Nicoracle Photography

Tasha in the Woods

2011-12-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

Kaylee

2011-12-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

Friends!

2011-12-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

My friends Rachael, Kristina, Laura and I took a little day trip to Julian, CA one weekend to celebrate Kristina being home from Israel. She is serving as a missionary in Jerusalem with Shevet Achim. Of course, I couldn't pass an opportunity to take some pics of my favorite girls!

I am not the only photographer in the group!

Stacie and Jason

2011-12-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

Ditto Family

2011-12-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

Mason and Jaye: Engaged

2011-08-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that I love these two, and not just because Jaye is my beloved auntie! They are the sweetest, nicest couple and so perfect for each other!

Baby Kaylee

2011-08-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

This little bundle of love just turned 3 months old and her mama wanted to celebrate with a few pics. Those early days are hectic and go by so fast so it is so important to remember to take photos of your little ones!

Hey! I lost 100 Pounds!

2011-07-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

OK, so let me first start by apologizing for the LONGEST blog post ever. Not only do I have a lot to say, but I have about a billion amazing photos from Nicole Glenn Photography!

I have always been heavy... I was a heavy kid, a heavy teenager, heavy in college, and a heavy adult. I never felt like my weight held me back too much... sure, I didn't date much and I had to shop in plus size stores, but I travelled and played sports and danced at weddings and did pretty much anything else I've ever wanted to do. I didn't let my weight define me.

But the first half of 2010 was tough. I had been laid off , I wasn't happy in my living situation, I was dieting with little success and I all around felt stuck in life. (Now I am starting to sound like an infomercial, but really, that's how I felt). I started to see that my weight was holding me back and I was not OK with that.

So on August 25, 2010 I decided enough was enough. I was making some serious changes. I had been watching videos on YouTube from people who had had the lap-band procedure done and I realized that they have a hard road. Just as hard, if not harder, as diet and excercise so I decided against lap-band and to fully commit to a diet (and eventually excercise).

There were two main ideas that stuck out to me through watching those videos, though. These have been my "secret" to losing all of that weight:

1. Follow the rules of whatever diet you choose
2. Don't give up

That's it. That's my big secret. Keep your head down, and stay the course. Don't let yourself get too wrapped up in different dieting theories, stop reading articles, stop trying new things, stop listening to advice from your skinny friends. Just pick a diet that you can commit to and do it.

Since I know people will ask I'll go ahead and tell you that I chose the Atkins diet, though I know it is not for everyone. I am not advertising one diet over another because I know everyone has different needs and preferences, and I believe that every diet works as long as you stick to it, but the Atkins diet has been perfect for me. It was an answer to my sugar addiction which is something I am truly grateful for.

As the weight started to come off I added excercise. Namely running, tennis, pilates and weight training. I don't do it all on the same day, but I pick one or two active things I like and do it everyday. I like to say that my goal is to sweat everyday, one way or another.

Also, I feel like it's important to mention that I am not a perfect dieter. I give myself cheat days now and then. There are some days when I don't excercise at all. There are days when I gain weight, or I stay the same for a few weeks even when I am following the rules. But I stick with it. I know that eventually the scale will creep down again. I have learned to define success as staying on my diet. So, if I do everything right and the scale shows a gain, I am still successful because I followed my diet.

I let myself enjoy life, but now I know that doing the right thing for my body and taking care of myself brings a certain mental and emotional freedom that can also be defined as "enjoying life." I don't feel controlled by food anymore. I can only attribute this change to God's healing in my life.

Although I still have more weight to lose I wanted to stop and celebrate what I have accomplished so far. I asked my friend and super talented photographer, Nicole Glenn, to take some photos of me to document where I am in my journey. She did such an amazing job and I can't wait for our photoshoot when I reach my goal weight!

First, some before pics...

And now here I am minus 100 pounds!

I have been going through my old photos and I found one of me when I was about 4 years old doing this same pose. My aunt took me to a photobooth and told me to do a pose and that was what I did, so I decided to re-create it during my shoot with Nicole :)

Check out Nicole Glenn's blog for more photos!

Los Osos, CA

2011-07-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that I am in love with Los Osos! I spent the last week busying myself hanging out with amazing people, running through Montana de Oso state park, taking pictures, soaking in the fog and loving every minute of it.

Unfortunately, my camera started acting up so I didn't get very many photos of the trip! I really don't know what to do with myself without my camera, especially being surrounded by so much beauty and inspiration, but I am telling myself it is good for me to be outside of my comfort zone!

Here are a few pics of the incredible park where I ran every morning...

Emmick Plantation House Bridal Shoot: Part 1

2011-06-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Tasha the Ballerina

2011-06-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I visited Kentucky with my college roommate, Tasha. Her family owns the Emmick Plantation House which her grandmother ran as a historical museum until her death last year. They are now in the process of converting it into a wedding venue (!!!).

The grounds are completely gorgeous, covered with Dogwood and Magnolia trees and backing up to the Ohio River. The inside of the house has been restored to reflect what it would have looked like in it's hayday.
We did a few promotional photoshoots for their website that I will be sharing shortly, but we started with a mini shoot of Tasha in her ballet clothes. She is a lifelong ballerina and wanted some photos in her grandma's house...

Paul and Eric... A Father and Son Shoot

2011-06-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Tiffany Maternity

2011-03-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my friend Tiffany and I headed up to LA in search for the perfect location for her maternity shoot. We ended up at the Disney Concert Hall and I was beyond impressed with the architecture, and apparently way behind the times uncovering this gem because there were something like 500 other photographers there! Seriously, all of those silver walls make it impossible to take a bad photo! Well, that and Tiff's amazing model skills!

Need proof? Here you go... :)

Tiffany Maternity: Sneakpeek

2011-03-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a little peek at Tiffany's maternity shoot this weekend...

Salton Sea

2011-02-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

Pennsylvania

2011-01-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

The weather here has been unseasonably warm and summery, and as much as I love the summer, I wasn't quite done with winter! So I am hoping that by posting these fallish/winterish pics I took last month in Pennsylvania I can feel wintery again!

The Anderson Family

2011-01-30T10:38:00.000-08:00

My friends Jenny and Christian asked me to take some photos of them for their Christmas card ths year! We met up in San Clemente to shoot at the beach and their boys were real troopers because it was some kind of freezing! It ended up being a super short shoot because it was so cold and windy, but we still got some good shots!

Tasha Part 2

2011-01-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

Tasha and I met up again a few weeks later, this time on the West Coast in Coronado! We snapped a couple pics in the last few minutes before the sun set.

Happy Birthday Davey Pickle!

2011-01-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

An extra long belly rub for you today!

Even though this picture is blurry I still love it because it is classic Davey. He hates the beach! :)

Tasha

2011-01-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys! Here are some photos from my trip to Washington DC to see my old college roommate, Tasha. She had been catching up on America's Next Top Model so she had killer poses for me :)

Showing off her ballet moves in the middle of a public marketplace. That's why I like hagning out with Tasha :)

She even got a few good shots of me, which is a miracle because I am SO NERVOUS in front of the camera!

When I was a kid I loved to play with paper dolls and always pretended that they lived behind a waterfall. I thought that was the most romantic idea ever! Anyone else out there play with paper dolls as kids? It seems so old fashioned but I assure you, I was born in the 1980's, not the 1880's :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys!

Merry Christmas to you and your family! Hopefully you are enjoying the peace and joy of the season with the people you love today!

This is my first Christmas in my own apartment, so I went a little overboard on the Christmas decor :)

My FAVORITE part of Christmas is decorating the tree because I have so many sentimental ornaments! I always decorated the tree as a child, and when my grandma (read: mom) died I saved many of her ornaments to use on my own tree. Here are a few of my favorites...

One of my childhood dogs made a few improvements to this classic "Child's Third Christmas" ornament somewhere along the way :)

I have 2 of these little ballerinas because I bought one when I was a kid and then won one at a family ornament exchange. My aunt Renee and I buy A LOT of the same stuff! I guess I know where I get my great taste :)

I made this ornament from a photo I saw in a magazine and a cookie cutter. I love the juxtaposition between the boy with a gun and the heart!

Every year I buy one new ornament and this year I found the perfect one to celebrate my first year in my own place! This ultra-domestic mixer in my favorite color- aqua!

I also played around with a little macro photography!

Merry Christmas!!

An East Coast Fall

2010-11-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I am currently sitting at the Fox Sports restaraunt at Skyharbor airport listening to my favorite podcast, Stuff you Missed in History Class. I am headed back to Philadelphia for a business trip and then meeting up with Natasha Kolar in Washington DC this weekend for some birthday tomfoolery! So excited!!

If you are a fan of Nicoracle Photography on Facebook then you have probably already seen these photos, but I figured what better time than now to share some of the photos from my last trip to Philadelphia in October. I was seriously amazed at the fall trees. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was completely blown away by the fall landscapes and I am almost embarassed to show these photos because they really do not do the beauty of the season justice! I can't wait to get back to Philly to see if any of those beautiful leaves are hanging on for me to photograph!

This is the only decent self portrait I was able to get. I TOTALLY sympathize with any of you who are completely uncomfortable in front of the camera! You'd think because I am a photographer I would know how to act in front of the camera, but when you point a camera at me I freeze up and put on my best crazy face. If the first photo doesn't come out it just goes down hill from there because I get more and more scared of the next photo will look like and end up with a whole lotta photos of what I would look like if I were a gremlin. My cure? A photo of my hair!

Stacie and Jason: Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving because it combines 2 things I love dearly, family and food! :)

I am very close with my aunt and uncle and spent Thanksgiving at their house, like I do most years. Since everyone had the day off I snuck off with my cousin and her boyfriend to do a little shoot before settling in for the day's festivities (which included family games and Christmas karaoke, because we are cool like that). We have been talking about it for months, but could never get our scheduled coordinated. You might recognize them because I have shared photos of them on the blog before. They love doing photoshoots and I love shooting them, so it's a win-win situation!

This time I got to try out shooting in the morning. I usually insist on afternoon, almost sunset, shoots because truly that is the best light and the best photos are taken at that time of day. But sometimes that is not a possiblity for couples so it was fun to see what can be done at a different time of the day. Here are my favorites...

This is my favorite photo from the day! So sweet...

Eden

2010-10-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of my favorite 5 year old hanging out in her grany's bedroom. I love it and I wish I had a picture of me at 5 years old just like it! Is that conceited of me since I took the picture??

Shoot This Fashion Shoot

2010-10-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I like to go to little events that are put on for photographers to build their portfolios. Shoot This is a great group that does just that. They do monthly photo shoots and provide models and styling. I feel like ever time I go I learn so much from my fellow photographers who are there and from the models!

I went to one of these events back in May and these are some of my favorite shots...

Styling by:
Rachel Amara
Sharon Kohout
Marissa Pipitone

Wardrobe:
Anthropologie
Vintage
Banana Republic
Lucky Jeans

Hair+Makeup:
Michelle Cheng
Jamie Elise
Reanna Rozunko

:: Sponsored by http://FolioMojo.com/ ::
Event produced by http://JoelleLederPhotography.com/, founder of the Shoot This! Photo Group and LA Shoot This! events.

