Sneak Preview for Dom & Bethany's wedding...

All right, so Easter Weekend I headed down to the Coast to shoot Dom & Bethany's wedding, and was joined by Jonny Lee, an old friend from Emily Carr who came along as the second shooter. Between his work and my own, there's a copious amount of editing for me to get done in the next couple weeks, so I've culled just a few of my favourite shots from the ceremony and a few more of Dom & Bethany to share with you in a sneak preview.  Ceremony photographs are often overlooked when the wedding photos make their debut, but I've got a hunch that Dom & Bethany will certainly be pleased that their sacred ceremony made the highlight reel!  Congrats Dom & Bethany and I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon in Corfu!  Click here to visit Dom & Bethany's sneak preview slideshow!

Digging through the Archives

Over the past few years I've neglected a lot of my travel photography in favour of getting wedding and portrait galleries together for clients.  Let's face it, travel photography hasn't been paying the bills (not yet at least!). Anyway, I decided to go digging through some of my older images that haven't made it online, and this morning I dusted off some photos featuring bullfighting from southern Spain.  Whether you view the tradition as cultural or cruel is obviously your choice; as Ernest Hemingway once said regarding the sport, "anything capable of arousing passion in its favour will surely raise as much passion against it".  These photos are presented here merely to provide some insight into the presence of bullfighting in Andalucia. From the historic Plaza de Toros of Ronda beloved by Hemingway, to the peeling posters in Malaga offering present-day spectacle for a price, to the clash of colours and controversy on a spring Sunday in Marbella's ring on the Costa del Sol, bullfighting is hard to ignore and easy to get passionate about--whether for or against.

For more on Hemingway's writing about bullfighting, read "Death in the Afternoon".

 

Spring Shoots

Well two weeks ago I flew back to British Columbia after exactly 6 months (to the DAY) in the US where I was working on immigration paperwork with my fiance.  I cried a bit leaving (goodbyes are not exactly my favourite) and I cried a bit upon landing--actually breaking through the clouds over Vancouver to be precise.  It was SO GOOD to see the lush Coastal Mountains, ferries and barges surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, and the stunning city of Vancouver sparkling beside the water's edge. BC is GORGEOUS and was such a sight for sore eyes!  Anyway, that was actually before I landed, and when I landed, I hit the ground running.  The following day I had two photo shoots (one in Surrey, and one on Granville Island) with a third shoot on the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver the day after that.  Throw in errands that have been put on hold for 6 months, a sprinkling of people to see and blend that for a dose of chaos...whew.

But back to the photo shoots, because that's what this post is about and it's what you are here for!  Well for starters, I set off to the Muir household in Surrey where Heidi Muir swapped a family photo shoot for a much-needed haircut, along with a dye job and highlights. I absolutely love having a skill that I can use to trade for services...I'm very much a fan of both bartering and saving money, (blame it on the Mennonite in me!) as well as just spending time with people, so it worked out to be a fantastic trade for the both of us.  Heidi, her husband Josh, and their doll of a daughter Ava shot a whack load of candids at their place using some great natural lighting, and then headed off to the park across the street where Ava braved the cold and rain for a series of family photos.  Josh and Heidi are a really fun couple and Ava was so full of expressions and charisma that I just couldn't stop shooting!!!

Later that afternoon I took the Skytrain and bus back into the heart of Vancouver where I met up with Jason Bull & Laura Proce for one of my all-time favourite photo shoots.  First off, Laura is one of my best friends and bridesmaids, (and I hers as well!) as well as my former roommate.  She's been in so many of my photos (and has quite a flair for the dramatic as it is) that she was as comfortable as a subject has ever been in front of my camera and it shows. Jason and I had only met once last year for 3 minutes before I went AWOL for most of the year, or something like that.  Needless to say, he did a fine job of relaxing in front of the camera and the two provided me with some of my favourite engagement shots.  The shoot was on Granville Island which also held a lot of personal meaning for me, as it's where I did my photography degree from Emily Carr.  A best friend, a new friend, and my old stomping grounds--not to mention glorious lighting--I couldn't have asked for more!

Day 2, Shoot 3, and I was off to Burrard Bridge with Dan Withers and Leanne Kwiatkowski to shoot their engagement photos.  It was a short shoot but another killer combo: the blue sky and bright sun + the distinctive architecture of the Burrard Bridge + the most giddy, playful couple on the block.  I've known both Dan and Leanne for a few years now and they're a dynamic duo so full of life that photos of them just begged to be bright, strong, and vibrant.  Despite the harsh mid-afternoon light, I was able to work with what I was given and in the end, pleased by the results (as were they!).   I'll be shooting their wedding at the end of August, so keep your eyes peeled for more!

It was a busy weekend that snowballed it's way into an even busier week, and after I returned home to Vernon it was less than two weeks until I was on my way back to the Coast.  This Easter weekend was a wedding shoot for Dom & Bethany (Burnett) Humphrey, but I'll update you on that once the editing process is underway!  So hold tight, and stay tuned...the wedding season is in full swing and I'm on a treadmill that I can't get off!

Jaime

One Long Layover...

Hey there!

Many of you have expressed confusion or curiosity as to where I currently am, what I'm up to, and what my status is as a British Columbia-based photographer. So I figured I'd take a few minutes to update you all as to what I've been up to for the last four months.

Following my Trans-Siberian Railway adventure, I returned home toVernon for about a week to visit, sleep in my own bed, unpack, do laundry, eat familiar food, and prepare to jump on a plane and visit Will in Atlanta for a couple weeks. I left Vernon before I could barely get over jet lag and traveled to Portland for Mariko & Isaac's wedding with a few Menno friends.


