Wendy J. Collins Photography blog

I have moved...

2010-06-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I have a new blog address and brand new blog. This blog will remain here with all these past posts, but from now on, visit me at:

www.wjcphoto.com/blog/

Don't forget to bookmark the new site! Here's a sneak peak of what you'll see on the new blog.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-07T23:37:00.001-07:00

Click the picture to make it bigger.

A maternity shoot

2010-04-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to you all! If you follow this blog, you will probably recognize this beautiful lady. We have been friends since we were still girls. We backpacked through Europe together as young women. She is one of those people who has crossed the line from friendship to family. She is my sister now. I am so lucky to have had her in front of my lens for many important moments in her life. The last photo is a film scan of her at 16. Then you may remember her wedding in this post. And now, any day now in fact, her first baby will be born. She flew up from San Francisco to visit and to have me do a little maternity shoot. I can't wait to meet this little boy who will no doubt be as radiant and lovely as his Mama. Congratulations Mark and Danielle!

My little Easter Lily

2010-04-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I remember going through a phase of wanting an "Easter dress." I believe it came from reading one of "Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories" in which a little girl got a lovely new Easter frock in a pretty pastel color. A new dress for Easter was not a tradition in my family, but when I was about ten we had a wedding to go to at the Wayfarers Chapel, a cathedral of glass in Palos Verdes, CA. The wedding was right around Easter so that year, I got my wish. My mom took me shopping for a special dress. We got a pale pink dropped-waist dress with puffed sleeves and a little white collar. Oh how I loved that dress! I may very well have worn it out before outgrowing it.

Now that I have a daughter, I want to start a tradition of getting her something special to wear for Easter. I am not very girly, but having a girl brings out a little more of this side in me.

This year, I had bought her a sweet little sundress, brown with bright flowers. However, the weather these days is more scarves and gloves, less sundress.

On Thursday my dear, dear friend Laura came by with her darling J and a box of her outgrown clothes for Lily. As I went through the box, I was literally in tears. I remember J wearing some of these outfits when she was small, and they were just so beautiful. In there I found this. And needless to say, it will be Lily's special Easter outfit for this year. I cannot imagine anything more perfect for her to wear on this holiday than a gift of love.

Thank you Laura! I don't need to tell you how special you and your family are to me. You already know...

Headshots, Violin, and Luminous light

2010-03-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Spring! I have been a blog slacker lately, but only because I've been quite busy developing products and materials for my business. It's exciting getting all my marketing stuff together in a cohesive and beautiful way. On to the photos...Recently, I had the opportunity to photograph the lovely Casey B. She is a violinist for the Oregon Ballet as well as the violin instructor for Oregon Music Academy. We went out on a cold (and partially rainy) day looking for a good spot and good light. It seemed grim, but I was hopeful. We found this green wall in the unlikeliest of places. It had a bit of a glow about it and as soon as she stepped in there I noticed the glorious light: soft and subtle...like good studio lighting only better because it was natural. So you see, my Quest for Light never seems to be in vain. We had a wonderful shoot, lovely images, and best of all, I got to enjoy her musical talent. I kept having to pretend I was still shooting just so that she would continue playing. :) Thank you Casey for an awesome time. Oh and this shoot took literally almost ZERO editing. Yes, her skin truly is that luminous and perfect.

California Beach Session

2010-01-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

Hello! I've been messing around with this blog a little while I wait for my new blog to be ready. Hope you like it.

I've been meaning to blog this shoot for a while now and finally had the time to do it. Oh to live in California where you can get weather like this the day after Christmas! I did this shoot of my beautiful cousin and her super awesome family at one of my favorite little beaches close to where I grew up. We had about 30 minutes of glorious light and it was just enough to capture the love that flows so easily between them. I live for those simple, loving moments that families share. Catching them on camera is really the reason why I photograph. I love that this sweet little boy will grow up to see these pictures and have no doubt in his mind that he has been loved his whole life. My cousin's name means "soul" and she truly lives up to it. I am so blessed to have her in my life. She is turning out to be the sister I didn't get to have. If only we lived closer!

(Click on the images to view them larger)

Christmas in Southern California

2010-01-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Decade, friends! We are back from our wonderful trip to my hometown where we spent Christmas in the house where I grew up. I thoroughly enjoyed a respite from the Oregon winter and made the most of it by taking the kids to the park, the beach, and just plain hanging out outside. It was lovely short sleeve weather, blue skies, warm sunshine, and best of all: family. I walked around on the morning of Christmas eve and put together this little photo collage of images that represent Christmas in So Cali. All but the family picture in the top left were photos I took. That family picture was snapped (with my camera) by my lovely cousin Alma. More of her and her beautiful family in an upcoming post.

However cold and dreary it may be where you are, remember that eternal spring is just a plane ride away...May these images warm you a bit. And may the upcoming year be a productive and happy one for us all!

Family Session-Portland Family photographer

2009-12-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me well, know that modern decor (especially the mid-century variety) makes my heart beat fast. When I walked into this couple's amazing home on the waterfront, my head was spinning. They have the best taste in decorating, and the most inspiring space I think I've ever been in. I photographed Heather in this post when she was pregnant with little "N" and look how much he's grown. He is a truly beautiful child with the bluest eyes! I couldn't get enough of those eyes. I wish I could share all the images from this shoot as there were so many amazing ones. However, until my new blog is up and running, I must continue to contend with the posting limits of blogger. Enjoy your sneak peek! Your full gallery will be up in a couple of days. I so enjoyed this session. Anytime you guys want four roommates, we'll just move right in. I'd even take the laundry room :)

Maternity session/Portland Maternity Photography

2009-11-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hello! You will be noticing some changes in the upcoming weeks. First of all, I have a new logo and brand for my business! I am super excited to "unveil" it on my webpage. I am trying out different watermarks for my blog images and would love some input. Finally, I am going to be getting a brand new blog. This one will be a lovely custom blog without the lame 5 picture limit that blogger has (although you can see I found a way around that. Ha! I showed them!)

At any rate, on to the session. I think that I may have seen one too many pregnant women wrapped in gauze and photographed by a window. Perhaps this is why I like to get a little bit more real with these type of sessions. Let's call it "Maternity Portraits without the Cheese.":) Pregnancy can be a completely mixed bag for most women. One moment you can be amazed by your changing form, feel sexy, even. The next moment, you can be crying because your pants won't button and you feel like hurling. Crazy mood swings aside, pregnancy IS a beautiful time in a woman's life. I like the idea of celebrating the changing body and embracing it with portraits that capture who you really are. How often are you wrapped in gauze, anyway? I say, "Eat a cupcake!" "Wear something funky that is truly *you*!" Let's make you look like you're in a magazine.

This session was really special. In my own life, I always long to connect with people on a real level. Malia is an amazing woman. I have admired her for many reasons for as long as I've known her. It was a true joy to be able to capture her on the verge of motherhood, staring the unknown in the face with such courage. Malia, you will be an awesome Mama. I can't wait to meet your little one.

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-11-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I am not a wedding photographer, but when my best friend of 20 years called and asked if I would photograph her wedding, I didn't hesitate to say yes. The wedding took place in Tiburon, CA, a lovely little town just north of San Francisco. The setting was one of the most amazingly beautiful places I have ever seen. The light, as you will witness in the slideshow below, a total dream. I have been photographing my dear friend Danielle since we were about 16. To say that I was flattered that she asked me to capture this special day, would be an understatement. She is an artist extraordinaire...her new husband, a serious collector of photography and a talented photographer himself. No pressure, or anything :). Anyways, pick up a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy the photos of this lovely wedding. I am so happy for them!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fall Family Portrait Session-Portland Family Photographer

2009-10-25T19:39:00.001-07:00

Happy Autumn to you! Here is some eye candy from a recent session. This was a really fun session for me. I went into it wary of the weather, but filled with hope for some sun breaks. The day before it had poured rain the way it tends to do on a typical Portland Fall day. Despite the dismal outlook, I was fully confident that my luck with awesome light would hold out. It did, and then some! I can honestly say that we had a super fun time playing at the park. Little Miss "V" was full of energy and kept me on my toes. We were best friends from the first moment we met. I think she fully read my kid-magnet vibe. Her parents were awesome, totally easy to talk to and felt more like good friends than people I had just met. How blessed were we with this amazing light?! (I hope you enjoy your sneak preview. Let's just say I had REALLY hard time choosing images to blog since I have SO many fantastic ones. Thank you for a beautiful session).

Family Session-Portland Family photographer

2009-10-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Oh man, where has summer gone! It has been incredibly busy around here...Since I last posted, I have been in the process of re-branding my business, have been to San Francisco to photograph an amazing wedding (blog post coming soon), and have just been shooting and shooting. Here are a few from a recent family session. Needless to say (as is apparent in the images), Amy has an awesome personality, her joy just bubbles out. AND, her family is totally gorgeous. If you need a designer of any kind, you can contact her at www.rarebyrdcreative.com. You will not be disappointed. Enjoy your little preview you rockstars!

UMMMM: For some reason blogger is doing weird things with the color. I will try to fix it. The images do not look that wonky on my monitor. It's only when I uploaded them that they shifted all funky. But for now, here they are. I am just too tired right now. :) Goodnightsleeptight.

Portland Senior Portraits

2009-09-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

If my son grows up to be half as cool/handsome/smart/talented/hardworking as this young man, I will consider myself extremely successful as a mother. I have no doubt that "T" is destined for whatever great things he can dream up. As always, I had a really great time shooting this session. Every single location that we found became my favorite. It was pretty hot that day but other than being chased down by some vicious wasps, it was a perfect session. I am always "On a Quest for Light" and that day, we definitely found it. Thanks for a fun session! Enjoy your sneak preview. Your full gallery should be up by the beginning of next week. These are just a few of my MANY favorites. "T" if all else fails, you can always call GQ...

Music portraits, Portland Child Photographer

2009-08-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last week I was fortunate enough to fulfill one of my creative visions with this session. I've had this idea in my head for a while now: a golden haired girl, playing cello in a field of grass during the Magic Hour, that beautiful moment just before sunset. Well, how lucky am I to have found Miss "E," a lovely young cellist who allowed me to bring this vision to life! The light was oh, so perfect. And Miss "E" has a lovely Mama as well, with whom I felt an instant connection. It's so wonderful to meet like-minded people with strong values and admirable parenting skills. I am beyond thrilled at how this session turned out. I will let the photos just speak for themselves, as I have said too much already!

Tigard Senior Portrait photographer

2009-08-20T21:43:00.001-07:00

Senior portrait season is in full swing. Last week I had the pleasure of photographing this young man, "K." I had a really great time doing this session because he was up for anything, and was also extremely photogenic, obvious in the photos. He could model! Seriously. The light was perfection in every way. And the photo with the trees is a total album cover should he ever pursue his digital music as a career. "K" thanks for being a great sport, and for choosing me to document this special time in your life. Enjoy your sneak preview of a few from the session.

Family Session in California

2009-05-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

I was recently in California for a little visit and I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph this awesome family. I have known Alisa since the second grade and Erik since the fourth grade. We were members of a very small class until we graduated from high school together in 1992. Erik and Alisa went on to get married and have two stunningly beautiful girls. The love in their family is really strong and I was super honored for the opportunity to (try to) capture it. We did the session in one of my favorite places, Pt. Mugu state park, in the shadow of Mt. Boney, which we always called "Old Boney." A perfect spring day, a beautiful family, so much love...it was one of my favorite sessions ever. This is just a sneak peek for them to see. The last photo is so perfect because it reflects exactly what kids this age do when their parents kiss..."Ewwwww, GROSS! Mommy and Daddy are kissing!"

(I hope you guys enjoy your sneak peek. I have to save my favorite images for the gallery, coming soon. Thank you for "letting me in" to your awesome family dynamic.

I'm back with a sneak peek

2009-01-18T22:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year...Ok, I think I'm caught up now. Yikes. It has been a busy last few months. Something about having little kids, the holidays, etc. At any rate, last week I had the opportunity to shoot a senior portrait session for an awesome girl, Miss "A". The session had been postponed several times due to weather (we had 20 inches of snow hanging around for a couple of weeks...) and then rain, totally expected this time of year. Still, we held out for a sunny day and last week we finally got one. "A" was a total rock star braving the 39 degrees in a strapless gown. We found a perfect location with some nice rusted out farm equipment and a faded barn (which also doubled as a changing room). I had the greatest time shooting her. In addition to being super cute she had a killer personality and a sweet style. She is also an aspiring photographer so I had to bust out some mad skillz. There were so, so many good ones that it took me forever to choose what to blog. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek "A."

Lily at 3 months!

2008-10-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

I did a few portraits of my little cutie around her 3 month birthday. Of course, that was already nearly a month ago. It's so hard to stay current. I'm just now downloading photos from my point and shoot that were taken over the summer. It's interesting how these two photos, taken just days apart, are so different. She almost looks like a totally different baby. That's what angle and position will do to a face.

I have a couple of sessions lined up at the pumpkin patch in the next week or so. I always love shooting at the farm. There are tractors, big old tires, farm junk, great barns, and of course the pumpkins. I don't love the rain, but Fall sure is nice. Hopefully I will get some of those shoots blogged in the next couple of weeks.

