one to twentynine . seven / utah wedding photographer

dear yan fan, this week we went to the salt flats with brian and michelle.  the company and conversation were exceptional.  they're really fun people.  i made a couple "jokes"; they didn't laugh.  i hope they know i was joking and that i'm not a jerk.

the highlight of the trip was when our car got stuck in the median which looks like flat solid ground, but is really a wet, mud trap.  the fire marshall saw us on the side of the road and was nice enough to stop and explain they had just flooded the area.  i'm not sure why they would do that, but as he drove away i think i saw a bumper sticker that said, "i hate photographers."  just kidding, he was actually really nice.

despite the flooded flats and the stuck car, the shoot turned out great.  the images we took as the sun was dropping were beautiful.  michelle and brian looked really good.  i stole a couple images of yan while she did her thing.  here's one of them i love.

aloha,

marty

p.s. tonight i sang wren a lullaby.  when i finished, she looked up at me and said, "i love you daddy. you a nice daddy."

one to twentynine . six / utah wedding photographer

dear yan, i got a call today.  they wanted us to do a reality show.  something about documenting the perfect life and half a million dollars.  then i explained how every morning i make the bed and dump the basket of (unfolded) clean laundry on the bed so i'll have to fold it before i can go to sleep.  then just before crawling into bed i shove the clothes back into the basket.

for fear of being too personal (oh the irony! works on at least 3 levels here) i didn't tell them how last night we fell asleep hand in hand taking turns saying, "i love you."  they said they're looking at one other couple (who's ryan seacrest?) and that they'll get back to us.

love you,

marty

one to twentynine . five / utah wedding photographer

we went to a photographers' convention in las vegas.  it's called wppi.  we took very few pictures but here's one i set up in the hotel.  some of us look better than others, but then this project is about yan.

one to twentynine . four / utah wedding photographer

martin: when i was younger i would insist my eyes were grey.  it never went on my driver's license or anything, but occasionally someone would squint at me and lean a little closer and ask, "what color are your eyes?"  at first i wasn't sure why people kept asking me that, but i took a good look in the mirror and decided they really were strange.  almost grey. in the beginning of diana and martin, during one of our all-important discussions about life, the universe, and volvos the subject of eye color was brought up.  by that point i was over the "my eyes are grey" thing, but i still felt a special connection when diana said her eyes were "watery brown."  it's the color of our daugthers' eyes.  yes, watery brown.  let's get that on your driver's license.

marty's 1 to 29, behind the scenes | utah photographer

let's all hold hands and chant serenely, "we'll get through this together...we'll get through this together." because let me tell you that when the last few strands of daylight are slipping behind the mountains, and marty says to me, "we need to take your picture," and i haven't showered since, well, since, and i've spent the entire day yanking my shirt down to cover the fact that my stomach quadrupled in size in less than 24 hours, and my pants are never buttoned---well, i feel for my clients. because sometimes getting your picture taken is really really really super a lot hard. sigh. i want to support marty, really i do. but do you want to know what actually happens during picture time? i get all stressed out and suggest a million different things for him to try, and ask annoying questions like, "is the camera even on me? it doesn't even look like you're taking a picture of me....did you lock the focus? i didn't hear the beep....shouldn't i stand over there? are you even listening to me?" and on and on and on and on....and marty get's frustrated that i'm trying to "take control," and then i realize i'm my worst nightmare in terms of a client, and try to shape up, but by this time the shoot is pretty much over.

then i snatch the camera from him and scroll through the pictures mega fast, telling him all the things he did wrong and picking apart my appearance just like every other woman i like to pretend i'm not like. yes, i'm THAT mean, and let's not forget, hypocritical.

but, there's good news. namely that i married the most patient man on the planet, on every planet actually, including pluto before it got the boot.

second, i like this picture. even though everything i said about its circumstance is true (i ended up taking a five minute shower, insisting a wet hair portrait would be cool). even though i don't have any makeup on, and was not blessed with  eyebrows (though i hope in the next life?), even, even, even though, there is a limb chop i won't even mention...

i think this portrait is really nice. so thanks marty. you made me feel pretty. and i promise i'll do better.

p.s. people, don't worry, we have photos of other living, breathing humans we are excited to share soon!