I finally made some time to edit the girls’ session. nevermind the bed isn’t made (so much for my facebook 25 random things #1 ). I didn’t make it yesterday or today. nevermind the girls’ hotdogs are sitting half eaten from lunch 3 hours ago. I made time to edit this session. I am going to blog it, all the while ignoring the feelings of inadequacy that rise up when I fail to perform in the domestic area of my life… I edited the session, am blogging part of it today. I shot this session with my girls so that I could create the sample session book that I added to my product line. I have a ton of gorgeous families that I could have used for the sample. But I tend to have A.D.D when it comes to my studio samples. So when I tire of this one, I can have it for keeps. Long after I need it for a sample book. so there.
this is part one of a few favorites of the girls TOGETHER! Absolutely hands down the hardest thing about shooting children’s portraits. sibling shots. but i got a few. and i love them. these are my babies.

charlotte always copies claire.

this sequence makes me smile…

I have this amazing session I shot 2 weeks ago of my girls. Every single time I sit down to edit this session I get distracted. So this morning I was working hard despite Charlotte pulling on my swivel chair screaming “ooh you hep me?” “mommmmyyyyy!!!! ooh you hep me?!!!” translation,  “will you help me?” I still don’t know what she wanted help with. But I decided at about the same moment the doorbell rang… she needed some attention. I open the door and low and behold… my new babies, just sitting there. I blow a kiss to the UPS man. (not really, but I was tempted). I sweep them up in my arms, scavenge for the scissors. Tear open the box and *sigh*

Quickly, this became a win win. Char needed some attention. And so did my new babies. So we went outside to play in the street. I was curious to see how the new 135 handled my not so beautiful street. So I slapped it on my new 5D mark II and…. i think i am going to keep her. She did a lovely job. Her bokeh, fabulous. These are mostly straight out of camera. It was cloudy and the AWB shot them a little too cool- so I adjusted the white balance in Lightroom. Do you love her? not char, but the 135?


and here is Char posing with her new sisters. I don’t know why she is taking her pulse.

while we were taking portraits, I decided my 50mm needed some lovin’ too. Isn’t she lovely?

Now, I didn’t play with the 35mm. Mostly because I am aware of its skilz. I have been drooling over it for a long time. My new friends Todd and Jamie convinced me that I needed to go ahead and splurge for the 135 too. In blind faith, I did. And I am so very glad.

For those of you that do not know, Chad and I went to Las Vegas last week for a photographer’s conference/tradeshow called wppi. Vegas was fun, the time change was HARD. Every single night was an exercise in will power… I wanted to curl up in the bed and sleep when the clock struck 9. Being without my french coffee press was tough too. But I must say- having Starbucks in the lobby wasn’t bad either. But still… nothing like my french press. If photography fails me, I will open a gourmet coffee shop featuring only french press coffee for snobs like myself.
BUT… having said all that- wppi was great. I met some really cool photographers. Inspiring artists. Learned a few tricks of the trade and met a few rock stars. (of photography). I purchased the new Canon 5D mark II and some new L glass. Found some great new products to offer my clients. But mostly, I was inspired to really examine my business. I’ve seen some areas that need tweaking. I have some areas that need a complete overhaul. So stay tuned and in the meantime, pray for us. (us- now means Chad and I). He is officially my business partner! God gifted him in ways that he did not gift me. And I actually LOVE that. So… anyway. More later on all that.
BUT NOW!!! I want to share some shots from the week. There are a lot that I am missing– once I bought the new 5d, Daniel confiscated my old 5D and so a lot of images are on his cards. We stayed at the MGM grand. In a deep corner of the place there was a lions’ den!!! What tha??! Kinda random. But super cool. I don’t care about the lions as much as this little cutie being held up inches from the lioness’ gigantic paw… see it to the left? that is glass they are laying on. Seriously? Funny how trusting we are.

the hotels are unlike ANYTHING in the world. I haven’t been many places in the world, but I still think this is true.
the venetian is made to appear as though you are outside in the streets of Venice.

the ceiling of… something. i don’t remember… it was like 9:00! I can’t think that late.

our travel partners…this little girl found her way in my purse so we let her hang with us.

the stancils. daniel and jessica. daniel has started his photography business a few months ago and went to glean from the rockstars too! these images were shot in the foyer of the MGM.


long taxi lines. but i love how this city is sooo lit up!
the last night we had dinner at the Venetian and Daniel took this of Chad and I. Chad doesn’t really smile like that. He thinks he’s being funny.

then we paid this lady big bucks for a 10 minute gondola ride.

but it was ok. cause felipe (prononced fe-leep long “e’s”) sung us lovely ballads as we floated along the river enjoying the lights of the city.

and it enticed Daniel and Jessica to show some PDA. Ewwww.

as we went deeper into the tunnel, the lights changed. (by the way- these were shot at 12,800 ISO!!!- for you tech junkies.)