2016 Photography Challenge: Monthly Themes. November = Family

November is a month that reminds us about the importance of family, and I was so grateful to be able to spend it with all sorts of family- my work family, two of my three sisters, quality time with Clancy. Not to mention Thanksgiving with so much of my chosen family friends and some of my actual family. But two moments in particular stood out that I've captured below.

The first is a photo I took just after my sister Kara finished the 2016 Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day. After losing two childhood best friends (both 44 and with five children between the two of them), Kara and her friend Trish decided to participate in the Komen 3-Day. Due to months of dedicated training (and an amazing fundraising performance which landed Kara in the top 25 fundraisers out of 2,600 walkers and with $12,000), Kara and Trish easily completed the event. Their training more than payed off, and it was so fun to have them on the last 3-Day of the season.

Here's a photo of Kara and I shortly after they crossed the finish line. For the record, I'm proudly wearing a hat that was gifted to one of their friends who passed away, Linda.

The second photo was taken the day after Thanksgiving. Steve and I spent the holiday apart for a few reasons, but mostly because he's playing the main role in helping out with his father (whose declining health and broken elbow requires a lot of hands-on care these days). We took a quiet moment to watch the sunset and catch up. 

I know just how much is resting on those shoulders right now and I love that I caught Steve deep in thought as the sun was setting.

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2016 Photography Challenge: Monthly Themes. April = Spring Colors

The combination of my photography challenge and Molly & Steve adventures creates this fun situation where we find extra ways throughout the month to do fun and meaningful things together in hopes of it being the thing that ends up as my monthly theme. While this month it sort of felt a little forced, only because there were FOURTEEN DAYS this month when Steve and I weren't in the same place, it was still fun. And tasty.

Because there were going to be so many days where we were apart, it made the time we did spend together that much more meaningful.

On one particular afternoon, we went in search of dessert before hitting the library and then going shopping- something we both don't find particularly enjoyable. We stopped by our favorite cupcake shop in Santa Monica, Vanilla Bake Shop and ended up having dessert that matched my monthly theme.

It was a delicious afternoon date with Steve-o and he patiently waited to eat too much of it allowing me to photograph it for this month's photography challenge:

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's photos below:

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2016 Photography Challenge: Monthly Themes. February = Loving Life

February's theme = Loving Life

My chosen photo is of Steve-o surfing on Sunday. I've been hoping for good surf conditions all month so I could take photos of him in the water and we just barely got it in time for this month's challenge.

As I mentioned in January, we've committed to making 2016 "The Year of Adventure for Molly & Steve." So I've decided to combine that with my 2016 Photography Challenge. Spoiler Alert: each month, I'll incorporate Steve or something we've done together in the photo I select.

Steve is often at his happiest when surfing is involved. I love the little smirk he's got on his face right before he gets in the water. Here's my guy, his board and the Pacific Ocean all his for the taking!

There was no one else out in the water. But I love knowing that Steve was partially humoring me so I could take a photo of him in his happy place and partially getting in the water because it makes him come alive.

Right before I took this photo, while I was trying to set up my umbrella (which is more like a tent) to protect me from getting any bit of sun, the wind blew the freaking thing inside out and snapped a bunch of the metal pieces making it completely unusable. I'm not sure if that's a word, but it is now. After I took this photo I had a complete baby fit, threw the whole thing in the trash and stormed off for home leaving Steve for himself :)

Here are two more photos of Steve surfing:

Here are Cyrena and Sarah's photos:

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A Story of Someone- 6/7

I'm currently binge-watching The Mindy Project (sooooo good) and had to force myself off the couch this morning so that I could get in a run. As predicted, I'm so glad I got outside. It was a beautiful day for a run through Santa Monica. I finished it off with a stroll in the park and took a bunch of photos of people enjoying their lazy Sunday. There were a lot of people sitting by the rose garden. Some people reading. Some people talking. Some people just being present and taking advantage of the beautiful day.

When I walked by this older couple looking out onto the horizon with their hands clasped together, a huge smile took over my face. I love the sweetness of this moment and wondered what they were talking about. But mostly, I was moved by their obvious love I witnessed just from the simplicity of the moment.

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's (coming soon) photos below:

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A Story of Someone- 3/22

My computer is in the middle of a major meltdown and my iPhone needed to be reset to factory settings. So it wasn't a good day for technology. Which is why this is being posted late (even though I'm back dating the post).

