Oh, the rolls!

When I finish a session I always want to run straight to my computer and download the images so I can see what I got. It's like Christmas for me - or maybe it's just an obsession. Anyway, this session was no different and I'm so excited about these images. This first one literally made me laugh out loud - his face is so cute!

Meet baby "C". He is 6 months old and so full of chubby rolls he could hardly fit into the bumbo seat. He was SOOOOO adorable! I LOVE IT! He was a great sport and mom and dad were too. All I can say is GOOD LUCK picking your favorites! :)

Enjoy!



The happy family.... click on it to see it bigger.

Just look at those rolls - it's like ART! He was such a happy baby.

Dad really wanted a picture on my old fashioned scale but baby "C" was a little too big for it so we had to hold him up - I still think it's cute though.

And finally, a little "special effect" picture. So sweet!

A wonderful evening!

Our Shop, Sip & Savor fundraiser was FANTASTIC last night! I have to admit - I was having so much fun I only took about 4 pictures - sorry! We had a great turnout and everyone RAVED about the Shoppe of Vinings. They took such good care of us, and based on our sales, they donated $300 to CCFA - plus a GORGEOUS Vera Bradley gift basket for our drawing (congratulations Lynn!). Jenny Jones was the winner of the photo session from CCJames Photography (aka ME) so CONGRATS to Jenny too!

I can't say thank you enough to the Shoppe of Vinings and Taverna Fiorentina for hosting our event. They were so gracious and willing to help with anything. The food was magnificent, the wine was delicious, and the atmosphere was simply delightful. And, to all the ladies (and even a couple brave men) who took the time to come by and shop for a great cause - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!

Jeff and I have posted another matching donation today, so we are currently OVER our goal of $5,000! Our website says $4876 but there are a few donations missing, including the $300 check that we will turn in at the walk on Sunday. We are so amazed, thankful and appreciative of all the generosity and support we have been given.

What else can I say - but thank you AGAIN!

Here is the Chef setting up the fabulous food - doesn't he look proud? :)


Here are the ladies that stuck around for the grand prize drawing at 9pm. And that's my husband in the back - he came for the food I think! :)

More Photo Tips - a better point & shoot picture

Okay - the subject matter is quite amusing but it was the best way to get the K-Bear to pose for a picture. Her tongue was green from the freezer pop I gave her so I said "stick out your tongue for a picture" - and it worked!

I hope these tips are helpful for somebody out there. I just like to share because I thought the information was valuable when I learned it so maybe it will help someone else. And, it's good to know that you can take really cute pictures with a simple point & shoot camera - if you know a few tricks.

So, for this episode of "photo tips" you get to look at my daughter's enormous green tongue. These two pictures are straight out of the camera. I took them with my Canon SD870IS (point & shoot camera). We are right next to the window and the first picture is with the flash and the second picture is without. I thought it would be cool to illustrate how different a picture can look with/without a flash. The camera is still in AUTO mode so you don't have to be an expert or anything - just turn your flash off. Notice the one on the left is much sharper (because the flash "freezes" any motion) but it's harsh and un-natural looking - and there is a shadow around the right side of her head. In the second picture you can see some blur around her legs (because the shutter speed is slower without the flash) but I think it's worth it to capture a more natural color and feel for the picture.

Another thing I like to recommend is GET CLOSER! Most point & shoot cameras have a very wide angled lens - which means they push your subject further away than they already are. So move in - fill the frame - and get a great picture!

Lastly - don't be afraid to tilt your camera a little to get a different angle. Play with it - your pictures will be more unique and interesting.

As always, you can click on it to see it better. Enjoy the GREEN MONSTER!

They grow TOO fast!

I just can't believe she's 9 months already! This is one of my First Year Planners and she is just growing up so fast! She was so excited about pictures that she wouldn't even take a nap before I came over (poor mom) - but you would never know it. She loves the camera and was such a good sport about all of our antics! The chair, the tu-tu, the hats, the scale.... poor baby!

You can see some of her previous pictures by clicking HERE and HERE.

Isn't she precious!


Sweet angel


She was too big for my scale - her feet were just about touching the ground! We had to improvise. :)


Her mom really loved the hats, but baby "M" wasn't having it! She was so quick to take them off. It looks like she's posing here - but really - she's going for the hat!

Our Little Carnivore

Yes - it's true - even I take "snapshots" sometimes! I know these aren't super-duper-fancy-schmancy pictures - but I still thought they were worth sharing!

