*Feel free to leave your comments below~

"Mountain Climbing, Micro-Brews, and Mandolins"

Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival 2011~

by r.s.thurston

My year is joyfully punctuated by a few choice events around the country: an international adventure with Mama Chihuahua, dressing up in feathers and sequins for Santa Barbara's raucous, pagan Carnival-like Summer Solstice Celebration in June, venturing back to Southern Indiana in the late summer to commune with friends and family, and a return to Arizona for the Flagstaff Film Festival in the delicious month of Aspen-turning October.

There are quite a few good reasons to go to the Film Festival (like the fact that it's one of the few places you can drink wine and watch a documentary on base jumping in the Arctic and then hob nob with some of the country's best photographers and documentary filmmakers over fajitas and a local micro-brew).

Mostly I go because the Flag Mountain Film Festival simply ROCKS.

As a few of my close friends know, it's been a challenging year in a few respects (and very fortunate in many ways as well) and this recent trip to Arizona was a tonic for my heart and spirit.

Over the years (and by virtue of the sheer number of hours we've spent in the theatre eagerly absorbing every adventure documentary we can) Mom and I have become friends with three of the festival directors--Ron Tuckman, John Tveten, and Kristi Frazier--all of whom are accomplished peeps and travelers in their own right. I only get to see my Flagstaff friends once a year but it feels like a community I slip right into effortlessly and with great affection!

This past year I had the great privilege of singing and playing my ukulele (pushing my comfort zone a little with my new instrument!) with John's band "Spontaneous Combustion." You know there are few film festivals which offer both the quality of documentaries you would expect to see at Telluride and Banff Film Festivals... as well as feature musical events where you can see the festival directors doing their music thang on stage in the after-hours. Late Friday night at one of the festival events, director John Tveten's band "Spontaneous Combustion" (Tom O'Hara on guitar/vocals and James Frazier on bass) took the stage...with exec director Ron Tuckman playing harmonica and visiting filmmaker Peter McBride (see his film below) on mandolin. The band lived up to its name that night. :)

That's truly the thing that I love about music. Wherever I go in the world, I seem to find a community of brothers and sister among fellow musicians. We're the underdog artists who have been infected with a total love for playing and celebrating music in as many ways possible during our short time here on earth. And music is a bit like dancing, it's a heck of a lot more fun to do with other people.

In short, it was a pretty good dang week. I had the blessed opportunity to play music, hang out with some truly cool folks, watch a few very powerful films about happiness, adventure, and our responsibilities as world citizens.

Mostly, it was a good reminder that I'm on the right path...that this life I've chosen as a writer, photographer, musician and adventurer is the right one. And that as long as I continue to follow the pursuits which bring me joy, I can't go too wrong. :)

After many hours spent in the theatre during the festival, Mom and I both agreed there were four top films for us this year. I recommend checking them all out when they come out in DVD, if they come to a town near you, or if they're available in the near future online:

"Family Of The Wa'a"

USA, 2011, 81 min.

Director: Alyssa Fedele

Producer: David Cumming

This one was an "11" for me. A truly beautiful tribute to the cultural and spiritual legacy of outrigger canoeing in Hawai'i. Hawaiian mover and shaker Kimokeo Kapahulehua sets out to fulfill his uncle's lifelong dream: to paddle the length of the Hawaiian islands via outrigger canoe. Beautifully shot and powerful cultural story for anyone who has felt a connection to the water or to the Pacific Island Culture.

"Chasing Water"

USA, 2011, 19 min.

Director/Producer: Peter McBride

Photojournalist and Colorado Native goes on a personal journey documenting the flow of the Colorado River from source to where it should run into the Sea of Cortez, but sadly no longer reaches. Beautifully edited and paced, the movie combines McBride's still photography along with video clips in a seamless tribute to one of the West's greatest arteries.

Watch the Trailer for "Cold" at Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/23336972

"Cold"

USA, 2011, 20 min.

