No need to go far.....

I am always happy to take some updated pictures for previous clients. But this client is a little different than most. You see, Dave is my contractor. He has remodeled most of the interior of my house (so far) for the past 8 years and did a fabulous job at that. I trust Dave fully with making my home look and feel warm, inviting and most of all, special. He has worked so hard to give me his best work and so when he and his family wanted me to take their pictures again, I wanted to do the same for them- do my best and give them something special.

Dave and Kathy built a beautiful fire pit and gazebo for the home and the front yard was a perfect spot for some family pictures. And for that added extra special touch, their son, Jeremy, played guitar for us during part of our photo shoot time. It was a perfect fall afternoon and such a relaxing atmosphere.

So is you have a favorite spot- even if it is in your own yard, let's try it out for some family photos. 

Here are just a couple of photos that I wanted to share with you. 

 

My handsome grand son- Damien

Once kids get to be in their teens, and they are involved in so many different activities, it seems as if it gets harder and harder to find some time to have their pictures taken... even if the photographer is their grand mother.

This is Damien..... I love my grand son. I know, most grand mothers will say the same thing about their grand sons... and  Damien is one terrific guy. He is smart and handsome and tall and a good athlete. He's funny and charming and helpful and an easy going kid to be around. But most of all, he is such a respectful and kindhearted young man. We are so happy to have him in our family.

 

Between the sports and friends, I was so happy to have one sunny summer morning where I was able to take a few pictures of this handsome guy. He has grown up in such a short time right before my eyes. They say babies change so much in just a few months. Well, I think there is also a big change in boys from the end of grade school and the beginning of high school. 

We all tend to stop taking those extra special pictures of our kids once they get into the teen years. Yet that's when they really change and develop into the young adults in our lives. Don't wait too long between then and now to update those important years in a boys life.  

Casually celebrating.....

I was asked by a friend of mine to take some pictures for a reception she and her husband were throwing for their daughter who just had a destination wedding in Hawaii a few weeks earlier. It was held at the beautiful Summit House restaurant in Fullerton. That place is a photographer's delight- it has so many beautiful places to take pictures at. One request- please take mostly candid photos. The bride and groom have already had plenty of formal wedding photos taken in Hawaii and this reception was a casual affair for those who could not make the trip Hawaii. So I set out to capture the event as best as I could without a lot of posed formal pictures.... but I had to take a couple just for the heck of it. 

Kristin and Nathan (the bride and groom) were just lovely people and allowed me the honor of a couple of posed photos. Her son, Dillon, was very fascinated with the camera and so I allowed him to take a couple of shots. This kid's got talent! And he is very handsome too. 

I made myself available to the guests at the party so if they wanted a family picture of their own, I was the person to do just that. The interaction of the guests was terrific. The evening was wonderful and the families were happy to have a lasting memory of a blessed event. Congrats to Kristen and Nathan and Dillon- blessings to the new family.

(Just a couple of photos of that evening.)

 

Dear friend and her family....

I have known Jeannette for over 30 years. She was working at the same place where I met my husband. We lost touch over the years and through Facebook, we were able to reconnect a few years ago. 

She asked me to take a few pictures of her family. She saw some of my samples and thought that it was time to update her family pictures too. Her son just finished his tour in the service and now that he was home for a little bit, she want to get some pictures done. 

  

 

 We were able to meet and head to out on a beautiful summer day. It was wonderful to be able to have so much time and use 3 different places to take pictures. Each place lent for a whole new set of fun. Everyone was so terrific to work with and I enjoyed spending so much time with them.

 

  

 As for most men, I am sure this wasn't the number one favorite thing to do on a summer morning. But we had a fun time and they were wonderful to work with. They were open to just about anything.

All they wanted was to make (mom/wife) Jeannette happy.

 

And as for most of my photo sittings, you as the client, will always get a CD of all the high resolution  images, (adjusted and some with some fun filters). They are yours to do as you wish.  

 

So no matter how old your "babies" are..... Family pictures are an important piece of personal history to keep and treasure.

the sweetness of little souls

I have been taking pictures for a long time. So long now that I am now taking 2nd and 3rd generations of family pictures. I was so happy when an old friend, Sarah, asked me to take pictures of her kids when they came to town. You see, I think Sarah was about 12 years old when I took her first picture (along with her mom and dad and brother) and I shot her wedding a few years back and now, I am taking her kids pictures.



As a mother of 2 small kids- a 3 year old and a 6 month old- she was just hoping for one good picture of the two of them together. Frankly, so was I. Taking pictures of babies and toddlers together on the same photo can be a challenge. But I had a feeling that we were going to get some great shots.... it was a beautiful day so we headed out to the parks to have some fun.




I think these samples of the kids show the sweetness of their little souls. Big sister, Raegan, trying to play with her little brother, Blake- and Blake enjoying his sister's help.

