march {occupy portland}

i marched with the occupy portland movement on 10.9.11. we started on the east side of the broadway bridge with a decent size group, and we grew and grew as we marched on naito to the camp in chapman square. the experience made me so proud of this city. i love that this protest is being expressed peaceably and the cooperation of the city, our mayor, and the police department shows me that they too believe in our rights. with arrests being made in other cities and the original occupy wall street facing a possible eviction from zuccotti park, it is so important for all of us, the 99% to stand by this movement in any way we can, even if you're like me and can't physically occupy full time. please visit Occupy Portland and donate, volunteer, come to a march, and learn more! there's criticism for all of the disagreement within the general assemblies, and from the media saying "they don't know what they want." that doesn't surprise me. where are we taught the process of consensus? for so many of us this is a completely foreign idea. majority rules IS easier, but it's NOT more fair. we can't expect everything to happen immediately. i for one am proud of ANY attempt to try to have a dialogue and to let everyone be heard, even if it isn't always what we want to hear. and even if nothing gets decided as quickly as we think it should.

i'm off my soapbox - here are the photographs i took during the march. :)

[caption id="attachment_1777" align="alignnone" width="594" caption="K-99% {awesome}"][/caption]

a new year {personal}

i heard something that resonated with me today. it's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, and although i haven't been to a synagogue in a ridiculously long time, i went today. i'm glad i did for many many reasons, one being the fact that this was read in part of the service. "[Now]

There were no formerly heroic times, and there was no formerly pure generation. There is no one here but us chickens, and so it has always been: a people busy and powerful, knowledgeable, ambivalent, important, fearful, and self-aware; a people who scheme, promote, deceive, and conquer; who pray for their loved ones, and long to flee misery and skip death. It is a weakening and discoloring idea, that rustic people knew God personally once upon a time - or even knew selflessness or courage or literature - but that it is too late for us. In fact, the absolute is available to everyone in every age. There never was a more holy age than ours, and never a less.

There is no less holiness at this time - as you are reading this - than there was the day the Red Sea parted, or that day in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as Ezekiel was a captive by the river Chebar, when the heavens opened and he saw visions of God. There is no whit less enlightenment under the tree by your street than there was under the Buddha's bo tree. There is no whit less might in heaven or on earth than there was the day Jesus said, 'Maid, arise' to the centurion's daughter, or the day Peter walked on water, or the night Mohammed flew to heaven on a horse. In any instant, the bush may flare, your feet may rise, or you may see a bunch of souls in a tree. In any instant you may avail yourself of the power to love your enemies; to accept failure, slander, or the grief of loss; or to endure torture.

Purity's time is always now. Purity is no social phenomenon, a cultural thing whose time we have missed, whose generations are dead, so we can only buy Shaker furniture. 'Each and every day the Divine Voice issues from Sinai,' says the Talmud. Of eternal fulfillment, Tillich said, 'If it is not seen in the present, it can't be seen at all."

-- Annie Dillard, "For the Time Being"

i don't consider myself a religious person. i don't believe that anyone is more or less deserving of love because of their beliefs, and i have trouble with the various exclusivities of organized religion. even if you're an atheist, i truly believe that this passage has meaning. to me it isn't just about God. to me it's about the fact that inside all of us is a capacity for humanity that gets ignored all too often these days. it's like it's not cool anymore, or even necessary or acceptable, to think deeply about who we are as human beings.

let's not mark our new years with champagne and empty resolutions that no one keeps. let's wake up a little and think about how we can be more truly ourselves.

Anna & Ivalle {Portland Wedding Photography}

Anna & Ivalle's wedding was such a fun day - and so beautifully designed! The details, many of them created by Anna herself, were just to die for! Everyone got ready at The Nines Hotel (a photographer's dream hotel). The ceremony and reception were held at Sah-Hah-Lee Golf Course. It was a beautiful afternoon and the band that played during the ceremony, Seabell, was probably my favorite of any wedding I've photographed. I was lucky enough to second shoot for Yasmin Khajavi (check out her images from the day here). Thanks for having me, Yasmin!

Love Lit {Portland Headshot Photography}

Amy and Kaitlin are friends and classmates of mine from college - they are both phenomenal photographers and together they are Love Lit Wedding Photography. I was so excited when they asked me to photograph their business headshots! Check out their work here!

Megan & Tony {Portland Engagement Photography}

Megan and Tony are high school sweethearts and good friends of mine from college. Megan is also a frequent model of mine and it was so fun to photograph her with Tony - they are so good looking, and one of those couples that you can just tell belong together. We spent an evening in their neighborhood (NW Portland) for their engagement portraits. I am unbelievably excited for their wedding next April!