C.S. Photography, Inc.

This Blog has Moved!

2011-01-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

I’ve migrated my blog to my own domain and am saying goodbye to Blogger forever. So, update your bookmarks to my new page www.csphotopro.com/blog and follow me on the new blog!

Here’s to a great 2011!

Williamsburg Wreaths | Virginia Beach Photographer

2011-01-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

We were late getting to Williamsburg this year, but the wreaths were beautiful as always. There was a whisper of snow still on the ground and Logan even saw "Santa" strolling about in his gray track suit. We told him he was on vacation after a busy night. If you'd like to take a peak back at past year's wreaths, you can find those posts here and here. Wishing you a wonderful year in 2011!

My Go To Gift | Holiday Decor

2010-12-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Do you have a "Go To" gift for the holidays? This is mine. We usually make it every year for the guys in hubby's squadron. But it is so simple to make a batch and have on hand for neighbors, friends, hostess gifts, etc. And then of course I get to sip on the leftovers ;) The bottles I ordered from Bottles and More and the gift tags are mini moo cards from Moo. I love these because you can add a personalized touch to your gifts. We have a family picture on the front of the card and a personal message on the back. And the ribbon is natural raffia that you can find at any craft store.

Coffee Liqueur
3 TBSP chocolate syrup
11 1/2 oz whiskey (Jim Beam or other)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint half and half

Blend together in blender and pour into bottles. You might need to add a bit more to the bottles after they've sat for an hour or so.

Twinkling Lights Repost | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-12-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! And don't forget to take those Christmas tree pictures tonight instead of tomorrow morning when the kids are rushing to open their gifts! I thought I'd repost this tutorial from last year so you get those twinkling lights in your pictures!

This picture didn't go exactly how I had envisioned it. The layout of our living room was a little awkward to get the shot I wanted, but I thought I would share how to get the twinkling lights in a picture like this one. You know when you squint your eyes and look at a street lamp the lights turn into a starburst? Well, the same thing happens when you close up the aperture. Think of it like your camera is squinting. I took two pictures for this shot, both from a tripod. The first I set the aperture as high as it would go, to f/32 and got the twinkling lights effect. Then we brought Logan over to the tree and he started pointed out the lights and ornaments. The second shot was taken using bounced light off the flash, I angled it towards the top of the wall directly behind me and set the shutter speed back up to around 125 so it would freeze Logan's small movements. Then I merged the two photos in photoshop and came out with this final product. Try it on your tree and see what you come up with!

{A Piece of Home} | Virginia Beach Life Art Photographer

2010-11-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

For me, the holidays always elicit fond memories spent with family. I remember one Thanksgiving in particular, the last with my grandma and grandpa before they both passed away the following year. It was the one time we were all together, knowing that grandma would soon be taken by lung cancer. It's funny to think about what makes a memory. Her gravy and green peas are at the top of my list. Mom never could quite make them the same. This past Thanksgiving we spent the day just with our little family. As a military family, we sacrifice the closeness we would like to have with parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers... The convenience of dropping the kids off with grandma and grandpa for a date night, driving over to my sister's for a play date with the cousins, or even just a Sunday get together. So I surround myself with pictures to feel closer to them.

This year I knew I wanted to incorporate family into our Thanksgiving tradition. And what better way than with photographs. I had a wallet size picture printed in black and white for each extended family that we were missing and hung them ornament style on a simple arrangement of flowers. Since they were tall, and because I had a lot of pictures to hang, I flanked the table with two of these arrangements. As we sat down to a candlelit dinner, I loved being surrounded with the visual reminders of the memories we made during special holiday's. The arrangements are still on our table, serving as a subtle reminder to me to look for those small actions in my life this holiday season that will create the lifelong memories for my own boys.

Hopefully this inspires you to incorporate your photographic memories into your holiday décor and I would love to see or hear what you come up with!

{Warmth} | Virginia Beach Children and Family Photographer

2010-11-27T15:45:00.000-08:00

It was a cold day at the beach this afternoon. When I first saw these kids slink out of the car, they seemed less than thrilled to be hiking across the cold sand, runny noses and all, for some strange lady to sit them up proper and take their picture. But, I watched as this family truly came alive with each other.

"M" was in need of a recharge and curled up with a blanket on the sand. I ran over and snapped this and I adore the mess of curls hiding her eyes.

"M" idolizes her Daddy. She loves playing baseball with him and I wanted to showcase that connection. I feel like she can't take her eyes off him in this picture.

Both kids were about done by this point in the shoot, so we left them wrapped in the blanket. "M" was in charge of keeping her little brother warm which she was happy to be tasked with. She also loves making him laugh. :)

And one of my favorites from the shoot is subtle in it's own way. For me, I love the soft smile peeking out of "M"'s curls. Like her Momma just whispered something in her ear and she smiled enough to know that she is so completely loved. Contented happiness is what I see.

Thank you to the E Family for spending your afternoon with me. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! If you would like more information on scheduling your family session, please visit www.csphotopro.com or email me at christene@csphotopro.com for more information.

The Lottery Ticket | Virginia Beach Photographer

2010-11-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a reader. I absolutely adore a good book. I just wish I had more hours in the day for it. Once in a while I read something that inspires me to take some aspect of my life and flip it in a new direction. I read this joke somewhere that has always stuck with me. The joke talks about this homeless man and how he prays to God every night to win the lottery. Night after night he prays for the same thing. Finally God speaks to him and tells him to buy a ticket.

Oftentimes as women, as military wives, as mothers... we are lost in the lives of those around us. As a military wife especially, we gain this extra dependent appendage when we marry into it. The excuses start coming on why we shouldn't or can't. Relocation, kids, deployment, detachments, lack of nearby family, lack of sitter, and the list (for me anyways) goes on and on and on. Sometimes though, the faith in ourselves needs to be held above all others. Ideas need to be nurtured, and opportunity needs a place to come knocking.

This year, I bought my lottery ticket. C.S. Photography became C.S. Photography, Inc. and when I incorporated, I also went through the tedious steps to create my business plan. As a sneak peak of things to come in 2011, here is the mission statement I developed for C.S. Photography, Inc.:

To capture LIFE ART and inspire creative design through HOME décor.

I am so excited to finally share with you all the months of behind the scenes work to develop a business concept and vision that I have had for my photography and where I want to take this business. This concept represents so many nights spent awake with ideas swirling around in my head wondering if I can make a market for it. It's time to take my leap and get things rollin'! So, if YOU are listening, I have my lottery ticket in hand! And to the rest of you reading, it's time to go out and buy yours!

Stay tuned for so much to come in 2011!

Home | Virginia Beach Photographer

2010-11-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

I'm a California girl at heart...though the state is in such disarray that I don't think I'll ever be back to live there full time. I know I'm young, but I guess I can say that California to me is what I imagine grandkids to be... fun to have visit but happy to send them home with the parents at the end of the day. :) And although my visit was way too short, here's a few images from my few days there. A little piece of home...

A Fitting Tribute on Veteren's Day | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2010-11-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

We didn't plan it this way, but I thought it was fitting that this family had their portrait session on this Veteran's Day. Daddy is across the world serving and protecting us here at home. I hold a special place in my heart for military wives. I feel understood around them... like we aren't completely crazy for following our husbands around the country, becoming mother, father, housekeeper, nanny, renovator, landscaper, plumber, and keeper of smiles and tears while they are gone. A huge special thank you to the S Family for sacrificing so much for us. I hope you will join me in praying for Daddy's safety abroad and I pray he is home with his boys and wife soon!

