Aviva Photography Blog

And I repent. I’m not posting enough. Mea culpa.

A couple of shots from our recent trip north to Onna and beyond… and a bit of news.

We’re trying like the dickens to get to Oahu (Hickam) via Space A in July. I HOPE we get out around the 10th and we’ll return no earlier than the 18th. IF you are in Oahu, I can probably schedule a shoot or two (or several minis perhaps?) – so if you’re interested please email me or comment here and I’ll get in touch. PRAY that we get that flight! We are staying at a friend’s place while they’re gone, and I REALLY want to see Edith and Athena. Really.

So. Here are a few from Father’s day. First stop, Manza-mo (Cape Manza):

Those of you who have been, know it’s really that gorgeous – and it was HOT. I wanted to dive in. (can you see the little tiny people on the edge of the cliff in the middle? Just to give you an idea of the scale. BIG cliff.

We headed up toward Nago Castle Park (where we saw some cherry blossoms back in February) – now there are other blooms.

That’s it for now – some artsy stuff here for you. More soon – I did have another shoot this past weekend, I’ll post peeks stat!

Hi, everyone! It’s been busy here at Aviva Photography. I know a lot of people are PCSing and trying to squeeze in that last session. I’m waiting to hear back from a couple of families that sent inquiries, but I’m otherwise completely booked, with one slot left on Saturday, June 13th.

Except for newborn sessions and bump & baby sessions, I will not be booking shoots until September. Several factors involved in that decision include:

• It’s ridiculously hot and sticky in the summer, even in the early morning. Editing doesn’t fix sweat and cranky overheated faces.
• My daughter is out of school and that drastically cuts my editing time.
• Many people are on vacations in the states and wherever else over the summer, or they’re new to the island (WELCOME!) and don’t know about me. YET.
• Rescheduling due to typhoons and other inclement weather is very difficult.
• I plan on traveling a bit this summer as well – to climb Fuji with my family (wish us luck!) and to Hawaii for the first time ever!
• did I mention it’s HOT?

The GOOD news:

• For those who are here, I’m finally going to have time to get to GAMU – I WILL be putting together digital photography/get-to-know-your-camera sessions which will take place on Saturdays, somewhere air-conditioned. Promise.
• Newborns don’t mind the heat one bit – so if you’re due this summer and wish to schedule a newborn session, I’ll be doing a few of them – please email me if you’re interested. (If you’ve already scheduled – I know who you are.)
• If you’re on the island of Oahu over the summer, and you’d like to schedule a session let me know! I’ll keep you posted on my travel dates.
• I’ll be around until at least June of 2010, but we’re looking to extend until June of 2011 – so I’m still here! I’ll be opening the fall calendar during the summer and will let you know the information as soon as I have it together. The fall weather is glorious!

Just wanted to keep you posted, my friends. I’ll be around for most of the summer and if you have something else in mind (i.e. an indoor shoot or some other special case) I’m open to it! Just email me.

I know I can’t post without photos, so here are a few from the recent dragon boat races on May 5th. (Army & Air Force girls, I have galleries online with your photos, if interested, email me. Navy – I’m ALMOST done. THIS WEEK, promise!)

I really did not saturate and mess with the color of the water. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and this was in the late afternoon during one of the men’s final races. I loved getting in close with my 100-400mm from the dock; the spray was so cool! (I wanted to jump in SO badly.)

No, they weren’t in a swimming pool.

There are food stands everywhere, and lots of carnival games; one in particular gives away colorful chicks. I still hope this doesn’t do them any harm – they come in pink, green and orange. I know they lose their fuzz and don’t stay this color, and they seem fine.

And Mia – with her new friend, the Orion Girl. Doesn’t Mia look HAPPY?

What?

I was her DD. But I did have to wrestle the car keys from her.

More soon. THREE shoots this weekend – no rest for the busy! But I’m ON it, my friends!

Back in Okinawa and as busy as ever. Can I get a big HURRAH for the incredible weather we’ve been having? Amazing. I’m soaking it all up before the heat sets in. I have a LOT of work to do (as in, client work) but wanted to sprinkle in a few travel shots along the way – so here it goes.

I just returned from Hong Kong. What a fantastic city – and wow – the FOOD. Unbelievably delicious. I went with a girlfriend of mine, Val (cameras only – sans-kids, sans-hubbies), which was a great way to travel. I’m definitely going to share more, but for now just a few peeks of what I did there, and I promise I’ll also put up some Thailand and Kyoto photos finally as well. Maybe as things slow down (ha ha) I can get to more of these… my clients come first.

So this is a really broad overview of the first few shots I got to edit – there are SO many more, I might go in categories like food, temples, scenery, etc.

The first two days it poured. Non-stop. So only the point & shoot came out with me besides for indoor shots. Monday – the rain stopped. So we went to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. It was still a bit cloudy and there is definitely a lot of smog in the city, but you’ll get the idea. Amazing tram ride up the hill and then you come out to see this:

(Well, I guess you see that if you’re looking through a fisheye, but since your eyes have peripheral vision maybe this gives you a better idea…)

At the peak, we went to a restaurant that came highly recommended, Cafe Deco. As the name would suggest, it’s decorated completely with art deco and deco-period furnishings. Besides the food (YUM) here was my favorite part… the bar looking down through a circular hole in the second floor of the restaurant!

