Gilbert, Phoenix & Scottsdale Children & Baby Photographer

:: The BOSS!!! ::

2009-04-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Wow! This was my first Bruce Springsteen concert and I have to say it was the BEST concert I’ve EVER been to. Yes, you read that correctly. The Boss ROCKS! The show lasted just short of 3 hours – no breaks. Bruce’s energy and showmanship are incredible. Me and Paul were down on the floor with the hardcore fans about 15 yards from the stage. The show was a sell out even upper level seats BEHIND the stage. The crowd was on their feet the entire time. They say Springsteen shows are like a revival, a spiritual experience. It’s true! Best song moments for me were “Out in the Street”, “Because the Night”, “10th Ave. Freeze Out” and the sparingly played on tour “Rosalita.” I’m a Bruce convert now.

:: Batman + doll = two adorable children! ::

2009-03-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

I love photographing children and babies with the things that are dearest to them. Things they love to do and that represent who they are. So parents, you're more than welcome to bring items that you know will make your photographs special to you, and your children when they grow up.

Loved working with these two siblings! I love their hair, their smile, their serious looks, their playfulness, their eyes, what more can I say? Mua!

Mom bought a humongous canvas from this image. Can't wait to see it when it arrives! I will definitely post an image of the canvas itself :-)

:: women drivers ::

2009-02-20T21:01:00.001-08:00

Not that I'm making fun of my gender but this video is pretty funny! I would never do those things of course!

:: little guy ::

2009-02-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

I'm going back to some recent sessions I didn’t blog about that deserve the spotlight nonetheless

I LOVE photographing this little guy! This is the second year I'm fortunate to capture his candid smiles and captivating looks. He moved so fast during the session that mom and I had to constantly chase him around. What a great way to get your cardio work for the day :-)

:: sleeping baby ::

2009-02-18T18:51:00.000-08:00

I always consider myself lucky when the newborns I photograph go into a deep sleep. Most of the time, it requires lots of patience and time but the end results are worth it. I love the sweet look, the smiles and the peacefulness we can capture when newborns are asleep. Something very hard to do as they get older. Enjoy!

:: party of five ::

2009-02-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

Look what I got in the mail today?

2009-02-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

My ticket to my first "Wedding & Portrait Photographers International" (WPPI) convention!!!! I've been wanting to go to a WPPI convention for many years and finally my dream has come true! The convention will be held in Las Vegas in less than two weeks. Business will be closed from Saturday February 14th to Thursday February 19th. I can't wait to attend the many classes offered by The Best photographers in the world!

:: Favorite Super Bowl commercials ::

2009-02-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not endorsing anyone but I have to add these two Super bowl commercials to my blog. Being a baby lover, I fell for these two! They're hilarious!!!

:: MIA ::

2008-12-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ya'll have been there: moments that leave you frenzied and frayed, running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Well, that's how I feel right now ... the reason why I've been MIA from my blog. I have TONS of sessions to blog about but haven't had a chance to due to my busy schedule. I've been busy editing sessions, ordering photos, making Holiday cards, delivering photos and more. I'm hoping to be back to my regular programming next week. I hope you're having a wonderful Holiday season!

This is me right now :o)

:: twins + girl ::

2008-11-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

How adorable are they? This is the third year that I get to photograph these gorgeous children. I love to see them grow and I'm proud to be the photographer that captures some of the wonderful changes that come with childhood.

The other day I was thinking that I'm like a grandmother to all of the children & babies I get to photograph. I play & have fun with them for a little while, then I give them back to mom & dad once they're tired and hungry. Isn't my job wonderful? :o)

:: the longest showcase ever! ::

2008-11-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to share with you the wonderful photos I captured during the mini sessions at Chicky Bella! I took over 700 images that day! (Phew!) I can't believe how much fun I had with these wonderful kiddos and their family. It was very hard to choose what photos to showcase in my blog since in my opinion, they were all great! But I had to narrow it down to 3 images from each session.

I could go on all day talking about these awesome children & babies but I'll just let the images speak for themselves. I had a blast and I thank everybody for being part of Chicky Bella's mini sessions "08!!!

I rarely find little ones that want to share a kiss :o)

:: yes! e-mail is back up ::

2008-10-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

The server move was successful and I'm happy to say that my e-mail problems have been fixed. Today was a very stressful day and I can't believe I spent it trying to fix my server issues! In addition to this, my voice mail was down for part of the day! Why do these things happen when you need them the most? Nevertheless, everything is back up and running as it should be. I just hope I didn't lose e-mails in cyberspace!

:: e-mail issues ::

2008-10-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I haven't been able to receive e-mails for the last couple of days due to server issues so please e-mail me at anacphotography@mac.com if needed. I'm in the process of changing Server providers since I've been having problems with my e-mails for a looong time. I'm hoping that this issue is resolved by tomorrow. I apologize if you have e-mailed me and you still haven't received a reply from me.

Thanks a bunch!

Ana

:: boys will be boys ::

2008-10-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have two boys, well, they're not boys anymore since they're 15 & 17 years old. Let's call them young men. Anyway, when they were little I always wished I had a girl too. I love the dresses, hair clips, shoes, and all of the cute stuff you can buy for a girl. When I was MUCH younger I worked at a daycare, working with 1 & 2 year olds, and all of the moms loved me because I always did the girl's hair before they went home. It came to the point that all of the moms would bring hair clips and bows for me to choose which one I wanted to use for that day. My class always had the BEST looking little girls! Since I don't work there anymore, I have to conform and only do my nieces hair (which I don't have enough in my opinion lol!)

Having said that, I love my boys (young men) ... and all boys for that matter! I think they're fearless, funny and SO cool! These boys fit that description to the T! I love photographing them and capturing their different personalities. This family is one of the coolest family I have photographed in a long time!

:: blessed ::

2008-10-23T09:26:00.001-07:00

:: freckles ::

2008-10-21T15:55:00.001-07:00

OMG! I wish I had more time to blog about this session but I'm out the door for my afternoon shoot. However, I do have time to say how much I love this session and that I had a blast with this family! These girls are a breath of fresh air. Oh, and I LOVE their freckles!!

:: you glow, you shine ::

2008-10-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is how I get the clue that the session is done :-)

:: Sunday quote ::

2008-10-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

:: mini sessions today ::

2008-10-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'm out of the office all day today doing the mini sessions at Chicky Bella. I just took a quick break for lunch but the second set of minis are starting shortly. I will return your calls & e-mails later today.

I'm having a blast today!

