Project 52 Week 7 - Beginnings

This week's theme for Project 52 was pretty easy for me. I could have basically taken my camera with me everywhere I went and just started clicking away. It is all new for me, even though I'm moving back to where I'm from.

I haven't lived on my little island in more than 15 years, so I anticipate I'll feel like a foreigner again at the beginning... maybe not, though. I visited the island a few days ago, and I felt like I was finally home. I can not wait to start a new life there. Everytime I thought about where I wanted my kids to grow up, the only place I could imagine was Vashon Island. I have so many beautiful memories from my childhood, and I still have the same best friends I had from when I was eight. I want so badly for my children to get a dose of that wonder as well.

This second picture is my daughter (right) with my best friend's daughter (from when I was eight!) and my sister in la-la's daughter. (She's not really my sister-in-law. She's my best friend's sister-in-law, but we refer to each other as sister in la-las... we might as well be related!) I thought this photo really captured the beginning of what is sure to be a very long, beautiful friendship.

Please make sure to go visit Shauna, Sudbury Photographer, from Simply Shauna Photography. She's been on fire lately!

Project 52 Week 6 - Love

Love Love Love. That is the theme for this week's Project 52 that I'm participating in with 17 other wickedly talented photographers from The Bloom Forum.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of doing a photo session at dawn with the lovely Sarah Cook from www.beingfrugalbychoice.blogspot.com and her beautiful family. Their son, Jack, was out of sorts. He was crying and having mini tantrums and just plain ol' grumpy. I was like, "sounds like a perfectly normal two-year-old to me", but, apparently, this was not like him, and so both Sarah and her husband, Troy, were worried. I could tell that it was very hard for them to concentrate on photos while they're little kiddo was unhappy.

This was right after Jack had fallen down. I know this isn't going to win me any awards, but I just love the emotion in this photo.

I know it wasn't the ideal photo situation, but to me, those worried looks, represent the real LOVE that a parent has for a child. Once you become a parent, you are thrown into this whirlwind of emotion. It's something that no one can prepare you for. I certainly wasn't ready for it.  A huge chunk of all that emotion is the worry that is thrown into the mix. Sometimes I feel like I won't be able to handle it, because I know it will always be there. What we worry about as parents will probably change, as time goes on, but there will always be something - whether it's not knowing why your baby's crying, to holding on to the door as your 16 year-old  drives down the driveway for the first time.
 

And then there was the cuddly kissy love. Oh, I LOVE this LOVE.

Things calmed down quite a bit towards the end of the session, and it started to sprinkle, while the sun stayed out. Beautiful light. Beautiful family.
LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Now head on over to see the amazing Shauna, Sudbury Photographer, from Simply Shauna Photography, and her interpretation of this week's theme.

What's Going On

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. I'm still on a weird schedule. I actually wake up at sunrise. So not like me!

This is going to be a quick one. I just had to share a couple things before I get completely  back loaded with blogging.

First of all, despite being completely cautious and careful about my camera while travelling, look what happened during the flight -

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!

It's enough to make you sick, isn't it? 

This is my Nikor 24-70mm, f/2.8 a lens much coveted by professional photographers. I love this lens. I don't use it as much as my 50mm, but it comes out for very special shots.  Last week when I was taking photos of Julietta at sunrise on my mom's deck, I pulled out my 24-70mm and this is what I found. This was days after we'd landed. I was petrified. I knew Alex would be livid. Can you just imagine the feeling? I don't even want to think about it.  Yuck. 

Luckily, Alex had insisted on buying a polarizer immediately after we'd bought it, and the only part of the lens that was damaged was that. (HUGE sigh relief... I mean HUGE)

Oh to be HOME!!
This is what I've been missing. This is what I wanted my children to grow up with. I can take the cloudy days if they get to play in streams and mud and be surrounded with lush green every day of their lives. This is a beautiful park nearby my mom's house where there is a frisbee golf course!! I'll post more about this place soon.

And look at these sweet cheeks! This is my friend's daughter, Sarah. I had a session with them right before we left Valencia, and haven't had time to finish editing the images.  (Sorry, Christina!!!) It has been blogged on my new site: sarahbunchphotography.com/blog 
Check out this beautiful family. I just want to squeeze this little sweetie every time I see her adorable face!

