tara jade

i don't normally photograph fashiony-modelly type subjects. i like pretty brides, on the happiest days of their life! i thrive on capturing "moments" (sorry about the wank). but there has always been one supermodel subject i had on my wish list... tara. tara and i went to high school together, and though we hadn't kept in touch much over the past few years, i have facebook to thank for bringing us back together.

you see, i read in my news feed that tara was finally taking the plunge and moving her ass to hollywood. that's right, hollywood. tara and i were always partners in high school drama (i'll never forget the smell of old eggs during our clowinging assignment!) and she was a star. is a star.

so i offered to take some pictures. partly for tara, mostly for me. she had always been that one subject i wanted to have the chance to photograph. and i'm lucky i have had the chance now, before she's so famous the only people allowed near her with a camera are mario testino and david lachapelle.

dayum, girl... those eyes!

 

nikki & luke

photo(s) of the day

times square, new york is a strange place. more neon and billboard than i have seen in my life... it's just as bright at night as it is during the day. a very touristy place... but well worth a visit just to ogle the craziness.

the annoying tourist (part four)

i am the person with sore feet from walking many kilometres each day. i am the person who was willing to line up in the cold for 15 minutes outside a fast food joint because "if there's a line, it must be good". i am the one still hijacking every free wifi outlet i can find, buying one coffee and staying for hours on your internets.

i am the annoying tourist.

we spent xmas doing very non-xmassy things this year. we walked for hours along the highline, which i had at the top of my "nyc to-do" list, and would absolutely recommend to everyone and anyone who ever comes near this city. the highline is an old disused railway above the rooftops of chelsea and the meatpacking district (two of my favourite districts of manhattan), which a couple of residents decided to turn into a beautiful park. here's the npr podcast where i first heard about the highline. i just love hearing all about how community can sometimes come together to create something for the greater good, and the highline is a perfect example of exactly that.

so, although the grasses were dry and the flowers had wilted in new york's stiff cold, the highline was still a place to see one of the most beautiful slices of new york. the birds still come to feed on apples left behind by residents, in their own special little bird oasis. and it's probably my favourite glimpses of this city so far.

merry xmas (from the annoying tourist)

i am the girl who thinks that just because i could get away with wearing a cardigan and jeans yesterday, today will be the same. i am the person complaining about not being able to find a good espresso. i am the person sitting outside a closed starbucks to hijack their free wifi connection.

i am the annoying tourist, and i am wishing you all a very merry xmas (eve).

since i last posted, the fella and i have seen wicked on broadway (totally amazing!), taken a helichopter ride over new york city, and explored some more of manhattan's many and diverse boroughs. i have eaten the iconic new york pizza (the best i have found is ray's cheese pizza... incredible!), downed many paper cups of hot chocolate, and devoured far too many pork spare ribs at a place called hill country bbq.

it is -1ºc outside and the breeze running down the streets and avenues makes it far colder. i need a good coat, scarf, beanie, gloves (conductive, so i can still use my iphone to navigate the subway!), and furry ear muffs.

new york just does xmas right. there are dressed trees and fake presents in every hotel lobby and store, and the converse store even has a tree made from silver-sprayed shoes (to match it's shoe-wreath!). with every purchase, i am wished a "happy holidays" from a shop assistant who would rather be iceskating in rockefeller centre or trimming their own trees. in fact, few staff in these stores can wait to get their feet out on the cold pavement to head home to their own xmas plans.

oh, and i officially love the shopping here. i could never live here: i'd spend every last penny at urban outfitters! though i think i'd miss fresh food and home cooking far too much to stay here longer than a couple of weeks at a stretch.

so have yourselves a merry little xmas, and happy holidays from the cold part of the world! i hope you are all having a special time of year and appreciating the time with your friends and family.