:: LA Shoot This! Partners ::
~ Canvas on Demand - http://CanvasOnDemand.com/
~ ProPhotoBlogs - http://www.ProPhotoBlogs.com/
~ KISS Wedding Books - http://kissweddingbooks.com/
~ Patty Cakes - http://www.pattys-cakes.com/
~ ShootQ - http://web.shootq.com/
~ JLP Model & Talent
~ JustDaisy Handcrafted Jewelry - (http://www.facebook.com/pages/JustDaisy-Handcrafted-Jewelry/316979452646?ref=ts)
Location: Fullerton, Ca
Styling by:
Rachel Amara
Sharon Kohout
Marissa Pipitone

Wardrobe:
Anthropologie
Vintage
Banana Republic
Lucky Jeans

Hair+Makeup:
Michelle Cheng
Jamie Elise
Reanna Rozunko

:: Sponsored by http://FolioMojo.com/ ::
Event produced by http://JoelleLederPhotography.com/, founder of the Shoot This! Photo Group and LA Shoot This! events.

:: LA Shoot This! Partners ::
~ Canvas on Demand - http://CanvasOnDemand.com/
~ ProPhotoBlogs - http://www.ProPhotoBlogs.com/
~ KISS Wedding Books - http://kissweddingbooks.com/
~ Patty Cakes - http://www.pattys-cakes.com/
~ ShootQ - http://web.shootq.com/
~ JLP Model & Talent
~ JustDaisy Handcrafted Jewelry - (http://www.facebook.com/pages/JustDaisy-Handcrafted-Jewelry/316979452646?ref=ts)
Location: Fullerton, Ca

Baby Sophia

2010-10-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Once again I am catching up on blogging photos that are already on my Facebook fan page! If you are not a fan, please, become one because it makes me feel oh so good and you'll get to see more photos and super duper updates by yours truly :) OK, maybe not so much super duper and more like things about my dog that are only interesting to me!

Anywho, my friends had a beautiful baby girl and I got to meet her and try out a little newborn photography on her very first day home from the hospital. This was my very first newborn shoot and I literally had about 5 minutes before feeding time, so this was a mini shoot perfect for a 1 day old!

Marilyn and David

2010-10-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

So... after an extended abscence from my beloved blog I am back, baby! I am finally feeling all settled in to my new apartment and feeling like I have a handle on my new job, so I am ready to emerge from my fox hole and get back to the real world!

If you are a fan on Facebook, then you have probably already seen some of these photos. If not, you definitely should become one because it's awesome :)

I was so honored to get to hang out with David and Marilyn to do a day after shoot! Marilyn is just sweet as pie and I felt like we were friends before I even met her. David is a man of honor serving our country and protecting our freedom in Korea. After years of being family friends they fell in love and got married! Now that he's home for a few weeks they finally get to celebrate their marriage, have some photos taken, oh yeah- and be on the same continent! I am so glad they asked me to take photos for them because any time I can bless a military family I am honored to do it and these two were a special treat because they were so fun to hang out with and get to know!

Katie and Steven: Engaged

2010-06-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from Katie and Steven's engagement shoot at Biola University. They're both students there and bonded over band T-shirts freshman year :) We had an awesome time walking all over campus capturing their relationship in the place where they fell in love.

This shoot was especially fun because I went to Biola as well (although we didn't have lots of the cool stuff they have now, like the killer Olive Grove where we got all of those awesome grassy shots)! I loooved my time at Biola and always say that I wish I could go back to the days when all of my best friends lived right next door and I could leave my dirty dishes at the cafeteria. If only...

These are the actual band shirts that spurred the first coversation between these two.

Katie, you're beautiful!

Emily and Rodney

2010-06-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I'm back! As much as I hate this about myself, when I get stressed or have a big deadline I tend to lock down and dissapear until things are back to normal. That is something I'd like to change about myself because I'd hate to offend someone by not returning a phone call or email (sorry if I did that to you)!

The good news is that my month of packing, painting, cleaning, moving and decorating is about over. I am feeling more and more settled in my new place and ready to return to the real world!

I totally have a backlog of shoots to blog that I just haven't been able to get online yet, so I am tackling that little mountain next!

First up are Emily and Rodney! They got married back in November, but weren't happy with their photos so they asked me to meet up with them at the little chapel on Camp Pendleton where they tied the knot and do a shoot before Rodney was deployed with the Marines. They were so sweet, and lovely, and of course gorgeous- and for all of those reasons this ended up being one of my favorite shoots so far!

I love their playfulness... you can just see the cheistry between them!

I feel like a broken record...

2010-05-15T02:32:00.000-07:00

Because I keep saying it has been way too long since I have posted and I have great things to share with you.. which is true, but I hate being a talker and not a doer. The truth is I have been seriously busy! As of Monday I will have been at my new job for 6 weeks and I love it more and more every day!

I am also moving next weekend into my very own 1 bedroom apartment so I have been totally preoccupied dreaming up how I am going to use all of that space and turn it into my creative playland. I am seriously having dreams about wall colors and furniture arrangements!

I am desparate to have yellow walls, so I am thinking a yellow half wall with a chair rail in the bedroom (to accent my dark wood mid century furniture and white bedspread). I have gone chair rail crazy and somehow convinced myself that a house is not a home without a chair rail, so I am adding one to the living room too! I am thinking blue walls in the living room. I bought an awesome aquamarine couch, so I think blue will look great with it!

I am definitely not afraid of color and most people I talk to are scared of my crazy ideas, so I am turning to you, dear internet, for some support. Surely there must be one or two of you out there who wouldn't mind never seeing another pastel wall for the rest of their lives???

Here are some living rooms that I love...

Hello Again

2010-04-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've missed you... whats new? It feels like forever since I have posted anything new which is so sad because I have lots to share! I am still adjusting to the new job and the probability of moving (again) looms in the not too distant future.

I have a possible opportunity to rent my very own 1 bedroom, all for me and Davey Pickle! The apartment is big and close to the beach and right in my neighborhood... but it is about $400 a month more than what I am paying now. With the new job I think I could swing it, but giving away so much money every month in rent makes me nervous. I'd rather save all that extra cash for my new car or in case I get laid off again.

On the other hand, I am tired of living with random Craigslist roommates. I always get along with my roommates, but the fact is that it is difficult to share a living space with someone. One person always feels like it is "their apartment" and the other is left feeling akward walking in their own front door. Dishes are left in the sink, or one person takes over all of the shelves in the fridge. And then once you settle in to a routine and are finally feeling good about the living situation your roommate gets married or takes a job in another city. Nothing is ever stable or settled.

Living alone sounds like a great adventure! I would be able to take pride in being responsible for myself, I would be able to feel safe and settled without worrying that anyone is going to bail on me, and the most exciting part... I would be able to decorate!

So... what do you think? Is the savings benefit of sharing an apartment with a roommate worth the hassle? Do any of you live alone? Which do you prefer? Have any horrible roommate stories? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Also... I just found out that the wonderful Jesslabelle Avelar is using some of my photos on her etsy page! She is super talented and makes awesome retro hairpieces! Check out her work here. She was also featured on the Craft Candy Blog and they used one of my photos too! (Although they didn't give me photo cred... but still- you and I know!)

Since posts are always better with a photo, here is one of my aunt and uncle from our latest day trip. I hope I am having this much fun after 20+ yearsof marriage!

Squires Family

2010-04-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when my friend, Dez, asked me to take some photos of her and her siblings to give to their grandparents as a birthday gift! I have never photographed siblings before, so it was definitely a different vibe for me, but so fun!

Plus, I always have a soft spot in my heart for grandparents since I was so close to mine! We met up early in the morning on one of Orange County's last remaining orange groves and snapped a few quick shots before everyone had to run off to work.

Squires Family, you guys were so fun to spend my morning with and I truly hope my photos captured the beauty and love in your family!

You Decide!

2010-04-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

Scion XB or Prius?

I will be in the market for a new car in the next 6 months or so and test drove both today. I love them both and can't decide between the practicalness and geeky cool of the Prius or the space and hipness of the XB.

So... you decide! Leave me a comment and tell me which one you would get? Feel free to let me know of any trustworthy relatives who are selling either car or a great dealership you worked with too ;o)

I like the old body style of the XB too...

(Photos coutesy of Le Internet)

Back to the Real World

2010-04-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter then you know that I started a new job this week! After being laid off for 3 months I have taken a job with Johnson and Johnson! As much as I will miss my time off and all of the attention I was able to devote to photography I consider myself very blessed and so grateful to be working again (and of course filling my free time with things I love like Davey Pickle, the beach and running Nicoracle Photography)!

With that said I have a new set of photos from the lecture I attended a couple of weeks ago! Casey and Ryan were so much fun to photograph! They had an easy carefree vibe about them and I don't know what Ryan was saying but he had Casey laughing the whole time which made my job so much easier! In fact, it was almost too easy to capture the love, fun and gorgeousness between these two!

This was just a test shot as we were crossing the street, but I thought it was cute enough to be blog-worthy...

It should be illegal to be this good looking! Come on!

I love the fierceness they've got going on here.

101 in 1001: Goals

2010-04-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Nerd alert!! I'm about to share some statistics... Did you know that people who regularly write down their goals earn 9x more throughout their lifetime as those who don’t? Did you know that 80% of Americans have no future goals for their lives? No future goals!! How about the fact that only 4% of Americans actually write their goals down and only 1% reviews them regularly? Wow!

I went to the Spread the Love Workshop a few months ago and was given the challenge to look around and see how many people are sleepwalking through their own lives. The signs: stuck, not a lot of hope, easily overwhelmed, give in to a critical spirit because it’s easier to criticize than make changes in your own life. Yikes! I have found in my own life that grown up responsibilities can easily choke out some of the free spirit I had in my younger years. Double yikes!!

I am saying NO! to that nonsense right now and making a commitment to live the life I want, even if it takes a little more work to balance my responsibilities and my drive for fun and spontenaety- I'm making it happen because I do not want to wake up in 40 years and wonder where my life went.

My first step is to finish my list of 101 goals to be completed in 1001 days. I have been working on this list for like 2 months and I had to seriously restrain from listing boring and should-be-done-already stuff like cleaning my car (am I really so boring??) I didn't want my goals to all be about me and I wanted to make my next 2.75 more than just status quo. I always said I wanted to be a doer, not just a talker.

If you want to keep tabs on my progress and help keep me accountable I'll be documenting it all right here on my blog. Maybe even my commitment to live the life I've always wanted will rub off on you and you'll make your own list (if you do link back to my blog so we can all share ideas and be inspired by each other)!