Our daughter loves meat - she'll eat just about anything you give her. So, we weren't surprised last night when she reached up and grabbed a gourmet lamb chop off the table and started gobbling it up - medium rare none the less!

I'm sure she really appreciated the FLASH in her face while she was trying to enjoy her snack.....

Happy Memorial Day!! :)

Shop, Sip & Savor

I think the flyer below says it all! I'm so excited to be working with the ladies at the Shoppe of Vinings. I was there today taking all of the pictures to design this invitation and I can't wait to go SHOPPING next week! I have to say it's very different taking pictures of "stuff" rather than people but it was kind of therapeutic. I had fun being creative and playing with the angles, etc.

The crew at Taverna Fiorentina are wonderful too - the food and wine are going to be DELICIOUS! Check out their website: www.tavernafiorentina.com

I hope you can stop by the party........ click on the picture to get a GOOD view!

Such a sweety pie!

I had a really nice session yesterday - luckily the rain moved out but it was still pretty wet at the park. This sweet girl was such a good talker - at only 22 months. I am so amazed at how different each and every child is.

Mom planned this session to get pictures as a surprise for Father's Day (so shhhhh) and I asked her if she wanted anything "in particular" or just a variety. She said something very insightful to me - that she really liked how my pictures looked so "natural" and that she just wanted a variety of different pictures. I was very flattered because that statement is the very essence of what I try to do with my photography - capture the natural moment as it happens - the "real" person and not so much the posed images.

So, here are a few of my favorites. I never know if my favorites will be anyone else's favorites because I am always drawn to the images that speak to me - rather than the perfect smile or pose. As always - you can CLICK on the image to get a better view.

This was a game of peek-a-boo....


This was a frolick in the park... (click on it)

Just look at these eyes...



This was so cute to me - she's giving me the eye as she drinks her "coco" - code word for milk!



This one just speaks for itself don't you think?



And a sweet moment between mother and daughter - truly timeless.

Slideshow

With the new "look" of my blog, I can now post some sample slideshows. Most of you have already seen one, but some have not. So, this is a sample of what I do for each client.

This one is cool because my client picked her own song - isn't it beautiful? :)

Whadda ya think?????

For those of you that frequently check my blog, you'll notice some changes....any thoughts? Do you like the new look?

Don't be afraid..... tell me..... I'm waiting.....

Couldn't help it....one last post for the day...

I'm awake, it's late, and my husband is out like a light...... so here I am looking at pictures....

I just LOVE my new point & shoot camera! It really takes wonderful pictures with very little effort. This pic is courtesy of my husband - of me and the K-bear at the park today. I'm incognito - unshowered - sporting a hat - but I still thought it was cute.

Happy Mother's Day to all and to all a GOOD NIGHT! :)

A little photo tip: In the photo above, we are in the shade and the sun is behind us. I picked this spot because it was a very bright and sunny day. Using this technique will keep your subjects from squinting and it gives your picture a nice "glow" around the subjects. Depending on how bright it is, you may also need to turn the flash to "on" instead of "auto" to add some fill light.

Happy Mother's Day

What a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend! Some friends of ours invited us to Brunch on Saturday morning (the husbands planned it) and we had a really nice time. I was sad to leave and go play tennis (we were in the ALTA play-offs) but it was great anyway! I took most of the pictures in this post with my NEW Point and Shoot Digital Camera - the Canon SD870 IS. It took me a while to figure out which one I wanted (I'm kind of a camera snob of course) and then my husband got it for me for Mother's Day!!! My old one was from 2003 - so you can imagine how awful it was..... This one can take video too - so be expecting some funny stuff in the future.

Here's the three munchkins....

Look at these two - they were born on the same day - just a few hours apart. We are neighbors and friends and just happened to name them Kyle and Kylie........ the stars are aligned.....

Is this the cutest thing EVER!!!!!

Then, I got an email last night from one of my dearest friends. Her husband gave her the canvas that we ordered for her as a Mother's Day gift back in March. I've been keeping it here in my house and I was just as excited to give it to her as he was! So, she got her gift at 12:02am and she sent me a wonderful email to say how much she loved it. I took this picture at her daughter's third birthday party - the PRINCESS party. This moment was so special between mother and daughter. So, now I can show you all AND I can share the rest of her birthday pictures with everyone.

