Alyssa Hennessy Photography

2009-11-23T11:46:00.001-05:00

10 years ago

2009-11-15T13:03:00.001-05:00

This was the day that I realized what I was meant to do. This was before digital. When a filter was something you put on your camera lens - not an action in photoshop. When if you wanted a photo in black and white, you had to shoot with black and white film. I was 19. I had a camera. And I had wonderful friends who had (and still have) faith in my work. Emily and Jason ~ congrats on nearly 10 years of marriage. Thank you for the roll that you've unknowingly played in my life. Love you guys.

One Year.

2009-11-14T12:29:00.000-05:00

7,441 miles between us. 365 days exactly. This is what happened.

I can't bring myself to believe ...

2009-07-02T01:04:00.000-04:00

... that Eoin is two already. He's such a big boy now! Two years ago, I held this little tiny (if you can believe it) baby boy with jet black hair and a nose that makes him undeniably mine. Now I have a noisy, opinionated, hilarious little Neanderthal who turns my life upside down and inside out every chance he gets. Then he makes up for it by batting his long eye lashes, sticking out his bottom lip and saying "Sorwy Mommy." Sigh... where does the time go.

Some cool facts about Eoin:
* He loves In N' Out cheeseburgers - any cheeseburger really.
* He has the dorkiest most adorable belly laugh ever.
* Flatulence will make him use that belly laugh quicker than tickling.
* He loves to sing and tries really hard to sing along with every song he hears. Especially The White Stripes.
* Sometimes he sings even if there isn't any music.
* He would give his last french fry to his big brother.
* He has insane muscle definition.
* When he wakes up, he really needs me to snuggle him and his blankie - but just for a little bit.
* He'd rather play with an animal than a toy.
* He loves to swim in the nude (is there any better way?!)
* He thinks that Cruz-Thru car wash is awesome, but only the one on Rosedale Highway... the Coffee Road one sort of freaks him out.
* Heights also freak him out a little bit.
* His favorite drink is "Choppo" (chocolate milk)
* He is always happy and people frequently tell me that he "lights up the room".

When I was pregnant with him, I had this conflict in my heart that there was no possible way that I could love another child as much as I love Cian. Then, the day of his birth, he nuzzled his way up under my chin and fell asleep on my chest and suddenly there was enough room in my heart for him.

Mel & Pherf

2009-07-01T14:09:00.000-04:00

I'm having trouble blogging this session. Mostly because I absolutely LOVE Melinda and every time I sit down to write my little blurb about her and Pherf I get all teary-eyed. Lets just say that Mel is AMAZING, and Pherf is her perfect match. Melinda, you have greatly inspired and changed my life over the last 13+ years. I couldn't be happier for you!... *blink, blink* (PS - sorry it took me so freaking long to finish these)

Tami & Dan

2009-07-01T13:29:00.000-04:00

Tami and Dan got married at the beautiful Eagle Castle Winery in Paso Robles, CA. You might remember their engagement session from a few months ago. It was such a fun wedding. I almost forgot I was working! Thanks to Tara Ricker for her help as a second shooter! You rock! Hair by Vanessa Verdugo at Westchester Day Spa. Wedding coordination by Lacy Curry. Enjoy your marriage, guys! Yours is one for eternity!

Wuendy & Steven

2009-07-01T03:10:00.000-04:00

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to photograph this gorgeous couple. I met Wuendy and Steven on a cold January day at Starbucks and after 2 minutes I knew that I wanted to photograph their wedding. They are such a laid-back couple and their love for each other was apparent immediately. Sharing their wedding day was truely an honor and I know that they will share many years of happiness. Congratualations, Wuendy and Steven! And, a thousand 'thank yous' to Patrick Ang and Tara Ricker for their contributions as second shooters!

Mr. & Mrs. Haworth!

2009-05-08T03:54:00.001-04:00

I first met Joe and Kristin when Joe's mama asked me to come to her home over the holidays to photograph her family. With grown children scattered all over the state, it was a rare occasion that they and their significant others would all be gathered at the same location to take a family portrait. I've known the Haworth family for years (13 years in fact) but this was my first time meeting Joe's fiance, Kristin. During the family Christmas session, I snapped a few of the happy a couple and told them that I'd love the opportunity to photograph their wedding. In all reality, I was just fishing for an invite (if you know the Haworths, you know they define "good times"). Not only was I thrilled when they hired me to be their photographer, but I was ecstatic when I heard their plans to get married at the BEACH! These are just a few of the photos that I, and my lovely and talented assistant, Tara Ricker, took on their wedding day. Joe and Kristin, thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! I hope you love these photos as much as we loved taking them!

