Rach and Q

This beautiful couple is Rachel and Q (sorry I don't know how to spell your name)...

It was truly an easy shoot, I felt like I was working with Banana Republic models.  Thanks for thinking of me to do your engagements!  

PS  if any of you would like for me to do your engagements, weddings, family pics I would be delighted to do such a thing.  Please email me for pricing.   jessandmax@gmail.com or jesslorraine@hotmail.com

Jessica

D as me, me and max

My best friend D is in town for the week and I thought it would be fun to do a little afternoon shoot with her and max. It's called Jess and Max. It's just about me and my dog and how each of my days starts off. So D is supposed to be me in my home, my bed, my office and kitchen... although D is much, much more glamorous than I could ever be, I am happy she was down for this. In a round about way I wanted to document my mundane mornings, how max is endearingly and annoyingly at my side at every single moment. It was a lot of fun to be able to document my home and watch someone else in it.

Trees and Chickens

This afternoon I while sitting in the dining room eating Natalie's yummy brownies I saw the neighbors chickens take over the yard.  I wanted to take some pictures so I slowly crept up to them.  Most ran back to their coop to hide but some were more trusting and hung out with me for a while.  I ended up walking around forever looking at all the things I have missed before.  It had been raining all morning, everything was dripping with moisture and color.  I found myself walking slowly, watching everything like it was something new to me, I felt like Alice in Wonderland for a moment, in a different world steps away from where I am everyday.

I feel old when I feel like this, I feel like my mom when we would go hiking years ago.  She would stop and feel the grooves in each tree and tell me their names and why she likes them so much, she would be so fascinated by old Indian trails and the connection of past worlds with ours, she would keep walking to see more and I would fight to turn back so my lazy self could sit in the air conditioned car.  I always thought she was such a hippy.  I love her.

Through the lens these looked like hanging veins.  

Boots

While out today my feet saw a lot of things

Stephanie

Tomorrow I will have the pleasure of photographing Stephanie!

Paper and Process

Yesterday I found a coupon for Robert's Craft in my mailbox for 50% off of one item and 30% off on paper... I think I have already expressed my love for paper on here but I'll do it again... I love paper, I would rather go shopping for paper than clothes, I could spend hours in a craft store debating over which sheets to get and if I should get two so I wont have a hard time using one.  It's a big process, as is buying my pens, razors, and cleaning products, I run through variables multiple times until something feels perfect for purchase.

Anyway.

These are the sheets I got.  I think this has been my favorite selection I have ever made.  I bought 1 of each.

After the craft store I bound some books with the new paper.  I Love binding!  I love the process.  I love designing, cutting, sewing, gluing, pressing, waiting, cutting some more, gluing some more, smashing, smoothing, pressing and waiting.  Then after the book is done drying I open the cover, hear the glue from the spine crack into place, examine for imperfections and accept them, feel through the pages and unstick the stuck ones, close the book, admire the book and give it away.

3x4'' little cuties.

Words

"The enemy of photography is convention, the fixed rules of 'how to do', the salvation of photography comes from experiment."

-Ken Merfeld

I sometimes go through my old notebooks and reread the little quotes and side notes I had made to myself.  I found these ones and wrote them down again in my current book so I can reflect on them more often.

"A thing is not seen because it is visible, but conversely, visible because it is seen."

-Plato

(this was underlined by Diane Arbus in her copy of the works by Plato)

She escapes to the yard to vent her frustrations.

Um... I wanted this to be a lot cooler than it turned out.  I am in the process of experimentation which gives room for error.  

BLUE

It's a Joni Mitchell day.  Snowy nights and cloudy afternoons call for Joni's Blue album.  

The yard had some new blossoms this morning.  Sometimes if you look close enough at things they become a bit more magnificent.  Lunch with mom, she ate coconut korma I had tikka masala, we talked.  I usually talk a lot with her because she can be quiet, I feel bad because I go on and on as if she had slipped me speed, but most times I am with people who do all the talking and I listen, it's nice to talk sometimes.  Mom will listen for a while but she knows when my words are just words and will switch the internal channel to a worry or a rerun of the last Fox News rant.  I love her. 

Locked myself out of the house.

Drove to Natalie's work to grab her keys.

Camera was conveniently in the passenger seat.

Stuck in traffic: this was me making lemonade out of lemons.

