Clara and her family are native Monmouth County Jersey folk. They moved away to Nebraska due to work four years ago. When they come back to visit it becomes a priority to get some senior images of Clara- RIGHT HERE IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN LONG BRANCH!

we also needed to visit the plush woods and the awesome beach at sunset.

But what could not be passed up were making part of our session at the fabulous walls of  the future downtown arts district on Lower Broadway.

The draw to this artwork and it’s possibilities is so strong that even as lower broadway remains in disarray awaiting it’s fate,  family folk want pictures infront of these murals. Let’s face it, It’s vibrant, exciting and theres nowhere like it.

Again my plea goes out-Let’s keep our lower Broadway for the arts! Don’t fill it with expensive cllothing stores and more restaurants. If we build an amazing artistic center, they will come! It’s proof, these folks had no problem stepping over the broken glass, garbage and even worse items to have a picture taken in this enviornment to savior forever in their memories. Just think what it would be like if it was cleaned up a little but left this neighborhood to the creative community to develop.

Maybe give them some funding to make it great…It can be done! It would be great!

The fog was thick and soupy, the makings of a magical atmosphere for photographing. However, not so easy for human subjects, because even though there was no bright sun to make you squint
(yeah!) the ground was super soaking wet from 4 days of rain and for the shot I needed them to sit on it! To make things even a little trickier this blooming bush that John planted when he and Lizzie got married only blooms for approximately two weeks each spring. After coordinating with john to get us together for a photo,  the challenge was heightened as we had deal with mother nature’s mood swings and wait out the 5 days of torrential rain. On a monday night,  a super foggy sunset minus the sun, we did it, we literally went inbetween raindrops and made these photographs.

And the four legged memebers of the family- well, they didn’t mind the wet ground at all!

 

 

 

I always encourage play in front of my lens! After all the goofing around Mom’s are amazed at how many images they love. I love to record the genuine moments and kids at play always shine.

In this case JP was on the move and there was no slowing him down, and why would we? This behavior is who he is right now and it’s not forever that he will be able to put his foot over his head, but you never know. Either we captured it to be enjoyed and bring smiles to whoever looks at JP’s yoga moves on the BIG red chair.

Tara has always been nice enough to come down on the spur of the moment and model for me while I try to compose a few shots worthy of some merit. On March 19th I had been outside with Felicia the gospel singer for 2 hours photographing her infront of the jazz wall in town (see blog post “felicia sings her art” and on this blustery day a blast from a 30 mile an hour wind gusts took my off camera flash down and smashed my wifi TT5 to smithereens.

Not the first time this has happened- so  from now on it’s we will use a a heavier stand and a sand bag to keep lights from blowing away. A lesson slowly learned BUT i think I got it now.

Back to our scenario:

Lance and I were frozen cold but my dear husband kept pace gently using the bounce board to edge light felicia and than Tara and continue schleeping the equiptment long enough for me to grab some images of Tara by the amazingly wonderful Long Branch murals.

Thanks Tara for your patience and flexability and soon we will be back to the “secret garden” for another session to see what we can come up with.

Since I startrted bloggin about this mural spot I met the man who is mostly responsible for this amazing art work in downtown Long branch, it’s so funny because he and I don’t really know each other but as it turns out we travel in similar circles. Todd Katz, the visonary who has developed the new Sipersteins on Joline in LB along with the city Arts council made this downtown area available for muralists to work.
It really is a phenonmenal geopgraphic area. I have seen limos pull up and brides and grooms whose photographer’s use it for wedding portraits. I for one would love to see more murals in our City By The Sea and give many more artists an opportunity to show their work.  Through the delayed development of this area there are those who are keeping the Arts alive. This is a worthy pursuit.  Thanks Todd for your love of LB and thanks Arts Council for seeing an available canvas where some might see blight and finding a most wonderful way to use it. Painting is not dead.

Thanks Tara, for allowing me to use your likeness. Thanks Lanc, for your endless support of my craft.

Feel free to add your thoughts people are listening and watching…. be heard.

Thanks readers for taking the time…..