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TORREY PINES / WHAT WAS MISSING

01.17.13

Torrey Pines is a natural state preserve in San Diego County. There are huge trees reaching off cliffs to meet the beach at this particular spot, my favorite.

Sometimes just an hour of solitude in a beautiful place is all I need to feel alive. This is something I do often, when I feel like I can’t move another muscle or make another decision. I am very aware now of my stress level, and when it needs to be adjusted so that I can live my day more wholeheartedly. When I feel drained, depleted, and empty, I am usually called outside, almost always it is the ocean, and in the Fall it was all about the ocean at night.

I go to a place, and I let myself go completely empty and silent, and I listen and I smell and I feel. And the place gives to me what was missing, it fills me right up.

*

I discovered this about myself last year, and it is something that has become ritual. Vital, sacred. I can even do it at home. I think I might start sharing more of my restorative moments here, because taking photos is always a part of the process. Seeing in a new way, pushing myself, learning.

Tara

 

Posted in Life, what was missing

by Tara Whitney

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SPRING TRAVEL AVAILABILITY

01.15.13

This year I am going to do a Spring Travel Block and a Fall Travel Block. This is the line up for Spring. Hope to see you there. Email for more information.

-Tara

Posted in Baby Photographer, Child Photographer, Family Photography, Los Angeles Photographer, Maternity Photographer, Newborn Photographer, News and MISC, Orange County Photographer, San Francisco Photographer

by Tara Whitney

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YOU ARE MY WILD \ WEEK 1

01.15.13

I hardly have any images taken of my kids on an SLR over the last two years. iPhone : blessing and curse. Since earlier this year I have been using my Canon Rebel (and film) to photograph my family instead of the 5d Mk3. Which is cool, and I am loving it….but here’s the thing: I haven’t processed even one roll. I have something like 15 rolls of film in a basket by my front door that I am too weird/possessive/afraid about sending off. Which is completely ridiculous and I am actually going to pinky swear right now that before January is over, I will send those suckers IN.

That feels good. To have said that out loud. Keep me accountable!

My heart’s intention was to focus more on my personal life with a camera this year. And I kind of did that, it was just with my iPhone. (Which I am kind of okay about? KWIM?) I also followed along with two other photographer’s portrait projects with their own children. Leah Zawadzki and Josh Solar both took a portrait of each of their kids, once a week, for a year. (They each have three children, so what an accomplishment.) Both of these projects inspired me so much, and I had this pull to do one of my own. But I know me. A portrait of each of my kids every week just wouldn’t happen, so I dropped it.

Smooth Transition to three weeks ago, when I got an email from Meaghan Curry, inviting me to be a part of You Are My Wild, a group portrait project.

You Are My Wild is “a weekly portrait project that brings together 14 photographers to document how they see their children.”

Participants:

Anje Bridge
Becky Zeller
Brooke Schwab
Dera Frances
Isabel Furie
Jessica Kraus
Kati Dimoff
Kelsey Gerhard
Klodjana Dervishi
Meaghan Curry
Rebecca Conway
Ryan Marshall
Shelby Brakken

In the email, Meaghan told me we would each share one photo per week. It could be a photo of one of our children, or all. We could each define portrait as we wished.

(LIGHTBULB!) I don’t have to do EACH of my children. I can loosely define portrait. I just need to focus on using my other cameras to do it. As I read the list of names, I got more and more excited to be a part of this, and I immediately said yes.

Our very first set of images: Week One

I think this is going to be really special as each week you see a comparison of what is happening in the lives of all of us, in different states and countries, with different kids and ages, and different views of the project. This week, I found similarities with the tutus and the Mickey hats, and man, that just makes me smile.

So, welcome to the first week of this year long project. We will be posting every Tuesday if you’d like to follow along. xo

-Tara

 

Posted in Family Photography, Life, Orange County Photographer, personal project, You Are My Wild

by Tara Whitney

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