liz seward photography

Ikea: Baby Wonderland!

2010-05-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from a recent family outing to Ikea. Lena enjoyed herself immensely trying out all the furniture, toys, baby food in the cafeteria, etc. I never realized what a baby friendly place Ikea was until I had a baby!
Lena models some different chairs for us.

Some curtains we considered for her bedroom.
Baby in a bucket of Ikea bags.
Baby doesn't like the bucket of stuffed dogs.
We bought her an abacus.
Baby loves the rocking horse.
Feeling pensive after her meal of mashed carrots.
After Ikea we visited our friends Nick and Lisa, who have a dog named Pixel that Lena was very smitten with.
Nick and Lisa's house has almost a complete wall of windows in their living room and the light was so beautiful.
Lisa bought this funny yarn beard as a joke for Nick and I made Gabe try it on. So awesome!

We Ride At Night art show!

2010-03-31T01:53:00.000-07:00

We Ride At Night is an art collective group/company that some good friends of mine started. They are making awesome skateboard decks, t shirts, etc. They are having their first art show this coming Saturday, April 3rd and were kind enough to ask me to contribute. These are the photos I am putting in the show. They are images of the inner workings of a xenon bulb, used in film projectors.

It is going to be a great show, and I feel lucky to be included among so many great artists!

More Lena!

2010-02-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

There have been some demands for some close ups of the new star of our family. Here are some I took just last night (so they are very current). The personalized onesie is courtesy of our friend Jacquie, who made it for Lena when she was born. It is borderline too small for her now so I figured I should get some photos of her in it right quick.

Recent family portraits

2010-02-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

Hello out there! If anybody is still aware of my humble blog I offer you a long overdue update. As all you have been made aware I am sure, Gabe and I welcomed a beautiful little daughter into the world this last summer. I have been very busy keeping up with little Lena Leslie Seward Meline (she'll grow into her name) and have not found the time to post any photos until now. She is just six months old and here are some recent family portraits I took in Mendocino and in the mustard fields along Petaluma Hill Rd. Enjoy, and my love to you all!

Santiago/Thorns of Life in the basement

2009-01-31T21:05:00.000-08:00

Hey, everybody. Obviously the vacation photos weren't doing it for me anymore so I decided to entertain with some photos from a good ol' punk rock house show. Last night Santiago played a show at a friends house with Thorns of Life, a band made up of Blake Schwarzenbach, Aaron Cometbus, and Daniela Sea. All three were once members of iconic punk bands from my and many others' youth. They have formed Thorns of Life and are doing a very DIY, house show kind of tour, and it was really exciting to get to see them play in my small town!

First up, Santiago. Gabe was sick, but he still sang quite well.

Just to give you an idea of the space. It was a tiny, crowded basement. Low ceilings, exposed insulation, ducts, etc.

Then Thorns of Life. People really packed into the tiny room. I was lucky to get a spot on a ledge behind the band. It helped me not feel so claustrophobic, and afforded me some great photo opportunities. We have Blake on guitar and vocals, Aaron on drums, and Daniela on bass.

My friend Dave was given the job of holding a spare drumstick for Aaron throughout their set, which he did faithfully.

France day four

2008-11-09T14:26:00.000-08:00

This is what the light looked like coming through our window every morning. I don't know why it is so much more beautiful than the light at home, but it was a joy to open my eyes to.

Sorry about the long break. Sometimes I just get really wrapped up in my life, and I forget to share it with everybody else. I will be finished with these vacations photos soon.

So, day four was a good one, maybe my favorite. We started with a little laundry. I just love a clothes line.

Bob and Gabe discuss the plans for the day.

And we're off. Summer, Bob, Storey, Gabe and I decided to take a drive to the Gorge Du Verdon, which can only be described as the Grand Canyon on this area, and also one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Gabe loves to show off.
We made several stops, the first of which was to marvel at the fields of lavender.

This is a small town called La Palud Sur Verdon, nestled in the mountains.
The Gorge itself.

We went into the town and walked around a bit.
Got some water.
Met a dog.
Used the toilet.
Met a one-eyed cat.
Bought some cookies.
We then moved on to a bigger, but no less scenic town called Moustiers Ste. Marie. I went crazy here because it was so pretty and quaint and full of lovely things to photograph.

I love how all the homes have names and not just addresses.

Moustiers is famous for one kind of pottery and we were not sure exactly which it was, so i just documented it all.

Even towns like this have graffiti.

One more stop at the lavender before heading back.
I loved the countryside, the people, the architecture. I was in awe of everything we saw that day.

A break from vacation photos...

