Tag....I'm it!

I have such a fun network of photographers! There is a game going on in the photography community where we "tag" each other. Regina Holder has tagged me so what I have to do now is tell everyone eight things they probably don't know about me and then tag 5 other photographers.

So here it goes....

1. My first camera was a Pentax K1000 that I got for Christmas my junior year of high school. It is completely manual, so when all of my pictures were turning out blurry I found out I needed glasses!

2. I have traveled to every continent except Antarctica and South America.

3. I love to do yardwork. I would rather be outside in all of this heat planting flowers or even mowing than inside and cleaning!

4. I am allergic to cats....I am actually allergic to any animal with hair. I realize the irony in this as I have three cats and the name of my company is "Orange Cat", but I love them! I have had cats my whole life and I have so many cat stories (good, bad and funny).

5. I love CSI...I can watch every single eposide in a week! (Miami, Vegas, NY) I think Miami is my favorite...it is fun to laugh at Horatio's one-liners. I guess my crime interest stems back from my Nancy Drew days....I think I read every book the library owned when I was in elementary school.

6. I speak Swedish...maybe a lot of you knew this, though. After living in Sweden for two years I learned the language quite well. I have to speak it to my in-laws because they do not want to speak English. (And I think my Swedish is better than their English now.)

7. I am addicted to coffee....this is also linked back to my days in Sweden (and Denmark). If I don't drink at least one cup of coffee (or anything with caffeine) I get a headache.

8. My second art is ceramics. It has been a refuge and stress reliever for me during college. While living in Sweden it gave me pure inspiration and a new family. It is what I miss most about Sweden! (Besides my family of course!)


Okay, so I tag:

Amanda Caldwell

Brooke Turner


Christopher Record

Melody Hood

Nam Nguyen of BTO Photography

Rebecca + Brian

The Best Man said at the wedding that there are two kinds of people that Rebecca and Brian meet: Friends, and people soon to be friends. I couldn't agree with this more. I met them earlier this summer during their engagement session and felt like I had known them for years! When I arrived that Saturday she looked at me and told me how glad she was to have a friend photographing her wedding. It meant a lot to me to be able to share this special day with them. Here are a few images:

Asheville Shoot-out...the results

Last night our photo group had our monthly get together and found out the results of our shoot-out from last month. Many of you remember my bloody leg picture...well my sacrifice paid off because I WON! I was so excited and humbled that my peers would choose my photograph over the other very beautiful images. I thought I would share the winning shot and some of the others.



Here's a picture of me getting the shot...thanks to Erica!



Here's the second place winning image by Jason Tench.



Our third place winner was the fabulous Corey McNabb. For you photographers, be sure to check out his workshop here.




I also won fourth place and here is that image:


Here are my other entries:







Here are a couple other favorites...unfortunately I am not sure who shot what so I will just post them.

San Fran part II

I know, I am way behind on my blogging! I feel like I am one of those cartoon characters and just running place these days! I have had back to back weddings this month and two workshops in two weeks. Doesn't it always seem to work out that way?! There's lot's to post and I can't wait to share with you everything going on with the Orange Cat!

I'll back up to last week first. While you guys in NC were braving the 100 degree weather, Martin and I were enjoying mild 65 degree San Franscisco weather!

I attended the Nate Kaiser+Susan Stripling workshop last Tuesday in San Fransisco. I am still processing all that I learned and I can't wait to apply it! We met at the famous Blue Sky Studios. We learned everything from organizing gear, great new products, running a business, and using light (no matter what kind) to our advantage. We also got the inside scoop on Al Gore's daughter's wedding. (Nate recently photographed their wedding.)

Here are a few shots:

Here's the view from the studio...I think I know where they got the name!



A couple of Nate in action:





(thanks to Debra for taking this picture!)

Here is what Nate took after setting us up:



He really loved Martin! I guess it's those Swedish genes!



Here is a funny one of Nate:



It was a great week! Martin and I spent the rest of the week touring San Fransisco, but we could have spent two weeks there! There was just so much to see and do.

Back from San Fran!

After a week in San Fran things are full-force here at the office! We had such a great time! On Tuesday I was part of a workshop by the uber-talented Nate Kaiser of The Image Is Found and Susan Stripling.We learned so much and got lot's of inspiration! Pictures are coming, but because I was away for a week I am VERY much behind! So for now, I will leave with the skyline of San Francisco. This was taken the night Barry Bonds broke the home-run record, so there was a lot of excitement in the air!

Out of Town

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be going out of town this week for a workshop in San Fransisco. I will be back on Friday fresh with new inspiration and lot's of pictures from the other side of the country. It is hard to believe that I have been to Papua New Guinea, but never to California! I am looking forward to it!

So if you need to get in touch with me, calling would be the most effective. I will have limited access to email, but do plan on checking it periodically.

Stopping to smell the...

Roses? Well if you directly translate the word for sunflowers from Swedish they are "sun roses". Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers and I can't resist a field of them. We were driving home from a beach weekend with my family and we passed by these somewhere in South Carolina. I gasped at the sheer number of sunflowers...they were just gorgeous! Of course we had to stop to take pictures! The owners of the general store beside of the field are the ones that planted them. They said they were just tired of mowing the huge field. What an attraction they created simply because they didn't want to mow!

Here are a few images: