Christmas 2010

It's so hard to believe we are only a few days from Christmas. I have spent the past 6 weeks with a hectic schedule trying to make sure everyone received their Christmas orders on time. I did it! The last orders were picked up today. It's the closest I will ever be to feeling like one of Santa's elves (making the gifts and then making sure they are delivered on time).

As I type, daughter Ashley has finished an amazing batch of Snickerdoodles with threats (I hope) of making more tomorrow and son Clay is home from Texas Tech for the holidays. That alone is enough to make my Christmas perfect. Mom and my sister will arrive Christmas eve. Christmas eve Mom always makes her German Baked Brisket and Doreen always brings tamales for Christmas day. I love our little traditions. When I was growing up we always got one of those Livesaver Storybooks in our stockings. I continued that with my kids and now we all give them to each other. Mom always gives Doreen socks. Doreen always gives my kids their gifts wrapped in other gifts. And every single year I promise I will be more organized and more prepared than the year before.....and someday I will.

One of my favorite things I do each year is to find a really cute or funny photo of each family member and frame it in a small silver frame. I use them as place cards at our Christmas eve table and everyone gets to keep them as their Christmas eve gift. I've been doing this for years and I have so much fun searching through old photos for just the right one.

I've been trying to think of some photographic advice I can give you for making your Christmas photos even more special this year. Take as many photos as you possibly can because no matter how many you take you will look back someday and wish you had more. Don't forget the details! Take an overview of the living room, the tree and the presents, but then get in close and take detail shots of a beautiful ornament hanging on the tree or a beautifully wrapped present. Line everyone up, set your timer and get a group shot. Posed shots are great and I think they're important, but my favorite shots are the candid shots like someone opening a special gift, cooking or everyone laughing at an old family story.

So my advice is this...keep your camera with you and always be prepared for that special moment. They are unexpected, unplanned, perfect little gifts!

Wishing you all a safe and Merry Christmas!

Summer Weddings

Photographing weddings used to make me so nervous. But over the years I have come to enjoy the anticipation of the event and delight in the wedding itself. They are each so different and can be full of family tradition or be creating new traditions. Sometimes they are starting new ready-made families and when the children participate it can be so special and touching. I always love spending that one special day with each family and in some small way I'm a part of that family (for the day). And I always leave feeling like I've made new friends.

Even more wonderful for me lately is the addition of my daughter Ashley to my shooting staff. Ashley brings her artistic sense (and her BA in Animation and Media Arts) and always surprises and delights me with her finished product. So you see it's a family affair for me as well.

On Saturday, as you sleep in or mow the lawn or catch up on your shopping, I will be creating memories for a bride and a groom and their families and enjoying each and every moment. I have the best job in the world!

Happy July 4th!

Happy 4th of July to you all!

Make sure to take your camera with you wherever you're going to watch the fireworks tonight. Thanks to my good friends at one of my favorite photo labs (San Antonio Photo Lab in San Antonio Texas) I'm attaching a link to a little article on Fireworks Photography. My personal advice is tripod, tripod, tripod (or table table table). Try to put your camera on a solid surface because you will be leaving your shutter open longer than usual and it's really difficult to hold still that long.

If your camera is more of a point and shoot then look through the manual to find a "fireworks setting". If you can change the settings on your camera then you have other options.

The fireworks photograph on my website homepage was taken (handheld) at 1/5 of a second. This one is sharp and clear but there are 15 others that aren't. If you have some control over your camera then experiment. The 1/5 of a second was perfect for this shot but on other shots with more fireworks exploding at the same time it was open too long. Experiment, play...it's why we love digital because the delete button is right there and easy to use.

Here is the link. Unfortunately it doesn't take you right there from the blog so you'll have to copy and paste.

http://virtualphotographystudio.com/photographyblog/2010/07/02/fireworks-photography-tips/

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July! As always, feel free to ask me any questions about photography. I'm happy to help.

Viva Italia

I return home. A weary traveler but full of wonder at the magnificent things I saw on my trip through Italy and Dublin. I've traveled the Italy route before...twice before...but it never fails to mesmerize me with it's sights, sounds and even smells (mostly good). My son Clay was my somewhat reluctant but willing traveling companion. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the trip through his eyes.

