Autumn in Okinawa...

Quite a silly title, since we are on Okinawa and it's still so HOT. However, the weather has been so great lately. So, San Diego-ish (almost!). I can actually walk the dog without him looking like he is going to die with the next step. I have actually had the AC off a few times and . Shock. Horror. Even opened my windows for a few! Anyway, here are a few photos from my morning walks...

Gorgeous Araha...

The sea was pretty choppy so it was fun photographing water splashes, even if they were tiny. This was a fav pastime of mine back in La Jolla, San Diego!

I even did a shoot without coming back covered in sweat. Yay!

New beginnings, it's a beautiful thing!

Here are some more from the recent Miller Family sneak peek. I haven't shot in this location for quite a while. Such a gorgeous foursome.

Yes, I did say 4!

Incorporating beautiful Okinawa into the shot!

Some Mum love...Mr. I. was cracking me up, he was so funny!

Dad and son...Love...

Look at Mr. I's eyes, such a photographer's dream face!

...and everyday the sun goes away but Mum is always there...

I didn't even realize we were having a funky reggae party shoot! Red, gold and green, colours are like my dreams! Ha ha!

Some individual one's of Mummy-to-be. Got to have the belly shot. Because Motherhood is amazing!

Brittany is gorgeous...

in BW too, I love my BWs!

Thank you so much for the fun shoot Miller Family and again, thanks Trish for coming and helping :o)

Drive by shooting...

Kyoto style! *The title is coined by Larissa, more on that later!

I just had a fantastic trip to Kyoto, Japan with my friend, Larissa. This trip was actually planned and replanned many times with various friends but I could never do it what with husband being gone all the time and the kids, etc. It's actually the first time I have ever traveled without the kids and/or hubby. I am so glad I made this trip with such a fun travel companion. La La Larissa! We started out on Friday afternoon. By the time we had navigated our way from the airport to our hotel it was about 5:30pm. We threw our stuff in the room and hit the ground running (as we did for the next 3 days!). Our first stop was the Gion district of Kyoto because I wanted to photograph a Geisha. Well, it's not quite as easy as you think as the establishments that the Geiko frequent (as they are actually known thanks to a lovely Japanese couple we met whist philosophizing on Philosophers walk explained to us) are actually rather exclusive and pretty much the Geiko comes out of the place and gets straight in a waiting car. I like the BW too...

So, back to Larissa's term. A lot of the time whilst walking I would just shoot from the hip anything interesting I saw, some of the images would come out really gritty and that's cool! That's when Larissa said I was 'drive by shooting' LOL Back in the day, my Dad and I would go to Portobello Market in London. He would have a waist level finder attached to his camera to shoot street scenes inconspicuously. Because, seriously, people have had their cameras taken and destroyed or been beaten up getting street photography in London! So, here is a selection of my 'drive by shootings Kyoto style!...

Old man walking...

Bicyclist under a bridge, I really quite like this one, very raw...

An old lady walking along the beautiful Fushimi Inari Shrine (10,000 Toriis)

Mother and child walking the 10,000 Toriis...

Sumimasen!

Passing Maiko, I really like this image...This was night 2. We were more lucky and I was able to photograph some Maiko (apprentice Geiko) while they were waiting for their car to come. Here they are when I first saw them. More photos coming...

At the airport...

Here is a great article explaining what a 'Geisha' is!
And here we are, near the top of the 10,000 Torii's!

I will post some more from the Kyoto trip soon!

I Heart Faces - Vroom, Vroom

I took this photo a week and a half ago on a weekend trip to Kyoto. We had just arrived in Kyoto, dumped the bags and headed straight to the Gion District to see if we could photograph a Geisha. This was the only one we saw. She literally was out of the establishment and in a car in seconds. I like the photo though, kind of reminds me of photos my Dad took of the Queen passing by in Dorset, UK in the 1980's!
See more entries, lots of them, over at I Heart Faces!

Sneak Peek and what's new!

Hello people, just one sneak peek from a recent session, look at this cute little boy, he was great to photograph and just look at those eyes. Love. Thank you Trish for joining me too.

So, it's fall (or Autumn from a UK point of view). In Okinawa, it's really neither since it is still so flipping hot! But, let's just pretend it is for arguments sake! Here is April and I during the recent Typhoon Kompasu...

Anyways, That means my kids are back at school and people are booking sessions for the holidays or just because. I already have some sessions booked for Sept/Oct/Nov but am available for more dates. If you are in Okinawa, I am working on a special, similar to my spring special so watch this space or email me, maybe it will give me the kick up the bum I need!

I am also trying to write up some photography blog posts, I have been getting a lot of emails this year about how to do this, that and the other, what camera to use, lenses, etc, etc. I claim to be no expert, but I am drafting some fun posts about photography. I am a bit of a procrastinator, that's for sure!

Also, again Okinawa photo peeps, don't forget about PhotOkinawa. Here's a recent pic that Shannon of www.sme-photography.com took last week at her starbucks meeting. 9am first Thurs of the mth. See you there! Camera not required, but can come in handy for spontaneous moments like this!
My fellow Brit friend/photographer Chris Willson, shows us how to strike a pose! He's as nuts as I am LOL. Must be a Brit thang!

Yeah, we have a few laughs that's for sure! So, please come along! I'll end with my fav colour: Rainbow!

See ya!

I Love New York

Always remember, never forget. NYC will always have a place in my heart. To all my family and friends in NYC, Big it up!

It's funny, when I got married, I knew nothing about the Marines. Or of the life it brings. Little did I know what a massive impact those buildings behind me would have on my/our life! My Mum and Dad loved NYC too!

Dario and Miriam, two very cool friends!

The lights will inspire you. LOVE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiryjGi6wZQ&feature=related

One Kyoto Quickie!

Maiko. Gion District. Kyoto, Japan.

More soon!