Mrs. A {Boudoir}

After shooting my good friend, Alex, a friend of ours came to me with the request to do a photo shoot of her for her husband's birthday that's coming up. With the couple being a duel active duty family there isn't much time for her to really go out and do much to surprise her husband. However, she was on leave this week and her husband was at work so she took advantage and did a little boudoir shoot. Called up my friend Sarah (since she has been my go to hair and makeup girl), got Alex to come for entertainment and we made a girl's morning of it all complete with coffee :) It's always nice to take pictures for a friend because the pressure is off and since I am still learning posing they make it easier and laugh with me. Enjoy!

Santa's Gift

Here in Okinawa, Christmas has come and gone but Santa def left a little something behind for me to enjoy for years and years to come. For a little over a year I have been begging my husband for an upgrade (I was shooting with a Canon rebel xsi). It was def a great little camera and has taught me a ton about taking pictures, however, I just felt that I have out grown the little rebel and was getting frustrated with the low ISO and lack of options for me to expand and grow with. Well, my husband has been listening and let me unwrap the camera I have been drooling over, the Canon 7D! I am beyond excited and have been on google for the past 42 hours trying to learn as much as I can.

Also, as a little bonus my husband threw in a 10-22mm ultra-wide angle lens. Now coming from ONLY using the nifty fifty this thing is for sure way out of my comfort zone. But I am totally digging the almost fisheye effect it gives me at 10mm. I have yet to take it out and see what this bad boy can do with the wonderful landmarks this island has to offer and ocean views but I will be getting out as much as I can to learn and make use this lens to its fullest. I have, however, had the chance to play with it inside with my dog and son and it's totally fun and I can def say this is NOT a very good portrait lens haha

24 Day's of Christmas Photo Challenge

I have attempted a few photo challenges in the past but always get lost in the sauce and never complete it. I came across this one on Pinterest towards the end of November and figured I would try it out and completing it was on my side since Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. Nothing makes me feel more warm and fuzzy inside than Christmas music, decorations, seeing kids smile ear to ear, and the magic that comes with believing. So I grabbed my camera and embarked on competing my very first photo challenge. Yes, it was only 25 photos, but still it was the fact that I had to take my camera everywhere. And for the first time in a long time I actually took more photos this month with my DSLR than my iPhone!

 Day 1~Lights 

 Day 2~Decorations 

Day 3~Gifts

We didn't have any gifts under the tree yet but these are all the boxes to be mailed out to family and friends back home 

Day 4~Traditions

As a little family that has been all over the place over the holidays we really haven't had a chance to establish any traditions yet but for the past three years mailing home presents has been a tradition of ours. So glad this was hopefully the last year of this tradition. 

Day 5~Santa 

Day 6~Stockings 

Miguel's forever stocking, my homemade one, and Felipe's Marine Corps one <3 

Day 7~Snow 

Day 8~Tree 

Day 9~Treats 

Day 10~Joy 

Day 11~Carols 

Day 12~Vintage

These were made by my great-grandma for my brothers and I when we were babies. So glad they got passed on to me.

Day 13~Festive

Trying to be as festive as we can on our little tropical island

Day 14~Glitter 

For more on this fun little mini shoot visit my pervious post: 'Glitter'

Day 15~Warmth 

Day 16~Ornaments

These are the ornaments that I have collected over the past 3 years on Okinawa

Day 17~Wreath

May not be a traditional wreath but it's one that I made from rope from the Naha Tug-of-War

Day 18~Giving

A friend of mine shared an address via Facebook on sending snowflakes to Sandy Hook so that the halls of the new school can be filled with love and joy. I took this opportunity to get my son and I involved and we made 20 snowflakes to send to decorate Sandy Hook and remember those 20 young babies that were lost way too early. 

Day 19~Reindeer 

Day 20~Memories

Day 21~Bells

Day 22~Cookies

Day 23~Sparkle

 Day 24~Christmas Eve

Day 25~Unwrapped

My hopes for 2013 will be more complete photo challenges and growth as a photographer <3

December Photo Challenge

I came across a Facebook page Photographer Depot  and really liked what they had to post. I came across a photo challenge for the month of December I figured I would take a shot and submit a photo. Although I am just a hobbiest I still love a little challenge and I love seeing what other post and how creative photographers get.

I took a photo of my son earlier this month when I was playing with Christmas tree lighting. There have been a lot of posts and inspiration on Pinterest and I wanted to create my own vision and so I grabbed a flashlight, a large board book and my son. Well out of about 50 pictures of him playing with the flashlight, looking everywhere but the book, and the dog running all over the place I finally was able to capture what I wanted. There is just something about the book lighting up that brings Christmas spirit to the picture....like my son is getting invited into the book.

Come and stop by Photographer Depot and look at the wonderful things on their blog and come join the fun and submit your own December Challenge photo :) 

Glitter

When I started my Christmas countdown photo challenge (which I will post once I am done) I was so excited to see 'Glitter' as one of the days. While on pinterest I have come across a TON of glitter blowing pictures and I absolutely love them. Well the day came to play with glitter and I knew exactly who I wanted to be my model, my neighbor's little 5 year old, Desie. I saw her run to the park so I grabbed my camera, container of glitter and followed her there. She tends to be a little shy when I take pictures of her but when I told her that she was going to be blowing glitter in my face she lit up and was beyond excited LOL She was a pro from the start and I got some wonderful shots during our 10 min photo shoot <3 A little glitter for sure goes a long way and I can't wait to do this again!

Thou technically completely off, I love this shot! 

Getting fancy all one handed ;) 

Another one of my favorites 

Somehow the blur works with this 

Perfect profile and the one I used for my photo challenge