Which basically means I’m like family, and I get to hug & kiss all over them when I see them…

If you’d like to hire me to be a part of your family—I mean to be your family photographer!—then email me at catherine@calimaportraits.com

That was the start of my shoot with my favorite boyrista & local band frontman, Josey. He’s the type of person who makes my day, every day.

And he makes a mean americano. Thank you, Josey.

For a good time… or for good coffee.

“De tudo ao meu amor serei atento
Antes, e com tal zelo, e sempre, e tanto
Que mesmo em face do maior encanto
Dele se encante mais meu pensamento.”

“Above all, to my love I’ll be attentive
First and always, with zeal and so much
That even when facing the greatest enchantment
By love be more enchanted my thoughts.”

-Soneto de Fidelidade, Vinicius de Moraes

Hot.

If you’re into celebrating your body, and living in the here & now… email me for an intimate lifestyle session at catherine@calimaportraits.com.

Here are some randoms taken with a toy camera, from the last two months of travel. One of my friends said she now calls us The Go-Go’s instead of the Abeggs… sounds about right.

Mexico, Miami, California, the Washington Coast, an unforgettable trip to Disneyland with all of Michael’s family on one of their 45-foot charter buses, and a sunny little airport in Denver… all of which filled my soul in some new & odd & wonderful way.

FIND Miami, was a game-changer in many ways… but I am very proud to say that it was our first workshop where a same-sex couple modeled for us. I feel that this is truly a testament to how beautiful love is, and how strongly it prevails… across social, political, and religious divides… and in the end, in the beginning, and everywhere in between, it remains the same.  Love is what remains.

Named after the novelist, Alexandre Dumas; as well as after our 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt… both men that his father, my Lolo, greatly admired.

It also happens to be the birthday of one of my best friends, Alexandre Noble, the mad genius.

And the birthday of David Bowie.

And the birthday of Elvis Presley, may he rest in peace.

So basically this post is dedicated to four Men of Greatness. Four men that I happen to love…

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”

-David Bowie

Give me your hand
Make room for me
to lead and follow
you
beyond this rage of poetry.

Let others have
the privacy of
touching words
and love of loss
of love.

For me
Give me your hand.
-Maya Angelou

Hello, Jeanette & her man Finley… so luscious. So divine. What other words can I use to describe them? Earthly. Ethereal. Enigmatic.

These were taken at Miami FIND, but as the title of this posts suggests–Miami Wedding Photographer–I travel wherever you want me to go. Seattle, Mexico, Miami, and beyond…

Ozzy with his amazing lady Linda, and their sweet daughter Faith.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
-Mother Teresa

This is my last blog post of the year, and although I heavily considered doing a “best of 2011″ post, I thought it felt more appropriate to feature a family on the blog, since family photography is what I love to do best.

But I will say that this has been an amazing roller coaster of a year. wow oh wow, is really all I can say. I went to lunch with some friends yesterday, and was reminded that at the [epic] holiday party I threw last year… out of over 120 people, I only personally knew 7 or less at the time. And since then, I have worked closely with some of those people, have travelled with some of them, and have so fortunately come to call some of them my dearest friends. This is the very first year of my whole entire life, that I feel like I have found my niche… that I have chosen my friends & they have chosen me.

I am wholeheartedly looking forward to 2012. I believe–I have faith–that the direction we are heading can only be one of positivity & of hope. The other night, Michael said to me, “Life is life. You’re not writing the story, you’re living the story.” So for 2012, I vow to live my story… and to live it to its fullest extent.

Happy New Year! And much, much love.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us… and I wish you a wonderful new year full of new mornings, meaningful relationships, realized dreams, and lots & lots of love.

love, catherine & the CALIMA family.