Tspoon Photography Blog

Cancer. A Day In Their Lives. The Kvistads. Lopez Island, WA.

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:58:12 -0500

Any advice on beginning to explain what it feels like to know your soul mate?

I met Jennell on the first day of my years at Bastyr University in Seattle. My life was about to change that day. Retrospect provides this kind of insight and it feels like watching a movie in reverse when I think of that time in my life.
As friends and classmates we were in deep and as thick as thieves from the first second. I loved her deeply and our friendship would grow to be inspirational for me on many levels. Jennell is honest and real and hilarious and absolutely self deprecating and brilliant and insanely talented, and by god if she wants you to like her you best watch out. She will win that battle.
When I say our friendship was inspirational, Jennell taught me how to be a friend. I loved the way it felt to be so deeply listened to by her so I vowed to be exactly like that. She taught me how to be truly present in a conversation with someone. When she would give me feedback or compliment anything in my life I hung on every word. Her words are mindful, observant, and so wicked generous. It feels so good to be appreciated so I try to never miss an opportunity to love on someone.

You may be wondering what it feels like to be adored by someone like this. It's royalty. I was with her this weekend and ask me how many times I introduced myself as, "...Tara. Jennell's* best* friend." Then they would ask if I had ever been to Lopez Island before. My East Coast comes out occasionally.
'Have I been to Lopez? Only about 100 times. I said I was Jennell's best friend.'
Fucking hippies, right? So hard of hearing.

I live here, she lives there. I think I'm a rock star, she thinks she's a witch. We've come a long way, but it's the same every time we're together: no time has passed, we confirm that we still have the coolest chick in the room as a best friend, notice we still have all our old neurosis, and then at some point I'm on my knees bawling telling her how important she is to me. I don't even think she looks up from the stove at this point. She smiles deeply, "I know, darlin. You've mentioned that."

Jennell was diagnosed with cancer in January. There was a 4-inch tumor in her right breast and sure enough the news everyone fears was true. By the time she discovered the tumor it was large enough to require a full mastectomy.

Chemo and radiation start next week and the whole treatment plan will take the year. She'll burn her forest down to the ground so that the beautiful body can start to replant, grow, and flourish. She is a hippie, ya know? It could happen.
Jennell, I hope more than anything that these photographs will bring you back to this time in your lives for years and years and years. I hope you use them to see how beautiful you are and how much love there is in your life. Thank you so much for everything and all.
You will get through this year and you will be fine. You will have learned so much about yourself and your children and Brian. You will feel invincible because you will be. You will grow very old.

You have to get ugly with me, dude. Sorry.

(small facts: Jennell, Brian, Freda, and Sam live on Lopez Island, a small island in the San Juan Islands in Washington state. You can buy Canadian weed from dudes smuggling on kayaks. I'm kidding. I don't know if you can.... They live in Lopez' version of community housing, it's a small cluster of smurf houses that cost like five cents a year for like a million years...Jennell and Brian own Blossom Organic Grocery which is the brothel in town. I kid, it's well..the organic grocery store on the island. Rough translation: they're the mayors......Freda is six, Sam is four.... ironically, or maybe not so, Freda is the smartest person I've ever met and she's a drama queen charmer like her mother. ;).... Sam named the family cat: Billy Boom Alligator Orange Carrot Cheese stick.... Sam is so rad....Brian is smarter than the internet and nicer than good god, Brian is like nicer than everyone you know. There ya have it.)

Mother's Day Photography Special. Third year runnin'.

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:59:49 -0500

Hi Everyone!!
Super excited to offer a great gift for Mother's Day.

Perfect for a mom in your life or to make sure it's given *to* you! ;)

Here are the details:

T.Spoon photo shoot, on location
One gorgeous 11x14 print
Two stunning 8x10 prints
$300

(over $100 savings!)

This comes in a great little gift package that she (or you) can open on Mother's Day.

For more information and to book your shoot:
taramorris@gmail.com

Thanks so much.

Sam Addesa is here. Hallelujah.

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:49:50 -0500

Another Wonder Child has arrived in Milton. And it's no wonder he's been born into the Addesa family: officially one of my favorite families everrrr. Luke is doing a great job as big brother. And by great job I mean, of course, that he's wondering how long this Sam dude will be hanging around. And it sure *seems* that Luke is hugging Sam so if he squeezes just a lil harder is that still officially a hug? ;)
Chris and Lauren are doing so well as they settle into their family of four. I hope to see them again soon. We all try to make up reasons for me to photograph anything they do. I'm a lucky kid, what can I say.
Thank you. I love you. Enjoy.

