This post will have to be short on words because I’m a one-woman show this week and lots of photo sessions to run around to! Here’s my week in pictures:
I’ve been hinting here and there at a recent project that just wrapped. Blue Christmas trees and hot pink snow flakes can only mean one thing…Oilily! If you’re not familiar with the brand, it’s European children’s clothing and it’s all about the unexpected. Lots of mixing prints, layering and details like you can’t imagine. So, I when I got the opportunity to style and shoot a few pieces from their Holiday line for the splash page of the website, I was on color overload! I kept referring to my friend Laura, who pushed me to take it over the top and I’m so excited with the results.
If you want to check out the splash page on the Oilily site, click here: Oilily USA
Just wanted to share a few fall-inspired/Halloween decorations I recently put up around the house…
I saw these little white pumpkins at Trader Joe’s and had to buy them! They are so cute and I love how different they are. I just put them on my cutting board with some moss and a few tealights. Instant fall update for the kitchen table.
My friend Laura inspired me to do a paper garland, so I decided to try my hand at bats! I found an easy cut out shape on-line, then bought some sparkly black cardstock at Michael’s. I traced the bats and the kids helped me cut them out. About 3 bats in, they decided it was too hard, so my in-laws helped me cut out the rest! 🙂 I sewed the bats together into 3 strands and pinned them in the window. Then I put some cobwebs up in the corners.
You know what I could use right about now? A latte. Not just any old Starbucks variety. I need a good strong coffee with perfectly foamed whole milk and a pretty design on top. Years ago, when I graduated into the title of coffee drinker, I only liked overly sweet blends. You know the kind where the whipped cream on top is the least of your problems!? Then I had 3 kids. I’ve given up white mochas and carmel macchiatos but I love the simplicity of a latte made with whole milk.
A few weeks ago when we were visiting Hume Lake Allyson took me to meet Elisa…remember the girl that made my adorable beanie? She is seriously into coffee.
I’ve been to places like Intelligentsia and Blue Bottle, and they don’t have anything on Elisa’s latte. Except pretentiousness. 🙂
I’ve never watched someone pour latte art. Or photographed it! It was so cool to watch all the layers happen.
Gorgeous. Now go get yourself a latte. Or knock on Elisa’s door.
Sometimes when I show up to a photo session, it will take a baby or toddler a little bit to warm up to me. They might be wondering who is this lady with a black box in front of her face? Those first few inquisitive moments can definitely yield some of the best photos. It’s those inquisitive eyes looking straight into the camera. But, sometimes, their eyebrows give them away.
Do you remember that part in Toy Story where Mrs. Potato Head tells Mr. Potato Head to bring his angry eyebrows?
I used to just skip past these pictures during the culling process. I thought the eyebrows ruined the photo, but then I started to think. Those are just shadows. I love everything else about the photo. Why can’t I just get rid of the shadows. ENTER CLONE TOOL. Now I should stop for a second and say, I don’t think he looks angry…just a furrowed brow. 🙂
Okay, back to the clone tool. I took a screen shot so you can see which tool I’m talking about.
Since I’m all about being fast, the shortcut for this tool is S. Hold down alt and click what you want to cover up the area you are working on. So, in this case, I clicked on the area of his forehead above the shadows. Then click on the shadowed area (without holding alt down) to cover up the area. I like to use about a 30% opacity, so it looks natural. Then just keep going over the area, until all the shadows are gone. (oh and you’ll notice I used the same process to get rid of the scratch on his nose.)
Here’s the finished result. No furrowed brow, only inquisitive eyes. Photo saved!
Believe it or not, this blondie has an Asian background on his dad’s side! We took a few of him in a cultural outfit, that are just so cute.
The events that unfolded this week in Seal Beach have left us all a little shaky. Knowing that the future is uncertain. Wanting to hug our spouses and kids just that much tighter.
My heart aches for all the families affected. It makes me look at all these family photos from this week in a whole new light…
I’m so excited to be back at Rascals to Rebels for Halloween. Last year was a huge hit, so we’re doing it again! Bring your kids down to either the Rossmoor or Huntington Beach stores on the specified dates/times to be photographed in their Halloween costumes. It’s a great way to document something that so easily slips by. We get busy with trick-or-treating and night time photos just aren’t the best. I know so many of you make your kids’ costumes or special order them…so have fun and gets some cute pictures done!
