Just a head’s up…I am shifting the way I handle communication and will be using the blog less and less and speaking more directly to the people that are interested in what I’m headed towards (which is a whole bunch of yummy, inspirational, life-changing goodness).  If you’d like to join in and go on the adventure with me, you can do that here! (I’ll be throwing up one more blog post next week highlighting my favorite images that boast the power of what I see as being right in this world, and then I’m gonna go underground for a while!)

(BTW – I got this idea from a FB post from a fellow photographer friend, Jen Golay - who is also on a journey of authenticity – thanks for the inspiration Jen! and her inspiration came from an Australian photographer Renee Bell. Her post is pretty cool…check it out)

I’d love to know what your experience is like if you ever do it…I thought it was a BLAST!!  I’m thinking about doing it again under different circumstances. I think this could be used in so many different ways. Wouldn’t this be a neat way to document a vacation or other special event? Maybe even in 15 minute increments.

Feel free to leave a comment! And don’t forget to join in if you want to stay in the loop (and see my new splash page that A Small Nation built for me)!

As soon as the door opened they were yakity-yakity-yak-yak-yak!  Off to the playroom/loft I was swept and I got the grand tour from the girls’ point of view. Once I finally made it out and into the kitchen, there was Liza “whipping up” the afternoon snack of baked brie, fresh salami, baguette and of course the now-famous red wine. Joe dotes on the girls and their teamwork in parenting is a sweet dance.

What I’m reminded of when I’m spending time with families like this one is what truly matters most.  You might think I’m going to say wine…and I almost did…but, sincerely, again what I noticed is connection within the family.  Holding.  Touching.  Delighting.  Purposeful and intentional love. It makes every difference.  The girls were happy.  And that BABY!  She never complained one single time.  I mean…babies fuss when they get sleepy…but she was content as she could be. All smiles and just go with the flow. I loved hearing all the stories about how Joe & Liza met in medical school, how Liza grew up in the midwest, and how she quit her practice to stay home with the girls…and how Joe is gonna get my husband to stop snoring!!!  I loved watching Liza and Joe feed Gelsey and show that gentle care for a baby.  I loved capturing the girls twirl and giggle and snuggle down for story time. There really isn’t a better job in the world…

Joe & Liza…thank you so, so much for your simple hospitality. I LOVED being in your home and playing with your girls and having plenty of time to get to know you all.  It’s sweet to see the girls play together and I’m looking forward to watching everyone grow over the years.  Looking forward to meeting up again soon. I can’t tell you how spoiled I feel to have shared that wine and Thai food…you’re too good to me!!

Oh…Joe & Liza also love jazz music so if you’d like to watch the full slideshow of their shoot, you can see it right here!

Much love,

Treacy

After our intial warm ups and hanging out and laughing, I started asking them tell each other things.  Some things evoked laughter.  Some heartfelt comfort and pride. I started with Mike & Shannon (who are some of the sweetest friends I’ve ever been fortunate enough to know and love) and we began with some easy, goofy questions that made them relax and have fun.  After a while, we moved into more introspective conversations – and honestly – all I did was give an invitation for them to experience their feelings for each other.  They did all the work – I was only there to capture it.  They will be married 25 years this April – and they love, love, LOVE each other.  They are the real deal. And they lived out loud in front of my camera while they told each other things like what they admired in each other, why they still love each other, what they dream of for the future and as you can see…they just delight in each other.  What a blessing to witness that.

I moved onto the kids next, each taking their turn snuggled and nestled in between their parents and I had them exchange words of gratitude.  I heard things like, “I’m proud of you because…  I love you because…  Without you in my life, I would have….”   As they gave words of encouragement to their parents and as they received words of praise from them, I just watched as their hearts soaked in every single word. Every nugget, that maybe they knew inside, they had been longing to hear.  It was FA-REEZING cold by the time we finished, but there was such a warmth within the family.  Such a lilt in their steps as we hiked back out to the cars.  (Which could have been from frostbite!)

Shannon and the kids later tell me with tears in her eyes, as she read a thank you card from Grandma for the Christmas photo gifts, that the experience of bonding and healing they had during the shoot was so special.  The kids told me how seeing the photos of being held and loved and delighted in made them feel loved, and protected and safe.  And mostly they felt grateful to have such awesome parents.  Fantastic. Just fantastic.  If all kids could know that…could see with their own eyes how truly and deeply they are loved…our world could be different.

It’s why I do what I do.

