Posts Tagged ‘glamour’
I realize it’s been two weeks since my last blog post-I know I’m slacking but it’s been a crazy two weeks. There are so many things going on in my house that I’ve had to take a step back and find ways to manage my time to get anything done. I’m in a blogging rut so today I’m jumping back in with something a little different.
20 random facts about me you may or may not have wanted to know…
1. Red is my favorite color. Of all time. I plan to add a lot more red to my house decor and love wearing it. Ironically I’m allergic to red food coloring.
2. Chocolate is my Kryptonite. I have a hard time resisting a good piece of chocolate. If you want to get on my good side bring me some dark chocolate Bordeaux from See’s Candy. Or a piece of Chocolate Stout Cake from Rock Bottom. I’d even be happy with a Dove chocolate bar. Right now I kinda wish I hadn’t given up sweets for Lent, craving some chocolate right now. Somebody save me some Samoas for Easter!
3. I met my husband when I was 5 and he was 6. My mom babysat him and his brothers and we became great friends. We’ve been married almost 7 years now; it’s crazy to think I’ve known him for more than 21 years!
4. Before I thought photography could actually become a career I thought about attending culinary school. I love cooking from scratch and creating new recipes or tweaking recipes to my taste which is why I struggled with baking for so long-you kinda have to be more precise there. The idea of standing for hours on end with knee and hip issues didn’t sound appealing so instead I spoil my family. Maybe someday I’ll open a restaurant.
5. I hate cleaning. There, I said it. There is a pile of clean clothes on the couch and mounds of dirty clothes taking over my bedroom right now as we speak. I don’t like cleaning bathrooms at all and can’t wait to hand that one off to my kids 
My kitchen is generally the cleanest room in the house, it’s just easier to cook when everything is clean. I need to find some latex-free gloves for cleaning, especially dishes-floating food in the dishwater makes me queasy when it touches my hands.
6. I find it impossible to sit still. Yup, I’m the one that bounced their foot and drove you crazy in class, it drives my husband up the wall. This is the reason I don’t like bubble baths, I don’t find it relaxing to just lay there, I need to be doing something.
7. Even though I was born in a teeny tiny town in Northwest Missouri and have lived a few other places, I’ve been in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix for those that aren’t from here) since before I started kindergarten. I still hate the heat in the summers and become a hermit to avoid it. That might be why I’m so pasty, well that and the fact that I burn very easily. The term “dry heat” bugs me, 115F is unbelievably hot no matter the humidity level.
8. I usually listen to country music (love me some Wranglers even if my husband won’t wear them 
) but I enjoy *most* music. I like to sing along-be warned I am not good-so if I can’t sing to it I won’t listen to it.
9. I know how to drive a stick shift (manual transmission) and actually prefer it. I think it’s a control thing.
10. I’m not a bandwagoner (if that’s even a word). I like being different, unique, weird whatever you call it. I tend to not follow trends as much and try to stick with what makes me happy. Which explains why I don’t shoot Nikon or Canon and I happily use my custom built PC, not that there is anything wrong with the others they just don’t feel right to me.
11. I like being barefoot, a lot. I hardly ever wear shoes at home and if I can I’ll kick off my shoes wherever I am. I wear flats to my sessions partly so I can take them off and work barefoot. I can’t say it’s never caused me problems (stubbed toes, thorns, cuts, etc) but it’s something I never grew out of from my childhood.
12. I love reading. If it’s a good book, I get absorbed and lose all sense of time. But I don’t read what you’d expect. I’ve never even touched a Twilight book *gasp* and the only magazines I read are photography related. Currently I’m working on getting through all of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series and I just read Family feasts for $75 a week by Mary Ostyn.
13. I love being a mom to my 2 boys but I’d love a daughter. There is nothing like the love a boy has for his mommy but I love all the frilly little outfits and I just don’t see my boys letting me put them in dresses Besides I’d love to have a relationship like the one I have with my mama.
14. I crack my knuckles-it’s a bad habit but I can’t seem to get rid of it. I blame the boys that I hung out with in 3rd grade that taught me that one in my attempt to fit in with them instead of the mean girls.
15. I love veggies! If they’ve got butter and salt on them I’ll try them for sure. There are very few foods I don’t like and I will try *most* foods once, something about the heads still on there freaks me out-I don’t like my food looking at me.
16. My goal is to have a studio location hopefully by the end of this year, if not next year. I’m tired of working from my desk at home where it’s hard to make myself separate work hours from family hours. And while I LOVE working outdoors in the natural light, it would be nice to have a space dedicated to use during the blazing heat of the summer and for my clients that would rather not be outdoors.
17. I love to write and draw/doodle. I have two books in the beginning stages and hope to find time soon to actually write them. I sometimes have to sit down and write my ideas out just so I can move on to the next thought bouncing around in my head. I also draw/sketch on occasion and doodle constantly-you’ll find doodles on papers all over my desk.
