Winning Is Fun!

 Blissfully Unaware : First Place, Best of Show

Results of the 2009 Essence of Bellingham Photo Competition are in and I’m excited to report that  little old me took this year’s top prize with my photo Blissfully Unaware, a shot I captured  on Inauguration Day at Bellingham’s Mt. Baker Theatre. Said the jury:

This photograph, rich with imagery, is anything but “unaware.” The baby’s dynamic face, uplifted eyebrows and other vivid expressions speak volumes about hope. This child has expectations! The photographer captured an amazing moment of expression on the faces of both the baby and our President; the new-to-the-world softness of the child juxtaposed against the serious, determined look of newly-inaugurated President Obama. We’re relying on both President and baby to chart our future. The other figures in the photograph are fully engaged in rapt attention to this historic moment. This is Bellingham, in celebration, in our cherished Mount Baker Theatre on Inaugural Day 2009.

It’s always nice to know that the message I am trying to convey in a photo is well received by the viewer. I was definitely struck by the juxtaposition of images and the idea that this tiny little person would never know life the way it was before this historical event… hence the title, Blissfully Unaware. This was not an easy shot to frame as the soundboard I was standing next to limited my movement while both the baby and  the images on the big screen were constantly in motion. I also did not want to draw the attention of the baby’s mother because once there is awareness of a camera, everything changes! So I slyly and carefully fired off as many shots as I could and crossed my fingers that one would turn out. Apparently I succeeded!

It’s also interesting and a bit comedic to note that I had not considered entering this photo in the contest until my friend Jen of Jen Martin Studios put up a fuss about it. Since I had space for one more entry, I willingly obliged. I’m so happy I listened to her voice of reason : ) I’m also happy to report that Jen’s son Eli, entering in the K-4th Grade category, won Second Place, Best of Show with this shot titled CHOMP!  Looks like Eli and I will be meeting Mayor Pike together at the end of the month : )

Here are the rest of my entries which received recognition…

Outspoken : Best of Subject, Signs

Autumn Tradition : Best of Subject, Activities

Quality Time : Honorable Mention

Good Old Fashion Fun : Honorable Mention

Inauguration Day : Honorable Mention

Preferred Mode of Travel : Honorable Mention

All of  this year’s entries will be showcased at  Whatcom Museum Friday, 5 June 2009 through Sunday, 7 June 2009 from 12:00 to 5:00. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Essence of Bellingham 2009

Autumn Tradition

It’s time again to share my entries in the annual Essence of Bellingham photo contest. I keep a file on my pc into which throughout the year I occasionally drop a file that I think might be a good candidate for the entry in the contest. Unfortunately this year it seems I was not quite so diligent about going out to shoot just for fun as I had just ten shots to choose from in that file. Fortunately that is the maximum number of photos one can enter in the contest, so at least I didn’t have to spend a lot of time choosing which ones got the thumbs up! Here are the photos I captured in the past year that represent my vision of the essence of the city I call home.

The above shot was taken on a November afternoon at Maritime Heritage Park. I always watch for these guys to show up on the banks of Whatcom Creek as an indicator of when it’s time to go cheer on the salmon as they fight their way up the falls.

Blissfully Unaware

Actually, I lied… when I first checked that file on my computer, there were only nine shots in it. My photographer friend Jen insisted I add this shot that I captured at the Mt. Baker Theatre on Inauguration Day to my entries. Thanks, Jen!

Good Old Fashion Fun

So far I’ve been fortunate to not have a wedding to shoot on the Fourth of July, which means I always get to participate in the fun at the Columbia Neighborhood’s annual Independence Day Celebration in Elizabeth Park. The neighborhood parade, the silly races and everyone dressed in red, white & blue make for a classic celebration of the holiday!

Homecoming

I’ve wanted for quite some time to capture a shot of the Mt. Baker Theatre with its marquis lit. What would possibly make for a better shot for the than to have Death Cab for Cutie’s name on the marquis? To me, the success of this band speaks volumes about the essence of Bellingham.

Inauguration Day

Just like this shot that I entered in last year’s competition, I knew instantly that the photo was “made” when my subject flashed the peace sign at the very last moment.

Long, Cold Winter

I took this shot through a window that looks out into the front courtyard of the little cottage that I call home. As I am sure everyone recalls, it was a very long, very cold winter and my view out this window was framed by those icicles for weeks! My favorite time of day was twilight when the snow in the distance was tinted blue by the fading light.

Lost Inside Michael’s

This is the one shot that I actually staged specifically for entry in the contest. In my mind, someone browsing the stacks of books inside one of Bellingham’s many used bookstores is a good representative of its essence. Many thanks to my friend Erin for willingly participating in bringing my vision to life!

Outspoken

I was setting up for a shoot at my friend Greg’s shop when the rider of this bike parked it across the street. Not one to let an opportunity pass, I bolted over there and captured this shot before the rider returned.

Preferred Mode of Travel

I really like this shot captured while waiting for breakfast at the Old Town Cafe. A couple on bikes with a smiling lab in tow… it doesn’t get much more “Bellingham” than that!

Quality Time

I love it when I am in the right place at the right time. I just happened to be doing a sunset engagement shoot with a couple at Larrabee State Park when this family paddled by.

I’ll be sure to post any winners once the results are announced. In the meantime, you can see my entries to previous years’ competitions here!

Spring At Our House!

Spring is finally showing itself here in Western Washington! I spent a little while wandering around our yard yesterday, taking stock of all the life popping through land and limbs. I swear if you didn't know better you might think we had alien species growing all around us!

Budding chestnut leaves

Asian pear buds - can't wait to snack on the fruits of their labor!


Baby rhubarb - I think they look like little brains.

Peonies in the making...I can't believe something so beautiful starts out so... ummm... "interesting"...

Tiny thyme leaves


Tender leaves basking in the sun following a day of downpours

Little lilac buds... I have 5 lilac bushes in my yard!


The humming birds are frequent visitors to these pretty pink flowers!

I have not identified this plant yet but its itty bitty blooms sure are sweet!

I'm anxious for the magnolia to bloom... it's right outside my bedroom window : )

Lilies pushing their way toward the sun

Terra cotta pots awaiting their mates for the summer

Stay tuned for what things look like around here this summer!

Where is Spring? Right Here!

Well it is officially spring now but you would barely know it around Western Washington... not even the forsythia has bloomed yet and that usually happens in early February! I'm ready for some color NOW, even if it means I have to dig through the archives to get it. Flowers are one of my favorite subjects to photograph, so I have plenty of images to choose from. I love knowing that even though each bloom will live a short life, I have a way to make the beauty of each one endure forever!

Thank you, Mother Nature, for all the beauty you provide for us every day... even though some days it seems harder to find than others : )

Inauguration Day 1.20.009

I have always loved analyzing photographs of historic events so I'd been thinking for awhile about where I wanted to be with my camera on Inauguration Day 2009. At first I thought it would be great to document the event with Asher and his 600 middle school classmates as they watched the ceremony together in the school auditorium, but after throwing this idea out to him, I thought maybe it would be better for him to have that experience without the influence of Mom. It wasn't until I was heading home after dropping him at school that morning that I realized the Mt. Baker Theatre was showing the event on the main stage. The Mt. Baker Theatre is a place of special personal significance to me and one of my favorite buildings in Bellingham, so I could not think of a better place to experience such an historical event. I raced home, exchanged glasses for contacts, grabbed my camera and headed back downtown. I arrived at the theater to a crowd on its feet, cheering as President Elect Barack Obama arrived on the balcony to watch his vice president take his own inaugural oath. The lights were dimmed so my opportunities for photos were narrow (not to mention I was quite engrossed in this event!) but I managed to get off a handful of shots that capture the essence of the experience...

I really love this picture and had to shoot several of them to get both the full face of the baby and the new president in frame. I can't help but think about how this is a defining moment in this child's life and how he is blissfully (and perhaps fortunately?) unaware.

After I left the theater, I thought it would be fun to take a walk around downtown and document signs of the day. I was simultaneously stunned and thrilled to realize that the inauguration was the talk of the town... every group of people or person on a cell phone that I passed was engrossed in conversation about our new president. Regardless of our personal political beliefs, I think we all can agree this is a strange and wonderful turn of events in the United States of America.

This is my favorite shot of the day. I was simply getting another shot of the headlines when I saw this pair crossing the street so I waited a few seconds for them to fall into perfect place- never anticipating that this guy would make the shot 100 times better by flashing me the peace sign!

Winter At Our House!

Just wanted to quickly share some photos I've taken around the neighborhood this week. I'm not much of a fan of winter, but I must admit, I do like looking out the windows and seeing this...

The following photos were taken in the field one block from our house... I did my first photo shoot there last weekend and am looking forward to many more throughout upcoming seasons!

At the Market

My love of taking pictures at farmer's markets began several summers ago when I took the above shot of a bunch of berries at a stand at the Pike Place Market in Seattle. Since then, the farmer's market has become one of my very favorite places to take pictures. I think anyone would be hard pressed to find a place with more fascinating colors, textures and patterns in one place than in the bins and baskets filled with fresh produce at any market. In the past four years since I started shooting digitally, I've collected quite a catalog of mouth-watering photos of fruits and veggies taken at various markets around the northwest. Since mid-August is peak harvest time, I thought now would be a good time to share some of my favorites!

Like all of my work with non-human subjects, prints of these images are for sale. I've always thought these pictures would be a great addition to the decor of any kitchen and finally got around to putting some up in my own! Besides the shot of the honey bears above, I chose a few pictures of fresh fruit to add some color to my kitchen...

If you are interested in having some of these shots for your own kitchen, please email me at sandi@soulsticeimagery.com!