Saturday, January 23, 2010

One Person's Trash...

Not a Treasure

Playa del Rey, California
I was going to blog about how beautiful the beach looks after it rains. I can see all the way to Santa Monica and Malibu on one side, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the other. The views are sharp and crisp. Even the palm trees seem brighter against the blue skies.

Many people think photos, unretouched photos that is, don't lie. The truth is, every time you point your camera you are choosing what to show, and what not to show. As many of you know, I went to school for photojournalism and freelanced for several newspapers. A photojournalist's job is to tell the story truthfully. As a wedding photographer, my goal is to tell the story of your day honestly, but also beautifully. So if your wedding location is undergoing renovations and there's a construction-orange fence on one side (which did happen last year), I will choose the pretty trees as the background for your ceremony photos.

I could've done the same thing with this post, but instead I thought I'd share what I really saw on the beach.

Los Angeles rains storms Dockweiler Beach Playa del Rey ocean waves washed up sand junk water bottles motor oil photographer

The waves were massive, crashing to the shore.

Dockweiler Beach Playa del Rey ocean waves

I wondered if the ocean was mad as it spit out all the junk people threw into it.


Nestled in the kelp were pieces of paper, styrofoam, dozens of water bottle caps, and water bottles...

junk washed-up Dockweiler Beach Los Angeles

and labels...


and no less than 3 motor oil containers within ten feet of me. How much of that oil ended up in the ocean? One gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.


Is this the great future in plastics?


Maybe you're sick of looking at photos of all this junk. So am I. And so are other Angelenos like the volunteers for Heal the Bay's Nothin' But Sand cleanups. Next clean-up for Dockweiler Beach is March 20. Anyone want to join me?

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Can You Stop the Rain?

Playa del Rey, California
There's something refreshing about the rain in Los Angeles. It washes away all the grime, clears the air, forces us all to slow down just a little bit. After three days of rain, it gets scary. Flooding, lots of accidents, potential mudslides. Maybe it's time for the rain to go away, and come back another day?

rain weather Los Angeles California wedding photographer

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Saturday, January 9, 2010

That's Amore!

Huntington Beach, California
I met my husband a week after the start of the new millennium. We celebrated ten years (!!!) of knowing each other with a romantic and relaxing gondola ride through the canals of Huntington Harbour. Thank you to our awesome gondolier and to Sunset Gondola.

Sunset Gondola photographer

Sunset Gondola imports their vessels direct from Venice, Italy. This gondola was crafted by hand. The details, like this seahorse, are gorgeous.


It's a bit surreal floating in a boat that could have been made centuries ago, passing by modern day cruisers.


Happy Anniversary to us!


If you're interested, Sunset Gondola can be hired for proposals, weddings and vow renewals. And of course anniversaries!

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Friday, January 8, 2010

Happy New Year!

I'm finishing up my last wedding of 2009. Congratulations to Christina and Zander, and their fun-loving dog Einstein, seen here in front of Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.

If you haven't noticed, Polka Photos is also sporting a brand new logo. More exciting news to come! Happy 2010!

Santa Monica wedding photographer

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