loved. this. project.
just some gorgeous shots of a head.
hair by diana lopez of hello beautiful salon
make-up by the genius katrina kirk also of hello beautiful salon
and pictures by me. :)
wouldn’t it be fun to be this glam. all. the. time?
let’s get a head count. what’s your favorite shot?
“where you are is where i belong.
where you go is where i want to be.” –dave matthews
sometimes a tale of love is better told from its hero or heroine…
“My Dearest Andrew,
My lungs require an extra deep breath, as I sit here to write you this little token of love. A gigantic, nostalgic sigh as I sail away to the beginning of Us– all those nights I’d stay up, restless in bed, under a mess of white sheets, with the sound of Ryan Adams serenading my racing heart, that old brown journal in hand, searching for words to give to you, words that could do justice for the feelings that were just starting to take my heart captive.
I loved writing to you, and imagining you reading my thoughts out loud, thousands of miles away, underneath a little yellow light at your desk, I imagined your hands, what they looked like, as they tore open the envelope, unpacking what I had sealed for you.
Our exchanging of words, of heart, in letters, in poetry, and now in real life have become my favorite memories, ever. The sharing, Andrew. What we’ve intentionally shared, it moves me like the moon moves the waves. They’ve washed me up on your shore, once lost at sea, now comfortably anchored with you, where I intend to bask for all of time.
Even before we met each other in person, I remember sending you a post card from a little ma and pop shop in New York. I remember signing my name– Love, Whitney. I wondered what you’d think when you’d see my handwriting, and what you’d feel when you saw the word Love, followed by my name. Would you smile? Would your heart skip like mine?
I remember your voice so well, because it was all I had for all those months. Smiling, I sat perched at my window sill, looking out to the street, the rain falling, and the lights gleaming, listening to your dreams of meeting me, someday soon. If we could only meet…
We would whisper in the dark, until 3 am, talking about anything that came to mind. You sat in your old El Camino, and told me about the bench seat you installed, and you told me one day you’d like to have me sit real close to you in that middle seat, and take me out to dinner, and hold my hand. To just hold your hand, what I’d do.
I remember giggling in excitement as I’d anxiously tear open the mail sitting on my bed. I’d read those letters a hundred times, and wonder what would happen if we took this chemistry to the next level… if we perhaps… met.
And at last, we did. Five long months later, it was time. I picked you up from the airport, after reapplying my lip gloss 37 times, and my heart felt like it was going to burst at its seams.
I saw you standing there on the curb, at LAX, and as my car slowed down, time began to stand still.
It slowly sank into my skin, what was happening, as the door slowly creaked open, and as life continued to play, in slow motion, I saw you, my future, merging with me… your future.
Andrew, that first time we looked at each other, that… that was magic. Do you remember it like I do? The beginning. Our story. It’s my favorite one.
Now, a few chapters in, I sit here, completely overwhelmed by what has been written for us.
And to think, our beginning… was just the beginning.
My love, cheers to the future, and our story being told, and retold, to each other, in memories, to one another, and one day to our children to come.
I love you.
Whitney”
love. love. love.
“To My Darling, Whitney,
It is evident you have beauty and charm in spades—an overabundance in fact, if that is possible. No one can deny that. Anyone with even the slightest amount of sense and eyes in their head can tell you’re magnificently made. And I know this far better than anyone else, having been given the opportunity to study you so intently all these months. But there is far more to you than cute dresses, or even your stunning, natural aesthetics…
Whitney, it has been the greatest honor for the last year and some months, having the ability to get close to you and look below the surface of your person. All men and women may admire you for those things I spoke of a moment ago—your charm, your beauty, or the many ways your love bubbles to the surface—but it is for me alone to know you in the most intimate ways. That privilege is the greatest gift I have ever been given; you will always be my clearest evidence of divine providence.
Your smile swallows my heart; it’s perfect punctuation for the only joy I’ve known to truly be contagious. You effortlessly season all your words with grace, but that’s because you bring them forth from the overflowing storehouses of love I’ve seen inside your heart. You’re incredibly delicate, softening my heart with a gentle touch and tender voice. At the same time you’re a refuge of strength where I seek restoration and renewal for my soul.
You’re my famous love, my one and only home.
You’re my sun on every hoped-for horizon, the fruit of blessing that I survive on. You’re all the places I wish to travel to, and the renewal of every dream I had resigned before I met you.