{segway} 2012 is going to be a year of shooting and working with more intention.  Of creating opportunities for couples and families to connect. To be making bigger differences. I’m so serious, excited and passionate about it that I hired a dream team to help me build…I don’t even know what yet. Something bigger than what I can do alone.  The whole discovery, building and unveiling of my bird-brain ideas (and believe me…I have about a million of them…) are going to be documented live on their website – so…if you want to follow that and watch me grovel around…you can do that right here.  We had our first meeting yesterday and today is #2.  I’ll be chatting it up here as well…but only if it’s going good. Hahah..just kidding.  (I wonder why I’m having dreams about being naked in front of the classroom…yikies!)

Mike (who btw is an ah-mazing craftsman and I want a house built by him someday) & Shannon (undercover Hot Mama) – I know you say you’re not cool – but I couldn’t disagree more.  You’re are so favorite and I’m humbled that you all let me into your moments of tenderness as a family.  The way you love each other is a testimony to many of how love wins.  It’s so easy to be with you. Thanks for loving our family.  We are so, so, SO fortunate to have crossed paths with you.  So fortunate.

Here’s the full length slideshow of the tenderest shoot of 2011.

Love you much,

Treacy

Chances are, if you’ve had a shoot with me in the past two years, you could have met Katie already.  She assists me often…and we love her around here. Monday, it was her turn to sit in front of the camera. (true confessions: I haven’t had mine done yet…maybe next week…)  Anyway, Katie + Jesse and I and their sweet doggie Kulta set out on an adventure on Monday to Truckee – one of the coldest spots in the nation. Not kidding.  We found the perfect winter landscape right off the side of the road. Complete with a naked aspen grove, an old broken down structure and snowy patches.  It was gorgeous.  And cold. (did I already mention that?)  But they warmed it up in no time with their connection and love vibes.

I’m so proud of Katie right now.  On Saturday, she walks across the stage and graduates with a degree in photography from CSU Sacramento.  She interned with me last fall and again this fall to meet some of her requirements.  She is such a joy to have with me.  She has an incredible eye for composition and finds beauty in almost any situation she finds herself in.  But our journey didn’t start with photography.  I met her when she was about 8 or 9 years old. Katie was our favorite babysitter many moons ago…(I remember picking her up from soccer practice before she started wearing makeup.)  That makes us both old. Ha! She was lucky enough to snag Jesse and got married 5 1/2 years ago.  Their wedding was one of the few that I’ve shot.  (hallelujah!)

Spending time with them is easy.  Jesse is one of the kindest, most tenderhearted men I know.  He works hard, missing every weekend with Katie, while he builds into the lives of troubled teens.  I admire him so much.  He treats Katie with so much respect and gentlness.  They are super lucky to have each other.

Katie and I were on a shoot together yesterday, and we were talking on the way about how much we both love having photos of our families.  It just seems to fill us to overflowing…like we know the world is alright when have meaningful photos to look at.  I know…kinda weird.  (But we are and we like it that way.) It’s just that having a meaningful photo to reflect on and remind us of special moments preserves our experience.  It’s like keeping a memory for always. And for me, it also helps me see things that maybe I don’t see otherwise.  There really is something deep that happens inside me when I see with my own eyes how I’m loved.  Whether it’s in a glance, a touch, a smile, etc.  It makes me feel strong and valued and able to conquer anything.  Whatever it is…it feels good.

These are a few of my favorite photos from the “Brrrrr…..MAN is it COLD out here” shoot.  It’s one of my favorites.  Kulta was such a good girl and gave me many perfect doggie smiles.  I don’t know what she kept finding in that snow, but she was having a great time running through the field.  Jesse – THANK YOU FOREVER for your jacket. I owe you for the rest of my LIFE.  Katie – I simply love you.  Thank you for all your hard work this fall.  You are doing amazing and I’m so excited to watch you grow and learn and blossom.  This world is lucky to have the two of you. Truly.

Enjoy your slideshow.

Love you much!

Treacy

And if you’re not sure what you would put into one of these adorable displays, maybe you should go here and we can cook something up for ya’! I think it’s the perfect gift, don’t you?

My poor mama was too sick and unable to come.  I knew it was so disappointing for her.  Heartbreaking actually.  1)  miss a trip to the beach.  2) perceived inconvenience for me (it totally wasn’t – any excuse to get to the beach is good with me).  3)  just plain sad after I showed her these images that she didn’t get to sit there.  I ended up setting up anyway – I just felt totally compelled to see it for myself and now I feel better prepared for the next time we will get to be together  there – which will be very soon.  So, since we were there, I just photographed the outdoor living space, Hollie and her friend and we had a blast.

I wanted you to see, in advance, what we’ll be doing, because I FELL IN LOVE with this amazing setting that Linda cooked up.  I think you’re really going to like this idea.  I like it so much, that I think I’ll go a day early, set it up and just sit there myself and enjoy it.  Because when I set it up a couple weekends ago, I just worked and worked without ever stopping to enjoy it really – and I left feeling a little bit sad that I couldn’t stay longer.

