ars magna studio photo blog

allana July 25th, 2008

Though they both went to school in San Diego, it wasn’t until after they left California that they met as colleagues in Arizona. Katie and Scott fell in love in Phoenix, and are soon to begin this new chapter of married life in Boulder, where Scott will begin an MBA program and Katie will start teaching.Taking advantage of their knowledge of San Diego, the couple organized a wonderful weekend for their out of town guests.Beginning with a Mexican dinner in Old Town, and festivities at the new Gaslamp Marriot, complete with views into Petco Park.

Pouring champagne in the limo to begin, the bridal party took the limo up to USD, Katie’s alma mater, and there we created some portraits on campus.

It was very simple ceremony, in the grand Don Room at El Cortez. Candles in glass votives lined the aisles, reflecting off the polished dark wood floors.
The Don Room was flipped for the reception, and the tables srrounded the dance floor. I even found out the Scott hand painted the numbered table centerpieces.
The bouquets of roses were a delicate porcelain pink, the bodice was hand beaded, and bridesmaid dresses were a lovely shade of dark grey to set off the pinks in the flowers.
After the ceremony, friend and family celebrated, danced, and toasted the couple throughout the night. It was a beautiful wedding, and wonderful to share the delight with Katie, Scott and their families.

• weddings , travel
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allana July 19th, 2008

You’ve seen these two before, and now once again before they jet off for Japan. Taking a break from the packing of thier American life, Bronwyn and Jon shook out their wedding attire and met up with us in Echo Park for a little post wedding photo shoot. Where once they stood at a festival under an LA sky full of fireworks, this day was a sunny afternoon and the park was filled with families picnicking and absorbing the heat of the sun amongst the patches of grass. We returned to the site of the proposal.

Wishing them the best as they ready themselves to embark of their new (mis)adventures.

A few of our favorites from the park and further urban LA scenes.

• portraits , weddings , travel
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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.

• weddings , travel
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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.

• portraits , travel
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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.

• personal work , compelling scenes from history
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