kristen Black photography

2011-02-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

I'm trying something new in the blog-o-sphere. So check out kristenBlack.tumblr.com to peep new photos and see what's happening with kBp!

O My Darlin'

2010-11-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

ladies and gentlemen

introducing

O My Darlin'

they are:

Jules

Kyle

Austin

Jason

"O My Darlin’ is an Alternative Metal group based out of Spokane, Washington. With the perfect blend of blazing dueling guitar riffs and the knowledge of song structure and sell-ability of their music, O My Darlin’ is making themselves known around the region as “The Fresh Sound” Currently in the process of recording their first self produced album, the band has, rightfully so, entered themselves into the world of the music industry"

i had the most radical time shooting with these guys

they are a hoot

(yes. i just said "hoot")

check out their music.

(http://www.myspace.com/ohmydarlingband)

it was seriously a great time.

can't wait to shoot a live show.

in other news i myself have been doing some jamming with the fantastic Angela Marie and Kat Hall

of the Angela Marie Project.

we have a single,

35 Seconds.

available for download on cdbaby (http://cdbaby.com/cd/angelamarieproject)

it can also be found on itunes.

it is seriously rad.

produced by Quinn Tanzer

(who introduced me to O My Darlin, and is the raddest of rad dudes)

part of proceeds will go to Haiti disaster relief.

this is a piece inspired by AM's relief work in Haiti

where upbeat music keeps the spirit alive!

check it out!!

more soon.

soonER this time.

word.

Corner Booth Media!

2010-10-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite clients ever!

i had the privilege to shot for their new website a few weeks ago.

in order to not spoil anything,

for now i'm just posting some headshots of the folks down at CBM.

Lori

Tyler

Rob

Karen

Frank

i absolutely adore these guys.

both working with them and straight kickin' it with them.

i can't wait for the launch party- which is tomorrow!

more photos soon, of course!

(including, but not limited to the website shots...

and definitely some headshot session outtakes. because they're hilarious of course)

in the meantime, enjoy the fall weather- bundle up, its getting cold out there!

i will be enjoying my piping hot americano.

thank you starbucks.

word.

my friend Brent

2010-09-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

There are no words for this post.

just a day spent
and a conversation shared
with Brent.

because for some moments in life, there are no words.

and this photo. is my favorite.

probably of the year.

(click to view larger)

Brent, you are a beautiful soul.

here's to you.

more soon.

word.

Declan Ray!

2010-09-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

what a cutie patootie!

Declan is the new baby boy of one of my best friends, miss Katie Pouk

(that was clearly pre-baby D)

born july 18, 7.03 pm (i was there!)

10 lbs 2 oz (what a big boy!)

he's a wonderful boy, a great addition to the family.

he is loved dearly.

one of my new favorite activities is taking him for walks with katie in his strolls

(and she always lets me push him, which i love)

so here's to you big D.

and here's to you, Katie.

i love you both!

in other news, fall seems to be approaching.

i have been doing lots of shooting.

look for more blaoug posts soon, sorry it's been so long- again!

be well friends.

weekdays

2010-08-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

when it comes right down to it,

if i concentrate really hard

with all the positive energy i can muster.

eventually i can occasionally admit..

Spokane isn't so bad.

first of all

good people abound

(as evidenced by previous blog posts)

and second of all,

it's got some pretty sweet nature going on.

we take advantage of this when we can.

so. jaydn,

bird,

and i went out one day

to find some adventures.

we hiked around a bit

and found huge rocks.

boulders, if you will.

(and i will)

the boys climbed them.

we met a new friend along the way.

jason was his name

(i think)

we finished the day by relaxing at the river

basking in the sunshine and playing in the water

enjoying the company of good friends.

no complaints here!

in other news,

i guess there is some sort of solar storm happening.

it made the world look incredibly strange yesterday

i hope we can see it here, that looks seriously radical!

also, here's a few self-portraits for your viewing enjoyment:

dig it.

here's to you, jaydn and bird.

to sunshine and nature and laughter and friends.

more soon.

word.

Seattle!

2010-07-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

its my favorite city on earth.

and i recently spent a weekend there with some of my favorite people on earth.

they are:

kaliene, of course.

claytone, naturally.

sister robsy.

the beach.

(it has personality and presence. thus, i feel confident in referring to it as a person)

and last but not least,

the ever so stunning

michelle.

who i will now dedicate the next part of this blog post to

as i have a ton of photos of her that i have yet to share here.

so here goes.

michelle is one seriously amazing woman.

intelligent.

lighthearted.

she laughs easily and often.

and is, on occasion, pretty funny herself.

caring, kind, passionate, driven

easy to talk to

a great listener

can also party.

engaging

encouraging

affirming

she's really something.

you should all be so lucky as to kick it with her.

the trip to Seattle (the greatest city on earth) was awesome.

i didn't take a huge amount of photos, as most of my time was spent catching up with my best friend.

but next time, look out followers, we're gonna go nuts.

i always love it there

and i always, always love to see kaliene.

i will be back soon.

in other news, my photos for the Every Woman Can campaign can be seen in the Safeway stores (this is a grocery store for all you east coasters) in Spokane on pretty large posters.

it's exciting, i love it.

so if you're in Spo-town and go to safeway, make sure you send me a photo.

because that's pretty bitchin.

it's hot here.

really hot.

occasionally not hot.

but then super hot once more.

i hope you all are enjoying the weather wherever you are, hot or cold or anywhere in between.

get outside and play

it's summertime after all!

so here's to kaliene and the rest of the upside-down 5 crew (claytone and robsy, not to forget pooches bobby and spanky). you make my heart smile.

here's to the city of seattle, photos, roadtrips and friends.

and here's to you, michelle.

more soon, i've been slacking.

i'm on it.

word.

this is my best friend.

2010-06-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

and she totally called me out on not updating my blog for a pretty long time.

especially since she knows i've been shooting.

so here we go.

warning.

she's.the cutest.

so is bobby.

(bobby the beagle)

here's to you, kaliene.

you're the best.
and i love you endlessly.
(also huge)

more photos soon.

word.

rainbow!