I’m wondering if you want to enjoy this too?!  I will be opening up  30 minute sessions at Stinson Beach.  And since it’s so close to the holidays – we might just light up the branches with twinkle lights for the later sessions for your holiday cards.  I’ll have to see how it looks once I get there. But just for a minute, imagine hanging out and having your holiday photo in the coastal “PotteryBarn-esqe”setting.  You’ll experience the beach in a whole new way. I think you’re going to enjoy it so much, I’ll probably have to kick you out of my living room.  Plus – plan a little bit and bring a picnic and hang out for the day and just enjoy the ocean. Stop at the market on your way in or at the fruit and nut stand and get some snacks and bring it to the beach.  If it’s cold, just bundle up and bring the sleeping bags and take a nap.  Bring a thermos with something hot.  If we’re lucky – we’ll have that last beautiful day of the season. Dip your toes in the water.  Build sandcastles with the kids.  Play ball.  Go for a hike. And when you’re done – head on over to The Sand Dollar for some yummy clam chowder.  That’s what I’m going to do.  It’ll be refreshing and invigorating. Who knew beach photos could be so fun or so easy?  And this will most likely be the only Holiday sessions I’ll be grouping together this year.

Here’s the skinny. (no dipping, please…that’s saved for Muir Beach, and we’re not going there – haha!!)

Outdoor Living Holiday Photos@ Stinson Beach

Sunday, October 23rd

30 minute sessions from 1pm until dark (6ish)

Please contact me for more details and to sign up. I expect these to fill quickly.

But on the day of the scheduled shoot, she called in tears because Papa Moua was in the ER for some issues with a long term illness he’s fighting.  He simply could not make the shoot. And that’s a problem when the star of the shoot isn’t there!  My heart ached for her.  I could hear her disappointment – anguish actually – about not having the shoot.  She was leaving in a couple days and she very much felt like this was a limited opportunity.

Thankfully, and not by chance, I was still open the following evening and even though Papa Moua was tired, we finally all met in the open field. They were all decked out in blues and browns and were ready!  I hadn’t been able to scout out the location at such short notice and the first field we came to didn’t work.  Let’s just say that star thistle is NOT MY FRIEND!  Thanks to modern technology, we hopped in cars with the GPS and text and Google, and we happened to come upon the perfect place nestled between some commercial buildings.  We set up and were ready just in time for the perfect light.  The family turned on their charm and the love started oozing.  Our time was short, but we made the most of every single minute – shooting until it was simply too dark to shoot another frame.

Thank you, Moua Family, for the honor of spending an unforgettable evening together.  Everything was beautiful.  Your smiles, the setting and surroundings.  But the most beautiful part was allowing me to witness and capture your incredible love for each other.  You are truly inspirational to me. And even though the odds seemed stacked against us at the beginning, some things are just meant to be…

Enjoy your slideshow one more time! ;o)  And another special thanks to my bestie Linda, of In With The Old Vintage Rentals (website coming soon) who really sets the scene in amazing ways and my other BFF and talented assistant, Michele.  Couldn’t do it without you guys!

Huggs ::

Treacy

The ordering session that we had together was easier in some ways because we’ve done it before.  We joke about blowing up the photo of her with Big and Little Ben into a poster for the dorm room.  But it’s also harder, because there is something about the family portrait that happens right before the first kid leaves for college that is so symbolic and so…well…milestone-ish that fills your whole body with emotion. Worthy of celebration!  And worthy of a few tears. You know when you look at that kind of photo, it’s easy to see that life as you’ve known it for the past 18 years will not be this way again.  Another transition.  And a great one – but totally unfamiliar territory.  That’s how it is with your oldest child.  Every change with the firstborn is unchartered territory.  So, if your kids are small – squeeze those little bodies while you can!!  And relish their free little spirits.  If they are older – listen long into the night when they want to pour out there hearts (and you’re STILL wishing for sleep!)  And most of all – get out your camera and document your family’s life together.  You’ll never be sorry.  Promise.  And if you are not sure about wanting to use your camera…well…you know how to find me!

What common ground are you celebrating today?

Here comes honest.  This summer was one of the hardest I’ve ever had – which sucks because summer is my favorite.  I could live year-round summer.  Not kidding.  I have no need for rain or snow or anything cold.  But it was such a difficult, and yet a totally and necessary perspective shifting couple of months. The first sad thing was that Evan, our foster son, was placed in a new home in July.  I haven’t been able to talk about it much – and really – it’s so personal and tragic that I don’t have any words anyway.  I will always be Mom as long as he wants that and he has changed our family forever.  No other words come – only tears.  A few weeks later, on August 2nd, Laurel‘s oldest daughter, Lindsay, died unexpectedly after a routine medical procedure.  I know. Unfathomable.  20 years old, 3 year old daughter, leaving behind some really AMAZING, RESILIENT, AWE INSPIRING family.  Everyone is surviving the huge blow – but it’s just one of those things that sent us all spinning and reeling – and still is.  I don’t think the shock has quite worn off yet.  It’s one of those things that you can’t explain and will never be able to.  So, I cry a lot when I’m running, we hug a lot – and this summer – I pulled in hard and vowed to love my kids with more purpose, more demonstration, more focus and just basically let go of anything not completely necessary.  And one of those things was this blog.

me n ev at ravencliff

Some might argue that keeping up the blog IS critical.  That tweeting and FB’ing are all so necessary.  And, yes – it can be.  BUT FOR ME, IT’S NOT.  Not when I’m in the face of life and death, and hugging best friends that are shattered (and yes…you can do that from far away).  It’s NOT when I come to the screeching-halt-realization that at any moment my life, or the lives of people I care about could be over and I have to decide how I spend my hours.  My focus this summer has been 1) emotional and mental survival 2) preserving my own legacy with my family.  That’s it.  The blog will wait.  FB will wait. Twitter (which – uh – I hate that “DING!”) will wait.  But loving my family – and making sure they KNOW I LOVE THEM is not what is going to be waiting. Because time is short and fragile and I am fragile and they are fragile, if we are honest about it.

I have gotten lazy about taking photos of my own family doing daily things – going on vacation and just being silly – because sometimes it makes me feel like I’m at work (even though I LOVE what I do).  But, I decided to take this summer to document for myself what I do for others all the time.  And it brought so much joy to do that.  So cathartic and therapeutic (redundant – yes).

I’ll say it again – photography is something I’m passionate about because it preserves heritage, it gives sight to the emotions we feel, and sometimes – it gives us the only remaining thing we have when someone we love is torn away too soon.  Ask Neville.  The photos he has of Laurel and Lindsay have become his most treasured possessions (with the exception of the girls and pixie Leah).  And I don’t mean my photos that I took of their family, although they have been amazing for friends and family – but ANY photo he has of them is instantly more precious than they were the day before.  And I’m coming to view my photos differently.  I have the horrible weakness of being perfectionistic about my photos – the “arteest” in me has a hard time being satisfied if the lighting isn’t perfect and blah, blah, blah – but I’m working hard at being delighted with the subject regardless of composition, posing, etc.

Sigh…..heavy, right?  I know…it’s what I’ve been trying to get away from all summer.  So – I think I’m finally catching my breath – which is good, because I have so many fun shoots to share with you.  I’ve shot a magazine cover for Antique Trove and their newly renovated Garden Terrace (which btw – if you’ve never been there – you’re missing out – check them out), I loved on a set of twins, so many awesome high school seniors, I photographed two amazing families that gathered from near and far to bless their aging parents, I photographed camp life again at Camp Ravencliff for a week, I hosted a fabulous outdoor evening party for my family in collaboration with the newly emerging “In With The Old Vintage Rentals” (ahhhh!!!  So amazing what they do!!!! website coming soon!) – and so much more. But for now – here is a glimpse of my personal life – my family – my treasures – my inspiration – the people and pets that make me the happiest.

It’s why I do what I do.

Why do you do what you do?

my two blondies

always the photographer - never the photographed - typical...

reflective photography is so fun...i like ellie in this one...

lonely little pinecone leaf(?)

me and my amazing kids - and a rare look at me in a bathing suit - i have my hat on so you won't recognize me - haha!!

sand in the hair - gotta love it...

and more sand - but again - loving the reflections and light

the posse - Kyle's GF and brother + the puppies annie & ellie

we hung out on Nevada Beach (Lake Tahoe) where it's a dog beach. the big dogs love connor. or maybe it's the food...

we hiked into the beach and this was the view along the way. totally refreshing.

i fell in love with these "wishes". they were the size of baseballs. made me want a little girl twirling in a white dress...

hollie took this one of annie. she has some skills. happy dog!

one of our family traditions - rainbow jello. i know. you want some.

the boys at sand harbor, lake tahoe, nevada (on the north shore near incline)

sassy hollie always splashing someone...can you hear me scream "not the camera!!!"

why do I like this...idk...light, water, reflections, abstract beauty...

sand castle on the shore of sand harbor...i like the little flag...

sun silhouettes

add a little rainbow to that sun flare - i love shooting into the sun. it makes me happy.