some dear friends who gave me a place to stay on my last visit to new york. i grew up with cardon, and wish i grew up with kelly. side note that is not relevant but should definitely be noted: they are the most hilarious duo i have ever known. pure comedy folks. their little koos is a ball of wonder, and has me convinced he will grow up to discover or invent something really really really cool.
franny takes us out on the portland town
i have two separate but equal points to make regarding this blog post. 1. the mom in these photos is named posy (yes really! i know, i love that name so much). she is one of the most special human beings i have ever met. she loves, and she gives, and she uses her probably at least 78%brainpower trying to think up ways helping others. i've been one of the people she has helped. the best part is, she's not even annoying nice. she just IS nice. i am so grateful that after our session i can now call her a close friend.
2. the little girl in this blog post is named franny. (i know, just when you thought it couldn't get better than posy!) and franny did not accept a single one of my tricks as a photographer. so you know what happened? instead of clowning around and screaming at franny (which is not beneath my usual antics). i got quiet. and i watched. because franny didn't really need my tricks. everything she was and where she took us was so lovely. it gave me the chance to shoot the session in a new way. to do things i never would have thought of if i was going according to MY system. and by the end of the session instead of franny hating me for me trying to bend her to MY photographic will, i felt like we had established a mutual respect for one another.
see what you think. xoxo, thanks for looking.
help uncle marty tell our story
images above taken by jonathan canlas in san francisco about a year and a half ago.
we were sitting in our therapists office. i was crying. a conclusion had finally been reached. the D word (we're still not able to say divorce in front of the kids). nothing felt real. the sense of failure and pain were a 1, 2 punch i didn't know how to move past.. and then there was my marty, my musician, making a joke, trying to softenthe blow just a little bit--
"and yan, i would just really like to thank you because my third album is now going to be incredible. i've got a lot of excellent content...."
i laugh and shove him, then cry harder because i know its true. and it hurts. but in a slightly better way then before.
marty's third album (under the name of Quail) is our love story. how we fell apart. how we took care of one other. how we're angry. which way he pulled, which way i pulled. there is even a song that i wrote, so that my perspective is represented --which i will sing with marty for-
if -
we can get the album made.
that's where you come in.
you've heard of kick starter right? its a rad company where people with worthy projects who might need a little extra help with funding have a chance to organize donations to that end. marty just launched his kickstarter last week here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/quail/quailthe-third-album
and i want to help him. maybe more than i've ever wanted anything before. call it penance, call it an urgency to hear our story from him (i haven't listened to raw cuts of his songs as i'm a little to vulnerable for just that yet) call it a desire to give a tiny bit back to the man who was the single most valuable tool in building yan photography from the ground up. he harnessed my creative dreams and i would like to do the same for him.
so here's how we do it. if you click on the link above you can choose to donate to the cause of marty recording his third album. i know a lot of you have fallen in love with him and his music over the years. i know christmas is upon us and money can be tight, but if you have anything to give, please help, and please tell your friends. i believe in marty and his talent with all my heart. i believe this album has potential for greatness and i want to see it made so badly.
just to help you get your footing here is a video he and i collaborated on. check it out. i know i'm obviously biased, but i really love it, and this is one of my fav songs.
thank you thank you thank you. not just for the money i would like to believe you're about to donate, but for the immense support, love, and kindness i have recieved during this whole D word process. its been a mother freaking doozy, to say the least. and please, if you know anyone else going through a divorce. be kind. reach out. share some love. they really need it. xoxo
suzy and vasili in love in chicago
its an oversimplification. and its going to sound like an exaggeration but the bottomw line is that suzy and vasilis changed my life with their kindness and their love.
suzy is a rad shooter in chicago and you can see her work here. go! she's also a film shooter herself and busted out her old polaroid land camera for me to use for a few shots. my favorite was this (which i think sums up these two more than the rest. thanks so much suzy):
LAST CHANCE FOR TRAVEL SESSIONS maybe ever kinda.
well guys being quick and to the point--
my babies can't handle it.
the goneness. the lack of routine. the inconsistency. the mom here on tuesdays gone wed- friday.
and honestly,
i can't handle it either. as much as i love it, as stimulating as it is to my heart and soul, as great and inspiring as the people are that i meet (i mean so great, i'm planning on writing a whole book all about it)
i know where i'm needed. and that's in my home state. with my chilluns. my myra, wren, and shiloh boy.
now that's not to say i won't be available for destination weddings and the perhaps bi annual jaunt to somehwere outthere. but no more go go go go go i don't even know where i'll be next week kind of thing.
so.
......................
.....................
.....................
here is your last chance, and a little bit of a kick in the pants (i think i must talk in rhyme when i'm stressed) incentive to put me on your calendar for yans last stretch of travel sessions through 2013.
basically the idea is no i won't be back in your area some other time (as much as i would like to be! and yeah, there is still an off chance i might some day i won't be quarantined to uath county but --- you get what i'm saying)
IF YOU WANNA BOOK BOOK NOW
so here are the list of places i'm hitting up through summer 2013. and if you BOOK a session within the next 24 hours, you get $75 off. yeah. that's a sweet deal i need to lock this schedule down so i don't have to be going back and forth every 5 seconds tweaking and readjusting you know?
-how much does it cost and how do you book? the flat rate for all travel sessions is $950 and includes a full res disk of your edited images with a print relase to go hog wild. Fee is due upon booking, just send me an email to photography.yan@gmail.com and i will send you time slot choices and an invoice.
las vegas, nv: dec 9th-10th
Tampa, Florida : Jan 31-Feb 2 (2-3 spots)
kansas city, missouri : may 3-4 (considering switching this location to PORTLAND as i haven't had any firm commitors yet--so you tell me)
PORTLAND WINS FOR THESE DATES! SO ITS PORTLAND, OREGON MAY 3-4
cleveland, ohio: may 6-7 (same as above except considering nixing this one or switching the location to DENVER. i had peeps express interest but then decide not to commit, so lemme know quick if you wanna keep this location) DENVER WINS INSTEAD SO IT IS DENVER, COLORADO MAY 6-7
laie, hawaii AND MAUI: feb 22-24th (this is a DEFINITE NO BACKSIES!)
la area: march 1-2 (definite)
san francisco (area): march 4-5 (FULLSIES. MIGHT BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE ONE MORE)
san diego: march 6-7 (DEFINITE - 3 SLOTS)
NOW FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SPOTS (this is huge for me, gulp)
Brisbane -ish, Australia: early April (as in the first two weeks)
Vancouver, Canada: June 7-9th
Montreal, Canada (and dropping on over to Quebec) : July 11-15th
London!!! August 7-13th
so hit me up all y'all! photography.yan@gmail.com. remember if you book within 24 hours, so like by midnight tomorrow, you get $75 off the original $950 pricetag. WORD.