2010-05-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

Lyndsow and I walked outside yesterday

to go get some cheese.

And we were greeted with this sight.

it was incredible.

first of all, i absolutely love rainbows.

they are arguably my favorite natural phenomenon.

so i had to run upstairs and shoot it.

then we went and got our cheese.

(wisconsin cheddar. yum)

when we got back we glanced out from the balcony and were floored.

the rainbow was back.

and with a mission.

to be the best damn rainbow this town has ever seen.

it grew and grew until it was a complete rainbow.

from out on the ground we could see both ends!

and then.

another rainbow began to appear.
at first we thought our minds and our eyes were playing tricks.
but it just kept growing and getting bigger.

until there were two
complete
vibrant
beautiful
astounding
rainbows.

it was magical.
a gift.

so thank you, universe
for creating rainbows
for life and friends
for random moments
and happy accidents.
it's the little things.

word.

HOCKEY CHAMPS!!

2010-04-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

here they are!

league champions

it was such a great season, i went to as many games as i could

(even got kicked out of one- i'm...pretty loud. only for these guys!)
there are tons of photos, so i'll let them tell most of the story.
(click them to see them larger, guys)

this last game was seriously epic.

(by the way, this is the team brother kris and brother mark play for.

mark is on goal, kris is number 29)

girl player!!!

(her name is candace. but she doesn't mind that we call her girl player.)

they were down 6-2 when the second period started

they didn't let it get them down, just increased the intensity

jaydn and i brought drums and they got pumped up

they fought hard and kept their heads high and played the game they love

kris is a freaking angel on the ice.

watching him skate is one of my favorite past times.

but watching all of them skate

and play as a team

is freaking sweet.

(brother kris)

check out that shot above-bringin' it back!

hell yeah!

you can see the puck in the upper left corner of the net there.

sweeeeeeet!

oof.

it's alright, mark

after about halfway through the second period nothing got by him!

another goal scored!

to tie the game!!

brother kris juuuuust snagging that puck from the other team like it ain't no thang

it was an epic end to an amazing season.

i'm going to miss the games

and the locker room afterward

(but not the smell.. gross, boys)

so CONGRATS guys, you earned your victory

(and that sweet trophy!)

here's to all of you.

i'll see you next season.

word.

two amazing artistic friends

2010-04-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have some seriously amazing, intriguing, creative, and immensely talented friends.

They inspire me

they motivate me

they teach me

they make me think.
and i love them for it.

(this is my thinking face)

this is a new friend, Naaman.

a really talented artist.

this is at his show in downtown Spokane.

he often has work showing. if you're into art, you should definitely check it out.

to finish this post, here are two other photos i shot that day that i love.

downtown Spokane.

that big tent-looking thing was built for the world's fair.

nobody really understands it, but at night it is lit up with lights of changing colours.

then it is no longer weird, just beautiful.

if you're here, go downtown sometime and snoop around the art galleries.

there are a ton of amazing shows and pieces and cool people to meet.

more photos soon.

naturally.

also, the weather is consistently nice

the grass is green

the sun is shining

the blue sky extends to the ends of the earth

sometimes spattered with big white clouds

always beautiful.

if you are in the pacific northwest and interested in a portrait session

call or email:

509.430.3037

kristenBlackphotography@gmail.com

word.

Lands Council Auction 2010

2010-04-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was asked to shoot the Lands Council fundraising auction,

thanks to an invite from Amanda Parrish, who works for the Lands Council

(and who i got to spend the evening with)

And it was a really good time.

here are some shots I dig from the night.

(Amanda on the right)

(this guys face is priceless)

and my friends Tyler and Kelsey were there!

(cute!)

with the Corner Booth Media guys!

They're who i worked with on the book cover shoot.

i had the privilege of sitting at their table for dinner, too.

what a time we had.

i can't get enough of them, they seriously rock

It was really well attended, and they raised a ton of money

There was a delicious meal and good wine

tons of donated items

and wonderful people.

overall it was a huge success.

today it is ridiculously sunny and warm.

i'm heading to the lake with some friends.

photos to come.

get out and enjoy the sunshine!

word.

Terrible Buttons with pə-ˈrād and sara jackson-holman!

2010-04-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

played at the Empyrean on Wednesday

and you know i was there!

it was a pretty bitchin show.

first up, pə-ˈrād:

if you dont remember pə-ˈrād,

first of all, check them out here.

secondly they are:

bradley.

greg.

and spencer.

they rock.

hard.

next up was Sara Jackson-Holman

and...woah.

you HAVE to listen to this girl

a voice like none other

(actually, a little bit like Holly Miranda, a personal favorite of mine)

but seriously.

check.her.out.

(seriouslyamazing)

aaaaaand finally.

the Terrible Buttons lit that place up

not only was it a totally kickass show

the afterparty was epic indeed.

ryan brown and i hugged twenty-two times.

(at least)

it was amazaoung.

i love hugs.

and also ryan brown.

and the buttons.

and live music.

and afterparties.

and friends.

and photos.

and did i mention hugs?

tomorrow i'm shooting an event for the Lands Council

it should be a good time.

new photos soon.

in the meantime,

check out these bands.

for realsies.

word.

Alex and Cooper

2010-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

are my nephews.

(Alex is the older one, Cooper is the babaou)

and the cutest freaking kids ever.

case in point...

this entire blog post.

the cutest, right?

i just love the little guys.

more soon.

word.

desirae james

2010-04-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

and i enjoyed a day in the sunshine yesterday.

sunshine
(lens flare!)

coffee

music

friends

photos.

deep breaths

life is good.

have a wonderful weekend.

word

Terrible Buttons!

2010-03-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

played a spectacular show last night at Whitworth U.

if you weren't there, you were indeed square.

i just love these guys.

and their music.

seriously check them out if you haven't already.

the Buttons are:

Kent Ueland- Guitar, Vocals

Ryan Brown- Violin, Melodica

Michael Craviotto- Bass, harmonica

Sarah Berentson- Keys, Vocals

Ben Leavitt- Banjo, Guitar

Kris Hafso- Drums

i feel no need for text today, just dig the photos.

they will be playing again next tueday, april 7 at the empyrean

soooo if you're in or around spokane, be sure to be there.

i know i will be.

here's to you Kent, Mikey, Ben, Sarah, Ryan, and Kris.

you guys rock.

word.

clouds

2010-03-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

looked awesome this morning.

srsly awesome.
especially with the lensbaby

i spent way too much time outside simply staring at the sky.

the weather has continued to be a little gloomsabar.

but i'm not letting it get me down.

duh.

tonight i'm shooting a Terrible Buttons show

if you're in Spokane head over to Whitworth at 8 and check them out.

they do not suck.

not even a little bit.

photos soon, naturally.

word.

just because

2010-03-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

lit with my macbook pro.

i dig it.

more to come soon.

it has been rainy and gloomy out lately

i hope the sun comes back soon.

today, i am baking.

i do love to bake.

bagels and apple coffee cake.

yum.

word.

little sisters!

2010-03-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

I am sure you all remember Adam
(if you don't...scroll down the page)
now meet his younger sister,
Rachel Cronin.

it was truly a Cronin family spectacular!

here's to you two.
next up, younger brother Luke Cronin.
look for his portraits later this week.

And hey- if you are interested in a portrait session,
give me a shout:
kristenBlackphotography@gmail.com
509.430.3037
www.kristenBlackphotography.com

And- become a fan on facebook to get special offers, updates, and more.

word.

ladies and gents..

2010-03-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

some portraits of my brother,
Adam Cronin.

a business man
a laouncher
with the voice of an angel
and the body of a greek god
intelligent
funny
charming
and a wonderful friend

but i mean, really
enough talk
just enjoy his dashing good looks.

here's to you, Adam.
all my love.

word.

more bostaoun!

2010-03-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

and consequently
more photos from the subway!

this is me.
kickin it in starbucks
drying off from the rain
and looking good.

i think i like the Boston trains better than NYC
it could just be because theyre different.
maybe because boston doesnt smell as bad
and maybe because there are only four lines to navigate
in any case a subway is a subway is a subway
and i love them.

plus, all the different stops look different.
and i love the colours.
the red line has red bricks and decor
the blue has blue,
green is all greened out
and the orange, too, duh.
and when there are two trains the colours merge in the stations
i think its neat.

see what i mean?!
i love it.

walking up and getting ridiculously close to random objects warrants some strange looks.
i am often approached by security.
but still walk away with some cool shots.
like this killer fan.

stairs!!!!

this shot feels creepy and asylum-y to me.
scary.

st patricks day is apparently a big deal around Boston.
something to do with the Irish, i suppose.
in any case, this guy was DRAOUNK
but very friendly and nice.
he was fascinated that i was from the other side of the country
and he realllllllly wanted me to take his photo.
so i did.
"this is what a boston boy looks like. bostoooooon! yeah, boston boys!"
he yelled, in his thick "accent"

then his friend, who had been drunkenly wandering about yelling...
something about... something.
i have no idea, the accent plus the booze..
he was just really excited about life it seems.
in any case he ha been following me as i stalked around earlier
and wanted in on this little photo sesh.
neither one of them understood why i was getting so close to them.
i tried to explain that it was a fisheye lens..
to no avail.
they simply didn't get it.
they probably just think i'm weird.
actually, they probably don't even remember this happening.
i mean, they were sauced.

i think Boston accents are hilarious.
they can't say the letter R.
over here, we call that a speech impediment
we put you in speech therapy for years to correct this problem over here
they just call it an accent.
funny.
i can barely understand some of them.

also while stalking through the subways
and riding the entire length of all the lines
i was people watching.
one of my favorite activities
especially in crowded places.
not only are their behaviours wonderful to watch
parents and children
couples
individuals
old and young and in between
hipsters and cowboys and skinheads and businessmen...

i love people.
we're all so different
different shapes and sizes
and voices and opinions
styles and preferences
i love it
i love it all
humans are fascinating.
myself included.

these next few are for you, shaunae:
tooooooes!!!!

love these shoes.
love my big awkward feet.
love my toooooes.

lines!

man i just LOVE subway stairs!

boston, i will miss you
but i'll come back soon.
sister needs to head back west.

in other news, yay health care!

word.

still in bostaoun

2010-03-18T17:15:00.001-07:00

i come to you today with a heavy heart.
saddened and mad and hurt
but passionate and hopeful.

(mom, you're not going to like this post,
just look at the pictures on the facebook fan page.)

news comes to me of yet another hate crime in Spokane, WA
this time it ended in (only?) with some bumps and bruises,
a broken nose,
and our broken hearts and spirits.
punched and ridiculed and thrown to the ground
because of their sexuality
(lame)

these sort of violent acts keep happening.
its happening to people i know
and people you know
(it has happened to me, and to some of my closest friends)
it happens in places you know and live and visit
(you just might not be aware of it)
and as much as we want to ignore it, to turn a blind eye
to pretend its not an issue in our community
it just keeps happening.

it is more than cases you see in the news:
hitting and kicking
or stabbing
or pushing
or killing

its in the everyday acts
its the silence
and having to hide yourself
its the "friends" that stop speaking to you
its "faggot" or "dyke" or "queer" or "that's gay"
(etc)
its being told that "god" hates you and you're going to hell
that you are an abomination.
that you're disgusting and abnormal and deviant and not acceptable as you
it is the dirty looks
and hurtful words.
(the list goes on)

[please note: i am not placing blame, i am expressing my thoughts]

getting your ass kicked just because of who you love
or what you look like.
don't we know by now
a human is just a human.
hate is something i simply cannot understand.
it is terrifying that there are people who hate me
hate.
to the point of wanting to physically hurt me
even end my life
because they dont like who i am.
because we dont see eye to eye.
they have never met me
they dont even know my name
but they will call me a queermo.
they will ridicule me
they will try to harm me and those i surround myself with.
they will work diligently to make me unequal,
(or at least to make me feel unequal)
and take away my rights,
or to simply hurt my feelings or ruin my day.

is life not hard enough just living it?
even for people who aren't necessarily "different"
(though, aren't we all? isn't this kind of the point?)
the pressure is on, always.

dress a certain way
speak a certain way
don't dance like that
why are you so strange
your hair looks funny
you laugh too loud
dont act that way
drive a certain kind of car
live in this area, not that one..

all so we can be higher up on some invisible heirarchy
so that we can try to feel right by comparing ourselves to others.

who told us there is anything wrong with us in the first place?

when our perceptions- of others or ourselves-
drive our interactions, opinions, behaviours
we miss out on so much.
we become so preoccupied with our own agenda that we end up completely oblivious to the needs of others.
we get so lost in ourselves that we end up missing what is going on around us.

people are not interruptions.

i am inspired by Sara Quin, who wrote,
"I am fueled by the idea that my life as a message dismantles the public's image of gay people as sexual deviants, as less than, as being abnormal."
it is my desire to live my life this way.
to advocate not only for equality
but for acceptance.

life is hard and full of sorrow.
but life is beautiful when we love and are loved.

word.

Bostaoun! (part I)

2010-03-17T09:43:00.001-07:00

yo.
this is me.
(lookin good, as per ushe)

as you may or may not know, i am currently kickin it on the east coast.
visitaoung.
i dont mind it so much
(so long as i stay away from western mass and sunny salem, nh..)
i got to dance really hard (in a cage to beyonce, aden!)
i got to see ashley elizabeth hardiman
(i hope to see melissa robin.)
and most importantly,
i got to hang out in/on/around....
the subway system.

first of all, i love the subway.
maybe its because i grew up in a small town with barely a bus system.
maybe its because i love to watch people.
maybe its because i hate driving.
maybe its because i like to be able to turn my mind off and just listen to my jams.
maybe its because i love feeling like i'm never going to make it on or off the train car before the doors close and take off my hand.
maybe its because it seems so confusing but is in actuality just so simple.
maybe its because every stop is so different.
but whatever the reason, i love the subway.

more specifically,
i. love. subway. stairs.
i love them.
i cant get enough of them.

why?
i have no stinking clue.
but i have some sort of deep obsession with shooting them.
so i do.
and i always will.

so the first (full) day here
(in bostaoun, if you'll recall)
i had about 8 or so hours to myself to kill.
so into the heart of the city i went.
even though it was raining.
and i mean RAINAOUNG.
pouring.
cats and dowgs and puppykitties juuuuuuust freaking raining.
hard.
i thought it would be ok.
'its not so bad,' i told myself.
'the rain will let up,' i thought.
'its just a little water...'
oh no. a little water?
the rain will let up?
not so bad?
it was not just a little water.
and it certainly did not let up.
i wandered the streets for about ten minutes
fifteen, max.
and i was soaked all the way through.
through my shoes and my socks
my pants and my hat.
my backpack.
even through my coat and sweater.
it was un.believable.
rain like you wouldnt believe.

hard as i tried, i just couldn't hack it.
(and also, i really didnt want to fall ill)
so, after a couple hours drying off in a starbucks
(with a magazine, a copy of the times, and a tall white mocha with soy americano of course)
i decided the rest of my day would be spent underground.
stalking around the subway system.
this
(and a post to come, so as to not overwhelm my faithful followers with oh so many shots of subwaou stairs)
is the result of approximately 6 hours spent underground.
with 50 cent starbo refills
sunnies and kick-ass playlists
a charlie card
wet shoes
and a fisheye lens.

(it is true that if i'm not in WA, i get excited when something says Washington. street signs, train stops, store names, etc. i love my state)

check out this rainbow tunnel!
yes, i ran back and forth through this as fast as i could
just to see the colours go by.

rainbow!
colour!

lines!
colour!
lines!
shapes!
trains!

escalators count, too.
because i said they do.
and lets face it,
most of the time they're not working anyway
making them, technically, stairs.

you bet your ass i slid down this one.
(and...most of them, really)
i do love sliding down stair rails.

oh, and this (among a few others) is on repeat: LISTEN

(missing the laounchers and the west coast, but i'll be back soon)

ok that's enough for today.
i hope you have thoroughly enjoyed these.
look for more soon, duh.
(probably tomorrow)
in the meantime, i'm going to go out into the sunshine.
it seems it has come back from vacation, and i'm going to welcome it
with open arms
and shorter pants.

word.

More Buttons!

2010-03-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

nothing too special here,
just a jam sesh with the buttons.
(checkthemouthere)

word.

celebratiaoun de bronsaoun!

2010-03-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

Monday was Kati Bronsaouns birthday.

Kati is one of my newest,
and also one of my very best friends.

beautiful inside and out
not to mention ridiculously funny
down to straight kick it and be chill
or party hard and go crazy.
dedicated and fiercely loyal
she is loved deeply by those who know her.

being as it has been so nice outside
we went for a picnic.
it. was. wonderful.

we made kati this hat.
and she wore it like a champ.
all day.. and into the night.

what a wonderful outing.
i love finch arboretum.
(the site of said sunshine picnaouc)

hours and hours later we had had our fill of sammies, cupcakes, and vitamin D.
so we jaunted off to dinner with her mom
(desirae took this photo)and then.
it got crazy.

welcome to the party.

thanks to everyone who made the night epic.
here's to you, kati bronsaoun.
we love you.

word

a long time coming

2010-03-04T18:55:00.001-08:00

a new blaoug post that is!
it's been a while, but hopefully i'll get back into the posting mood.
or whatever needs to happen.
the 'winter' in Spokane this year has not been much of a winter at all.
but we're having a great time.
my dear desirae is here, and she has caleab's fisheye.
yesssssss.

its been so nice outside it has been hard to do much else but go play.
i hope you all get a chance to do so.
although i hear there's snow in some (lame) parts of the country.
also. i have recently fallen in love (again) with hockey.
(go team canada!)
more soon.

word.

someone you already know

2010-02-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

Aden Coleman, duh.
one of my very best friends.
most of my mornings are spent with him
and coffee
much laughter
hugs
and love.

he's teaching me Tai Chi
although he is much more graceful than i.
someday maybe he'll be a ninja assassin.
that would be sick.

and he's wicked handsome, too!
so here's to you Aden.

i don't know what i would do without you.
to all of you on the east coast- sorry about all the snow.
i'll be laying out in the sunshine every chance i get
but i'll be thinking of you
(haha!)
but seriously.
sorry about the snow.

word.

