March 2013: Walking on Water

One of our favorite not-too-far-away weekend spots is about a 35 minute drive from Lausanne in the Vallée de Joux. The lake is the largest in Switzerland above 1,000 meters which means that if it gets cold enough during the winter months, the entire surface freezes, creating a surreal, walkable landscape.

Last year the lake took awhile to freeze but one Friday in March, near the end of winter, we got an excited text from a friend: check the website! The lake is frozen!

The town bordering the side of the lake we usually spend time in is quite small so with the news spreading and a spring thaw already happening in other parts of the country, the crowds were large and the parking situation chaotic.

But when you spread thousands of people over an enormous lake, the noise dissipates and everything becomes quite serene.

These brilliant people had the foresight to plan a fondue party. I stared, jealous, for an inappropriate amount of time.

There were kites flying.

And how about an incredibly weather-specific sailing sport? That involves very high-tech looking boats (are they boats?) and a LOT of prepping and waiting for just the right wind to come your way. I think this pastime is several income brackets away from me.

Looks like fun.

Our curiosity peaked over some mysterious numbers painted on a rock wall bordering one side of the lake– so much so that we crossed suspiciously mushy ice to try and decipher them.

Then we got yelled at and had to wander back to safer terrain.

As it is now again winter, we are anxiously awaiting the next freeze. I hope it comes soon! If not, the consolation is that we will still get to enjoy summertime picnics and gelato by the lake as we escape the summer heat of Lausanne.

Vests for all shapes and sizes

I found this photo at a flea market a few months ago and after getting a look at the gentleman on the far right, there was no way I was leaving without it. The outfits are great, right? I wonder if they wore those clothes hiking....

I also enjoy that part of the car are being used as makeshift hatstands. Gotta get that vitamin D while you can, right?  

Creepy Baby Hands

Work, life and oddly spaced holidays have kept me away from this blog for the past week or so. To make up for it, I present you with the following: one magnificent facepalm and three photos in which people are being touched by creepy baby hands. View, enjoy, ponder the unimaginable hours of human labor that went into sculpting these creepy babies and then tomorrow we will begin again with this photo posting business.

And it shall be called: I Thought I Told You I Like My Sweaters Air Dried. Also Where Are the Organic Strawberries I asked For?

And it shall be called: Nah Steve, I Got This Round. Nancy Will Text You...I Hope...Because You're Kind Of A Downer When Women Don't Call You Back.

And it shall be called: Nothing...I just have...nothing. But I had to post it just so others could bear witness to the fact that this is a disembodied baby hand on a naked woman's back. Are we all in agreement that that is what we are looking at right now? Yes? Good.

Okay, I'm off to have some serious nightmares about this last one now.

Happy Tuesday!

The many faces of a lighting class

During the summer, Anthony and I took a portrait lighting class at the Chicago Photography Center. Every Monday after work we'd hop on the train, down a lot of coffee, and attend a lesson. Then we would come back later in the week on our own and reproduce what we had learned using each other as subjects.

We quickly learned that there is a method to photographing the person you spend most of your time with and that method involves sarcasm and a lot of patience. Every independent session would go a little something like this:

Me: Okay, I think everything is plugg- oh wait. Crap! Hang on while I....okaySMILE!

A: Okay, look over my left shoulder...no, MY left....no...the other left...the opposite of what you are doing. Stop smiling!

Me: Okay, look like you are pontificating something. No, more pontification. Okay! Now hold that while I adjust (mumble mumble mumble while adjusting something) hey, you moved! Go back to how you were...no that's not it...no, smile a little more...now a little less...now a little...clickclicklclick!

Me: Look what I found! It's a hat! Will you put this on pleasepleaseplease?

A: No.

Me: What if I do this? (bats eyelashes)


A: You look like you have something in your eye. (thinking: that hat has probably been worn by fifty people. At least one of those people had lice).

Me: I promise this will look cool!

(bargaining continues for another ten minutes and after I have promised to do all sorts of household chores from now until eternity...)

A: (exhausted) okay. fine. give me the *^*&% hat.

Me: clicketyclicketyclickclickclick!

A: put the hat on

Me: (thinking: that hat has probably been worn by fifty people. At least one of those people had lice). grumblemumblegrumblemumble...okay fine.

Me: Pleeeease smile?!

