Punam Bean Photography (observations)

People in love are nice to be around. Have I mentioned? It’s a nice thing. I spent my weekend photographing such people, and having nice meals with them as part of our interactions. I go through images and I laugh and smile at the recollections. I’ve made friends.

Melissa and Patrick were so wonderful to spend time with. It was wonderful to watch the care between them. And it’s wonderful to show you these images of this beautiful couple.

Good people are worth the wait.

(Meaning, give it a minute – it might take a second to load!) If impatience rules you, you can always click the down arrow and review your options, in which you may peruse the gallery. Enjoy, friends!

As I went through the treasure trove of photographs from Tara and Ed’s wedding, Tara’s smile kept beaming out at me, it was so constant, so saturated in a state of constant joy that my face started to hurt from joining in. It’s funny that way. It’s funny how it doesn’t hit you that you are about to marry your person until you are floating down the aisle, toward a glowing face, but in the pictures, it so ever present. Just joy. I really had a blast shooting this wedding, and I couldn’t believe that the whole day had gone by by the time it had. They had a simple and well lit affair, in a room flooded with sunlight and carefully placed botanicals at the Atheneum in Alexandria, Virginia, and a small reception by candlelight at Teaism back in Washington DC.

 I remember back when we did our engagement session together, Tara and Ed faced each other in close proximity, sighing and cooing at each other without my encouragement or intervention. You guys are naturals! I proclaimed! We are like this all the time, they replied. And upon further study I can tell you that it’s true, they are. Even in the whole hustle and bustle of the wedding day, they are truly aware of each other and in love and a true joy to be around. Stay tuned for the show of slides!!

 

Koi Fish! 

 

 

Ok, may be it’s cheesy. Maybe it’s an indulgence. But I love Grey’s Anatomy. It’s true – this is a real life confession happening right here!

The reason I bring it up, is that I’m a bit of an obsessive person when it comes to anything I’m generally interested in, and generally a completely lazy person when it comes to anything that falls out of that interest. Anyway, I’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy a hundred times I think, like, a hundred times each episode (I was desperate during the writer’s strike!!)… So the Chief of Surgery’s niece has cancer, and she’s dying. They throw her a prom at the hospital because she was too sick to enjoy her school prom. She’s in love with a young man, and she’s 16 years old. She is dancing with her uncle, the chief, who has intimidated away the young man that she loves, and she laughs the young mans haste to run away at the sight of her uncle. She looks up at her uncle and she laughs she says,

“Be nice to him. I’ve been loved. I’ve been loved. Every one should have that once in their life, right?”

 And a hundred times that line breaks me in two with it’s hope and truth. And I look around to see if Husbone sees me crying again, and I subtly rub my eyes. I’m tired. Let’s go to bed. I get away with this because it’s usually late. Not that Husbone minds a few Wifey tears, anyway…

I am deeply in love with the earth. there are so many beautiful places, so many beautiful people, and so many beautiful people in love. I went to high school with these folks. These two have been together since high school. What a rare and precious thing to have known all along, to have a high school sweetheart, and what a precious thing it is to have love. This week many people have asked me how I became a wedding photographer. I have a hard time imparting my journey without welling up, I am a wedding photographer because I think people in love are a powerful thing in this world. I have a deep love that changed the core of me, that made me a better person, I have a husband who is with me through thick and thin, and I know that no matter what happens he’s there. He’s just there. Wow. That’s an amazing thing. And I get to hang out with the lucky and blessed and amazing people signing up for that world. Corinne and Colin are getting married in May, and they have that. And that’s so amazing to me. So we went out to the desert, and they were in love, and I was in love with photographing them. And I’m also in love with the desert.

 

 

 

We made our way down the west coast, stopping in Crescent City California, and constantly ooo-ing and aahh-ing at all the marvels along the way. The redwood forest was kind of my thing. And off we went to embrace the things of Jennifer and Julia, though I must admit, I was feeling pretty thingie when we got there…

 And so. Our lovely trip has come to an end. We’ve frolicked through the most foresty of forests, we drove through clouds, we fell in snow, we panicked in dark corners, we were amazed at everything, and we dicovered new climates at every turn.

And there was Snow? In Lake Tahoe? Who knew! Piles and Piles of snow! Snow banks bigger than I’ve ever seen them – houses buried in snow so as not to allow the escape of their inhabitants. And all for what?

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what is called yummy yummy light…

Yummy.

Oh, and let’s not forget the drive uP to Lake Tahoe: (driving through clouds part)

 

 

 

Then there was ALOT of driving in darkness, only to emerge here…

and here:

and here:

and so forth…

We were many moons away at these points, and suddenly as we approached, there was a choice to be made at Death Valley Junction. Turn left and follow the GPS, or turn right and follow the sign. Or how about, whoah! What on earth is going on with Death Valley Junction?! Have you seen this place? It’s completely abandoned exept for an opera house. I did some googling on the matter and it turns out that a young woman was driving through in 1967 when the place was a thriving town and she blew a tire, and never left. She was a dancer, and her husband was the comic releif, and they opened a theatre in the town. But before we saw the theatre, we saw a collection of old, not to long ago abandoned homes and a shop. We poked in a few windows, and there were plastic bags filled with stuff, cleaning supplies, bedroom furniture, all in disarray as if these people left in a hurry. There was even a shop, where all the products had been torn from their shelves and the whole place was just super creepy.

Lots of buildings like this:

And little pueblo type things like this (minus Julia)

Well folks! Seeing as how I’m in a Vegas hotel room, the trip has come to an end, but tune in Wednesday for a fabulous engagement session at Red Rock Canyon with Corinne and Colin!