How about another go at some OCF...

One of the biggest lessons I learned from this weekends webinar class with Mr. Arias was not to just practice, but to really put into motion some of the techniques he was teaching with regards to lighting setups. He even half joked that if you don't have a subject to shoot then take your vacuum cleaner to the top of some hill and shoot the heck out of it until lighting, shadows and everything makes sense. Well, fortunately for me I have at least one willing participant and my vacuum cleaner is spared any humiliating photos of it floating out there on the internet. ;-)

And by willing participant, I mean this one was all the way, 100%... see below...


I really wanted to get a better feel for that softbox; the photos above are from that small softbox...and who better to shoot then my tiny B.


Now with these photos I switched off the softbox and replaced it for my shoot thru umbrella... just lovely!

Thank goodness I have at least one I can call upon and is absolutely in love with getting her picture taken and wants to help her mama! One guess as to which one it is...

Testing, 123... is this thing on...

That's kind of how I feel about my camera lately. I've been so busy in other areas of my business and life that sometimes my camera looks more like a home decor piece sitting on my bookshelf.

A few months ago I picked up this nifty little softbox for my external flash to experiment more with OCF (off camera flash). I haven't had the opportunity to play with it too much, but after being so inspired by a webinar class I'm taking this weekend with the lighting guru himself I just had to get out and test a few ideas and lessons I've been learning.

Unfortunately, as you can see I had no control over wardrobe or hair... that's what I get when I'm spontaniously inspired after bedtime.




And so this begins my love affair with light... and not the natural kind... anyone wanna come out and play??!!

Winner winner, chicken dinner...

We have a winner folks... I just popped over to Viva Full House and the lovely and talented Christina in all her magically glory has picked the winner of the free photo shoot with me that includes 10 hi-res, ready to print, epic digital images.

So, congrats to one, Lucky Lucas... you are indeed, one LUCKY Lucas! Contact me to set up your shoot... I'm beyond excited!

And for kicks and grins I thought I'd share a new pic of our family... we just added a new member to our brood, however she is of the 4-legged variety! Meet Roxy!

Oldies but goodies...

I was digging through my archive because I needed to send my bro and his wifey-poo some old pics of them and their young family - mind you these little ditties were taken back in '07 before I really KNEW that I wanted to be a photog. Back then it was just me and my camera.

This little guy is now getting ready to celebrate his 3rd birthday in a couple of weeks and he now has the sweetest and cutest little brother that joined their family 5mo ago - I can't wait to see them this summer... fingers crossed!

Don't let these first pictures fool you... this kid is a natural in front of the camera - he has an expression for everything. I know I say this a lot - but of my all time, all timers... the first photo on the left is hands down the best. Don't you think? Mostly because he is my cute little nephew, but also because that expression is killer! Totally hilarious! It needs to be the cover of some hallmark card with a caption 'You talkin' to me!'


This is at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts - such a beautiful place to explore and have a quick family photo session. Oh how I miss my NorCal!


Love you guys and miss you a ton! The count down is on for our Griswald family road-trip to Cali!

In my shoes...

In my shoes I get to experience sun shine almost 365 days a year.

In my shoes I give my children piggy-back and horsey rides.

In my shoes there is almost never a dull moment.

In my shoes family is always number one.

In my shoes I have the best job in the world.
In my shoes food is always best when cooked by someone else.
In my shoes creative inspirations strike in the most random of places and times.
In my shoes I am loved and adored unconditionally.
In my shoes I am never far from home.

Look what I won... {Blue Lily Giveaway}

Take a gander at the sweetest little headband I won from a recent Blue Lily giveaway. You might remember the Blue Lily herself, Ms. Wendy, took our own family photos last fall.



This headband is completely adorable, super soft and oh so cute! You can find one for yourself over at My Sweet Sunshine.

But, just for a moment let's critique the "self-portrait", shall we.

REALLY? Why can't I have arms that just extend about another foot longer - no one deserves to see my mug THAT close up. I can now see that my eyebrows need some serious attention and YIKES, my hair! It's in dire need of a serious dye job. I actually started cracking myself up at just the thought of someone watching me trying to model for my own camera... pretty lame-o.

Any whooooo, thank you dear, sweet Wendy! I simply think the world of you - your kindness, generosity and impeccable style... pure awesomeness!

This will only take a second.

I just need to post something here to enter myself into a contest... thank you for your patience!

Win the @designaglow / designaglow.com Studio Look Book – visit Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog to find out how!

