Laura Lynne Photography 'What's Up' Blog Spot

WE HAVE A NEW BLOG!!!

2008-08-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

THIS BLOG IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

WE HAVE A NEW BLOG HERE!

COME SAY HI AT OUR NEW ADDRESS!!!

Some girls collect shoes....

2008-08-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

Well, truth be told, so do I but for totally different reasons. I have a ridiculous assortment of totally unworn or highly worn shoes that just haven't made it to where they belong - Goodwill (or the trash, lovingly). But of my meaningful collections are coffee cups. I love - can u guess? - Starbucks coffee cups - like a totally mismatched, random assortment of beautiful SB coffee cups, the only requirement being size. They MUST be the big cups, big love handles...perfectly fit to a huge cup of SB coffee in the wee am. This is truly a case of life's little pleasures, but it makes my morning to wake up to these, to sit with a cup before the house is filled with noise and chaos, before the rush of the day sweeps through and carries us in it's current. Here's to my last sip of my SB coffee from my SB coffee cup as I begin the day's journey. Happy Monday!

oh yeah, and did I mention my honey made my coffee this morning so when I walked down the stairs it was into the fine mist of freshly brewed joe....now, that's the good life.

August/September Promotions

2008-08-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

I just realized we released two new promos this weekend but I forgot to post here! Sooooo....here we go...

1. Capture Your Cutie - Book a session before August 30th (session dates available for late Sep/early Oct) and receive 48 free wallets ($90 value). Sweet!

2. Prom Night Fashion Shoot - seniors - book The Ultimate before Sep. 15th (session dates available for late Sep/early Oct) and we'll come meet you on prom night for a mini fashion shoot. Limited availability.

To book a session or for questions, please email studio@llfotos.com.

Things We Love!

2008-08-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

It's the product girl again! Another cool new item to add to our product line - the Image Art Box. Think of it as a beautiful leather sanctury for your treasured images - we frame your images in 8x10 mats and provide an easel for easy display. The cool thing is, if you're like me and love change, you can pick a different image to display each day. Or better yet, pick up multiple easels and display throughout your house. So lovin' this one!

Taking Our Style to a Whole New Level

2008-08-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I began a serious evaluation of my business image but it wasn't until I attended the Free to Succeed Tour in SF with David Jay and Jasmine Star that I got the kick I needed to make some changes - as in, like, now. Anyone who listens to them - especially the extremely charismatic JS - who doesn't feel a kick to wring in some new action is seriously checked out. I made the drive home with my mind going 100 miles an hour and trying not to let my foot match my mind because even at that insanely late hour of the night, I was ready. If I could have commanded my body to snap to, I probably would have even set to work the minute I pulled in at 1am or so.

But reality check - in addition to this great job, I also have a spouse and three very talkative, happy, awake children at (if I'm lucky) 7am in the morning.

So, after getting some sleep, and meeting some extremely happy, awake children at 7am the next morning I set to work. Not wasting any time, I found a graphic designer for my logo, another designer for my blog and a brand, new, spiffy website (truth be told, I think I actually found it the week before but for the purpose of this story, to add to the motivation, I found it on the same day :)).

Besides my extremely supportive, understanding spouse, and happy, talkative children - this has been my life for the last 10 days. I mean, eating, breathing, thinking, sketching, playing, pondering my - as Jasmine said it - brand. I'm putting a brand to my business. After a year and a half in business, I finally feel like I'm getting it - my business, who we are, who we want to be. It's scary, fun and exciting all at the same time.

So - this is where we are at - my logo wrapped today (with big, huge thanks to Designs by Christa who was extremely patient with me and who's final design I'm beyond thrilled with and can't wait to share) and my blog is in the works. My website will be the last piece to settle into place.

[good] Sigh. The adrenline rush is wearing off...as is my usual style, I'll be crashing shortly, getting some much needed rest and then starting up again. But before I crash, back to editing I go - working on the cutie below this post.

Oh yeah, and those pics up top are, once again, my absolute fab fashion star wearing her absolute fab, awesome new shades.

Good night beautiful peeps!

SNEAK PEEK!

2008-08-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you, I was SO excited for this session! I photographed Marv when he was 18 months old and totally fell in love! He IS sweetness. There is just no other way to put it. He is truly just a beautiful child through and through. Mom actually signed up for the Lollipop Club so I knew I'd be photographing him again soon (which is - selfishly - one of the reasons I love this club - I'm guaranteed to see you guys again and be a part of watching your kiddos grow which is so much fun) but when they pulled up and I saw him in the backseat, saw that adorable smile and twinkling eyes, I melted - again.
It's just a great package deal all the way around with this family because mom (Anissa) is so easy-going and so wonderful to work with. Both times we've had a session, I've walked away thinking - wow, I so need to learn to talk to my kids that way! She is clear and precise yet brief. And totally calm - which made our session an effortless work of collaboration because I'd explain what I was hoping to do and she'd help communicate it to Marv. I love this! I know some photographers prefer that parents stay in the background or even out of sight and with some children, this definitely works. I like parents around though because they know best how to talk to their kids. And often times, these little verbal exchanges provide the best smiles or little characteristic looks especially when parents get on a familiar subject or bring up a favorite character or subject of conversation. Then it's fun for me to just step back and watch for the moments.
Anyway, I'm rambling as usual so I'll sign off here by just saying - check out this cutie!!!

Me, taken by Cindy

2008-08-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just a few more fun pics to share from my Georgia trip - these were taken by Cindy. She blows me away! I have to say, I'm the WORST critic of myself in pictures but I loved these. She took a ton of fun ones - I'll share more later but for now, thought I'd post these.
ps- I took total liberties with post-processing - we were playing with overexposure when we took these but I took it to a whole new level for fun!

Beautiful Ellie

2008-08-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

So, beauty is definitely a family trait here! This is my friend Cindy's daughter Ellie who, although tired from a long day, was nice enough to be our model for a few hours during my visit to Georgia a few weeks ago. I've seen pictures of Ellie forever and I have to say - I was SO hoping she'd model for us! As you can see, the camera loves her! Thanks Ellie!
ps - what I wouldn't do for a little slice of town like this around here! Just look at all the textures and colors...so cool! I can't wait to go back - there wasn't enough time (and Cindy has four more gorgeous children who I hope to rope into modeling for us next time (hehe - that's a warning :)) and seriously, can you believe this lady carried FIVE children and still looks like this?! Wowzers!

Who's Your Celebrity Face?

2008-08-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

This is hilarious! My friend Megan finds some of the coolest things - for a good laugh, check out who you resemble HERE. A few of mine where Jessica Simpson, Lucy Lawless (right on - total kick-butt chick!), Daniela Pestova (that's just hysterical and soooo off - when this came up, I was convinced it was luck of the draw - this chick redefines beauty IMO - I've worshipped her since she first made the fashion scene years ago), Veronica Varekova (feeling like I should know who this is but have no idea) and Valeria Mazza. Try different pictures for different matches - fun!

Just a little blue...

2008-08-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's funny, years ago my spouse and I were talking to a friend and she mentioned how she had just returned from vacation - by herself. We thought it was so odd. She is married with two kids and in our minds, back then, before kids, we were like - who would go on vacation without their family or at least their spouse?

Flash forward to 2008 - here we are, three kids under four years of age and we're finally in the know - you know, the KNOW - as in, you don't KNOW something until you experience it. So, this is the KNOW - getting away for a relaxing vacation with young kiddos is hard. And getting away without them is virtually impossible unless you're Brad and Angelina and have a dozen nannies and an airplane at your disposal. Rock on - how cool would that be? Hold on, let's take a moment of silence to pretend and daydream....ahhhh......it's lookin nice, isn't it? :)

Okay, so this is why I'm Just a Little Blue...my spouse is on vacation - without me. Yep, we are our friend. We get it. The last time we got away together it took three shifts of different people to cover different days....and it was nuts. I worried the whole time. And the last time we took the whole family somewhere....welllllllllll, let's just say it wasn't exactly the definition of a vacation. I'm thinkin - give the kiddos another year or so and then we can talk fun vacation but as it was, it was more a labor of love with the emphasis being on labor.

But in the spirit of vacation and wishing my spouse the best time ever, here is a pic from that family vacation we did take a few years ago....

Happy Friday everyone!

Jeannie: SKD

2008-08-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I met up with Jeannie for some updated pics for her portfolio. Our original plan was to meet at the Capitol, check out a favorite alley of mine (truly odd statement, right? I mean, who other than a photographer could say they have a favorite alley?! :)) and follow up with some pics in the park. But if you're a local Sacatomatoian then you know we've had some seriously warm weather - like 95 plus clouds and humidity that day. When we met up, we were both sweating just from the walk from our cars (of course, it didn't help that we both had a ton of stuff with us - her with a suitcase full of clothes and gear, me with my photo stuff which I always overpack) - within minutes we quickly determined this wasn't happin. Lucky for us, Jeannie had the hookup and called her friend Eric of IMAGE in downtown to see if we might stop in and use his space for some pics which ended up being awesome - thank you Eric! Not only did we get a reprieve from the sun, but it was a fun challenge for me considering I didn't come with studio gear and only had one off camera flash. But Jeannie was game and we gave it a go and got some great images. IMAGE provided the perfect backdrop - lots of color, as you can see, fun textures and they just so happened to have some huge fans which we loved!!
And I can't end this post without giving props where they are due - something people may not know about Jeannie besides the fact that she's obviously gorgeous - she's an absolute sweety! Although I met her earlier this year for this project, this was the first time I worked with her one-on-one and it was a blast!

