Monday, March 8, 2010
{Loire Valley} France Travel Photographer
After returning from a trip and sorting through my images, I often wonder if I realized the beauty of what I was viewing in the moment that I saw it. I'm pretty sure I didn't, because I'm always struck by the images when I get home. I think that's pretty normal when you travel to Europe. You encounter so much beauty, history, and mystery...that it can become a bit overwhelming! I think it takes some time for it to all soak in to really absorb it all. And that is the wonderful thing about photography! You get to relive it, forever! I have to say that France is not my favorite place to visit...but for photography purposes, it is! I know, I'm conflicted and that may not make sense...but it is what it is.
{Manic Monday} 12th ed.
As you may have noticed, I was a bit absent from my blog last week. My parents were visiting us for the week. I'm really trying not to let my computer/work time interfere with my personal relationships. That may sound silly but there is always work for me to get done and I tend to bury myself under my laptop as a result. So, I took a little break to hang out with my family and it's always a bit refreshing to do so. We enjoyed lots of playtime with Brooklyn, delicious meals prepared my mom, and daily shopping trips.
Grandma with her girl...
It was also nice not to be reminded 24/7 that I may be one of the only few photographers not at WPPI this week. There is so much Twitter, Facebook, & blog buzz from all the attending photographers. They joke that the WPPI convention is the equivalent of a college Spring Break. 10,000 photographers gather in one place to network, learn, and inspire one another....and partake in nightly parties. I have yet to attend and it was just not in the cards for me this year either.
So Dan and I sold one of our cars last week. The lease was up anyways and we were able to sell a month earlier and made a little extra on it since we only had 14,000 miles on it. We had decided that we were going to be a one car family for a temporary time to save a little money. Well, that lasted a whole three days and I already want to get another car again. It is super inconvenient and I am just too accustomed to coming and going as I please. For example, I had to pick up Dan from work last night and had to keep Brooklyn up later than her normal bedtime. So, we're looking into getting another car. I'm considering getting a Mazda 3, which I owned before but ultimately sold after our house was broken into and the keys stolen. I always loved that car and look forward to driving it again.
Dan and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniverary on March 3rd. We've been together for a total of 6 years now and I can hardly believe that much time has passed. I've adored my husband since the moment I saw him in an elevator (sounds corny crazy but true). But there is something magical about sharing a child together that makes us love one another even more! I know that we will be together forever. That we will fight through any obstacle. We have a less than perfect relationship but at the end of each day I know that he loves me and that I love him. And more than anything, he loves our little girl and is such an awesome daddy! For that, I'm grateful!
Thanks to my parents in town, we celebrated by going out! That is such a rare occasion, since having Brooklyn. Our first stop was the AVIA Hotel in Downtown Long Beach to visit our friend Melly and tour the latest in Downtown (our original stomping grounds). What a super cool boutique hotel in our neighborhood!
We then had dinner at the Parkers Lighthouse! I had delish sushi and lobster all in one meal! I could not have been happier and it was a perfect night. The best part of the night was definitely the conversation!
Grandma with her girl...
It was also nice not to be reminded 24/7 that I may be one of the only few photographers not at WPPI this week. There is so much Twitter, Facebook, & blog buzz from all the attending photographers. They joke that the WPPI convention is the equivalent of a college Spring Break. 10,000 photographers gather in one place to network, learn, and inspire one another....and partake in nightly parties. I have yet to attend and it was just not in the cards for me this year either.
So Dan and I sold one of our cars last week. The lease was up anyways and we were able to sell a month earlier and made a little extra on it since we only had 14,000 miles on it. We had decided that we were going to be a one car family for a temporary time to save a little money. Well, that lasted a whole three days and I already want to get another car again. It is super inconvenient and I am just too accustomed to coming and going as I please. For example, I had to pick up Dan from work last night and had to keep Brooklyn up later than her normal bedtime. So, we're looking into getting another car. I'm considering getting a Mazda 3, which I owned before but ultimately sold after our house was broken into and the keys stolen. I always loved that car and look forward to driving it again.