You know I have a lot to learn about life and living, but in my twenty-three years I’ve learned one important truth: True love is eternal because it proceeds from God. Dearest Whitney, I look forward (with the greatest faith, hope, and love) to sharing in eternity with you.
Andrew
(And if all this has been too wordy and I’ve somewhere missed the mark then let me simply say: I want to get a house with you, and have kids with you, and love you no matter what our future holds.)”
another love.love. love.
couldn’t choose a favorite. any way you flip it she is a muse:
a love letter written by franz kafka:
“i belong to you; there is really no other way of expressing it, and that is not strong enough.
how could i, fool that i am, go on sitting in my office, or here at home, instead of leaping onto a train with my eyes shut and opening them only when i am with you.”
and we’ll let james joyce take us out:
“You are my only love.
You have me completely in your power.
I know and feel that if I am to write anything fine and noble in the future I shall do so only by listening at the doors of your heart.
I would like to go through life side by side with you, telling you more and more until we grew to be one being together until the hour should come for us to die.”
whit and drew, so happy for you. may your hearts always be filled with each other. much love, kam
the debate will be eternal. the argument plays repeatedly. objectivity really doesn’t exist. it can’t. really. shall we go there? ;) jaren and i debate all the time about literature and how it is impossible to grade students objectively on something that is so subjective. it’s one reason he hated his english class so much: his interpretation was always different than his teacher’s and she consequently marked him down for it. are we, as humans, capable of being objective, when everything that makes us who we are is so subjective?
here’s the thing: life is subjective. everything about it is totally open to interpretation, just because i like something doesn’t mean the person standing next to me is going to be as passionate about it, and that’s what makes us all interesting and textured and cool. i am going to get everyone all bothered when i say that i don’t think harry potter is that great of a wizard, or when i say that i am probably the only person who hasn’t bought into the twilight novels or the teams edward or jacob; i just don’t care or particularly like them. that’s my opinion. it is what it is. but my girlfriends who love them don’t care that i don’t. they actually invite me along because i have something different to say about the subject. my point is, everyone is going to look at things differently. that’s fine. it’s good actually. it makes for really great conversation and insight; it takes thought to deeper levels which is really cool. it’s smart to consider something different from what you consider. i would never, however, call stephanie meyer and tell her that i didn’t care for edward or jacob, because first, she didn’t solicit advice or feedback from me, and second, who cares? she doesn’t. a zillion people love her work. she is making a bazillion dollars at bookstores and the box office. she doesn’t care if some don’t think she is a talented writer who touches the human spirit on a profound level. all she cares about is that her three boys all wear gap kids now instead of target’s circo. (she probably cares about other things too; i am sure she does. and there is nothing wrong with circo, both of my children sport it daily. ;))
life is about choices. if you don’t like what you are seeing, hearing, reading, etc. then block out the voice! i don’t read the twilight series because i choose not to; there are other novels that interest me more. WE have the choice to turn off that extrinsic force: turn off the radio, leave the theater, return the book, or exit out of the web page. it’s easy. if you don’t like what you see go somewhere else; fill your life with what fills you, but make it things that will take you to a higher level of thought and living.
i love the images i am about to showcase. i love the people who helped create them. to me they are cool, and noteworthy, and distinctive, and that’s all the matters.
a few weeks ago i kicked it with gus, a hobbiest photographer with a keen eye for life and freezing it with his camera. he is a shy, humble guy so there aren’t any links to him, but hopefully he will chime in soon with some of what he captured during our shoot together, because he did so well and got so many great images!! thank you gus for your humble spirit and enthusiasm to learn; i am grateful for that!
massive props to katrina of kitsch for all of the stylings for the shoot. hair, make-up, and wardrobe were all her creation. if you are looking for someone to style anything for you, she is the one to contact. plus her heart is so good; she somehow understands everyone’s debates. you will contact her to make you beautiful for something and will leave with a new friend.
and a thank you to keiri. it really couldn’t have been possible with out someone to take pictures of. ;) you have the spirit of a quiet lion in that tiny frame!! i am so glad we met.
gus, katrina, and keiri, thank you all so much. you are all art to me, no debate about it. ;)
one of my favorites:
the “dirt” make-up smudges were incredible!! ;)
another favorite:
i loved everything about these images, but that’s just my subjective opinion.
thank you again to gus, kat, and keiri!!
