the Minolta Autocord TLR amazingness

these are some photos of my new medium format film camera that i talked about in an earlier post------------ my Minolta Autocord! My parents got it for my birthday... my dad searched craigslist high and low and found the most amazing one that exists, in my opinion.

my reasoning for that is because it came with this RAD BOX! great packaging make me happy!! especially when its vintage, and especially when it is a box for an even more amazing camera/////

and here's the real beauty:

you look through the top screen as your viewfinder--- rad huh?

here are a few more photos that i took with it----
black and white tmax400 film

woo hoo!
i hope you have a great day!
i'm going shopping.
to get a new cell phone because apparently mine's ghetto, and to return a pair of pants. and then, i'm going to do a photoshoot of my grandparents! and i feel great from my massage yesterday.... Tanya at Burke Williams in Mission Viejo.... thank you for changing my life.


:)
love
shan

christmas snapshots-------------

Christmas was lovely lovely lovely.
i got to see my brother sing at church
hang out with my family
sleep a lot
make pie
and watch freaks&geeks!

here's my family on Christmas Eve---------
my sister and i accidentally kind of matched

Grandpa Alf and Grandma Marilyn!

stocking bubbles

and here's my mom and dad on Christmas day! how cute are they!

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rewind a few days.......... and these are photos from the HOLIDAZZLE!!! Rachel, Denise and I had a small little Christmas party, with a dazzle theme, which to us, meant: wear pretty rings

blaire, me and blythe in the traditional totem pole pose

trop 201! maddie, danika, me, ro, and el!

and then the post-party sleepover........
this photo warms my heart.
i love this girl.

and now i'm off to get a massage
with a gift certificate from my BIRTHDAY!
i feel so lucky
and i'm more than ready to get the semester's worth of tension out of my back. wow. deep tissue... here i come.

Heather and David's Wedding on a Yacht! ::: LA wedding photography

Heather and David were married on December 20th on a yacht in the Newport Harbor. The perks of living in southern California! woohoo!!!!!! I bundled up in tons of layers, but it turned out to be pretty warm that day---- absolutely perfect for the wedding.

They chose to see each other before the wedding so we could do some photos before we all got on the boat, and I loved having that relaxed time in the morning. Heather and David are in HAWAII right now---- celebrating their first Christmas together in the sun! Love it!!

Heather has the world's most adorable mom----- I LOVE THIS MOMENT!! right after Heather put on her dress.

and this is the world's most beautiful alley, on Balboa Island

we magically transported to a woodsey winter wonderland

lace, fun shoes, amazingly, perfect.

David!!

the beautiful Heather,

this one of the millions of groomsmen cracks me up-

and the lovely bridesmaids, rocking out

Heather and her dad :)

this is becoming my favorite moment at a wedding. the walk down the aisle at the end! it's always so happy. i love it.

heather's parents, josh and dottie, used these toasting glasses at their wedding!

heather designed her own cake! isn't it fun?

and this is their neice, Shauna, being so cute

Merry Christmas you guys :)

packing to go HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

here's an insider behind the scenes look at my thought process while packing to go home for a mere 10-12 days.

home for me, is a thirty minute drive away.

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#1 on the list, LAUNDRY. i hate having to pay a dollar to wash my clothes. let alone my sheets. and my sweaty yoga clothes.

#2 i should probably bring all the books i've ever wanted to read, all the books i half-read for school to re-read them, all the books that might keep me busy on a slow lazy day, and all the spiritually renewing books that i own to re-read and enhance my soul.

#3 my journal, of course, PLUS a blank one for when i run out of room

#4 baking supplies, for all the times that i bake, and for all the times that my own mother doesnt have flour and sugar, which is NEVER

#5 every photography related item i own. negative sleeves? totally might need them. every polaroid camera i own? yes. 20 gigs of CF cards? totally. all my lenses? you never know what shot we might need on christmas morning. WHEW.

#6 all my past client's contracts and current clients contracts and blank contracts in case i get any new clients

#7 face mask stuff for a personal spa day, along with multiple kinds of lotions, along with eye makeup remover and cotton pads, and an extra razor

#8 a minimum of 3 hair products. who knows if i'll be in a mood for SPRAY DIRT, COCKY, or TOTALLY TWISTED?

#9 four pairs of shoes. the only four pairs i own. and two of them i never wear because they give me blisters... but hey. you never know what i might want to wear to the christmas eve service

#10 every craft item possible, for all the crafts that i might make people for christmas

#11 all of my art that i've made this semester

#12 clothes that i'd like to mend. i'll totally have the time.

#13 every color of embroidery floss---- to do the mending with

#14 all of my old journals in case i want to reminisce and process through everything i've ever learned in life

#15 the groceries that i bought the day before i left

#16 all of my plants, oh wait!

#17 tea, coffee, french press, peets blend 101, another french press, and the pretty coffee scoop, and caramel, and cinnamon, and the milk frother

#18 all of my jackets. all of my sweaters. all of my sweatshirts. BRRRRRR it sure gets cold in southern california. man alive.

#19 all of my stationary, for all the letters i might write

#20 everything financial in case i decide to do my banking.






and then i forgot,
my allergy medicine,
which is bad because i already had a run-in with cashews the other day and almost died.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!
call me if you need anything!
949 525 2281.

love,
shan

SOMETHING NEW & EXCITING!

one of my new most prized possessions is my twin-lens reflex camera. the kind that has two lenses... the kind that you look down into... the kind that changes your life. my dad is officially the best ebay/craigslister EVER.... and found me the most amazing one for my birthday. dad! thank you!! it even came with the original red box. :) i almost cried when i saw it in person. it's a Minolta Autocord, it has officially changed my life, and i went on a few walks with it recently and took these with Kodak TMax400.

my favorite, which i'd love to have become
a big big print in my house one day.

i love working in film!
kind of.
>>>>> annoying to develop, i hate dealing with dust marks, i hate dealing with scratches, but i love the detail, i love the authenticity it adds, i love the film grain, and i love the way it makes me slow down just a bit.
love,
shannon, who is absolutely exhausted right now and is going to bed :)

moments that i love >>>polaroids<<<<<

i'm about to go home from the computer lab at school to eat a bagel: cinnamon raisin. my latest obsession, along with Peets coffee

have a great night!
shannon

Ruthi

Ruthi Auda is one of my dear friends-------- she's a girl who loves life, loves to create and is absolutely uniquely beautiful. Now, I took these photos of her last May. LAST MAY. 6 months ago. For her graduation. Heaven knows why I never posted them... I think I remember being in crazy-mode, finishing the semester and getting ready to go to Africa and shooting lots of weddings. Now that she's graduated, she works at Anthropologie as one of the people who makes art for the store. check out her blog to see her amazing work! Essentially, she makes all of the amazing things that you get to look at as you shop in Anthro, wishing you had $249 to buy that amazing sweater with little birds sewn onto it. Isn't that rad?

Anyway, these photos are so lovely that
I needed to post them, so here you go!

We went to the Farmer's Market in LA.

isn't she absolutely pretty?

after the Farmer's Market we went to
her house for some photos with her bike. :)

and polaroids!

and being adorable!

Ruthi you're the best.
love :)
shan