Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope any of you who traveled this Thanksgiving got there safely!

For me, this year has been really wonderful. I have Gia and Mr. Pilate at home and I am working for myself, which is super rewarding. (As well as quite challenging.)

Also, my family has been really supportive during this transition.

Plus we've made some new friends who have been really supportive as well. *cough* Brenda - Swann Soirees *cough* :)

I have had a great year and am looking forward to an awesome 2010. So I would like to take a moment to thank all my friends, family, and clients for their love, help, and support.


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Enough mushy stuff. (and thank you, I mean it!) On with the pictures! We went to the aquarium recently, and I brought along an older camera with a 50mm strapped on it. (The poor rebel, she gets dragged out whenever I don't want to risk any of my nice gear!) I had fun sneak shooting Gia, and she got grumpy because she hates having her picture taken!

Enjoy! And best wishes to you all!






A Cuttlefish! Gia thinks they're cute, I think they look a little sad. (Don't they have sad eyes!?!?)


And lastly one of Gia with the yellow fish! (Red fish, Blue fish, could not be present. :P)

Giggle & Mingle Toy Drive

Recently we went to the Giggle & Mingle - Toys for Tots Drive and it was a blast! Gia and I got to hang out with some old friends and meet new ones as well. Even my brother came, so I had a blast hanging out with him as well as taking some pictures of the event.

Hosted by: The lovely Brenda Swann of Swann Soirees
DJ'ed by: The rockin' Bill Calhoun of Bill Calhoun Mobile Music
Attended by: Everyone! Seriously, I wish I could remember everyone I met, but there were so many! Hopefully I will be seeing you all again real soon!

Thank you to everyone who donated their time, services, and toys! I'm sure there are a bunch of kids who are going to really appreciate your generosity!


Brenda working the hula hoop!


DJ Bill mugging the ultimate "dear in the headlights" look!


And of course, the guys from Starcross'd Creative were there. A great group of guys for sure.


Special thanks to the Marines (who normally deserve our thanks!) but who tonight, collected toys and were great sports and tons of fun!

Click here, to see the rest of the night! In slideshow glory!

Abel & Paulina

Gia and I had the pleasure to work with Abel and Paulina recently at Torrey Pines. It was so much fun to spend a couple hours at the beach with such a cute couple. One thing we didn't plan for, however, was finding our favorite position just as the tide was coming in. I ended up soaked to my hips standing in the waves for my perfect angle.

It was totally worth it though, the shots look amazing and it was a blast hanging out with our new friends.

Enjoy!

My Sonflower.

Click to make big!

A puppy portrait!

Enjoy. Bask in the cuteness of little Toby!

Brandon & Amy engagement session!

Brandon contacted us a few weeks back to take some pictures of him and his soon to be wife Amy. Gia and I were all too happy to oblige! But where to shoot? Location-wise, all of us wanted to shoot at the beach, but since school let out many of the beaches have been super crowded and we were hoping for a bit of solitude. Fortunately Sunset Cliffs has been flying under the radar and staying relatively empty! So we arranged to meet late afternoon to get some pictures done. Unfortunately, due to a busy schedule Brandon and Amy called us to push it to late late afternoon. By the time we started shooting the sun was already low in the sky and dropping rapidly. Rather than hide or reschedule I was happy to have a challenge and met this one head on!

All of these shots are artificially lit! I had so much fun meeting this challenge and hanging out with Brandon and Amy! Great success!

Enjoy!









They even brought their lovely pooch, Micah, with them and he taught us a valuable lesson. If you're going to work with animals... bring TREATS! We felt silly for not thinking of it earlier! But in the end, with a little coaxing, and some petting Micah agreed to stop exploring Sunset Cliffs long enough to be in a few family pictures!

SoCal photography contest!

Thank you all for your help in choosing a photograph to enter in the Southern California's Faces and Places Photo Contest. Since we had such a great response for three photos in particular we have entered all three! Please take a moment to vote for your favorite by following one of the links below!

Thank you all for your support!


socalphotocontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=1007003160&se...



socalphotocontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=1007003161&se...



socalphotocontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=1007003162&se...

Jessica & Jason Couples Session

We decided to try something totally new for Jessica and Jason. We took a trip to the zoo! It was so much fun! I even have a picture of Jessica touching the Cappuccino Monkey!

SoCal photography contest!

I think I've finished shooting for our entry into the "Southern California's Faces and Places Photo Contest"! So, now it's selection time! Please chime in and help us select an entry!

And a special thanks to everyone who comments!!

The colors in this last one are all natural! It's a combination of gelled lights and shutter drag! That's why the waves are all dreamy. I don't know if people will like it, but I think it's neat0o!

Pamela & Camron

Hello blog buddies! I have a special treat for you today! The shots from our session with Pamela and Camron!

We went and romped around Balboa Park and had a great time! You might recognize some familiar structures in the background. Enjoy!

They were so fun to hang out with! I couldn't believe how much Camron and I had in common. Right down to the quarks! (Haha, double meaning! Go physics!)

Fun day! I love working with couples!