The Graduate

[aithom2]

Artist Series: Petals and Pigments- Part One

I know I have said this many times before, but yikes, this session is really overdue. In September of last year, I had the pleasure of driving down to the southern part of the island to photograph the artist behind Petals and Pigments, Wai'ala. Then, just a few days after our shoot, I had a month-long trip home to Minnesota, followed by a whirlwind few last months of 2021 and starting a new job in 2022. But, I'm finally through editing the images from our session and ready to share this amazing day with you all! Because of the number of photos I took, I will break this up into two parts, starting with the flower gathering and bundle dyes!

Petals and Pigments

Wai’ala’s homestead (Misty Mountain Homestead) is at roughly 4,500 feet elevation on the cool, misty slopes of Mauna Loa. I hadn't spent any time in that area before our shoot, and it really is a magical place up there. The land surrounding their home is filled with garden beds with all sorts of flowers growing. Because of the elevation and resulting cooler temperatures, they can grow many things that we would not be able to at our place right near sea level. It was a special treat being surrounded by flowers that my mom used to have all over her gardens in the spring and summer in Minnesota.

The session started off by walking through her raised garden beds while she cut stems, and we talked story about their little homestead, family, and plants in general. It misted on and off with the sun popping out here and there. Wai'ala has so much knowledge and experience to share; it was absolutely incredible. Hearing her story and all of the ways that she has expanded her knowledge was fascinating and inspiring.

Even though they have a wide variety of plants, the bulk of their flowers is dahlias. One thing that stuck with me is that if you plant a dahlia from seed, it will be a variety that has never existed before. So you are creating an entirely new dahlia variety that way, which is so cool!

There were so many different colors, shapes, and textures in the dahlias just in her gardens. It hardly seems like some of these could be the same type of plant. And to think that they will constantly be changing there as they collect and plant their seeds!

After she completely filled her large basket, we headed inside so that she could show me the botanical bundle dye process. Their little cottage is quaint, homey, and somehow oozes love. I was obsessed with all the little details around the room as well as the light by the big farmhouse sink. Plus, her husband collects glass bottles like me, so I had to document some of his collection!

Wai'ala already had everything prepped and ready for the bundle dye, so she could jump right in and show me the process. Bundle dyeing is essentially the process of imprinting flowers and such onto a cloth. You first have to prep the fabric, which can be done differently depending on the materials. Her fabric had been soaking in vinegar before I arrived, which helps hold the color in. She then laid out the material on her island and picked petals from flowers, scattering them on the silk square.

Beyond fresh flowers and petals, other materials can also be used for bundle dyeing. Wai'ala had a handful of different powders to sprinkle on, including indigo and cochineal extract (which is made from a bug), as well as onion skins and dried rose petals.

Once all the dye materials are down, the fabric gets tightly rolled and wrapped into a bundle. Wai'ala also squeezed lime juice over the fabric to shift the color slightly and help make it more vibrant as well.

Lastly, the bundle of fabric is placed in a steamer. The bundles steam for a few hours to absorb all the color into the fabric. While we waited, Wai'ala's adorable son came to participate! He was fascinated by the flowers and very much wanted to help add water to the pot as it ran low.

Finally, after a few hours of steaming away, the bundles were ready to unwrap! We unwrapped them and shook all the petals and onion skins off, revealing stunning colors and texture. Wai'ala told me that I could rinse it right away or wait to rinse it, which would allow the colors to be a bit darker and richer. I opted to wait, and the resulting color is a deep, warm yellow that brightens up my office space.

After the bundle dyes were wrapped up, we focused on the indigo process! Be sure to subscribe so that you can check out part two, detailing that.

[aithom2]

Artist Series: Joy Ray

Joy Ray

I’m back with another incredible artist for you all! Back in September, I had the pleasure of meeting painter and mixed media artist Joy Ray in her studio in Kona. We had a great few hours talking about her art and the art world in general!

Joy is relatively new to the art world, but has truly jumped in headfirst and is already crushing it. She recently started working towards an MFA through the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently has her first solo show happening in Los Angeles! You can see more about her impressive solo show here.

