What, you say? No postings for a week? I know, I probably should have warned you, but between back to back weddings last weekend and then a redeye flight across the country to relatively little internet access, there just wasn't time!
Why, you say? Well, if you're new to this blog, you might not know about Beach Week, but it is an annual family tradition on my mother's side where each year (and this is the 29th consecutive year), that we flock to the beach usually in Garden City, SC and hang together for a week. In one house. No matter what.
**A sidenote--it's possible that this was the 30th year and we missed the big anniversary. It seems that nobody remembers the actual year of the first one. Nobody seems to remember their ages either--how convenient.**
Anyway, Beach Week is one of the few certainties in life, and this year was no exception. It always has it's ups and downs and this year was no exception.
Ups included:
--Jeff did not have to share a room with bunk beds with my brother this year now that we're married and all. He and my brother could potentially put this in the "down" category, they seemed to rather enjoy it last year
--The weather and water were awesome
--I only got a sunburn on the last day so I wasn't miserable for the whole week
--There was a new baby there this year
--The three little girls (9, 9, and 6) learned to play Mah Jongg, so we were never for lack of a 4th
Downs included:
--Steven won the scrabble tournament....again
--Nana was unhappy with the structure of the annual poker tournament and left in protest
--We lost power the last day for a little while due to nasty thunderstorms
--I didn't win as many tickets at the local arcade as I usually do. I was kinda off my game this year
But in all, a successful beach week! Plus, I do think it's quite remarkable to get 15-20 people to commit to this vacation every single year. It's inconvenient, dramatic, and at times, exhausting, but I think we'd all agree that there's no way we'd miss it barring an extreme emergency!
This year, for the first time ever, I didn't open my computer except for absolute necessities (and since there was really no internet anyway, it didn't much matter). It was kind of nice to unplug and just BE for a bit, but after the previous week of blogging every day, there were a few times I was itching to get back to it! I also didn't shoot a single picture until the last day or two, which was really nice as well. I mostly concentrated on the babies--since they are the second and third children in their respective families, I figured they needed a little more attention :)
Here's a glimpse for you (with a small trip down memory lane for comparison sake):
This is the new little cousin, Eli:
Eli's dad is my cousin Steven. Steven has won the past four years of Scrabble tournaments, and he won again this year. It is super annoying that he keeps winning--I really need to practice this year to take it down next year. Here he is winning in 2007:
And here he is winning this week. Notice he is wearing the same shorts (he only seems to own the one pair). His attitude hasn't improved much either:
This is Addison, the youngest of the three girls my cousin Kenny and his wife Lisa have. She is so cute, and as a third baby, doesn't have enough photos. She was super tired in this one, but I love it anyway:
Her normal personality is just so happy and sweet! She's such a good baby:
It was a wonderful week, and I'm so glad I took a few days to recharge and relax! I have a very busy few weeks coming up with LOTS of travel including weddings in:
-St. Thomas
-Santa Barbara
-Wyoming
-Houston
-Moscow (!!!)
-Maui
-Palm Springs
I can't wait, but it's going to be quite a whirlwind in the next few weeks! I'm loving blogging more though, and since I'll be posting so much more, feel free to leave a comment with what you want to see here--on the days where I'm at a loss for what to post, it will be nice to have some ideas to pull from!
Ask Me Anything: 1 Thu. August 5, 2010 photographers
One of the things I'm going to try to do a little more often here is post answers to some questions I get frequently. You might not know this, but every day, I post and interact on my FACEBOOK PAGE! From now on, I'd love it if instead of emailing questions, you would post them in the DISCUSSION area there so that the answers can help others too. Questions that lots of people seem to want to know about will get posted here and discussed sometimes too :)
Anyway, yesterday I was thinking about some questions I get asked frequently, and I figured, why not answer a few! So here we go:
Q. What lenses do you use?
A: I am a die-hard Canon prime lens user. The reason is that I find them so much sharper, faster, and easier to use than the zoom lenses. The images have a quality to them that I just never see with prime lenses. Right now, I think the Nikon cameras are better, but I just can't give up those gorgeous Canon lenses. If you ever see me shooting you'll see that I have a Shootsac and a few lenses that never leave my side. They are:
50 1.2: This is probably my favorite lens of all time--it's my go-to for portraits, details, and "money shots"
35 1.4: A relatively new addition to my bag, the first time I used it, it was LOVE! Great for the family photos, bridal party, getting ready, ceremony, and half room shots.