Joe & Kristin... just a glimpse!... Many more to come.

2009-04-29T00:54:00.000-04:00

Larry & Anna

2009-04-16T12:24:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind the 8-ball on this wedding. But it's finally making a post. Anna heard about me from a woman I used nanny for. It was one of those, "Now, that's a name I haven't heard in while" sort of moments. And I was thrilled that she decided to use me to photograph her wedding! She and Larry have been together for over TEN years! They finally took the plunge - and here's the evidence to prove it! Hope you enjoy!

I love how she's looking at him in this photo. After 10 years, I think she still has a school-girl crush.

Anna's a little rock-n-roll and a whole lot of spunk. When she told me that she and her bridesmaids were going to wear white tuxedos, I was pretty leery (how do you photograph a bride in a tux?!). Once I got to know her, I realized that a tux was the perfect fit for Anna.

Awaiting Macy Ryan!

2009-04-07T00:53:00.000-04:00

We've been praying to Baby Macy for a long long time... I can't wait to meet her in person! Congratulations Matt & Mandy! Parenthood will suit you!

Steph & Andrew

2009-04-05T02:58:00.000-04:00

I love this session! Spring time in the Valley means ALLERGIES . . . But the pics were so much fun to take! Congratulations to Stephanie and Andrew on their recent engagement. I'm hoping to eventually be family with these folks. Andrew's sister is my brothers long-time girlfriend (did you track that?) so its been pretty awesome to watch their relationship grow over the years. Stephanie and Andrew both laugh so easily, it made for a really enjoyable engagement session. I hope you guys enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Lindsay & Curtis

2009-03-31T01:59:00.000-04:00

Lindsay and I have been friends since we we're 12, and the woman has always been a hopeless romantic. I honestly think we've been planning her wedding since the 7th grade. Thank God our tastes have matured since then, right girl!? Along with maturing tastes, she's grown into one of the most beautiful women I know. She was always a cute kid, but now she's absolutely breathtaking (did I mention she's a lawyer?). A couple weekends ago, I made a trip up to the Bay area and had the opportunity to photograph Lindsay and her awesome fiance, Curtis, in Golden Gate Park. It was my first time visiting the park, and we really had a great session. Apparently I picked the most perfect day in the history of San Francisco to shoot this session. I wish I'd had a little more time to find some spots in the park, but I LOVE how the photos turned out. I'm so stinking excited about their wedding this summer. Congratulations, you guys!

Isn't she the cutest thing ever? I just want to fold her up and put her in my pocket.

Whoooooa.... look at that rock!

They are such an awesome couple. And their engagement story is adorable!

Isn't this location AMAZING?! I felt like I was in a storybook setting. Okay, I'll admit it, I felt like I was in a scene from Twilight - sans vampires.

SKIBY!

2009-03-31T01:14:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Skiby is one of the best dancers to hit stage in Bakersfield. Now... granted, I don't know dance. But she sure is fun to watch! I first saw Jennifer on stage in Bakersfield Music Theatre's Presentation of Oklahoma! last year. She was mesmerizing! We ended up meeting a couple months ago, while I was photographing a show at Spotlight Theatre. She is not only a talented performer, but a wonderful young lady. We shot these head shots in downtown Bakersfield, CA a couple weeks ago. Jenn, may favor shine on you during every audition in your future. I hope these head shots catapult you to stardom!

Tami & Dan

2009-03-27T01:10:00.000-04:00

I met Tami when I was working for a foster care agency a few years ago. We became fast friends but didn't really stay in touch after I moved out of state. When I bumped into her at a the Ultimate Bridal Fair a few months ago I was thrilled to hear about her engagement. A couple of weeks ago I got to take their engagement photos in downtown Bakersfield. It was nice to spend some time with her catching up. I love taking engagement photos! I think it is a great opportunity to get to know my clients. Tami and I have known each other for years, but I'd only met her fiance, Dan, a couple of times. So, it was good to spend some time with him also - he quickly fell into the "sweetest guy ever" category. They were super laid back about the photo shoot, and I'm thrilled to get to photograph their wedding in a couple months.

Dan is such as sweet guy and totally captivated by Tami. Their love is the kind of love that's contagious . . . I actually called my husband after this session just to tell him that I love him. Isn't that horribly disgustingly romantic? I hope that my husband looks at me like this when I'm not looking. :-)

Don't you LOVE her dimples?! They make me want to make her smile.

I love shooting engagement sessions. Did I mention that? Especially with a telephoto lens. Its like they're so twitterpated with each other that they forget we're in the middle of a photo shoot. I LOVE IT!