2008-11-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

...for something important. Tomorrow we vote. The presidential election is making history and though I do have many opinions about who should become our next president, there is a proposition on the ballot here in California which is eliciting an even stronger emotional response in me. This is proposition 8 which "eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry". It would effectively write discrimination into our state constitution, which I think is wrong and frightening. This is the civil rights issue of my generation and I couldn't be more against this proposition. Last week I joined a group of protesters outside the republican headquarters in Petaluma. They have been plastering the city with "Yes on 8" signs and I just felt the need to get the other side heard. These are some photos from that day.

France day three

2008-10-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

Day three was the most adventurous day of our time in France. Gabe, Sari, Dre, Qiana and I woke up super early and drove to a nearby train station to catch "La Petite Train" to Nice! Here is Gabe sitting on the bench at the train stop. It was rustic, for sure.

The train was truly petite, consisting of only two cars. It wound through the most amazing mountain landscape for three hours. I was in awe the whole time.

When we got to Nice we immediately went to another station where we could take a twenty minute train ride to Monaco! I still can't believe I went to Monaco. For some reason Monte Carlo has always seemed like a place that normal people like me are not allowed to go to.

Here is the marble hall in the Monte Carlo train station. Marble halls!

They had some sort of street fair going on which included a swimming pool and a big water ride!

Nice to know they are prepared for people having a heart attack over the fanciness of Monte Carlo.

Here is the famous Monte Carlo casino.

I find mirrors everywhere.

I love the juxtaposition of this really old church under the overpass.
Catching the train back to Nice.

I enjoyed the funny signs that indicated where you can talk on your cell phone.
When we got back to Nice we only had a short time before we had to catch the last train home so we basically ran to the beach. We couldn't go to Nice without seeing the beach.

And here it is. Gabe, of course, jumped in the water in all his clothes, while the rest of us just put our feet in. The water was super warm.

And then we had to run back to catch our train.

Qiana and I had very tired feet when we finally got back to the train station.
It rained on the way home. It was a crazy, crazy day, but I am so glad we did it, cause now I can say I have been to Monaco!

France, days one and two.

2008-09-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

We are finally in France! Our internet was down for almost a week so I have been chomping at the bit to get these up. Our first day in Bras D'asse was spent almost entirely in the adorable house that Fionnan's family was so kind to let us use. I spent a lot of time taking pictures of the cute, french country details all over the house.

That evening we had dinner at a local restaurant called La Toupinelle, and attempted our pathetic french to order food. It was a delightful night, and the waiter had a lot of fun at our expense.

The next day we spent the morning by the pool, and then had a big meal on the porch.
Qiana is adorable.
Here we are, left to right: Fionnan, Storey, Dre, Sari, Qiana, Bob, Gabe, Liz, and Summer!

Gabe took a nap while the rest of us went into Sisteron, a nearby town that is nestled amid some amazing cliffs and home to a very old and fascinating citadel.
Storey is also very adorable.
We took a little train through the town and up to the citadel.

When I was researching the Bras D'asse area before our trip I saw a picture of these cliffs and thought "I want to go there!" so I was thrilled to be able to see them in person.

The whole citadel was paved with these stones. Can you imagine trying to walk on this in high heels (not that I ever wear high heels, but still...)
Qiana loves to strike a pose.
There was a video to watch about the history of the citadel, and I just thought this little sign was cute.

Summer and Fionnan having a sweet moment.

The view of Sisteron from the top. Isn't it beautiful?

I know I am a big nerd about photos, but this is honestly one of my favorites from the whole trip.

When we returned to the house, we found Gabe still asleep (5 hours later!) I guess London really wore him out. More to come!

London! The rest of day three and day four!

2008-09-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

I am cramming a lot in, I realize, but in my heart I have already moved on to France, so I needed to get London finished. After the tower of London we hopped on the Underground.
And went to Leicester Square (the heart of the theater district) to purchase tickets to a play later that night. I found Jude Law and Sienna Miller's hand prints next to each other in the street (which I found amusing cause they used to be married and now are bitterly divorced).
Just amusing myself while waiting in line for tickets.

And then to lunch at this fabulous and cheap vegetarian restaurant (I think it was called Food For Thought).
And then off to Covent Garden, an area filled with street performers.

On to Trafalger Square, which I am told used to be overrun with pigeons. I have to admit I am sorry that it is not anymore. We also went into the National Gallery, which is filled with many, many famous and beautiful paintings.

As a clash fan I couldn't help snapping this photo as we walked by.
Back to the hotel for a nap and some useless, silly photos of ourselves.

