Q-Tip Dogs

Ugh. It's always hard to get back to the grind after a looong weekend.

Last night we spent the evening having dinner with my parents and they brought their dog, Coco Bean over for a visit. It's funny watching Kona and Coco hang out with each other because I swear they act like two boxers getting in the ring to battle it out. Except, instead of it looking like they're taking calculated swings at each other, it looks more like two overgrown cotton balls growl-staring each other down to see who'll be the first to turn into a Q-Tip or something.

Speaking of silly dogs, I came across this photo on the Internet and find myself suddenly wondering where we placed Kona's old cone.

Whoever owns this dog should get an award for coming up with such a genius use for the cone.

=) Happy Tuesday!

DJ Verz. PREVIEW.

I was a kid who grew up with a mom who loved the Beatles the way gals these days love the Bieber dude, a dad who belted out Frank Sinatra tunes a little too loudly on the karaoke, and sisters who teamed up (a.k.a. had-no-choice-but-joined-me-because-I-was-the-older-bossy-sister-and-slightly-bigger) with me to rock out Cindy Lauper for a live audience of every single stuffed animal we owned.

It was a house full of different types of music and the diversity of genres and eras that found it's way into our boxes of tape and record collections still greatly influences me to this day, especially as an artist. 

Oh, and speaking of music and artistry, meet DJ Verz. I wanted to do a photoshoot with a bit of a different vibe to it, one that paid tribute to the art of being a DJ and bringing the gift of music to crowds everywhere. There's more to come, but here's a sneak preview of this weekend's shoot.

Happy Monday!

Robert Ajlouny. 2012.

Whoo-hooooo!! Did you know today is FRIIIIIDAAAAAY?! (insert Roger Rabbit/cabbage patch/running man moves here)

I love long weekends because of no other special reason except that it's a long weekend. Enough time to actually fold laundry and put it away instead of letting it sit in the laundry basket for days on end, edit a few photos, run around with Justin and Kona Bean, and just breathe in sunshine and time off. My parent's dog, Coco Bean will be crashing at our pad for a few days as the parental units will be doing a little bit of travelling. (yes, her and Kona share the same middle name and yes, I do indeed think they'd definitely be the cool kids at the doggy park if others knew this). Coco just had some dental work done, so she's sporting the cone of shame. Going for that lamp shade look goin' on and everythang!

I am excited to now present to you a few of the final shots from a photoshoot with actor/model, Robert Ajlouny. My husband and I decided that when he gets famous, we're soooo gonna ask him to introduce us to Tylor Perry. =)

As we start off this Memorial Day weekend, whether you high-five, chest bump, fist bump, do the running man, give bear hugs, or salute, here's a huge thank you to those who give up time away from their own family and loved ones to serve for our protection.

Happy, Happy Friday!

My New Superhero

Late. Tardy. Delayed. WHERE YOU BEEN, GIRL?!?

Yes, I am just now getting into the story of The Hunger Games. As we strolled the aisles of Target awhile ago, my husband saw all three of the popular books by Suzanne Collins lining up the metal shelves, saw the lovely little round sale sign near them and decided to take them home. He needed a good read, heard this was good, and I love anything on sale, so this book joined the rest of our purchases on the conveyor belt at the checkout stand.

It wasn't long before he was hooked and eventually finished all 3 parts of the story. It took me a while to get around to reading the books, and once I did all I gotta say is whoa. I wanna learn how to hunt squirrels, too!!

The last superhero I wanted to be was Wonder Woman. That was.....ummmm.... quite a few years ago. But after reading these bestsellers, well, let's just say I've found a new superhero and am curious to see how much it would be to take up archery lessons. 

I wanna be cool like my new superhero, Katniss Everdeen. If you haven't guessed it yet, I highly recommend picking up The Hunger Games trilogy. Like...NOW!

Happy Wednesday!

Jelly Bean Skies

I was going to start off this post with something profound and thought-provoking, the kind of statement that makes even Dr. Phil or Oprah go "oooooh"and the audience "ahhh".

Ummmm, then I realized profound and thought-provoking isn't in the cards for me today as it's one of those days that my brain has been, as I once heard a comedian say, in "screen-saver mode." But I guess that's normal as we all have super exciting/it's raining-my-favorite-flavored-jelly-beans-days  and other  is-it-Friday-yet?!? type of days. Let's be real...... an early morning workout at 5:30 a.m. has got me grumbling just a little bit.