Even though the photo shoot took  a little longer than most- I can take their pictures all day.....The kids did great. And I hope Sarah and her families enjoy the pictures of their precious children for years to come.

 

Vanessa- beauty and fun, all rolled into one.....

 I had have the great pleasure of knowing Vanessa and her family for over 25 years now. They have attended many of our family events and we have been honored to attend theirs. Vanessa just recently graduated from high school and wanted to have her graduation pictures taken by me. So we headed off to downtown Fullerton to explore the possible sites for the shoot. Of course we took the standard and yet very beautiful portraits of her that her parents would want but Vanessa had a few other things in mind too. You see, even though Vanessa is a smart and lovely gal (can we say "Hail to the Prom Queen"???), this girl has a bit of a crazy streak in her too. I love to take pictures of people who want to have fun. If you pose, I will be there to photograph it, and Vanessa did not disappoint. We took so many pictures that morning that I actually ran out of space on my memory card- she was just that fantastic. Yea, maybe a few of them aren't gong to hanging on the living room wall but you can be sure, they are treasured memories for Vanessa. Congrats and good luck at college.... I know you will shine brightly there.......

 

 

 

Girls love Diamonds

For a few years now, I have had the joy of photographing both boys baseball and girls softball senior pictures at Brea Olinda High School, which are presented to the graduating seniors of the varsity teams as a gift from their booster clubs. It is a unique set of pictures in which the subject does not smile or look directly into the camera at any time. I try to capture the emotions of what the player may be feeling while in the game. I take a series of different poses that is true to the players' natural game posture. Once I take the pictures, I do a little "fun filtering" aka. sepia tone touch up to the image and "voila"- the 11x14 mounted gift is ready to be presented at the end of the season banquet.

Here you see the Senior Varsity Softball girls photos.

I have been so pleased to be able to offer this service to BOHS and hope that when each player looks at their photo, they look back on their season with fond memories. 

 Interested in something a little different in a portrait for your family (or school)? Just call me and we can discuss some fun and unique photos just for you. 

Colorado wedding- Lauren and Tom Parker

 
  

Back a few months ago, when I was still retired, I was asked by my dear friend if I could photograph her daughter's upcoming wedding in Colorado. Since my husband and I were already planning on attending the wedding (we live in So Cal) and I was going to  bring my camera along, anyways, to take some extra photos at the event, I said OK. Then, at that moment, I thought, "Holy Cow, I just agreed to shoot my best friend's daughter's wedding in another state and I'm not equipped for any of this". You could say that's when panic set in. I hadn't shot a wedding in years and all my equipment that I owned those days were only for vacations and pictures of my family- I had nothing that I could use at a professional level. My wonderful husband, Kenny, encouraged me to go forward and photograph the wedding AND he also bought me all new and up to date equipment that I was going to need. Hence, after a 5 year retirement, I was back in business.

But, I still had a bit of uneasiness in me. I wanted to give the couple great photos but I hadn't been in the business for a long time- thing have changed. Was I going to be good enough? Did I still have it in me to do something as important as my best friend's daughter's wedding? Flying to Denver- was I going to be able to carry all my equipment on the plane with me and not check any of it in? And I usually have an assistant working with me at all my weddings- who was going to help me out that day? The more I thought, the more I got nervous. (I tend to over think things sometimes.)

Well, I manage to carry all my equipment on the plane with me without any problems. I did a little research and I looked up what other wedding photographers were doing these days. But the best thing of all, my husband agreed to be my assistant for the day. Now, I need to tell you, Kenny is not a photographer!!! He is a CPA (accountant) by trade. He doesn't like to have his picture taken nor is he that thrilled when I ask him to take a picture or two of me. I only really thought that if he can keep me on schedule and carry my equipment and maybe take about a dozen or so pictures, I would be happy for his help. Well, I was so surprised with all that he did! He not only kept me on a tight schedule- he carried all my equipment and kept the batteries fully charged. But most of all, he was an amazing photographer!!! Who know this mild mannered account by day had a hidden photography talent inside him. I was able to use a few hundred of his shots for the final product.

And I have to say, it only took a few minutes of taking pictures to feel as if I was "back in the saddle" again. It was like riding a bike. It felt natural taking pictures again.

Well, the wedding was beautiful. A snowy day in Estes Park, CO at that wonderful Stanley Hotel. Lots of terrific backgrounds to use. Crazy cast of characters... ie. wedding party. And a stunning bride and groom... It was all good.

Over 1000 images were sent to the bride and groom (and both sets of parents too). I hope everyone had a great time at the wedding and that Kenny and I were able to capture the joy and happiness of the event. But most of all, I hope Tom and Lauren will look at the pictures for many years come and they will them remind them of their wonderful wedding day filled with happy memories.