Maternity: Ms. E

Hello Friends!

Do you have friends that are just so gorgeous that when you see them you just want to photograph them?  I have friend-colleagues that are gorgeous but only one has been willing to let me photograph her.  C'mon you guys!  What gives?!  Let me photograph you, too! Yeah, I figure that if they read this here then I might shame them into letting me shoot them.  I'm sure it's apparent I love photography and will use whatever means at my disposal to get my friends to "willingly" model for me!   Sis, this includes you! ;-)

The gorgeous Ms. E is expecting a little boy within days of this post!  I asked her a couple of months ago to sit for me for some maternity shots.  She was shy about the shoot but agreed once I described my overall vision: natural environment, lots of white, and loose hair.  Basically, simple and romantic was the theme of the day.  We met up at a regional park near our homes a couple of weeks ago and had a fun time. Here are a few of my favorite images of the day. And yes, folks, she really is this gorgeous. Really.

This last image is my favorite.  Thanks Ms. E and Mr. M for letting me capture what is clearly a special loving relationship.  I look forward to meeting and photographing your little baby boy in the near future!

Until next time, 

--Carolina 

Lensbaby: Test 2

Hello Friends!

It's been pretty warm around here but every now and then I catch a hint of fall: a falling leaf, that certain crispness in the air. If that isn't enough to let me know that fall is around the corner the manic running around weekday mornings getting ready for work and getting my oldest ready for school proves it.  :-) Crazy hectic seems to be the unwanted motto in our household and boy can it be tiring!  

But I digress! A couple of weeks ago I posted my initial results with the Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic.  As I mentioned before the Lensbaby requires practice to get the results you're after. After shooting in manual on my Nikon for some time I figured I wouldn't have any problems using the Sweet 35.  Yeah, overinflated ego much?!  ;-)  Talk about humbling!  It's true that there is always something to learn and photography is no different. 

I need to take my own advise and begin to photograph inanimate objects but I am always drawn to photographing people. Usually the only people around are my two little ones and sometimes I have to entice them with a treat just to get them to stand still for me for a minute or two.  ;-)  C'mon!  Surely I'm not the only one to do this?!

Here are a few shots of my youngest taken with the Lensbaby Sweet  35 Optic. 

Yes, it's quite clear that I need practice. LOTS of it!  But for the most part I'm pleased with my overall results. With more practice I'm sure my results will improve. Especially if my bribes are tasty or fun enough to convince my little ones to stand still long enough! ;-)

Until next time, 

--Carolina

Out and About: Monterey

Hello Friends!

It seems that despite my love of lazy weekends I am rarely home on the weekends for a significant amount of time.  This may explain why I am so exhausted come Monday!  ;-)

We had guests from out of the country recently and so we made some special trips we might not have made otherwise.  Thank goodness for them!  ;-)  I promise to post photos of our guests at a later date. 

We made our way down to Monterey to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium and boy am I glad we did.  It is simply a spectacular place to visit and if you have children please find your way there!  They will love it and love you even more for it! At least that is how our oldest expressed his thanks for taking him there.  ;-) 

After spending several hours at the aquarium we made our way to the beach with a few stops on the way there. 

My youngest likes to make friends with both animate and inanimate objects. :-)

My oldest was feeling shy.

The boys really enjoyed being in the water. What is it about boys happy in water whether it's in sand or dirt?!  Messy boys make happy boys.  At least that's the case in our house.  :-)

We were able to get a few rare family photos!  :-)

I hope your weekend was equally fabulous and full of adventures!

--Carolina 

Out and About: San Francisco Embarcadero

Hello Friends!

We've had guests from out of town and I've loved having them here!  I will be incredibly sad when they leave.  :-(   More on them in a later post.   One thing I love about having guests is playing tour guide.  Well, as much of a tour guide as one can be with a three year old who has enough energy to power a whole office full of workers!  To his credit though, he has offered many moments of comedic relief.  ;-)

On one of our outings we took BART from the East Bay to the Embarcadero Waterfront in San Francisco and walked through the Ferry Building gawking (okay, only I gawked) at all the various vendors.  I made a stop Miette for a few macarons-- they were so incredibly tasty!  I love their rose flavored macarons.   So worth every dollar.

There is a vendor perhaps two doors down from Miette (sorry I didn't get the name) that has the most beautiful pottery.  The shapes are organic,  the products utilitarian,  they are earthy, and are available in the dreamiest colors.  -sigh-  So beautiful. 

We were with our two boys so when they spotted a free water exhibit at the Pier 39 Aquarium of the Bay we had to stop.  The boys thoroughly enjoyed building little rafts with rubber bands, wine corks, and bits of wood that they then floated down a winding "river".  My youngest in particular was absolutely excited.  :-)

My little jumping monkey made a play structure of each obstacle he came across. Each. Obstacle. Yep.  

The Exploratorium has several interactive exhibits outside along the Embarcadero.  The skateboard exhibit is particularly fun!

If you've stuck around to read this then you are awesome!  And thank you!  :-)

--Carolina

Out and About: Alameda Point

Hello Friends!

I am always scouting new locations for possible photo shoots. It's a bit of an obsession with me. I'll drive by a building and fall in love with an ornate column or a patch of grass with just the right amount of various greenery for a perfect portrait.  Never mind that the patch of grass is off a busy boulevard!  See?  It's an obsession!  ;-)

A couple of months ago I went to Alameda Point Antiques Fair and was intrigued by the abandoned buildings at the former Naval Air Station. There are many businesses and homes that are occupied but there are large buildings that appear uninhabited.  I was intrigued by the peeling paint on the exterior of these buildings and thought that these could make for an interesting backdrop for a photo shoot.  I went  with my mostly uncooperative model, my youngest, for a short walk around Alameda Point.

NOTE: This is my son's favorite t-shirt and he wears it often. He usually has it on when I happen to have my camera.  I promise you he has many other t-shirts!  ;-) 

I loved this art installation.  

May you not be tortured by the crazy urge to pull over to check out every potential photo shoot location!  ;-)

--Carolina