Los Calaveras at the Artery

My friend Codie has had a band since we were in high school many years ago, and is also an amazing photographer for a local paper. Malcolm Gladwell says it takes ten years to master any task and I think Codie has done it. I'm a big fan of his new band Los Calaveras. Our mutual friend Meghan (the acrobat) is the new lead singer and they sound amazing.

The Artery is really dark and the 5D really doesn't like low light, but I love how grainy and dark they turned out - almost like film (but not as nice).

Have a peek at a brand new band you should take time to go see!

My Lovely Friend Meghan and Her Amazing Talent

I wish I could do many things. 

I was in Vegas recently, and I was able to see Cirque de Soleil's production of O. The wonders the athletes can accomplish with their bodies blows the mind, and can make one feel a little trapped inside their own ordinary body. 

I took a circus class once. It was a three hour sampler offered here in the city by Firefly, and it was fabulous. My favorite part of the whole class was swaying in a hammock of knotted silks with my friend Aimee. Being 60 pounds lighter now, I wonder if it would be any easier to climb the rope, swing on the trapeze, or bend around fabric.

I'm too busy now, I think, with photography (or that's what I tell myself) but my friend Meghan pushed passed the circus sampler and has made a lifestyle around climbing up and down impressive tensile strength jersey to sway lithely high above the circus floor. 

I convinced her to let me shoot her, and with her friend Danny's help, we planned to shoot in the only outdoor place they had worked before. the shoot never really came to be, until I casually mentioned the idea to my friend Nicola Gavins, who is by far, the best make up artist in the city and a purveyor of fine ideas. Nicola had costume pieces in the trunk of her car, and so I was whisked into stores and into her lovely collections to pull items and ideas for the shoot. 

We teased, dressed, and stretched. We hauled all of our (heavy) items down a muddy path to the base of the bridge where Danny proceeded to climb (very safely, I might add, no joke!) to an appropriate spot where we could sling up the silks. 

The crazy thing about silks is that in a gym, they hang still, heavy and reliable. In the outdoors, they become giant sails with a mind of their own. There was a forcible vibration that transformed the silks into guitar cords and we had to wait patiently for the gusts to die down before we could shoot again. 

I had a blast that cheerful morning in the sunshine, and I wish I could do it again and again. Here are the images from the shoot. I hope you enjoy.

Hats, tutus, striped socks and pom collar are Nicola's, the white tunic top is from Loft 82 as well as the lace bolero, gold thigh highs are from American Apparel. The black belt with the 2 gems is mine, I found it in a thrift store in London and I've been waiting to immortalize it since. 

Patrizia and Niko Wedding

What do you get when a vivacious Portuguese woman marries a charming Greek man? Answer: The best wedding party ever!

At the end of the night the bride used her bouquet as a convenient means to shower petals on the dancers during a traditional Greek melody. I think that might sum up the whole experience, don't you?

Here's a visual storyline of the amazing day we all had together.

 I think she had a spider in her hair, but I forgot to ask...

 This church is naturally really quite dark, so we used two strobes to illuminate the church

 Greek Orthodox churches are pretty impressive!

 Pesky crowns, always messing up hair

 The formals quickly became "informals"....

 This girl was so sweet and lively and photogenic! We have a ton of photos of her, she made great faces.

 Niko's mother also was a woman of many expressions. I loved her warm, vivacious energy

 Receiving line photos are a great way to capture candid expressions of the people you love... Some of my favorite quirky ones are included....  they may not always be flattering, but no one can say they lack personality!

 Here I am, photo-bombing Penny's shot! Look at my wedding-photographer muscles!!

 Strobe flash makes such a difference when you're setting up reception photos. It helps keep them from being too grainy, and it makes them more dynamic and bright!

 Many tears were shed during speeches. Even one or two from me!

 But there were also many chuckles

 Penny playing with second curtain sync...

 This dance was really special because this groomsman hadn't danced since his father died. The traditional Greek love song made everyone sing, dance and drink - all at the same time!