:: three? four? ::

2008-10-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe five times? oh boy, I lost count how many times I have photographed this little girl. What I do know is that she's one of my favorite clients ever! I'm sure most of you have seen her at one point or another ... a business card? front page in my website? postcards? And now that she has a little brother, this family will be part of my marketing materials even more. I just love him!

This photo-shoot felt more of a "lifestyle" session than a regular portrait session as you can see. We played, I follow them around (as usual), little Anna sang for me, they had ice cream and I even had a yummy cappuccino!

:: blogging ::

2008-10-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand, I will begin blogging every photo session I do for the remainder of the year! I've been lacking lately in that area since I've been busy behind the scenes. However, most people are asking me now to blog their sessions!! I love those kind of requests! So starting tonight, I will blog every session I do. :o)

I hope you're ready!

:: humongous! ::

2008-10-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Paul and I went for breakfast today to The Cheesecake Factory and I ordered their breakfast burrito thinking I would give it a try. When the waiter brought it out, we couldn't stop laughing at what I had just ordered ... the burrito was HUMONGOUS!!! How on earth is anybody supposed to eat that whole thing? Besides that I wasn't expecting to have all that sauce on top but it was good after all. Having said that, I only ate about half of it of course lol!

P.S. excuse the bad photo since it was taken with my camera phone.

Mini Sessions at Chicky Bella!!!

2008-10-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

Spots are limited ... these are guaranteed to sell like Hot Cakes!!

:: what are you doing Nov. 4th? ::

2008-10-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

:: siblings ::

2008-09-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

Can you say heart breakers? I often say that a photograph doesn't need the subjects to be smiling in order to be a beautiful portrait. We need to embrace and remember all of the expressions our children have and not just their smiles. That's why I always strive to capture serious, sad, playful, and curious looks ... that's how children are after all.

:: photographer's life ::

2008-09-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

:: baby mahlon ::

2008-09-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

I love babies! I don't think I can say it enough. Baby Mahlon was 6 weeks old at the time of the photo shoot and would not go to sleep. We were lucky to get a few sleeping shots here and there but for the most part, he remained awake during the session. I wanted to get a few more sleeping shots as this is the only time babies this age get to relax and bend their arms and legs. Next time you see a baby around this age, try to keep him/her curled up, while awake, and you'll see what I mean lol!

This is a very tough age to photograph, I won't deny it. Anytime between 3 weeks and 3 months old, it's difficult. They're not quiet newborns anymore for those sleepy/curled up shots, nor do they respond to stranger's requests for smiles.

Regardless of Mahlon's age, I was able to capture some great shots! I love how I was able to get eye connection with him and the camera. He was a very good baby after all and enjoyed his session very much.

Thanks Mahlon's mom & dad!

:: poof! gone ::

2008-09-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

oh no!!! my website is gone! it crashed last night in a matter of seconds. The worst part is that I can't recover it so now I'm trying to upload another website I've been working on but it's not 100% ready. I rather have that website that nothing at all! So if you're trying to look for information located on my website, just e-mail me at ana@anacphotography.com

:o(

:: oh so cool! ::

2008-09-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

Despite the HOT weather, this guy managed to look SO cool in all of his photos and I give him extra points for that. We walked around Mill avenue looking for nice spots to shoot at but I think the heat almost took the best of us. We had to take a break to grab an ice tea at Coffee Plantation to cool off. This was a photoshoot for his model portfolio but of course, I also had to take some photos that are not your "standard" headshots.

Thanks for stopping by!

:: curly sue ::

2008-08-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad to be blogging again! And more happy to be able to share with you my first session of the season of this beautiful 11 month old girl. I enjoyed her beyond words. She's such a happy, curious, gorgeous and sweet little girl! I'm so lucky her parents picked me to be her photographer.

I love to start shooting photos right away, before the little ones get used to me, so that I can capture those curious looks that later on I may not get. She's probably wondering what I'm up to here lol!

I love how her hair shows some of the golden tones of the door in the background.

:: Holiday Calendar ::

2008-08-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'm officially opening the 2008 holiday season calendar so if you're interested in a session, let me know asap. Based on the e-mail requests I've been getting, this season will book very quickly. Look forward to hearing from you!

I'm baack!

2008-08-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

What a long summer this has been! Well, time has gone pretty quickly for me but it feels like forever since I blogged and have been in touch with all of you. I miss my old routine and I'm glad to be back more ready than ever for the busy season!

I'm working on getting back to everybody that has contacted me during this time... so hang in there if you haven't heard back from me, I really appreciate your patience!

I look forward blogging again so visit often. Yeah!!!

:: session availability ::

2008-04-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how busy life can get sometimes! Between family and work life I barely have time for myself these days. I have decided to close my business during the HOT months of July & August. This will give me time to re-group and get ready for the busy holiday season that starts in September and ends in December. At the moment I'm booked thru June so this means that my next available session is in September!

Thanks so much everybody for all of your inquiries!

:: Class of 2008 - Kristen ::

2008-04-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Kristen will be graduating from High School in a few short weeks. What a great feeling to know you have so many life opportunities ahead of you. I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to be when I grow up! :o)

Here are some of Kristen's favorite photos and some of mine.

:: kick his what? ::

2008-04-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Warning!!! If you're offended by bad words (minor bad words) do not watch this. This is so funny though so I had to share it!

How about this one? LOL!

This one cracked me up!

:: home ::

2008-04-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm finally home after so many days of traveling to different places & for different reasons. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone in the next couple of days. Honestly there is no better place than home. While I love to travel and see new places, meet different people and have new experiences, the feelings you get when you return home are like no other. I love my bed! I also love eating the things I have in my fridge, cooking my own meals & doing my daily routines! Home makes me feel balanced. :: Home Sweet Home ::

And now, let me introduce to you this sweet little girl that is as beautiful as spring flowers. She was a little shy and hesitant at first, but then warmed up to me after I started playing and chasing her around the field. We had a great time!

I love this photo! It looks like my photos do when I was a little girl in the 70s (yes, you may do the count to see how old I am! he he)

:: lucas ::

2008-03-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

I just love the name Lucas. This name goes so well with this little boy as he is cool, funny & smart. His grandma has been hiring me to photograph her grandkids when they turn five years old for the last 3 or 4 years. I photographed his brother 2 years ago and now it was Lucas turn. Of course we also managed to take photos of his brother and some with mom & dad to celebrate such a beautiful stage in his life. See, I'm so glad grandma has the same thoughts as I do.... it's great to photograph them before they lose their baby teeth!

:: cloudy day ::

2008-03-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent most of my day traveling from Phoenix to Richmond Virginia for business purposes. It was a looong day! While being up in the air, these clouds reminded me how beautiful life is and that we should appreciate the little things that make us happy. I wanted to eat these clouds so bad! :o)

Taken with my iPhone

:: thank you! ::

2008-03-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all of your wise words and for taking the time to post your messages and e-mail me regarding my brother. I know it has taken me a while to come back but it was hard facing the truth and I wanted to pretend it didn't happen.

I'm doing much better these days and can't wait to move forward. Again, thank you so much for your support.

{{Hugs]]

:: out of town ::

2008-03-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

I will be out of town for the next few days for a family emergency in Mexico. My brother just passed away yesterday in a plane crash. He was a crop duster pilot and his plane had a mechanical failure and got tangled up in electrical wires when it lost altitude. It's a very sad time for all of us.

I will return your calls & e-mails as soon as I can. Thank you.

:: The 10 greatest photography blogs on the planet ::

2008-03-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

Wow! My blog was chosen as one of The 10 greatest photography blogs on the planet!!! Even though I didn't place at the top, I'm very humbled to even be considered for this contest. The other photographers on the list are some of the BEST photographers around the world! Having my business name next to them (in any context) is pretty humbling.

Check it out! The 10 greatest photography blogs on the planet

:: the cost of photography ::

2008-03-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, I don't like to talk about money and the price involved in doing photography and try to convince people to hire professional photographers, but this article is so well written that I'm going to share it with you. I hope you don't mind:

Why are professional photographers so expensive?

:: Chi-Town Little Guy ::

2008-02-28T22:20:00.000-08:00

This little boy came to Arizona all the way from Chicago! I melted when I looked at those beautiful blue eyes and those chubby cheeks. He did great during the session and was such a ham. Enjoy!!!

Mom is sooo beautiful! ... you can tell where this little baby gets the good looks from :o)

:: Arizona Heart Gallery - in the spotlight! ::

2008-02-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well, tomorrow (and today) is a big day for the Arizona Heart Gallery and the foster kids they represent. Tomorrow is the grand opening at the Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff. Today the Arizona Republic has an article about them in the Valley & State section that talks about the gallery.... you should check it out! Also, the Arizona Heart Gallery will be on Channel 5 at 5 pm today! Guess who is part of the story for channel 5? ME! One of the kids I photographed was chosen for this interview along with me. We were interviewed yesterday. Can't wait to see it!

Visit the Arizona Heart Gallery's website to see the photo I took of Isaac. It's the first photo on the opening page.

I'm so excited to see that the Arizona Heart Gallery it's getting the recognition it deserves. These children are looking for a forever family and we need to bring awareness to the community by letting people know how many children are in the foster care system. These children are so beautiful - in & out.

:: Dear Blog ::

2008-02-27T00:09:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog,

I hope you're not too upset with me for being MIA (missing in action). I know I have neglected you but see, I have been busy working ... yeah, even I have to work once in a while you know? I know you told me before to have some fun too. I'm working on improving that area. I will pay more attention to you again so that we can have fun just like the ol' times. I hope you forgive me and give me one more chance to show you how much I love you.

Yours truly,

Ana

:: what color are you? ::

2008-02-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

Take this quiz to see what color are you. It's so much fun! What's funny about this, is that I'm not a pink kind of person but the description fits me so well!

What Color Are You?

I'm deeppink! #FF1493

Your dominant hues are red and magenta. You love doing your own thing and going on your own adventures, but there are close friends you know you just can't leave behind. You can influence others on days when you're patient, but most times you just want to go out, have fun, and do your own thing.

Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative.

Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

:: urban senior ::

2008-02-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

I loved working with Kim! She was so great to work with and was up for anything. Very mature & fun young woman. She's definitely going far in this world. I love how much fun I have photographing Seniors!!! Honestly, they're becoming one of my favorite subjects to photograph.... but of course, I still love my babies and children!

Soon I will be announcing a Senior "casting call" to represent Ana C. Photography. More info about it soon :o)

:: can we? ::

2008-02-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

Yes we can!

:: Oh so much love! ::

2008-02-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

This couple hired me to capture their 50th wedding anniversary! It was so wonderful to see how much they still love each other after so many years of being together. Love is a wonderful thing!

And of course I have to showcase the grandkids :o)

:: 101 update: #54, #79 & #82 ::

2008-01-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

#54. Encourage or mentor an upcoming woman photographer - [In Process]
The minute I posted this one on my blog I started receiving e-mails from new photographers asking me to be their mentor. I'm so humbled by the response to this and can't thank enough everybody that emailed me. Unfortunately I don't have much time on my hands so I can only take one. I already picked the person I want to mentor so the work is in progress. Thanks again!

#79. Do something nice for someone anonymously [Done 1.21.08]
Do I need to say anything about it? Nah!

#82. Go to a baseball, football or basketball game and be on first row (or close to) [Done - Sun's game 1.20.08]
Paul and I went to the Sun's game last Sunday and it was AWESOME being in the first row! We had a great view of all the players and game. I was amazed how little Steve Nash looked compared to the other players even though he's 6'3"!! They don't allow you to bring professional cameras nor use flash during the game. Therefore, we had to use our point and shoot camera (without flash!) so of course we couldn't take awesome photos! Oh well, the experience is what counts!

:: New Soul ::

2008-01-25T22:29:00.000-08:00

I know I've been missing in action lately but I've been very busy with behind the scenes stuff. This week wasn't my best week either.... had to postpone a baby's session on Wednesday since I wasn't feeling well for two or three days. I NEVER get sick but this year it finally got to me. Luckily I'm feeling MUCH better now and can't wait for tomorrow's session. I'm shooting a High School Senior and can't wait to show you what we come up with.

I will be announcing my new website debut soon and this song reminds me of fresh beginnings. You've GOT to listen to it! Must listen to this song :)

:: Do you know Speedy Gonzalez? ::

2008-01-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

I think this baby crawls and moves faster than any baby out there so he made me think of Speedy Gonzalez! What I loved the most about him was his smile and his happy spirit..... a true blessing!

I love to capture different expressions on babies and children since they are not always smiling and have so many throughout the day. That's why I encourage parents not to tell their little ones to smile for me. With babies I like to start working right away before they get too comfortable with me. This way I get curious, pensive and intense looks that I will not be able to get later on.

:: My Favorite Quote ::

2008-01-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

I want to share with you one of my favorite quotes. It's so inspirational and it reminds me to be brave and take risks in life. A life without risks is boring and dull and nobody wants that! God knows I have taken many risks in life and I'm so glad I did. I would not be where I am and be a happy camper like I am right now. Life is not perfect don't get me wrong, but when is it really going to be?

