Fairy Godmother Photographer

My original image, with a very nice crop and rounded edge provided by Melissa, who is writing a magical baby blog for the daughter she will be meeting soon, Everly.

***

I've decided that January is my month. It's the month where I'm going to make things happen, photography-wise. Networking, marketing, whatever I can do. Like I mentioned before, it's not enough to just take the pictures now. I have to try to do something else with them.

I'm hoping that some solutions and ideas will come naturally to me (mostly because I really don't know where to start) and also because what I want to do most is take the pictures.

***

A few weeks ago, I did a maternity photo shoot with beautiful Melissa (who was one of my early adopters for i live here:SF) and her handsome and talented husband Brent (who is the latest subject). I'm loving how their set came out and found the shoot to be very inspiring. I'm also enjoying taking photos of parents and their kids and I have a few more shoots like that coming up. And some parties, a wedding. Maybe more in the hopper, who knows? Let's hope so.

Anyway, there's something very sweet about being on the sidelines of someone else's life. You get to peek in, share some beauty, and then give them something to remember forever. Kind of like being a fairy godmother. Bibbity bobbity boo!

So if any of you have ideas for me, business wise, networking wise, client wise: let me know. I'm looking for all kinds of connections and advice. You never know where the next great meeting will come from.

I'm still updating my site, and will be as more shoots come along.

reading someone else's love letters

One of my greatest thrills about i live here:SF is when people send in their stories. Some of them, heck—most of them, are truly touched by a bit of magic.

Read Medea's story and see if you agree with me.

Child's Play

I think these little people are gonna have to go on my website.

From a recent family photo shoot in Golden Gate Park.

Living Large

my fire-spinning hula-hooping yogini friend Autumn

***

Autumn is a force of nature.

When you walk down the street with Autumn (she is fondly called the Mayor of Polk Street), you get the feeling that there's nobody she doesn't know in this town.

I'm posting her story today on i live here:SF because she's back from Burning Man and probably feeling a little lost, even though she's back home in the city she loves.

Pay Autumn a visit and say hello.

I have to tell you that on her photo shoot, aside from the backbends and handstands next to the Women's Building in the Misson, she befriended a hula-hooping six-year old and they hula hooped and did yoga together in Dolores Park.

But that's Autumn. When you see her, you'll understand.

the boys

damn, I'm tired.

These boys are a handful.
But they look good, don't they?

***

C0me see their show tonight (Christ, it's Friday already!)

There are tickets left, and it's gonna be a rockin' show.

I was at the rehearsal tonight and it was awesome.

Tix available at the Great American Music Hall.

See you there... but first I have to get some sleep.

xoxo

After 40 million years, a pelican is basically a dog with wings.

Yesterday, I wished I had a pocketful of fish.

***

Hi guys!

How've you been? Good? Good!

;-)

***

I won't be around much online for the next few days.
Today and tomorrow I'm doing photos with Magic Christian now that the whole band is together. Friday night is their show at the Great American Music Hall, so I hope some of you can make it. (Tix are still available.)

But in the meantime, I wanted to share something cool that happened yesterday.

***

I met this little fellow.



He was hanging out on one of the piers over at Crissy Field, and a few people were giving him little tiny fish that they had caught.



He/she (how does one tell) was obviously not shy. I got quite close to take these shots.
It's so exciting to see a non-human little person up close (this fella did have a cute personality so to me he was definitely a person.)



Just another San Franciscan enjoying the fine day and the company of others.

You can see more pics of my little buddy here.

And you can learn more about pelicans here. After I took these photos, I was so fascinated by what I had captured that I wanted to learn more.

My inbox is getting interesting.

HI JULIE, JUST FINISHING UP THE BLONDIE TOUR. SEE YOU IN SAN FRAN. REGARDS, CB

***

I'm sorry, but even if I never meet another Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in my whole life, this has got to go down as the coolest (shortest) email I've ever received.

I better take some goddamn good pictures next week. Eeek!