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails | Norfolk Family Photographer

2010-11-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

B was such a trooper today as we braved the "arctic wind" in Norfolk. :) My hubby would laugh at that. He always says I have a 2 degree temperature range where I'm never cold or hot. This little guy is starting to come into his own boyish personality. Of course sticks were the coolest thing in his world and sitting still for pictures was torture in his mind. But he is so genuinely loved by his parents and his momma still beats out sticks any day. :)

Thank you to the C Family for letting me spend some time in your "backyard"! I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

To book your family session, please contact me at christene@csphotopro.com or visit www.csphotopro.com for more information.

A Classic | Virginia Beach Couple's Photographer

2010-11-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

We've had this shoot planned for a while now but could never quite get our schedules to match up. Tiffany is a fantastic and talented Independent Writer. She has a new eBook out on How to Write a Christmas Letter. She cracks me up though because while most couples start off with a dog, or cat before jumping on the baby bandwagon, Tiffany and her husband started with this classic. I'm pretty sure she's named it, and I even caught her apologizing to "her" for getting her undercarriage (is that the right word? :) dirty.

And this is the picture that I had envisioned for the shoot. I always wonder what goes through my client's heads when I attempt the more artistic shots. I'm pretty sure Tiffany's husband thought I was completely crazy. :)

Thank you both for putting up with my creative vision and braving the field with your baby. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Who needs an engagement to get couple's photo's done? To book your session, email me at christene@csphotopro.com or visit www.csphotopro.com for more information.

Importance of White Balance | Virginia Beach Photographer

2010-11-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

We all have that problem...or at least I'd like to think the rest of you are also juggling photo shoots, editing, marketing, sales, phone calls, and travel with LIFE! I am blessed with a wonderful husband who will be home for the next 3 years! (Hello shore tour!) And after two back to back deployments the last thing I want to do is busy myself with so much work that I can't enjoy creating those early memories for ourselves and OUR kids. I've come to find out that there is this "thing" called the "start-up suck". As in... suck you in to this computer abyss so life passes you by. Whether it's social media, editing, blogging, etc, I think a lot of photographers, me included get sucked into this vortex when trying to make it in this industry. So, one of my goals this past year has been to get it right in camera so I'm not spending hours and hours in front of the computer after a photo shoot. One tool that has helped me is the custom white balance. This is one of those things that once you start, you'll wonder why the heck you weren't doing it before. I use this handy tool called the ExpoDisc. Yes, it's expensive. You could go the old gray card route too or I'm sure there are other useful methods or tools out there that work just as well.

To set my custom white balance, I use my ExpoDisc as a filter to take a picture from where my subject is. This just involves me coming right beside them and taking a picture of something, anything with the ExpoDisc over the lens. A gray picture will come up on my LCD screen. Then I go to the menu on my camera. (I shoot with a Canon 50D). Under White balance, make sure Custom is selected. Then go to Custom WB and that gray picture I just took will come up and my camera will ask if I want to use it as my custom white balance setting. I hit yes, and voila! The whole process probably takes me about 20 seconds and I've saved myself the headache of color correction in Lightroom or Photoshop. If the lighting changes, I'll have to do a new white balance reading. I've found the custom white balance makes the biggest difference indoors where color casts are prominent. And there are times when I don't use the ExpoDisc, such as sunset when you want that golden sunset glow.

Here's an example for you to see what a lifesaver it has become for me! The picture on the left is what my camera originally gave me on Auto. I was taking some pictures of my beautiful niece in our hotel room and there was this lovely cast thrown on her to make you step back and say "Yuck!". The picture on the right is my results after I did a custom white balance reading. These were taken with natural window light. Nothing else changed and both images are straight out of the camera without any processing done to them except resizing. Her daddy is Guatemalan so she has this gorgeous creamy skin that wasn't being portrayed in the first picture. Did this help anyone? Or am I blogging to the internet abyss again? :)

{Last Flight} | Virginia Beach & Oceana Photographer

2010-10-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Some things in life, I just can't fathom. Flying a jet is one of them. Sometimes I feel so detached from the life of a pilot. A conversation that a good friend had with her husband pretty much summed up the difference in the lives we lead. It went something like this... Husband: "I'm flying out to Ohio today to have lunch with Dad." Wife: "Oh, that sounds nice, when will you be back then?" Husband: "Probably no later than usually. Should be home around 5 o'clock." And so leads the life of a pilot. Pilot wives will probably recognize the story behind this picture. A ritual for every last flight. For this pilot it could be THE last flight. Always guided by the needs of the Navy, only a specific career path will lead him back into the air. Another thing I just can't fathom. Never knowing if you'll take up your passion again...Always at the mercy of someone else. This pilot and his wife have meant so much to me these past few years...through two deployments and the birth of two babies. I wish them all the best in their new Navy endeavor and hope to see him in the skies again!

{Rockstars} | Sandbridge and Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2010-10-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

I can't even put into words how much fun I had with this family. Well I guess I should preface this by saying this session was gifted to them by a good friend, so that should tell you what an awesome gang they are! "C" was reserved but so incredibly kind and such a gentle spirit. I'm sure he gets tired of hearing this, but he has the most gorgeous hair! Seriously rockstar quality! "A" was a bit more sassy and always willing to be the star of the show as long as I wasn't photographing her :), and little "P" reminded me so much of my littlest sister-in-law. Sometimes swallowed up with the whole group but you get her alone and out comes her amazing spunk and sparkle! And since I had the hardest time deciding what picture to sneak peek for this family, I decided to do a mini collage of the kids. And the last picture has a story behind it and perhaps a tip for you as well. I always try to engage my families in some sort of activity. Especially if they have elementary aged kids who get bored all too easily. So, we made seashell garland by the waters edge. I could take mom and dad for some shots of just the two of them and big brother helped the girls string their shells together. But what touched me the most was at the end of the shoot, while we were gathering ourselves together, "A" decided to make her garland into a necklace and draped it over her momma.

Life is composed of moments that truly take your breath away and make your heart smile.

To schedule your family session or to give the gift of a session, please visit my website at www.csphotopro.com for more information or email me at christene@csphotopro.com

{The Morning Light} | Sandbridge & Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2010-10-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

How I talked this family into hitting the beach at first light this morning with TWO small kids in tow, I'll have no idea. :) But so worth it! The morning light reflecting off the ocean was gorgeous and dreamy. What a great way to start the weekend off and you'd never know we started out in 45-degree weather. :) Thank you to the W family for fulfilling my dream of a morning beach shoot! Hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

One of my fav's from this session. Daddy didn't even know I was snapping away while chatting it up with his wife. :)

To schedule your family session, visit www.csphotopro.com for more information or email christene@csphotopro.com

{Lets Go Fly a Kite} | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2010-10-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today we flew a kite, chased crabs, explored the sand holes looking for that mysterious lobster and played fetch with the two rambunctious labs that were just itching to dunk their heads in the breaking waves. We stayed, soaking up the warm evening sun, until the last of the surfers had called it a night. I feel so at home with this family. As we headed back to the cars, I overheard them discussing dinner plans which happened to include ice cream on the drive home as an appetizer. What a perfect treat and treasure that made a wonderful afternoon that much more memorable for their little boy.

A special thanks to the P family for inviting me out today! If you would like more information on booking a family session with me, please visit my website at www.csphotopro.com or email me at christene@csphotopro.com

{Dress Up} | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-10-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm playing catch-up on the blog! Would you believe me if I told you these pictures were taken with the noon day sun?! It's true! Let me introduce you to my little friend called the fill flash :) I strapped on my Canon 580 EX II (on camera), put a diffuser over it and using the high speed sync mode started shooting away! High speed sync allows you to use your flash at higher shutter speeds than 1/250 sec. (Were you ever wondering why it never let you get your shutter above 200 or 250?) The trick is to have your subject face away from the sun, so they aren't squinting, and you aren't getting that horrible mix of flat/shadowed light casting over their face. Shooting in manual, expose for your background and use enough fill flash to bring the light back into their face/skin, etc. I adjusted the flash's power right from my camera. (You can consult your camera's manual if you don't know how to do this). Or just leave me a comment below and I can try to walk you through it!