If you have a dream go for it. Live your life with passion! (Like Gwen Stefani said: whatcha waiting for?)

:: I'm BACK!!! ::

2008-01-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

I'm officially back in business and will start soon to return e-mails and phone calls.... thanks for your patience to those that e-mailed me and are waiting for a response. Can't wait to see what's ahead of us in 2008! I have the feeling that this will be an awesome year.

Ahhh.... to be in high school again! My high school years were SO much fun. I would love to go back to those days even for just one day! I don't remember ever looking this good when I was in high school though.... must be the water around here because I always get GREAT looking Seniors! I played with textures a little more on this session and love how they came out. Do you like them?

:: 101 things in 1001 days ::

2008-01-08T07:06:00.002-08:00

Tomorrow is my first official day back to work! I can't believe how fast time went by. I didn't even have a chance to complete many of the tasks I wanted to do during my time off. For this reason I've created a list that will help me keep track of all the things I would like to accomplish soon, well, a couple of years is soon enough. Have you heard of 101 things to do in 1001 days? There is a website just for it! It's worth checking out to get inspired! Click here for Day Zero Website. If you choose to do it let me know!! Maybe we can help each other out in getting them done.

I've always been a person to set new goals and actually work at accomplishing them.... just ask my friends! :o) I divided my tasks into different sections but they are not set in any particular order. I can accomplish goal # 90 even before I do goal #1... the idea is just to accomplish them.

I will blog here and there as I accomplish my goals to record my progress. 1001 days is about 2 years and 9 months, therefore, I must do all these things by Tuesday, October 5, 2010!!! Are you ready to join me?

Get ready, set, go!

Trips
1. Visit the Grand Canyon
2. Go to Yellowstone National Park
3. Travel to Italy with Paul
4. Take a trip with the boys to a big city
5. Take the boys to visit my brother that lives far away in Mexico
6. Take the boys camping
7. Go back to New York City
8. Make a weekend trip with my girlfriends
9. Stay at a local resort for a weekend
10. Go to Rocky Point again
11. Take a cruise

Personal well being
12. Take dance lessons
13. Do not do any work on Sundays for 6 months
14. Do not say anything negative about anybody or anything for a month
15. Get in good shape (see actual abs!)
16. Use my rollerblades again
17. Do nothing for 2 days except, read, sleep and relax.
18. Cook dinner three times a week for two months
19. Take a vacation and not bring my phone or laptop
20. Sign up for professional teeth whitening sessions
21. Take a belly dance class
22. Give up Soda for two months
23. Give up Soda for 6 months
24. Sleep at least 7 hours each night for two weeks
25. Get a facial
26. Get an eye exam to see if it’s time for glasses
27. Drink more water

Family & Friends
28. Organize and print my personal photos
29. Visit my family more often
30. Learn to make tortillas (just like my mom)
31. Throw a party
32. Call three friends I haven't talked to in awhile
33. Photograph my mom
34. Write a letter to my boys of why I love them so much
35. Work on listening more than I talk and not interrupting
36. Play paintball with my boys
37. Take the boy’s photos in 2008
38. Take the boy’s photos in 2009
39. Send Christmas cards in 2008
40. Send Christmas cards in 2009
41. Call a childhood friend I haven't talked to in a looong time

Photography/Business
42. Have someone design a new logo for my business
43. Start and actually finish a photography project
44. Get a new website
45. Buy a fisheye lens
46. Hire an assistant to help me with administrative work
47. Get some creative shots of still photography
48. Go to a great photography workshop
49. Create a website for high school seniors
50. Go to a WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) Trade Show in Vegas
51. Shoot a celebrity’s family
52. Get a studio/office to display my work
53. Blog every day for a month
54. Encourage or mentor an upcoming woman photographer - [In Process]
55. Be the best Senior High School photographer in my city
56. Print new sample photos of the standard sizes I offer
57. Print new business cards
58. Use my film camera again
59. Partner up with another business
60. Transition to an almost paperless office
61. Teach a class
62. Photograph a kid with big afro hair
63. Make daily lists to keep my schedule more organized & productive
64. Buy an armoire to place and organize all my photography knickknacks
65. Photograph a local band or singer
66. Do more active marketing for my business
67. Photograph someone in the rain

Challenges
68. Learn a third language: Italian
69. Go to the movies by myself
70. Learn to cook a really good roast
71. Get a live plant and keep it alive for more than a month
72. Save 20% of what I earn for one year
73. Resist the urge to buy some expensive item of clothing and do something important with the money instead
74. Get better at bowling
75. Read one book per month for three months
76. Go to a sit down restaurant by myself

Fun!
77. Take a train ride
78. Volunteer somewhere
79. Do something nice for someone anonymously [Done 1.21.08]
80. Ride a motorcycle with Paul for one day
81. Go on a picnic
82. Go to a baseball, football or basketball game and be on first row (or close to) [Done - Sun's game 1.20.08]
83. Hire an awesome photographer to take MY photos
84. Learn to play tennis
85. Learn about wine
86. Make a white water rafting trip
87. Join a group for a recreational sport
88. Do a sports day with Paul
89. Take scuba diving lessons
90. Ride a horse
91. Go to a hockey game
92. Ride my bike in 3 different bike routes around the valley

Misc.
93. Have my car detailed
94. Decorate my bedroom
95. Buy a beautiful painting
96. Decorate boys room
97. Organize my closet and get rid of old stuff
98. Leave open for new ideas
99. Leave open for new ideas
100. Leave open for new ideas
101. A wish only I know about

:: Happy New Year! :: and a little showcase

2008-01-02T22:17:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Today I had a thought. New Year's is my favorite time of year. It's always full of possibilites, feels fresh and there is always a new beginning. I'm so thankful to be so blessed and have such wonderful people around me that love me and that I love. I can honestly say that I'm truly a happy person.

I have so many dreams and goals and can't wait to start working on them. 2007 was such a great year that I'm sure 2008 will be even better! Are you living the life you want to live?

Okay, and now my showcase. Please meet AJ. I photographed this little boy on his 3rd birthday. I've lost count of how many times I've taken his photos!...maybe 6? It all started when he was in mom's belly, then as a newborn, then 6 month and many more after that. It's great to see all of my babies grow. I hope you enjoy all of his expressions!

:: Cool Beans! ::

2007-12-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

I just got back from my last session of the year (can you believe I'm still shooting?) and found in my e-mail that my blog is being featured on this cool blog of what else: Blogs of Photographers! lol! I got a nice review and feel so honored to be listed next to these awesome photographers around the Country. The website is called Blogs of Photographers - Check it out!

Is Christmas over yet?

2007-12-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

It feels like I haven't blogged in ages! Where have I been? After spending my two busiest weeks of the year working, I feel like I'm finally starting to decompress. I'm still burned out and I think it will take a couple of more weeks to feel like myself again.

Some days I was working up to 18 hours a day, and I still didn't accomplish everything on time. Next year will be different though. I'm working on the "lessons learned" from this year and the changes for 2008. One of them is a stricter holiday deadline so I have time to enjoy my loved ones during this time of year. So be on the lookout for some changes in Ana C. Photography.

Today was a great relaxing day and I got everything I wanted for Christmas. A nice time with my boys, Paul and other family members. I got my boys an X-box 360 with Halo 3 & Guitar Hero III. They were very happy about that :o)

Paul got me a super fun bicycle for Christmas!!! A bike with an attitude that is. He also got a matching one (in black) so we can take rides around the city and have fun. I just love that! Can't wait to be outdoors riding my bike (see the photo below). Thank you Paul!

Paul and I also went to the sold out Las noches de las luminarias at the Desert Botanical Gardens. I recommend it to anyone that hasn't been there yet. It was a very pleasant night with good food and great live music. Be sure to dress warm since it gets very cold out in the desert!

:: Are we having fun yet? ::

2007-12-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

It is so refreshing to get a call from a guy wanting photos of his family when they come to visit him. Usually I get the calls from women to schedule sessions since most guys don't pay attention to those little details (notice I said 'most' :o) ). Can you tell we had fun at their session? Of course we did more serious stuff but these made me smile when I was editing their photos so I have to show them. We all need to have fun like this with our families!!!

:: Wow! Holiday Cards ::

2007-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday cards were a hit this year! I just counted how many Holiday cards I produced this year and the total is 2000!!! That's a record for me. The client with the most ordered 200 cards! Phew!

Say wha?

2007-12-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

A grumpy photographer? Who me? Nah! Somebody keeps reminding me that all work and no play will make a grumpy photographer! So he works very hard to keep me balanced. If it wasn’t for Paul, I would do 90% work and 10% sleep during this time of year. Thanks to him, I’ve been able to do some fun things that keep me from getting burned out.

Last week we went to race indoor go-karts at F-1 Race Factory in Phoenix. Have you driven those little cars? They are amazingly fast! Then on Friday we went to an Irish Pub in Downtown Phoenix to listen to a duo called ‘The Waters’, formerly of ‘The Wild Angels Band’. I fell in love with Krystal’s voice, the lead vocalist, and I would love to have her music on my website! I will make that a project :o)

Finally (yesterday) we went to THE Steeler’s Bar in the West, Harold’s in Cave Creek…what a drive! Paul is a HUGE fan of the Steelers so of course I had to look the part too :o) Even though it was a bummer that they lost, watching all the fans wear funny wigs, shoulder pads, carry puppets and accessories was super FUN! Do you know how many Steelers songs are out there? Gosh, I lost count!

He told me to do something!

Today was back to reality day. I had to take my son to the doctor for pink eye…. His School called me after lunch to pick him up due to his not so pretty eye. Oh well.

My only hope is that I get to put my Christmas tree up at least a week before Christmas. I have not had a chance! I haven’t done any shopping either. Does anybody know where I can find Guitar Hero for the X-Box 360?

'The' Urban Mini Sessions

2007-12-10T00:08:00.001-08:00

I'm finally done proofing the mini sessions from last week at Chicky Bella ....phew! Here are some of my favorite images from that day - shown in the order they were taken. I can't believe how many great images I was able to capture from 20 minute long sessions! All of these kids were amazing!!! Thank you!

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 10 ::

2007-12-05T23:25:00.000-08:00

Who said high school photos need to be boring? Meet this super fun high school senior that was up for anything..... Even sitting next to a bear! She's so stunningly beautiful and smart. I can see that she'll go very far in whatever she does.

We are the music-makers,
and we are the dreamers
of dreams. We are the
movers and shakers of the
world forever, it seems.
-arthur o'shaughnessy

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 9 ::

2007-12-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to do this session because I was going to get to see this little boy again. For a long time I imagined what he looked like now as a little boy and not as a baby. See, the last time I photographed him he was TWO weeks old!! He looks exactly how I imagined him to be; playful, curious, active, happy and SUPER handsome! oh, and he still has a lot of hair just like he did when he was a baby.

When we finished our session, I remembered I had in my car a canvas I've been using as a sample on my ordering appointments. MANY of you have seen it before :o). That canvas was made with one of the photos of him as a baby. We pulled it out of my car and had him hold it for one last shot. I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite shots of his session. How adorable is this?! (note: the canvas size is 18X24 in case you're wondering)

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 8 ::

2007-12-04T13:44:00.001-08:00

Okay, I'm back to my regular programming on frenzy proofing (I was working on my other frenzy state: Holiday Cards!).

This session was perfect for black and white images. When I do the sessions in my client’s home, it's all about finding the light. So if you hire me, be prepared for me to open blinds, curtains, move furniture, etc. That’s what I did here :o). I’m sure they didn’t mind since I was able to capture gorgeous photos of their baby girl and beautiful family moments. This baby was such a good baby! I Love how expressive her eyes are!

If I have an opportunity, I always photograph the 'Fido' of the house (see below). I just LOVE dogs! What about cats you may ask? Well, I'm allergic to them so I haven't had a chance to develop the love they deserve. However, I think they would be perfect models because they don't move and they just sit there! he he!

Minis were a hit!

2007-12-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today's mini sessions were very successful! I can't believe how much fun I had meeting new people and photographing them. I had 10 minis total. Everything ran so smoothly thanks to Lisa at Chicky Bella. Everybody was on time, happy, and ALL, I mean, ALL of the families were just plain gorgeous!

I can't wait to proof these sessions and post them here! Now I'm ready to have my glass of wine so that I can relax and maybe go to bed early :o)

Thanks to all of you that came down to Gilbert today for the mini sessions. You were ALL awesome!!!

Nite, nite!

ana

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 7 ::

2007-12-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and rainy afternoon when I did this session. The light was going away fast on me (even though the session started early in the afternoon) so I had to crank up the ISO on my camera in order to have a good shutter speed. Some photos are granier than I normally do but I love the effect. It reminds me of film photos (my very first passion). See, fast shutter speed is very important when you take fast moving babies. They will not stay still! Just like my previous set of twins, the minute we would put them next to each other they will run in opposite directions. They sure help me burn some calories lol!

