Greer + Bryan = Bryce [Wenatchee family photography, newborn]

While not quite a newborn at 2 months old, the very gentlemanly Bryce was just a peach to photograph today. His parents, Greer and Bryan, were equally wonderful to work with and I am happy to report another successful session of capturing a little bit of family magic. I kid you not, tears came to my eyes while photographing them, noticeably so, leaving me to explain to my new friends that I am NOT a basket-case, really, I just get overcome with emotion sometimes, seeing families interact and sharing that little je ne sais quoi that makes them so THEM. Unique in that combination that only those people at that point in time can be. I'm sure Bryan thought I was a loon, wiping tears from my eyes as I shot them, but so be it. It's one of the reasons I love what I do, to capture a glimpse, however brief, of that bond that families have. The inside jokes and running commentary that makes them them. Glad I got to share just a little and make these images for them. Welcome to the world, Bryce!

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. We recently got a new couch, which led to a bit of a reorganize of the living room that exposed MORE WALL FOR HANGING ART. Yay! I was running out of wall space. This is a decent sized piece (13x25) listing my all time favorite music artists. The ones I've loved for years and imagine I always will. I'll be that grandma still listening to Eminem.
2. Had a two-family back-to-back mini-mini session last weekend. Quick way to get a few "Christmas card photos" without all the time requirements of a full session. I've shot both of these families before and it's always nice to see everyone and be amazed at how big the kids are getting!
3. Did you hear that this new Coke can, which donates part of the proceeds to helping Polar Bears, is being pulled because people complained it looked too much like the Diet Coke can? Are you kidding me? An absolutely gorgeous design that is being used for good, for the benefit of such an amazing creature that can surely use our help and that's all being scrapped because it confuses all the poor coke drinkers? I LOVE Coke -- grew up on it and think it kicks Pepsi's ass, but if it takes me a whole second longer to PAY ATTENTION and grab the right can to benefit something besides myself, then I'll do it. I'm equally pissed that people are so self-centered that they complained about their inability to read the can and also that Coke caved in and pulled the cans. Sure hope they still donate an equal amount without people purchasing the official can. (And I also think it's stupid that an organization capable of donating big money only does so if we jump through their hoops. You wanna' help the Polar Bears, just help them already.)
4. Have you heard of Pinterest? I'm sure you probably have, it's like a virtual bulletin board, where you can "pin" and categorize anything. Anything you find or see on the web, or that you can upload from your computer. The pin links back to the original site, so you can always get back to that information for later reference. Love the convenience of knowing "I saw it somewhere...." really is somewhere I can find again. Yummy recipe? It'll be in my "I want to taste this" board. Awesome DIY? It'll be in my "I want to make this" board. Easy-peasy. I've been on Pinterest for quite awhile and have quite a few boards -- so if you want to see them, just follow me.
5. I tried to make these adorable rainbow cupcakes for Indie's birthday this week. (Found them on Pinterest!) From the get-go, I had problems. But, I kept going and...ended up with a LOT of half-assed looking cupcakes. I wanted perfectly flat tops, not the domed, rounded cupcake tops I usually get. First batch were hugely rounded. Made a second batch, using my own brain to try and solve the problem. They were about half as round. Went to the internet to try and solve the problem and ended up with a third batch that was pretty flat, but when I tried to make them totally flat, using one of the tips I found online, all the tops ripped off. Sigh. Started a 4th batch, no kidding, and they weren't much better. I finally gave up and we had a TON OF CUPCAKES all over the kitchen. Fine if we were having a huge party. However there are only 4 of us here to eat them. Went to frost them and about half-way in realized I didn't have all the ingredients. So I winged it and the frosting, while tasting pretty good, had an odd consistency. The next day I added the white frosting "clouds" and went to the the store to buy the rainbow candies used for the rainbows. And after several stores, realized I was not going to have rainbows. I bought some "Fruit by the Foot" fruit snacks, because they were the closest things I could find. I quickly discovered they were too flimsy to hold the arc shape. But still, I soldiered on. Finished ALL THOSE CUPCAKES only to wake up in the morning (the actual birthday day) to find all the rainbow-fruit-by-the-foots had collapsed and the colors had bled into the blue frosting, which had also turned into an even weirder consistency. I can bake, really, but I do not know what gremlins were afoot in my kitchen this week. Luckily the taste-good gremlins still allowed them to taste REALLY GOOD, despite their ridiculous appearance (much worse than the in-progress photo here, because I refused to take their picture after they got so silly.)

