Now, for many people who have traveled to East and Southeast Asia, these are known as the “stinky spiky fruits.” They are big, weighing up to 7 pounds. They have been known to kill unfortunate souls standing under the wrong tree at the wrong time. But most notoriously, they are known for the smell. At the cost of a stiff penalty, this fruit is often forbidden from being brought into hotels, buses, airplanes, or other public areas. There are signs with a picture of a durian and a circle with an X through it. When you smell it, you will know it. They are pungent, and a source of instant repulsion by those who are not accustomed to it.

The smell, up to this point, has kept me from getting close enough to eat this fruit. Reactions towards durians are polarized. Some salivate at the mere mention, while others must suppress their gag reflex. I thought it time to test my resolve. This is a new city. It is a new place and a new time in my life. My bold friends joined this endeavor, and for that, I am proud.

Photographers are no exception. We have our insecurities. Some of us will openly admit that we started taking pictures to avoid having pictures taken of us. And after a while, we forget what it’s like to be on the other side of a fat lens, pointed close to our face, seemingly a microscope magnifying all those insecurities we hide behind the camera. So, once in a while, it’s a healthy thing to have a camera pointed at us, to remember the immense amount of self awareness a camera brings. It’s humbling to feel nervous, to wonder if our smile seemed too fake or if the picture will turn out ok. Sometimes, it’s good to be in the client’s shoes, to trust the photographer, and to remember that beauty is more than a photoshopped body on a magazine.

Thanks to my friend Dan Chen for taking the time out to do a little shoot for me :).

One reason I like meeting with clients is being able to show off the sample albums. They are heavy, thick, and beautiful. They can feel the texture of the cover and the smoothness of the pages. The colors just jump a bit more than a screen. It’s as if the physicality of the album and prints affirm the love in the image.

We are holistic people. And our love must be embodied.

Today (and these next few days), she will be talking through pretty much every aspect of her business. In fact, on Friday, she’s taking the web audience live to one of her client’s weddings. What they’re doing at CreativeLive is neat. For many new photographers out there, this is a simply invaluable experience to hear from someone who has become quite popular as a wedding photographer. She touches on things like being real, brand management, what she shoots with, blogging, and on and on. These are things that you would generally have to pay hundreds of dollars to see or hear from a seminar or workshop. Even for seasoned wedding photographers, there’s always something you can learn from someone else, something that’ll give you a different perspective. In this day and age, change is what keeps you alive. Creativity requires pushing oneself. Stagnation is a business killer.

So, for those who are interested, you can find out about the multi-day live web broadcast at http://creativelive.com/live.

Some of these were posted earlier, but a friend of mine wanted to order some prints from my trip, so I figured I’d toss the images up on here as well.

Don’t worry folks, I still travel to shoot. Just because I’m in Chicago doesn’t mean I can’t come visit you :). Some weddings coming up: Back in NJ, Detroit MI, Albany NY, and Philadelphia. It doesn’t really matter where I “live”!

Chicago. The windy city. Here are my two favorite songs about the place :)

If love, in all its rough edges, is what gives birth to vibrancy in life, then it too must root itself one day.

On my last day in New Jersey, I got to participate in roots grown deeper. Congratulations, Amiee and Joe!

[Thanks also to my assistant, Danielle, for the help today. And with that, my dear bed calls.]