Steve and I spent the afternoon at a nearby coffee shop. He read while I wrote letters and caught up in my journal. (And began planning my 11th trip back to Ireland!).There were many people who came in and out of the coffee shop, but this sweet older woman caught my eye. I loved how content she was sitting by herself, enjoying some lunch and tea. And I loved all her bright colors- from her sweater to her shirt to her bag.

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's photos below:

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A Story of Someone- 3/15

My Sunday found me in Solvang with girlfriends and Katie. In Agoura Hills for a quick pit stop that turned into a drink and watching some Irish step dancing. And then back in Santa Monica nearly 11 hours after the Los Angeles Marathon started. Needless to say, I had plenty of options for photos. But there was one scene that stood out the most.

I knew I had missed the craziness of the marathon by not getting home until early evening, but as Katie and I were driving down San Vicente, we saw a few stragglers. Some walking. Some very slowly running. All of them incredibly inspiring. And since I myself have gotten back into running (since mid-December), I was really motivated by this girl who was 26 years old (and two months) and running her first marathon.

These photos were taken around 6:00 p.m. The marathon started at 6:55 a.m. All of the streets were re-opened. Nearly every spectator was gone. But as Steve, Clancy and I walked north on Ocean Avenue, we passed this woman who was within a half a mile from the finish line. The fact that she still had a smile on her face made me tear up a little. I looked at her and said "great job" and she seemed to run a little taller as she got even closer to the finish line. I think it takes a lot of determination and strength to stick to your goal when you've been at it for 11 hours!

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's photos below:

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A Story of Someone 3/8

I feel like a broken record when I talk about how nice it is in Santa Monica. Especially when so many people I know and love are living through the most brutal winter on record. But. It was a gorgeous day here. And I've been battling this terrible cold. So I wasn't able to be outdoors and enjoy this perfect, sunshiney weekend as much as I would have liked. Instead I was inside napping (a sure sign that I'm under the weather) and following doctor's orders with a regimen, Gatorade, water and rest.

However, for a brief period of time, Steve and I took a quick walk to the cliffs where I had plenty of photographic moments to capture. Like the man walking with his oxygen talk with his wife and friends by his side. (The same man I saw yesterday while I was napping in the park- and still following doctor's orders!- who got all settled with the help of his wife, who so effortlessly leaned down to kiss him as soon as she got him situated in his lawn chair and made me wish I had my camera). Like the two men playing music, one with a huge ass double bass cello, who seem to always be around near sunset.

But what really made me stop in my tracks with this photographer who was doing a photo shoot with a couple expecting a back in the next couple of months. I don't know if you can really see the baby bump all that well. But trust me when I tell you- it's there! I loved the capture of this really sweet moment. And knowing I was photographing the photographer. I edited the photo in black and white (obviously). Which only illustrated that I need to really learn how to better edit my photos. Maybe that'll be my side challenge this year. (Last year it was learning how to use a tripod to transform my night photography).

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's photos below:

And here are a couple of outtakes from today's walk in the park:

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A Story of Someone 2/15

Katie and I were walking to do our errands and stumbled upon a superhero, inside T.J. Maxx no less! I couldn't resist capturing this sweet moment of innocence and fun.

Here's an outtake from our walk where I immediately fell in love with this woman. She was walking with her friend (or perhaps her sister) who is just outside the frame of this image. But I loved her style! Katie and I looked ahead to them with their wheelie bags and both thought "That'll be us one day. Walking around Santa Monica to do our errands. But instead of shoulder bags, we'll have a bag on wheels." 

Check out Cyrena & Sarah's photos below:

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A Story of Someone 2/1

I had a few different options for photos today, but went for a walk tonight to the park and saw a man sitting alone on the bench looking out towards the Santa Monica Pier. I see this man a lot and I often wonder what his story is. He has a big pack that he stores in the middle of a tree and can often times be found lounging in the grass not too far from that tree that houses his possessions. 

Tonight I found him about 1/2 a mile away from his usual spot just sitting on the bench looking out. I like that the pier and reflection of the lights onto the water is clear and he's a little out of focus. It's appropriate given the mystery surrounding this man. Maybe one day I'll work up the nerve to learn his story. But for today, I'll just peek into his life from afar.

