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 1 - Self Portrait

I am so thrilled to announce that I am taking part in Project 52 with 16 other incredibly talented photographers!! Project 52 is a creative photography challenge. Each week for a year we get a new theme and all of us have to interpret the theme and then photograph it in our own unique way.  Each Friday we all post our images to our blogs and then link our blogs together so everyone can cycle through them and see all the amazing images by each photographer. Sounds cool, right? That's because it is.

This week's theme was THE DREADED SELF PORTRAIT. Ok, ok. You got me. I added the "dreaded" part in there. Never before had I realized how difficult self-portraits are. I had to do this while Julietta was in her stroller screetching at me the whole time. Half of the images came back blurry. I don't understand how to use my self timer on my DSLR without getting a bunch of blur. Anyway, this was what I came up with. I can pick it apart - my nose looks huge and I desperately need a hair cut, but this is me right now in my life. Big nosed with bad hair, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. And because I couldn't choose between a bold contrasty black and white, or a softer processed image,  I went with both. I'm sneaky like that.

Now click yourself on over to see the gorgeous Shauna from Simply Shauna Photography. I'm quite certain she will knock your socks off with her talent and beauty.

Goodnight Irene

We said goodbye to Alex's sister, Irene, for a while. We don't know when we will be back in Spain, and since Irene can't leave the monastery, it's up to us to go see her again. I got so many images that I absolutely love on this trip. It doesn't hurt that the nuns are so sweet and playful. I always want to pick up Halel, the mother superior, and swing her around. She's the cutest thing you ever did see.

 Seeing Irene for the first time. This is what Bella does when she feels shy.

Un beso

On a nature walk. Bella is the leader, of course.

Julietta knows how to give kisses now.

Sunset and playing with Papá.

This is one of my favorite shots with Halel.

A Very GERRIE Christmas

I bet if my name were Geraldine, people would have used "A very Gerrie Christmas" a BUNCH of times. I'm sure of it. And if I know my friend, Gerrie, she's probably either a) used it herself, or b)plans to do it from now on just because that is the kind of girl Gerrie is. She is my oldest and closest friend here in Valencia. We have gone on maaaaaaany adventures together - many of them involving freak dancing, tequila shots and random guitar playing strangers, among them - "Beatles Guy".

Anyway, my friends, a little over a week ago, I got to go out with my dear friend Gerrie for the first time in TWO YEARS. It was the first time I'd been out with anyone, actually. Yes, you read that right. Two years. If you knew me before I was españolisized, you would have known that to be ludicrous. I think I must have seen a friend every single day. Friendship to me is one of my life lines.

So, Gerrie and I  made plans to meet  up during the day when my in-laws could watch the girls and I wouldn't have to worry about Julietta waking them up every few hours.  Smart thinking, I know. We went to El barrio del Carmen, our old stomping ground, and you'll never believe what we did! We talked, had a few drinks, and TOOK PICTURES OF OURSELVES. Ha ha ha!! We found a very dark, colorful bar called El Infante, which is decorated with vintage posters, and we tried to pose like the movie stars in the posters!!

This is one of the many reasons I love Gerrie. We get so silly together. We have so much fun doing dorky things, despite the fact that we undoubtedly get stares and possibly eye rolls from fellow customers.

Now, you may have noticed that the quality of these photos isn't the best, but listen to this - they were taken at ss 1/40 and at f/1.4, if you can believe that!! That's some hard core stuff! I can't remember what the iso was, but it was high. That's why they are so grainy.  I was just amazed by Gerrie's artistic eye, and by the fact that she got so wrapped up in the posing and in getting "the shot".

This last one is my favorite of me. And after a gin and tonic or two. Man, I am impressed! Way to go, Gerrie!

Third Anniversary

Alex and I celebrated our third anniversary yesterday.  Our real anniversary, September 29th, fell on a Wednesday, so we waited to celebrate it on Alex's day off. Actually, our REAL anniversary was last Monday, the 27th. We had to get married in the civil courtroom two days before our wedding, but we don't acknowledge that day as our real wedding day. I couldn't understand anything that the judge said, anyway. It felt like we were at a Spanish auction. I just waited until he stopped and stared at me before saying, "Sí, quiero".

Anyway, yesterday we sent the kiddos to the Yayos' house for the day and we went for lunch at La Forqueta in Rocafort (mmmmm!!!). We had planned on going to a movie afterward. Instead, we drank too much wine, wandered around Rocafort taking pictures of each other, and ended up going home and watching Dexter. It was perfect. It was us - three years later, worn out and tired after too much work and two energetic, crazy kids, just wanting to take it easy on a true day off.

I woke up wishing we could go on another date today.  No such luck. ; )