Rain Rain Go Away

It has been raining a lot this summer. A lot! I think I heard someone say that June had almost 22 total days of rain. I know that it's good for the earth and especially good for Central Park, but I much prefer bright sunshine to clouds and rain. In honor of sunshine and beautiful walks in the park, I've decided to combat the grey dreariness of what has been a very wet week with some nice photos I took while walking outside in the sunshine. It seems like ages ago...
Nature produces some of the most amazing patterns and textures

A park in the Bronx had these amazing zen gardens that were less than 12 inches wide. I found the miniature collections of beauty fascinating. And again, the textures were amazing. If I ever bought a house with a yard I think I would create my own mini zen garden with rocks and moss.Tree branches are so elegant. I love the patters they create against the leaves and sky.Maybe if enough people think about the sun it will know it has been missed and will come back. :)

Canvas Prints Rock!

Recently I had the opportunity to work on 2 projects that combine my love for photography and for art. I was at a dinner party with some friends to celebrate their newly renovated apartment. As I was walking through their home, admiring all of the amazing art work hanging on their newly painted white walls, they mentioned they were trying to find a Granny Smith apple print to add some color to their kitchen.

I was inspired and decided to give it a try. We had just had an amazing snow storm and I thought the snow would make a beautiful backdrop to highlight the green color of the apple.

The next day I strapped on my snow boots, grabbed my gloves and my camera, and walked outside with excitement. On my way to Central Park I stopped by my local grocery store and picked the greenest Granny Smith apple I could find.

It was so much fun! The project was a success and I'm proud to say that two Granny Smith apples now grace the wall in a kitchen in a beautiful apartment on the Upper West Side of NYC.
The 2 photographs they chose:
Rather than traditional photo prints, we went a more interesting route and printed the photos on canvas. It was my first time working with Simply Canvas and boy, they were a wonderful surprise! The quality of the prints was amazing.

Picture of the 2 20x20 canvas prints hanging in the kitchen:
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and the same couple needed an art piece to complete a wall collage. I was so excited to start another project with them. This time their theme was "everything is connected." It took a bit of time to figure out what photograph would capture the concept for them, but a trip to the Bronx provided exactly what I was looking for. There was a beautiful view of the GW Bridge and thankfully I had my camera with me so I was able to take advantage of the opportunity.

The photo:
The final 5x25 canvas hanging on their wall:
Up close:
One of the coolest options at Simply Canvas is the ability to add text to the side of the canvas. In this project, we embraced the theme and printed the words "everything is connected" on the left hand side of the canvas. The result:


Thank you Hilary and David. I had an amazing time working on these projects with you.

Three cheers for canvas!

This I Believe

I read a lot. In fact, if I'm not working or shooting with my camera, you can bet I'm reading or I'm thinking about something I just read. I love that you can explore new worlds and meet new people that you otherwise would never have the chance to know. My bookshelves are crammed with books that cover a very wide range of topics--all the way from Ender's Game to Pride and Prejudice to the latest book by Jennifer Weiner. I've also started reading a lot about leadership and inspiration. Starting something new is exciting and I'm always looking for new ways to be motivated and challenged.

I've just finished a new book that I'm going to recommend to everyone. This I Believe is an amazing compilation of essays written by people of all ages, who live all over the United States. I read it slowly, one essay every day. This is not how I typically read, but boy did it work with this book! I took my time and was able to really think about the essays and about the people who wrote them. I didn't agree with everyone, but every essay did make me think. And I appreciated everyone's honesty and candor.

Now that I have finished the book, I constantly think about what I would write if I were ever asked to participate in the next volume of this project.

And that is where I leave you tonight. Sweet dreams.

Cotton Anniversary

2 years ago today I woke up and knew that it was going to be one of the best days of my life. It has been an amazing journey and I can honestly say that I love my husband more today than I did the day we were married. He is my best friend, my greatest cheerleader, and a wonderful man. I'm so grateful for the life we've built together and can't wait to celebrate many more anniversaries with him.