ISO 100, f/2.5, 1/3200sec

ISO 100, f/2.2, 1/1000 sec

ISO 100, f/2.5, 1/3200sec

ISO 100, f/2.5, 1/2000sec

And this one was taken in the shade but I had to include it because they are going to have a beautiful 20x20 gallery wrapped canvas hanging on their wall! Love it when clients go BIG!

ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/250sec

To schedule a children's session, please visit my website for more information or email christene@csphotopro.com

{Pier Side} | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2010-10-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

I always look forward to fall sessions at the beach. There is something magical about the light, like the sun is trying squeeze the last bit of summer rays in before the darkness falls on the afternoon commute. I adore shooting families and I've had the honor of shooting this one a few times now.

To schedule your family session, visit my website for more information or email me at christene@csphotopro.com

Baby K Sneak Peak | Virginia Beach Baby Photographer

2010-09-10T16:52:00.001-07:00

Baby K put up a good fight today to stay awake! She was such a doll though. And big Brother got to hold her for the first time. He's big on monster trucks and loved drawing me pictures of birds on his magna doodle. :) Thank you to this special family for letting me capture these moments!

www.csphotopro.com

Peep Peep! | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-09-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is how I will remember him at 2 years old. His train obsession has spread to all corners and levels of the house. I often catch him just like this. Too tired to sit up and play. He'll watch the trains as they travel around and around on the track that he built. And once in a while, I'll hear a "Peep, Peep! out of him.

Hoot Hoot! | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-09-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Simply ME by Mandy has created these oh so cute owl hats for Halloween! The kids weren't too happy to be dressed in their fall attire in our 90 degree heat but I'm sure they'll love them this fall! You can email Mandy at simplymemandy@yahoo.com if you'd like your own handmade hat!

Halloween Monster Mini Sessions | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Announcing my Monster Mini Sessions for your costumed cutie!

30 Day Bucket List

2010-08-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of reorganizing. There is frustration at the end of my day. The house still looks like five boisterous toddlers ransacked it. I still have no clue what to make for dinner. I can't seem to find the time to get my business past hovering off the ground, and that personal "me" time gets shifted until it resembles the 5 minutes it takes me to brush my teeth at night and drag myself into bed, and those glorious 2 minutes where I just want to stretch out on the matress and melt into the sheets, in total silence.

I recently followed a twitter link @fleurdeleigh posted about a 30 day bucket list she was putting together for a lifestyle challenge she had undertaken. Intrigued I read a bit more and wrangled the hubby into doing it with me and motivating me along the way. :) So, I have a feeling I'll be adding to this list, but I thought I'd share it to hold myself accountable for completing it, and also to motivate you into making positive changes to your own lifestyle! :)

My 30 Day Bucket List
Put the legal/financial ducks in a row for CS Photography
Declutter house and sell/donate/throw out anything unused or unwanted
Buy new lens :) (So excited for this one!)
Finish my loft shelving and art project
Learn to crochet
Exercise at least 4 days/week
Plan for and make dinners 5 nights/week
Try a new recipe once/week
Potty train Logan
Find an avenue to volunteer
Organize office into professional space
Clean off hard drives to both computers
Complete and blog a weekly photo assignment
Write morning pages
Plan once/week dessert date with hubby
Spend Sunday's "unplugged" with the boys
Personally accomplish 3 things on our "honey do" house renovation list.

So, that's my list for now. Seems a bit overwhelming to me but everyday I'm going to accomplish something that helps me to start crossing things off. And I'm so excited that the hubby is there to keep me motivated. He is working on his own list and we gave ourselves a start date of Aug. 17th so we both had time to finish and talk about our lists.

So, here we go!

Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-08-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

A child's playground... Where gnomes hide. Where straw houses are blown over. Where a tea party can be had sitting in chairs carved from logs. Where you can ring the bell from the Old Woman's shoe and swing on a tire at Old McDonald's farm.

The Storybook Forest at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Meet B! | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-08-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

I always saw myself with boys. We waited on a nursery, secretly hoping for bunk beds, late night giggles and wrestling matches to come. He has only been with us for 3 short weeks, but has brought so much joy and fulfillment to our family. Logan is eager to hold him, and at the first sign of squirming, is eager to shove him back to me. A few days back Logan asked to hold his little brother and I found myself in stiches laughing because he had pulled his shirt up to try and "feed" him. I love calling them "My Boys", Dad included. I feel a bit outnumbered now, but uniquely loved at the same time. I cherish the early morning snuggles from all three of them, and soak in that last hour in the morning when Daddy takes both boys for me. We feel so very blessed. Here is our mini man, Brayden James...

and my love...

A Father's Day Portrait Party | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2010-06-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

So, I've been hiding these pictures since about April or May. I did a very special portrait party for the deployed daddy's for Father's Day. Here are just a couple from our 2-day, 9 family mini sessions! And to all the deployed daddy's out there, wishing you all a wonderful Father's Day! And to my hubby who is probably the only one out on the ship reading this blog, I'm trusting that you aren't sharing this link in case they haven't seen their pictures yet ;) Love ya babe!

Sneak Peak: Squishy baby cheeks | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-06-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with this little guy! He slept like a dream as long as he wasn't confined to tight spaces like wraps or knitted bowls. I guess he's more of the rugged hanging loose kind of babe. :) A big thanks to his mom for letting me capture the first few weeks of his life!

She's ONE! | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-05-30T18:48:00.001-07:00

This little spit fire was on her own program today and it was quite the challenge keeping up with her with my big ol' pregnant belly in the way :) She is also my last shoot until this baby decides to make his/her entrance. So, here's a quick sneak peak for Jenn and Nate. I hope you guys didn't get too wet during the freak downpour today!

black & whites | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-04-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here's some black and whites from a recent newborn session. Sometimes I love the simplicity that black and whites offer...

And I know this one isn't black and white, but wanted to share it anyways. There is something that I love about it.

Little Boys.... | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-04-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Isn't that every man's dream to fish in their undies? :)

Maternity Sneak Peak: Rain Baby | Virginia Beach Maternity Photographer

2010-04-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

I had an idea in my head for this shoot and I'm sure it would have happened had I not brought my "afraid to let go of my pant leg" toddler with me who I think scared little A into not wanting her picture taken. So, lesson learned and we are going to try again this weekend. Lukily for me these are very good friends of ours and I can bug Sarah anytime I want to work on my photography skills :) I did manage to get a few, so here's a sneak peak for her!

Baby M. | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-04-09T20:21:00.001-07:00

I had such a wonderful time chatting with this beautiful little girl's mom. We think Baby M. just wasn't feeling too well today and wasn't in the mood to make her portrait debut. Sometimes that happens and I've learned to be very patient and flexible with newborns. But, she has the cutest nursery and I can't wait to go back for a reshoot next week to capture some lifestyle portraits of her!

Sneak Peak: Baby H | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2010-03-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

Meeting Baby H. today made realize what a large toddler I have. :) I really could have stayed there all day photographing her. What a gorgeous, tiny little girl she is. Thank you for letting me into your home today to capture such a precious time in her life!

And I have to give a big blog shout out to Simply ME by Mandy Enete whose talented work I'm going to be featuring! I felt like a kid in a candy store with all the gorgeous samples she provided to me. Mandy is another rockin' military wife and mom who is following her passion and starting her own handmade business! Check back on her site for updates when she rolls out her summer line!

Dancer

2010-03-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to play catch up with my images from California. This is Miss M. She is applying for an advanced dance program and needed some headshots to go with her application. My focus on her was her incredible brown eyes. I tried to capture the beautiful golden light in her eyes with every pose that I put her through.

