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Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

MAR
10

Photographing families, especially children is something that I absolutely *adore.* No matter how busy wedding season becomes this year, I will always make time for family photo sessions. Being able to witness the beautiful bond between parent and child is precious and it fills my heart like no other. Last month, Chelsea, who is a talented photographer based in Oregon, decided to have her family portraits taken while vacationing on Maui.

With near future plans of Elan and I starting our own family, it was inspiring (and reassuring) to see a busy photographer balance family, work, play and motherhood ~ beautifully. Here are a few of my favorites from their session.

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MAR
9

For a small island, Maui has a huge variety of terrains and climates. There are lots of little nooks and crannies, and places with their own distinct personality. Hana, on the east part of the island, happens to be one of my favorite spots. It’s got a slow feel, a soft wind, the air smells sweet, and it’s incredibly relaxing, once you get past the miles and miles of windy roads you need to brave to get there. Last Sunday, we decided to be spontaneous and make a day trip out of it. We had a long day filled with cliff jumping, homemade lilikoi ice cream, one-lane bridges, waterfalls, a pack of friendly stray dogs, and of course, quality time with good friends.

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FEB
15

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we ventured over to Lahaina Animal Farm for their sunset dinner. It’s located on the slopes below the West Maui mountains, with views of the peaks on one side and a 180 degree ocean view on the other. This charming ranch has the friendliest goats, horses, a variety of chickens and even miniature horses. For tonight’s sunset dinner, their private chef prepared mixed greens with strawberries and drizzled with champagne vinegarette, coq au vin and mousse a l’orange for dessert. They also provided marshmallows to roast in a fire pit, under the stars.

Dining here, outdoors, is a magical experience and a wonderful change from eating in a restaurant setting. Teresa, Zenobia and the entire staff were very welcoming and friendly. Their motto is “come as strangers and leave as friends.” This couldn’t be any more true. This is definitely one of my new favorite spots on the island for freshly prepared local food in an unbeatable setting.

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FEB
6

…tonight’s brightly colored sunset.

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NOV
23

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” ~ Karen Lamb

Well today is THAT day. I am starting anew with my head up, eyes open to making changes. Big ones. I have decided to experience life differently, letting go of insecurities & fears and enriching my days with more reckless abandonment, laughter, love and beach time. Because life is too short not to.

Thank you to the Maui Making Things Happen Workshop and the lovely friendships that have formed because of it. This last week has been truly life-changing.

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OCT
27

Thank you Iris Song for these handmade notecards! Aren’t they beautiful?

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SEP
26

One of the great things about living in Maui, 500 feet from the ocean, is that there’s no excuse not to go swimming. Every day.

We usually take Barkley down to the ocean for a quick dip in the ocean around sunset. It’s really nice to soak in the beauty with the sunset and the colors of the sky changing into vibrant orange & purple hues. Here are some photographs of Elan and Barkley splashing in the ocean.

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APR
19

The concept of visualizing a scene in my head before photographing it (”pre-viz”) has been dancing in my head for the past few weeks, thanks to Fred Egan and also Lara Casey. Of course I love the spontaneity and candidness in family portraits and weddings, but I’m now also fascinated by the idea of creating a particular scene with a style of clothing, accessories, activities and locations. Ms. Gita ~ part I was going for a vintage look with a birdcage veil, high heels and a cafe setting. For part II I wanted a sandy beach, cowboy hat, pickup truck and converses. Of course, not all of those details in a single shot.

My dear friend Gita is a fun loving girl. She’s spontaneous and outgoing, to say the least. I’ll never forget the time she volunteered to go on stage in Vegas in a packed room for a hypnotist’s show. She was the entertainment for the night & stole the show. Don’t worry Gita, I promise that those pictures will never make it onto the Internet. And thank you, Gita, for being an active and willing participant in this creative process.

Side Note: Lara Casey- Editor of Southern Weddings Magazine is having a workshop on April 29th on the Big Island called Making Things Happen. I had the opportunity to hear her speak at WPPI, and this business savvy woman has invaluable wisdom to share ~ in a cute Southern accent to boot!

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JAN
20

Mike Colon is one of the industry’s top photographers, and he also teaches professional photographers all around the world. He is constantly giving back globally with his photography through organizations such as Thirst Relief. Recently, I was given a great opportunity by Mike Colon to give back to the community through photography. He is coming to Oahu for a workshop, and has offered to buy me a seat in the workshop as long as I raise at least the cost of the workshop for a local charity of my choice. I chose the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center, which I’ve always had a soft spot for.

The Hui Visual Arts Center is an absolute gem on Maui. This wonderful non-profit organization has done great things for the community. With the public school system hurting due to budget cuts, there are very few opportunities for kids to experience creating art. The Hui not only exposes kids to art but encourages them to broaden their own skills through the various children’s art programs. The Hui also introduces renowned artists and shares their talents with the local community through lectures, programs and workshops, thus bringing art to the community. Not only does it raise the level of the local exposure but it improves the quality of our local artists by giving them a chance to shine on a world-wide stage. Many local students have received scholarships from top art schools as a result of their involvement with The Hui.

It’s not too late to donate. Please call The Hui at 808.572.6560 to submit your tax deductible donation under ‘Anna Kim’ or you can also use Paypal. And a big mahalo to Mike Colon for making this all possible!

Here are some of the pictures I took of the lovely Hui grounds.

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JAN
2

I spent the first day of the new year on a volcano photographing the Maui sunrise on Haleakala. The colors were absolutely stunning. I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the new year. Happy new decade!

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