Fuzzy memories and childish crusades

Some days you just have to shut down and escape, if for no reason other than just feeling tired. Usually I push myself through it and work anyway, but today I just napped a lot and watched a movie set in New Jersey which I found incredibly comforting. I don't really think about New Jersey, but several times a month I find myself fantasizing about wanting to be in an idyllic small town on the East Coast with routines and changing seasons. I would go absolutely insane if I actually lived there, but I like to escape and pretend I'm there for a couple hours anyway.

When I was younger and miserable, I used to go on walks at night and look at people through their windows, desperately wishing I had their lives, their family, their small town problems. My problems were huge and chaotic, so everyone else seemed to have it better. As a 26 year old, I am so happy I never settled for less in my life. I'm really proud of myself for never taking the easy way out and ending up with a regular job that only gives two weeks of vacation a year. I'm glad I didn't get married young, to the first guy I fell in love with, and I look forward to that day where I meet the guy who blows me away. Not to say these options are wrong in any way, it just wasn't right for me. It never was. I used to get scared and think I needed that security in order to be happy, but I followed my own path and am happier than I ever dreamed I would be. Now when I look to escape it's simply for a change in scenery, just because. I don't actually want to be anywhere else, my plan is in place and I know where I'll end up. I finally have a home base to tide me over in the meantime, which makes me feel more whole, not trapped like I thought it might. Eventually I hope to travel more for work and meet people with Jon Bon Jovi tattoos and take their portrait. That will be pretty fucking awesome.

The point is, my instincts have never steered me wrong, and I will continue to follow them for the rest of my life. Even if I have a tendency to overthink which dish drying rack to purchase, eventually I always find "the one." That's sort of my thing. If I don't totally fall in love with it, it's not meant to be, and I probably won't waste my time with it. I'm an all-in kind of girl, and while I enjoy taking on all these new experiences and being open to new things, my instincts never steer me wrong. So I'm just going to keep following them.

Santacon is quickly becoming a yearly tradition for my camera and I. This year I attended it in its original home, San Francisco, and even convinced my friend LeAnne to tag along. Along with super cute sidekick Alli Eddy, we combined LeAnne's indifference of Christmas and her love for Halloween by transforming into zombie elves for the day (with fresh candy cane shrapnel wounds). The whole event was HUGE by comparison of last year's Santacon in Denver -- there must have been thousands of people walking around the city that day, all dressed as their own unique interpretation of Santa. It was also significantly raunchier, which we (unfortunately) experienced first hand a few times. Some of the highlights included: singing Spice Girls during Santaoke, two juggalos + one unicorn sighting, pants made of Christmas lights, drag queens that licked our face candy, and ENDLESS compliments for zombie makeup.

...and, of course, the lowlights: needing a tetanus shot after dancing with Santa stalkers, Reindeer James, mushroom burrito vomit projected onto LeAnne's boyfriend, no zombie sex, and questions like "Is that a dildo on your forehead?"

I can't wait for next year.



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A few months ago I was secretly invited to visually document the elopement of Molly and Matt -- otherwise known as the ever so talented duo behind Luminaire Images. To quote Molly, they were both "fully aware of the irony" of "not taking the wedding route themselves" considering their established professions in the industry. While clearly not adverse to weddings in general, they've always known that they'd elope because (again quoting Molly) "eloping felt absolutely right" for them, and 2010 was the year to do it. So with a little help from their travel agent they booked a secret getaway to Napa to seal the deal, and other than myself and the agent, no one in their family or circle or friends had a clue that they had flown from their home in Huntington Beach up to Northern California to get married.

I'm nothing but happy and have the utmost respect for Molly and Matt -- they did their wedding exactly the way they wanted to, and other than Molly cringing and giggling over the county clerk's cheesy, cookie-cutter vows, they were relaxed and blissful the entire day as we explored Napa's vineyards, downtown, and even made friends with a dog "keeping guard" at a local Christmas tree farm. I did, however, make Molly walk into a bridal shop we stumbled upon, if only to complete the full circle of irony.

Thank you, Matt and Molly, for inviting me to photograph such a personal day in your lives. Congrats!



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A few weeks ago I photographed Trashique, a fundraising event hosted by the Fresno Art Museum. Local artists were invited to create outfits from found objects and trash--"Project Runway style"--all within the assigned themes that centered around different art movements ranging from Andy Warhol, Picasso, Georgia O'Keefe, etc. My friend and participating artist Laura Goldstone put in a good word for me to project organizer Roseanne Guaglianone, and I was granted permission to take pictures of all the behind-the-scenes goodness over two days.