Dan and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniverary on March 3rd. We've been together for a total of 6 years now and I can hardly believe that much time has passed. I've adored my husband since the moment I saw him in an elevator (sounds corny crazy but true). But there is something magical about sharing a child together that makes us love one another even more! I know that we will be together forever. That we will fight through any obstacle. We have a less than perfect relationship but at the end of each day I know that he loves me and that I love him. And more than anything, he loves our little girl and is such an awesome daddy! For that, I'm grateful!
Thanks to my parents in town, we celebrated by going out! That is such a rare occasion, since having Brooklyn. Our first stop was the AVIA Hotel in Downtown Long Beach to visit our friend Melly and tour the latest in Downtown (our original stomping grounds). What a super cool boutique hotel in our neighborhood!
We then had dinner at the Parkers Lighthouse! I had delish sushi and lobster all in one meal! I could not have been happier and it was a perfect night. The best part of the night was definitely the conversation!
Monday, March 1, 2010
{Book vs. Nook} A review
Well, I'm the proud owner of an e-Reader, the Nook. If you're not familiar with the Nook, it is the Barnes & Noble version of the Kindle. I had always wanted a Kindle but ultimately decided on the Nook because it had a color touch screen, expandable memory, and you could borrow/lend books from other members. I can't compare personally if the Nook is better/worse than the Kindle...so I can only share my personal experience.
The introduction of iTunes and OnDemand are super alluring because your desires are available at the touch of a button. Well, it's the same for eReaders. When you hear of a book selection, you can instantly download the book to your reader (which can be a bit addicting, and impulsive). It's basically the iPod of reading. I love that! As for the reading experience, I like it. A few complaints are the fact that the page turning is a bit slow, because the page turns negative before returning to postive (which I didn't notice so much until my friend Cora brought it to my attention, and now I can't get past it). I love that the main screen is touch screen, but I wish the actual reading pages were touch screen too. I became super accostomed to a full touch screen from reading on my iPhone prior to the Nook, I was able to swipe the page turns and touch and highlight key quotes. It's not easy to highlight on a Nook.
Ultimately my goal in purchasing a Nook was to increase my reading. Which it has! It's always with me (at less than weight and space of a real book). And if I'm not in the mood of my current book selection, I can easily pick up another novel from my digital library.
Now having said all that, I love real books! My bookshelves are filled in my home with beautfiul books. With beautiful covers. And worn pages. I appreciate the art of reading from paper pages and turning the corners to earmark favorites. Reading from my Nook is out of convenience and expense. For example, I can download a new release for $9.99 versus the $20-30 price tag of a new release in hard cover. In the end, does it really matter? I'm reading and I haven't done that it almost two years since getting pregnant and having little Brookie Brooks. I lost sight of a hobby that makes me happy, inspries me, and the Nook invites me to read.
The introduction of iTunes and OnDemand are super alluring because your desires are available at the touch of a button. Well, it's the same for eReaders. When you hear of a book selection, you can instantly download the book to your reader (which can be a bit addicting, and impulsive). It's basically the iPod of reading. I love that! As for the reading experience, I like it. A few complaints are the fact that the page turning is a bit slow, because the page turns negative before returning to postive (which I didn't notice so much until my friend Cora brought it to my attention, and now I can't get past it). I love that the main screen is touch screen, but I wish the actual reading pages were touch screen too. I became super accostomed to a full touch screen from reading on my iPhone prior to the Nook, I was able to swipe the page turns and touch and highlight key quotes. It's not easy to highlight on a Nook.
Ultimately my goal in purchasing a Nook was to increase my reading. Which it has! It's always with me (at less than weight and space of a real book). And if I'm not in the mood of my current book selection, I can easily pick up another novel from my digital library.
Now having said all that, I love real books! My bookshelves are filled in my home with beautfiul books. With beautiful covers. And worn pages. I appreciate the art of reading from paper pages and turning the corners to earmark favorites. Reading from my Nook is out of convenience and expense. For example, I can download a new release for $9.99 versus the $20-30 price tag of a new release in hard cover. In the end, does it really matter? I'm reading and I haven't done that it almost two years since getting pregnant and having little Brookie Brooks. I lost sight of a hobby that makes me happy, inspries me, and the Nook invites me to read.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
{Brooklyn} Bubbles & That
Every once in awhile you are reminded of your blessings. The job you have. The roof over your head. The beautiful child. The awesome friends & family you have. Sometimes it takes a personal loss to be reminded. Other times the loss or heartache of others. It is the latter with my most recent realization. I came across this BLOG and I could NOT stop reading for hours. I love her honesty. Rawness. Appreciation. Love. There are moments when we are reminded and I'm thankful for the little moments.