And out again for dinner and play.
We went to eat at a place called "Beet Root" (another delicious and cheap vegetarian place. I love London for the food). It was located smack in the middle of the highest concentration of sex shops in London. This is one of my favorites photos from the trip.
Yum!
Another record shop, of course.
And on to the play. We saw The 39 Steps, and it was fabulous! It was funny, and creative, and very british. The perfect play to see on our trip.
The theater was very pretty inside and I kept snapping photos until one of the ushers told me I had to put my camera away.

London at night.

The next morning we had a few hours before we had to catch our flight so we went to Harrod's, which might be the largest department store in the world. It occupies a 4.5-acre site and has over one million square feet of selling space in over 330 departments. It's dizzying, really. There were signs everywhere inside that said "no photos please", but you know me. We got there before it was open so I just walked around taking pictures for a while.

One of their display windows.

And then back on the Underground to the hotel, quick packing, train to the airport, and off to France! Doesn't he look ready for some sunshine and brie?

London, Day 3, Part One: The Tower of London

2008-08-21T23:22:00.001-07:00

I took so many photos at The Tower of London that I decided to give it it's own post. The period of history represented by this particular landmark is my favorite to study, and I just finished a few months of obsession over historical novels about the Tudors, Elizabeth the First, etc. It is quite a complex, and we spent three hours there. A view of the Tower Bridge from one of the windows.

This chair looked just like the coronation chair (that every queen or king is coronated in still today) that they have at Westminster Abbey. I couldn't photograph the real thing, so I snapped up a picture of the reproduction.

The White Tower

This is a monument to the people killed on the scaffold at the Tower. Jane Grey, Anne Boleyn, and many, many more.
There are names carved into the wall in tower where prisoners were held. This graffiti has been here for hundreds of years! Here is Robert Dudley's name (Elizabeth the First's Lover, who was imprisoned as a traitor to her sister, Mary).

This carving is assumed to be in reference to Lady Jane Grey, who was queen for just a short time and then executed as a traitor to Mary. The assumption is that someone else carved her name as a tribute to her.

There are ravens everywhere on the grounds.

The crown jewels are housed at The Tower of London (which you are not allowed to photograph) as well as the Armor of King Henry VIII, and many, many weapons.

A reproduction of several kings' horses and armor.

Henry VIII's horse and armor.

Stay tuned! We haven't even gotten to France yet.

London, Day 2!

2008-08-16T13:10:00.001-07:00

Hold on to your hats, this was a long and busy day. First up: Buckingham Palace. We did not do a tour, but just walked around the outside.
Once again, Gabe thinks he is funny.

On to St. John's Park, a lovely park filled with winding paths, ducks and ponds.
And....The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk!

Why all the lamp posts in London have the Chanel Cs on them I do not know.
Proper british phone booth with Big Ben in the background.
In Gabe's notes about the day, next to Big Ben he wrote "big". That pretty much says it.

Westminster Abbey! Wow, this place almost makes me believe in God. I cannot fathom how people build structures like this. Unfortunately, they do not allow photos inside. I'm not sure I could do it justice anyway.

I did sneak one of Elizabeth the first's tomb.
Off to Camden Town, which is kind of like the Haight Street of London. Funky shops and hipsters wherever you look. Gabe trying to decide what to eat at Pret A Manger, the most prolific to go food shop in London.

Of course we had to stop in another record shop. I was obsessed with how many different kinds of "house" music categories they had!

These sunglasses are for sale on almost every street corner in London. Most of the displays have signs that say "no photos please" to stop annoying tourists like me. I snuck a couple anyway.

Next we hopped on the underground and went to the British Museum....
...where we saw the Rosetta Stone, and then promptly left. It was very crowded. One thing that is really great about London is that almost all of the museums are free, but that also means that there are always a lot of people there.

After this I left my camera at the hotel and we took in a symphony at the Royal Albert Hall (to quote Gabe's notes again "fucking enormous!"), and then dinner at Stick and Bowl ("cheap! good!"), a noodle house nearby. As you can probably guess, I was exhausted by day's end, but glad we got to see so much.

London, Day 1

2008-08-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Oh My God. I took soooo many pictures on our trip that I am overwhelmed when I think about sharing them. At the same time, I want to share them very much because it was such a wonderful trip! So I am going to break it down day by day. I just don't know how else to manage it. Here goes:

Our friends Kerri and Misty gave us a ride to the airport and we stopped at the Marin headlands to say goodbye to San Francisco (also to use the bathroom).
This is our hotel room in London. Don't we look great for having been on an airplane for 10 hours?

The room was very modern and simple (which I love!) so I had fun taking pictures of the furniture. I will only bore you with the one photo of the chair, though.
This is the outside of our hotel. Not so modern out here, huh? It actually used to be a Singer sewing machine factory.
There are these stores all over London (and Ireland as well) called Marks and Spencer. The store is two floors; upstairs is clothing, and downstairs is food. All of the food they sell is single serving, "to go" food. I just loved the rows and rows of packaged meals. There is a lot of this kind of food for sale all over London (cause everyone is always on the go).
Just some shots in the street. I took about 1000 photos of myself in mirrors, windows, etc.

