Hmmm...

It's been over a year since I've written and for the one person that reads this blog, I am truly sorry.

I'm going to change things around here in my blog and I hope you will follow me into Wonderland.  I really don't know what I'm doing so this will be interesting but I think together we can share a few ideas, stories and other tidbits that make up life and its intricacies.  Last year taught me a few things about myself, so I'm going to take a new approach to things this year.

One thing that I did do was set aside fear for once and became part of an artist showcase.  

I hadn't done one on my own and was really nervous.  Showing your work is like putting your heart and soul out there for people to look at.  It can be very intimidating.

A few things I learned:

1. Be prepared.  The Scouts had this right because flying by the seat of your pants usually always comes with consequences.  For those that can do it on the fly, more power to you.  I, on the other hand, not so much.  I had a month to prepare for this showcase which included shooting a new series, editing, and putting together my display.  Talk about a crazy month.  But putting a plan together, making a list of things I needed to get and do helped me put together something I was proud of.  I also had help and support from friends and family that I could not have done it without.  

2. Other artists can be really cool.  I was really intimidated about going in there with my simple black and white photos.  There were a lot of talented artists there and I felt like an amateur.  But when it came down to the day of the show, everyone was really cool and everyone that I met had this great attitude.  I had other artists tell me that they were nervous too!  Go figure. I think artists tend to psyche themselves out by comparing themselves to other artists and we have to get out of that mentality.  

3. That brings me to this:
                               
                                   Let go of your fear.

No kidding.  I almost didn't do the show.  I almost said no.  I told myself I wasn't going to be ready, I'm too busy, I didn't have the money to invest in such a short amount of time.  All excuses to keep me from saying yes.  But then I told myself I would kick myself in the ass if I didn't say yes.  The fear would subside but the regret would be be there for much longer.  I'm glad I did it.

Here is an installment from the series I used for the show.  

I went back to basics and shot black and white nudes.  I wanted to do something different from the photos I had been taking.  Stretch my legs, if you will and I'm glad I did.  I received a lot of positive feedback and even had some people tell me they'd like to book a shoot like this for themselves!

4.  Which taught me to be true to myself.  I let go of worrying about what others thought and went with my gut.  I had been wanting to shoot this series for awhile and I just never did it.  I figured this would be a good time to bring something new to the table.

Well, thanks for coming back or checking out this blog for the first time.  It'll be a little different going forward but change is a good thing.

So, until next time...

Hoping For Rain

This is another installment for the Dirty Up The Dress sessions I've been a part of for the better part of 2012.  You may recognize Ingrid from some of my other work.  I love having her on my shoots because she is so much fun and so fierce.  So when she told me that she had a cocktail dress that I could use for a shoot, I told her that she had to be a part of it and come get "Dirty".

Normally, photographers don't want rain on the day of their shoot but we were actually hoping for rain.  We thought that would be really cool to have this dress out in the rain and mud.  It had been raining for the better part of that week and was supposed to rain that day.  Instead we get some beautiful overcast.  As soon as we finished shooting it began sprinkling.... sprinkling! 

What we did get were some beautiful shots of Ingrid in her cocktail dress out on the horse ranch.

Curious onlookers

For more info on Dirty Up The Dress, check out our website:

www.dirtyupthedress.com

Ready To Wear - Tips To Prepare You For Your Shoot

I do a lot of portraiture in my work, both for clients and for my art.  One of the biggest questions I get when booking a client is 

"What do I wear?"

Here is a checklist that you can use to look your best for your photo session.

