Archive for the ‘My So-Called Life’ Category
We Just Flew Back!
What a wonderful adventure we had. We took over 4000 images of our journey so I really want to take the time to “digest” them. I hope to share our wonderful trip with you as one of my winter projects when my busy wedding season dies down. I just want to let you all know we are back and any cures for jet lag would be much appreciated!
Hello from Vienna!
OK, so I have not fallen off the face of the earth, but I have been having the time of my life. So much to see and so little to do I thought it best to forgo sharing my wonderful trip with everyone until I return. We have been to Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Bratislava and now Vienna.We still have Prague to go. Can’t wait to share our travels with everyone. Most touching was traveling through the homeland of my ancestors, Slovakia.
Willkommen
Will I ever be able to sleep on an overnight flight to Europe? Someday I will learn the trick. Severely jet lagged Zac and I started our adventure in the historic city of Berlin. Such a beautiful city, it definitely kept us awake all day. Our perfect day ended with a beautiful sunset at the Brandenburg Gate, which is right outside our hotel. Great location! Now to sleep!
Marie and Zac’s European Adventure - Part 3
Today Zac and I will be departing for round 3 of our “Grand Tour”. So very special to me, I will be returning to the “mother country”. I am Slovak and though it was my great grandparents that immigrated to this country and I was never taught the language (it was spoken as a secrete code in my home), there is something very special about seeing the land of your ancestors. I’m the first of my relatives to ever visit Slovakia. Just as special, my grandson Zac is an American/eastern Europe melting pot. His heritage is Slovak, Hungarian, Polish, Czech and German. We will be visiting all the countries of his heritage. I am going to try to post my “picture of the day” while traveling and when I return I’ll share more of the highlights of our trip. Zbohom!
My Grandmothers Wedding
In the midst of spring cleaning I unearthed some wonderful family photographs that I have not see in years. Oh, how I love my family photographs. I remember as a child sitting for hours looking through all the albums. I guess my family were real photography buffs. They truly documented so many special and everyday events. I would sometimes feel I was there with them…. back in time. I also adore going to museums and looking at old tintype photos. You can sometimes feel the people speaking to you. Maybe that is why I have such a passion for wedding photojournalism. I want to tell a story and share this happy day with many, many generations to come! A photograph can do that.
The photograph was taken in 1918 at The Henry Studio in Perth Amboy, NJ. No longer in business, the moment lives on. Check out my grandmothers amazing bouquet!
That’s awesome! I have been scanning and posting photos on my blog from my family’s weddings as well. I call it “old-timey tuesday” 
I have one photo of my father’s grandparents that I haven’t posted yet that might be even older than this picture — everything else is from the 40s and later, but they’re all quite magical!
Call Me Master!
OK, Mistress will do….. only kidding! I was recently conferred the Master of Photography degree by the Professional Photographers of America, which is the highest honor in this worldwide association of more than 22,000 members! It is one the most prestigious awards that can be earned in professional photography. Begun in 1937, PPA Degrees are professional recognition of accomplishment in photographic competitions for those individuals who have consistently excelled in the peer-judged PPA International Print. Artists all have our own paths to perfecting their art and their craft. Print competition has always been one of mine. Year after year, it has forced me to look at my work more critically and develop the skills needed to grow as an artist. I remember when I started doing competition I would sometimes not score as highly on an image that I loved. I would get angry at the judges, of course, but when I brought out the image a year later, I would see their point and I would grow. A wonderful compliment that I received last year from a judge was, “here is a photographer that knows the “rules” so well, they can break the rules, and it works”. As artists, we don’t always want to believe there are “rules”, but by internalizing them, we no longer have to think about them. Art is an ongoing process for me, always searching for perfection and never quite achieving it. I’m treating myself in 2010 and I’m not doing competitions. Sort of a little break! I’ll be back in 2011 to do competitions again, not for the glory but for the growth.
Somewhere That’s Green
It’s been a long and snowy winter in the northeast and I’ve been lucky enough to have a little hiatus down in warm and sunny Key West. I try to sneak away for several weeks every winter, just to be reassured that it’s green somewhere! This year I was exceptionally fortunate as I left town the day before the first blizzard! Good karma for shooting that blizzard wedding I guess! Key West is my favorite locations to “recharge”. So laid back, where else can you dine at a 5 star restaurant in flip flops! I’m on my way home soon and so renewed for a most exciting 2010 season.
A New Years Resolution for 2010
Happy New Year everyone! Here is to another decade of photographing the art of love. What a way to make a living! I’m a lucky girl and I want to thank all the beautiful and creative couples that have graced me with their weddings. I’ve sort of given up on traditional New Years resolutions. Let’s face it, if I do lose the weight, I’m only going to gain it back. My New Years resolutions are more “wishes” for the New Year. For 2010 my wish is to photograph a European wedding. Every Summer I go off to Europe for fun and inspiration. In my travels I’m always visualizing brides and grooms in my images. I adore world travel and I adore photographing weddings. Combining the two in a European wedding is one of my dreams and has continued to elude me. Though I’ve had requests, I’ve never had dates available. I know from my blog tracking that you European brides are always chatting about me. Why not drop me an email and help me keep my New Years resolution. I can see you in my pictures. Happy New Years everyone!
Arrivederci Roma!
What a wonderful August adventure we had in Italy. It was difficult saying goodbye! I had such fun editing all our pictures but I’m finally done. I’m totally looking forward to our adventure next August. We are planning on visiting some of the eastern European countries, which are the countries of our heritage. We are planning on a little Poland, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and possibly Germany. I hope we are not being too ambitious! I’m ready to start photographing my beautiful Fall wedding season tomorrow and I’ll have such a special venue to share with you all next week. For now I thought I share with you a few more of my Italian favorites. Arrivederci!
A Little More Italy
Having recovered from jet lag and caught up on all my album orders I thought I’d start editing some of my Italy images. The country is just a total work of art waiting to happen. I’m not even half way through! We all know what the beautiful travel pictures look like. I thought I’d share a few “hidden treasures”. Stay tuned for some more later this week.
Welcome Home. Can’t wait to hear about your adventures!