Our first stop was St. Paul's Cathedral, a very old, very tall church. Photos are not permitted inside, but I snuck a few anyway.

You can walk to the top of the church and there is an outdoor viewing area. There are a few hundred more steps to go above this as well, but I got scared and couldn't make it all the way to the top. I waited for Gabe and took some pictures of the view.

This is the church from outside and downstairs.

Gabe thinks he is funny.
Next up: the Millenium Bridge and the Tate Modern museum.
Photos aren't aloud in the museum but here is me outside in the trees (photo by Gabe), and reflected in the front doors (told you i did that a lot).

The Tate Modern coffee cup:
Tired and jet lagged in the underground.

Next we went to visit an old friend of Gabe's who works in a record shop in the Notting Hill area of London. It was a cool neighborhood to walk around, but, frankly I was so tired by this point (having not slept in 24 hours) that I didn't really take many photos, other than this funny one:
And me in the public toilet fun house mirror.
And the records.
Then off to the hotel, and asleep by 7:30 PM! Stay tuned!

Scooters, accidents, flowers, vacation!

2008-07-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Gabe and I bought a scooter. We have been wanting one for a long time cause gas is getting more and more expensive, not to mention I just would rather not use as much anyway. Also, they are just adorable and fun to ride. So we bought one. We had a blissful two weeks with her , and then I, of course, crashed. It wasn't a bad accident, although I was laid up with an injured foot for about two weeks. The scooter has been in the shop waiting on a part for awhile now, and I totally miss it.

See where I smashed the headlamp casing? I suck.

Gabe and I are leaving on vacation (Europe!) in a few days and won't be back until August 2nd, so I'll leave you with a photo of the first red rose in our yard this summer. I'm sure I will have many lovely photos to share upon my return.

Misty at the Fountaingrove Winery

2008-06-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

These are some photos I took almost two months ago for the cover of the North Bay Bohemian (the paper Gabe writes for). He wrote an article about "urban exploration" (which just means hanging out in abandoned buildings). I did a really fun shoot with my friend Misty Green at the Fountaingrove Winery and I think the photos turned out great!

This is the one they chose for the cover.

Misty is a hairstylist (lucky for me!) so she did her hair super fancy/film noiresque.

I had to shoot the pictures in the morning and turn them in the same afternoon so of course I had to use digital, but I took a few with film just for fun. I can't help still loving film so much. The photos just look so, I don't know, velvety.

I hope I have more reason to photograph Misty in the future. She was such a trooper, and beautiful to boot.

Mother's Day

2008-06-02T11:51:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've been gone for so long! I've been taking some classes and work has been crazy, and, well, you know the story. I've just been really busy! Here are some photos from mother's day last month. The whole family got together and took my mom to lunch and spent a few hours wandering and shopping. It was a lovely day.

I know it was mother's day, but of course it is always all about the kids. They are so adorable. This is Tristan, Dale, and Elaine (Tristan and Dale are my sister's children, Elaine is my brother's girlfriend's granddaughter.)

We had lunch at Grafitti in Petaluma. Elaine wasn't feeling great so wanted my brother to hold her all the time. She is so beautiful even when she is sick!
My brother in law, James, looking dapper as usual.
After lunch we walked around downtown Petaluma, window shopping mostly. Tristan doesn't like having his picture taken, so I had to do the "make a funny face" thing to get him to submit. Grandma got in on the fun too.

Once a horse girl, always a horse girl.
Look at my sister's crazy long hair! So pretty. That's my brother Jason in the background, still holding Elaine.
Dale and Star don't mind posing for photos.

We met a puppy outside an antique store. Of course Gabe had to make friends.

And then the bassett hound inside.
Haha. Self portrait.
I love this photo of Dale in the antique store. Sooo adorable.
Then of course I spent quite a bit of time taking pictures of knick knacks in the store. I can't help myself.

What a fabulous day! I really love it when my whole family gets together. I'll post more soon. I promise.

Spring has sprung!

2008-03-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Every year, as soon as the magnolia trees start to bloom, I go out and take a bazillion pictures of them. I can't help it. I don't know what I will do with all of my magnolia photos, but they are so pretty I feel a compulsion to document it. This year is no different. First, a fun photo of Gabe on a swing in the park near our house:

And then the flowers. I just love them so much. I wish our yard were big enough to plant one.

And some cherry blossoms for good measure.
I hope everyone is having a good spring!

Santiago's record release!

