travel Archive - Em the Gem

Archive for the ‘travel’ Category

a weekend in tahoe : the film challenge
May 14

I love our friends.

Aaron and I are so thankful to have so many wonderful people in our lives, and it’s pretty fun to know so many other young couples to share this time of our life with.

A few weekends ago we took a trip with a few of these guys to Lake Tahoe to get away for quality time with each another and with nature.

My personal challenge for the weekend was to get some practice with a few of my old + new film cameras. Thankfully, this didn’t feel like work at all. It was fun to capture life as it was happened with one or two clicks rather than looking at my screen, readjusting, deleting, refocusing…

That’s one reason I’m so in love with film. It forces me to slow down and compose carefully. To be intentional about what I capture. And then after that, forget about it. It allows me to be more present with my friends, my subjects.

One day of our trip we all went out to explore and I spent a few minutes with each of my friends to photograph them, just as they are right now. They were all so patient with me as I manually focused every.single.frame.

At the end of the day, I really cherish these images.

Each one is a visual reminder to me of how much I have to be grateful for.

Mia + Chrissy are both alums of my fun : 101 photography class so I let them take the camera for a few frames. They did a good job… although I’m thinking it’s about time for a haircut…

Besides exploring for our photo shoot, we mainly hung out at the cabin, cooked + ate food, and played games. Pretty much the perfect weekend.

This was the view from our balcony…

Paul + Mari were the only ones who really worked out. Kudos!!

xoxo,

p.s. for my photo friends, these images were taken with these cameras / film stocks

mamiya 645 // kodak portra 400
fuji GA 645 // fuji pro 400H
pentax k1000 // kodak portra 160
canon eos-1 // kodak tri-x 400

Posted in film, friends, personal, portrait, travel | 3 Comments »

matchstick coffee roasters : vancouver
May 2

It’s the kind of place you’d consider moving to Vancouver for.

It just feels like home. Albeit a slightly better dressed version of home.

The space is bright and well kept. A long wood table on one end full of chairs, every corner of the shop spotted with customers on laptops and small families with scones and curious and friendly gentlemen asking what kind of camera is that you are using?

The kind of place you don’t feel lame for getting a macchiato + a scone after you’ve already sat and drank your americano as slow as you can. It’s the type of space made for lingering.

I loved visiting Matchstick while I was in town to see my sweet friend Jamie Delaine. For 5 days all we really did was drink coffee and talk. Matchstick was the perfect backdrop to our conversations about life, photography, community + faith.

If you’ve followed my blog for a while you had heard me go on and on about my love for a well-crafted espresso. But it wasn’t just that the space was lovely - every little thing about this place tells me that the people who own it and work it are doing it for no other reason than this is what they were meant to do. It shows.

If you are in Vancouver, you ought to stop by. Say Hi for me.

More photos of Vancouver yet to come.

All of these photos were taken with my Canon eos-1. Kodak Tri-x 400. Processed by Richard Photo Lab.

xoxo,
Em

Posted in film, personal, photography, travel | 3 Comments »

paris
April 27

I am a perfectionist. And it is not a good thing.

I have the tendency to look back and dwell on what I should have done. On the one hand it helps me grow. I am always thinking strategically about what I want to change for next time. On the other, it robs me of gratefulness for the process. Perfectionism keeps me enjoying what I have been given.

Which brings me to Paris. Glorious Paris.

You’d think I just danced around Paris light as a feather free as a bird by looking at these images.

Wrong. I was frustrated that it was cold and rainy the whole time, because I only brought one pair of long pants and one jacket. Neither being very fashionable. I was tired from walking all over the city all day and night because no one in my party wanted to take long Parisian lunches and take a break. I hadn’t really planned out what I wanted ahead of time, so I found myself in every church and museum Paris had, wishing I was just sipping coffee at a cafe or shopping. Just writing all of that out is rough. I want to go back and erase it. Make it sound less like I am a petulant child. But that’s exactly how I was acting.

Which led me to day 2 in Paris. Aaron and I had split from our dear friends after climbing the Arch de’Triomphe and I was a cranky hot-mess. I sat down on a bench and cried, feeling tired and sorry for myself.

Bless my husband for dealing with this kind of behavior. Really. It was one of those moments where you can SEE yourself acting badly but you feel absolutely powerless to snap out of it.

After figuring out what in the world was going on inside my head, he helped me make a plan. Go back to our place and take a nap. REST. Get some macarons on the way back to that nap (RIGHT? He’s a saint.) Then map out the shops I want to go to tomorrow and stop feeling sorry for myself.

It’s funny but this is the kind of thing I love about traveling. Not that it makes me act like a lunatic, but that it really forces me to figure out what prevents me from doing what I love. I love our friends so much and being there with them, I wanted to just do the things they were excited about. But I was doing everything at the expense of my own needs, I wasn’t even listening to my body or stopping to slow down when I knew I needed to.

It would have been easy to just post all of these images and say “Yay for Paris! We were living the dream!”

I mean, we did. It was marvelous to see so much. But even with these images it took me so long to edit and post them because I even wish I had taken different pictures… More of the normal city things while we walked around… or shot everything on film… or …

Even now I know I am being crazy. But I think it’s good to put that out there so you aren’t just sitting here thinking that pretty pictures equals pretty easy life.

That’s just not reality. Life is messy. I am a mess. But that doesn’t mean life isn’t good.

And just because something isn’t perfect, doesn’t mean it’s all bad. In fact, sometimes it’s the imperfections that make the good stuff even sweeter.

I would also like to take this opportunity to put this out into the universe, if you are getting married in Paris next spring, let me know. Or if you need photos for a magazine editorial. Or if you even just want some family photos…

I will shoot it for free. Just fly us back, and it’s on me. Shoot me an email emily@gem-photo.com

xoxo,

Posted in photography, travel | 8 Comments »

a traveling heart : joshua tree
February 16

I’m not gonna fake the funk. I was nervous.

A trip with 11 other women who are not only beautiful but amazing photographers as well. And they all know each other already?!

This was my first trip with A Traveling Heart and I’m not gonna lie, it’s intimidating to jump into a group like this.

Instead of being any of those things, these women were warm, and loving, and inviting. And hilarious. And ridiculous. And wonderful.

Really. This trip was a breath of fresh air in my soul. I could go on and on, but I feel like these images, from 2 rolls of 35mm I shot while we were in Joshua Tree, really describe how it felt to be there and laugh and play with these girls.

I have a thankful heart.

I can’t wait until next time.

With all my heart,

Posted in film, friends, personal, travel | 3 Comments »

monday vacay : loire vallery, france
August 8

Take a quick vacay this Monday to the Loire Valley, France.

It’s hard to imagine that we were there just a month ago – sipping white wine, touring chateaus, playing cards, and taking in the breathtaking scenery.

It feels like a separate lifetime already.

These photos take me back, and I am so thankful for the memories.

Chateau Villandry, a short drive from where we were staying in Amboise.

Trying to pretend that it felt good sitting in 110 degree heat. Did we fool you?

Some photos from our absolutely charming house. I highly recommend staying at Anne’s home in Amboise : The Pavillon des Roses.

There is a 16th century cave built into the hill behind the house that their ancestors lived and made wine in. Truly amazing.

Our simple meal made from some Amboise farmer’s market finds. Everything was so fresh + delicious.

After dinner we sat on top of the hill above the house and watched the sun set. Enjoying some delicious Vouvray white wine. It’s sweet, crisp and refreshing.