Girlie Girl | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2010-03-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

While I was out in California I was able to stop by and say hi to a friend of mine, Dominique of D. Long Photography. Her work has absolutely blossomed into this incredibly unique style and I love watching her grow as an artist. Her daughter is the reason I would love a girl. She has this infectious laugh. Her little tongue curls out, her eyes squeeze shut and she has the girliest giggle you can imagine.

Hoping to Inspire

2010-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

I came across such an incredible giveaway today, a spot in an Amy Wenzel Workshop and my heart skipped a beat. Amy wants to know how contestants inspire others, so here is my (very personal) story and my entry for this wonderful opportunity.

****

Dear Amy,
I’m conflicted. I’m 23 years old and have found the man of my dreams. I always said I would never marry a service member. I couldn’t possibly be strong enough to handle the nights alone or the months of worry. Yet love has a way and I fell hopelessly into his arms. So we marry and move into a life that you never really understand until you are thrown into it.

Dear Amy,
I’m frustrated. I’m 24 years old and questioning where I fit in this lifestyle. What a wonderful and promising job I left behind to be with this person I care so deeply about. The temp agency is sending me to a new location on Monday. Someone is out sick so I know it won’t be long term. Monday comes and I spend the day at a desk, answering phones and transferring calls. No one introduces themselves, no one asks me to join them for lunch. I won’t be here tomorrow, so why bother. Andy gives me the good news, goodbye Florida, hello Texas.

Dear Amy,
I feel in limbo. My husband’s dreams are coming true. I’ve always known it was a possibility. He’s wanted to land a plane on a carrier since he saw Top Gun as a boy. Yet I feel like where once I could define myself, now I’m only a shadow waiting patiently for my chance to step out. I’ve found a job, this one working from home but something is pulling at me. Two pink lines and I’m over the moon excited. An ER visit later, numbness. I never got the chance to tell him. He won’t be home for a few days either. A few months later, two lines again! Yet life has a way of repeating itself. At least he was home this time. Training is over, time to move.

Dear Amy,
We are here in Virginia. A specialist, two lines and a heartbeat later bring a beautiful boy to our world. I dust off my camera. The months drag on during the first deployment and I engulf myself into this uncovered passion. Happiness finally arrives with a welcome home kiss that made the deployment almost seem worth it. A month or two home, then away for more training. I’ve known all along it’s coming. I spend the holidays dreading the inevitable. New Year’s Day comes and he is gone again. This time for longer. This time it’s harder. We barely had our hello. We barely got used to the idea of welcoming a 2nd child into our home. Back to the single mom routine.

Dear Amy,
I’ve read about your incredible giveaway today. Being a military wife, you get through the hard days by looking to those who inspire you and hope to one day be in a position to inspire others. When I married into the Navy, I had no idea that I would be signing away my identity. Photography has given that gift back to me. It has given me a passion that can carry me through deployments and through the career moves we have yet to make. I hope to lead others to find their life inspiration, to take risks, and to have no regrets. I have so much to learn and a spot in your workshop would truly be a gift. Amy, most importantly, I need you to teach me how to make an identity for myself in this industry. I cannot afford for this endeavor to fail. If I lose this passion, I lose myself again. I am so grateful for your consideration.

Epiphanie Bags Giveaway

2010-03-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

Normally I don't blog about contests and giveaways, but Epiphanie Bags is giving away a Canon 5D Mark II that I would just LOVE to have. So, if you want your chance to win this awesome camera, check out their blog for details... http://www.haveanepiphanie.com/

Been Awhile...

2010-02-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've been able to post... or even focus on capturing an image. I've rarely picked up my camera since about November which just makes me sad. But, for good reason. The hubby and I are expecting our 2nd baby and the 1st trimester left me intimately familiar with the porcelein god day after day! Logan and I also said goodbye to the hubby who left about a month ago on his 2nd deployment. It seems like he just returned from his last deployment and this goodbye was a little difficult to accept. So, I'm out in California, resting and visiting with family and watching Logan get so much joy out of roaming our family's 200 acre ranch. We even brought the dog out (after a very expensive plane ride!). So I'm promising myself to take more walks, to reconnect and to enjoy our vacation while it lasts. I don't know how often I will post over the next month or so. I only have my laptop out here which seriously lacks color management. So I apologize if the color seems a bit off, or a lot off for that matter. Looks like I will have a lot of editing and posting to do when we get back to Virginia! But for now, here's a couple that I took while out for a walk...

Williamsburg Wreaths

2009-12-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

My stroll around Williamsburg to see the gorgeous holiday wreaths they put out on display every year didn't exactly go as smoothly as I would have liked. A rain forecast meant that we had to smoosh all of our weekend activities essentially into one day so we attempted to walk around to see the wreaths right before Logan's naptime, which was just a bad idea. So between temper tantrums and me holding a toddler who couldn't make up his mind on whether he wanted up or down, I did manage to sneak in a few pictures of the wreath displays before we threw in the towel and headed back to the car. If you'd like to see the full collection of pictures, visit my facebook page and feel free to join my fan list!

Twinkling Lights | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2009-12-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

This picture didn't go exactly how I had envisioned it. The layout of our living room was a little awkward to get the shot I wanted, but I thought I would share how to get the twinkling lights in a picture like this one. You know when you squint your eyes and look at a street lamp the lights turn into a starburst? Well, the same thing happens when you close up the aperture. Think of it like your camera is squinting. I took two pictures for this shot, both from a tripod. The first I set the aperture as high as it would go, to f/32 and got the twinkling lights effect. Then we brought Logan over to the tree and he started pointed out the lights and ornaments. The second shot was taken using bounced light off the flash, I angled it towards the top of the wall directly behind me and set the shutter speed back up to around 125 so it would freeze Logan's small movements. Then I merged the two photos in photoshop and came out with this final product. Try it on your tree and see what you come up with!

Yarr | Virginia Beach Children's Photographer

2009-10-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Halloween!

Spiderweb brush is provided by redheadstock on Deviantart!

Forgotten: A Photographic Series

2009-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm always drawn to these abandoned houses and buildings. I sit there wondering and imagining their life...the kids running around in the back field. The dog sitting on the front porch watching the cars pass by on the road. I wonder what circumstances led to their abandonment. Why were they forgotten? I pass by them every so often. Sometimes I am lucky enough to have my camera with me.

I thought I would start sharing this series with you. It's definitely a work in progress. I see a couple worth sharing every year. If you'd like to see more in this series, visit my facebook page and become fan!

Blog Assignment: Add some flare!

2009-10-11T18:34:00.001-07:00

I'm starting to love working with couples more and more. There is always a spark, a justifiable passion that interconnects the two and places them in their own little remote bubble miles removed from where I stand with my camera. Jenn and Nate were the lucky ones who responded to my request for a local couple to model for this particular blog assignment and they definitely brought out their love and appetite for each other during our shoot. This past week was spent learning about lens flare. I know I've done it in the past, but I've never just sat down and played with the exposure and location of the sun flare for use artistically.

A few things I learned...

Always work on fully manual exposure. Use your display screen and histogram to determine whether you nailed the exposure correctly or not. Most of the time I was going against what my in-camera meter was saying was the proper exposure.

Block the sun either with your subject or your hand to let the camera focus on the subject, then bring in the light. The camera has a hard time focusing in such bright conditions.

Try to pay attention to where the sun trail is falling on your subject. A couple of shots I wasn't able to use because there was a overly bright sun spot right on my subject.

Avoid looking directly at the sun. I'm sure this type of assignment takes it's toll on your equipment as well, but I always tried to keep the sun behind my subject until the last second and then step out and frame the shot.

Here are a few shots. If you like these and want to see more from this shoot, head over to facebook and join the fan pages! You never know when I'll need another local model!

