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Music | Serpentine by Kate Havenevik

Photography capturing the simple and the pure... a naked female form and God's light coming thru a window. There is a hint of toning to the photo, but other than that, no photoshop manipulation, no tricks, no magic cures.

We have gone so far off this course that I often wonder will we ever see beauty in what life really has to offer. Perfection, if there is such a thing lies within truth. In our society, we move further and further away from the truth... What we see, what we listen to and even what we eat... We've become accustomed to special effects, processed preservatives, things that appear to be something, but happens to be something totally different.

I want to go on a road trip that takes hours and hours and days and weeks.
I want to stop and climb a tree and look out into the meadow.
I want to listen to nothingness, where our ears see nothing but blackness
and our eyes hear the breeze created by lady bug wings...

I want to hold hands with my daughter and sing Que sera, sera...
and see the clouds below from high above mountain tops.
I want to live a life where I appreciate the simple things in life
not processed, not created by ones and zeros...

Wake up! Smell roses, jump in the ocean, take a minute and contemplate the coffee your drinking...

Open up and be amazed by perfection, the real kind and not manufactured...

Studio with Perfect Lighting...

Music | Ever Falling by Amon Tobin

I've enjoyed going out on days to photograph when the weather has been questionable. The other day, Wil had an idea to shoot out on Sauvie Island, but even before the morning started, it was all ready raining. We both had our concerns, but since the morning was open, we decided to go on.

Before we strutted out under the rain drops, I had Wil jump in the back seat of my car. If I could build a studio with the ratio of glass and solid, my back seat would be a perfect rendering for an architect. I love the highlights over the shoulders and thru the bottom of Wil's hair. The lighting on her face is nice and soft, but defining to show off her jaw line. The light perfectly highlights the highlights, and the shadows drop off quickly and deep.

Maybe a series is in order! Any takers?

Under the Surface...

Music | Jade Visions (Take 1) by Bill Evans

I think as I become older, I realize my inner self is more appreciating of the finer things in life. I yearn more for meaning, statements of truth, or a perspective that I don't often encounter. In these times, we all live it, with instant everything, the homogeny of life, it is nice to be able to pick out the lady bug in a field of noisy greyish static.

I always try and find my perspective, to take the time to search for it. Life isn't about formulas, efficiency, making better use of time to be more productive. But with the direction technology has steered us, it seems as though we don't have enough time to create, to find our own center, and on occasion, fall into epiphanies... Who has time for that???

With the above in mind, I encourage you to slow down, take deep breathes, and enjoy something that is not mundane. We all know what is in front of us. What is underneath?

Testimonial

Music | Three on Two by Fred Anderson

Here is the latest testimonial that has come in regarding Photo Privé...


Working with Ted on this cloudy day was so very special. He had recently suffered a loss, and so had I. The mood was a little somber, but as the shooting got underway, our shells cracked open a little. I wanted to document this time of my life that is in the process of waking up. My heart had woken up recently by a big love, my mind has been thoroughly roused by graduate nursing school and my spirit has been rubbing its sleepy eyes against the brightness of all this life around me: my children, my friends and my family. Ted has a chameleon-like ability to gauge a mood and blend right in. Because of this, we had a very easy time of it. He is a wonderful photographer, not just because he can take a great picture, but because he knows how to read and care for his subject.

Thank you, Ted!

A.S.

Portraits

Music | Remind Me by Royksopp

I know there are a lot of women who feel that they don't have the courage enough to be able to bare themselves to themselves, let alone a stranger of a photographer. Understanding that each woman who goes down this road has to make that decision for herself, by herself, I can suggest booking a less intimidating Portrait session. Besides getting to know your photographer, a past history always makes future encounters a bit easier. Also, a timeless portrait can say just as much about a person than anything else...

The Assassin

Music | In the Waiting Line by Zero 7

Some sessions there is no time to think, prepare. From my initial contact with Courtney via email, our meeting, to our shoot, not more than 48 hours had passed by. I realize that maybe more importantly than our shoot day, our initial meeting was of more importance. Because there was so little time between our introduction to the actual shooting, it was good we spent 2 hours talking, getting to know each other. Having a great rapport going into game day was a good thing.

Courtney found a fabulous room in a upscale downtown hotel. The top floor rooms had windows angled up to the ceilings like a Parisian atelier. The buildings surrounding ours jetted way beyond the 12th floor of our vantage. I was inspired by the space and felt like I was in fact in a studio with amazing light streaming through the windows. The setting was movie like. Having just seen The Shadow Boxer, I saw our heroine as an assassin. My version of La Femme Nikita was about to take place...

We had moved thru 3 changes in short amount of time. I was really happy with what I had up to that point, but the best light of all was about to take place. The direct sunlight was about to hide behind another building, creating the perfect light. In hind site, having a pistol with a silencer or a scope mounted to a long range rifle would have been fabulous. But all I could quickly come up with was my own leather jacket and one of my cigarettes. Courtney immediately took to the props and without words, just moved... No time to think, preparation was for amateurs...

Visit to Chicago...

Music | New Genious by Gorillaz

10 days in Chicago, 5 jobs, personal business, new friends, new networks... This was one of the most fruitful visits back to my home town since I left over 10 years ago.

Anyone that knows me knows I'm always looking for great eats and my mission was accomplished by actually finding a new king for deep dish pizza. I also found my favorite soul food restaurant as well as visiting many of my old favorites! Food and Photography...

My shoots for Photo Privé went very well. My subjects, both extremely nervous before the shoot settled into their sessions in different ways. One used up our entire time to get to her comfort zone while the other literally man handled her way to get to hers. The most nervous of the 2, she just decided she was going to do it and came out on fire! I'm extremely proud of both of them as they managed to achieve something most recently was thought to as an impossible feat. They faced their fears and decided to go for it.

As I shoot more for Photo Privé, I do get a more meaningful understanding of what some of the women go thru when deciding to make the "dive". You women are very courageous and you have earned huge R E S P E C T !