Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Faces of Rachel

OK, so I'm new to this whole blog thing and for the most part, I've been using photos that I have access to...which primarily are kid #2 and kid #3...because they actually don't mind mugging for the camera.  (I use mugging lightly, for in reality, they complain ALL the time when I'm taking pics of them and are non-compliant and, basically, difficult to work with.)

So, if you've bothered to read this blog, you know I'm NEW to both blogging and my other current addiction - Facebook.  Well, yesterday, kid #1 says to me, "WHY am *I* not on your blog...WHY is it kid #2 and kid #3 ALWAYS on your blog?".

Sheesh...maybe because kid #1, when you roll in from school and after complaining how hungry you are and eating me out of house and home, you hole up in your smelly room to:  #1 text friends, #2 talk on the cell, #3 text friends, #4 come out to find food, #5 check your Facebook page and write on my wall from the garage...basically, you don't have any time to give to ME...to take your pics and play with natural lighting.

Ha...well, today was a different day.  I got 13-year-old (um, yea 8th grade...remember when you were in 8th grade?  Yea, I do...never want to go back) to come and play in the decreasing sunlight!

Here's what I got!!  Isn't she lovely?  I love this kid.......she rocks big time....hard to believe she's going to high school next year..and I have only 4 more years and then she's gone...out of the house...(or living here, working and going to school)...sigh........

p.s.  Sorry for my MONTAGE...it's my latest conquered "learning curve" in PS7

Floral Art

Some days, while the girls are at school and the house is quiet (minus the pawing of the tortoise to escape her box and be left free to roam the house)...I find myself in a mode of procrastination (hard to believe, I know).  So I turn to my trusty Canon 30d and take advantage of the time I have to.....well, procrastinate some more.  I mean really, taking pictures and editing is SO much more fun than laundry (which is evil and never-ending).

One such days when I am avoiding laundry, I take advantage of my front and back yards...we really do have some amazing flowers...and the bees are constantly buzzing around, and kid #3 loves to pick flowers and show them to me...the list goes on.  I have not, as of yet, been able to capture the various hummingbirds that frequent our flowers, but that is a goal.

I have included some of my more recent and favorite floral photos, which I am considering making into note card packets.  After all, the economy is tight, Christmas is approaching, and there is something nice about preparing gifts that I was able to create and giving them for the holidays. (Plus, as much as I love email and I do, because it's super convenient...there is something special about sending and receiving a HANDWRITTEN note...you just can't deny that!)


"Iris" - LA County Arboretum - April 2008



"Iris 2" - LA County Arboretum - April 2008



"Pink" - LA County Arboretum - April 2008



"Hibiscus" - LA County Arboretum - April 2008



"Cactus Bloom" - LA County Arboretum - April 2008



"Iris 3" - LA County Arboretum - April 2008



"Mum" - Altadena, CA - October 2008



"Trumpet Vine" - My Front Yard - September 2008



"Iris 4" - LA County Arboretum - April 2008



"Kid 3 Painted" - My Front Yard - July 2008



"Salvia Macro" - My Front Yard - July 2008



"Bee" - My Front Yard - July 2008

Monday, October 27, 2008

The 70s vs. 2008.....

Kidlet #3 has been wearing glasses since she was about 2 1/2...poor child inherited my eyes - I had the same condition, at the same age.  THANKFULLY, kid #3 isn't living in the 70s, because I have to say...the 70s were unusually cruel for spec-wearers and I clearly was a victim of bad glasses styling.  See...here's proof of what happens when your conservative 70s mother picks your specs:

Now, so as to not induce poor self-esteem onto kid #3, I've always given her the opportunity to choose her own specs.  I mean, after all, SHE is the one wearing them and SHE needs to feel good in them, you know?  She had a tendency to keep to the straight and narrow, wearing the affable wire-rimmed.  Really...she only changed color, moving from brown to lavender - because "purple is my favorite color"...and who am I to argue with color selection?

Last week she had her two-year update.  I reminded her that she had the option to keep her current wire specs (which had, more times than naught, become the play toy of school friends who had the bad manners of taking them off her face), or getting a new pair.  To my absolute amazement...she elected to get new ones.  I was THRILLED!  Really, I love her optometrist dearly, but when we were seeing him weekly for spec adjustments, it was getting a bit old.

