Monday, January 3, 2011, 07:59 AM
Pretty sure I am wishing that I was soaking up the warmth of this scene right about now. There have been times recently I have seriously contemplated curling my body into fetal position and rolling into our fireplace just to get warm... I think it is the only warm place in our entire house right now. desperation is beginning to set in :)

We shot these two about a month ago while we were in Maui shooting the wonderful The Odette family. We teamed up with the fabulous Tiffany Lowry for hair/makeup and some subtle styling for this shoot. Bela & Melissa are best friends and are both surfers so we really wanted to capture just a glimpse into their world. Surfing runs in these girls blood, in fact, Bela's dad is surfing legend, Laird Hamilton

We had a blast following these girls around for a couple hours, jumping off cliffs, and just being silly girls... I think Chris must have felt a little left out but us girls sure did have fun. Enjoy some sunshine!

Makeup/Hair: Tiffany Lowry
Concept: Sarah & Chris Rhoads
Location: Maui, Hawaii



Thoughts
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stephanie h says: Tuesday, January 4, 2011, 09:58 AM

sarah&chris these are gorgeous. every picture makes me want to be there. the 5th picture is one of my favorites.

Kristin says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 07:20 PM

These are incredible! love how the beauty and lifestyle was captured, what looks to be so effortlessly. How do you go about setting a shoot like this up?

kbreints says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 04:49 PM

Wow! What a location.... I love the tree that they are sitting on! I can feel the sun just looking at these photos...

Annie says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 03:37 PM

Wow I love these! They are gorgeous girls and that last photo is amazing! I envy the weather you are having right now - I went camping on the beach for NYE and got sunburned! I want some snow! :)

Kevin Wrenn Photography says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 02:00 PM

i LOVE this whole set. #3 is very stunning and the final image is so freeing!

Blair says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 12:54 PM

These are gorgeous! now I'm itching to go back to Hawaii!!

Michelle Condne says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 11:53 AM

These are amazing! I love how your style is candid, subtle and natural, yet so artistic and eye-catching that every one of these photos could be featured in a magazine spread. Thank you for being such an inspiration :)

Alice says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 11:37 AM

you two capture emotion better than anyone I've ever seen. love these.

Becky Trejo says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 10:59 AM

The energy and adventurous spirit in these photos is contagious. Thank you guys for the burst of inspiration this morning!

Marissa Rodriguez says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 10:14 AM

LOVE these! You captured their spirit perfectly! Makes me miss Hawaii so much!!!!

Rich Park says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 08:43 AM

love the feel of these photos - from warmth between friends to cliff diving together! great pictures!

Brittany says: Monday, January 3, 2011, 08:26 AM

These are beautiful. The lighting is fantastic. All the photos have such a great feel to them. You really caught the essence of these surfer girls.

Friday, December 17, 2010, 08:39 AM
Everything about Melbourne, Australia is perfectly perfect. It is one of those magical places that feels like walking into yourself. It rained nostalgia...it felt like parts of us needed to be picked up along the streets of Melbourne, like we were meant to be there. 

Melbourne was like the perfect old sweatshirt... or the perfect fuzzy pillow on your bed. It's all too familiar, it smells just right and you know you are home in some strange way. It was like colliding with another home that we didn't know we had thousands of miles around the world. It was charmingly overcast and scarves and layers were a requirement, much to our liking considering my heaven is a world full of old books, overcast skies and people walking around with lots of beautiful layers (with the occasional break out in musical song and dance of course). Which is why Seattle is my perfectly perfect place and why Melbourne is my perfect place's little brother. They come from the same DNA. 

Chris and I shot too many rolls of film to count. we just couldn't help ourselves. it was all too much to handle. the colors, the smells, the people, the vintage, the city, the street art, the independent spirit of it all.... it is a place that kind of gives a finger to the confines of the world, but does it with a little smile and a nod. I like that. Melbourne just kind of says, "It's not about what you have, it's about living a life that matters to you.." And my-oh-my was the coffee ever brilliant there. The barista's were true artists... I think I just sat and stared at most of my drinks in awe before I dared destroy that kind of beautiful milk mastery :) 

I could go on and on about Melbourne.... but I'll let the images do the talking... they tell a fine enough story about this beautiful little perfectly perfect place. 

For those wondering, the following frames were all shot with a combination of our Leica M6 &  the Contax 645

Thoughts
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Julia Manchik says: Friday, February 11, 2011, 02:46 AM

Sarah- Yuriy and I are currently in Sydney and taking a road trip to Melbourne in the next few days. Your photos are getting me all antsy. I remember you saying on Twitter it reminded you so much of Seattle, and I can't wait to see it for myself. Were there any "must go to" places that you can recommend for us?

adam says: Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 09:42 PM

I love your street photography maybe more than anything else you have done here. It's so raw and visceral!

hailey says: Thursday, December 30, 2010, 04:21 PM

ohhh how wonderful to see my favourite city in your blog!