Welcome to earth, Small Bruno.

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:43:31 -0500

Lil Bruno arrived in February to one of my favorite couples-gone-parents evah. I met Juliana and Oscar a few years ago when they nominated their friends for a Giving Is Awesome contest I ran years ago. From there I have photographed them as a couple, then expecting, and now parents. Bruno is absolutely adorable and just what dreams are made of. So, he doesn't sleep a TON. He'll get there. They always do. ;)
Good luck. Have fun. Hang in there. xoxo

Crystal. Gorgeous.

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:42:33 -0500

Not much to say here about our girl, Crystal, other than her new fiancee is in for a treat when he gets these photographs.
Enjoy. Thank you. Love.

Hillary. Yowza.

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:30:08 -0500

Ya, ya, I know... she looks like Adriana from The Sopranos. She's heard this once or twice. ;) What can I say that these pictures aren't saying? Not much outside the fact that I realize you want to hate her (or kidnap her), but she's not just gorgeous, but also hilarious, cool, self deprecating, and all around awesome. You're not reading these words. Why am I still typing?
thank you. enjoy. love.

Helen, Ryan, and Steven. Austin, TX.

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:51:33 -0500

As Helen would say, it's not Steve or Stevie, it's Steven. This is not Steven's first time through this life. In fact, it appears he's a grown man in a really small human suit. He's already a superb golfer and he's not even two. Helen tells me that she barely used a bib on the kid, and it's hilarious to see him get dirty or wet. Steven has no tolerance for dirty clothes, and why should he? He's like 40.
I really, really love this family. Ryan and Helen are high school sweethearts which is always nauseating. I mean awesome. ;) And Steven is *beyond* adorable, insanely smart, super athletic, and utterly hilarious. Oh, and two. They're just a cool, confident, chill, funny, fun crew to be around. It was amazing to photograph them, even if I'm a little too immature for Steven's taste...
We started at home, went to a bakery, and then had to head over to the construction site...
enjoy. thank you. love.

Rare Monk at SXSW, Austin.

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:01:18 -0500

Ever heard of the South By South West festival (SXSW) in Austin? No? How mossy is that rock you live under? Honestly. ;)
Well, in my travels to the Lone Star state I (along with my fabulous travel partner and singer/songwriter extraordinaire Laura Ganci) attended SXSW. It was, without a doubt, one of the most fun weeks of my life. There were over 1,000 band *a day* and the festival truly took over the coolest town in the whole USA, Austin, TX. We laughed and danced and pedi-cabbed around like the world was ending. It was a really, really good time. Without a doubt, however, the highlight of our trip was meeting, befriending, be-brothering, and photographing the Portland-based band, Rare Monk. These dudes are rrrrrraaaaad. Man, I'm sortof at a loss for words. Which is rare. Well, beyond the fact that they're all SUPER super super nice, really fun and funny, and not hard to photograph, they're also (and this may come in more handy for them in the music industry) superbly talented. They absolutely MURDERED it at SXSW. Laura and I started out as mere fans, but ended up as band photographer and promoter. And we wouldn't change a second of it.
Please listen to their music, follow their tour, go see their shows, and say you knew them when...
Here are some pictures of my new brothers. Enjoy. Love. Thank you...

A Day in the Austin, Texas kind of life. The Ouellette Family.

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:43:55 -0500

Sighhhh.... the Ouellettes....(heart bubbles emanating from my chest). So... I was lucky enough to photograph Courtney and Chris' wedding in 2009 (which you can see HERE). That was a pretty big year for the newlyweds because they got a dog (Buddha), a baby (Charlotte), and moved (Austin). I'm lucky enough to photograph them when they're back in Mass for visits, but this time I went THERE. I stayed with these absolutely beautiful people while I was in Austin last week and I'm more in love than ever. It's thanks to Courtney that I was able to photograph the other three wonderful crews in Austin. Staying with this family was such...a...nice..time. I hope I did their family and their love justice in this shoot. God, I hope you fall in love with Charlotte. I hope you see how incredibly sweet and hilarious she is. I hope you fall in love with Chris and Courtney, as a couple, as parents, and as individuals. I hope you see how nice and loving and generous and fun they are.
The Texas Blue Bonnet flowers were in full bloom on the hazy and beautiful day we shot together so they're blue-ness is highly featured in the shoot.

