Team Waiting

The past few weeks have been a waiting game. A few times, I'd be in the lead, but most others times Team Waiting had the upper hand.

As part of Heartbox Photography's transitioning from "everything photography" to focusing just on glamour & women's contemporary portraiture, I have been in the crazy midst of searching for the right studio, getting acquainted with hairstylists and make up artists in the area,  re-assessing my portfolio, re-structuring my marketing plan, and all the while trying not to eat too much chocolate when I start to feel anxiety attack me like chicken pox.

Fight me for a Snicker bar. I double dare you.

And while it's been quite a ride, I can't help but also feel my excitement grow each day as I work towards finally being able to focus my photography on something I absolutely love - the everyday woman at her absolute best. Knowing that this could impact women, their view of themselves and reach into the lives of even their own girlfriends, daughters, mothers, grandmothers, makes me want to jump for joy each time I take a step forward. It's still about a month and half away from the anticipated January 2013 launch but time flies so stay tuned!

Yes, I know. This photo has nothing to do with anything in this post. But it's freakin' hilarious and it makes me wonder of Kona Bean is up for a little experiment....=)

Happy Tuesday!


He Got Skills, Too

I photograph people. That's my thing and that's what I love to focus my photography on.

But sometimes, just sometimes, even I need to step back and photograph things I normally don't photograph. Otherwise, I'll miss art of the environment around me.

This picture right here? It's just a tree. Eh....at least, that's what I thought when I stood in front of it.
But angle the camera to shoot upward into the tree and I saw that the branches seemed to reach high into the heavens with no end in sight against a bright sky. And suddenly, the bark of the tree's trunk wasn't just plain vanilla tree bark but upon closer examination with my camera, it became a wondrous texture of wood indented with years of growth, and a symbol of long-lasting  endurance - because who knows how that beautiful tree's been hanging out there waiting to have it's photo taken?

It was as if God took out his camera  and best lenses out and reminded me, with a smile, that He got them artistic skills, too.

Happy Monday!



Sometimes, I Like Homework

It has been one of those days.

An all day stomachache and on top of that a two hour class to sit through during the evening kind of days. I think my "bleh" mindset would have changed had I been allowed to lie down in the chairs like a 5 year old who ate too much junk food while listening to the teacher explain certain aspects of art and photography. Don't get me wrong...I absolutely enjoy the class and have been learning so much, but I think the ache in the tummy was making me more interested in curling up in my pajamas rather than study the beauty of black and white photography and greyscale.

But despite the tummy ache, my "bleh" yesterday, I went out and attempted my homework assignment today and actually had a ton of fun with it. Yes. I said it. I ACTUALLY LIKED THE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.

And now, all of a sudden I really miss watching Family Matters.



Happy Thursday!





Just Vote

Tomorrow is Election Day.

And Salon Ethos said it best:

"We are now one day away from election day. If you were not an early ballot voter, then tomorrow is the day we can cast our votes and be heard. The sad thing is, too many people won’t get to vote because they either “don’t have time,” or don’t believe that their vote will make a difference.

Get this: if the past were different, say, if every one of our ancestors who fought for our right to vote had that same thought process and didn’t show up to protests…we wouldn’t have our voting privilege today!"

Check out the rest of the post on Salon Ethos' Blog . A big high five on the photo she used in her post, too. (see below) Love it. It makes me proud to be a woman with the privilege to be able to vote.

Happy Monday!






My Thanks-list

It's never too early to be thankful.

One of my long time favorite photographers, Jasmine Star, blogged today about the things she was thankful for. The post had nothing to do with photography techniques or cameras and instead had everything to do with losing count when considering your own blessings.

It got me thinking about making my own list of things I'm thankful for, the big and small blessings that could help offer a a steady reassurance through the roller coaster of every day.

Here are a few of the things I am particular thankful for today. What about you?
  1. I am healthy and my body can walk, see, smell, hear, and taste.
  2. My car works.
  3. Choices.
  4. Freedom to pursue a photography while still holding a day job.
  5. Possibilities.
  6. Clean water to drink.
  7. Helpful photographers.
  8. Successful Google searches.
  9. My husband loves me.
  10. A happy and loving marriage.
  11. There's food in our fridge.
  12. I have a fabulous dog.
  13. Snail mail.
  14. New face wash that smells awesome.
  15. Pizza for lunch today.
  16. Family and friends.
  17. Weekends.
  18. Sunshine.
  19. Highlighters.
  20. A safe home.
  21. A clean home.
  22. Friends and family I can pray with.
  23. Leftover Halloween chocolate.
  24. Oldies on the car radio during my commute.
  25. It's Friday.
Happy, happy Friday!