This is the third time photographing these adorable twin boys. I did their newborn photos, 7 month old & now almost a year old. I'm sure you've seen them before. Just take a peak at my galleries and they're all over the place :o)

P.S. I think I'm one of the photographers with the most twin's sessions out there! I have another photoshoot coming up in the next week for 2 year old twin girls. I just love them!

I enhanced the grain on this one. I'm really diggin this effect!

See what I mean on moving in opposite directions? this is just one example :o)

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 6 ::

2007-12-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have a session where the baby or child is not a super smiley one to strangers (a.k.a: me) and I'm totally fine with that. I love the moody, serious, curious looks of our little ones. After all, babies and children are not going around with a permanent smile on their face! I think it's important to capture the other side of them as well.

She looks like a porcelain doll!

But then I got the following shot and how can I not melt with a smile like this?

Eventually they all warm up to me...

I love the lighting on this shot! I just knew this was THE family shot as soon as I clicked the shutter. It was just the perfect family moment.

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 5 ::

2007-12-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hello again! Meet these wonderful, very active, super fast twins. Boy, I had to chase them around for almost every shot I took! They were super fast at crawling (I don't think I could crawl that fast if I wanted to). I still managed to get some great shots (or so I think). They were so much fun!

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 4 ::

2007-12-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit that I'm a few days behind on proofing some sessions but it's not because I haven't been working...I just had to get caught up on Christmas cards and some pending orders I had to place. I should be right on track by tomorrow since I'll be home all day due to the rain. I had scheduled my day of Mini Sessions for Saturday but they had to be moved to Sunday!!! Well, due to the high demand of the Mini Sessions we had to open Sunday (prior of knowing it was going to rain on Saturday)...so now I have the Mini Sessions from Saturday and Sunday on one day!! I'm sure I'll manage but I think I will need a drink of wine when I'm done :o) Can't wait to show you those images!

I just love so many photos from this session (I know I say that all the time but it's the truth!). It was hard to decide which ones to show you. This is a SUPER cool family that were gifted with good genes. Just look at those precious children! I experimented with different finishes on some of the images from this session and I think I like the results. What do you think?

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 3 ::

2007-11-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

What do you do when everyone in the family looks like a model? Photograph them just like one!

:: Just for fun ::

2007-11-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

Does it look like me?

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 2 ::

2007-11-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

Meet one of favorite babies of 2007! I can't believe he's already 4 months old. The last time I photographed him he was just a few days old. In fact, he's the baby on my opening slideshow on my website... that's one of my ultimately favorite newborn shots ever! I will be watching him grow as he's the last client in 2007 for my baby collection of 4 sessions in 18 months. Can't wait to photograph him again when he's sitting up.

Just look at those eyes!

:: Proofing Frenzy - Take 1 ::

2007-11-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

When I was contacted to photograph 4 little boys under the age of 10 I thought I was going to have my hands full during their session. Let me tell you....they were some of the easiest boys to photograph! I just loved how all of them were very different from each other. The little one cracked me up since he was ready to be center stage even when it wasn't his turn :o)

He was so cute when he came out with his camera and started taking my photo while I photographed his little brother. I think he was taking my photos as a payback for me taking his. So adorable!

:: Proofing Frenzy Begins ::

2007-11-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful Thankgsiving and ate lots of turkey. I ate two HUGE plates of food and I think I was stuffed for about 24 hours!! Yesterday didn't do much shopping since I don't like crowds fighting for stuff to buy. After my afternoon session, I went out to the movies with Paul and to eat Sushi afterwards.

After re-charging my batteries for two days, my proofing frenzy begins. I have THIRTEEN sessions to proof in seven days!!!! I know that sounds easy but that involves a lot of work. It takes me about 3 to 4 hours for each session to proof. I like to give my images a lot of love! First I decide what images I will keep (delete the not so good expressions, closed eyes, motion blurry ones, etc.) After that I work on each image I keep. I like to crop them to fit my artistic eye, I study the photo to see if it'll look better in color or black & white, if I should add any texture or special finishes, do minor retouching to remove scratches and bumps (kids and babies get lots of them!) etc. As you can see, it's not as easy as it sounds.

Meanwhile the rest of my business continues... I will start to post the sessions I proof tonight and the count down will begin!

Gobble, Gobble

2007-11-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

I hope you have the best Turkey day ever! I took the day off to spend time with family eating LOTS of food and to enjoy their company. I'm also taking the day off tomorrow to be able to do some shopping (well, except I have a session in the afternoon). I'm going to buy the COOLEST chair at Chicky Bella to use at photo sessions. Can't wait to show you what I can do with it! By the way, Chicky Bella will have 50% off their clothes between 2 & 4pm (I think...but call to confirm the times just to make sure)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ana

Sexiest Man Alive?

2007-11-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

When People magazine contacted me to photograph the Sexiest Man Alive for their 2007 cover I said sure! I felt so humbled that they wanted to hire ME! So I went my merry way and photographed the Sexiest Man Alive! What do you think?

Well, after I submitted the photo they told me I had the wrong man and they couldn’t use it since the Sexiest Man Alive had to be a well-known star. Apparently I went to do my assignment before they told me who I was supposed to photograph! After this, they gave the job to another photographer. Oh well, I really don’t mind that since I much rather photograph babies and kids.

So do you agree with their choice?

Here are my five picks
#1 – Paul
#2 – Matt Damon
#3 – Clive Owen
#4 – Patrick Dempsey
#5 – John Stamos

So ladies (guys too if you want), which one do you think is the Sexiest Man Alive? Here is the link if you haven't bought the magazine: Sexiest Man alive

Family + Style = Love

2007-11-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce to you one very cool family that I {{adore}}. This is the fifth time I've had the luck of photographing them. It all started when the youngest girl was in mom’s belly and now she’s 3 yrs old!

This year they wanted something different so we went urban style…. definitely not your typical family session. Oh, and their clothes totally matched their attitude: fun & hip!!

This image shows their personalities perfectly...

Last year I had to chase around this little girl in order to get some images of her. What a difference a year can make!!! She even posed for me during some shots! So there is hope for all you moms out there that have a "Speedy Gonzalez" at home :o)

:: Akemi ::

2007-11-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to show off my niece Akemi (okay, she's my 'great' niece since she's my niece's daugther but I'm not ready to be a 'great' aunt so for now we'll say she's my niece :o) )

And you may ask why does she look Japanese? Well, my sister married a Japanese guy so my niece and nephew look very Japanese too and not Mexican at all! I took these quick photos when they came to visit a couple of weeks ago to see my mom. Isn't she ADORABLE?? I'm so in love with her!

:: 2007 Sessions Update ::

2007-11-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

This time of year is the most crazy time of year for me as you all know. However, this year has been the craziest!!! The demand for my services has been awesome! As much as I would love to book everybody that contacts me, for now I have to say no more sessions for 2007. I think I booked more than I should already.... so if you see the dark circles on my eyes increase it's due to lack of sleep. I love it though! I love this time of year because I get to see the same people from last year and I get to meet new ones. The weather is also perfect for outdoor sessions. What more can I ask for?

Most of my work comes from word of mouth so I appreciate all of you that have referred my services to your friends and family. The other part of my business comes from clients that have found my website on the internet. In the past years my website didn't show up on ANY internet searches...since I fixed a few things here and there, now I come up on the first pages for most searches.

I've been SO lucky that I have not had to pay for any advertisers. I would not be where I am without your kind words. I tell all my friends and family that I have the best clients in the world! By the end of the session you feel like close friends to me. Thank you!!!

:: Another beautiful family ::

2007-11-12T22:47:00.000-08:00

Can I say that I LOVED photographing this family? I have so many awesome shots of them and it was very hard to decide what photos to post. What a difficult job this is! hehe! Everybody was super easy to work with and they were up for whatever. I love it when families trust me and know that I'll get great images of them.

I'm also digging color photos these days. I still LOVE black & white images don't get me wrong. But there is something about color images this season that I just can't convert them to B&W. What do you think? Do you prefer color or B&W?

An outtake that turned out so cute! hehe!

:: A Family Bunch ::

2007-11-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I love what I do is that I’m able to capture the love people have for each other. This family was no exception. Their love was so apparent and I could truly tell they like each other. They are such a cool family and they were up for anything. It was hard to choose what photos to show here since I have so many favorite ones. Thanks guys for such a wonderful time. You guys are the greatest!

While I was taking the boy's photos, I could not help myself and think how much I wish my kids would let me take their photos like they did. Now I have to beg my boys and bribe them (which hasn't worked lately) for me to take their photos. They said they are so tired of me taking their photos they have boycotted my camera and me. All I want for Christmas this year is for my boys to let me take their photos.....I'm this >< close on convincing them again :o)

:: Urban girl ::

2007-11-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

This was my last session done at Westgate located in Glendale. I got kicked out of there! :o(. Not for bad behavior but because they don’t allow professional photographers there anymore. What a bummer because I love that place SO much! At least I was able to take some great shots before someone stopped me to tell me we had to leave. We finished the session not too far from there. But you know me; I don’t need a super fancy place to be able to capture great images. It’s all about the subject being photographed anyway, not the background.

This 2 year old had what it takes for an urban type session. She’s fun, spunky & fast! A typical 2 year old!!! The wind was perfect and it just added a bit of fashion flair to the images. I loved what I was able to capture! She’s the girl that took second place on the cutest baby/toddler contest I ran a couple of months ago. Mom hired me to take her photos after the contest was over. She was so close to winning!

And what's your exercise routine some of you have asked me? I RUN after two year olds!!!

:: stud muffin ::

2007-11-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Meet Jack. His session was done at home and with the help of mom and grandma, we were able to get some great images. See, Jack was on the go 100% of the time!....just like a 2 yr old. Jack loves his dog so much that we had to get some shots with him as well. I love Jack's blue eyes! He's going to melt girl's hearts when he grows up..... That's for sure!

Where is my doggie!!!!

the many faces of Stephanie

2007-11-03T01:39:00.000-07:00

This is the third time I have the luck of photographing this little girl. She's now 6 years old and the first time I met her she was around 3. I'm sure some of you have seen her before....how can't you? she's been on my website numerous times and on promo materials for my business. I just LOVE how expressive she is and how fun her sessions are. Never a dull moment for sure :o). They moved far away from Arizona but I feel so honored that they will continue to come back for me to take her photos. Can't wait to see her again!

I was wondering what she would wear this year and see how she was going to top the little red chinese dress she wore last year. When I saw this I said WOW! Now, how can you top this Mulan dress? I just loved it!

The feet shot :o) hehe!

Everything is o.k.!

2007-11-01T22:14:00.001-07:00

My mom's surgery was done today and thank God everything went well. There was only a 15 to 20% chance that she would make it thru due to her heart's condition. As always, she's such a strong woman and made it thru. I'm so proud of her! This was such a tense week and didn't realize how stressed we were until the surgeon came out and gave us the good news. It felt like a big weight was lifted off our shoulders.

Recovery will be long and slow but we're ready for that. Thanks so much again for all the e-mails I received with your good wishes. You guys are the best!

A message to a prospect client -

2007-10-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Lindsey S. I just got an e-mail from you but there was no e-mail address! I would love to reply but since the message was sent from my website, it didn't record your e-mail address. It's regarding Chicky Bella.

Thanks so much!

:: a family reunion ::

2007-10-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished working on these images on my laptop and wanted to share them with you since I want to reinforce how important family reunions are. It has more meaning now for me especially at this moment. I really enjoy photographing families and always have a blast when I do them. This time of year I book tons of family reunions but more around Thanksgiving weekend. This one came in early and I'm so glad they did. They are a beautiful family and their love for each other really shows on their images.

I recommend you take lots of photos of your family this season. Who cares if they are not perfect....it's your family and that's what's beautiful about them. Don't forget to hug them and tell them you love them.

Shhh...don't tell anybody but my favorite part of family sessions are the children...can you tell?

Ah, perfect 'bokeh'!!! ...it's a technical term for those photographers that happen to read my blog. This was shot at 1.7!

And of course....a session is never complete without the feet shot :o)!

Thank you!

2007-10-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much everybody for your kind e-mails and messages. It means the world to me! I came home for a little bit to catch up on some e-mails and to get cleaned up (spending the night at the hospital was kind of noisy but oh well.) My mom is set to have surgery tomorrow but there is a small chance that they'll move it to Thursday. Her heart is not very strong and we run high risk either way: with surgery and without surgery. We are just hoping for the best at this time.

Thanks again!

:: Limited e-mail access ::

2007-10-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

I will have limited e-mail access for the next few days so if you need to reach me, please give me a ring. Leave a message if I don't answer and will get back to you asap. My mom was admitted to the hospital early this morning and she will be having open heart surgery on Wednesday. I will be spending most of my time with her and most likely spend some nights there as well.

I will continue to work on proofing sessions on my laptop while I'm at the hospital so I assure you the work will get done. I'm working as fast as possible so I appreciate your patience with everything. Thank you so much!

P.S. I will continue to blog here and there when I have a chance.