Anyhoo!! This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do a different kind of photoshoot, one that involved more of a focus on the clothing of the models. Last summer, my husband, Justin, had the opportunity play music (he's a drummer), for a fashion show being held at a local church to raise funds and awareness for Transitions Global, an organization that is involved in rescuing victims of human trafficking. 

What stood out to me about the array of clothing designs modeled was that they were all, literally, created from scraps of old t-shirts, table cloths (no joke!), old neckties,  you name it! Each of these "scraps" were fashioned into some of the most beautiful and unique creations I've ever seen. The message of it all was how God can take anything that seemed damaged, cast-aside, used, and un-wanted and fashion something beautifully unexpected out of it. Being both a self-proclaimed I-can't-sew-a-button-on-type of person as well as an advocate for empowering and restoring women who have been damaged and hurt, I think it's an understatement to say that I was speechless watching this fashion show and listening to all of the speeches by the organization. Pretty awesome stuff!

There's more to come but here's a little sneak preview to what I'm talking about. 

Happy Tuesday!

Noel & Jorge. 2012.

As I'd mentioned in a previous post, Noel is an old friend of mine from back when pagers were our Facebook, when it was actually cool to sport overalls AND roll up the pant legs (yeah, baby!) and when last night's episode of Fresh Prince or Beverly Hills 90210 ranked as the highlight of our lunchtime conversations.

Jorge and Noel cracked jokes about cancelling their photoshoot with Vogue to hang with me instead for a sunny afternoon with my camera. And I am grateful. Because really, the way they worked it, reminded me of why I love capturing photos with an editorial flair. 

Big thanks goes out to Noel and Jorge for letting me act paparazzi-like with my camera and capturing their love to share with the world.

Happy Monday!

Tubs of Icy Hot

I recently had a conversation with a friend who is expecting her first baby. She and her husband are no doubt excited, but of course, they're nervous, too. And rightly so, because if I were her, I'd set a record as the girl who spazzed out every day of the 9 months I was carrying a child.

As she and I drove from the restaurant to the gelato spot for desert with our husbands, we chatted about all the ups and downs she was experiencing both emotionally and physically. And somehow we got to talking about support systems and how they were so important, especially to new parents like her and her husband.

After that conversation, it got me thinking about how valuable support systems are for a lot of different things in life. This has always been a tough concept for me to grasp as for many years I've taken pride (sometimes too much) in the things I've done, accomplished, gained, endured, you name it. I come from the school of "tough it out, even if you're flying solo and if  your shoulders ache from the load you're carrying, that's what Icy Hot is for." And needless to say, this hasn't always fared well for me.

As I get older, (Am I really starting off a sentence saying that?) something in my little ol' soul is slowly learning and accepting that while it's great to be independent and proactive, it's equally just as great to have the wisdom to know when the burden wasn't meant to be on your shoulders alone. Even if you have tubs of Icy Hot in your possession for the journey.

And oh, speaking of getting older, I'm actually embarassed to admit I know what this means:

Here's to support systems and people who encourage you to put away the Icy Hot.

Happy Friday!

She Thinks She's Human

We have one of those dogs that we swear thinks is human.

We take her to the dog park, she hangs with the humans and not the other pups. We have regular dog treats - she actually prefers lettuce and spinach. She has her own comfy dog bed - and yet prefers our Tempur-Pedic.

And sometimes, just sometimes, I think that if Kona Bean had real thumbs and access to the Internet, she'd sneak into her daddy's office and use his laptop. You know. Just because she's a smarty like that

Happy Thursday!

High-Fiving Hallmark

"You're the only one who knows the real me...and married me anyway."

Those were the exact words in the first plain white card that peeked out from the sea of the cheesy-written, poetically-written, lovely-written,bright-colored, dull-colored, plain, square and circle-shaped rows of cards displayed in the all-things-gift wrapping aisle of the store.

I love greeting cards and taking the time to find the perfect one, so even if this card was the one that caught my attention right away, I still wanted to peruse/research/get all Type-A on every card available there and it's content to make sure I picked the perfect one that captured all I wanted to say to my husband today on our 3 year wedding anniversary.

But even so, as I carefully reviewed each one that contained funny messages and elaborately-written love letters that would have made Romeo and Juliet high-five and chest bump Hallmark, I still found myself drawn to the very first card.