And in case you're wondering what I'm doing with two blogs, I've decided that my new blog will be the place to go to see all my sessions that I do. It will be the more cut and dried, professional site. When you visit me here, you'll see the crazy, wild eyed, nut behind all the calm, collected and put together (if I somehow manage to achieve that!). I will be dedicating this site to what it was originally meant for - the behind the scenes take on my journey as a photographer. I'm sure you'll need a little dose of both to keep you balanced. Hey, I'm a gemini. It wouldn't be right to see only one side.

And don't forget to enter the FREE SESSION GIVEAWAY!!! I only have 21 people entered as of this moment. Get your little bums moving and leave a comment on this post PRONTO!

Project 52 Week 5 - Motions

I have been MIA this past week. Man, travelling across the world will tucker you out! I've been waking up way too early and going to bed by 9!! That's crazy talk!  Anyway, I haven't had  much time at all to concentrate on photography (besides my lens fiasco, which I'll tell you about in a few days), but after missing last week of Project 52, I just could not let it slide another week.  I missed you all too much!!

So, this is what I came up with in a pinch...

To me, this captures the love that my daughter and her yaya share. Yaya is going back to Spain tomorrow. There's a lot of motion and E-motion involved in all that surrounds us at the moment. (This was also an attempt to capture motion blur without a tripod. Not perfect, but not too shabby either!)

And I just found the motion in this one so evident, even though there is no motion blur. I am also loving that, even though I'm in Seattle, I'm still able to shoot with flare! Yippy! May the trend continue!!

Now head on over to see what the wickedly creative Shauna, Sudbury Photographer, from Simply Shauna Photography, has come up with.

Here Comes the Sun

I've been wanting to use this ironic title for years now!!!!

Here I am in my very first apartment in Valencia. I lived with a guy from Germany and one from Holland. My room was the size of a closet ( see below)

It's finally here. I'm leaving. I'm going home!!!! I've been dreaming about this day for years. There were times when I thought it would never happen  - that I'd be doomed to spend the rest of my life here. It felt like the vacation that just wouldn't end.  Nearly seven years ago, I took a sabatical from work to travel Europe. I was supposed to go back after the year and begin working again. I didn't. I was going to stay in Valencia for four months to learn the language. I didn't... I didn't learn the language perfectly either! I have cried so many tears and have gotten to such a lonely place that it's hard to remember what I'm really like anymore. It has been hard, to say the least, but I know what I've gone through has made me into a stronger person. I'm not going to say better. I think I've seen a lot of parts of myself that I wish weren't there. I've realized that in times of difficulty and stress, a lot of ugliness comes seaping out. It makes me sympathize with people, though, who I never could understand before.

Here's my little room. I came with only a backpack! I love it how it didn't even cross my mind to straighten up before taking the picture. I guess I wanted it to be real. I appreciate that!

Even though I'm going and looking forward to soooooo many things - my family, my friends, my home, friendly customer service, a dryer, a big back yard, being able to speak the language, being able to drive... and go places when I want to... (Oh, I could go on with this list forever!)   I don't ever want to forget all of the things that I love about Spain. For starters - the sunshine. I love the weather here. I love that I can always count on backlight in my photos! Oh, and I will miss my insurance and never worrying about coverage. That's been a beautiful thing, never having to think about that. I will miss the fact that people disagree here about what's going on with the government, but that never divides them as people, nor does it define them. I will miss the public transportation system, the ability to walk everywhere and always feel safe. I'll miss the Mediterranean food and the social way of life. I'll miss the small independent cafés, restaurants and bars, the history and lack of strip malls. I'll miss the old, beautiful buildings, the cobblestone, the marble, and all the wisdom that comes with age.

Boy, I guess I could go on with this list forever as well. It's funny to love two places so much but in such completely different ways. I used to say that if I could only combine Spain and Seattle, I'd live in the perfect place (I think I'd have to throw a little Monterey into the mix, though!)

This was taken last Sunday at our very last paella together.

Since I've been here, I've lived in seven different apartments, with people from 10 different countries. I've worked as an English teacher, a bar owner, a translator, a mommy and a photographer.  I've been dirt poor, have cried my eyes out on numerous occasions, but have experienced some of the greatest joys of my entire life. I have learned more than I could ever share. It has been an incredible experience.

And now, I'm ready to go home. : )