Beginning of this year I was missing home. Tremendously. In particular, I was missing green grass (i'm not sure where this obsession with grass came from but it's here to stay) and the ocean. Salty, beach hair ocean. Luckily, I met Nathalie and Tony just in time. After their consultation, I ran to find TJ and gushed, "Babe, they remind me of home!" Afterwards, Nathalie wrote on my facebook page and said, "That's funny because we were just saying how you reminded us of our friends back home." Seriously. Raised a California girl, always a California girl!
Nathalie and Tony has this really awesome tradition that I hope TJ and I will start once we're married. Each year they get their photos taken for their anniversary. This year, their third anniversary, they were able to do two sessions, one in Phnom Penh and the other in Kep, a beautiful and rustic seaside town in Cambodia. We decided that they would dress more casual in the city, and then don wedding attire in Kep.
Places we visited in Phnom Penh: In front of the Royal Palace, Kandal Market for some dragon fruits and cyclo, Wat Phnom, the Royal University, and Olympic Stadium for some Khmer aerobics and sunset. I love Nathalie and Tony because they are super energetic, lovable, completely fun and game for anything! My kind of couple. Plus, it was a treat for T.J. and I to get out and explore Phnom Penh, our foster home!
Nathalie and Tony has this really awesome tradition that I hope TJ and I will start once we're married. Each year they get their photos taken for their anniversary. This year, their third anniversary, they were able to do two sessions, one in Phnom Penh and the other in Kep, a beautiful and rustic seaside town in Cambodia. We decided that they would dress more casual in the city, and then don wedding attire in Kep.
Places we visited in Phnom Penh: In front of the Royal Palace, Kandal Market for some dragon fruits and cyclo, Wat Phnom, the Royal University, and Olympic Stadium for some Khmer aerobics and sunset. I love Nathalie and Tony because they are super energetic, lovable, completely fun and game for anything! My kind of couple. Plus, it was a treat for T.J. and I to get out and explore Phnom Penh, our foster home!
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"We are all wanderers of this earth, our hearts are full of wonder and our souls are full of dreams."
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Bohemian Gypsies: A Southern California ShootOut
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I've been thinking a lot about transitions, alchemy, transformation, life, death, rebirth and how my adventures in the past six months have shaped me into someone more honest, true, and raw. It was not easy going through a breakup. There's nothing that really prepares you for the tearing of your soul. It was as though someone had ripped my heart out and devoured it in front of me. I kid you not. There's no real remedy for a broken heart except maybe patience and even that is very trying. So ten months ago I did the only thing I could do: I taped colored construction paper onto my Khmer tiled walls and had dance parties. By myself. Friday nights and IT. WAS. ON. I danced like nobody was watching and then I would go to bed exhausted but feeling alive.
Aside from that, I lived by myself so I was alone with my thoughts more than I'd like. But it helped. It helped that I had that time to process, to grieve the loss, to write and tear out pages from my journal, to be frustrated, to self-loathe, to learn to love myself again, to forgive, and to eventually trust in who I am.
So now I'm back. There's much to tell you about love, about adventures, about being alive. Life, all of it, has been good. People, all of you, have been good. I am just incredibly happy and I want to share it with you.
For now, photos from a SoCal Shoot Out that took place in San Juan Capistrano this past June. I had so much fun connecting with other photographers and just shooting to my heart's desire. Here is Kristen working her gypsy magic. She was a marvel.
Venue: The Tangled Vine
Video: Jakfoto Productions
Stylists: Heather Skelton
Hair: Diego Ortega assisted by Kristen Macchio
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I obsess about grass. Running on wet, freshly mowed lawns. Jumping in the sprinklers. Sitting on quilts watching fireworks go off on the fourth of July. Strolling through Parisian parks. Picnicking in front of Napoleon mausoleum. An afternoon taking self protraits at Saint James Park. Sleeping. Sleeping. Dreaming. Reading a novel under a willow tree. Cuddles. Laughs. Blowing bubbles. Hide and Seek.
Grass defines summer and I love summer as much as I love the ice cream man, popsicles, and sidewalk art.
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Tiffers says:
I really like this picture! It has that summer vibe :)
(06.29.11 @ 06:08 PM)
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Grass stains
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The past six months have been crazy!
The core of who I am is still intact but I also feel different. E-V-O-V-L-E-D. I wake up every morning feeling blessed and happy! Things have fallen through, people have exited my life, but amazing people have also entered and new doors have opened. I feel very much alive! The only thing I've been disappointed with myself is that I haven't shot as often as I'd like. I was beginning to feel a bit stagnant and losing that artist side of myself. It's one of the worst feelings for me. So this is what I did to get my groove back:
{It was even better that we ended up at an ice cream shop.}
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Lucie says:
You do a great job. Just love the way you see people around you. Do not stop...pleaseeee:) xxx Lucie
(05.29.11 @ 08:49 AM)
Brav says:
Thta's Toto isn't it?
(06.09.11 @ 12:34 AM)
chatti says:
it is. it is. one of my fav ice cream shops in PP.
