I'm always chasing rainbows

I was ready to settle in and do some office work this afternoon.  Then it started raining.  Pouring.  And the sun was shining!  That meant only one thing-- rainbows!  I'm a sucker for rainbows.  So I grabbed my camera, jumped in the car and headed to my favorite little bluff overlooking the city.  Of course, rainbows only come about when it's raining and the best shots are when the water is still coming down.  I really don't like taking the chance of getting my camera wet, but you really can't get a good shot while you're sitting in the car.  So I hopped out and snapped away.   Getting wet was worth it.

Living in the Moment

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I truly, passionately, absolutely love what I do!  I get to capture a moment in time.  A moment that will never be repeated.  The light will never be the same, the clouds will never be the same color, the expressions will never have the same look.  Just recently I got to capture a moment with Peter and Tiara against the beautiful Ko'olau mountains.  As I put them in position, we saw the sky start to change color and the sun shoot across the top of the mountains.  It was one of those "omigosh" moments and as soon as I snapped the image, I knew this moment was a keeper.

Why I love senior portraits

High school senior portraits are definitely one of my favorite types of sessions.   Maybe it's because I have two teens of my own and love the challenge of capturing their personality.  I get to be really creative and we have a lot of fun during the session.  We chat.  And sometimes we just stop and laugh.

I think the main reason I like working with seniors is their energy.  They have the whole world waiting for them. We talk about their plans for college and what they plan to study.  Where they want to go  and how they came to their decision.   It's fun knowing I'm photographing future surgeons, nurses, journalists, designers, engineers, and who knows?   I hope they'll drop me a line in the future and let me know how they're doing.

More Senior Portraits

Lantern Floating Ceremony

Last night I attended the annual Lantern Floating Ceremony at Magic Island.  What a beautiful experience.  The ceremony "remembers those who gave their lives in conflict, allows for reflection on the memories of loved ones and dedicates prayers for a peaceful and harmonious future."

Even though I don't like crowds and was feeling a little under the weather,  I told myself I would go this year.  I've seen the beautiful images of the lanterns floating on the water and knew I had to take my camera and go.  Over 40,000 people were in attendance, yet my daughter and I were able to make our way to the water's edge for a good view.   As the 2,000 lanterns were released, I found myself wading into the water (jeans and all) to get a closer view.

The music, the ceremony, and the incredible sight of the lanterns floating off in the distance was truly one of those "chicken-skin" experiences.  If you've never gone, this is one of those events you shouldn't miss.  The event is sponsored and officiated by a Buddhist sect in Hawaii, but people of all religions participate and the ceremony is one of "inclusion and harmony".  What a great concept!!

And in case you're wondering, the lanterns are collected from the ocean before they get too far out to sea. This keeps the environment safe and the platforms are re-used the following year.

The sky was singing

I was working very late last night.  I was overwhelmed by paperwork I'd been putting off and feeling rather frustrated by the whole mess.  I had the TV on and was half-watching Oprah when she announced The Canadian Tenors would be on her show.  They had no idea that they were going to be surprised by Celine Dion (whom they'd admired for years.)

Just watching this and listening to their beautiful vocals was everything I needed to end my day.  It was amazing how a great song could so quickly change my mood. (Their reaction to Celine was equally priceless.)  And it got me thinking about how a great image can do the same thing.  A great image should make you pause. 

I shot this image after a long day of meetings and various errands.  I was tired and my drive home was made even longer by slow traffic and rain showers.  As I neared my house, the clouds and the sky started to take on this beautiful hue.  For half a second I was tempted to just continue on home, I was so tired.  But the sky was SO incredibly striking and I had my camera with me, so I pulled into this park and started shooting.  Even after the sun went down, I just stood there amazed.   It was the same feeling after listening to this song.  I hope you'll pause a moment take this all in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tubL9EaiztM&feature=player_embedded

Song:  Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.  I first heard it by kd lang at the Winter Olympics and I was mesmerized.

Who says you can't have a second chance?

A few weeks ago I got a nice pic of a rainbow.  My biggest disappointment was that I didn't have my wide angle lens with me.  The rainbow was so big that I couldn't get it fully in the frame from my vantage point.  I knew I'd have to have just the right conditions to try and capture it again--late afternoon, showers coming in, and I'd have to be up on the hill with my camera ready--not an easy thing to plan since I don't generally have time to camp out and wait for rain.

So when showers started rolling in again, I made sure my camera was ready and that I had my wide angle lens on it.  Fortunately, I was at home when it started raining and could see the possibility for a good rainbow.  So I grabbed my camera and drove to this spot near my home.  I was rewarded with this insanely beautiful rainbow.  And this time I was ready!

Draw whatever conclusions you'd like, but there's a lot to the saying that "Success happens when preparation meets opportunity."  I thought it would be a long time before I'd have the opporunity for a shot like this again, but fortunately, I was ready for it to happen sooner than expected!

Are you ready?

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

       Engagement portrait by Kathleen Davenport Photography

I've been really busy these past few weeks experimenting with some new techniques and outlining some exciting new plans for my business.   As I looked back at some of my work from 2009,  I was still figuring out exactly what kind of a photographer I wanted to be.  Now,  I'm much more clear about the type of work I love and want to do.   As I tell people, I'm skilled at photographing a wide variety of things, but I specialize in family and individual portraits.   I love interacting with people and bringing out their joy in the photos I take.   I love the creative process.  And my "style" is developing. 

As I move into 2010, I've got a clear vision of where I want to go.  Now I'm putting the pieces in place.  I'm excited about some new services I'll be offering.  I'm excited about the new opportunities that are developing.  I hope you'll stay tuned!