INTRODUCING...the new & improved (and tres FUNKY) kid #3!



p.s.  Don't mind the Shrek ears....I think she's going to go far in life!  Now for a haircut.....

Lost Teeth & Beautiful Faces...

I try to practice my natural light shots, using my kids of course, because #1 - they are accessible, #2 - I'm usually pretty quick (so I can usually bribe them into giving me 5 minutes of their valuable time), and #3 - I need the practice, and what better to practice on, then one's own children?  However, there are ALWAYS those days when they give me more grief the help.  I mean, hey...it's just a few pictures...can't you help me out?

Take for instance, a couple of weeks ago...child #3 had lost her 3rd tooth (a topper) and she has that 'oh-so-cute-missing-a-tooth-gap'.  I thought "I can kill two birds with one proverbial stone here"...get some practice with light, get some cute shots.  Yea, ok, I got one...

Because *1* is all the kid was willing to give....no more, no less...as cute as she is, she refused to look at the camera AND plugged up the gapper with her tongue (and nevermind the icky glare on the specs, which is why I PRACTICE!)...

I mean, I birthed the child, you'd think that she would give me SOMETHING....nope...in reality, she just insisted on messing with me and it's painfully obvious and clear here....

So...I went to child #2...hoping for some better results, maybe a bit more cooperation (forget the fact that whilst I was trying to get child #3 to cooperate, child #2 was actually encouraging the non-compliant behavior!)

Well....this is what I got:





S-I-G-H........gotta love kids

Friday, October 24, 2008

Markle Family

Several years ago, Lawren played bass in my husband's band. Those were the carefree days! Now, Lawren and his beautiful wife Mary, are parents of twins. Talk about a curve ball!

I had the privilege of shooting their family on October 5 - a gorgeous Sunday morning, the day following the boys' 3-month birthday. I wanted to emphasize to them, the importance of capturing the aspects of parenthood - spilled milk, blurp, I mean seriously, is there a perfect baby anywhere? LOL. As it turned out, aspects of parenthood is what we got...One boy slept, while the other was awake. One cried, while the other smiled. But in the end, we got some gorgeous photos!

BTW, Lawren is about 6'7"...I absolutely adore the one below, of him holding Baby "K"...the strength of the arm with the fragility of that tiny baby body...ohhh wowza.

And Mary, by far, one of my personal all-time favorites. She is just so lovely, and the tone is so....maternal.  And I must admit, the last one with their lovable doggie, Yeates, truly is a winner as well!

Thank you family for allowing me to capture these beautiful images! See you soon.

Lynda : )












































Thursday, October 23, 2008

Welcome to Rose*City Photography @ blogspot.com

Ok...so let me preface this by saying:  "I've been using Internet for years".  So much so, that my husband keeps telling me to ditch my email because it's not "me" (well it really is...it is my college alma mater & sorority mixed together - ok, so it's like a tad old, but it IS me).  I guess he doesn't realize the implications that would come with simply changing my email...which would entail remembering every single account that is hooked up to said email account.

Anyway, I have been reluctant, as much as I love computers and all this new technology, to start a blog.  But, my photography is beginning to take off and because my girls are now in school and I have time...I thought it was appropriate to 'get with the times', so to speak!!

So, to confirm, I am a photographer (but then again, who isn't?).  I don't like calling myself professional, because I believe pros to be people who have their stuff published in National Geographic or some other major magazine [I haven't].  But, I guess when someone purchases something that you've created, it changes the rules.  I really do consider myself mildly-obsessed-with-the-fact-that-I-love photography.  So be it!

Second, I want to verify that my photo site and my company are ROSE*CITY PHOTOGRAPHY...my BLOG is ROSECITYPHOTO.  I know...lack of consistency, but ROSE CITY PHOTOGRAPHY @ blogspot dot com was already taken.  You can see my galleries at http://rosecityphotography.smugmug.com/

I absolutely ADORE photography, I love computers, I'm now (mildly) obsessed with Facebook (who KNEW it could be so addicting?) and now I'm really loving this blog thing. So, here is my youngest kidlet modeling her Halloween costume.  I love picting my kids, they are my inspiration to say the least and I'm sure you will see lots of them herein.




I've got to run...this is really my test run anyway...more later!  Thanks again for stopping by!

Lynda  :)