Matt & Merissa Wedding - slide show

Last summer, we photographed Matt & Merissas wedding & I never got to post their slide show, so here it is. Wow, it was super hot that day. This song was their first dance song... Tim Mcgraw, "My Best Friend". Enjoy!

Jewel "Forever And A Day (Always)" - Redding Family Photographer

Turn up the volume! I had such a blast creating this, this morning, I really did. I'm sick, (I know I had a fever), just woke up after sleeping for 12 hours...(Seriously), I put this together in less than 2 hours & when I cried at the end, I knew it was done. I have missed Abi & Katie & enjoyed meeting Emi for the first time, What a doll! Abi was a little sick that morning but she smiled when she seen me (such a complete opposite from the last visit in the park). We played dress up (well...she did), barbies, shopping, colored, made a bday cake in her kitchen, blew out the candles & Ate it! Mmmm, best cake ever. If different circumstances, we would have gone outside, blew bubbles & drew with sidewalk chalk...but we'll save that for another visit. Katie & Brandon, Thank you for this visit, I love seeing the girls grow & very happy to capture them for you. I love the fact you cried when you viewed the slide show Katie, what a huge compliment for me, honestly. I am blessed to have your family in my life...

"The One I Love" David Gray - family slide show

Turn up the volume!

Britney & Anthony are parents from one of the classrooms I photograph. We got together at the park for a few photos of their family so their little girl would have fun, smile & not think about the camera. It worked, sort of, but I got a hug from Kaydence at the end of the session & that was good enough for me...can't wait for another session with them. Enjoy!

Don't let October be forgotten

My nephew TC & his wife Shannon celebrated their 1 year Anniversary with some photos at the Sundial Bridge. It got me thinking about their photo session they had last October & realized I didn't post their slide show since I was still dial up back then...feels like a long long time ago. Anyways, here is their October slide show with the kids, I'll be posting their most recent Anniversary photos soon, so turn up the volume & Enjoy! Tim Mcgraw & Faith Hill "It's your Love"...

Matt turned 12

My kids hate having their picture taken (I think for the most part Matt due to needing braces). He would bolt out of the room shouting, "Nooooooooo!!!", or put something in front of his face when seeing me pull out my slr camera. He had a surprise in store for me this year & I was happy to see he didn't cover his face when I pulled ol' betsy out & pointed it towards him, so I got the photo with his cake below....Hmmmmm. The next morning on the way to his dads, I told Matt I wanted to take some nice pictures of him since he turned 12 & this was his last year as a preteen. He calmly replies with, "Ok.". I think my jaw hit the steering wheel, I had to tell myself to close my mouth before he realized what he said & quickly changed his mind. I was smiling ear to ear on the inside, How cool was that, finally a photo without the blur of him running into another room or hiding behind something. Hmmmm? Maybe he's growing up.

The b&w photo above is one my favorites from that day (literally a 10 min session), didn't get very many but enough to satisfy me til the next time he lets me take a few more. I'm happy for whatever I can get. I sure need my own family photos taken without the camera being on a tripod & self timer (ha ha, but sadly true). However, I also kinda hate being on the other side of the camera, guess I still need to do a little growing up, lol.

Love the photo of "Grandpas eyes", he's really proud of them but I don't want only them in all the photos. This is the typical photo I get of him, trying to block his face with something, even if it's with a chicken.

...But I found, If you give them something to hold onto such as a tree, too heavy to block their face, you can get a quick shot, Ha Ha. Yep, it's good to be Mom.