:: On the move ::

2007-10-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

I should be sleeping but I can't help to post this session before I go nite nite. This session was mainly for the little boy that just turned one. We also included big brother to capture some images for their holiday cards. But I love big brother so much that had to take some photos of him individually as well. Little brother was on the move 100% of the time! Very typical for kids this age...as soon as they know they can walk and run, there is no one stopping them! The first time I took his photos he was just crawling..and now? watch out! This is exactly what keeps my job fun and exciting....oh, and also fit :o)

This photo was shown on my old blog before but I had to post it on the new one too. I just love this moment!

The Arizona Heart Gallery

2007-10-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

I’ve been proofing like crazy these past four days and will probably continue like this for the next month or so. However, I still managed to work on a project very close to my heart. I just photographed two little boys and their photos will be displayed at the Tucson Grand Opening of the Arizona Heart Gallery. These children are up for adoption and I would love to see them find loving homes. Every child deserves one…. If I could, I would adopt all of them!

Unfortunately I can’t show you the images I took due to the privacy of the children. However, some of my photographs are displayed at the Arizona Heart Gallery’s website.

The Phoenix Grand Opening was a few months ago and the gallery has traveled throughout Arizona since then. I’m very happy to know that two out of the four children I photographed in the summer, have found loving, happy homes!

I can’t make it to this Grand Opening since I have photo sessions here all that week and weekend. But I would love for some of you to attend if interested in adopting a child. What a beautiful thing to do!

:: Photog Friends ::

2007-10-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

What does a photographer do on her night off from work? Take more photos of course! On Sunday I met my friend Allison from Allison Waken Photography to take each others photos. I needed some new photos for my bio section on my website and blog so how much better can this get? I got to photograph this beautiful young woman with those gorgeous blue eyes while I got my photos taken too.

Isn’t she gorgeous?

:: Exclusive Mini Sessions @ Chicky Bella ::

2007-10-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

To book your mini session, visit Chicky Bella in Gilbert and prepay your session to reserve your spot. We'll have fun walking around Gilbert Town Square and capturing cool images Urban style! Funky color clothing & hats are encouraged for a cool look. Mini Sessions are 20 minutes long.

:: How did I get so lucky? ::

2007-10-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

I swear I photograph the most handsome families from the Phoenix area! I’m so lucky this family bid for my work at a silent auction for Scottsdale Shea's NICU. It was so wonderful to see how much they love each other and how much they adore their little boy. See, this little boy is a miracle baby as he was very premature when he was born. You can’t even tell now!

What a beautiful family! I swear mom looks like a model….oh, and dad plays for a major league baseball team!. Can you guess which one?

I love to capture some of the funny faces kids make when they touch the grass :o)

Side note: I love to help out the community whenever I can and I find that donating my work to fundraiser organizations is the best way for me to contribute. Thanks to all of you that contribute one way or another.

Session Availability - What's left?

2007-10-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe the response from everybody trying to book their holiday session early. October and November are completely booked! As much as I would like to squeeze more people in, I can't. I don't want to over-book because that will just kill my creativity. For those of you that still want a session, there are a few spots left in the month of December. However, there are no weekends available at this time. Please call me asap @ 480.363.1764 or e-mail me if you would like a session in December or if you would like me to add you to the waiting list.

On December 1st, I will be doing mini-sessions all day at Chicky Bella located in Gilbert. More details are coming soon for those of you that would like one of the spots available.

I feel very humbled for how much in demand my services have been in the past few months. I'm so blessed to be where I am right now. Thank you so much!

:: Chicago ::

2007-10-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

I finally have a chance to share with you some photos from my recent trip to Chicago. Paul and I took a lot of photos! They are snap shots of course but I wasn’t in the mood of being too creative and artistic - I’m usually like this when I’m on vacation and try to save my creative energy for my clients’ sessions :o)

I loved Chicago! What a beautiful city. I’m a big city girl and get excited with its energy and culture. I wish Phoenix had more old and interesting buildings like Chicago does. I would be doing my sessions around them all the time!

We stayed in downtown at the Comfort Inn & Suites and we’re definitely staying there again if we go back. It was such a small and cozy hotel and they make you feel very welcomed. Anyhow, my trip to Chicago meant a lot of firsts for me and I'm glad I got to experience them with Paul. Here they are:

First time to Chicago (duh! that’s obvious!)
First time to go on a horse and carriage
First time to go to a Piano bar
First time to go to a Blues bar
First time on the ‘L’
First time to go to a Spanish restaurant – the Paella was delicious!

I feel like I’m in cloud 9 lately all the time! I’m enjoying my life to the fullest and I hope you do too. Life is too short to not stop and smell the roses :o)

I have LOTS of photos to share so bare with me:

Paul and I being silly at Navy Pier

Me on the Ferris Wheel

Paul and I on the Ferris Wheel - It was very hard to take this photo with my big camera!

Paul on the Wave Swinger (we're such kids at heart!)

Hey Allison! This photo is for you! I did go to Gino's pizza and you were right....it was delicious! I think it took me 3 days to not feel stuffed!

The water tower on Mircale Mile. This photo was taken with a point & shoot camera...not bad huh?

Me having a drink at the Piano Bar

I always dream about what it would be like to live at another city. If I moved to Chicago I would live in a place like this:

Guess what I found while taking a walk thru Armitage Avenue? My favorite stationary store! I forgot this place was in Chicago and it was a surprise to see it there! This store is where I buy those beautiful envelopes & folders for the welcome packets I send to my clients. It was so exciting to see in person all those yummy items in different colors and textures. So now when I shop on-line I can definitely visualize them. Ah...the little things in life that make you happy :o)

:: The Farm ::

2007-10-17T00:18:00.000-07:00

I've been saving these images so that I could show them on my new blog. They are very special to me since they were taken in Wisconsin at an old & historical farm. When I arrived to the farm my jaw almost fell to the ground. It was a photographer's dream! It had everything I look for when I do a photoshoot: interesting lighting, beautiful grass, old buildings, rusty metal, old wood; a place full of character. I could not have asked for more beautiful weather either. What made it more special was the family living there. Their love for each other is like no other. I loved spending time with them!

I'm in love!

2007-10-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

...with my new blog that is! I have made the commitment and I'm sticking with this blog forever! I'm keeping my old blog for another month only so bookmark this one instead.

This post is not complete without me saying THANK YOU to Rudy Arpia who designed this blog for me. He's just a master with HTML coding (something I'm not!) and very creative! Oh, and did I mentioned that he's an awesome photographer too? check out his work!: http://www.arpiaphoto.com/

Thanks everybody and can't wait to have fun with my new blog!