The Family Christmas Card...

Its Christmas time again and I knew I wanted to hand make a Christmas card this year. I've actually wanted to make a card for the last four years and never got around to it. In fact, I think many of our Christmas card people have stopped sending us cards because we haven't sent any out in those last four years! I feel really bad but I'm one of those people who gets wrapped up in the idea of the card and if I can't make it the way I want it I wont do it at all.

I had a certain idea of exactly how I wanted the family photo shoot to go and precisely how I wanted them to look. As we all know, young humans usually have different ideas than we do on how the photo shoot is going to go.

This shoot, which I set up in my dining room, went in a totally different direction than I planned. During the editing process the images morphed even more into what they are today.

I used the images in an accordion fold Christmas card that is more than I planned and better than I could have expected!

Enjoy the images and have fun watching the madness unfold! Have a wonderful Christmas!!

Love!

My Favorite image of the night

Perfect!

Emma asked her sisters to trip her as she

jumped in the air, of course they

were more than willing!

They are all so different and so much alike!

Twister!

So, I ran across these photos while I was hunting for my next blog entry. I love these pictures of my older girls playing Twister. They're really funny and very entertaining people. One day they just decided to play the game and I, of course, thought it was a great opportunity to take pictures. What better way to practice shooting at different angles. I use times like this (when there's no pressure) to see what things look like from different perspectives. My teacher and friend, Walter Urie, once said to me that the only two things you can't change in a photo are the focus and the angle at which you shot it. Always keeping these things in mind I like push them both when I shoot. I am known to climb on tables, chairs, and walls. I also crawl around on the ground and shoot from my back.

Who wants to see life from the same direction we see it from every day? Make it new, make it interesting, twist it up!

I'm still here!

I wanted to quickly post that I'm still here and alive! I've been a bit under the weather and my biggest problem with this cold has been that I just can't think clearly. Rather than spend a post rambling on more than usual I have avoided posting.

I wanted you to know I'm still here and alive and I'll be back soon!

One of the things I do every morning is take my two younger daughters to school. Because of the traffic problems getting them in to the schools Emma actually sits in the car for over a half an hour every morning. During this time she reads, eats, plays with toys, and sometimes sings with me to the radio.

Two mornings ago I looked behind me in the quiet car and saw Emma doing something with her arms and hands that looked like the dance of a Geisha. She said, "Look Mommy, I'm making an animal!

I'll leave you with this little moment in time.

Summer Re-cap!

I'm thinking about the holidays! Halloween brings in a whole new season at our house! We bring out the pumpkins and they stay out through Thanksgiving and then they are put away and replaced by Christmas decor! I can't believe it is just that close!

I was thinking about what photos will be made over the holiday season and that made me think about what work I've done over the summer! I thought "hmmm maybe I'll show you some of the work I did over the summer" you know, just for fun!

So here are a few of the things I shot over the summer!

The summer started out with Gary and Ashley's engagement and Wedding!

I spent time with Friends and enjoyed a couple of family portrait shoots. (Some still to be reviled...)

Inhabit Las Vegas celebrated their Grand Opening!

My kid graduated from High school!

And I threw her a party!

We all met Baby Sam! I can't wait to take more pictures of this Darling little man!

I worked on a few little projects like this one...

These are canisters my Great Grandmother carried

with her as she went through Ellis Island from Poland.

One of my favorite projects this summer was the Belrose Salon classic 1940's pin-up shoot!

Gorgeous ladies and super fun!

We went to North Carolina and I photo journaled our vacation!

I had a wonderful time participating in the Scott Kelby Photowalk at the San Juan Mission.

I shot the Canstruction Orange County structures to help fight hunger!

I also got to photograph the Awards Gala

And PS I ran my first half Marathon with my Daughter, Amanda and my sisters!

It was a wonderful summer but I'm ready to move into the winter months. I'm ready for warm fires and hot coco. Looking forward to spending time with family and eating fabulous food! I'm also looking forward to entering into a New Year!