What They're Seeing

Plug 1 getting that perfect shot in the Tenderloin.

Or perhaps the joy of trying is enough for him?

***

One of the things I enjoy most about the SF Flickr community is its generosity. I have found a real spirit of camaraderie amongst a large group of individuals who all find it possible to encourage and praise each other's work while combing the same streets of the city.

Perhaps it's because we all appreciate and reflect to each other the city that we love in a myriad of ways. We're extensions of each other but still individuals with our own styles and perceptions.

***

I feel especially fortunate to have met Plug 1 and Plug 2 through photography. Many of you locals already know them from their popular blog, What I'm Seeing. Spending time with the two of them out of doors, each one of us searching for that next great photo op for all of us to share, is a day of memories that I'll smile about for a long time.

What I've also seen in watching those two together is a sweet San Francisco love story. A love story with the city and also with each other.

I hope you'll enjoy their photo shoot and their story here.

UPDATE 11:15am: Here's a nice plug from the Plugs! Thank you!

May I admire you?

Fondling cucumbers in Chinatown.

***

When did I discover Beth Spotswood and develop my true-blue girl crush? Perhaps it was when I read this quote in the sidebar of her blog:

"I did not get my Spaghetti-O's, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this." ~ Thomas J. Grasso's last words, d. March 20, 1995 ... Executed by injection, Oklahoma.

I still laugh when I read that.

I think what I admire about Beth is that she'll write stuff that I would only admit in my dreams. I love that she's fearless that way. I also know that I can only read her blog if I'm not drinking hot liquids or in a place where I'm not supposed to burst out laughing.

***

When Beth contacted me to be a part of i live here: SF, of course I was flattered but was also a little intimidated. Not because I didn't think she'd be great to hang out with (she was) but on the whole, I'm pretty shy... it's quite a different situation to you meet someone you've only admired from afar.

We had a ball in Chinatown taking photos. This was one instance when all of my hours and photography love of Chinatown really paid off. All of my explorations, favorite little alleys and murals: we used them all for her photo shoot. I made Beth sit on park benches in Portsmouth Square, nested amidst elderly Chinese men and women who alternately smiled, ignored and scowled at us. We got yelled at in a market for taking photos. Beth bought us both barbequed pork buns.

When I asked Beth "Why Chinatown?," she confessed her long-time Pretty in Pink infatuation. That just happens to be the only John Hughes' movie I've never seen so I still don't get the connection with Chinatown, but I'm happy to say that this shoot was just as stupendously fun and cool as Beth is. I hope it lived up to her Pretty in Pink daydreams. I think it did.

I hope you enjoy it too. And I haven't even told you about the story she wrote. But I'll let you read that for yourself.

***

Beth's story and photo shoot can be seen here.

And here's what she wrote about ME, which I'm loving this morning...

Shake Some Action

I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I had today. These are the first, preliminary shots I took for the band Magic Christian (Cyril Jordan on the left and Paul Kopf on the right). We're scouting locations for a shoot when the rest of the band arrives for a gig here in September. They're recording their new CD and I'll be joining them to photograph the rehearsals, the show, and hopefully their new CD cover! (I told them if I don't have a job by December, I'll go with the band to Spain. Maybe I won't try too hard to find one...)


Long long long story short, Cyril is one of the founding members of the Flamin' Groovies, one of the quintessential 60s SF bands. His new band, Magic Christian (bonus points to you who know where that name comes from) will be touring in Europe this fall but they're playing here on September 4 at the Great American Music Hall.

You'll be hearing a lot more about this band, as we're all now pretty fond of each other. We had a blast driving around the city looking for potential photo shoot spots once the whole band is here in September. All of my meandering and walking has really paid off as they loved some of my locations, and we have more practice shots to take throughout the city.

I even got them to visit my Dog House! They loved it.

***

Here's a clip of Magic Christian playing "Shake Some Action," which is one of the Flamin' Groovies biggest hits.



And here is the original Groovies playing "Roll Over Beethoven" and Cyril is the dark-haired guy on the guitar.