Now it's time for me to get ready for our beach getaway this weekend. I can't wait! We haven't been to the coast since last March when it snowed on the beach. Remember those pictures?

Have a good weekend, friends.

VOTE FOR ME! Photo contest

2008-10-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

There is a photographer named Jay Reilly that I greatly admire. He is running a contest on his blog that I entered. They have official judges but also a popular vote. If you would take the time to go and vote for my entry, I would be ever grateful.

I entered the photo of Kian in the sunflowers from the last post. The contest title was "Capture the Summer Feeling" and I felt that photo did exactly that. My entry number is 153. I think you can click on the picture and there should be a place that says "vote for this entry". Unfortunately, some browsers don't support the application so it's better if you are on Explorer of something like that.

Here is the link to the contest page.

Thank you, thank you!

Oh and because no post is good without a photo... I call this one: "Kian, DO NOT put your feet into that sand!" See how well he listens? :)

The feeling of summer

2008-09-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'm just not ready to give it up. It has been a crazy, busy summer...gone by in a blur. But one of the best summers. There have been so many quintessential summer moments...zoo trips, popsicles, vacation, visits from friends, trampoline fun. One of my favorite summer moments happened while my dad was up visiting. He and Kian and I drove to a nearby field after dinner one day to pick sunflowers. The light was a dream. Those of you who check my blog know that I am in love with backlight. I took many, many photos that perfect evening. I love that I have these photos that capture the spirit of Kian as well as his relationship with my dad whom he calls "Papa." I hope that these photos inspire you to hang on to summer for just a little bit longer.

Check back again at the end of the week for some pictures of Lily. I've got them all proofed and ready to go so that I have something to post. I have resolved to start posting regularly again. I have a plan. Now that Lily is going to sleep so much earlier, I suddenly have a spare half hour every night!

Has it really been two and a half months???

2008-07-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

Wow. Having a baby really makes time seem surreal. She is six weeks old today. I recognize (not without a decent measure of guilt) that I have not graced this blog with my new baby's picture. Her name is Lily. She is a sweet, sweet doll. Here is her birth announcement with a picture I took of her at six days old, and a few others that I love. The one of her and Kian is pretty sweet. She is truly an angel baby. Hopefully I will not go so long without posting again. Although time with two hands free is a precious commodity these days.

Four generations of Family (portrait session)

2008-05-08T21:58:00.001-07:00

I photographed four generations of a family this week. It was truly special to see the resemblances in the faces as well as the love they have for each other. After downloading the images and giving them a quick once over, I realized that almost every single one is a keeper. That almost never happens. Sure makes narrowing them down a tough job! Here are a few that I thought I'd share as a sneak peek for the family. Isn't this little guy so cute? He was an angel baby and peacefully slept most of the time. I love the "My Mom Rocks" pacifier.

At the park

2008-05-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

Blessed with a rare sunny (and warm) day, we headed off to Summerlake Park this weekend. I had the point and shoot for some goofing off shots. Here is one of my little guy jumping off a cement wall. Look at the joy in his face! We are thinking of getting a big trampoline this summer so he can jump all he wants. I will also be ordering this photo in a super big size to hang in his room. I'm thinking 20x24. Prints look so much better huge and make such a statement in a room. 8x10s look like snapshots to me now that I've gotten used to printing everything large.

Maternity portrait shoot

2008-04-15T22:48:00.001-07:00

This couple was so much fun to shoot. First of all, they had awesome style, a beautiful, beautiful house, and were up for anything. I almost had them wading in the creek behind their house. Was there a sexier pregnant lady ever? There were so many more to share but here is a sneak look. I totally fell in love with that little modern rocking chair so I had to incorporate it in a shot.

Beach Trip part 2

2008-04-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

See the next post for details. These are just a few more pictures that Blogger didn't let me upload on the last post. One of these days I'll get a custom blog made...

Beach Trip

2008-04-04T23:02:00.001-07:00

I expected it to be cold on this little spring trip to the beach. I didn't expect snow...on the beach. It was awesome. We stayed in a little pink house just two blocks from the ocean. It was rustic and lovely. There was no TV reception, no cell phone services, and the nearest grocery store was 10 miles away in Tillamook. A real vacation. We took advantage of the sun breaks between hail and snow and were able to enjoy quite a lot of time outside (even if it was freezing). Kian certainly didn't seem to mind. Unfortunately, Blogger only lets me upload 5 photos at a time so I will have to put the others on the next post. Which will be weird because this post will appear second. All these photos (in both posts) with the exception of the rainbow one, the bird one, and the vintage toned one of Brad, Kian, and Brisco walking away were taken with the point and shoot. I didn't bother editing any of them (except the vintage toned one) so what you see is what came out of the camera. Feel lucky if you live somewhere warm.

Big Sister

2008-03-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

How time flies. Here we are at the end of March already. Despite the many signs of spring, it snowed today. How crazy is that? It's been a busy last month trying to do stuff to make this house more homey...we've lived here six months and I have yet to find places for all the framed pictures.
Anyways, I had the opportunity to photograph this sweet little girl and her new baby brother a couple of weeks ago. He was just 8 days old at the time of the shoot and so alert and mellow. I loved the light in their living room. Check out her eyes! I've got a couple of senior sessions coming up as well as a maternity session in the next few weeks. Tomorrow though, it's vacation time. We rented a little house on the Oregon coast. Hopefully we'll get some sun breaks so I can break out the camera. Perhaps I can talk my husband into doing a maternity shoot for me. I will post a few vacation pictures when we return.

Almost 2!

2008-02-20T21:47:00.000-08:00

Kian turns two on Sunday. Hard to believe it was just two years ago that we brought him home and wondered at this tiny person who at once seemed completely foreign and totally familiar. Now he can tell us what he wants. Lately, the thing I hear him say the most is "I do it!" Yesterday, Kian's grandma and I took him to Toys R Us where he got to choose a special toy. The whole way there he kept exclaiming "special toy" because I had prepped him for the reason for our trip. Grammy bought him a little green riding motorcycle that makes revving sounds, and plays a really annoying song. He loves it, though. And you know what they say...if they're happy, you're happy.
I took a few pictures of him outside of the store where there was this great yellow grid of windows and a fantastic blue wall. Here are two of my favorites.

Sunny day

2008-02-16T13:22:00.000-08:00

It's February, the slow time. What can I say...if only the weather would be like it is today for a couple of weeks, I might be able to schedule some shoots. For now, we're waiting.

Kian's birthday is coming up next weekend. Can't believe he's going to be 2! He's saying so many words and phrases now, it's so fun to watch his progress.

