Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

As most of you know, in late September and early October Jay & I traveled to Italy & Croatia to catch our breath from the crazy pace of American life. We may have been able to catch our breaths a bit better had we not traveled to a different spot every single day but it was still a fabulous get-away. We came home with a renewed appreciation for our home, family and work here in Colorado.

We covered a lot of ground in 17 days: Hadrian’s Villa + Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Herculaneum, Paestum, Amalfi Coast, Ravello, Croatia, Plitvicka National Park, Split, Dubrovnik, Florence, San Gimignano, Siena, Volterra, Lucca, Cinque Terra and Amsterdam. Sheesh!

So for SOME reason I had a very difficult time narrowing down the images I wanted to share on my blog. Out of the 1200 images that made the final edit, I choose 550 for our personal slideshow and then 80 for the blog. Eeeek! Obviously a few too many, sooooo:

Click here to view the three-minute show.

 

First destination the morning we arrived was Hadrian’s Villa.

I think we’d been awake for about 30+ hours here…

This was my favorite of the 100 fountains in Villa d’Este in Tivoli. This place unbelievable. We walked for hours (our first day in the country) in complete awe.

Paestum. It took our breath away. 

Our first day in Croatia we drove up north to the Plitvicka National Park. We hiked through the park in the rain and it was resplendent. Waterfalls around every bend, waters surging beneath our feet almost up over the miles of painstakingly built path.

Walking into Dubrovnik was one of the most magical breathtaking experiences of my life.

We bought a gorgeous little watercolor from this local artist that sat atop the fort wall.

I have a hard time finding the words to describe how extraordinary I found this city.  

Florence. The art is exquisite. The tourists are thick. The traffic is tumultuous. The shopping is divine. To be honest, I got my fill of naked men statues and violent artwork in roughly eight hours, just as Jay was really finding his stride. After less than two days I was beyond ready to get out into the tiny Tuscan hill towns.

Here is something that did not get old…

this is old but we did not tire of eating it…

…and we had a few of these as well. my favorite combo was strawberry & coconut!

The level of delicate meticulous detail in every bit of their architecture was staggering.

Sunset over the Ponte Vecchio. Serene. Love the white birds flying through.

It turns out that the Boboli Gardens does not actually have any flowers. Except this hydrangea. The rest of the “garden” is graveled paths between trees opening into big lots with a few sculptures here and there and some museums of dishes, etc. I was running low on inspiration and energy this morning and when the first sound that greeted me was a chainsaw I just about went to pieces. I slogged my way through since we’d paid and entry fee and Jay was (as usual) in high spirits. Jay has some nice video footage of me glaring into the camera making scathing comments. Anyhow, I got this beautiful image… 

One of my favorite images in one of my favorite spots: Lucca.  

We stayed in a beautiful old seminario in Volterra. I adored it primarily because it was so quiet. After the hustle and bustle of tourists, traffic and travel I was desperate for some peace. Thankfully Jay read the signs of a full on meltdown brewing and sought out a perfect spot for me to pull myself together. 

Cinque Terre… this is the reason we came to Italy. My expectations were perhaps a bit quixotic so I was startled when a cruise ship dumped hundreds of tourists off for the day and also to see CARS in the tiny villages. And by the time we reached our greatly anticipated destination our knees and feet were aching from the billions of stairs and hills we’d travailed over the last 13 days. Luckily it poured rain the entire day we had slated for hiking so we cuddled up in our little apartment and drank wine.

The sculpture in the rocks is astounding to me. Honestly I spent most of my time in Italy either astounded or completely annoyed.

Long story but we flew out of Amsterdam. Caught a lovely shot of the windmills in Germany.

This picture of me just makes me laugh- I have no idea why I’m looking so sassy!!

This shot is a maybe a little more true to form…

 

Thanks for your patience while I pulled this together for you all. It’s hard to make time for the personal images in a photographer’s life! Hope you enjoy the images! I loved shooting them! And Jay managed to catch got a few nice shots of me (which means he’s turning into quite the photographer as well!!)

One of the most poignant quotes I’ve read about being an artist (and I believe that word is synonymous with being ALIVE) is from The Courage To Create by Rollo May. This quote so accurately describes my experience- daily, monthly and yearly. My whole life has been a cycle of inspiration and desolation. Death and rebirth. Courage and fear. Optimism and depression. I am sustained by metaphors and visual symbols. (is that the same thing?)

