Masthead header

mint pesto

cleaning out the herb garden and wondering where did all this mint come from?
no worries. i know just what to do with it.

May 30, 2011 - 3:33 pm

athena - ok, idk what happened…but this is what i posted originally (or close to it): i love! it looks so yummy. love the varying shades of green and how it all contrasts with the pink in the tablecloth. more food shots, please! ๐Ÿ™‚

May 30, 2011 - 7:23 pm

gina - thanks my foodie photog friend;) this is fun isn’t it!

new eye candy for the spotted goose

no doubt you have seen and read my many references to the spotted goose in oakley
throughout my blog over the past couple of years.
renee, who owns ~ and who is the beautiful, fabulous, friendly, smiling face
who greets you as you enter the spotted goose,
has been so wonderful to me and my kiwi street studios.
we’ve not only teamed up numerous times for events but have also met up for brainstorming sessions over visuals,
displays and a new feel for the store.
renee has been transforming her store to not only be a retail place but
“a place for us to play and share our love of children’s fashion, education, parenting tid bits
and all the goodness in between!”
there are always so many awesome things happening there it’s hard to keep up with all that goodness!
during one of our sessions, talk of new in-store images came up. i was thrilled!
she packed up her three fabulous kiddos, some bright, colorful outfits and accessories to showcase,
met me out at my favorite place to shoot…turpin…and a fun couple hours we all had.
the hard part was choosing which images to use, but i think renee chose well.
so, they’re up in the store and i think it’s safe to say we’re all very excited about them!

the view from the front door.

since i was there, i couldn’t help but snap some of the luscious eye candy that is tucked everywhere!
not only does renee have the hippest taste in children’s fashions, but she’s just as
hip when it comes to picking out all kinds of accessories, gifts, accents…just plain fun stuff!

thank you for letting kiwi street studios be a part of your creative world.
xo
&
in celebration of this, renee and i have decided to offer up a special {special} special as well.
details soon!

 

 

 

 

 

May 29, 2011 - 9:42 am

Christi Traster - Ahhhhhh Gina, you’ve done a beeeeeautiful job! I was nearly clapping and jumping up and down as I read your post. FABULOUS, so fabulous! Run, people run (don’t walk!) on over to The Spotted Goose and see for yourselves – it’s a little piece of heaven. Nice work, as always, Gina. ๐Ÿ™‚ xo

crossroads and asparagus

this post is a bit overdue, but i had to think about how to write it. i admit my blog has been a pretty lonely place lately.ย  i have been busy, but not sharing too much of it, i am working on that.
does the word crossroads mean anything to you? yes, of course it does. is it fair to say that everyone reaches one (or more) once or twice (or more) in any given career or lifetime for that matter?
i think so. you get where i’m going. i’m here. again. but i must say that each time it’s more directed. still, why is trying to figure out where you really really want to go so difficult? when you start anything new, you dive in and just go, like in overdrive and you soak it all up.
then, you start pausing more often and the beginnings of the hard questions start. am i doing what i really love? am i supposed to be doing this? which path should i take? i have choices, i have dreams, i have wish lists, i have stacks of pages of sketches and ideas. why can’t i just do it all? how much time is there is a day again? does this sound familiar? at the end of the day does it just make you…dizzy, frustrated and paralyzed?
so, yes, there are lots of choices…we all have them. we teach our children this ongoing life lesson. there are always going to be choices and then there are consequences to those choices, some good, some not so good. so choose wisely.
now what? we’re still at those crossroads. what do you do?

here’s another thought. everyone learns and grows as they do their ‘thing’ more and more. we know (hopefully) that we are getting better all the way around. but. do you ever look back to where you started and think…i like that better than where i’m at right now. it just looks and feels more like me. i wasn’t trying so hard or looking around so much. i was just doing my own thing. yeah.

so, i’ve been taking a step or three back from it all and revisiting that place. it feels good and real. it is not that i haven’t tried to be real and authentic with everything i’ve done to this point, but one can veer (play). we all veer (play). and veering (playing) can be wonderful. as long as it’s still authentic. your authentic.

ok…now what? i don’t have all the answers, but here’s something i do know:
life is too short to not be doing what you most love. if you’re not, change it. you have a choice.

and here are some other things that i know:
i love being with my family.
i love being surrounded by other creative souls.
i love using my bare hands to dig in my garden.
i love the words ‘lovely’ and ‘delightful.’
i love and miss film and my film cameras. look for more of them both.
i love photographing children…real life messy or dressed up pretty.
i love documenting the connections between people and for that matter, the light within all people.
i love pretty. can’t and don’t want to help it. i just do.
i love creating and embellishing things. nothing is safe.
i love all the design/graphics and marketing parts of my business.
i love styling. i am a stylist. fashion, still life’s, products, interiors, flowers, give me (most) anything and i can style it.
i love shooting food. there, i said it. i love to cook and i’m finding that i love to photograph the process, the people and, of course, the food. it’s amazing actually. all rustic and organic in feel, simple, natural light, crumbly and real.
i love shooting commercially. there, i said that too. i swore i wouldn’t do it. but i love the projects that have come my way. and i want more. lots more.
i love my ongoing projects. they keep me exploring and growing creatively.

these are the some of the things that i am looking and reaching for and really trying to fit into my business and my life as they make up my world. and…they make me happy.

what about you? i would love to know what you love.

xo
gg

{asperge}

 

 

May 26, 2011 - 10:17 am

Christi Traster - Oooooh Gina… love your authenticity. Love your honesty and vulnerability. You’re absolutely, positively right. Life is way too short to not be doing what you most love. It seems simple, doesn’t it? I know it isn’t though. But I totally agree. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for beautiful, creative you! ๐Ÿ™‚ xo

May 27, 2011 - 11:15 am

athena - oh wow. i love this post, gina. thank you for putting into words what i feel but cannot articulate as you have. i’m soooo excited for you and the things you have and will create… and i am happy you’re happy! xoxo & hugs, athena

May 27, 2011 - 1:38 pm

Thea - Yes! I have looked back and thought that exact thing.

I have been taking a break from being online trying to find that center. I love this image.
xoxoxo

May 30, 2011 - 12:47 pm

PhotoAlbert - I like this image too. Well done

{wedding stories}

i don’t think i can just write a blog about a wedding i photographed out of the blue and not raise a few eyebrows. especially for those who have heard me say over and over again…no weddings for me!
i don’t have a really good answer overall. i have photographed a few over the past couple years. you know, favors. no real pressure. lots of fun actually. no script. no scouring the internet to see what i am supposed to photograph. just documenting the day as i saw it. everyone’s happy. still, i stayed clear of them overall. until my daughter’s wedding this past august. all of a sudden, it looked different. i wanted it all documented.ย  her, him, them, the joy, the laughter, the tears, the details, her dress, the cake! two of my wonderful friends who also happen to be fabulous photographers {peggy and laura} captured the day perfectly for us. yes. i did have my camera and, yes, i did use it quite a bit. but when the ceremony started, i put it away…for the rest of the night. i wanted to see my daughter’s face with my own two eyes. not through a lens. it was a magical day and evening filled with joy and love…and, yes, i can relive it all through the pictures whenever i want. i already know this for sure, but it stirred something else. what if?
since then, i won’t lie, i’ve been curious. i have been second shooting with some awesome wedding photographers. i wanted to see what’s it’s really like. in the meantime, i said yes to two weddings. very quickly, i have a pretty clear idea of the kinds of weddings i like. not too different than how i see my world really. creative, hands on, family, uncomplicated, personal and full of meaning. every last little detail. if i can record those moments for someone else, then happiness for all. i think it can really be just that simple.
what does this mean? i’m not sure. i don’t like to label or be labeled. i like to make decisions as they come up. i like to feel a good fit. so for now, i am getting one amazing wedding ready for the blog and yesterday met with my june bride at her families farmhouse {where she was born…and even walked down to the creek where she played as a little girl} am i excited? i am. baby steps.

it’s all in the little moments.

Related Posts with Thumbnails