Under the Boardwalk

Okay, well, it's not a true boardwalk per se, but the song fits. :-) A week ago Sunday in Orange County, we got our first cold and blustery-at-the-beach day of the season, right after our (hopefully) last heat wave of the late summer/early fall. But, the sunset and smell of salt air imparted the feelings of true peace and happiness in me that being at the beach at sunset ALWAYS imprints on my pysche.

I was so happy to get an email from Paula several weeks ago, asking to schedule holiday portraits with her family. I worked with Paula in 2008 for several months while I was freelancing as a graphic artist on-site for a direct-mail firm, and ended up taking their holiday photos last year. It was such a charmed day that we not only got a ton of wonderful portraits, but a ton of amazing candids of her 2 daughters. Her older daughter had just turned 6 last year, and was adorable with an upper front tooth missing, which adds a modicum of impishness and innocence to all the pictures in such a natural, fun-loving way. Paula's younger daughter was approximately 6 months old and so sweet and mellow.

So I couldn't wait to see her girls again this year! Lila is now approximately 18 months old, walking, quick to smile and full of curiosity. Maxine just turned 7 the day before our shoot, and her hair had grown out soooo long; I had a glimpse of the elegant girl she was growing into, but while I sensed more maturity, she still had the carefree, slightly awkward movements of a growing girl who is still a free spirit, unhampered by worries that can plague us as maturity threatens to squash our creativity and ability to imagine what we can do in this great big wonderful world we've been given to grow in.

Paula suggested we take pictures at the San Clemente Pier in South Orange County, and the second she mentioned it, I knew it would be perfect — I love this place! (I actually went on a date there last year and couldn't believe I'd never been there before then... the sunsets from the pier are so calming there. Plus the vibe of San Clemente is not the same as every beach town... this city retains a small-town feel, low-key and pure. It doesn't strike me as "OC" as other beaches I've visited... it's like they remain unaffected by outside influences. But — what a shock — I digress). ;-)

Paula and her husband John walked up with the girls on the afternoon of our shoot, and as soon as Lila was let loose (and even before, while she was still in her stroller), I started snapping pictures of her:

I love how the light catches Lila's eyes here... they absolutely glow in the sun!

Then, it was time to do our first costume change... and Maxine and Lila became the cutest gosh-darn cowgirls west of the Mississipi! These are their Halloween outfits too... how adorable are they?!

Then, it was time to get into their holiday dresses — so elegant and colorful! — and head under the San Clemente Pier for "official" holiday portraits (this first one, a black-and-white, was more of an outtake, but I still love it):

And I love these as well, the first one for how sweet the sisters look, the second one because of Lila's funny expression!

I love this image, and although you can sense Lila's frustration ("Let me get up and be FREE! I need to go explore!"), I adore the serene, peaceful quality of Maxine as she envelopes Lila in a gentle hug...

Here Maxine is writing her name in the sand, a favorite activity this particular Sunday. She even wrote her name along with Lila's in the sand:

 

It really was getting cold, so I got a picture of John cuddling with Lila as he wrapped her up in warm fuzzy blankety goodness...

One more wardrobe change; Maxine is channeling her retro-50's look with a white t-shirt and hot-pink poodle skirt, she's so adorable!...

And last but not least, this picture holds special significance. Lila was born very premature, and at her time of birth, her torso was the same length as the little bear she's holding in her hand. They took pictures of her in the hospital next to the bear, as a frame of reference to just how small she was. But as you can see, she's WAY outgrown the bear! She's a vibrant, happy and healthy little girl. I love seeing how great she's doing; it's a scary way to start life as a preemie, but I especially love hearing the stories of children with strong spirits and a will to live that is strong and powerful, and they supercede all expectations. What can I say? I'm a sucker for happy endings!

Tomorrow I'm going to try to post some additional pictures I took after Paula and her family left. As the San Clemente Pier is right by the train tracks, I had fun hanging around on my own and snapping pictures of the RR crossing, as well as surfers silhouetted in the water, bathed in a golden purple-ly twilight. I didn't want to leave, so I found excuses to stay as long as I possibly could!!

Second Chance

Tonight's post has everything to do with Seconds (as in, "That dinner was so delicious, I think I need to have SECONDS!"). Tonight's post's title was inspired from the group Shinedown, with a new(er) song called "Second Chance" (if you're a fan of KROQ, Los Angeles & Orange County's leading alternative-music station, you'll have heard it there, which is where I first heard it. In fact, I liked it so much that I unwittingly tagged it more than once in Shazam, one of my fave iPhone apps). But, I digress... which is not uncommon with me. Come along on Karen's Mind Road Trip, the ride is a magically wonderful one, I promise.