“Zeus was outraged. He decreed that Prometheus be punished by being bound to Mount Caucasus, where a vulture was to come each morning and eat away his liver which would grow again at night. This element in the myth is a vivid symbol of the creative process. All artists have at some time had the experience at the end of the day of feeling tire, spent and so certain they can never express their vision that they vow to forget it and start all over again on something the next morning. But during the night their “liver grows back again.” They arise full of energy and go back with renewed hope to their task, again to strive in the smithy of their soul.”

It is hard to be in an artist, to work in service to others, for my work to be an expression of my heart and soul for all to see and judge, to put a price tag on my art, to photograph all of my friends’ and clients’ babies when I’ve longed for my own for so many years and have not been able to have one. It would be much easier to move to France where I don’t know anyone and start some sort of a garden business or get a job working for Anthropologie and be surrounded by beautiful meaningless things all day long. I’ve considered both options. Often. But I desperately want my life to matter, to make a difference, to have a lasting impact. And I love to photograph. I love my friends and my clients and love being a part of their lives. It fills me up. But to be honest, it also empties me out- at the same time somehow. So after ten years of pouring everything I had into Recherche, I now feel compelled to make time to be filled back up. That means MAKING the time to go for walks, for hikes, for yoga class, to spend time working in my garden and to cook. It means spending time reading, doing my own personal projects and just putzing around the house rearranging and organizing cabinets. Did you know I am obsessed with organizing? It’s true. I think it’s not so much that I’m a control freak, it’s more that my heart and my heart are both so saturated to the brim ALL the time that I require my surroundings to be in order so I can get anything done. I’ve had an idea for a professional organizing business in the back of my head for years called “Muddle Jumping”. Juli’s actually designed the webpage for me! I am very passionate about helping people dig out of material clutter so they can engage in this world in a real way. Someday maybe… in the meantime, I do it for friends.

The image above is also from England. It is in the Kew Garden last April. It is a different sort of image for my collection. It feels very Jumanji to me. It might be one of the only images I have that represents hibernation.

When Amy, Heath & I were discussing when and where to shoot their Engagement Portrait Session we happened upon the idea of doing a documentary portrait shoot back in Middleburg, Virginia with their horses. The months preceding their wedding got a little hectic so the idea was tabled for a bit. But not for long! Once the couple was married we nailed down the date and back we flew! What an absolute honor it was for me to be invited into this world of theirs. It never ceases to amaze or humble me that my clients allow me into some of their most private and treasured moments. And as I write this it occurs to me that perhaps this might be one of the ways I define “success” in my career as a photographer. The fact that my clients not only refer their friends and family to me but come to think of Recherché as their photographer for life- inviting me to document their newborn children, their family reunions, their hometowns, their precious pets. I hope you can tell how much I loved this experience and love this couple in the following images.

(Note: Amy is now my personal Pilates instructor and Heath is my personal trainer! Both are excellent at what they do and are accepting new clients!)
We decided to shoot early as the forecast called for rain. And sure enough, in the late afternoon down it came. But I gladly braved a few drops to get these last couple shots!

CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW!

Amy & Heath’s Online Gallery is located at www.pictage.com/745080

Wow, exactly 7 years ago today I was in Shannon, Ireland photographing my very first international destination wedding for Wendy & Mark. It was one of the most monumental experiences of my life. Where to begin…hmmm… Well, there was a moment even further back when I was working for a big corporate beast doing computer support work. Yup. Take a moment and imagine that: little Regina in a beige cubicle on the 42nd floor of a huge concrete building in downtown Milwaukee. Anyhow, I was concocting a plan to become a photographer. I told someone in my family that I wanted to fly all over the world shooting people’s weddings. Their response was, “um, why would someone fly YOU across the country to shoot a wedding when they could just hire someone locally??” I was 23 and still brimming over with self-confidence and naivety (the essential characteristics for an entrepreneur) so I was un-phased and plunged forward into the world of wedding photography.

Ok, now fast forward a few years. About 20 weddings under my belt by now and an unbelievable amount of mistakes, mishaps and falling flat on my face. Daily motto is, “come on Regina, just make it to the end of the day.” People continue booking me so I am tottering forward. I remember the day Wendy called me. She was “obsessed with photography, had seen my work and loved it. Wondered if I could photograph her reception in Evergreen.” Sure! Reception…where’s the wedding? “Oh, Mark and I are eloping! Our dream is to get married in a castle in Ireland!” My best friend was in the room with me at the time and I covered up the phone and whispered, “I’m going to shoot a wedding in Ireland!!!!!”