I found Joy’s art like I’ve found most of the artists I’ve photographed so far, through Instagram. Another artist who I’ve photographed shared some of Joy’s pieces and I knew I wanted to photograph her at work. The foundation for her work is perhaps most easily described as painting. Paint is essentially how most of her pieces begin, after all. However, there is much more to her art than just painting, especially as she continues to develop her practice.

Joy’s work is subtle yet complex. She works almost exclusively with a monochromatic pallet of shades of black and white which helps to make her pieces bold and striking. Nature and hidden forces are regular themes in her art and her paintings frequently draw to mind decaying structures or abandoned objects.

One of the things that drew me to Joy’s work is her unique approach to the canvas. Instead of utilizing a traditional canvas, Joy pulls together a variety of materials that she stitches into a single piece. Before that happens, though, she paints them all to fit with her monochromatic pallet. All of her surfaces are thus treated more or less the same, making textures and materials that are dissimilar feel as though they belong together or have at least been melded together over time. She also uses fabric that will be used later as a drop cloth of sorts, catching whatever paint that seeps through and showing brush marks on the edges. This simple act leaves behind remnants and fragments of what was initially painted. Once combined in her pieces, it provides a hint of something that was once there but nothing more, a theme that consistently runs through Joy’s work. The body of work featured in her solo show, titled Ghost Visions, plays with that idea throughout the paintings. It feels as though something was there and left its mark, but it’s unclear what or how.

Around her studio are stacks and stacks of various types of fabrics and materials that she has collected and prepared to be used in her paintings. She frequently uses denim from thrifted clothing items, but also incorporates a range of fabrics, including vinyl. Finding used or thrifted materials is of significant importance to Joy, especially in her latest body of work, because of the inherent yet unknown histories that found materials have. The jeans that she finds in a thrift store have their own past life and story, even though the details are unknown to her. The particular history doesn’t matter, and in fact, the mystery is perhaps more valuable than a known narrative.

All of Joy’s work is extremely rich with texture, in part a result of adding additional textures to her fabrics. She does this in a variety of ways, but frequently she mixes sand into black paint to create the gritty texture you see in many of her paintings. While I was there, she prepared one piece of denim by taping some lines and layering the sandy paint on thick, building up a robust, textured layer of black paint to stand out in contrast to the smoother white denim.

One of the next steps in Joy’s process is to stitch together the individual pieces of fabric to make a larger composition that will later be stretched onto a canvas. Sewing and stitching were what actually got Joy started more seriously in art and it is still an integral part of her process. At times the stitching is simply used as a practical way of connecting two different pieces of fabric, but she also purposefully leaves the stitches visible to add even more texture and interest.

Recently, Joy has started to experiment with sculptural work, specifically found object sculptures. Just like the materials she uses in her paintings, the importance of a history already tied to an object is important in her sculptures. Viewers are left to wonder what the story behind the object was and are allowed the room to fill in their own narrative.

In order to help the sculptural work fit together with the wall pieces, all of Joy’s found objects are painted either white or black, frequently with texture added. Raw, rugged texture and grittiness is a consistent visual aid for Joy and it is no different with her found-object sculptures. It brings about thoughts of something left behind in nature, in the process of decay and being lost within the earth. In fact, while prepping the stuffed animals for her solo show, she rubbed them all in the dirt to help give the appearance that they had been forgotten about.

Once they were sufficiently dirty, she began the process of wrapping them almost in a paper mache-like manner and then binding some of them with string. I loved the contrast of a cute, cuddly, childhood toy being made to reflect something darker and almost sinister looking.

Joy has also started to experiment with metal sculptures etched with script-like shapes. This idea is something that Joy introduced me to and is something that I am now in love with. It is called Asemic writing, which means, “having no specific semantic content.” It is essentially a form of abstract calligraphy to suggest writing, but it has no inherent meaning. Writing in a variety of forms has been part of many of her pieces before, but I am very excited to see where she takes this new idea and the new materials in her work!

Thank you so much to Joy, for participating in this project! You can see more of her work at her website and on her Instagram account.

[aithom2]

Artist Series: Nainoa Calvo - Part Two

Welcome back to part two of Nainoa’s session! If you haven’t read part one yet, I highly recommend doing so before continuing on.