Thanks!

If by chance you're looking to laugh out loud...

... then look no further...

Awkward Family Photos

Maybe you've seen this blog before, but I just came across it a few days ago and I can't get enough. I thought it was sooooo funny I actually ran into my bedroom, woke the hubs out of a deep sleep and made him sit with me at the computer while we laughed and cried at each hilarious photo.

Here are a few of our personal faves...

this one, this one and this one... but especially this one

Exploring.

So the other day my family and I took a fun little drive and ended up at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. If you're a local and have never been, well then it's a must... an absolute MUST SEE! A dear friend of mine visited a little while ago and exclaimed how beautiful it was right now so I'm glad we were able to go.



I just loved all of the wonderful nooks and crannies this park had to offer; the large trees and lush desert gardens being in full bloom. My wheels are already turning about possible future photo shoots...hmmmmmm ;-)

Ten Guilty Pleasures

OK, so I'm sitting here, madly scrambling all my ideas and thoughts into cohesive sentences for my photo notes handout for next weeks class. When my mind started to deviate from the task at hand and inevitably found its way to trying to telepathically transport one of my all-time guilty pleasures into my hand. Which then got me thinking, what are some of my guilty pleasures.

Here they are... in no particular order (well, other than #1)...

1) Coke-cola. Ahhhh, feel the burn! It's what wakes me in the morning and puts me to sleep at night. It's also the reason for these lovely 10 extra pounds that seem to have settle in my, well, dairy-aire and other non-flattering body parts. Boo!

2) Paper. I love all kinds of fun paper, stationary, cards, linen, texture, cover, text. I love the hunt for just the right paper and the feel and impact it has on what ever you're creating. My other dream in life would be to have or run a fun, boutique paper store.

3) Kids clothes. I'm a sucker for anything little. This is probably why I insist on throwing away or donating my kids' old clothes the second they out grow them - it just gives me an excuse to go and buy more.

4) Nielson's Frozen Custard. This is actually a funny story. When I first moved to AZ over 11 years ago I had never, ever heard of frozen custard. In Cali we had ice cream, and sometimes gelato, but no frozen custard. So, when the hubs and I started dating and subsequently married he kept trying to take me to some frozen custard place. I would get so mad and tell him how gross that would be - I mean custard, that's frozen? Now mind you my Mom is the greatest baker and cook EVER! So my frame of reference for custard was eggs, milk and sugar beaten together... ummm yeah, now imagine that frozen. Gross, right? It wasn't till he took me kicking and screaming and force feeding me some of his concrete creation that it is now one of my all time favorite desserts. Yum!

5) Long drives. I do love a good road trip now and then, but my favorite is just a long drive with no real destination in sight. Picking new roads to drive on; finding new little nooks and crannies in different cities.

6) Chipotle's chicken burrito bowl. I'll eat that thing 7-days a week, 365 days a year. Hands down, my favorite meal.

7) Shoes. Seriously, what girl isn't complete without her ode to the Imelda Marcos shoe collection.

8) My mom. I can't go a day without talking to her at least once, most likely more. In the uncomfortable times when we've had a disagreement and we go our separate ways for a couple of days to cool of, it is the most painful time for me. The woman is my best friend.

9) Discounts. Really, any money saving sales, discounts, freebies just makes me a happy person. For example, today I spoke with our auto insurance guy because of a billing snafu on their part and in talking with him he suggested we look at this other insurance division of theirs to see if it will lower our monthly bill and sure enough it did, but $150 a month. Say whaaaaaat! I'm kind of floating on cloud nine right now.

10) My kids' giggles. OK, maybe this list should have been ranked because of course this would be my numero uno. When the 3 of them get along and all is well and they laugh with their little giggles that are so infectious it just makes me one happy mama. And you know what they say... if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy... ;-)

So there it is, my 10 guilty pleasures. What are some of yours?? Don't be shy, share one or two...

And why not, here's a photo, too... love the clovers since it's almost St. Patty's Day.

My rugged mountain man!

It seems as of late my only willing and non-bribable household guinea pig would be the hubs... what a trooper! I'm loving all that is OCF (off camera flash) if you couldn't tell, but I'm not sure if I've got the mad skills to bust out my lighting on a client shoot just yet... but I'm working towards that goal.

So, just before the typhoon hit here this evening (OK, moderate evening downpour) we headed up to the Superstition Mountains to catch a beautiful view of the storm roll in. The clouds, the mountain, the sunset... it was all breathtaking.