Let me just say that I am SUPER proud of Fresno for hosting such a fantastic art-centric fashion show that really stepped it up. The entire night I felt like I wasn't in Fresno at all, but rather Paris or LA. The outfits were to die for, to say the least, and the hair/makeup teams blew my mind. Trashique was really the first self-assigned project I've done since before I left for Alaska this year, so I had a lot of fun just playing with colors and light, with no real pressure weighing on me other than to just create for the sake of creating.

I apologize for the sheer mass of pictures to follow -- I had a difficult time making a tight edit, so I just threw in most of my favorites. Hope you enjoy the eye candy:





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The amazing Sunday Funday crew did a bang up job for their Halloween party this year, centering their theme around a Circus Freakshow. In true LeAnne fashion, "The Shire" was completely transformed and included important circus elements like the tent-like fabric, a giant paper mache clown, collected "wall art" found in a ditch somewhere, and--of course--a blood bath (she just can't disappoint!). I was super impressed by all the costumes -- everyone did an amazing job putting each look together, with Allie's half man/half woman look probably being my favorite of the bunch. (Outside of my half woman/half unicorn costume, obviously!)

I was on hand to help run the Studio Booth (for more go to the website) and I utilized the massive smoke tunnel on the side of the house for additional portrait opportunities. For the full take visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. These are my favorite from the night:



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To know Amanda and Chris is to also know their friends and family, who are such a wonderful and happy extension of them that it helps define their relationship. In fact, it was their friends and family who got them together in the first place. Mix one part sister, one part best friend introduction and... bam! An instant love story unfolds. I feel lucky to consider Amanda's sister (Kim, who you may remember as my ever-constant muse) one of my best friends, and even more honored to have received such love and respect from their parents over the years (the "executive producers" of the wedding). Even Chris' parents, who I didn't know that well before that weekend, have such an infectious warmth you feel like you've known them forever. The hilarious and quirky personalities I photographed made it all the more memorable and fun -- the dance floor was kind of a big deal between the bridesmaids, who took turns hamming it up to Britney, Hanson, and Gaga. Not to brag, but they looked pretty hot out there.

Everyone spoke from the heart during the ceremony and reception, exchanging funny anecdotes and sincere welcomings now that their family has come full circle. It was so effortless to watch the whole thing unfold, in spite of knowing how much work went into the day's events. But really, Amanda and Chris were so calm and blissful it was like there was never a doubt in their mind this day would eventually happen. It was also pretty fun to draw parallels between their burnt orange color scheme and the fact that their ceremony started simultaneously with the Giants' playoffs game, a team that both families are huge fans of. It's probably good luck that the same year they were married the Giants won the series, right? It can't hurt anyway!

A big thanks to both families and the happy couple for letting me document their wedding -- congrats!



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Playing catch up with the blog this week -- to start, here are a few of my favorites from the photo booth we set up at Amanda + Chris' wedding 2 weeks ago. Special thanks to my office wife LeAnne Snyder for basically running the whole booth while I dorked out on the dance floor (I mean, uh... worked!). If you like what you see or if you were a guest at the wedding please visit StudioBoothing.com and holler at us on the Yelp page.



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The lovely couple I photographed in July for their wedding are experiencing some big life changes right now! A baby boy on the way, and a big move from Alaska to the East Coast. We made time to do a quick portrait session featuring her growing baby bump at Eagle Beach before they leave. These are a few of my favorites:



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My friend Emily made a badass tutu to compliment her new Gaga heels from the UK, so we took some pictures on a rare sunny Juneau day.



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Just another super rainy day in Juneau... except two badass people got married--IN THE RAIN. Like champs. Seriously, check out Mary's boots; she was not afraid to get wet on her wedding day (my kind of people). This low-key wedding was a blast and I really enjoyed romping around in the devil's club with them. Congrats to Mary and Clay!



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A few of my favorites. theyz outta this worrrrld



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Years ago my best friend Aurora and I made a deal: when/if she got married I would be the photographer, and she would pay me $1 for the photography. So last summer when I got the tear-jerked phone call telling me she was engaged, I booked her immediately after I got my hefty $0.25 down payment. I know it was a bit of a stretch in her wallet to give me that much so far in advance, but I'd like to think she made a wise investment in the end.

Six months later they set a date, and I booked a plane ticket from Alaska for five wonderful days in California in late June to see two of the most amazing people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing gettin' hitched in the heart of LA--where they fell in love. Okay, it was mostly wonderful. The stress of being a bridesmaid AND the wedding photographer is no easy feat. In fact, I bit off more than I could chew in between helping out with my bridesmaid duties, working a full time job 2,000 miles away, and acquiring enough gear in time to make sense of it all for one short day. Luckily I had help--BUCKETS of it--in the form of a few honorary interns: my eternal muse Kim Burly, her karaoke soul mate Cho, my long-time friend and flip-flop connoisseur Elisa, and the most badass team of punditry and hybrid car-wielding, Kim's parents Carol and Kenny. If it wasn't for them and a much needed Hanson karaoke break with Kim, I may have lost it.

