I fell in LOVE with these slideshows from Animoto, and will now be using them as samples on my website, as well as offering them to my clients. Here are a few samples of what's to come:
the Lucatero bunch {family photos}
I'd met Gerry before, when he was the best man for Susan & Erik's wedding. So I was excited when he hired me for a photo session of his own. He and his wife, Kathy, wanted some updated family photos. Being a blended family with 6 kids, it was difficult to pin everyone down at the same time...but they managed to gather the group together and we all hung out together last weekend down in San Juan Capistrano. (Just in the nick of time, too... the day before the heavy rains began.) I had a blast! They were a fun bunch with a great look. I swear, they all could have been models! Or in a rock band. And you could see the love between them all, which is always a great thing to observe.
Here are a few favorites from the day:
the Fenton family
A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of taking some family portraits of my brother, sis-in-law, and their 2 kiddos. The twins had just turned one year old, and I wanted to celebrate this age and get some photos of the family before the kids started growing up too fast (as they all tend to do). We headed to Americana at Brand in Glendale to capture the shots. Wow. VERY cool setting with a beautiful fountain, playground, and even a trolley. The stores surround a central area, with housing above some of the stores. Finishing touches were being added to the holiday decorations in the area, so it must look even more fabulous now than the day we were there. It was fun to just wander around the area. I'd never been there before, so it was fun to explore. (We even made sure to take a ride in the super-tall elevator before we left, to get an aerial view of the place.)
As for the photo shoot itself, it was a lot of fun. You never know what to expect when working with kids, but the twins couldn't have been more fabulous! Entranced by all the different sights around them, they never seemed to get fussy at all... and didn't even seem to mind the camera being constantly pointed in their direction. It was wonderful to just sit back and watch the family's interactions with one another. The little kisses and smiles, the silly faces and "airplane" rides. It was so easy to see the love shared between them all (even the twinsies grasping hands every once in awhile). So awesome to be a part of.
So, without further ado, are some of my favorite images captured from the day:
this is halloween...
Halloween is a BIG deal in my husband's family. I mean B-I-G. My husband looks forward to Halloween with the same wide-eyed fascination and excitement that most kids save for a visit from Santa. Store-bought costumes are scoffed at, as my mother-in-law is a seamstress and LOVES to create authentic costumes from scratch. Every year, the entire family plans their costumes months in advance. And every year, they are all still working up until the last minute to make sure everything comes out exactly right. This year was no different. For the past month or so, our weekends have been spent on a scavenger hunt of sorts, with trips to bead shops, wig shops and the Costume Castle, looking for the precise items deemed good enough to adorn the outfits. But it was all sooooooo worth it. The rush of the hunt, the enjoyment in creating something from scratch, and the look of excitement on my husband's face when it all comes together. THIS is what makes it all so wonderful. My mother-in-law is a very talented woman, if I do say so myself (flashback: she even created my wedding dress from scratch), and comes up with the most wonderful creations. Her grandkids love the fact that they can be whatever they choose; that their costume options are pretty much limitless. This year, my eldest niece decided to be a fairy, my other niece decided on a flower, and my nephew decided to be a Jedi (which made my husband INCREDIBLY proud). Wanting to document it all, my sis-in-law set up an afternoon photoshoot in the park so that we could capture the kids in their costumes. Wow. Here are a few of my favorite shots from that:
And, of course, I played dress-up, too. Here is me as Velma, and Jasper as Scooby Doo (he has no idea he's actually a teeny, tiny dog. shhhhhhh... )
Later that night, my husband and I ventured out to Pierce St. Annex for their annual Halloween celebration. We got there just in time for the costume contest... which turned out to be a WONDERFUL thing. Dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, he ended up winning FIRST PLACE!!! (The prize was $200 cash and $200 in gift certificates to Pierce St. Annex!) That absolutely made his night even better than it already was. And it was already a good night... we love to people watch, and here was plenty of interesting eye-candy there that night. Making our way through the crowds, not only was Tony dressed as Jack Sparrow, but also played the part very well... completely keeping in character whenever possible (with the walk, the talk, everything). It was simply entertaining to watch! Here are a few pics of Tony (taken with the little camera; sorry for the not-so-good quality):
Till next year... happy hauntings!!!
there's magic in the air...