24 1.4: I use this lens for pretty much ALL party/dancing photos and wide ceremony and room shots.
100 2.8L: I just got this lens a few months ago and it is INSANE! It blows the older version of it out of the water. I use it for ring shots, small details, invitations, and it's quickly replacing my 70-200 for long shots as well.
Those are my main lenses. At any given time, I have one on my camera, and three in my Shootsac.
Q: Do you use fill flash, reflectors or other lighting in your outdoor photos?
A: The short answer is, "No", I do not. There is no flash or reflectors used in any outdoor photo you have ever seen on this blog. Years ago when I was first starting out, I was taught how to light outdoor photos for fill and balance. Over the years, my style evolved to use the light available to me, which was a better fit for me with the way I shoot. Since I shoot so quickly and on the fly, I don't want to take the time to set up lighting, so I look for spots where the lighting is already how I want it. No flashes, reflectors, or other lighting are used in any of my outdoor portraits.
Q: Did you go to photography school? Should I go?
A: I find it so hard to answer this question! No, I did not go to photography school, and aside from one class in high school, never took classes. I worked as an associate photographer for four years for another studio when I was first starting out, which is where I learned camera mechanics, how to use and read a light meter, and what to do when I showed up at a wedding. Nowadays, there are TONS of classes, workshops, and forums available to teach you those things much faster! For me though, getting to work as a photographer and not have the responsibility of a business to run myself was invaluable. I think it is safe to say that I wouldn't have a successful business right now if I hadn't had a front row seat to seeing how someone else ran their business, learning both things that were good to do and things that weren't.
I can't tell anyone whether or not they should go to photography school, but I can tell you this--you should educate yourself somehow. If you plan to start and run a photography business, you need information both on photography and on business, not one or the other. I think there are many ways to get this knowledge, and the "how" isn't so important!
And because everyone knows that posts are boring with no photos, here's a shot from the Utterly Engaged party I shot the other night styled by Grey Likes Weddings with desserts by the incomparable Melody of My Sweet & Saucy:
A Library Themed Wedding Shoot Mon. August 2, 2010 i do
Happy Tuesday! Since we're now in August and since August is the last month that can really be considered Summer pretty much everywhere, I want to post really fun, summery looking things all week!
This shoot was a little styled concept shoot that I worked on with two of my faves, Megan Gray of Honey & Poppies who did the design and flowers and Erica Obrien who did the desserts! Also props to Stacy Bisel for her stellar job on the makeup.
Even though styled shoots can be a little unrealistic to pull off at a real wedding, I think this one has so many great ideas that are actually do-able for a really cute, chic, adorable summer wedding! Monica and Joshua are a real life engaged couple, which made this shoot SO MUCH FUN to do! They got to practice for their big day, and I got to practice shooting a fantastic hip, sweet couple!
I don't often get to shoot a bride helping a groom get ready: :)
I think Monica is going to be a STUNNING bride, no?
Megan did a fab job with the flowers!
She also did the invitations--they have such a bright, artistic, handmade feel to them:
This setup has to be one of my all time faves. For an English major, what could be better than being surrounded by books?
The shoot took place at a gem of a location that even had a little orange grove! Fresh flowers and adorable pillows accented the ceremony area:
I loved the different pillows and fabrics on each chair:
Strawberry plants, books, and cute wallpaper, oh my!
Seriously, how could this be cuter?
Other than to be like this:
And this:
This couple is just so dang cute!
First kiss:
Yay, almost married!
Something about this one just gets me:
And this one:
The table setup was so fresh and fun! A flowy table cloth, some bright yellow flowers, a bowl of berries, a jug of milk, and a little cake: perfection!
Even the glasses were darling. And look at that napkin!
I want this photo to hang in my house--I might have to frame it:
Ahhh, don't you just want to take a bite?!
Megan is SO CREATIVE! Look at how she did the table numbers. They must have taken her ages, but wow, what a crazy cool effect!
That orange grove makes a sweet couple stand out:
Who wouldn't sneak a few bites of the cake?
Awww :)
Erica always does an incredible job with her cakes. She can come up with something to suit any style, and in a delicious way!
Another book display from Megan. Megan, please come do a project at my house!