The secret is FINALLY out! Here's the image:

And this is the gorgeous canvas - 16x24

And finally - this morning my husband let me sleep in - which is very difficult for me to do. But, he snuck out of bed to get Kylie before I woke up and then he made me BREAKFAST IN BED! Yes, it's true, he really did. Pancakes with peanut butter and syrup (my favorite) on a tray with a beautiful rose and Mother's Day cards from him, Kylie and even the CAT! It was DELICIOUS! And now he's cleaning the kitchen and playing with Kylie while I do this blog post. He's the best husband EVER!

I took this picture this morning with my P&S camera - Kylie put on her boots and her jacket all by herself and then posed for a picture - which is RARE!

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Interesting Tidbits....

I've been meaning to do this for a while - so here goes.....

Some cool stuff for my clients:

People are always asking about cool stuff (clothes/props/etc) for pictures so I thought I would share:

The cool hat / beanie in a couple of my recent pictures is from the Portland Beanie Company. I bought the 3-6 month size "Flapper" style brown beanie with the pink flower. I TOTALLY plan to buy more in different styles and colors because they are sooooo cute and well made.

I also just got a really cute tu-tu that I haven't used yet - but it will be perfect for the 6 month to one-year-old crowd. I found it at a local festival and the company is called All Sweet Bowtique. They also sell really cute hair bows (although I'm not a big fan of large hair bows for pictures).

If you are in the market for some frames - for all those pictures you got from me (wink-wink) - some of my favorites are:

The Red Envelope Gallery Frame Sets

The Modular Photo Wall Frame Collection - from Exposures Online

The Double Matted Frames - from Picture This Framed. I like these because you can mix larger photos in one frame (ie: an 8x10 with (2) 5x7)

For my photographer friends out there (or those interested in photography)......

Here's what's "in my bag":

First - this is MY BAG and I love it!

The Beast (as I fondly call it) Canon 30D SLR
Lenses:
Current Favorite: 24-70mm 2.8L
Second Favorite: 50mm 1.4
Third Favorite: 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS
I also have a GREAT flash that I never use since I use all natural light. Maybe someday.....

I took some GREAT classes at the Showcase School of Photography. Digital 101 (in the one-day format and the 6 week format), Digital 102, People Photography, Photoshop CS2.

Some great Photoshop Actions that I use A LOT can be found here:
Kevin Kubota Image Tools - I have the production tools and the Artistic Tools Volume 2
Totally Rad Action Set - Boutwell Studios

Actions are a great way to do a simple boost to your images (brighten color and sharpen a digital image) as well as lots of other fun stuff if you have the time.....

And finally - a photographer blog that I LOVE to read - and I can't wait to take one of their classes: The Image Is Found Photo Blog. It's a husband/wife team and they shoot mainly with wide angled lenses. Their style is completely different from mine - but it's so fun!

I think that's enough to keep everyone busy for now....... so I'll end with a picture......

Bath Time.....

For the photographers out there - this was shot in the bathroom (no windows) at 24mm focal length, f-stop 2.8 and ISO 1600. I used one of my cool black and white actions to convert it from color and wah-lah!

If anyone out there has questions or thoughts about anything, feel free to leave a comment..... :) Is there anyone out there???????

Such a trooper!

What a great session I had today. This little sweety is 6 months old and she was sooooo good for us this morning. She hardly made a peep no matter where we put her (and we put her lots of places). I know Mom & Dad were a little disappointed that we didn't get any smiles (she was very serious) but she is so beautiful and you can really see her personality in those big blue eyes. It reminded me of my daughter's 6 month pictures - she was very serious too - not a single smile. But now I look back at the pictures and it makes me laugh - because she is so NOT serious anymore - but that was just her, that day, being herself.

And, I hope Mom & Dad don't mind that I share a little bit of their story. Little miss "J" is having surgery in two weeks to repair a small hole in her heart. I know it must be terifying for them, but they are so positive and happy to have reached this moment after so much waiting. Mom and Dad are such a great team and I just know everything is going to work out for them.

Send good thoughts and prayers to this family in the coming days and weeks.

And without further delay...... some previews for Mom! You can click on any of these to see them a little bigger.



This is close to a smile - right?


This is one of my FAVORITE images!!


Okay - I had to include this because her bummy is TOO cute - but she definitely weighs more than 11 pounds. She was trying to escape.....




The whole family....


Mom had seen some other nursery pictures that I have done and really wanted to get one with her name - so, I guess it's not a secret anymore.... :)