Have you ever...

Have you ever...

Climbed a volcano? Danced on a wave? Given away your favorite thing... because it was just a thing? Taken a chance on love... and won? Walked in the rain without an umbrella... and smiled the whole time? Let go of the past, so you could have a future? Thrown away a map in return for an adventure? Driven down a foreign road with reckless abandon? Walked along the Louvre at sunrise... until sunset? Chosen happiness because you realized it was a choice? Had a conversation that didn’t involve words? Lost everything only to find you were left with everything? Discovered that you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing, simply because that’s what you are doing? Cried and laughed at the same time? Said goodbye when you wanted to say don’t go? Closed one door and have another one open?

This is the theme of my next book... "Have you ever..." It is a joy to create, and a process of questioning, both things that I have done, and things I want to do... all in the name of living.

It's also been a great refresher looking through the thousands (yes, tens of thousands!) of images I have collected in my travels. And since a post is always better with an image, here is one that I hold particularly close. Taken in Australia at sunrise, it reminds me of many mornings spent walking and exploring the beaches to see how it changed over the course of the night... ebbing and flowing, continuously changing and replenishing itself, the beach became a part of my daily renewal.

Blackberry Baja Video (Take 1)

Last Fall, I had it in my head that I was going to start shooting video. I loved the idea of having family movies to look back on. Although I adore photos, there is something about a moving image that truly captures the essence of it all, whether it be a sound or a gesture or a series of movements. Our annual Baja pilgrimage was the perfect opportunity for this venture, the only problem was that I didn't have a video camera! The next best thing- my blackberry phone! Holla!

When looking at some of these clips with my brother, we literally were holding our stomachs in pain from laughter. From the old school portable karaoke machine that an old Mexican man wheeled up to the taco stand to the loudest motorbike in history to catching someone unaware when they didn't know they were being filmed. It's those moments, those real moments, that make life such a special place.

Over the weekend I was sick. Sick enough that I didn't have the energy to get out and enjoy the sun, but not sick enough to keep me from going stir crazy in my apartment. So I decided to teach myself how to use Final Cut Pro. Within minutes, I realized I was in way over my head. But having watched enough Law and Order to drive me loony, I didn't have much else to do. So I dug out the old movie clips and tried my very best to create something that did the trip justice. I have a long ways to go, but I think it's a good start!

Big 3-0

It was my birthday this past weekend. My big 3-0. With the amount of comments like "Wow! 30! How do you feel about that?!?", or "Don't feel bad, they say life starts at 30..." it seems like everyone else had a harder time with me turning 30 than I did! Granted, when daydreaming at age 16, I imagined my life to be far different from where I am today, involving marriage, kids, and a very different career. But I also couldn't possibly have imagined climbing volcanoes and surfing reef breaks in Indonesia or living on a pristine beach in Australia or touring ancient wine cantinas and monasteries in Sicily, driving through sugar cane fields in Cuba or riding on a bike through a jungle in the Philippines. I couldn't have possibly envisioned the people that crossed my path, from children who danced and laughed with me, singing in a language different from my own, to those that gave me their heart and changed me forever: my family who became my best friends, and my best friends who became my family. I couldn't have imagined all the people both around the world and in my backyard that shaped who I am today. And I definitely could not have imagined that my camera would play a huge part in creating my life, encouraging travel and adventure, showing me a view of life that I am grateful for every day.

So no, I am not where I thought I would be at 30, I am far beyond anything I could have imagined!

If you live in Vancouver, then you would have noticed the blossoms blooming in multitude all over the city. This city comes alive in the spring. Not only are the Vancouverites ecstatic to emerge from their long winter stupor, but the cherry blossoms are also literally bursting from their buds. And then you add a little sunshine and it becomes the most beautiful city in the world. Hands down. No questions asked. After missing out on spring in Vancouver the last few years, these blossoms were one of the best birthday presents I could have asked for.

Portrait | Curtis Santiago

What can I possibly say about Curtis Santiago?