Beautiful work as always... I am inspired and delighted! My fav is the bw photo booth that I love!! Now we want to see the photos you took!! ;)

Kelly Tunney says: Wednesday, December 29, 2010, 01:13 AM

Only discovering these now....wowwee!!! Such an awesome series yet every frame has such impact. Beautiful - I love them :)

jaine says: Thursday, December 23, 2010, 03:17 AM

amazing. hope sydney is as great at melbourne! great shots...

Gemma says: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 11:12 PM

So lovely to see my Melbourne through Rhoads eyes :)
That Swanston St reflection shot, just perfect!

Andrea Mull says: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 12:30 PM

Your work is beautiful! I love coming to your blog and seeing what you have created. I am always so inspired and I look forward to seeing your next post! Happy Holidays and best wishes in 2001 :)

jen k. says: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 11:28 AM

you always make happy thoughts in my head - you guys are so great!

Christine says: Monday, December 20, 2010, 04:33 PM

Beautiful memories created by beautiful souls. Love the way you see Melbourne, my fave Australian city. :) Miss the Rhoadsies.

Sean McLean says: Monday, December 20, 2010, 12:20 PM

Looks like a blast

Vanderboom says: Monday, December 20, 2010, 07:22 AM

Hey. looks like it was a grand adventure.

Kristin says: Sunday, December 19, 2010, 03:25 PM

these are wonderful! love the story they tell! I love seeing a place through a photographer's eyes. how do you travel with film? I guess more so fast film, do you have it out and checked or do you just send it through the xray machines? thanks for sharing your trip!

Anonymous says: Sunday, December 19, 2010, 11:13 AM

@Caitlin I'm thinking about setting up a gallery online for art prints. I'll post more about it on the blog if & when I get to it on my to do list :)

Caitlin Walthall says: Saturday, December 18, 2010, 08:49 AM

Amazing work. Just curious... do you sell prints of your photography?

caroline lee says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 07:18 PM

oh yay. i've been sooo anxious for this post! i could hardly wait to see my favorite city through your eyes, and you've captured the gritty, raw goodness of it so beautifully. sigh. more excited than ever to head there next week! xx

Lisa says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 05:09 PM

So glad you guys enjoyed a special little piece of Australia. I had a feeling you would love Melbs. Its such a great city and very 'you'. : )

Annie says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 03:25 PM

Strange waking up from a dream where I was going to Melbourne and then seeing these :) I've never been before, but maybe now I should? I love when you shoot in film :)

Samm Blake says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 02:34 PM

Love these images Sarah. I go to Melbourne next week, you have me excited :) xoxo

Dorothy says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 11:35 AM

love. loove. lurve ;)

Calvin Michael West says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 10:27 AM

I can't believe that Obama was on that wall. Talk about reach. Dang.

Tori says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 09:57 AM

Wow, this is like a story! I don't understand how you transform such common things into such a beautiful masterpiece! It's quite a talent.

Laura says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 09:40 AM

These are amazing!

anda says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 09:17 AM

love them. i've been shooting more film too lately. but we don't have a pro lab (or even a decent one) in madison, so i have all the rolls stockpiled in my sock drawer.

Katie says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 08:46 AM

LOOOOVE these. I'm in love with my contax 645, but isn't it just a beast!?! I lugged mine across three countries in Europe this fall, and was oh so glad I did!

Alex says: Friday, December 17, 2010, 08:45 AM

Loooove these!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 10:00 PM
She said we could just 'jump the fence and climb up the cliff' like it was no big deal. The adult in me was freaking out.... I haven't jumped a fence since I was maybe seventeen..and even then I think my pants got caught on the fence because I'm a giant klutz. But I had to keep my cool, after all, I was hanging out with a couple of really cool high schoolers and the child in me was screaming... 'do it, do it!' So despite all of the many "No climbing on Rocks" signs, we went for it. There were moments I could picture myself falling off the 40 foot cliff and meeting my death with a tiger shark at the bottom. But as I saw the girls blaze by me with zero fear, I was reminded that that used to be me, completely fearless and fiery in my youth. And then I had to smile because I know that me is still there, it's just a little more inhibited... but I can access it at any time.  It was such a beautiful reminder that those parts of us only cease to exist if we allow them to.

I took this frame of Bela a couple days ago in Maui when we climbed up a big rock & she went cliff jumping while I tried to balance on a tiny rock & take this frame. This moment will forever serve as a reminder of how incredible it feels to tap into that fearless youth that resides within all of us. The antithesis of fear is freedom, and to me that is what this moment is all about. Freedom is one of those beautiful qualities I love to dig for in the heart of people and pull out in my imagery. Freedom is such a radiant energy and it is absolutely exhilarating to capture in people. The amazing thing is that freedom is accessible to us at all times, after all, (in the words of the band, Elizabeth & The Catapult) "we're all just taller children." 