After Nai was done printing the Uku, it was time to eat! One of the most important things to Nai is that he isn’t killing fish just for the sake of art or social media or anything else. He has a deep connection and respect for the ocean and the creatures in it and firmly believes that when he takes something from the ocean it needs to be respected and fully utilized, not just thrown away. This is one of the reasons that I so appreciate Nai, and I wanted to make sure that the cleaning and cooking part of the process was documented along with the art. The two are entirely tied together, and I wouldn’t be telling the whole story if I only showed the art-making process.

The quality and freshness of this meat was unlike anything you will get in a store or restaurant. We actually all tried a few pieces cut right from the fish, sashimi-style, and it was incredible. There was also a ton of meat on this fish, more than enough to feed the four of us that night.

On top of being a great spearfisher and artist, Nai is also an incredible cook. The nights that he comes over and cooks for us are always amazing and I know we will eat well! On this particular night, he went with a fried coconut fish. The chunks of fresh Uku were soaked in coconut milk, breaded, and then quickly fried up. It was truly mouthwatering!

Nai completed the next part of the process at home, so I didn’t get to document that. But, once he finished painting in the colors of the fish, he came over to stretch the fabric and sign the piece, so I was able to grab some photos of the finished process!

And last but not least, the finished piece!

Thank you so much, Nai, for sharing your process and art (and cooking skills) with me! You can find more of his work on his Instagram, and can also purchase shirts with his prints here. And, if you catch or spear a fish of a lifetime here on the Big Island, reach out to have him immortalize it for you!

[aithom2]

Artist Series: Bailey Ferguson

Hello again! I took a bit of a break from this project while I worked on my shop launch and some other big projects, but I am back with another exciting artist!

Bailey Ferguson

Bailey and I met through an artist workshop put on by Hawai’i Contemporary earlier this fall. I happened to follow her on Instagram the same day as the first session, not realizing she was part of the workshop, only to get a message from her saying she saw me in the Zoom meeting! We ended up meeting for coffee a few weeks later, after checking out a show that she had a painting in. Eventually, our schedules aligned and we were able to connect in her studio for this shoot!

Bailey’s studio is a really unique space underneath her apartment. It is technically outside, though fully covered and protected from the elements. Plus, she has done a great job of making it into a super cozy, homey area with all the rugs, plants, and a big comfy chair (it’s the perfect artist chair, really). The inside/outside space seems fitting for Hawaii, and even more so given her subject matter.

In case it isn’t apparent by now, Bailey is a painter. Her work is abstract and gestural, full of movement and energy. She focuses on abstract expressions of both land and sea, drawing inspiration from the special places on Hawaii Island and the powerful ocean that surrounds us. She does an incredible job of capturing the unique and ethereal qualities of those landscapes in vibrant colors, bold marks, and rich textures.

One of my favorite parts of photographing any artist in their studio is getting a little window into how their mind works and how they allow creativity to flow. Bailey is a very intuitive painter, making marks and spreading paint seemingly on a whim. Seeing her dive right into a blank canvas was impressive to me, as I am someone who has to plan and stare and think before deciding to make that first mark. She also has multiple paintings in progress at any given time; while I was there she worked on three separate canvases over the course of our shoot and jumped back and forth between them throughout the afternoon.

The range of tools and techniques that Bailey uses is also fascinating to see. Her primary medium is acrylic paint, but she mixes in oil and chalk pastels as well as pencil. She also uses rags, palette knives, bone folders and more as tools to make unique marks and textures within those materials. Layers are essential to her work and it was so interesting to see how she builds up the colors to create such depth within her paintings.

Bailey has recently added spray paint to her list of materials, and her process with that includes more planning than her typical work (at least for this particular piece). She mocked up a digital version of the painting on her phone and used that as a guide to block off certain areas of the canvas before spraying. She still allowed herself the freedom to adjust and react based on what she was seeing in front of her, but the start of the process involved more of a plan than usual.

One thing that really struck me while photographing Bailey was all the different positions and orientations she works on the canvas. She was constantly turning and tilting them, working at waist level and then crouching down to make marks, and even setting a canvas on an easel at one point for a totally different feel and result. I see a lot of parallels between the way she works and her subject matter; both are constantly shifting and moving, which has a visual impact on the land, or in Bailey’s case, the canvas.

A huge thank you to Bailey for being so welcoming and letting me spend the afternoon documenting her process! She is the nicest soul and I am so grateful for the insight into her work. You can see more of her paintings and even purchase pieces on her website. Definitely follow her on Instagram to keep up with her impressive and active career as well!