Blissfully average

Today is going to be wonderful, I could tell by the noises outside my window.

C's words

My great friend Claire was kind enough to write an artist statement for me a while back.  I liked it a lot so I am sharing it with you.... although she makes me sound much cooler than I will ever be.

Thanks C for being so wonderfully special and supportive.  You are nothing but beautiful, creative, passionate, intelligent and thoughtful.  I ruv you.

Here it is......

Some people, when excited, wave their arms and waggle their fingers and other necessary extremities to articulate and punctuate their sentences.  Some people when joyful, dance jigs and click their heels together three times.  Some people, when distraught, lye on the floor for a time, moan un-earthly sounding moans, and later start successful careers in pop music.  Jessica, can, will, and does blink once and the sum of all sentiments, opinions and truth of living in this green world is gathered in photo form.

Jessica and her camera get along quite well.  They hold hands and skip through existence responding and reacting to the beauty and life that surrounds.  Jessica and her camera build forts under tables with blankets, make up secret passwords (using Latin and actual Latin), and tip toe softly yo be the first to see Christmas morning.  Jessica and her camera will spill enormous vats of golden light onto the audience that digest the creative nuance and dynamics that populate this artwork.

Jessica swam through blood, sweat and tears and blissfully earned her BFA in Photography from Art Center in Pasadena CA in 2006.  She began working independently as a freelance photographer as well being an editor and in house photographer for a production company.

KAKE.

My stepmom sent me an email with a link to this website

cake wrecks

I don't know why but I find these sort of things so funny.  I could watch stand up comedy for an hour and only chuckle a few times but show me natural human error and I will be rolling on the ground with tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. 

This blog is a collection of images sent from all around of poorly designed cakes, misspelled words (I should talk..) and sometimes monstrous, grotesque messes.  I was entertained for a while.  Thanks Sheila for the lead.

Easter cakes

This one makes me sad

This one kinda works because Shrek is supposed to be frumpy

I thought of Jordan, Jon and Casey when I saw this.

Two in One! Yummy

Change is good

I decided to change my template.  I was getting tired of the old one and needed something fresh.

This is what we do late at night.  We float around rooms. 

 

I have been spending a little time with this great girl who is super energetic and passionate about photography and learning more about it.  I have been sharing with her a little of the little I know and it has been a lot of fun.  I have been giving her assignments to help aid the creativity process.  Yesterday I gave her the assignment to carry her camera with her for a full day.  She was to photograph everything and anything, no censorship, no rules, just photograph her world, what inspires her and what she sees.  

I felt like doing the same.

These happened when I did the dishes and fed Max

Outside my kitchen window I have been able to watch the seasons change.  There is one plant in particular that I love, the buds start at white, turn yellow then green... the yellow is my favorite.

Carrots.  Beautiful things. 

They began having personalities of their own.

Night crawler

Dying 

Cuddle 

Left out

he he.

Happy Birthday Abby

My beautiful niece Abby just turned two this week.  Happy Birthday Abby, I love you more than  you know.  

I had lunch with sarah and Brea today, we were talking about where we were at this time last year.  I really had a good year full of all kinds of good times.

There is max as a puppy

Last years b-day (sorry 25, you didn't make the "good times" cut, bronchitis and tears just didn't do it for me)  we had a mustache party which was one of my favorite nights.

Frequent road trips to LA 

Random parties and Tracy
My old job was a great blessing for me.  I was able to learn a lot, met some great people and had some amazing times.  Moab shoot.

Hawaii shoot with RB, (thanks to rancid navaho taco's I was  able to slim down before the trip... only kidding, it was horrible)

Dog or Fish

Max points

The sun came out again, Max and I went to Vivian park so Max could go swimming.  He was a happy dog. 

I keep getting sick, I think I need to fire my immune system, it's not doing a good job and I am tired of it.  

be jealous of my backyard.  

Tonight wasn't my favorite.  In fact I could have done without (except watching Claire dance). 

I am home about to go to bed and I feel unfulfilled, restless and empty...

I guess this is why I am posting these images.  

The images of the rays below is absolutely amazing, what I would give to have been there.  I really need to travel more, let's all go.

I don't know the name of the awesome chalk guy but I have always loved this guys creativity and talent.

A bit of humor to soften some of the lame moments in life...

Well, I don't feel any better.  I think the next option is to sleep.  Someone come entertain me before I do that.