General Advice

• Hair – If you’re getting a hair cut for your shoot, do so about two weeks beforehand, just in case it goes wrong – you just never know. For men, a fresh cut a couple of days before the shoot is fine.
• Hair accessories – If you’re shooting outdoors, be ready to put your hair up and make it look nice in case of a windy day. Bring bobby pins, hair clips, headbands or any other favorite accessories.
• Glasses - If you normally wear glasses, you want to wear glasses in your shoot – however, the glare on glasses can detract from your eyes in photos. You can have your lenses removed from your frames for your shoot , ask your eye doctor to loan you a pair of similar frames, or you can also visit an inexpensive company online and buy a suitable pair of duplicate frames on the cheap.
• Red eyes – Visine is your friend.  If it is allergy season or if you have dry eyes, bring something to the shoot to help.
• Lips – You will probably wipe or lick your lips during your shoot, so bring fresh lip gloss or lipstick to do touch-up. Use lip balm for a few days in advance of your shoot to make your smoochers look their best.
• Teeth – If you want to brighten your smile, start your treatments about two weeks before your shoot.
• Breakouts – If you are prone to breakouts, lesson your makeup a couple of weeks before your shoot and follow a beauty regime everyday so your skin has time to heal and look its best.  Equally important, don’t cake on a lot of make-up to try to hide blemishes.  The camera will pick it up.  
• Make-up – A subtle application of make-up can really soften your skin and accent your facial features. Don't overdo it and apply makeup as you usually wear it.  You can use a more night time look for your eyes and lips.  A brown eyeliner with your mascara or a touch of eyeshadow can make your eyes pop in the photos but, like I said, don't overdo it.  Caked on makeup is not flattering to anyone.  Bring your makeup with you for touchups.
• Facial hair – Men, be freshly shaved with a new razor, shaving cream and a moisturizing after-shave lotion to avoid bumps and redness. Trim up your board, sideburns, moustache or goatee, especially looking for wiry stray hairs.  Men and women both, pay attention to the eyebrows.  
• Moisturizer – Dry skin can really detract from a great photo shoot. Start moisturizing nightly a week in advance of your shoot. When you get out of the shower, dry off until lightly damp, and slather on moisturizer. Focus on your arms, shoulders, neck, face, hands, anywhere you’ll be exposed to the camera. This includes your legs if you’re shooting in shorts or a skirt.  Be sure on your face to use a facial moisturizer, not a thick body moisturizer, or you could break out. Men, do not underestimate the importance of moisturizer.
• Nails – A fresh coat of nail polish will make a world of difference in your photo shoot. Pick a neutral color that won’t distract in your shoot or clash with your outfits. Freshen the morning of the shoot, then be careful not to scuff it while prepping. [I see this most often with high school senior girls, to whom half-gone nail polish seems to be a popular fad.] Your photo shoot is a great excuse for a fresh manicure, but if you can’t go to the salon, make sure your nails look tidy and clean, including the cuticles.
• Undergarments – Try on your entire outfit before your shoot to make sure you are happy with the results.  Sneaky bra straps that decide they want to be in the photo can happen.
• Sun burns and tan lines – If your shoot is booked for Saturday, don’t go to the beach on Friday. If you plan to tan before your shoot, do so at least a week beforehand and don’t get burned. Be mindful of clothing tan lines, sunglass tan lines, hat tan lines, etc.
• Ironing - If you iron, iron the night before and then hang the clothes for your shoot. If you’re wearing something that wrinkles easily, don’t wear it in the car on the way to the shoot – just change at the location.
• Shoes – Ladies, can’t go wrong in heels or wedges but be comfortable. Men, clean’em up! Dress shoes are best.  
• Clothing - See Families below.
• Be yourself!  Our job, as photographers, is to capture you!  Bring out your personality and a great smile!

Here are some suggestions for specific sessions....

Maternity

• Moisturize that belly!
• Gather your props to bring along – ultrasound printout, alphabet blocks that spell your baby’s name, baby shoes, stuffed animals, flowers, whatever you’ve seen in other maternity photos that you like.
• Wear whatever you feel comfortable and pretty in – long, flowy skirts, especially solids are nice, and strapless bras that coordinate with them. Tube dresses are great for showing off your shape.  A button-up shirt also makes it easy to transition into showing your belly.
• If you’re doing semi-nude/implied nude photos, bras and underwear will create noticable lines on your skin, so wear loose-fitting clothing to the shoot. You can add undergarments as necessary for photos later in the shoot.
• Do bring your significant other! They’ll make a great prop for your photos, and greatly expand on the number of different photos you can make during your shoot. They should bring outfits that coordinate with what you’ll be wearing, or a dark long-sleeved shirt or sweater and dark pants. The focus should always be on you, your expressions, your emotions, your personality, your joy and your connection.