Director: Anson Fogel

Producers: Julie Kennedy and David Burden

Okay, so I've seen A LOT of climbing and mountaineering docs over the years but this is the first one I've seen to truly address the morbid inner monologue of a climber attempting an 8,000 meter peak (from the point of view of American Climber Cory Richards in a bid with two others to be the first to summit one of Pakistan's giants mid-winter). So often climbing movies glorify and sugarcoat the experiences of climbers merely touching on the sheer misery of cold temperatures, hypoxia, and numbness that dogs climbers minute by minute.

"Happy"

USA, 2011, 80 min.

Director: Roko Belic

Producers: Eiji Han Shimizu and Frances Reid

Feature-length documentary that leads views on a journey across five continents in search of the keys to happiness. Definitely makes you think about what you're doing in your life to cultivate more of that much sought after Vitamin-H! ;)

Luke and Kelly's Wedding

Dos Pueblos Ranch, Gaviota Coast

pics by rsthurston photography

So I recently had the pleasure of playing for a wedding of some long-time King Bee fans...Kelly and Luke. It was probably one of the most gorgeous wedding venues I've seen in the many years of playing with King Bee. Both Kelly and Luke lended a sweetness to the celebration that was definitely unforgettable.

Even though I was "off the clock" as a photographer I couldn't help myself (for more details read below). As the sun goes down, the place turns into a wonderland like something from "Sleepy Hollow." The only lighting comes from hundreds of votive candles, giant chandeliers made from driftwood, and sparkling white lights....it's truly a magical place at night.

The whole event was a true team effort. Tricia Fountaine Design was in charge of decorating for the event.

The bride and groom (Kelly and Luke) contributed hand-made gorgeous centerpieces made of manzanita branches and wire-wrapped glass lanterns. By candlelight, we all dined on a divine filet mignon and salmon dinner served by Country Catering based in Goleta. Their official photographer was Emily Hart-Roberts (who will be posting official pics in the near future) and their event planning was spearheaded by Danielle Laudon.

The reception was an absolute blast and I wish I could have had someone photograph "King Bee" as well but I can only do one thing at a time. Just try to sing, play cowbell, and photograph at the same time and you'll see what I mean. ;)

I'm grateful to Luke and Kelly for having included us in on such a fantastic celebration

and show of love, creativity, and magic!

*Oh yes, and they had a vintage cupcake trailer....I mean, come on! Who doesn't LOVE CUPCAKES?! Cupcakes by "Enjoy Cupcakes" which is based in Los Olivos.

Enjoy the slideshow and feel free to leave your comments below~

Goddess Pregnancy Photos

by rsthurston photography

*Feel free to leave comments below the slideshow~

September 20th, 2011

"To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and undoubtedly inhabited."

Anne Buchanan & Debra Klingsporn

It's crazy to think that not only are some of my oldest and dearest Santa Barbara girlfriends now married and with kids but a few of them are on their second and third little ones. It's a beautiful thing to watch a fellow woman grow from who she was as a single entity to growing into a wife and mother. My dear friend (who wishes to remain unnamed but is pleased to share these artful images with others) has been in my life since the first year I moved to Santa Barbara. I was fresh off the river from years of living in a tent...my Chevy Blazer packed to the gills with most of my living possessions.

She had just moved here from Oregon and was beginning an equally exciting adventure and chapter in her life.Those were the days when we didn't know the difference from the Eastside and the Westside or the Riviera from the Mesa. We were just happy to have a roof over our heads and a little piece of green out our backdoors. I lived off of plastic plates and ate on a coffee table stitched together from plywood and bricks for the first year. My girlfriend "G" and I paddled outrigger together, partied with sailors, went to music festivals, and lived the free-spirited lifestyle of 20-something women unfettered by commitment, mortgages, or a biological clock.

In short, them were some fun days...

I look now at how much our lives have changed. I definitely couldn't fit all that I own into an SUV anymore and I'm a lot pickier about the plates I eat off of and the neighborhood I live in. She's married now to a sweet engineer with a Midwestern raising and taste for travel and good art. They're on their third child now but seem to maintain a closeness with each other as if they were just entering their first year of marriage together.

While we both acknowledge the incredible times we had here during the "good ole days," I doubt either one of us would trade where we're at now. I've discovered a serenity and blissfulness here in Santa Barbara that I never knew when I was moving every three months and living out of tupperware.

