Mother's Day Adventures

Yesterday we all went on, as Winnie the Pooh puts it, an EXPOTITION, and of course I brought my camera along to capture Johnny's face as he rode on a train for the first time in his life.  Another first was Belmont's Farmers' Market - after eight months we finally got organized enough to visit it.  

It was a wonderfully warm but fresh Sunday, and we had a great time despite that Johnny fell and scraped his chin in the first ten minutes, and that a 15 minute-wait for the Caltrain seemed like an hour due to his incessant figeting.  

This might sound immodest yet I can't help but feel proud of the way my photography work is developing lately.  I shot about 70 images and I'm posting 45 here, which means that, without counting the photos I chose not to share, there were very little outtakes or unsuccessful shots.  It feels reassuring to be good, and it feels good to have such confidence.  I am looking forward to photographing my new son in less than 3 months, to new travels and new EXPOTITIONS.  

Hope you guys had a great weekend, too!

P.S. One of my favorite moments was when I noticed that this girl on the train was watching Game of Thrones on her laptop.  And that Burlingame is exactly 16 3/10 of a mile away from San Francisco.  And the way Johnny was stuffing his face with fruit samples at the market :)

And We'll Never Be Royals

One of the reasons I love photography so much is because it mixes work with pleasure perfectly!  

Last weekend I attended my friend Annabelle's baby shower, and besides having lots of fun (and binging on delicious Persian food) I also took some photos with my new camera.  Thanks, Annabelle, for opening your home once again, and for sharing your lovely friends and family with me!  I can't wait to meet Tristan soon!

Technical notes: I used my Sigma Macro lens as I had a momentary trouble mounting my 50mm Nikkor and I panicked a little... but it performed excellently even in the low light indoor settings.  This also necessitated the use of flash, and I really really need to get me a speedlight sometime soon (and learn to use it - I'm exclusively a natural light photographer and indoor events get me in a lot of trouble).

Nikon D7100, minimally processed to sharpen and convert to .jpg, otherwise mostly SOOC.  With the exception of the black and white images, for which I used VSCO for Lightroom.

P.S. This crown-shaped cake was simply heavenly!

Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.

~Duane Michals

Showcasing the work my new camera does: Nikon D7100, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

I couldn't be happier with it.  It's so sharp, performs extremely well in low light settings, and the tones are so warm and vivid!  The first test was at a baby shower I shot last weekend, but the event was indoors and I wanted to see what the camera can do with natural light.  Johnny and I went to the park this morning and here's what happened:

P.S. Happy 33rd birthday to me!

The Wonderful Twos!

Tomorrow my great love Johnny is turning two.  We celebrated on Sunday with family and friends, and it was great!  There were snacks and games and toys and presents and balloons and bubbles and laughs and a "Tommy Choo-Choo" cake, and even a little photobooth fun!  

I can't believe it was two years ago when he was born....It seems like a minute, and like forever at the same time!  Johnny, you make everything harder but so much better.  Life is now wholesome and meaningful in ways it never was before, and even though I bitch and moan about motherhood all the time, know that I wouldn't have it any other way.  I am truly happy, baby, and I hope you are too!

Certainly looks like it from the photos.  I wish I could balance being the hostess and the photographer a bit better, but hey-ho, I improvised to my best ability.  I love the light in these - it's bright and rich and warm.

Special thanks to my amazing guests for making this day special!

Enjoy, and hope to see you all again soon :)

P.S.  This was the most pregnant party I've attended so far.  One of the invited expectant ladies didn't make it but even with the three of us it was bursting with hormones.  Good times!

 

Postcards from Coyote Point Marina

This morning we drove over to the park and walked along the bay to look at descending airplanes, docked (pirate) boats, and sunbathed succulents.  The air smelled of salt water and freedom - something Johnny isn't quite old enough to appreciate, unfortunately.  We got there early but not early enough for the good light, and everything was washed out and overexposed, so I resorted to post processing most of the photos I took in black and white.  

Enjoy!

Easter Family Portraits

This family's reality is my dream - they have two kids, two dogs...and two cats.  I am 3 months away of having two kids, and a couple of animals short, but I know I will get there.  

It was a pleasure to photograph Vicky and her loved ones for their Easter greeting cards, and those two girls were some of the most gorgeous models I've ever had.

The indoors images came out a bit dark, and the outdoors - a bit overexposed (it was already 10:30 am when we started the shoot), but a little touch up - and the smiles of my subjects - compensated this.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Life As It Happens

I think I got hooked on photography because it compliments my obsession with documenting life so well.  I like to witness how events unfold - be them big and important or just everyday - and I like to keep them.  They remind me that I am still here, still a part of things, still alive to experience them and awake enough to appreciate them.

Last weekend we met with our Bulgarian friends up in Burlingame.  We had crepes, walked about downtown, and watched our kids hold hands and play together.  What a lovely way to be!

As you can see, the bright California sunshine is back and it makes it very hard to take any photos past 10 am.  I ventured into it nevertheless, and despite that being out and about with kids made it ridiculously complicated to compose the shots properly.

Enjoy!

P.S.The last couple of images I took at home after we came back.  Shelby really wanted to go out and plop in the back yard in this gorgeous weather.  Also, I really need to take some selfies against the backdrop of the red-leafed tree there.