But I didn’t really believe it in my gut until I was on the plane- already missing one of my bags in NY, completely over-packed and headed for my second trip to Europe, first time traveling alone. Would I shoot a destination wedding by myself again? NO WAY. Do I regret this trip? NO WAY. I wish I had known what I was doing a little better. I wish I had had the camera and lenses I have now, but in spite of it all, I think I pulled this one off. It is so amazing to think back on all this. I exist so much in the future- planning, dreaming, scheming. Very rarely do I look back. I’m so glad I’m taking the time to do this and I hope you are all enjoying the ride along with me.

It is also worth noting that I traveled through Ireland for about 9 days before I arrived at the castle to shoot their wedding. In that time I had come to realize/admit to myself that I was in love with Joseph James Mountjoy and wanted to marry him, found the skirt I have worn to almost every single wedding I have photographed these last 7 years in a consignment store in Dublin, lost at least 8 pounds due to a $4 food budget for entire trip and walking a hundred miles lugging 5x more baggage than I should have ever had plus a painting I bought in Galway. I always think Wendy looks just like Judy Garland in this shot!

My experiment with infrared film could have gone better. Forgot to hand check it through security- and probably didn’t expose it correctly anyway. But I still like the way these last two came out!  

Wendy & Mark: thank you a billion times over for trusting me to photograph your dream come true. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and has been so fun to reminisce. I wish you the very happiest anniversary!!

Let’s go way back to 2003. Still the days of FILM. I had photographed Vanessa’s sister’s wedding in New Orleans the previous summer and was so flattered when she called to request my services for her “dream” wedding on the beach of Marco Island, Florida.
The quintessential tropical wedding bouquets! One of my truly “documentary” photos of the bride making her way down to the wedding site and being admired by all she passed. These orange dresses Vanessa picked for the bridesmaids and flower girl were SO vibrant! Just stunning for a tropical beach wedding!

And, just like weather is prone to doing, a gigantic storm cloud parked itself directly overhead as soon as Vanessa appeared on the beach. I LOVE this photograph. The light on her face is so gorgeous as she smiles in spite of her dismay. This storm was NOT in the dream plan. At all.
There really was nothing to do but laugh at the tremendous gusts of wind that were blowing all the chairs (and some of the guests) down the beach as she approached the aisle. Dave seemed to be oblivious to the weather once he caught sight of his bride.
Can you seen the water drops all over my lens? And check those clouds. It was SO dark!! And hard to tell but it was raining HARD.   
A VERY emotional ceremony, for many reasons. These images have brought back a flood of memories for me of that day, that moment. I was soaked to the bone, my assistant Cat and I trying to change film under our dresses to protect it from the sheets of rain, desperate to capture the moment which lasted only minutes before the whole party dashed inside.
One of the benefits of being a destination wedding photographer is that I am staying the night! The next morning was gorgeous and sunny so everyone came back out on the beach for a fun photo shoot! So I got the best of both worlds: wedding in a torrential downpour and perfect weather beach shoot.

I spent several days with Margaret and her family but made sure to spend time tubing around to some of the famous gardens in England. Photographing flowers is bliss for me. Being alone in misty overcast English gardens with my headphones and my camera was idyllic. I listened to a lot of Cold Play, Tori Amos, U2, Vast, Over the Rhine and Keane. And I photographed a lot of gorgeous little creatures who I swear were smiling up at me. I also cried a lot. Something about the atmosphere allowed me to let go. I cried for no specific reason, just because I am broken-hearted in general in this world. War, poverty, loss, abandonment, miscommunication, shattered dreams, selfishness, corruption. All of it. It breaks my heart. So I cry and I photograph flowers and the beautiful things in the world trying to remind myself of what is true, pure, honorable, right and excellent. And I come home safely to a husband who is my best friend and solace, my dog who is my joy, family and friends who love me, a beautiful studio, a gorgeous home and a set of clients that I adore. I am blessed beyond measure.
 

Now, if you haven’t gotten enough, here is a slideshow of the rest of my favorite images from this trip! Enjoy and share your thoughts! Eager to hear which images you like most!