I think Rome is one of my favorite cities. Who wouldn't stand in awe at the Coliseum, the Pantheon, a 2000 year old aqueduct that still spills ice cold water suitable for drinking (I drank the water and I'm still here), the Spanish Steps or the Fontana de Trevi (my personal favorite). I threw a coin into the Fontana de Trevi so I will be sure to return to Rome someday. For anyone who wants to know the technique it's your back to the fountain, coin in the right hand and toss it over your left shoulder. To be standing where people have stood for thousands of years is such a humbling experience. But equally inspiring was touring the Vatican, Vatican City and St Peters Basilica. Did any of you know that the coliseum used to be solid marble but it was stripped so the marble could be used at St Peters? We even went underneath where the popes are laid to rest and walked by the tomb of Pope John Paul II. And gelato. I had gelato every day. I so wish we had gelato here.

Florence is another one of my favorite cities. I think you'll hear me repeat that about every city though. To stand in the Sistine Chapel and see Michelangelo's original work The Creation was awe inspiring. And then later to see The David. THE David. The original. We also went to a scenic overlook and looked down on the city of Florence. It's so beautiful! I'm actually reading the book Brunelleschi's Dome, so it was very cool to see it in person.

Orvieto is a 3000 year old Etruscan city built high on a cliff. An excellent place to purchase hand painted pottery ! My box is on it's way here. Then a few nights in Artimino in Tuscany. Rolling hills full of grapes and olives and beautiful old villas. I could have stayed there forever ! I found out I'm pretty decent at making pasta from scratch.

Venice was our final stop in our Italian adventure. We made Carnival masks, rode in a Gondola, toured St Marks Square and wandered the small streets lost - seriously, totally lost. They say you're supposed to just get lost in Venice but I think it happens whether you want it to or not. And if you know me well you know I have absolutely no sense of direction at all so that was pretty easy for me. This time we also took the public transportation and went to Murano to see the glass blowing and then to Burano, famous for their handmade lace. Burano looks like a small Venice but each building is painted bright and vibrant colors.

An Aer Lingus flight took us from Venice (don't ask Clay about the Venice airport) to Dublin where we were met with the warmest and most wonderful people. That really helped offset the very cold and constant rainy weather. We toured Guinness (of course). I understand it's an acquired taste (I have not acquired it). But they have a gravity bar at the top with a 360 degree view of Dublin that is quite beautiful. And I found a great place to buy Waterford crystal. That box is on it's way as well.

The perfect end to this trip was two days at Disney World with my sister Doreen. Clay had gone on to spend a few days with dad in New Orleans so it was just us girls. I'm so lucky to have a sister who is my dear friend. We had a great time.

I was hoping this Euro trip would re-inspire me and it did. I will be playing with my trip photos for months. Hopefully I'll have ' the best of ' on the website in a few weeks. And a special thank you to Marco and Cinzia who were wonderful guides and to the wonderful new friends we made along the way.

I hope you are all having the best summer! I'm going to leave prom photos up longer so be sure to take a look. If you are traveling, travel safe. I'd love to hear about your adventures so email me if you like. I'm always looking for interesting places to go.

Ciao!

Lazy Days of Summer

It's so hard to believe the school year is almost over. Congratulations to the 2010 Seniors of Fredericksburg High School. We will miss you all so much but we are so proud of each and every one of you! Once you are very important college freshmen don't forgot to check the website so you can keep track of what is happening back at FHS.

I had the opportunity to photograph some of our seniors for their graduation announcements. And I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph the FHS Prom this year. If you haven't looked at the prom photos take a minute to do so. They are really cute !

So we take the summer to relax, regroup and re-energize. I'm headed to Rome, Florence, Artimino and Venice Italy...then Dublin Ireland ... and finally ending up in Disney World with my one and only wonderful son Clay (FHS Class of 2008). Darling daughter Ashley (Tivy Class of 2002) took a similar trip with me two years ago and so she will hold down the fort while I'm gone. This trip will feed my creative soul and I will return renewed and excited about my photography once again. If you are interested I should have my vacation photos posted on the website by July 1.

If you missed any sports season send me an email and I'll be happy to repost games over the summer. I keep these memories forever, so it's never too late to look and perhaps order. If you haven't seen the photo books I'm doing now, they're so much fun ! My son Clay's is on the website as an example.

And don't forget you can ask me any photography question you might have. If I don't know the answer I will be happy to find it for you.

Safe and happy summer travels to you all ! No matter where you go I hope you always return to Fredericksburg.