Let me skip back a bit... I was introduced to Curtis Friday night by my friend, Pamela Masik, when we went down to the Met to check out his show. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I can safely say that if I did have expectations, they would have been exceeded upon seeing him live. His demeanor before the show was friendly, real, present. When performing, the passion brewing just below the surface was released, and with it, a rawness, an edge, an energy only possible when the source is authentic in doing what you love. He is an artist to the core.

I had the pleasure of spending a day with him- I photographed and he sang and we both talked and talked. About art, influences, family, heartbreak, travel, what makes us who we are and why we feel we have to do what we do. He had this way that made strangers just want to say hi... and me not want to say goodbye!

He is far ahead of his time, but I think the time is nearing... the world is almost ready, Curtis!

Some are Collectors...

Some are travelers. Some are foodies. Some are movie freaks. And some are collectors.

I was visiting family this past weekend, and was dying to go in the garage, which I knew was packed like tetris with collectables. The light was streaming in a dusty window, the sill lined with various cola bottles. The dust danced, and continued to settle on the restored Chevrolet truck parked in the middle of it all. There is a different energy with those older items, as if they have a memory from all the lives and hands that nurtured them along the way. It is calm in here. Behind the truck lay bikes. Many bikes. All old, all with their own character. Can you imagine the stories they could tell! I envisioned my grandfather, camera slung over his shoulder, riding along a road that would lead him to his photo for the day. Because he always had a goal: a train or a ship or a street he wanted to record and file away... I wish I could be riding alongside him. I think of him a lot.

This post was originally about my uncle, a collector. But now I realize that my grandfather was also a collector, a collector of images. I laugh aloud as I remember the many filing cabinets filled with his passion of his family and places and ships and trains. Thousands upon thousands of 8x10 photographic prints! He was the biggest collector of us all! And what a gift he has left us. Until now, I felt I didn't really have the opportunity to know who he was, but I realize in this moment he is waiting for me in his photos.

I look forward to knowing him.

 

Portrait | Simone

What can I say about Simone? For those who know her, just hearing her name will conjure up images of laughter and dancing down a beach and a fearless, try anything attitude. She is the most compassionate and caring woman I know. And WOW, can this lady cook a fierce meal! She's been my co-worker, my partner-in-crime, my roommate, my confidant, my pen-pal, and my stand-by-my-side-through-anything best friend. I am absolutely blessed to know this amazing soul.

For a Rainy Day

Sometimes we put things out there, and well, we just don't know how it will be received. But at the end of the day, we owe it to ourselves to do our best at everything we set out to do. We owe it to ourselves to be ourselves, our authentic selves. And usually that involves a bit of risk. My lifestyle has been very different from most people. I don't work a 9 to 5 job. I find it hard committing to something more than a week in advance. I am most comfortable with camera in-hand. My favorite experiences usually involve a road I've never driven with no destination in mind. I travel extensively. I camp in the desert for a month at a time to surf un-crowded waves with my family. More than anything, I love to share myself and my experiences with those I love. Usually, it's words and images from afar, but once in awhile I put together a short slideshow to better portray the experience. And sometimes something amazing happens, like it did this past Friday. I was talking with a friend whom I haven't seen for at least a year. She wanted to share with me the impact of forwarding on my slideshows to people in her life. She said in particular, one individual was so moved by it he had shed a tear and called her immediately, and has since watched it every time he needs cheering up. I can't begin to describe how this made me feel. I'm sure many others can relate, because I too, have been touched by things created and passed on by others (and usually in moments when I need it most). But to know that by sharing an experience, it has changed someone's day many times over is simply amazing to me. Hearing that news was the greatest gift I could have received, and in turn, I am re-inspired to continue putting my experiences out there. Maybe, just maybe, this will find its way to someone else that needs that little hit of sunshine on a rainy day.

This is the slideshow I made last Fall about our annual trip to the Mexican desert in search of un-crowded waves. The handsome men featured are my two brothers and my father. The cat (we named him Carlos- he stole my heart!) was a wild, desert kitten that befriended us. Carlos brought us half eaten lizards as gifts and loved riding on the back of the motor bike. After watching this again, I think I am about due for another adventure!

Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!