I will try to post some photos tonight. I've been laying low lately trying to get that table done. So far I've got the practice stuff done under one of the chairs. I decided to go with watercolor which actually works really well on wood, believe it or not. The woodburner is up and running and I've got a set of 18 watercolors which should be plenty. I've got a few designs drawn in pencil and the whole concept is starting to take shape. Talk about blank canvas jitters. I felt so much better when I drew the sun in the middle of the table. After that I though "I can do this!"

Happy almost (almost) spring. I know we're a month off, but hey, the crocuses are blooming and I'm starting to see more birds and buds starting on the trees. Signs of hope that this long, cold winter is on its way out.

Twins!

2008-01-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to photograph these sweet little twins a couple of weeks ago. I was all set to proof and post and then Kian got sick. Again. Shortly after Kian presented with his fever and after several days of him sneezing and coughing on me, on my food, in my face, I came down with it too. I don't know what it is about this winter, but I feel like I've been sick since two weeks before Christmas. It's just been absolutely freezing here in Portland (I know, my mid-Western friends, we can't compare our 31 degrees to your negative temps but still...) At any rate, I am finally feeling like myself again and am almost able to breathe freely. Now if I could just fully regain my hearing, I'll be golden. So finally, here are a few portraits of these lovely boys. Their sister has also been featured here on my blog as I have been lucky enough to have photographed her a few times in the past.
On another note, Brad and I got Kian a beautiful kid-sized table and chairs for his birthday. The thing is that they are raw, unfinished wood. We had this grand idea that we would stain them and paint cool designs on them and give it to him when he turns two. I will be blogging our efforts. Sadly, I think we may have a project bigger than our abilities on our hands. It may make for a fun adventure. It keeps getting bigger in my mind and the more ideas I have, the more I am struck with blank canvas syndrome. What was I thinking? I'm a photographer, not a drawing or painting type artist. Then there are all these other things to consider: Paint or stain or both? What type of paint or stain? Should we burn the design in first? What should the design be? Arghgh. Maybe we'll just stain it red and call it good. Or not. I'm really determined on this one. Ok, gotta go start building my closet organizer. Till soon. Look for pictures of the table progress so you can make fun of us. Who knows, maybe it will turn out killer and we'll amaze ourselves and our friends.

California winter and camera review

2008-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

At last, I have found my USB cable for the new camera. Full specs first: This is a Nikon Coolpix L14. After uploading the photos and seeing them large on the computer screen, I got a much better idea of what this camera can do and what it's shortcomings are. First of all, it performs awesomely (is that a word?) in situations where the light is adequate. If you like to use flash (and I don't unless absolutely necessary) it does what all cameras do when the flash goes off: blow out skin tones. If you shoot without flash in low light situations, the image tends to be grainy and of course, a little blurry. But for about $130 bucks you get 7.1 megapixels and it's small enough to put in your pocket or purse. This makes it easy for me to get those snapshots of everyday things. Because I shoot photos professionally, I fall into the trap of thinking that every single photo I take has to look like artwork. Unfortunately, this eliminates about 95% of every day situations. I want Kian to have a record of his life, and not just awesome portraits. What's nice about this little camera is that it allows me to "turn off the inner editor" to quote my publishing professor and just shoot. The photos in this post are all straight out of camera (SOOC). This means that other than resizing them for the web and watermarking them, I did absolutely NOTHING to them in photoshop. So all in all, I would highly recommend this camera to anyone looking to pick up a nice little point and shoot. It's the perfect thing for those of us on the go. And the battery really does last a heck of a long time. About the pictures themselves: The first one is on the beach in California. In the previous post, you can see one from the same day taken with my D80. With the light conditions, not much difference. The other photos are of one of my favorite places in the world. Just 2 miles from the house where I grew up, there is this amazing hiking area called Point Mugu State Park. There is a 9 mile trail to the beach as well as a nice climb to Mt. Boney (3,800 ft). I could go on and on about this place but I'll just say that it is like a little bit of heaven on earth. See how nicely this camera does in good light? I was loving that backlight and those silhouette shots. That last shot is my dad with Kian on his shoulders. I think I will blow it up big.

Crazy Train

2008-01-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

This year we went to the Zoo Lights at the Oregon Zoo. They run in December through New Year's Eve every year. I had never been and had always wanted to check them out. Apparently they use over a million lights to do the display. Finding a night that isn't pouring rain here in the winter can be a bit of a challenge but we lucked out on the last night. It was freezing cold (that's 33 degrees on the display), but totally clear. When we arrived, we were really happy to see that they had free admission that night! Kian loved riding the train and looking at the lights. I'm glad that we did it this year because next year we'll have a 6 month old in December. There was a family on the train just behind us with a 2 year old and a 6 month old who screamed the entire train ride. They just can't deal with freezing weather at that age and the train ride and lights just aren't worth it. Who knows when the next time we'll get to go again, but I'd love to make it a family tradition.
Until I can get Brad to tell me what he did with the upload cable for the new camera, I will remain unable to post my killer photos from my new little camera. I can't wait to see them big on the computer. I keep looking and looking at them on the little camera screen but it's not the same at all. Hope everyone is keeping up with their New Year's resolutions. Ha ha!

Happy 2008!

2008-01-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

The holidays always seem a total blur of trips to the post office, the mall, wrapping, decorating, traveling. This year was no different. We traveled to California for a nice visit with my parents and my two brothers and their families. It was the first time that all three boys (Kian and my brothers' boys) were together. Getting a good photo of the three of them proved to be quite a challenge but above is the best I got. California was beautiful and sunny. I reveled in that sunshine and tried not to miss an instant of blue sky. Who knows when we'll see it here in Oregon! So here are some photos of Christmas morning as well as some other random photos from the other days of the trip. I got a new little camera for Christmas, a point and shoot sweet little digital that I can just pop into my purse. None of these photos were taken with that one but in the next post I will have photos taken with the new camera. We went for a killer hike and I played around with my new toy. I am blown away by the quality of photos that little thing takes. I will reveal full specs, make/model, etc. in the next post. I am also aiming to post more often here on this blog. Hope this is a good year for everyone.

By the way, somehow blogger screwed up the order of the photos so they are a little bit random. I would fix them but I still have to go and deal with the tornado of toys that seems to have gone through the house today. Brad and Kian built a fort with the couch cushions today. Fun times.

I'm back...