And my girlfriend has grown into this amazing, radiant, calm, and collected wise, sexy wife and mother. To see the woman who I once danced on bartops with and lost at a music festival in the High Sierras becoming this pregnant goddess is truly an unimaginable transition yet it just feels right. Girlfriends like her are blazing the way for me in the next chapter of my life...

We're blessed to be the women that we are. And as the old saying goes...."You can never step in the same river twice." But why should we? It's a magnificent, heart-wrenching, and beautiful journey this life of ours....and I wouldn't trade any of it.

The adventure of motherhood awaits....

We had fantastic timing, by the way, with this shoot. "G" gave birth only a week after these photos were taken....her precious little one was born on a Sunday morning...hence the title of the soundtrack I chose by Maroon 5 which I thought fit the mood purrfectly....Enjoy!

October 7th, 2011

Sycamore Cove Wedding on the Beach

Cory and Chris

August 12, 2011

Photo Shoot with Cynthia Ziemer

Friend, Superstar, and Fellow Djun Djun Mama~

by r.s.thurston photography

"There is just one life for each of us: our own." ~Euripides

*Feel free to leave your sweet comments at the end of this entry~

It's a dream to have the chance to photograph more girlfriends and among those a very special group of women: the Djun Djun Mamas. I've photographed both Lisa Beck, our leader, as well as Kris Oster another phenomenal woman in her own right.

Each of the women in this group are extraordinary. Accomplished. Creative. Kind. Generous. Wise beyond this life. And radiant.

Cynthia is all of these and more. I continue to learn more about her through moments together like this shoot. How she is capable of giggling and smiling most any day of the week. How she loves bringing coconut water to our Djun Djun Mama potlucks. How she adores driving her '64 Red Corvette (which has a story of its own). How she loves music concerts and volunteering locally. And how gorgeous she looks in jewel tones like purple, green, and turquoise!

We had originally planned this shoot b/c she'll be featured on the back of an upcoming issue of Casa Magazine with her company Prospect Mortgage.....but it gave us the opportunity to have way more fun with it and get a little more artsy.

And not surprisingly through the process of working with her, I learned that Cynthia is truly a beautiful woman inside and out.

And now for the slideshow...

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Enjoy!

*There's a comment "feed" at the bottom of this post as well~ Feel free to leave your comments to share with me and others! Thanks again~ Rachel

Santa Barbara Writers Conference 2011

"The Exhilaration and the Exhaustion!"

Owner Monte Schulz and Director Nicole Starczak

Founders Barnaby and Mary Conrad

www.sbwriters.com

by rsthurston writing and photography

I’ve had many friends over the years ask me exactly what happens at a writers conference. Do we merely sit and listen to Harry Potter readings? Do we rate our favorite classics

or compare our wish lists for our dream publishers and book tour stops? I mean, what could we possibly find to fill a week’s worth of a conference?

Writing is after all, a solitary pursuit, isn’t it?

The conference takes place for five days every year but what happens between the Saturday opening night and the closing awards dinner on Thursday is a universe unto itself. Founder Barnaby Conrad once declared on an opening night “You will begin this conference as one person and end it as another.” And indeed the conference will change your life in many unexpected ways.

The nuts and bolts of the week are this: There are morning, afternoon, and evening workshops on everything from poetry to non-fiction magazine writing to screenwriting and literary fiction. There are panels of publishers, editors, and agents, meetings with manuscript consultants and mind-blowing readings by internationally renowned writers like Clive Cussler, T.C. Boyle and in years past Ray Bradbury, James Michener, and Fannie Flagg. There’s the annual Talent Show which once began as a renegade group of writers looking to let off some steam but which has now grown into a sanctioned smorgasbord of unexpected talent (the only rule being that no one read their work). Then there are all of the social events throughout the week: the wine and cheese party, the opening and closing dinners and roaming about in the conference bookstore.

But the most indelible moments of the conference are truly the moments stolen between….that chance meeting with another kindred spirit whose feedback you truly admire in one of your favorite workshops who just happens to live in your same town and who is looking to start a writers group. Or that amazing conversation with a new friend about the latest vampire craze over carne asada burritos and a horchata for lunch on Milpas. Or it’s that shared can of Pringles with that dry-witted fiction writer from Hawaii whom you adore but you only manage to see once a year.