(PS -Don't forget to snag your seat at my upcoming Beginner's Basic Photography class... click the link above for more details!)

More OCF fun...

A couple from the other night I was playing around with off camera flash... my gorgeous niece...



On tap... a fun before and after, the newest design freebie and if you haven't signed up for the monthly newsletter be sure to do that now - the next edition will go out soon. Drop your e-mail address here.

Ouch.

So the other day on our nature stroll I found myself snapping a lot of pictures of these desert dwellers; natures nasty little menace. Some are large that you can see for miles, some are so low to the ground almost disguised by the rock and dirt, some even have the audacity to jump out at you when you're minding your own business.

Thank you, cacti.

Let there be light...

Behold, the wonder of off camera flash (OFC)!

I'm having way too much fun with my new umbrella and stand... just testing the waters, but let me tell you... I'M IN LOVE!

Here's Sam with a little peek of sun flare entering the frame... kinda cool...


And once the big guy got home from work and the kiddos all retired to their beds I immediately took him to the garage so I could do a few more practice shots... absolutely love, LOVE this one!

We interrupt to bring you this...

This is the reason for my absence on the blog lately... we had a wonderful visit with my dad and step-mom who drove in from NorCal. This is a shot of my kids watching as Grandma and Grandpa pull away from our neighborhood... it brings a tear to my eye each time I look at it... we miss them so much already.

A reason to shed a tear...

I'm sorry, but I do get a bit sentimental towards my electronic equipment - especially when each one is so darn expensive and only through blood, sweat and tears do I get to purchase said electronic goodies. So you can imagine the horrid meltdown I had when this happened...



Let me tell you that it doesn't take much for this to happen, so word to the wise all you iPhone wielding folks out there... protect your baby!! I immediately drove to the Apple store and begged and pleaded for them to make my sweet angel all shiny and pretty and new again. I was so heartbroken when a porkly fellow behind the 'so-called' Genius Bar told me that my warranty which would have covered the $199 repair had just barely expired! Booo-Whoooo!!! He then proceeded to joke around and inquire as to how much distance I actually got with the phone... the nerve... like THIS would be self-inflicted??!! I was about to show him how much distance I could get with my foot when I realized that small children (mainly my own) were looking on.

The silver lining is that the phone and touchscreen DO still work and all that beautifully cracked glass was kept to the top of the phone... where my EAR goes! So if I cry while I'm talking to you on the phone you'll know that my ear is being cut up by tiny shards of iPhone glass. I'm such a cheap sucker!

I've never been one for goals, BUT...

...I have come to realize their significance in my life as a mom, a wife and a small business owner. They are necessary! Being the 'fly by the seat of my pants' kinda girl that I am and my go with the flow nature it can be hard to sit down and define my path - to tell myself where I'm going. And I often feel that if I REALLY set a goal and I fall short of that goal then I have failed - no matter the journey, no matter the lessons learned... just a failure. However, I do know that the feeling you get from accomplishment, from reaching that goal, from seeing things come together is tangible... it's a REAL thing!

So, while I may not like the word 'goal' I will share with you just some of the things I will be working to accomplish in 2010.



This is going to be a grand New Year... I can feel it!

Merry Christmas to all...

...and to all a good night!

I wish you and your family the warmest Christmas wishes and a happy New Year.

Love, me and my crew... The Herricks!




(Thanks, Jodi!)

Lost city...

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing a dear, sweet friend and her family in a new location HERE - a hidden treasure for any photographer. After having only just a few minutes to explore and photograph the family before we lost all possible light, I knew a 2nd trip back was mandatory... too much to see and take in for just one visit.

On the 2nd trip back - which is only 35-40 min from my home - I got to see so much more. This really is a sort of 'lost city'. Abandoned and forgotten yet incredibly rich in our state's history.

Superior, AZ

A little secret...

I'm gonna let all ya folks in on a little secret of mine... yep, it's confession time! While some photographers need caffeine to stay up late to get them through the nights of photo editing (unfortunately I, however need caffeine to fall asleep - sad, but true - and no that's not my confession) I actually only need one thing... iTunes Radio set to the 80's Flashback channel called Big R Radio-The Wave. There, I said it... I'm a HUGE fan of all the alternative/retro/over-synthesized music of the 80's!! It's the one thing that keeps me going during my late-nighters. See, right now as I type this its the Bangels - Manic Monday... totally fitting!!

And because I just finished editing all these senior pics of my niece I'll leave you with one final photo...