Special Shout-Out Request

2008-08-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have a special request, well, two actually: one, a client of mine who's family I had the pleasure of photographing last month just had one of their family members pass away this past Sunday. It all happened rather quickly and I know this family is going through a lot.
Two, a member of my own family is at the hospital today having tests done for a spot that was found in his lung a few weeks ago. Several of our family members are there as he will be there most of the day for testing.
So, this is my special shout-out request - I strongly believe, no matter what your personal belief system is (God, Buddha, etc) that positive community thinking (praying, etc) can have an extremely powerful effect. If you know me or even if you don't but stumbled upon this blog by accident, please take a moment to do your own form of a shout out for these two people and their families.
It's very appreciated! Thank you! :)

New Monarchs Player!

2008-08-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to finally share these! We photographed DeMya when it was still "top secret" that she was joining the Monarchs team. It was especially fun because she showed up with her two honeys and since we were just photographing her, we had a little extra time for some fun shots. :)
Things are busier than ever here - lots of cool things in the works, details to follow shortly. I'm on my way to SF today for a workshop with the extremely talented and cool David Jay and Jasmine Star. Now call me a weenie, but I'm a bit nervous because I have to navigate getting to the Wharf all by my little self. It's been some time since I've done the city drive, so wish me luck (and safe driving especially since the workshop doesn't end until 10pm which means I'll be doing the midnight drive!).

Back from Georgia!

2008-08-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

You know that old saying, time flies when you're having fun? That was most definitely my weekend! Friday I boarded a plane and met up in with my friend Cindy of Cindy Harter Photography in Georgia (see post below for link to her website and amazing work!). Besides lots of girl chat (which was so great since it's been a long time since I've had girl chat!:)), it was a blast to be able to live, eat and breathe photography with another person who also lives, eats and breathes photography. A typical thing that we both laughed over...we drove to Atlanta for a day of shooting, parked the car, walked less than a block, saw this building and the gorgeous light and ended up spending the next few hours there. By the time we were done, most of our day was gone, we were drenched (wowzers, is it hot and humid there!!!! my knees were leaving prints on the floor just from kneeling while doing pictures) and it was time to head back to Cartersville.
And check out my hot mama friend!!! Isn't she stunning? She told me she was awkward in front of the camera - yeah, whatever! I don't know about you but I don't see anything awkward about these.

I love these last images...we were driving around with Cindy showing me some of her favorite shoot spots plus ones she has looked at and never explored. This was one of those. As we drove up, she said "you can see it, can't you?" I will probably never forget that because I remember looking at the field of grass and dirt and long buildings with no color or any particular character and saying "uh, well, I trust whatever you see." But we hopped out and began to play and before long, I was seeing all kinds of cool things. It reminded me how fun it is to just go for it sometimes - not to overanalyze, but just jump in and see what happens. Cindy is awesome at this - she told me she often takes her seniors and says 'lets just drive and see what we see.' I took her attitude to heart and brought it home with me. Thanks for the great reminder Cindy!

Au Revoir!

2008-07-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Friday I'm off in the wee morning hours and tomorrow looks to be a very busy day so I'm signing off now. I'm off for the weekend to visit my friend Cindy who I was supposed to hook up with in June along with a few other friends...and then my kiddos got really sick and I had to cancel. SO, we are finally getting together! I'm so hyped! I'm sure I'll come back loaded with tons of fun pics so until then - av revoir and have a wonderful rest of the week!!

Speaking of the personal touch...

2008-07-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

I've talked a lot about a group of women who have had a substantial impact upon my life. We found each other through our common passion of photography but what began as simple shop talk grew into deep-rooted, bonded life friendships. I never speak lightly when talking about what a talented group of women I know them to be - nor when talking about the power of our friendship and support to each other.

One such lady is my friend Teresa Lee. We've known each other through many ups and downs both professionally and personally and although our hectic lives often find us out of touch for stretches of time, we are the type of friends who once we connect again, it's like there were never days in between. How she manages to keep everything together with three children and a thriving business I'll never know but somewhere in the midst of all of that, she even remembers my birthday. And not only that, but sends me the most exquisite, sumptuous gifts such as this decadently yummy candle above - which came wrapped like a work of art. I remember taking it out of the box thinking - I should photograph this so I know how to do it next time! :)

In any case, she has the personal touch down which is only one of the many reasons she is this months featured artist under Friends and Inspiration.

What's Rocking Your World Right Now...

2008-07-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Parachute Band! I'm sitting here right now with headphones plugged in listening to my absolute favorite song Mercy as I edit. Check them out here. The coolest part - they are currently on tour and I saw them last week! Let me tell you, they brought down the house! Talk about an amazing live performance!

Rainbow Light

2008-07-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

It kills me how blogger totally flattens color...in any case, I will share some highlights of this session on my homepage when I'm finished editing but wanted to post this one - I was working for a little sun flare here from behind mom (Dana) and Coley (his name is Cole but she nicknamed him "Coley" which I thought was adorable)...anyway, the light was this beautiful rich orange/red color which, when I processed it and saturated everything, picked up a lot of the surrounding colors as well...so, taking it a step further, I took total liberty and saturated the heck out of the beam of light which turned mom's hair into this rainbow cascade (she has this insanely long beautiful hair anyway as you can see).
I'm not sure what it is about an image sometimes - maybe that it fits all the rules so nicely or it hits on a purely emotional level or sometimes even because it's the complete opposite of everything you expect to see in an image...whatever it is, this picture hits me...or maybe it's the personal experience and remembering the sound of Coley's adorable laughter as we took this image.

The Personal Touch

2008-07-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

I love notecards. I don't know about you - maybe it's because we live in a world where so much communication is handled remotely - email, texting, voicemail - but when I get a cute notecard or greeting card in the mail with a handwritten note it makes my day. I have been known to display fun cards on our mantle for weeks, tuck them in keepsake boxes or even cut off the front page and frame it. And those are just store bought, ordinary cards!
So, how cool is it to send out your own personalized note card? Well, I'm officially addicted. I usually have several on hand and always include them with orders as well as notes to friends and family and anyone else that I can say hi to and show off (usually) my cute kids. :) Hey, I said I love bragging about the people I love so there you go. And speaking of....recognize this cutie? Just had these made up with the saying (which you can't read in this image) "Put a little sunshine in your life."

Sacramento Monarchs Shoot - University of Phoenix

2008-07-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in an earlier post, last week we photographed the Sacramento Monarchs at The University of Phoenix in Sacto. They'd had a full day of practice and another photo shoot so I wasn't sure what to expect when they showed up but it shouldn't be surprising that they were super laid back, ready to pose, laugh, smile - whatever was needed. And looked to have a lot of fun together in the process. From all appearances, this seems like a team built on good humor, friendship and, of course, serious dedication and talent. It has been a blast to watch them in action and be a part of this season.
At this particular shoot we were after a few key shots - as this was classroom-themed, we needed one of all looking at the camera, one of them while coach taught the classroom, and one of them laughing and goofing off supposedly behind the 'teacher's back.' This last shot proved to be a little too much fun at the expense of everyone in the room at some point being pummeled by paper balls and squishy hand basketballs. I think the laughter in the room reached throughout the building and provided a good show for the fans who showed up. I know I had a blast and I was stuck behind the camera! :) In any case, here are a few from last week's shoot...

Mayhem breaks loose.

This one just makes me laugh - being the fun group they are, I asked the creative team to jump in for a last shot and this was our very last one of the day after a sequence of them being pummeled by the players. From left to right - the man in the middle throwing the basketball - Dhon S., on the floor Casey C., and standing above Heather V.

Peace Out

2008-07-18T22:40:00.000-07:00

Yah! Don't you love the weekends? I know I do. Ever since I was a kid, Friday signaled something special - when I was little, we skipped the formal dinner routine and would eat in front of the TV and watch movies. And our prime time treat was frozen yogurt with syrup drizzled on top. Maybe because of those times, I've alway associated weekends with at least one night of watching movies and having a special dinner (or non-bake, easy dinner, aka: takeout). Usually, it's Fridays for us but tonight was a work night for moi (edit, edit, edit) so the weekend party will start tomorrow instead.

In any case, it's 11:30pm, my kids will be up in less than 7 hours energeticlly calling me from their room and requesting breakfast be served upon the spot :) so it's time for me to high-tail it to bed!

Peace out all my beautiful people! Have a great weekend!

Meeting with the President

2008-07-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

I love bragging about the people I love :) but I think you'll agree that today I have TOTAL, absolute bragging rights. My nephew (pictured here in previous post) is meeting the President today...as in, the President of the United States.
As mentioned in a previous post this month, he is one of the firefighters who has been working insanely long, dedicated hours fighting all these fires in California. Last week his crew of six were picked to meet the President on a visit. I'm so proud!!! I mean, I don't care what your political affiliations are, that's just cool. :) And I so wish I could be there...hum! (that's me stomping my foot). Have fun today Nick!

Like a Kid at...

2008-07-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Christmas...yes, it seems to be my theme this month. Maybe because this heat has me wishing for some of that cool December weather....
In any case, if you're a Sacramento Monarchs fan (and why wouldn't you be? :)) then you may have known about a little event taking place at The University of Phoenix yesterday, but if not, I'll be posting more later this week. Needless to say, we had the best time photographing the players who showed up after a long day of practice and straight from another photo shoot with smiles and good humor.
I also had the pleasure of working with a couple of my favorite people - Heather V., Casey C., and Dhon S., from the Kings/Monarchs team. As if that wasn't awesome enough, they showed up with these posters (photo below)! These are from a photo shoot awhile back and I have to say, I have been, like a kid at Christmas, anxiously awaiting their release (just ask Heather who I hounded more than a few times :)).
For posterity's sake, a picture of my goofy happiness. I realize I'm probably supposed to act more blase' about these things, but that'd make me a total poser and I'd rather be a goofball than a poser, know what I mean? :)

photo courtesy my SIL (thank you Robin!)

They'll probably kill me for this...a behind-the-scenes shot I couldn't help taking.

and a few others that weren't used but were fun...

Package Peek

2008-07-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

So, it may not be Christmas in July (click here for previous post) but we sure want it to feel like it is when you open your order! We do love pretty packages. Here are a few details shots from a couple of packages that were on their way out the door today.

