January was a busy month that I spent catching my breath from last year and trying to "clean house" so I can prepare for a great 2010. I think February is going to be a little more of the same so if it is quiet for a few more weeks here know that March will be ramping up to with lots of pictures to share. I must admit that I cherish this time of year because I get a lot more family time and even some great me time that is definitely recharging my batteries.
Yesterday I spent the morning hanging some of my Laos work at Macrina in SODO (1943 First Avenue South). I am excited about how it looks on their walls. Macrina has DELICIOUS food and breads so take a trip down there this month if you have time. I will be moving the images to their Queen Anne location next month.

Two weekends ago I had so much fun hosting my workshop. Once again all the participants made my day with their openess to share and learn. As the morning progressed I saw light bulbs going as everything started to click. By the end of the workshop everyone was so excited to go home and put to use what they had learned. I will close with a few images that I received from Brianna Donegan that she took during the workshop using some of the tips during the capture and postprocessing. She has a blog which is already full of great image & I think her images are just going to get better and better!! It is obvious she has an eye and passion for photography which are the most important ingredients to capturing powerful images. Thank you Brianna for sharing these images with me!

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.