Doesn’t it kind of look like a roulette wheel? Well, there is gambling to be done in and around HK (we went to Macau, but did not go to casinos), but we found other ways to spend our HK dollars – trust me! This was at a souvenir stand at the peak. I loved it.

Back at the bottom of the hill, we saw a bride and groom being photographed. We sighed and oohed and aahed… and then as they took off to another location I realized – HEY! That’s not a real bride!

Jeans and loafers under the dress?? Maybe it was a catalog shoot. We had a good laugh at that one.

Down the road on HK Island, we took a double-decker bus. Not a regular one, a skinny one. Kinda reminded me of that bus that Harry Potter rides in that squeezes through stuff, you know what I’m talking about? We sat up top for the experience and looked out the back window at this sweet smile and I had to capture her. The people in HK are very nice, we decided. Except maybe the cab drivers… but that’s a story for another post.

The buildings were really interesting to me. I’m originally from New York, and the city was right next door. That’s right. THE city. Once you’ve done New York, there’s nothing else like it (bear in mind, I haven’t visited Tokyo yet – I realize that’s a city too). My father is in the elevator business as well, so I dig skyscrapers. But Hong Kong is definitely a city, and the structures are fascinating.

Macau & Taipa are just little slices of paradise. Very European. Here’s one of many postcard-esque shots I took of a cathedral facade. The building itself was constructed of wood and had burnt down years ago. Here’s what’s left – it makes for a really interesting site, don’t you think?

Last but not least, on Lantau Island – the biggest outdoor buddah in the world. Known, succinctly, as The Big Buddah. At just past high noon, this was my favorite sun flare shot of the day.

More soon, everyone! To include some photo shoots of more gorgeous clients,and travel shots.
REMINDER: The discount on the Aviva Photography Online Art Gallery expires on May 6th! Photographic prints make great Mother’s day gifts – order today and it will probably make it on time!

I’m getting ready to post a bunch of stuff I’ve been working on – but I feel the need to make you all laugh with me. When the Funnest Family Ever came over to see their photo gallery, we kept going back to look at this one and laugh ourselves silly. It could be the best jumping shot I’ve ever taken – and I’m confident, but I wouldn’t call myself a bragger. This makes me smile and laugh for SO many reasons – and the subjects just about insisted that this photo should make the blog. I can’t even decide if my favorite part of this photo is Val’s hair or M’s huge grin….

Two beautiful families and a gorgeous senior to come soon! Have a fantastic day!

A couple of weeks back I took my daughter, Mia, to the Tee House (the golf course restaurant) on Kadena. Sitting in one corner were four Japanese people, one of whom, a man, was playing with a 1D. An OLD 1D – it didn’t look like mine, it was quite beaten up – and it had a Canon 70-200L lens on it. Mia sat down and I told her to wait for me for a sec, and I strolled over.

I asked if it was a 1D, and he said, with a thick accent, “Yes, uh – you photographer?” I explained that I was, and he explained that he was a press photographer here on Okinawa, and handed me his camera to look at. It was the original model, definitely well used! He snapped a couple of photos of Mia, handed me a card, and asked for my email address. I handed him a card as well, and said thank you, and “hajimemashite” (it was nice meeting you), and we parted ways.
I did get one of the photos he took. I’d post it, but it’s nothing special, really – we were just tinkering around. (Don’t be mad – really, Mia has a mouthful of grilled cheese and is mugging in the shot.) But I emailed him back to thank him and tell him how nice it was to chat that day. He responded,

“Dear Mrs Aviva and your family.
I visited the aviva-photography.com.
So nice beautiful lovely photos!!
I understood that you love human being!!
I hope your life in Japan be happy and fun!!

See you!!”

You know what? My life in Japan IS happy and fun. And I love human beings. If that’s what he got out of it, that is just fantastic.
And now, I leave you with a photo (one that I took this weekend) of my little princess on her 7th birthday. Where does the time go? It’s a good thing I take pictures…..

(Bear with me for a personal post – tropical storm-ish weather has made for not so shoot-friendly days, but I’ve done personal shooting so here we go!)

Summer is “PCS Season” here in Okinawa and at most overseas installations that harbor families. PCS means “permanent change of station”. It also means we say goodbye to friends and neighbors and new ones move in- the natural progression of things. Bad because friends we’ve made move away, but good because you make some new ones too. And eventually YOU yourself become the “short-timer”.
Well, this summer pretty much our whole block turned over. And two families across the street adopted chocolate lab brothers. Now named Zeus and Todd.

This is Todd.

Yes, he’s had a long day for a little puppy. He’s just as adorable as he looks here. And I am pretty sure he would taste like a brownie.