[aithom2]

Artist Series: Rebel's Roost Part Two

Welcome back, all! Last week's post was all about the gathering of materials, so be sure to check that out here if you haven't yet. Today I am going to share images from the indoor portion of my afternoon spent with Kelli at Rebel’s Roost!

The Honey Room, as Kelli has dubbed it, is an absolutely beautiful space. It has loads of windows for lots of natural light and felt so spacious and airy. I loved all the little details around the room and we were lucky with some stunning light right at the perfect moments.

Kelli had prepped a lot of stuff beforehand, kind of like a cooking show, so we were able to dive right into the nitty-gritty of making the goat milk soap and creamed honey. We jumped back and forth between the two processes because of the specific timing requirements of soap making, but for the sake of clarity in this post, I am going to group each process together in its entirety.

The first step we tackled was simple: throw the honeycomb in the honey press to squeeze out all that golden goodness. It was beautiful watching it ooze out of the press and into the filters!

One of my favorite products from Kelli is her creamed honey. Although I had enjoyed numerous jars of it before, I didn't really know what creamed honey was all about until that afternoon with her. She talked me through the process and why it's done, which is essentially just to produce smaller crystals in the honey, resulting in a smoother product. She had already gone through the steps to make the creamed honey (see, this was just like a cooking show), but saved the flavor mixing for my visit.

Kelli makes a variety of flavors (my favorite is the ginger), but that afternoon she mixed up cocoa and hibiscus. The cocoa came from just down the road, at one of my favorite spots in Hilo, Lavaloha Chocolate farm; it is as local of a product as you could get! The flavoring process is as simple as mixing in the powders. My mouth may have been watering the whole time. The cocoa honey looked like brownie batter with caramel while it was being mixed; how can you not love that?!

Soap making is quite a bit more involved than the creamed honey, so there are many more images for this part of the day. Since lye is involved, you have to be very careful with how you are handling your materials and tools (hence why she looks like a mad scientist). Also, lye raises the temperature significantly when added to the goat milk and can easily scorch it, so the milk was stored in the freezer beforehand. You can see that there is also an ice pack under the bowl to help keep that temperature down as well.

Once the lye and milk were mixed, Kelli added in various oils, such as coconut oil, for smoothness and skin conditioning properties. Then came the scents and colors. For this soap, Kelli used mamaki that had been dried in their solar powered dehydrator and ground into a powder, along with mint and coconut essential oils. The mamaki was used for coloring as well and gave the soap a beautiful green color.

Kelli set aside some of the plain white mixture before adding in the mamaki so that she could add her signature stripe. Then she simply layered the mixture into a mold and added a swirl on top for some texture.

The soap then lives in the freezer for 24 hours and sits a little longer before being cut into chunks, partially to ensure that the lye is safe to touch and to make sure it is fully set. Since the soap we made wouldn’t be cut up for at least a day, she had some already made soap ready to cut so I that could see the full process!

Huge thank you, once again, to Kelli! It was an absolutely incredible afternoon! If you are interested in purchasing any of her goods you can check out her website. You can also give her a follow on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with her farm life; the goats alone are worth the follow!

Also, I’ve been working hard on some exciting website updates to get ready for the holiday season! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter via the link below so that you get those updates!

[aithom2]

Artist Series: Smart Shark Designs

When I set out on this project, one of the few parameters I created for myself was to keep the range of artists I documented broad, both in terms of the type of art and the background of the artists. My interest lies in artists and their studio practice in general, not in a specific medium or visual style or place in an artist's career. So, throughout this project, you can expect to see a wide range of subject matter, which I also hope keeps things interesting for you, the viewer. Today’s post is a good example of that since the style is so vastly different from Moving Castle Pottery.

Smart Shark Designs

This next artist is serving up an explosion of color and striking designs. Smart Shark Designs is run by Martin Sanchez, who was kind enough to have me into his studio garage, or "sturage," as he affectionately calls it, earlier this year.

I discovered Martin's work on Instagram, where it immediately grabbed my eye. His use of vibrant colors and bold designs are incredibly eye-catching and playful (I mean, just look at that T-Rex painting). I'm also a sucker for midcentury modern inspired art, which lots of his designs give a nice nod to.

