ars magna studio photo blog

allana July 12th, 2008

Margot, one of my dearest and oldest friends, owns a complete and unapologetic enthusiasm for life. Truly, and always, herself with a wonderfully timed dash of slapstick thrown in. As my friend, she has stood by me, as side by side we made our way through the trials of adolescence. School dances, sleep-overs, double dates, inevitable heartaches, and various teenage misadventures not to recounted here. Needless to say, my emotional connection to this wedding was immediate. And I am so thrilled and honored to have been chosen to document and witness (through my lens) the bliss of their wedding day.

Margot approaches everything with zeal, and her wedding was no exception.  Matt, her new husband, seems to have every bit the humor and enjoyment of life that she does. Matt is a kind, wonderfully supportive partner to one of my dearest friends. I’m proud to have been a part of their marriage, and to be a part of the community of friends and family that were with them as they became partners in life.

They chose a Saturday in June; a beach house wedding in Scituate at Minot Beach. The ceremony held on the lawn between her family’s twin Victorian beach homes, and the respective back yards united under an enormous white tent. Beaming in delight, they said their vows with amazement and acknowledgement in their eyes.
Periwinkle-blue silk bridesmaids dresses, and a sash for the bride in the same color to accent the wedding gown, the
grromsmen dressed in classic New England navy blazers with creamy yellow ties and khakis. It was perfect summer’s afternoon wedding attire. The homes had been repainted and were in their coordinating displays of colors. Peonies sat in in glass jars at intervals alongside wicker chairs on the wrap-around porches. Baskets of sandals were thoughtfully set out for feet tired of dancing in party shoes. A sand strewn table of beach pebbles and starfish served for table cards.
Big familes on both sides alongside boisterous groups of friends from high school, college and work; everyone in attendance spent the rest of the evening celebrating. The men in the wedding party treated everyone to a loosely choreographed and joyously performed dance and pyramid formation to Mr. Roboto.

After the cake was served, the ice cream truck Margot had hired came up to the lawn, and the subsequent line of guests were ready to tuck into a choco taco or a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar. The guests were joined by a line of inquisitive and large eyed neighborhood children who were lured over by the jingle.

The party kept on after the band departed, with Matt’s ipod mix of classic rock and suddenly appeared trays of Fenway Franks and little bags of potato chips. The remaining party goers, at the end of the night, in exhaustion and contentment, sat on the porches enveloped in the cooling fog drifting over the shore.

Yes, perhaps I am waxing on and this is a kind of love letter to Margot and Matt.

Here are a few of the many favorites from the day.

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allana July 11th, 2008

Since meeting Lisa and Mike, and photographing their wedding in Glendale two summers ago, I have been sporadically following the hilarity and adventures through pregnancy in their family blog. Mike was so content in being a Dad, holding his son Vince in one arm, highlighting the difference in their sizes. Parenthood definitely suits them.

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allana July 11th, 2008

Still acting like newlyweds, though 9 years in, and newly grandparents to an adorable baby girl, Elizabeth and Rick invited me over to make a few portraits of them together. Their home, a wonderful embodiment of their life work - building and playing with structure, color, texture, and form - is an amazing space to visit.

Elizabeth is a spinner, weaver and importantly a thinker, synthesizing her previous careers as psychologist and engineer into her current vocation as an artist. Rick, who Eliabeth jokingly refers to as her Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer, proudly hows me their collection of spinning wheels, their work in basket weaving, spinning and together they are working on a book on Mad Weave, a triaxial weacing technique that is usually done with caning, but they have begun creating with fabrics, papers and wood.

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allana July 10th, 2008

In honor of his sponsored attendance at Vienna’s International Dance Festival, Impulstanz, and his guest blogging invitation to chronicle said dance festival, I came through New York to make some street portraits of Will James Rawls, of Dance Gang.

Much of Will’s work is site specific, a dialogue in movement with his surroundings. He exudes a playful energy, using his height and limbs to explore the environment. Last time I photographed Will, he had just finished four years at Williams, and was entertaining the idea of moving to New York City to become a dancer. Seeing him now, making his mark in the dance world, I am thrilled to witness his hard work turning that dream into reality.

Learn more about Will and his Dance Gang partner, featured here in this New York Times article.

																

									
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allana July 10th, 2008

Tucked away in the dense green of Scituate’s Egypt neighborhood, lives a little girl called Cassidy and her new baby sister Matilda.

Cassidy is, as did once the rest of us ‘big’ sisters and brothers, getting acclimated to the idea of having a baby around. Learning how to care for her, and to be gentle with her affections.

Sunday morning was a bit cold, and wet, so we stayed inside and played on the new blue couch and in the pretended to make Matilda and Dad breakfast in the play kitchen.

Cassidy is a sharp, and playful girl, with a delightful imagination. Dressed in her blue dress from her Oma, she posed with her patient little sister. Matilda wasn’t up for much picture making.

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allana July 3rd, 2008

It’s been an interesting two weeks of visiting people, making portraits of old friends, new friends, and little children new to the world.

It is energizing to feel and see these things reflected in people I care about; to those people who struggled and worked for happiness, for success, for families, for life. Friends whose life paths are opening to something new, paths that are revealing themselvs in directions that a decade ago, two decades ago we might not have thought possible or probable. Paved with experience, disappointments, reverse directions, the best intentions.