What's In Your Beauty Bag?

I once heard a female photographer say "Women want to look younger, slimmer, gorgeous....to feel beautiful inside and out.....and world peace."

And hallelujerrrr...ain't that the truth? I've observed this in my girlfriends, sisters, female family members, colleagues...all ranging in the  ages of 20 - 60. Heck, I even wonder if Kona's real reason for her stop and go habits during her daily walk come from a dire need to briefly check herself out in the reflection of a window. She's a girl, after all, right?

It's almost hilarious to see what lengths we women will go through to accomplish these things, the money we'll spend, the home remedies we'll try out. My own husband, at many times, has survived the shock that sometimes comes with walking into a room only to discover my face smiling at him from underneath a thick layer of what appears to be guacamole experiment gone wrong.

In the midst of many skincare experiments (some that went well, others, eh, not so well), one constant has stayed the same in my life and that is Oil of Olay. How did I get started using these products? There isn't a fancy story behind it except that my own momma has used Oil of Olay products since she was in her early twenties, she's now in her late 50's, and in short, I wanna have skin like hers when I get to be that age.

One of my favorite products from Olay's line is their Night Firming Cream and seriously, at a price around $10, this product is worth it's weight in gold. Of course, every woman's skin is different (mine happens to be the combination type), so check out the various products Olay offers that fits your needs.

In the midst of all the fancy beauty skin care products out there, my high-five goes to Olay for making products that many generations swear by and help women celebrate their beauty whether they're 18 or 80.

Happy Thursday!

The Paw

My first Halloween costume was that of a Barbie Doll. Remember those boxes Toys R Us would sell that came complete with a plastic outfit and a mask? Yeah. Those. The joy of coming home after an evening of trick or treating with my siblings and parents are what I remember most about those days when dressing up. And the chocolate. Yummmm....the chocolate. As we sorted through our candy, you can bet those mini-chocolate bars had my name on it.

These days, I don't really get into Halloween all that much....BUT I will always be into genius costumes that dog-owners come up with. As I laughed my way through these photos, I can already imagine Kona giving me the paw and walking away if I ever attempted to dress her up into any of these. She knows me too well.

Happy Wednesday!  













Vy. 2012. Photo Shoot.

I love, love, love the transformation and art of makeup. If I possessed even a fraction of the talent out there among many great stylists, I think I'd have a little more pep in my step with all the different looks I could create each day as I headed out to work or heck, even as I head out to Target on a Saturday. Because, really, who said there were rules on where a woman could look and feel fabulous? 

But even more so than makeup and hair, I love being able to collaborate with other stylists and help showcase a girl at her absolute best. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to collaborate with Trang Le of A List Makeup. Our model, Vy, (who will soon be entering her college years and conquering the world in her own way, I'm sure!) graciously spent an afternoon with us as her hair and makeup were done and later photographed in an afternoon shoot. 

As I'd mentioned before, what I love about being able to photograph women of all ages and backgrounds is that it's a chance to not only celebrate diversity, but to celebrate the beauty of a woman overall. With each photograph I take and with upcoming photo shoots you will see later on, my hope is to communicate a bold message to the world and to women everywhere that she is worth celebrating simply because of who she is today. 

Vy, as a young woman, you have the potential to do great things and change this world. Thank you for taking the time to model for this shoot. And Trang, I hope you know that you are more than a makeup and hairstylist. You are an artist with a rare talent of being able to help a woman feel her absolute best, both inside and out. 

Rock on, you two. Rock on.

Because her beauty is timeless.











Happy Tuesday!

Google Land and Inspiration

On days when finding inspiration seems to be hiding from me, when it feels like I'm searching for a needle in the haystack for a the tiniest dose of creativity, I know I can always call on my good friend, Google.

And so off I went on a little trip to Google-land to scope out inspiring photos from many a great photographer. Below are just a few of the gems I found....