This is one of my favorite shots of the day, when Tami shot me this look. She's waited a long time and overcome some amazing trials to find the man of her dreams.... I think its a look of victory. What do you think?

Bellies, Beaches, and Botanicals. Oh MY!

2009-03-05T02:31:00.000-05:00

I have this awesome friend, K. We've known each other since we were in high school... but just reconnected (thanks, Facebook!) a few months ago. K is expecting her second baby girl any day now. We'd made plans to take some maternity portraits of her a few weeks ago. K lives in Irvine and had planned to make the 2 hour trek up to Bakersfield for the photo session. As luck would have it, the Ridge closed because of a blizzard. Yeah. A BLIZZARD. In Southern California. Anyway, we were both super bummed because we'd planned so long for this shoot. She couldn't make the drive any later in her pregnancy - and I'm crazy busy with sessions all over the state. So we were both sad. But then my friends uncle died. YAY! Oh, I mean, oh no... but it actually meant that one of my out-of-town weekends got cancelled. So, I hopped in my truck and jetted down to Rodondo Beach, CA.

She surprised me with lunch at an awesome Irish Pub called Hennessey's. HA! Where we ate and talked until we were stuffed. Then, we headed over to Torrence Beach and the South Coast Botanical Gardens, where we got these awesome photos. If you are a photographer in the OC - I totally recommend this garden. It was quiet, beautiful, and perfect. I hope I get to shoot there again.

PS - She HATES to have her photo taken... can you believe it? Isn't she glowing?! Crazy lady.

I love her face in this one. So cute!

This is my favorite shot of the day....

After her shoot, we headed over to her home, where I met her lil' growing family. Miss N. was awesome for the camera, and her pony caught my eye. Isn't she sweet?

Valentine's Day Boudoir Marathon

2009-03-03T02:25:00.000-05:00

... was a HUGE success! Thanks to all of the beautiful ladies for coming out this year. This was my first Pin-Up Portrait Weekend since I moved back to California. And The Beach Boys were right when they sang about though California girls. I'm hoping to do another weekend in April, but the wedding season has already started... so it might get bumped back to May. Please, email me if you are interested in taking part in the next Boudoir Marathon, as there was a waiting list for our last one and space is limited.

Thanks to the girls who let me use their photos... You guys were all beautiful! And I'm sure your honey's thought so too! This is what the bathroom in my suite looked like after a full day of work... DISASTER! Ha ha ha! It was like a beauty tornado hit the room.

And this is what I look like after 14 hours of shooting... Oh, man. I need a vacation.

Bakersfield Boudoir Photography Marathon

2009-01-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

FEB 7 and FEB 8

ONLY!!!

Have you thought about what to give your valentine this year?

Boudoir photographs, also known as Glamour or Pin-Up style photographs, are tasteful and intimate portraits of yourself. This boudoir marathon is not a race! I've reserved an awesome hotel suite in Bakersfield and invite women to fill private time slots throughout the day. The sessions will be held in the morning and afternoon to utilize the daylight coming through the windows. Evening Sessions may become available depending on demand.

The 60 minute session includes a CD of your fully retouched digital images.

The CD will arrive and be available in time for Valentines day.

$150 ($75 deposit required, remaining balance due at your session)

*60 min session

*light hair and make-up

*complete editing and retouching

*CD of all edited images (ready before Valentines day)

CALL TO BOOK TODAY! ONLY 4 SLOTS AVAILABLE!

661.303.3984

Watch for more sessions coming to Bakersfield, Orange County,

Santa Clara/Bay area, and Sacramento.

How(land) in the world am I going to make this work?

2009-01-09T03:12:00.000-05:00

As a photographer, there are certain things in life that make my job easier. The position of the sun. The weather. A beautiful location. Cooperative subjects. When all of these things combine, you have a recipe for OUTSTANDING photographs. If one aspect of these elements goes awry - its okay, because you still have the other elements to work with. A few weeks ago, I did a session that was a bit of a challenge. Mandy is my oldest friend it the world. Our mom's have been best friends since they were 12, so I feel free to pat myself on the back here a little bit. She can attest to the situation at hand. Her sweet hubby, Matt, is a firefighter here in Bako and while I'm thankful for his service to our community, the knucklehead decided to take an over-time shift the morning of our session. This was the VERY LAST DAY to shoot and still receive their photographs by Christmas, so rescheduling was not an option. Mandy and I decided to meet him out at the firehouse and do the shoot around the station and in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, with the sun rising higher and higher in the sky, our background options were quickly thinning - direct sunlight makes for squinty eyes and harsh shadows. After trying a couple locations, I kicked it in to high gear and came up with this. The fire house parking lot. Can you tell???