2008-02-05T12:58:00.001-08:00

In January Gabe's band Santiago released a new record. That's right, a record, on vinyl, again. It is a five song EP pressed on one side and silk screened on the other side with an image designed by our friend and local tattoo artist, Jared Powell. In addition, each record comes with a card good for a free download of all the songs in mp3 format from Santiago's website. As if that weren't enough, the first 50 copies have handmade covers made by a number of local artists. This is the fourth release by Santiago, and the fourth handmade record cover art show we have put together. I have to say, this was the best one yet! There were so many amazing covers, and we held it at this great, hip, hair salon downtown. It was a lot of work to put it together but in the end I really felt like we actually created something meaningful for our community. It is an incredible feeling. Anyway, I took a ton of photos of the art show and managed to select some to share. I am in the process of photographing all of the covers to be displayed on Santiago's website, so be sure to check it out in the coming weeks to see who made covers and how amazing they all turned out.

The first few people come wandering in to check out what's going on.

As you can see, it filled up pretty quick.

Tony (Santiago's bass player) shows some friends around. Those covers in the background were designed by Sara Sanger, an incredible local photographer (who, incidentally, did our wedding photos). She made all three band members' faces out of tissue paper. Tony's mom bought all three.

The opening band was Mogs. They have a recording studio in their house and recorded Santiago's record there. They of course are also a great band themselves.

Gabe had to write a list on his hand to remember who to thank when he was on stage. Glad he remembered me!
Santiago plays as people look on.

That's that! What a night. I feel so lucky to know so many creative people. Keep checking back as I'll try to post more soon.

Just another day at the beach...

2007-12-16T02:05:00.001-08:00

Boy, Liz, you sure do go to the beach a lot, don't you? Actually, not really, but when I do get the chance, I always take pictures. I can't help it. I feel so lucky to live near this gorgeous coast. These photos are actually from about a month ago, but it took me some time to remember to develop the film. I can be lazy like that sometimes.

These three of the tide coming in I am especially proud of. I love how the light plays tricks on us sometimes. It looks almost like it is night and the moon is shining on the sand, when in reality it was midday.

The Watts Towers

2007-11-23T13:37:00.001-08:00

Hi everybody! If I still have any readers left, I would like to apologize for disappearing for a while there. Here are some photos that I took on my recent trip to Los Angeles. We visited the Watts Towers, a place which Gabe has been chomping at the bit to see for a long time. They are these incredible structures built by a man named Simon Rodia over a period of 33 years, from 1921 to 1954. He just wanted to build something, so he turned his property into a great big piece of art. It is now owned by the city and operates as a park and art center. The whole structure is made out of rebar, concrete, and basically, trash. He used broken dishes, shells, bottles, cans, etc. to create incredible mosaics all over the structures. First, the details:

Now, the structures themselves. Sorry for so many photos of the same thing in a row. I was having a hard time deciding which ones to leave out. These towers are so awesome I could have spent a week photographing every inch of them!

Extended family

2007-10-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Gabe, our friend Bonnie, and I went down to L.A. to visit some of our oldest and dearest friends. Becky and Nick just had a baby four months ago and this was our first time meeting him. We also were excited to see Deirdre, who is in the Peace Corps and has been living on the island of St. Lucia for the past year and a half. I love all these people so much, and I really do consider them family, so we thought it would be great to do a family portrait as we don't all get to be together that much. We went to Griffith park first and were forced out by the grumpy carousel man who accused me of being a commercial photographer and trying to steal from him (?!&%@!!! I almost hit him over the head with my tripod.), but then settled on Echo Park instead.

Top to bottom, left to right we are: Gabe, Bonnie, Me, Becky, Nick, Deirdre, baby Ari, Shaughn, Kevin, and Geralyn.

I also took some portraits of the happy new family. Here's one of pretty Becky by herself.
And the whole family.

How could you not love this baby?

Proud papa.
I know this one is a little out of focus, but I had to include it. Bonnie is notoriously uncomfortable with babies, but look at her smiling! Ari has that effect on everyone.

Extension tube test

2007-10-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

When I got my Mamiya medium format, it came with three extension tubes. They are just these rings that you attach to the lens that basically extends the focal length of the lens allowing for closer than normal (or "macro") focusing. The results can be pretty cool, but they didn't come with instructions and I still don't really understand how I have to adjust the exposure. My photos keep coming out kinda dark. I think I am getting a little better, though. These are the results of my latest test.

My lemon tree finally has lemons on it!
I love how the light comes through our office window just before sunset.

