The Eiffel Tower.  I was underwhelmed with my first attempt of capturing the beauty of the lights.  I followed up with a second trip and I was able to snap this photo in less than 5 minutes.  The rain drops are just so perfect, I am so glad that it started to rain! 

 

On my walk home from the church I stopped by the flower market, in the hopes of a great photo.  The market was quaint and the fragrance was apparent before I even laid eyes on the market.  Unfortunately I did not get a photo that would do this lovely little market justice.  Cars parked all around the marekt made it difficult to photograph at a distance...    

In doing my research before coming ot Paris I found a link to the famous Les Puces (Flea Market).  This was the one thing I really wanted to do and the one thing that I was not sure I'd be able to do, worried I'd run out of time.  Thankfully I can't seem to slow down!  The link (click here) was from a blog I'd never heard of and I didn't check to see how old the blog post was, didn't think to do that until I was on the metro not sure of where I was headed.  

Luckily it all worked out.  If you plan on going I should just mention it's a rougher part of town, so be careful.  But once you find the flea market, you'll love it!  I was even able to negotiate on my buys something I'm usually too nervous to do.  The idea of going back before I leave is still being tossed around.  Maybe I was too disciplined in my purchases.      

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My Trip to the World's Most Visited City!

Paris. Metro. Elvis.

Today I successfully navigated the metro system.  The only problem I had was day dreaming while riding and missing my stop.  I've always enjoyed times when I can use mass transit, we don't get to much in Arizona.

I've been messing around with my camera...  I liked this billboard and left my camera on a long exposure, it turned out pretty funky.  I thought the dots around them my look trippy if I blurred them a bit.  It's a man holding a woman's face kissing, I love the posing.   

Who isn't obessed with this film (book)?  I love the marketing for it and it's all over Paris...  Leo was never my favorite (he has smaller arms than me) but he gets all the good roles!  How did he date Gisele- and dump her?...  

I only do taxi's at night in Paris, I love walking and it's a great way to see the city.  So far most of my taxi drivers have been great fun!  One time I got in the car and the driver says in a heavy french accent," I remember you."  Me, totally confused, "no?...?"...  Then he blares the cd player, "I'll Remember You" by Elvis Presley singing along and shaking his finger (like The King)!  On our drive he lets me know he mostly preforms in his cab (the gist of the conversation).  He does not have the confidence to sing in front of a crowd, because "I want to give the most incredible Elvis performance for da people".  He apparently has a video on YouTube he's pretty proud of...  Meeting him was a bright part of the day.  Haha, I love that a performer that has been dead for 35 years can be a common bond amongst strangers.  

My Trip to the World's Most Visited City!

Notre Dame...  Even more impressive in person.

 

Garden outside Notre Dame...

Thinker at Musee Rodin.

This city is so spectacular I can't focus (most so than usual)!  Seriously, I have started this blog about ten times over...  breathe...    This will just be a few scattered thoughts about all that I have seen and loved in the City Of Lights so far...

My trip to Notre Dame was breathe taking.  It's all I ever imagined and more.  The gothic style has secrets and details hidden all around.  As I walked up to the church I started to smile like a child and could feel a burst of energy that made me walk faster.  It was just a feeling of, "am I really seeing this?!"  I am staying so close to the church I am planning on going again in the morning with the hope there will not be as many people.  The crowds don't really bother me. It's great so many people are having the same joy I'm experiencing.  I'd just like to keep them out of my photos.  

*more below photos*

Whale Watching in San Diego

Best dolphin photo of the day

These photos do not give this experience justice- at all- not even close.  I highly recommend this to everyone with or without kids.  I can't believe I've never done this before.  Whale watching may have to become an annual activity.  Presley had a great time, Mark and I had a great time we all were wishing the trip didn't end so soon.

During the months of December and January the gray whale can be found in San Diego on their way to Mexico.  Often they can be seen from land, but it truly is amazing to view from the water.  We were on a sail boat and were able to get very close and sail along side this whale for 15 minutes.

Presley watched a movie, Big Miracle with Drew Barrymore on our road trip to NY last summer.  It was a sweet movie and left Presley so enchanted by the sea and these lovable big creatures.  I started my research thinking we were going to end up in Alaska in order to watch the whales.  The good news was I always wanted to go to Alaska but the better news, they were coming through CA to Mexico.  

I first googled whale watching and found huge ships that charge $50. a person.  This sounded reasonable to me and I almost booked it.  Next I wondered how good my photos would be on these big ships with hundreds of other tourists (with cameras).  This is when I decided to google "whale watching, small tours"  not to be confused with "small whale watching tours".  It was then that I found, www.sailsandiego.com.  