Newborns and Babies

• Use a wash cloth to clean away flaky skin and eye boogers.
• Trim those tiny fingernails and toenails with appropriate baby trimmers.
• Book your shoot around your baby’s feeding and nap times, work with the natural rhythm of your baby. The perfect time to shoot is right when the baby would be laying down for a nap. If your baby normally falls asleep after a feeding, wait to feed the baby until you’re at the shoot. Baby photographers allot plenty of time for this sort of thing to set up the best situation for great photos.
• Dress up paper diapers. Cloth diapers are classy and stylish, but if you don’t use them, bring bloomers or decorative diaper covers, solids preferred.
• Nothing is the best wardrobe for a newborn – no outfit fits a newborn well, and they often look swallowed in clothes. Accessories are good, though – little hats, dainty headbands, boys in crocheted hats, etc. Bring sentimental items like the quilt that Grandma made for the baby, a baby blanket from your own childhood – they’re great for the youngster to lay on.
• If your baby takes a pacifier, bring it – if they’re bottle fed, bring an extra bottle to help put the baby to sleep.

Children

• Clean, clean, clean – clean nails, clean hair, wipe away eye boogers, clean feet (sandals on kids = black feet!), wipe snotty noses, fresh-scrub teeth. The cleaner the kid, the better their photos will turn out.
• If your child is still in diapers or pull-ups, tuck’em in or wear bloomers.
• If your child is still of napping age, make sure they nap before the shoot.
• Kids will have their moments.  Don't be afraid to bring their favorite blanket or stuffed animal to help soothe them.  If bribery works (I will admit, I am guilty of this with my own children), bring goodies to the shoot but please see below.
• Avoid colorful drinks or lollypops within 24 hours of your shoot, don’t let them eat or drink anything that will stain their face, teeth or mouths.
• Wardrobe – For girls, you can’t go wrong with cute dresses, rompers, and dainty hats or headbands. For boys, jeans and polos or a button-up shirt, or a T-shirt with a button-up over it can be very cute, as well as overalls on the right age and personality. For siblings, the children don’t have to match perfectly, just coordinate. You can’t go wrong with dark, rich monotones, which drive the attention in photos to sweet faces and darling expressions instead of loud prints or colors. If nothing else, pick a color that compliments your child’s eye color.

Families

• Dad – Have a fresh shave or trim, and use a new razor with shaving cream and a moisturizing after-shave lotion to limit bumps and redness. Make sure nails are clean and trimmed. Wash your hands. Clean up your shoes. Moisturize and scrub away flaky facial skin (see above General advice). When you wash your face, pay attention to eye boogers and sleep crusties. For wardrobe, go for jeans or pants, tucked polo or dress shirt with a belt, or go casual with just a T-shirt or untucked polo, button-up short sleeve, etc.  Again you don’t have to perfectly match the rest of the family, just wear something that coordinates.
• Mom – Long- or 3/4-sleeve tops are very flattering. If you wear jewelry, aim for subtlety, and be aware of it twisting or turning.
• Kids – Same advice as above, but again, everything needn’t match, simply coordinate with the parents’ outfits. If Dad’s in a T-shirt, don’t put the kids in dress shirts – make it make sense.

Mom wanted a uniform look but not matching.  So everyone wore jeans and a black shirt.

High school seniors

• The biggest tips for seniors are to have an even tan, don’t get sunburned, clean and freshly-paint those nails, and moisturize and scrub away dry skin.
• Bring a variety of outfits – cap and gown, something casual, something stylish, ladies slip a dress in there to throw folks off, fellas try a formal look to impress. Wear what you think you look best in, but take the opportunity to also try a new look, just to surprise folks.
• Bring props that recall your high school years – band instrument, sports gear like a volleyball or baseball bat, your beloved (or cursed) high school car, letter jacket, sunglasses. Most of all, rep your style, whatever that may be. Your senior photo should be unique to your life and personality.

Seniors!  There is no reason you can not look your best!

I hope that helps.  One thing that I can not stress enough is to talk to your photographer.  This is just a general list that can change depending on what kind of look you're going for.  But always communicate your ideas with your photographer so you can get the most out of your photo shoot.

Happy shooting!

Thank you to Outlaw Photographer James Taylor for the compilation of great tips.  

Happily Ever After

There a moments in a person's life when they witness something truly beautiful.  One of those moments was the marriage of Jenoh and Amber.  These two are meant for each other and I had the great pleasure of photographing that day.

The Ringbearer was very protective of his precious cargo.  I almost didn't get this shot!  lol

Walking down the "aisle".  Jenoh and Amber were married in the Redwoods.  We were surrounded by beauty.

The girls

The bridal party

Their first few moments as husband and wife.  I snuck this pic.  They thought I was setting up.

The bride's shoes and purse in her seat.

I watched the bride and groom hold hands throughout the day.  They are a beautiful couple!

The happy couple

I really liked the Maid of Honor's dress :)

and she caught the bouquet.

The Happiest Place on Earth

My family and I recently took the trip to SoCal and visited Disneyland.  I've always had a soft spot for the park and was so happy to see my kids enjoy it as I did when I was their age.  

I would have liked to take more photos but trying to keep up with three kids at the most popular theme park in the western hemisphere is a bit challenging in itself, let alone when you're trying to take pics.  I say, oh well.  I would much rather not have to find that they have run after a character and have to explain to security that I was taking pictures and wasn't paying attention to my kids.  lol.  But truly, spending time with my little ones was worth the exhaustion.

One thing that didn't change for me was the excitement of walking through the gates and into Main Street and feeling like an 8 year old again.  I couldn't wait to go on the rides and see my favorite characters.  It's like traveling to my childhood.

So here are some highlights that I'm sharing.  Most of the pics are from our first night in the park which was the Halloween Party.  Lots of fun!  :)

My two oldest in costume for the party

My youngest.  This was her first trip to the park.  I think she might have been a little overwhelmed.  lol

The gate all decked out.

Oh yea

The Buzz Lightyear Dance Party

My mom and I.

The best parents ever

Tomorrowland 

Miss Piggy bringing up the rear of the parade!

I love the characters!

Yes, Tinkerbell, I am three.

Radiator Springs was awesome.

I wish I had taken more pics but there is always next year :)

Epic Fail... and other such nonsense

So I was supposed to do a 30-day photo challenge, forcing myself to go out and shoot.  
Obviously, that did not work as a month has gone by and I've only had one photo.  

Does this mean that I need to slow down my schedule?  Maybe.  Or just slow down enough to smell the roses...  or to photograph them.  What kills me is that I will go through an entire day watching photographs go by.  Most of the time I'm in the car, which can be a bit dangerous since I'm usually driving.  But do I stop?  No.  Why?  Because I'm usually driving somewhere that has a specific time in mind for me to arrive.  

In speaking with others in my field, it seems to be a common occupational hazard, this lack of time to be the artists we started out as.  Instead we have to grow up and become the business person we have to be in order to make a living doing what we love.  

But this is no excuse.  Naturally, our creativity will pounce on our clients like a hungry jungle cat.  It's what we do, we are creative people in a creative industry.  But there is something about the freedom of shooting for ourselves.  

I'll have to stop my venting there as my oldest has a presentation due tomorrow that she needs to finish and I still have other projects I'm working on that is in need of my attention.

I did photograph one more photo (and will continue to do so at my own speed, which I will try to pick up for my own sanity).  
This one was for "Simplicity"

Enjoy

Challenge... It's Not Just Butter

It is known that you have to challenge yourself to grow.  Whether you win or lose, succeed or fail, the lessons learned from the experience shape who you become.  

I have been seeing these quotes from Albert Einstein a lot here lately and I take it as a sign...

1. Imagination is everything.  It is the preview of life's coming attractions.  Imagination is more important than knowledge.

2. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

3. Information is not knowledge.  The only source of knowledge is experience.

 I have noticed that my own work has dwindled into fleeting moments of inspiration only to be filed away for another day so I can take care of my clients.  It is a common occupational hazard for photographers to get busy with work and not make time for their own passion.

So, I've decided to start a challenge.  30 photos in 30 days.  The exact amount of time that it takes to start a new habit and time to keep my creative eye keen.  I understand it's the end of the month, but I've waited too long to make time for myself and I am starting now.

So here is my first photo.  The theme is 'Morning'.  I know when people think of taking a morning picture, they might think of the sunrise or the sun shining through tree branches or some serene beautiful idea of a picturesque morning.
Well, my mornings are pretty hectic and I refuse to wake up at sunrise to take a picture of the rising sun if I don't have to.  My mornings consist of getting myself and my two school aged kids (I can't wait to see what happens when my 3 year old starts preschool) out the door on time to get them to school and myself to work.  I could have taken a picture of blurred subjects running to the car but instead I chose to get a shot of their morning line up at school.  It's when I spend just a few still moments with them, as they prepare for the day and I kiss them on the forehead before they walk to class.
To me, this is morning.

Thank you to Florabella for putting this challenge out there!

Tomorrow is 'Simplicity'...  hmmm...
  

And don't forget... challenge yourself :)