Life lessons from a giant chess set.....

I'm a packrat.

OK, the kinder, gentler phrase might be "I'm a collector of beautiful things." It still translates to "I'm a packrat." I covet stuff, more stuff than any 12 people would ever need. Clothes. Shoes, especially ones that are bad for my feet. Fossils. Schnauzers, real ones, I'd have seven if Steve would allow it. Plants, which promptly die in my care. Camera gear, of course, not just the new stuff, but every antique I can find. And weird, esoteric stuff. Like giant chess sets.

A few years ago, my friends Cheryl & Jackie (see the previous post) were part of the Street of Dreams construction event. And part of the landscape design they created and temporarily installed was a giant chess set.


It was gorgeous. And I coveted it from the beginning.

Let's get something straight up front. I don't know how to play chess. Never learned. Never interested in learning. Chess is for geeks. Never mind that I'm one of the biggest geeks I know, that's just not my kind of thing.

And besides that, if one needs a decorative chess set, there are plenty of smaller ones around. Ones that fit daintily into the corner of the living room, or can be put away into a hall closet.

But desire is never a rational thing.

And somehow....I'm still not sure exactly how in this case, except that Jackie wanted back her garage space....desire tends to manifest into reality in my life. And the giant chess set has come to live at my home.


My home, which has virtually no flat land. And no one who knows how to play chess. And nowhere to store more stuff. Especially chess pieces that are as much as a foot across, each. And weigh from 20-50 pounds apiece. But oh my, they're gorgeous.

Never mind that I now have to redesign the entire landscape. These are fabulous photo props and that means I can write off the garden redesign & installation, right? (Note to the IRS: No, I'm not serious.)

So what have I learned so far from the giant chess set?

Love is irrational. It has far reaching consequences. It requires a commitment you may not be ready for when it comes into your life.

But when you're in love, truly in love, you'll seize that opportunity when it comes your way.

(Even if it means learning to play chess.)

....is it Spring (Training) yet?

Waiting for Spring


Yes, I'm perfectly aware that it's still football season, and that the Seahawks vs. Green Bay should be uppermost in my mind. I'll watch the game, I promise. I'll even wear blue. And I'll knit while it's on...we've only ever lost one playoff game since I took up knitting during the games. I swear, I'll do my part.

But....

We're just 46 days from pitchers & catchers reporting to spring training in Peoria. And I find I can't stop checking all the baseball rumor sites to see what moves the Mariners make before then. I'm literally driving Steve nuts, muttering over my computer as I analyze each projected move & rant about not trading favorite players. It amuses the heck out of him that I can quote stats at him regarding righties vs. lefties at Safeco Field & that I'm following the pitching situation so closely.

Of course, he's the one buying Mariner ornaments for the Christmas tree, and reminding me that Fan Fest is on the 26th & 27th of this month--which day would I prefer to go?

My husband loves me so much, he even bought me Mariners socks this year. (see guys, sometimes socks DO make a good gift!)

So here's to my beloved team....and to the promise of sunny days at the ballpark, hot dogs & garlic fries, and maybe, just maybe, a playoff game or two?

Postscript: Right after I finished this post, the same "beloved" husband came up with an anagram of "Seattle Mariners"--"insert real team"--and promptly announced that no amount of trades would accomplish that. I'm not sure I'm still speaking to him....

Happy New Year!

I hope your holidays were fabulous & you got everything you wished for this season!

It's the time of year where everyone takes a hard look at themselves & how they do things...resolving to do better. By now--the 9th--a lot of resolutions have already gone by the wayside!

In my case, I'm actually about to start on my first resolution with this post, and I'm counting on all of you to help me keep it. I've been told repeatedly over the last month or so by a number of friends, fellow photographers, and clients that they count on this blog to help keep track of what's going on not only in my business, but in my life. Needless to say, the frequency of posting hasn't kept up as of late, and I'm in big trouble because of it.

All I can say is, it's nice to feel loved. :)

The second half of the issue is actually just personal. When you convert from a hobby you love to a practicing profession, you tend to lose sight of why you enjoyed the hobby in the first place. In my case, the cameras really haven't been coming out unless I'm shooting for clients, and I find that I miss just shooting for me.

So here's my resolution--I pledge to post much more frequently than in the past, with a goal of at least twice a week. And to work on the second issue, I'll be posting more photos at random, setting myself photo assignments on occasion, and taking the camera along on some of the weird & wonderful happenings in my life that have nothing at all to do with weddings and portraits.

Love the idea? Hate it? Topics ranging from life, the universe, and everything that you think I should blog about? Drop me a line through comments & let me know!

Life's "little" interruptions....

My apologies to those of you who have tried to reach us over the last few weeks. We've been dealing with a medical emergency in the family & have not been as available as usual. I'm plowing through mail and voice mail this week as things stabilize, and hope we'll be back to normal fairly soon!