Many friends whom are nearly a decade out of school, seeing their work, dreams, sidebars, all come together for them. The energies invested and the diligence put into programs, jobs, busniess, personal exploarions and relationships come to fruition. Seeing this makes everything seems worthwhile. Life affirming. a good gift of awareness to me, on the 2 year anniversary of such a life changing incident. A reminder.

My husband reminds me often. To enjoy life, to make our time here together count, to move with purpose through the world.

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allana June 26th, 2008

As my mother quotes, there’s nothing so lovely as a day in June. Though my experience of the seasons is much more mild now that I live on the west coast, I can still appreciated these perfect weather days as compared to the cold winters of my youth, that are still etched deep in my bones.

And to spend such a June day with a dear friend and her adorable daughter, to delight in a New England summers day, to feel a buttery wind across the pond, to take respite in the the dappled light, to swim out into a pond and be on all sides surrounded by trees and blue skies, and to continue to savor the day in the mix of pond and sunscreen on my skin.  It was wonderful.

All of this happened yesterday when I took off for Walden Pond with my close friend from college, Ilana Krepchin and her four month old daughter Molly, who due to her inherent smallness has earned the nickname ‘molecule’ from her cousin Rex.

Molly and I hung out at the water’s edge while her mom swam into the center of the pond and back out again. In her little sun-dress, Ilana bounced her around and dipped her toes in the water.  I told her about the wonders of pond swimming, after all this is no doubt the pond in which she will learn to swim, and the summer spot where she will remember picnicking with her parents.

Big blue eyes, and with an occasional chirp into the conversation to remind us of her presence, she was an easy baby to photograph.

Here a some of my favorites from our mini-session at Walden Pond.

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allana June 23rd, 2008

I first met Tristan when we briefly worked together, in the Education Department at the San Diego Museum of Art. She had moved to California from New York. I knew she was engaged, and was so flattered when she called last winter and asked me if I would photograph her wedding.

In an intimate ceremony overlooking the sun-drenched vineyards, Tristan and Brian said their vows on a Thursday afternoon at the Orfila Winery in Escondido.

Tristan and Brian wove thoughtful inclusions of their family into their wedding. The bride’s hand carved wedding band made to coordinate with Brian’s ring, which had been his grandfather’s. Cake topper from her grandmother’s wedding cake. Her mother, Rose, crafted a beautiful birdcage veil complete with a fabric flower made from a piece of the wedding dress.

Tristan’s favorite colors are red and turquoise, and the colors punctuated everything from the clusters of red roses, to the ring bearer’s pillow, to the table settings to the red velvet cake with turquoise icing. (Turquoise icing that somehow later ended up all over my pants).

And after the cake, Brian’s family set out a tray of cookies, almost like an Italian torta di biscotto di nozze, cookies that were stacked to make a tower. Absolutely amazing orange tinged dark chocolate over shortbread with a dollop of raspberry jam. Yum. I’d even say these were the best cookies I have ever had.

It was one of the lightest days of the year, close to the summer solstice. A good day to get married. The sun cast long shadows on the vineyards and they were still partying when I left the vineyard.

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allana June 17th, 2008

I’m not sure I’ve ever met two people more ready to laugh and have a good time than Liz and Steve. They each have a big and incontestable enjoyment of life. It’s wonderful to be around that kind of joy. And, I can’t forget their collective sense of humor.

Together they invited their family and friends, from Boston, Ohio, and North Carolina, to join them in San Francisco to celebrate their wedding. Both ceremony and reception were held at the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio.
Their love was also in the details. From the new purse containing a surprise honeymoon trip to Kuai, his grandfather’s cufflinks, the assymetrical necklines of the bridesmaids’ dresses, the aroma of raspberry balsamic cupcakes, the SF neighborhood table cards, the color splashes in the coordinating bouquets and boutonnières, the pearl drop necklace that was forgotten and then retrieved, the Wall Street Journal that kept Dad occupied, and the continual toasting of BruichLaddich in coffee cups.

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allana June 12th, 2008

Early on Saturday morning, our car climbed up into the Santa Cruz mountains and then wound down into the lush green estate, Nestldown.
Dominique and Jonathan were married in a magical little spot at the base of the redwood trees, nestled in the cool shade, along the water. Their ceremony was completed by a reading from Khalil Gibran.
The venue was lovely, and we were thrilled that the bride and groom took some time with me ham it up a little in the tiniest of all hedge mazes and pose in the accompanying miniature cottage, also known as Snow White’s Cabin. Inside the cabin, Jonathan jokingly offered an apple to his new wife.
Since these lovebirds met while still in high school, on the way to the banquet, we took a short detour to the very campus where they first met. Turned out it was SAT day, and so we tried not to be distracting to anyone who was embroiled in any dreadful Saturday testing.
Later, at Fu Lam Mum, a short tea ceremony was followed by a full Chinese banquet. Delicious! Once dinner was served, Dominique changed back into her white gown, and the DJ opened the dance floor to the guests with some Rolling Stones.

They are such a gentle, generous and loving couple.

Here are a few of our favorites from their wedding:

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