pascale wowak photoblog

zozobugbaby - the little bubble dot dress

At least that's what WE call it.  I'm sure Julie has a much better name for it!  I took Ellie out a couple nights ago to get some pictures of her in this new zozobugbaby design.  It was cold and windy and here I am putting a little strappy outfit on her. I'm such a BAD mom....but I digress.

I had come across this gorgeous meadow of wildflowers on a hike with a friend a few days earlier and knew it would be just perfect for this dress.  So, after dinner, I gathered up the kiddos and off we went.  We had to hike in but they were so excited about it they ran ahead and I was the one having a hard time keeping up with them.  I didn't want to lug a bunch of equipment up the hill so I just brought my camera and one lens.  It was all I needed since the light there at sunset was just delicious.

When I told Ellie she could actually pick these flowers (all I ever do is tell her no when she asks if she can pick flowers since it is usually someone's landscaping!) she was happy as a clam and we now have a lovely bouquet on our dining room table.  

Gavin was my little assistant and was blowing bubbles towards Ellie who giddily ran around chasing the bubbles in this beautiful field.  As picture perfect as it gets...

However, when we got down to the parking lot I noticed we were covered in ticks.  Sigh.  So after a full body tick check (that was fun!) we spent a few more minutes just goofing around in the parking lot so Ellie could blow the bubbles and Gavin could chase them.  They were laughing so hard!  Gavin gets all "karate kid" with the bubble popping scenario and he was just jumping and high kicking and gyrating in every which way to try to pop those bubbles.  I cannot even tell you how funny it was to watch.  We then went home and everyone was thrown in the tub for a second full body tick-check.  Those buggers are just gross.   I'm not a bug person to begin with but I am particularly not fond of ticks and mosquitoes.  Just sayin'.

Last, and MOST important out of all this, Julie is having a big skirt sale this Saturday (yeah, tomorrow people!) where she will be selling all the skirts she has been making this past week for just $10 each!!! That's AMAZING!  I will be there bright and early.  She only has a limited amount to sell so I assure you they will go FAST.  Click HERE to access her Etsy site directly.  Happy shopping!!

Enjoy the images, Julie :)

(here we are first hiking up to the "spot", I had a little sweater on Ellie since it was so cold!)

I can't quite figure out why but this next one is my favorite of the day!

This next one is a total LUCKY shot, it just worked out that the bubbles were NOT blocking her eyes and turned out perfect.  This is my second favorite shot of the day!

Here he is trying to plug up the holes and cracking himself up!  Luckily, Ellie was equally amused.  It could have gotten ugly otherwise....

Victoria and Scott

Back in the day (how can you not feel 100 yrs old when you say that?), Scott and I worked together.  When his fiancee contacted me for an engagement shoot I was delighted on two fronts, (1) that Scott was getting married and (2) that I was going to meet the lucky gal and take pictures for them.    After meeting Victoria I came to the conclusion that Scott is a very lucky man as well.  

Victoria is perfect in every way and mostly, she is perfect for Scott.  They really compliment each other and have a natural ease/comfort around each other.  Plus, they like to laugh.  I like to laugh.  So...we laughed alot. :)

It was really cold and SUPER windy and, of course, Victoria has this very long, gorgeous set of locks... but we managed to work with the weather and get some really great images!

just love this next one

she's gorgeous...

the bling!

so sweet

I usually avoid working in the direct light because my clients end up squinting and looking/feeling miserable but Vicki and Scott were superheroes out there, didn't bother them one bit and they looked GREAT!

did I mention it was super windy!?

love this!

First Ski Lesson - the pics

I know I posted a quick video a few weeks ago regarding the kids first ski lesson but I have finally had a moment to edit the images I took.  I created a few little collages.  Our trip started out with a visit to Mercer Caverns in Murphy's.  It was great.  I love stuff like that and took a few pictures down there (no flash).  Here's just a few shots.  The kids were surprisingly fascinated by the caves and really enjoyed the visit down in there.

