Trip Reflections
August 30th, 2006
My two weeks in China was great because I got to get away from the modern world for a while. During the weekdays I was in Bao An, which is a city in the outskirts of Shenzhen; it’s a 30 minute drive from Hong Kong. It’s a nice thing, not having a cell phone and not needing to check email.
(above) Here’s Bao An, and the area where I went to get a cold iced tea whenever I had a break. It was around 110 degrees Farenheit and very tropical and humid, so combined with the pollution (I only saw a “blue” sky a few days out of the two weeks that I was there) it was a bit difficult for me to get used to at first. I lived a minute walking distance away from here. If you notice, there’s trash on the side of the sidewalk. I was taught very quickly not to walk along the buildings, as the people who live there throw all of their trash not in a trash can, but out the window. Stepping on pothole covers were also not suggested, as some of the pothole covers weren’t really covered and a coworker of mine has fell through and into the sewage water.
What’s travel without food photography? I consider food photography to be my weakest photography skill…but it sure doesn’t hurt to practice.
I’m back
August 29th, 2006
I’m back and adjusting. Jetlag has punched me in the eye and left me for dead. I’ve been waking up at odd hours, cleaning my entire kitchen at 5 in the morning, and becoming non-functional by 8. It’s nice to be around my husband again, he has been taking good care of me. We usually do alot of things together, so it has been nice hearing about his adventures and then telling him about mine. It’s as if we get to live two lives at once. I’ll write more about my trip to China when I get my photos together and posted.
There are many things to do, but I’m taking it easy and resting up a bit after my trip. Unless something comes up at the last minute, the next wedding I will be shooting will be a wedding weekend at the end of October in Las Vegas. Congratulations to Maria and Andrew! They will be getting married at Valley of the Fire State Park that weekend. It’s a beautiful place, and as usual I’m excited about documenting their event.
Meanwhile, here are some more pictures from the Bacara resort in Santa Barbara.
A month in Hong Kong/China
August 9th, 2006
I’ll be hopping on a plane tomorrow evening to go to Hong Kong/Shenzhen, China for three weeks of business and photography. I don’t go on these extensive trips often, but when I do have to I start to take things for granted less, and my preparation for this trip was the same. My husband and I spent a good week making each other a priority, and I had one of the most relaxing weekends of the year a few days ago, watching the food channel with my husband and walking down the street to get a gift card for one of our church kids and sharing a smoothie on the way back. I also got plenty of time to gather some peace of mind for myself….at the Bacara Resort and Spa, courtesy of one of my best friends, Helen, who is now the Spa Manager there. I took a ton of pictures, but I have a few stories to tell too, so I’ll just post one picture and save the rest for later. 
By the way, more great news, I’m really excited about the fall season. Since I launched my business in the midst of the summer season, it looks like I’ve caught the fall wedding season, and it’s really exciting…I’m especially filling up my September and October weekends, and at the end of October I’m scheduled to shoot a wedding near Las Vegas, at a state park. It has been great talking to many brides; I find myself relating to them easily, since I myself have only been married for a few months, since March of this year. So the craziness of planning a wedding is not unfamiliar to me.
Though I will be in Hong Kong/China, someone will be answering my phone and my email and taking care of the company while I am gone, and I hope to check email in China, though I am not sure of this since for much of the time I will be in a rural area. Nevertheless, it will be a good change, and I can’t wait to bring back the pictures!
Merry Christmas
August 4th, 2006
The photo above is Dutch arranging the peppermints for an “after-use” shot. So when the flowers die you can use the vase or jar for another purpose. For these pictures I got to play with Dutch’s Canon Mark II.
One of the reasons why I love photoshoots is because I get to meet different people and learn some random and interesting facts. For example, I was chatting with the art director and she was telling me how La Brea (where Pink’s Hot Dogs is) has the highest volume in floral sales, and that Valentine’s Day is number one in floral sales in terms of men buying flowers and Mother’s Day is number one in floral sales in terms of women buying flowers.