TTV Layers ~ grab a Brownie Kodak!

I had some fun practicing with TTV layers I found on flickr but decided to just jump in and buy a brownie camera on ebay! For $20 I was able to win the auction and I've had fun ever since! I also found some great info online regarding the Kodak Brownie cameras from Matt Denton Photography. Also, thanks to Photojojo for a great article on how to use your old camera and teach it new tricks! Here is another photo from my shoot with Jen a couple of days ago using the Brownie Kodak! I just love photography and I love trying out new and different techniques to catch my subjects! My suggestion...try a Brownie and then check here to find out how to rig a box for the camera to get really great shots ~ I really love Russ Morris' blog! The article is from 2006 but is a great tutorial! ~ back to camera!

Photoshop ~ Effects Using Actions

Today I grabbed my good friend, Jen, and headed to the train tracks south of downtown to do a quick photoshoot. I so wanted to try out my new 50mm 1.8 Canon lens ~ which I'm in love with ~ it's crazy sharp! LOVE IT! So, I made it home and sat down with a glass of wine to begin the download and then start my blog post. I was testing out some different actions and on one of Jen's photos and thought I'd post some samples for you! Here I went for color and pop.... Then I tried soft and pretty from the Pioneer Women Actions I spoke about in this post! I wanted to go for something slightly different from black and white so I worked Kubota's sing the blues which is my favorite! I'm onto another photo now ~ one of my favorites of Jen using Kubota's Hot Fudge! In all honesty, I do a lot of tweaking to get it sharp and add contrast, burn here and dodge there...you know...make the pics my own...which means that the above images are utilizing the actions but are also enhanced by me to fit the photos. So go have some fun with your actions!! We had such a great time today! I can't wait to get back to editing the photos! Thanks Jen for a great shoot! ~ back to camera

It's Summer Time!

Ahhh....finally...a sunny day in San Diego! It's hard to believe but we've been stuck in May Gray for a bit and the sun is now out in Ocean Beach! I had lots of errands that I'd been putting off however I was inspired by the sun and washed my dog, Pogo, took her on a long walk through the sloughs (and this was after she ran around the park!) and then headed downtown to Little Italy to buy some mozzarella cheese. See...I love to garden and, though I have a little balcony, I happily planted some rosemary and Italian basil! I also picked up some beautiful organic tomatoes and decided it was the day to do up a caprese salad! We have a couple of great Italian markets in Little Italy that I've been wanting to explore so I headed off with my camera and a bag of change to go shopping! I picked up some mushroom ravioli (home made but frozen), a big loaf of italian bread (Mark's going to love me!) and a wonderful fresh sauce! Of course while I was there I took some photos of their canned tomatoes...I just love tomato cans for some reason! Below is my photo..okay...I'm going to start prepping dinner and then its... ~back to camera!

Love Locked In Time

Everyone should have a motto..a couple of them actually. I think of it this way...a personal motto ~ the standard by which you live ~ and a business motto ~ something that encapsulates what you do and who you are. Love Locked in Time is my business motto. I shoot weddings for a couple of reasons...first...I am in love with love! Big...Fat...Juicy LOVE! It doesn't matter how old you are, how young you are...life just tastes better with love! The plethora of emotion...the anticipation and the beauty of being in a moment where everyone is open-hearted and happy! The the celebration of life! It's this big basket of emotion! The second reason I shoot weddings.....Excitement! I love excitement...it's why I travel the world and try new things. I want to be excited about life...and it's impossible for me not to be excited at a wedding! I love meeting people and I love the energy that radiates from the bride and grooms' family and friends...it's magical! The third reason I shoot weddings....Beauty! I love beautiful things. I love the wedding dresses and the shoes....all of the tiny details that come together to make the event. The flowers and silverware, the beaches and churches...I just love it all! I have an the heart and sentimentality of an artist. So my motto...Love locked in time...it's what I strive to accomplish..I want your children..and your children's children to see the love! Corny? Totally!!! But when I'm shooting...that's what I'm thinking! My photo of the day requires a bit of an explanation..... In 2005 I took off and traveled for six months ~ with my final destination being Manchester, England, for Jody's wedding. Jody and I had worked together in Los Angeles for a few years before she met her future husband, James, in London. To make a long story short, they took off on a round-the-world trip and he proposed while they were in Thailand! This is one of my most prized photos...their wedding was so beautiful and it reflected very much of who they are! Jody is now expecting twins and I had the opportunity to shoot her maternity photos while she was visiting last month! I've got to say she will always be one of my most favorite subjects!!! ~back to camera!