Sometimes it takes so little...

...to make a person happy.

Sometimes I wonder why it is so hard for those of us who have so much?

Meet Chewie, Little Fluff and Patricia.

If you are around Polk Street @ California, you might see them on the corner. Give them a dollar or two if you can. Stop and pet the cats for a moment. They love company and a kind word.

More later but I'm so dog tired. I wish I had someone who could take dictation and type my blog for me. Any takers?

***

Long story very very short, I was in a boutique today with someone who will be featured in i live here:SF very soon. She said to the boutique owner that I'm a photographer and the woman said, "Hey, you want to have a show here?"

Just like that.

Could it really be that easy?

Yes. I guess it can.

More on that too if there's something to tell.

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters

I hope J.D. Salinger would approve.
Photo taken in the Tenderloin with Plug1 as my accomplice in sneaking around.

***

It's a week of happenings. I know you know that. Looks like K and the kids move on Friday and I promise to keep you in the loop so you know what I know.

It's been the longest week in the world already, and it's only Wednesday. But I have the feeling that wonderful things are being built. They're just not ready to share yet.

Happy Wednesday, friends.

xoxo

If I could take pictures like this every day,

I'd have the best job in the world.

Meet Kate over at i live here: SF.

Earth Angel

"Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

"The act of compassion begins with full attention, just as rapport does. You have to really see the person. If you see the person, then naturally, empathy arises. If you tune into the other person, you feel with them. If empathy arises, and if that person is in dire need, then empathic concern can come. You want to help them, and then that begins a compassionate act. So I'd say that compassion begins with attention." ~ Daniel Goleman

"Compassion is the radicalism of our time." ~ HH the Dalai Lama

***

A few weeks after I met K and the kids, I attended a press conference at City Hall, to join in solidarity with homeless families that had been trying to meet with the mayor for almost two years. Before the press conference, a petite, curly haired young woman approached me in a friendly manner and introduced herself.

In that easy way, I can now say that I met a little angel. Her name is Colleen.

Since then, I've been inspired, awed, overwhelmed and impressed by Colleen's incredible grasp of our byzantine and broken system that fails so many of our underprivileged citizens. She is constantly providing important information about the machinations at the state and city level, attending meetings in the state capitol and City Hall often. She's been a support and wonderful help with K and the kids, as well as my friends Lisa and Rachel's growing organization to help homeless and poor mothers called Help a Mother Out.

Colleen exudes a sense of quiet determination and compassion. I was thrilled when she agreed to be part of i live here:SF, mostly because I wanted to share a part of her with all of you. As we walked through the Tenderloin, scouting her favorite spots, she was regularly greeted by the locals, some for a quick wave or hello and some for a hug or a handshake. Colleen's photo shoot turned out to be as beautiful as she is and I think you'll see what I mean. I feel honored and oh so grateful that she added her story to my collection.

Please read Colleen's story and see her photos here.

It was a candy-colored day.

Today looked like something from a Paint-By-Numbers book.

Or a bowl of Skittles.

Or a box of Popsicles.

Or a handful of sidewalk chalk.

You get the idea.

***

I had a great time today combing the urban landscape with Plug 1 and Plug 2. They'll be making a guest appearance soon on i live here: SF, so keep an eye out.

And watch out for the land sharks. This one's busy eating a VW van, but I have a feeling that SF is full of these menaces.

the best of friends

Patti and Ginny

***

The more pictures I take, the more I learn. Or perhaps the more pictures I take, the more I see and then wish to see beyond even that.

Today a friend who is a painter said that she wanted to take me to a photography exhibit with her because, as a painter, she knows how to look at a painting but thinks she does not know how to look at a photograph. That made me nervous because I am not sure I know how to look at a photograph either.

All I know how to do is look at what I want to see.

***

I've been very focused on taking pictures of people because I learn so much. I learn about lighting and angles of the face. I try to figure out how I can capture a person in the way I think I understand them to be and then sometimes am rewarded when the subject likes what I have done.