2007-12-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it has been almost 6 weeks since my last post! I can list excuses all day but the main thing is holiday time is always super busy in every way and the other thing is I have been laid up with "morning" sickness, which in my case seems to last all day...The good news is, come June, I will be hopefully posting lots of cute newborn pictures :). Speaking of newborns...I will be doing a shoot with beautiful preemie twins next week that I am totally excited about. I've never photographed twins before but I have loads of ideas. I love photographing tiny little newborns. Anyway, without much further ado, I have some catching up to do so here are some pictures from Thanksgiving (yes, I know, ages ago...) when my parents were up visiting. We went downtown one cold, cold evening and Kian got to ride the MAX for the first time. He loved it! The last picture is Kian looking out the window at the snow we got a couple of weeks ago. He is wearing a scarf and hat that my cousin made for him in Guatemala. I will try to post some more pictures in the next week or so. And I promise not to go MIA for so long again. :)
Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday craze. To all you wonderful folks, I wish you love and peace.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

Fall leaves! Family portraits

2007-10-29T21:45:00.001-07:00

This session was so much fun! It was kind of spur of the moment. A ridiculously good-looking family with such a great vibe, awesome weather, fall colors, insane light, and loads of energy made this session one of my favorite family sessions ever. I could post all night, but here is just a little teaser for you guys. Had to throw a black and white in there too. You guys know I love my backlight...it's like, trademark Wendy J. Collins light, ha ha!

Cutie sibling portraits

2007-10-22T21:11:00.001-07:00

This post is for Diane. Just a quick peek of a couple of pictures of these two siblings and one of just Miss "N". She has such a sweet smile and a very loving big brother. I have more to share but this will do for tonight. I still have lots to do...like clean the house. Yippee!!!!

Farm sessions

2007-10-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty busy around here. I really need to streamline my workflow. My photo lab has been moving into a new location so I've been backed up a little as far as orders go. Couple that with the aftermath of our own move and you have a recipe for non-blogging. Hopefully that streak will be broken soon. I have lots to share but I have to get through the post processing. For now, here are a couple at the local farm. I just love the bright orange pumpkins. I used to only be into black and white but this year has been all about color for me.
Ok all you blog stalkers, how about posting some comments. Otherwise, I feel like I'm writing for the air. Good night, I'm beat.

Pumpkin patch sessions part 1

2007-09-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

I've been in denial but Autumn is here. I think perhaps it's better to embrace it. There isn't a better way to do that than to play amongst the pumpkins. There's something about a vast field covered in bright orange orbs that makes me happy. This little cutie had tons of fun running around on the farm. I love her little leopard shoes. She has loads of personality and her mom is totally awesome. I think you'll be seeing more of her cute little face on this blog in the future.

Our "new" house and its residents and some farm portraits

2007-09-21T13:21:00.001-07:00

I found my camera cable!!! Yippee!!! I've been going trough blog posting withdrawal. :)

Anyways, our "new" house is on half an acre, It was built in 1977, has been vacant for 10 months, and is totally overrun by spiders. I don't know anyone who likes spiders (except maybe my dad, who is gentle with them, places them on a little paper or a cup and takes them outside) but I loathe them. Last night I was brushing my teeth when I caught some movement behind me in the mirror. I froze as I focused on the beastlike form (not unlike the one I captured in the garden earlier today). Hairy, and stealthy it challenged me to do something. I was bare- footed and therefore totally vulnerable and without a suitable weapon. I tried and failed to kill it with a lotion bottle and it escaped into the heating vent on the floor. I was sure it was going to wait until I was sound asleep to come and walk on my face. ARRGHhhh...ughghghghg.

On a happier note, here are a few from the farm yesterday. A few posts ago I mentioned that I had been working with some texture overlays in photoshop and had promised to post some. These two were overlayed with some textures. I love the effect with the strong color. They remind me of the past.

Back from the dark, Pumpkin Patch sessions and more

2007-09-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! We moved. I think that says it all. The computer wasn't hooked up and we had no Internet service. We still technically don't, but when I hooked up the computer tonight, to my lovely surprise, I found a network that just happened to be floating around. Our fiber optic stuff is getting hooked up next week. Until then, I think I'll just poach on this sweet little network. Thank You :) Now if I could just find my cable to upload photos...

So, the pumpkin patch sessions: It's that time of year again. I will be offering "mini sessions" at Baggenstos Farms every Sunday in October from 3-6 pm. These mini sessions will be approximately 30 mintues during which time I will capture beautiful portraits of your children in the pumpkin patch and by the old barn. There are also some fantastic rusted out tractors and trucks that make great backdrops. Mini sessions are $50 and include 1 5x7 print.

Models needed: I will be putting up some large photo displays at the farm store and need a couple of child models for this. If you are interested in having your child model for me, please send me an email to info@wjcphoto.com, or post a comment below. In exchange for a signed model release, you will get an 8x10 keepsake print of your child at the pumpkin patch. I will post photos soon.

In love

2007-09-08T10:18:00.001-07:00

My cousin Mike and his awesome wife Selena visited from Hawaii recently. They've been married a little less than a year. We went to a park for a little BBQ and I managed to catch them in this little moment. Aren't they cute? Working my backlight as usual :) Also, I've been messing around with some Photoshop actions I got from Nichole Van. In these I used the essential color pop action but then toned it down. For some reason, blogger makes the color look a little funky. Post me a comment if you think the color looks weird and I'll see if I can fix it.

More portraits of my new nephew

2007-08-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more of my nephew. Isn't he so cute? Just three weeks old. Also, I've been playing around with some new texture stuff, overlaying them on prints. It's nothing novel, just kind of fun. I'll post some of that stuff in the next day or two. I think the last one is sweet with my brother giving his little boy a kiss. Totally spontaneous photo. I love doing family portraits, but they mean even more when it's my family.

ROAD TRIP!

2007-08-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

We survived our first road trip with Kian. We dusted off the old "Chalet," our home on wheels, hitched it up to the Subaru and headed off on a prayer. He was a rockstar in the car. Only on the last day (4 hrs from home) did he finally melt down and decide he'd had it. We drove to the beautiful Napa Valley to visit my brother and his wife and their brand new sweet little baby. I got tons of great images but I am worked. Here are a few sweet ones I thought I'd share. More to come as I recover from staying up too late. I love the sweet moments I captured between Amy and her baby. She has the glowing, adoring look of a new mom. I can't wait to share more later. The first ones are from a little place we camped on the way down. Killer lighting! You all know I love my backlight...Oh and those last two are totally unposed. The black and white one was taken on a boat on Lake Berryessa. I walked in to find Amy snuggling the little sleeping angel. Needless to say, I had the camera out and ready. Such a great image. For you Ames.

Simpsonized!

2007-08-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Taking a page from the brilliant Nate Kaiser of The Image is Found Photography, I decided to "Simpsonize" my little family. Here we are, Brad, Kian, and me--Simpson style. Fun stuff.
Simpsonize yourself here.

