LA Marathon 2010

"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." Emil Zatopek

The Los Angeles Marathon 2010

The Los Angeles Marathon is an annual marathon held in Los Angeles, California since 1986. The 2010 LA Marathon took place on Sunday March 21. Celebrating 25 years, the Los Angeles Marathon's new "Stadium to the Sea" course was designed to be a visual tour of the city.

The course beginning at Dodger Stadium and passing landmarks such as Graumann's Chinese Theater, El Pueblo, City Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown. It continued on Hollywood & Vine, the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, Beverly Hills' and upscale shopping district, Rodeo Drive, on the way to a finish near the ocean.

Here are some of the highlights of the LA Marathon on Hollywood Boulevard near 10-mile mark:

Seeing is the beginning of understanding. A camera can enhance the viewing experience by extending time and place:

What is the definition of happiness anyway?

So many ways to define happiness...

Here are some definitions of happiness to inspire you:

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
Thich Nhat Hanh


Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
Spike Milligan


Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half sorrow.
Swedish proverb


A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour.
Author Unknown


Happiness comes only from appreciating what you have right now. You can even be happy by appreciating your troubles because they are helping to build your character.
Harriet Meyerson


It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.
Agnes Rippler


Whoever is happy will make others happy, too.
Mark Twain


The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.
Mark Twain


If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time.
Edith Wharton

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
Buddha


Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it.
Fyodor Dostoevsky


Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
George Bernard Shaw


It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui.
Helen Keller


Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.
W.J. Bryan


Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever
Gandhi


Don’t cry because its over, smile because it happened.
Unknown

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, someunfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
Alfred D Souza


There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
So, treasure every moment that you have.
And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special,
special enough to spend your time ...
and remember that time waits for no one ...
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.


So stop waiting until you finish school
until you go back to school
until you lose ten pounds
until you gain ten pounds
until you have kids
until your kids leave the house
until you start work
until you retire
until you get married
until you get divorced
until Friday night
until Sunday morning
until you get a new car or home
until your car or home is paid off
until spring, until summer
until fall ... until winter
until you are off welfare
until the first or fifteenth
until your song comes on
until you've had a drink
until you've sobered up
until you die until you are born again
to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy!


Happiness is a journey ... not a destination!!


Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself...


Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug.

Valentines Day

History Of Valentine's Day

"Every year, the fourteenth day of the month of February has millions across the world presenting their loved ones with candy, flowers, chocolates and other lovely gifts. In many countries, restaurants and eateries are seen to be filled with couples who are eager to celebrate their relationship and the joy of their togetherness through delicious cuisines. There hardly seems to be a young man or woman who is not keen to make the most of the day.
The reason behind all of this is a kindly cleric named Valentine who died more than a thousand years ago.


It is not exactly known why the 14th of February is known as Valentine's Day or if the noble Valentine really had any relation to this day. The history of Valentine's Day is impossible to be obtained from any archive and the veil of centuries gone by has made the origin behind this day more difficult to trace. It is only some legends that are our source for the history of Valentine's Day.

The modern St. Valentine's Day celebrations are said to have been derived from both ancient Christian and Roman tradition. As per one legend, the holiday has originated from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalis/Lupercalia, a fertility celebration that used to observed annually on February 15. But the rise of Christianity in Europe saw many pagan holidays being renamed for and dedicated to the early Christian martyrs. Lupercalia was no exception. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius turned Lupercalia into a Christian feast day and set its observance a day earlier, on February 14. He proclaimed February 14 to be the feast day in honor of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who lived in the 3rd century. It is this St. Valentine whom the modern Valentine's Day honors.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, there were at least three early Christian saints by the name of Valentine. While one was a priest in Rome, another was a bishop in Terni. Nothing is known about the third St. Valentine except that he met his end in Africa. Surprisingly, all three of them were said to have been martyred on 14th February.

It is clear that Pope Gelasius intended to honor the first of these three aforementioned men. Most scholars believe that this St. Valentine was a priest who lived around 270 AD in Rome and attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II who ruled during this time.

