Get Inspired to Travel...and WIN!

Welcome back to the blog! I know it's been almost a month since I've posted, but, as you'll note, I've been on holiday! My husband Will recently planned a trip to Maui for our first anniversary and we jetted off to the island locale for 9 glorious days.

I wanted to share a few of the photographic highlights from our trip, but thought I'd add a little to the viewing experience by asking readers to pick their favourite photo, comment below as to WHY it's your fave, and get your name will be entered into a draw for Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography!

Following you'll find not only photos from the trip, but a bit of a running commentary on the images. If you're more into photos, disregard the comments, but if you want in on the details, check 'em out. Either way, leave your vote for favourite photo and your name will automatically get entered into the draw for LP's Guide to Travel Photography by Richard I'Anson. Drawing will take place July 19, 2010.

1) Our first day at the beach. Kahekili Beach Park in West Maui...uncrowded, breezy, picturesque--everything we thought a Maui beach should be!

2) Will planned our first anniversary and surprised me with a trip to Maui!!! It was great to spend nine days relaxing without a wedding to recuperate from!

3) Our last beach experience. One of my favourite beaches, Kapalua Beach boasted a stunning crescent of sand, gorgeous views of Moloka'i, and calm waters perfect for swimming.

4) Makawao Union Church. I first saw this glorious stone church on an evening drive from Makawao to Pa'ia...the shimmering stained glass was lit from within and shimmered in the rain. It seemed so surreal to see such a stoic building graced by two tall palms, and after passing it by several times, I just couldn't view it from the car any longer!

5) Wasn't sure I'd enjoy riding in the Mustang, (the passenger seat was so low I could hardly see out the windows!) but I LOVED driving it along the Road to Hana's winding curves and switchbacks. Obviously this is Will's shot.

6) Walking by the Holy Innocence Episcopal Church in Lahaina one evening.

7) My First Wave! Photographed by the Goofy Foot Surf School photographer and edited by Yours Truly. Spent a lot of time trying to get up and finally rode my last wave for about 40 yards!

8) Starting off the week with one of Kona Brewing Company's finest.

9) Will and I posing with our surf instructor Brennan...the epitome of the Surfer Dude! Mahalo to the classmate who shot this on our behalf.

10) Always good for an unexpected expression! Not sure what weird thing Will was eating or if he was just hamming it up for the camera.

11) Our room for the first few nights at the Old Lahaina House. Short walk to the beach, view of the mountains, and oh yeah, air conditioning...what more could one ask for!

12) A 'ukulele serenade as we waited for tickets to the Old Lahaina Lu'au. Loved her expressive interpretation!

13) Will's Blue Hawaii. Don't know if a drink colouring can appear more exotic than that. Thank you Blue Curacao!

14) A picture-perfect night at the luau.

15) Just closing in on some of the lush tropical greens while driving along the Road to Hana.

16) I absolutely LOVED this little girl's expression as the Kalua pig was unearthed from the imu, the traditional pit in which the pig was cooked, under layers of banana leaves.

17) Gorgeous Maui sunset over the Pacific.

18) The laid-back ambience of the Old Lahaina Lu'au, rated as the most authentic on Maui, and did not disappoint.

19) These mellow Maui Gold pinapples were for sale at a roadside stand in West Maui. Just a bucket of pineapples and a container for cash entrusting folks to use the honour system. We ate each and every one of our pineapples in one sitting...sure beat out whatever we get at the grocery store at home!!!

20) The endemic (and endangered) Silversword plant at Haleakalā National Park. The plant blooms only once and then dies.

21) Shakira's got nothin' on the lovely ladies at the Old Lahaina Lu'au!

22) Some of the prettiest hibiscus I saw on our trip. Soft, sultry, and begging to be plucked...but I took a photo instead.

23) Jungle flora along the Road to Hana.

24) The Old Lahaina Lu'au which we stood in the standby line for. Amazingly we got front row tix AND got to eat first. Bonus!

25) A harrowing drive! Will was driving our convertible down the road from Haleakalā and I am just PETRIFIED of heights (I can jump out of plane, but don't DARE make me stand at the edge of a cliff) so it was somewhat terrifying driving down through the clouds especially when cliffside.

26) This photo was not so attractive in colour...we were sweaty, covered in sunscreen, and were sticky from saltwater...just another day at the beach.

27) I LOVE THIS MAN!!! (Oh and he wasn't posing, he was looking off at something, so it was entirely candid!)

28) I Heart Lonely Planet. They're the only travel guide I use on the road and I loved adding another lovely blue spine to my growing collection. We chose a lot of our eats, sleeps, and fun based on LP recommendations and were NOT disappointed. Accurate, fun, and always encouraging of sustainable travel. GO LP!

29) Our dusty boots after hiking Haleakalā's volcanic crater. After hiking the Sliding Sands Trail, you can guess what we were caked in.

30) My husband, no work, lotsa beaches and more piña coladas and pineapples than we could handle!

31) Couldn't get over the incredible beaches, water, and sky...

32) Chillin' out at the Luau!

33) Looks like a great way to experience Haleakalā, but not if you're a hiker. We felt for all the hikers coming in after this train of riders (thankfully we were just hiking back out). I've got a feeling we'd be kicked out of the park if we left such steamy piles behind on the trail.