(06.09.11 @ 01:32 AM)
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How I Got My Groove Back
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The first time they kissed in front of me I instinctively cringed. I didn't mean to honest, but all little sisters can vouch for me that this is a normal reaction to when a guy kisses your older sister. On the lips no less! Did I hear all the little sisters say, "EWWW" ?!
And that was how I was introduced to Eli. He later bought me a big bag of M&Ms as a gesture of friendship. I, of course, was still weary of him. I gave him the stank eye when he handed it to me. I wanted the peanut butter filled kind and he bought the peanut kind. Hmm...this could be a problem. I spent the entire night watching him from the corner of my eye. I was trying to sum up this guy who had unabashedly kissed my sister in front of me. Quite frankly, it wasn't a matter of not liking him but hunny it'll take more than a bag of not-the-ones-I'd-even-asked-for-M&Ms to steal my sister away from me!
There I said it. I haven't admitted it out loud to anyone, but let the truth be known today that I, Chatti, was seething with jealousy. I couldn't shake that gnawing feeling that he meant something to my big sis. That this Eli dude was more than just a silly crush. And that, of course, meant only one thing: CRAP, I'd have to share her! The months following the awkward boyfriend-little sister meeting I was subjected to phone calls from Lakana that centered around him. I responded like any little sister would do: I rolled my eyes. It was very clear that she likes him. Frankly, I preferred it when Lakana wasn't seeing anyone. Without the companionship of a boy, my sister actually needed me! I was afraid that this boy, this Eli kid, was going to ruin it all for us. Somewhere in this brain of mine, I was afraid that she would start to love him more than me. It was irrational thinking.
Oh Internet, I tried to hate him, I did. I tried to find fault in everything that he did but when I saw how happy my sister was I couldn't help but start to like him. A little. Okay, I like him a lot! There I said it Eli and you're not going to get anymore out of me!
Matt and I did a quick 20 minutes shoot with them when we were out in California. Enjoy!
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Summer is coming to an end and I dread it. When I lived in California, Autumn was my favorite month but here in Colorado where there is this dreadful wet thing called snow, summer has my name written all over it. I bask in summer. Summer is all things good; hiking, swimming, and best of all, family. As you may know, Matt and I took a week long trip to California a few weeks ago. I was sick all week but even that didn't put a damper on the trip. I was quite happy to be in the company of people who look like me.
The people in my family are super amazing, sometimes difficult, but still out of this world amazing! My older brother and his family just made the big move from Minnesota to California, so I am beginning to feel left out. Now they are all in the same place, and I remain land-locked. Poor me, yes?
Anyway, when Matt and I were out in Cali, my nephew, Quincy, asked for some senior photos. When he first asked, I wasn't sure that I heard it right. "Senior photos for...?" And before I could even finish the sentence it dawned on me that he meant senior photos as in SENIOR PHOTOS. When did the little munchin turned 18?! How did the little boy I once knew turned into a young adult? Like, overnight?!
Quincy is a quiet charmer. He isn't loud, he doesn't call attention to himself. He'd rather sit in a corner, music in ears staring out a window. Speak to him though and he will charm his way into your heart. He is a wise soul and while I am the aunt, the adult, I find Quincy has a lot to teach me. He is a dreamer, a curious explorer, a person filled with soul. He reminds me to stay true to who am I, to stand my ground in what I believe in, and to laugh (even if it's very quietly).
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Adorable session! I love the stadium photos especially. :) Great work.
(04.19.12 @ 09:47 AM)Chatti,
I love your work, and I'm glad I stumbled upon your site. Beautiful, clean images!
(04.19.12 @ 10:47 AM)Chatti, you captured this couple quite beautifully! Love it.
(04.19.12 @ 11:55 AM)I love the black and white photo of them kissing.. so perfect. Lovely anniversary session!
(04.19.12 @ 04:02 PM)I think anniversary photos are totally underated. This is a beautiful session! Love the third to last image of them on the bleachers with him kissing her forehead - just perfect. Well done!
(04.19.12 @ 08:36 PM)I love every single image! You can really feel the love & the funness (is funness a word?!) in every shot. : )
(04.19.12 @ 09:24 PM)Love them. Love the locations. Love the photos. Awesome. :D
(04.22.12 @ 10:22 AM)Fun, Fun, Photo Session. I love the variety of shots!
(04.22.12 @ 09:22 PM)LOVE these!!! How unique and amazing!
(04.23.12 @ 07:40 PM)Lovely photos! They look like they are having sooo much fun! They must have been a joy to photograph. Such a sweet tradition, too. It makes me sad I've already missed our first anniversary...by more than 6 months. Guess we could always start this year.
(04.23.12 @ 07:44 PM)These are great! I also love the idea of anniversary shoots. What a cute couple! Love the dragonfruit... haha!
(04.23.12 @ 07:47 PM)such a fun session! love these!
(04.24.12 @ 11:45 AM)What a fun idea and a super sweet session!
(04.25.12 @ 12:44 PM)