Thoughts
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Lydia says: Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 05:45 PM

The perfect family portrait session!

Allison says: Monday, November 29, 2010, 09:50 AM

I love love love this photo and can totally relate to the you "now" saying what happened to the fearless me of then... She's still in there and waiting to jump off a cliff...

Marryam Lum says: Thursday, November 25, 2010, 07:10 PM

Love this shot sarah :) and your inspiring words as always!

Patrina says: Thursday, November 25, 2010, 01:13 PM

Wow, spectacular!

Tiffany Lowry says: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 01:55 PM

awwww:) sooo great!

Alex says: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 01:20 PM

Awesome post, I love the message and I love the photo.

Alex says: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 01:20 PM

Awesome post, I love the message and I love the photo.

Celine says: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 08:33 AM

amazing shot! I would be quite scared!
there are children taller than me! I can blend right in...

Rich Park says: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 07:05 AM

it's a great feeling when i can let go of the fear and just go for it. - reflected perfectly in this picture. great shot!

millie holloman says: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 04:48 AM

AMAZING! Love it and love what you wrote, a great reminder to constantly live in the moment and truly LIVE!

Brian Crofts says: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 11:35 PM

I'm right behind her! Great shot. Love your work.

Annie says: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 10:59 PM

Amazing... wish I could access my inner child again :)

todd hunter mcgaw says: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 10:23 PM

great frame and wise words Sarah.. I totally dig your skills..

Kevin Wrenn Photography says: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 10:15 PM

So did you jump...off the cliff that is? Great frame BTW!

Monday, November 22, 2010, 12:01 PM
This is what we lived & traveled in last week while we traveled around the south island of New Zealand. We had no showers, no luxury, no cell phones and we pulled off at campsites and slept in the back of the bus every night which turned into a bed, it was a much needed escape. The VW Kombi was a 1966 whose gear box was a bit "special" and needed some extra love. Chris was not only driving on the wrong side of the road, but when you are driving a 1966 VW bus there are no power breaks and no power steering. It was pretty funny, Chris was such a trooper, that thing was the antithesis of easy to drive, but we had so many laughs.

New Zealand was nothing short of a scene out of Lord of the Rings, just replace all the hobbits in the movie with sheep. They had more sheep than I had ever seen in my life. I'll do a post just on New Zealand later but since I'm traveling right now this is just a frame from the adventure. 

We're currently in Maui getting ready to shoot one of our favorite little families, the Odette family. We woke up and looked out the window to sandy beaches and sunshine. I'm pretty sure it is dumping snow in Seattle right now... oh the irony! 

Thoughts
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Danielle Snelson says: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 08:40 PM

Girl-You KNOW we are loving this. Please say we can plan an amazing road trip together someday. That would be bliss!

Sarah Danaher says: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 12:10 PM

I just got back from 3 weeks in New Zealand (just, as in last night). I, too, spent a week driving around the South Island, except I was in a camper van instead of a VW. It was epic, nonetheless. And I'm relatively certain that I saw that Kombie while I was there. Can't wait to see your shots. I'll post mine soon. =)

JP & Ashley Post says: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 04:06 PM

We're on the South Island of New Zealand right now! :) - in Nelson. You pretty much described our lives right now... except we're in a sedan :)

Jen K says: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 01:40 PM

Sarah you two are awesome! Matt and I have been planning a similar road trip of our own around the states this Spring...should be pretty wild!

ajja says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 11:14 PM

great picture/adventure(: just wanted to thank you because it was through one of your blog posts that i ran into the making things happen tour last year. i just got to go to the one here on maui last week. thanks for being the connector!

ajja says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 11:14 PM

great picture/adventure(: just wanted to thank you because it was through one of your blog posts that i ran into the making things happen tour last year. i just got to go to the one here on maui last week. thanks for being the connector!

Mary says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 08:37 PM

Those vans are awesome, this brings back happy memories of my last southern hemisphere summer. At least the South Island has more sheep than it has people on the roads :) Look forward to your NZ pics!

Allie says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 07:50 PM

Not bad, not bad at all :)

Annie says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 03:03 PM

So glad you had a great time! Road tipping in a Kombi is a dream of mine, and your trip sounds amazing! Can't wait to see photos! :)

Greg Hoskins says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 02:26 PM

Beautiful scenery! And a sweet ride :)

alyda says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 02:24 PM

squeeeeeeeeee!!! so cute

Rich Park says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 02:02 PM

wow, sounds like quite an adventure! can't wait to see the new zealand post!

Alex Beadon says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 12:54 PM

Amazing :)

Dennis Bullock says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 12:38 PM

I am sure it was a blast!

Joshua Mahar says: Monday, November 22, 2010, 12:13 PM

This is dope!