tracey l heppner - photographer & lover of life

las casas filipinas de acuzar || bataan, philippines - travel photographer

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:37:00 +0800

pilar, a fashion and wedding photographer that i work with who has become one of my dearest friends, asked me last october while i was in my photographers block/funk, if i’d like to come out to bataan where she was doing a post-bridal shoot of her couple… she said the place would be inspiring.

so i decided to pick up my camera after 4 months and off to bataan i went with her.

the place we were shooting the bridal portraits was las casas filipinas de acuzar - A-MAZING place! (i even took some bridal photos that i’ll eventually post up here too!!)

little did i know that what i was about to experience totally jump-started my drive for photographing again! here are some of the shots from that day…a day i will remember…a day i got my mojo back. thanks, Pilar xo

Early Bird Registration for magical PUGLIA, ITALY || Oct 26 - Nov 2, 2013

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:20:00 +0800

for all the details of this magical tour go to our TOUR SITE - www.followyourhearttours.com :)

Early Bird Registration for ANCIENT TURKEY TOUR || Sept 22-29, 2013

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:05:42 +0800

for more information about this tour, please visit our TOUR Site at www.followyourhearttours.com :)

the fabulous 5 || family lifestyle session - manila, philippines

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:52:00 +0800

it was a session i couldn’t wait to do; this family LOVES getting photos taken, and taking photos of their amazing family..yet i always find that when i’m doing close friends, i get nervous…as in i want to fill my drawers/pelicans flapping around in my gutt kind of nervous.

i decided the best way to get them (or maybe it was me!) relaxed in front of my camera was to shoot them first at a bubble tea place. the nichols are DIEHARD bubble tea drinkers…

we then headed over to some fantastic graffiti…as in FANTASTIC. ;)

one thing i love to do is shoot mom and dad…its cuz of THEIR amazing love and commitment to each other that they have their family. they are the instigators of this crazy journey we call family.

and it was no different when i photographed robby & deanna. i love how their love is so relaxed. and i love love LOVE the way robby looks at deanna. *swoon* young people - take note! :)

then we decided to do some family photos and portraits…having fun and capturing their individual personalities..

seriously..who are these crazies?!? :)

first we started with the youngest, patch.. a class mate with our youngest, patch has a thing for gaming. so we thought we’d throw that into his shots..

next was douglas…a basketball FANATIC… :) and a heartbreaker i’m sure..

ahhhh..and then miss ellie. seriously i could have done an ENTIRE shoot with her. (hmmm..when’s your birthday again ellie?? we could do a full day, several outfit/location shoot - deal??!!)

her inner beauty radiates through her outer beauty. she is such a beautiful example to her peers and to young ladies…i love that my daughter thinks the world of her - what better young lady to look up than ellie. :)

we did a fun shot of the boys - the testosterone i tell you..it was ooooozing.. ;)

but their mafia looks didn’t last.. :)

we ended the session up on the hill in valley golf just before the sunset… and i knew with the last shot i took that i was able to capture this beautiful family in just the way i had intended that would describe who they were as family and individuals.

nichols 5 - am so blessed that you are in our family’s lives. you are a gift.

xotracey

krung thai - the best thai restaurant in the metro...IMHO || travel photographer

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:33:00 +0800

after my family lifestyle session with the Nichols family we went over to marikina to grab some thai to eat.

i’m not familiar with marikina and always up for something new, so i was stoked to go.

and there lay, a little hole-in-the-wall resto that, in my opinion, has the best thai cuisine in the metro. :)

and in corner of the resto was a part where you could shop for stuff..how convenient.. ;)

i especially liked the shoes - it shouldn’t be surprising though, as we ARE in marikina, shoe capital!

thanks nichols for taking me here! it was awesome!!!! can’t wait to go back with, lover!

xotracey

a meander through EPHESUS, TURKEY || travel photographer

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:02:00 +0800

it was a crisp yet sunny november day. i remember it well. there was much anticipation as we drove from kusadasi to ephesus with our tourguide. i was going to be walking through the streets that i had read about in the bible. SURREAL.

when we got there i was awestruck; here lay before me the remnants of what was. and it was beautiful and i could FEEL that truly it was a sacred place.

as i walked and took photos, as this was why i was there - i was on assignment with Lonely Planet - i couldn’t help but catch my breathe at times and lower my camera, and take mental memories photos of this place, that will forever be embeded my mind’s cache.

ephesus..i cannot wait to see you again.

