My blog has been completely quiet not because I have been away but because I have been working day and night. It has been a CRAZY few weeks filled w/ over 30 holiday card designs and so much more. I am so relieved tonight as I am typing that I somehow managed to get through it all and am leaving in 4 hours (yes, I will only get a few hours of sleep tonight but I have gotten used to it as of late) to hopefully get a ton of R&R in the sun. And I am so excited for all my clients who are mailing out their one-of-a-kind holiday cards. Word on the street is that they are getting rave reviews from friends and families. I really hope they are some of the best people receive this year.

Another reason I am excited tonight is that I finally have a date for my next workshop. So if you are wondering what to ask for this holiday this may be a great idea for you.

The next workshop will be on Saturday, January 23rd beginning at 9:30am. If you haven’t had any idea what to put on your wish list for the holidays this may be a great idea for you!
If you have invested in a “fancy” Digital SLR camera but are still taking pictures like you got with a point and shoot this workshop is for you. All my workshops participants have had varying levels of photography knowledge from very novice to photography buffs so do not be intimidated if you feel like you don’t have any idea what you are doing but you want to learn. But if you are someone that has a good grasp of the technical aspects of photography do not think this class will be below your abilities. I promise to teach to everyone and have always received great feedback from everyone regardless of their knowledge when they walked in the door.
We will be meeting at my home (address to follow) and lunch will be included. The workshop will finish around 2pm. The cost is $265 per person.
Here is a little information on what I cover:
-the camera...I will discuss key settings and functions that will improve your ability to capture your kids. I will not be covering every function of the camera and what they do so it is not a "how to use your new camera" workshop but you will definitely get a much better understanding of how to use your cameras best features.
-the lens...I will make a few recommendations on lenses and how to get the most out of them. Lenses are really the key to improving your standard pictures so this is great information to learn.
-f-stop/shutter speed/ISO...this is where photography gets confusing and most get lost. I will help you understand the correlation between these and how to use them to improve your ability to take great pictures.
-taking the picture...use of light, angles, etc.
-post-processing...key tips to bump your image up in Elements or Photoshop.
-image/file management...ways to ensure that you don't turn your computer into the old photo shoe box.
-vendors/software...there are great products/vendors/software out there.
And more!!!
For the workshop I ask that everyone rent or own a 50mm 1.4 or 50mm 1.8 lens. It is an incredible lens that will help in the learning process (and also allow you to take much better pictures). I can email you links to the specific lens that you would need if you let me know what brand of camera you have. You can rent lenses at Glazers & Optecs in south Lake Union area. If you will be renting I recommend calling ahead to reserve the lens.
Let me know if you have any questions or if you would like me to hold a spot for you.
I will be responding to all emails as soon as I return on the 22nd.

And I can't bear to have a post w/o an image so I am leaving you with one that is straight out of my camera and you would be able to take after attending one class with me. Although my little guy isn't looking at the camera there is something I really love about this image.

I have been photographing this family since their 2nd was an infant. I look at these images and cannot believe how time has flown and how amazing it is that they have added two more little ones to their family that are just as beautiful as their first two. It was a freezing cold day but the kids were up for a little running around with me.

As I was photographing this next shoot this mom asked me "What is your favorite place to photograph kids?" and my reply was, "I don't have a favorite, I love photographing in new places because it challenges me which I think pushes me to produce better images. But I really believe the place doesn't matter, it is about the kids and if they are having fun and allowed to just be themselves than that makes the perfect shoot." And I mentioned that her kids were a perfect example of that as we were walking. They were having so much fun and were up for anything. Her daughter is incredibly comfortable being photographed which is so great to see in a young girl, I am a big believer that self-confidence is the key to success (not smarts/athleticism/money...)and we must nurture it from a very young age. This girl, I am sure is going to knock peoples' socks off in the future! And her brother is right behind her on that path! Love these kids...and there eyes are amazing to boot!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
I wish my lack of blogging was because I was away in some fabulous far off destination, instead I have been buried in work and am having a hard time finding time to come up for air. I am in holiday card design phase overload. I have a strong love/hate relationship w/ this time of year. I am not a designer but each year I put pressure on myself to give my clients one of a kind cards that will make them so excited to put them in the mail and give them rave reviews all season long from their friends. Each year I go into my design phase very nervous that I won't be able to come up with new, fun, fresh ideas but now that I am working my way through the fray I am so excited for my clients to be sending cards out. Maybe one will make its way to your mailbox this year.

Fortunately I haven't been shooting too much but I do have families still waiting to get a sneak peek from recent shoots.
This first little girl was a trooper in the cold. She was so cute!!

The last sitting on my day of fun in the sun was of a little 6 wk old girl and her spunky brother. They had already done fall pictures so their mom was hoping for a little urban spin so we avoided the leaves and thanks to the INCREDIBLE easygoingness (okay I know that isn't a word but it is so fitting for this little girl) of her newborn we were able to get a little urban texture. At two, Jack has already developed a deep love for the football and it was fun to see him so thrilled about what he could do w/ the ball. At the end of the shoot he was great letting go of the ball for a few minutes and exchanging it for holding his sister...he did such a great job.

Another reason that I loved the SD special is that I got to photograph a little boy that was one of my first when I returned to Seattle 4 yrs ago. I still remember the shoot because his mom let me just wander down some streets w/ cool walls and textures not worrying about where the heck I was leading them. And little Nobi was such a hysterical little guy. When I got an email that his mom was interested in a spot for that afternoon I was so excited to see him again and meet his little brother. And they definitely lived up to my expectations of a fun shoot. These boys had me laughing the entire shoot. It was so obvious how much Nobi's little brother adores him and I think the little series of black and white can't help but make anyone smile. Check out how cute these two are...

Because the "Sunny Day Special" was a last minute deal I was impressed that this next dad rallied from work, got a handful of outfit options & his adorable son all together and met me just in time to take advantage of some gorgeous light. You would think it couldn't get any better but then little Dylan turned on a stunning smile as soon as I put my big black camera in front of him. The stars had aligned and I am excited to share some of his cuteness here because it will be the first time his mom gets a glimpse of how great he (and dad) did.

The gray rainy days have sadly set in and it makes me that much more happy I had the sunny day special a few weeks back. I think I thrive and spontiniety and always approach things w/ little or very low expectations which I think enables me to live a pretty great life and saves me from wallowing in disappointment. And it was so much fun to have 4 families join me for the beautiful sunny day. If you were to look at a few of these next images out of context you may think it was spring or summer but I added a few at the end to prove we found a stunning day amongst many rainy ones. These girls & I had loads of fun running all over the neighborhood. And I love that their mom just went w/ the flow at the end of the shoot and let her girls play in the puddles!