Up until now, I've also been very focused on capturing the individual in relationship to a place, but not to another being.

That's a whole new ball of wax. Taking a photo of a relationship. I had never thought about that before.

***

"Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet." ~ Colette

I have known Patti (the human in the photo above) for over two years. Maybe it's been three, I can't remember. We met on the tango dance floor. She was the first woman I'd ever danced with and is a very special dance partner to me. I wish that the tango community at large appreciated her as much as I do.

In getting to know Patti more outside of tango, I can easily say that she is probably one of the kindest and most sensitive, empathetic people I have ever met. Her heart knows no bounds. When I first wrote about K and the kids, she was one of the very first people to step forward with a donation (probably much more than she could afford but so very much needed), an incredibly honest letter of support and a continued interest that did not abate after the initial novelty of K's story on my blog wore off for some readers.

But that's just how Patti is.

Patti has a new girl in her life, Ginny the kitty. I finally met Ginny last week after hearing about her for a while. Ginny needed a special friend in the way only someone like Patti could be, and for this little kitty, there could be no better angel.

I hope you will read about Patti and Ginny. I think you will find that their combined stories, along with this most lovely set of photos, is the very essence of what it means to care and love, no matter the outcome.

This was the first photo shoot that made me cry when I edited it. It was so beautiful, knowing their story, that I could not help it. But the tears were so worth it. I'm truly grateful that Patti and Ginny wanted to share their stories with me, and with you, too.

You are young, broke and beautiful.

Thus sayeth Broke-Ass Stuart.

***

Well, I'm pretty sure I'm broke. And occasionally I've been known to be beautiful but that takes some doing these days. But young? I guess I'll just say I'm as young as I feel and usually that's a good 20 years younger than my driver's license says I am.

I know that I say that each photo shoot I do for i live here: SF is really great and I love meeting new people and seeing what kind of predicaments we will get in and generally getting all excited about the unknown: Will we have any chemistry that will make itself present in the photos? Will these photos be worth sharing? What surprises will I learn about this person?

Basically, a lot of these shoots are like blind dates without the dinner. I often know little to almost nothing about the people I'm going to meet, and I think I really like it that way.

***

Enter Broke-Ass Stuart.

When he contacted me to inquire about being part of i live here:SF, I was really thrilled. I mean, I know who he is. I have a copy of his book. Here I am with a real, live published author.

But the dude in person is a thousand times more interesting to hang out with, and quite funny and playful, as you'll see in our shots. There's a lot less filter with Stuart, which I happen to like, and what you see is what you get. He's a bit of a whirlwind. And then reading the story he wrote to go with his photos... now there's just a whole other side of him.

It was singularly enjoyable to be hanging out with Stuart on a random grey Tuesday in the afternoon, walking all the way from the F-Line streetcar stop in front of the Twin Peaks bar in the Castro, all the way through the Lower Haight, up into Hayes Valley and beyond.

Me in my common unemployedness and him in his professional broke-assness.

I almost felt like a 20-something year-old hipster. It was cool.

***

Check out Stuart, his story, his photo shoot, and his books and blog here on i live here: SF.

UPDATE 9/18: A little mutual blog lovin' here from the man himself. Yay!

Yes, it's cool to hang out with a ballerina

Meet Harriet.
Or Harriet the Spy as she calls herself.
She might be a spy, but she's also a ballerina.
For Reals.

***

I don't know about you girls (or boys) out there in blog land, but I'm betting that a good percentage of you had a brush with ballet. I certainly did. I had a book with lots of black and white photos that I studied with determination, memorizing every position, how to hold the hands and fingers, how to wear your hair in a tight bun and look serious.

My mom enrolled me in the Los Gatos Academy of Dance, which apparently has a very good reputation and is a classic (ie., drill sergeant type) traditional ballet school. I really couldn't tell you more about it because I only lasted for two classes.