it’s interesting to me how paths cross at a certain time for a certain reason. it’s also interesting how time takes a teacher/student relationship to a friend/friend with so much in common relationship.
i first met katie when she was a junior in high school; she was in my honors english class. 
she’s not in high school anymore. she’s graduated, is an accomplished teacher herself, is married to a way, way cool guy, and is a mother to one very sweet, and smart baby boy. during our visit, dave asked me is it was “weird” at all having both she and dave in our home and seeing her after all this time. it was only weird that i knew her when she was still in braces, ogling over hot guys, and deciding on phloofy pink prom dresses. now we are practically the same person living two different lives with so, so, so much in common!! ;)
i loved reconnecting with katie and meeting her man, dave. it was fun to considering my first year of teaching and all of those students i loved so much. it made me want to throw myself back into the classroom; nostalgia has a tendency of doing that to me: it makes me long for a time in my life i loved so much and want to recreate it all again.
i loved katie and dave’s visit.
like all smart parents do they took a break from their babe for a little bit of time to be alone. they vacationed this summer on a cruise ship and docked in san pedro, where i was, coincidentally enough shooting with my friend julie. they found me and we started their weekend of shooting. (dave was such a good sport; wherever i went to shoot they came with me and after i was finished shooting my scheduled shoot i shot them. how’s the for employing the root “shoot” katie? ;))
i loved shooting here; it was just something new for me and that always inspires. not to mention these two were fun and up for anything!!
we caught up, like old friends do.
the next day i took them to work with me in old orange. while i shot my appointment, they mulled around and then met up with me later for the second portion of their shoot.
these were some of my favorites:
and we ended our weekend together with a third shoot with at the beach, because how can you come to california and not shoot at the beach? you can’t. it’s kind of a rule. i guess.
katie and dave, thanks for coming and for spending some time with us! katie, may you continue to reach for all of your dreams like you always have! ;) dave, may you get me that wedding in chicago! ;) thanks again for coming you two; we loved it!!! next time bring baby!!!! xoxo kam and fam
we all have our gifts. mine has never been to turn down any type of carb, refined sugar, or even a preservative. i like that stuff, a lot. ;) i just try and eat it all in moderation, that seems to work for me. giving it up completely? impossible. i just don’t have the discipline, and i like all those things and the stuff they are found in way too much. HOWEVER, i have a huge respect for anyone who can give up anything and stick to it, in any arena, not just in diet. i just think the concept of being stronger than something else is really cool. like you are the boss of you not a sugar, or a habit.
jamie, knows all about good foods, how to incorporate them into a well balance diet, etc. it was fascinating talking to her. she currently is on a gluten free regimen. do you know how much food has gluten in it? almost everything we eat. if i were told was allergic to gluten it would be a death sentence. ;) jamie is super educated though, she nows her stuff and is an incredible resource in the health and nutrition field.
she is also very kind and soft spoken. it was nice to be with a mellow heart and spirit for a bit.
she is working on a new website filled with nutrition tips, how to’s, delicious and good- for- you recipes; it’s going to be really cool!!
even though she is slender and totally in shape she is still approachable and understanding. she will be able to help so many people since her heart knows no judgement.
she likes music too. she traveled to la for a concert, oh, and to visit ikea. music and affordable stuff, two other things she is in to. ;)
jamie, may you continue to inspire. may gluten-free continue to taste good. ;) and may all of your future dreams and goals come to you!! thank you for the opportunity; it was so nice meeting you!!!! kj
i loved kickin’ it today with my friend gus. he is such a kind hearted person, just so good and so nice. it was refreshing being with someone so mellow and so interested and passionate about photography!! gus, thanks for comin’ out, and for sharing a photographic day with me! i can’t wait to see what you captured.
i was flipping over some of the images i was able to snag during our shoot.
the ever-talented and incredible katrina of kitsch did the styling for today’s shoot. it was so different and so awesome. dirty and grungy, and i. loved. it!! i felt so inspired by what she created and by the model she used to create it all!! thank you to katrina, for being who you are: style guru, fashionista divine, and true friend.
AND a thank you to my mrm, most recent muse: keiri. i could have shot you until the skies turned black, and then waited on baited breath for the light to birth to start again. it was a pleasure meeting you, and capturing your energy today! thank you for being so willing!!!
here is just a sneak peek at what gus and i were able to photograph all afternoon. more soon.
kat, keiri, and gus, thank you so much for making today possible!!!
