I’ve been working on trying to recap and learn from my past year of photography. This year, for the first time, I’ve taken on creating an ebook with my 16 favorite images, and offering it as a sort of brief, updated portfolio. Continue reading
Author Archives: Lech
Dr. Martin Luther King Day
The sleepiness of December weighs heavily on me every year. I feel like the new year is a time for reset, but for the most part I don’t feel like I’m in peak shape, or creativity, and certainly not productivity. But then the day to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream arrives and I personally feel like my life becomes refocused, and reinvigorated. Take a moment – listen to one of his speeches – get inspired by his voice and delivery. He was truly an amazing human being.
City Hall Wedding with Class
I recently photographed a wonderful marriage in City Hall. Kim and Tim (the Im’s) looked stunning especially with the grand architecture and history surrounding them. They are fantastically warm and kind people who have been in love for some time and finally tied the knot.
For me, it was great to be a part of their wedding and to witness what happens in City Hall. After delivering their finished photos, I spent some time finalizing a few pics in a low-contrast, high ISO feel with grain and old times. This isn’t typically what I offer clients (unless they ask specifically), but I thought the BW finish and the feel of the event worked nicely. Continue reading
Warmth and Hope in the Chiliest of Times: January 2013 Desktop Calendar
Happy New Year!
I must say that I’m very sad to see 2012 go (but still excited for 2013 at the same time). It was a thrilling year with many great happenings. There were also trying times when it seemed like this place we celebrate as home is aching. The winter is just the season to allow for rest, regeneration, slow days, and cold cuddle-up-with-someone nights. More to come on recapping 2012 and looking forward to 2013.
Here’s my desktop calendar January – free for all who want to use it as such. I wanted to celebrate the cold, quiet, slow times and know that they are as important as peak growing season. Here’s a photo from Yosemite valley celebrating just that. Click on the photo, then right click and save the image, or see the link below.
Here’s the download to the full size picture for your desktop – Please enjoy!
December Calendar Release – Kicking off a New Project
I’m very excited to start a new mini-project celebrating unique landscapes and people’s connection to them. I will create a file that includes a bit of a description of the place, a photo of the place (of course), and a monthly calendar!
The first one, December 2012, is a celebration of quiet and peaceful places among a matrix of urban areas. The Mt. Hamilton Range, east of San Jose, is just that place. A number of private landowners have helped preserve this dramatic landscape filled with true wild-ness, aka wilderness!
Cara and Zach – Napa Style Done Right!
I was recommended to Cara and Zach through mutual friends and it’s been nothing but fun from day 1 at Ben and Nicks. We shared a beverage and talked about the idea of a wedding, the role of photography and realized we would be a good match. These two are enviros to the core and I can’t tell you how great it was to be a part of their big day. They are both doing great things with their lives, spreading good will and advancing science. Congrats to them on throwing an amazing celebration with some of the kindest, warmest people I’ve ever interacted with.
Here is a brief spin through their amazing day at the Robert Young Estate Winery in Healdsburg. This venue was incredibly storybook-like with grapes, mountains and white picket fences. The staff was wonderfully warm and I enjoyed my time there greatly!
Pics after the jump – Continue reading
Humans Required Slideshow for the Bay Area Open Space Council
I’m excited to be offering 13 slides from the Conservation:Humans Required project that I’ve been working on over the years. This set of slides is particularly exciting to present to the Bay Area conservation professionals who will be attending a sold out seasonal gathering by the Bay Area Open Space Council at the David Brower Center in Berkeley. The BAOSC is a fantastic organization that makes great things happen in the conservation world. Thanks to Annie and Ryan for this opportunity.
These slides come from the heart as I want to inspire a new wave of conservation minded humans who see knowledge and commitment as an answer to habitat degradation. Many of these photos depict places I am attached to as an ecologist, hiker, photographer, or just a philosopher. All scenes are less than 150 miles from home. All scenes feel like home…
Here’s a one slide of the show. It should be fun and I hope to make some strong connections with new friends.
Conserving Natives – Both Plants and Knowledge
I was recently approached by a naturopathic physician about art for her healing space. I was immediately excited about the idea since she was also very interested in my ties to local botany and ecology. A match made in heaven – healing, botany, conservation. Yeah, sign me up!
Two under Two Challenge
It’s been a rough week.
Grandma got sick. Really, really sick – like you don’t want me to tell.
Then Kaya,
then Mom.
And just as the light at the end of the tunnel was beaming into our weary eyes, Dad got hit. We’ve had an intense medical ward energy looming over our days. Chlorox, electrolye water, soiled rags. When the rags ran out we soiled the towels, when the towels ran out – we just soiled whatever was left.
Medicine calls it Norovirus. We called it a serious kick in the ass.
And in between the moments of little baby screams and there was a deafening silence. The jackhammer in my head was so loud it was quiet. Our minds drifted towards feeling healthy – sunny days on the beach and cool mountain breezes in enormous canyons. Every pain, ache, scream, vomit became purely animal. Function over fashion devoid of intellectualism. It was a priori life. It was beautiful in a sick way. It is slowly returning us to understanding the power of our family unit, its resiliency and how we are blessed to have a team to create progress out of pain and love out of discomfort.
Enter lil’ Cas
We feel amazingly lucky and privileged to have a healthy newborn in our lives. Castilleja Riley was born on the day of the blue moon, August 31. She weighed 8 pounds and measured a smidge over 20 inches. The whole family is healthy and happy.
Castilleja was named after the Indian paintbrush wildflower which blesses prairies, valleys, scrub and mountainsides. Indian paintbrush is a wonderful mid-summer perennial wildflower that celebrates beauty and versatility.
I’ll be back to blogging once we all settle in a bit.
Much love,
Lech.
Lech Naumovich Photography 