Brooklyn's newest fascination is with blowing bubbles. She says "bubbles" all of the time and loves it when they pop on her face. It's so adorable.
"That that that". I hear that a couple million times a day. Okay, not really. But after about ten times, it feels like millions. Everything Brooklyn wants now is "that, that, that". It was cute at first and now I'm trying to identify each "that" with it's actual name. "That? Oh, music. Book. Sippy cup. Phone. Brush. Etc." But most importantly, it is her music. THAT! She loves it. She wants to hear it. She wants to dance to it. She wants to play and control it herself. It's super adorable and she is so her daddy's girl with her moves. And she's mine with her "Brooklyn shoulder shake". Music is in this girls blood and I love it! As a result, I walk around singing "monkies on the bed", "old macdonald", or "tiki room". A huge thanks to Dan's Aunt Rose for sending us Brooklyn's favorite CD "Daddy's Little Girl". A day does not go by where this CD is not played. It is a permanent fixture in the player.
Brooklyn's newest fascination is with blowing bubbles. She says "bubbles" all of the time and loves it when they pop on her face. It's so adorable.
"That that that". I hear that a couple million times a day. Okay, not really. But after about ten times, it feels like millions. Everything Brooklyn wants now is "that, that, that". It was cute at first and now I'm trying to identify each "that" with it's actual name. "That? Oh, music. Book. Sippy cup. Phone. Brush. Etc." But most importantly, it is her music. THAT! She loves it. She wants to hear it. She wants to dance to it. She wants to play and control it herself. It's super adorable and she is so her daddy's girl with her moves. And she's mine with her "Brooklyn shoulder shake". Music is in this girls blood and I love it! As a result, I walk around singing "monkies on the bed", "old macdonald", or "tiki room". A huge thanks to Dan's Aunt Rose for sending us Brooklyn's favorite CD "Daddy's Little Girl". A day does not go by where this CD is not played. It is a permanent fixture in the player.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
{My Nieces} The future of photography
There are so many amazing emerging photographers.And my nieces are amongst the bunch. I sold my first DSLR to my sister, and my niece quickly adopted it as her own. How awesome to begin taking photographs at such a young age.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
{Central Park} New York City Photographer
My editing frenzy of travel pics continues! This time I visit a domestic favorite...New York City! I can't tell you how much I love this city. It is like no other. So much crazy awesome energy & talent comes from this electric place.
I have had the opportunity to visit New York City three times. The first time in July of 1999 when the Towers still stood. In fact, I even had a huge print of the the NY skyline with the Twin Towers above by bed, when they fell. It was kinda eerie to look at it, once they fell. It was such a reminder of so much tragedy and sadness. The second time was in 2002, only six months after 9/11. I saw Ground Zero and all it's devastation. I could not grasp the loss nor remember the reality that stood before. Most recently, I visited NYC in January of 2008. It was only the month before getting pregnant with Brooklyn and I went with my two girlfriends Danielle & Julia. This trip was, of course, the best because I had an awesome camera to capture it in all it's beauty. I visited Ground Zero again on that trip and even six years later, the wounds still seemed fresh. There is an amazing sense of patriotism and comradarie in the city as a result.
There are so many amazing and wonderful places to visit in NYC, but Central Park will continue to be a fave! Especially in the winter with it's twiggy trees, frozen lakes, and frosty blanket.
I have had the opportunity to visit New York City three times. The first time in July of 1999 when the Towers still stood. In fact, I even had a huge print of the the NY skyline with the Twin Towers above by bed, when they fell. It was kinda eerie to look at it, once they fell. It was such a reminder of so much tragedy and sadness. The second time was in 2002, only six months after 9/11. I saw Ground Zero and all it's devastation. I could not grasp the loss nor remember the reality that stood before. Most recently, I visited NYC in January of 2008. It was only the month before getting pregnant with Brooklyn and I went with my two girlfriends Danielle & Julia. This trip was, of course, the best because I had an awesome camera to capture it in all it's beauty. I visited Ground Zero again on that trip and even six years later, the wounds still seemed fresh. There is an amazing sense of patriotism and comradarie in the city as a result.