A girl shouldn't post when she's tired...

2008-07-11T18:00:00.001-07:00

I just re-read a post I made earlier today and good Lordie! Was I typing with one eye shut? I'm thinking maybe. OR, maybe it was because I was at Starbucks slurping on the straw of an Americano and listening to my fav new tunes on my iPod. Nah, that couldn't possibly be the reason.

How to Help

2008-07-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up in Nevada City, we had a horrible fire that became known as the "49er fire" that ravaged huge chunks of the county, took countless homes, livestock, etc. At the time, we lived in the country and were one of the many homes threatened by the fire. I remember that time like it was yesterday. For weeks we lived in a state of limbo, teetering on what felt like the end of the world - anxiously watching the fire, watering our lawn and yard around the clock, hanging by the radio and spending the moments inbetween walking listlessly about the house, trying to find something - anything - to take our minds from events at hand.

When our road was evacuated, we went to the house of a friend, but the worry and not knowing brought us to a family agreement that we would return home and continue our vigil there even though - technically - we weren't supposed to be there. When I think back on it, I'm a little amazed we returned. I don't think we would have unless we felt safe in knowing we had an escape, should it be needed (I hope).

So, we stayed. I remember sitting on our lawn and seeing flames lick the landscape right across the field from our house. I have pictures and if I had a scanner, I would share but I don't. Seems like I should, huh? :)

Anyway, so here we are again - we're not in the path of the fire where we live, but I truly feel for all the people who are and this constant gray pall in the air has me reliving those days so many years ago - that state of limbo - of feeling like the world was about to end

Which brings me to my tomatoes and how amazing life is. I go out everyday to check my garden and half expect it to be gone - the plants wilted, the leaves falling. It seems impossible that anything could go on living and thriving in this air but there they are -beautiful, ripe tomatoes.

So, I know this - when this has passed and the smoke has cleared, California will thrive again. But it will take time and people helping. We just made our first donation to American Red Cross and hope you will too. You can help by donating here. And we will continue to help by donating 5% of every order from now through August to the American Red Cross.

*I believe, at last count, 100,000 residences had been lost and 239,000 acres.

California Today

2008-07-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

If you live in California, you already know what kind of a world we're living in right now. But if not, this was taken from my front porch and is pretty much the view we've had for the last two weeks. I wake up every morning hoping to see bright sunlight slashing through my windows but it's just been this persistant gray, ashen light. It makes me so unbelievably sad how badly California is suffering right now. And I know if I'm feeling bad, it's nothing compared to what the people who's homes are threatened or have been lost are feeling. Or the firefighters working endless hours. My nephew Nick is one of those firefighters who was fortunate to be home on the 4th of July but only because he had worked 21 straight days (I believe) in a row - which just by chance happened to fall before the holiday - and legally, could NOT work anymore. That's how endless and tiring their jobs are right now. So, this is a HUGE BIG THANK YOU to all the firefighters who are working so hard to protect our land and homes. We appreciate you more than you know!

Christmas In July

2008-07-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Not really, but I can't help it, I get so excited about product. Yes, product. I have a thing for it. I love getting print orders, frame orders, jewelry orders, handbag orders - I love getting orders - as in, a UPS/Fedex man at my door handing me a box (or two, or three, or four) of product - period. More often than not, I'm at the door with it wide open by the time they even get out of their truck. I'm sure they have a good laugh over me after they leave but no matter where I am in the house, I can hear their trucks when they rumble up and like a little kid who hears the ice cream song from a block away - I KNOW that sound!
In any case! I'm SO excited about these - this was part of a large custom framing order that came in this week. The frames are from a new line I started offering a few months ago and as you can see, they present nicely!

I know I promised great escape 4th of July photos but I wasn't able to get to them today. I think most photographers can relate when I say my photos are the last to be edited! It's all good though - I will share soon. :)

We're Simplifying and Expanding!

2008-07-10T07:14:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had an awesome 4th of July! I'll be posting some fun pics from our great escape later today. In the meantime, we've been bustin' a move since we got back. We just released our new and completely revised pricing structure which has been in the works for awhile and can now be found under Investment on our Main page. We seriously simplified our pricing giving you a lot more control over what goes into your collections. And we expanded - the biggest new advantage you'll find is that we now offer digital collections. So groovy.
Also, in leu of our New Years goal to keep it green, we have replaced sending out thick session packets - aka: paper waste - with online information. A ton of great info is now available under Session Notes and Important Info.
I'll be back later with some fun pics!

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

Happy (early) 4th of July!! We are heading out and I won't be taking my computer (gasp! It'll be like walking around without an arm, I swear! :)). I wanted to share this and remind everyone to have a safe and wonderful holiday!

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.

— John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776 (referring to the day before, when the resolution for independence was passed)

4th of July Closure Notice

2008-07-01T15:13:00.001-07:00

Family Fun

2008-07-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

When I first started my photography business, large groups freaked me out - mostly because, as anyone who knows me knows, I abhore being the center of attention; alas, why public speaking is one of my absolute all-time worst fears. So, here's the thing - with large groups you HAVE to be the center - you ARE the director. This is a challenge for me anyway since, again, anyone who knows me knows I have a voice like a 5 year old. It's funny - I imagine even when I'm 80 I'll be answering the phone and it'll be a telemarketer and they'll still be asking me if my "parents are home" to take the call! LOL Seriously though. Just call it the 'weenie voice' - I do. Anyway! So, it's always a bit of a challenge since I'm voice-impaired.
In any case, as time has gone on and I've had the opportunity to work with many large groups I've grown to love these sessions. I've grown comfortable weaving myself into family groups, enjoying watching them interact together while still being able to direct our session. I've learned the importance of having a plan, of asking for what I need to bring my vision to life even when I know - know - that sometimes people will laugh and feel downright silly doing it. I've learned to be okay with that because more often than not, it's those photos that bring out the smiles, the laughter and some of the most memorable images. And most importantly, I've learned (and am working at this in my own life) that plans are just that - plans. They are a loose guideline but in no way an absolute. Ultimatley, it's the people, the moment and the energy that determine the flow of the session. Following that, really letting people be themselves, is what makes for the very best sessions. And this family (below) was definitely one of those! I had a blast with this family. Their humor, energy and easy sense of style made this session an absolute joy. To see more of this family, as always, check out the Main homepage. :)

Let's Play the 'What If..." Game

2008-06-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, you know you love this game - who doesn't? It's the 'What-if-I-were-a-millionaire' game where you think of all the things you'd do if you had the money. I love this game because I think it's so interesting to hear what people come up with. For example, get this - my spouse would like clean sheets everyday. Say what? Yup. Clean sheets. And a made bed (I may - may - be guilty of not always doing this task which is ironic because I'm a neat/clean freak but making the bed has always seemed like this totally pointless task to me considering not more than 14 hours later or something it's destroyed again... and more than likely, no one is going to see it from the time it's destroyed to the time it's destroyed...so essentially, who cares?! That's my reasoning anyway. Or - maybe it's just that sitting quietly with a cup of coffee before my kids gets up seems like a much better use of my time than making the bed - and much better for my sanity :)).
Anyway! Okay, so mine would be fresh flowers every week. A huge, big bouquet of beautiful, vibrant colored flowers. There is just something about it that makes my house feel extra special, extra beautiful, extra homey. And it just makes me smile.
Alright, and if I am actually a millionaire I could probably afford a few more things so while I'm at it, I'd like a chef. Mostly just to keep me out of the kitchen. Or the pantry. Where the chocolate is.
In any case, these flowers (below) are from a recent bouquet - which, with my great gardening skills (haha..haha..haha...haha) I should know the name of but of course I don't. They are my absolute favorite though so I thought I'd capture a few pics before they go to wilting.
Happy Monday everyone!

Rambling Thoughts for a Friday Afternoon

2008-06-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, I realize when starting a garden a smart thing to do would be to read a gardening book, which I did buy, by the way. It's true I have a book addiction - I love book anything (it's one of my secret dreams to have a library room in my house someday...you know, one of those fancy pants rooms you see in like Pottery Barn where there are book shelves floor-to-ceiling with a ladder that rolls from one side of the room to the other and big, plush leather chairs scattered around with huge french doors to one side where bright sunlight streams in and the smell of coffee lingers in the air...I know, I know, I'm a dork but I really do dream of this room with shelf after shelf of all my favorite books and a million others I've bought and haven't yet read...) Anyway! So, of course, I bought the book - the all inclusive self-help for (dense) first gardners book...which is sitting prettily on my nightstand right under about five photography books, a romance novel (or two - yup, guilty vice), a notepad with scribbled, non-legible notes and five post-it notes stuck haphazardly on top of that and right next to a bottle of water and chapstick (two things I cannot possibly live without in life). Yes, I love my books and note pads and post-it notes and chapstick...
Where was I?...okay! - so, got the book but failed to read it - yet. In the meantime, the season doesn't stop so I went ahead and planted my garden, following the directions on the seed packs. And lookie, lookie what we have! We have actual produce! Woho! Now, I have no idea how to actually harvest, pick, whatever or when I'm supposed to harvest, pick, whatever but you have to agree, it sure looks pretty, eh? I think I'm good on the tomatoes - pick when red. The corn, pick when you see corn. The carrots - not sure on that and the spinach...totally clueless (I know it seems self-explanatory - when it looks like ripe spinach, pick it, but so far it doesn't look like any kind of spinach I'm familiar with so....?). So obviously I have a LOT to learn about gardening...which I will...right after I hit those five photo books, edit my last session, finish my first newsletter, yadda yadda yadda....
And here's the rambling part (again) - you know what I often wish in cases like this - when there are so many things you want to accomplish and not enough time...remember the movie Short Circuit when the robot could flip through a book and assimilate the entire contents within a matter of seconds?....that! THAT'S what I want! If I'm ever granted special powers - you know, like as in Heros - (and note to God, just in case you're reading and granting special powers today :)) that's what I want to be able to do. :)

Dhon's Elevator Art

2008-06-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

Back when we did the Media Day shoot for the Sacramento Monarchs, I was asked to take a particular picture for a concept Dhon Santos had come up with for the elevators at Arco Arena. When I heard the concept, I thought it was way cool (I don't know how these guys come up with such creative ideas) but it's even better than I imagined! Today, I dropped in at Arco Arena to say hi to Dhon and Casey - two uber talented artistic peeps that I've mentioned before - and took a snapshot of what I'm calling "Dhon's Elevator Art" - because seriously, how creative is this idea?

Storyboard Sign-In

2008-06-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

It's password protected but if you're here, you're so in. :) Check out all the storyboard options I mentioned by going to the Main website and Slideshows, password: 2008clients.
Tomorrow I'll have a fun thing to share - can't say what it is, but it's cool! Hopefully, I'll have a chance to log in and post after my early evening session.
I'm off to veg! Good night everyone!

Storyboards & Wall Art

2008-06-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

I am often asked what a storyboard is so I thought I'd provide a little explanation here. I will also be releasing a gallery soon that has tons of storyboard examples that I've done for clients in the past (as well as a gallery for clothing and location ideas) but for now...

Storyboards are 10x20 mounted (on artboard) prints with 3-5 images; either 3 horizontal or 2-5 vertical. Personally, I think 4 vertical images looks the best but ultimately, it's up to you. There are a lot of fun extras you can add onto storyboards - wording, the date or even a background image which is one of my favorite things to do (as shown above). Depending on the size of your wall, and you don't need a lot of wall space, storyboards make awesome wall collages when combined with a few other framed prints - maybe a 16x20 and a few 8x10s or, for small walls, an 8x10 and some 5x7s...the combinations are endless. I think sometimes we get stuck in traditonal ways of thinking - that you need one huge print or tons of wall space but you don't. Today, just about anything goes - chunky, mismatched frames, small and big pieces, etc. The fun part is creating a wall art display that will have you smiling every day you walk by it.

*Image shown above is displayed on a Gallery Mount (not to be confused with images mounted on artbord). Gallery mounts are finished pieces - meaning, you receive them ready-to-hang. They are gorgeous - my favorite product this year. I'll be releasing photos of those soon as well. Wow, I just realized how much is on my To-Do list! I better get crackin'!. :)

Coffee Table Art Books

2008-06-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Isaiah and Hannah..

I've been meaning to share this for awhile - I finally got around to making my twins baby albums and here is Isaiah's. I LOVE these books! They are truly a family heirloom - I can't wait until the day I am able to pass this along to him and hopefully, his own little family. This picture doesn't do it justice, but they come in these beautiful black preservation boxes. The books themselves have jacket covers and are truly stunning.

Newborn Sneak Peek

2008-06-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a quick sneak peek - we photographed this beautiful little man at his home with mom. Look at these gorgeous bamboo floors! I knew the minute I walked in that I was definitely using them as a backdrop. It was a warm day so we opened the side doors and snuggled him down deep in a pile of blankets (using mom's favorite blue blanket as our main prop) and my favorite wood bowl...he was pretty content as you can see although getting the good ol' passy away was a bit tricky...but we persevered. :) To see a few more from this session, check out the Main homepage...

Happy Birthday Hannah and Isaiah!

2008-06-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

When it comes to my personal life, I always wonder how much to share on my blog. Do you keep it all professional, light and happy or do you share the real happenings of you life, including the ups and downs....this is what I ponder. I'm still not sure where that line is but as this last week has been overwhelmingly about my personal life, and I've been so silent here, I'm going to share a little.
Last weekend we had to take my son Isaiah to the ER. It's been a rough winter for us sickness-wise. We seem to have caught just about every bug that flies through but this last month has been especially rough. Last week he caught yet another strain of the flu that has been meandering it's way through. Kids are amazing when they're sick - they can have a fever and still be bouncing off the walls. They can be sick and still want to be outside, running and playing like the day will never end. So, I knew he was really sick when all he did was lay on me. Literally. All day. And cry miserably. Just this sad, pitiful little cry.
He was continually sick and unable to hold anything down...as the day progressed we began to worry about dehydration and eventually, by 11pm that night, after speaking to an on-call doctor, we decided to take him to the ER.
He is better...still sick but seemingly on the upside of it. Hannah, his twin has unfortunately, but inevitably, caught what he had and is now in the throws of it, feeling miserably sick like he was last weekend.
My 3 year old is home sick as well with a cold and just about ready to scale the walls.
This has been our week, a really hard one to say the very least. I've been nurse, pillow, laundry maid, butler and housecleaner during the day and wife and photographer at night...editing and placing orders late into the evening hours. Wednesday I was supposed to leave for Alabama to meet up with a group of photog friends to attend a workshop together but obviously, there was no way I could leave my babies when they are so sick and so sad...
So, today is Hannah and Isaiah's 2nd Birthday. We will more than likely spend the day camping out around the house - again - but I am - even exhaustingly so - glad to be here with my babies. This might not be the perfect birthday and they might not understand the significance of today, but I do. And someday we will even laugh over this birthday, over how we made pillow piles in the family room and pretended we were scaling "green rocks" as my 3 year old says, or how we watched Cars for the 100th time (literally) and caught up on every pre-recorded episode of The Wiggles for the past 7 months, or how we pretended Pedialyte Popsicles were "treats" and how mom had to, every so often, hide in the pantry for a time-out (sanity break).

In any case, here are a few recent pictures of my birthday bebies-

Happy Birthday I & H!!!

Three Boys; A Morning with the Browns

2008-06-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had to reschedule an appointment with this family due to an especially rough spell of sickness at our house. Mom had originally wanted to do some outdoors and to be honest, I had advised that we stick to the studio because working with babies outside can be rough; but, due to my own little kiddos being sick, we decided to meet up at the park so as not to subject her kids to the sickness running through my house.
And what a surprise.
It wasn't rough at all! Infact, it was wonderful - her kids were a dream, the weather was gorgeous, the park was our own perfect little studio - in a nutshell, it was perfect! Check out the homepage to see more of these three hotties.
And a special thanks to mom Bev for being so accomodating! :)

Sneak Peek J

2008-06-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is a bit late as they are coming to see their photos tomorrow, but here's a quick sneak peek of this beautiful senior! I had the pleasure of photographing her a few weeks ago. We had an awesome session, half of which took place in downtown Lincoln and half in one of my fav places - the field. Jessica was so cool about everything - even about making the field 'hike' in her flipflops - major cool factor kuddos for that one! :)
Check out the main homepage for a few more from this session. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, does this girl have THE most gorgeous eyes or what?! Her eyes are this insanely beautiful mixture of blue and green and orange. So amazing! I'll be adding more in the next few days so stay tuned!

Cute Kid Alert!

2008-06-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

This is another special family session I had during that weekend a few weeks ago when we almost got rained out. Grandma was visiting from Florida so of course we prayed for some sunshine and although we may not have received actual sunny rays, we definitely had plenty of sunshine! Just check out these little personalities! For more of this cute family and these cute kids, check out the homepage. :)

Make a Date!

2008-06-05T16:30:00.001-07:00

We are officially booked for June but still have a few openings in July. Call soon to secure your session!

Get Your Game On

2008-06-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I met up with Casey C. at Arco Arena to shoot a couple of the players who missed Media Day a few weeks ago. And while I was there, he mentioned the Gametime Program featuring one of the pictures we'd done on Media Day. Below is the creative work of Dhon S. who I've also mentioned before (and who will be my next picture target at our next job :)) as one of the very talented members of the Kings/Monarchs team. He put this together for game night and I have to tell you - I think it's SO cool!!

Rain or Shine

2008-05-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

If you're a Northern Californian, you know we've had some unusually wet weather for this time of the year...which was the case this last weekend. And as it would happen, I had a few very special family sessions such as the one below which was in celebration of grandma's 80th birthday. However, not to be outdone by weather, this family cheerfully showed up at 8:30am on Saturday morning with umbrellas in hand. Seriously, how cool is that?! I loved their spunk and utter defiance of the weather...which also made for a very fun and memorable session.
Side note - as I mentioned, this was in celebration of grandma's 80th birthday. Now, if you're like me, you may be wondering "where's grandma?" because that was the question I asked when everyone pulled up and got out. Grandma is the very beautiful, especially young looking lady in the middle holding the cute dark-haired little man on her lap. Isn't she beautiful? For that matter, isn't the whole family?! And a bunch of youngies - talk about good genes (I want some of those!). :)

B Boy Cuties...one more

2008-05-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Back in the day when I first fell head over heels in love with photography and was shooting film, I also fell in love with the darkroom. In highschool, Mr. Cooper - my first photography teacher who has forever left a mark in my memory as the wonderful, grumpy, secretly heart-of-gold photography teacher, would open the darkroom after hours and on weekends for a few of us photo geeks. We'd lose ourselves in the quiet serenity of the darkroom, exposing our negatives and then watching our images magically emerge in the tubs of chemcials lined up production-style down the middle of the lab. I used to thirst for those hours - there was nothing quite as rewarding as eagerly walking those images out into the light and seeing the final result of all your hard work (or quite as frustrating when, after all that work, you'd discover a speck of dust or lint you'd missed on your negative which was now showing up as a lovely spot on your photo - I don't miss that!).
For this reason, I once swore I'd never make the switch to digital. And when I did, it was a painful, slow transition. Now, if asked, I'd tell you just as fiercely that I'll never go back to film (unless, of course, it's my only option :)). I'm completely, 100% in love with digital photography. To me, taking the pictures is just the first step. Processing is the second and it's as much a part of the artistic process as taking the photos themselves. I know some photographers don't care for the post-processing aspect of digital photography, but I love it. I look forward to it as much as I do the session. There are some standard processes I run on all images but after that, it's all about the individual session - the light, the colors, the subjects, the style...deciding what processes to apply at this stage is like artistic candy to me.
In any case, here's one more of these cute boys and a little fun processing I added. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day!

B Boys Quick Sneak Peek

2008-05-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just had to share this one of these cute twins. I photographed them with their older brother last week - we captured a lot of fun shots but this one just makes me smile. Look at those chub chub legs. I love those sweet little rolls! :) More to come shortly!

Goober, Gubber!

2008-05-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is making my laugh and seriously, I'm so busy editing I shouldn't even be blogging but it's cracking me up. So, NOW my friend Denise, another hot photog friend who also apparently moonlights in the Grammar Queen field :) informs me I spelled 'gubber' wrong in my last post. Ahhhh....did I mention how much I love these girls? They always have my back! :) Okay, so my understanding is 'gubber' is urban slang and 'goober' is propper English. Yes? That was my intention anyway. But maybe I should just clear the air and set the playing field - for this blog, just expect spelling issues and grammar missteps. Let's just say it's part of my 'gubber' charm. :)

Euber or Uber, who's the gubber (me)

2008-05-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Just popping in with a quick post. My friend Candy, my cool roomie from NY and a hot photographer who moonlights as a Grammar Queen :), informed me yesterday that alas, I didn't actually invent the word 'euber' but rather just spelled it wrong (who me? spelled something wrong? Never, just couldn't happen.). There is actually a German word 'Uber' which means pretty much the same thing as the word I 'invented' :(. Sigh. Uber cool factor gone. Status as gubber reinstated. I officially recall my earlier posts regarding my invention of the word 'euber' (although, if anyone is asking, I think my spelling is wayyyy cooler). :)

Monarchs Media Day: CC - an Euber Creative Force

2008-05-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

I know I've said it before, and I'm sure to say it again, but one of the best aspects of my job is all the awesome people I get to work with - whether it be little people (bebies and children), families, seniors or as on this commerical shoot, Creative Director Casey C. from the Monarchs/Kings team. I've told him that I'm always thrilled when I get a call from them because it's a guaranteed blast working with these guys. Everyone I've worked with on their team is incredibly easy going and fun (which is always a perk!) but more than that, they are a seriously creative and talented group and a huge inspiration to work with.
Here's a picture of Casey from our Monarchs Media Day shoot, a test shot taken during setup - I love this one so much I think I'm going to make these a pre-requisite for each shoot! Dhon your next....Heather you're on my list too.... :)

ps - if you're new to the blog, "euber" means extremely cool, talented, amazing...too cool for words. :)

Athletes that Rock

2008-05-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

There really is no other way to describe these athletes except to say - they seriously rock! I joined them on Media Day last week to capture some images for this season. Besides being incredible athletes and beautiful, strong women, they are also a very fun group to hang out it. For more, check out the main homepage. Go Monarchs!!! :)

What's Up

2008-05-18T10:50:00.001-07:00

So, this has been a blazing week! Literally! We're having our first heat wave spell and wouldn't you know - wouldn't you know - our AC decided to take a one-way trip to never-never land! Since Friday we've been battling 90+ degree weather upstairs in our house as well as some very sick bebies. It's almost comical - I think our house has a mind of it's own. Since we've moved in, just over 2 years now, every summer we've been hit by an AC issue and sickness at the very same time. But we counted our lucky stars yesterday that it's only May so if there's an upside to this story it's that we're only battling 90+ degree weather in our house and not sitting in the middle of July when temperatures get up to 110 outside. Also, I have to mention Astro Heating and Air who came to our rescue yesterday and their outstanding, unbelievably sweet Super Hero Matt who spent at least a few hours with us on a Saturday fixing our AC so our sadly sick babies could at least sleep in a cool room last night. And they did. Thank you Matt.
Also have to mention a very cool photo session last Monday with the Sacramento Monarchs during their Media Day! What an awesome group of athletes - fun, beautiful, strong - they were a blast to work with - will be releasing some of the photos from our session later this week. Which is also my sign off because I'm back to editing those very photos! In my very air conditioned house! WOHO!

William and Emma

2008-05-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

These two were too much fun and so easy! I had to ask mom if their behavior was normal because, in all honesty, I had mild mannered baby envy! I love my kids to death but mild mannered they are not. In any case, mom said they are indeed just mild sweet babies. And we both agreed if you're going to have twins, that's the way to go! :) To see more of these two cuties, check out the homepage.

This was a new idea I had that we beta tested (the jean jacket) :) I think it has possibilities.

Race for the Cure

2008-05-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning my mom and I met up with my cousin Jennifer, her boyfriend and his daughter to participate in Race for the Cure. I confess, my cousin has asked me to join them for years and for one reason or another, I just never have. So, this year I finally commited to joining them - and was so glad I did.
I had no idea what to expect but what I discovered was an overwhelming feeling of community and caring in the massive crowd of people who turned out at 7:45am on Saturday morning for a cause that I'm not sure I truly understood the magnitude of until that morning. We hear about it a lot but that didn't transfer for me until I was walking behind person after person who was either a survivor or who had a badge pinned to the back of their shirt in honor of who they were walking for (they have badges - for lack of a better word -that say "In Memory of" or "In Celebration of" and people then write down the name or names below it and pin it to the back of their shirt). It was a bit of an emotional journey seeing all those names...and realizing how many lives this disease has - and continues to - claim. On a more positive note, it was inspiring to see how many people are fighting back - both survivors and those who turned out in support. I couldn't believe how many people were there - it was overwhelming...and extremely beautiful.
And I have to say, I was proud of my cousin for the years she's done this and for pushing me to get involved. That's truly passing on goodness.

the am crew

how do you like them puffy eyes? :) (me, not my mum)

Green Goodness

2008-05-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from our recent excursion a few weekends ago. I would have more to share but, wouldn't you know, I got sick! I was down for 1 1/2 days of our getaway. :( So, there are only a few...the first one, to be honest, I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to it, but I just loved this tree and the serenity of the river. And below, this is COOL! We ate at this little mom and pop hamburger joint that uses these cups. Not sure you'll be able to see but the cup says "made from corn, environmentally sustainable and 100% compostable." Groovy, eh? :)

Carrot Thank Yous

2008-05-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've been dying to have my own organic garden for eons now. Well, this year - we did it. We are now the offical, proud cultivators of two large 4x8 raised garden beds. And this is the first of the crop - a spinach seedling that has made it throught to show off it's beautiful green leaves. Other items in our crop include tomato, carrots, corn, leeks, cucumber...lotsa' good stuff! I have a feeling we're in for an over-abundance so at the end of a session, you may just find me handing out carrots as thank yous! :)

Little Miracles

2008-05-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to share pictures of these two cuties. Born at 27 weeks, the cute little girl looking up (that's TJ) weighed 1.2 pounds and Noah, 2.3 pounds. You'd never know today that they were once so tiny - they are active, talkative and healthy two year olds with a great curiousity for the outdoors. They are also extremely sweet, mellow children who were just plain fun to be around (mom and dad too :)). Jill, Kevin, Noah, TJ - I had a wonderful time hanging out with you guys and getting to know your family! Thanks for coming and spending the morning with me. :)

Isn't It Lovely

2008-05-04T11:27:00.001-07:00

This is why, when it comes to kids, you should never blindly answer a question. Yesterday we took all three kids to get hair cuts. Gabby was the last to go and the twins were getting a bit rowdy. I was trying to keep an eye on Hannah who had developed a fascination with the magazine rack, or more specifically, with watching the magazines tumble off the rack by the magic of her hand and Isaiah, who had developed a morbid fascination with the bathroom and looked, at any minute, ready to sprint past the threshold into - I'm sure - germ land (this was, afterall, a childrens haircut place and even though it's an awesome place, somewhat clean I'm sure, I do have a bit of germphobia which I won't be totally devastated if I pass on to my kids). In any case, it's fair to say I was distracted when the stylist told me Gabby wanted her hair up and oh yeah, could she put some spray-on color in it? I answered before thinking and this is what came home with us. In all honesty, I think it's pretty cool (giggle) but I'm not sure if I should be telling her that. In any case, I had to grab a photo.

And THIS is why you should never actually ask a child to "smile!" because, undoubtedly, you will get the toddler bear grin. I know this and yet I still fall prey to asking for that one little wicked word "smile!"

And one last pink-haired bear grin for the camera.

Blog Hog!

2008-05-04T11:25:00.001-07:00

I'm a blog hog today...hey, if you haven't seen this movie you HAVE to rent it: Dan in Real Life. This is probably going to be one of my favorites from 2008. So cute, so sweet. Rent it!

Tea Lady

2008-05-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

Angels Tea by Linde Lane

A few years ago I met this amazing lady named Kristina. She is a dentist by trade, a genius by nature, and truly one of the most gifted, multi-faceted woman I've ever met in my life. I am blessed that our paths crossed, I now call her a good friend and she is truly the reason I am here today. She, in all of her spare time between an adorable boyfriend, two great kids, and running her 6+(?) staffed dentist office, decided to open a tea shop. Now, I may be off on all the exact reasons but one that sticks in my head and I think is just too freaking cool is - she was inspired to create great tasting tea for kids after seeing so many kids come in with cavities from all the soda they were drinking. So, she created this line for kids which, by the way, totally rocks! But she didn't stop there - she has now created a whole line of teas, tea accessories, etc. Everytime I see one of her new products, I'm blown away. How she finds the time and creative energy to do this is beyond me but I'm in constant awe.
I just finished photographing some of her new products - here are a few favs and here is her website where you can find great tasting tea for yourself, your kids and a host of other fun stuff!

