Dan and Whitney's Excellent Adventure - Day 4 (Arches National Park)

Soo... Something strange happened when we left Lake Las Vegas and tried to go to the Grand Canyon.  Siri didn't know how to get there.  Really.  I had no information about the Grand Canyon and it was the middle of the night.  The internet wasn't helping much with direction either!  We twiddled our thumbs for a bit, then I said "I've never been to Arches, want to try that?"  And Dan, being the perfect travel companion, said "Yes.  Let's!"  A midnight stop at Walmart to try and find camping gear failed... and we got on the road anyway.  7 hours later, we showed up at the park.  We drove the loop, hiked around a bit, tried to sleep in the car without much luck, I took a nap in this arch:

Drove into Moab when I realized 30 minutes asleep in the arch was picturesque, but not particularly restful and I got a hotel to nap through the afternoon.  A 6 o' clock wake up call (pm... 6pm wakeup!),  I threw on both lightweight jackets and whatever I could scrounge up for a hike, then headed back into Arches for the beautiful evening light and (once again!) night shots.

The destination: Delicate Arch.

The discovery of an Arches virgin:  Here's the deal.  I thought for photo purposes, we would want the lower or the upper view.  We walked to the lower view, then hiked to the upper view, and soon realized there wasn't much possibility for variety from either perspective.  Which trail to hike?  Yes, apparently a photographer must actually hike TO the arch to get a view worth shooting.

The Challenge: 20 minutes to make it to the top by sunset.  (We had wasted some time doing lower and upper views and the sun was on its way down!)  I had a shoulder bag, bad shoes, a tripod, two lightweight jackets, a couple handwarmers.  I was completely ill-equipped for hiking to Delicate Arch.   Most people were already up there, but I was going to try it.

Now, apparently Moab in March is, uh, well, cold.  At least much colder than Vegas and California (for which our wardrobes were catered...).  While Dan wrapped himself up in a huge blanket and looked like a homeless guy walking up, I was determined to get there by sunset!  Aaaaand, I discovered just how out of shape I was.  My thighs started spasming, I almost threw up... And (here's the best reason to carry a camera when you hike) sometimes I would stop and pretend to take a photo just so people wouldn't judge me for having to stop.  But I was found out.  A little 7 year old girl stopped me and said "you're going to want to take a lot of pictures at the top.  It's really pretty up there."  A 4 year old boy saw me having a tough time and threw out a "you're almost there!"  I'm still not sure if it was encouraging or humiliating, but either way, I MADE IT.  Yes, I made it to the top... about 5 minutes after the sun went down.  I finally turned the corner and saw this:

I found a spot on the rock next to a few other photographers and I almost cried (commitment to self: I am working out enough and will be in shape enough to make any photography hike I want this summer even with all the gear!)  But a few breathtaking photos and everything was worth it.

 

(yes, Dan made it to the top too!)

One of the most interesting parts of Delicate Arch was the culture of photographers hanging out and practicing techniques together.  If one person uses lights, it will affect everyone else there, so we work together.  This photo was painting with light - a huge flashlight!

This is with no lights (just the glow of the moon on one side):

  Then everyone cleared out except one other photographer and we took turned playing with speedlights Strobist style.  Here's the winner of the night:

Yup.  Arches is a 5 star photography resort in Whitney's book.  I will DEFINITELY be back this summer.

We grabbed breakfast at a delightful diner and drove back in the morning!  An inspiring trip, I'm excited for all the photography adventures coming up in the next couple months.  We live in a beautiful world, don't we?

See the other blog posts from this Road Trip:

Day 1: Las Vegas

Day 2: Red Rock Conservation Area

Day 3: Lake Las Vegas

Dan and Whitney's Excellent Adventure: Day 3 (Lake Las Vegas)

A whirlwind morning!! - I worked out, swam laps, then visited the Container Park in old downtown Vegas.  There was some crazy dirt bike convention where they blocked off several blocks and I experience a culture of people I had never experienced before! But the Container Park was pretty cool. It reminded me of a shopping center I visited in Christchurch New Zealand in 2012.  They set up the shopping area with brightly-colored containers while they were rebuilding the city from the earthquake.  A little stage in the middle with live music, an oasis in the midst of all the destruction.  Apparently the container thing has become a trend!

