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W e rode the glass elevator to the third floor and walked into the oncology ward. Children sitting in a glass room with bald heads, sipping on juice and watching cartoons. Their parents thumbed through newspapers or read stories to tired babies as they waited to see the doctor. Some kids wore masks and colored with crayons rubbed to tiny nubs. I stared through the fish tank at them. I didn't mean to, but I did.
Of course this would be the floor that broke me. The tears stung my eyes and I blinked furiously to avoid a display of pity. Because, really, I didn't pity them...their strength embarrassed me. Their ability to smile and play and jump made me realize that though I have the entirety of my health, I don't smile, play, and jump as much as I should. Okay, maybe not the jumping part, but...well...you know.
I had the pleasure of touring Akron Children's Hospital with Skip Cohen, as part of my trip to Ohio. I spoke at the Akron Photo Series and 25% of the event proceeds were donated to the hospital, so I wanted to see where it was going. And lemme tell you how blown away I was...this place is amazing. I'm incredibly thankful to live in such an amazing country with hospitals dedicated to helping children, regardless of their ability to pay. |
| Akron Children's Hospital is creating an Expressive Therapy Center, an entire unit dedicated for patients to pursue art while they're being cared for. A theater, a music production room, art supplies were being added during our tour. Skip offered his assistance in providing digital cameras and printers to the center I really hope for the best. Sara, our delightful tour guide, was such an amazing person. By the size of my smile in the following picture should let you know just how awesome I felt standing next to her. Clearly. |
| This is Molly. Skip's dog...and JD's newest best friend. |
| After touring the hospital, we went back to Skip and Sheila's house so I could practice my presentation and JD decided to relax with Molly... |
| The presentation in Akron was amazing because from the minute the first people arrived (almost two hours early to boot!) they filled the ballroom with an incredible amount of energy and pizzazz. Do you like that word? I do. It has a lot of z's. |
| I'm honored to have spent the evening with such an amazing group of photographers who traveled from as far as Lexington, Kentucky (they won a free Showit website for making that five-hour commute!) and who possess the power and drive to personalize their businesses on the web. I can honestly say this group is ready to flip Ohio upside down and inside out...and I love it. |
    
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An Open Letter of Apology
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D ear Polo, I'm in Ohio right now, but I grabbed this picture before I left to remind me what a bad friend I've been. I mean, really, does a good friend let you walk around looking like a hot mess? No. No, she doesn't. That hair? That scruff? You're making Benji look like David Beckham. You definitely need a good trim, a bath, and your tail to be combed. Let's leave the dreadlocks to Bob Marley, m'kay?
It's a good thing I love you as much as I do (and write you creepy letters online) because with a face like yours, I'm tempted to eat you whole. Wrapped in a jerky-flavored tortilla.
Love,
Your best friend |
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Los Angeles Union Station Wedding : Vince+Tina
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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H e says the city sounds are what lull him into a state of happiness. Cars honking, sirens crying, music blaring, and a taxi driver yelling out the side of his window. While on a medical trip to Costa Rica, his roommate woke in the morning and sat in a hammock, listening to the sounds of crashing waves...and Vince missed the noise. It was amongst the noise when he met Tina, a girl who lived in his Hollywood apartment complex. Smart, ambitious, and witty, her credentials paled in comparison to her heart. She was on her way to Harvard University for business school, having completed medical school at UCLA and founded a non-profit organization in Africa.
Tina left for Harvard and Vince completed medical school at USC and residency in Los Angeles, still fond of the noise dancing outside his windows on Sunset Boulevard. Through a series of events, Tina and Vince reconnected while she was in L.A. for an interview and when she returned to Boston, she took his beloved noise with her. He couldn't hear when she wasn't around...or perhaps nothing sounded as nice as her voice.
Years later, they're listening to the noise. Together. In their New York City apartment and in the bustle of the emergency room. They're the type of people trusted taking care of people's hearts because they take such great care of each other's. Their love spills over into their work, passion, and commitment...and people who make others want to be better versions of themselves.