And yes, I did indeed end up selecting that very first simple card I saw because I realized it contained (with such brevity and simplicity my talkative self can't always achieve) everything I wanted to tell my husband on our anniversary today - that I'm thankful for our marriage and for the gift of his unconditional love and care.

Happy Anniversary to us, Bubby!

Photo by Kristian Iskandar of KI Photography

Get Your Snooze On

On Sunday afternoon, my husband and I returned from a long and fun vacation in Kauai. I lost count of how many bowls of saimin I ate (oh, Hamura's Saimin, how I miss thee), how many macadamia pancakes my husband ate, and most importantly, lost sense of deadlines, time contraints, and a to-do list. We laughed at the fact that the most productive thing we did on vacation was dig a hole in the sand at the beach and stare at our belly buttons while relaxing under the sun.

I swear I still smell sunscreen and keep thinking someone will magically appear and fold our laundry for us.

Jet-lag is usually an issue, and today is no different. Starting the day energetic? Awesome. Starting the day energetic at 4:30 am because your body tricked you into thinking it was time to get up for work? Yeah, not so awesome. Even our dog, Kona Bean, looked at me with bleary sleep-filled eyes this morning as if she wanted to say "You're trippin', Mommy."

I saw these random photos posted on the Internet of folks and even puppies who's lack of sleep got the best of them. Had to laugh because dang, at least, no one's captured me snoozing in public. My sleep drooling is none of anyone's business, after all.

Happy Tuesday!

"....Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...." 



Mother's Day and Instruction Manuals

My mom isn't perfect. And growing up with her wasn't easy. Then again, I'm sure growing up with me wasn't easy, either. 

I am her first kid and I'm sure I burped up at the most inconvenient times for her, was crying for food at moments she was just about to crash for the night, and more than once went potty at places other than over the toilet. (whoo-hoo!) She probably wondered at many times if she forgot the instruction manual for me at the hospital and where the heck was the button that would stop me from burping up for the umpteenth time on her favorite dress?!

Yes, there were times I wished my mom were this way or that way, but I know that though not perfect, she was chosen to be my mom for a reason. As I got older, I began to realize that it is because of my mom that I know how to be neat and clean. It is because of my mom that I know how to say please and thank you. It is because of my mom that I spend carefully with each paycheck I have. It is because of my mom that I bother to eat vegetables, drink water not soda, and care about my health and what I eat. And because my mom bothered to read to me at an early age, I love to read now and appreciate books. What? You don't get excited when you see an old Encyclopedia Brittanica lying around?

Celebrating Mother's Day isn't about sitting there wondering why my mom wasn't perfect as I was growing up or lamenting on ways she could have been better. It's about celebrating the fact that she did the best she knew how - the way I'm sure every new mom does with their first kid. 

Eat your vegetables and have a great Mother's Day celebration this weekend!

Days Like This

Some days, after hearing about the bad stuff that goes on in the world, I wonder about what could possibly be left in it that even looks remotely beautiful.

Then, I see things like this.

That even amongst the dead of things, a sprout of life and hope can still be found if you look closely enough. Kinda like God said "Surprise!" and smiled a reassuring smile.

Happy Thursday!

Robert Ajlouny. 2012. - PREVIEW

My camera has allowed my husband and I to reconnect with old acquaintances, spend more time with close friends, and even meet new people along the way.  I can't emphasize enough how fun it is to be able to say that a camera has been an awesome tool to help connect with people. 

One sunny afternoon a few weeks ago was no different. My husband and I sat on the steps of a local museum waiting for a guy named Robert Ajlouny to show up. Robert is an aspiring actor and model and we'd agreed to meet up to do a photoshoot. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I'd never worked with an actor/model. I just sat there nervously tapping my foot on the cement steps of the museum, hoping he wouldn't ask me why I didn't have studio lights set up or why I wasn't best homies with the crew at GQ or Vogue. 

And when Robert showed up, it was nothing like that. Robert was the coolest to work with. My husband, Robert, and I spent an afternoon chatting up a storm. So much so, I almost forgot I had to take pictures as we were chatting! It turns out we all share the same faith (yep, Robert loved him some Jesus, too!) and he was happily sharing parts of his life story with us. Needless to say, we had a great time getting to know Robert and at the end of the session, felt thankful to be able to play a small part in helping another individual in their quest to accomplish their own dreams. 