Matt [meaning=Gift from God], is my youngest child but so glad he was my last. God packed his love in constant hugs & a caring compassion beyond his years. He has a white board in his room & writes on it each week with sweet messages of how much he loves me, he makes his bed (almost) every morning just for me. Babies have an attraction to him that just baffles him (& every baby does totally stop & just stare at him until we're out of sight, so funny & cute). He honestly hugs me no less than 20 times each day (I know he's Not going to be this way for long & I dread the day he thinks he's too old to hug me). He loves his chickens, names each one he helps raise, & has since he knew what incubating was. In grade school, he joined track, I was so proud he was doing sports & took off work to attend his meets. The very first meet I asked him why he stopped running, didn't he know the meaning of track was to Win a race. He tells me "No mom, I do it so the last kid won't be alone". He was pretty much last in every race after that but I didn't mind at all. He might jog the first lap (if there was more than 1) then just stop & walk with the last kid. He never had any intention of winning a race, what a wonderful roll model & nobody even had a clue. One of the most recent experiences of his caring, is my photography...he inspires me, believes in me, gives me strength to do things outside my own comfort zone & encourages me in such a grown up way. The fact he's following in my footsteps in photography (Marissa as well), I couldn't be a prouder mom. I really could keep going on & on about my wonderful Matt but I will save more stories on his next birthday post...as an official teenager. Ugh, the thought doesn't thrill me but I'm trying not to be worried, not the way he's going. I am so thankful to have him & love him more each day, he really is my gift from God. God has big plans for him too, huge! I hope Matt keeps smiling through all of lifes challenges & continues being his happy, caring self & never changes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Buddy, I love you Forever More & Always, Mom....And, no, I love You more & first & more...

My 2011 To-Do list & Self Critique...

I started a 2011 To-Do list that gets viewed almost daily. I want to get better as a photographer with each session, so on my list, I included doing some out loud (so to speak) self critique on older posts but I feel the need to "do some splainin" (as Ricky would say to Lucy) & set the scene for you first. Remember, I never said I did photography right, only not wrong. So, here's the splainin... The Event: Blanch's 85th Birthday, July 2010 The Locations: Local Restaurant & local home The Surprises: #1 -A few unexpected children of Blanchs arrive at the restaurant, #2 -Unexpected group gathering at the home, full of friends & more family members. My Situation: Low lighting at both locations & I did NOT want to use my flash. I had my 50mm 1.8 , the best low lighting lens I owned and having it at 1.8 made everything that moved blurry, I didn't have the shutter speed high enough to stop action cause it would have unexposed the image, which would have been leveled out more by the higher ISO, blah, blah, blah. I know the critique part isn't fun for most people. But honestly, flash (to me) ruins the moods of these events, making everybody turn to see who took the photo & people stop being natural, especially if it's a stranger taking them, and I was. I just don't see it as an option...nope, nope, nope. I just needed to get better & more confident in my settings & go with it. The Gift: A slide show of the day for the family (my favorite part of taking these images). I searched for a song that married the images from that day, expressing the joy she had experienced & would never forget (it almost didn't happen due to her not feeling well). I found the song "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn & it came together nicely. Sadly, as Janet (Blanchs daughter) mentioned in the post comment, Blanch was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer soon after these images were taken. She didn't last much longer. I had learned about her diagnosis when I delivered the disc with the surprise slide show...I secretly wanted to apologize for the song after hearing the news but for some reason, I didn't burst out with "WAIT, don't watch that", instead I expressed how sorry I was & left with a heavy heart. They played this slide show at her funeral. I cried when Janet told me that a few months later. "There wasn't a dry eye when it was over" she said. I hoped they understood, I didn't create it to be sad (and it wasn't taken that way), I just wanted to show all the love others had for this woman. I can give myself 100 excuses how I could have done better technically but I still cry everytime I view it, somethings gotta be said for photo content. I came home that day & viewed the slide show with different eyes, without all the technical jargan...And I cried (still do everytime)......The splainin may not have worked for me (or Lucy) but at least you get a peek in my bee hive of a brain & maybe understand a little more on what makes me tick as a photographer. I'll explain on another post about the bee hive :)

CONTEST WINNER!!!...& Little Miss Sassy

Thank you to everybody who submitted their comments. Sorry I didn't give much time to enter this contest but it was my first & I was really excited (and impatient) to have a winner. So, without further delay.... The WINNER is TAJSA CAMPOS. Please email me @ kimsartistictouch@yahoo.com, include your user name & contact information to the claim your prize. Please contact me prior to Tuesday, Feb 15, 2011. Again, thank you to everybody & good luck next time. I hope to do contests regularly (except wedding season) so keep checking back. Here are more photos of my great niece Andrea during her last visit to Redding. This first b&w is mine & her moms favorite. Little Miss Sassy!

Isn't she so cute. What a smile!