week of sharing/yelena yemchuk

Yelena Yemchuk lives in my heart. OK...well, she actually lives in Brooklyn with her family, but since the first day at Art Center when I met her, she has had a permanent place in my heart. Meeting her was like finding a long lost friend I didn't realize I had. My life has been a better place since that second.

Not only is she a wildly talented photographer (in evidence since the beginning, btw) and painter, she is one of the most innately authentic people I know...the term "salt of the earth" comes to mind but doesn't really cover it somehow.

She just came out with her first book called Yelena Yemchuk:Gidropark published by Damiani a few months ago. I was lucky enough to see this project unfold over the past few years so I am familiar with the images and have seen her thought process evolve and grow around the project. She shot over 5(?) years at a park in Kiev, the city where she was born. She would just wander around and shoot. I love seeing Yelena's documentary work. To think that these scenarios unfold before her - no set up, no prompting or directing people - has always just amazed me. You should pick up a copy of Gidropark. You will be transported to another world.

This portrait of Yelena I took eons ago but it is still one of my favorites of her. I used to shoot a portrait of her every time I saw her. I really miss doing that. Every time I am in NY lately seems to be so chock full that we can only carve out a few moments for coffee or lunch. I am long overdue to photograph her again.

Check out more of Yelena's commercial work at her reps website here. Wish I could find some of her paintings to show but she is updating her website, so I guess another post will be coming when I can share those with you.

Have a great weekend friends. Hope you enjoyed meeting some of my favorite people this week. I know I have enjoyed sharing them with you.

week of sharing/ethan hill

Ethan Hill and I have known each other since we were in college together at Art Center in Pasadena.  He has grown into one of my favorite portraitists. Frankly, I am totally unsurprised by this. I was always mesmerized by what he could do with his images. In school, he would go into the darkroom and come out with images completely transformed by his darkroom mastery. This has only evolved gracefully over his career and continues still.  

Ethan has been one of those people that I can show projects to when they are in their infancy and I am honored that he does the same. It is so important to just have a dialogue when working on personal work. I am so grateful for his feedback. He has just updated his website, so you all should check it out. His portraits have a poetry and soul to them that is both the subject, but also innately Ethan. Truly beautiful work. Take a look here.

I shot this portrait of him awhile back but still love it. As long as I've known him, Ethan has worn bow ties. I couldn't imagine photographing him without one. And he's the only person I know who can get away with this combo...

week of sharing/michele janezic

This is a special week for me. My birthday falls on Thursday (yes, 7/7...lucky numbers!) and I suppose it is not uncommon to be reflective about one's life around this time. The more I go through this journey called life the more grateful I am. I am a really lucky girl with some of the most talented, loving people I can imagine as dear friends. So this week I wanted to share some of them with you. They are all amazing people, with big hearts and talent that I am constantly inspired by.

Today is Michele Janezic's day. An amazing fashion designer who has an innate understanding for a woman that values style over trend. I have to say...her clothes I don't get rid of, they just keep looking great and timeless. I shot this for her spring 2011 look book. Check out her line here. I am excited to shoot her fall line in a couple of weeks. Already coveting her fall coat...