18. I am was a closet sci-fi fan. I try to deny it but I find myself drawn into the strange shows my husband watches. No matter how hard I resist I end up watching them. I enjoy a few of them but I’m not a big enough fan to handle most of it, some of it is just too weird.
19. I do not like horror movies/shows (I have bad enough nightmares on my own thank you) but I really enjoy a good action movie. I also really enjoy dark comedy as well as satirical comedies. It couldn’t have anything to do with my use of sarcasm could it? I’m willing to see a chick flick but it’s gotta be somewhat realistic.
20. I don’t mind getting dirty. I love hiking and camping-the real kind without bathrooms, running water or other amenities far away from any other campers. My only problem is the creepy crawlies. And maybe my irrational fear of what I can’t see in the dark. Thanks so much mom and dad for watching X-files and my lovely husband for confirming that yes there are beard where we go camping.
That was so much harder than I thought it would be when I first started writing it. The first 10 were easy, 15 wasn’t too bad, but getting to 20 took a lot of time and thought. I’m hoping you found something in my 20 facts you could relate to and that I didn’t come off as too neurotic. I tried keeping it mostly unrelated to photography since that would be an easy one but it snuck in a bit. Obviously photography is a passion of mine and has been since I can remember. I’d love to hear your thoughts: was there something that made you laugh? something that made you nod in agreement? anything else you wanted to know? Maybe I’ll do a follow-up in the future.
And since it’s a little boring without a photo, here are a few favorites from a past session that never made it to the blog
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Tags: Adults, arizona, article, AZ, boudoir, boys, child, Children, Engagement, Family, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Randomness, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Randomness, Uncategorized |
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Continuing from last week’s Mexican food them, here’s a simple recipe to make homemade Spanish rice. This goes great with enchiladas
Ingredients:
1 c brown rice (not instant)
2-3/4 c hot water (or according to package instructions)
6-12 oz tomato sauce
1 small tomato diced (roma sized)
1/3 smaller yellow onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper seeded and diced (optional)
2 tbsp oil
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add rice and stir to coat. Lightly toast rice.
2. Add water and cook until all water is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Stir often (or it will burn and stick to the pan).
3. In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil. Add onions and peppers and cook until onion is translucent and pepper is tender.
4. Add tomato sauce, cumin and salt to taste. Mix in tomato, onion, and pepper. Cook until heated through.
See, easy peezy and super yummy!
If you have any ideas for future posts please let me know!
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Tags: Adults, arizona, AZ, boudoir, child, Children, enchiladas, Engagement, Family, food, foodie, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Recipe, rice, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Foodie Friday, Recipe, Side Dish, Uncategorized |
16 Comments »
Courtesy of Mom*tog
I get asked a lot by both photographers and clients what my policy is on letting my clients post their images to their blogs and facebook account. I personally love it when my clients post their family pictures on their blogs, facebook, etc. It shows me that they truly love their images! I encourage my clients to copy their pictures from my blog to use on the internet. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that you should think about when reposting your images:
1) DO ask your photographer what their specific policy is on taking pictures off of their blogs. Some photographers encourage it and some don’t allow it. If this is important to you this is something you should ask BEFORE you hire your photographer!
2) DO include your photographer’s name and website under the images (a link would be super nice!). That’s just the polite thing to do
3) DON’T crop out their logo. Most photographers use their blogs to advertise their work and do so as a courtesy to give their clients a sneak peek. If a client crops out the logo then how will other people know who took the picture?
4) DON’T edit the picture in ANY way. Taking the pictures is only half of a photographer’s job. The other half is editing. If you think you can do a better job or want to edit out some of your wrinkles or use selective coloring please don’t. That is super insulting. If you don’t like your photographer’s editing enough to want to edit it yourself than maybe you need to find another photographer next year.
5) DON’T try to print from the files on the blog. For me specifically I know that the files I upload to my blog are too small to be printed in a 4×6 size. It’s not cool to invest in a family session and then print the images off of the blog and not pay for prints. Make sure you know how much the prints cost before the session to avoid sticker shock. Same goes for scanning prints that you already bought. Not cool (and illegal)! Some of my family members are guilty of printing images off of my blog. It makes me cringe when I see them FRAMED in their homes with my logo still on there! To be fair, I’m also not great at emailing them the file when they ask for it
*used and edited with the permission of the author*
Ok so now you ask what exactly are your policies on this?