Inspiration for a Monday? Check.

Happy Monday!





















Fantabulous Fridays

There's a lot to put a pep in my step today. Leftovers for lunch from my favorite Italian restaurant. Pepperidge Farm cookies for dessert. Recently completing a photography workshop that gave me fantabulous  ideas on how to use them for the growth of Heartbox Photography. (Yes. Fantabulous.) A weekend photoshoot with Gabriel Santana Salon. And time, of course, with the fantabulous husband and Kona Bean.

Happy, happy, Friday, all!

Fall 2012 Heartbox Photography Special

In celebration of the new fall season and women everywhere, Heartbox Photography is now offering contemporary portrait and glamour makeover photo shoots.

Whether for maternity, mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters or just a girls day out with your best friends, celebrate her today.

Check out the latest specials on photo sessions that include hair and make up, plus $50 off your photo session if booked by October 31st.

Contact me at maria@heartbox-photography.com for further details.To see a sample photoshoot, click here or feel free to view the video below.





Because her beauty is timeless.

Happy Thursday!

Vanilla Pudding and To-Do Lists

This past week has been a whirlwind of to-do lists. And I'm the type of person who can get easily overwhelmed by the details and lose sight of the bigger picture and the reasons why I even have a to-do list. It ties into the bigger goals. It ties into why I keep chipping away at the goal of growing Heartbox Photography.

I got curious this afternoon to see if there was anything on the Internet that could possibly inject some humor into the whole concept of a to-do list. Can to-do lists actually, dare I say it, be FUNNY?! Yes, believe it or not. Here are some of my favorites:

To Do List
Make vanilla pudding. Put in mayo jar. Eat in public.

To Do List
Go to the South Pole. DO a handstand. Hold the earth up.

To Do List
Hire two private investigators. Get them to follow each other.

To Do List
Buy a horse, name it "Oscar Takes the Lead," enter it in horse races.

To Do List
Walk into an elevator full of strangers and say "I bet you're all wondering why I've gathered you here today..."

To Do List
Walk to pizza store. Order delivery. Get free ride back to your house with pizza.

To Do List
Buy a parrot. Teach the parrot to say, "Help! I've been turned into a parrot."


Hehe. =)



Happy Wednesday!


Save Second Base

The slightest cold will daunt me. A tiny cough has me immediately running for gallons of orange juice. A muscle spasm in my calf from the gym immediately gets me into panic attack that I've caught some rare gym-rat disease.

The point? I am a wimp when it comes to be being sick. Which is why my highest respects go to those who have endured the physical and emotional trials of breast cancer (and those who have supported them) with a strength that I barely have a fraction of.  Of all the slogans out there promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month this one is, by far, my absolute favorite.

If you are a woman, be sure to do your own self-examniations as well as get checked out by your doctor on a regular basis.

Here's to the fight to save second base....Happy Tuesday!

With The Cheetah Kinda Quickness

I sat on the bench under the trees, hoping the sunshine's happy glow would just burn away the feelings of angst that threatened to escape my soul in the form of frustrated tears.

No one likes to feel stuck. No one. Including me. Not spiritually, not mentally, not emotionally. I fight extremely hard when feeling stuck in any of these ares of my life try to edge and sneak it's way into my happy world. But in one moment, while siting on a bench among the trees of where I hold a day job and with the sun trying to envelope me in a warm hug, all I could do was close my eyes briefly and wish for my current reality to be something different.

I knew it was not going to be easy taking active strides to grow my photography business. I read all the stories, heard all the advice. And yet in the frustrating moment that I'm sure every entrepreneur has faced, all I could feel was flat-out unprepared for the challenge.

In the past few months, I had just made the decision on where to focus my photography. I made this decision with high hopes and excitement and of course, immediately started drafting up the steps needed to move and grow in that particular direction. I think I did this with a bit of the expectation that I'd fly through the "steps" with the quickness of a cheetah and get to my destination, like, um, TODAY.