Here’s the not-so-fine-print: It’s $20 for 3 digital images that will be emailed to you the day after the shoot. I will be choosing the best 3 images. You will own the rights, so you can print and share online. The backdrop will be the hand-painted gray that you see in these sample photographs. The kids must be in their Halloween costumes. But, don’t worry, I’ll be back in November to the stores for Holiday pictures!
It’s a drop by event, so you don’t need to sign up…just come by during the allotted times. Last year, the Huntington Beach store was a lot busier because of the fact that it coincides with the trick-or-treating event that the center does. If you’re looking to avoid a crowd, come by the Rossmoor store on Friday after school.
My friend Allyson lives up at Hume Lake and every time I visit her, I notice something new in her home. She brings the outside in…in such creative ways. This time I was intrigued by a wood disc she had on her kitchen counter. Inside was a mini topiary with a bird…such a sweet little display.
The wood disc is what makes it for me. And when you’re surrounded by trees, why not be creative and use them in your decorating!? All you need is a guy with a chain saw. No biggie, right? I mean for those of you that live in the mountains. Anyway, she removed the bark and cleaned it well and wah-lah. A cute round little wood disc to display seasonal goodies. I love the rustic quality of the the little bird in the nest. And how cute would this be to serve hor dourves? I can just picture a wedge of cheese and some grapes under that dome. So, if you’re lucky enough to live in the woods, slice yourself a piece of wood and get styling!
Brent doesn’t make a lot of requests. Over the last 15 years of marriage he has dutifully ate everything I put on the table. The beginning was a little rough, but you would never know it from the smiles and nods. I probably should’ve checked his napkin. My mom and my mother-in-law, countless church ladies, Martha Stewart and the Barefoot Contessa didn’t give up on me. I practiced my way through cooking dinners and making treats. So, when Brent asked if I’d make him his favorite Starbucks snack I was all over it. He loves the pumpkin scones that they start filling the counters with this time of year.
To be honest with you, when I started researching recipes, I had never eaten one. After 3 kids, I just can’t afford to be eating scones. Hello, calories. I started researching and ended up trying this recipe.
It was super easy…just dumping ingredients into the food processor. I made a little powdered sugar glaze because I thought I remembered Starbucks having a glaze on top of theirs. (We’ll re-touch on that subject in a bit.)
The hardest part was patting the dough into circles. Next time I want to do 4 smaller circles instead of 2 big circles. I love the petite scones that you see at Starbucks.
They turned out really good. A nice flavorful scone that wasn’t too dense. It wasn’t overly sweet either. They passed the Brent-test. THEN. Then, I asked him to bring me home a piece of pumpkin scone the next time he ordered one. I’ll just show you a side by side comparison. And this is the picture of the pumpkin scone off the Starbucks website. (They need to take better pictures, by the way.)
My sad little scone had frosting envy. What I remembered as a glaze was a full-on drench in frosting. PLUS some more pumpkin drizzle on top of the frosting. So, let’s just not tell my kids about the Starbucks version, okay?
Not to make the rest of the country jealous, but our southern CA weather is kind of amazing right now. I mean who has beach photo session after beach photo session…IN OCTOBER. It’s crazy. Especially for this Montana girl, who grew up with the first frost at the end of August. You better start packing up your shorts in July, because winter’s a comin’. Anyway, lucky us. We get to enjoy the sun for months on end.
In an effort to make the blog a little more interesting, I want to include a thought or two on how I shoot or the reasons why I do things. So, every Monday will be a ‘tip’ of sorts. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no expert. I explain it this way…I went to college to be a teacher, but the artist was knit inside my mother’s womb. 🙂 I come from generations of creative people and photography just happened to be how it manifested in me. I have a vision of what I want to create and the camera just happens to be the medium. I often refer to the camera functions as ‘thing-ys’ but it all makes sense in my head. 🙂 So, that’s the long disclaimer that you may roll your eyes at what I have to say, but if anything it will give you a glimpse behind the camera.
Kids are pretty easy to photograph. I’ve never had a kid ask me where they should put their hands. It might take them a minute or two to warm up, but once they do, they’re relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. When I want siblings to interact, my favorite method is hugs. Sometimes hugs are timid and gentle…other times they end in a pile of giggling children on the ground. When I ask kids to do something, it’s not so I can photograph the initial request, it’s so I can photograph the reaction that ensues.
So, whether you’re a photographer or a mom trying to get better pictures of your kids…be an instigator. Ask them to do something. Maybe it’s a hug, maybe it’s a kiss, a jump, a tickle…but get ready for the before and after. Those are the best and most authentic moments.
Here’s a few before, afters and in-betweens that I love.
