::presence::

...i love visiting ohio...my dad's family hails from this fine area of the county and unfortunately i have not gotten a chance to go back for almost 4 years now... there are a great many memories of holidays and summers spent with my grandparents and cousins (there are 23 of us!!)... my grandpa was rarely ever seen without his camera capturing his surroundings, whether it be a flower that intrigued him or the sight of his grandkids playing at the park... i would like to credit him with my interest in photography... i love how he was so at peace with his canon hanging around his neck as if he were a part of nature... i thought to myself: what would be a great way to spend your life...doing what you love, what gives you peace, what brings you happiness... he made such in impact in my life that my two cameras are respectively named after him: Henry & Butch.... my grandfather passed away in 1992... writing that out brings both sadness and joy to my heart, sadness, because i can’t believe that he has been gone for so long, but joy to know that i will one day again see his face and we can spend eternity together taking photographs.... he was such a strong presence in our family, he was our pillar from which we drew our love and faith from.... i recently ran across some photos that i had taken the last time i was in ohio, visiting family, these were taken out at my grandpa's house...where my grandma continues to live... i love this series of photos, as i feel his presence in them, as if he is still on his property watching lovingly over his wife... there is just something special about being able to experience the emotions of someone you love so deeply in a photograph without actually see a "picture of the person"...

::new::

...we are so happy to roll out our new DOLCE website, we are reworking our branding and studio image...check it, yo!

http://www.dolcestudio.com/

::MINIvaca::part 2

...on our way home from CA last weekend, we made a small side trip to Joshua Tree National Park...Gotta' make use of our national park pass, right?! my husband is not a big of fan of these trees, but by the time we finished driving through the park, he got 'used' to them....they no longer bother him like they did! (strange.ness!) most of the park looked like it came straight from a Dr Suess book... very cool, i would love to come back and shoot when i have more time to stop and smell the rose, and maybe even do one of the many hiking trails...next time!

::Tea Time::

...yes, i know it has been about a week since the "Tax Day" Tea Parties sprung up all across the nation on the 15th...(i have had no time to edit any personal stuff as of late)... now let it be stated, i am not one to discuss my political stance on a 'business' blog, but i can not help myself from attending gatherings of masses proclaiming their beliefs, whether it be "no more taxes" or "no oil for blood" (yes, i have attended a few anti-war rallies in San Francisco) For me, its not a political thing, its a people thing.... I just love to see the emotions on people's faces, their passion on display, its so beautiful to see free speech in action!! this was a rather mild gathering, but i had a great time shooting!! i also shot w/ my old 35mm pentax, positive film, gotta get it down to the lab...

::Biting the Bulllet::

...i did it! i upgraded my camera equipment....not that my D300 is outdated by any means or that its not doing what i need, its just that we actually needed a second camera... (when did that happen?!) ....i have really been back and forth about such a big purchase (this new camera requires all new lenses!!)...agh!!... but it needed to happen, we are getting too busy for just one camera to do all the work (i mean what if my D300, heaven forbid, stopped working in the middle of a wedding ceremony?!) we need a back up... and since we will have two cameras now, we can successfully have a second shooter for weddings... so i would like to introduce to you all... the newest member of the DOLCE family: The Nikon D3, full frame slice of heaven!!

::Starstruck::

about a month ago i spent four days at IMAGING USA...its a convention for professional photographers... i knew that i would be in 'class' most of the time... and while i did walk away with some great business ideas and tips to make Dolce grow this next year.... the highlight of my time there was not only getting to hear the famed Harry Benson speak, but to also meet him...and get a hug!! i had studied this amazing man in college and to actually get to meet him was unreal! he is so genuine and real... he showed pictures that he had taken over his 50 year career in photojournalism and told the stories behind them... he was there with Martin Luther King Jr on the Civil Rights Marches, he was within inches of Bobby Kennedy when he was assisnated (he bent down to change his roll of film and when he stood back up, five others around him had been shot...) ...and of course he photographed the Beatles...which is probably what he is most famous for! so...yea i am rambling like a star crazed fan... it was an unforgettable moment in my life... here is a picture of us...yes, i told you i was starstuck..

"no paparazzi, no paparazzi " -Harry Benson