D Family: Sneak Peek | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

2009-10-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

I know how patiently this family has been waiting to see their group shots so I thought I'd throw in another sneak peek for them! This is from our double take with the D family!

Here's a mini sneak peak from our beach shoot with the D Family! This precious little girl is surrounded by some pretty fun cousins who always manage to keep me entertained!

Cara: Sneak Peek

2009-10-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

Cara is the newest Associate at William E. Wood and Associates, Realtors on Laskin Rd.! We did a session out at the beach for her professional headshots. Here's a sneak peek Cara!

M Family Teaser

2009-10-02T18:13:00.001-07:00

What a great time I had with the M Family down at the Oceanfront! They are such a gorgeous family with a couple of awesome kids too. Thanks for the fun tonight! I only wish the sun had tried to peak through!

Vacation Rewind

2009-09-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

We left early last week...no baby, no dog, just me and mine. It was the first time I was away from him for more than a day, but I needed this. We needed this. One deployment down and another one approaching way too quickly means long hours for the hubby again and single parent duties for me. Some days he is able to make it home for dinner, and other days, like last night, he asked me to keep Logan up a little later than usual just so he could see him for a few minutes awake. So we decided to go away for a few days, just the two of us. A new roof on the house left us with little fun money, so we did it simple... a rustic cabin for two in the woods, no electricity, no running water, and an outdoor commode that made for some warm snuggling after cold night trips outside. Pure bliss!

Blog Assignment #5...Props

2009-09-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

I was so thrilled and honored to have the chance to make Baby E's first portrait! I've been patiently waiting to try out a new prop purchase of mine and Baby E couldn't have been more cooperative for the task. So, this weeks blog assignment is also a teaser post. I've been scouring here and there for props to use that add to a picture instead of distract. I've found Etsy is a wonderful site for all things homemade. Some things I've learned though with props is to always ask yourself if you are adding a distraction to the picture, or is the prop enhancing the story? Another lesson to take from this shoot is to let the lighting be your guide on where to shoot. We ended up shooting in the breakfast nook area of their house because they had these great corner windows that let in beautiful natural light. I knew I wanted a darker background for these pictures to contrast with the cream colored yarn, so we placed a table on its side a few feet back from where Baby E was "swinging" and it made for beautiful blurred darkness.

So without further ado, introducing Miss E!

Blog Assignment #4...Ghosting

2009-09-14T18:29:00.001-07:00

This weeks assignment wasn't nearly as fun as I was expecting. I was all geared up for playing with double exposures when I realized DSLR's can't do double exposures! It's the first time I think I've noticed its limitation. Film cameras definitely have the upper hand here! You can still get those ghosted images, but it has to be done in an editing software (unless your camera has a double exposure feature!). Photoshop made it very simple to get that "double exposed" image, but it just didn't have the same amusement factor of trial and error with the camera. So to do this technique in photoshop, I placed one image on top of another, changed the opacity of the top layer and deleted around everything but the hand in the foreground. Simple enough!

18 Months

2009-09-12T19:55:00.001-07:00

Where did the time go? He's 18 months already. He loves crashing cars but he's afraid of loud trucks. He can eat more food than I can, throw the granddaddy of tantrums, and give the biggest hugs and open smile kisses. I completely adore him and only wish he could stay little, in my arms.

Too late...

2009-09-09T10:35:00.001-07:00

I was about 2 minutes too late on this picture. Driving home the other day I looked out over the marina and the sun was a gorgeous burning red color. It was absolutely stunning and looked like something you'd see only in an African dust storm. By the time I was able to park the car and run back up over the bridge it had ducked down between the clouds. Nevertheless, it was still a beautiful site! I only wish I was in that boat cruising along without a care in the world.

A fav...

2009-09-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is becoming one of my favorites from my shoot with the K family. I got the crazy photographer look when I told them I was shooting below the waist, but I love the way it turned out!

Rainy Day

2009-09-07T16:49:00.001-07:00

Sorry guys! No blog assignment this week. We had a fun holiday weekend stuck inside sick. Logan and I are finally feeling better, but it seems to have finally hit the hubby. Who gets sick in the middle of summer?! Well, instead of a blog assigment, here's some pics of my little man for you to enjoy! I know how much family loves checking out the blog and seeing Logan pop up! :) We had a rainy Labor Day, so we took Logan outside to play in the puddles. He was a little apprehensive at first. I think he was waiting for the "NO!" to come, but once he saw Daddy tapping his toes in the water, it was all fun and games! I need to work on the whole rain boots though. How do they work anyway?! I tried putting the pant leg inside the boots and he had the whole MC Hammer puffer pants going on, so I decided on the "flood" look. Maybe I just need to put different pants on him next time.

K Family Teaser

2009-09-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

I had a blast with the K family today! I love the beach at Fort Story, and was thrilled when they picked this beach for their family shoot! Fort Story has it all...dunes, beach, rocks, lighthouse, stairs... and they definitely didn't disappoint with their creativity and fun. Here are just a few teasers for you! The boys really loosened up towards the end and gave me an all out cat walk photo session that had me in stitches laughing. So much fun! Thanks for the laughs guys!

(This one makes me crack up! They really do love each other!)

West Virginia

2009-08-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

I love that my little family can still be spontaneous, even with a toddler in tow. A late decision to get away left us with a day to prepare a carload full of necessities and an evening to make a decision on where to adventure to. We decided on West Virginia, mainly because of the promise of cool mountain air and the allure of a 6-hour drive instead of a 9-hour drive to the Smokey Mountains (yes, we were considering it!) We ended up camping near the Greenbrier River Trail (a rail-to-trail conversion) and the scenery there was breathtaking! School was already in session there so a mid-week camping decision gave us free reign of the campgrounds and a lightly traveled trail to enjoy at a leisurely pace. Here's a few pictures for you to enjoy. The bridge was part of the trail system and was a gorgeous site to see! The lake was eerily calm. We saw one family sitting on a park bench enjoying the site and a canooer way off in the distance absorbing the serenity. I could have stayed there all day!

Blog Assignment #3...Slow it down!

2009-08-31T17:01:00.001-07:00

This weeks assignment was a bit of a learning curve for me. We were headed to West Virginia to do some camping so I thought it would be the perfect time to practice slowing down the shutter speed to see what happens! Simple enough, right?! Well, the state forest we were in didn't exactly have the raging river or streams I was hoping for. Have you seen the buttery water shots where the water runs like silk over the rocks? They do that by slowing down the shutter speed, so I thought I'd try it! The less light out the better, so twilight or just before sunrise are perfect. Unfortunately Logan puts limitations on when I can go out (and because I wasn't about to venture out alone with all the bears we saw) so I attempted this picture on a rainy day in the forest when there wasn't much sun out. (and yes, you can make fun of my 1.5ft waterfall! :) Even still, I had to close my aperture as far as it would go so I could slow down my shutter speed. ISO was 100, Aperture was f/32 and Shutter speed was 5.0 seconds (a tripod is a must!). Not exactly ready for a spread in National Geographic, but it was fun to practice! I also attempted a star trail picture and failed miserably. There just weren't enough stars out to make any impact. I'll try that one again next time we are away from the city lights.

Blog Assigment #2...Reflections

2009-08-24T09:04:00.001-07:00

This past weeks blog assignment was working with reflections. I thought I would really struggle with this assignment because this past week has probably been one of the busiest for me with family in town and military commitments. Finding the time to schedule myself in was definitely at a premium, but what I am finding with these assignments and enjoying more than anything else is that I look at my little world with a new set of goggles on every week. As long as I have my camera with me, I always have the chance to stumble upon something that fits the theme of the week and I have become more aware of what I find interesting around me and how I can present it in a photographic form that you might not have seen before. So here are a few from this past week.