But back to the subject at hand. While the main refrain of the song is that "sometimes goodbye is a second chance", my thoughts are that it's about making #1 out of seconds. As in, second shooting. And, I **love** second shooting. Tomorrow (or, later today, as it's after midnight) I'm assisting my friend Colleen Bell (whom I've mentioned before) on another wedding up in LA. If you're a "glass is half-empty" type, you may say that you're not the "star of the show". But haven't you ever been to a movie or play where one of the supporting actors was so amazing, they blew away everything and everyone else for you in that movie/play? And so, while you're there to support, help and anticipate what the primary shooter needs -- and it's still work! -- for me, it's a license for creative freedom, to take time to capture those beautiful moments from unusual angles, where no one is anticipating me. Instead of being just work, or just a job, it's a chance to get back to basics, when you are reminded of why you do what you love, it re-ignites the passion for being behind the lens. Obviously, your first objective should be to enhance and round out the primary shooter's body of work, get all of the moments that they can't be there to capture themselves, or help switch out lenses, carry extra gear, etc... but oh the moments I've been able to get! Colleen and I have talked about this, that somehow there's less pressure on you as a second shooter, you get to do "the fun stuff", the creative stuff. So really, isn't being "second" really just all about your attitude?

And while we're on the subject of "seconds", regarding the concept of "add-ons": I'd like to mention plug-ins. Yup, plug-ins. I use them for my favorite programs, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. The programs on their own are hands-down, fantastic. But through years of using them, I always find things that I would like, to streamline and speed up my processes, all while improving my images. Well, ask and ye shall receive! That's where these plug-ins come in handy (I've mentioned these before too), such as action sets and tools from Kubota Imaging Tools, Totally Rad Actions, Jeffrey Friedl and Tim Armes. I'm planning a post soon for other photographers and aspiring photographers on my faves, where you can read more about what each one is, what they do, where to get them and why you should have them in your own workflow. I rely heavily on posts from my own photographic inspirations/heroes/mentors/teachers on Facebook and Twitter about the best of what's out there, and the options available to me and why I would want them. Often there are links for reviews of new or little known time-savers/gems, and I try to read about as many of them as I can. I believe in being informed, and I love sharing any knowledge I'm able to get as well!

So, not being first isn't always a bad thing. Being second, or even getting a second chance? Now THAT'S something worth being proud of, that you've made it so high on the food chain! Embrace it, make it your own. By loving what you do... that's when you turn your seconds into being firsts, especially in attitude. And that's something worth being proud of. Don't measure your failures, but rather, your successes, no matter how incremental -- being and staying positive is a key factor in how high you will be able to go not just in your career/profession, but in your personal life as well.

By the end of the weekend, I'll have more posts up, from a holiday family shoot I did at the San Clemente Pier recently to images from the Santa Barbara wedding that I shot (my previous post featured the slideshow I created for the bride and groom). Can't wait to share! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ahead!

Everybody's Got Their Somethin'...

Today's post is WAY overdue ... I always write WAY too much, which is usually my deterrent from starting a new story. So, let me use tonight's post as an exercise in brevity (hahaha! Oh, how I love to tell myself these tall tales). As y'all know, I like to use song titles, and this particular title is in homage to Nikka Costa, whose funky-fun groovin' sounds makes me think of a modern-day Janis Joplin. And true to the title, the slideshow I am posting below is from Rachelle and Brian's wedding (in Santa Barbara on Saturday, September 26th, 2009), who definitely have their own Somethin' that makes them So unique and So much fun. (alliteration alert!) I love that they took their Somethin and branded their wedding with their signature way of doing things!

First of all, they wanted a really good party. Instead of champagne, they had tequila toasts (yep, custom shot glasses and Patron at every table! I like 'em already!). They wanted to have their wedding outside, and so Godric Grove in Elings Park was the destination, with an amazing outdoor amphitheatre for the ceremony, and then just over the hill was a fabulous wooden deck at the top of the park, with round Japanese-style paper lanterns everywhere that lit up as dusk disappeared ... and dinner was a Mexican buffet... and who doesn't like Mexican food?! Seriously! The cake was hands-down: The. Best. Ever. It was red velvet cake with cream-cheese frosting. And yes... in embracing part of Rachelle's Jewish heritage, they also celebrated to Hava Nagila with the Hora, soon to be followed by Brian doing a knee-slide across the dance floor ... and better yet, he then entertained his guests with air guitar and ended up crowd-surfing across his adoring fans (aka, the guests!). Oh yeah, and there was an impromptu conga-line too. Great music really helped round out the vibe of the evening and kept virtually everyone up on their feet all night dancing! These are my kinds o' people!

See what I mean? Everybody's got their Somethin'... and I love the Somethin' they gots to give!

One last thing that I love about Rachelle and Brian is how they even have their own PERSONAL signature style... Rachelle is constantly hopping up on Brian's back and getting piggyback rides... and that's when they come alive in photos! It's so THEM. So, of course, I had to get some pictures of Rachelle in her wedding dress up on Brian's back, and they look so adorable & deliciously happy together -- all growed-up and fancy-like, yet they have a child-like enthusiasm that is wonderfully infectious too.

The slideshow below showcases the highlights that tell the Somethin' Story of their day. Rachelle and her bridesmaids got ready in a gorgeous suite at the Fess Parker Santa Barbara Hotel (love love love!), and then I met up with Brian and his groomsmen at Shoreline Park... they looked like rockstars admist a perfect blue sky with glittering water. After that, it was back to Fess Parker for the bridesmaids' portraits with the gorgeous Rachelle, and then we moseyed over to Elings. I simply couldn't have asked for cooler, more fun people who I am now also so honored to be able to call friends, too.

Pictures to follow soon... Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy the show!
(and once again, music credit for the original instrumental to my friend Danny Hamilton. Thanks, Danny!)