I called on my cell and asked a few questions.  The woman who answered turned out to be the owner and she let me know their price was $85. per person.  Their sail boats are 40 feet long and they take a max of 8 people out at a time.  This sounded perfect to me, I was ready to book and tried to hang up because of a bad connection.  She was so helpful she must of kept my on the line another 5 minutes, giving me directions on how to get there, where to park, asking about Presley (her age etc).  I really appreciate great service and judging from that call I was pretty sure I'd like the sailing with them even if we didn't see any whales.  She was careful not to promise we would see whales but she did say it would be highly unlikely if we didn't.

Ok the tour, it felt way too short!  It was suppose to be 3 hours but we followed the whale for so long we ended up being on the tour for 3.5 hours.  We saw a few whales in the distance and saw this one up close.  Having the sail boat we were able to cut the motor and follow the whale for about 15 minutes.  The whale never breached (coming fully out of the water).  But the small glimpses we got were so thrilling. Even the captain who had done this for years was caught up in the excitement of the chase.

Presley was as excited about dolphins as she was about the gray whales.  We had a few dolphins swim along side the boat, she was tickled by that...  Just being in the open water on such a beautiful day felt like a gift to me.  It was fun to have this time away, together with no distractions doing something we all enjoyed.  

While on this trip I realized how hard it is to photograph sea life.  They (whales or dolphins) don't come out of the water for long and trying to spot them, focus and hope the boat isn't shaking you was quite difficult.  Composition wasn't something I could even think much about while out there.  But I don't think I could ever leave my camera behind...  There will always be hope I will get that one breath taking shot!...  

 

 

The Payson Getaway

The Getaway

The kiddos

The Roger!

With the weather creeping up my girlfriend Keri and I decided to make a run for cooler tempurtures in Payson.  Having just been there a week before I knew exactly where we should stay!  Dead Mule Ranch, Geno and Roger (his dog) are the owners and visionary of this peaceful getaway.  

Dead Mule Ranch is located outside of Payson, Arizona on a dirt road nestled in the woods.  Most of the time all we heard was the wind blowing thru the trees and our two kids running screaming and playing!  It was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a while.  For the most part my phone didn't work except in the meadow- sometimes, no t.v. and it was perfect.  

Our day consisted of eating, sending the kids outside to play while we sat on the porch, small walks in the woods (this places backs up to National Forest), walks to other parts of the property and that was it!  The kids had so much fun they played outside all day, they didn't fight and they ate their vegetables (hee hee).  I was worried we would be bored or they would, but it was just perfect (have I said that yet?).  The night sky was so dark and there were so many stars.  It felt so nice to just slow down and enjoy, well the porch.

The cabin was reconstructed by Geno and he has such a great eye for rustic design.  The stove is from the 1930's and the refrigerator is from the 1950's you know a time when they made things to last...  If I'm not mistake all the wood used is reclaimed so it's a green building.  The one thing that stands out in my mind is that yes it's all rustic but it's made well so nothing feels fragile or old.

The price is so reasonable!  We rented the place for $125 a night.  The rates may change with the seasons I'm not sure but it was so worth it and I want to go back.  Every morning I would wake up and hear Keri's son say, "This is awesome, I never want to leave".  He also said, "I will remember this trip for like a year!"  I love it, he's 5 years old.

Geno was so great and so accommodating.  Roger the dog is such a cool old dog he hung on the porch and when Geno said "bang" Roger would roll over and pretend to die.  The kids loved both Geno and Roger and asked several times to go to Geno's house to ask him questions about spiders, bones and elk...

If you want to escape the heat, see some snow, or elk go to Dead Mule Ranch!  I promise you'll love it.  Stop at Safeway (for supplies) in Payson and don't plan on leaving the ranch, trust me you won't want to!  I added a few photos below from the Facebook page of Dead Mule Ranch.  I don't get anything for posting this I just love it want to share this spot with all of you!   

Elk in velvet.  This is the back yard!

The neighbor.  

 

Fall Photos

Falling Colors

Fall Swirl

This past weekend we were lucky enough to make a quick trip back to NY.  While there we went for a drive to check out the fall colors.  We had to drive an hour north to find leaves that were at their peak colors.  With it being a holiday weekend and such amazing weather (80 degrees) there were lots of people doing the same...  We didn't really have any places in mind for "great photo" opportunities.  

So after a few road side stops without any super dynamic scenes popping out at me I was a bit discouraged (and running out of time).  There were so many beautiful colors that I was not able to capture in my photos.  So that's when I decided to mix it up a bit.  That's when I came up with the two bottom abstract photos.  Those are photos of fall leaves resting on a birch branch.  I just dragged my shutter and moved my camera to get the desired effect.