Below are a few preview shots from Robert's photoshoot....as always, stay tuned for more to come!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Were you that kid in class who waved your arm frantically the air gasping "ooooh, oooh, pick me, PICK ME!" 

Gosh, if so, I envy you. For realz. You were definitely the cool kid I wanted to be. 

I was the exact opposite. I was the shy kid who sat there blinking at the teacher looking around at the classroom. But, trust me, behind that deer in the headlights look and deep in my soul, I was waving my arm around with just as much "ooooh, ooooh, pick me!" enthusiasm as you. I, too, got excited that I knew that brontosaurus dinosaurs ate it's vegetables for dinner.  

Whenever I come across new photographers, it's awesome because I love sharing in the same excitement they have whether it's learning a new function on the their camera or learning a new way to see light's beautiful effect on a photo. It's kinda funny, too, because I'm even meeting folks who were a bit like me in school when it came to asking questions, but were a tad too shy to ask - but their excitement for photography is finally bringing them out of their shell.

Gracias, merci, mahalo, salamat - Thank you to the photographers who have been generous with their time to teach me, patient with my list of questions (wait ISO means whaaat?), and understanding of what it was like to be that kid too shy to also wave their hand around gasping "PICK ME! PICK ME!"

P.S. Oh, and if you're a photographer reading this, I highly recommend "Understanding Exposure"by Bryan Peterson. It was recommended to me a while back and is packed with a ton of great information. Happy reading!

She Unpacks the Extra Socks

Palm trees? Love it.

Sunshine and blue oceans? Heck to the yes!

Vacations are fun, no doubt about it. Vacation on anything resembling an island? HOLLA!

What I hate about it though? The fact that as I run around packing sunscreen, clothes, and toiletries into bags there is a little, fluffy, four-legged creature sitting next to the luggage unpacking the extra socks I just packed away, staring up at me with her big button eyes saying "Mommy...you hate me, don't you?"

It's reassuring to know that my parents baby-sit our baby (yes, she's a dog to the world, but to us she's always be a baby) whenever we leave for a few days knowing she's in good hands. But even as I enjoy blue waters and sunshine, I can't help but miss the simple pleasures of throwing around a tennis ball for a little lady-girl named Kona Bean who will unpack our suitcase whenever we try to leave because she loves us.

Sarah. 2012 - Maternity Photoshoot

Eeeeks! My first maternity photoshoot.

The last time I was this close to a preggy belly was when my sister was pregnant with my niece - and that was almost 10 years ago. I had forgotten how cool, freaky, and at the same time awesome it is to know that there is another life inside moving around a woman's tummy, preparing to make their grand entrance into this world. 

Meet Sarah and her husband, Daniel. Their soon-to-be-daughter, I'm sure, is also waving hello to the world through her mama's tummy and smiling at the camera. The weather was beautiful, warm, and full of abundant sunshine as my husband and I accompanied our friends through the vineyards and downtown of Livermore for this maternity photoshoot. 

You know those television shows or movies that shows a woman going into labor and the only one there to help her is the person who hiccup-cries from panic? Yeah, I was a little worried I might be that person and forever go down in history books as the photographer who made Sarah go into early labor - but thankfully, that didn't happen. 

Being that this was my first maternity shoot, I found myself being extra careful whenever I asked Sarah to walk around, sit down, stand up. She did great, and we spend an afternoon photographing this moment in both her and Daniel's life as they prepare to welcome their first baby.  

Daniel and Sarah, thanks for letting my camera and me be a part of this new and exciting season in your lives. We can't wait to celebrate with you both. Oh, and Justin is a pro at changing diapers, so we should let him do that when ya'll come over again. =)

He's a Yes God

It's always tough to say no.

No to  things like negative peer pressure, no to following the latest fads that you know aren't good for you, (helloooo, 80's!). No to that extra helping of pasta that you know you'll later regret as you roll away from the dinner table overly stuffed and wanting to take a nap on the floor. (I'm not the only one who struggles with this, right?)

I started thinking about this whole concept of saying no lately, especially because I'm slowly working my way towards building my own brand in photography. In speaking with other very helpful photographers in the industry and learning all that I can, I realize that the word no is what will help build my photography business on solid foundation. I love the beach, but not the idea of building my photography business on sandy foundation. "No" to certain things that don't fit my brand will mean a whole ton of "Yes" for things that will. 

