Happy Christmas...

Wishing you Peace and Dreams fulfilled...

and magical moonbeams...

and sunshine sparkles...

to light your way...

2012 here we come. You ready?

Delaney Family and the collapsible tree!

Of course I was thrilled when Michelle of Mad Banana Photography wanted to hire me to take her family photos! Not only because she is super cool and a great friend of mine but also her family is too x

The girls...

Happy smiley people! God only knows what I was saying, some jibberjabber no doubt LOL

I love this in BW

Lots of laughter on the beach!

I love the 'caves'

LOL I love this one, it was so windy and the tree kept collapsing but I like the flare! I think it's bloody brilliant!

So we were looking for a particular spot that Michelle had driven past many times, it had disappeared but I love this little spot, it's just so Okinawa!

Thank you Delaney family. It was so much fun. Thank you for being the rockstar you are, Michelle and thank you for valuing me and believing in my photography x I'll leave you with sunset time! I played around with some texture here! LOVE!

PS: if you want some bedroom boudoir, just contact Michelle of Mad Banana Photography, she's Okinawa's Premier Boudoir Photographer! x

Living and Loving Aloha! - Honolulu Photographer!

I never actually thought I would have that as my blog title, but it was meant to be (and sometimes I really would like it to be a more permanent thing! The lack of humidity was a welcome relief that was for sure!!!)

The way this shoot happened was so crazy! I had Space A'ed over to Hawaii with the kids to see Albert who was working there (that's a whole other space available story!) in August (Yes, I know it is now December LOL I am so behind on my little blog here!). I had my camera and a couple of lenses. To be honest I wasn't even going to bring the Nikon, just the iphone, but then I thought, who knows when and if I will ever get to Hawaii again.
I have wanted to go to Hawaii since I was 10 yrs old and my neighbour who worked for British Airways brought me back a plastic lei and a velour map (so 80's!!!). It always seemed like a paradise that I would never get to. For a 10 yr old working class Brit living on a council estate, Hawaii was an unreachable dream pretty much! It was always out of reach to me. Watching Hawaii Five-O added to my Hawaii dreams! LOL

So, I met up with my lovely friend Larissa (who moved to Hawaii - Luccckkkyyyy!) and we were over at the Hale Koa hotel talking to a lovely lady called Lan who worked at the tour office (I was booking a trip to the wet n wild water park that the kids JUST HAD TO GO TO!) and somehow it came up that I was a photographer.

So Lan (who was very excited about this news!) said that she might have some clients for me for an engagement shoot but it had to be Friday and of course I'm thinking, 'I'm watching the Space A flights and I might not be here'. Anyways, to cut a long story short. It all fell into place. OMG, the light there was so lush.

I was a little nervous to shoot in a location I had no knowledge of...

but we were all so very happy with the results!!!

Love and laughter!

and a proposal x

Such a beautiful location!

It was so relaxing and just, well, ALOHA!

Of course, one cannot be in Hawaii without some kind of surfer photo!

We had so much fun! I felt really relaxed with Deb and Jeff! I hope they didn't think I was too crazy when I got the locals involved ha ha! Deb and Jeff, congratulations, I am sooo glad this all fell into place, you two rocked it x

LOVE x (When I look at these images now I can't believe I was really there!!!)

Sneak Peek {and she will be loved...}

I had a fantastic shoot on Saturday. I haven't done maternity for a while so I was excitedly nervous and especially how the weather has been here in Okinawa lately. But those lavender blue skies were great...Here's the iphone one which I love...

Playing around within a (dusted off) frame...I don't think I've done a photo like this since 2009!

and one more of the gorgeous Mum-to-be Laura!

The best are coming! Thank you Laura, you ROCKED it! I can't wait to share the rest!

Gear or the Photographer?

Now that is the question! (My old Nikon FM sitting in London)

I believe in the vision of a photographer first and foremost. The passion, the energy, the inspiration, the pure drive...that comes before any gear. But, IT IS a little of both. I look at how much 'better' my images are SOOC of my D300 vs my D70. So, of course, gear helps you realize that vision, however, if you don't have the vision in the first place you might just come up with a very sharp and clear snapshot with that fancy smancy super duper expensive camera (and there's nothing wrong with that if you've got the money, knock yourself out).
(Taken in NYC Late 90's with above camera! Excuse the quality, it's a photo of a photo!)

Of course if all the stars are aligned and you have your vision, your style, you equipment. Yes, absolutely, you are going to rock that gear and work it for all it's worth! But, you don't need a super duper expensive all newest camera in order to shoot and that's my point. Don't let the fact that you don't have the latest and greatest gear spoil your love of photography... (Photo by daughter April in Little India, Singapore with her point and shoot. Not bad!)

The camera companies are businesses and they will ruthlessly market their product to make you think that you NEED to have the newest upgrade, even though a few mths ago that there camera you have that you now think you should upgrade was being marketed as the next best thing since sliced bread. It's a psychological game that could leave your wallet empty and creativeness squashed in the endless pursuit of following the crowd and the keeping up with the Jones mentality that is everywhere. It's like the argument Nikon Vs Canon, photoshop vs lightroom. blah blah blah. Everyone thinks differently. You just do what is best for you and YOUR vision. Don't follow the herd if it doesn't feel right otherwise you will just look like everyone else. Follow your heart and your VISION and what I always say to myself when I feel I am swaying away from my true self 'To thy own self be true'. Brings me back to centre. (Go, April!)

The other thing to remember is: if you aren't there, you can't shoot it. So, get off the computer and get shooting LOL even if it's 'just' with your iphone!
The PhotOkinawa group on Okinawa is very active on FB, so come out and join like-minded people and shoot what you love with what you have! (Macro of Okinawa shells) “Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph. – Matt Hardy

A quote that rings true for those of us 'stuck' on Okinawa:
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust

One more quote that one of the group members posted. So true. Note the date!
"The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don't know what to do with it." - Edward Weston 1927

I Heart Faces - On Your Feet

I have a diary/journal that a friend bought me with images by Elliott Erwitt. He has some wonderful black and white dog and human feet images. On a recent session at the end, I tried one out, I like this and my client did too! I kept this one colour, but I have some ideas for some black and white feet images that I will get to eventually I am hoping! Check out 'on your feet' at I Heart Faces! There are already over 400 entries!

And in through the doors...

comes Ashley! Taaaa-daaaaa!

Ashley want some photos done of herself in an Okinawa environment...

to celebrate her time here in Okinawa...

Ashley is a Kindergarten teacher here, what a great and rewarding job!

I love this one!

We got some great portraits!

WOW!

Look at those eyes, smokin'!!!

Of course, I had to get an iPhone photo, it's becoming common practice these days, then I can post straight away to my photo page on FB!

Thank You Ashley, I had a wonderful time with you!

Run Jannine Run!

Shame on me, for I have neglected this blog and am only just getting to stuff from AUGUST!!!
Here's good friend and local super runner, Jannine!

We met up very early on in the summer to get some shots of her running for some runner blogging stuff and what-not!

I can't find the original image for this, but you can see how early it is, look at our shadows, I love it!!! This can be a pain sometimes on early morning shoots, trying to hide from your own shadow getting in the shots! Probably why when I get home, I am usually covered in sand and you have to be VERY careful with the gear. Sand plus camera+NO BUENO!!!

The light was continuously changing. It's weird how the light is different during the summer. The humidity makes it a 'wet' sort of hazed, still light. I dunno, that's my way of describing it LOL

Jannine co-runs the WOOT and WOOP running groups on Okinawa. I was running, but emmm, well, yeah, we'll see you soon dear neglected blog!!!!