Round and Round.

I had an INCREDIBLE session at Disneyland the other day with one of my besties, Claire, and her family. I'll blog more images from that session later. But for now, I just wanted to share this one.

When I got my first DSLR, I spent a LOT of time shooting at Disneyland. A LOT. It really helped me hone my skills and define my eye. So it holds a special place in my heart, not only because of the memories it holds for me as a child, or the fun I have there with my own children now, but because it helped me find this passion. So it was a special treat to shoot Claire's family there- because she has been so instrumental in allowing me to do this as well. She always lets me experiment and play, and I've learned so much with her support.

Here's a shot of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party ride (aka the Teacups) on a long exposure.

A personal touch.

I seriously LOOOVE when clients incorporate personal family items into their sessions with their kids! What better way to tie in past generations to this new life?

This is Mr. R, happily tucked into his grandfather's letterman jacket. I'm sure his grandfather will be so proud to have this image, a great representation of just a couple of his life's great accomplishments. :)

Diamonds in the rough. Sometimes, very rough.

It's true. They're not all gems, folks.

There are so many reasons why a photograph may not work. Maybe the client is uncomfortable or self conscious, maybe what they are wearing isn't working with the background, maybe I'm even off my game and the creative juices just aren't flowing. In fact, it's not uncommon for the first few shots of a session to be unusable. 'Slipper Shots' I call them.

You know how in the 50's, men would come home from a hard day's work in the office, and their little wife, in makeup and heels, would fetch their slippers? Or, was that the Golden Retreiver? I don't know- I've only seen it on old sitcom re-runs. Anyway- the slippers were always this transitional item- sort of symbolic of going from the stiff and respectable 'Work' image to the comfortable, relaxed, 'Home' image. So, sometimes it takes a few 'Slippers' to get into the groove. A forced smile, a stiff hand, a deer-in-headlights look. It's understandable. And kids tend to let go of those insecurities or ideas of forcing a look much easier. Honestly, I have more trouble with adult men! It's normal!

So don't worry if you're feeling awkward when we start out- I'll try to help you relax. (within reason, people. I'm not going to sing the ENTIRE sing library of Yo Gabba Gabba. ..... Okay, I might.) But once you can take a deep breath and just forget about everything else, we'll get some incredible stuff.

And, just for laughs, check out this page of some REALLY awkward photos. Anyone wanna re-create any of these, just to amuse me? Anyone? Okay, fine. :)

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/