There are so many amazing and wonderful places to visit in NYC, but Central Park will continue to be a fave! Especially in the winter with it's twiggy trees, frozen lakes, and frosty blanket.
Monday, February 22, 2010
{Lily + Ozzie - part II} San Juan Capistrano Engagement Session
I had to post just a few more faves from Lily & Ozzie's e-session. I LOVED this location so much.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
{Lily + Ozzie} San Juan Capistrano Engagement Photographer
I would say that 90% of my clients are from previous client referrals. Which is so awesome that they are spreading the word about cBp and coming back themselves. I am super grateful for their trust in my services! What's really awesome and crazy now, is that I'm starting to get a lot more business from clients that have found me on Google. That blows me away! Mostly because there are so many amazing photographers in Southern California, and they stumbled across my site and chose me me capture their stories! A serious honor. There's this crazy thing called SEO (Search Engine Optimization)...and I could dedicate days of my work week to improving my Google rating. Unfortunately, I don't have that sort of time and still lack the "know how"...but I must be doing something right, because I am being found! Amen for that.
Now on to the real reason for this post. I didn't meet Lily & Ozzie until their engagement session on Friday night (since they found me online and all of our correspondence was via email and phone calls). I'm so glad they found me, because they are cool peeps! They were so trusting of me to choose their location for their session (San Juan Capistrano train depot & Los Rios district) and were open to pretty much anything during our session. Engagement sessions continue to be one of my faves to capture and especially love learning about their stories. I always send a questionnaire to find a little more about my couples (via Shootq) since we did not have a chance to meet before our session. Lily wrote the most endearing thing in response to this question...At what point did you know your fiance was "the one"?. Her response was...When I realized every single day I laugh with him. I love that! I especially love it because I think laughter can be one of the most therapeutic things in a relationship. I hope you guys never lose that.
They will be getting married in only a few more weeks. I am super excited for your big day but even more excited for a lifetime filled with laughter & love! Congratulations guys and thank you again. This will be Part 1 of the preview, because there are so many more that I want to share!
I don't think I'll ever tire of train track shots of couples walking. The leading lines, walking off into the sunset...it's incredibly romantic & mysterious to me.
Oh ya, did I mention that Lily had some kick "A" shoes too? LOVED them.
I really enjoyed our time together and was thankful to Danny Mendoza for coming to shoot with me too. It's really fun to shoot with another photographer to bounce ideas off one another, see how they interact with clients, and to see their vision for an image. Fun times! I think this is something that I will continue to do in the future, so if you are looking to expand your portfolio or just want to come play, send me an email to express your interest! Cheers!
Now on to the real reason for this post. I didn't meet Lily & Ozzie until their engagement session on Friday night (since they found me online and all of our correspondence was via email and phone calls). I'm so glad they found me, because they are cool peeps! They were so trusting of me to choose their location for their session (San Juan Capistrano train depot & Los Rios district) and were open to pretty much anything during our session. Engagement sessions continue to be one of my faves to capture and especially love learning about their stories. I always send a questionnaire to find a little more about my couples (via Shootq) since we did not have a chance to meet before our session. Lily wrote the most endearing thing in response to this question...At what point did you know your fiance was "the one"?. Her response was...When I realized every single day I laugh with him. I love that! I especially love it because I think laughter can be one of the most therapeutic things in a relationship. I hope you guys never lose that.
They will be getting married in only a few more weeks. I am super excited for your big day but even more excited for a lifetime filled with laughter & love! Congratulations guys and thank you again. This will be Part 1 of the preview, because there are so many more that I want to share!
I don't think I'll ever tire of train track shots of couples walking. The leading lines, walking off into the sunset...it's incredibly romantic & mysterious to me.
I really enjoyed our time together and was thankful to Danny Mendoza for coming to shoot with me too. It's really fun to shoot with another photographer to bounce ideas off one another, see how they interact with clients, and to see their vision for an image. Fun times! I think this is something that I will continue to do in the future, so if you are looking to expand your portfolio or just want to come play, send me an email to express your interest! Cheers!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
{500th Blog Post} = save $500 on your wedding
Ladies & Gentlemen....welcome to my 500th blog post and my 3rd blogiversary. Yep, I started this little blog three years ago this week and have entertained (a'hem, bored?) you with my 500 images, random thoughts and my heart on my sleeve. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to share a little piece of my life with you and yours with me.
