Newborn photography. Precious baby Ella.

This is my sister's baby. I knew when I held her I'd feel the same sisterly bond I do with Lora. I loved her and I knew her before she was born. It's been pretty surreal - my little sister having a baby. I've asked her lots of questions. I'm learning from her. 

This little girl is so pure. This is the first life I've seen in it's brand new existence. Looking at her fingers, her long arms and her long legs, her protective skin and her little lips adapting to the more developed human's form of eating. Translation = adapting to sucking on a breast rather than having an umbilical IV. 

She's about a week old, here. At some point early on during my visit I couldn't help but think about the abused babies of the world; I couldn't imagine how anyone could harm something so miraculous.

I then wondered why I would think of such a horrible thing. The dark side of me rarely makes appearances so all I can conclude is that, through a blessed bond with my sister, I have felt the only thing I can closely perceive to be a miracle. 

This is blood.

Bathrooms. I like 'em; it's part of the whole adventure!

Capri

Rome

I've told you before that I love bathrooms. They fascinate me. Beautiful ones with dressing rooms, quirky bathrooms in hotels, dingy bathrooms in dive bars or on the road - they all have character and help provide that little something that contributes to your experience outside of your home. It helps define a place and perhaps - a person.

Where are your favorite bathrooms? One of mine is at Dry Creek Saloon at Mt. Bonnell. The whole place is rickety and of course, perfect for a slasher film where teenagers are hanging out having a good time at night. There's a pool table on the street level. Old windows around the pool table open up to soft air and tree branches, through which you can see a sloped hill that would eventually get you down to Lake Travis. Above the main floor of the bar is the rooftop "patio" with mismatched furniture like old plastic bucket seats for school desks. Back down the wooden stairwell outside and down a few more cement steps that lead from the main floor of the bar and you'll find the bathrooms. I always make whoever I'm with check 'em out as I comment "How awesome is this?!" Not everyone gets why I'm fascinated with the bathrooms, which are more like outhouses. Sometimes I just like old, uncared for stuff. If I go somewhere and wouldn't necessarily want to go back often, still, I can always find something to love just about anywhere I go. And I happen to like the non-chalant vibe of this place. These bathrooms certainly represent the unadorned decor and I don't give a hoot attitude of the owner. Leave it to Mike, though, to get him talking a little bit and maybe even a slight grum"hmph" and a nod for a pseudo-laugh. 

Pet Photography: Greyhound Races in Switzerland

Seta

Greyhound races in Switzerland. We drove from Milan to enjoy a Saturday at the dog track. There was a group of friends and Greyhound enthusiasts who raced their pets for fun, not money. Everything about it was 100% humane and tasteful. Most of the dogs were rescued from a bad situation, as we've all surely heard horror stories about how the dogs are treated poorly and raised for profit.

The Curvy Road and its Field of Sunflowers

In the movie The Box, George Clooney's character says "Photographs are for people who don't have memories". If that is true, I guess it's the reason why I've never photographed touristy type things whenever I travel. I've photographed the Louvre, a famous water garden in Paris and an unusual take on the Eiffel Tower. That's about it as far as famous attractions go and I didn't photograph them because they were famous. I photographed them because there was something else I saw; there was something interesting to me - architecture, composition or a feeling. I didn't know that water garden in Paris was famous until I saw it in a movie but I don't remember which one. Maybe it's not even famous. I don't know. Anyway, memories are amazing. These photographs of sunflowers hold so many memories. Read on & see more photos of these beautiful sunflowers ...

Fascinations and Ongoing Projects

Sconces in the bathroom at The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. 

I have a fascination with bathrooms, aesthetically speaking. And, as I've mentioned throughout my blog, hotels. Vintage motels, boutique hotels, whatever. Later, I'll post more images from my bathroom series - an ongoing project, as is my hotels project and coffee project ("my espresso in its native habitat" is what I'm calling it right now) - you can keep up with that specifically on instagram or tumblr. Be sure to connect with me! Those posts are also updated to my Twitter @taracucciaphoto and Tara Cuccia Photography on facebook. Additionally, you can subscribe to my blog here, over on the right of the page and you'll simply get a little notification (via email or RSS feed - whichever you choose) anytime I add new content/photos. This way, you won't have to worry about checking for new material - you'll automatically know when there's new stuff going on! 

Lago Maggiore

Yes, please. Lago Maggiore, Italia

Children & Family Portraits

Milan, Italy
My little buddy, Bianca, whom I spent a summer with to help her practice English. We had a wonderful little schedule: reading, coloring, bike rides, roller blades, cartoons and lots of laughs and smiles.

Photographing kids is a breath of fresh air. Children are free, they just want to have fun or do what they're going to do. It's definitely nice to make children's portraits because they are not as self conscious or concerned with impressing anybody. Maybe they want to make you laugh or, perhaps, they'll reveal something they think is absolutely amazing or exciting (like the ladybug that landed on Bianca's arm above). Child photographers usually don't have to worry about photoshopping kids to fulfill a certain image that they think they should mirror.

Photographing kids, however, is not always easy because they have minds of their own, you know. As I said, kids sometimes do whatever they're going to do whether or not it makes a pretty picture. Yet, those candids can make the best photographs and at least get a good laugh, if nothing else. Regardless, it's a privilege to be able to document the purity of a moment or the spirit of a person in making family portraits.