Martin's level of production is extremely impressive. His studio walls, along with every nook and cranny, were filled with work of all sorts. While I was there he showed me a handful of pieces that he had started or just finished that day alone. He paints on all sorts of surfaces, does digital illustrations, and he's even made some pieces of furniture and now sculpture! If you follow his Instagram, you will constantly see new and exciting work from him.

Martin is an incredibly kind person and I’m so glad I had a chance to spend part of a morning with him, talking story and hearing about his life. One of my favorite parts of this project so far is hearing how people got into their chosen medium and their passion for what they do. His drive to create was extremely inspiring and made me step up my game a bit, so thank you, Martin!

If you would like to see more of Martin’s work or want to purchase anything, you can head to his website. You should also give him a follow on Instagram to keep tabs on what he is working on!

I also want to say that I am still fine-tuning what I want these images to be and what exactly I want to document with each session. After each session so far, I have taken time to self-critique and make notes of what I want to do differently with the next artist. I see this blog as a way to be transparent about the artistic process and thus would like to share some of those self-critiques from time to time. For this shoot specifically, I wish I would have grabbed more broad studio shots, along with details of objects around his studio. I feel as though I missed an opportunity to really tell the story of this colorful, unique studio space. I’m happy with the portraits I got, but do wish I would have also documented the space better.

The next post of this series is another big shift in style/genre and I am so excited to share those images! My goal is to at least get these out every other week, so be sure to check back two weeks from now to see those!

[aithom2]

Artist Series: Moving Castle Pottery

Long time no see, blogging world. For various reasons, this blog fell off my radar for years. However, after some encouragement from those around me, as well as some projects that specifically make sense to share in a blog format, here I am again.

Before diving into new content, some background and updates are appropriate. Last year was quite the big year; I got married to the man who was so frequently featured here (and likely will be again) and shortly after we moved to the Big Island of Hawaii for him to start his new position as Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. It was a huge transition going from the same 9-5 job for the past four years to unemployed/freelance life. Since I didn’t have a job lined up when moving here, I decided this was the time to actually focus on my art and photography. That job that had been so comfortable had also used up most of my time, and my personal (i.e. creative) photography was largely pushed aside as a result.

Which leads me to this post today, as an introduction to a new project: Artist Series (working title).

We were all given studio spaces in grad school, which were boring, transformed old offices. It was fascinating to me how my classmates made those spaces their own. The things they filled the space with and the way they interacted with the room seemed to say a lot about them as an artist and how they worked. With the extra time on my hands and with a strong artist community here in Hawaii, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to dive in! I was hoping to wait to blog these until I had more artists under my belt, but COVID-19 has put a pause on photographing new artists and I decided I might as well get the ball rolling on these now. 

It’s also worth saying that this is not a new idea or project. But, so often the focus of these types of images tends to be big-name artists. Instead, I am interested in local artists as well as artisans. I love seeing the makeshift spaces and hearing the scrappy stories of how they got to where they are. I want to share some of those stories and images with others and in doing so help promote other artists.

So, with all that said (I promise these won’t normally be so long), I’d like to introduce my first artist:

Moving Castle Pottery

Moving Castle Pottery is run by the incredibly kind and talented, Bella. Bella grew up here on the Big Island and was essentially raised in ceramics, as both her parents are ceramic artists. She was kind enough to let me into her family’s studio back in February and make some pieces while I snapped away. It was such a unique space, with work absolutely everywhere. You could tell this was the studio of very productive artists and ones who love to push their creativity as well.

While I was there Bella was using clay that had been recycled from her family’s large scrap bin. If you aren’t familiar with recycling clay, it essentially means that you are rehydrating and kneading old, dried out clay. It’s fascinating to me that those scraps all have their own history, their own original purpose, and are now being used in her work. The colors that she got out of those mixed up clays was really unique and special, with drastically different shades available as well. She also had a small piece (which I am now the proud owner of!) from playing around with some clay she dug up from the ground, which was really interesting to see!

Watching ceramic artists at work, especially on the wheel, is always mesmerizing to me. The wedging of the clay and the smooth spinning of the wheel is very calming. The methodical nature of it all is very pleasing and satisfying.

There is also something special about being so physically connected to your material and you can see that with ceramic artists. I (obviously) love photography, but being able to get your hands dirty and manipulate a physical object is a very different sort of process.

Bella’s work is very playful and whimsical. Her designs draw heavily from nature, with the colors and textures seemingly direct from the earth itself. Lots of her imagery is also mythological, with all sorts of fantastic creatures. She also has started making some pots in female forms, which I couldn’t resist purchasing for my own home and potting a fern in it.

A huge thank you, once again, to Bella for allowing me into her studio! If you would like to see more of her work or purchase anything from her, you can find her on Etsy.

Lastly, I am searching for more artists to photograph here on the Big Island! If you happen to know someone who you think would be interested, or if you yourself are an artist and would like to be photographed, shoot me a message or leave a comment below!

[aithom2]

Adventure In England: Final Episode

Oh boy, folks; prepare yourselves, this is going to be a long one.

On our second to last full day in England, we went for a long hike, starting in Windermere and winding our way through farms and over the hills in the Lake District. The morning started with a prediction (100% chance, in fact) for rain starting later in the morning, but we decided to brave it and get out there anyway.  

The clouds (and humidity) started to slowly roll in as we neared our lunch destination in Troutbeck, but luckily they still held off on producing any moisture. If anything they added to the incredible views, creating a much different, and moodier, type of atmosphere for our hike. 

Our pitstop for lunch was at The Mortal Man, where we enjoyed some simple sandwiches on incredibly fresh and delicious bread, and of course, local beer. The Mortal Man has been in existence since 1689, making it even more incredible that we were eating lunch on their grounds. 

After lunch we continued on, starting out on Nanny Lane. It was kind of surreal walking on that country lane, as I imagine it hasn't changed much in quite a long time, and countless people have walked it before us.

Eventually we ventured off the lane and made our way up the hills, crossing over the old stone walls as we went. It is mind-boggling how many miles of those walls must exist, zig-zagging all over the countryside, and how they were all built by hand over the years. 

We ended the day in Ambleside, after hiking close to 10 miles. Ambleside was a beautiful little (albeit touristy) town, with some stunning homes, and of course lots of history. We wandered around a little bit, treated ourselves to a beer at one of the pubs, and then ice cream and fudge at a local shop as well. We even stopped at the Roman Ruins that are in Ambleside, which was absolutely amazing to see. 

After all that, we began the walk to the bus stop and the moment we stepped onto the bus the skies opened up, letting loose a full downpour. The timing couldn't have been a second better, and even put a nice exclamation point on the end of our time in the Lake District. 

The next morning we jumped on yet another train, this time for a long ride headed to London. We had that evening to see the sites in London, though I didn't bring my camera with for that adventure. If you want to see images from that, be sure to follow me on Instagram (@aithom2), where I will be posting some images over the next few days. 

[aithom2]

Adventure In England: Part Three

Hello again! Time to dive into the third segment of images from our England trip this summer! Only one more to go after this!

After spending just over two weeks in Exeter we shifted gears and hopped on a train headed north with an end destination of Windermere. We made a pit stop in Birmingham where one of our friends is from, and he showed us around the city for the afternoon. I didn't bring my camera with, unfortunately, but I did take a bunch of images with my phone. It was really neat being in Birmingham for even just a little while, after spending all of our trip in smaller towns up to that point. This history and architecture of the city were incredible, and they have done some really cool things updating/modernizing areas as well.  

The next morning we were up and moving again, on the train heading still farther north to Windermere. We arrived in Windermere that evening with just enough time for a quick hike, so we took advantage of that, along with the good weather, and explored around a little bit.

I was in awe of the landscape there, with the vast rolling hills and intense green surrounding us. The views of the city, farms, and lake below us were absolutely stunning, and no matter which direction I looked it made me stop in my tracks just to take it in. It was also a really unique experience because the trails are on private farmland, amongst the animals, and you use steps placed in the stone walls to continue on the hike. 

Next Up: The final piece of our trip, with images from our big hike through the Lake District. Tune back in for some historic pubs and architecture, friendly farm animals, and stunning Lake District views!

[aithom2]

Flight

Time for some more images from the air! Last September we were lucky enough to fly down to Clovis, New Mexico to celebrate Scott's nephew's baptism and first birthday. It was the first long flight I had taken with him, and it was such a special thing to be able to fly ourselves on a mini vacation like that. 

