i still remember the first time i went to the shriner’s circus …  the big tall armory building that seemed a ways to walk to. the sounds of carnival music. the air filled with popcorn, cotton candy and peanuts mixed with a smell i’d never experienced before . it felt like i was on a ride – spinning in a very happy place. our seats were right next to where all the performers and animals came out -  tigers and lions and elephants and ponies with big feather ribbons on their head & a pretty girl standing on top. the costumes were bright and glittery. the clowns wore painted smiles and frowns. i held my breath when the trapeze artists took to a swing high up in the air & covered my eyes when they walked above. why this little walk down an old memory…it’s exactly how i felt at the the watch city {stempunk} festival. no, not a circus, but it was that same childish feeling of giddy familiarity…different but the same feeling of excitement. there were calliopes & blacksmiths ….tall bicycle riders, fencing  &  Old House Parts, venders selling art, jewelry, clothing…and the unfortunate part – we only scratched the surface. though a steampunk gathering, it is really a celebration of the city of waltham’s history with watches (we will be returning to the museum). as for the portraits (or lack thereof), i’m a little shy to rush into someone’s face just cause they’re attired differently and assume it’s ok to take a photograph. that’s my own hangup that hopefully i can get over. at least i got the queen & lord of the event & … there’s always next year.

i’d love to know about your experience with a circus or interesting festival…just click on the title to leave one!

Ok – this week’s challenge wasn’t too hard as I was looking for the right opportunity to tell this one….These are from recent travel to my bestest bud to visit & take photographs of her boy who graduates from high school this year. This was my last full day & we (my BFF and her husband) opted to go to see the film “The Artist” which had been on all of our “must see” list since it opened um last year. While not a post about the film – which for record inspired and delighted us on every level – it is about how we ended the day.

The original plan was to hit a fabulous pizzeria located near the theater but thanks to fate, we ended up at a Japanese restaurant – a first time experience for my bud

So we were seated, got a Tsing Tau (I know – not Japanese but they didn’t have Asahi) and waited for our table to fill which it did shortly with a couple seated across from us (they’re in quite a few of the photos as they were sitting opposite me) and a couple with a very cute little toe head. And then the entertainment of cooking began.

As I had my camera with me, I decided to play around a bit with the motions of the chef and the expressions around the table even though I don’t shoot with flash and knew a high ISO would somewhat leave me with not as spectacular images as I’m used to with natural light, I’m happy with how they turned out as they definitely tell the story….especially the one that occurred right before our dinners were served.

For the record, I’ve eaten in more than a few Japanese restaurants as it’s my most favorite as far as Asian cuisine goes and I even worked in a Sake House as a bartender um lets just say many years ago so this last bit was something I’ve never seen or experienced before….and i wasn’t the only one. My pal’s husband who has also experienced hibachi style dinners on more than one occasion never experienced this either.

The chef picked up one of his plastic squeeze bottles and asks my friends husband if he’d like a taste – the implication was the chef would squirt whatever was in the bottle into his mouth. To be fair, we (me/my pal) of course supported this and clapped and “yay’d” him on. But it didn’t stop there  – next thing we know, the chef is going around the table to all the men and then to my friend and me! One by one we all took a turn at this and what’s concerning is not one of us (the three of us and the two from the other two couples) ever thought to ask what is that before hand. Well we learned after it was saki so no harm unless you were one of the other couples – one didn’t drink, the other was a few months sober! Word to the wise – ASK before someone squirts something in your mouth!

And to be fair to all those I photographed and included, I let my friend take a photo of yours truly which I’ve included at the very end. Not sure why I look so tense & about to scream!

Please continue on to my friend Jennifer Capozzola to see her story!

Selecting one image from a session sounds pretty straightforward…and acclaimed wedding photographer Jeff Ascough makes it look so effortless. I’ve followed his Photograph of the Week series for almost a year as his insights are inspiring & informative, & his thoughts around his choice for Week 41 relate well to a recent session & one’s ability to notice.

“It’s the ability to notice, study and observe combined with an eye for light and composition that makes you a photographer…”

I won’t profess to have arrived in terms of the discipline & trust this requires, but it is part of my thinking at every session. Which brings me to the Selected from a recent children’s session. I wanted to get a few of mother/daughter interacting without me in their face and sort of hid alongside and behind the refrigerator. In looking at the scene, I noticed the reflection in the refrigerator and positioned myself to place the emphasis on the mother’s face. The image really shows the real day-to-day of a wonderful mother who spends a lot of time playing with her little one. The other two I’d wanted going in were ones showing her lovely eyelashes (love this angle for children) and profile (bonus that she was at her crib).

The transition from pre-teen to teenager is an awkward time of life that for us girls and one that usually requires a fair amount of time in front of the mirror.

See more …

An 80s song reincarnated on the Wii is as popular today as it was when it first come on the scene….and is perfect for a summer night with friends. Now, if I were only twelve again – or not!

A beautiful day…a beautiful lake…Maine: Open for Business (though I still don’t understand why that’s the first thing you read when you cross the state line). Taken in Bridgeton at a lake this family has come to for too many years to list.

A  few photographs from a “Day of Life” session that reveal a little personality. An insightful “look” while leaning against the cabinet talking to Mommy; “the stance” in front of an easel covered with “H’s” which are a favorite letter to draw, and sitting on a stool eating a cookie and then leaning on the counter – the sense of scale (little person on tall stool) & the mood – ever serene.

These are photographs from the Way Family graveyard taken during the annual family reunion on a very hot July afternoon in the country near State College Pennsylvania.

The grandparents shared stories about the history of the family and memories each had growing up on the Way Fruit Farm. As a photographer, the setting and the people gathered together felt like magic and I can only hope the images impart a richness, a depth, and an aura of dignity. The black umbrellas, the gathering, and how everyone drifted to different areas…to say it was simply breathtaking is an understatement.

A family in harmony will prosper in everything. – Chinese Proverb

It’s been over twenty years since I’ve been able to travel to the Way Family annual reunion and though some faces were older (mine included) and some newer (there are now four generations present) it was clear how quickly time can pass without one even really paying much attention to it….there was an entire generation of children – now adults – I’d never even met!

The location at the family owned Way Fruit Farm brought back memories of being a kid, running around the home, eating way too many apples, going on a motorcycle ride through the orchard.  So it was amazing and wonderful to see how the business has changed and expanded, to take a ride through the orchards and to reconnect with everyone.

I have a deep admiration for a family that continues to gather together as they have for over fifty years (I hope I am accurate here) and hope the photographs convey the warmth and appreciation I felt.