Busy editing a few favorite pictures from Halloween. More coming soon...
fair play
On Sunday, I went to Octoberfest. No, not the kind with German beer and schnitzels... this was a family-friendly fair held at the school that my nieces attend. My husband and I decided to join up with his sis, husband and their kiddos for all the family fun. And just in time, too... because it was the last day of the fair. Not only did I hold my position as kid wrangler and entertainer, I also managed to be a member of the paparazzi, as well. Here are a few favorite shots that I was able to snag along the way:
Michael and his Mama (my sis-in-law, and also my 2nd shooter, Maria)
This was Grace's favorite ride of the year... she must have gone on it at least THREE times... and that was just while we were there that one night. (This was their 3rd day at the fair). Called the "Tornado," it was almost like Disneyland's teacups ride, but raised up a bit. She didn't want to spin her area, though... she even rode separately from her sister so that her sister could spin her own seat, cuz Grace just didn't want to spin. It wasn't until my husband (Tony) joined her for the last ride that she finally gave in and practically BEGGED him to spin it faster and faster and faster! (Ah... the magic that is "Tio.") Grace had a blast... Tony was dizzy.
Michael and "Tio." They are soooo cute together.
Ah, the ferris wheel. We didn't get to ride, but it's a beautiful thing.
Now, THIS one was interesting... my other niece, Laura, pretty much BEGGED me to go on it with her. I turned her down because I didn't want to waste any of their ride tickets on myself. But she was pretty adamant. She was willing to give up going on another ride so that I could come with her on this one. Sweet kid. So, I went handgliding with her. And HOLY COW this ride was SOOOOOOO FUN! (Though I was incredibly dizzy for a LONG time afterwards, but it was totally worth it.)
I held the camera out in front of me the entire time... here are a few shots of what it looked like from ON the ride:
And, here is my niece, singing "I believe I can fly!" (over and over and over again...)
The sun started to set on our day...
"FAIR" thee well....
the Cole Family
This was a casual little photo session; the family wanted updated shots of them and their little girl, Bella. And Chris is wanting to get back into modeling and wanted some updated headshots of himself, as well. We had originally planned on heading to the beach to use it as our background, but since it was such a beautiful day in the middle of summer and the middle of the day, we all figured we wouldn't stand a chance to find a decent spot there unless we fought our way through the crowds. No need for that when there are plenty of opportunities all around us. Chris suggested using a park near his home instead. Sure thing! Just goes to show you that there are beautiful backgrounds to be found almost anywhere you look. The park itself was pretty flat and open; it was also in the open sunshine (which usually doesn't make for pretty portraits). Instead, we used the middle of the street to take most of our shots, and a tool shed for some of Chris's headshots. Yup, you read that right.
We were in a really nice neighborhood which had a median area with a few trees, grass and rose bushes. SCORE! That was our canvas for the following favorite shots of mine:
Next, we headed over to what appeared to be a toolshed. With its brick walls and red door, it made for a wonderful background for Chris's headshots. And no one will ever have to know that it wasn't somewhere absolutely fabulous instead. (shhhh....)
Erin & Justin (& Troy, too): Engaged!
Erin and Justin were high school sweethearts, have been together for 14 years now, and have a four-year old son (Troy). They will be celebrating their union as a family in August, when Erin and Justin will be married. As the engagement photo session is used to capture the love the couple have for one another, I thought it only fitting that they include their son in some photos, in order to show the bond between them all.
I had the pleasure of spending time with this family down in a beautiful corner area of San Juan Capistrano. There were so many little pockets of beauty that we just kept going and going and going. I got so many fantastic shots of them that it was very difficult to choose my favorites. (You may recall that I got excited a few days ago and shared a sneak peek already.) Alas, here are a few of the ones that made me ooh and aah a bit: