Happy Birthday, Douglas!

Wishing a very, very, very Happy Birthday to the fabulous Douglas!  

I still can't get over how blessed I was to spend eight amazing years working with Douglas and Francoise and the rest of our crew in the Hollywood Hills.  The first time I met Douglas I drove down to Los Angeles to attend one of his lectures and my mind was literally blown away by how much energy, passion, love and talent Douglas had for photography (and he still does!!).  As he stood up in front of all the attendees and showed us a slideshow of his career and so many remarkable photographs (www.douglaskirkland.com) I knew in that moment I had to be a part of his life.  Lucky me, my life was forever changed when I reached out to him and was able to do an internship, which eventually led to being his studio manager.  I was so lucky to work in his office and see decades of his work, to travel the world with him and watch as he created so many unforgettable photographs.  

Douglas, you are an inspiration, mentor, friend and more importantly family.  I am so honored to be a part of your life. Wish I was in LA to celebrate with you :) I put together a collage of many, many, memories we created together and I look forward to many more when I get back to the states. Sending all my love from Japan <3