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I am a photographer with a background in photojournalism, but I love a good dance party, being in the presence of people in love, the smell of a brand new baby, and crazy families (especially my own) far too much, so I became what I was meant to be; a wedding and portrait photographer.
I am based in Santa Cruz, California, but I love long distances and a window seat.
I'm an un-apologetic optimist who follows her intuition towards all things genuine, modern, and joyful.
Telling people's stories in an honest and imaginative way is an objective that will never cease to inspire me.
Welcome to the world sweet baby Nathaniel! This little guy was so full of wide-eyed wonder as he took in the new world around him, and he was far too excited by what he saw to let himself fall asleep during our session. Mama managed to get him to rest peacefully right at the very end of our session so that we could capture this life in all it’s brand new perfection. I really think that there is nothing more beautiful and pure than being in the presence of a mother and her newborn.
September 6, 2010 - 7:41 am - The very first picture is beyond precious. What an amazing moment to have been able to capture. Love these all.
There is nothing more inspiring than seeing a couple create the perfect balance of elegance, intimacy and exuberance at their wedding. There was beauty everywhere you looked with all of the lanterns, candles and floral designs, but there were also so many fun things to participate in, like a photo booth stocked with costumes, an ice sculpture martini luge, (custom designed by the bride herself to represent the two of them) and music that got absolutely everyone up to rock the dance floor. There was so much joy and laughter shared that day and I could sense the depth of connection between this couple, their family and their friends. I drove home that night feeling like I’d had as much fun as the guests just documenting all of the love and good times.
September 2, 2010 - 12:29 pm - Such a lovely and fun looking wedding!
September 2, 2010 - 2:33 pm - Gorgisimo! I don't know if that's a word, but that's what I want to say when I see these photos :-) So beautiful, fun and fresh!
I asked my Mom what she wanted for her birthday, and she said that all she wanted was a girls’ day…so we chose Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma as our destination, and had the most idyllic summer day wandering through the sculpture gardens, art installations and shops, followed by some wine and olive oil tasting and ending with dinner on the water in Sausalito. Now that I am a mama myself I can appreciate my Mom to a whole new level of love, and every year I come to celebrate her life a little more. She is the most amazingly strong, huge-hearted, fun-loving, passionate woman you could ever hope to have nurture you from womb to adulthood. She brightens the lives around her with her enthusiasm for life, her invented vocabulary, her liberal use of curse words, her over-zealous hand gestures, her beautiful shock of red hair and her youthful spirit. I love the fact that she continues to celebrate her 18th birthday every year. Mom, I hope that all of your wishes are granted and grown upon.
I had to post this first picture of both of my moms. I love them both to the moon and back, and my life is infinitely better thanks to their presences in it.
July 28, 2010 - 5:49 pm - radiant.
I am so in love with this family…because they are my actual family, (thanks to my husband Gabe having Jessie as his sister.) I honestly have no idea how I lucked out in marrying someone with a family that I actually enjoy being with, and even calling after the ‘being with’ to talk for a few late night hours. This is a family that offers a permanent supply of love, support and hand-me-down gossip magazines, so they definitely deserved a little something back, but being an artist with little to offer besides some creativity and heart I was forced to give the lamest excuse for a present ever: a hand made gift certificate. Granted it was an excessively large gift certificate, colorfully written on a stretched canvas, with instructions to hang the certificate on a wall in their home until it was redeemed for the real gift; a family portrait session, but it was still essentially a gregarious coupon posing as a Christmas gift. Finally, a half a year later, I’m finally offering something back to the most deserving and beautiful family ever; documentation of their connection as a family and some memories of this fleeting moment in the girls’ lives. I usually post mostly color photos, but for this session the toned black and white images felt much more powerful to me. I think when the color is removed from an image we are more easily able to focus on the emotion within the image. I find so much love and spirit communicated in all of the expressions and gestures that these four share. I included a little color some color at the end, to show that it really was a stunning summer day at the beach, that there are some insanely dazzling blue eyes in this family, and to convey that there is a very vibrant future ahead of this crazy hula hooping crew!
July 22, 2010 - 8:45 am - What an amazing session- this family has some of the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Love the b&w's, what timeless, wonderful shots you got.
July 22, 2010 - 3:31 pm - You made the unphotogenic feel photogenic. And then there was Ava, who felt she was extremely photogenic...you managed to get incredible photos of her and still have time to photograph the rest of us! I'm in awe.
July 26, 2010 - 1:05 pm - I love the black and white images, especially of the two girls by the tree branch. And those eyes!!!! Great work!! :)
Carmel is one of those rare places that can retain its beauty and charm despite the absence of sunshine on a summer’s day. Jenny and Jef are Carmel locals who contribute in a huge way to the charm and beauty of the town. They gave me a very personal tour of some of their favorite places, and made me love Carmel in a new way. We started with their secret picnic spot with views out over the Pacific, then followed the wildflower covered paths and made our way down to the beach where I fell in love with all of the amazing rock formations. After the beach and a quick outfit change, we went to the majestic Carmel Mission and progressed to Jenny & Jef’s new house where they picked up their bicycles (which hold great significance, because their first pseudo-date was a bike ride together) and we cruised down a few cypress covered blocks to the ocean to see Jef’s favorite surf spot and the place where they love to bike to on a Sunday morning.
Jenny and Jef are getting married at Holman Ranch later this summer, and I am beyond excited for it. They’ve both found a lot of their wedding inspiration in the rustic, laid-back elegance of the venue, together with the vintage yet modern feel of all things ‘anthropologie’ so we wanted their engagement photos to reflect that same inspiration too.
July 22, 2010 - 7:38 am - What a beautiful couple and as always gorgeous photos! I can feel the love jumping through the images, great job!
July 22, 2010 - 8:47 am - First off, wow, they are a gorgeous couple! And what a beautiful session! Love the bikes, the rocky beach, the heart shaped rock. The overcast day actually adds something to the session... beautiful job as always.
This has to be one of my all time favorite engagement sessions. I knew I’d love spending time with these two from the moment I met Marilyn and Jason and detected Marilyn’s Aussie accent, but when they described their style as modern, eclectic and quirky, I was in heaven…and I remained there for the entire engagement session when I got to witness the beautiful connection between these two. What really made this photo shoot so special was all of the thought and effort that they both poured into it, from the ’save the date’ sign they crafted, to mom’s homemade cookies, to their stylin’ outfits, to their willingness to fit three locations into one session, to the fact that they even bought me a ferris wheel ride! Despite the crazy, corn-dog eating crowds, we managed to have the perfect and swift Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk adventure, (which would have been even swifter if I could have resisted the temptation that every brightly colored back drop posed to me and my camera.) We headed straight for the ferris wheel and requested a yellow chair (since yellow is one of the main colors of their wedding) and got on. Once the wheel started turning I suddenly remembered how terrifying a ride as innocent looking as the ferris wheel really is. As we headed to the top of the ride they laughed and kissed and looked beautifully in love while I screamed…loud, giddy, laughy sounding screams…as I tried to hold onto my camera for dear life and not ruin the potentially great shots of these two on top of the world. I survived, and I think we remained on top of the world for the rest of the day, having way too much fun while we had a champagne picnic, wandered through fields and ended up at the beach at sunset. Marilyn and Jason, you guys truly know how to bring the awesome and I’m beyond excited for your Clos La Chance wedding later this summer.
July 7, 2010 - 11:04 am - Great Pictures! Love the Picnic Ones, especially the "save the date".
July 7, 2010 - 12:11 pm - Carlie, this is my favorite session of yours too! FABULOUS!!!
July 7, 2010 - 12:54 pm - What an AWESOME session! Love it, love it, love it. The beautiful bright colors, the sunshine, and her freckles! Gorgeous. Makes me want to go to the boardwalk. :) Freaking awesome.
July 7, 2010 - 7:49 pm - these are FANTASTIC! what a story they tell. Beaming adorable couple. Beautiful pictures.
July 7, 2010 - 10:09 pm - Yummy colors! Congrats to the cute couple!
July 8, 2010 - 12:55 am - Carlie! We love the photos so much and want to thank you for your great energy, excitement for us and making this such a fun experience for us! That's for making us look good! :) We couldn't have asked for more. We are so excited to have you be a part of our BIG DAY! You're a rockstar!
July 8, 2010 - 7:00 am - wow, Carlie! could they be ANY cuter?! i love all of these pics! you have an amazing talent for showing how in love these cute couples are!
July 8, 2010 - 8:25 am - wow, these are amazing!! I can actually hear Marilyns giggle in some of these!! Carlie: aren't M&J the greatest?!? Love Love Love the pictures!!!
July 9, 2010 - 1:31 am - Carlie, thanks for taking such beautiful pictures of two of the very loved persons in our family. I love it. I am so proud to be Mom!!
July 14, 2010 - 4:10 am - I want to quote your post in my blog. It can? And you et an account on Twitter?
July 17, 2010 - 12:56 pm - I love these shots! so playful, colorful, and alive. Nice work Carlie!
Those of you who have followed my blog may remember the brave and beautiful Jen as she was just beginning her battle with breast cancer, (click here to see the first post.) Well, I couldn’t be happier to announce that Jen has made it through her final chemotherapy treatment and is on the path to a full recovery. I was beyond honored that Jen asked me to photograph her in this second stage of healing before she faces more surgery and yet more healing. We decided to meet at a beautiful, secluded beach up the coast. Poor Jen got stuck in hours of terrible traffic on her way there, but she still arrived with a bright smile and willingness to brave the rock cliffs that I had her climb and the cold that I made her endure…I think that kinda sums up Jen’s spirit perfectly. While I was wandering around the beach before Jen arrived, I found a piece of driftwood that when pushed together with some effort, formed a heart. It made me immediately think of Jen, so I gave it to her during our shoot. I love the shots of her holding it, especially the one at the end of the post. Jen I adore you and wish you continued health.
I asked Jen to be my guest blogger again, because I know her words do much more justice to this experience than mine ever could. She kindly shared these words:
“With the completion of chemotherapy in the first week of June, my gift to myself was a celebratory photo shoot with Carlie. When Carlie photographed me in the winter, I was about to have a mastectomy on my right side, about to start fertility treatments should my reproductive system not “wake up” after chemotherapy, and yes, I was about to start chemo as well. Part of my reason for asking Carlie to photograph me was that I had a fear that I wouldn’t recognize myself anymore, both in body and soul. I was afraid I would be changed forever. Fortunately, I did about as well as anyone can do with chemotherapy: my side effects were pretty minimal, nonethless, chemo and all that goes with it made for a long winter. I learned that nothing (mastectomy, chemo, hairloss, etc) lived up to my fearful idea of it. Each time a big moment came up, I would have all kinds of anxiety and before I knew it, I had adapted, because really, what other choice do you have, and I was OK. I don’t think anyone goes through a brush with a life-threatening illness without a ripple through their soul, but I’m not convinced anymore that you become a stranger to yourself in the process. This experience has fortified my ties with my friends and family, and brought into the light new important people in my life. When I feel happy, I feel it deeply, with gratitude for the moment. I’ve climbed a mountain of sorts and I’m seeing myself and my world from a whole new vantage point. I think that’s what Carlie captured. With relief, I can say I am cancer-free and chemo-free. With triumph I can say I did it and it is behind me. With humility and gratitude I can say I love my life, my friends, my family.”
July 6, 2010 - 5:32 pm - The first post brought tears to my eyes, and this one did as well. What an incredible, strong, amazing woman, and your photography does full and perfect justice to her, which is an amazing feat in it of itself. So glad that she is doing well and healing and on her way to remission.
July 8, 2010 - 8:47 am - These pictures of Jen are so beautiful and mirror what a beautiful woman she is . Carlie, you are such a talented photographer. Lovely. Thank you for sharing and a big Congrats to Jen!
August 23, 2010 - 3:20 pm - powerful
A small idea became a big and beautiful vintage inspired day thanks to the collaboration of some talented locals. This shoot was entirely created by vendors and artists based within Santa Cruz County, and I’d like to give a loud shout out of love and appreciation to all of those wonderful people for their contributions: huge thanks to Heidi and Karissa at Coastside Couture for helping to co-ordinate the event and styling the tables, the bar and the food, to Julianne ‘Jewels’ Castro from Stripe Design Group for styling the clothing and accessorizing, to Blank Verse for the amazing handmade jewelry, to Beautiful Jean for the stunning custom feather head pieces, to Alexis Party Rentals for the linens and china, to Gidzich Ranch for the homemade pies, to Jen, Matt, AJ, Kaia, Jewels and Mike for modeling, and to Linda Arietta for the flowers and for letting us use her beautiful flower farm country estate for the shoot, (and for cooking us all dinner at the end of the night!) This was one of those days that I never wanted to part with the disappearing light, and it left me looking forward to the next inspiration shoot.
June 29, 2010 - 8:01 pm - Simply Awesome!! Brought tears to my eyes! What a gorgeous couple!
June 29, 2010 - 8:17 pm - Absolutely wonderful and spectacular! there are some truly AMAZING shots in there!
July 1, 2010 - 3:43 pm - Gorgeous photos! Love the vintage motif. Next time I get married, it'll be like that!
July 12, 2010 - 11:25 am - Beautiful! Lovely moments, colors and styling! Great shots <3
July 13, 2010 - 8:40 am - these photos (and this wedding) are so so beautiful! i love it. seriously, beautiful work.
I love an interview with potential clients that evolves into a conversation that lasts for hours. That’s how my very first meeting with Bob and Elizheva went, and immediately I could tell that this was a couple who were very much in love, and very willing to pour their personalities and effort into making their entire wedding experience a positive and meaningful one. Bob is the talented architect behind Fink Architecture, who I have done photography for in the past. I have to admit that while I love to photograph an amazing space, engagement sessions always trump architectural photography because they are filled with so much emotion as a couple enters into a new stage of their relationship. Documenting this couple’s joy felt effortless as we talked, walked and joked along the trails near Costanoa, where they will be getting married later in the summer. As you can tell by the last photo, I’m kinda excited about spending another day with these two!
June 16, 2010 - 10:04 pm - Lovely!
June 16, 2010 - 10:07 pm - These are awesome. I LOVE that you are in one. :)
June 29, 2010 - 9:54 am - Hi Carlie Looking forward to bob and Elizheva's wedding and meeting you out there. I'm helping them on the day-of and also making the wedding cake. the engagement photos are lovely. I can't decide which is my favorite, so I shall have LOTS of favorites. See you next month at Costanoa.-elle
July 14, 2010 - 3:30 pm - Where did you find such a gorgeous couple to photograph. These photos are great, can't wait to the wedding photos.
A big dose of serendipity caused me to photograph this wedding. My husband has known this great guy named Nelson for years, so we were excited to hear that we were invited to his May Day wedding. Soon after I rsvped that we would be attending, I got a sweet email from a super talented photographer named Melissa Slater who is based in Kansas City (where she recently relocated from Orange County) saying that she had seen my website and blog and wondered if I could be her assistant and second shooter for a May Day wedding in Santa Cruz. I told her that I was actually attending a wedding as a guest that day, and in jest added that it would be crazy if it was the same wedding…well, turns out…it was! Thankfully the awesome bride Shell willingly gave her consent, and that is how I came to work with Melissa and how my husband ended up date-less for this wedding. It was so much fun to work by Melissa’s side, and I loved watching her create such beautiful images. Gabe, sorry for ditching you, but you know I would have brought my camera anyway.
June 2, 2010 - 7:46 pm - The pictures are beautiful, but the beach pictures- be still my heart! LOVE those- so beautiful. And what a fantastic looking couple! :)
June 3, 2010 - 4:10 pm - I loved the photos!
June 6, 2010 - 8:47 am - just gorgeous!
June 2, 2010 - 11:08 pm [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shoot2Send, Carlie Statsky. Carlie Statsky said: a new santa cruz wedding is up on the blog: http://www.carliestatsky.com/blog/2010/06/shell-nelson-santa-cruz-wedding/ http://bit.ly/bqSpB5 [...]
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