I live a 1/2-block from the Sunabe Sea Wall. I learned during typhoon season last year, that when you see someone running with a surfboard under their arm – the waves are awesome. When we arrived at the sea wall the other day, I saw this almost surf-show-tailgating scene right here:

This was gonna be good. It didn’t disappoint. As I peeked over the wall, I was thankful (and trust me, I RARELY am because it’s huge and cumbersome) that my hubby got a 100-400mm lens.
The sun was shining on & off through the waves as the sets rolled in. the colors were amazing, and it was just all so hypnotizing.

This was my favorite guy to watch. Rainbow Shorts Dude. Talk about NO fear, you could tell he lived to surf. Which is a very boring existence for about 95% of the year in Okinawa. This is probably my favorite of the day, but I really liked a lot of these.

This was great; this girl was probably about 5. She was so comfortable jumping and running on the jacks (the big concrete things at the sea wall that are built up for exactly such weather), and my husband was SO nervous just watching her. She’d stare at the waves, and when one rolled in, she’d scream and run back to the wall!

As we walked back, I snapped this one. The flip-flops lined the sea wall, and it was just another display to take in while on your way to see the greatest show… who needs movies? I have my friends & neighbors and a free live show on a gorgeous evening. Long post… sorry. I enjoyed this, thanks for indulging me.

I do have more I can share from this day… I’ll get them up one day soon when I have nothing to post about.

I was editing a few photos from about two weeks ago (don’t ask… it’s HARD to get to everything I do for myself!), and Craig (hubby) grabbed the tripod and was in the living room messing around with the camera. All of a sudden, I hear, “Cool! Come here & check this out!”

I looked on the display and he’d controlled the shutter so that he had time to run over and scribble with a flashlight. “Wait! Gimme that…” I said, grabbing the flashlight and running behind the chair. He explained what to do and where to stand, and that I needed to point the light at the camera… and…. VOILA!

Ok, not perfect. But COOL, right? (I turned the flashlight on & off for the separation between letters after ending up with a big zig-zag trying to do it in one line the first time.) Next time we might end up with sparklers or chem lights at the sea wall… look out for the crazy people holding the lights in front of the camera on a tripod and jumping around.

I just blogged a few of these on my personal site but I did want to share them here as well. I promise to be better about blogging on this site as the business really starts – for now it’s much less interesting stuff for me – making sure things work properly so that when clients hire me, things go smoothly. Nothing glamorous about it – but it has to happen.

Anyway – here are a few shots I took when we pulled over to get some of the beautiful light hitting a Marina near Nago.

Ah the mighty Aphrodite. This makes me think of my friend Nick – not only a boat aficionado but a Greek.

The fish were literally jumping in this marina. So I shouldn’t have been surprised that I saw a couple of guys with poles.

Just a couple more shots I grabbed before we hopped back in the car for the ride back home.

As a sweet and knowledgeable friend just told me – I need to take this moment in. So that’s what I’m trying to do… but it’s been hard to breathe at all!

Let’s slow it down. For starters, a photo. Last weekend we trekked up to Emerald Beach, just north of the Churaumi Aquarium for a day outside. It was hot, but with an umbrella in the sand and an ocean to play in – it was paradise – our permanent vacation!

Mia ran off into the water the moment I finished putting on sunscreen and handing her a mask. Soon she was out there playing with three Japanese children whose mother was standing closeby in the thigh-deep water. (Thigh-deep for an adult, anyway.) As I walked out there, I heard them. Language barriers mean nothing to children, I think we could all learn from that. They were playing on platforms, jumping, splashing, laughing, and praciticing their English & Japanese. It was delightful! I met the kids’ mother, who spoke much better English than I do Japanese. She said her children were trying to figure out Mia’s name. I said, “It’s Mia. What about your children?”
She pointed at her daughters (and you’ll forgive me, I don’t remember her son’s name) and said “Mi-yo and Mi-yu!”

So Mia, Miyo and Miyu frolicked together for the afternoon. With their brother too.  I’m so sorry, I’m sure you have a lovely name. We even got a glass-bottomed canoe together and checked out the sakana (fish) swimming underneath us!

So back to business… here comes my launch – in September. I am probably as ready as I’ll ever be – I mean, I’m already working, right? But now – it’s real. I’m going to be emailing out a coupon to those who have been supporting me – probably YOU sitting there reading this right now! (Unless you aren’t in Okinawa, then I think that would just be a big tease.) Hitting “Send” on that email is going to start my business. That is a very big deal for me. I guess it would be for anyone, but even bigger because I have been on this island for 14 months. That’s how long it has taken to cultivate this pearl that is Aviva Photography. So – you will be thanked in my email to you with the eCoupon, but I’m going to thank you here too. THANK YOU – YOU have made this what it is. YOU have been encouraging to me even when I was laughing you off and thinking eh – it’s just a hobby. YOU have blessed me with your family’s faces and beautiful souls in front of my camera. And I can’t wait to keep doing it. I know you’re holding my hand, and here I go – deep breath… jumping in!
Please don’t let go!