LATELY

The last few weeks have been packed with photo shoots, birthdays and exciting new work ventures. I like being busy this time of year. The overcast mornings and cooler temps make it a little harder to get out of bed in the morning, but I've been forcing myself to wake up early and take a little time to enjoy my coffee before my work day officially begins. This weekend, my friend Jacqui and I decided to take a short trip to Yosemite. We both are dying to see some changing leaves and have a chance to wear a scarf. It's supposed to be over 80 degrees in LA, so I feel like we are getting out of town at just the perfect time. I'm sure there will be lots of photo opportunities, so follow me on instagram for a peak at my trip. In the meantime, here is a little look at my life of late and a few of the sweet things making me smile...

AIRBNB PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP // HELLO LA

Airbnb is hosting five days of events called Hello LA, starting this friday at some of LA's coolest locations. There will be pop up housing designed by celebrities and tastemakers, parties, concerts and even workshops. They have asked Kimberly Genevieve and I to host a 90 minute photography workshop in the Arts District and the best part, it's FREE!! Just sign up here. We will be teaching 5 tricks to improve your photos, whether they're taken on your DSLR or iPhone. I promise it is going to be ridiculously fun and to top it all off there will be Handsome Coffee baristas and delicious snacks on hand. I hope to see you there! 

WHAT: HELLO LA MAKERS CRAFT WORKSHOP
Photography with Jessie Webster & Kimberly Genevieve
5 Tricks to Improve Your Photos

 WHEN: Monday September 30th, 1-2:30pm

WHERE: Arts District. East 3rd Street Los Angeles, California 90013
LINKS:Photography Workshop Sign Up PageAirbnb Hello LA Info Page

SWEET. SWEETER. SWEETEST.

Sweet // Sweeter // Sweetest

 I'm not usually a dangly earring type. I much prefer the simplicity of my Lena Wald pyramid studs that I've worn every day for 7 years. However, for a special occasion, like the wedding I'm a bridesmaid in coming up, with it's old Hollywood vibe; these are just what I'm looking for. Also the price is just so good. Which are your favorites?

LATELY

The last few weeks have been a dream. I got to work and spend time with friends and family in New York City and attend an old friend's wedding in Martha's Vineyard. Both two of my favorite places on the planet. New York makes me feel alive, energized and strangely at home. Martha's Vineyard makes me feel peaceful, contemplative and overwhelmed (in a good way) with it's beauty. I got to see many old friends in my travels and meet new kindred spirits. I must say, It's been hard coming back to LA after such a wonderful trip. An overflowing inbox and piling up work was waiting for me upon my return; and of course brought me right back to reality. But that's life. The other day I was thinking how even if I didn't make money doing what I do, I would still do it; because for me photography is part of me. I can't not do it. So even when I am begrudgingly glued to my computer for days, responding to emails and editing photos, it's still exactly what I want to be doing. Well...almost. Here is a little look at my life of late and a few of the sweet things making me smile... 


MASCULIN + FÉMININ

1/2/3/4/5/6
A little fashion week street style inspiration for you. Do you have a favorite? I think I'd wear each and every one of these looks. 

How have you been? I am back from my summer travels and have so many photos to share with you. Even though I've had such an incredible time exploring, working and meeting new friends in my travels, I am quite looking forward to staying put for a while, making meals at home and catching up on blogging; because when it comes down to it, there's no place like home. 

SWEET SOUND // 20

1. Beck // I Won't Be Long
2. Kitten // Cut it Out
3. Lorde // The Love Club
4. Smith Westerns // Varsity
5. Camera Obscura // Troublemaker 
6. The The // This Is The Day
7. Broken Social Scene // Sweetest Kill
8. T-Rex // Cosmic Dancer
9. Poliça featuring Justin Vernon // Tiff
10. Jacuzzi Boys // Brick or Coconuts

 {listen on spotify or 8tracks}

 It's mix time again! Some are upbeat, some are slower. Let's just say this has been getting me through hours of photo editing. I hope it helps you get through your day as well. Enjoy. 