I have no problem with you copying the images from my blog to use on Facebook, MySpace, your family blog, etc. In fact if you ask I will even email you the watermarked copies of the blog pictures and any that you order. BUT you are not allowed to edit them in ANY way. Do not crop out the logo (or really even crop at all) and give credit to the photographer (please tag me if we are Facebook friends). If you would like I will post them on Facebook and tag you in the photos so that you can share them without having to worry about it. You are in no way allowed to edit your photos-I edit them in my style which is what you hired me for. The photos are a representation of my work-I do not want my work associated with your bad edit. Do not print these photos either, they are a low resolution to protect me from theft and you from unscrupulous people stealing them and using your image for a purpose you may not like (think advertising for a disturbing product, it’s happened to many people). If you have any other questions on what you can and can not do with your photos, please ask me. You don’t want to accidentally break a copyright law that could cost you a lot.
If you have any ideas for future posts please let me know!
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Tags: Adults, arizona, article, AZ, boudoir, boys, child, Children, Engagement, Family, glamour, Glendale, inspiration, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Uncategorized, Wednesday Wisdom |
10 Comments »
I’ve pretty much lived in Arizona my whole life. Being from the Southwest, I really enjoy this side of the border Mexican food. I say that because real Mexican food is actually quite different from what we consider Mexican food. But what you can get here is very different from what you eat in other parts of the country-most are really tamed down and extremely Americanized. I mean do you really think Velveeta cheese and store bought precooked meat are authentic? Authentic Mexican food is really about fresh ingredients and food prepared with love (meaning a long time to cook ). My chicken enchilada recipe won’t take hours but for the most part it is made from fresher ingredients.
Ingredients:
10 burrito-sized tortillas (I do use store bought-the kind that are made daily if possible)
2 16 oz cans enchilada sauce (I prefer green, you can use red. and I’m guessing on the can size :O )
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 3 smaller ones)
1/4 c water or chicken broth/stock (broth/stock adds more flavor)
1/2 c finely chopped yellow onion (sweeter, you can use whatever you have)
1 clove pressed garlic
1 c shredded cheese (shred it yourself-it’s cheaper and tastes better, we use cheddar you can use your favorite but not Velveeta)
1 6 oz can of sliced black olives (optional)
sour cream
Directions:
1. Put chicken breasts and water/broth in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 (I usually throw them in frozen, even if it’s against the directions but it works for me). They are done when they fall apart as you try to take them out.
2. When chicken is done, preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish-13×9 is a good size.
3. Using two forks (or your hands if you can take the heat) shred the chicken. Place in a bowl and mix in 1 can of enchilada sauce, onions, and garlic (and some olives if you like them).
4. One tortilla at a time, put a large spoonful of mixture spread down the middle longways. Don’t overdue it-it has to make enough for all of the tortillas.
5. Time to roll the tortillas! Fold both ends up about 1 inch. Bring one long side over the filling and tuck under the mixture. Roll it up the rest of the way.
6. Place them in one layer (can overlap some) in the baking dish. Pour the second can of enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled up tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes until they are turning golden and the cheese is all melted. Top with sour cream and olives if you want.
Serving suggestions: beans (black, pinto, or refried), guacamole, chips and salsa, Spanish rice-super easy to make (check for the recipe next week)
*you can definitely make your own tortillas and enchilada sauce but for the price and time saved I choose to buy these-just get the best tasting sauce and the freshest tortillas*
If you have any ideas for future posts please let me know!
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Tags: Adults, arizona, AZ, chicken, child, Children, enchiladas, Engagement, Family, food, foodie, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Recipe, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Foodie Friday, Meal, Recipe, Uncategorized |
14 Comments »
Another installment of Wednesday Wisdom where I will try to answer FAQ, share articles and inspiration. Today’s FAQ is about crop ratio or why an image is cropped the way it is.
Often customers wonder how I choose to crop their photos or how their photos will look at each size. Most cameras (including mine) produce photos that are a 2:3 ratio (equivalent to a 4×6 or 20×30). This means that when you want an image of a different ratio (ex. 4:5 or 8×10), some of the image must be cropped away. As a photographer, I try to take into account for this and leave extra room within an image to allow for an appealing crop that doesn’t lose important parts of the image. Even then not all images will look good at all crop sizes. To help compensate for these differences, I proof my images at a 5×7 size so that it is a pleasing crop somewhere between the more rectangular 2:3 (think 8×12) and the nearly square 4:5 (think 8×10). When you order your prints at a different crop ratio than your proof shows you need to remember there will be a difference between your proof and your final print. I will use my artistic judgement when I crop at these ratios to ensure that all important elements are included and that the image is still appealing. If I feel that a certain crop will not work for an image, I will let you know so that we can make a decision together for the best choice of the display of your portraits.
Here is a visual to help you see the differences a crop will make on one image.
Please keep this in mind when you order prints from our session.
If this doesn’t answer all your questions on the topic please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to help. If you have any ideas for future posts please let me know!
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Tags: Adults, arizona, article, AZ, boudoir, child, Children, Engagement, Family, glamour, Glendale, inspiration, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Fine Art, Tutorial, Uncategorized, Wednesday Wisdom |
15 Comments »