Next up: images from an extremely brief visit to Medicine Bow National Forest, and west of there, near Saratoga, Wyoming. 

[aithom2]

Fall In Lime Creek Canyon

Hopefully you all aren't sick of seeing images from this magical place. And if you are, take heart, because this will be the last round, since we haven't been back for quite a while at this point. 

Last September we headed back out to our favorite getaway, and as usual spent the time fly fishing (for Scott) and just enjoying the beauty of the area (for me). We had much better conditions for our September trip than we did for our July trip, with plenty of sunshine and near perfect temperatures. Plus, the plants had started to turn to that late summer/early fall gold that makes the landscape look richly magnificent. 

Up Next: Images from our longest flight yet, down to Clovis, New Mexico. 

[aithom2]

Hiking At Arapahoe Basin

It's crazy to think that when I typed this (this past weekend), the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area got more snow. Although it doesn't look like it right now, the area is a great place to hike in the summer. These images are from last July (yes, I am that behind), on a hike that I took while Scott cycled up Loveland Pass. The mountainside was completely covered with wildflowers, of all different types. It was a beautiful, straightforward hike that lead to some amazing views. And the best part? The restaurant at the base was open, so we grabbed a beer afterwards, to reward ourselves for getting worked by the altitude. 

Next up: back to Lime Creek Canyon, for more images from our favorite getaway. 

[aithom2]

Lime Creek Canyon Fishing

Last summer we ventured back to our favorite mountain getaway (which you can see the images from a previous trip here and here) a few different times. The first trip there for the summer took place over the weekend of the Fourth of July, and we were treated to some extremely wet, muddy conditions for a good portion of the trip. It had rained a lot the few days before we got there, as well as the day of, making everything a slimy, muddy mess. But, the plus side to so much rain? Everything was crazy green! 

We did end up getting pretty lucky, and the sun came out for a good chunk of the day, giving us perfect weather to fish (well, for Scott to fish, for me to sit in a chair and read), and allowing things to dry out at least a little bit. 

Up next: images from the sky (the perks of dating a private pilot). 

[aithom2]

Delicate Moments

Oh my. It has been quite a while since I last typed in this space. My own photography has more or less gone on the back burner for quite a few months (okay, longer than that even), as I've been almost entirely focused on my full time job. However, as of late the fire has been stoked, and I've found a renewed desire to work on my own images. Part of the itch to create again means that sharing must also happen, as I believe that work shouldn't exist in the vacuum that is my computer. 

So, without further ado, just a handful of images that have been sitting around in that vacuum for almost a year. These images are focused on small spaces; things that create little moments of intrigue for me. Simple, straightforward, and not necessarily all that special. But, these are the subjects that attracted me to photography in the first place, and are the ones that I come back to over and over again. 

[aithom2]

Infants: Robbie & Josie

Oh my, I am excited to share these images! These two precious babes are my twin nieces. I was finally able to meet them for the first time when I was home in Minnesota a month ago, and my heart was filled to overflowing. We decided to do a quick photo session while I was there, and even though it was really simple and short, I am so glad we took the time. 

[aithom2]

Newborn: Everly Mae

My heart melted a little bit on this day. 

Although I have nieces and nephews, I've always lived far away and been unable to see them as newborns, let alone be in the hospital to meet them and see my siblings holding their newborn children. So it was an amazingly special moment to be around these new parents soon after their daughter arrived. Joy absolutely radiated from each of them, and it was very clear that this girl is going to be so well loved.

Welcome to the world, Everly, and congratulations once again, Ben and Katie!

[aithom2]

Kevin + Kari + Cooper

A few weeks ago I had a perfect Sunday morning portrait session with Kevin and Kari, and their new pup Cooper. Kevin's family surprised him with the session for his birthday, as a way to celebrate Cooper joining the family. I love the idea of gifting a portrait session, as I think it is too rare that we get photos with those we love, and any chance to do so should be taken advantage of. 

Before diving in to images, a little bit about the session; we spent the morning hiking around Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, which is a quintessential Colorado location. Kevin and Kari were complete naturals in front of the camera, making my job incredibly easy. Plus, how can you go wrong with a puppy that looks like this?!