I love keys – the older and rustier the better.
The Argentine gentleman, who sold me these keys at the San Telmo flea market, explained that they had once opened the doors to a haunted villa in the countryside. At least that’s what I think he was trying to say. My Spanish is remedial at best but I’m pretty sure the swaying of his body and the “Wooo” sound emanating from his “O” shaped mouth indicated some sort of spectral reference.
In any case, I fell in love with their gorgeous reddish brown color and shape.
“I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn’t do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love”
~Adele
If it’s Wednesday, then it must be time for another one of my Happy Places so without further ado, let me introduce you to Love Fox Vintage.
There is no shortage of vintage clothing stores in Ventura but none is as charming as Love Fox Vintage.
Located in the Historic El Jardin Patio, this little gem is brimming with lovely clothes, shoes and accessories.
Each piece in Love Fox Vintage is lovingly selected by co-owners Faith Mickler and Benicia Smith. These very stylish friends have brought Ventura a chic, updated approach to vintage couture. It’s obvious Faith and Benicia love clothes, in fact I’ll sometimes drop by just to see what they are wearing, but they are also wonderfully gifted at displaying their wares. Everything is arranged so artfully and with such imagination. Stepping through the door feels more like a visit to a sartorial friend’s apartment in Paris than a jaunt to a local clothing store.
The next time you find yourself in downtown Ventura, pop into Love Fox Vintage. Pick up a little something and make yourself happy!
Historic El Jardin Patio
451 East Main St. #3
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 648-6612
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-6pm
Saturday 10am-7pm
Sunday noon-6pm
www.lovefoxvintage.com
Participating in this Charity Engagement Shootout was what I would imagine an intense round of speed dating to be like. Imagine only having a total of 15 minutes to photograph and win over a couple you have never met before.
In this instance there was no wooing period where client and photographer exchange pleasantries via email. None of the usual, “I think your images are dreamy!” or “Your wedding sounds like heaven to shoot!” No busting out your cute outfit that’s sure to impress or lovingly presenting a portfolio that’s as sweet as a box of chocolates. No Siree, no time for that here. Each couple was paired up with a handful of photographers based on availability and price. After a quarter hour, everyone moved onto other prospects. Talk about a short “honeymoon”. As we looked down the beach we would see the couple we just photographed in front of another photographer’s lens. It felt a little like cheating, except not only were all parties in on it but they wanted it caught on film too.
Larry and I photographed three really fun, adorable couples. We worked really hard to ensure that each of them had a unique experience with us. We brought several props but didn’t use the same ones twice and even tried to shoot in different areas of the beach. Even though this was a vastly different situation than our usual engagement sittings, it was really important for us to try to tell their love story through our images and capture each individual personality just like we normally do with all of our clients.
At the end of the day, we emptied the sand out of our shoes, and headed home feeling good about not only raising money for Let me Sail, but knowing we faced a challenging situation head on and created photographs that we are proud of.
To find out more about Let me Sail, click on the link below.
If you would like to see more images from these sessions, go to our Facebook page and while you’re there, become a fan!
www.letmesail.org
The tune of a carousel, the clanging of a roller-coaster car climbing upward, the swoosh and screams trailing at its descent, barkers promising prizes. These sounds immediately transport me back to my favorite childhood place, the fairground. No other location could offer up such excitement. From the food carts selling cotton candy to the tent waiting to unveil the most horrifying of freaks, the fairground was so far removed from my normal life; it might as well have been like traveling to the moon.
While driving through northern California last week, I felt the old pull of the fairground and made a detour to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. The day was foggy and the colors muted but the sounds were the same. Even the cotton candy was as sticky and sweet as I remembered.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing”.
~ Helen Keller