I'm still amazed at how quickly Gavin took to skiing.  The instructor even took him up on the BIG KID lift because he was doing so good after just a few trips down the bunny slope.  He was so proud!   I was also so surprised that despite her initial excitement about skiing and delight over the bunny slope escalator-type lift, Ellie so quickly lost her desire to ski....  Oh well, there is always next year!

Mothering Magazine

I've been a longtime fan of Mothering magazine (as in almost 7 yrs now) and have been fortunate to have had my images used by them before, including one for their annual calendar a couple years back.  So I was, again, filled with great honor and pleasure when I learned they wanted to use one of my images for a full page spread to open up their feature article on Attachment Parenting in the upcoming May/June edition.

I just received my advance copy and snapped a shot of it.  Makes me so happy.   If you are looking for a GOOD parenting magazine, I have two that I read.  I've stopped receiving all the others I used to subscribe to and now just get these two.  They are both in a totally different league than all the other magazines out there:  Mothering Magazine and Brain, Child Magazine.

(Also, a special thank you to Sam and his mommy Amy, my perfect models in this shot which is now over 2 years old!)

Quincy Kai

Wow, there is a serious baby boom going on right now!  I have photographed so many newborns this month I've lost count.  As you can imagine, I am quite happy about this as newborns are my favorite subject.  They are the longest and hardest shoots but also the most magical.  

Due to a variety of reasons, Quincy and his family were not ready to have their shoot done with me until he was 20 days old, which is much older than I usually recommend doing.  I try to get my newborns photographed within the first week of birth.  And ,although he was starting to have the common baby acne that starts at that time and was very alert the first half of the shoot [which are some of the reasons why I do them so early on usually], the shoot was very successful.  He also broke a few records.  Mom and Dad know what I am talking about! :)

Quincy was also a really big baby (12 lbs) so between his alertness and his size, I had to really do a great deal of outside the box thinking and deviate a bit from what I am used to doing for my newborn shoots.  I think it actually worked in our favor because we were able to highlight the roundness, rolls and "plumpness" that you just don't have with a 6 or 7 lb newborn.  And mom and dad were such great sports about everything and willing to just go with the flow.

Enough rambling.  Kristen and Walter, it was a pleasure meeting you and your extended family and especially your Quincy.  Thank you for the honor of capturing this special time in your lives.  ENJOY!

When I arrived Quincy was WIDE awake with no intention of sleeping, so we switched gears and did a great series of awake shots.  Mom and Dad also had a strong preference for B&W so that's mostly what you'll see posted here.  Right off the bat with one of my all time favorites.

love this

i adore everything about this next one

so sweet

Once he finally fell asleep, he was OUT and I was able to change him from pose to pose without him so much as stirring.  Easy Peasy.

crazy in love with the whole set here on black

kristen is gorgeous, that new mama glow!

Clean Well

I don't usually do product endorsements but I've been using stuff from this local San Francisco based company since they first came out and LOVE everything about them.  They are all natural products and the story behind how (and why) the company was launched is pretty amazing. They are also a very eco-conscious company as well.  My kids actually LIKE washing their hands with this foamy soap, which unlike other foamy soaps, has no harsh chemicals or toxins.  And they smell LUSCIOUS too.  Clean well is having a 30% off sale right now (I just got their email notification) if you use the discount code ED09 at checkout.  Seriously, this company rocks.  Their little travel spray hand sanitizer is always in my purse.  Check it out.  You won't regret it.  And, by the way, this endorsement is completely unsolicited, as I do not personally know anyone who works there, it's just a product and company I love.  The sale is only good through Sunday.

CLEAN WELL PRODUCTS

Heatwave + Sprinklers + Flash = FUN!

Today was my one day off this week so when Gavin got home from school I took the kids outside, turned on the sprinklers and let them go to town.  And just for the sake of me playing around with some of my new OCF equipment/training I thought I'd play around with a double flash on stand set up to see what kind of images I could get.  It was super bright out and I had the flashes on full power.  I even burned up a set of batteries too.  Oops.  By having it set up with one flash trained on each child I was able to get them well lit and have the background go black and the sky turn DARK blue.  The flash was able to stop their action at just 1/200 SS which is the sync speed for the 580EX's I have.  The kids had a blast and by the end we were all laughing hysterically.  They would see the picture on the LCD and run back to take another one.  And, most importantly, they didn't argue ONCE for the duration of the outside fun.  That, alone, was worth its weight in gold! :)

Due to recycle times I would get exactly ONE shot per jump/action so it was a really great exercise in timing for me, rather than just doing a series of bursts.  Also, I had to pre-focus to make sure it would catch what I wanted it to and not accidentally focus on something in the background by mistake.  

Here are a few favorites.  Hope you are all finding ways to stay cool!

Ellie is so funny, she can't run through the sprinklers without covering her face.  She hates the sensation of water pelting her face.

It totally looks like they are running through the sprinklers at night doesn't it?  It was like 4 pm!

this next one is my favorite!

Unbridled joy :)

And how, may you ask, did I know when we were done?  When Ellie only wanted to show me this viewpoint:

Playdate Photo Shoot #2

So this was my second "playdate photo shoot" of the year and it was much larger in scale than the last one, as in eight kids under 6 years of age! You can just take a second to let that sink in..... :)

Yeah, pretty chaotic and funny all at the same time.  Fortunately, everyone had a good sense of humor about it and was willing to roll with the punches so to speak.  There was even mention of heavy drinking and nudity, albeit not at the same time...

 

My husband did silently greet me at the door with a glass of wine upon my return home though!  How did he know I'd need a drink?  Oh, and the lovely host, Amanda, fed us the MOST DELICIOUS fruit tart I have ever eaten from a place called The Farm in Soquel.  OMG.  *that* good.  I had to share that info so that I would not be the only one forevermore tainted by this knowledge because I can no longer eat just any old regular fruit tart.  Thanks alot, Amanda, no, really, thanks.  (smile)

As a side note, Amanda's husband totally rocked the reflector so a BIG thank you to him for all his hard work in the sweltering heat!

Because of the sheer volume, I can only post a few favorites from each set.

In this first set I have siblings Lucy and Stella, long time clients of mine who have just recently moved back to the area and I'm so happy to have them back.

Then we have Molly who was just the absolute sweetest girl!

The next set are siblings Norah and Leah.   I think mom is going to be delighted I got anything, but especially these! ENJOY Amanda :)

I almost deleted this next one but figured Amanda would appreciate it.  It certainly made me laugh out loud!

And, last but not least, siblings Mateo and Sofia.  Mateo is about as gorgeous a baby as they come and Sofia is such a devoted and attentive big sister!

Seriously, OMG.

Courtney Courtney & ZozoBugBaby

I have been wanting to photograph Ellie in these two fabulous new designs for AGES and was finally able to squeeze it in today.  There was no way I was passing on the first gorgeous, warm (NON-windy) day in weeks that I didn't already have a shoot scheduled for!   As is typically the case with my Ellie commercial shoots I had to do it during the most dreadful time of day and work extra hard to seek out some good light in my chosen location.  All you locals will recognize the Roaring Camp setting :)  First outfit is by ZOZOBUGBABY and the second outfit is by COURTNEYCOURTNEY.

Ellie was being a total rockstar today and I'm sure the judiciously doled out M&M's didn't hurt either.  That said, I think the girl was given to me so I could photograph her.  We make a great team when it comes to the model/photographer relationship.  We were both "in the zone" today and having lots of fun with it.  

Most importantly though, she has to LOVE the outfits she is wearing or it just doesn't happen.  Luckily, she was gaga over her two new outfits and was delighted to model them for me.

We started out with the ZozoBugBaby coordinated skirt and tank top (w/ matching bloomers).  I did the first set with some Off Camera Flash experimentation.  It goes without saying that OCF is WAY easier with adults....who stand still.... and don't go outside the limited range of where one must stand to make it work.  Yeah.  So.  We only did that for one set and then I gave up.  I had marked her spot on the ground and she really really was trying to stay there but you know, hula hooping and twirling require FREEDOM of movement.  One must be able to go ALL OVER THE PLACE to enjoy oneself when one is doing such things.... :)

Regardless, I really liked how the few that worked turned out but I think I may have to stick to adults for future OCF endeavors.  That, or find a way to CONTAIN ZE CHILD....  Anyway, I really like the feel of the splotchy light in the background but well lit foreground without it having that "flash" ickiness to it that I dislike so much.   People were looking at me funny with my flash and light stands and pocket wizards and everything.  I got a few looks that clearly said "that woman takes photographing her child way too seriously..."  Hilarious!

 ZozoBugBaby skirt, tank top and bloomers.  The attention to detail in Julie's sets is just awe inspiring.  Julie is quite the artist and her creativity really comes through in all her designs.  They are so vibrant and full of life and yet coordinate in such a natural and aesthetically pleasing way.  I should mention that her designs sell out quickly due to limited stock, just fyi...

(and the ADORABLE green sandals are from Bugaboo Shoes)

this is very serious business, apparently.

yes, this is the same child as the above picture.

showing off the adorable bloomers!

Then we changed into the equally fabulous CourtneyCourtney dress.  This is a new style with "flutter sleeves" and has a fitted twirly shape to the dress.  It looked AMAZING on Ellie.  I just love the way it fell on her body and, as are all of Courtney's dresses, was incredibly comfortable.  All the CourtneyCourtney dresses are ONE OF A KIND due to the nature of her using recycled tee's to create her masterpieces.  Once it's sold, it's gone.  Again, just FYI. :)

This next picture is just SO Ellie.  Love it.

She was doing her thing, singing and dancing.  That's my girl 24/7.  I mean, except when she is having some sort of meltdown or tantrum, of course. :)

Jackson

Oh did little Jackson EVER put his daddy through the wringer on this shoot!!!  Mom and I were *quite* entertained. :)

Despite the rough start, we got the most amazing images of the little guy.  He was a little over a week old because our original shoot date was rescheduled due to his jaundice but on the day of the shoot he was no longer yellow and still just as itty bitty teeny tiny as the day he was born!

This couple always has me laughing out loud so I most definitely look forward to our time together and this was no exception.  We had a wonderful session and got some great images of their new little bundle of love.  He is a very lucky boy to be born into this family and they are equally lucky to have this cute-as-a-button baby as their son.

I can't wait to continue to chronicle their lives as he grows up!

Annie and Danny, ENJOY your images!  (Danny, you earned them....)

Jackson has the longest feet I have ever seen on a newborn!

I should mention that the beautiful blanket in these next few shots was hand crocheted by my good friend Mary just for me to use for my newborn sessions.  Love her.  

pure bliss

First Ski Lesson

I took three days off for the kids' Spring Break this past Easter weekend and we took them up to my in law's cabin near Bear Valley.  I decided it was the right time to have the kids try out their first ski lesson.  I didn't want to do it any earlier because, considering we go up to the snow only once or twice a year, it didn't seem worth the money to pay for lessons with them so young. I totally understand toddler lessons when you live near the snow but since we don't, I held off.   But now, at 4 and 6 yrs old, I felt the timing was good to at least introduce them to the "mechanics" of skiing.  Truth be told, I am really anxious to be able to take the kids with me on the slopes.   I used to go snowboarding quite frequently (pre kids of course) and it was TORTUROUS to be on the mountain, at the bottom of the ski lift, and not be able to go have fun.  In due time.....  

I was expecting to look like a complete moron sitting there watching them with my videocamera in one hand and my still camera in my other hand, but lo and behold, there was a SWARM of moms doing the exact same thing as me, hahahahaha.  We all laughed at ourselves.  Tis the times we live in....

The kids did look so darn cute in their gear and helmets and goggles.  How could you not want to document that!?  I had expected Ellie to take right to it (since she is my athletic and fearless one) and was hoping Gavin would at least *try* to get past his apprehension but much to my surprise Gavin took right to it and LOVED it.  He maximized the full 1.5 hr group lesson going down the hill over and over and over again.  Ellie, on the other hand, went down the bunny hill exactly twice.  The first time she was thrilled and so happy and proud.  All was good.  The second time she fell and was pissed off when she got to the bottom.  She categorically refused to get back on her skis.  The instructor spent the rest of the time with Gavin who therefore ended up getting a private lesson since the only other person in the group lesson, his sister, quit!  

This video is mostly for my family's entertainment since it's pretty boring to watch someone else's kids going down a bunny slope for the first time but at the end of the video is a little interview with Ellie that had me in stitches.  She had been "sitting it out" for a few minutes and I kept trying to convince her to try again since it is so uncharacteristic of her to just quit when something is challenging.  Usually that just makes her want to try even harder.  I couldn't figure out why she'd just given up especially since she hadn't gotten hurt on her minor fall.   The conversation is so funny to me.  Standard Ellie these days: whiny, emotional, dramatic.  She's been going through a very unpleasant stage lately but at least this episode with her made me laugh rather than want to pull my hair out!  You can also see the conciliatory mint in her mouth that the instructor had given her to try to make her feel better.  Too funny!

When we go back to the snow next year we will try skiing again and hopefully Ellie will enjoy it a bit more.  She did love going up the bunny slope "magic carpet" lift though :)

Password is:  brokentrust

FYI, I turned the volume off until the interview because my nonstop babbling and gushing while they are going down the hill was particularly annoying. :)

first ski lesson from pascale wowak on Vimeo.

Daniel and Hannah

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting this family and hanging out with them for a couple hours.  Daniel and Hannah are two of the most charming, delightful, well rounded and polite kids I have ever met.  They also happen to be at a super duper wonderful and easy age to photograph.  I ADORE this age.  So much cooperation!  So much fun! :)

I was also able to try a few things I had wanted to do but was waiting for the right family to do it.  They were the right family and it worked out great!  The sun was still VERY high when we got started so I had to really work around the harsh light.  We managed and got some really great shots.  And boy did we laugh a lot. 

This family is so playful and tender with each other, I really enjoyed watching them interact.  I kinda felt like a fly on the wall, getting to witness how they relate with each other; seeing the sweet glances between mom and dad, the inside jokes, the playful but loving ribbing between the siblings.  I was pretty much ready to ask them to adopt me by the end of the shoot.  But I guess I'm a tad bit too old for that huh? :) 

Ok, here are just a few favorites from many, many images!  ENJOY!

Could  they be more adorable?

Hannah and all her faces, she was cracking me up!  Such a bubbly personality and a big smile to go with it.  

And Daniel is so photogenic!

Freckles!!!  me love.

I absolutely adore it when kids laugh so hard that they close their eyes.  I am in love with this shot.

Such a cute sibling interaction series!

I am crazy about the dynamic in this next one.  The easy and comfortable way little sister is laughing and squishing herself into her big brother and his happy body language, it's so sweet and totally reflects their relationship.  Love it.

(As a side note, with my two little ones currently unable to share the same breathing space without arguing with each other, I think I am going to relentlessly harass Lesley until she gives up her secret for having kids who actually get along.  Sadly, mine used to and then just recently decided that they just MUST bicker every 2.5 seconds, all day long.... Sigh)

In case you were wondering where those good looking kids came from...voila.

This one makes me laugh so hard, the kids were doing their "thinking man pose" at the same moment and I grabbed it just in time.  

pure joy

Happy Easter!

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Easter!!!

I know it's been a few days since my last blog post which is pretty unusual.  I've been super busy with shoots and family stuff and haven't had a moment to blog.   My kids are now on Spring Break and so I am taking 3 days off to spend some quality time with them.  My daughter is also sick right now and I feel it coming on in me too so I am just going to take it easy the next few days and chill with my kids.  It's been a really exhausting few months, especially with the husband away at training for so long.  I need a few days to recoup.

A little story to tide you over though :)

I  took my daughter to a really fun 4 yr old princess party yesterday before heading out for a family shoot.  The girls were all decked out in their best princess garb and so excited.   Princess Ariel was slated to make an appearance so you can imagine their unbridled anticipation as they run around waiting for her to show up.  When she got there all the little girls started squealing and jumping up and down.  After the squealing died down Ellie walks up to Ariel and goes: "what took you so long? we've been waiting for you! Did you get stuck in traffic?"   Yeah, so the mom slinking away in the corner, that was me......

Then, a little later, Ariel pulls out her book and starts reading the girls the story of Princess Ariel.  At the end of the story she invites the girls to ask her any questions they want to ask.  Several little girls ask about living under the sea, Prince Eric, Triton, Flounder etc....  My daughter?  She locks eyes with Ariel, as if testing her legitimacy, and asks: "what's 10 + 10?"   That's my girl.  Marches to the beat of her own drum that one.

I remember talking to the kids when I was in Louisiana and a big storm was passing through and the wind was howling and rain was pelting against the hotel window and Ellie got very stern with me and admonished me to: "listen mom, you are just going to have to be brave, ok?"  My four year old, telling me to be brave.  Love it.

Ok, I'm off to do an easter egg hunt and then spend the rest of the day (unsuccessfully) rationing the vast amounts of sugar intake my children are most likely going to engage in....

A fun photo from the past to make you smile.  This is me and my two younger sisters about ten years ago.   One of the very few photos of all three of us together as adults.   Just goes to show the ever lasting value of photography.  I cherish every image I have with my family, even more so because we have so few.  You can't go back in time, but you can certainly capture it for all eternity!

Lily and Maya

I had the pleasure of meeting this new family of four and capturing some special images for them!  Lily is a very bright, talkative and extremely photogenic little girl (see below!) and baby Maya is the most precious little thing with jet black silky smooth tresses I could not stop caressing.  I'm a little obsessed with newborn baby hair seeing as both my kids were BALD until AFTER their first birthday.  I never had a baby with hair so I go cuckoo over those luscious locks. :)

Maya was definitely at her happiest when she was being held tight and kept warm.  We were still able to get a ton of great shots with her sans parent though and even ventured outside during a break in the rain to grab a few quick family shots!  Even though Maya was the "oldest" newborn I've done in that she was already 2 weeks old at the time of the shoot she was still SO tiny at just 7 lbs and a few ounces.  

Some of my favorite images were of Lily and daddy when mom was busy nursing Maya.   Those two have a very tender and special bond and it was fun watching them interact in that playful way that daddies are just so good at.

Kim and Doug, ENJOY your images!

Yes, the whole shoot was done with natural light, including these. :)

I just adore these

Linnea

This little cutie pie was just a few days old and sweet as could be.  She had a really mellow disposition and was incredibly quick to settle back down after pose changes.  When she smiled really big you could see the MOST adorable dimples in her cheeks.  I love that you can see traits, even this early on, that will stay with them the rest of their lives.   I am such a huge fan of dimples and freckles!

At one point while we were doing family photos dad starting having "happy tears" and next thing you knew we were all crying!   It just reinforces how truly magical this time is, especially with a firstborn.  The transformation that occurs within the family unit as well as within mom and dad individually and as a couple is huge.  It really is a metamorphosis.

People always tell you: "your life will never be the same" and it is so true but it goes well beyond the physical changes.  Yes, you no longer get any sleep.  Yes, your time is no longer your own.  Yes, you are up to your eyeballs in poop and spit up.  Yes, most of your day is spent nursing!  Yes, parenting is a 24/7 all consuming act of love, devotion, sacrifice and reward.  But beyond all that, your heart and your soul are also forevermore changed.   

I can only speak for myself but the day my son was born, a new "me" was born as well.  I could suddenly understand and relate to the plight of mothers everywhere.  I could suddenly feel that powerful unconditional love that a mother has for their child, a love that transcends everything else.  On so many levels my thinking and perspective were altered.  I saw life differently from that point on.  My priorities were restructured and I had a new purpose in life.  

Babies are pretty amazing, aren't they?  And this precious time goes by sooooooo fast....

Ok, I think I have kept Veronica and Peter waiting long enough with my little spiel so here you go, ENJOY your images!!  

color or B&W?

dad plays the piano so we wanted to include it in a few shots!

I'm not sure why but I love this shot of her peeking at me from behind her hand. So cute!

 

Juliette, Anna and Joshua

Deborah was one of my VERY first clients almost four years ago when I launched my business. We immediately clicked and became friends.  Her Juliette and my Ellie were born only 2 weeks apart.  In that time, Deborah has had two more children and moved twice!  Although she is a bit of a drive away now, I am lucky enough to see her a few times a year with our photoshoots and we even get away just the two of us for the occasional lunch out!  We did this last session at their house, which is something I love doing.  Kids are so happy and at ease in their homes.  They are playful and most likely to be themselves throughout the whole shoot.  We had a really great time!

Deborah and Charlie, enjoy these images!

I started out with Juliette.  She is the most outgoing of the three and we have a really great connection.  I have found that some kids do best 1 on 1 alone with me and Deborah has always been really cool about letting me and Juliette go off and do our thing.  It works out quite well!

We started out with a little hopscotch.

then some twirling

then some pretty shots for mama

then we went off and explored a bit

then it was baby Joshua's turn, I could gobble him up.

and then, of course, the requisite naked baby shots!

gobble gobble gobble

poor little guy was teething so bad but it's also so cute!

Then, it was Anna's turn.  Anna is generally the shy one but she was all warmed up right off the bat!

Then we did a few family shots, which were assisted by my uncanny ability to make silly faces and maintain focus and composition while also taking the shot.  It comes in pretty handy.

then mom busted out the lollipops as a grand finale

These two are too good looking for words.  

Give Me Moore!

My second flight was delayed and I didn't get into San Jose airport until about 10 pm last  night.  My kids were there, in their jammies, to pick me up.  I was so excited to see them I was able to get past the fact that it was a school night and WAY past their bedtimes!  My husband actually did a remarkable job holding down the fort in my absence and even sent me iphone pictures of dinnertime with the kids to prove he was serving them vegetables!  Hilarious!  It's good to be home but geesh, I've got so much to do now!

I've already blogged at length about how incredible my "Give Me Moore" photography workshop experience with Kelly was so there's nothing more to say anything more than just: WOW.  I have so much admiration for her mad skills!

Our models, Eric and Blythe, were absolutely PERFECT in every possible way.  Kelly and her stylist/assistant extraordinaire Brandi visualized this uber cool vintage "anthropologie" style shoot that just rocked my world.  Anyone who knows me, knows just how crazy I am about that style.  We lucked out on the weather too as a huge storm came in the night of the shoot right after we wrapped it up.  PHEW!

I have spent all day today, in between unpacking, dealing with the kids and attending to urgent business stuff, editing my heart out!  I won't be able to edit the entire session (over 200 images) until much later as I have client sessions I need to get to, but I pulled out my favorite 30 images and did those.  Here they are. 

THANK YOU Kelly, Brandi, Eric and Blythe for such a magical day.

It's unreal how gorgeous this girl is.  Can you believe this was her first time modeling ever?!

Eric was so debonair and SUCH a gentleman... Easy on the eyes too....

These next two were taken with kelly's 45mm tilt shift lens... I'd never used a tilt shift lens before, which is all manual focus!  I LOVED it.  Finding that sweet spot is not easy but when you do, holy moly...wow.

My excitement to play around with OCF (off camera flash) was probably palpable at that point and then when I saw these images on the LCD I was DELIRIOUS. I do believe I squealed like a little girl, jumped up and down and said a few unrepeatable words.

Could she be more stunning?!