It's been WAY to long!- Blogging all about Pebbles and BamBam

I'll admit it... I've been hiding from my blog. Once I got behind in posting, I felt hopeless in catching up. But my blog is supposed to be my creative outlet, a place where I post my latest and greatest pics, so why was I hiding from it. The short answer is simply that I got busy and a bit burnt out at the same time. Busy with work and burnt out after a 9 week long, intense photography workshop. But I kind of figure that I want to make one last post before the new year. Who know, maybe this post will kick start it for me again to make two posts before the end of the year.

This next year I am planning two photography projects, that I hope some of my friends (online and in person) will join in with me. The first project is called a Project 52. One picture a week. I am brainstorming ideas and themes. I want to in the end, put together a coffee table book for myself of the year 2011. I know some of my friends are doing a Project 52 with the theme being, "Things that they Love". The second project is called a 4 x 12. This project is to take one family picture once a month. The 4 represents Nate, myself, Noah and Nicole and the 12 for each month of the year. The bonus with this last project is that it is an instant winner for the 2012 calendar I plan to create!

In the time that I've been in hiding, I didn't let me lovely camera sit alone in on my dresser. Actually, I spent an amazing afternoon recently with 9 other local photographers that are part of the Bloom Forum that I am an active member. We gathered in Danville to share a meal and then set off with 3 gorgeous models to take a crack at photographing outdoor Senior portraits. Shooting with professional photographers was so so intimidating, but I learned a lot and really got to see how hard it is. If you want to see some of my work and the other ladies work from that day, check out this post!

Lastly, here are a few of the photos from the Natural Light Workshop that I completed in November. This workshop has given me the confidence to shoot in any sort of natural light situation. For Example

Back Lighting Mid-day Full Sun

Back Lighting Mid-day Full Sun with a reflector
My wonderful friend Dani came out to the Peninsula so that we could do a fitness inspired photo shoot. She runs her own fitness business in the East Bay, KickStart Fitness










Sun Set (Golden Hour) Back Lighting with a reflector: Just some sweet shots of Noah and Aiden!








Natural Reflectors: In this case I used the sun reflecting off the concrete during the Golden Hour. Again, a sweet pic of my little Noah.

Discovering the use of pockets of light: I love the sliding glass door in front of my kitchen table. Lots of diffuse gorgeous light.





Starburst and Sunflare: How to photograph this was tough, but I finally got it...yay! And I love the results!





Exposing for subject and sky: Nate my wonderful husband agreed to be my subject since at this point Noah and Nicole would break out in sobs if they saw me pick up my camera. They were so tired of me taking pictures for this assignment or that assignment!

Nate's facial expression says, "Sun too bright, hurt eyes, even with cool shades on!"


Well, that is just a fraction of the pictures that I took for each assignment. It feels really good to get those posted, and now I can think about my upcoming projects!

The Natural Light Workshop is Where I've Been Hiding!

I haven't posted very much in the past weeks mainly because my time has been filled with photographing and editing for a Natural Light Workshop that I am wrapping up. I've been spending most evenings buried away in my room on the computer, it's been a super intense class. I have learned so much about light in this 8 week workshop, that I am kind of fanatical about light now. I see light everywhere, in movies, in magazine, at the dinner table, basically it is a bit ridiculous, but it is good. I want to share each of my assignments from the workshop over the next couple of posts. I will try to be good about posting my settings. Many of my friends who live close have been amazing in letting me photograph them or their kids for my assignments. This was really helpful since Noah and Nicole definitely deserve a break from the mamarazzi! Thank you so much Tara and Dani!

Anyhow, here is my first assignment.
Dramatic Lighting

Taken in our bathroom with me standing in the tub...

Exposure 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture f/3.2
Focal Length 28 mm
ISO Speed 1600


Oops deleted the original and can't find the exif data...

Thanks for looking tonight.

Happy Halloween to All Your Ghosts and Goblins- Blogging all about Pebbles and BamBam

Just had to quickly post and say "Happy Halloween!" to all your ghosts and goblins. I hope that you are all very safe on Sunday night. Have fun and don't forget to save some of the good candy for yourself...hee hee.