2007-10-17T19:34:00.001-07:00

A few days ago Gabe and I spent the day with my Mom, her brother Peter, his son (my cousin) Jon, and his wife Marina. Peter was visiting from Des Moines and it's been awhile, so it was nice to see him. We went to Petaluma where my Mom lives and spent the afternoon having lunch, looking at boats, and visiting the Dia de los Muertos exhibit at the local museum. All of those things sound great, right? Did I take pictures of any of them? Nope. Instead I took pictures of pretty floweres and succulents. Give me a break, I was sick. And the photos came out pretty well:

Treasure Island Day Two

2007-10-02T19:40:00.001-07:00

Here's what you've been waiting for! The rest of the Treasure Island photos. Before I get to the bands, check out the new bay bridge. It looks like it is half done already! I am just in awe of bridge construction in general, and the bay bridge in particular. How do people do it?

So, here's the music from day two (emphasis on indie rock). M. Ward. Good, mellow singer songwriter. I really like him.

I believe his high school music teacher plays guitar in his band (at least that is what I have been told and I choose to believe it cause I think that is awesome).
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (my second favorite rock album of the last two years, right behind The Arcade Fire).

This super cute baby girl was dancing onstage the whole time they played. I assume she was the daughter of one of them.
Built To Spill. Still good, after all these years.

Modest Mouse. I have not seen this band since 1995, the year they played in my living room and got us all evicted. They are super famous now and boy do they know it. They did a sound check and then kept the audience waiting for a half hour before they started playing. I had just drunk a beer and was stuck in the photo pit about to pee my pants the whole time. Then they would only let us shoot for one and a half songs with no flash (it was dark by now). I really hated them by the time I got out of the pit, but I have to admit that they are still a good band. And they have Johnny Marr (one of the original members of The Smiths) in the band now, so that is pretty rad.

Here's just some photos of the grounds and the people.

Man, that was a lot of photos to sort through!

Treasure Island music festival, day one.

2007-09-24T15:09:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Gabe and I were lucky enough to get tickets to the first ever Treasure Island music festival in San Francisco. It was an amazing two day event, and I got a photo pass, which means I got to go in the photo pit for every band and take as many pictures as I wanted! It was awesome, except for the fact that there were no less than fifty competitive photographers in the pit at a time, all battling for the best shot. It was really a learning experience, and I think I might hate professional photographers now (which is funny, cause sometimes I am one). Anyway, here are the best shots from the first day, which was all about electronic and hip hop music.

These are just some freaky dudes who were wandering through the crowds to entertain between bands.

First crowd shot of the weekend.
M.I.A. !!!!! I love her. I think her first album was my favorite record of that year, and her second ain't so bad either. I was sooooo stoked!

DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. They had this plexiglass barrier up to block the wind (so the records didn't skip) that was driving all the photographers crazy.

The Gotan Project. Oh my god, they are so pretty. And their music is so good. I took the best photos all weekend of them.

I'll post day two (indie rock galore!) soon.

Pee Wee Golf!

2007-08-31T12:48:00.001-07:00

A word to the wise: don't try to drink beer, take photographs, and play miniature golf all at the same time. The result: pouring an entire beer all over your $700 camera. At least that is what happened to me last Saturday night at Pee Wee Golf in Guerneville. Santiago played a show there and while it was super fun (this place is crazy. It opened in 1948, floods every year, and is filled with the craziest sculptures), it was not my best night for cameras. I was shooting with my Mamiya for a little while until my lens just up and broke. Then I switched to my Canon and proceeded to pour my beer all over it. Luckily it seemed to survive the soaking, and while I didn't get any good shots of the band playing, I did get some great ones of the golf course itself. Here is one of two scary dinosaurs that guard over the holes:

These are some I cross processed (processing slide film as print film, which results in a negative you can print and the craziest colors). The results are always unpredictable, but I kinda like that about it.

I love the Sonoma coast!

2007-08-29T13:09:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Gabe and I went to the beach together for the first time this summer. I can't believe that we haven't been yet since we tend to go all the time. I feel so lucky to live so close to such an amazing part of the country. We went to School House Beach, which coincidentally was the sight of our very first date. The beach is not made of sand, but of tons of tiny, beautiful stones. They get all stuck in your shoes and make for an interesting walk, but I love them anyway.

Gabe found this piece of metal (?) that looked like it had been melted. It is very pretty, but part of me worries that it is toxic waste of some kind.
We tried for about ten minutes to get a picture of the waves crashing into Gabe, and when I finally gave up and put the camera down, a huge one came and landed right on him.
School House beach is known for it's tide pools so of course I took a ton of pictures of weird sea creatures.

Gabe tried to take a nap but I kept bugging him by taking silly photos.