As to be expected, the wedding was a hit! There was a beautiful ceremony at the Lummis Home in Mt. Washington and the reception was hosted at Montrose Bowl where the bride and groom shared their first karaoke song together instead of the traditional first dance (though there was PLENTY of dancing to be had, let me tell you!). Seriously, how could you NOT have fun with that kind of setup?! You'd be a fool. The bowling was non-stop, the interns helped me run the photobooth and the guests ate catered Indian food as well as some of the five beautiful cakes that Ben's mom made. I even managed to bowl ONCE! And do a costume change, gaga-style.

Words fail me when I try to explain how happy I am for Ben and Aurora to have found each other, and how honored I feel to have been a part of their wedding day. I'll probably cry just thinking about it, because nothing brings me more joy than to see my best friends in love (besides Cho wearing a boy band necklace, of course). Congratulations, Ben + Aurora! I miss you more than you know. <3



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This year I celebrated my 25th birthday on the South Island of New Zealand. Traveling to New Zealand had always been a dream of mine, and thanks to my amazing father it came true much sooner than I could have ever afforded on my own. So on April 1st we landed in Christchurch and spent nearly 10 days driving around the South Island together, covering about 1,600 miles. We didn't make it to the north tip but we saw just about everything else.

Everyone had always told me that the South Island was a lot like Southeast Alaska, but I was surprised to find out that it actually is much more similar to the central coast of California. Fjordland and the west side do have some resemblance to SE Alaska as far as the temperate rainforest and glaciers go, but the vegetation was strikingly different. What surprised me the most, however, was that all of the places we never knew about or read about before the trip--such as the Otaga Peninsula and Southern Scenic Route--ended up being the most beautiful places we visited. My father and I agreed that there are only three types of roads in New Zealand: pretty, beautiful, and gorgeous.

These are a few vacation photos I took over the 10 days we were down there. I didn't really capture anything that one might consider "iconic" in New Zealand, because like I said, the surprises along the way were what really called to me. In any case, getting to see this beautiful country was the best birthday present I've ever received, and I can't wait to go back someday. Thanks, dad <3



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It's no big secret that I love watching bad movies. I actually PAID to see GI Joe last year, and I will happily watch Paul Blart: Mall Cop again. The other night I indulged in the 1969 Japanese sci-fi film "Attack of the Monsters" and bonded with Gamera, toy dinosaur (whose jets help him speed away at mach 33, but at mach 60 he can leave the solar system) and friend of space-venturing children as he helped fend off the foxy space ladies who wanted to eat the children's brains (to obtain their knowledge, of course!). If you haven't seen it yet, it's the best 84 minutes of your life, I kid you not.

This being said, it's no surprise that I was more than eager to see Sex and the City 2 this week. After reading a review equating the pain of watching this movie to that of a horror film, how could I pass it up?!

I had been warned that the best part of this film was the gay wedding at the beginning--complete with swans, glitter top hats for the boy choir, and miniature Liza Minnelli dancers, it did not disappoint--and from there it would be all downhill. So naturally, I arrived at the theater with the intention to brace myself for the forth-coming pain. As Emily and I combated the rapid costume changes with our vicious critiques and steaming envy, and Sierra logged awkward catchphrases to be used in our daily rapport, I kept waiting for the pain to start. And waiting... and waiting... But, to my surprise, it never came. Or at least, it never arrived in the intense dosage of misery I was anxious to subject myself to.

Maybe I was distracted by the abundance of glitter and unicorn shoes that Carrie bought at a market in Abu Dhabi (WANT!), but my honest opinion is that Sex and the City 2 was unfairly scathed by critics across the board. Don't get me wrong--it's a cheesy romantic comedy in every sense of the genre, and there are plenty of cringe-worthy moments to happily roll your eyes at--but that's exactly the kind of thing one would EXPECT when buying a ticket to see this movie, am I right?

The most baffling complaints I've found attack the film for its "inaccurate and offensive portrayal of the Middle East and its people." Are you KIDDING me?! You expect a superficial and light-hearted movie like SATC2 to have an accurate and fair representation of an extremely complex culture like the MIDDLE EAST?!?! What the fuck movie did you think you were signing up for when you bought the ticket? That's your own damn fault if those standards weren't met, so you should probably just stick to the news reports on CNN for a more satisfying conclusion to "Repressed Women of the Middle East and the Men Who Control Them." Sorry, but that's not actually a subplot in this film, it's just a point of comparison for the lead characters to indulge their shallow personalities and trivial relationship problems with (again, why wouldn't I be excited to see it??).

