Believe it or not, this dress had been attacked by a red-wine wielding mom about an hour before… ok, maybe not attacked but let’s just say that an unfortunate incident occurred before the dress came off the hanger. When I arrived, Kurt was in the dusty driveway sweating bullets, warning me of a dark mood in the dressing room. However, Molly had risen above the panic and some talented soul had blotted every trace of stain out of the creamy silk.
May I recommend a dress made of Shantung silk for anyone wanting a delightfully dancy dress impervious to insult? It was a dream to photograph! They were, too. ;0)
Yesterday, Opera Boy and I were 2 of 3700 Oregonians who headed west to help clean the beaches. This happens in March and September of each year and when my Saturday is open for it, we get up early, dress warm and go.
They set up 45 registration stations along our beautiful coastline… that’s 363 miles of beach. 
Certainly some of it is too dangerous but there’s lots of room for debris to pile up. Beach-wise, it’s an odd thing… constantly looking down, careful of natural vs man-made debris. It can be disheartening to realize how much litter we create… most of the stuff is quite capable of choking the life out of many other creatures.
When we go for a normal day at the coast, I now look around and watch people, hoping they will try to catch that Oreo bag that got away… maybe be sure that the kid’s toys all get collected and put back in the bucket before they head home. We sometimes remember to take a bag with us for the walk back to wherever we came in and we pick up what we can. Can you imagine if everyone did this a little more often?
I have a couple of friends who think this is sucker behavior… why should I clean up after someone else? Well, who the hell is going to do it otherwise? It’s up to all of us.
So what does all of this have to do with the Otis Cafe you might ask? One reward is the clean beach for walking on, even in the rain but the other reward is the stack of buttermilk pancakes on the way home!
I’m not sure what happens in the minds of men when someone hands out cigars… it always seems to translate to a sudden boldness, maybe even impudence. Since it’s almost always in a small crowd, I seek it out with the camera… guaranteed to get something a little different. Something a little old-school macho. ;0)
For those of you who look at my images from a technical standpoint, this one is from the Dark Ages of Digital… most of you have camera phones with twice the power of this one. However, I now have the new Lightroom 4 and I am here to tell you that even borderline little jpgs can be worked around in a remarkable fashion with the new software.
About 4 years ago, Opera Boy and I drove to Neskowin very early in the morning… we had a date with an unusually low minus-tide. An old forest that is usually submerged had made itself visible on the beach and word had gotten out. It was interesting and gratifying to see the number of people who made the trek to see it… knowing it would not happen often.
I chose to shoot it with one of my pinhole cameras… the image seems to translate more into a soft history than something sharp and clear. A history of trees turned to ghosts.
Sometimes dinner is a world away from real time. Sometimes I get to play. Wouldn’t it be great to have more of that time and pasta, too?
Some people think every wedding picture has to be a fantasy of high emotion, stylized ecstatic faces and riding off into the sunset. Those images have their places in the day and certainly are memorable and welcome. My job is to find as many of the corners as possible… to bring it all forward out of the jumble that piles up in your memory.
Our two flower girls were ready ahead of the wedding party. That in itself is a little unusual but these young ladies found ways to amuse themselves without stressing any of the grownups… a nice corner for the camera.
I hope you are looking for the whole story. ;0)
Betsy traveled from an island off of the coast of South Carolina to marry Rob on the top of Bull Mountain. Hot, breezy and filled with happy guests, the day was an absolute treat! Vibrant Table ran the show with their usual charm and skill. We had dogs and babies and a whirling windmill on her Mom’s green farm. The raised beds in the vegetable garden framed the tented tables and the dance floor was next to the cute potting shed where they cut the cake. All in all, another home wedding to add to my list of favorites!
It was a clear blue day from start to finish… the last pictures of the day still had a deep blue sky as a backdrop to the crowded dance floor.
In a perfect world, my days would be spent wandering tiny towns with a camera. Punctuate the town time with open spaces… both peopled and un… I am a sucker for this planet we call home. Last year, in late September, Opera Boy and I took three days off and we set our base camp in Lincoln City. [click to continue…]
One of the best parts of Kenrick and Lindy’s rehearsal dinner was the view… Avio Vineyards is tucked into the beautiful hills of Sutter Creek, California. Throughout the dinner, I watched many of the guests steal a quiet minute or two at the edge of the patio. The sky was softening over the horses in the field as a most delightful dinner was served… wine glasses tinkling in the late light. This is the way to live your life!
Choose a special place and hire the best… you won’t regret it!