If you need something urgently, please call rather than email. I'll get the message & get someone in contact with you as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience during this difficult time for our family. It's times like these that make the honor of attending your weddings that much more special in my heart--they're reminders of my own, and the joy we share in coming together with our families & friends for happy occasions. Be sure to hug your loved ones, often!

--Victoria

Leftover Thanksgiving Musings

It's the middle of the night on your once in a lifetime vacation. You awaken to the most horrendous noise, the loud clanging of the lifeboat alarm. Crew are pounding on doors, evacuating the ship. Adrenaline surges through your veins at an incredible rate. You have mere seconds to grab & go. What do you take? Do you even know where it is? Passport, wallet, a few more layers of clothing as a shield against the incredible cold?

Two weeks ago, I was talking with a coworker about his upcoming vacation plans. A year ago, he booked a trip he'd wanted to go on for years, a cruise to Antarctica. As someone lucky enough to document life-changing events for others, of course the first thing I'm thinking of is photography, so we talked cameras...including backup plans for images when the cold kills your point & shoot. We talked about trying to pack for such a trip, how difficult it is to have enough layers and still pack light. And about trips like these, a once in a lifetime event, so unusual & sought after that you have to book them a year or more in advance.

Then the news yesterday. The boat that my coworker was on is now underwater off the Antarctic coast. Thankfully, everyone on board is safe & sound. I'm sure he'll have one hell of a story to share when he returns. And I have to wonder what he managed to save when the lifeboat alarm rang. I have to admit, I know I'd be thinking, Where are my memory cards???? Where's my camera????

I'm grateful this holiday for my coworker's safety, and hope for his sake he was able to bring more than just memories back from his adventure. And tempting though it is, I promise we won't decorate his office with a Titanic theme for his return. I'm thinking something tropical might be a bit more tasteful. :)



Postscript: if you have the chance to visit the Titanic exhibit, by all means go. I went when it was here in Seattle a few years ago. It's an incredibly powerful, emotionally wrenching display, and it's well worth attending.

I'm "IT"! Eight things about Victoria

If you spend any time at all on blogs, you'll find there's quite a few people playing "tag" right now, and the fabulous Katherine of Katherine Tolentino Photography just got me! The object of the game is to write up 8 things that other people don't know about you, and then "tag" other people. So here are mine.....

1. In the span of 2 years, I worked for Godiva Chocolatier, a mall photo studio, a down & feather bedding manufacturer, a business telephony contractor, and a diaper manufacturer. My view of the business world has been a bit skewed since then! I never thought I'd stay in a job longer than 2 years, but have been in the current one for over 7.
2. I flunked sewing in junior high school. Twice.
3. I'm a compulsive, native speed reader. I taught myself to read at age two & simply, literally, cannot stop. I'd rather read than do just about anything at all! Last night, I came home with six books from Barnes & Noble--three of them were finished by two AM this morning....of course, this just feeds my insomnia....
4. I stalk Ebay regularly for a pair of Swarovski crystal encrusted Stuart Weitzman heels I saw as a teenager. Someday they will be mine.
5. I've never broken a bone or spent a night in the hospital.
6. I've also never seen ET. Or virtually any other movie that characterizes my generation. I saw Star Wars for the first time about 10 years ago & still don't understand what the fuss is all about! On the other hand, I can watch Men in Black, Pirates of the Caribbean, Labyrinth, and A Fish Called Wanda over and over and over....
7. Nail polish doesn't stick to my nails for longer than about 30 minutes.
8. Every time I spend a Seahawks game knitting, we win the game. It even worked for the Colts last year. Unfortunately the phenomenon doesn't seem to work for the Mariners. :(

OK--here's my tags--y'all are IT & I want to see what you come up with!

Laurel McConnell (of course)
Shannon, our newly relocated Lucky Red Hen, who I definitely want to know more about!
Gerald & Airika Pope, one of the first local photographers to welcome me into the business
Kacy Cierley, who has the most darling new blog format!
Bill Cawley, whose photography always challenges me to new heights
Auey Santos of Photograffiti, whose blog made me miss my Bay Area hometown :(

Who ever knew there were so many Model A Fords still running?

We visited with my in-laws in Pendleton, Oregon over the weekend of July 28th. They were travelling with friends of theirs to a big gathering of Model A Fords that's held each year in a different part of the region. These cars range in condition from "Wow, that thing runs???" to "WOW--I'm not sure I'd let that beauty out on the road!" It was great seeing them again, and it was a lot of fun to see these amazing vehicles with their dedicated owners.

As always, click on a photo to see the larger view.

Reflections were the order of the day, and I got lots of practice with them....all that chrome!




We had lunch at the newly opened Hamley's Steakhouse. Hamley's is predominantly a leather working business with some AMAZING saddles being crafted there. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places & is just gorgeous. They were kind enough to allow me to shoot in there--I was a little surprised as so many times you're told no, either graciously or not so! This Tiffany lamp was in the entry; easily 4 feet across & absolutely stunning, I can't imagine the cost on one this spectacular.



And I took advantage of the location to get a portrait of my husband with his parents on this fabulous triple throne:



Then it was back to the cars. These people feel about their vintage transportation the way all my fellow photographers feel about their gear, and it shows. Most of these cars were beautifully restored and incredibly cared for.






And my favorite "personalization"!

Meet Taj & Almos

Our local Cougar Mountain Zoo has purchased two gorgeous little boys....Bengal Tigers in two of the rarest colors. Taj, the elder by two weeks, is one of only 100 Golden Bengals in the world--a beautiful gold with cinnamon colored stripes, no black whatsoever. And Almos (pronounced Al-mosh with a long 'O') is a Royal White, with gorgeous blue eyes & a sweet personality.

I went to the zoo yesterday to check these two out as I will be having some one on one time with one of them next weekend as part of the zoo's fundraising efforts--so check back next week to see more! The fabulous Laurel McConnell will be coming with me to document the event, so we should see some terrific photography from this get-together.

If you're local to the Puget Sound area, please consider visiting our local Issaquah zoo & donating to the preservation of this rapidly disappearing species.






(Sorry for the smaller than usual size & web quality on these, the full res versions are being gifted to the zoo to be used for limited edition fundraising prints & advertising, so these are strictly web sized to preserve their value to the zoo.)

A funny thing happened on the way to the engagement shoot......

As I mentioned in my last post, we spent a short time at the Robinswood Dog Park last night before Nikki & Ryan's engagement shoot. I always take a camera with me when we go to the park with Kaya, our standard schnauzer, as dogs do the funniest things when they're let loose with a bunch of other dogs. Last night was no exception.

This little guy was in love with Steve & was in his lap every time the poor guy sat down. Steve's not much of a chihuahua type--like most guys, it isn't really a dog until it's at least 30 pounds or so....



Then we found out he was a wee bit of a climber:



But what we didn't realize was his ultimate goal: Apparently he's had a lifetime dream of being a hat!



He actually did get all four legs onto Steve's head! Unfortunately the pictures at that point didn't come out....no amount of image stabilization will make up for the photographer doubled over laughing!

A Visit to Northwest Trek

If you're a photographer in the Seattle area and you've never been to Northwest Trek, you're in for a treat. It's well worth the drive to darn near Mt. Rainier, even on a freezing cold April morning!

The animals in the park, by and large, are in open enclosures rather than cages. They also have a significant number of grazers in a huge park-like area that is navigated by hourly trams. The windows on the trams open--great for those long lenses--and the drivers routinely stop for nearby critters, which makes for some easy captures.

We went a few weeks ago with a group of Washington & Oregon photographers from POTN; in spite of the early morning wakeup call, we had about 10 people turn out. It was a blast!

The running joke was that we'd have a whole series of animal butts as much of what we saw at first couldn't be bothered to face us:





But finally we had some cooperative subjects.








The bison in particular were fascinating--on a 35 degree morning, every breath created a puff of smoke!



And we spent a good 45 minutes with the raccoons. They were INCREDIBLY active for midday, and most of us blew through CF cards very quickly.




Make the time to visit this park soon, it's well well worth it!

Opening Day for the Mariners....

Yes, this post is delayed, I'm procrastinating on my current post processing while watching the current game. :)

This is the second year we've gone Opening Day at Safeco Field here in Seattle. Last year, we were way up in the nosebleed seats--literally in the very last row!-- freezing our rears off. Safeco has a retractable roof, and believe me, there was no way they were opening it! This year was completely different. While it wasn't exactly warm, it was sunny for most of the day and this field is a spectacular place to be when it's nice out. And of course, when the Mariners are winning! Especially against the A's.

I wasn't sure what I was going to be allowed to bring in, as Safeco has extremely vague rules on photography posted to their website. To be safe, I only brought the 12-24mm wide angle and my 85mm telephoto....with a 2x converter to make it twice the length. Given the number of white lenses I saw, next time I'm renting a 100-400!

But it was a terrific game & I did get a few shots I particularly liked.

GO M's!!!!!!

The Safeco Field grounds crew does an amazing job of "decorating" the field for Opening Day.



The Opening ceremony included a display of the colors at second base.



The three below were all after the game started. I was particularly pleased to catch the ball in motion in the pics with starting pitcher Felix Hernandez & first baseman Richie Sexson.

The grounds crew usually hams it up somewhere around the 5th inning. This was to "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seeger.

And this guy had the ULTIMATE white lens! LOL