A few selected images are available in my Fine Art Shop.  Go here to check them out: BUY PRINTS  (if there is a particular image you want- shoot me an email and I’ll make it available in the print shop)

That doesn’t change the fact that I’m in desperate need of some Vitamin D, so I’ve decided to post some of my Cinque Terre photos from our trip in May in hopes of satisfying that depleted part of me that needs sun.

This region is officially my favorite spot on earth, not because it’s the birthplace of pesto and foccacia or the makers of all things lemon (well, maybe that is part of it), it’s the totally unique and breathtaking beauty of it ALL. It’s a little slice of heaven on a remote part of the Italian Riviera that conjures up memories of tiny gelato colored houses balancing on hilltops, old men peering through their windows down at the square at sunset, church bells chiming on the hour, turquoise water as far as the eye can see, birds soaring over the town square,  wine on the breakwater,  sunburnt europeans in speedos, hikes on dusty trails lined with grape vines, scrappy cats soaking in the sun, and tiny glasses of delicious limoncino…

Aaahhhhhhhhhh.  Okay, I feel a little better.

You can download the last photo on this post by clicking HERE. (appropriatley named “I left my heart in the Cinque Terre.”)  I’ve sized it for you to use as a screensaver.  I’ve never offered a download before, so I know it will look good if you have a mac with a 1920×1200 screen, and probably just okay if you have some other kind of computer.  (sorry PC users, I just don’t get you) Please be nice and only use it on your desktop and don’t copy,steal, etc…

*A few of these will eventually end up in my print shop, but probably not until the busy wedding season is over.  If you see something that you need a print of, shoot me an email and I’ll put it up in the shop asap.

*download this photo HERE for your desktop*

Cinque Terre translates to “Five Lands.”  Each town is connected by a hiking trail that weaves in and out of the surrounding mountains.  If you are feeling lazy you can take a quick train that connects each village, but most of the fun is on the trail where you can see how each town is nestled into the mountains.  Cars are not allowed in the villages (except for some parts of Monterosso), which only seems to make the place more magical.  We visited each town, but I think Vernazza (where we stayed 4 nights) was my favorite.  Rick Steves has a pretty good write-up on the area, and his suggestions were pretty spot on.  Check it out HERE.

We had an unbelievably beautiful and amazing trip!  Italy is truly one of the most spectacular places, and I feel so blessed to have spent two weeks of my year there.  I will be posting each town separately over the next several weeks, so check back for about a bazillion more photos.

Art is what we call… the thing an artist does.

It’s not the medium or the oil or the price or whether it hangs on a wall or you eat it. What matters, what makes it art, is that the person who made it overcame the resistance, ignored the voice of doubt and made something worth making. Something risky. Something human.

Art is not in the eye of the beholder. It’s in the soul of the artist.

-Seth Godin

(from random winter outings at Golden Gardens and Lake Padden)

In other news, I’m close to launching a new print shop and an etsy shop that will feature affordable prints!  Be sure to become a fan on facebook to receive updates when the store opens and when new prints hit the shop. (facebook fans will get special discounts, too!)

First off, I don’t want to start the new year without thanking all of my beautiful 2010 clients!  Watching you all fall in love, get married, and have babies was the highlight of my year!  I am truly so grateful and blessed to continue to do what I love to do, and it’s all because of you.  Honestly, I’m still not sure how the business keeps rolling in.  Being a professional photographer was a dream of mine since I was very little (like, 8 years old), so it’s still unbelievable to me that it’s a reality.   Thank you!

For me, 2010 was all about slowing down and focusing on what was important.  I took a lot of “me time” and because of that I was pretty quiet on the blog and on social media sites.  The computer ruled my life in 2009, and I wasn’t going to let it run 2010.  I’ve had lots of ideas throughout the past year that are still brewing and growing, and my hope is that they become reality in 2011.

The New Year started for me with a crashed hard drive, some important files lost (and then found!),  and a week long sickness that is finally starting to subside. (not really a great start)  But now that the first week is out of the way, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I’m ready to dive into 2011 with enthusiasm and wonder!  Instead of listing my gazillion goals for 2011, I thought I would share a quote that I would like to live by in both my personal and professional life:

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” – Rumi

Here are some iphone snaps from my 2010.  Looking forward to what 2011 will bring…

♥ Kim

Taken last summer during a hike through the Hoh Rain Forest.  If you haven’t been, I would highly suggest taking a trip.

We stayed on the east side of the island, which was nice as far as travel was concerned (conveniently located).  But if we ever head back there, I would definitely stay on the north side of the island.  The town of Hanalei was so sweet, and was just how I had imagined a Hawaiian town!  The Napali Coast was also a must see, and well worth the expensive boat ride.  The photographs that I took of the coast cannot even beginning to describe what you see while it’s in front of you.  I was on a fast boat, it was raining some of the time, and the light was behind the mountains while we were on the boat- not the best conditions for a landscape photograph-but I thought I’d post some just so you had a glimpse of it’s beauty.  The enormity of the mountains are really unexplainable, you have to go check it out for yourself.

* For those of you that want a little more info, see the bottom of this post for exact locations/explanation/ of each photograph.*

1. a bizarre scene on the west side of the island
2. the BEST shave ice on the island!  wishing well shave ice- on the north side-right before you enter the town of Hanalei (right side of road)
3. yum!  i have never had shave ice-ever-until this trip.  my mind was blown!  they even put ice cream at the bottom.  what?
4. north end beach + palm tree in Hanalei
5. north end beach- we went to this beach twice.  yes, the water really is that blue!  it’s freaky, actually.
6. garden on the east side.  smith family garden.
7. happy accident.  yes, the water is that blue!  i wish i was swimming there right now…
8. dog w/ a lei on.  too cute!  owner was bat sh*t crazy though, so I snapped and ran
9. plumeria on the east side.  i love the smell of plumeria!
10. more bizarre scenes on the east side.  we went to the very farthest west part of the island, and had to go down a 5 mile bumpy dirt road to get to the best deserted beach!  no photos there, though.  the sand was gnarly  and i didn’t want it on my gear
11. west side- the back side of Napali Coast + Waimea Canyon- the Grand Canyon of Hawaii.
12. car-scape on the east side.  slow shutter, fast driver.
13. west side- Waimea Canyon
14. west side- desert waterfall on the way up the canyon
15. west side- back side of Napali Coast.  fog was thick, then rolled out
16. Napali Coast from a boat.  we departed from the north side and used Napali Catamaran.  the two guides were super funny-check out the link for some more photos.  the views were incredible but did not photograph well due to rain and light.  go see if for yourself, you won’t be sorry.  these mountains were enormous!
17. Napali Coast
18. Napali Coast
19. Napali Coast
20. the only 2 photos of us together… at the top of the west side of the island

[ all shot w/ the canon 45mm tilt shift, of course ]