A: I'm hot. I don't want to smile

Me: But you look so nice when you smile

A: NOOOOOOO (thinking: I have reached my maximum number of smiles today. It is freaking hot in this non air conditioned studio. My soul is sad. Also I am hungry.)

Me: (starvation and heat stroke have set in. I am no longer in my right mind) Look at this weird face I can make!

A: clickclickclickclickclick!


Me: Wait...did you seriously just take a picture of that? For real?

A: Duh.

Me: You need to delete that. LIKE RIGHT NOW.

A: Um, yeah. Not a chance. This is definitely going on the Monday assignment presentation.

Me: (inner velociraptor cries out in pain and sadness)

Me: Act like you're laughing

A: (defeated) ha. ha............. ha. *sigh*

All in all, we did learn a lot. I wanted to feel more comfortable around studio lighting and the homework sessions definitely helped. Now I'd like to get started with a few lights of my own so that I'm not in danger of forgetting what I learned.

It was a fun summer :)

Halloween-ing

A few months ago, my mom and I were sorting through some old family photos and I stumbled upon these gems of my grandmother and her twin brother in their Halloween costumes. The photos weren't dated, but I am guessing that these were taken sometime in the early to mid 1930's. What better day to share them than today?

Don't they look great? I am particularly enamored with the beautiful eeriness of their masks. Although the sepia tone of the photographs surely has something to do with the eerie quality. If I know my grandmother, I am sure she was excited and probably had some devilish little tricks up her sleeve :)

Happy Halloween!

Erin and Josh engagement photo extravaganza

My wonderful friends Erin and Josh are getting married this weekend and for 2.5 days, the great city of Chicago will be a handful of southern folk lighter as we all make the trek down south to celebrate. In anticipation of the upcoming festivities, I'm sharing some of the engagement photos I took of them one exceptionally hot morning in August.

We warmed up with some 'sexy muffin' shots at Dunkin Donuts as they fueled up for their intense morning of looking pretty. 

We decided to shoot on and around the lakefront as it is such a beautiful part of the Chicago landscape and a perfect setting in the morning as the sun is rising and the beach is not yet crowded.

Congrats guys! I had so much fun photographing you!

wishbone identity

Wishbone has gone through a lot of cosmetic changes in the three years since its inception. As we have slowly but surely figured out ourselves as a company, our logo has reflected those changes. This year I wanted to distill all the past explorations into something that will grow with us for years to come.

Our season theme for 2011-2012 is dedicated to the lost and wandering which also fits in with the company's mission of seeking pleasure on one's journey regardless of the destination. Using photographs I took of us at last years shoot, I created a visual interpretation of the theme that can be used on all our marketing materials this season. At the time I took these 'walking' shots I had no clear idea of how I wanted to use them. When we landed on the theme for the season everything clicked into place.

For the first time ever, we decided to create some giveaways and collateral to promote the company. I designed these buttons and have been pinning them everywhere. They are tiny and somewhat disarming in their cuteness.

We also ordered stickers which are further contributing to the thrill factor.

aaaand business cards. I wanted to keep them very simple, but unique. I should probably get on the ball and order my own!

I think our season is off to a good start :) 

postering: part two

This is another of the season posters that I designed for Clemson's performing arts department. The Children's Hour is the story of two teachers who run a boarding school and whose lives are torn apart by the actions of one malicious pupil. We wanted to use the poster as a way to convey something that was both reminiscent of childhood but sinister at the same time.

I decided to experiment with the paper chains that children make and created one of girls holding hands and then began tearing and crumpling them to get the effect I wanted. Photographing them gave the whole piece this nice, shadowy effect. Mission accomplished.

on the devil being in the details

I posted some images of these antique children's clothes on my tumblr a few weeks back, but the work is so exquisite, I wanted to share the more detailed photos I took here.

All these pieces are handmade and were rescued from being thrown out (I know! Sacrilege!) by Anthony's mom who now keeps them safe and sound. 

When we were in Providence, she brought them out and we spent the afternoon admiring the hours and hours of hand work that must have gone into making them.

I literally cannot imagine doing this without the aid of a sewing machine.

Can you imagine putting this level of handcrafted detail onto what is essentially underwear for a toddler?

The photo below is my favorite piece: a teeny tiny skirt of cream cotton covered with a pattern of cornflower blue. If the waist wasn't all of about 10 inches, I would be wearing it all over the place.