Terrible Buttons

2010-01-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

bitchin.

the other night (friday?) i had the pleasure of shooting the one and only
Terrible Buttons
they were asked to play for the US national ice skating championships
niiiiiice.
it was a good show.
albeit a little bit freezaoung.
and really dark outside.
however, i love listening to them and kickin it with them
so all in all, a good time.
here are some shots from the night:

if you're going to be in Spokane on wednesday night, they'll be playing at the Empyrean
so check them out eh!?
i know i'll be there
oh yeah, and the Empyrean has moved locations (really quickly..) to the (old) Big Dipper.
it's downtown.
i think near sprague and washington
or maybe that's just Irv's...
just google it.
here, i did it for you (empyreans new locashe via their fb page)

look for some sweet new shots soon (probably tomorrow)
in other news, it snowed today, but it didn't stick around long.
i'm not upset about it.
at all.
have a great day, all.

word.

Another gay sunshine day

2010-01-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

yesterday started out as any other day.
until i encountered two of my favorite gays.
Aden Coleman, my main gay (right)
and Johnny Kuhn, my twin (left)

being as we're all so good looking
and well-dressed.
a photo- shoot ensued.

all around the house we went.

dancing all the way.
high kick!what a wonderful day.
also, here's an interesting article about some issues pertaining to all of us pictured here.

and in conclusion, here is a pretty cool photo i found in my archives
for your viewing pleasure.

i dig it.

word.

rainy days and coffee dates

2010-01-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

today i had the privilege of meeting with the ever-so-handsome Ben Bonnema. Ben is an old and dear friend of mine from Whitworth.

even though it was a bit rainy outside, he was up for doing some shooting.
so, we ventured outside and immediately came across the fire escape outside of Arend hall

we had a wonderful time catching up and shooting
on
in
around
and through
the fire escape.

he has excellent taste in music
a great sense of humour
and always looks good.

Ben is a man of outstanding character.
an advocate and a fighter
passionate and informed
(this is our civil rights battle)

ambitious and driven
intelligent
adventurous yet easy-going
enthusiastic, sensitive, and a talented actor and musician.
and. he has a winning smile and captivating, sparkling eyes
and the biggest heart one could ask for.

unfortunately, our shooting time was cut short, as he had to go change for water aerobics
(for some reason, he wouldn't let me follow)

so here's to you, Ben
i'm glad to know you

word.

zombies!

2010-01-03T12:09:00.001-08:00

maybe i've been playing left 4 dead a bit too much..
and maybe aden getting left 4 dead II played a part..
maybe i've been watching too many movies..
maybe i just like practicing and honing my skills...
maybe it's the weather..
or spending too much time inside..
but whatever the reason may be,
here's what i did yesterday.

i have no idea when or why i started,
just that when evan called and asked what i was doing...
"i'm making myself into a zombie"
"...umm ...oook. see you in a few?"
"yeah. be there soon."
being as SR and i already look like crazy homeless people (ok, maybe just me)
i suppose it wasn't too terribly difficult.
and it was definitely fun.
and new.
also, i did not take this photo, the beautiful and talented Shaunae! did.
in the pool area of a hotel in greenfield massachusetts.

this photo did not make me miss hallmark
or indoor flash assignments..
but it did make me miss my friends.
huge.
and a few choice professors.
(shoutout to shep and joanzibar)
ok, ok, i miss most of them.
and phase one section B hell yeah. (it was B, right?)
yeah i'm sure it was B.
and shooting with the mamiya.
and my roommates, chars and kristen
kylene and shaunae
sr and indi and eidelman and nonni
the boys (and girls) upstairs
caleab and sharon and drew and des and ashley and maxie
snow days spent cozy inside
or outside shooting and freezing.
trips to the beach and hotel rooms
DIVAS!
jess and kylene and ritchee and cougsie
portrait studio dance parties
parties at the blue house.
the voo
or better yet- the pint
tj and kevvypants and kristi and emily
trips to the noho starbucks
(knocking coffee out of the hand of anybody who went to dunkin donuts that morning)
new york city
the vegetarian restaurant
wandering about main street
zide's wedding lectures
hribar and zack and katy and bobe
sliding down the stair rail
late nights in the il
obama blend and a pumpkin maple vegan whole wheat muffin
aaand the people at second street, duh.
all my straight girls
and everybody else, you've all changed my life.
monologues about the west coast to anybody who's never been there
everybody's birthday
playlists and days in the secret room
etc
etc
etc.
those were the days.
well... those were days, at least.
in any case, today is a new day.
a fresh start
a new opportunity
maybe a surprise will be in store.
maybe i'll make that surprise myself.

here's to SR for not getting mad that i made her into a zombie and then posted it on facebook. and to the entire hallmark class of 2009. hell yeah. i miss you guys.

word.

my beautiful friends

2009-12-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

Amandow and Kaliene.

we had a bit of an adventuring day yesterday.
i would argue a mini-adventuring day.
value village, groceries, manito park..
it was a good day
to say the least.

fortunately for me, not only are my friends wonderful
totally down,
fashion forward,
loyal,
unique,
inspiring,
and creative.
but also beautiful.
and willing to be photographed.

thus resulting in some pretty fantastic opportunities for me to get out and shoot
(someone other than myself)

love this coat, amandow.

my favorite shot from the day:

in other news, it seems snow may be upon us.
fortunately it's not as bad as what i'm hearing from across the country,
so i can't complain too much.
plus, that means ice skating on frozen lakes
warm handmade blankets
cocoa
mittens
and cross country skiing are in my immediate future.
here's to you amandow and kaliene, and to making the best of winter.

word.

long time no...

2009-12-28T22:49:00.001-08:00

nothing.
sorry about that friends.
but here i am now.
so lets get to it.
first, a few self portraits.

in the park by my parents house.

grandmaou's house.
this window always has beautiful light, i love it.
and this chair, too.

playing with myself.
(raouket laouncher familow portrait?)

kitchen floor.

i hope your holidays were wonderful.
and continue to be, as the new year approaches.
enjoy the break, if you have one.
i know i have been.
kickin it with my friends, taking photos, adventuring,
saw some family, and got to see some dear old friends..
including:
the one and only Kelsey Kelmel.
Kelsey lives in Ohio, attending Otterbein studying vocal performance.
duh.
Kelsey has a beautiful voice.
a beautiful smile.
and an even more beautiful heart.

here's to you, Kelsey.

in closing, i leave you with this.

i know, right?

oh well.
it keeps trying to snow.
maybe i'll get out and take some photos before it gets too crazy.
more soon.

word.

for your viewing and listening pleasure...

2009-11-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

the one and only Pə-ˈrād
live from the Empyrean.

Pə-ˈrād is:
Bradley

Spencer

and Greg
you can hear them HERE

what a great night it was.
let's do it again soon.

word.

Kissman Wedding!

2009-11-18T15:40:00.000-08:00

Not your ordinary bride and groom, not your ordinary wedding.
But still beautiful.
Here are the images:

Here's to the newlywed Kissman's!

next up: the band Pə-ˈrād. images from their live performance at the Empyrean up soon!

word.

(reminder:all images © kristen Black photography and may not be used without permission)

on the way to portland..

2009-11-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

to visit our very bestest of friends, Jaydn and Lindsow,
Cassie and i stopped at a rest stop because the light was just too beautiful to resist.

cute.

cassie is no longer resistant to being photographed,
and is usually willing to do whatever i ask.
what a good little model she's become

i love sunset lighting, even though it produces some funky colors.

i also like experimenting with flare.

our new tree friend.

as we continued southeast toward portland, this sunset sent us on our way.

it was rainy and gloomy in portland, so we didn't get out into the city to shoot.
but it was an absolutely amazing weekend nonetheless.
we'll be back soon,
and mark my words- rain or no we'll go out with the camera.

word.

a chai kind of day

2009-11-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

and a wonderful day for some shooting!
how about a headshot session with the fantastic mr. Nik Hoback:

an actor based in Portland, OR.
(i love Portland)

an adventurous, outgoing, giving soul.
(seriously, he scaled buildings, talked to strangers, and paid for my chai. thanks, Nik!)
clearly it was a wonderfully fun shoot.

well dressed, as always.
(i love that shirt)and so, naturally, here's to you mr. Hoback.
you handsome devil, you.

enjoy the last bits of fall.
it feels wintery outside...
(lame)

word.

new look for the website!!!

2009-11-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

srsly.
check it out.
www.kristenBlackphotography.com
go there meow!

ladies and gentlemen...

2009-11-03T18:50:00.001-08:00

my dear friend and brother, Drew Macabe Dolan.
(www.drewmdolan.com)
one of my favorite people to try a new restaurant with,
adventure with,
shoot with,
relax with,
watch unheard of movies on youtube with (el topo...),
laugh with,
have a drink with,
take a road trip with,
...etc.

has excellent taste in music.
fabulous photographer.
great mood-lifter.
always positive and encouraging.
honest and hard-working.
and always looks good.

(guest appearance by Caleab in that one)

(burrito)

one of the best men you'll ever meet,
Drew M. Dolan.

basically, i found these photos on my hard drive.
and since i miss drew, i'm putting them here.
so here's to you.
Hope you're well in NYC, I'll be back soon.

something new is brewing.
be ready.

word.

farms.

2009-10-27T10:32:00.001-07:00

this weekend, my dad and i needed to go to Othello, WA
(it's ok that you've never heard of it)
my grandparents lived in Othello for most of my life
and in (or maybe it was just outside of) Othello, they had a farm.
i spent a lot of time there growing up.
thus assuring my love of farms to this day.
so on our little mini road trip, i snapped some shots.
here are my favorites.

this one's for shaunae- coooooowwws!

not only do i love farms
and my photos of farms.
but i feel these photographs document an important fact to everyone i met on the east coast:
this is the landscape i grew up with-
it is true that i had really never seen that many trees before.

word.

Laura and Aaron

2009-10-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

my dear friends, it's about time you meet
Laura:

and Aaron.

they like each other a lot.

yesterday it was a wonderful fall day, and these two were in town from Seattle.

here is their couples shoot
(note: this is not an engagement shoot)

cute, right?
here's to love, leaves, and laughter,
and fall days that are just the right temperature.
here's to late night cocoa.
to friends and hugs.
here's to Laura and Aaron.

Word.

Evan and dragonkitty

2009-10-18T09:51:00.001-07:00

meet my friend- nay, my brother:
Evan Michael Thayer.

Evan has gotten me addicted to the game Left 4 Dead.
srsly can't stop playing it.
i would argue that i will play some today even.
in any case, Evan is a wonderful man, one of my very favorites.
and he has the cutest little kitty, mitten.
also known as dragonkitty.

she is the snuggliest, cutest little kitty ever.
and she couldn't love Evs more.
(and vice versa)

the two of them are just adorable.

ok, i'm going to go kill some zombies.
be there soon, ev.

word.

a baking story.

2009-10-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

Something you may or may not know about me.
i love to bake.
that love, coupled with my love of taking photos..
(and, more specifically, my love of taking photos of myself...)
led to the following.
(and some delicious cookies of course)

i hope you enjoy...
A BAKING STORY.