When one signs up to see a movie like SATC2, one must expect that plenty of time will be devoted to:

1) Fashion. Lots and lots of costume changes are key. Michael Patrick King always said that New York City was always the fifth character in the show, but really it's the fashion. God love him for it. In this film, we also get the extra bonus of interior decorating! My inner HGTV addict was thrilled, to say the least.
2) Mindless banter between four financially well-off and overly manicured women. The show was designed for everyday women to relate with these characters polarizing personalities and relationship issues (how often do you hear people say: "I'm Carrie!" or "I'm Samantha!" with thunderous pride? It's been a part of pop culture since 1998--get used to it) but in all seriousness, the majority of "everyday women" can actually NOT relate with the SATC characters because not many of us can afford their luxurious lifestyles (each woman took four bags of luggage with them when going on their trip) nor obtain the seemingly endless free time they have to sit down and talk about their shallow lives. The women of SATC are a fantasy, pure and simple. It doesn't mean we don't enjoy the development of their characters any less, it's just that anyone arguing that this movie is insulting to feminism and women's rights movements clearly missed the point.

No matter what, one should always expect that when signing up to see a movie that has DIAMONDS in the font, everything will likely be over-the-top. So why not just swim in it and enjoy the ride? This is a movie that lets you free your mind and join in on the fantasy. Who cares if there are awkward segways or bad deliveries of already cheesy lines--that's part of the fun! Has America really forgotten the joys of paying $10 to see a bad movie with your friends? Do people really take themselves that seriously?

In short, as far as romantic comedies go (and trust me, I've seen a lot of them), this comes no where near the bottom of my list in terms of overall suckage. Why were people so crazy about The Proposal? It was probably the most boring film I've seen that had the best potential for awkward storytelling in its genre. I mean, come on, it was basically a sequel to Two Weeks Notice but without the chemistry and semi-believable payoff. And really? It's Complicated beat out SATC2's 17% approval rating with a 56% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes? I saw that film on my flight to New Zealand, and let me tell you, as far as bad movies goes, that one was UNBEARABLE, and not in a fun way. (it was also written and directed by a woman, so in this instance a gay man actually has a better handle on making entertaining romantic comedies than a one Miss Nancy Meyers).

And yes, I know what you're thinking: why take film advice from a girl who parades around in a homemade prom queen jacket, spreads rumors about secretly being a unicorn, starts glee clubs where people only sing Lady Gaga songs, and prides herself on seeking out bad movies that also serves as confusion for most people wondering if they should take her seriously or not? Well for the simple fact that I'm a fucking PROM QUEEN, enough said. Complain all you want about SATC2, but the pain is half the fun, people. The pain is half the fun.

I had the honor of being featured as "One to Watch" in the most recent issue of American Photo Magazine. The editors over there just sent me a PDF of the article, which was kind of them seeing as I have still yet to find a place in Juneau that carries it. I had a really pleasant experience working with everyone over there, in particular Aimee, the writer, as they put this lovely little 3 page spread together, and I am so happy with how it came out! If you're never checked out the magazine before, you should become a subscriber ASAP. The quality is fantastic and they really show off the photographers' best side. Click on the image for the PDF:

It had been known for a while that I would be taking the wedding and engagement pictures for the other half of the amazingly badass Schoelen sisterhood: Amanda and her super cool fiance, Chris. But man, that didn't alleviate the pressure any. I knew that they wanted to set the stage for their engagement session at a baseball park, since they are huge SF Giants fans and Chris even proposed to Amanda at a Giants game. No big deal, right? WRONG. I am really picky about locations, and I researched for weeks (I even had blog queen Kim pull out all the stops), plus I spent two full days location scouting, before I found the *perfect* spot: a photogenic high school in the foothills with a cutesy-softball park. I get bonus points since they both spent a good chunk of their time while the relationship was blossoming in said foothills.

In short, the three of us had a blast. Thumb wrestling, raking the field, and making big plans to build a moat and drawbridge at their new house. These two are so ridiculously happy and in love that it's contagious. I don't think we ever stopped laughing the entire shoot! Can't wait for the wedding this fall--congratulations Amanda and Chris!