Newberg High Class of 2008: Portrait of a senior

2007-08-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the stylish and handsome "C". He was a lot of fun to shoot, easy in front of the camera, great eye contact, great conversation. Did I mention that I love my job??? Not only is this guy cool, he is super smart, athletic, AND he sings. Ok, "C" you can stop being embarrassed now :). Anyways, I got a ton of great images from this shoot. The hard part was picking which ones to blog. So I chose at random. Here you go Cardwell Fam, your sneak peak. I have lots to post later in the week. Check it out...or miss out. Also coming soon: The Paparazzi Party debut. Leave me a message or email me if you want to know what it's all about. If not, keep checking the blog to be the first to find out.

Out on the P-town

2007-08-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Danielle came up to visit this weekend from San Francisco. I've known her since I was 14 (She is one year and one day younger than me.) We had a great time catching up and relaxing. Although she works as an occupational therapist, she is an amazing artist and photographer. I was lucky to have her do a couple of family portraits with my camera. It was weird being on the other side of the lens for once. We went out Sat. night and ran into my cousin Tony who drives a Pedi-Cab. He gave us a little spin around the block. Total blast. Here are a couple pics shot with Danielle's little point and shoot as well as one of me and Kian in downtown Tigard that Danielle shot with my Nikon. I loved that funky wall. I have another senior session to post tomorrow. Check back and scope out the handsome and very stylish guy I got to shoot. Ok, later.

Portraits of friendship

2007-07-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Last week Kian and I met our friend Laura and her baby "J" at the park. Our kids were born just two days apart and we've known each other since they were 5 weeks old. I love photographing "J" because she has the sweetest little face and such soulful eyes. My friend Laura is one of the most genuine people I've ever met. She really fits the saying "beautiful inside and outside." Right now she is expecting twins and I'm so excited to photograph them when they arrive. I've been playing with different processing options in PS and love the look of old school film grain on the one of Miss "J" on the slide. I also love the retro look of the one of Laura laying on the ground.
I'm so thankful for friends like these and so happy that Kian will have a lifelong buddy to grow up with.

More senior portraits

2007-07-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

This shoot was so much fun. It was super hot and muggy, but mostly overcast. Some of the interesting things we came across on the shoot: Mites (Me: "What are all these tiny little beasts on my arm???" "M's" response: "Mites, I think." Me: "Do they bite?" "M": "They might." Ha ha ha. I set him up for that one. Let's see, then we went hiking through a killer bee/poison oak infested forest with no trail. Me: "Hey M, I think we just went in a big circle." M: "We did, there's that little clearing again but the way out has got to be around here somewhere..." Fun times. I will say that it was a fun little adventure and a nice change of pace from more static shoots. This guy was up for anything. And I think we got some killer pictures. Check out those eyes! Here you go guys, there are tons more good ones but this should do for now. I gotta get back to reading Harry Potter. I left off at a very exciting part.

My nephew

2007-07-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

The California trip was a much-needed break. The weather was fantastic which made it hard to return to a lame Oregon summer rainstorm that has lasted the whole week. How unfair is it that it's July and raining? Anyways, here is a little storyboard I created of my sweet little nephew Thomas. He is my younger brother's boy and looks so much like my brother when he was a baby. I got to spend a lot of time with him and Kian wanted to hug him all the time. He also wanted to play catch with him which didn't work so well. Next year!

Senior portrait season

2007-07-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

What a week! Between family visiting, packing for a move, packing for a trip and shooting, there has not been much time to post here on the blog. But this post will hopefully have been worth waiting for. This girl is soooooooo gorgeous! I had the opportunity of shooting some senior portraits of her. We had about 45-50 minutes of what the French refer to as l'heure magique or the magic hour, that glorious time just before sundown when the light is golden and everything glows and shimmers. Basically, we were racing against nightfall. But it was so worth it. I usually shoot a hundred or so images per hour and get about 30-40 that are "keepers". Well, I ended up with about 111 gorgeous shots of this girl. She didn't blink in a single picture, no weird expressions, no stray hairs...just that perfect smoldering expression in every single image. This is why I love photography so much. Here are three chosen at random. There are many, many more.
On another note, I will be on vacation from July 11 until the 16th. I will be away from phone contact but will have email access. If you are waiting for proofs or prints, they will be completed shortly after my return.

Till soon...

Photoshoot of Flote-A modern flute quartet

2007-06-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

These ladies are re-inventing the classical music experience. We had so much fun during this photo session even though we had to duck under cover a few times because of unexpected downpours. They were worried about their flutes, I was worried about my camera! Check out their MySpace profile http://www.myspace.com/flote4 for more information as well as upcoming gigs. I think we'll be seeing a lot of these ladies in the next few months. I am honored that they chose me as their photographer. Here's your sneak peek, ladies.

Portland tween photography

2007-06-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

The photography gods smiled upon us on Sunday. We got the only break in the weather that morning. This shoot was such a blast. "L" is really cute and has a fantastic sense of personal style. She was up for anything and even climbed way up on this wall above some train tracks. These are two of my favorite images from the shoot. There are many more, but I promised them a sneak preview. Here it is! I did two photo sessions on Sunday and will post some from the second shoot as soon as I get them proofed. Very best to you all. Good night!

A Tigard Portrait Session

2007-06-22T22:40:00.000-07:00

This young boy was serious, but had a silly side that came out towards the end of the shoot. In the second photo he struck a "model" pose for me and gave me this cute goofy grin.

If the weather cooperates, I will be doing a photo session with a flute quartet in the afternoon, and a cute tween aged girl in the morning. So far, the forecast says hail and torrential rain at times...hmmmmmm...we may have to get really creative and do some storm dodging.

On another note, we may be moving houses! We will see how it all plays out. A great weekend to everyone. Look for proofs from upcoming sessions next week.

Fun with storyboards

2007-06-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

I've been having more fun playing with Photoshop. I can't believe a month ago I had very little clue how to use the program! It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. Anyway, this is a storyboard of Kian at the park a couple of weeks ago. It was hot and we kept trying to get him to wear his hat. But he is Kian and he does not like being told what to do :) So this was his final statement about the hat. Hey, at least he wore it for a little while.

Newborn portraits

2007-06-11T20:18:00.001-07:00

I'm an aunty again!
This time, I got a little niece. The first one for us, as all the other ones are nephews. These photos were shot on Day 6 of her sweet little life. She is a precious little baby and remained awake through the whole session. Even in the photo where she looks like she's sleeping, she's not. Usually little newborns that young sleep a lot. But this little girl is very aware, and more interested in taking it all in. Watch out world, she may just run you one day...

My Website is LIVE!!!

2007-06-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Ok guys, FINALLY! The webpage is up and running. Check it out at www.wjcphoto.com
I would post a photo but my hand is killing me (carpal tunnel) and my latest favorite is still in the camera.
I have a few recent faves, actually. Check back in the next day or two for some photo updates.
Leave a comment to let me know what you think of the site.