Best Cookie Recipe in the West

2008-05-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

That's right, I said it, the BEST! I'm no Martha Stewart but these cookies are to die for! If you like your cookies slightly crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, then you'll be in hog heaven with these! We stumbled upon this one night when we ran out of one key ingredient (eggs) and were way too lazy to go to the store on a Friday night, which, granted is only like 5 minutes away. But Friday nights are meant for lazy and lazy doesn't go to the store on a whim (especially when lazy is in the middle of a good movie!). :) So, I did a search on the internet for egg subs and found that 2 tablespoons of cornstarch equals one egg. Okay, got that? Here we go...

Best Cookie Recipe in the West:
Go to your local grocery store (preferably before Friday night)
Buy a bag of Nestle Semi-Sweet Morsels
Turn over and look for Original Recipe
Make according to instructions EXCEPT:
-use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in lieu of eggs (the recipe calls for 2 eggs, so that'd be 4 tablespoons of cornstarch)
-add vegetable oil and water

The dough will be a bit dry and chunky, so once you've mixed all ingredients except chocolate chips, add 1-2 (or more) tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1-2 tablespoons of water. This part is where your artistic choices and taste palette come into play...you want the dough moist enough to pack into cookie balls but not too moist with the vegetable oil that is TASTES like vegetable oil when you're done. Your goal is to just moisten the dough enough that you can then spoon out a chunk of cookie, use both hands to shape into a ball and plop it on a cookie sheet. And people, do NOT skimp on the chocolate chips! Do your taste palette a favor and heap those puppies in! You don't need a measuring cup for this - just good eye sight and a tendency for generousity.

Cooking times will vary but we cook around 12 minutes at 375. We like 'em a bit gooey though. Enjoy!

ummmmmmmmm.....

What do your flip flops say about you?

2008-05-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

My friend Denise put this on her blog and it's so fun, I had to share. I think it's totally her too! So, what do you think those of you who know me - is my flip flop test accurate? Okay, now go take yours! It's fun, it's Friday, why not?! :)

What Your Flip Flops Say About You

You live to have fun, and your sense of humor is downright goofy.

You are a big kid on the inside, and you have a very open heart.

You try to make every day feel like a vacation, even if you have other responsibilities.

Each day, you make a little bit of time to play and let loose.

Your ideal warm weather place: Disney World

The Flip Flop Test

Miss Addison

2008-04-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

I've been so bad lately about posting sneak peeks but I wanted to share a quick one of this little cutie. One thing I want to say - I feel truly blessed to be in this business and have the opportunity to meet so many beautiful families. This family is especially close to my heart as the mother of Addison (Athena) and her mom (Adrienne) run my daughter's preschool together in Lincoln. We often refer to their school as a second home because that's the feeling you get being there. There is a warmth and genuine love for the kids in everyone who works there. I am so extremely thankful to Athena and Adrienne and their wonderful crew (Miss Patty, Miss Elise, and Miss Amber). Thank you for all that you do! To see more of Addison, check out the Main homepage.

I'm Outta Here!

2008-04-17T21:29:00.001-07:00

Today my honey and I are heading out for one of our bi-annual weekend getaways to - next to Nevada City - one of my favorite places in the world - Napa! It gets harder and harder to coordinate these 'escapes' - it's actually taking three people in rotating shifts to help us accomplish this task - my sister-n-law, my mom, and a sitter. As a parent, you may appreciate this: my sister-n-law will be arriving this morning to watch the kids until this afternoon when my mom arrives. My mom will be here with the kids until Sunday until which time the sitter arrives. The sitter will be here until Monday morning until which time my sister-n-law comes back (are you laughing yet?!) until we get home! Mission accomplished!! It's worth it though, these weekends are like little bits of bliss that sweeten our year. I love my kiddos but I love them even more when I get back! :) Have a great weekend everyone!

A field in Napa, 2007.

Path by our room, 2007.

Just Part of the Family

2008-04-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

I want to be a part of your family history - no really, I do. Infact, if you don't mind, I just might even include myself in your pictures (see picture below). :) Seriously though, don't you just love it when you end up in a picture and you had no idea you were going to be in the picture? I'm sure if I dug through my archives, I could find a ton of really wonderful 'flattering' pictures - you know, the ones where you're standing at the edge of the frame and are in mid-sentence and your mouth is hanging open like a sagging pair of jeans? Or those great laughing ones where someone caught you mid-belly laugh with your face squished in Pug-style? My absolute favorites though are Christmas morning opening-of-the presents photos. I think I have at least a shoe box full reserved for these very special heirloom images - the ones where everyone looks like they've been without sleep and a hair brush for a good week - not to mention the house looking like someone dropped a box full of shredded paper on the floor! Ahhhh, the memories! :)
Okay, back to the image below! This is from a prom shoot this past weekend which was an absolute blast! So many fun images to release from this session but as I'm editing, just had to share this one in which I surprisingly found myself in the image as well! I have to admit, I didn't even notice this as I was shooting - probably because this couple was just too cute and fun to photograph!

There I am in the window!

And Voila! I'm gone! :)

Earth Hour 2008

2008-04-15T21:17:00.001-07:00

I wanted to pass this along in case someone else missed out as I did! I didn 't know about Earth Hour until reading Marie Brown's blog on her Eco-Chic Design website tonight. I wish I had known, I would have participated. Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia last year and took place on March 31st. For one hour, everyone shut off their lights to help ease the pressure on global resources. These numbers are awe-inspiring to me - 2.2 million people turned off their lights which resulted in a 10.2% energy reduction in the city or the equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road - all by shutting of their lights for one hour! It's so amazing and inspiring to me what we are capable of when we work together. To see the video on this, click here.
I just wrote Marie today that I am so thankful for having met her (in case you're new to the blog, see posts from last month to see session highlights of Eco-Chic Design). It is through her and people like my aunt that I'm becoming more aware of issues I have often shrugged off as "hype" or "not my problem." I have so far to go in truly reducing (and truly understanding how to reduce) my footstep on our earth but I continue to try to retrain myself to think in eco-friendly ways. I get frustrated with myself because so much of what we do is habit-based - often it isn't until I'm in the checkout aisle at the store that I realize I forgot my canvas bags in the trunk.
So, though these may seem like extremely small and simple things, these are three big things in my life that I hope to change my habits:

replace plastic and paper shopping bags with my canvas bags - if you run into me at the store and I'm carrying plastic, I expect to hear about it! :)
reduce - eventually eliminate - plastic water bottles from my life (note to Starbucks partners (or employees but Starbucks calls them 'partners' which I just love!) - if you see me in the drive thru do NOT sell me any bottled water - oh yeah, and please no sweets either - do me a favor, and just tell me you're sold out. :) ! I'm addicted to water bottles but in truth, it's just another one of those convenient, habit-based things.
recycle, recycle, recycle. Yes, I'm so late to get aboard doing this. I did try at one point and had a mound of recycled bags stacked in our garage much to the annoyance of my spouse since I was littering an area that is technically "not my territory" (that includes the backyard as well - supposedly I have all say over the house and so these areas are the places where I have NO say. The funny thing about that is, if I had all say over the house, for one, it'd be a lot more decorated than it is now (as in, budgeted money spent on the house, NOT the backyard), and secondly, you'd see a lot more colored walls and TONS OF RED! Where is that emotion icon with the little guy sticking his tongue out when you need it?? :)

Okay, so there are my goals. I hope if you see me and I'm not holding to them you holler at me...unless I have my kids and then you might freak them out and me too. But by all means, if I'm walking alone and have a bottle in my hand, go ahead - holler! Sometimes it takes a little noise to get the wake up call going!

Checkout Marie's cool site here!

Fibber!

2008-04-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it seems when I made my post the other day I forgot about these images. As I was editing tonight I came across these and although they aren't the smiling ones, I have to say, in all honesty, they make me smile because - well, just look at that little face and those big expressions (needless to say, the faux fur was NOT a hit)!!! I had to post one of my favorites with mom as well.

Oh, Baby!

2008-04-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

Just had to share a quick sneek peek at this cutie! This is Cooper, a 17 week old hottie on his way to being a heart breaker! There were no bad pictures to be had of this little guy who smiled and played his way through our session, providing many adorable expressions such as the 'tongue' smile below. :)

Squash the Smoke is here!

2008-04-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am so unbelievably excited to announce that we have our first Squash the Smoke poster! If you've been following along, you know Jordan Brown was selected to be the first anti-smoking role model. I even featured a sneak peek last month which you can check out if you missed, below. Jordan had a lot of great input for this poster plus he was willing to donate his time and thoughts during the creation process for which I'm very grateful. Thank you Jordan!!
If you're a local business, work at an elementary or high school or know somewhere that would be willing to display one of our campaign posters, please contact us! We will be releasing a poster twice a year, in the Spring and Fall. As of right now, we have our next STS role model lined up and are preparing to start work on the next poster.

Sunny Spring Blues

2008-03-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

I know, it seems like a bit of an oxymoron but this post is for my mama who loves winter rain and stormy days. She's a bit blue right now as the first day of spring has come and gone and summer warmth is sneaking up upon us. While for some of us sunshine brings smiles, for her it brings a bit of the blues. I think we all experience some kind of transitional shock with the changing of the seasons...personally, I love spring and will soak up all it's days with relish! But the heat of summer does seem to follow too quickly on it's heels. By August, I'm dreaming of the sound of rain beating on my roof - and I'm not even a winter person! So, mom, this is for you - wishing for spring showers to bring May flowers and get you through until next winter! :)

(to my girls in the East Coast who read this...specifically Alli and Hayley...please don't kill me! :) Wishing for East Coast SUNSHINE for you guys!)

Sacramento Kings Dance Team

2008-03-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last week I met up with some of the Kings Dance Team again - this time to capture some pictures for the 2008 NBA Dance Bracket. I have a great time working with these girls (ladies :))because, not only are they incredibly sweet and so easy to photograph (hum, imagine that :)), but they are extremely laid back and easy-going which makes for a very fun, relaxed photo shoot. We shot this in the training facilities at Arco Arena.