The story of St. Valentine has two different versions - the Protestant and the Catholic one. Both versions agree upon Saint Valentine being a bishop who held secret marriage ceremonies of soldiers in opposition to Claudius II who had prohibited marriage for young men and was executed by the latter. During the lifetime of Valentine, the golden era of Roman empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Education declined, taxation increased and trade witnessed a very bad time. The Roman empire faced crisis from all sides, from the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asia. The empire had grown too large to be shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Naturally, more and more capable men were required to to be recruited as soldiers and officers to protect the nation from takeover. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. He believed that marriage made the men weak. So he issued an edict forbidding marriage to assure quality soldiers.

The ban on marriage was a great shock for the Romans. But they dared not voice their protest against the mighty emperor. The kindly bishop Valentine also realized the injustice of the decree. He saw the trauma of young lovers who gave up all hopes of being united in marriage. He planned to counter the monarch's orders in secrecy. Whenever lovers thought of marrying, they went to Valentine who met them afterwards in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. And thus he secretly performed many marriages for young lovers. But such things cannot remain hidden for long. It was only a matter of time before Claudius came to know of this "friend of lovers," and had him arrested.

While awaiting his sentence in prison, Valentine was approached by his jailor, Asterius. It was said that Valentine had some saintly abilities and one of them granted him the power to heal people.
Asterius had a blind daughter and knowing of the miraculous powers of Valentine he requested the latter to restore the sight of his blind daughter. The Catholic legend has it that Valentine did this through the vehicle of his strong faith, a phenomenon refuted by the Protestant version which agrees otherwise with the Catholic one. Whatever the fact, it appears that Valentine in some way did succeed to help Asterius' blind daughter.

When Claudius II met Valentine, he was said to have been impressed by the dignity and conviction of the latter. However, Valentine refused to agree with the emperor regarding the ban on marriage. It is also said that the emperor tried to convert Valentine to the Roman gods but was unsuccesful in his efforts. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully. This angered Claudius II who gave the order of execution of Valentine.

Meanwhile, a deep friendship had been formed between Valentine and Asterius' daughter. It caused great grief to the young girl to hear of his friend's imminent death. It is said that just before his execution, Valentine asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after. As per another legend, Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his jailer during his imprisonment. However, this legend is not given much importance by historians. The most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not centered on Eros (passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion. Valentine is believed to have been executed on February 14, 270 AD.

Thus 14th February became a day for all lovers and Valentine became its Patron Saint. It began to be annually observed by young Romans who offered handwritten greetings of affection, known as Valentines, on this day to the women they admired. With the coming of Christianity, the day came to be known as St. Valentine's Day.

But it was only during the 14th century that St. Valentine's Day became definitively associated with love. UCLA medieval scholar Henry Ansgar Kelly, author of "Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine", credits Chaucer as the one who first linked St. Valentine's Day with romance. In medieval France and England it was believed that birds mated on February 14. Hence, Chaucer used the image of birds as the symbol of lovers in poems dedicated to the day. In Chaucer's "The Parliament of Fowls," the royal engagement, the mating season of birds, and St. Valentine's Day are related:
"For this was on St. Valentine's Day, When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate."

Today, Valentine's Day is one of the major holidays in the U.S. and has become a booming commercial success. According to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year are "valentine"s. The "valentines", as Valentine's Day cards are better known as, are often designed with hearts to symbolize love. The Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world. One of the earliest valentines was sent in 1415 AD by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife during his imprisonment in the Tower of London. The card is now preserved in the British Museum.

There may be doubts regarding the actual identity of Valentine, but we know that he really existed because archaeologists have recently unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to a Saint Valentine.

Grand Openning

Last Saturday we witnessed an opening of new women social club The Tea Room. The reception took place in the Larissa Morais Art Gallery. This spacious gallery is hidden from prying eyes yet in the heart of the historic downtown of the city of Orange - the Orange Circle. After a short speeches and introductions guests were served tea, champagne and tasty treats. Ilya Sergienko was dexterously performing jazz throughout the evening. Ana Gudkova and Shoja Adel delighted us with magic of tango. The pinnacle of the night was a raffle of freebies: restaurant dinner, home decorator consultation, 6 months of membership in the Tea Room.