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days. (My deadline is Thursday, December 27, 2012)

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Open an etsy store
Go to Idaho
Lose 100 pounds
Be featured on a wedding blog
Blog everyday for a month
Go to the beach everyday for a month
Learn to play the blues harmonica
Get photos of myself taken by Jasmine Star
Attend WPPI in Las Vegas, NV
Write a letter to myself to open at the end of 1001 days
Go on a road trip
Finish decorating my room
Go to a Jose Villa Workshop
Do a photo shoot in film
Develop all of the old film I found when I moved
Go on a missions trip
Get a video camera and make cool movies
Take a photo walk around San Clemente
Go squid fishing
Do a bridal shoot at Salton Sea
Record video of my dad telling stories
Go Kite Surfing
Put $10,000 into a savings account
Finish a journal of stories from my childhood
Get dressed up and go disco dancing
Read the story books of the Old Testament all the way through (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ruth)
Go to a Coldplay concert
Go back to Ukraine
Write my ideal client profile
Develop a new client kit
Shoot a wedding in another state
Finally finish reading The Brothers Karamazov
Visit Tasha Kolar in DC
Donate Blood
Watch the sun rise and set on the same day
Go apple picking
Participate in a Seder Dinner
Grow my hair out to my elbow
Learn to fly a plane
Buy a condo
Sleep under the stars
Go to a music festival
Go on a road trip without a pre-set destination
Go to Sedona, AZ
Complete 3 short stories
Mail all of the postcards I have collected over the years
Attend a local theater show
Go to a dinner theater show
Complete 100 Push Up Challenge
Host 5 board game nights
Find a Geocache
Send someone a care package
Participate in a charity run/walk
Go to a shooting range
Complete A-Z challenge (visits a city that starts with each letter of the alphabet)
Buy a Mac
Buy a new vehicle
Go to Sea World
Learn to cook Japanese food
Visit a ghost town
Dine at the Ritz
Plant and Cultivate my own vegetable garden
Drive up the CA coast in a covertible
Become friends with an old friend
Stop ordering soda at restaraunts
Attend a Renaissance Festival
Complete a 26 Things project
Go camping
Go to 5 outdoor free summer concerts
Read 5 biographies
Sing at a Karaoke Bar
Go to a TV taping
Ride on a hot air balloon
Go Hang Gliding
Get a Driod phone
Find a lotion that I like enough to use every day
Learn to have good posture
Save all of my phone numbers in a real phone book
Buy an Opal ring that I love
See the Rocky Horror Picture Show
Attend a comedy show
Eat only homemade meals for 30 days
Go to a blues show
Leave 7 pieces of art, or writing, in public places
Say yes to 7 situations I'd normally say no to
Comment on 5 other people’s blogs each week
Watch a meteor shower
Send a post card through Post Crossing
Compliment a stranger every week
Learn how to sew
Fall in love
Go to a drive in movie
Do 10 actions on We Are What We Do
Donate $5 for each goal that is not completed at the end of 1001 days
Ride on a train
Have Sunday Brunch at the Hotel Del Coronado
Go SCUBA diving
Donate 100,000 grains of rice via freerice.com
Make a list of regrets and forgive myself for them
Fly a kite
Interview a photographer I like for my blog

And just because so many words need a photo to accompany them here is one from my trip to Anza Borrego Desert to see the wildflowers a few weeks ago. Here is to adventure, spontenaety and busting out of you comfort zone!

Engagement Shoot: Greg Bumatay Lecture

2010-04-01T01:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the extreme pleasure of attending a lecture by Greg Bumatay on Dynamic Composition. He gave us some pointers and then let us loose to practice what we'd learned on a few couples who had been offered free engagement photos in exchange for playing model!

I got to work with 3 couples and Oanamaria (isn't that name just gorgeous??) and Alin are first up on the blog. They were awesome, sticking around until late in the day and letting us photogs snap our shutters to our heart's content! Unfortunately I arrived at their group just before it was time to leave for dinner and only got to spend a few minutes with them (not to mention my brain was a little fried from a full day of lecture plus shooting). Still, they were totally up for whatever I asked them to do and were so sweet and nice, not to mention rediculously good looking!

More from this shoot to come!

Fun with Flash

2010-03-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Papa was a man's man. A military man and proud of it. A kind man, but rough, loud and sometimes scary if you didn't know that behind his bellowing no-nonsense persona was a guy who would do anything for you.

Last night I sat in my aunt and uncle's living room and we told stories about my grandpa, or Papa as I always called him. He passed away over 5 years ago but his stories live on in his children and grandchildren. Here is one of my favorites...

Chuck Corbett was a teenager who lived across the street from my dad growing up. He was rude to his parents, disrespectful and an all around troublemaker. His father was terminally ill and didn't have the strength or energy to discipline him, so Papa intervened.

Chuck was being particularly rowdy one afternoon, hanging out with his friends in his garage so Papa called his parents and asked them permission to come over and spank their son. Chuck's parents agreed and Papa marched across the street, into the garage, grabbed Chuck and just started spanking him. It didn't matter that he was a teenager and that all of his friends were there to witness the humiliation. After that day Chuck respected Papa and in fact they stayed in contact until Papa's death almost 30 years later.

That is why I love photography, particularly wedding photography. You might ask how I got from Papa to photography and the answer is that photos tell your story whether you are there with the details or not. They capture emotion... love, joy, celebration, grief, sadness- or maybe even a man spanking the neighbor kids! Long after the day is done, the honeymoon is over and life has moved you to a new adventure the story of your wedding day lives on in photos.

With that said, I have a few photos from a shoot organized by the very talented Matthew Saville. He invited a few people to come play around with off camera flash in San Juan Capistrano, which was awesome because I am typically an ambient light photorapher and don't use flash much at all. I learned a ton! Here are a few of my photos from the shoot:

This One is for You, Aunt Val

2010-03-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

My Aunt asked me to take a few nature photos that she could blow up and use as wall art. During a photoshoot in San Juan Capistrano a couple weeks ago I noticed the sun shining on this tree and snapped a quick shot for Aunt Val...

Run, Don't Walk, to Your Favorite Farmer!

2010-03-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Thank God for science because in the last few years the most delicious fruit to ever be tasted on this planet was created via a hybrid of Wilkin and Kincy tangerines. Meet the Gold Nugget Tangerine!

OK, I might be a super dramatic fruit nerd, but they ae seriously REALLY GOOD here people! I casually tried one last year and have been Gold Nugget groupie ever since. I swear I have asked my friend (and farmer) Steve if they were in season 20 times in the last 6 months :) All that ranting and I'm not even a citrus lover!

Since this is a new hybrid fruit I am not sure if major chain grocery stores carry them, but you might have luck at a farmer's market. I, of course, I got my own tree at the lovely Maddock Nursery in Fallbrook, CA and even got to pick a bag of fruit! Trust me, if you can get your hands on one of these beauties you won't be sorry!

I made this fruit bowl in 7th grade when I was in 4-H! I once caught my grandma trying to throw it away and salvaged it from the trash. I'm so glad that I did because the older I get the more I like it. I seriously think it might be one of the coolest things I've ever made!

I love the way the glaze separated color and dripped around the pottery. I distinctly remember that we didn't know what our pieces were going to look like until they came out of the kiln. I love suprises so that was my favorite part!

Uncle Paul collecting fruit!

Stacie and Jason

2010-03-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Let me first say that I am in love with this time of year. Southern California is typically brown- there is a price to pay for all of that sunshine. Dead plants and dirt are the main landscape that poke out between buildings... except for this time of year. Winter rains bring green grass and wildflowers. To celebrate, my cousin, stacie and her boyfriend asked me to do a mini photoshoot with them.

We found the perfect spot just off an exit ramp at Camp Pendleton and shot a few photos using the yellow flowers that had grown all over in the last few weeks.

Kim: Boudior

2010-03-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Kim asked me to shoot a few Boudior photos of her for her husband's birthday a few weeks ago. We got together at our mutual friend and hairstylist's house and got her hair all did up and borrowed their living room for our shoot!

I always find it so inspiring when women are comfortable with their bodies and just rock it with confidence. Kim is definitely that kind of woman and I'm so glad I got to capture her beauty on camera.

Brittney and Jeremy: Engaged

2010-03-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

These last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of photoshoots, editing, job interviews, and a whole lotta fun! I've got a few things to share with you, but first up is this weekend's photoshoot with Brittney and Jeremy- winners of my engagement shoot giveaway! I had so much fun getting to know these two as we hung out in the Dana Point Harbor. AND...it turns out Brittney and I are sort of related! She is my dad's step-sister's cousin! Ha!

Brittney and Jeremy are funny, kind and genuine people and a deep relationship between them is evident in person, and in photos. They've been together over 5 years... high school sweethearts... and their interactions with each other reflect a knowingness. A comfortable, soul mate-y vibe.

You two are wonderful! I am so honored to have been able to spend the afternoon with you and if these photos capture just a tiny glimpse of your relationship I'll consider it a job well done...

I always suspected I was funny and now I have proof. Bam!

We visited the bench where Jeremy first asked Brittney to be his girlfriend and later proposed.

I was changing my camera settings when I looked up and saw them sitting together like this watching the sunset. I thought it was really sweet and I can envision them doing this exact same thing 50 years from now... maybe even on the same beach.

A Milestone

2010-03-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my 100th blog post! It's crazy to think about how much of my lfe has changed since I decided to commit to being a professional photographer almost a year ago. I have learned so much, met so many incredible and talented photographers, met beautiful wonderful clients, and learned so much about myself.

I have had to force myself to come out of my shell and, instead of walking the path of most Americans, chose to fight for a life that I love. Fight for a chance at living my dreams instead of whithering away at my desk.

I haven't quite acheived all that I'm hoping for, but I am loving the journey.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

Photo Credit Ernie Olivares

Since I am feeling all sentimental now... I am a big fan of Shawn Mullins and this song was stuck in my head the whole time I wrote this post. Music always speaks to me in ways that people can't and this song always inspired me to take a risk when I was working in an office. I couldn't find a great video to post, but this one

is decent. Enjoy!

Sweet Jenny: Vintage Bridal Shoot

2010-02-28T12:29:00.000-08:00

Meet Jenny! Or Sweet Jenny as she has been dubbed because of her big beautiful smile and willingness to jump in when help was needed. You see, there were supposed to be 3 "gown models" attending the Vintage Bridal Shoot, but only 1 actually showed up. Big time party foul here, people!

Jenny was one of the hair and makeup artists and graciously offered to step in as a model and her offer was eagerly accepted. Who wouldn't want to photograph those big brown eyes?

So, she stepped into a wedding dress and came out looking stunning...

I just LOVE the lace on her dress!

Her boyfriend, Chris, came out for a few shots too!

It was a bit of a last minute decision for me to go to this bridal shoot, so I wouldn't say I came exactly prepared for a full day of shooting. Cough, my battery was only half charged, cough cough.

We had about 5 minutes left of shooting time and my battery died, so I ran into our prep room and charged it for about 2 minutes and then ran back out to see if I could get one last shot. Here it is... I love it!

For information about the dress, flowers, hair, makeup, venue or anything else, click here for a full list of details.

