Otis the Wonderfloof

A month or so ago, my friend squuueeed with excitement when she saw the colored powder pet portraits by photographer Jessica Bell. Her doggo, Otis, has been in training for a while now with the goal of becoming The World’s Goodest Boy. Which is to say, he knows commands like “stay”, “forward”, and can jump with a fair amount of athleticism.

All that was missing was the powder, right???

This weekend, we carved out some time to play. There was, I admit, a steep learning curve. Figuring out the lighting, the time values on my camera, and the timing in general was an exercise in patience. There are definitely things I would do differently / better the next time I try it. But damn was it a lot of fun. And the most important lesson I learned yesterday?

Otis the Wonderfloof was, most definitely, The Goodest Boy. ❤

A Lovely Surprise

Melissa & Nick Got Engaged!

Let me tell you a little story about love…and surprises… hence the title of the post.

My friend Melissa, who I have known forever who is like family to me, who is also my second shooters for wedding, engagement and most portrait shoots asked me to take a few photos of her and her long-term boyfriend Nick.  They didn’t have any recent photos and as I’m sure you would all concur, photos of your loved ones are a precious thing that you can never have enough of. (If you’re interested in learning more about our portrait shoots, email us at seespotsphoto@yahoo.com.)

We set a date, which happened to be only a few days after I had knee surgery.  My guy, Sean, graciously agreed to help carry light stands and camera bags and such.  Melissa pulled double duty by being both subject and assistant, setting everything up at each location since I was on crutches.

M & N

The theme for the shoot was rustic/outdoors-y, which as strong hikers, bikers and dog walkers, was a true reflection of their personalities.  So, we found some colorful leaves and an old barn, and went to it.

Now, as I mentioned, I was on crutches, only a few days post-op and I only had so much strength that day.  I did as many series as I could before I started to feel tired.  During the last pose (in which their dog Hope wrapped them up in a leash), Nick surprised us all by pulling a ring out of his pocket and asking her to marry him!

All Wrapped Up

Nick got an A+ for picking the right time to ask.  She was doing something she loved (photos) with people she loved and now has pictures so she will never forget it.  I’d say it was a successful shoot, wouldn’t you? 😉

A Valuable Lesson

The Rocky Shore – Sand Dollar Beach, CA

So just this week, I was reminded that as a pro-photog, there is no such thing as a fluff photo post.  I’ve been shamed by David Pasillas Photography, and I’m grateful for it. 🙂

As you all know, I just got back from a great photo trip with David (and our friends Monica and Beth)…it was a jam-packed few days full of a bunch of great photo opportunities.  Despite it being a little chilly (it SNOWED in the desert!!), the trip was fantastic.  There will be many Cali photos in the coming weeks.

So…what’s this business about a fluff post?  Well…on the FB, I posted a quick photo album for friends and family including a shot or two of David hard at work.  What does he go and do??  Total one-upper.  He posts this gorgeous photo of me, quite possibly taking the image you see at the beginning of this post.

SSP, hard at work! (Courtesy of David Pasillas Photography)

SHAMED!  I mean, really.  As soon as I saw this, I wish I had put a little more effort into bracketing a few shots of him. haha

So, in an effort to not be completely out-done, I sprinkled a little photoshop magic dust on this shot of him.  If it weren’t for the blown out sky, I’d be pretty darn happy with it. haha

David Pasillas Photography, hard at work!

So the moral of the story??  If you’re going to do something, do it right.  Measure twice, cut once.  Work smarter, not harder!  <insert other appropriate saying here>

Happy Thursday, friends! 🙂

It’s a Portrait Kind of Weekend

Model: Beth

Running a photography business is work!  There are calls to make, emails to send, insurance to procure, blogs to write…  It’s a 9-5er, on top of the 9-5er I already have.  One thing it’s not though is a chore, tedious, boring, bothersome or frustrating.

Hmmm…I guess that’s five things. =)

The point is, I love photography.  I never want to get the point where it becomes ‘just a job’ and to ensure that, I live for “fun nights”.  These are the sort of nights where creativity flows like wine.  Wine also flows, if we have it. Haha

They are nights where I can renew my love for the art or photos, where I can feel inspired, learn and try new techniques without having to worry if it will fit a client’s agenda.  They are, just as they sound, fun.

Saturday night I had a beautiful model, more clothing than we knew what to do with and several hours on our hands.  Our only agenda was to create. I’d say we used it productively!

Make the time to appreciate your art.  Love what you do. ❤ Photo. ❤