I was pondering about this day and these words for some seemingly endless time. I had counted nineteen trains and an infinite number of clock strikes from the church next to our backyard. There was no use in

getting sleep anymore. So if you don´t like personal stories stop right here and read no further.

I squeezed my lavender cushion one last time and got up. This wasn´t some wedding Saturday. This was another day. My grandfathers funeral in our family. I despise this day and all it carries. But there is no use in doing so, because we all know there will be days like this. We are all aware of the fact that time has a limit on this earth and no one can name it.

Workshop with DNA photographers

This day! This wonderful day. I had waited for quite some months now. I didn´t know when it would come around and with whom but, I knew I wanted to make it happen this year.

I remember watching one of Justin&Mary´s workshops right after new years and I scribbled in my notebook reaching out to German/European fellow photographers. You know, like getting to know them, meeting them, exchanging experience, chatting on. Till some months ago I was always writing with American artists but since I live on the European continent it was only making sense getting to know some locals. So I was over the moon and super thrilled as yesterday finally rolled around and I made it to Antonia’s and Desmond´s workshop.

La Rici ~ Thank you Give away

Dear lovers of beauty!

Dear hopeless dreamers, positive thinkers and beautiful doers!

Dear Friends and Italy lovers!

(I hope all are included in this greeting :)

Yesterday was the day! I´m sooooooo exciteeeed (focus good girl, focus). So yesterday late at night, I was checking back on my blog and going for the statistics as I saw a new magical number on my account!! I am very happy and just kinda psyched to announce the 10.000 visitor has been on the Blog yesterday!

Sunday´s are for ...

staring at the storm clouds...

... as they turn into rose clouds while the sun sets.

"Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." ~ Matt 8, 23-26

I wish y´all the most beautiful week!

~   Saluti.   ~

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Relaxed Friday ~ White Tea Drink

It was the evening before I drove to Germany for one of my last weddings. I was running through all of Siena, because I wanted to find a crystal, bling or what ever big chunk manageable, which could reflect some light. I had seen something new in one of my workshops and was desperate to try this reflection thingy. After a good dozens of shops and a handful of very puzzled shop owners I stopped at the second hand store in my street. I had pocked in innumerable amount of times and was happy to see the owners face. As I explained my quest she was she once more looked back helpless. As I told her for what I was needing this weird items she was interested right away. Oh, a photographer! Paolo did you hear that? She turned to her friend sitting on the step to her little shop playing with her daughter. His tiny eyes blinked to me from under a funny hat and they quizzed me about the projects I was doing. 

For those who plan - Colors

Yesterday I was quite upset. After reading the third photographers blog in a row who had been talking about the beginning of autumn. NOO!! Not yet. Just because Starbucks was about to launch their famous pumpkin spice latte. No thank you, it´s the middle of august! The same yesterday, I was taking Mara for a walk and as we were about to turn into our street I spotted it!

My last week

We closed the car doors behind us, the after sunset chill was settling in. It was quiet, no one to be found. We started searching the grounds till we found the very first sister. Yes you read that right. I had agreed to come with my family to one week on “vacation”. Which meant, working half a day, each day, to help out some sisters in the north of Germany, volunteer work if you will. After five minutes I was seriously doubting my decision to come all the way up here.

Hold on tight

I love this moment! Because they don´t know.

Because he holds her ever so close as the evening chill settles in.  

And because there is a kiss of light.

Beauty.

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Relaxed Friday

Scary enough that I actually got this one...

 I blame my older brother ;) 

Have a super great weekend y´all!

~    Saluti.   ~

Behind the lens - Bokeh

While growing up I always had a minimum amount of four or five cushions in my bed. Because I loved building comfortable, snugly places. I like things cozy.

Coziness… this brings me to our new Blog on Behind the lens. My tip is a matter of style and taste.  It can put emphasis on details you like. It can add extra dept to your images… It´s my new favorite adjustment while using manual mood.

So, what is it? A phenomenon to blur out the background, to have only a small range on focus in your images. I like to create an “atmosphere” with this adjustments. You can also use it to blur out unwanted obstacles in the background when doing portraits.

How to get there: first of all you have to find the manual mode on your camera. If you have questions about the different modes, you can check out this blogpost. When you adjust your two main numbers for the manual mode (time and aperture) you want to keep the aperture as low as you can. Here are the fixed lenses especially handy because they usually have a wider aperture than the zoom lenses. When you have the aperture very low, you have to adjust the time and maybe even the ISO according to the light situation in front of you.

If you open the lens as wide as I did in first of the images I put together for this post, the picture might appear out of focus. Which it really is not, instead just a very limited amount in this picture is on focus. Here you see how I blurred out the pearls of the necklace in the background and how the reflection in the evening light turned into these little balls. This exact blur in the background and abstraction of forms is called Bokeh. See that comfy feel bokeh creates! Yessss. I love it, because like I said, I like things cozy! :)

 Lens: 50mm, shutter speed: 1/1000, aperture: 2,0, ISO: 100 

sunset time

Married: Lena and Simeon Part II

Finally they are here!! I am soooo excited to share the promised pictures from my shooting with Lena and Simeon! We had the most awesome time as finally the clouds parted. You can see the first post from their wedding right here. After a very spontaneous down poor as we were about to shot the group picture in the afternoon and about one hundred drenched guests I was just about to write off the sunset shoot… really as you may remember from the last wedding, my new favorite way to end a wedding day.

So I can´t quite put into words how I did a mega huge dance inside of me as the dark and dramatic clouds parted just one more time that day! That´s why I choose some new awesome sunset pictures to share this beauty with you!

Relaxed Friday

It was late at night and my soon-to-be sister and I were on our way home. We passed by a Gelateria and as my eyes fell on all the chairs and tables left outside well past closing hours I thought by myself… how stupid are they?! People are so naive. One split second later it crossed my mind that I am not in Italy anymore and that leaving all the chairs outside at night is what people do around here… I am soooo slow. Haha.

I am just saying that not even park benches where safe at times… (from not being carried away, or into someone’s home)

SOOO here is to a new relaxed Friday!

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

Very true this one:

Married: Lena and Simeon

We were driving down the winding country road and it seemed as if the dark blue and grey clouds hunted us. The sky turned darker and darker, occasional lightings flashing their warning across the heaven. I hastily carried my bags into the house and as we closed the door behind us, thunder had arrived right here. Clouds broke loose and with each giant drop my hope for my beloved outdoor pictures sunk. It was a Saturday morning and a wedding Saturday come with that. Never in my life as a photographer and as a rather frequent guest at weddings had a day begun with a storm like that. No, this was a new first.

This wonderful young and relaxed wedding day was not just for you, Lena and Simeon an adventure! Thank you so very much for asking and entrusting me with the documentation of your love! It has been my pleasure! As I scouted the house and garden for a back up place for the shooting my stomach growled at me nervously and I concentrated on doing one thing after another. You have no clue how happy I was as the clouds parted after Lena´s hair was pinned up and her dress on! This was too good to be!! Not to mention the super fabulous sun set light we were surprised with after another downpour later in the evening.

A day full of unforeseen….