Vintage Bridal Shoot Part 3

2010-02-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

I'm back with more photos of the lovely Jesslabelle Avelar from the Vintage Bridal Shoot last weekend!

Towards the end of the day we headed to a great green covered hill at the back of the property. That is why I love this time of year in Southern California. Everything that's usually brown is green! The sun had just set and the clouds were a little stormy so it made for some great skies and beautiful blue light.

I just got a few shots, but I'm so glad we used the little window of time before the light was gone for good to get these shots because they are beautiful! It's easy with such a great model :)

Vintage Bridal Shoot Part 2

2010-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I am so excited to share these shots, again of Jesslabelle Avelar, from the Vintage Bridal Shoot. We moved away from the Bel Air and got some close facial shots and used some of the other awesome spots at the Heritage Museum of Orange County. Enjoy!

I looove this light. I could shoot here all day!

For information about the dress, flowers, model, venue, car, hair or makeup click here for a full list of details.

Beauty and the Bel Air

2010-02-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to part one of my Vintage Bridal Shoot session! I have so many great shots that I am going to have to do a few blog posts. This first of the series is with model Jesslabelle Avelar and a 1955 Chevy Bel Air.

OK, let me get this off my chest. I am super excited about these bridal shots... but I am even more excited that Jesslabelle posed in a Chevy Bel Air!

When I was fourteen I went to my Aunt Val's house and there it was. A 1964 red and white two-tone Bel Air and I fell in love! It sat at the back of their property in the dirt. Dusty, neglected and I'm not even sure it ran at that point, but I was smitten. I took pictures of it and carred them around in my wallet like a 16 year old boy. I would sit in it and pretend to be driving off to some cross country adventure, dreaming about the day it would be mine (I was just convinced that I had to have it eventually).

When I turned 16 I moved out and needed a car to get to school and work. That Bel Air had sat on my Aunt and Uncle's property for at least 2 years at that point and they saw my need, so my Uncle Bill worked on it for a week straight and got it running for me. On December 17, 1998 me and my beloved Bel Air were together at last!

I looooved driving that car. I would wax it every week to make the 30 year old paint job look shiny. I took auto shop class so I would have a place to keep it running. I was devoted to that car when the brakes gave out (if that ever happens to you, pump the brake pedal or use the emergency brake), when a screw fell into the pistons (that happened twice), and when the radiator blew up. I became friends with all of the local tow truck drivers and eventually I had to give up on the Bel Air and get a "reliable car."

I had the Bel Air for 5 years and I miss it terribly, so I was stoked to show up at this bridal shoot and see a red and white two tone cousin of my baby.

For information about the dress, flowers, model, venue, car, hair or makeup click here for a full list of details.

Vintage Bridal Shoot Sneakpeek

2010-02-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy bee these last few days working on streamlining my workflow and participating in a Vintage Bridal Shoot organized by Nancy Ramos.

I am so excited to share that I've downloaded Blogstomp to synchronize the look of my blog and make blogging something like 5,000 times faster. Which means I get to spend more time at the beach!

I will miss my rounded corners, but I think overall the speed and uniformity offered by Blogstomp outweigh my love for the rounded corners. I hope you agree!

Here is a sneakpeek from the bridal shoot... more to come!

I will be doing a few blog posts from this shoot, so I am going to list all of the credits here. A HUGE thank you to everyone who was involved in bringing together such an amazing shoot and I can't wait to work with this crew again!

VINTAGE CARS: Dennis Spillman

MODELS:
JESSLABELA AVELAR Model, Makeup Artist, VINTAGE HAIR ACCESSORY DESIGNER - http://www.jesslabelle.com/ Email: jesslabelle@ymail.com

JENNIE MELLO – Model, Makeup Artist, Esthetician, Hairstylist. She works at Salon Amerige in Fullerton. For appointments call her at (714) 738-8800. E-mail: mellojennie@yahoo.com

YENITZA MUNOZ – Model and owner of Yenitza’s All Occasions (Bridal Boutique) located at 1500 E Village Way # 2256, Orange, CA. (714) 279-8667 inside the Village Mall
e-mail: munozyen01@yahoo.com

HAIRSTYLISTS
STEPHANI MORRIS - Hairstylists and Makeup Artists.
Stephvee.com - stphvee.face@gmail.coom (714) 595-9312

DESIREE ARMAN KIRST – Vintage Hairstylist Owner of Dyzdesi Designs- dizydesi@gmail.com 714-858-0289

VENUE:
Heritage Museum of Orange County AVAILABLE FOR PHOTO SHOOTS - CONTACT THE MUSEUM www.heritagemuseumoc.org. Book your next photo shoot at this Spectacular Vintage Museum. Contact Candace A. Chromy at (714) 540-0404 ext. 223 or e-mail her at weddings@heritagemuseumoc.org - LET HER KNOW YOU WERE REFERRED BY PHOTO SHARP SHOOTERS or Nancy Ramos

BRIDAL DRESS DESIGNER:
DOLLY COUTURE – Dolly Thicke is the fabulous designer of these vintage inspired dresses.
http://www.dollycouture.com/
http://www.shortweddingdress.com/

FLOWERS:
The Enchanted Florist created the beautiful bouquets.
http://www.enchantedfloral.com/
107 South Glassell Street, Orange, CA (714) 997-7673

Drumroll Please...

2010-02-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

The winner of my Free Engagement Shoot Giveaway is...

Well, there's the problem. Two problems actually. The first is that I've been watching too much reality TV and I feel like I need to make a dramatic pause, or even commercial break, before announcing the winner. The second problem is that I couldn't decide between two particularly sweet, fun and romantic entries. So I just decided to choose BOTH couples as winners! Problem solved!

Katie and Steven! Here is their Love Story...

I go to Biola right now and so does my Fiance we just recently got engaged this last Christmas day and we would LOVE to have our engagement pictures done at Biola since that is where we met!

So this is our story, we were both freshman at Biola and after SOS and everything had happened we had a couple of mutual friends that wanted us to meet at the Caf for dinner one night. A friend and I were standing in between Horton and Emerson when Steven walked up.

He was wearing a Demon Hunter T-shirt (a band I have loved since high school) and we instantly starting talking about music. He was so unbelievably easy to talk to we were like instant best friends. I have always been nervous when I talk to guys that I like but Steven was so different, he was so funny and outgoing and I have still never met anyone like him.

Through dinner we only talked to each other and after that we started hanging out more and more! I knew this was the man I was going to marry. We stayed up all night talking in the SUB like three times and we just fell completely in love. We have been together ever since!

He proposed to me this last Christmas morning in front of my family and it was so amazing, we can't wait to get married! Thanks so much for considering us for the free engagement pictures!

If you read the blog regularly you probably already know that I went to Biola as well, so I am super stoked to do a photo shoot there! Katie and Steven, you sound perfect together... it's not every day that you know instantly that you've just met the man you will marry! I can't wait to hang out, get to know you better and capture your love in photos!

Brittney and Jeremy! Here is their Love Story...

I am an Aunt to a Niece who is very deserving of an engagement photo shoot. I hope it is ok to enter for her.

Brittney met her fiancé while she was still in high school. They recently got engaged after dating for 5 ½ years. Jeremy is only one year older than she is.

He is a wonderful person, a hard worker, very kind, respectful not to mention…..good looking! Brittney is beautiful (inside and out), giving, thoughtful and also a hard worker. Brittney is about to graduate from California State University this spring. She will enter the teaching credential program in the fall.

During her school career she has also managed to work a part time job to help with school expenses. I could not be more proud of her accomplishments. Brittney and Jeremy are both from single parent homes. I give them so much credit for believing in themselves and believing in the love of a marriage commitment. For being such a young couple, they have displayed such mature decisions. Jeremy, at 23 years old, is already a homeowner. They are both so driven for success and happiness.

As a “hobby photographer” I appreciate photography and the joy it brings. I would love for them to have some beautiful photos of this special time in their lives.

I love that their aunt reads my blog and made an entry on their behalf and I know how hard it is to put yourself through college and struggle for the things you have in life. I am ecstatic to be able to meet Brittney and Jeremy and give them wonderful photos of of their love for each other.

One of My Favorite Places on Earth...

2010-02-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Del Mar Dog Beach!

Nestled between the cities of Del Mar and Solana Beach is this little gem of the California coastline. (Is it just me or am I sounding like a travel brochure right now?)

Wednesday was a hot, beautiful, sunny day here at my house in San Clemente so I thought I'd load up Davey Pickle and my camera and hit the beach. I drove all the way down to Del Mar only to see the fog rolling in in a nice little pocket right over my destination. So much for my hot sunny beach day!

But, I also love cozy overcast days at the beach and since I wasn't busy playing in the water I got to take a few photos of one of my favorite places on Earth!

Davey was feeling a bit neglected towards the end of the day and decided to stand right in front of me to get my attention and, presumably, ruin my shot. Little did he know I wanted a photo of him anyway!

Here is the shot I was trying to get, minus the dog :)

Snow Play

2010-02-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

This last weekend my friend, Jen, and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day together. We are both single, so on the most romantic day of the year a "girls day" seemed in order :)

I love hanging out with Jen because she is spontaneous and up for anything, like me, so we always have fun no matter what we are doing. We started the day by heading up to Big Bear to check out the snow.

There were people everywhere sledding, but we didn't have a sled so we used a plastic windshield shade- worked like a charm :)

Nothing comes between us and fun!

There was a stray sled on the hill so Jen took it for a whirl only to have a shy and embarrassed little girl come up and tell her the sled belonged to her. The poor thing probably thought we were stealing it!

Next we had a little mini photo shoot (you might have guessed this was my idea :)

Jen knows how to work the camera!

Doesn't she have the most beautiful baby blues??

Jen even got me in front of the camera which is a rarity because for a s comfortable as I am behind the camera I'm equally uncomfortable in front of it. All you camera shy people... I feel your pain!

Next stop? Playing in the snow, of course!

We even ran into this goat named Daisy. It was ironic because on the way to Big Bear I told Jen about my pet goat that I had in high school.

I knew people who were in 4-H and I would go to the farm with them often to care for their livestock. I fell in love with a 4-H goat and named him Siquio. If you are not familiar with 4-H they raise animals for market, so my beloved Siquio was destined for someone's dinner table and I wouldn't stand for that.

When the time came for him to be auctioned off I tracked down the owner and bought him. I had no idea what I was going to do with a goat in Orange County, CA so I arranged for a petting zoo to house him. They said they would for a year and then sell him for market, so I figured I at least got him a year and that was better than nothing.

I was visiting him one day and saw that he was being bullied by the other goats. He had crawled into his food bowl and was curled up looking rediculously adorable. Everyone would come look at him because he was so cute sitting on his food and I overheard a couple saying that they wanted a goat so I told them he was mine and I'd give him to them because I just didn't want him to die. They accepted and moved him to their ranch in Diamond Bar. They also re-named him Lucky since his life was saved twice, once by me and once by them.

