Sleeping Beauty

No better way than to take pictures of a model that is perfectly still and absolutely perfect in every way. Ok I'm stretching it a lot there. My Alexsis is a lot of work, but I'm the mother. I'm the only one who can say that. I like to call her high-spirited; however, she was blessed with the looks and she knows it. If your a mother then you know there's nothing more divine than a sleeping baby or as I like to say, a "Sleeping Beauty" around bedtime.
Sweet dreams...

Water still in time

Happy Valentine's Day

My husband spoiled me this Valentine's day just like he does everyday! He bought me two dozen roses along with wine, champagne, chocolates and a day at the spa! I have never seen roses so beautiful. So pretty I had to take a picture of them outside in the natural light. Wish they would stay alive forever. Happy Love Day to everyone, may it be LOVE day everyday!

Photography class in SF

This past weekend I went to a photography class in San Francisco - Isla Studios. We spent the first five minutes introducing ourselves with a brief description of what brought us to the class-- for me of course, my children have always been my inspiration to become a better photographer, but when my sister said that I was her inspiration I was surprised and touched. It's a refreshing reminder that my work inspires others to create. I'm happy that out of all people I could inspire, it would be my sister because she inspires me in more ways than she'll ever know!

The one point the teacher really drove home during the class this weekend was you don't need a huge, overly-expensive camera to take great pictures-- mind you, he does this for a living. But the point is that with a basic understanding of shutter speed, aperture and composition, you can create amazing art with even a disposable camera. I agree-- so the Cannon 5D is on hold for now ; )

The only way to achieve great pictures is through trial and error-- until your camera feels like it's an extended appendage of your body. Natural light is my best friend, and if I get it right the first time, there is little to no editing needed. Soften the skin a little and Voila! Playing with angles and lighting can lead to new perspectives. There are no two exact faces in the world, and sometimes a slight tilt to the left with the chin a little downward works better for someone than maybe to the right and chin up.

Shooting in manual can be a challenge because from two feet away the light can be completely different, which means playing with the settings of your camera until you get the right feel. A well-known photographer once told me that Photoshop and other editing programs should be considered cheating! Back in the day that stuff didn't exist so you had get it right the first time. That statement is now forever ingrained in my head when I take pictures.

I've been taking pictures like crazy for the past three+ years. I drive my family crazy with my camera! Everywhere I go it's strapped to me. The pictures below were during a quick stroll on Sunday to get coffee at the Ferry Building in San Francisco (Blue Bottle, no less). The wall we came across on our walk screamed STOP! My sister rolled her eyes and then got comfortable as I began to start snapping away. Architecture with lots of texture and interest can really add elements of interest than just a straight on shot of a pretty face. Her hair looked stunning against the coppery orange colored wall. Thank you Vanessa for an amazing weekend and letting me photograph you!

Doggy Photo-shoot

There are kid, adult, wedding, baby, insect, flower, and nature photo-shoots how about a DOG SHOOT! Lee's brother-in-law brought over Louie's sister today. When their family saw Louie they had to have a miniature Schnauzer too. Thanks for coming over and playing Lilly! Your haircut inspired me to get Louie to the groomers ASAP, meaning the very next day. Having them together meant my camera had to get into action.

A Day in the City

Went to the city this weekend and boy was it a beautiful day! Unfortunately, I wasn't really able to concentrate on taking a lot of pictures because my 4 year old was with us and we had places to be, things to do. I like to always shoot in manual mode and when you are constantly changing positions, so is the lighting, which means the settings on the camera need to change as well. Not always easy when people are yelling at you to hurry-up. With that said, I got some decent pics to remember the day. I'll be back in San Francisco the weekend of Feb. 11th because I'm taking a photography class so hopefully more improvements in my photography to come. Practice, Practice, Practice. Also a shout out to Gabriel Angelo for all his hot moves and amazing trumpet playing. Your amazing kid, keep it up! Check him out at: gabrielangelotrumpet.blogspot.com