Summertime Sadness

I miss my home country...

The nostalgia is strongest in the Summer, which I always associate with a vacation in Lovech, Bulgaria, where I feel most free and like myself.

Here are a few images from the archives, including an outtake from a portrait shoot with my sister. Taken with a Sigma macro lens that produces the most amazing flares!

Flower Power

This is my last post before Julian's arrival tomorrow!  Before I take this baby break, however, I want to leave you with a few current - and positive - images.  John gave me farmers' market flowers this morning, and I photographed them this afternoon with the help of Shelby.

See you guys soon!

Chasing Light

As I was saying recently, I am lucky have many great photo opportunities, but lately they have been limited to capturing special moments rather than special lighting conditions.  Most of the time it's either a work gig or an outing with Johnny, both which inevitably end up happening in mid-day sunlight and although I try to make the best of it, it's been months since I've captured anything during a sunset/sunrise, or at night.  In other words, thanks to motherhood and pregnancy my light hunting days are temporarily over.  

It's just so hard to get out of the house only to shoot stuff...so I try staying in to chase the light.  We work  best artistically with limitations, don't we!

Here are a few pre-July Fourth shots representing my usual subjects - kids, cats, and naturey crap...but with a bit of a bokeh/flare twist.  Enjoy!

Mother's Day Adventures

Yesterday we all went on, as Winnie the Pooh puts it, an EXPOTITION, and of course I brought my camera along to capture Johnny's face as he rode on a train for the first time in his life.  Another first was Belmont's Farmers' Market - after eight months we finally got organized enough to visit it.  

It was a wonderfully warm but fresh Sunday, and we had a great time despite that Johnny fell and scraped his chin in the first ten minutes, and that a 15 minute-wait for the Caltrain seemed like an hour due to his incessant figeting.  

This might sound immodest yet I can't help but feel proud of the way my photography work is developing lately.  I shot about 70 images and I'm posting 45 here, which means that, without counting the photos I chose not to share, there were very little outtakes or unsuccessful shots.  It feels reassuring to be good, and it feels good to have such confidence.  I am looking forward to photographing my new son in less than 3 months, to new travels and new EXPOTITIONS.  

Hope you guys had a great weekend, too!

P.S. One of my favorite moments was when I noticed that this girl on the train was watching Game of Thrones on her laptop.  And that Burlingame is exactly 16 3/10 of a mile away from San Francisco.  And the way Johnny was stuffing his face with fruit samples at the market :)

Lazy Family Portraits

I've been so lazy lately.  I have a million things to do, and that makes procrastination even sweeter.  You can see this tendency in my photography, too...but somehow this doesn't seem to be a bad thing.  I love this art because you don't necessarily have to go far or look for a unique subjects in order to take good photos.

Here is our small but ever growing family enjoying the Spring weather and the three-day weekend after a couple of very tough (and sick) weeks.

What A Difference A Year Makes?

Yes, I meant to put the question mark up there in the title.  Really, what has changed since last December?  Everything.  Everything is different...yet some things, I think the most important ones, are exactly the same.  And thank goodness.

A year ago I went for a photowalk around downtown Sunnyvale with my friend, then-neighbor, and fellow photographer Parisa.  The other day I met her there again, only she is now a he, as Parisa has become Paris.  This should have made all the difference, but somehow it didn't.  It was just a photo date with my friend, and although I was excited about the new developments in his life, our time together felt familiar and comfortable.  Same place, same time, same person...same fun!  And then it struck me - the trick in life is to embrace change while preserving your essential self and the things you believe in, the things you love most.  A few of us manage that balance easily, but I don't think it was ever meant to be easy.  It's right, however, and that's that.

Many people I know have difficulties understanding and accepting different sexuality and gender identity, and I am so very glad that I don't.  One less thing to worry about, I guess.  Besides, I have discovered that whatever the sexual preference or the chosen gender belonging, no one is doing anything to me, or against me.  This is not about me.  It's about the freedom of being yourself, whoever this might be sexualy or in terms of gender.  I was never a fan of boxes and labels, anyways....one must be careful with these, because otherwise you might wake up and realize you have become a walking stereotype yourself.

Paris and I always have these great conversations about life and art and personal struggles and soul searching.  I wish you guys have a friend like this in your life too!  Please enjoy these portraits and have a great weekend!

BECOMING PARIS.

PARIS TRYTTEN photography.

In summer, the song sings itself.

~William Carlos Williams

A few days back, at sunset, my Brother-in-law and I climbed up the cliffs that overlook our house.  Sometimes young people go there and build bonfires we can see burning at night.  The view was splendid, and somehow pacifying, probably because we were so high up, and everything down there looked very small.  I brought my 300mm lens and I even captured my parents and Johnny waving at us!

I admit I'm craving to photograph something more urban lately, yet I'm still not tired of being in the country. 10 more days and I'm back in suburban California... Gosh, how time flies when you're having fun!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My Mom had her birthday a couple of days ago, and we celebrated with two cakes, a lot of laughter, and the exchange of small gifts.  I gave her a gardening tool for planting tulip bulbs, a coffee thermos and a mug (with blue tulips), and she made some yummy traditional Bulgarian dishes. Such good times!

P.S. I really like the light on our faces under the grape vines, though it would have otherwise be considered as a technical photographic defect.