Ever since then I have had a special spot in my heart for goats... and for the restaraunt on the way to Big Bear named Siquio's (which is why Jen and I started talking about goats in the first place).

We rounded out the day by playing Scrabble and listening to her awesome slide guitar skills. It ended up being one of my favorite Valentine's Days in a long time! What's better than a little adventure with a good friend?

Just a Typical Friday Night...

2010-02-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

By the time you finish reading this you will know just how much of a dork I am. I am talking big time, professional dork here, people. And I'm proud of it. I am vowing right here right now to never take myself too seriously and not be ashamed of a good thing.

If you know me well, then you know that Friday night is no longer "Friday night" for me. It is Karaoke night! A few years ago my aunt and uncle got a Karaoke machine. Of course, everyone groaned at first sight, but it has turned out to be the catalyst that gave me a close relationship with them.

We brought it out and had fun laughing at each other and coming up with fun ways to make it even more interesting (animal sounds karaoke anyone)? I told you I was a dork. But it became a weekly event to hang out and unwind from the work week by singing some songs and just talking about what went on that week in each of our lives. We've even incorporated new events, like a dance-off, into Karaoke night but no matter what we do it's always fun and looked forward to after a long week of work.

I took a few cool pictures last week of us playing around with these light sticks that my aunt got for Valentine's Day. I should tell you that she has always been a great decorator and goes all out for holidays, which you can see in the photos.

Even though these photos are blurry I think they're cute!

Marine Wife Boudior

2010-02-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

I live in San Clemente which is a big Marine town because it borders Camp Pendleton. It is awesome to be able to interact so closely with so many men and women of service and I wanted to offer a special boudior shoot for Valentine's Day for the wives of men who are serving our country overseas.

This shoot was a little different than what I normally do. For one, it was my first ever Boudior Shoot! It ended up being so much fun and a good way to challenge myself to think of new ways to photograph. Secondly, I used off camera lighting! I normally shoot with ambient light, so the big spotlight was really fun to play with silhouettes and add drama.

Of course, my Boudior Shoots are classy and understated. Less is more in my eyes and I reflect that in my photography, so I hope that you see the art and beauty in these photographs and not something slutty or trashy. Can I say slutty on my blog? I guess I just did- twice :) Enjoy!

Andrea wanted photos to send to her husband Chris who is in Afghanistan. He is a former Marine and is now working as a private security guard for diplomats and laborers who are destroying poppy fields. We had some fun with his uniform and their '77 Land Cruiser!

Release the Hounds

2010-02-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

Meet the pups of Nicoracle Manor! Actually, only Davey Pickle belongs to me... the others belong to the neighbors. Being the dog lover I am (and desiring a little dog community for Mr. Pickle) all of these other pooches were a big selling point for me when I was looking for a new apartment.

It is awesome to have all of these dogs to play with because Davey is so much calmer and even tempered than he was before. He's was already pretty mellow, but now at the end of the day he is completely pooped from playing with the other dogs.

This gives me the opportunity to make him sit on my lap and hold him like a baby without him having the energy to try to escape! I love it! (I hear some people thing animal lovers are freaks over their pets. If it's wrong to replace song lyrics to make them about your dog and to have a celebrated "welcome home" ceremony complete with barks, squeals and hugs- even if you just went to the mailbox- I don't want to be right!)

Clockwise from top left: Davey Pickle, Juno (my roommates dog), Chanel and Bubba.

Nicole's Tips on How to be Photogenic

2010-02-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me you run and hide when you see a camera pointed in your direction. For as comfortable as I am behind the camera I am equally uncomfortable in front of it! There is nothing worse than looking through a batch of photos and hating every one of you! But the good news is it doesn't have to be that way. Let me repeat that... IT DOESN"T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!!! (Good news, right :)

So many people shy away from having their picture taken because they believe they are unphotogenic. But everyone can learn to do a few things to make them look better in photos. Here are a few things that I have learned to do myself and I share with my clients who are doubting their modeling abilities.

1. Relax! This is my biggest mistake- I get so worried that the picture will be bad that I guarantee it will be bad with my worried expression! Remember, it's just a digital photo and if it's bad you can just delete it! No one ever has to know. Also, keep in mind that you are most likely the only person on earth who notices your "faults." That scar, wrinkle, birthmark etc. makes you look like you and the people who love you probably don't even see those things.

2. Don't make a funny face (unless of course you're taking funny face pictures). Nothing ruins a beautifully framed and lit photo like a cheesy smile or bizarre expression.

3. Keep your chin down. When you are about to have your photo taken imagine a number 7. Trace the bottom of your chin along the number 7 starting at the top left. This will force you to extend your neck out towards the camera and tilt your head down a little bit which minimizes a double chin.

4. Drop your shoulders. Tyra was right- always try to lengthen your neck. A lot of times people will hunch their shoulders up around their face making them look more like a football player than a dainty little girl. I was born with, ahem... strong, German shoulders so when I have my photo taken I always squeeze my shoulder blades together to bring my shoulders back and then drop them like they're hot (that's right, I said it- what up 2004)!

5. Lean towards the camera just a tad. I'm not talking pinup girl here, just enough to lengthen your neck a little more. Plus, whatever is closest to the camera appears larger, so this move is slimming.

6. If all else fails, ask the photo taker to stand while you sit. Looking up at the camera always slims your face.

Those are just a few of my tips, but ultimately being photogenic is personal to each person. Next time you see a photo of yourself that you don't like notice what it is about that photo that is unflattering and think about what you can do to make it more flattering. Have small eyes? Practice keeping them more open while you smile into a mirror. Don't like your nose? Look for angles that are most flattering and stick with them.

I believe everyone deserves to have at least 1 beautiful photo of themselves each year so they can remember who they are, where they've been, and where they're going.

Bethany, Anytime

2010-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

Bethany is a super fun, smart and all around awesome girl who wanted some photos of herself to give to her boyfriend for Valentine's Day. Nothing formal, just who she is, in this moment. Enjoy...

We started at Biola in their Olive Grove. The light was killer and I sooo wish they had that when I was a student there! It would have been my favorite spot on campus for sure.

This photo was not taken at Biola... if I told you where it was you'd probably be grossed out. But look- isn't it pretty??

This last photo was taken in a parking structure and Beth was not quite convinced on the parking structure. The look on her face describes her thougths on the issue perfectly, but I think it's cute!

Bethany, I had a ton of fun with you... I hope your boyfriend LOVES these photos and they do you justice in capturing your gentle and beautiful spirit.

Contact me at nicoracle@gmail.com. View my portfolio by clicking here.

My Business Cards... and Engagement Shoot Giveaway Extended!

2010-01-31T21:34:00.000-08:00

OK, let's do this this way- the exciting part first and the business part second!

Exciting: I am extending my Engagement Shoot Giveaway until February 20! I realize lots of people get engaged on Valentine's Day and I wanted to include them in the fun. Also, I am extending it to people who want to have me photograph the actual popping of the question. I did this for Laura and Jesus and it was super fun, so I'd love to do it again! If you want to enter, just email me at nicoracle@gmail.com and tell me why I should pick you! Easy as pie :)

Business: I think I am finally nailing down cards that I REALLY like and am stoked to give out! I have gone through a few designs but haven't been wildly impressed with any of them. I finally made cards that are pretty simple and include a mini portfolio, but I wanted to dress them up a little.

I have always been a lover of paper and have a big box of paper under my bed that I pull out and use for various crafts and I decided to add a jacket to my cards.

The supplies:

I picked a pretty aqua blue (my favorite color) paper and wire to add a little texture and rugged-ness.

I folded the paper so it would cover everything but my biz name and held it together with the wire on one side so the card could be slid out of the jacket (or ripped out if you are a brutal type :). I wanted the cards to be interactive and different than everyone else's.

The finished product:

My favorite part is that I realized a broken Christmas ornament makes a super cool and unique biz card holder! Bam!

Free! Free! Free!

2010-01-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

I'm giving away a FREE ENGAGEMENT SHOOT! Winter is my absolute favorite time of year to shoot in Southern California because everything is green and there are clouds in the sky that make every shot oh-so-delicious! To celebrate I am giving away an engagement shoot for free!

Why should you get engagement pictures? I love engagement pictures because it is a day for you and your fiance to get some great photos in your regular clothes, in whatever location is special to you, and separate from the commotion and hectic-ness of your wedding day. Plus, you can use them during the cermeony and reception, on the invitations or thank you notes, and framed in your new home of marital bliss.

Engagement pictures are my favorite to shoot because it gives me a chance to get to know you, your story, your personalities, etc before the wedding day. What more can I say, I love them!

Now that I've convinced you that you can't live without your very own engagement photo session I get to hear from you! I am giving away a FREE engagement session to one of my fabulous readers!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me how you got engaged and why I should pick you for the free shoot! I will pick the winner at midnight, Wednesday Jan 27.

Tell your friends to enter too, the more entries, the better :) I can't wait to read your stories!

And since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few of my favorites. Their not all engagement photos, but you get the idea...

Family Shoot with Matthew Morgan

2010-01-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

Let me first say that I am so excited that I got to be a part of this project! A few weeks ago I started contacting photographers I respect to see if we could get together, connect, and if I could do some assisting or second shooting for them. I am trying to expand my network of photographer friends and at the same time learn from those more experienced than I.

Matthew Morgan responded to me right away and offered to let me assist him in a little project he was doing. He is a fluent Spanish speaker and created some flyers for free portraits for underpriveledged families in the Spanish speaking community in South Orange County. I jumped on the opportunity to work with Matthew and to be a part of something that gave back to the community.

Things didn't go exactly as planned and we ended up with just one family that took advantage of his offer. I snapped a few photos to keep the kids busy while Matthew was doing individual shots. Here's what I ended up with...

The master at work!

I Love My Pickle!

2010-01-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

My Davey Pickle, that is.

Davey Pickle the dog, that is.

This rennaisance of puppy love was brought on by the book I just finished, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

It was a gift, not a book that I would probably have picked up on my own. I don't read novels nearly often enough, but I always make sure to read books that people have given me. I figure if they spent the time and money to get it to me the least I can do is read it.

Let me just say that I was sobbing through the first chapter. The kind of twisted face, heaving sobs that come only when a dog lover is reminded that they will outlive their dog and one day have to make a hard decision to say goodbye. I had to replace the book in my hands with Davey Pickle in my arms and remind myself to cherish each day I have with those I love, especially my little Pickle.

The rest of the book was so well written, insightful and engaging that I actually read the whole thing in less than 24 hours. I guess the lack of a job and rainy day probably helped me delve into the book so quickly, with all of my free hours. While I can't get on board with some of the spiritual opinions in the book I can appreciate it as a well crafted and heart-wrenching story.

One of my favorite paragraphs:

"'Today is the first day that I'm not dead,' Eve said to us. 'And we're having a party.'

To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live. To feel the joy of life, as Eve felt the joy of life. To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say I am alive, I am wonderful, I am. I am."