Very similar story. Photographed their wedding, maternity, newborn baby and now the newest little one. The twist in this story though is that I met Aurora at Rockwell Automation over 12 years ago when we were both working in the Computer Support Dept. Yes, I did computer work for a huge company in downtown Milwaukee. Hard to imagine? Aurora asked me recently what I got out of that experience and my reply was “The inspiration and motivation to start my own business and stick with it all these years because I know what the flip side looks like.” I know what the grass is like over there. And I like my grass.

Anyway, I had a layover in Philadelphia on my way back from England which was perfect because I got to see their new home and their new baby! Do you remember the photo of the little boy in his father’s tattooed arm? It is hanging in my studio and was also in Bugabee Baby Boutique. Well, this is Gavin two years later!









 

About 6 years ago Margaret & Dave were planning their wedding. Margaret had seen one of my images hanging in Good Use (my favorite little furniture consignment store in Boulder) before she was even engaged and had her heart set on hiring me as her wedding photographer. So when the date was set we met in a bagel shop outside the gym where she was working in the Meadows shopping center. I remember it quite well. She has become a dear friend over the years and I have had the privilege of photographing her pregnant belly, her newborn little girl and several sessions of Haven in her first two years. So I was overjoyed to receive an invitation to visit their family in a village outside of London where they now live to photograph their newborn baby boy. After many emails back and forth (we never actually spoke on the phone!) I arrived on Margaret’s doorstep. We had a wonderful time. I was enchanted by three and a half year old Haven’s precocity and 3 month old Luke’s new baby sweetness. I loved reconnecting with Margaret and getting a peak into her life. Here is a sampling of the images I created for their family.

   










 

Day 1: Arrive in Belize City midday, rent car, drive through city, walk through quieter part of town and cemetery, soak Belize vibe, get stared at by everyone, grocery run, drive west and rent a jungle cabana near the Belize Tropical Education Center. Fall dead asleep at 5pm and sleep until 11am the next day. Obviously a little tired…

Day 2: Drive a bit further west to Botanic Gardens in Duplooy and spend a few hours hiking & shooting, release lots of toxins by sweating profusely, try to keep in motion at all times to avoid tiny red ants swarming and biting my exposed feet. Drive to King’s Children’s Home in Belmopan and get immediately plunged into their evening worship time, several of the most curious and confident kids are cuddled up to us within 5 minutes, chat with Leoni and Robert about their hopes and obstacles. Check into nearby El Rey Hotel with very nice owner, clean simple rooms but very loud and angry local dogs and neighbors, cheese & crackers for dinner, little sleep.

Day 3: Spend all day at the King’s Children’s Home helping kid’s write thank you letters for their Christmas gifts, taking photos and playing outside. PB&J for breakfast and lunch. Exhausted by 6pm. Dinner, internet and lovely local singer at Perk Up Coffee Shop. Catch last bit of local soccer game. Splurge on the Hibiscus Hotel and sleep much better.

Day 4: Drive out to the site which has been purchased and cleared in preparation for building the new King’s Children’s Home! Take photos of the property, chat with Cruise who is out for a walk with his three dogs, get a flat tire, Jay’s changes it with the help of Cruise and another good samaritan who stops but then gets distracted by lecturing me about local legend, get tire patched for $5. Quick breakfast at Perk Up (I am in total food heaven here), spend more time at KCH, staff photos, etc. Drive to the Eastern coastal town of Dangriga. Soak up the ocean breeze out on a pier. Drive to Hopkins to make sure we connect with Krystal & Chris- realize to my horror and shame that Krystal & I never really discussed the name of the hotel in which either of us was staying AND my phone didn’t work in Belize. Luckily a very helpful concierge at a local resort Parrot Cove calls both time shares in town and locates my clients. Drive straight there, greet my clients with glee, am promptly offered a rum and coke + a room in their luxurious villa. Happily chat the evening away and then crash in the king-sized cloud bed.

Day 5: Wake up super early (7:30am) for our boat ride. Learn that our guide has “forgotten” about our trip and needs to be woken up. Finally head out for snorkeling and a couple island stops. Jay discovers our guide is actually very hung over. We all commiserate. I return triumphantly non-sunburnt! Jay claims my sunscreen is an “anti-tan” which literally sucks any existing tan from my skin. (Trying to undo the early years of charring my skin.) Local market for groceries. Copy all files to my laptop/external while boys prepare dinner.

Day 6: Wedding Day! Our shuttle van leaves at 9:30am for the Mayan Ruins three hours away! Shoot all day. Return to the resort all shot out, boys make fresh snapper and noodles for dinner. I deliriously copy ALL the files to laptop/external.

Day 7: Sleep late. Leave in search of Crocodile Isle but discover sadly it is out of business. Visit Cockscomb Basin Nature Preserve instead. Wonderful hike through the jungle to a small waterfall. Get back to resort in time for a sunset beach photo shoot with the bride and groom. Stay up until 5am putting together slideshow of my favorite images for Krystal & Chris since we are leaving in the morning.

Day 8: Up at 8am to show K&C the slideshow, burn a DVD for their reception (take out the skinny dipping images!). Drive back to visit the Belize Zoo for a couple hours and then return our rental car in Belize City. Catch taxi to the coast and water taxi to island of Caye Caulker. Golf cart ride to our adorable pink & blue cabana, walk through the tiny breezy ocean-side village. Dinner of rice & beans & fish. Jay discovers rum punch at little bar on the ocean and we watch the stars come out from our hammocks.

Day 9: Sleep in late. My tragic flaw: I am nocturnal creature that sleeps best in the morning but requires breakfast. The words “we are no longer serving breakfast” reduces me to tears and thus humiliation that a girl at my age is reacting so childishly. And yet, I am just still so sad. No one is willing to make me an egg. I choke down rice, beans, and chicken. Walk down to the “Split” and swim around with our snorkel gear. Discover Ellen’s food carte. Giddy with delight while recording her preparation of a burrito and meat patty, each $2.50 and a meal in itself but you really just want to eat more because they are SO good. Back to our cabana to read until it is too dark to see. Jay is already on his 3rd book of the trip. I am just half way through Three Cups of Tea. Back to Ellen for dinner and a little bar for rum drinks. Meander back to our cabana stopping for a bite of local ice cream. Fall asleep to sound of ocean waves outside our door.

Day 10: Up in time to pack and primp for a long day of travel and to ensure time for breakfast at the Amor Cafe. Water taxi back to Belize (tip: do NOT sit at front of a water taxi. whoa.), taxi to airport, stopping at grocery store to stock up on Marie Sharp’s hot sauce, buy amazing maps at the airport of the Caribbean & Belize which somehow never make it home to our dismay, uneventful flights home. Best friend picks us up and we are reunited with Obadiah (my dog in case you don’t know me at all). All is right with the world. Even though we lost our maps. And my bank account is overdrawn… Yoga class in the morning will help ground me for the hectic week back at the studio of non-stop appointments, shoots and editing.

A recessionista’s final budget breakdown of our 9-day trip to Belize:

Car rental + fuel: $619 (Recherche expense so not averaged into my $400 personal budget for this trip.)

Other transportation: $72.50

Lodging (for the 6 nights we did not stay with Krystal & Chris): $132

Food (primarily pb&j, crackers & cheese, fruit & veggies from street markets and a few little cafe meals): $228

Activities (half-day boat trip + snorkeling, botanic gardens, Belize Zoo, Jaguar Preserve: $88

Art supplies, bubbles & easter eggs for KCH kids: $50

About $170 over budget, but money & time well spent. No regrets.

My first trip to Belize! Hopefully the first of many. The country is as charming as the sign suggests. I loved the ‘see you then’ attitude that prevaded everything. From any scheduling we tried to undertake, to meeting new people, and pretty much everything else in day to day life. There is always time to walk somewhere, continue a conversation, or enjoy the time of day.

One of my favorite activities during travel is to scout out the sculpture and botanicals. Stay tuned as I’m putting the finishing touches on my new fineart gallery that I am so excited about! Here is a sneak peek at two of my new favorites.

This was our final stop after an enchanting tour of DuPloy’s Botanical Gardens. One of my favorite pictures of my husband!

One of my new favorite toys- an underwater camera! This brain coral was about a 30 minute boat ride out to the reef. Krystal and Chris had booked a boat and guide for a half a day. We made several snorkel stops as we toured up the barrier reef. We beached for lunch at Tobacco Caye which was as fully Caribbean as anything I’ve ever seen.

At the end of our snorkel adventures we geared up for the main event. A Belize Destination Wedding for Krystal and Chris!