One of the many benefits of being a photographer is getting to document different stages of life. The first year that I did any type of work in photography I was an assistant at this clients' wedding and I feel very honored that 12 years later she asked me to photograph her two boys. She has gotten into the photography business herself and it is always flattering when someone more familiar with the business hires me. Her boys were so easy to work with, up for anything and full of smiles. I had to add a few extra of her son w/ his cape...he was hilarious!
This is rare for me...two urban sittings in a row...it is a great time for the urban setting and I always love taking people to a place they never would think about for family pictures.

The first few days...

Here are a few favorites from the first few days in Laos. We spent a few days in the beautiful World Heritage site town of Luang Prabang walking the alleyways and night market was the highlight. The food was tasty but I avoided many of the offerings that were roasted on a stick. There is a picture here of roasted intestines but I missed taking pictures of the roasted frogs and chicken heads...YUCK! Enjoy...

A successful surprise!

Last month I was asked to be a part of a husband's surprise birthday gift for his wife. The husband was excited and nervous about pulling it all off. I reassured him that he was giving a gift that would be a home run. It is rare that I meet a mom that doesn't love photos of her children and that he thought to give this as a gift was so great. His kids were so great to work with and they were troopers. It was a very cold morning but there was not one word of complaint...they would have made their mom proud. Not only did dad arrange the sitting he went big and had a canvas made for her of their beautiful kids. Her birthday was a few days before I returned from my trip and I was excited to hear how it all went.

This is the email I received when I got home...
"Tara,
Every husband who wants to surprise his wife with the ultimate gift of a portrait MUST call you! Your work is beautiful and you make "our" job as husbands/dads very fulfilling. Your creativity, professionalism and unique, yet casual style compliment each picture you take. Our children were extremely comfortable with you and you brought out exciterment, love, and laughter within them. This was the BEST gift that I have given my wife! Surprises are wonderful and you touched our lives in such a remarkable way with your lovely work."
His email will stay with me for so long. I am so happy that his hopes for a great gift were realized and I had so much fun helping him make it happen. I finally get to meet his wife next week and I cannot wait to hear her perspective of his wonderful surprise.
So now that the surprise is out of the bag I can finally share a few images from their shoot.

Monks of Laos

So I am trying my best to work through images before I get completely buried w/ work this week. I started out trying to compartmentalize the images and choose to start w/ something that I never grew tired of seeing, the monks. I was always reaching for my camera the first few days of the trip everytime a monk was w/in eyesight. Their orange robes against the textures of the street scene was always stunning. In the morning if you wake early enough you can watch a beautiful scene that plays out every morning. The monks pound a drum outside the temple and then exit the Wat grounds to take alms. It definitely got my photographic juices pumping.
Here are my favorites...

We returned last night from an phenomenal trip to Laos. I have many who have said they are excited to see some pictures. W/ the boys, jet lag, getting back to real life and work spending time to sort through my pictures is unfortunately at the bottom of the priority list and may stay there for some time. I just feel so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to get the time away that I can wait to work on the images. I will share the highlight of the trip for me. We had the experience of a lifetime trekking to a REMOTE, REMOTE, REEEEEMOTEEEE Hmoung village of 28 families. They have only seen a handful of foreigners enter their. They were so welcoming and beautiful people. There was a huge language barrier but it was exactly where I hoped to find myself on this trip and spending the night in the chief's house was such an honor.
I couldn't post w/o a picture so I did pull of the first of my many favorites. Of course we saw amazing scenery but I definitely am a portrait photographer through and through because 95% of the pictures have people with them. So I must share a few favorite smiles I came across. And I wish I could add my smiling face to thank those close to us that made this trip possible. You know who you are and we love you so much! THANK YOU!

Quiet, quiet, quiet...

So this has been the most quiet I have been on this blog since it inception 3 yrs ago. Some of you may be wondering if I ever work. I promise I have been working every day, some more crazy than others but I think I just needed to take a little break to prepare for the year ahead. This has been the first time in 10 yrs that I have been able to really catch my breath and I have to say I am LOVING it. I have been able to get my business in order and prepare for the craziness to come and it definitely feels good.

And I am excited (and a bit sad) to say that this blog is going to remain SUPER silent for the next 2 wks (I am embarassed to have been recognized as a great blog before the new year and now not living up to the accolades...I promise those of you who found my blog through blogsofphotogs.com that this is SO far from normal for me so stick w/ me until the end of the month & I will be posting non-stop until 2010) because is less than 12 hours my husband and I are boarding a plane to take us back to our backpacking days that I LIVE for. It has been 6 yrs since I have been to a 3rd world country and I cannot express how excited I am. I have no idea what the next two weeks will bring but I do know that I cannot wait to photograph some amazing places and faces!
If you need to reach me I am sorry. We will be out of phone/computer range for most of the time. But I will get back to you as soon as we return.