After I was laid off I spent a day at the beach with Davey and one of my best friends, April, and snapped these few photos.

One of my favorite places, one of my favorite people, and my absolute favorite dog.

That is how I want to live.

She wasn't even TRYING to look like a sunglasses model- she's just that good!

Want to contact me? Just shoot an email to nicoracle@gmail.com. See my portfolio? Click here.

I think I've got it!

2010-01-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog with a new background! Over the last 2 days I taught myself how to make a custom blog using Photoshop. This is quite the accomplishment because when I started I knew absolutely nothing about Photoshop (thanks Google)!

I ended up having trouble loading the background, so I resorted to a template background that looks similar to the one I created (wet wood) and loaded my own header. I think it really reflects my personality and who I am a lot more than some of the other looks I've had. That's probably because I made it myself instead of using someone else's design!

If you live in Southern California then you probably experienced the crazy weather today. Tornados, hail, crazy wind and sheets of rain. All of it cleared up by 3pm and I thought it would be a great day to take a picture of my city since all of the smog and haze was washed away. I got there just a little too late for the sunset, but I still think it's beautiful.

Working on it...

2010-01-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

It's just me, I'm always like this. Over zealous. Always jumping ahead of myself, which is exactly what happened when I decided to tackle re-branding my blog.

I should note that I know nothing about graphic design and am woefully unqualified for any sort of branding effort. But I am also broke, so I must learn or die trying. That's my motto of late.

I just got a copy of Photoshop suite and have no idea how to use it, but I am Googling, asking and reading and I'm determined to learn how to make a blog header that is cool, unique and reflects my personality- which my current one does not (reflect my personality that is... I do think it's cool).

The hardest part of branding is deciding who you are as an artist and how to represent that visually (you'd think that would be easy for me since I'm a photographer, but no cigar). The problem is that I like too many styles. Modern, minimalist, funky, vintage. I love it all!

So, please bear with me as I figure out which style I love the most and how to make Photoshop reflect that. (If any of you graphic artists have tips for me, I'd wash your dishes every night for the rest of your life :)

Stacie and Jason

2010-01-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

My cousin has a boyfriend! I just say that because I know it will embarass her (j/k- love you girl)! Stacie and Jason have been friends forever and even dated briefly a couple years ago. They remained friends and now that they are high school graduates and a little more grown up they decided that they really did want to be more than friends.

They came down to San Clemente and to hang out which is good because they usually run away from the usual family night (which consists mostly of karaoke and/or an 80's dance party). It was great to hang out with them and show them my town. I love San Clemente because it is beautiful! There is so much open space and even the biuldings are usually full of character. I took them out near Camp Pendleton and we snapped these photos just before the sun went down.

It was a little different photographing them because I am used to engaged or married couples who have no problem with PDA (public displays of affection). These two are still a little nervous around each other and it was so much fun to capture that newness of their relationship.

Thanks for being such beautiful and willing models you two- you rocked it out!

Goals

2010-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Since I am unemployed, I have time to do all of the things I have been wanting to but could never find the time! My main focuses are going to be building my photography businsess and the Nicoracle Photography brand, and excercising.

You may have noticed the new blog background. I liked my old blog, but I wanted one that was more inviting and warm and represented my personality and who I am as a photographer better. With the new background it will be easier to follow me and find my contact information. Both good things in my opinion!

I am still working on a new header, so look for that soon!

As for excercising, I have been struggling with my weight my whole life. I know a ton about nutrition and how to lose weight, but I just can't seem to break the bond I have with food. I have tried and failed more times than I can count, but I have to keep trying until I suceed.

Now that I don't have a job tying up 8 hours of my time every day I really have no excuse not to excercise. Plus my new roommate is a personal trainer, so really NO EXCUSE!

2010 is the year of taking control of my life and start living my dreams. Before I was even laid off I made the New Years Resolutions to:

1. Stop letting my nature forfeit my potential
2. Always trust my insticts

They seem more apropos now than ever, don't they?

Major life change...

2010-01-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

Surprise! I am unemployed!

As of last Thursday I joined the thousands of people in the unemployment line and took my place as the latest to be given the slip... the pink slip (I should warn you now that when I am nervous I start to talk and write in silly rhymes and cheesy analogies).

Being laid off is devastating, and I know that there are some of you reading right now who are in the same position as me. It's scary, it's hard and for me at least it test's my faith. Or at least it should be.

If I am really honest with myself, I am kind of excited. I had always envisioned how God may move me from full time medical researcher to full time photographer and "being laid off" was first on the list. Now I can focus so much more time on meeting other photographers, second shooting, blogging, editing, and working on my brand. I am incredibly excited to see what God is going to do with this time.

With that said, I am hitting the marketing hard. If you hear the words:

engaged
honeymoon
wedding
baby
pregnant

Pretty please, immediately say:

http://www.nicoraclephototgraphy.blogspot.com/

If you are a photographer, wedding coordinator, or other wedding professional I would love to meet you- first of all to thank you for reading my blog, and secondly to see what I can do as a photographer to make your job easier.

Thank you to all of my clients from 2009 and and my friends and family who have supported me and fostered this photography dream of mine. I hope to make you proud in 2010.

Most of all, I'm glad that I don't have to see this sad face through the porch rail every morning as I left for work!

I wore flip flops in a wedding!

2010-01-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

OK, they were fancy flip flops. If you know me at all, then you know I will wither and die if forced to wear any shoe but a flip flop. Thankfully my girl Laura didn't force that scene on me in order to be a bridesmaid in her wedding!

You may recognize Laura and Jesus from here, here or here. They have been all up and down this blog, which is understandable because Laura is one of my very closest friends and she is, or was, engaged and is now married.

Being a wedding photographer she got the full treatment from me. I was there, diguised as a man and hiding uner a giant beach umbrella (in the rain, mind you) to take pictures on the day she got engaged, I did their engagement shoot, and of course even though I was a bridesmaid I took as many photos as I could of the wedding day!

Laura, you are such an incredibly beautiful, kind, compassionate, and loving person. I would not be who I am if it were not for your friendship these last 10 (!!!) years. I am so incredibly thankful that God has blessed you with a husband who brings out the best in you, makes you feel safe, loved and happier than I have ever seen you.

I love that you can see mom watching her daughters prepare for the wedding day through the mirror.

This is my favorite photo. After I took it, I just had to stop and go give her a hug because she looked so dang beautiful on her wedding day!

Katie, that Maid of Honor, signing the Marriage License.

Contact me at nicoracle@gmail.com Check out my portfolio.

Welcome to the Future (Part 2)

2010-01-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

I am back! I took a couple days off to be a bridesmaid (and photograph as much as I could) in one of my very best friend's wedding! I am so excited for them and I actually am almost ready to blog their photos (not yet 24 hours after leaving the reception- how's that for fast turnaround?)!

Now that the wedding is over it's back to business! The second major event that happened to me in 2009 was the sudden re-emergence of my mother in my life. I debated whether or not to write this blog entry. It feels very vulnerable to be sending out into cyberspace, but I like to keep it real and I think there may be readers out there who can relate to my relationship with my mother. I also want to honor all of the women who have been mother figures in my life.

To give a little history, I come from two parents who are both homeless and drug addicted. My mom has never really been a part of my life besides an occasional weekend visit every couple years. Those weekends were usually spent in whichever rent by the week motel her current boyfriend was living in.

It was dirty, smoky, and all around not fun, but I loved my mom and cherished my time with her. I would save up my money so I could take her out of the motels and we could go to a restaraunt... I even got enough money to take her to Disneyland once. I thought it would be good for her, and good for us to biuld memories. In actuality I was playing mom to her and to myself before I was 10 years old.

When I was in high school every Sunday I would go visit her in a drug rehab she was court ordered to attend. I would leave my friends and drive my old Bel Air to the ghetto and sit and listen to what was going on in her life. I tried desparately to show her love and get her to love me.

In college I decided it was in my best interest to very much limit my communication with my mom's side of the family. I realized that if I didn't work for my relationship with my mom we wouldn't have one. So I stopped. I stopped calling her and she never called me, except on my birthday (or the next day- she always seemed to think my birthday was the day after it really was).

Eventually her phone number didn't work anymore and my birthday calls from my mom stopped. From age 21 to 26 I didn't hear a word from her. I suspected she may have died and no one told me. I mourned for her, I mourned for the mom I wished I'd had but never did, and sought out relatioships with older women who could act as a mother figure for me. I grew up and came to peace with what my life was.

Then in July I got an email that my mom was looking for me. It came with a phone number. I debated whether or not to call her. At 26 I knew that my relationship with her as a child was a sham. She didn't love me the way I wanted her to, the way I had loved her. I was grown, healed, and had people in my life that I wanted to invest my time and energy in.

Eventually I did call and we actually had an amazing visit. She was still living in a rent by the week motel, but she was sober. She told me she loved me, she would always be there for me, I could come to her if I needed anything. I bought her dinner and a pack of cigarettes, just like old times. I finally had a glimpse of the kind, nurturing, caring mom I always wanted.

A few months went by and I didn't hear anything from her. That was fine by me- I am busy and would have been happy to visit with her once a year. But around November the phone calls started. At first they were gradual, once a week... then they quickly progressed to once a day and then several times a day. Our conversations were silent on my end and a seemingly unending monologue on her end about how terrible her life was. She was agitated and annoyed that I didn't have enough time for her.

Eventually I stopped answering her phone calls. Thus began the belittling voicemails about how I was a bad daughter and how no mother deserves to be treated the way that I treated her (by not answering the phone). It became clear that she is using drugs again.

Her accusations shed light on a lifetime of hurt, anger and resentment I held towards her. How could she tell me that I was a bad daughter when I tried my whole life to connect with her and get her to love me? How could she look at her own daughter and abandon her for a life of drugs and crime? How could she say I was a bad daughter when she was nowhere to be found every time I needed her growing up? Why didn't God give me a real mom who was safe and loving and could provide for me?

I prayed, thought, and talked it over with mentors and people who I know love me and decided that the best thing for me to do would be to leave that relationship behind. I don't need her like I did when I was a child. God has provided people who are healthy and mature and love me. And as much as I would like to help her, I know enough to know that no one will ever change if they don't want to. I can't help her.

One of the reason's I wasn't sure if I should post this blog is because I don't want to sound like a whiner, or ungrateful, or like I am trying to evoke sympathy. This experience with my mom is a good thing. Now I get to decide what our relationship will look like. I am not the child left wondering why my mother doesn't care about me or if she will call me this year or not. In the last year I have found and lost my mother for the last time.

I want to thank the strong, courageous incredible women God has blessed me with for being my "moms." From them I have learned grace, kindness, openess, generosity, and self worth.

My aunt, Renee

My grandma, who raised me from the time I was 7 until I was 16.

Diana Maddock, who took me in and gave me a home and a family after I graduated college.

Welcome to the Future (Part 1)

2009-12-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

Wow. 2010. Wow.