Fusion

I love to be creative and I'm focusing on searching out unique and fun ways to expand my photography business. Right now I'm hooked on the idea of Video Fusion and the possibilities that it provides to my brides and grooms. Now please understand...I am so not a videographer...but the idea of capturing a few precious moments and editing them into a slideshow with some fabulous photos has got me hooked! Wedding photography is all about telling the story of your wedding day! As a photographer my goal is to create a beautiful pictorial full of emotion. I like to work with couples starting from the engagement session right to the end of the wedding day...from walking down the isle to cutting the cake... and of course...I love to get a shot of the bride with her shoes off after dancing up a storm! It's these moments that really capture you as a couple and it's my infinite pleasure to do so. Then I go to photo seminars and learn how to do it better! And how do you make it better? I ask myself...how can I add to your day? David Ziser introduced me to a fab idea! Incorporate video (just little snippets) into a DVD with your photo slide show. Perfect! Then I ask myself...how can I do more??? Really? More? Of Course! Poor Dianna! She's always up for a good idea and I bounce them off her like mad! I know she loves it though! So now I have this action plan...capture some video of the bride and groom as they walk down the aisle...then take pics of the ceremony. As the officiant says, "you may now kiss the bride" I'm back on video capturing the kiss. Then for the reception, while Dee is taking table photos and all the fun stuff that goes with professional quality photos...I get to run around with...get this...a point and shoot! Crazy? I don't think so. There's an intimacy when you have a regular point and shoot...plus they are able to do some pretty crazy stuff now ~ from black and white shots to twilight portraits....really fun stuff! I don't plan on running around the entire time shooting 1600 ISO grainy shots...but when the wine starts flowing and the guests are really enjoying themselves...why not? I'm known by all my friends as the girl with the camera and some of the most candid and fun shots are with my point and shoot! It just adds to the night and people are not as inclined to pose!!! I've offered it to a few of our couples and they are really gung-ho on both ideas (video and point and shoot). Sometimes I think they might be looking at me a bit funny...but I've got to say that I'm really enthusiastic about the whole thing. So I'm trying it a few times for fun and gifting it to our couples. I have high hopes that it's going to be great! Above is a photo from a wedding I did last summer San Diego. It's the mother~son dance..I just love how much fun the mom is having! ~back to camera

My Favorite Wedding Photographer Blogs!

I love the internet! I think it's the best invention ever (well ~ except for pasta and spa tubs!) I'm always on the lookout for a great blog and I absolutely love Jessica Claire , Nick Abidilla and Jasmine Star! They inspire me to blog and keep in touch! Speaking of inspiration..I've come across StillMotion in Canada. Their wedding videography service is incredible...check out their same day edit of Raj and Caroline...it brings tears to your eyes and leaves me breathless! As you are all learning, I like to take some time everyday to search the internet for interesting sites. I love to learn and one of the great things about photography is that the process is never ending. I also try to keep on top of the business of wedding photography as well as checking out the new tools of the trade. This past month I had the opportunity to hear celebrity wedding photographer, Joe Buissink, speak for Pictage and I can tell you that it was outstanding! Joe tells it like it is...how he shoots, how he edits, how to work with your client. He even showed an unedited slideshow of his digital images from a wedding....crazy!!!! Unedited! Really cool to see the images before going through the post production process! He shared some really great lessons for life and business! I also went to David Ziser's Digital WakeUp Call Seminar and had a blast! I wrote about it last week in my blog post here. I love me a seminar and look forward to more when the wedding season is over. I always want to keep the photos coming and today I am posting a very special picture. This is my mom and my brother ~ I grabbed this while we were at lunch the other day. I love it and them. ~ Back to camera!