Linda Crayton Photographer Blog » Chronicling Linda's Passion and Work as a Photographer

That was an epic summer I hope to never repeat in full.  Europe–good.  Landing in the SF Bay Area–good.  Leaving VA–hard.  Missing friends–sad.  Physically moving and selling our home–stressful.  Very.

I’m not sure if it’s the honeymoon period, but I think Orinda, CA is magnificent.  We are 10 minutes from Oakland (and I LOVE Oakland, if not the school system), 25 from SF downtown (no traffic, of course).  We can walk to school.  The people are very relaxed, and chill. The weather is warm and sunny, for now, with much less (like 80 percent less) fog than San Francisco.  I love being so close Oakland & Berkeley, where I can go to get a little more “flavor” when I want it.  The Saturday Oakland Farmer Market is comparable to the Ferry Building in SF, but I get organic heirloom tomatoes (they call them seconds, but I don’t see any imperfections worth paying less for them) for $1 per pound.  I’ve made homemade sauce, gazpacho and 50 tomato salads.  I am at home.

Speaking of honeymoons, 10 years ago Kev and I made big promises to each other, that through thick and thin, we vowed to keep.    Because we were married 4 days after 9-11, 1/3 of our guests could not make it, but our family and friends that did make it, tried to make up for them with their big spirits (and not to mention the complete emptying of the spirits of the bar).  Our life has been blessed with so many good things, the best being our two perfectly lovable daughters.   I married a really good man under that oak tree.  Cheers to us!

Besides flying back to Philly to shoot the fabulous Jess & Troy this past weekend, I am putting my business on a quiet, low burner while we make all the adjustments we need in our new home.  Sadly, I’ve had to tell many, many DC clients that I left and their fall session with me is not available.  *sniff*  I can’t believe I won’t see these kids grow up!  I am really going to miss them.  But I know they will share all their new photos with me, and I can live vicariously.

I am going to post just a few of my favorites photos from Europe.  I learned a lot about my photography, and how much I’ve grown into a storyteller over the past few years.  Almost 20 years ago I made my first trip Europe with Bill Horin.  I spent hours learning about landscape photography from a talented, patient photographer.  But when I look back, there are places, but I told no story.  Fast forward 20 years, and the sights seen were still fabulous, but the story of the people (my people) captured my attention.  Someday, when I get it together, I would like to start on my way to journalism through photos and text.  I am starting to eye magazines where my work would be welcomed, and perfect.

DAY ONE:  Exhaustion.  How do you keep kids awake after a red-eye?

They wake up enough for a post-rain conga:

Saint Giavanni:  My little Nut.

Stepping back in time:  Running the Circus Maximus.  It makes my heart glow.

Roonie on her 7th Birthday at the Boboli Gardens, Florence.

Ponte Vecchio:

Candy stores are TORTURE!

So stylin’:

Kitty feeds the pigeons in St. Marks:

Girlfriend Leslie at our Nice apartment:

Waiting in train station:

St. Paul-de-Vence.  I LOVED this village.

Our little home in Lacoste.  Downtime.

Moon Rise in Lacoste:

Life is rough:

Lacoste.  The magical little village:

What?  I swept up a scorpion?  Talk about checking your shoes and bed before getting in:

Somethings are so big in life you have to sit to take it all in.  Nut was in awe.  She actually started to cry when she saw it:

It is gorgeous.  Really.

And it’s so gorgeous you stand in line 3 hours to get up: