Alicia, Ryan & family

This is my niece Alicia, her husband Ryan, son Aiden & daughter Rose. When I took my last trip to Reno, to take photos of Kittys 90th Bday party, I stopped by Alicias in the middle of the day, (before heading back to Redding) & got a few updated photos of her family. It was an overcast day, I thought it was pretty chilly outside with a threat of rain but we made due & had a pretty fun time together.

Can't remember who got read the riot act, just glad it wasn't me lol. Then Rose put her Christmas dress on to model for the camera, she was instantly happy...funny how girls do that sometime.

Aiden has a thing for Spider Man & Justin B. So after he showed me how Spidey shoots out some web, he sang me a Justin B song, almost knew every word too, no kidding. The b&w below, he's striking a JB pose, what a cutie!

What a beautiful family, I don't mean to be biased but look at those smiles. Can't wait to see them again.

CONTEST UPDATE: TIMES ALMOST UP. If you haven't entered my FREE SESSION CONTEST, it's not too late, you have until this Sun, April 10th @ midnight. To make it easier on anybody who still wants to enter & so you don't have to go back to the contest page, just comment to this post with your name, email address (for the winner to be contacted) & why you want to win a free session. People have also asked if they can enter the contest for another person (as a gift) & the answer is Heck yeah , as long as they agree to it, Enter away. Paying it forward is so cool & I have no problem doing that at all. Getting so excited it's almost over, can't wait to hear from you, Good luck!

Outside Christians Box - Redding CA Senior Photography

I wanted to take Christian outside of the traditional stand & pose photography box I'm sure he was used to, so we started off to the old Downtown area. I got a little inspired by all the textures in the area & it was unusually quiet. I think I captured his personality pretty well & so did his mom.

I love signs.

I completely LOVE these last 2 photos. Christian, you did such a great job, making the morning go by so smooth & fun. Thanks for being such a trooper & just going with my craziness. These turned out GREAT!!

Can't wait for your next session!

PS. THE RESPONSE TO MY CONTEST IS BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED, THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE ENTERED. IT'S NOT TOO LATE, IF YOU WANT TO WIN A FREE SESSION, YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY, APRIL 10TH. I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER MONDAY, APRIL 11TH. GOOD LUCK & HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.

Yay for the love of art...

If you read the post "hey mom", you'll know I have a lot to make up for, to my daughter Marissa. Well, I can say in my defense, I have been drumming up a post idea, an announcement of sorts about her & since it's no surprise to her & without further delay...

(Insert the sound of somebody banging on something, somewhere here)-Marissa will now be photographing along side me during weddings as my 2nd shooter. Wooohoooo! I asked her if she would like the experience to see if it's something she would like to persue & she said yes. I'm so excited, I would have loved an opportunity like this at her age. Not to mention the awesome mother-daughter time & the bonus is, sometimes it's hard to be everywhere during a wedding... (Jon wanted to be demoted, it's really not his thing and that's ok, he's the best heating & air guy in town, hands down, he doesn't have to like photography, it's not his talent. I should post about his business success though, thank you God...& tada, he's now happily demoted back to my "waterboy/ guido" lol) so having Marissa help especially watching her get better & better, it's a win-win, plus she gets the joy of spending all of this quality time with her perfectionist mom :) & capturing the moment in her own way. What better experience than to do it.

Marissa has been at a new high school for the last 2 years & loving it, they have a photography class & an art class she takes (which she's also extremely talented in). She uses the Kodak point & shoot I bought her couple years ago but now that she's "my intern" (so to say), she'll be graduating to my 1st ever dslr camera, the Canon Rebel XSi (camera Jon used), adding her love & amazing talent to the weddings I have the honor of photographing, except for the kissing parts right Marissa? (Note this tiiiiiny little clause here, the camera is only to be used under moms supervision & during weddings only, you don't "get" the camera, let's make that part clear, I'm not ready for that expensive ooops, lol but really not that funny). Granted there will be a learning curve (on my part especially & please God grant me the patience & to remind myself how I would like to be taught as a teenager) but worries & joking aside, she has an opportunity to have an amazing photography career in front of her (if she decides to persue it). She is already amazing me with some of the photos she has taken this past year & thought I would give her a little online gallery post with just a few of My favorite photos she's taken. I don't care for buzzards but it's a really nice shot of the ugly, much needed thing.

I love you honey, Marissa has no idea I'm doing this & I hope she doesn't get mad at me for some teenage reason (no offense, you'll understand when you get older) but to say I'm proud of her is an understatement. She is turning into a wonderful person. Glad to call her my beautiful, caring, empathetic, patient, mature, thoughtful to others, (& so much more, did I mention beautiful lol) daughter I could ever have with the most amazing brown eyes (that I love without makeup more but she does look really nice with a little eye liner, I said a little Marissa :)) & to think I helped raise this wonderful young lady but I'll be happy to take all the credit. She is who I would want to be if I were her age all over again & who I would love for my daughter to be friends with. And did I mention beautiful?...

Do I keep bragging, Well I should have done this a long time ago.

Marissa, you will be an amazing woman no matter what you do in life. You see things with happy, unique, kind eyes as any great artist would & every year you will only get better. I'm so proud of you, Yay for you loving art. I should change the name of my business to Kester Photographers, so I can add Marissa & Matt to the mix whenever needed. Matt loves helping on family sessions when he know the kids (& sometimes when he doesn't) & with Marissa now helping with weddings..., the name is totally appropriate.

These are our other dookies. Cleo (Cleopatra) on the left, red & black, Shane on the right, tan & black. Such a cute pic of them together. Cleo is the intense one, quiet & watchful, only barks when she has to. Shane is the goofy puppy & loves his "sissy" (that's how we refer to Marissa with Shane), he gets all goofy when you pay attention to him & mopes when Marissa leaves the house. He would rather love you than ever fight you & looooves to talk, not barking, he does a growl, moan talk to let you know he's there & ready to read you the riot act if you don't pay attention to him. These two dookies are in love & I couldn't separate them plus I had moved into an apt at the time so it was obvious she needed to remain with her main man Shane. I do miss them & seeing these photos only makes me realize how much. Marissa caught their characters perfectly.

See Cleos watchful look, almost scarey & doesn't Shane look a goofy cartoon character but we love them both so much & wouldn't change a thing.

The photo below is 1 that Marissa took Sept 2010 with the Canon Rebel xsi. See, she's a natural with nature photos. It was better than any of mine lol, actually it really was. I can't wait for our first photography job together in June, I know she will have fun & do great (except for the kissing parts right Marissa? lol).

P.S. Marissa recently approached me with volunteering in her photography class, I agreed & so did the teacher but I'm totally freaked out at the same time. It's completely different than what I did at Matt's school but I think I'm ready for this challenge, ....maybe... It will give me more Marissa time, I also love helping others explore the love of photography & it gets me outdoors more, in the warmth of the sun, (I'm a lot like a camera battery, I don't do well in the cold).

I'm so excited for my first day of school (ha ha), I'm really liking charter schools. I'll keep you posted on how much I embarrass myself when a student knows more than me & points it out, lol but I'm not too proud to learn something new from any age. Jon thought it was a great idea too, so glad I have his support in my life, so glad to be where I am in life. It might be late starting over but the joy I continue to experience is bigger than I ever could have ever imagined. Can't wait to see how Marissa grows from it. So, please pray I won't start crying during my introduction & I don't embarrass my daughter & pass out lol.

UPDATE: It's taken me a while to post this & Tuesday has long come & gone (couple days ago). Happy to announce I didn't cry, can't you hear the champagne cork popping in the background. Jon asked if I cried when I told him a few parts of the day, when I said no, he asked if I cried as soon as I got home....Nooo I didn't (everybody wants to be a comedian lol). I know I cry a lot & pretty sad when it's the first question you're asked. Jon knows me so well.

