Suave.

This handsome Gent is my brilliant friend Danny. Seriously amazing in that he has as much (probably lots more actually) going on in his head at any given time than even I do. Danny is an amazing writer and a member of Solar Shock Pictures. The official premier for their feature length film Elysium is going to be in January and I can't wait to see it. One part of this shoot was INCREDIBLY difficult . . . just couldn't stop talking. I have a ton of pictures of Danny mid-sentence which makes me laugh, but we hadn't had a good chat in ages so it was worth it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY on Wednesday Danny, sorry I can't be there, this is my sad sad face. =(

And that's how we get it done!

So I take pictures all the time but usually it's for "work" purposes or to document my life. Sometimes (ALL the time) I find myself seeing something beautiful but just being too tired (lazy) to get my camera out and take a picture of it. This year I wanted to do better, so in January as one of my 2009 resolutions I decided that I would photograph something non-work related every month. Sometimes I had themes, sometimes it was something I saw in a photography magazine and wanted to recreate, sometimes just spur-of-the-moment. Well, as spur-of-the-moment as I get anyway. So here is December's offering. I went to Temple Square with some most beloved friends (thanks guys) and took some pictures of the lights. It's cliche I know, but still fun. Sad story . . . I had a specific picture in my head. I wanted a shot of the candles floating in the reflecting pool and just as I went to snap the shutter (literally) they turned the lights off. I am almost ashamed to admit that I jumped up and down loudly exclaiming something along the lines of ARGH . . . Noooooo!!! Curse my being a good citizen and taking pictures of those three girls. Not really, I'm just being cranky, lol!


It was surprisingly difficult to find creative angles. I really wanted to do something "different". This shot was just fascinating to me because of the textures and layers that the lights created. This project didn't go as well as I hoped but I'm glad I did it. Sometimes just completing a goal you've set for yourself is satisfaction enough. Plus, sometimes a brilliant shot comes out of nowhere so you can't second guess things. You just have to keep shooting.

This red tree was my absolute favorite. Besides the fact that red is my very most favorite color, it was also just really cool and without it I may have never found my friends. Here's how the conversation ensued . . . fifth cell phone call . . .

Josh: "Where did you say you were?"
Mandie: "On the North side just as you come in."
Josh: "Where on the North side."
Mandie: "Just North of the reflecting pool."
Josh: "I just walked all the way around there."
Mandie: "I'm by the curvy thing, I saw a shot I liked and had to take it."
Josh: "What curvy thing?"
Mandie: "The curvy thing that intersects with the pathy thing, right as you come in, and the intersection North of the pool, I'm right in the middle of it."
Josh:" . . . . . Do you see the red pine tree?"
Mandie: "No"
Josh: "It's a huge red pine tree, how do you not see it?"
Mandie: "I see a huge red tree, it's really pretty, but it's not a pine tree."
Josh: "Yes, it is, we're right underneath it."
Mandie: "It doesn't look like a pine tree."
Josh: " . . . just meet us under the big red tree."

Yeah, I'm a dork sometimes and Josh is AMAZINGLY patient with me. Thanks love!!!

Since I didn't get my candle shot I had to go for the luminarias. Side note, if your are with somebody who starts telling you what languages they all are in don't be amazingly impressed with their incredible knowledge, it's written on the bags. =)

This shot I am actually pleased with. I can't remember what language it was, you'll have to ask my friend Josh. He knows all . . . like how to read the small print.

YAY for my beloved friends. Mike, who I actually just met but seems very nice. "My" Ryan and "My" Josh. LOVE you!!! Sorry it was so frigidly cold but thanks so much for coming with me. Now for January's project . . . I really want to try light painting . . .

'Twas a might nippy!

This is my friend "Spot" and I love him dearly. He is one of the absolutely most fantastically amazing people in the universe and if he loves Jackie then I do too! Sadly, I have been waiting to meet her for MONTHS and really wished it could have been under more auspicious circumstances . . . sigh. She's an awesome sport, it was sooooooo cold when we took these pictures and as you can see, snowing very hard. I lost count of the accidents on the freeway driving to meet them. Somewhere around seven I think, one was a truck completely off the road and flipped on it's side. Scary! Jackie love, it was fantastic to meet you, totally awesome that you tackled Spot, I think you are gorgeous, and I love your hair! xoxo