What I would have submitted for the Gap Casting Call-Blogging all about Pebbles and BamBam

I just thought I would post the pictures that I WOULD have submitted to the Gap Casting Call last week, that is if I had gotten my act together and pushed the sent button. Maybe next year?

These photos were taken as part of the Natural Light Workshop by Detra that I am taking right now. In this workshop we are on week 6. It's a very intense workshop where I am fighting the feeling of being burnt out! I am pushing onward because I am learning so so much. The workshop is amazing and the content is even more amazing. I feel like I can shoot in almost any natural light situation and make the photos work. The amount of time I spend in editing is hazardous to my health and sleep, so needless to say I will be taking a break for the holiday's.

The assignment for these photos was to intentionally "Blow" the background. That essentially means to blow out any detail, color etc...just white while maintaining the exposure of your subject. This is done in a lot of high fashion photos. At the bottom of the post you can see the straight out of camera shot, to see where I started with these photos.

I have ton's of pictures to share, but will stop at 5 for you today. Again here is my sweet and loving Noah.

I love this first pictures because for some reason it just capture a part of his personality.

Enjoy and Loves!







And these are the SOOC shot: All taken with my 50mm prime lens.

More from our time in Auberry-Blogging all about Pebbles and Bambam

Just a few more pics from our quick trip to Auberry in September. Mostly, what we did was watch the kids ride around on the John Deere tractors. From sun up to sun down that is what they did! I think with our next visit, I will need to bring ear plugs for the kids, because I am convinced with the amount of time they spent tooling around the "ranch" on the tractors that they probably lost a few decibels of hearing. I am blaming the tractors for Noah not "hearing" me when I ask him to do something for nth million time, and not because he is 3 and already thinks that he is in charge. Both the kids had a wonderful time with lots of room to jump, run, ride, and play. Good times!

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Thanks for looking.

Tractors, Tractors and more Tractors!!




Country life...

The last days of summer-Blogging all about Pebbles and Bambam

I have so many photos that I super behind in posting! Part of the reason that I am back-logged is that I started another photography workshop in mid-September in addition to getting really busy at work and bringing my work home with me at night (insert grumpy face here). I will post soon about my new photography workshop, it is awesome!

Anyway, I want to share a few photos from our family trip to Auberry to see Nate's parents. We decided at the last moment to take a week off from work and found ourselves with 2 - 3 days with nothing planned. We packed the kids and a couple of suitcases along with my camera and made the 4 1/2 hour drive to see the grandparents. I took a BAZILLION (not sure that is a word, but I am going with it) pictures and I can't show them all here. But on one afternoon Noah agreed to model for me so that I could capture him in the beautiful late summer light. A few notes about the pictures...the green chair is what I would call vintage, it was Nate's when he was a child. It fit Noah perfectly! And the key around Noah's neck? Is it a key to a buried treasure chest buried deep in his grandparent's yard. No, it's better than that! It's the key to Grandpa's Shop, where all of the really fun stuff happens! I have lots more photos to share and promise to put a collage together this week. Until then...Enjoy these!

I've been on a black & white kick lately, so I am posting both color and BW versions.

An ode to the beautiful people- Blogging all about Pebbles and BamBam

Well this post is so long overdue that I am a bit embarrased to share it. But because I love these pictures SO SO MUCH I have to share. Sometime in mid-August we made the drive to see my brother and his family in their new house in Roseville (Rocklin, really). Surprisingly, it wasn't too hot and we just sat outside and enjoyed the house warming party that they were having. This was one of those rare times lately where I didn't have my camera out the whole time and only snapped a few photos. I was having such a great time that I didn't want to bury my face behind the camera. But, I did have my camera with me and I caught these few pics of my neice and nephew, that I just adore. I titled this post, "ode to the beautiful people" because these two are so darn gorgeous and cute! I could build an entire portfolio around these two!

We had such a great time seeing my family and I wished that we lived closer so that I could spend more time with them and be there with my niece and nephew as they grow up. Maybe one day...