I like The Eiffel Tower because it looks like steel and lace.

~ Natalie Lloyd

This is Paris, part deux.

I can't find any other appropriate word to describe this trip, but epic. All I did for a week was to take photos, drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, eat loads of crème brûlée, sleep, walk, have wine, make love, and admire works of art.  It was a truly grand experience and I miss the streets of the City of Love and Lights.  My favorite moments:

The bicyclist who passed in front of my lens while I was taking long exposures of the Louvre and made a pretty red squiggle with his taillight.

The guy with a vintage Land Polaroid we met at a cafe near Musée Rodin.

The two weddings we stumbled upon while strolling around, and the images I was able to steal of the newlywed couples.

The fluffy clouds and the impossibly blue sky over Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees.

The bokeh of the Fun Fair, and the Air Swing I rode (photos by John).

The note I left at Jim Morrison's grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery: "Dear Jim, Thanks for all the music.  You should have seen the 90's!"

The lady in traditional African attire I saw in China Town.

The sun flares at the Île aux Cygnes Statue of Liberty.

The light that was pouring out of John's bottle of water at sunset.

Part trois coming up soon!

 

 

A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life

~ Thomas Jefferson

Oh, man.  I didn't even remember how many absolutely amazing photos I had taken during our trip to Paris back in 2010.  And yes, the Mona Lisa is every bit as striking as they say.

Enjoy le premier.

P.S. I took the grain out of most of the images, but my collage making software compresses the sh*t out if them, hence the noise...

 

Making Lemonade

It's been a madhouse lately.  Everything changed so much just in the span of a week, and it seems like I am starting my entire life anew.  It's not a bad feeling, actually.  I am not quite sure how to explain this, but the more I grow and the more I experience, I learn that life is most real and big and right in the midst of hardship.  I am not saying that I welcome trouble and drama, not at all, but I am proud that I can find the strength  to deal with it and to perform at my best even when things are tough.  The enjoyment of the quiet that follows, the sweetness of the rest are greatest then, and I believe I can do anything.

It turned out that we won't be having a second baby this year after all, and it was rather sad to go through the emotional roller coaster in such a short period, but we are good now.  We know that we will have more children again, and we will wait for a better time, just like we waited for Johnny. The good news is that the first day at my new job went wonderfully and I am so happy to be writing for living again.  Spring is coming, we're planning our annual overseas pilgrimage, and we are slowly getting on top of the daily challenges of raising a child - we seem to sleep a bit more, to eat a little better, to stay in shape, and most importantly, to keep our wits about it all.

Johnny turned 9 months last week and I just got around to editing and posting these.  They are so many, too many really, but I love them all and I couldn't choose which ones to share, so I give you the entire shoot.

Isn't my baby the most gorgeous baby?!  Don't answer.  I know he is!

SHELBYZILLA!

I want to share these with you so badly, but you must promise not to pay even the slightest attention to the mess in the background.  You see, we have a baby that's crawling and climbing everywhere, and he can reach everything with the sole purpose of pulling in down and destroying it (by chewing, most likely), so aesthetics isn't a priority in our lives anymore.  We've pushed all furniture in the margins of the room, and we've given up on having nice things.  Because frankly, we already have the nicest things - Johnny and Shelby!

Here's Shelby in her most mischievous self.  She is a Shelbyzilla!

Surprising Sightings

I took these in between running around in a frenzy during the past week, while trying to organize my life and accommodate my new responsibilities with the ones I already have, and not lose my mind in the process.  

I really like the fluffy clouds and the puffy squirrel tail, and I wish I could wait long enough to capture a bird at the feeder as a compliment to this amazing bokeh, but hey-ho, c'est la vie!

More about the quality of the squirrel shots here.