Website: The latest

2007-05-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Almost ready to launch the site! It should be live early next week. I am beside myself with excitement. As promised, here is one of my favorite images EVER. My cousin at 16. A scan of the original (hand printed) portrait. I think I used TMAX400. That's what I always shot with back then because I use to buy it in bulk and roll it up myself. Boy we've come a long way with photography. I used to like that film because it gave photos a nice grain.

New blog look

2007-05-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Just what I needed to spend my time on, huh? But it was fun making the blog banner, the mechanics of which eluded me until now. But I didn't love the default background so here is a whole new makeover for the blog. Hope you guys like it! Here is a photo of one of my favorite subjects: My cousin John. I have been shooting photos of him since he was 16. That's almost 15 years! In fact, one of the photos I took of him at 16 is my favorite photo ever. Guess I'll have to bring it down off my wall, take it out of the frame, scan it and post it, huh? Ok, look for it later this week. Anyway, this one was taken at the Rhododendron Gardens. Look at those eyes!

Revisiting Film

2007-05-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

I got an email from a friend this week whom I admire as an incredibly talented photographer/artist. He said something that really resonated with me. I quote "I wouldn't appreciate it [digital] nearly as much if I hadn't stuggled with the trial & error of film. I'm glad I have that foundation though because it applies to everything. I know you can relate. Also, Photoshop wouldn't have made as much sense to me had I not toiled over those stinky fluids under red light in a darkroom." This is so true! Photoshop is just a virtual darkroom. Those of you who use it regularly know this. But it really does make sense to me only in the context of the thousands of hours I spent in a "real" darkroom. Here is a photo that I scanned from my early photography days. I took this of my best friend when she was a senior in high school (1993). (I shot this with TMAX 400 and hand printed it using Ilford Pearl finish paper and a number 4 contrast filter-info only my photography buddies will relate to). I used photoshop only to remove some scratches and add my watermark. Other than that, it is exactly as shot. I miss--and don't miss-those old darkroom days.

Weekend update

2007-05-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

It was over too quickly. My mom and dad were here and although we didn't go anywhere, it felt like a (much needed) vacation. I took a bunch of photos of my parents and Kian and of my handsome cousin John at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. What a place! It was the perfect time as the rhodies are all blooming right now. Kian threw rocks into the lake and was fascinated with the ducks. I will post a few from the day when I get them downloaded. For now, here is a very recent one of Kian. Growing fast!

A post for Miss "M"

2007-05-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ok gorgeous Miss "M": You get your own post. This little cutie (big sis) was great in front of the camera. She had this wonderful intense look and was not at all shy of the lens. Her little sister, on the other hand, made me chase her. So Miss "M", here are some of my favorites of you.
Isn't she gorgeous? So graceful for her age.

Quickies

2007-05-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

A quickie, quickie post. Hopefully I'll be able to upload some photos now. These are a couple of those cute little girls I had the chance to photograph this week. There are too many good ones to choose from but these ones just happen to be ready to post. More later when I get a little spare time. It has been crazy with the website and so many photos to proof. But it's all part of the learning experience. Can't wait till my site is finished. Have a great weekend. I turn 33 tomorrow. Unbelievable!

2007-05-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to post photos since yesterday but blogger's photo upload isn't working. Very lame. I'll try again later. Sorry.

Blue Eyes

2007-05-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

This baby girl has gorgeous blue eyes. They almost seem liquid so it didn't seem right converting this image to black and white. These images aren't necessarily what I would call "my style" but non-sitting babies are tough to photograph! This little doll was not having the happiest day, so I managed to catch just a few images before we decided it was best to try another day. Her mama is my friend, so no doubt the opportunity will come again soon.
I am photographing two little sisters tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to this shoot and can't wait to see what their super-stylish mom comes up with for clothes. Since I'm completely surrounded by boys in my life, photographing girls is always a nice change. I'm sure I will have tons to post after tomorrow. Good night everyone! I'm turning in early tonight.

Website update

2007-05-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty excited to announce that I finally have a website in the works! It will be stellar. I can't wait until it's done. I'm not really sure how long it will take for it to be up and running but I'm guessing about a month. In the meantime, I'm going to be shooting like crazy. As promised, here are a couple more from my shoot earlier this week. This family is so cool. I've known the couple since before they were married. I took photos of them while pregnant so shooting the whole family was particularly special for me. They relocated to the East Coast last summer and we truly miss them. I couldn't let this cute little family go home without a photo session! As you can see, it was a gorgeous warm and sunny day and this session made me go on a total color kick. You can see why. To all you moms out there...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Treat yourselves to something special. My brother and his wife sent me flowers with the sweetest note. It said: Happy Mother's Day Wendy! A day of appreciation that is well deserved! Those two know how to make a mama feel loved. Hope you liked your photo book Allison.

Shooting RAW: The Sequel

2007-05-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, wow. I've got tons of images to post and still more to proof. I can totally see how one would get backlogged when shooting 50-100 RAW files per day. I've had three shoots this week and can hardly keep up with all the proofing. Thank goodness for iPhoto, a sweet little program that allows me to view the RAW files right away. I can't say enough good things about iPhoto for viewing. Even for quick little fixes it does a great job. For more involved stuff though, Photoshop is key. I still can't figure out how to get the files to open in PS. iPhoto launches immediately on my computer and because I'm so impatient, I just let them download.
I promised to post photos with the new lens. A few of these were taken with it, but I have to say I'm a bit disappointed because it is very difficult to get ultra sharp photos with that lens. It's not very fast and unless there is a lot of light, I keep going back to my 50mm 1.4 lens. Super fast, super sharp. Especially for someone like me who has trouble keeping still. I read something about bracing your left elbow on your chest for more stability. Huh? My elbow doesn't come anywhere near my chest. I wonder if they meant hip, or stomach...Anyways. Here are some more images and more still to come. I've included a little teaser from one of the other shoots. Don't want to give up the goods all at once.

Shooting RAW

2007-05-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

It's a sad fact that I've had my camera since October and had never ventured into shooting RAW. I finally decided to see what it's all about. My misgivings about shooting RAW had mostly to do with the dreaded post-processing workflow. I kept reading about the so-called workflow. I am a person who likes to avoid complexity of any kind so the idea of having to add so many steps before having a ready image kept me from venturing into RAW. HELLOOOOOO!!!! I will never shoot jpeg again. I can't believe the possibilities that open up with RAW files! It's a miracle. Having a camera that can shoot RAW and shooting jpeg is analogous to owning a car and just letting it sit in the driveway. But on to the good stuff. Here is a photo of a beautiful baby that I had the opportunity to photograph this weekend. She is a little doll and her mom is super cool. We had a great time and because of the afore mentioned workflow issues coupled with internet issues the last two days, I am only able to post one from the shoot. It happens to be my favorite one though. Told you she was cute!