The one place I always go when I visit Vegas is The Beat Coffeehouse.  They have an entire building of rooms turned into an art gallery.  Each artist has a room and each room in a different style.  I never know quite what I'll find when I walk through.  My favorite this time, was a jewelry guy.  Through our conversation, he shared that after having a stroke last year, his whole life has been about family.  He quit his job and joined his wife in their jewelry making business, they sell the daughter's art on the walls also.  I love those conversations - why people do what they do.  The perspective that comes from our experiences.

And then Lake Las Vegas.  A deserted shopping area, almost a ghost town with all the buildings empty and "for lease" in the window.  But beautiful.  Simply beautiful.  We got there for sunset and went on a stroll.  No hurry, just some photos, some relaxing, and a few moments to take it all in.

  

  I spent an hour sitting under this bridge.  I wrote, I sang, I meditated, took pictures, and watched people walk by.  The acoustics were magical!  And I love the ripples from the ducks in the water.  It was nice to slow down, no pressure to take certain photos, not running around doing, but instead, just to be.

Sooooo.... I'm getting pretty good at these selfies!  Except no awkward arm out in front of my face.  I set the camera up, focus on the spot intend to sit, then a self timer and 9 photos in a row with 2 seconds in between.  Yes, yes, I know.  I feel a little vain and little ridiculous.  But even photographers need new profile pictures for Facebook!  Or memories.  Oh yes, that's right.  Photos are for memories, not just Facebook :)

And the amazing Dan McBride...

 

See the other blog posts from this Road Trip:

Day 1: Las Vegas

Day 2: Red Rock Conservation Area

Day 3: Lake Las Vegas

Day 4: Arches National Park

Dan and Whitney's Excellent Adventure: Day 2 (Red Rocks Conservation Area)

Day 2: Las Vegas

Early morning wake up call to do a video interview.  Dan was behind the camera, and I just sat and talked to this amazing artist for a few hours.  We laughed, we cried, we talked about stories, purpose, and art.  I could have stayed there all day talking to her!  Quite inspiring.

Then we met up with one of my past interns, Kristen, and went shooting (with cameras, not guns).  Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area - it's my second time here, the first time I had driven up in the middle of the night on my own intending to camp but had to sleep in the car in a Costco parking lot because the gate was locked... it was a crazy story, but in the morning I saw the sunrise in a peaceful, peaceful park.  Only 4 of us in the entire area.  It was beautiful.  This trip, however, we got to see it for sunset!

These next two photos were taken within minutes of each other - it was only the camera settings that makes one look like day and one look like night.  Kind of fun to compare them side by side.

 

And for these next two, Dan was driving, and I was shooting out the window!  I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so I'll take any chance for a small thrill :)  He specifically wanted a photo of the one on the left because it looked like a different world, one to write stories or films about.  I love traveling and doing photography with different people because I have the opportunity to see the world through another set of eyes, another perspective.  Some say walk in their shoes, I think I prefer the analogy of seeing the world through someone else's lens.

 

Oh!  I forgot.  Before Red Rock Conservation Area, we got a notification that the artist in LA wouldn't be able to do the interview.  So that left 3 days with particular destination in mind.  At the beginning of the trip, Dan's said "aside from work, my one request is to go to a beach.  We'll have plenty of options in LA, so that will be awesome."  (We decided it may not be worth it to go all the way to California for a beach and instead we'd... go to the Grand Canyon - I'VE NEVER BEEN, can you believe it?)   But like magic, a sandy beach appeared at Red Rocks.  I put my toes in to say we checked that one off the list.

 

Dan on the left, Kristen and Trevor on the right.  Red Rocks and the Vegas lights in the background.

 

Well, we stayed WAY past closing time and I kept looking over my shoulder scared a ranger would show up and chastise us.  I can be rebellious, but I'm still scared of getting caught!  We saw headlights coming around the bend and leapt into the car.  This was our "high speed car chase" for the trip.  You know, where you have to drive just fast enough to get away from the guy chasing you, but not too fast in case he's a cop and will pull you over.  Ah, the joys that sleep deprivation bring.  Take a normal evening and turn it into a dramatic story!