SWEET. SWEETER. SWEETEST.

Sweet. Lily Bag
Sweeter. Adalene Clutch
Sweetest. Clemence Backpack

 Loving the clean, almost architectural lines of these Steven Alan bags. I only have about three bags in my collection and they are all vintage. These days purses tend to be too ornate for my taste and I will always be a fan of simplicity. 

 How are you my friends? I'm sorry about the radio silence around here. I've been traveling and shooting like crazy lately. I have one more trip coming up to New York City and Martha's Vineyard for a wedding. After that things should slow down a little and I can get back to regular scheduled blogging. This has been quite a summer. I can hardly believe it's almost over. 

IPHONEOGRAPHY // MY PROCESS


I blogged about my Instagram photo editing process last year and it is still one of my most viewed posts. Since my process has slightly changed, I thought I'd do another tutorial for you. I'm not saying that I go through all of these steps every time I post a photo on Instagram. Sometimes I just quickly add a filter and that's it, but I would say the majority of the time I go through each and every step. Taking the photo is the easy part, It's the editing that can take time. And by time I mean five minutes rather than one. 
VSCOcam // I've said it before and I'll say it again, VSCOcam is my favorite and most used photo editing app. I love the filters- G3, G1 and M5 being my most frequently used. You can also decide the strength of the filter from 1 to 12, which no other app does. I love that they have added features like the straightening tool and the ability to take your photo with a square frame around it, making it easier to gage what can fit into frame if posting on Instagram. I also use this app to lighten, add warmth or contrast. 
AfterLight // This app also has great filters and many tools that I love like sharpening, darkening shadows and adding clarity. 
Touch Retouch // I use this app to remove shadows, smudges, gum from a sidewalk, anything distracting. Sometimes it's not totally accurate or can make a smudge on a wall worse, but most of the time it is amazing. It's like photoshop on your phone. 
Snapseed // I have stopped using this app to straighten photos, since VSCOcam now offers this feature. However, I do still use it for a really genius feature- the ability to lighten, darken and add saturation to one section of my photo, rather than the entire thing. I have yet to see this feature on any other app and it can be very useful. 
TimerCam // To be honest the photo in the tutorial above was a self portrait taken from the top of my car using Timercam. It's a very straightforward app that takes a photo on a 5, 10, 15 or 30 second timer. It's great for self portraits and it's free. You can't beat free. 

I hope this tutorial gives you ideas, or some insight into my process. See you on Instagram!

LATELY

Since I have so many instagrams from my trip to Martha's Vineyard, I decided to extend my lately post and include them all. Even though I've been going to the island for 24 years, I think this summer will stand out as one of the best ever. That has a lot to do with my wonderful travel companions, Phil and Afton. They love to explore and take photos as much as I do and their excitement about being on the Vineyard definitely transferred to me. We had all kinds of adventures and moments that I will forever hold dear in my heart. Our trip was full to say the least- we went to two beaches, a pond, took a boat to another island, eat lots of lobster and oysters, had dinner parties with old friends and new, sung karaoke, played running charades, went to a dance party, saw plenty of lightning, bought friendship bracelets at the flea market and eat far too many Backdoor Donuts {if you've never been, you must}. It was more than difficult to say goodbye, but this time instead of waiting a whole year,  I get to come back in one month for a wedding. As you can imagine, I'll be counting down the days. Here is a little look at my life of late and a few of the sweet things making me smile... 
Packing for our trip
Nautical details
The light and shadows
A photo walk around Menemsha
A dreamy dinner with friends old and new
Spending time with my parents
Adorable Swedish friends
A boat trip to Cuttyhunk & a 14lbs. lobster
Lobster, lobster & more lobster
Sunsets on the deck & island exploring
The sweet summer breeze
Fantastic meals & beaches
Gorgeous scenery everywhere you turn
My family's cottage