Soooo, to celebrate this momentous occasion...I'm extending a $500 savings on your wedding package when booking a 2010 wedding in February. That means you save $500 when you sign a contract with retainer by the last day of this month! Hurry, though, because this is a short month and that is already next week. Soooo, what if you aren't getting married and you want to join the celebration too? Well, I'm glad you asked. I will extend $50 off my portrait session fee when you book with me this month too. Help me spread the word, and repost this to your Twitter or Facebook status!
View larger...
And what would a celebration be without a little vino? And for the occasion, I picked this bottle just for you in honor of your wedding day! (Okay, not really...but I thought this was a super cool label in honor of Valentines Day this past weekend). The wine is called Monogamy and the tag line reads "truly madly deeply". I like that!
What's even better is the description on their website...
You know you've experimented.
It's a way to discover what you like, and what you don't.
What makes you happy.
What satisfies your soul.
It's how you know you've found the one.
When you've met the love of your life, is there really any reason to keep looking?
You know you've experimented.
It's a way to discover what you like, and what you don't.
What makes you happy.
What satisfies your soul.
It's how you know you've found the one.
When you've met the love of your life, is there really any reason to keep looking?
{TweetBookz} They stole my idea
Okay, not really. But have you ever had a super awesome idea and then you come to find out that somebody else had it too and already created the fabulous idea (that you thought was so brilliant, and all your own)? Well, I was half happy and half "hey, you stole my idea" when I came across TweetBookz on another photographer's blog. I was super happy to find an easy solution to printing my blog and always thought how cool would it be to print my Twitter feed too. I mean, after all, I pretty much broadcast every memorable, funny, disappointing moment and what better way to capture our lives in words.
I already ordered mine! Here's the cover...
And page 1...
If you're intrigued, here are some FAQ from their site...
1. TweetBook?
Yes, a book composed of any Twitter user’s history of tweets.
2. Seriously?
Yes, we are printing and shipping TweetBookz!
3. Ok, so what is actually a TweetBook?
TweetBookz are 5.5 inches high and 8.5 inches wide
Books are composed of up to 200 tweets, one per page, starting from your most recent
You can chose to remove any tweets you don’t want included
All our covers are printed in full color
All insides of books are black-white
You have the choice of soft or hard covers for your book
4. Ok, TweetBookz! What do I need to know and do?
From our homepage, simply click the large button to login to your Twitter account (we will never ask you or have access to your Twitter password). Each book automatically gets filled with your last 200 tweets. You can chose to remove any tweet you want as well as chose between one of four different design templates.
When you are ready to order your book just click on the big “order” button.
Then you need to enter your shipping and billing address info before we can present you with the various shipping options.
Select your shipping preferences and then you’ll see the PayPal link
We use PayPal to fulfill the billing of all TweetBookz.
5. How much does it cost?
Hard cover books cost $30.00 and soft cover books cost $20.0
I already ordered mine! Here's the cover...
And page 1...
If you're intrigued, here are some FAQ from their site...
1. TweetBook?
Yes, a book composed of any Twitter user’s history of tweets.
2. Seriously?
Yes, we are printing and shipping TweetBookz!
3. Ok, so what is actually a TweetBook?
TweetBookz are 5.5 inches high and 8.5 inches wide
Books are composed of up to 200 tweets, one per page, starting from your most recent
You can chose to remove any tweets you don’t want included
All our covers are printed in full color
All insides of books are black-white
You have the choice of soft or hard covers for your book
4. Ok, TweetBookz! What do I need to know and do?
From our homepage, simply click the large button to login to your Twitter account (we will never ask you or have access to your Twitter password). Each book automatically gets filled with your last 200 tweets. You can chose to remove any tweet you want as well as chose between one of four different design templates.
When you are ready to order your book just click on the big “order” button.
Then you need to enter your shipping and billing address info before we can present you with the various shipping options.
Select your shipping preferences and then you’ll see the PayPal link
We use PayPal to fulfill the billing of all TweetBookz.
5. How much does it cost?
Hard cover books cost $30.00 and soft cover books cost $20.0
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