Congrats to her loving parents, Elena & Lawrence!

Baby Sophia is lovely.

We also shot a few family photos, I’m including a couple here because Big Brother Lucas is too irresistible not to post. Dare to disagree:

Here are a few of my favorites from our evening:

(Oksana and Andre, thank you so much for allowing me to photograph your precious bundle. Be blessed!)

^ Calvin & Hobbes. Okay, how PRECIOUS IS THAT??

Below are a few from our session; we trotted the Washington Park Arboretum as well as took some photos inside their home.

May you know beyond doubt or shadow that you are loved, and may your sky be blue enough this weekend for you to look twice. May you see the gifts hiding under piles of worry, see the dream behind the fog of fear, and find the time to take the long way home. And if your soul hangs heavy, may you find peace in the stillness of knowing He is God and you are not. Find the time to breathe in deep the hidden beauty of this life as it is right now. Enjoy your weekend!

I travel a lot (more often than I’d like to). If you follow me on Instagram or keep up with my 365 Day Project, you’re probably seeing lots of photos of computers with coffee and french macaroons and time (with tags that say “#work”). Forgive me if it seems obnoxious – making it look like my job is all about lattes and leisure time in cozy coffee shops. It isn’t. But sometimes work is so hectic that I simply have to document when I see the scene around me looking even remotely familiar to what I always imagined. This, I think to myself, is how I thought it would be. After all, it’s not as fun to take a picture of the laundry pile by the hotel bed, the 3am emails because I forgot about a deadline, or of the uninspired meal because I had to stay and work late.

Sometimes I wonder why compact cameras still exist. The above were taken with my iPhone 4s (which has been officially added to my list of camera gear. No joke.) All these shots are from my recent trip to Long Beach, CA. I’ve visited dainty little places that were too lovely for words; Temple Coffee, The Green House, and Elise’s Tea Room should all just relocate to Seattle. ‘Nough said.

This first interview is with the super talented Alice Gao. I first encountered her on Flickr and instently fell in love with the clean, quiet feel of her images. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy our interview:

1. Who is Alice Gao in three words.

Hedonistic city dweller.

2. Where is home?

I have a hard time answering this simple question, because although I live in NYC and can’t imagine going “home” to anywhere else on a daily basis, I often still consider the house I

grew up in (and where my parents still live) to be home. And nothing beats home cooking from my mom.

3. What was your first experience with a camera like?

Growing up, my family owned a dinky point and shoot film camera. I don’t really remember my experiences with that, but I do vaguely remember our first digital camera. It was a clunky Kodak and probably had a whopping two megapixels or so. More memorable to me is my first Canon point and shoot which I saved up all my babysitting and tutoring money for in high school. I was fascinated by its macro mode and started taking photos of my food… everyone thought I was crazy back then.

4. Do you have some favorite work you can share with us? 

5. What camera(s) do you shoot with?

99% of the time, I shoot with the following three cameras: Canon 5Dmkii, Contax 645, and my iPhone 4S. Other favorites include my first film camera – the Minolta X370s, my Canon 1V (a beast of a 35mm film camera), and my Polaroid SLR 680.

6. How important is editing in your final images?

Editing is very important to me. Many times, I take photos in horrendous restaurant lighting, and those images can only be saved with intense processing. Moreover, editing down the number of images to give to clients and to present on my blog is also very important. I only want to display the best work. I definitely think it’s more important to show one or two good images than ten so-so ones.

7. What is your favorite photography accessory, other than your camera? 

Probably this insert. I can put this insert in any of my normal handbags (I like big bags) and instantly have an inconspicuous camera bag. Sometimes I use it even when I’m not toting around my camera. It makes it a lot easier to find things in my large bags!

8. With an afternoon all to yourself, what would you do with it?

Visit a cafe with tons of light and great decor, have a leisurely lunch and coffee, then go prop hunting at antique stores or flea markets, and of course, shoot a roll of film.

9. What is the best advice you have ever received?

Only buy coffee beans roasted a few days ago… I am serious about that. Oh, you mean photography and career wise? Well, I don’t really think I can narrow all the advice I’ve received down to a one-liner kind of motto. Plus, good advice can only go so far. I do wish that my current self had told my younger self to always shoot in RAW though!

10. Can you tell us about any current or upcoming projects you are excited about?

Well I contributed to the most recent issue of Kinfolk which was exciting and a ton of fun to work with stylists who make my job incredibly easy. I have also been wanting to create a visual guide to the great cafes of NYC for a while now, but haven’t quite eked out the time to do that yet!

11. If you could create anything with an unlimited budget, what would it be?

This is a boring answer, but probably something along the lines of building a giant loft studio somewhere in the city where the light is magical. I would fill it to the brim with amazing props and design-y furniture. Whatever crazy idea a potential client could have for a styled session, I would be able to cater to it (well, within my style/aesthetic of course).

12. What is your favorite image you have shot recently? Can you describe its creation in regards to location, lighting, gear etc, also your thoughts when creating the image and what it means to you? 

This image is from a late Sunday afternoon visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. To me, the image evokes a sense of a nice leisurely New York City afternoon. My boyfriend and I enjoy walking museums whenever we get the chance in hopes of being inspired from all the great artworks. I shot it on black and white film with my Canon 1V, and few things are better or make me happier than black and white film.

13. Who are the most inspiring, creative people you look up to? 

Ditte Isager, Mikkel Vang, and the oldies, Richard Avedon and Edward Weston. Also there are too many peers to name, but a number of photographers or bloggers who I have “met” online (and if I’m lucky, in person!) continue to inspire me daily with their work.

14. Something you’re saving up for? 

Ahh the list is ENDLESS – currently the top includes a Hasselblad kit and the 45mm TS-E lens. Oh, and on the trivial spectrum of things, I’m always saving up for a new handbag – hey, we’ve all got our vices.

15. The most challenging part about photography…

For me, it’s dealing with different and unpredictable light and knowing how to use flash to create the most natural look. I despise the look of flash but I think that’s the case because I don’t quite know how to make it work for me in every situation.

16. What ambitions are you still working to achieve?

I would like to master film or at least get a much better grip on it than I have now. I also hope to more firmly establish my style. Sometimes I feel like I experiment with certain techniques or processing that are just not very “me,” which is ok once in a while, but I’d like people to be able to look at an image and recognize it as an Alice Gao creation.

17. If you had one wish…

Well, I really wish shooting film were free.

18. And one last question; if you weren’t doing photography, you would be… 

Probably richer and much less happy. Haha, no, but hopefully I’d be doing something else cool that still involves being creative (so much for my degree in Economics and my stellar grades in Linear Algebra ). I’m no stylist, but I would love to try my hand at visual merchandising or the like.

Where can we find Alice Gao? 

• Blog: http://lingeredupon.blogspot.com
• Twitter: @alice_gao
• facebook.com/alicegaophotography

Well now, I’ve introduced the character, let’s move on with the story. Cara is getting married to Chris and I was thrilled to shoot their engagement session and so looking forward to the wedding! CONGRATULATIONS CARA DEAR!

Here are a couple from the e-shoot:

Here are some of my favorites from last weekend’s shoot:

And this little guy. Wasn’t part of the photoshoot but much too cute not to post:

Hair & Make Up: Alina Krizhanovskiy

You know how sometimes you get busy, and you look forward to that moment on the near horizon where the busyness ends and you get a moment to breathe? And you think, “Just past this hump, things will slow down.” That point has come and gone for me several times. Today was one of them. Cara – my distinctly lovely coworker – organized a Mandatory Day Off for me (seeing that I am physically incapable of submitting a PTO Request myself). So I stayed home and had myself a very lovely, merry day. If you’ve ever had a day like that, you know what comes after: You cannot possibly get yourself out of bed the next morning and to face the busyness once again. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. What’s up with that. Not looking forward to tomorrow morning. This is where Psalm 62:5 (“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone“) rings so true – in Jesus there is truly rest even amidst the everyday busyness. I love that. Someone very wise once said, “I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”

BTW, if you hadn’t known, I started a 365 Project that’s going pretty smooth so far. (I’ve added a link on the top Menu bar for easy access.)

Today’s shot is a free wallpaper; enjoy! (Click on the preview below and the download will start automatically.)

When I just started painting, I hated it. I couldn’t understand what the artist was trying to say. And now that I have learned to love it, the challenge is to find ‘good’ abstract art.

BAD abstract art: the stuff made by pretentious art students to cover up for their lack of skill. This stuff is common. (And yes, it’s ‘in the eye of the beholder’. But I’m the beholder of this post, so what I say goes.)

GOOD abstract art: the stuff made by artists who have a brilliant understanding of colours, textures, composition and have gone through the same hard work as a realist painter – they actually have something to say about their art

For those of you who don’t like abstract art, you’ll get there …as I’m sure there aint a person on the planet who doesn’t like music without lyrics.

Anyhow, abstract art is dandy. It’s like looking at clouds – but better. I find it soothing to stare at it and look for shapes or just enjoy the contrast and tones. So I decided I need some of that dreamy cloud-stuff in my room. I don’t know what to call this – it’s more macro photography than abstract. Nevertheless, it’s clouds of goodness in my room that I love to stare at – and as a bonus, it suits my room better graphically against all the white decor.

The little hand-painted figurines bellow were a huge part of my childhood in Europe. If you ever lived there, you’d no doubt bought a Kinder Surprise at some point. I was devastated to find out they’re prohibited to be sold in the US (due to a prohibition against having an inedible item inside an edible object…bluh bluh meh). They’re still available in Canada so I buy them any chance I get! They’re quite delightful, really; a plastic shell containing a small toy (often requiring assembly) all embodied in a thin German chocolate egg consisting of a layer of milk chocolate and white chocolate. I had A LOT of them in my lifetime and as kids, we used to collect these, play with them, and set them up for display in our glass cabinet. Knowing these toys were such a part of my childhood, my sister tracked down a collector online who was willing to sell her a few of his collections. Bellow are 3 complete sets from the Happy Hippos collection (one of my childhood favorites). What will make this post worthwhile is if it brings back sweet memories to at least one other person!!

• The first set is a Germany 1999 series titled “Die Happy Hippo Hochzeit” (Happy Hippo Wedding)

• The second Happy Hippos set is a series issued in Germany in 1994, titled “Die Happy Hippo Company” (The Happy Hippo Company)

• The third one is a 1992 German set titled ”Die Happy Hippos auf dem Traumschiff” (Happy Hippos on the Dream Ship …also known as “Happy Hippos Holiday” in later releases)

But wait! There was more in this Memory Box! It was packed with 5 pounds of Chupa Chups! Another memory flashback…I grew up eating these. If you’ve never tasted them, first stop being so ignorant then go buy some online, taste them, and tell me if there is a need for me to say anything more to prove how delicious they really are.

But not today. I warmly welcomed the ‘true’ first day of spring today as the temperatures were in the 70s.

This weekend, after a quick photoshoot (with a talented pianist) in everett, the family and I decided to take a trip to Tulip Town. After sitting in traffic for 3.5 hours (inevitably), we turned around and aborted the idea. (I have never seen traffic this bad…the thought of cars waiting to enter the promise land kept popping into my head. But I gotta admit, it was painfully hilarious watching the tulip traffic snake its way on the opposite side to the exit, cramming the streets, and leaving a trace for countless miles – crazy people!).

We instead headed to Bothell to a lovely, unknown place called Country Village and had dinner at Vivendo (A MUST-TASTE!). Below are some shots from our mini tour of the antique shops (because I love those) and the cool roosters. Definitely re-visiting this place soon.

And now I am off to binge a little more on Easter candy (SO GOOD).

I thought I was crazy but according to a New York Times article, I’m not. The act of picking up the phone to call someone is becoming quickly extinct. The only people that really call me anymore are family and even then, it’s a quick call. We default to text. I call when I am lost…, but text/tweet/Facebook is the preferred way people talk to each other when they’re not in person. My dilemma? I hate texting. I find it rather annoying…so this is kind of depressing…this narrows down my media options.

At work, using the phone is the method of last resort to reach someone. It’s always IM, email or even walking by his/her desk first. I guess that people just think no one answers the phone anymore (and they don’t exactly love leaving voice mail). But let’s be honest, talking to people on bluetooth and being placed on hold is insanely annoying and I don’t want to be that girl so if an email will get me my answer, I’d rather do that.

BTW, visit this take out ordering service called Grubhub where you can order and pay for your food online without talking on the phone, you only have to meet the deliveryman to get it.

Yes, it’s amazing.

Just like the sky was tonight. Pure indulgence. God sure knows how to paint!

I just did all those things. For the majority of this past weekend, I stayed in. For the majority of this past weekend, I was alone. If this was 10 years ago, that fact would have freaked me out and upset me. If this was 10 years ago, I certainly wouldn’t have blogged about it. Clearly that is no longer the case. I think that, as you get older, you begin to realize that spending time alone isn’t a bad thing. In fact, under the right lighting, it can be quite lovely. I’ve learned to enjoy being alone; sometimes it’s nice to not share your chocolate crepe. I encourage you to give it a try!

Getting to the point: My new business cards have arrived! Printed on 16pt silk matte-finish cardstock. The front has my logo and site in Rainbow Silver foiling which I absolutely loved! It’s truly unique and beautiful. The back has an ornate pattern design; done in spot gloss. I do also love the rounded corners; it’s a nice, modern touch and gives the card durability.

My name is Ilona Joy – previous owner of Evoke Images Photography. I swapped my pretty boring portfolio for a refreshing new blog! (Who doesn’t love new beginnings?)

Evoke Images has undergone major rebranding and my business has been renamed to Ilona Joy. So…new blog, new logo, and right in time for spring!
The major reason for this transformation was because my business has grown to more than just photography. Something new has evolved and I am hoping to capture that with the creation of my new identity. This site will allow me to expand my horizons and keep you guys up to date on more than just photos.

Welcome to my new home and I hope you all stick around and visit my site to check for updates. The real die hard fans who’d like to see new posted work as soon as it hits the blog can follow me on Facebook.

One pink blossom is coming to your desktop as a celebration of the official launch of www.ilonajoy.com. This is just a small gift for my visitors; I thought it would be nice to start you off with a fresh desktop wallpaper this spring. Click on the preview below and the download will start automatically.