I'm always saying how important it is to take pictures for "no reason". I really believe that you shouldn't wait for an important milestone or event (wedding, baby, holiday card season, makeover, etc..) to document your life. Sure, those are great photo opportunities also, but life is more than just a series of events. It's the time in between all those things too. In fact, life is most like LIFE when it's not surrounding those times...when you're just being you.

Today, I may be regretting this philosophy. It's time for us to step in FRONT of the camera. YIKES! You may be thinking "but Alisha, what's the big deal, you've always LOVED hamming it up in front of the camera." You'd be right. The big deal is 1) we're working with a fabulous photographer and for some reason, because we're photographers too, I feel like we really need to be on our A game as clients, and 2) because I feel... Fat.

Ah, the F word. So many times I've heard people say "I want to do pictures just as soon as I lose some more weight." Every time they say that, I come flying back with my "it's not about that, it's about documenting your life like it is RIGHT NOW speech." Today I'm eating my words, taking my own advice, and practicing what I preach. Sure, when I first scheduled this session several months ago, I wasn't nearly this overweight, but thanks to some knarly meds (that I'm now off of...YES) I've gained 25-30lbs. You have no idea how bad I wanted to cancel until "I lost the weight" but I didn't. I didn't because that would make me a mega hypocrite and because I preach the truth. =)

When it's all said an done, we will have some rockin' pictures that years from now we can look at and remember what life was like when we just bought a house, were working our tails off to make our photography dream a reality and still working full time jobs to pay for it, were kid-free, and were loving each other and life the best we knew how. There will never be a time exactly like this again and I want pictures of it just because!

SO, I'm going to suck it up and suck it in and have a blast hanging out with my husband on our photo date and talking shop with Josh. =) I'm pumped.

UPDATE: Fully booked again!! You guys rock!

UPDATE: Another family had to cancel...anyone want a fabulous 9:15 a.m. family session? Spread the word!
UPDATE: We're full again! If you've booked a session for this day, be expecting an e-mail with information on where exactly to meet and what to do in case of bad weather, etc... See you soon!!
UPDATE: We filled the 3:45-4:15 slot. The 2:15-2:45 slot is still available!!!
UPDATE: We now have 2 slots open. 2:15-2:45 and 3:45-4:15.

Hey guys! Long time no blog...I know, and I'm sorry. We're getting closer to being caught up where I can blog again! Can't wait! This moving business takes up WAY too much time! =) We have made some progress though...whew!

You may remember we're having a special family mini-session day coming up October 17. We booked up within a few hours but someone just recently had to cancel so we have one spot open from 2:15-2:45. Below is the information. If you or someone you know is interested! Let us know asap! It's going to be a blast!

Well, we took the plunge. Jumped off the deep end. There's no looking back now. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!!!! (and by bought, I mean buying of course!) We just signed this morning! This weekend's move-in time and we are pumped. We looked and looked and LOOKED forEVER for a house that we liked, fit our needs, and could somewhat afford. It was right under our noses the entire time. Isn't that how it goes? Anyway, because a post isn't a post without a picture...here's a little sneak peek!

It's that day again. The one we surely won't forget - September 11. In some ways it's hard to believe it's only been eight years. In other ways it feels like it was just yesterday. I'm sure it seems like an eternity to those who lost loved ones. My heart goes out to them!!

I remember. I was a senior in high school sitting in Mr. B's Web design class. Another teacher ran in and turned on the news. I literally couldn't believe my eyes. It hadn't been too long since I'd been there in person taking pictures of the famous New York skyline...complete with the twin towers. I remember sights like these...



Once it did sink it...it really hadn't. It had clicked that it was serious and real but I had yet to grasp how deafening it must have been to those nearby, how much pain those inside felt, how scared those who ran from the smoke clouds were. I don't know how hopeless the families at home felt when they hadn't received a call from that loved one yet, or how terrified the firefighters felt as they ran in knowing they traded the chance to see their spouses again for the chance of saving someone else's. I do know what it felt like to be a sad American that day and how the pride felt in the months that followed.

Today we'd like to share what our post-processing (editing) process looks like. Dac handles the majority of our editing work. As a graphic designer, he really has a good eye for details and he does a great job of making our photos look their very best.

We try our best to take pictures that truly capture life or even just a moment and add a little sugar and spice to make them just that much better. Sometimes we make only minor adjustments, keeping the photo as close to real-life as possible, and sometimes we add some flair to make it more of a work of art.

To us, there's a delicate balance between great, straight from the camera photos (the cupcake, if you will) and the editing (the frosting) we apply afterward. You can have a cupcake by itself and it's great. I mean hey, I'd take it and be happy! =) BUT, there's just something about adding the right amount of frosting that makes it complete. That's why we do what we do and here's HOW we do what we do. Since Dac's most recently been working on Jared and Kylie's wedding proofs, we'll use one of their pictures as an example.

Picture 1: This is what our picture looks like straight out of the camera, when it is imported into Adobe Lightroom. We shoot in RAW format which gives us the most flexibility in post processing, but it also ends up looking the most "blah" right out of the camera. See?

Picture 2: This is what the photo looks like once it has been adjusted in Lightroom. Things done in Lightroom include basic color edits and adjusting exposure (how light or dark the entire photo is). This is what our "proofs" and the photos we give clients on a CD look like.