On the way back we stopped in Bodega, which is the cutest little town. These buildings are kinda famous for being in the Hitchcock film "The Birds". We were making fun of tourists for taking pictures of them, but then I realized they had the right idea. They are really pretty buildings. I'm so used to seeing them all the time that sometimes I forget.

New tattoo!

2007-08-14T16:08:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I finally got a new tattoo. I have been wanting one for a while but just couldn't decide what to get. Many of my friends have tattoos of the state of California, which I just love. California is definately home to me and I love everything about living here. So I wanted to get that, but I wanted it to be pretty and colorful too. My friend Jared, who is a great tattoo artist (and just a great artist in general) drew me this awesome pretty flowery picture that I just fell in love with. My good friend Jenn got the same tattoo (almost) cause, why not? You shouldn't waist such a good tattoo on only one person.

I wanted to go first cause I was a little nervous. I have other tattoos, but it has been a long time and I've never gotten one this big before. Jenn took all these photos of me. Here I am waiting anxiously for the pain.

It really didn't hurt very bad once he started.

Gabe came by and sat in the corner to watch.

Jenn's turn!

This is the "he's doing the flower on the back of my arm and it hurts real bad" face.

Jenn got some little filigrees that weren't on mine. We had to show our independence somehow.

Jared took this picture and since he says he is not very good at taking photographs I will blame him for the fact that I look pregnant. I'm not. Just a little chubby. And tired.
The west coast is the best coast! I love my tattoo, and I love that one of my best friends has the same one!

Kitties and flowers

2007-08-10T14:29:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. I hate to be one of those crazy pet people who are always like "My kitty is sooo cute. Yesterday she meowed at me in this funny way and I fed her and I called her floofer-nugget and I loooove her sooo much!", but I am. I can't help it. Look at how cute she is! I have to admit there is usually at least two pictures of her on every roll of film I shoot. These are the best yet. As you can see she holds me in contempt and does not really enjoy being photographed, but I do not care.

This is just a really beautiful picture (if I do say so myself) of my neighbor's flower. I don't have pretty flowers in my yard. I have roses that sometimes I remember to tend to, but usually just look bedraggled with dead blossoms hanging off the stems, etc. I don't know why I am so lazy all the time. Anyway, look at the pretty flower!

The great debate

2007-08-09T18:17:00.001-07:00

The day we got together with my dad we visited the Sunset Line and Twine building in Petaluma. I had never even heard of this place, but it is apparently an interesting piece of local history. They are closing and everything inside was up for auction. As you could guess, I took about a million pictures of weird stuff. I could have spent hours more, but we had to be on our way at some point.

Many of these photos I took with my Canon digital camera, some I took with my Mamiya medium format that Gabe got me for my birthday this year (thanks Gabe! I love you. You are always pushing me to be a better version of myself). There is constantly a debate among photographers over which is better, film or digital. I think you all know where my allegiance lies (although, I have been taking advantage of the convenience of digital lately), but see if you can tell the difference between the two. I can!

The Sewards get together finally!

2007-08-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my family (or, most of us) got together to spend the afternoon with my dad, John, and his wife Candace, whom we never see cause they live in Tennessee now. It was a good day. I love to be reminded how awesome my family is (except for the part about being a bunch of cynical nutjobs), and I hadn't seen my dad in quite a while so, you know, it was great. We spent the day in petaluma (where my mom lives and Gabe was recording that day).

Gabe and John. I like seeing them together.

I made everyone pose for some family "portraits". We have top to bottom, left to right: Kay (my brother Morgan's girlfriend), Morgan, Gabe, John (dad), Susan (mom), me, Jason (other brother):

We were only missing Star (sister), James (brother in law), Tristan (nephew), Dale (niece), Candace (step mom), and Rita (Jason's girlfriend). When did life get so complicated?

The same day I took these photos of Santiago (Gabe's band) inside the Sunset Line and Twine building in Petaluma (more on that later). Not a bad looking group of dudes:

Stay tuned for hella pictures of a bunch of weird junk!

Jessamyn's birthday

2007-08-05T22:08:00.002-07:00

August 1st was my friend Jessamyn's birthday and we had a great girls' day out in the city (I guess I seem to spend a lot of time in San Francisco). We went to the Kabuki Springs and Spa which has a beautiful communal bath house. Jessamyn had a massage while I and my friends Dani and Jenn sat in the sauna and warm tub for hours. I don't have a bath tub at home so I rarely get the chance to feel that pampered. It felt great. See Dani and Jenn (above) ready for their naps afterward. I couldn't photograph inside (you know, cause of all the naked people) but there were lovely details even outside.