First of all, I was under the impression that you were given toe shoes immediately upon entering class. (Hey, I was eight.) Plus, everyone had to wear the same regulation outfit: black leotard, pink tights and pink shoes. It was like the Army. No tutu. No glitter. No Swan Lake. No tiara. And that leotard was bloody hot. It was like wearing a sauna suit. And the tights itched. So all of that on top of the No Toe Shoes Until You Are 16 Rule really was a gigantic bummer.

Plus, we got yelled at. (Actually, I can't say for sure that we got yelled at. I'm looking at all of this again from a disappointed, toe shoe-less eight year old's perspective.) But I had the feeling that our teacher was mean. I think we got yelled at. It's all a blur.

So that was the end of my career in ballet. Perhaps you had some similar experience. I tried to give ballet another shot more recently, but I think I'm just too far gone for it now. I've decided that if I'm going to hurt myself doing some sort of exercise in the future (when I have discretionary income again), then it's going to be fencing because I already have the gear, and if/when I am covered in bruises, I can say I got all of those little dark spots in a sword fight.

***

Anyway, I met Harriet the Spy/Ballerina at Chipmonkey's New Year's Eve partay. (Chipmonkey, for those of you who don't memorize every detail of this blog, is my sweet flickr buddy and also the person who has had the best birthday party I can recall to date.)

So back to Harriet. I was awestruck slightly (must have been the 8-year old in me) to be in the presence of a living, breathing ballerina. Even though Harriet is super cool and just a totally normal girl, with a great sense of humor. I saw her again a few months later and asked her if she'd like to be part of i live here: SF and she said yes! I was so stoked.

But what to do with my urban ballerina?

We ended up having our photo shoot at Golden Gate Park. Harriet was such a good sport because it was freezing cold and very windy. I was secretly thrilled to help tote around her ballerina shoe duds and got a peek at all of the stuff you have to do/wear with toe shoes, and now I'm glad I didn't get toe shoes when I was eight. It's a lot of work.

But these shoes were so brand-y new and shiny and gorgeous that I did kind of want to steal them.

The only bad part about the shoot was that we got barraged by a gang of Japanese photography students who slightly scared Harriet (they were like camera wielding piranhas) and then we got kicked out of the de Young Museum for causing a commotion. But other than that, it was fun.

You can read Harriet's story and see her photo shoot here.

Driving Ms. Muni Diaries

When Eugenia of Muni Diaries contacted me about being part of the i live here: SF photo project, I was so excited. Muni Diaries is one of those blogs that you think, this is really what SF is about, these guys seem really cool, etcetera etcetera.

But when Eugenia managed to convince someone over at Muni to let us photograph on an empty bus, I was even more excited. I loved that Eugenia was as enthusiastic about my project as I am, and really gets what it is I want to do.

And the fact that she might have someone over at Muni wrapped around her little finger, well, that's just damn impressive. Maybe there's hope for this city after all...

You can read Eugenia's story and see her photo shoot here.

***

Oh, and BTW, the Muni Diaries is having a great event this coming Friday:

We're looking for spoken word, poems, music, stories, art, or whatever Muni has inspired out of you! Friday, June 12, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Make-Out Room

I won't be there because I have a hot date with an 8-year old (my little friend C is performing in her salsa dancing debut at Herbst Theatre, believe it or not) but I hope some of you can make it over to the Makeout Room for some libations and Muni solidarity.

Ah, the possibilities...

Taking photos of sexy, fabulous men...

Or Canadian geese?

I really really really love my i live here: SF project... (and I still always want more subjects, so email me.)

Sexy man post coming soon. I have like a bajillion photos to edit.
(And no, those are not my legs.)

Hope you're having a great weekend. Today is the first day of the Inner Sunset's brand-y new farmers' market so I'm off to check it out, and the sun is peeking out of the fog, so that's all good.

And tonight I'm doing a podcast with Adam of I Don't Give Two Cents, I Throw Quarters, so stay tuned for more info about that. I'm trying to figure out how to make my voice sound like Kathleen Turner's by 4pm.