I’ve been busting my butt all week and am so relieved the weekend is here. Mom and I are mobbing back to Seattle for family, friends and Bumpershoot. Sunday she’s dropping me off at the Gorge so I can meet up with friends and try to weasel my way into Dave Matthews Band. Long story short, this weekend is going to be great!

Can you believe Labor Day is already here? Where did summer go? What are your plans for the weekend?

♥ BB

If you haven’t yet been to a farmers market and you live in Tri-Cities, you better get it together. There is no excuse to not buy local when you live in a produce abundant area like Eastern Washington.

Today I bought six ears of corn for $2.50. The best part? They picked the corn yesterday! So what does that mean? It means the sooner you eat food after it’s been picked, the more nutrients your food retains. In other words, if you’re buying produce imported from Mexico, it gets picked when it’s green (or not ripe). When the food is transported it loses a lot of the nutrients (and flavor!) you would get by buying local.

Another great thing about local markets is they support our local economy. When we buy local the money stays in our community. It also reduces carbon emissions and road wear caused by trucks transporting the food.

I could get on my soapbox about the importance of local markets, going green, blah blah blah, but I don’t need to preach. The deliciousness of locally grown food speaks for itself. Go on, check out a farmers market and see for yourself why locally grown is the way to go.

*The Richland Farmers Market takes place at The Parkway every Friday from 9 am to 1 pm, from June to October. Over 80 vendors sell produce and products at the market. Click here to see photos from the 2009 Richland Farmers Market!

♥ BB

I’m still reveling in the awesomeness of today’s POTD.

This morning after falling on a trick, Hoffer walked over, kicked up his skateboard and caught it with the greatest of ease. In between kicking his board and catching it, I snapped this perfectly perpendicular photo.

The composition of this shot is slightly ironic. We all fall, be it in sports, work, love or life in general. Whether we like it or not we have to kick the board and get back up. Sometimes it takes falling on your face (or tearing your ACL or having your heart broken) to realize what changes you need to make. Once you’ve reached your goals, only then does your daunting task seem simple. Maybe you fell for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. In a totally non-preachy way, let the light guide you.

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”
-Confucius

♥ BB

This morning my friend Jared (whom I call Hoffer) met me at the Richland Skate Park to snap photos.

Ever since I photographed Sammy and Blake skating Green Lake, I’ve been itching to expand my skate portfolio. Thankfully Hoffer took up my enticing offer of skate photos and woke up early. By 8 am I rolled up to the park to find Jared skating and sipping Red Bull.

Hoffer threw down trick after trick. He started out with a few backside kick flips, front board slides and front tail slides. Then he stuck a switch backside crook and a frontside indy. Hoffer finished up with a little blunt rock and roll. Can you tell who’s working on her skateboard terminology? :]

Also, I’m sure you’re wondering why there’s a photo of an old man with doughnuts. Well… The church next to the skatepark was alive and bustling this morning. This old man came down to the park to give the skaters doughnuts (specifically yummy doodle Spudnuts!). Unfortunately only Hoffer and I were there. I managed to snag a maple bar and a photo!

Hoffer and I have a few more ideas for skate photos, so naturally check back to see our progress. Also, if you’re interested in sports, senior, wedding, fashion or family photographs contact me here!

♥ BB

Summer is over, September is here and it feels like fall. Noooo! (Insert doom and gloom music here)

I woke up this morning feeling funny. It isn’t summer anymore. It’s cloudy. Windy. Gray. Cold. I hoped Mother Nature might give us an indian summer after taking away the warmth of June. Apparently not…

Bummed and grubby in my sweats, I grabbed my camera, walked to Leslie Groves and snapped this dark, fall Photo of the Day.

While I’m sad summer is coming to a close, I can’t help but get amped about winter. This could be caused by my recent trip to Snowboard Connection in Seattle.

What are you looking forward to this fall? Sausage Fest? Skateboarding? Leaves changing? Halloween!?

♥ BB

“Details create the big picture.”
-Sanford I. Weill

♥ BB

Here is Annie Bixler‘s final alter-ego, a farm field fashion forward face!

I saved these photos for last because they are my favorite. Actually this dress is the whole reason I wanted to photograph Annie. Ok, that and she’s beautiful, both inside and out…

Props and thanks again to my girl Teresa for coming out to hold the Photo Flex. We couldn’t have asked for better lighting and location. Our end result? Photos even more magnificent than planned!

Of Annie’s four alter-egos, which one is your favorite? Why?

*Contact me if you’re interested in a fashion, family, wedding, senior or sports photo session!

♥ BB

Last night two of my favorite artists, Keith Urban and John Mayer, performed at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wash.