C, C, and C (and B)... I'll remember your generosity and kindness last week for the rest of my life. I cherish our friendship. I adore you all. I hope to see you again very soon. Thank you so much for cherishing what I do for a living. Your support means the world to me, I'm honored to be your photographer and I love you.

Let's look at some pictures...

TRIPLETS!!!!!!

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:31:27 -0500

All they wanted was a baby, I swear!! But I bet they *actually* wished for it three times and the stork got all confused and well, next thing ya know... Ansen, Madeline, and Reagan arrived. That was two years ago this month and it's been all bon-bons and easy street at the Farrell house since. Or the opposite of that. And good LORD they're a happy, calm, fun, *adorable*, household! These are five happy people and it was super sweet (and utterly awe inspiring) to be able to photograph them. God, I don't even know what to say... there's just endless happiness and sweetness at this home. I hope I did it justice.
Thank you. Enjoy...and dayumm...GOOD LUCK!!!!

Istanbul

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:38:42 -0500

I arrived in Istanbul the day before the forecast called for a week of "winds and weather coming in from Siberia." Soon after the realization arrived that eastern Europe is an odd choice for a vacation spot in the dead of January.
I was there on a week long street photography course hosted by the talented and wonderful Thatcher Cook. I have been following Thatcher's work for years and I was thrilled to know that he was hosting a workshop during my off season in a city I've always been curious about.
I had a wonderful time and learned, above all, to learn to slow down and love photography just for the beauty of the art. I'm pledging to take more pretty pictures just for the love of it, to see light and beauty everywhere, and to try to capture it on film.
Wish me luck. :)
Here's what I saw on the streets of Istanbul. Enjoy.

Ardie and Ted.

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:39:01 -0500

Continuing on my quest to expand my portfolio to rock stars of all influence I photographed DJ Fuzzy Fotch and Ted Thousand of Snake Sound System. Ted and Ardie are brothers gone DJ collaborators and their sound is booty poppin' moombahton.
These two talented brothers were just signed with a record label out of San Francisco so they needed both an EP cover shot and something capturing them in action. For their cover shot they wanted something "loud, vibrant, ethnic, and recognizable" so I suggested a Latin supermarket. For their live shots they absolutely KILLED it at The Good Life on a jammed packed snowy Friday night.
Here's to the rest of your lives and an illustrious career for both of you. Rockin. Rock it. Love.

A Day In The Life. In the O.C.

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:43:38 -0500

Turns out that southern California is a much nicer place to be in late December than Boston is. Who knew. I spent the day with the hilarious, gorgeous, smart, generous Shoemaker family. They rented a place on Balboa island near Newport Beach and we basically just hung out all day and watched little Emerson be precious. If Emerson fit in a toaster I would slather her with butter and eat her. She's such a great little kid.
Enough of me, let's look at some pictures. Meet The Shoemakers of Newport Beach. Rockin.
Thank you. Enjoy. Love.

Ayla. Planet Earth just got better.

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:10:39 -0500

Some Smalls have all the luck. Remember where you heard this first: Ayla Soucy will be a hilarious, hard working, smart, beautiful, generous, kind, quietly confident, low key, and deeply loved human being. There's no way around it with parents like hers. Mark and Jamie are two of my favorite people I've met along this photography path, and I'm absolutely honored to be welcomed into their home to photograph their lives.
So much love to you over there in Ayer. I'll see you again soon, no doubt.
love. thank you. enjoy.

Laura Ganci. Singer/Songwriter

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:33:05 -0500

In an effort to expand my portfolio I have decided to photograph rock stars of many pursuits. Laura Ganci is a gifted and beautiful woman so it's a joy to be able to start with her. Her voice is so beautiful and her songs are soulful and often heartbreaking, I love so much about her music.
She braved some seriously offensive temperatures to help me get these shots of her. Turns out that Boston in December is cold.
Aaanywaaay..... let's listen to her while we look at her, too. Her website is HERE.
Her myspace page is HERE
And she's an identical twin!! Here's her and her womb roomie, Nina busking it up: YUP
Laura, I love you!!! I believe in you times a gagillion.
A wise woman once yelled at me these words:
Sugar Glider spread your wings and FLY!!!!
git it.