Vince and Tina, I'm sure you're tucked away in Italy enjoying vino, pizza, and espresso, recuperating from your transcontinental wedding planning ventures, but I just want to say how honored I am to have witnessed and documented the fusion of your lives. And love. I adore you both and hope tomorrow is always twice as bright as today. Much Love and Appreciation... j* |
| Food...for body and mind... |
| Vince and Tina opted for a First Look...and I just LOVE their reactions... |
| ...shedding a few tears always makes me choke up too... |
| Once the tears were wiped, we started wedding photos at The Standard and nearby areas of Downtown Los Angeles... |
| We were lucky to have Vince and Tina hop in our car for a ride to the church because we happened upon a random building and asked if they'd be willing to have a few wedding pictures taken before the ceremony...they agreed and I'm thankful for it! |
Tina's brother gave a toast during the reception listing the Top Eight Reasons Why Vince Is Awesome (or something loosely along these lines). Reason number four was Vince's affinity for jumping photos. Yes, we all know they lost their coolness, but Vince still pushes forward. Jumping.
Way to keep the dream alive, Vince. |
| The wedding reception was at Los Angeles Union Station...which is an awesome venue. What made it particularly fabulous was Vince. You see, he explained that he and Tina had a bit of role reversal: she planned the honeymoon and he planned the wedding. He explained the difficulty of choosing the flowers, uplighting, and linen chargers and said he can't wait to get back to non-wedding decision making...I think he did a great job! ;) |
| You see, Vince?! This is what you get when you plan a wedding...a beautiful girl whispering sweet nothings in your ear. FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. From my view point, you walked away with a bargain! |
| Vince and Tina allotted extra time for wedding photos at Union Station and I was more than happy to oblige... |
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FAQ : The Anatomy of Wedding Day Photography Prep
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I 've said it thousand times before: I love making lists. There's no greater feeling than scratching some task off and feeling like you could give the Old Spice guy a run for his money. Then there's JD. Who hates lists with equal proportion to root canals. I keep everything in this safe, he says as he taps the side of his head, his temple to be exact. And this? Drives. Me. Crazy.
We learned early on that we function and think differently. In light of this, we clearly separate what we're each responsible for as a way to avoid mistakes, mishaps, or missteps. Or attitude. I'm Puerto Rican...I specialize in attitude.
JD is entirely responsible for preparing the bags, so I thought I'd give a breakdown of what pre-wedding prep looks like for us. I'm not sure if this will help anyone, but when I first started out, I wished I had some sort of barometer to gauge if I was doing things wrong. Well, five years later I can't guarantee it's right, but it's not wrong. So let's get jiggy with it.
Friday Night
* JD cleans lenses and cameras, reformats all CF cards, charges camera/video lights batteries. He counts the CF cards to make sure we take plenty and put new batteries in our flashes and Pocketwizards.
* JD lays everything on the office floor so I can double check our gear before he packs the bag.
* I pack a protein bar.
Saturday Morning
* I check my email for any last-minute changes the bride or coordinator might have sent overnight.
* I review the wedding itinerary and ensure I have emergency contact numbers (which I requested in advance), as well as hotel room numbers.
* I program all addresses in our GPS of where we are scheduled to be.
* I sing a song.
* JD packs the camera bag, along with the off-camera flash setup, and places everything in the car.
* JD packs the laptop computer with card readers (for the same-day wedding slideshow).
* We get ready and eat a big meal...sometimes the meal is the only thing we'll eat for seven or eight hours, so clink our forks and get our grub on.
* Before leaving, part of our ritual is to go through a list (a list!! I WIN!!) to ensure we have everything, including backup gear and things we'll likely never use, but take anyway (like a reflector).
From trial and error, this system seems to work very well for us...and maybe it'll help you just a bit as well. If not, no worries. I'll simply make a list of ways I can get better! ;) |
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Good Reads : Selected Works of T.S. Spivet
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I t's the type of book I'd write, I told him in bed. Well, like, if I was smart and stuff. And the drawings? Well, I'd totally draw them like that. If I could draw. And I'm pretty sure the author is a genius, so I don't know if Reif Larsen would be my friend, but if I ran into him at a coffee shop (because, really, where else do genius writers hang out?!), I'd buy him a soy latte (clearly, this is what geniuses drink) and make him be my friend.
So...I take it you liked the book, JD said as he looked up from reading his book.
To say I liked the book would be an understatement. I mean, com'on, it's getting it's OWN BLOG POST for crying out loud! I feel like Larsen opened my brain and wrote the type of book I can see and feel, but never put into words. And it's beautiful. So, so beautiful. It's the story of a gifted child who decides to follow his dream and accept a fellowship at the Smithsonian, but--more so--about a child who finds his past.
Okay, so I made the book sound totally lame. Which is why I don't drink soy lattes. Obviously. If you're in the mood for a delicious read, pick up The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet. And thank me later. |
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