No to being caught up with the latest fads on camera gear will mean a yes for investing in my voice and brand - investing in the long term things that matter.

No to unecessary fear will allow for saying yes to opportunities to overcome those fears. No to comparing my work to others too much will allow for a yes towards making my own style of photography come to life and share with the world. No to giving up because I said so, to instead a yes towards not giving up and seeing what God can do through me if I believe Him. You get the picture.

There's this weird idea that I used to buy into that God is this negative God full of no's. No this, no that, no to also this and no to also that. And no to that, too. Needless to say, I've had many times in my life where I've thrown up my hands and said "Dang, for real, God?!? Can't you just let me have any fun?"


It wasn't until I got older and actually had a real relationship with God that it dawned on me He is in fact a God of abundant yes'. He be packin' a ton of those "yes" gifts the way I used to pack loads of chocolate into my bag going trick-or-treating around the neighborhood - with abundance and joy. He just used those "no's" in my own life first because He wanted to give me much bigger yes' gifts later on. Yes to freedom, change, growth, courage, forgiveness, and yes, even the chance to grow as person in photography.

He's a cool God and I'm thankful He's teaching me that "no" can leave room for an awesome "yes" down the road...maybe even with an extra piece of chocolate to go with it. =)

Happy Wednesday!

The Eye of the Tiger

"Yo, Adrian!"

Who could forget that famous line? Yeah, I know. No one.

That line was uttered from the mouth of a true underdog, a fighter both in the literal and figurative sense of the word. For the latter part of the 70's, a good chunk of the 80's, a little in the 90's and even today, the movie Rocky has remained a good enough reason to run up a flight of steps in Philly and dance with your fists raised up in victory. The movie has remained a great inspiration to a lot of folks who've watched it, boxing fanatics or not, myself included.

And heck, if I'm being honest, hearing the first few beats of Eye of the Tiger makes me speed up my slow-as-molasses pace on the treadmill at the gym. I will run a whole 1 mile dang it, I will!

I looove all the Rocky movies mostly because in the midst of all the jokes made about each one produced, the message of it all packs some serious punch. (I'm so witty, aint I? I can already see my husband rolling his eyes at his AWESOME wife!)

And though I look more like Steve Urkel than Rocky when I take my swings at challenges that come my way, just put some Eye of the Tiger in my earphones, and I'm good go. Here's to challenges and facing them with all you got.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday Marriage Advice

It's Monday. 

Whoo-hooooo! (sometimes you just gotta act excited to get you through the Mondays, right?!)

I had a few ideas on what to write about today, but that all got thrown out the window once my husband showed me this clip. 

This right here? It's why I look forward to getting older with my husband. I can't wait to be the grandparents who are known to be cool because we know what's up with technology. Even when we're a 100 years old.

Hope you had a fantastic Monday!

 

Running Shoes & First Maternity Sessions

It's Friday.

And I'm sitting here thinking about all the things I did this week, big step or tiny step, that moved me forward in the direction towards realizing my dreams in photography. Listing them one by one and asking myself, was it enough effort this week? What else is there room for? What can I tweak or change? What can I try different? Where can I challenge myself more? What fear do can I face next week? It's a long list and I'm excited about it because it means being more creative, willing to experiment, willing to discover.

But more importantly, willing to grow.

I once read a photographer's blog that encouraged her readers to chase down your dreams without looking back, to run until you get to the point where your nose is frozen from running and breathing that cold air as you beat the pavement with each of your strides, staggers, and steps forward.  And I laughed because though I'm no runner, I agree with everything she said. And truth be told, the only times I grew as a person in different areas of life was when I bothered to put on those proverbial running shoes, get out there, and let my nose get a little frozen with each step forward.

This week I had the opportunity to photograph my very first maternity session with our friends, Daniel and Sarah, who are expecting their first baby (whaaaa?? I still remember them when they were dating!) this summer. And for me as a photographer, as scary as it is trying something new, nothing beats the satisfaction from knowing you chose to be willing to try it and willing to learn.

Dang. After saying that I feel all Karate Kid-like. Oh, Mr. Miyagi, has anyone told you you're the bestest?! Hiiii-yaaaaww!!

Below is a sneak peak into few photos from my first maternity session and as usual, there are more to come so stay tuned!