Alright…not REALLY, I didn’t win first place or anything, but a fun story all the same… I attended the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) convention and entered a few prints into their international print competition….well - I’m proud to say that two of my prints scored high enough to be displayed at the show! I receieved two *Accolades of Excellence* it is so exciting to see my work hung amongst all these big international photo-superstars:) I heard (not verified yet) that there were over 3000 entries and approx 300 prints were chosen to hang - so I’m pretty happy.

WPPI in Vegas is always a crazy fun time - I get to hang out with all my talented photog-buddies and talk shop (Yes, and have cocktails…and play poker…and giggle into the night with my roomies..but I digress..) This year was especially busy - remember last fall’s smoking hot maternity sessions (Tina & Heather) Well….this time I got to photograph both new little babies plus another new family with an adorable girl…mixing 3 sessions into the convention craziness was challenging - but fun! I’ll post a sneak peek of the Vagas session later this week, but for now, wanna see my award-winning photographs?

Okay, since you asked….. (heehee) This first one is of two of my favorite little girls, I love their laughing little faces! This print is titled *Bed Bugs*:

and next we have my great big lummox of a puppy…this is my dog Luke (aka *love of my life*!) He is the happiest dog on the planet when we go to the beach, if you look closely you can see the reflection of the shoreline in his eyes….i love photographing dogs so much, but I have to admit that BLACK dogs can be very challenging to capture! I have this print BIG in my home, it is titled *Beach Boy*:

…and then just to be random…here is a cute moment I captured the other day:

AND, just because I’m feeling *chatty* - I’ll share a cute little BugBug story….so, we (Ali and I) are watching *American Idol* tonight and Brooke White comes on to sing *Every Breath You Take*…well, my sweet little princess KEPT saying (over and over) “Mommy -she’s so pretty - she looks like you!” You gotta love amazing compliments from 3 year olds! I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I’ve got 15 years and *!@$% pounds on Brooke - hey, if she wants to think I look that young and beautiful, who am I to correct her? I think I’ll just enjoy….

She’s not TOTALLY naive though, as I was putting her into bed I asked “Want me to sing to you like Brooke?” to which she repied “NO Mommy - don’t sing!” haha

Yes! It’s finally here! Every March I head to Vegas for WPPI, one of the biggest and best photography conventions around! I can’t wait to hang with all my old buddies, meet new people and tempt my wallet at the HUGE tradeshow - Ack! ( I’m planning on winning big in a photographers poker tourney on Sunday, so maybe I’ll have some spare cash!) This year, it’s a work/pleasure trip as I am shooting several sessions in Sin City. Anyone remember my two gorgeous Las Vegas maternity mommies-to-be from last fall? I get to meet/snuggle/photograph thier new little people - I can’t wait!

Sooooooo - if you NEED to get in touch with me these next few dasy - better call instead of email:)

And now, because no post feels *complete* without photos….this is for my Mom…

bugbug…

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Sooooo….Jake got this massive Star Wars Lego droid carrier thingy for his birthday, and he and Victor have had many a Friday-night-droid-carrier-building-evening since then….and FINALLY, they are done!!

Can I just say one quick thing about how HAPPY I am that the lego-building assistant job goes to the man of the house?? heehee. 1368 is a LOT of legos! The best part (for ME) is that Jake normally suffers from a little-known ailment called *photographer’s child syndrome*. This USUALLY makes him very un-cooperative when the camera come out. Lucky me, I’ve learned the secret!! Just live through several months of intense lego construction, and lo and behold, he is cured :) I have a camera-ready child!! (okay, okay, ignore the ripped jeans - I didn’t want to push my luck!)

the finished product:

setting up the scene…

the lego-buildging-dream-team…

…and one more, just to show off that precious little face :)

Every time I hear this song I get all teary. I think I’ve heard it a gazillion times now, so I’ve moved on from the choking sobs to the teary-eyed sniffles….it just *speaks* to me….probably because my own little Ali-bug LOVES to dress up as Cinderella. I picture my husband as the Dad in the song… ~~sniffsniff~~ Oh no - here I go again :) It just reminds me how much I love the photos of my children right now, while they are still little. How much and I going to CHERISH them later…(especially when they are eye-rolling teenagers!) My Dad didn’t live to see my wedding, so these types of songs always turn me into a big sappy ball of goo.

Here is a clip of Chuck Wicks just singing the song with his acoustic guitar. I like this version a lot more than the *actual* music video (but what the HECK does he keep doing with his eyebrows?????) If you’d like to see the *real* video you can click here.

Meet Noki. :) He is such an incredibly cute little man - I just looooove his cheeks - too adorable! I headed down to Manhattan Beach to photograph this family on Valentine’s Day, also known as the day mommy & daddy had first started dating TWENTY years ago…yes, I know, I know that doesn’t seem possible! Perhaps they were 7? I don’t know….all I know is that I had a blast photographing them! Here’s a peek at their session:

kisses from jake…

Manhattan Beach baby photographer, Manhattan Beach children’s photographer, Manhattan Beach lifestyle photography, beach photography, Los Angeles children’s photographer

I am VERY excited to share that I’ve been asked to present a 2 1/2 day seminar this summer at the Golden Gate School of Photography in northern California. The other instuctors are all SO impressive, I’m so flattered to be in such fantastic company! Here is a quick overview of the *other guys*: (haha - saving myself for last!)

Bob Davis, Canon Explorer of Light

Andre Costantini - Professional Lighting Techniques

Juli Cialone - Marketing & Sales

Paul Gero - Weddings

Dave Newman - Mastering Portraiture

Eliot Khuner/John Paulson -
Pro Photography Fundamentals

Kimberly Sayre - Album Design/Photoshop

….and then…there’s ME!!!
My class!!!

I’ve got all kind of fun stuff planned and great information to share…soooo…if you want to come play and learn with me - come on out!

jen :)

Just a quick note to say that if you were thinking about booking a session this spring - you should probably call sooner than later! :) (ha! that’s my tactful way of saying *you need to hustle*!)
March is completly booked up and I have just 4 appointments left for April :) The May calendar will open for booking on March 10, but for each month we have an interest list. If you know that you have family in town in July (for example) please let us know and we’ll put you on our interest list. AS we open each month for bookings, those folks on the list will have *first dibs*. Soooo- no obligation, but if you KNOW you’ll want an appointment in a specific month - let us know!

And because no blog post is complete without photos…let me share a few from my own personal 366 project. (366 project= a photo every day of 2008!) Here are a few from January….

Well now - its not very often that I get the call to photograph *grown ups*! Jamie called and asked if could photograph her sisters (and herself!) and it just sounded like too much fun to pass up! They were a blast! AS a special little *bonus* to me, Jamie’s daughters are so exceptionally beautiful AND sweet = we all had a lot of fun!

Joely (the *little* sis) is pregnant with baby #1! I hope she’ll let me come out to Arizona to photograph her baby! I loved this belly shot!

Santa Clarita family photographer, Valencia photographer, Valencia children’s photographer

Some wonderfully generous photographers have banded together and are holding an auction to benefit Thirst Relief International, a charity that helps provide fresh drinking water to areas that need help. Learn more about Thirst Relief here. If you are a photographer and you want to bid (but if you outbid me on my faves, I’ll be mad!!!) visit the auction site and click on the Thirst Relief banner.

These *superstars* of photography are auctioning off private mentoring sessions, a one-on-one chance to learn from the best in the biz. I am bidding up a storm!! I hope I win a bunch, I couldn’t imagine a better way to expand my photography and business knowlegde, while helping an incredible charity at the same time! Last year I was away from my computer at the end, so I didn’t *win* any of my favorites and I was very sad ~~sniff~~

This year, I am in it to winit!!
Want to know who I’m bidding on?? Most of the photog are wedding *rockstars*, and we all know I don’t shoot weddings - but there is still so much to learn from them!

Okay, right now I am WINNING these auctions!

Gary Fong Gary’s blog Gary shot my wedding back in 1999!! He was honestly the reason I became a photographer - I just loved how much joy and passion he felt and I wanted to be that fulfilled!! He has since gone on to become one of the MOST RESPECTED and ADMIRED photographers ever, plus he’s a business and marketing genius.I love love love my job - and I have him to thank for inspiring me! Last year his mentoring session went for almost $7000 ~~gulp~~ so I’m not confident I’m going to WIN, but I’m trying!

Laura Novak Laura’s site Laura is a great wedding AND portrait photographer - and she is the owner ofStrategy Avenue a business resource site for photographers. I’m always looking for ways to improve my own business, and I know that sitting down with LAura would be immensly helpful to me!

Becker Becker’s blog So Cal wedding photographer and marketing genius. I’m loving his daily videos on the [ b ] schoolI **KNOW** a 90 minute seesion with [ b ] would yield all kinds of cool new ideas (and maybe even improve my poker skills :)

I’m a little crazy today! I’m in the lead for Jeff & Julia Woods, Vicki Taufer, and Sarah Petty, all very successful, very amazing portrait shooters! Yay for me!

Wish me luck!!!!

ah. Time to stop being a blog-slacker.

Let’s take a brief jump back in time to last month :) Lily is one of my favorite little girls, she is always such a bundle of energy, full of silliness and just a lot of fun! Now she has taken on a new role, that of big sister!! This was my first time to meet Sara - and in addition to being beautiful she was just a happy little pumpkin…..

Alrighty, not a traditional portrait, but very much a *sign of the times* right now especially here in Southern California!

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I don’t know what they are putting in the water in Vegas - but ALL the future mommies I am fortunate enough to photograph are just amazingly beautiful!!! Meet Heather - she is just as sweet as she is pretty…. (okay, okay, Mark is pretty darned cute too!)…but who stole my heart???? Their big lovable pretty-girl Carrera - she was such a love sponge!!!

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Gosh I just love these girls! I’ve been shooting Jordan since she was 10 months old - her eyes are to die for - this is my second time to shoot her little sis Alex, and boy, has she grown! Last tim eshe was such a wee little thing - now she’s a gorgeous smiley munchkin! I didn’t really see the *family resemblance* between big and little until we went outside -then Alex looked up at me with those baby blues and I was brought right back to her sister at her age. They are the *incredible eyes* family (Mommy’s got ‘em too!)

Santa Clarita children’s photography, Valencia photographer, Valencia family photography, Santa Clarita baby photos