And yet, as I sat on that bench under the trees and the sun, I felt like God was reminding me that just because the steps are slow, it doesn't mean "stuck", even if it feels like it. In a few whispers, I pretty much prayer-dumped everythingn that weighed my heart, mind, and soul to God right there while sitting on the bench. And as crazy as it sounds, I challenged Him in my frustration to give me some sign that I was moving in the right direction with all that I was doing in my photography thus far. I challenged Him to just show me something, ANYTHING to reassure me of His presence. That He even cared about all the stuff that I was upset about.

And did a rainbow appear when I opened my eyes? No. Did a huge box of chocolate appear at my side? Uh, yeah don't I wish! Rather, I opened my eyes and was still on that same bench, with the same sunshine still happily glowing on the same trees as it was when I first sat down. I sighed and it was at that moment I looked down at my cell phone to check the time. Expecting to see the time, my phone instead showed a text message from someone tied into some of the key decisions I was making in my photography business, a message that I was waiting for all week.

Needless to say, I half chuckled and half cried in relief because once again, as He has done so many times in my life, He patiently reassured me that yes, He hears me even when I feel stuck, angry, hurt, and frustrated. That yes, He is there. That yes, the steps are slow, but they are not impossible so long as I depend on Him.

Entirely.

Happy Friday!








Fall 2012 Heartbox Photography Special


In celebration of the new fall season and women everywhere, Heartbox Photography is now offering contemporary portrait and glamour makeover photo shoots.

Whether for maternity, mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters or just a girls day out with your best friends, celebrate her today.

Check out the latest specials on photo sessions that include hair and make up, plus $50 off your photo session if booked by October 31st.

Contact me at maria@heartbox-photography.com for further details.To see a sample photoshoot, click here or feel free to view the video below.





Because her beauty is timeless.

Happy Thursday!

A Little More Than a Bun

The fanciest thing I can ever accomplish on my own hair is a neat bun. Or super straight hair with the help of a little magic wand called The Chi. On my luckier, less frazzled morning my eyeliner is actually applied straight and neat. I'm quite proud of how my eye-lining skils have vastly improved over the years.

And because of my limited skills in make up and hair, I am now looking for a few make-up artist and hair stylist for upcoming photoshoots in the Bay Area. If you know of anyone spectacular you can recommend to me, I'd love to connect with them so please feel free to email me at maria@heartbox-photography.com.



Every woman deserves just a little more than a bun hairstyle and eyeliner in her photshoot, right?

Right.

Happy Wednesday!



Love, Traffic, and Sign Language

My husband and I have been together for 7 years and married for almost 4. Needless to say, we've established somewhat of a routine in the weekday rush to work -  I'm running around trying to put on my make up and brush my teeth, he's in his office tapping away at emails and preparing for customer appointments, and Kona is desperately scurrying her little paws around the house trying to convince both of us to play ball with her at 6:30 AM instead of get ready for work.

My favorite part about this morning, besides cuddling Kona and promising her that we'll be home before she knows it, was looking in the rear view mirror of my car on the road and seeing that my husband had caught up to me at the stoplight. Why? Because even in the traffic, I see his hand wave to me the sign language symbol for "I love you". It's this thing we used to do when we were at a distance and couldn't say it with words. And it reminds me that I wouldn't trade our life together for anything.

Happy Tuesday!

A-List Make Up Photoshoot: Preview

Part of why I love this journey in photography and making Heartbox Photography focus on girls and women of all ages and walks of life is that I get to take part of an awesome message that is very personal to me - the message that every woman and every girl is indeed beautiful, inside and out, irregardless of her race, the "flaws" she thinks she has, if she's 8 or 80 years old, or what others may have told her before. As a woman who has struggled with the unrelenting grips of insecurities both inside and out, I can't help but wanna shout out a "hallelujah!" everytime I come across other entrepreneurs and more importantly, other women, who are turning the tables and focusing their work on changing the world's message of what a beautiful girl or woman really is.

Amen.

To be tasked with carrying this message through my photography is an honor and a privilege and I'm thankful that in the process I am fortunate to work alongside other talented artists as well as meet new people along the way.