THIS FALL, SEPTEMBER 22-29, 2013, I WILL BE LEADING A HISTORICAL TOUR THROUGH TURKEY - ST PAULS JOURNEY AND THE 7 CHURCHES. MORE INFORMATION AT FOLLOW YOUR HEART TOURS SITE.

the view from the campanile - venice, italy || travel photographer

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:40:20 +0800

there was one thing i always wanted to do, every time i went to venice but never got to it - climb the campanile in san marco square and view my beloved venezia from a bird’s eye view.

my last trip i did just that. it was a cool fall day…it had been raining - it was acqua alta season and i wondered what my view would be like.

it was everything i had hoped and more. the cloud coverage that day made for PERFECT lighting, in my opinion. no harsh shadows.

and i could not stop shooting…i am now choosing which from this series of dozens of photos that i will make 24x32 and put on my collage wall…

i hope you enjoy the view as much as i did. :)

xotracey

eremo delle grazie - spoleto, umbria, italy || italy travel tours

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:09:09 +0800

when i was in umbria, we stayed for 3 nights in the most amazing accomodations.

eremo delle grazie…what was once a monastery is now an amazing bed & breakfast.

nestled in the forested hills just over 4km from the town of spoleto, eremo delle grazie’s heritage as a hermitage is so very broad and rich in history. michaelangelo even stayed there in the 1500s.

each “cell” has been transformed into an amazing room that still keeps some of its orginality of the hermitage, mixed with warmth and relaxed decor. each room has its own sitting rooms as well.

the hallways, if they could talk, could tell you endless hours of stories of what happened there. the ground and buildings are breathtaking.

and the food…breakfast, lunch or dinner…you will be nothing less than most satisfied!

i cannot wait to get back to eremo delle grazie and to valleri and her amazing staff.

bellisima!

xotracey

weekend markets of makati - salcedo & legazpi || travel photographer

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:07:00 +0800

i LOVE markets. as in LOVE them. :)

and when its the weekend, there is no better place than makati. being the central business district during the week, its like a ghost town in comparison on the weekends. and makati also hosts two of my favorite markets.

on saturdays there is the salcedo village market. we used to frequent it often when we lived in makati for the first half of 2011. fresh organic fruits and vegetable…food vendors and other wonderful things i would find there…

so if you are around makati on saturdays, you want to go to salcedo village and check it out!

there is also a market on sundays - the legazpi market. some similar things, but this market has more artisans than saturdays market. not only is it only 3 blocks from our church and can go check it out before or after, but some of our dear friends neco and nancy go there and sell and play music and its always lovely to see them. :)

check them out…weekend markets in makati. you will love them. :)

xotracey

a day at oktoberfest || travel photographer

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:38:00 +0800

in 2008 i went to oktoberfest. it was when i was in europe shooting a destination wedding at neuschwenstein castle.

of course if you are in or around munich at oktoberfest, you can’t NOT go.

the funny thing? i think beer is gross. but knew that didn’t matter…so off we went..

the beer gardens are MASSIVE. as in MAAAAAAASSSSSIIIIIIVVVVVEEEE! (get the picture?!)

and everyone is friendly. :)

this is the outside of a massive beer garden..

thankfully these big mugs of beer are mixed half with lemon juice. i suspect so that you can drink more and get drunk not as a fast. i still thought it tasted nasty. :)

the souvenirs were plentiful…i scored a canvas bag, that i still have and use to this day. :)

i thought this was a crazy cool way to bake fish!

this guy was AWESOME. :)

cheez!

and of course ladies in their respected german outfits..

there is more to oktoberfest than beer - there’s a whole amusement type park - good fun for the whole family.

yes.. next time i will take my lover with me to oktoberfest - he’d enjoy it im sure. :)

xotracey