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I've been talking about this for years and have stopped consuming plastic water bottle almost completely thanks to my Kleen Kanteen reusable water bottle. Really excited to see this documentary (and not just because Kucinich is in it!):



For more info, go to their website: Tapped

My busy schedule has prevented me from updating my blog regularly, but I was proud to see this picture that I shot for Florida Travel + Life while I was living/working there during the winter of '08-09 make an appearance in their "Florida Faces" section at the back of the magazine's most recent issue. They even had me fill out a little blurb to talk about what was going through my head when I took the shot. I've only had pleasant experiences in working with FTL--everything from the art direction to the wonderfully personable and talented editors has consistently impressed me, and if I wasn't so hell bent on living in the mountains, I'd move back to Florida and dive back into that amazing working experience again in a heartbeat.



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"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore." - Lady Gaga

This quote has saturated with me more intensely over the past month than any advice I've gotten in a long time. It's hard for me to remember the weight of it sometimes because I get so wrapped up with insecurities, fear, my past, daydreams, and my social life (which I totally adore and cherish and will miss once I leave again), but when everything is up in the air and floating around without me knowing what to do with it, at least I know I can turn all that confused energy into something positive with my career plans. After all, I'm going to be featured in a national magazine soon, and I really want that to become a trend.

This will be the year that I put myself out there harder than ever before. Contests, festivals, galleries--you name it, I'm going to pursue them all. Possible rejection be damned. I can't waste my potential anymore; I need to surpass my own perceived ability and even if it takes fucking forever to finish my projects, god damnit, I will finish them.

I leave for New Zealand in two days. When I get back, I have one week left in California before I drive to Alaska. This summer will be different than the last because no matter how much I work or how burnt out I am, I won't lose sight of what's important: my friendships and my career. Neither will be neglected like they often were last year because this year, no matter how complicated it may get, I won't stop working on my dreams. They will be accomplished on a larger scale than ever before. I owe at least that to myself.

Usually, I have good ideas. Especially when setting up themed portrait sessions with my eternal muse, roller derby mama Kim Burly. Today, our 80's BurlyCise photoshoot was a little misguided. I didn't think that the country backdrop by her house that we normally use was the right fit for her leopard thongitard outfit, so I thought, "let's head to motel drive, I think there's this cool Hollywood mural we could use." To which Kim replied, "As long as the cops don't mistake me for a prostitute, I'm in."

Even though this sentiment registered with me, I really didn't grasp the full weight of her concern and happily skipped over to dirty ol' Motel Drive, where I would soon have a fundamental Fresno rite of passage.

Fifteen minutes into the shoot, our new toothless cracked out "friend" approached us. He asked if he could just "watch;" apparently at one point he touched me while creepily saying something like: "she's so perfect" in Kim's direction. I don't remember this happening, I must have blocked it from my memory in order to avoid future nightmares. A few minutes after that, his girlfriends surrounded us, spewing out crazy mumblings about who they are, who to avoid and so forth. One girl looked over at our first friend and pointed out that his wound was oozing blood again--GROSS!

We managed to tune them out long enough for them to get the hint and wander off, until two other toothless hookers approached us and inquired about my professional rates. At this point I remember Kim motioning me to hurry up and wrap up the shoot. Less than 45 minutes to sundown, time to scram. I knew I only had a few pictures in the bag that were good, so we would have to finish later, in a much safer location.

On our way out, the cops who had been interrogating potential prostitutes down the street pulled up next to my car to ask "what the hell we were doing." I explained the shoot and how Kim had recently lost 30 pounds so we wanted to show off her body with neon leotards next to the cool, kitschy motel signs. They rolled their eyes and were sure to note that we were in a "dangerous area" and I could have easily gotten my camera gear stolen (yeah right, Kim and I had weights and giant trophies to take any thief down with, and we could tie them up with the jumprope). A few eyerolls later and the cops let us go, us laughing the whole time.

After that, Kim decided that I am no longer in charge of picking out locations on the bad side of town without a bodyguard present.

Not that I don't know how to treat a lady. Later, she was sure to tell me: "This was the most fun afternoon ever. Thanks for helping me check 'toothless ho's' off my bucket list."

So without further adieu, this is Burlycise, Part 1: Workin' it for the Working Girls



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Oh man, I have so little time left before I head back to Alaska! I'm in California for the next 12 days, then I'm heading to New Zealand on my birthday for 10 days, then I'll come home for a week, and then I'll begin my journey back to Alaska.

Right now I have my schedule set to do the following: Drive from Fresno to Seattle on April 18th; spend the 19th and the 20th in Seattle visiting friends; drive to Prince George on the 21st, spend the night, drive to Prince Rupert on the 22nd, spend the day in Prince Rupert and catch the ferry to Juneau that night!

I'm also going to be setting up a Photo Booth at the next NoTown roller derby bout on April 17th to promote LeAnne and I's new business, which is really exciting! Come see me there and get your picture taken; Cho will be my lovely assistant, so you can't miss us. :) I'm still generating ideas for the backdrop... if you have a good one send it my way!