Little Man Alex

2008-03-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, seriously, does it get any cuter than this?! This little guy has so much personality! He had mom Lisa and me cracking up the whole time. At one point, inbetween setups and outfits, barefoot, wearing only a pair of jeans, he set off dancing in the living room to Dan Zanes "Catch That Train" (I had this playing during our session and apparently it was a hit!). I wish I could describe how cute it was - watching a little 1 year old who is still getting steady on his legs, kind of like a sailor who has been at sea for weeks and is just hitting land, shake his groove thing in the living room in little blue jeans with a big smile. In any case, here is the little man, photographed for his 1st birthday. We ended our session on the kitchen table, photographed using window light, with a birthday cake made especially for him that mom brought - I'll post those on the homepage as soon as they're edited! :)

Eco-Chic Design

2008-03-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to talk about this lady! A few weeks ago I mentioned having to reschedule a session and how excited I was about this project...well, here it is! Eco-Chic Design is headed by interior designer Marie Brown of Lincoln, California. I had a great time working with Marie last year doing portraits for her website. You can imagine then how excited I was when she called about doing design photos as well! We met up a few weeks ago and spent the day photographing her 'beach' house which I am absolutely in love with! It was a bit dark, so we had to 'simulate' sunshine with studio flash which was a fun opportunity to create different moods and play with texture and shadow. It wasn't hard deciding what to photography, rather what NOT to photograph! There are so many fun pieces in her house. As you can see, she has an incredible eye for detail and beautiful, eclectic pieces. And, as her business is green-based, her designs are built around recycled or environmentally friendly pieces such as these colorful living room chairs which were crafted from recycled boat wood. They are unlike anything I've seen or felt - the texture is almost like soft silk. Even the paint used on her walls is environmentally friendly and free from toxins. I am so inspired every time we talk so it was a treat to spend the day with her, chatting as we went and capturing some great images to display her work! To see more from our shoot, go to Slideshows at http://www.llfotos.com/ or use the link to the right. I'll be posting more about this amazing lady!

First Squash the Smoke Role Model!

2008-03-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to announce our first Squash the Smoke senior role model! As you might remember, at the beginning of 2008 I announced Squash the Smoke - an anti-smoking campaign geared toward highschool and elementary kids. It'll be a series of fun posters highlighting strong role models who have chosen to pass on smoking. The goal is to distribute the posters to local highschools (and eventually elementary schools) for display and to reinforce that making a statement, being cool and unique comes from who you are - not what you do.
I first met Jordan last year when I photographed his family at their home in Lincoln. Not long after we worked together again when I photographed him for his senior photos (check out the Forever Young gallery to see highlights from that shoot). Well, a few month ago when I learned he was voted Homecoming King, I knew he HAD to be our first role model! Not only is he one of the nicest, most courteous teenagers I know, he has a style that absolutely rocks and speaks to his individuality. I couldn't think of a better person to be our first role model for this campaign.
And how cool is this? He met me at 8:30am on a Saturday morning to do this session! THANK YOU again Jordan!!!
Okay, I'm holding out most of the photos for the actual poster - which I will share soon! - but for one quick sneak peek, check out below.

Favorite Old Haunts

2008-03-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

Friday afternoon I unexpectedly found myself with some free time (had to reschedule a session to next weekend due to some missing key elements - I'm SO excited about this commerical project! Let's just say it involves an amazingly talented lady and her company which is green-based (so cool)...but I can't talk about it yet! LOL! Details to follow soon.) and decided to pack up, hit the road and return to one of my old haunts. I felt like a kid again - stashing my laptop away, grabbing a sweatshirt, camera and flying by the seat of my pants as I headed out the door, no definite plans in sight, other than heading to the foothills. I ended up at one of my favorite old spots - if you're a local to Nevada City, you probabaly recognize it. If you're not, well, you'll just have to join me for an afternoon photo session to see it! :) It's gorgeous! I've always tried to capture the majestic beauty of this place and have never been thrilled with the results. So, this time instead of trying to capture it all, which is my first inclination when surrounded by such stunning scenery, I purposely turned my back to what draws me so much - this beautiful, tumbling river - and decided to find richness in the details. What I discovered was a cool old bridge with rusting ironwork and faded, funky colors, texture-rich rocks, and some gorgeous light. What follows are some photos from my afternoon 'adventure'.

A road-trip afternoon wouldn't be complete without some trusty, completely fat-free and totally healthy (ha) snacks! :)

Life wouldn't be complete without.... :)

Talk about gorgeous texture...

How cool is this?! Trying out a new ultra-wide angle lens - that's taken at a position of me holding the camera simply looking down and those are my legs and monopod!! So freaky!

There's my glorious light...

Little Led Zeppelin

2008-02-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

A week ago I photographed this little man who came dressed to impress in his adorable Led Zeppelin tee (which you may be able to see in pictures below). Talk about a cutie! I told his mom I have a serious crush going! :) This little guy, Mr. Marv, was so much fun - game for anything and an absolute pleasure to photograph. We started our session with some fun photos studio- style and then went more casual with natural window light and a leopard blanket on the bed. We ended the session with a quick visit outdoors where I captured his little feet as he checked out the swingset (photos to be on homepage soon).

A Bit Starstruck

2008-02-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, before the crazy beautiful full life of having a family, I was a single girl with time to spare and an avid King's fan who was lucky enough to find herself seated at many a game. Times have changed, life is more hectic with less time to spare and fewer games to be had, but one thing remains constant - I remain an avid and loyal Kings fan, maybe not quite as savvy on the 'game talk' as I used to be, but they are still and will forever be my amazing hometown team. So, you can imagine my excitement last night when I found myself seated on the court mere feet away from where some of the Kings players were warming up! I was there on assignment working with the Kings awesome Creative Director, Heather Vaughan, again to capture fun pictures showing some of the cool stuff season ticket holders can look forward to like exclusive behind the scenes tours, a gorgeous black leather briefcase (seriously, Gucci ain't got nothin' on these cool bags! They should take notes!), etc. (And PS - honey, if you read this, I want to be season ticket holder! I know we just had Christmas and Valentine's Day but my birthday is coming up. Aren't 34th birthdays supposed to be like really huge somewhere??! :)) In any case! Inbetween shoots, there I was - about 2 seats over behind the basketball hoop looking up more than a little starstruck as the likes of Brad Miller sprinted here and there, casually dropping hoops as he warmed up. I was told I could take photos while I waited and even though I only came equipped with my 20-70 and 24-105 portrait lens for the work we were doing, I thought - what the heck, who knows when a girl will get a chance like this again! So, though I felt a bit silly with my little portrait lens surrounded by the pro action shooters with their awesome telephotos (and yeah, that might be a little lens envy you hear in my voice!) I got down on my knees and just started shooting. And even though they aren't exactly Sports Illustrated action quality - okay, let me rephrase that - even though they aren't even remotely close to Sports Illustrated action quality photos, they come with great memories and like all photos, that is what makes them truly special. :)

Oh, Cinderelli!

2008-02-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

We start 'em young at our house (just kidding)! :) These were taken this past weekend while my son 'involved' himself in our household duties. It was early in the morning and there was this beautiful window light in our living room so (you know what comes next) of course, I grabbed my camera and... This is a great tip for parents wanting to photograph their kids - put them near a window! Window light produces some of the most beautiful, soft, filtered light.

Hey, what do you think this is, break time? Get back to work!

You missed a spot!

Scrub, scrub, scrub...

And don't forget that spot on the glass... :)

Wow, aren't kids great?!

An Afternoon at the Park

2008-02-19T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with this beautiful family at the park. We'd had some rain the week prior and were crossing our fingers for some nice weather and wow, did we make out! It was probably one of the most gorgeous days of this season! The park was overflowing with people - I literally had to "mark" my spot with my gear when I got there to hold it from another woman who was looking for a nice spot to settle down! In any case, it was a perfect spot for kids to just be kids and have fun running around and exploring. This is one of my favorite types of sessions with kids because it lets them be themselvs and have fun which make for the best shots. We hung out for a few hours, letting them play and capturing some beautiful shots along the way. And are they a cute family or what?!!
ps - oh yeah, and maybe next time I'll hold back on the lollipops for awhile. :)

Simple, sweet Valentine's Day traditions...

2008-02-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! And yes, this post is a day late but sometimes life throws little hiccups in your plans and mine consisted of a sick little girl yesterday who just wanted her mommy. :) So, posting this a day late, I just wanted to share this cute tradition my stepmom (aka: "Momi" - a nickname I admittedly stole from my favorite character on Men in Trees) shared with me and that I just love and am, as of next year, officially stealing from her. When my brothers and sister were young, she'd start the day with heart-shaped pancakes. They also had red-themed lunches and knowing her, I'm sure the house was decked out with adorable decorations and there were other goodies to be found in the day.
Just proves the point - it doesn't have to be elaborate - just special. For us, yesterday, that consisted of: kids in bed early, yummy dinner (one of our quirky favorites - making breakfast for dinner - hashbrowns, scrambled eggs and toast with jam...yum!) and a good movie. I know, I know, not exactly Morton's and fine wine but definitely simple and sweet.

What does an artist do with sick kids on Valentine's Day? Take goofy pictures of her daughter's Valentine's!

What is it about urban grunge...

2008-02-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

...that I love so much?! I actually pulled these photos up as a mini-celebration. Yesterday I learned that after 12+weeks I'm FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY getting my settlement from AA for losing my luggage last October. Yes, that was LAST October! The absolute bummer is I didn't know electronics weren't covered when I flew so I had a Flashtraxx, lightmeter, extra camera batteries, memory cards, etc., packed in my bag that I basicly had to kiss goodbye. So there you go - in case you didn't know, jewelry and electronics are not covered. Just consider me your little information barometer...unless, of course, I was the only one in the dark in which case maybe I need a little information barometer! :)

In any case, thought I'd share a couple fun grunge shots I took on the streets of New York. Now try to imagine a senior photo shoot with holy jeans, white shirt, flip flops and that cool, laid back Cali style we are so well known for! Are you feelin' me on the urban grunge yet? :)

CRAZY fun special!