We manage to steal hours of sleep when we can and we remember to eat only when our blood sugar reaches dangerously low levels and we realize that filled cups from Starbucks can’t sustain a human for longer than a day or two.

I’ve found over my past seven years with the conference that writers will only surprise you. I’ve seen a young guy from the Bronx recite children’s poetry, a grandmother read surprisingly titillating erotica, and a late 40-ish schoolteacher share her horror short story to a rapt class.

There are no rules among writers. You can be any shape, shape, size, or age. We are drawn together by our love of the craft and our friendships are forged based on these connections.

In fact, I met one of my best friends (who continues to travel here for the conference from Connecticut) during a lecture at the conference many years ago. (She happened to have sat beside me at one of the public lectures many years ago and I convinced her in true Rachel-Fashion that if she truly considered herself a writer that she needed to commit to coming to the conference the following year as an attendee. She came the next year and has only missed one year since then.)

I am also quite sure that many romances have come about because of the conference. A few break-ups and strained marriages as well. ;)

By mid-week the days have begun melting into each other and the microverse of SBWC has managed to consume us completely. Sure our pets still need to be fed, our partners are beginning to feel neglected (*see above) but our bills can wait and so can those inboxes that seem to be filling up without end.

We don’t know it right away but at some point towards the end of the week when we realize we have to leave and that our world is coming to a close that we have indeed changed. Sure the caffeine, the sleep deprivation, and the copious amounts of Cheetos and Cliff Bars have taken their toll on our reserves. But something else has shifted. We’ve spent one precious week dedicated to our craft. We’ve surrounded ourselves with an incredible group of men and women—many of whom would never have met without the conference--and reminded ourselves for that short, fluid moment in time that we’re not alone and that we do have a community.

But more importantly, we are reminded of something even more precious. That we are writers. And that we are all striving for perfection….One. Word. At. A.Time.

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Enjoy the Slideshow!!

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"From Ink To Internet: Honoring Visionaries In Communication"

Honorees Starshine Roshell (Award-Winning Journalist) and Lynda Weinman (Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Lynda.com)

5th Annual Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon

The Association For Women In Communication (AWC) Luncheon

Santa Barbara, CA

President, Kathleen Barry

by r.s.thurston photography

"Sure God created man before woman. But then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece."

~Author Unknown

Don't be intimidated by the long title. All you need to know about the event is this: There are some truly incredible movers and shakers in this town...an overwhelming number of which are women. This gorgeous luncheon (held at the sweet and intimate Mar Monte along the ocean) was a powerhouse of extraordinary women and men from throughout Santa Barbara. Although the main purpose of the luncheon (besides the customary networking) was to honor the multi-talented, local media celebs Starshine Roshell (award-winning journalist) and Lynda Weinman (of Lynda.com among many other achievements)...both of whom are incredibly warm, funny, and magnetic, the room seemed to be brimming over with talent, drive, creativity, and passion.

Former Women of Achievement Honorees, Deborah Hutchison (2008 honoree and Founder of Gutsy Gals) and Marcia Meier (2010 honoree, award-winning writer and former director of the S.B. Writer's Conference) introduced Starshine and Lynda for their awards. However, it was hard not to be awed by the extraordinary women and men throughout the room (in no particular order): Sharon Siegel, (District Director from Congresswoman Lois Capps' office), Helene Schneider (beloved mayor and awesome woman herself), Marianne Partridge (Editor-In-Chief of The Independent), Roman Baratiak (Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures Series), Patty DeDominic (Women's Festivals Founder and Founder of PDQ Careers Group), Janet Wolf (Second District Supervisor), Jerry Roberts (prize-winner journalist and former Editor and Publish of the SB News Press), Jennifer Jaqua (Founder and CEO of Jaqua Beauty)...and oh-so-many more!

As the old adage goes, "Life is short and art is long." So go to it, Ladies!

A big thank you to Lisa Angle (videographer) and Kathleen Barry for bringing me on board this year to photograph this event!

Enjoy the slideshow! *If the music doesn't come on when you begin the slideshow, please refresh your web page and click "play" again.