On a side note, I'm hella broke so I'm doing everything I can to make a little bit of money to pay my first month's rent, my gas for the drive up, and my ferry ticket. I'm amazed that I survived all winter on the little money that I had, but now I'm hurting again and I won't get my first real paycheck til mid-May. Eeesh. I hope I get some work before then, or at least find a miracle to help me out.

That's all for now. Cobrasnake OUT

It's been a while since I've posted any pictures. I've been on the road a lot lately and haven't had time to sort through the thousands upon thousands of images I've shot over the past couple of months.

But as I'm working on launching a side business with LeAnne, I made time to get some portraits edited that I took of Kim on her birthday a few weeks ago. This was my birthday gift to her, and a perfect opportunity for her to show off her amazing new body! Kim continues to be my portrait muse; we have at least two new ideas to execute over the next few weeks and I can't wait. <3



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The best part of Kathryn Bigelow winning tonight for best director and best picture (besides me seeing her perform at Point Break Live!! last weekend -- omg I was so starstruck) was that, according to the asshat also known as James Cameron, the "novelty" of her being the first female director to win an Oscar has now opened doors for female artists everywhere! Thanks, James, for reminding us women that we can't earn anything based on our raw talent, merit, and hard work, but rather because the "story of a female winning is so juicy" that of course the award would go to her.

That being said, thanks to Kathryn's win, I now feel so FREE and LIBERATED like never before that I am going to devote 100% of my time, money, and super charged estrogen into my soon-to-be Tony/Grammy/Academy Award winning project--Twlight: The Musical

I think it will follow in Kathryn's footsteps nicely and do her reputation as a trail-blazer proud. Especially since I am going to cast a velociraptor as Bella and Keanu Reeves will play a cameo as Bella's lips. Please email me if you're interested in helping to develop more ideas. Website coming soon!!!

My dad and I just bought our plane tickets to New Zealand for my birthday! We're leaving on March 30th and coming back on April 10th. I was put in charge of researching rental car prices and putting together a loose itinerary. My first order of business: instead of getting a rental car, we will just saddle up some kangaroos dragons and ride them around the island for 10 days.

Oh it's gonna be sooooo fun <3

Continuing with my What I Wore series, Aurora and I decided to do a DOUBLE TROUBLE edition (which later included Ben) while I visited her in Los Angeles on my drive back from Colorado. Her apartment is super cute, and fit our theme perfectly!



What I Wore: 2.11.10

Photo and makeup by Aurora Armijo
Lighting by Ben Pringle
Flower made of GAGA

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I got an email yesterday from American Photo Magazine. They love my work and want to feature me in their "One to Watch" column for the May/June issue (will be on newsstands by April). I'll be getting interviewed by a writer and they will run at least three of my photographs over three pages.

I am so beyond stoked. One step closer to world domination!

Me: "SAM, you need some lessons on how to talk to the ladies. Lesson #1: do NOT call them a cow!"
Sam: "But I'm a matador!"



That is a pretty good argument, I have to say.

I have an endless fascination with laundry being hung out to dry. Maybe it's because I never saw it growing up as a kid in my modern suburban California neighborhood, with its fences and its seclusive nature; or maybe it's because I like the way it adds to the charms of a small town, especially when I see it outside with snow on the ground. Winter doesn't stop life here... I like that about Leadville.

Lately, it has been brought to my attention that a certain good friend of mine has stolen my beloved sweatshirt (or I may have left it at her house accidentally months ago... whatever, semantics!). Obviously this required me to start harassing her on Facebook whenever I spotted a picture of her wearing it. She has responded with MANY taunting posts on Twitter, such as:




THE NERVE, am I right?!?!

Immediately I call her out as the harlot she is, but it doesn't cease!

So then today, she goes and gives me this DOUBLE insult!







OH THAT IS IT! This means war!

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Continuing with my "What I Wore" blog series, today I channeled my inner Gaga for a set of pictures I like to call Leadville Chique:



Jacket: Made from real unicorn fur, glitter from the tears of kittens
Glasses: Gift from Aurora
Boots: Xtratufs, bought in Juneau, Alaska





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Over two years ago I decided to re-design my website. I took down the old, extremely crappy one, and left a 'coming soon' banner up for what now feels like FOREVER. People would ask, "do you have a website?" and I would say, "uh, it's under construction, but check out my blog!" as if I was planning to have it launched relatively soon or something. How embarrassing. Gaga would never let that happen.

Well, the wait is over, dear fans. I finally launched my new website, complete with never-before-seen pictures. Check it:




I wanted my bio to say: "JEN EM IS A FUCKIN' FILMSLUT WHO GETS IT ON WITH CRAZY LOCALES TO LAUNCH A PHOTOLOAD AT YOUR FACE", but apparently that's not professional.

I'm starting a new "What I Wore" blog series in which I will only take pictures of myself wearing my prom queen jacket. Here I am, hard at work!



Jacket: Forever 21, $7, custom made campaign lettering by Aurora Armijo.
Computer: MacBook Pro
Dreamboat: Patrick Wolf <3

I am really into dudes with fire-red hair as of late. I dare you to watch this video and NOT fall in love with him:

"Stop promoting G-Force... it is making you less attractive."

People just DON'T get me.

Let's see, how would I describe Santacon? Well, basically it's an all-day event where people all across the country dress up as Santa--or in Santa-related attire--and combine a mix of corporate/consumer holiday protesting, drinking, debauchery, and handing out demented gifts, in between multiple bar crawls and strip club stops.

I went to the Santacon in Denver on December 18th. It wasn't nearly as big as the Santacons in LA and New York, but still fun nonetheless. The Santas used a "sleigh" (really it was a worn down bus) to get from location to location, until it ultimately broke down halfway through the day. I wanted to follow them the entire night, but unfortunately I had an early shoot in Leadville the next morning, so I left them at the strip club. Here are my favorite pictures from the event:



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So every now and then my amazing friend Cho likes to send me postcards while I am displaced from California. I got four when I was living in Alaska, and now she's sending me some while I'm in Leadville. This, however, has to be one of the best ones she's ever sent me. LAVA!

I am seriously about to BURST with happiness right now, I just can't contain it.

Not only did I just make one of my dreams come true by turning Ace of Base's "The Sign", Boston's "More Than A Feeling", and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" into my new ringtones, but there is SO MUCH to look forward to this year that I just have to share!

First of all, I'm staying with an amazingly warm and wonderful family in Leadville til the first week of February while I work on my project. Peter, Amy, and Sam inspire me every single day, it's unreal. I love the way they live and how Amy cooks 5 star meals every night. We play lots of games, have great conversations, Sam is a super fun kid to be around, and, like I said, the food is INCREDIBLE. She makes homemade Russian soups, pho, steaks and sweet potatoes, beef tamales, and tonight a tres leches cake, among many of her other masterpieces. I eat so well and I still lose weight, LAVA!

Today I bought myself a super early birthday present (or a belated Christmas present?), a Fuji Instax 210:



I fell in love with the Mini Instax 7 when I saw this blog post, which inspired LeAnne to buy one for the 80's Prom. We tried it out and adored it, but I'm getting the bigger version because it's going to work nicely with some of my many project ideas I have lined up for the year (and I can write it off as a business expense!)

Anyway, when I'm done with Leadville, I'm going back to San Jose for a little while so I can do the post-production work at LeAnne's house, and so we can get working on our many business ventures we're starting up together. I keep telling her how happy I am to have a partner in crime that I work this well with. We're always on the same page with our business ideas--which is a rarity--and we have a ton of fun doing it--which is its own reward.

We're also planning at least two road trips together this year. One will hopefully be in March, so we can "crash" the boys' trip to Vail and I can go get some pickup shots. The other will be in April or September, when hopefully she can join me on my drive to Alaska! I am so beyond stoked to go to the Yukon, you have no idea.

For my birthday my dad and I are going to New Zealand together. That's right, NEW ZEALAND! What better way to ring in my 25th year? We're going to book our tickets in the next week or two. That is a definitely a dream come true for me, no question. New Zealand has always been on the top of my list of places to go, and I'll be there the day I turn 25!

Of course this summer I'll be returning to my Alaska job, and I'll be taking a week off to go to Aurora's wedding! I can't wait to make our bride and bridesmaid matching velor track suits with the words "LARRY DAVID" going across the ass (he's invited to the bachelorette party). I am always gushing to people about how happy I am she found Ben; to be there the day they get married will be one of the best days of the year. I mean, come on, they're gonna play ABBA! Like hell will I miss that.

There will also be more Sunday Funday events, more Tranny Craft Nights, and more Photobooth sessions all year long. 2010 is going to be the year of glittering epic dracula-unicorns and positive change! I have already followed through on my biggest and most important resolution this year, and I'm not looking back. There is so much to look forward to, so much potential, and I could not be more excited about what's in store.

It's been a long time since I've been this content and at peace with the world. I am forever grateful to my friends and family for always lifting me up when I was down and serving as wonderful examples as to how to live a happy and fulfilling life. Without them, I don't think I would be where I am right now. So thanks, team tranny (Aurora, Chris, Kim, LeAnne, Ben, Beth, Amy, etc)! You guys are the best. <3

Try as I might, I really don't know any other way on how to recap the amazing night that was our Totally Rad 80's Prom New Year's Eve without making it an extremely long journal entry. It was truly that EPIC. So bear with me as I re-live the night with [a minimally edited sleuth of] pictures and videos (the total facebook-ready edit came down to 400 images total).

I had been looking forward to the party the minute LeAnne had started planning it. If you had ever been to one of LeAnne's Sunday Funday parties before, you'd understand why--the girl KNOWS how to throw a theme party, as I learned a few years ago one Halloween night when she covered the walls in corn stalk and made a bleeding heart cake with white chocolate ribs. I was certain that it was going to be the highlight of my trip home to California. I spent days--yes, DAYS--putting my outfit together: two full days of shopping, one day of sewing and crafting, and a last minute pink checkered high-heeled shoe find. Everything I bought was on super major clearance, so I didn't entirely break the bank, but I guarantee I spent more than most people did.

Fast forward the the 31st, I was super stoked that Aurora and Ben decided to drive up to San Jose with me for the party. Together we blew up a TON of balloons (well over 500) and Team Tranny did the bulk of the decorations while LeAnne worked on making a sweet Rubik's cube cake. We also made a badass balloon arch out front, and Aurora assembled the campaign station for Prom Queen + King. Elisa came the party as well to join in on the festivities, and snagged TWO raffle prizes, the most notable being a Rubik's cube!

Everyone who showed up looked AMAZING! The vibe was really good and we all danced til way past 3am. I won prom queen and Post--LeAnne's boyfriend's best friend/roommate/co-party planner--was crowned prom king. A perfect combination, if I do say so myself! Although I found out later that my queendom was almost sabotaged by my arch rival! Apparently she convinced people to vote twice and entered blank ballots with just her name on it, the nerve!

Me: "I bet it would have been by a landslide if not for her!"
Alex: "Then again, let's not forget that you were telling people you'd sleep with them* for a vote... So I mean it's not as if you took the Martin Luther King approach to it."

*Ben told them that, not me!

In the end, I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off 2010. I am extremely grateful to have ended 2009 surrounded by such positive and fun-loving people. Many of the events that transpired that night helped undo a lot of damage done last year, and I am still riding high from all the good memories we created. I felt extremely confident and overwhelmingly happy the whole time I was there, and it helped remind me of who I am and who I was always meant to be.

The prom queen thing is just an added bonus, really.

Onto the pictures and video!



One of the key highlights of the party was setting up a photobooth for all the guests. We had two strobes and a cable extension so they could trigger the camera themselves. It was such a hit! We didn't have to force anyone in there, they just flocked to the garage and went shutter crazy!

( 26 more of the photobooth )

So I mentioned we blew up over 500 balloons, right? Well some of that went to our custom-made balloon drops:



Some of that went to our bad ass balloon arch outside:



And whatever wasn't scattered around the dance floor we kept in the balloon pit, which served as a second photobooth!



( 19 more of the balloon pit! )



Now, not only did we all look AMAZING, but the dancing was pretty spectacular too, as shown in this video:



Onto the goodies!



Here is that amazing Rubik's cube cake I was mentioning LeAnne made, along with a table full of raffle prizes.



Post proudly showing off the pocket simon. Watch this video of us giving out the prize!



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Obviously we kept the 80's fun going the next morning too. Post wore my dress downstairs to breakfast, and then we all dressed up and went to Safeway, wishing customers a happy 1988!



And that, dear livejournal (does anyone read this thing anymore?!?), is how I rang in the new year. Not to brag or anything.

I am a Skydog, first and foremost, and I'll shake the hand of anyone who can top that sort of breeding. I had no-where to go but up.

And up I did go! High, pie in the sky, up up up to the heaven known as Alaska. I'll-ask-ya (whaaa whaaa), how does one get there? Well, this little lady got there through shear, unadulterated talent and determination. I passed interviews. I kicked the ass of a rhino. Beat that, Michael Jackson. You ain't never heard the brilliant click-click of a shutter aperture until you've met Milton, my trusty camera. I call him "sexyface". Or that's what I call YOU when you are modeling.

If you know what I mean.

Another year, another chapter of success in my book. This coming January I'll start off with a bang--as per usual. I'll be shepbopping my way into the winner's circle (scratch that--I'll be SECURING my place in the winners circle, for the 25th year in a row). It ain't nothing a little perfection in the form of a fly-ass free bitch (read: that's me, Jennifere Merling) can't do.

The world is my oyster. And I'm the motherfucking pearl.