This first one hubby graciously let me use him as my model. He is looking out at our son Logan and I love that you can see and feel the happiness and pride that he feels seeing our son teeter towards him on the sand. ISO was 100, aperture was f/3.2 and shutter speed was 1/500 sec.

Yes, another ferris wheel picture!! But we were showing my in-laws the active oceanfront that Virginia Beach has to offer and these puddles in the parking lot showed off a beautiful reflection of the ferris wheel.

This last one I thought I'd throw in here so I can give you a little photoshop tip! Have you ever taken a picture that should have a gorgeous reflection in the water but the water just seems kind of blah? Usually there is just enough wind to mess your perfect reflection picture up. This was a sunset over the pond by our house and the original picture actually had a very pretty reflection in it already, but I thought it would be a good one to practice this on. I used the rectangle marquee tool (which by the way I'm using CS3 for my edits) and I selected the upper half of the photo from the water line and copied and pasted it so I'd have a double layer (You can also make a new layer of it by clicking Ctrl-J, but I wanted to be able to delete a good portion of it to show the brush in the foreground). Then either right click or hit Ctrl-T for free transform, then right click again and click on Flip Vertical. You can change the opacity to see enough of the layer underneath to place it in the right position then I just started deleting around the edges to bring back some of the foreground. If you had constraints in the picture that you wanted to only bring out the reflection on (like a defined shoreline) you could use the one of the lasso tools to define that constraint (hide the reflected layer first) and then use those constraints to "paint" back in the reflection so it keeps the neat shoreline. I didn't have those constraints in this picture because I was right on the water's edge taking the picture so you can't see where the water meets land in the foreground.

Blog Assignment #1! Night Photography

2009-08-17T07:01:00.001-07:00

I've been stuck in a creative rut lately. I feel like so much of life gets in the way of learning. So, I decided to change it! Dominique of D. Long Photography and I have teamed up for weekly blog assignments to keep our butts motivated to learn. This past week's assignment was learning how to photograph at night using only available light (no flash!). I have NEVER done a night shoot before and I was eager to dive in. Cara and Patrick graciously (and patiently) let me use them as my guinea pig models. (Thanks Cara and P!)

So, this is the picture I am submitting for this assignment. It was one of the first that we tried and took a couple of takes to get it right. My f-stop was 4.5, ISO was 1250 and shutter was 1/4 sec. The hard part for me was working around the crowd on the boardwalk. I forgot to bring my shutter release cable so I was working with the 2 sec timer and trying to coordinate the crowd movement through the photo was a challenge. I love the movement that this photo offers.

One thing I noticed is with night photography you plan out your shots so much more which is a good and bad thing for me. So much of my style is trying to capture the emotion and connection of people. It is very difficult for your subjects to make that connection when they are trying to hold still for the camera to minimize subject blur while the shutter is open. You can't take advantage of them having an intimate and genuine laugh together because they would be one big blur in the photo. The advantage to it is I think I only took about 20 pictures in a 2-hour shoot which means the quality of each individual picture was better and there were less to toss out and less to edit. So here are a few more to show you...

This one below I probably could have lowered my ISO down a bit. There was much more available light here than any of the other locations. I have a habit when I am on manual mode to forget that it is a 3-way relationship between ISO, shutter and aperture. Usually the ISO just fades to the background for me once I set it.

This last one I think just might be my favorite. There is so much gorgeous light at night that I never noticed before. The reflection off the water gave the greatest light source and Cara and Patrick have this red glow to them from the lights of the ferris wheel directly behind me. It looks magical to me.

So we are hoping that these blog assignments will inspire others to either try them out, or share what has worked for them. I would have loved to have had the time to test my camera and see what manipulating the shutter or aperture would have done creatively for these shots, or how low I really could have gotten with the ISO. If I remember right, I started trying with 400 and the shutter was open way to long for Cara and Patrick to try and hold still for so I bumped it up from there. I feel like I know what the results would be on the streetlamps if I pushed the aperture up higher to get those starlights, but when I am in the midst of a shoot, I always forget to just try it out to see what happens!

r-rribbet

2009-08-10T17:01:00.001-07:00

I can do frogs. I can't do snakes... or spiders. I'm glad it was this little guy who caught me by surprise and not the slithering kind.

Teaser for Ryan

2009-08-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ryan is a part of the clan from yesterday! We stepped away from the group to get some professional headshots for his Realtor marketing materials.

D Family Teaser

2009-08-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

I had a blast with the "D" Family yesterday! I would love to see what a typical dinner looks like when this gang gets together. This family has so much sincerity and love for each other I can only imagine the rowdiness from the bigger boys, the squealing from the grandkids, and the laughter and memories that they make together... pure chaos mixed with pure joy and life. Thank you D Family for the fun time at the beach yesterday and giving me a sneak peak into such a wonderful family! I hope you enjoy your teaser pics!

This last one was on our way back. This little girl clung to her Grandpa and I couldn't resist those big brown eyes claiming him as hers.

Family Fun

2009-08-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here's some more captures of my time with the S Family! They have mastered the art of having fun as a family!

He's Home!!

2009-07-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Someone pinch me! Please! After a long 5 1/2 month deployment, my honey is home!!! Homecomings almost make deployments worth it...almost. Time stood still yesterday as we waiting in anticipation. Logan seemed oblivious to the significance of the occassion, happy to run around with the other kids. With lighting and heavy rain moving in, we had to wait it out a little longer than anticipated, but the moment was so worth it after they finally landed, canopies opened, and they waved us all through! Logan and I couldn't seem to get to Daddy fast enough. I couldn't seem to kiss him long enough, or to see his eyes through my own tears to really know that he is there, standing in front of me grinning from ear to ear. It took Logan the walk back to the hangar to realize who was standing with us. Once he realized it was "Daddy", Mommy just faded to the background and took it all in. I melted to see Logan reach for him and insist that Andy hold his hand as they walked around the hangar. Logan wasn't even a year old when his daddy left and my one true fear was that he wouldn't remember who he is. Logan definitely proved me wrong. Today they laid on the floor and played cars together while I watched in pure joy.

**A special thank you to Cara who, despite being sick, made it out to capture these wonderful memories for us! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Cara!!!

Ball of Energy!

2009-07-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

This little man ran circles around us today! I don't know how Heather and Ronnie keep up with him! He is definitely full of life and energy and always knows how to bring a smile to everyone. After a bit of flirting, he even managed to win over the lady in the cafe and got a big spiral lolipops from her! Thank you Heather and Ronnie for the fun afternoon! I hope you enjoy your teaser pics!

Going BIG!

2009-07-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired to go BIG! What do you think? Check out the dragonfly picture below to see what I'm talking about. The smaller pictures just weren't working. I'm still working out some kinks...like how can I keep the image from linking to the photobucket account (and dragging you to the online album if you happen to click on it) but still keep the image big? Anyone have any ideas? I wish I was more technologically savvy.

A Dragonfly Story

2009-07-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Dragonfly

Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again. They knew when this happened; their friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.

When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying.

So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known existed.

Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!

~Author Unknown~

Beach Recipe

2009-07-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dinner time Beach Picnic Recipe:
1 large beach blanket
Picnic basket full of grilled chicken, potato salad, green beans, lemonade, and wine...
Red flip cups
Beach towels
2 moms, 2 kids, 1 rambunctious lab
Sunset
Camera

********

Luke gathered...baby crabs, seaweed, horseshoe crab skeletons, and seashells. Logan explored...the waves, the sand, wet toes, small dunes, a bucket and a shovel, our beach neighbors fishing. A serene evening spent watching pure joy. Yes, the food was covered in sand as little boys couldn't keep gritty arms from flailing about, the wine was spilled, and the dog had to be scolded numerous times for being the beach idiot but we laughed and enjoyed each other. And as a bonus, I got to take a few pictures of my peanut.