Here is how organizers explained the club's mission and vision:


"Общение – это основа нашего развития. А живое общение ценно вдвойне. В нашем Салоне Вас ждут встречи с интересными специалистами, курсы и практические занятия. Вы получите знания, которые пригодятся каждой женщине. Увлекательные экскурсии, дегустации, торжественные обеды, а также семейный досуг. Вы наполните жизнь новыми эмоциями, расширите кругозор и обретете новых друзей. Наслаждайтесь жизнью в приятной компании! Открывая дверь в наш клуб, вы открываете дверь в мир безграничных возможностей."


"Communication is the foundation of our development. A live communication is doubly valuable. In our salon, you will be introduced to interesting professionals, courses, and workshops. You will receive knowledge that will be useful to every woman. Fascinating guided tours, wine testing, gala dinners, as well as family leisure. You would fill life with new emotions, broaden your horizons, and gain new friends. Enjoy your life in good company! Opening the door to our club, you open the door to the world of infinite possibilities."


We all looking forward to new meetings and ideas for that wonderful women club in Orange County.


Here, you can look at the pictures from the opening reception:
http://vadymphoto.photobiz.com/cart/event_welcome.cfm

Enjoy!!!


Please visit Vadym Vasylenko Photography website: http://www.vadymphoto.com/

LA Decompression

   

Last year was full of adventures & hard work for us! There were many different events that we visited & documented with camera. One of them was the LA Decompression. It was held on October 3rd from Noon to Midnight at the Los Angeles State Historical Park.

That was the second year that L.A. State Historical Park has hosted Decom and I hope they would come back this year. Art was everywhere: from huge fiery sculptures to mirrored limousines. As usual, the collective masterpiece continued well into the night. It was twelve hours of art, performance, live bands, Djs, theme camps, art cars, green technologies, puppetry, circus, marching bands, fire steam, and 2009 imagery. In the spirit of Burning Man, people were encouraged to don costumes for self-expression, and over 5000 natives attended.

We love Jack Kerouac’s words that we think describe this event the best:

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!”

Here, you can look at never fading memories of Burning Man in LA:

http://picasaweb.google.com/crossroads.of.colonies




Enjoy!

About us

Vadym


The photography has become an essential part of my life. I thought that I could be just fine without it working my way up in sales and applying degree in marketing. However, time after time I had been coming back. I still remember brightness and shallow warmth of sunbeam caught on film with my first very own camera. I was 10 and I was learning the chemical magic of dark room and fickleness of film. Hundreds of thousands pictures later, armed with a state of art digital technology of ultra fast processor and mega sensitive censor I am still mesmerized with delight of sunset glow painted over feminine face.


I believe that the eye is the entrance to a photographer's creative soul. I love to capture moments of our lives that are too quickly sweeping away by the enduring march of time. Moments that should be cherished and frozen so that they would astound us time after time.

For me photography is the way of feeling, touching, loving. What I have seen through my lens is captured forever... little things with reflective meanings… they continue living long after I have forgotten everything… at the time when world will be a happy place for everyone.

Successful, appealing image could not be created without observation. Finding something interesting in an ordinary place, showing astonishing insight of common populace is a key to gratifying picture.




Lena


For me photography is a way of listening to life, a way of recording the story of a lifetime as it unfolds, moment by moment… I am passionate for digital post-production of Vadym’s work on products that we offer to our clients.
I believe that our clients, in essence, hire us to see their event through our eyes. It is our privilege to ensure that every meaningful detail is photographed in a relaxed, unobtrusive, artful way. It's also just as important to create a masterpiece album or slideshow, custom designed by us and specifically for each client.


I personally design each photo album that we offer our clients and retouch photos when necessary. The idea is not that you look retouched; the goal is you and your family should look your best!
I continuously keep up with latest technology in graphic design and retouching to ensure that your images will be incomparable.


Our documentary style combines illustrative portrait artistry and photojournalism. Let us tell your unique story through unequaled images that will be shared by generations.


Our clients deserve the very best!

Our new website is running!

Check out our new website: http://www.vadymphoto.com/

Don't forget to visit photo gallery on Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/crossroads.of.colonies/

Enjoy!!!