Also, I have to mention that Matt didn't want these photos to scream "I'm a firefighter" otherwise i would have taken some funky ones inside the station house.

This one was taken in the parking lot! Can you believe it?! But I think its beautiful! It helps to have two cute subjects . . .

Mandy was 5 months pregnant when we took these and really wanted to show of her "belly" but this is the only one that you could tell she was pregnant! I love this one. It was taken leaning against some sort of garden shed in the corner of the parking lot. Ha! I love the brown!

This is my favorite of Mandy. Matt is sort of squinty - but he we agreed that he's usually pretty squinty anyway - so we think it turned out great. I love the sun dapples on their faces.

New Year Savings for 2009 Brides!

2009-01-07T00:29:00.000-05:00

Some OLD SCHOOL images. I think I shot both of these weddings in 2003? 2002 maybe? Anyway... wanted to add a little splash to the blog and thought I'd use these.

This is Sarah. I wonder where she is now....

This is Jerry and Tiffany. Aren't the gorgeous? Both weddings were shot on film... told you.

OLD SCHOOL! But I love these shots.

Anyway . . . here's my January Specials!

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SAVINGS!
I'm running a "Bridal Fair" special this week. If you book your wedding before Sunday (1/11), I will give you 20% off of your wedding package! Even on my smallest package, that saves you almost $200! I'll be meeting with brides all week for free consultations to go over pricing and contracts and other information. I usually request 30% of your package as a booking fee - but I'm willing to negotiate on that price THIS WEEK (depending on which package you decide on). I know it's last minute and many brides might not have the full amount of the booking fee set aside right now. The remainder of the package is due one month before your wedding. Call me at 661.303.3984 or email me - all of my emails go straight to my phone, so I'm very quick to respond - if you are interested in scheduling your consultation this week.

REFERRAL REWARDS!
Are you an over-booked photographer? Do you work in the wedding industry? Or do you feel like every other person you know is getting married? I offer $100 cash for signed wedding contract referrals. SO TELL YOUR FRIENDS/CLIENTS! If you tell a friend about me and I get a signed contract and deposit from them, I will give you $100. Get it? Word-of-mouth is the best advertisement!

PORTRAIT SAVINGS!
Book any regular (does not include boudoir sessions) portrait session in January and receive $50 credit toward reprints.

The Ultimate Bridal Event! Bakersfield, CA

2009-01-06T19:31:00.000-05:00

View of booth including the drawing table. Congratulations to Chrystina! She won a free engagement portrait session. Looking forward to the session, girl!

My mama and J. They were some awesome cheerleaders.

This is the source of my perfectionism. My dad is filling in some missing paint patches with a Sharpie! Ha. Classic "stumbo" Although, if you'd seen my mom making my pillow, I think you would agree that its a pretty close tie on the level of neurotic perfectionism. I forgot to take a photo of the pillow.

Front view of the booth. I think next time I'm going to ditch the slip covered chairs, and get a different tables. Go for more of a fresh and contemporary style.

Tara and I ready to role! Then, I realized I'd forgotten to put on make-up and jewelry.

Thanks to the guys at Nashville Photography Group (aka Jeb Wilson and Caleb Magnino), I got to host an amazing booth at the Bridal Expo this weekend. Jeb, Caleb and I have been friends for a long time.... and I love these two dudes like brothers. Jeb actually photographed much of MY wedding and - I'm not too sure - but I think it might have been the first one that he shot. When they ditched Bakersfield and headed to Nashville to open their studio, I was SO BUMMED! I'd still love the opportunity to head there someday soon. But I'm not sure that Nashville could handle all three of us. I'm looking forward to getting to shoot some stuff for them soon and working side-by-side with two of the coolest guys in the industry. Check out their site at http://www.nashvillephotographygroup.com/. Okay, enough about them, lets talk about me! Ha!

As of Monday, Dec. 29th I had no intention of doing a bridal fair last weekend. 1. I hadn't had a chance to catch my breath from my Crazy (yet awesome!) Christmas season. I still have clients ordering extra Christmas portraits and wedding season is trying to start??? NO WAY! 2. I don't have any of my new promotional products yet. I did a total overhaul 2 months ago - New state, new demographic, new focus, new pricing, new website, new products, new company, new style, new everything! But old promotional items. I had 4 business cards left and that was IT! 3. I'm booking pretty steadily without needing to spend a ton of money on advertising.