2008-02-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, I said I'd be posting specials, discounts, fun misc., so here we go! FIRST CALLER TODAY to book a baby, child or individual photo session for February (does not pertain to family or senior photo sessions) pays NO SESSION FEE!

Ya gotta love that! Call 916-343-3551.

Blog Tip: Look for a CRAZY fun special at the beginning of each month!

Picture Perfect by Candy

2008-02-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

Photo Courtesy Picture Perfect by Candy

A few years ago I met a group of ladies whose friendship, professional advice and artistic creativity are a daily inspiration to me. I truly count my lucky stars for having met them - they challenge me to believe, think bigger, take risks, and even if it doesn't all pan out - they are there to hold my hand and pick me up. This is what we do for each other as a group and it has made for some amazing friendships.
So, you will have to excuse me if, along the way, I brag a bit about these ladies and continually point out how amazing they are - such is the case with this month's featured photographer Picture Perfect by Candy. I had a chance to be roomies with Candy while attending the Photo Expo in New York this past October. Aside from literally giving me the shirt off her back when my luggage was misplaced - still MIA I might add - let me tell you, there is no dull moment with her! She is a rockin mama and photog extraordinaire (that should really be the other way around but it flows better as said :))! The thing I love most about Candy, aside from continual awe of her artistic vision, is that you can be certain that with her, you will always get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You ask, she'll tell you. I can't think of a better foundation to a great friendship which is why I'm happy to brag about this amazing lady.

Gap RED

2008-02-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for this blog is sharing personal as well as professional tidbits and just fun stuff along the way. Having said that I thought I'd share this shirt that I'm completely in love with. I found this at Gap a few weeks ago. How cool is this?! I love what Gap is up to these days - their Gap RED campaign is awesome - lots of cool products for a really great cause.
Ps - you may be seeing lots of little environmental thoughts from me this year. That's just me sharing my excitement in finally being aware! This last year brought a lot of awareness in my life on many levels, environmental issues one of them. I have a long ways to go in doing my part to make our world a better, more environmental friendly place but I've committed myself to baby steps like taking canvas bags to the grocery store instead of collecting a million plastic bags that inevitably end up in the trash can! I'm sad it's taken me so long to actually be aware! I have my aunt to thank for that - her "don't you recycle?" question every time she is over finally penetrated! Thank you Aunt Lynne! ")

Back online!

2008-02-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry to have gone MIA this last week! I caught some of the fun stuff going around and was a bit under the weather but am hopefully back up now. Hope everyone is enjoying themselves with a nice night by the fire!! :)

Highroller Lifestyle

2008-01-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the awesome experience to work with the Kings again to capture some lifestyle photos of their box seats. Talk about a fun job! Not only did the Kings kick butt against the Nets (go Kings!) but we were working from some of the best seats in the house. A girl could get used to this lifestyle! Big thank you to the all the beautiful people who turned out for this shoot - you guys were awesome! And to Paula - our wonderful hostess who took such good care of everyone!

Weekend Bliss

2008-01-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!

Little Drops of Sunshine

2008-01-25T07:14:00.000-08:00

When it comes to photos of my children, I must admit, I have no objectivity! I'm the worst for giving them a good critique. Certainly, this photo doesn't have great technical merit :) but I do love those drops of sunhine and the feel of warmth and happiness that emanates from it...at least for me but my feelings may be tied into the actual experience (which happened to be this amazing day of sunshine we had last weekend). So tell me, what do you think about this photo?

Special Shout Out

2008-01-23T17:38:00.001-08:00

Congratulations JB!!

To one of my favorite senior peeps - Jordan Brown who, I just learned, was voted Homecoming King last Friday! Congratulations JB!!! I have to say, in all honesty, I'm not surprised. Not only are you a hottie but sweet as well! :)

So Euber

2008-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Last week I got to hang out with a couple of awesome guys - Casey and Dhon - some of the euber creative forces behind the Kings and Monarchs (and yes, euber is a word I made up or at least cannot find by my spelling but I've grown attached to it so there you have it. Euber = super, extremely, awesome, amazing, too cool for the word cool.) to capture some fun shots of their teamstore (which, if you haven't seen, by the way, definitely warrants a visit to check out the 'euber' adidas box design on the outside - a genius idea, as I understand, by another one of the Kings and Monarchs euber creative forces, Heather Vaughan). In any case, these guys were up for some creative shots so we had fun playing with different set ups, angles, etc. Casey, I'm posting these " money" shots especially for you! :)

Life as seen through the eye of the camera...

2008-01-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

Like most photographers, I look at life through the eye of my camera - even when my camera is packed and put away. I can't help it - I'm constantly evaluating light, composition, setting. I continually see moments, smiles, small details - times when I would just die to have my camera in my hands! As it is, I walk around - probably way too much - with my camera. It's my addiction. I can't help myself. :) Fortunately for me, my spouse is extremely supportive and even appreciative (!) of me lugging around my camera attempting to capture every amazing moment in our lives and in our kid's lives (even when our mini weekend getaways together turn into a photo shoot with us pulling over every 5 minutes because I see something I have to photograph or an afternoon playtime outside with our kids turns into a photo op or first thing in the morning - when we're all looking lovely -and there is this gorgeous light streaming through the window and I just HAVE to grab a photo of it falling on my kids as they play....) Living with a photographer can be a bit tedious at times, I'm sure!
So, of course, I had my camera handy while visiting my in laws after Christmas and captured this fun little series of photos taken of my son Isaiah and my nephew Nick as they played together. Since Isaiah is the hardest subject to capture in my house it was fun to grab these of him just being a boy and having fun. And girls, isn't my nephew adorable?! He's a firefighter too! :)

My Fun Inlaws!

2008-01-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

I am so fortunate - I have the best inlaws a girl could wish for. I have to share a couple of photos from a recent session with my brother-in-law and his family (who I have been wanting to photograph FOREVER!) :) I just love their goofiness - it's so much fun (as you can see). These are just a quick sneak peek as I have many more to edit...

An Afternoon in Wine Country with the Seebecks and Salmans

2008-01-07T22:53:00.000-08:00

I love family sessions! What isn't there to love? Family spending time together, laughing, joking together...they are always so much fun. In any case, it wasn't hard capturing this family having fun together especially when you add a little wine - made by the Salmans - into the mix!

Good Things in the New Year

2008-01-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! This year some good things will be happening at Laura Lynne Photography...

Going Green. I will be changing out my current packaging products with 100% recycled material. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen! Personally, I just bought Essential Environments: Discover How to Create Healthy Living Spaces by Janie Quinn to educate myself on all the ways I can make my living space a better place for myself, my family and the environment. Small changes make a big difference!
Squash the Smoke - a campaign I'm starting to show kids that smoking truly is not cool. I'll be recruiting non-smoking teenagers and adults to be role models in posters I plan to send out to as many schools as I can. It'll be a fun, hip campaign highlighting some of the reasons smoking is one thing you'll never regret not trying in this life.
Weddings! I'm expanding my business to include wedding photography services. And what a great way to kick it off - I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful couple on December 1st. You can catch some of their wedding photo highlights on the homepage and a soon-to-be Wedding gallery.
Commercial Photography Services. In addition to now offering wedding photography, I'm also offering commercial services. I'll be adding a Commercial gallery shortly!

I'm sure this list will grow as we go but for now, I hope everyone had an amazing New Year and I look forward to working with you in 2008!!

Calvin and Violet

2007-12-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

Talk about cute kids! This is an adorable brother and sister I had the pleasure of photographing last weekend. We met for an early am session and even though it was a bit chilly we had a great time. Little Violet wasn't too sure about the whole photo session thing at first but as you can see, she got into the swing of it and was so cute with all her expressions (check out the homepage to see more).

Bad Blogger

2007-12-11T22:32:00.000-08:00

I have so neglected my blog! To be honest, I still need to get into the swing of this whole blogging thing. :) I have a bunch of sessions to post and tons of editing still to do so this is just a brief update to say I hope everyone is having a great month and enjoying the holidays!

Goin' Old School with the Kings Breakers

2007-11-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Breakers posing with Jordan.

Our set 'crew' - from left: John (the man with the cool car), Jordan, Dillan, Tommy (and not shown, Robin and Ella who were keeping warm in the car!).

Last Sunday I had another awesome experience photographing the King's Breakers in downtown Sacramento. Cold seems to be a theme in my posts lately (!) but seriously, at 45 odd degrees, you gotta hand it to these guys for gearing up and not only showing us some of their awesome (or 'tight' :)) moves but for doing it with such a great attitude. We used an alley I found in downtown Sac for a very low-down, old school vibe. And man, did we have fun with our 'tools' - the car and boombox. A BIG thank you to the Breakers - I would sit and watch you guys break any day of the week - you are amazing! and to Tommy for hooking us up with John and his family who drove from Napa on a Sunday morning to share his beautiful car with us (that, I might add, he built from ground up!) and to Ella, my assistant who hates the cold and still managed to have a good time. To see more Breaker photos, go to Slideshows and scroll to the bottom!

LeClaire Family Session

2007-11-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

At another one of my favorite places - the barn! A BIG thank you to it's owner - Ms Betty and her husband - for being so generous in sharing this beautiful piece of property with us. And a big thank you to this beautiful family for playing along with all my ideas and being game for anything! As you can see, we had some fun with fall leaves!

Hello Bella!

2007-11-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

I can't think of a more appropriate name for this 12 year old superstar! I think you'll be seeing her again...as in WNBA! We met for an early a.m. shoot and had a great time capturing Bella as her spunky, fun self. Check out the homepage for more shots of this beautiful girl!