My amazingly talented friend and Disney artist Adrienne Brown offered to paint a likeness of an old photograph of my mother and I. This is a huge deal because she has such a jam packed schedule painting Tinkerbell and all her fairy friends for Disney books, posters, and movies. So I was over the moon and completely honored that she offered to take what little free time she has to do this for me. She took the original and breathed new life and luminescence into it. My gratitude is beyond words. You can view more of her work here. And she really is one of the nicest, most down-to-earth persons I’ve ever met. Great talent and absolutely gracious. Many, many thanks to you Adrienne for your kindness.

Here is the original photograph:

Here is Adrienne’s painting (posted on this blog with her permission, of course):

www.erikajessop.com

I enjoy restoring old photos as a hobby. This photo is of my great-great grandmother. You can see how badly it was cracked and torn, but with a little TLC, I was able to stitch it back together, good as new.

Not my family, but a Korean family that asked me to restore this old family photo:

A Korean girl.

Today I ventured into Diamonds & Rust in Aldie, VA and came across a treasure trove of old photographs. The owner told me she gets boxes and boxes of old photographs from estate sales which is lucky for me, but makes me a bit sad because they no longer belong to the families that they came from. I wish more people found value in these old photos. They tell a story about a time we will never know in person, but we can relive through these visual documentations. Here are a few that I adopted. =)

I love how the children are sort of looking in different directions. Goes to show you that not all things change with time. Makes me wonder where and when this photo was taken? What happened to these children? Where are their descendants living now?

This one caught my eye because the little girl seems so sweet and appears to be about the same age my daughter is now. I love the softness of the light and the use of studio backdrops and props. It’s a bit of a lost art form. Isn’t it amazing how photography has changed so much over the years? Even the mediums we use today is foreign from what anyone could conceive back when these were taken. Makes me long to use film again. There is something so tangible about it.

I wonder if she was a picture bride from Japan?

I found this one to be interesting, as though they are all prepping food while sitting in a land-locked boat. The lady standing behind the boat appears to be Korean (by the way her hair is tied back low on her head, as opposed to the updo style the Japanese ladies in the boat have), while the lady standing off to the right of the boat holding a parasol appears to be a westerner. A Missionary perhaps?

I love this western woman wearing a Kimono. =)

I’m guessing this is circa 1920′s or 1930′s based on the western woman’s hairstyle and attire. The girl standing in the back left appears to be of mixed Eurasian heritage.

And I absolutely love this one. I’m guessing she’s Chinese, but I’m not really sure.

A friend shared this lady’s post and I was totally inspired by it. The best kind of gift you can give in this world is a random act of kindness. It doesn’t have to cost a thing. Spread the love. Do something nice for a complete stranger without expecting anything in return and e-mail me about it. If you can include a photo of your random act, I’ll blog about it once I get 37 of them. I’ll give away a free session ($300 value) to the one that inspires me the most (you can even give it away if you want). Deadline is March 30.

Had to share these words from Apolo Anton Ohno:

“Gdmorning! Try this: replace every negative thought w/ a positive 1, approach today w/ a determined attitude & b happy about the challenge.”

Amen brother.

During the crazy storms we’ve had, I picked up a few books to read. I haven’t really read since before my first son was born 13 years ago. Before that I used to be obsessive about reading. Having 4 kids sort of stuck reading on the backburner for me. I missed it, but there was never any time. I weaned myself away from the Internet and devoted my free time to reading. So now you can say I’ve gone a bit overboard. February has been a slow month for me business-wise, so I dove right in.

I even borrowed my son’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He has always hated reading and I’ve struggled for years to find something he could latch onto. He was the kid who’d rather be grounded than read a book. It made me sad because as a kid I’d stay up past my bedtime, under the covers with a flashlight, just so I could read A Wrinkle In Time or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But Percy was the character that he latched onto. Now he’s reading the second book in the series. I’m itching for him to finish so I can read it. =)

Not pictured here is The Glass Castle. What an amazing book. It really makes you appreciate the things you have in life that so many of us take for granted. The most basic of things like food, heat, clothes, shoes… if you have a chance, I encourage you to read it.

After reading the books, I went to see Dear John and Percy Jackson and the Olympians at the movie theater. It always amuses me how much they change the storyline in movies. The books are always better. Even my son agreed. =)

My friend Deb Schwedhelm posted a link to Phillip Toledano’s photographic journal of his last days with his father entitled Days with My Father. I was so deeply moved by it. Moved to tears. I hope it moves you as much as it moved me. In fact, I’m sure it will. Life is so precious, so fleeting. Enjoy every moment you have with your loved ones, no matter how much they may drive you crazy some days. There will come a time when you miss the sound of their voice and their words of wisdom.

So you’ve probably seen photos of my friend and fellow colleague Amanda Pagon floating around my blog. The Baltimore Sun wanted to write an article about her and she asked if I would photograph her with her kids for the article. Um, yeah! I was honored to do it. Here is the article. Go read it and prepare to be impressed. She is a mother of 4 and a phenomenal athlete. Not to mention one of the most humble persons I’ve ever known. Here is the shot they used:

Here are some outtakes from the same day:

Being a Southern California transplant, I never understood the love of four seasons. I was happy with our average 70-something year-round temps. But dag nabit if fall and spring aren’t breathtakingly gorgeous here in Virginia. It’s like someone took a paintbrush and used the landscape as their canvas. The way the wind rustles the leaves up and off the trees, dancing through the air in a Broadway musical of colors. We drove up to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park late yesterday to catch a glimpse of the myriad of colors, kissed by the cotton candy sky just before the sun set upon the horizon. There were lines of cars itching to get through the gate and on their way along Skyline Drive. Families were camped out at the visitor center not far from the Front Royal Entrance. Kids were scooping leaves into piles and diving in, or throwing them high in the air. Families laughing and taking snapshots… there was this warm feel-good spirit floating through the air. This is living. Basking in the beauty of nature. The transition of seasons truly is something to behold. It’s magical.

If you have some time, jump in your car and drive up there. Don’t forget to pack your camera, batteries, media card, snacks, drinks, and cold weather gear. A 1-7 day pass is only $15. A Shenandoah Annual Pass is $30. An annual pass to all the national parks is $80. If you have a handicap pass, you can get in for free. Find out more information on fees here.

Just a few little glimpses of my hometown. The weather could not be more beautiful if it tried. Seriously gorgeous weather, blue skies, warm sun, ocean breeze… soothing to my soul.

View of Downtown San Diego from Coronado Ferry Landing

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Scripps - La Jolla, CA