Get it together.
make sure you have all the ingredients.
because lets face it, it is ridiculously annoying to get halfway through only to realize you don't have any baking soda or vanilla, or you only have 3/4 cup of brown sugar...
so first.
get it together.
mix it up.
put all those sweet pieces in the bowl
stir.
mixin' it up like dj vice

taste test.
make sure that cookie dough tastes delicious.
but not too much- there's raw eggs in there.

bake.
put those sweet morsels on a baking sheet
small piles for flat and chewy
bigger scoops for large and fluffy
be careful not to burn yourself, that oven is HOT.

wait.
it takes a while. i chose to talk to a bff..

hey shaunae.
whats up, girl.
jus' bakin' some cookies.
you know i be missin' you.
mhmmm. de.lish.
catch you on the flip
(see you on my birthday.)
check it.
those tasty treats are done in about ten minutes
so watch them closely-
burned cookies are no bueno.

aaand done.
take 'em out and put a new batch in, we're on a roll!

pile them up
on a plate after they're cool enough (to hang with you!)

now's the time
to kick it with the cookies.
grab some milk.
i prefer soy milk, but any milk will do.

dip it.

and enjoy!
man those are some delectable edibles.

share
because you should.
its the nice thing to do.

see?
cassie appreciated the sharing.

yum.
don't share too much.
cookies are good.
eat them.

butdon't eat too many cookies.
or this is how you'll spend your evening.

end.

love and cookies to you all.

word.

Senior portrait session: Ben

2009-10-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

Meet Ben. He's a junior at Hanford High School- my alma mater.
Ben and I had an amazing time shooting down by (and in) the Columbia River.

A laid back guy with a great big grin and an even bigger sense of adventure.

We bonded over being in band (yes, I'm a nerd), jazz, the sousaphone, and choosing a college. He's thinking about Eastern, and studying psychology (one pretty dope subject if you ask me) and music, naturally.

It was a wonderful sunny day, with occasional clouds, making it prime for shooting outdoors.
Ben and I climbed trees, scaled dirt cliffs, hung out on the dock, were almost attacked by geese, and played in the water.
a pretty typical day for me back in high school...

Ben also runs cross-country.
...I did not.
not even a little bit.
But I did learn that Mr. Mars is still the coach, still the psychology teacher at HHS, and still a killer guy to boot.

All in all, it was a great day, and a successful shoot.
so here's to you, Ben.
Thanks for a great day.

Word.

aaand just a few more from nyc.

2009-10-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

hey friends.
it's fall outside sometimes now.
i love fall.
soon i will have some newer photos up.
maybe even some fall-esque photos.
but for now, a few more from nyc
(you can see why i didnt just post them all at once- once i started shooting, i just couldn't stop)

above: frass and i in times square.
just being tourists.
or rather, trying to avoid them.

and the brooklyn bridge.

cassie and i walked across it..
it was terrifying.
something you may or may not know about me-
i really hate bridges.
they just freak me out.
and they're usually so high.
you're just suspended, trusting this old man-made structure to hold you up
over massive bodies of water
or traffic
buildings
parks
humans
etc..

in any case, its a wonderful view of both manhattan and brooklyn
duh.
this is manhattan:

this is the manhattan bridge:

also manhattan:

aaand the statch in the distance there

bridge.

and finally, just for mom
(and because cassie, sharon, and ashley just LOVE this hat)
this is not on the brooklyn bridge, but rather, on the subway.
i believe it was the f-train.

hope all is well.
also, i'm thinking of switching my blog over to wordpress...
or some other blog hosting thingy.
i'm doing some experimenting.
so if anybody has any suggestions, i'm open.

word.

emerald city once more.

2009-09-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

A couple snaps from the city so far.

Kaliene and i took an adventure into a magical land yesterday.

It was wonderful.

Back to beaches friends and beautiful sunsets.

today. i am buying a printer. so feel free to ask for prints!
more to come, duh.

word.

Even more from NYC!

2009-09-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

My life as a gypsy nomad seems to be drawing to a close.
At least i hope it is.
i don't know how much more homelessness i can take.
i'd like a bed, please.
In any case, here are a few more snaps from when Cassie was in town.

Times Square
Buildings. (5th ave?)

more buildings.

the G train.

friendly guy on Bedford ave.

More adventures to be had.
i'll try to be more regular about my updates.
hope all is well with you my friends.

word.

some more from NYC

2009-09-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have finally been out shooting again, and hot damn it feels good!
We had a couple rainy days in a row that left us inside for most of the day, but it was nice to go out and get soaked and then come back and just lay around and watch movies.

but the sun is back out and that means more wandering about and playing outside!

(wall)

(i love shooting in subways)

frass.

for some reason this made me think of
a. a bleeding cloud
and b. my dad.
i don't know why
but this one's for you, dad.

saw this and thought of mom.
cute.
slash funny.

everybody knows the matt and kim song by now.
i live right by it.
grand st.
go a few blocks down bedford and have a meal at bliss, an excellent vegetarian/vegan restaurant.
delish.

and another from the window.

look for more soon, i don't want to bombard you with too many at once.
at least i'll be posting regularly for a while, yeah.

tomorrow i'm heading back west.
-just for a while.

if you need/want photos, hit me up.
if you need/want to kick it- also hit me up.

word.

published!

2009-09-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

That's right, I got my photos published in a magazine!
Vice Magazine, to be exact.
Portraits of the filmmaker Ross McElwee.
Check it out- Here's the link to the Vice website:

http://www.viceland.com/int/v16n9/htdocs/ross-mcelwee-126.php

Pick up a copy!

Word.

frass visits nyc

2009-09-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

cassie finally got here.

it's been a good few days with the frass here.
we've done most of the touristy sort of things.
my first time to most of those places, but a good excuse to finally go.

more photos to come, i hope.

i haven't been taking many photos here.
sorry for the lack of updates.
life has been wierd.

i'll get back into the swing of it soon, i hope.
but for now, just look how cute frass and zero are.
i want a dowg.

i'll try to snap some more shots soon.

in the meantime, watch american dad! it's wonderful.

word.

Just so you know

2009-09-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

My photographs are copyrighted at the moment I press the shutter. Any unauthorized use or reproduction is, in fact, illegal. Please ask if you want copies/prints/permission- even if you're my friends, or a friend of a friend, or know my dad, or have met me. Don't steal my work, guys. That's just lame.

New York

2009-08-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

i've been a little flaky lately.
but new york has been treating me pretty well.

i am forever indebted to the kindness of miss Sharon Mulready
(pronounced Mul-rEEd-y, not Mul-red-y. she's irish.)
for letting me crash at her place.
aside from the heat making me sweat all day long.
fortunately it has cooled down a bit the past few days.

i am slowly but surely learning to navigate the subway system.
and the weirdos that go along with it.