This weekend I collaborated with the talented make-up artist and hairstylist Trang Le of A-List Make-Up. Trang is awesomely talented and it was through her that I was also met Vy, our model for the photo shoot. We had a lot of fun during the shoot and I learned that Vy was in her senior year of high-school, having just enjoyed the recent celebration of homecoming. She's contemplating the idea of possibly being an artist (holler!) and as I chatted with her I couldn't help but have a flash back of myself at her age. Thinking of what I wanted to be when I "grew up", juggling that with parental expectations, etc. Whatever she decides to do in  life after high school, my hope for her (and for all young ladies) is that she will always know her value, her worth, and that yes, that both inside and out, she is beautiful, no matter what stage or season of her life she's in.

Below is just a sneak preview of this weekend's shoot, so stay tuned for more!

Happy Monday!



Heartbox Photography
Because her beauty is timeless.



Sharp As a Bowling Ball and Other Tips

Maybe it's my tendency to fall asleep when things get overly technical or I receive a long-winded answer to a very simple question.Whatever the reason is, I like simple and easy to understand especially when it comes to anything technical.

Back when I was trying to learn all the technical aspects of my camera, one of the challenges I came across was trying to understand what the heck the difference was between a lenses when the super cool experts would refer to a 24 mm lens or a 24-70 lens or a 50 mm lens, etc. I can't tell you how many times I've nodded and smiled my best PhD in camera technicalities smile as this was explained to me at the lens shop while really, I was feeling as sharp as a bowling ball. It wouldn't have killed me to just come right out and say "Ummmmmm, I don't get it.", but I inherited my dad's pride and just felt like it would be too dumb of me to ask for a more simple explanation. In short, my personality has always been to gather as much information as I could and then dissect it later. That's why Google and me became BFF's. High-five, Google. Thankfully, Google and I now try to take a break from each other, and I am learning how much more beneficial (and fun) it is to get over myself and ask for help from industry peers.

So what do those numbers mean and why do all these lenses sport different ones? Basically, the lower the number goes, the wider the view is in your camera. If you were to put a 24-70 mm lens on your camera and zoom in and out, you'll see that when you veer towards the 24 mm mark, you're able to capture a wider view. On the flip

side, if you were to turn the lens towards the 70 mm side, you'll find that the view in your camera becomes much more narrow and much more close up to your subject. It's probably the most ghetto-fabulous explanation ever, but that's how I remembered it and it's worked for me just fine. Lower number means wider photo view and higher number meant a more narrow photo view. When I finally understood this, it was like a lightbulb went off and off I went to happily drool (now there's a picture) at all the creative possibilities that could come from different lenses available to rent and try out.

Side note? Renting lenses is  an AWESOME and a fun way to stretch your creativity on your camera without hurting your wallet. The folks at Keeble and Shuchat as well as Borrow Lenses are super helpful, so if you're ever in the Bay Area, definitely give either one of these companies a try.

And this random photo? It just reminds me of how art truly is everywhere. This was captured in the Art Gallery District of New York. 
Happy Friday!




Marriage and Being Mini

I'm a short person. Fun-sized. Mini. Petite. A tall 5 year old.

Whenever something vast is in front of me like the beautiful Pacific ocean or a mountain range or even huge New York skyscrapers, I love to look up or out at it and marvel at how bigger than life it looks. Like...whoa. And at the same time, I sometimes feel like it's so huge that it will just overpower me in the blink of an eye because I'm so, um, mini.



Tonight, Justin and I are going to be attending a meeting focused on marriage ministry. Let me re-phrase that: Justin and I are venturing out and hope to learn how to use our marriage, imperfections and all, as a way to be a help to other married couples.  From this meeting, I hope that we gain a chance to learn from other couples, a chance to speak about our own challenges and joys of married life, and also be plugged into a group that will help us be effectively equipped to help other married couples down the road.

Having only been married now a little over 3 years, I'm slowly realizing that marriage, just like the ocean, the mountain range, and even the New York skyscrapers I mentioned earlier, can be vast and overwhelming and at the same time, sheer awesomeness. And instead of being overpowered or feeling like we're going to be toppled by the huge challenges that sometimes come with marital bliss, we have a chance to learn how to be better equipped on how to handle them God's way and not our way. I think it's really tough to be transparent with people in general (talking about the weather gets REALLY old after a while) especially when it comes to something as personal as your own marriage. And even so, I'm really excited to challenge myself on getting better at not wearing a mask around people whenever it comes to the topic of my own life and marriage and can't wait to see what is in store tonight at this meeting we're attending.

Happy Wednesday!