The day was so nice & since it was the first time doing this sort of thing, I felt a little odd not knowing what to expect but overall I think the time went by nicely, I love hearing others get excited about photography as much as I do & it was such a nice feeling to hear someone come up & tell me that I inspired them. That's really why I (we) thought I might cry. Maybe that's why Smitty became a part of my life, so I could learn how short it really is & try to make a difference in others. (Time will tell & God only knows, it's too big to wrap my brain around it all.) The day also included an opportunity to take a student out after school for a some extra camera time to learn the dslr from the p&s. There are so many different settings & rules that apply when taking an image using an slr (when not using it on auto) but so worth it if you have a strong desire to learn how to make the most of your images. I gave a few suggestions of what I "seen" during our walk & gave her a little insight of what makes me tick as a photographer. When you see the difference a camera can make, it can change how you see photography forever. It did me, I hope it did with her & this experience has made me want to do more of this teaching-mentor stuff with others, simply sharing what I've learned with no pressures of time or money. I think it's too much to take on full time right now with still learning & wedding season starting but something to make as a future goal.

A contest as easy as pie, no April Fools!....

Mmmmmm pie! To win a free session, simply leave a comment including your full name, email address, what type of session you want to have photographed & most importantly, why you want to win my contest. CONTEST RULES: OK, I can be confusing sometimes (so Jon says) so let me clarify the rules of this contest. To win the free session, comment to this post with required info (I never display comments on my contest posts), the contest will run for 10 days & after choosing, I will post the winners name on the 11th day. The winner will have 5 days to contact me (by email or phone, or a runner up will be posted on the 6th day), the session must take place within 30 days of your name being announced, the winner will receive 2 hours of session time, @ 1 location & 10 images on a disc from your session in a 4x6 print size. See.... easy as pie. BTW, this contest is for local Northern Ca, Shasta County residents only, sorry & please only comment on my blog directly during my contests, not FB. I like to control the comments containing personal data, I'm sure you understand & appreciate it. Remember, I will post the winner on April 11th. Hope to hear from you soon & Good luck!! Contest starts now!!! PS This is no April fools joke, just a coincidence I chose today to start this contest.

Dena, Gina, Tina - Redding Portrait Photography

Turn up the volume (sorry if you were waiting for this post to have the contest details, its in the next 1, I promise.) I have been so impatiently waiting to post this slide show. It truly is my favorite part of taking photographs, I can hear a song & instantly see the photographs that will match to it perfectly. A lot of time I just meet the people, haven't even photographed them but when I hear a certain song...it just sings with visual stimulation & I already see the images in my head. I am definitely a woman, I use more than one sense & very happy to share that with others lol. I never promise somebody a slide show on portrait sessions, I just can't help but do them most of the time, it's how I see the day. After all, that's what you're getting when you ask me to photograph you, how I see the moment. It might take me a little extra time to create them (because I want them to talk to me & come from the heart so I literally edit them more than 50-75 times, hearing the song over & over & over...you get the idea) but I seem to never get tired of watching them when they're done. This slide show was not so easy, it was 3 grown sisters that I knew when I was young & had been reunited with during this session after probably 30+ years. Wow when you put it that way, I sound kinda old, but I like to think of it as Wiser. So 3 sisters, their spouses, 1 teen & 1 preteen, I had never done a slide show with such a session. There wasn't enough photos of the sisters alone for a slide show & same with the family member photos so I had to create something that blended all 3 of the scenerios together. I was really proud of what I came up with & wanted to show it to Dena right away (she's the youngest L sister & lives locally), I dropped the disc off at her work & waited for her response. It wasn't too much longer that I got her call, she really liked it & we totally cried over the phone (of course we cried, it's me for goodness sake, I'm a softy), also due to some sad news she had to deliver & explained she needed me to hold off on posting the slide show. I happily honored her request so she could send it to her sisters to view prior to others viewing (the file was too large to email). God brings people together for a reason, you may not know the reason during the moment such as with Blanch (previous post), it may be years before you see how he created your path but a reason none the less. It seems I don't learn about the sad stuff until after I create the slide show, I think it's Gods way of keeping the sadness from my heart during the creation time (my goodness I cry enough during the making of most of them without knowing the sad stuff). So today I will just be thankful for what I do have, continue to pray for others & hope for another good day tomorrow. Dena, Gina & Tina, I have so much love in my heart for all of you, I was so incredibly happy to be a part of these memories & each time I view this, a huge smile comes across my face (with maybe just a little tear), hope everybody else has the same reaction ;) so please sit back, turn up the volume & ENJOY! ...The Emotions, "Best of My Love"