A trip down memory lane...

We were engaged in the Bahamas down by the beach--and this was our celebratory champagne toast...

Our wedding day was really beautiful and we had such a wonderful time with all of our friends and family...

laura novak photography

Last year we celebrated our Anniversary in Grand Cayman and we had a blast. This year we decided to keep things a bit more low key and instead booked dinners at our two favorite restaurants in New York. Saturday night we went to Milos for a delicious Greek dinner. Tonight we're going to my favorite Italian restaurant in the city, Babbo.

We decided to take a few pictures before heading to dinner on the roof deck of our apartment. The sun was setting and we had the most beautiful light.

Ryan is really romantic and surprises me with sweet gestures that remind me how lucky I am to be with him. This year he decided to buy me roses for our Anniversary...and included 2 red roses to signify our anniversary year. His grandfather started this tradition with his grandmother and Ryan wanted to continue the tradition with me. So sweet and something I will surely cherish every year.


I love you Ryan. Happy Anniversary!

Newborn . Will

I had the most wonderful afternoon with my friend Shannon and her son Will. He was asleep when I got there, but once he woke up we had an amazing time together.

Talk about beautiful blue eyes...

He loves to laugh when he's held by his Mom...
Will is really really adorable. With a face like this, I have a feeling he'll get away with almost anything when he's older...
There's nothing like the bond between a Mom and her baby...

I . love . baby . feet .

Strength to Believe

I've always been very hard on myself. My entire life I've always been stifled by an internal monologue that constantly questions everything I do and say...and this weekend was unfortunately no exception. As I mentioned in my first post, it took me forever to find the courage to start this blog--because it means I need to put myself out there--flaws and all--and that pesky voice kept questioning my decision. 'How could I possible have anything to say that was worthwhile?' 'Why would I think anyone would care about my journey towards finding a career doing something I love?' I broke down on Sunday and expressed my frustration and fear--fear of not finding a way; fear of failing. But thankfully, I have a voice that now challenges those doubts. I have a best friend who is my backbone and who believes in me even when I can't find the strength to believe in myself. Thank you Ryan. I don't think I could do this without you.

Manhattanhenge

A friend told me about this amazing event that happens in New York called Manhattanhenge. It is a biannual occurrence in which the setting sun aligns with the east-west streets of Manhattan's main street grid. The term is derived from Stonehenge, at which the sun aligns with the stones on the solstices. I had to check it out this weekend and of course bring my camera to capture the moment.

I stood in the middle of traffic while Ryan made sure I didn't get run over--I have the most wonderful husband in the world! :) Thankfully, the honking was worth it and I got two great images. We're ordering a canvas print of the second photo.
We chose 34th street this year and stood in the middle of traffic on 1st Avenue to capture the Empire State Building in the photo. Next year I think I'm going to try 42nd Street -- and if possible, stand on the bridge connecting the road to Grand Central Station.

Until next year!

July 4th Weekend

Every year I make the trip down to PA for the annual July 4th party at my parent's house. It is one of my favorite weekends of the year. I've known these people my entire life and they are wonderful.

Music . Food . Fireworks . Friends ... what more could you want?



How about a campfire with some of the best sing alongs you can imagine!

When this group does fireworks, they mean business.

And after a rainy June we had the most beautiful weather!

Looking forward to next year!

Starting Point

I've been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now, but never seemed to muster up enough courage to just sit down at the computer and begin. But this morning I decided that today was the day. The starting point. And I decided to just take it one day at a time.

I want to be a photographer. Because I love seeing the world through a lens. And I love working with people who light up when they spend time with the people who mean the world to them. I've decided to document my journey on this blog and share it with anyone who wants to follow along.

I'm sure I will stumble and fall and have a hard time along the way. But really, isn't the road to anything worthwhile sprinkled with some potholes along the way?

Three cheers for a challenge! :)