Model material :) [Wenatchee photography + design]

A few more images of my daughter. I mentioned earlier she is thinking of modeling. She has the height and is interested in the fashion industry. She recently entered a contest where she had to make a fashion related video for JCPenny and Seventeen magazine. The top 10 videos were chosen by Seventeen and then voted on by the public. She was one of the top ten picked and then ended up 6th and won an iPad. She was pretty happy, to say the least. Next, she entered the "E! Live from the Red Carpet with Adrianna Papell" contest where she had to design a red-carpet dress and, again, the top entries were chosen and will be voted on. She was one of the chosen entries so that voting window begins Monday on Facebook. If chosen her dress will actually be made and worn.

Anyway, all that background to say I am proud of her for continuing to do what she can to further her interest, even when she doesn't always have the same opportunities as others may have (because we don't live in a metropolitan area). She does what she can, when she can, and has never given up on continuing her interests.

We've been working on a portfolio over the summer and had another shoot last weekend. These are a few of those shots.

Zavala family [Wenatchee family photography]

Another session with my "clients" turned friends, the Zavalas. They are moving to Austin, TX in only a few days and I already know I'm going to miss seeing them every couple months. Happily, we have plans for me to fly out and visit this winter and celebrate Asher's first birthday. Can't wait! We're even squeezing in one last session in a couple days, the day before they move.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

Boy, I've been absent from here. No apologies though, life happens. STUFF happens. Just because you haven't seen any evidence of me though, doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Like. A. Bee. Or a beaver? Which is busier? Whichever it is, I think I have them topped this last couple o' months.

My first born, pride AND joy, baby girl (who's TWENTY, O-M-G!) moved to Seattle to go to culinary school at the Seattle Culinary Academy to study "Specialty Desserts and Breads." Hello, can you say "sign-me-up-as-a-taste-tester?"

I started a new personal project, because I don't have ENOUGH to do...Called "Friday 5ive: A collection of observances." It will be just that. A bit of photography mixed with design, maybe mixed with some random blathering on things I have OBSERVED or that have occurred to me. Words and pics and all the goodness that entails, summed up nicely (or not-so-nicely) on a Friday.

This week:

1. This is a BIG, awesome, graphic poster I made for that 20-year-old-pride-and-joy mentioned above (and in number 5, below.) She is the brand new renter of a cute little studio apartment on Capitol Hill (in Seattle) with big hopes of being modern and graphic and hip and cool and all that jazz that comes with having your own place for the first time. I wanted to create something to fit that bill for her, so she came up with some of her favorite song lyrics (from her self-proclaimed "hubby" and hot frontman, Adam Levine) and I turned them into this very cool, very BIG, piece for her wall. I LOVE the graphic feel of black and white and WORDS.
2. Can you believe someone who has been working as a graphic artist and photographer for OVER TWENTY YEARS has never had herself a business card? Crazy, I know, what?? Oh, I design them all the time, but I never have them printed. Never needed to, to be honest, business is just fine, thank you. But, I got tired of saying "I don't have a card" and so finally crossed this of the old "to do" list recently. The back is my favorite wacky duck photo that is frequently seen on my website and blog.
3. This family is moving and taking a little piece of my heart with them. But, they are going somewhere they really are excited about AND they are flying me out to continue shooting them this winter. Yay, so looking forward to warm Austin, TX in January when it's a thousand degrees below zero in Wenatchee. This little guy will be turning 1 when I'm there and it's the perfect conclusion to our year together of documenting his entire first year.
4. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is coming to Wenatchee. And, as I have had the honor of doing for many years, I got to design all their promotional material. Posters and banners and t-shirts, OH MY! Please don't miss this, if you're at all interested. The cast is HUGE this year (180+) and tickets will go super fast, with those adoring family members and fans snapping them up. The Wenatchee School District does an OUTSTANDING job with each and every production they do and this will be no exception.
5. I have been going to Seattle every single weekend for weeks and weeks, trying to help pride-and-joy girl, above, find that very special apartment. We have had a load of fun walking the streets of downtown together, her and I, and I will always treasure that time now that she is out on her own and I survived the minor mental breakdown I almost had when I realized that, "yes, your children do eventually move out and it is heartbreaking." I miss her like you can't imagine and am equally happy and excited for her. Such a salty/sweet combination. Love you baby girl.