hey mom...

That was the subject of the email from Marissa day before yesterday (by the time this posts). This was not the look on her face as she typed it to me, stating the obvious but it hadn't dawned on me until she pointed it out...heart broken. Saying I was sorry over an email was certainly not even a start but I did it anyways. Can you believe that even though I have blogged about me having 3 kids, she pointed out I didn't blog about her, only 1 photo of when she was 2...that's it, no way!. I honestly don't wish the pain I felt on anybody & it was super hard to swallow when I was finished reading the email, repeating "No, No" with every word I read. The whole time I've had this blog, I have struggled with the idea of not adding my personal life at all, but I tend to always go back to just who I am & continue posting about birthdays, cheers, tears, loves & my own personal photography struggles but never did I purposely neglect putting Marissa on here. I always told her I wanted photos of her but never pushed for her to sit in front of the camera. Hey, I wouldn't like it...& I'm much older, it's really not where I want to be, that's why I became the photographer. None the less, there's no excuse for it & she's the one in pain. I'll tell you what, I feel like a completely horrible mother, forget horrible photographer...it goes deeper than that, all the way down to the mother bone (it's the beating one). Completely done on accident but so ashamed of myself in the end. I need to be careful with how I set my example to them & not forget the most important people in my life, no matter how busy I get or how bad I think I took a photo, it's not about that & that's why I'm so sorry. So to my daughter Marissa, that I sincerely unintentionally hurt, I'm so so incredibly sorry. I will be better as a mom (which in turn will make me a better person, then photographer) & not get so busy. I need be there for you even if it includes pestering you for a photo. I am so proud to be your mom & that you're my daughter. Have I ever told you how I cried for the first time when I said I had a daughter. That feeling is still there, I just have to help it to age along with my baby girl growing up. I love you Marissa, more than the stars in the sky or characters in those hard to pronounce card games lol. That never changes. PS We really need to get some photos, maybe even buy a new outfit for the occasion. Maybe you can take some of me...maybe, maybe I need a new outfit lol. I LOVE YOU MARISSA!!

TC & Shannon "Do you believe in love" - Redding Photography

Turn up the volume. I try to encourage sessions that include the best time of the day for the best images (within first 2 hours after sunrise & last 2 hours before sunset). Sometimes it's not always the most ideal time of the day when I meet with people & I'm learning to embrace it, look for the shade (or the best I can get) & just have fun no matter what, cause to me, it's all about the image content. This was one of those sessions, the middle of the day but the winter sun was still low in the sky. The best part, Shannon & TC go the extra mile, totally having fun with each of their sessions. I have had a cold for weeks now (can't seem to shake it) so it took me a while to finish their slide show & I changed the song 3 times before sending it to them to preview. I know I dug back to the 80's for this one but it fit their session perfectly..."Do you believe in Love" Huey Lewis & The News. Enjoy!

Shannon said "We loved it!!!!! The pics turned out great of course and I couldn't stop smiling. Thank you sooooooo much. We really do owe you." Shannon, I just want you two to keep me busy each year with Anniversary sessions like this one. Capturing how you two grow with each other is my reward. Love you both!