That seems to sum up the thoughts that have been going through my head this last month as I thought about what to write in a year-end recap post.

I narrowed it down to 2 major events that happened in my life in 2009, so this post will be a 2 part-er. One today and one tomorrow!

The first major thing that happened in my life was that I decided to commit to photography!

Last April I contacted Gabriel Ryan Photographers to see if I could get together with them and just talk about photography. At the time I didn't know if I even wanted to be a photographer anymore. To be honest I didn't know how to begin to try to build a business and I had had a couple bad experiences that left me burned out before I started.

They were so awesome and encouraging and gave me such incredible advice that I left there feeling totally inspired and ready to work hard to make the dream that I had almost given up on become a reality. They also gave me a ton of resources to educate myself on business and more of the technical aspect of photography.

The most important thing they gave me was permission to be myself. I think I spent too much time trying to be all things to all people, so I wasn't having fun anymore. They showed me that if I shoot what I like I will attract people who like my style. They will have confidence in me because they like my work and I will enjoy my job because I have clients who like what I do. That's such a simple concept, I don't know why I didn't get it before!

Since April most of my evenings and weekends have been spent reading, shooting, editing, learning, growing and loving every minute of it. I finally feel like I have a career I am working towards that suits me. In all of my jobs until photography I have always felt somewhat inadequate. Now I know what I am supposed to do with my life and how I can make a difference in other people's lives through photography. That's is all I've ever wanted out of a career.

As a thank you to those who have helped me and as a way to maybe help other young photographers such as myself I want to list the people who have been influential in this first year of photography.

-All of my friends who let me photograph them to build my portfolio. Thank you, thank you, thank you! What is an artist without a muse?
-Gabriel Ryan Photographers: You already know how much I like them!
-Jasmine Star: Not only is she an all around rad person who constantly challenges me to be kinder, funnier and all around better, but she has a whole series of FAQ posts on her blog that have totally clued me in to technical stuff I need to know.
-The Wedding Cabaret: The first professional wedding blogger who commented on one of my posts. I was walking in the clouds all day!
-Nicole Glenn: I talked about her in one of my "5 Things I Love!" posts, but she deserves another shout out. We became friends through the blogging and she is one of the kindest most generous people I know. Plus she is a killer photographer. I can't wait until she is a famous celebrity photographer and I can say I knew her before the hype!
-Matthew Morgan: He is one of the few people who actually let me come along and shoot with him. He inspires me by using his photography to reach out to his community and the world to bring awareness and show love and kindness to people who would be considered an outcast by most. Now that is radness in action!

There are a ton more people I should be listing, but this post is already becoming dangerously long. Happy New Year! I hope your evening doesn't look a thing like this:

Gracie

2009-12-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

Meet sweet Gracie Belle. Her mom is just about ready to bring another little pile of cuteness into the world, so I got some time to document the girls before baby #2 arrives.

Gracie was being so adorable, hamming it up for the camera in her own little shy but endearing way. And I can't get over those eyes. They remind me of the big teardrop shaped eyes in those precious moments drawings. Too cute!

The Lopez Family

2009-12-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

Let me just say, these guys are mad troopers. It was supposed to rain the day of their shoot and I am always hesitant to cancel due to rain because most of the time when the forecast says "rain" in Southern California it means "overcast." Overcast days are actually really nice for shooting because it's like a big soft box in the sky, so I let them know it was up to them and they decided to risk it and stick with their original shoot time.

And of course, this was the one time the forecast was right and it rained. Cats and dogs. They wanted a beach shoot, so we moved it the pier so we'd have a place to run and hide in case of a downpour. We had about a half hour when the skies cleared and we ventured out from under our shelter, but other than that we stayed nice and dry under the pier.

Thanks Lopez's for braving the elements, keeping your shoot, and being such beautiful models. I had a great time hanging out and getting to know your awesome family!

Eric's 1st Birthday!

2009-12-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to my favorite little man- Eric Anderson! I've been photographing this little guy since the day he was born and his mom asked me to do a mini-shoot before his birthday party with 1 red balloon- representing 1 year of life. He was definitely more interested in the various balls and frisbees strewn about the lawn, but I managed to catch his sweet smile here and there!

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

to one and to all! Is it just me or do people get busy around this time of year? I've always tried to squeeze in time with my friends and family between the hubbub of shopping (or in my case making gifts), wrapping, baking, cleaning, traveling and everything else that seems to need to be done, like yesterday.

But this year is different. This year I decided no gifts. I am not giving gifts or getting gifts and I am so much more relaxed. I am free to enjoy the season for what it is instead of spending my time at the mall. Stoked!

This past weekend I went to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner and games with the family. My aunt always goes all out decorating for every holiday. And when I say all out I mean ALL OUT. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of each of the rooms as a whole so you could see just how decorated her place is, but I went around and photographed some of my favorite decorations.

I love the ornament because it is so my aunt, Renee! She used to be way into her tan!

I've had this stocking as long as I can remember and I thought I lost it until it turned up on their mantle last weekend! Must have been a relic from my college days when I would spend Christmas break at their house.

This was from a store front display and after Christmas my aunt went and asked them if she could have it because she liked it so much. It's about 5 feet tall and comes out every Christmas to join in the fun!

Her tree is about 12 feet tall and every inch has an ornament!

They put colored lights in the flower beds outside and I absolutely adore them. I think they make the flowers look like a magical little world where I want to live!

Here's a few shots of the lovely couple, Paul and Renee.

I love this photo- I hope I look this good at her age!

McCarthy Family

2009-12-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Meet the McCarthy's! Believe me, you are stoked to get a peek into this little family because they are rad! They are some of the warmest, kindest people I have had the pleasure to photograph this year. And the girls are beyond precious. We bonded over gymnastics and Taylor Swift... too cute!

Not to mention they found one of my favorite locations to shoot. I should have known about this place because one of my best friends house backs up to his running trail/park, but I never took the time to go check it out. Belive me I am wagging my finger in my face and saying "Oh no you didn't" in the mirror as I type.

It feels like the English countryside to me... not that I've ever been there, so maybe I am way off. Either way I can't wait to do a day after or engagement shoot there! Anyone up for it?

Back to the McCarty's. Here are the highlights from their shoot...

Call me Magellan!

2009-12-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

I discovered today that my silk curtains actually make a nice diffuser.

The orchids on the table were looking especially scrumptious in the soft wam light coming through the window, so snapped this photo.

My photo taking was a nice distraction from the scary movie I was watching (ahem, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince). OK, I admit it- I'm a wimp!

Wilson Family

2009-12-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago the Wilson Family and I met up in Laguna Beach to rock out some family photos. They have 2 of the sweetest most well behaved boys I have ever photographed. Plus they are so adorable!

I had so much fun getting a peek into this family's life together and document where they are, right now. Here are a few of my favorite shots!

How to Choose a Wedding Photographer... by Melissa Jill

2009-12-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

This morning a photography I love, Melissa Jill (http://www.melissajill.com/) posted some tips on picking your wedding photographer. I thought it was good advice and well said, so I wanted to pass it on...

1. Make sure that when you view their photos, you FEEL something. You are hiring an artist with a specific eye and heart. You want to resonate with how they see and capture the world around them- specifically relationships.

2. Ask to view an entire weddings worth of photos--the proofs. Any photographer can show you a slideshow of their best 50 photos they've ever shot and you will be impressed. But that won't give you a good sense for what your wedding photos will look like. You want to make sure they have good quality photos throughout the course of one entire wedding.

3. Make sure you like them as a person. Whoever you pick to be your photographer is going to be around you and your family for many hours on the best day of your life. So you want to feel comfortable with them and most of all, be able to TRUST them.

The Ditto Family

2009-12-09T21:16:00.000-08:00

That's right- Ditto! Dustin and Jessica are dear friends of mine and this weekend I got to meet their little guy, Kieran.

I met Dustin my very first day at my very first job after college. He is like the brother I never wanted (isn't that totally something a little sister would say?) We quickly became friends, which was great because that job was a bum-hu- mer and I needed friends to get me through the day!

I got to meet his lovely girlfriend at the time Jessica and it didn't take more than an afternoon to see how perfect they were for each other, so I was so excited to get to know her as well. Over the years Jessica became his wife and together they became parents and now I get to share this little cutie pie with the world!

The Light Family

2009-12-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

I have known Chris and Sarah for years. Actually, I met them just before Sarah got pregnant with their little girl, Eden! They are laid back, artistic and friendly... just my kind of people! Not to mention they are rediculously good looking, which needless to say is great for photos!

We hung out last week and I snapped these informal photos as they were just being together as a family. Here are my favorites!

The Walker Family

2009-12-03T21:03:00.000-08:00

I have known Lorne and Laurel for a few years now, but it wasn't until this Thanksgiving that we really got to talk and hang out a little bit. They are cousins of the Maddocks and are always at the same family parties so it was about time we got to know each other a little bit! We used the afternoon light and the beauty of grandma's back yard to take a few photos for Christmas cards.

Their son, Will, was definitely having a great time... mostly amusing himself by running away as fast as he could while being chased and then carried back to his parents only to pop up and run away again! He was keeping everyone laughing, which of course was great for me because I got lots of natural fun photos! Here are the highlights...

Will on the loose!

While Will was being shepherded back I took the opportunity to shoot Lorne and Laurel on their own!

Plotting his escape!

De Mers Family

2009-12-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the last of my big family shoot posts. Melissa De Mers is the elusive birthday girl I have been talking about and is also a budding wedding and lifestyle photographer. You can check out her work at http://www.lissariephotography.com/

Melissa and her daughter Haylie were just so darn cute together, so I wanted to post some of their photos together. Haylie is at that age where she thinks her mom is just the coolest, most wonderful person in the world and that shines through in these photos. I love it!

5 Things I Love!

2009-11-30T21:58:00.000-08:00

Can I just say one thing? Davey Pickle ATE a football today. A full on, NFL size football was in pieces when I came home tonight and Davey was ruthlessly shredding the inner lining. If it was possible for me to love that dog any more it happened today. There is something I cherish about watching a dog be a dog.

Chasing birds, wrestling with other dogs, hunting bugs, howling at sirens... while I know that lots of people would be highly annoyed by such unruly behavior, I love it! I love it because he is doing what he was created to do and there are so few instances in this world where you can witness someone so free. Even when he destroys his toys (I am sure that football had it coming anyway)!

On to this weeks edition of 5 Things I Love...

1. The High Llamas- an auditory treat. You can check them out at...

2. www.imeem.com- This is a music streaming website that I love because you can search a song and then listen to it on the spot. Perfect for when you get that song stuck in your head or someone recommends a song or artist. Or you can set it to play "related music" which will give you a playlist created around the song or artist you chose. What can I say, I am a music nerd!

3. Podcasts- I have been listening to them a lot lately. My favorites are The Moth, This American Life, and Biola Chapel. Who knew technology would eventually bring the return of the age of the spoken word?

4. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Champagne- This one is for the ladies... minty, smooth and just the right amount of shimmer.