Learning to walk uphill

2007-05-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

That's what I feel like I'm doing these days. With starting a business, there is so much to learn and so many decisions to make. It's a challenge that I welcome right now. It's easy to cruise along in status quo mode, never deviating from the comfortable place. I have never liked the "comfortable place." I cruise it for a while and then I start getting antsy for something new. I see these traits in my son. He is constantly challenging himself to push further than his limits. I learn from him daily. Here is a picture of him learning to walk uphill (on grass, no less). Look at that huge smile, that face of delight. After they got to the top, he clapped his hands and wanted to go back down and do it again.

It's finally sunny!

2007-05-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Springtime in Oregon can be hard to get through. The rain tends to come down hardest in spring. Then it hails. But sometimes these gorgeous sunny days pop up and we get a little peek of summer, the most glorious season in Portland. But those of us who've lived in Portland for a long time know to be opportunistic. Just one of those days can recharge me long enough to withstand another stretch of wet days. Here are a couple of pictures from some sunny days this week. I'm still shooting with my 50mm. I ordered a new lens and I can't wait for it to come. Maybe tomorrow? It is a Nikon 55-200 zoom with their awesome VR technology. This basically eliminates the problem of camera shake when shooting at long focal lengths. It used to be almost impossible to shoot long lengths handheld. You needed a tripod to get really sharp photos. But this technology compensates for that. I will be posting many photos after I get that lens. For now, I have to be up close. As for post processing: none. Other than the watermark. These images are SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera). I love my Nikon!

Comments

2007-04-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

A quick post to say that if you've stopped by this blog to check it out, I welcome you to leave a comment. I'd love to know who you are, what you think, if you have any questions. I will try to respond as quickly as I can. Happy reading/viewing.
Wishing everyone a spectacular weekend. Or at least an above average one. And because a post is always better with a picture...not the most technically perfect, but a total favorite of mine. That smile!

Logo

2007-04-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Whimsical, unique, and fun. Three words that can also be applied to yours truly.

Finally figured out how to add watermarks!

2007-04-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here they are on a couple of pictures I love. It's funny, everyone seems to be a whiz at Photoshop except for me. I have had PS7 for so long, I haven't even bothered to try. I finally got CS2 just as CS3 comes out, but oh well. I also have Aperture, which I love. It is very intuitive and seems far more user friendly than Photoshop. I'm reading the book to learn all the tricks. That's another thing about me...I'm a total manual reader. I think it's because I'm a technical writer! Last night I went to the library and came home with a stack of books about CS2. I like to teach myself stuff and love the challenge of learning. About the watermarks, this is a variation on my logo (yes, I'll post it soon!) which I think works well for stamping on images. I have worked with film for so long that the digital world is still new. I've had a digital camera since 2000 but not a digital SLR. The digital SLR is a totally different beast. And post processing, well, let's just say that I am a bit overwhelmed by the options. I think simple is best. Though there are some people out there doing crazy stuff that pushes the limits and blurs the line between photography and painting. When digital cameras first came out I told my dad, "I will NEVER shoot digital. It's not real!" And he said "It IS real, it's just another tool, that's all. It's no less art than film, just different." He was (as always) right. But I am glad for my film roots. It just makes things easier now.

Too much fun

2007-04-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

A picture of my sweet little angel running just days after he learned to walk. He makes me so happy. I continue to be amazed by him and his emerging personality. He is such a happy, social little boy. Any time we are out and about he is trying to engage people, waving at them and babbling away in his strange tongue. He is a precious gift.

A glowing pregnancy

2007-04-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of my sister in law. She is the cutest pregnant lady ever!

A few thoughts on creativity

2007-04-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about art and finding one's artistic voice lately. It's interesting how different people approach the subject. For me, photography has been purely instinctual. Yes, I took many photography classes at Moorpark College and learned a lot, but most of my learning has come through trial and error. When I'm out shooting, I go more with what feels good, what feels right. I try to understand what my subject is doing and therefore record it as honestly as possible.
One thing I've noticed since beginning to lurk on the online communities out there is how contrived so many images appear. Even though they may be amazing technically, many are not original. There is a definite convention out there. Clients want to see certain types of images. They come to expect them. And yet, as an artist, a unique individual, how does one find one's "eye"? It is so hard. That said, I have come across many photographers who are consistently making unbelievable images. I stand in awe of them.
It is my goal to try as often as possible to let images happen, rather than to force them. There will be the occasional posed shot, the ubiquitous clichéd image, but hopefully my quest will lead me to a "Zen" approach, one of letting go of control, and allowing the camera to become an extension of myself, just seeing and recording what is already happening.
Hopefully with time I will strengthen my artistic eye.

Choosing a logo

2007-04-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'm working with a talented designer named Erica Hernandez, www.ericahernandezdesigns.com who is designing my logo. It's tough choosing something that will forever be associated my business. It's like naming your child. You better love it cause you're stuck with it for life. I will post my logo as soon as it is finalized.

The birth of my business

2007-04-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

This blog will eventually serve as a place for me to communicate with my clients, give sneak peaks of photo sessions, and post specials, news, and information.

For now, I will use it to document the birth of my photography business. I have spent the last several months plotting, planning, outlining, and brainstorming what has for many years been just a dream. Photography has been a great passion of mine since I was a kid. I think I took my first "fine art" landscape photo when I was just thirteen. It was of the Canadian Rockies bathed in glorious golden light and reflected in a lake. I shot slide film with my dad's Nikon and anticipated the finished product throughout the rest of the vacation. When at last I got to see it, I felt great pride and a little bit like a magician.

My style evolved from there and by the end of high school I had my own darkroom. Now we have entered the instant gratification era of digital photography, and although the suspense of waiting to see a photo is gone, the excitement at seeing the final image is not.

I am having a website built, logos made, designing business cards, filing with the State of Oregon...all the behind the scenes stuff required to start a business (and there is tons!). My brother, the CEO assures me that it's all about marketing. Then there is the part I love: building my portfolio. Anyone who will hold still gets my camera aimed at them. The business stuff is the necessary evil. The photography is the reward. I already love my job! I never dreamed I'd be able to say that truthfully.

Here is my first post: Some photos of my gorgeous and extremely photogenic son. Someday he will thank me for these pictures. Now he just tries to grab my camera. I am shooting with a Nikon D80. I mostly love it, but it has a couple little quirks that drive me nuts. Thanks to www.KenRockwell.com though, I am learning to get around them.