Sarah & Curtiss, what a cute couple. I met them months before I left for the Islands and they happened to be my first wedding in Jacksonville Beach when I arrived. Such a great first wedding to come back to. Tons of Family & Friends, balloon animals at the reception, a cool new venue, and lots of love of course! Check out there beautiful Jax Beach Wedding. Thanks for the welcome home! -KiKi
Courtney and Braden Ocean City Maryland Wedding
Interesting story about how these two met, well at least there first date. It was at Nascar. Nothing Fancy, just the complete enjoyment of each others company at a nice family gathering of Fast Cars & Cheering Fans. I think this first date tells a lot about this couple. And here is why…
I met Court & Braden about a year or so ago through a friend. They were road tripping throughout the US and stopped in Jacksonville Beach for a few days to visit.
Now off the bat, you can tell there a good looking couple. But once you hang out with them you realize there more than that. They are always laughing, always enjoying the moment, always looking at each other as if its the first time. Always following what they want to do. Together.
All in all a very mellow and happy couple. Probably the most stress free bride I have met. Courtney was the exact opposite of a bridezilla and actually made my job so easy. She hired me within minutes of meeting me and without seeing my work. A girl that knows what she wants.
I didn’t know at the time how much in love they were. But I soon found out as I walked into the Sunset Room the day before the wedding. I met all of there wonderful family & friends, enjoyed the beautiful ocean in Maryland, and instantly felt that this wedding was going to be magical. All because of the details.
Every detail was true to what they were & who they are. From the chandelier made out of chains from an old bike (Braden is into motocross), skateboards made into signs for the reception, the church that Courtney’s parents were married in, the ring box made out of legos from her nephew, the flower arrangements grown & arranged by her mother, the mini cupcakes made by Braden’s mom and the grand finale of riding in on Braden’s bike (Something the Coordinator did not know about) 🙂 Oh and there was a firework finish from one of Braden’s groomsmen right before we all left.
I could honestly go on and on, but you can look at the pictures and see. See that this wedding’s most important details was the two of them. Who are so much in love. And were an absolute blast to work with.
Thanks for a great time.
Enjoy!
KiKi
I remember this day very vividly. Almost a year ago now, and it was one of the very rare mornings that I successfully woke up before the sun. I bundled up as if I was walking out into the North Pole, grabbed my camera gear, and biked it up to Casa Marina on First Street North in Jacksonville Beach. I had been working on a rather large project with this Historic Hotel documenting the entire property, needless to say, I lived there for three months.
Something about this place was always, perfect. The light seemed to always be in my favor, there was never a bad day of editing of shooting, and the people were so welcoming to myself and my small company with big ideas. Maybe those combined made the project as a whole very fun, rewarding, engaging at most.
But back to my original thought, this day. This gorgeous day, was my last with this project. This was my last rather large job, before I hopped on a plane to my final destination 5,000 miles away from home and my comfortable life I had know for 8 years.
This day reminded me of the beauty Jacksonville Beach has. The area that made me fall in love with the simple yet inspiring beach life so much so, that it pushed me to discover new oceans, landscapes, and life.
A rather important image I must say. Possibly more meaning behind it than the viewer would initially know.
Finally getting her printed and up on canvas for a client today, the final product.
I feel, and hope other photographers agree with me when I say, These moments when you see something that you invision and it comes to life, in your camera. And finally there is a moment where someone else sees what you see and enjoys it so much that they want it printed. And you see your image, in all its glory, printed, hung, displayed for anyone to see, signed with your stamp of approval. Ready for viewing & judgments alike.
That process, is what makes me happiest, is what makes me feel most accomplished.
E Komo Mai
Kiki
I remember this day as a quiet one. I walked up to Pu`uhonua o Honaunau with a lot of knowledge on the area, so I thought.
Luckily within my almost 4 months of traveling throughout the islands of Hawai’i, about half of it I had a travel buddy. My friend Ulrike was with me on this trip, she loved to read, and shared the common love of the history of Hawai’i with me, so every place we ventured to had a vocally guided tour with a girl who sometimes would speak in an english accent.
I drove here from our hotel in Kona, practically quiet the whole 60 minute ride, despite the historical facts Ulrike would throw my way every so often. As always I was eager and focused, wanting to get some great photos of every place I see and touch. Such a daunting task, so impossible to actually have a “vacation” without my camera. But most times, my vacation is my camera.
I felt as if I knew this place, we had read so much about it as we planned our trip to the Big Island a month prior. I had gotten a Franko Map and as I scanned the coastline I saw Place of Refuge. It popped out at me. I immediately looked it up for more info. This was the first line I saw:
“Your only chance of survival is to elude your pursuers and reach the Pu’uhonua, a place of refuge. The Pu’uhonua protected the kapu breaker, civilians during the time of war and the defeated warriors. No harm could come to those who reached the boundaries of the place of refuge.” – from National Parks Service Website
No Harm Could Come To Those Who Reached The Boundaries Of The Place Of Refuge.
My Favorite Line. Maybe its because I decided to take this long journey for 3 months 5,000 miles away from home for the first time by myself (even though I had a visitor at the moment), or maybe because no one happened to be at the place of refuge as we arrived and it seemed almost deserted, or maybe its the fact that I felt so in tune with the island. But something about this place made me feel as if there was no harm to come, a safe I have never felt before. Yes, I know I was in a historical park, that had been colonized, and it may have not been the “same” as it was forever ago. But it felt like it was.
You walk around and follow the map given to you as you walk in and find out where exactly your standing. What happened there. I ventured out on the pathway and looked upon the rocks right past these wooden faces (above) carved of Ohia Tree. A small swell was coming in and washing over these jagged rocks that lead to the safety of the aina (land). I look down at my map and it points out that this is the area you swam to if you had broken the Kapu (sacred law).
Im a good swimmer and all, but thinking about the journey the Kapu Breaker had was pretty intense. They had to not only run across who knows how much of the island, jump into the Kealakekua Bay, swim over a mile across, in whatever surf may be rolling through at the time, then climb over the jagged rocks onto the land, all while being chased by 5-20 men probably twice your size that are trying to kill you. What goes through your mind as your doing something so important as trying to save your life?
I was definitely taken aback as I explored these Sacred Royal Grounds. Hard to put myself in the shoes of someone hundreds of years ago, let alone take in all the amazing historical things that happen on this nearly 2 mile Hike.
As I keep saying, there is so much to be respected about these islands. More to Come.
KiKi