Here's an editing tip for anyone who doesn't know of it yet. I was so dissapointed when I first took a look at the photo above and noticed his little right food was cut off! Arggh, I hate when I do that! I had a similar picture of him, a few frames down, so I changed the canvas size of the picture so it basically put a white border on the side of the frame to make it bigger. Then I used the quick selection tool in photoshop and selected the foot and a little of the area around it from the "good foot" picture. Then I copied and pasted onto this photo and used the "Free Transform" option under the edit menu to move it around, make it bigger, etc until it matched the placement of where the foot would have gone. You can change the opacity also so you can see the old foot below the layer to help you resize and reposition. Then I just erased away anything that overlapped and looked funky! Lastly I used the clone stamp to fill in the rest of the white space that went up the left side of the frame. Did you catch all that? You can also use this trick to replace closed eyes, smiles, or pretty much anything else that you can think of. Happy editing!

-ukie

2009-07-12T17:23:00.001-07:00

Life is keeping me busy. We started a summer tradition of having my nephew Luke here in Virginia for a few weeks. This is our 2nd year. Last summer Logan was too little to realize he even had a house guest, but this year is a whole other ballgame. Logan affectionatly calls his big cousin "Ukie" and the boys have busy making mischief, hunting bugs and wearing each other out!

Almost

2009-06-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

My time is almost here.

I can hear his laugh, feel his warm embrace, imagine a kiss...

Today though, I shared in Shannon's joy through her 1st Homecoming. There was no fly-in, no confetti over a ship or even any media coverage. The significance wasn't any less though. The excitement and anticipation in Shannon's face as she watched Shawn walk past the security gates. The joy in Shawn's eyes as he watched Trevor walk and run for the first time. The pure emotion was there. It was true. I was so honored to be there to capture that moment for them.

and I keep reminding myself that my time is almost here...

Hay Days

2009-06-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

There were no kids in line, no cotton candy stuck to their lips.

There were no lovers stealing a kiss at the top of the sky, no high schoolers rockin' the basket.

Yet she kept moving. Round and round and round. She still stopped on the platform with every turn of the basket eagerly waiting for someone, anyone.

Can you see her? I wonder what life in a different era looked like for her. When hay days were the highlight of summer. Where she witnessed first kisses, laughter, innocence and joy.

A few more....

2009-06-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a few more of my fav's from Marcus and Reagan's beach shoot. But I need your opinions please! Do you like the framed look for presentation? I am working on branding myself better, so please don't be afraid to tell me if you hate it!

Water-logged!

2009-06-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during a photo shoot. We started out near the water...like toes in, maybe an ankle. Two minutes later and these crazy kids are swimming, fully clothed, into the Atlantic! So, those nice formal beach pics quickly turned their course, and we rolled with it. As I was leaving the shoot, I wondered if maybe I could have directed them differently in the beginning, not gotten them so worked up....but then I remembered what Me Ra's discoverey workshop had taught me, about finding the true meaning behind a person, telling a story and making your subject feel like they have been heard. Marcus and Reagan are full of life. They are passionate and genuine. They will (literally) run circles around you and were more than willing to run full speed at me to give me a sopping wet hug. So, most of the portraits taken have wet, sandy hair, gritty arms and legs, and yes, even the wet white t-shirt look. But in the end, when you think about it, those are the pictures that define who Marcus and Reagan are. Those are the ones that show true emotion and essence...

So, Marcus and Reagan, here is your teaser pic from today's beach shoot! Thank you for showing me such a great time and for allowing me to see the world through your eyes for an hour or two!

Rainstorm

2009-06-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

My dad came for a visit a few weeks ago and as we were touring around Williamsburg, we got caught in a downpour! It's a good thing I went back to the car earlier for our umbrella's! Dad hunkered down with Logan under a tree and I set out with my umbrella and camera to the gorgeous garden's on the grounds.

All smiles!

2009-06-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Baby A was all smiles when we did our mini session! Her daddy is also deployed so pictures are a precious commodity for him.

Gondola

2009-06-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

As we were leaving Telluride, we decided to take a quick drive up to Mountain Village. I am so happy that my father-in-law suggested that because look at what was captured! The village was breathtaking! So here's a lesson in choosing where to shoot your subject from. The girls in the car all needed a pitstop, so we stopped at the store at the top of the mountain. I decided to take a quick stroll and went behind the buildings to get a better peak at what was down below and found the gondola building unattended! So, I took advantage! I remember learning to take a walk around your subject to see all the different angles. The next three pics are the same gondola, just shot from different positions. So, take a walk next time before shooting and see if there's a better angle! Don't just shoot the obvious.

I saw this shot as we were driving and made my father-in-law pull over! To get this one, I did two exposures, one for the sky and one for the grass and combined the two.

Cardinal

2009-05-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

I see why the Cardinal is the state bird of Virginia! I've seen so many since we have moved out here. This little guy let me get about 2 feet away from him before he flew off!

Downtown details

2009-05-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

I don't exactly know why, but I love this picture. This was a streetlamp outside a little shop in Telluride.

I love how Telluride culture incorporates skiing into everything. These ski's make an awesome railing to a porch.

And these are their public benches!

Gone to seed....

2009-05-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

I love when dandelions have gone to seed. (although my neighbor desperately needs to mow them :) They make me think of my childhood, and little girl wishes sent off into the breeze.

Flags of Telluride

2009-05-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

These adorn the store fronts downtown...

The Dance

2009-05-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

While we were in Colorado, we watched Carley and Adam exchange their vows. I always told myself I would never get into wedding photography. I don't think I could handle the stress, the bridezilla's, or the whole production of the thing. But, I think I would have a blast as a 2nd shooter where I could sit back and capture the details of the wedding, without worrying about the formality. I was bummed I forgot my speedlight, so I had to make due with my on camera flash, but I still like the mood of this photo. This was a dance Carley shared with her father, if I remember right.

Message Board

2009-05-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Logan and I recently made it back from a trip to Colorado. Our last day there, Andy's family indulged me with a road trip to Telluride! I was so excited to finally be able to visit the town and it was definately worth the drive over there!

I have to give a shout out to Andy's little sister Sonja who pointed out this telephone pole. We were both instantly drawn to the hundreds of staples and aged bits of paper left by community flyers. I have more Colorado pictures to share, so check back!

Too fast...

2009-05-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

How is it that life passes by so quickly? How did he grow so fast? I can see the little league uniforms, the art projects on the fridge, the pirate costumes and finger paints. I'm terrified to look beyond that, afraid I'll miss today; the spontaneous hugs, the toddler babble, the squealing, and the wonderment of the world seen through his eyes...

Discovery Workshop Slideshow

2009-05-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

I just peeked over at Matt and Garrett's blog and they have an awesome slideshow up from our Discovery Workshop. If anyone wants to take a look, click here!

Ice Plant

2009-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

So many emotions and memories come back to me when I see these Ice plants. They cover the California coast line and I was so thrilled to capture a few while I was visiting the region I grew up in.

I love playing around with cropping. These two are from the same image but by changing the crop boundaries, you can create a different image/mood with the same picture.

My Journey...

2009-05-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I set out on a blind journey. Not exactly knowing where I was headed, or even where I was coming from...

The weekend started a few months ago actually when I heard about the Discovery workshop the infamous Me Ra Koh was putting together in the Bay Area. I sat on the idea for a few weeks, afraid to even graze the idea with my hubby. Something kept pulling at me and we finally decided to take the plunge and make the investment. This past weekend I met 22 amazing participants. All women, and all seemed to be in the same place emotionally that I found myself in. Together, we set out on a journey of self discovery.

