Tastin’ n Racin’ – 2011

There are two edits that I have had a hard time finishing editing. I’ve edited, re-edited, and re-re-edited to get them to be images that I felt were worthy of the event. I’ve talked to photographers way wiser and way more experienced than I am and have learned that it can be difficult to finish projects you are really close to.

The first was the Rhythm and Bruise event pictures from White Pass in May. I’ve “finished” them, and posted them on the blog and sent them out to who they needed to go to and have saved a few for my own use, but I imagine that I will grab a cocktail or two sometime this fall and come back to them and re-re-re-edit them again, hoping to do some justice to the ability of the riders, the design of the course, and the magic of the event. All of which I had a hand (albeit small) in creating.

The second is this one. They are from an event called Tasin’ n Racin’ that was at Lake Sammamish earlier last month. It’s basically a boat race…a hydroplane boat warm up race for the crews, boats and volunteers that are involved in the bigger event (Seafair) later in the summer. I don’t want to downplay the event at all, because it was amazing, but the centerpiece of the event for me was the potential start of a boat racing career of a very close friend of mine, Katie.

A little back story might be necessary, so I’ll sum it up by saying that Katie, and her mom Kim, have become my second family. I love my real family. I think they are just tops, and I don’t want them to change. But my second family has a special place in my heart. They have welcomed me in to their home and their lives more times than I could ever describe, with more hospitality than you could ever imagine. I have a cold glass in the freezer for cookies, I have a bed, I have contact solution, I have a cat that is afraid of everyone that isn’t them except me, and I have the love of two people who…just understand me. I can be awkward, I forget to call most of the time, I’m horrible with thank-you cards, I don’t always say the right things, and I have plenty of other faults that I can go on and on about I’m sure. They don’t…at least from what I can tell…really care about any of them. I don’t know how they do it…but I can’t tell you how much it means to me, how much I appreciate it, and how I couldn’t in a million years pay them back for everything they’ve done for me. I can only try.

*in fact…even the fact that I was able to get media credentials, opportunity, and access to these events was because of them*

That’s a little bit of why it was hard to finish these. I may not call as much as I should and I often forget to bring things to parties that I should, but I think I can try take a decent picture. So that’s how I’ll start.