What’s Been Goin’ On…

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Travel Spirit

It’s been a busy 10 days, but I wanted to catch you up on what’s been going on with me lately. In addition to the previous senior photo shoots of Sami Jo and Vivian, I attended a Bengals football party at a friends’ house, but didn’t watch a minute of the game. I’m not much of a sports watching fan. I enjoy the conversation with friends at parties and love to be active, hiking, jogging, biking, etc. I contacted an acquaintance, who is a model, to see if he’d like to meetup at an area park for a quick outdoor photo shoot and to get to know each other a bit better. He usually does magazine or runway modeling, so I thought a fun casual shoot might be a change of pace for him. Isn’t he cute…

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Vivian

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Travel Spirit

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now.” ~Alan Cohen

“When virtue and modesty enlighten her charms, the lustre of a beautiful woman is brighter than the stars of heaven, and the influence of her power it is in vain to resist.” ~Akhenaton Continue reading →

Hula Hoop Girl

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Travel Spirit

I introduced you to Sami Jo in yesterday’s post and wanted to share some of her hula hooping photos from our Senior Photo shoot…

It’s refreshing to watch someone engage in an activity they’re passionate about…

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Sami Jo

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Travel Spirit

“Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

“The soul is healed by being with children.”~Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Children see magic because they look for it.” ~Christopher Moore

“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” ~Lady Bird Johnson Continue reading →

Rock House at Hocking Hills State Park

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Travel Spirit

Hiking to the Rock House at Hocking Hills State Park, these pumpkin colored mushrooms were a delightful surprise!

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Ash Cave and Cedar Falls

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Travel Spirit

The weather forecast for Day two of our Hocking Hills hiking adventure predicted rain late in the day, so unlike the previous day, we left our rain coats, umbrellas, and waterproof camera bags back at the cabin, because we started out early. Mistake! While taking in the amazing scenery at Ash Cave it began to pour rain. Fortunately for me, I was lagging behind taking photographs, under the shelter of Ash Cave, while my girlfriends were caught in the deluge. Not a bad place to get stuck for 10 minutes!

We ran into a photographer who was kind enough to take our photograph before the rain. Even Evan (the dog) posed for the camera…

The 1/2 mile trail at Cedar Falls leads to the waterfall….

The sloped forest hillside afforded beautiful photography opportunities…

Our cabin’s location (only a few miles from Cedar Falls) made it convenient to head back there for lunch before our afternoon hiking at the stunning Rock House, which I’ll save for tomorrow!

Hocking Hills Autumn Splendor

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Travel Spirit

A quick two-day mid-week trip to Hocking Hills State Park for hiking followed by soaking in a hot tub with girlfriends was just what the doctor ordered! Located in Southeastern Ohio, 2 1/2 hours from Cincinnati, the rugged cliffs, breathtaking gorges, cascading waterfalls, and flourishing forests of Hocking Hills State Park, afford visitors a pristine outdoor wonderland. Our first hike was to Old Man’s Cave. The well-marked one mile round trip trail, includes both man-made and natural steps. The view from inside the mouth of the wide cave looks down onto a small stream and stone bridge…

Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year to visit this park…

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Gretchen

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Travel Spirit

Photographing young people is one of my favorite things to do. Most have such an open spirit and a fresh optimism that’s contagious. Gretchen is beautiful both inside and out and was a joy to photograph!

A brother and sister accompanied her for the shoot and helped me with the props and eagerly threw leaves on her when requested…

She will be twelves years old soon and these photographs were to celebrate that milestone. This was the last photo I took. I saw a children’s slide and had her bolster herself on it while I stood above to capture the shot.

We went down by the creek for some photographs. She forgot shoes to match her other outfit and went barefoot although it was quite chilly out.

I hope to retain the qualities that children possess!

Beautiful Woman

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Travel Spirit

I had the opportunity yesterday to photograph a beautiful woman. Her name is Carrie Kondor and she was referred to me by the Yoga instructor that I recently took photos for. Carrie is starting her own business. She teaches meditation, yoga, and some type of healing; wherein while the person is lying down, she beats a drum to open their chakras. She reminds me of a cross between Carly Simon and Seane Corn (whom she admires).

Doesn’t she have a great smile…so full of life!

She arrived with a variety of outfits and colorful scarves…

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The Search for Autumn

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Travel Spirit

My latest assignment for Cincinnati Refined was to find the most colorful “leaf popping” streets within selected Cincinnati neighborhoods, so off I went, on a 40 mile journey and was amazed that I only found a few colorful trees! It seems that Autumn is arriving late. This was the most vibrant tree…

A peek at a bit more of “the” tree…

On the way home, this bean field and sky shouted for me to stop…

So…I’ll be going out again next week hunting for Autumn!

Foggy Morning

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Travel Spirit

I woke before dawn and made my morning coffee. Peering out the window, everything was encased in fog. I hastily threw on a jacket over my pajamas, grabbed my tripod and camera, and wandered down the lane in my house slippers to capture the beauty.

Do you have a favorite?

Gaining Perspective

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Travel Spirit

I received a notice on my blog that someone linked to one of my blog posts entitled “Children of Africa“. After reading their site, I felt compelled to link to their page here and I commented:

“I give monthly to “Love 146″; an organization that helps victims of sexual trafficking. I’m a very positive person, but have an underlying sense of sadness that remains despite my “good” life. I believe we’re all connected and somehow feel deep in our soul the pain that so many people endure. :(“

Yogi Photo Shoot

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Travel Spirit

A friend on Facebook gave my name to one of her friends, Pamela Quinn, who was looking for a photographer to do some work at her yoga studio, Elemental OM. There were some specific guidelines as far as how much free horizontal space was necessary and how large the photo needed to be before it was cropped, but I also took some fun photos.

As you can see, my job was quite easy with such a beautiful subject…

I didn’t give her any direction as far as poses, and our time together flowed really well. She would do her thing and I would capture it…

Love this one…

Pamela wants me to come back next week to take photos during one of her classes and one of her friends saw her photos on Facebook and wants me to take photographs for her. Technology definitely has its advantages!

Travel Diary: Washington, D.C. – Day 7

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Travel Spirit

I had originally planned to go to the US National Arboretum, our last day in Washington, D.C., but after a relative told us not to miss the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, I changed our plans. After a leisurely morning at our Airbnb, we hopped on a Capital Bikeshare bicycle to explore the Museum.

But first I have to share a photograph from the Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery of Art. This tree is entitled, “Graft”. My husband waited on a park bench while I wandered through the Garden. At 45 feet high by 45 feet wide and weighing 16,000 pounds, this piece by American sculptor Roxy Paine is marvelous!

According to Earl A. Powell III, director of the National Gallery of Art–“Graft presents two fictive but distinct species of trees—one gnarled, twisting, and irregular, the other smooth, elegant, and rhythmic—joined to the same trunk. Among its rich associations, this sculpture evokes the persistent human desire to alter and recombine elements of nature, as well as the ever-present tension between order and chaos.”

A friendly squirrel, looking for food, stood still long enough for me to snap his portrait…

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Travel Diary: Washington, D.C. – Day 6

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Travel Spirit

Having only two days left of our seven day visit to Washington, D.C., we left our Airbnb bright and early and picked up our Capital Bikeshare bicycles for the 3 mile trek to National Mall. We didn’t have time to go inside the Lincoln Memorial the day before because of our scheduled tour of the Capitol, so we returned and checked it out. The view looking towards the Washington Monument was striking…

A stark and compelling truth is conveyed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial…

Paved sidewalks lined with trees border the Lincoln Reflection pool and after all of the walking, the park benches appeared quite inviting…

I was surprised by the number of statues and water features that comprised the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. Spread over 7.5 acres, with four outdoor rooms, one for each of FDR’s terms of office, they represent the challenges he faced as our President, beginning in 1933 and ending in 1945, upon his death.

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