France...

While we were driving through the Dordogne Region, I snapped this shot with my iPhone and it has served to be a wonderful reminder of one of the loveliest places I have ever visited... My favorite shot from a beautiful trip is my entry for www.rocktheshotforum.com camera phone challenge! I edited this shot with the AfterLight app and only added a bit of sharpening, saturation, clarity, and exposure!

Did you ever see Only You? Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. flit around Italy in this fabulous 1990s romantic comedy which, even though totally ridiculous, has a place in my heart. There is this short segment which takes place in Venice. I remember losing my nine year-old mind seeing this enchanting city crisscrossed by canals and an older, slower way of life that even as a child I longed for. I've wanted to visit this city for so long, and a few weeks ago... I did. With the love-of-my-life by my side, and our sassy Poodle (who literally attracted picture-taking crowds wherever we stopped), we wandered hand-in-hand through the narrow alleys, popped into shops selling 'Venetian glass' imported from China, and ate buckets of pasta. It was perfect. Like, better than I could've imagined.

When you go, I have a few suggestions on packing... You will be walking everywhere. Venice was made for foot-traffic. Bring your favorite pair of leather walking boots, or shiny oxfords. Be fancy. As much as I love the style of Parisians, Italians have them beat. Tailored suits, silk blouses, and patent leather shoes... Not to mention the eyeglasses! So many bold shades perch atop Roman noses. It's fabulous. Though I felt perfectly dressed in my black-and-white-with-camel-boots uniform, I couldn't leave Italy without a pair of Italian-made sunglasses in a pastel/minty/lime. They are delicious and have this retro vibe that I can't get enough of. Make sure you buy some honest-to-goodness, made-in-Italy frames when you go! 

Though the colors in this city are warm and vibrant, there is something really special about a place where a black-and-white photo actually works today as much as it did in 1900... 

Recently, we zipped up to England, by way of France, and we hopped a ferry that took us across a very choppy English Channel. I kind of can't believe I just wrote those words. You see, my Father is from England. I am the only one of his children not born in the 'motherland' and for some reason, I've always acutely felt like I was missing a part of me because of that. Dad always tried his best to anglicize me to the max. So, I grew up of Maltesers, rather than Whoppers... Noddy, instead of Dr. Seuss... I was even taught to spell certain words the British way!

As a small girl, I visited, but I hadn't been back as an adult. Driving off that ferry onto the 'wrong' side of the road, I realized I was home. The feeling is hard to describe. It was almost as if I were looking through my camera at the perfect shot, and I suddenly clicked my lens a tad to the right and everything came into focus. It felt cozy, familiar, and just... Right.

 

Without a doubt, one of the very best things about portrait photography is giving people the ability to see themselves in a new light... Especially women. I think we ladies tend to have a far-too-critical eye when it comes to our appearances. So many times I look in the mirror and feel deflated... I wish I were a little thinner, had longer legs, a smaller nose, etc... But, when my husband looks at me, he wishes none of those things. He tells me I'm gorgeous, that he likes my short fingers, and loves my turned-up nose...  Under his gaze I feel beautiful.