But after we barely escaped our attacker (yes, some sarcasm included... it turned out to be another late night visitor casually exiting the park and completely unaware of us)... just outside the gate we stopped for another hour of photos after the sun went down.  It was so rewarding to see Dan's face light up as he discovered the joys of night photography.  Tripod, long exposures, lights - and STARS!   I love teaching and watching that lightbulb go on, so it inspired a plan to set up a workshop later this summer for Las Vegas Photography at Night.  Leave a comment or shoot me an email if you'd like details when we get it all set up!  We're thinking Red Rocks, Lake Las Vegas, The Strip, and Valley of Fire.

That night included a Latin band and me learning how to Salsa and other dances that I don't know the names of.  Bachata or something?  A lovely Cuban lady introduced me to everyone and got me on the dance floor every song with a new partner.  And before the Latin band, we stopped by a jazz trio - THIS was one of the highlights of the trip.  Dan wouldn't dance, so I danced alone for a few minutes, then felt awkward and sat down.  At the end of the song, the guitar player pointed to me and said "we're going to dedicate the next song to you, because we can tell you want to dance!"  (Now, it is true that one of the masks I wear is a dancer.  I learned traditional jazz dancing back in 2006.  Lindy hop, charleston, blues, and I still dance about once a week!  But it still made me a little bit uncomfortable because I didn't know what to do!)  It only took a couple moment, as if it were rehearsed, everyone cleared the dance floor for "my" song, and I walked up, closed my eyes, and let the music move me.  Wow.  It was such a surreal and emotional experience.  I traded back and forth with the saxophone player - he'd play a phrase holding eye contact with me, then I would imitate the sound through dance in the next phrase.  It was solo dance, all improv, expressing whatever I happened to feel in that moment.  And the music was great!  Afterwards, I snapped back to reality as people came over to talk with me about the dancing and give compliments.  I'm still a little speechless and overwhelmed when I think back to it.  Such an art-filled day with the painter, interview, video, photos, then music and dance.  I love the exposure to so many creative expressions!

And of course, my self portrait for my "life as a photographer" gallery.  With the look on my face here, I feel like I should be wearing a "life is good" shirt.

See the other blog posts from this Road Trip:

Day 1: Las Vegas

Day 2: Red Rock Conservation Area

Day 3: Lake Las Vegas

Day 4: Arches National Park

Dan and Whitney's Excellent Adventure: Day 1 (drive to Vegas)

Dan and Whitney's Excellent Adventure

Partners in crime: Videographer Dan McBride and Photographer Whitney Lewis

Purpose for the  trip: Video interviewing artists for FantasyCon (in Las Vegas and Los Angeles), stock photography, meeting strangers and telling their stories through photo and video, and lastly - finding inspiration for the love of the art.  Nature, people, the beautiful world we live in.

Day 1: Road trip from Salt Lake to Vegas

I love road trips.  Listening to music, telling life stories, asking strange questions, getting sentimental about all the memories from past trips along these roads, and of course stopping along the way for photos.

Here was the first sunset of the trip, just on the side of the freeway.  I left Dan at the car and took a walk down the path:

 

Above and below, the photos on the left were taken from the car, the photos on the right were taken... well, at a certain fast food restaurant with a big yellow M.  I am not generally a patron of this establishment, but when you have to pee...  sometimes a McDonalds will have to do.  Also, they have an awesome playground!!!  I am almost ashamed of how proud I am that I waited in line behind half a dozen children to go climb through the tubes.  What I really wanted was a ball pit!!  But alas, I shouldn't be picky.  After all, we walked in, used a restroom, played on the playground, took photos, and left without buying anything.  Thank you McDonalds!

 

Every time I drive over the hill on I-15 and see the lights of Las Vegas emerge, I always think "I should stop and take a take a picture" but fear stops me.  Parking on the side of the freeway in low visibility is something I do frequently for photos, but it's not exactly safe.  The danger of our trip began here and I finally took the photo I've been dreaming about.  (slight exaggeration on the importance of this photo, but it set a great tone for the trip to stop anytime the voice in my head tells me to pull out my camera...)

Checked into the hotel, and wandered Fremont Street.  I stopped and danced Charleston with a street drummer.  Hugged a few strangers...  It's a fun place, full of interesting people, activities, music.  I think my favorite was the electric cellos.

 

And it was St Patricks Day weekend, so we got festive with the tacky green sequins! Awesomeness.

And this photo I love.  There are locks and names and all kind of things attached to this sculpture of a  heart.  It sounds cliche, but I still feel strongly about it - Wouldn't the world be an incredible place if we all just loved each other?  I am ready to live in a world of unconditional love.  I appreciate and admire artists who use their talent to remind us to love the people in our lives.  I will strive to do the same.

See the other blog posts from this Road Trip:

Day 2: Red Rock Conservation Area

Day 3: Lake Las Vegas

Day 4: Arches National Park

Happy St. Patrick's Day! - Back to Ireland through a Photo Journey-

May 2012 - My first discovery of Ireland.  I fell in love with the entire country and left my heart there.  The people, the music, the rainy days, cobblestone streets... there's something magical about Ireland.  And one day, hopefully soon, I will return.  Until then, let's all wear some green, work on your best Irish accent, and enjoy an amazing St. Patrick's Day!!!

I wrote often while sitting at cafes and feeling inspired in Ireland.  On the same street as the photo above, I set some of my favorite lines to music; here are the most inspiring words from that sequence:

The cobblestone streets beckon me

The rain on my face makes me free

The people I know and the ways that I'll grow

In Ireland.

 

 

 

  

  CHEERS!!!

  (These photos are all from my visit back in 2012)

Celebrating Beauty

  I had a wonderful conversation with an artist friend this week about photography, the purpose, and what really drives me.  Yes, there are times I get burnt out.  There are times when I want to give up photography all together.  But the people, the places, the beauty... That's what keeps me connected to my camera.  I have the opportunity today to show you why you are beautiful.  To let you see it through my eyes.  And the world.  This beautiful world we live in.  Every day, I see the mountains, I see a new sky - cloudy, sunny, colorful, or dark is dismal.  It's all beautiful.  And those moments of reality - tears shed, a crying baby, a playing child, the sun rising over the mountain, or even simply the way the light shines on the leaves of the trees.  Moments in weddings or families.  Moments in events or activities.  And moments of peace in nature.

Today, I am alive and that means I get to open my eyes and celebrate the beauty all around me.  As a photographer, my job and my opportunity is to show the beauty in the world as I see it.

Through my eyes, my lens, here are a few examples of the beauty in Turks and Caicos (Caribbean).  There's a story behind every moment, but today I just want to share the photos and let you see what you see.

 

Underwater Photography

I've had quite an adventure this year, lots of new possibilities opening up in this wonderful world of photography.  This week is about underwater photography - In Turks and Caicos (Island in the Caribbean) scuba diving, learning and photographing everything I can. Here's a sneak peak.  Me, 70 feet underwater, with a camera and strobe, taking a picture of ... something awesome, I'm sure!

Photo by Terah Rae 

2013 Comes to a Close... Weddings in Review

  The clock struck midnight and everyone cheered, kissed, danced, hugged...  My phone buzzed with messages of gratitude,  messages of well wishes for future, and  messages of love, friendship, reflection.  I had a few moments to sit and reflect as well.  While there's nothing particularly different about the moment of midnight December 31st than any other moment, I still like to join everyone in reflection - what made this year great?  Another 365 days of life.  What do I want next year to be like?   Reflections and Resolutions.   I am grateful for 2013, for the challenges, the growth, the learning, and the many people who have impacted my life.  I've photographed some beautiful moments and worked with many beautiful, loving people.  That's why I like to photograph weddings:  There's very little more rewarding than seeing the way a bride and groom look at each other, recognizing TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR LIVES.  I believe this is true every day, but I love capturing the moments when people are so aware of it.  It's inspiring.

As I stated at the beginning of the year, we were only going to accept 10 weddings in 2013.   We aren't keeping the same limit for 2014, but I'm glad we did this.  We stayed true to the limit, though I did take a few photos at my older brother's wedding (I couldn't help myself!).  That was a special day.  Such a unique, emotional experience!  Sometimes I think it's easier to hide behind the camera so no one knows how sentimental I am - They might not be able to see the tears that way :)

Here's my brother and his wife, Nathan and Liz: Ceremony and reception at South Padre Beach, Texas

I want to thank each couple for contributing to my year.  Thank you for inviting me to be there to witness and capture such monumental moments in your lives.  I feel incredibly humbled and grateful that my job includes opportunities like this.  Here's a photo-review of each wedding day in celebration of you!

1. Mattie and Carston

Ceremony: Bountiful Utah LDS Temple

Reception: Wight House, Bountiful UT

 

 

2. Kiera and Brandon - Los Angeles California LDS Temple

 

3. Michelle and Sam - Salt Lake City LDS Temple

 

4. Kathryn and Merrick - Timpanogos LDS Temple

 

5. Britney and Taylor

Ceremony: Salt Lake City LDS Temple

Luncheon: Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Reception: Huntington Beach, California

 

6. Jordyn and Colton

Ceremony: Timpanogos LDS Temple

Reception: Sleepy Ridge Reception Center (Orem, UT)

 

 

7. Sarah and Brady  -   Ceremony and Reception: Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT

 

 

And yes!! They had a life-sized Jenga game :):):)

8. Alexis and Bret - Ceremony and Reception at Noah's Reception Center

  

9. Melissa and Nathan - Ceremony and Reception at the Alpine Arts Center, Utah

 

 

10. Angela and James

Ceremony: Salt Lake City Temple

Reception: Bella Vista Reception Center

 

Thank you all for a wonderful year.  Congratulations at this exciting stage of life!  We are looking forward to the future and welcoming in 2014.  As a good friend of mine said, "A book of 365 blank pages starts today.  What are you going to create each day... each moment?"

Happy New Year to all!

Inspiration - A Winter Night in Park City

It can be easy for me to get stuck in a routine - get the camera gear ready, shoot a wedding, hope I got everything the clients needed, then spend hours at the computer editing the photos.  Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my job - I love the variety of people I get to meet, I love the emotions I get to capture - to freeze a moment forever.  I love how beautiful the world is.  Nature, people, buildings, light, all of it.  And I have an amazing career of showing people how I see the world.  Showing how beautiful the world is.  But still, photography is a business to me.  I'm working for clients, and even though I love it, it's still work.  Hard work.  So I am generally less inclined to pick up the camera unless I'm getting a paycheck.

A recent debate in my life is whether photography is art.  For me, the answer has been no.  I feel like I capture what is already there when I take photos, whereas music or other artistic pursuits in my life are creating something internally and finding a medium to communicate it externally.   However, I received quite a compliment this week.  And this helped me rethink my approach.  There was a comment on one of my photos that said: "...You have such an amazing eye. I'm one of those people who's always sort of thought that photography wasn't really 'art' but seeing some of the truly astonishing photos you've posted, has changed my mind. You really have a gift for framing scenes in a way that shows others the beauty in the world, which we might not see on our own."  Wow...   That one comment gave so much purpose to what I do.  It's beautiful.

Then I have a day like today.  Today, I saw the beauty of the seasons changing from Fall to Winter.  And I couldn't help myself... I pulled over on the side of the highway, put my camera on the car, and started taking photos.  It was inspiring to breathe the fresh, crisp air, to photograph a scene I knew (the famous Park City barn) in a new light.

It was simply beautiful.

And this is what I want the world to see.  There were dozens and dozens of cars that drove past me while I was taking these photos.  None of them stopped to see what I saw, and that's ok.  They were on their way to whatever night life was going on, or maybe headed home after a long work day. I don't know that any of the drivers were even aware that there were mountains with a beautiful field and snow covered barn... it was quite dark.  But I wanted to yell "The world is a beautiful place!  Open your eyes!"

The 30 second version of the rest of my night - I met a pleasant crowd of people at a karaoke bar on Main St, sang several songs, then walked through the beautiful night in an area of Park City I had never been.  Inspired by beauty.  The people, the nature, the air, the energy, the little stream, the way the leaves sat on the pathway, the way the light hit that wall... I believe with all my heart that there is beauty everywhere we look.  If we are willing to look for it.

And now, goodnight!!  Sweet dreams to all.