Carrying the bookshelves and books theme throughout the whole area:
Cuteness :)
I just love this couple! They are so cute and natural together, and so photogenic!
And so in love:
A little funny, and a little sweet:
Did I mention cute?
Calm:
And happy!
Girls, thanks for such a fab shoot, and brides, I hope you can take some inspiration from this little concept!
I've been having some thoughts about parenthood lately. Maybe it's being married and I know that it's probably the next step, or maybe it's that many of my close friends have had kids this past year or two and watching them transform into parents has been a completely amazing experience, but it's definitely on my mind.
It just seems like so much responsibility!! The complete, 100% putting your own goals, desires, and impulses on hold for another person--when I think of it, I'm overwhelmed by the magnitude of its implications on my life.
So we decided to get a dog as a preliminary trial to see if we'd be cut out for kids. Strike that--Jeff totally is. To see if I would be cut out for it. Kind of like some people get a plant before they get a dog. My plants never survive, by the way.
This wasn't a decision we entered into lightly, in fact, we waited, ironically, almost nine months before we were able to bring her home, a squirmy little three month old puppy. Instantly, our lives changed (and so did our Vegas plans for that weekend). Since then, pretty much every decision we make now has another factor to it, another life we need to consider before we plan our travel, our outings, and our schedules.
Last week, if you follow my FACEBOOK or TWITTER, you might have seen that Acey was sick. Like, wouldn't pick up her head to look at me, puking and pooping, really really scary SICK. Jeff was gone all week at a workshop up north of LA, so it was on me to take care of her. I was, no joke, freaking out. I probably called the vet ten times, took her there three times, called our breeder, our friends, and someone I barely know COMPLETELY panicked.
I felt so helpless! I couldn't make her happy! I couldn't make her eat! She wasn't going to make it through the night!
I made Jeff come home from his workshop one of those nights--she perked up as soon as she saw him. He's reassuring like that.
She made a full recovery, and I managed to give her the pills the doctor sent home with me and get some food into her. I felt like a queen! (it was just a puppy flu, the doctor said).
Some people just have that natural instinct about how to be parents--they're built for it, and they know it. I think Jeff is one of those people. Just look at this Saturday morning at my house (how did I get this lucky??):
But you know what? I made it! I took care of her, I cleaned up puke even though I find it repulsive and the mere thought of it makes me want to heave, and I loved her back to health (well, that and the pills).
Maybe someday, when the day comes, I won't be so bad at parenthood either :)
Here's what you'll need for a project like this (reupholstering chairs and refinishing the table):
At least six cans of really good quality high gloss spray paint. Spray paint is WAY easier for a job like this, it goes on smoothly and saves you literally days of work brushing paint into every little crevasse (total cost, $25):
-I got one yard of fabric for each chair cover which was more than needed (total cost: $35)
-A staple gun for attaching the fabric
-Good quality fabric scissors for cutting the ends of the fabric once it was attached
-A power screwdriver to remove and reattach the cushions
-Drop clothes to spray paint on (the paint goes really far! also wear rubber Yugloves)
And most importantly, a friend that knows what they're doing (thanks Renee)!
Renee's parents helped us drag everything out in the garage to see what we would be dealing with:
Yup, it was as bad as I feared--even uglier in the daylight:
The spray painting itself was a little messy, therefore, no photos of the actual process. It was VERY easy though--it only took about two hours for all four chairs and the table. There's an art to spray painting--don't get too close, go slowly to avoid drips, and change paint cans when it starts to get drippy)
Once everything was painted, we started the upholstery. Basically, we had the fabric store cut the fabric into one yard pieces. You flip the cushion over and start pulling the fabric tight around the back, stapling as you go. Take VERY VERY SMALL pieces of the fabric at a time and do this, especially around the corners to avoid wrinkles.
We ended up calling for reinforcements--Renee's mom Karee came by to help us with the finishing touches. She's a pro!
And...TADA! The finished result (Of course I color corrected the "after" photos. Everyone knows that you have to color correct the after photos to make the reveal better. Thanks all you weight loss ads for teaching me that!):
It's amazing what a coat of paint and some color can do:
It took this dining room table from the sore spot in my house to something actually livable while I save for a new table! Since my total budget for this project was just about $50, I feel very good about the result. Next I'll be getting a rug, some real table decor, better lighting, and some other unique touches for the walls. I'll keep you posted on the progress!
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my life