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's photos below:

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A Story of Someone 1/25

It was another gorgeous day here in Santa Monica with a nice warm breeze making it a perfect afternoon to sit out and enjoy my proximity to Palisades Park. Although I had intended to use the time to read, I was too distracted by all the people walking by. I took a handful of photos of a bunch of different people, but it wasn't until I was walking back home that I looked up and saw this man and snapped the photo.

I love the way older people dress in that "I don't have to impress anyone" way. Oftentimes choose function over fashion. If I had to pick one thing that sold me on choosing him as my Story of Someone, it's his clip-on shades!

This was a closer runner-up because it reminded me of how I was spending my day: reading and relaxing under the comfort of the trees in Palisades Park.

Check out Cyrena's photo and Sarah's below:

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A Story of Someone 1/4

Last year's photography challenge went so well, Cyrena, Sarah & I are going to do it all over again. This year we've decided to capture a photo each Sunday. Cyrena's theme is Outside. Sarah's is Sunday Sojourns. And I've settled on A Story of Someone.

I love the idea of capturing a photo of someone. Anyone who knows me knows that whether I know the person or not, it doesn't matter. But I love the idea of exploring the people who surround me. I also wanted to pick a theme that didn't have me tied down to just one place.

For today's entry, I walked down to Palisades Park, which is 1 1/2 blocks away from my home. It's a 2 1/2 mile stretch of park located along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica and runs parallel to the ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway. It's one of my favorite places in the world. And there's always someone interesting to look at.

As I was out exploring on this chilly (by Santa Monica standards) afternoon, I stumbled upon this man who was enjoying the feel of the sun on his (leathery) legs and tan face. Beside him was an old school radio he was listening to as he rested below the tree with the ocean by his side.

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's photos (in that order):

And then here's one outtake from today's search of A Story of Someone:

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2014 Photography Challenge- A Moment in Time (11:00 p.m.)

Here is the last photo of my yearlong photography challenge. I've had an amazing time doing this alongside my photography partners-in-crime Cyrena & Sarah. This has been a fun experience and I look forward to seeing what we decide on doing in 2015. Stay tuned for more on that. In the meantime, read up about what happened last Saturday...

At 11:00 a.m., way back in the beginning of June, I found myself on top of the Santa Monica Ferris wheel. Because I thought ahead to the end of this challenge and thought finishing this riding on top of the Ferris wheel on a Saturday night in December would be a very fun way to cap this off.

Even though my event planning mind had thought this through and verified that, weather permitting, the Ferris wheel would be open until 12:00 a.m., I didn't call to verify the hours (as suggested). I had a few things going on (like hosting the 9th annual Mac off earlier that evening for 45 freaking people!) and just went for it. Unfortunately once we got there, we discovered that they wanted to shut the ride down at 11:00 p.m., which meant they needed the ride cleared of passengers by then.

It was a pretty big bummer and I was disappointed that I had dragged Katie and our friend Mark along for this photo excursion, only to be turned away. But. I realized I could run into the same problem this upcoming week and decided to just take a photo of the same view but from the Pier level as opposed to from the top of the Ferris Wheel. So you'll notice that the photos don't exactly line up (like at all), but it's the same general view. And that just has to be enough for my Type-A personality.

Here's what 11:00 p.m. looked like in Santa Monica last Saturday night:

The pier itself was actually kinda busy still. And it was a cold night, for Santa Monica. (Remember, I've now lived in California for 14 years. My ability to live in and survive a New Hampshire winter is long gone. And I'm okay with that). But that didn't prevent people from playing out on the sand and looking at the waves (out of the frame of this photo). 

Here's the side by side a.m./p.m. comparison (remember to click on the image to make it bigger):

Five things I noticed between the two photos:

1. Because of the different vantage point in the p.m. photo, the one lifeguard tower is way more prominent as opposed to the a.m. photo where they're dotted in a cool line along the coast.
2. I like how the lights along the hill in the p.m. photo makes that geography more prominent. The haze in the a.m. photo makes it so you don't really know that there's a whole neighborhood beyond the tall white buildings. 
3. PCH is more prominently displayed in the p.m. photo due to all the lights lining that famous road. 
4. The ocean plays a nice part in the a.m. photo and you can't even see it in the p.m. photo.
5. More people (and visible trash cans and lifeguard towers) in the a.m. photo. 