My plan was to photograph their wedding, fly to Atlanta, and then return to Portland for a few
days via a quick stop in Washington, DC where I would visit friends Katie & Kristin as well as shoot a wedding for Lindsey, a girl I'd met on the train in Russia.

Will and I hadn't discussed in too much detail how we were going to go about my immigration process, as we'd only gotten engaged a month before my trip, but while I was in Atlanta it became clear that the best course of action for us would be to do as much paperwork as we could before the wedding in June 2009. And so without making plans to be here for the fall and a good part of the winter, I decided to return to Atlanta after my trip to DC.

DC was great! I hadn't seen Katie & Kristin (sisters originally from Mississippi) since my first trip to MS in 2000 so it was wonderful to catch up. I stayed with them in Arlington, VA and almost every day, took the metro into the Capital. It seemed so surreal hearing the various stops on the Blue Line: "Next stop Pentagon", "Next stop Arlington Cemetary", "Next Stop Smithsonian". At one point on the Yellow Line (if I remember correctly) you cross over the Potomac and can see the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, and other national icons.

The girls have an incredible knowledge of DC. Both work there, and Kristin used to work for the White House at one point. The two of them have photos with the President and First Lady, snapshots from the White House Christmas party etc. etc....so cool! We took in most of the main Mall (Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam and Korean War Memorials, the Washington Monument) and of course walked around the outside of the White House. Kristin had all sorts of fun facts and tidbits of historic information.

While I was in Washington, I also had the opportunity to shoot a Baha'i wedding for Lindsey and Kenny, (Alison and I met Lindsey while we were on the train traveling across Siberia this past summer) visit Richard Avedon's 'Portraits of Power' show at the Corcoran Gallery, The National Geographic Museum (not as intriguing as that sounds--I was disappointed, though maybe I missed something...) AND visit the Library of Congress with Lindsay Jonker, one of my closest friends from California who happened to be up from Virginia Beach where she's studying law.  It was a jam-packed week that included some great food, cool sites, and old friends.  DC is definitely a Must-See.

Returning to Atlanta was glorious...  I missed visiting with Mariko & Isaac back in Portland, but knowing that Will and I weren't going to do fall/winter long-distance just made me feel higher than a kite!  Since then, paperwork has been steadily progressing, (I hope to be home in a month's time) I've done a bit of photography for Will's family members and some good friends of ours in Charlotte, and of course I've been working to book weddings for this summer.  One of the highlights of the fall was mom's trip down to Mississippi for Thanksgiving.  She got to meet Will's family for the first time and take in a Bogue Chitto Thanksgiving celebration--hunting and all.  More photos will find their way onto this blog and my website soon so stay tuned!

Speaking of which, I've spent surmountable time revamping my website.  I've actually done all the coding myself which is a huge deal for me as I'm not exactly tech-savvy.  Check it out, enjoy the photos, and feel free to give feedback (leave comments on the site, this blog, Facebook, or send me an email).  Visit the site at: www.jlauren.smugmug.com  and keep watch for more travel photos etc. as I get to work on what I'm post passionate about!

Thanks for dropping by!

Jaime

Epilogue: Don't Cry Over Spilled Vodka...or Do.

There’s one final tale, which I’d be remiss if I forgot to share it with you.

 

After Alison and I said our goodbyes in Beijing’s monstrosity of an airport terminal, I made the long trek to my gate towards Security.  I wasn’t too worried about security here seeing as I’d somehow managed to return from the Philippines with six spears, 3 machetes, a monkey skull and other various tribal paraphernalia, and into the States with Cuban rum from their lovely embargoed neighbour, or back to Canada from England with frozen clotted cream.  For my non-stop Air Canada flight from Beijing to Hongcouver, I packed all my little gifts of fabulous Russian and Mongolian vodka in clear Ziploc bags deep in the bowels of my carryon.  Each vial of vodka was under 100 mls and remained unopened in their original bottle.  Not only was I carrying mine, but Alison’s as well—gifts for her family and friends.  I understood that by Air Canada’s standards, my alcoholic gifts would pose no problems, and as I didn’t want to run the risk of broken glass and liquour-soaked clothing, I put it all in my carryon.  Oh the havoc that was about to be wreaked in the Bejing airport…

 

When I went through security and they pulled out my Ziploc bag of goods, I was pulled aside and told in not so friendly of terms that I was not allowed to bring the vodka through security, that it had to be put in my carryon.  I was not exactly impressed, but asked how that could be done now that I’d checked my bags.  The security officers told me I’d have to return to check-in, but that was such a far trek back I’d risk missing my flight!  I fought with them for as long as I could afford, trying to point out that Air Canada allowed the bottles, that I could pass through the gates and buy as much alcohol in the duty-free zone as I could carry but they would not budge.  One officer in her attempt to be kind offered for me to bring the empty bottles back since they were souvenirs.  “Touching,” I thought.  The sentiment reeked with sarcasm.

 

Nonetheless, there I stood in the Beijing airport pouring mini bottles of good Russian vodka into a garbage can, tears streaming down my face.  I must have looked positively alcoholic!  I was just SO frustrated that I’d worked so hard to find the gifts for family and friends and was dumping it away all because of bureaucracy.  After I’d dumped a few bottles a thought crossed my mind and I asked the security people if someone from Air Canada could come and escort me to the plane with the alcohol and put it in the cargo area.  Amazingly enough, through a series of panicked pleas I was able to get an official to meet me, and take my re-packed carryon onto the plane.  I had a big shopping bag with me in which I stuffed my other carryon items and used that to bring aboard with me.  In the end, I arrived in Vancouver with everything in tact and only a couple of empty bottles! 

Jacqui was there to meet me as I came through the gates and got a look at my hilarious entrance wearing a conical Chinese hat I’d bought for her.  I was home J

 

Definitely cry over spilled vodka…it could work in your favour!