My mom and I initially purchased general admission tickets to the concert. Friday afternoon my friend Griff, who works at Rhapsody, posted a Facebook status about having extra concert tickets. Long story short, he hooked me up with two free VIP tickets. With two extra tickets, I called Mendy who instantly said yes to a free concert.

Mom and I arrived at the Gorge Saturday afternoon ready to rock. We met Mendy and Amanda, mixed drinks and wandered the campsite. Thirty minutes before the concert we experienced a minor crisis. Mom lost the car keys! “How is this possible when you have a gargantuan mace keychain?” you ask. Good question… It’s like losing a small child at the fair, difficult yet not impossible. Trying not to freak out (in my head I freaked out) we retraced our steps. God must’ve wanted us to rage because in the middle of an empty field Mendy found my car keys. Fifteen minutes until the show starts, it’s go time!

The four of us walked to the venue, still in awe about our afternoon situation. We parted ways and posted up for the show. For whatever reason, none of the Gorge employees knew where VIP was located. Taking matters into our own hands, Mom and I walked in like we owned the place, found empty seats in the 15th row and befriended the neighbors. Again for whatever reason, the entire 15th row was empty. Perfect for Mom and me to dance, sing and take pictures!

Keith Urban headlined the show and kicked things off with top songs like “You’re My Better Half,” “Somebody Like You” and “I’m In.” Halfway through his set John Mayer joined in. Instantly the crowd went nuts. How could they not? It’s John Mayer and Keith Urban together at the Gorge, jamming out in one of the most intense guitar duets I’ve ever heard. Literally, it gave me goosebumps from the nape of my neck to my tailbone.

After a brief intermission John Mayer took the stage. This is where I went on my mission. I hopped from the 15th row to the 14th, 13th, 12th then tenth. From the tenth row aisle I begged Gorge security to let me sneak to the front. I guess being an attractive female with a camera does the trick. I made it to the front row, danced on a chair, sang like a rockstar and snapped breathtaking photos. I about died! Mr. Mayer, did you see me!?

In true John Mayer fashion, he offered the audience a few words of wisdom. “Tonight for the first time in a long time, I feel like a teenager again,” Mayer said. “I’m having a great time playing at the Gorge!” (Insert audience screams here)

With summer coming to a close, John also said, “Summer isn’t over until September. If it’s August, you party every day like it’s the first of August.” Again the crowd went wild.

Mayer left us with this thought. “There’s too much negative energy in the world” he said, “if someone tells you they don’t like your dress, don’t listen to them. If you like your dress, wear it. Wear it and say, ‘I like my dress.’” Geez, it is any surprise this guy charmed the pants of Jen Aniston and Jessica Simpson!?

Four hours later, the concert came to a close. John and Keith played a duet of “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straights. I couldn’t sing loud enough or dance hard enough. At the end of the show I screamed like a little girl on top of my chair clapping like a maniac. What a rush!

Now here’s the PR guru in me… To promote my website and the amazing photos I snapped, I ran to the stage and gave the concert videographer my card in hopes of him passing along my information. (If you’re reading this, thanks!) I also met John Mayer’s tour photographers and gave them business cards as well. Who knows what doors they could open? Bess Belleau Byers, Digital Journalist and Northwest Blogger!?

Of all the concerts I’ve attended, this show without a doubt ranks in the top three. (Elton John and KOL are up there too!) I snapped over 1500 photos. Keith Urban and John Mayer put on a spectacular show. Like I’ve said before, putting a Gorge concert experience into words is difficult. It’s not something you can describe, but something you feel. If you haven’t felt the Gorge yet, you haven’t felt life in the Pacific Northwest!

*As promised, I’m giving shout outs to everyone who made this experience one I will never forget. Thank you so much to Griff and J.R. at Rhapsody for the amazing tickets. Thank you to Phil from Milwaukee (or was it Minnesota?) who encouraged me to sneak to the front. You’re right, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Again, a huge thank you to Dan at Gorge concert security who let me creep to the front. Without your combined help, I wouldn’t have captured such amazing photos!

♥ BB

Annie‘s baaack, and this time she is doing laundry like a lady!

After finishing our shoot we passed an old West Richland laundromat. For a few weeks now I’ve been eyeing places for a laundromat fashion shoot. Lucky for us, tonight this place was empty and we pounced on it.

I still want to do a pinup/50′s style shoot so I might hit up Yo’s Wishy Washy in the future. Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated!

♥ BB

Do I even need to explain why this is today’s Photo of the Day?

Best. Concert. Ever.

Concert coverage tomorrow, it’s time for bed!

♥ BB