34) Local boys watching fellow bodyboarders ride the waves at Makena State Park.

35) There was actually a guy spearfishing/snorkeling amongst these rocks...crazy dude!

36) Bodyboarding at Makena State Park.

37) We got up before the crack of dawn to drive the greatest elevation gain in the shortest amount of time. One hour to climb from approximately 1600 feet to almost 10, 000!!!

38) Such an amazing anniversary...we loved Maui and will definitely return one day.

39) The word as an adjective is SO overused, but this truly WAS the most 'epic' sunrise ever! Watching it rise over the clouds and the crater with hundreds of other hushed onlookers was pretty spectacular!

Don't forget to drop your comments in the Comment section and wait for the draw! Drawing will take place Monday, July 19! Stay tuned!

Jenny& Kevin's Wedding!

Well, I finally had the chance to shoot my first wedding in California. It feels like it's been a long time coming, since prior to moving here last November I'd been visiting close friends in southern California for ten years. My dear friend Jenny was married to my new friend Kevin a couple of weeks ago in a gorgeous outdoor setting in Lake Elsinore, California and I had the pleasure of being there to document it all.

I had the chance to meet Kevin in January when he and Jenny came to visit Will & I for a few days over New Year's. The four of us had a blast and Kevin and I even worked out a trade: haircuts for engagement photos! Actually, I've worked out a couple similar trades with another hairdresser friend of mine in British Columbia...I love swapping skills! Head on over to the blog posting featuring Jenny & Kevin's engagement photo shoot in Napa if you'd like.

Jenny & Kevin were also interested in having a custom guestbook done up, so I designed a hardcover guestbook that would be used at their wedding for guests to sign. They requested something that had an old-world style to coordinate with their wedding, so I integrated backgrounds that featured old maps, paper, even muted Persian carpets (as a nod to Kevin's Iranian heritage). The book has gone over so well with other clients who've seen it, that I'm getting more requests for these unique guestbooks that feature a couple's engagement photos and therefore (hopefully) won't be destined to find their way into a box or dusty corner!

Jenny and Kevin, I was so blessed to be there photographing you on your wedding day and hope that these photographs always serve as a reminder of the love you two share and of the greater love that surrounds you.

PS Feedback from readers is always welcome...I'd love to hear your thoughts on various posts. Feel free to leave your comments below!

Every Bit the Fairy Tale

There were no glass slippers, poison apples, or beasts of any kind at Daniel & Elisia's fairy tale wedding! No, this wedding (while inspired by fairy tale classics) featured only the loveliest of fairy tale references, along with the most luscious Red Velvet cupcakes!

I traveled back to Canada to shoot this wedding, and was very eager to do so, as it was the fourth wedding for Elisia's side of the (extended) family that I've either photographed or been a part of over the years. I know I've mentioned this in previous blogs, but I absolutely love how photography has enabled me to really be more than just a hired vendor at weddings. The more opportunities I have to photograph the same groups of people, the more relaxed my subjects become and in turn, the more natural the photos appear. It was also a pleasure getting to know Daniel and his side of the family a bit...I love seeing two families begin blending together and I wish all the best for both the Gardners and the Prestons as they watch Elisia and Daniel begin their new lives together as husband and wife.

Daniel & Elisia...I wish you both a very Happily Ever After.

I'd love to hear about your favourite memories from Daniel & Elisia's wedding, or your votes on which photos you like best. Feel free to leave your comments below!

Unpacking & Repacking

After a busy week of weddings, meetings, visits and travel from the Bay area to San Diego to Vancouver and back, I devoted yesterday to unpacking, uploading, and unwinding! Today is much the opposite as Will and I are taking the Memorial Day long weekend to travel along Highway 1 down the Pacific Coast. We plan on taking it slow, relaxing on beaches, shooting lots of film (yes, FILM) and eating some great seafood.

The plan is to rip through Monterey and Carmel as we've been there, done that, and then slowly wind our way through Big Sur's rugged terrain, stopping off at remote (and not-so remote) beaches along the way before ending up in Cambria where we'll check into our hotel. Amazingly enough we were able to book last minute stays at two places, one in Cambria and one in Pismo Beach, which was extremely tough to do. First of all, it's the long weekend, secondly most places are EXORBITANTLY priced, and third (and most frustrating) is that almost all places require a 2-night stay at minimum. Grrr. I spent most of May looking for a place and last night wound up finding two great spots at decent rates. What an answer to prayer that was!!!

On the (relaxed) agenda is Hearst Castle, Morro Bay, and the Dunes at Pismo Beach. And did I mention copious amounts of seafood??? We'll stay our second night in Pismo Beach and then on Monday head inland up Highway 101--not as scenic, but rich with literary history as this is where Steinbeck's Pulitzer and Nobel-prize winning work was set. I'm actually pretty excited to see this agricultural region and hope to meander through it lazily on the drive home.

Next week I'll get teasers up from Jenny & Kevin's wedding in California and Daniel & Elisia's wedding in British Columbia...I know some of you are anxious to see 'em!

Hope you all have an awesome weekend, and Happy Memorial Day to all of the US Veterans, those currently serving, and their families.

Jaime