5. Cacti and Succulents- About the only thing in my garden that I can actually keep alive. I love it because it loves me back :)

The Meahan's

2009-11-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to part two of my blog postings for the recent, multi-family, photoshoot I did last weekend. Here we have the parents and grandparents of the Seaman's, who I blogged about a couple days ago.

George and Rusty came all the way from Mexico to be here for their grandaughter's birthday, which meant we got to have them for the photoshoot. They were awesome- totally willing to do whatever I asked, even if it meant climbing trees and mountains. OK, maybe not quite mountains, but they were up for anything and that always makes for the best photos!

Barb and Scott were wonderful... warm, kind and very sweet. Plus they are just so darn cute together! Here are just a few of my favorite photos of them.

Barb, you are beautiful!

Maddock Nursery

2009-11-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

This year I spent Thanksgiving in Fallbrook with my friends turned family, The Maddocks. They own and operate Maddock Nursery and have a beautiful piece of land lined with fruit trees, dusty roads and humble family homes.

I lived with them for about a year after college and I loved waking up every morning and watching the sun rise over the ridge with a cup of tea. Then I would pick fresh blueberries for breakfast shared with some of the most wonderful people on earth! Those were some of my favorite days of my life and Maddock Nursery is one of my favorite places on earth.

I just bought a new camera (insert fireworks, hoots and hollers here), so I took the opportunity on Thanksgiving day to try out the new camera and photograph some of the nursery. I am taking a break from the shoots I have lined up to blog to celebrate and give thanks for this wonderful place. Enjoy...

This is the view from the house where I lived. Stunning...

Grandma's house (where we ate Thanksgiving Dinner) is tucked beneath these oak trees. Most of these trees burned in the wildfires of 2007 and some are just now showing signs of life again.

Yum!

Something about this just made me smile!

Seaman Family

2009-11-27T08:10:00.001-08:00

I have been itching to post some of the beautiful family shoots I've been doing over the last few weeks and now I finally have the first one ready! Meet the Seamans!

Elizabeth contacted me to shoot her whole family because they were flying in from all over the country (and even Mexico) to celebrate her sister Melissa's 30th birthday.

There were so many people and photos that I decided to break up the blogging into a few different days. These two were having a great time in front of the camera and you could tell they were savoring every moment spent with long lost family!

Elizabeth, thank you so much for contacting me and asking me to be a part of your little reunion. Your family was so much fun and I am honored to have been able to document this time in your lives.

The whole clan

This one is for Al! It was quite the rush runing down the tracks trying to beat the train so I could get to the perfect spot for this photo. Don't try this at home, kids!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of things I am thankful for, in no particular order:

- Sparkling Apple Cider
- A car that always starts when I want it to
- A job that pays all of my bills
- 30 Rock
- Living in San Clemente
- Afternoons spent soaking up the warm sun
- The joy photography brings me
- All of the people God brought into my life to be "parents" and mentors to me when I was a kid. And the love train just keeps coming!
- Q-Tips
- Music that moves my soul
- Pineapple
- Catalina Island
- Hulu.com
- A big soft bed
- Facebook
- A God who loves so much better than I can
- Good friends
- Friday Night Karaoke
- Dancing like a maniac
- Growing up in a trailer park with lots of nooks and cranny's to explore
- My bike
- No list is complete without a mention of Davey Pickle's little fur face!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here is a photo I took out the window while driving down the 76 towards Fallbrook to spend Thanksgiving with the wonderful Maddock Family!

5 Things I Love!

2009-11-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

So, I thought I was over my sickness, but last week it came back with a vengeance! I have been spending every moment of rest I can huddled into bed, trying to get over this very annoying cough/ sore throat/ dry chest thing I have come down with. Unfortunately that means I have been a bit absent from the blog- believe me it kills me because I have so much great stuff to share with you!

Before I turn in for the night (OK, I know it's 7:30 but I'm sick people!) I wanted to post a quick 5 Things I Love since I missed it last week. I am dedicating this to all of my favorite sicky essentials since that is what has been filling my mind lately. Seriously, I fell asleep with a bottle of Nyquil in my hand the other night. Pa-the-tic!

1. The Humidifier- I mentioned this one before, not that long ago, but my humidifier has been such a good friend to me over the last 2 weeks that it deserves a second week of blog love.

2. Theraflu- I am not going to kid you all and say that Theraflu is not NASTY tasting, but it makes me feel so much better so fast. For that, I love it!

3. Melatonin- My natural remedy for insomnia. All is takes is 4 of those little babies and I am so ready to hit the hay at 7:30pm!

4. Friends and The Simpsons- Those 2 shows have kept me company through every cold, flu and everything in between since I was a kid.

5. A very special shout out goes to Davey Pickle for being my little space heater, makeshift pillow and constant companion. No one likes to be lonely when they are sick and Davey's made sure I always have someone to pet :)

I feel like I am writing my thank you speech for the Oscars. Maybe that melatonin has kicked in and I am fading into delirium faster than I thought I would. Here is a picture of Davey Pickle looking all sweet... Goodnight!

Anderson Family

2009-11-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

Oh internet, I've missed you! Thanks to being sick last week and a hastly move over this weekend I haven;t even logged on for 5 whole days! No Facebook, no Twitter, no blog! I never knew I was so addicted until I was disconnected for a whole half a week and went through withdrawls! I missed my friends updates, browsing blogs and of course keeping all of you updated on the haps in my life.

In case you were wondering, I am almost all moved out with the exception of the stuff in the garage that woefuly has no place in my new home. Not quite sure what to do about that, but luckily I have a couple of weeks to figure it out. I will post pics of the new pad soon. It has a spiral staircase that I have been dying to do a little shoot on since the moment I laid eyes on it. Maybe the new roommate with oblige!

I wanted to share this little gem of a photoshoot I did with my friend Jenny's family last weekend. She asked me to do a quick shoot in their yard so they could get a Christmas card photo. If you haven't thought about your Christmas photos yet, shoot me an email and set up a shoot (special rate- $75- face it, that's a deal)! I think having yearly photos of the family taken is a great idea so you can look back and see how people have grown, additions have arrived and hairstyles have changed through the years!

This is the face that greeted me at the door.

See how happy he is to see me? I heard Mr. Eric Anderson missed his nap that afternoon, which made for a bit of a challenging photoshoot, but he worked it out!

Peaches the dog was definitely ready for her closeup and took every opportunity to make a cameo!

This was my last shot. See how happy he was to see me go? ;o)

5 Things I love!

2009-11-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

Devotees may have noticed that I am remiss. I usually do my "5 Things I Love" installment on Mondays, however I am fighting off a cold and just couldn't bring myself to be creative or funny or interesting in any way last night. Today I am feeling a little better, as long as my humidifier is not too far away. Speaking of my humidifier...

1. My humidifier- I discovered the joy of a humidifier when I came down with a particularly nasty flu in college. I moved into the living room for about a month and built a fort from couch cushions and blankets. I spent every night huddled under my fort breathing into my humidifier and weeping softly. OK, maybe I didn't weep EVERY night! Call me dramatic, but I swear... there is no way I would have lived to talk about that flu if it had not been for the soothing steam of my humidifier.

2. OC Smug Meeting- The photo hosting website Smugmug holds monthly meetings for photographers to come together, learn from someone further along in the business and fellowship together every month. There have only been 4 meetings in Orange County so far, but I am hooked. I always go there feeling starstruck ("OMG, Jasmine Star just gave me a hug!") and in every photo I am sporting "crazy face" but I leave feeling encouraged, inspired and energized. Plus I met a very cool photographer there by the name of Nicole Glenn.

3. Nicole Glenn- As mentioned a moment ago, Nicole and I met at the very first OC Smug meeting and we have become fast friends over the last few months of exchanging emails, encouraging each other's photography, and sharing the tricks of the trade that as we learn them. She is an amazing photographer and an exceptionally sweet, kind and genuine person. Check out her work at www.nicoleglennblog.com

4. Getting Your Hair Done- I don't consider myself too much of a girly girl, but there is something so fabulous about sitting in a comfy chair and having someone play with your hair for hours.

5. Change- I will be moving to a new apartment this month and while I am sooo not looking forward to the process of moving (especially while I am sick) the inner gypsy in me is excited for the change. I am most excited about re-decorating my room! I am thinking something like Ready Made magazine's "Sea Change" room (below) with my own twist. I am in love with the wallpaper!

Jen: Just Because

2009-11-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Meet my friend Jen. She is awesome. Encouraging, friendly, kind and FUN! She asked me to take a few photos of her to send home to her momma in Gergia for her birthday, so we took about 15 minutes and snapped these goodies!

Can you believe those baby blues? Jealous!

Battle for the Bell

2009-11-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a busy and wonderful weekend full of friends and adventure (and of course pictures of all of it). I have a few things to blog, so I will just start at the beginning and plow on through!

I have never been big into sports, especially high school sports, but I found myself at the "Battle for the Bell" between Edison and Fountain Valley high schools on Friday night. It was actually a really exciting game because I graduated from Edison, and my aunt graduated from Fountain Valley and my cousin is on their football team. They made me sit on the FV side with them, but I didn't mind because then I got to trash talk with them the whole time!

Being an alumni wasn't the only reason I wanted Edison to win. My high school youth pastor's son was playing for the team and this win was HUGE for him. He was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia last year and spent what would have been his senior year in the hospital enduring chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and isolation from anyone who may get him sick. After a year off treating his disease he is finishing his senior year of high school and back in football. I knew that winning the bell probably meant more to him than to any other player on either team and I was eager to witness his victory!

I am happy to report that the Edison Chargers crushed the Fountain Valley Barons and I was there to remind my Baron loving family who the better team was every step of the way :) Stacie and I busied ourselves in the off time by taking pictures of each other...

Totally overexposed, but I like it because I look like an angel :)

My cousin in his uniform

5 Things I love!

2009-11-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

1. www.freetetris.org- For when I really need to geek out for a while.

2. http://www.thehobosoul.com/- An inspiring account of two guys who decided to embrace the life of a hobo and live in an RV on the streets of LA and Orange County. I discovered their blog right about the same time "The Van Plan" was born and it was always nice to know that I am not the only one who thinks living in a vehicle is not only not crazy, but down right smart sometimes!
3. Cougartown- My favorite new TV show :)

4. Harry Potter- Another geeky pleasure. I am just a sucker for a well crafted story and it's hard to argue that Harry Potter is not a well crafted story. Plus, my roommate wanted to watch a scary movie on Halloween and Harry Potter is about as scary as I go!

And since every post needs a photo- here are a couple of me as a wee one that I found when I was looking for pictures of my grandma for my last post!

5. Little Edie Beale- Speaking of Halloween, I dressed up like Little Edie for my work party. No one knew who I was and I ended up tucking a photo of her in my sleeve to whip out and show people when they looked at me curiously. She was the crazy cat lady cousin of Jackie O. and was eccentric, free spirited and damaged. I am slightly obsessed by her life at the moment.