Check back for Cyrena's 11:00 p.m. photo

Sarah's photo:

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2014 Photography Challenge- A Moment in Time (10:00 p.m.)

At 8:00 p.m., I pretty much had a meltdown. At 9:00 p.m., I did a little bit better with a borrowed tripod (thanks sistah!). But at 10:00 p.m., is when I fell in love! Cue the Disney music with "A Whole New World" and let the unicorns dance through the sky. Am I being dramatic? Yes.

Honestly though, my 10:00 p.m. photo is also the moment in time in which I fell in love with my tripod. I knew I had to get one and I'm so, so glad that I did. There's just no way I ever would have been able to take a photo with such sharpness and clarity otherwise. And it actually made me look forward to taking photos last night.

Here's what 10:00 p.m. on the south side of the Santa Monica pier looked like:

With the anticipation of rain coming today, I decided to capture my photo one night earlier. I drove as close to the pier as I could and then got there early enough to fool around with setting up my tripod and getting my photo aligned just so. I was so happy with how the photos were turning out that it made this photo one of my most enjoyable photos to take. This photo challenge has made me a better photographer and this photo is living proof of that!

Now here's the side by side a.m./p.m. comparison (remember to click on the image to make it bigger):

Five things I noticed between the two photos:

1. No one is on the beach at night! Obviously. Although it's not like there were a ton of people on the beach at 10:00 a.m. either. 
2. You can tell it's the holiday season evident by the green and red colors of the Ferris wheel. (What you can't see out of the frame is to the right of the Ferris wheel is a Christmas tree. Check out the outtake below).
3. I love the line of lines at the base of the pier. 
4. The restaurant at the very end of the pier really shines brightly in this photo. And the reflection of it in the water adds so much.
5. The tides are different between the a.m. and p.m. photo with much more of the sand being visible at 10:00 a.m. 

Here's my outtake from last night's photo: 

It's crazy to think we only have one more hour left to document in this series. I'm really hoping the Ferris wheel is open at 11:00 p.m. like it's advertised as. Otherwise I'll have to go somewhere else!

Here is Cyrena photo:

and Sarah's:

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2014 Photography Challenge- A Moment in Time (9:00 p.m.)

I'm happy to say that my attitude and my photo improved greatly since posting my 8:00 p.m. photo. The difference? A freaking tripod!

I knew that I needed a tripod for photos at night, but apparently I needed to have a few frustrating experiences before I actually took action. I borrowed a tripod from Katie (thank you!) and it really made a world of difference. I still need a lot of work on nighttime photography, but you can see for yourself that this is a much better photo than the last few I've posted.

Here's what 9:00 p.m. looked like in Santa Monica last night:

Steve and Clancy came with me and acted as my photography assistants. I had another hard time setting up the photo exactly like it was at 9:00 a.m., so it's not as perfectly lined up as I would prefer. But I'm learning to let go of that perfection and embrace the imperfection that comes with learning- and living in the moment. If I ever do anything like this again, I'll be sure to take better notes of my equipment and exact location.

Here's 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (click to enlarge):

Five things I noticed between the two photos:

1. Another photo where you wouldn't know there was an ocean, not to mention the Santa Monica Mountains off in the distance. 
2. I love the addition of the cars driving down the California incline at 9:00 p.m. and how there's only one lone biker at 9:00 a.m. (when I thought there would be a lot of traffic)!
3. The palm trees are such a focal point of the a.m. photo, but really don't do that much for the p.m. photo. 
4. The bush that you can't even see in the a.m. photo has grown considerably since I first photographed this at 9:00 a.m. back in May!
5. Lights everywhere at 9:00 p.m.- lining the walkway in Palisades Park and up the ramp to the Idaho and Montana, on the cars headed down the California incline and all the lights in the distance. 

I'm definitely going to fool around more with the tripod (and actually get my own) and taking photos at night. I've got more work to do before I feel like I can say I'm even halfway decent at nighttime photography. But I'm up for trying!

Here are a couple of outtakes from this moment in time. The first one was taken from Steve's cell phone since he was looking at my photo on the camera and comparing it to my 9:00 a.m. photo viewed on my iPhone. It was too good of a moment to pass up. And the second photo is experimenting with a super slow shutter speed. Thanks to Cyrena for helping me figure out what settings I needed for this effect that I've always wanted to try, but never knew enough to actually go for it!

Cyrena's photo

And here is Sarah's

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