They validated our parking and we all laughed at how their validation was just a few imperceptable smudges. The garage accepted it, though.
Of course lunch was in order after all that laying around so we walked into Japantown and ate at a noodle house. Yum!
Dani, who is a vegetarian but occasionally eats fish, was craving protein and ordered the seafood soba noodles.
She was a little freaked out by the tenticles, but as you can see Jessamyn had no qualms about eating them.
After lunch we needed something sweet so we ducked into a little bakery around the corner.

I just love the pretty rows of Mochi.
We went into this cute store full of little knick knacks. I kinda hate having stuff like that in my house, but I love to look at it in stores.

Why is it so funny to take pictures of ourselves using the (free) pay toilet? We are dorks.

We of course had to do a little shopping so we went to my favorite clothing store ever. H&M! I discovered this store when i visited New York City four years ago. They just opened one (no, two!) in San Francisco last year and i go all the time. Cheap, fashionable clothes. I took some pictures of myself in the dressing room.
I really wanted this sweater but it was too expensive.
One more trip to the toilet (this time the door malfunctioned and wouldn't close for me. Dani stood in front of it trying to take a picture of me peeing. Luckily she couldn't figure out how to use my camera), back to the car, and homeward bound.
What a great day. I love my girlfriends.

A Meline Day Out

2007-07-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

July 23rd marked the one year anniversary of the death of Gabe's mom, Leslie. Bummer, right? Fortunately, the Melines are all vibrant, optimistic people and took the chance to spend the day having fun, celebrating life. In town this week are Gabe's sisters Summer and Sari, Sari's girlfriend Dre and daughters Qiana and Storey, and Qiana's boyfriend Jonny. We had a great day on Monday in San Francisco, doing all sorts of touristy things I never do.

I just love San Francisco. We stopped at the headlands before going over the bridge and I managed to take a photo of Gabe, Summer, Bob, and Storey.

We met up with the rest of the crew near pier 39 and checked out the sea lions, the old penny arcade, the merry go round, ghirardelli square, and ended the day at a baseball game. Enjoy the photos from our adventure:
Somebody is apparently not very happy with the public transportation in SF right now. Some of my favorite graffiti ever.

I was drawn to take a photo of the crabs while equally disgusted by them.

The cutest couples of the day: Qiana and Jonny, Sari and Dre.

I love how Summer and Bob had the same serene expression while looking at the sea lions. Like father, like daughter I guess:
It was such a pretty day, I couldn't help myself but take pictures of blooming flowers as we were walking around.

This is the only picture i took of myself all day.
Penny Arcade! Such silly, silly fun!

My personal favorite "game": The Opium-Den. You put a token in and the high on opium person starts writhing around, a giant snake comes through a hole in the wall, and the chinese man starts chanting or something. Hilarious!
I love how Gabe sticks his tongue out whenever he is thinking hard or under physical strain. He lost the arm wrestling match.
Qiana and Jonny enjoy dinner:
We went to Ocean Beach before the game cause Jonny had never seen the ocean. This is what happens when you try to get the Melines to take a photo together:

We took the street car to the ballpark. Qiana and Jonny kept being really cute.
Storey OD'd on cotton candy during the game.

Waiting for the bus on the way back to the car (the giants lost, by the way).

Qiana and Jonny as reflected in the window of the street car:
It was a long, good day. I feel lucky to be a part of such a great family.

All dressed up for a celebration dinner...

2007-07-24T14:45:00.001-07:00

This year for our wedding anniversary, Gabe and I went to an A's vs. Giants game. We have had a long running, if good natured, argument over which is the better team. When we first started dating I realized that I was going to have to find a way to live with his love of baseball (never having been a sports fan of any kind myself). Being an argumentative person by nature, I decided to root for the other bay area team, the Oakland Athletics. What started out as a way to make fun of him actually ended up turning me into a baseball fan. While I'll never be the kind of fan who watches every game and keeps track of stats and stuff, I do enjoy the super expensive beer and veggies dogs, and just being out with all those people, rooting for our team.

Anyway, the morning of the game, Gabe cashed in the bucket of change we keep by our bed. We have been putting change in it for maybe two years (it's a big bucket), and it turned out to be $150! A bet for who was going to get to blow the money was in order, of course. A's win=Liz gets a pretty new dress she saw advertised in the paper that morning. Giants win=Liz sits on the floor in the corner at Amoeba Records while Gabe spends hours browsing the Jazz LPs section. Needless to say, the A's won (you know, cause the Giants SUCK), and we went straight to the union square Macy's to purchase my prize.

This was in June, and I haven't yet had the chance to wear the dress, so we decided a celebratory dinner was in order. Gabe just got promoted to a staff writer/music editor position at the Bohemian, plus July 22nd marks five years since he quit drinking (I am still so proud of him). Of course I made him pose for some portraits before we went out:

We had a lovely evening.