Drew (weirdo)

clearly i like the stairs.

Williamsburg bridge.
drew and sharon made me walk across...
it. was. terrifying.
but i did it, nonetheless.

this girl was just hanging out waiting across the way.
i liked what i saw.

the sunset is occasionally amazing.
(when this happens, it makes me miss the west coast)
coney island.look for more soon.
especially since the Frass is coming in t minus 5 days.
yessssssss.

word.

abstractamundo!

2009-08-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Fiddling around with some photos the other day.

Here's the result:

These are from the EMP in Seattle.

Just some abstracts.

in other news, I have an interview on Friday with OUT Magazine.

I couldn't be more excited.

I have a one- way ticket to NYC and a couch to stay on for a few days thanks to Sharon.

We'll see how it goes.

word.

an orange kind of day

2009-08-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

on Saturday, I suppose, as this is what was came out of it:

Amandow:

Georgie:

the sunset:
cassafrass:
(the. frass.)

In other news, a few more portrait clients this week. Things are looking up!

word.

Jack Goodwin

2009-08-07T09:36:00.001-07:00

This week I had the good fortune of taking Mr. Jack Goodwin's senior portraits.

good guy, Jack.

Jack smiled until his face hurt. Then pushed through the pain and just kept right on smiling. I couldn't get him to stop. Fortunately, he has an excellent smile.

We were lucky to have a nice evening to shoot after the 101 degree day in Tri-Cities. We were only sweating until the sun went down.

(Sorry ladies, he has a girlfriend.)

In other news, it has finally cooled off here.

Good thing, I was reaching my breaking point.

It's even supposed to rain today.

word.

reflections reflections!

2009-08-02T02:46:00.001-07:00

as you may or may not know,

i have a personal project.

pictures of myself ...

and consequently, whoever is with me...

in reflective surfaces.

these were taken this weekend in and around the EMP (experience music project)

right by the space needle.

the fam (those who were present) were nice enough to be included in them.

even if it meant looking a bit silly in public.

(kaliene never minds, of course)

thanks, guys.

(fam members clockwise from top: kB, Rashid, Cassafrass, Claytone, Robsie, Kaliene)

we had to do it.

summer 2009.

winter 2008.

(the origs- its better)

the space needle wanted to be included, too.

and since it was looking so good that day...

and that photo is a throwback to this photo:

in this case i think the second is better.

i love reflections.

i also love seattle.

and the fam, of course.

it will be difficult to return to Spokane.

word.

talking to...

2009-07-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

my best friend,

kaliene Denei Roth.

word.

emerald city.

2009-07-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

weekend trip.

cassie and i are on a trip. a little weekend getaway.

taking a little vacay.

spokane to seattle.

(heat plus rush hour equals no bueno)

but so worth it.

we went to the beach.

we played at gasworks park.

meet claytone.

a wonderful man indeed.

a dreamer

a creator

a wonderful friend

he needs socks, though.

if you've any to spare.

also meet Rashid.

from Uzbekistan.

loves the emerald city.

thick Uzbek accent, that we all love

amazing artist

excellent cook

dear friend

and of course,

my best friend,

Kaliene Denei Roth.

life is good in the emerald city.

i hope to see clintsy, whom i miss.

it is cooler here than in spokane, and even if it wasn't,

it's still seattle

and i love it.

word.

weird days...

2009-07-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

produce weird images.

such as the following, shot while lying in the grass at Whitworth.

(weird day)

a students view of the library.

in other news, we're already having fun with my new 580 ex II speedlite. as evidenced by the following:

(kris hafso again)

it's so hot.

but this weekend, seattle here i come. yessssss.

word.

trying some triptychs.

2009-07-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

and here's the first. I dont normally do things like this, so I dont know how I feel about it yet, but it was fun to do.

cassie, naturally.

in other news, Sara Renee Murray has come to Spokane. Yessssss. hopefully we will have some sort of adventure involving photographs... just like last fall.

I wish it wasn't so hot.

word.

summer sunsets and pretty girls.

2009-07-20T13:15:00.001-07:00

The west coast has better sunsets than the east coast.

Case in point:

These are the views that awaited me as I went to get the mail the other day.

Beat that, Massawhosetts.

(not a sunset, or a pretty girl.. this is on the Columbia River, my favorite place.)

zoom.

Cheney, WA. Home to Eastern Washington University, sprawling fields, endless blue skies, a bunch of bored kids, and one beautiful girl..

miss Cassie Shanholtzer.

(dont worry about that last name... just call her cassafrass)

Thanks to Cassie, I now have an addiction to American Dad. (you should watch it. it's no South Park.. but it's pretty funny.)

enough said.

I'm getting a speedlite on Weds for my Mark II... I could be more excited- wait, no. I couldn't be more stoked. I told Casey Baird I would take his portrait (again) once I got it. He is also hyped, its exciting. I'm telling you... men like Casey dont come around often.

word.

2009-07-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

It has been pretty stinking hot here. But not so hot that we don't occasionally venture outside. Earlier this week, Kris, Katie and I went on a little woodsy adventure.

i snapped a couple landscapes (just for you, mom)

We took a family portrait.

And, naturally, I stalked my friends with the camera. (Kris)

Unfortunately, most of us have come down with what some sort of pandemic, so I haven't been shooting much more this week. But once I'm off my death bed, expect a few more.

word.

kB+cB=adventure.

2009-07-13T12:25:00.001-07:00

This is my dear friend, Casey Baird. Casey is a good looking guy from Portland, Oregon.

Last week, on a beautiful afternoon, we took a bus into downtown Spokane and had ourselves an adventure. We talked about life, love, passion, dreams, art, adventure, etc.

And he was a great sport when it came to not only finding good reflective surfaces, but taking photos in them.

He was also an excellent model.

(Surround yourself with people like Casey Baird)

One of the most free- spirited, fun-loving, adventurous, passionate, optimistic, kind men you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.

here's to you, friend.

word.

for Kelsey

2009-07-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

last night as it began to rain, there was a rainbow. You made me take this. So I post it for you, Kelsey.

(Kelsey Wakefield)

word.