Me Ra has summed up our day 1 on her blog, but more than anything, day 1 reaffirmed that something was lacking in me. I define myself so much by the military, by my husband, and by our child that I was lacking. I had forgotten to check in with myself and to see who that person is and what she has to say.

Day 2 started out at Stinson Beach, after we walked off the car sickness from the winding drive out there. Rick Chapman, was there to guide us through his creative process of making a portrait. After fireside chats with Rick, we set out to capture the locals. I am amazed at what you find out about a person through a simple conversation. Everyone has a story...

This is Lauren. He has overcome so much in his life and he is still able to climb the side of a rock and say "thank you!"

After Day 2, I still felt like something was lacking in me and I was beginning to get frustrated. I kept thinking back to our day 1 experience. Why could I not show my face in any of my self portraits? I still felt like I was shadowed in this process. Like I had a voice, but didn't really know what to say. Even more frustrating was that we were given the tools to put into words what our emotions conveyed, but I couldn't figure out how to get past that point. I was still holding myself back, and I wasn't sure why. Day 3 changed that for me.

The day began with mini breakout workshops. I needed the most help with Lighting, so I set off with Garrett's group. I finally learned how to use my flash! (woohoo!) After that, I took a mini field trip around the property with Rick's group where he showed me a few awesome tricks for working with not so ideal locations and backgrounds. The mini sessions were over way too quickly and I longed for more time, as well as the opportunity to participate in the other great sessions that also took place. The last bit of instruction came from Me Ra and her always humorous hubby Brian. It was such a trip to watch them interact together...a bit of comic relief between laughter and tears. Me Ra and Brian gave me the focus and direction that I was craving and lacking and I was eager to put into practice what we had learned. After lunch, the models starting filtering in!

My fabulous photography partner and I started out with our couple, Matt and Laura. These two are amazing photographers/graphic designers in their own right, so it was a little nerve wracking to be paired with them. As soon as we started talking, I felt completely comfortable with them and my fears went right out the window. They are such an inspiring couple that shared true passion and genuine love for one another. I didn't want to move my camera away for fear of missing an intimate moment between them!

Then we moved on to our beautiful family, Heather, Rick and their 2 children. I don't think I've ever had more fun during a photoshoot than with little man L and Miss E. Me Ra's tips helped us move past the kids inhibitions of having to get their picture taken.

I've been going back and forth with the idea of sharing this experience on my blog. Call me selfish, but I felt like this was such an intimate and revealing experience that I wanted to keep it hidden. Well, maybe not so much hidden as held tight. Then, I remember what Me Ra had said during the workshop about blogging. She told us to think of blogging as being "in service" to someone else. Sometimes I find that in this industry especially, the sharing of knowledge and information to those trying to "break in" is such taboo that each photographer has to reinvent the wheel to get anywhere. So, my lesson to you is to check in with yourself and always remember that you have a voice. Let it guide you.

Two heroes

2009-04-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I featured two amazing wives as they welcomed home their own heroes. I wanted to give you a peek at the life of one of them.

This is Cara. She has a story...

Did you watch the video? Are you in tears yet? Last weekend I watched this amazing woman be there to give that first hug, that first kiss, shed those first tears, to her hubby as he returned to her, a hero in his own right. Cara is the other hero in this story, as she fights everyday to help lead the cause for a cure to cystic fibrosis. If you are as moved and inspired by Cara's story, and her life as I am, please consider helping her fight for more time. http://www.cff.org/great_strides/dsp_donationPage.cfm?registeringwalkid=5860&idUser=217660

Teaser for T

2009-04-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Logan's best buddy turned ONE this month! Here's a quick teaser for him!

Cruisin' the beach

2009-04-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Cars really aren't my thing. So, I'm sure my hubby got a good chuckle when he heard I was packing up the dog and the baby and heading down to the boardwalk to the Crusin' Virginia Beach car show. They must have had 20+ street blocks of cars lined up on the boardwalk. Of course I probably just breezed by the ridiculously expensive cars that you'll probably only see once in your life, but I wouldn't have recognized them. Nope, give me the souped up jalopy with a hood ornament and I'm perfectly happy!

Ear Muffs

2009-04-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Little A was probably the easiest baby for me to entertain and get a big smile out of! He is a natural in front of the camera and had me cracking up with his ear muff pose. We weren't even saying any bad words either!

Bittersweet

2009-04-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today was bittersweet. I think it was the toughest day for me since Andy has been away. It truly felt like such an honor to be there to share in such a memorable day for Tiffany and Cara, but it did bring a few tears to my eyes as I longed for my hubby's return. Both are remarkable women and I could feel the pride, the anticipation, and the (lack) of patience beaming from both of them like a 3 year old trying so very patiently to wait for that ice cream cone. That moment, is so very special. When time stands still and you think they are never going to taxi down that runway...when you spy them for the first time as they descend out of the jet...when they release the crowd and you can't seem to reach that special person fast enough...and when you finally do, you want to hug them as tight as you can just so you know it's real. Congrats to you both! I know it has been a long time coming. I know my day will come, I just have to give it a few more months...

He has Risen!

2009-04-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Easter blessings as we celebrate His ressurection!

Cutie-patootie

2009-04-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Haley was a little shy for her 6-month photo shoot. Her mom had to pull out her bag of tricks to entertain a smile out of her! Off camera she'll flirt and smile with you all day long! This little cutie is off to Japan by year end!

Sign of the times

2009-04-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

I took a walk today. Well, first I drove, then I walked. Amist the hustle and bustle of a neighboring downtown, with scaffolding dotting the walls of newly erected buildings time stood still on the brick and mortar of these old buildings.

Peek-a-boo

2009-04-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! I haven't been blogging much lately. I thought my time alone while Andy is away on deployment would drag on and on, but most days I can barely catch my breath! Between the numerous ailments that Logan contracted within the last month, the rainy weather, family in town and my master bath remodel I haven't found much time to do what I love most. But, spring has finally sprung here in Virginia so I'm hoping to be out and about more! Logan and I had a very busy day today. The day ended with a baby shower and since Logan was getting a bit antsy, I decided to let him run free (well, crawl) at one of the neighborhood parks before we went home for dinner. He's getting better on his feet and takes a few steps at a time now. We started heading towards the car to go home and Logan apparently didn't like that much so he raced away from me in the opposite direction. With shorts on though, he didn't want to put his knees down on the concrete so he did this "downward dog" sort of crawl away from me. In true Logan fashion though he had to see if mom was coming to get him, so instead of turning around to see if I'm there, he just put his head down on the concrete and peered at me through his legs. I was just about in stitches at this point. Silly boy! He definately keeps me on my toes most days!

Sweet Caroline

2009-03-21T12:18:00.001-07:00

What a cutie Caroline is! She is off to a big adventure next week as she and her parents move overseas to Spain! We are going to miss you guys!

ONE

2009-03-09T10:43:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it. My sweet little boy turned ONE yesterday! How quickly a year goes by. It was a bittersweet day for me yesterday. His daddy wasn't here to share in our joy, but we were thinking about him on the other side of the world. Happy Birthday baby!

Patterns

2009-02-28T19:49:00.001-08:00

Cute butt...

2009-02-28T19:29:00.001-08:00

Back to blogging in a few days

2009-02-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be back to blogging later this week. I said a hard goodbye to my hubby who was recently deployed. Thanks for all your emails, prayers and notes of encouragement!

Pennsylvania countryside

2009-02-12T11:13:00.001-08:00

I really should carry a small notepad with me because for the life of me I can't remember the name of this gorgeous cathedral in Pennsylvania. I was mesmorized! I can't imagine a more picturesque spot for a fairytale wedding. It makes me want to put on my wedding dress just to take pictures there. Here's a little view for you from the backside of the cathedral.