Where I've been and where I'm going...

Wow! This has been one insane summer.

I have tried to take on everything in the world - a ton of client work, coordinating the photography staff for Hempfest, doing shots with new bands and people I met along the way, moving apartments, and now... leaving for Europe!

I fly out on Tuesday for my very first overseas trip, ever! I'm spending the month of October alone in Iceland, Paris, and Bruges (Belgium). I'm going purely for photography and my own fun and I plan to have a blast being completely selfish and enjoying exactly what I want to do all the time. I'm nervous but really excited.

But before I leave, I figured I'd share just a few of the things I did this summer -

I've been so busy working with the other Hempfest photographers that I've barely gotten started on my own photos, but these are some of my favorites of the first shots I've processed. I love capturing fun and interesting facial expressions, which Hempfest provides a great opportunity for. :)

I also shot a wedding reception for a good friend at work and absolutely had a blast. The reception took place at the Swedish Cultural Center in Seattle and was just fantastic - the location overlooks the water and the building has this fantabulous 60's feel to it, but in a way that's not tacky and doesn't 'feel' outdated. But the reception managed to land on one of the hotest days we had this summer, so it's lucky that women only 'glisten' and never 'sweat' (as one of my mothers fancy friends, Linda, might say :). We managed to keep the beads of 'dew' to a minimum in the shots, I was rather impressed, lol.

Oh, and it didn't hurt that the guest of honor (cause it's always about the woman, you know) is one of those stunning women that's gorgeous on the outside and makes the most of it with a rocking personality. I love shooting people like that, it makes my job so much easier!

And at the very last minute, I had a blast shooting a recording session with a drummer that I met at Hempfest. He gave me access to shoot and publish whatever I wanted, and frankly, I was happy to.

The recording session was fun to shoot, but I particularly love taking photos and making art out of people smoking weed. The curling tendrils of smoke are nothing short of tantalizing and the serene emotion of someone taking a hit and just enjoying a moment of peace and calm before the world comes rushing back captivates me every time. This session has ended up producing at least a couple of my favorite shots of the summer...

And on that note, I'm heading out! Dependent on my internet connectivity and general level of energy, I'm hoping to post at least one or two photos along the way. If you want to hear about the trip or see pictures along the way, feel free to follow me on facebook, add my blog to your RSS reader, or use the link over there in the right pane to sign up for an email update when I put up a new post. -->

Have a great month!