Then, Caleb called me. Booth is free. Largest bridal event in the area. Lots of exposure. So, I kicked it into high gear. I figure I worked about 100 hours in 6 days... It was hard, but so much fun! And such a learning experience. Some how, some way everything came together. But its not without a lot of thanks to a lot of people...

NPG: Thanks for the booth guys!

Jason, Mike and Lesia @ Fedex Kinko's: Thanks for all of my supplies! I walked in with 4 business cards and walked out with a business.

Daddy: Thank you for slaving in the garage to build me an awesome grid to display my work. And for the "living room" idea in the first place. You never cease to amaze me.

Momma: Among other things, thank you for my pillow. It was my favorite part of my day! And for the design idea. Man, imagine what we could do with a couple of months and a little more cash! Thank you for all of the shopping, slicing, ironing, praying, and anything else that I may have missed.

Tyler: Thank you for your heavy lifting and encouragement.

Jayme: Thank you for the endless hours of childcare and the honest assessment of certain aspects of my promotional supplies. Thank you for folding and folding and folding and folding.

Kathy: Thank you for keeping the boys for me on the most important night of preparation and all day the day of the expo. I would be lost without you!

Tara: Thank you for being my unrelenting, unpaid, inexhaustible assistant/associate/amigo. I love you so much. And I'm stoked about continuing where we left off 4 years ago.

Sean: You are the very best part of my dreams. Without you, all of this would mean nothing.

Some old cronies.

2008-12-21T20:01:00.000-05:00

I've known this clan, or part of it, for about 14 years. Can you believe that, Steph? I can't remember how Miss Ruthie heard that I broke into the photography business, because it seems like I've been photographing their family for decades. Anyhow, I'm always excited to get a call from them, because they are a BLAST to be around. As a photographer I get to be a part of a lot of special times. I can walk into a special event or wedding, not knowing a soul. But by the end of the day, I'm getting hugs from Grandma Fey and swapping stories with the sisters. The Haworths are one of the families that I love being invited in to. Thanks for including me in your family time! And thanks for the support throughout the years! Hope you enjoy...

This was my favorite from the day.

This was my first opportunity photographing Grandma and Grandpa. Are they cute?! I can't wait to grow gray with my hubbers.

I know I was there to photograph the whole family - but this moment stole the day for me. He was pouting because he wasn't ready to take pictures. I can't tell you what I had to do to get him smiling for the family photographs - but it involved something that makes little boys laugh and bodily functions. Thanks for being so understanding, gang. That's not my typical method for achieveing good portraits. Ha! Can't wait for next Christmas!

Sweet Christmas Baby!

2008-12-21T19:36:00.001-05:00

As a working mom (I have two toddler boys) I how how crazy it is to try to "plan" anything. So, when I got a call from Miss Megan early last Sunday morning, I wondered if it was for a portrait session. Sure enough! "The sun is out and we all match! Can we take Christmas Portraits?!" Yes! Let's do it! It was a little chilly, but the session went great. I hadn't met her yet, so Lil' Miss J. wasn't too sure about me, but by the end of our session... Well... just take a looksy...

It's official. I need a baby girl.

Oh my goodness! Who can resist that face? She is just too freaking adorable.

I'll give you one guess at who runs the house. Ha!

This was my favorite family shot from the day.

Last shot on the card. I already love her!

Braving the weather

2008-12-16T02:27:00.000-05:00

What do you do as a location photographer when the weather hates you? Reschedule? Sometimes. Relocate? If possible. Stick to the original plan? Rarely. But this weekend I had the chance to photograph not only a couple of my closest friends - but also some of my bravest! The Valley Tulle Fog was thick and cold, but Patrick and Sabrina were up for facing the weather. Once we got out into it, we were surprised by how warm it was. I've been curious about photographing in the fog, so thanks guys for being willing to be my guinea pigs. Last year I did a session in 34 inches of snow - so this was bearable.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did! Love you guys!

I love taking photos in the least likely places. This shot was taken at College "Park" (they used that term loosely here because its really just little a grass with some trees surrounded by apartments) across the street from Bakersfield College.

Patrick is my husband's best friend. When he saw this photo he said, "Nice pic. What fairytale are you guys in? I like the river." And Pat said, "Thanks glad you like it. Your wife took it." Now... if I could only get him to pay me the compliments directly :-) Ha!

They've been kissin' each others lips since elementary school, I think.

Miss Jersey did not think it was warm enough.

Ta-da! Super Jersey will save the planet from evil invaders with her supersonic radar hearing! She is the least annoying little dog I've ever met - don't you just want to snuggle her?

Merry Christmas from the Hennessy's

2008-12-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

My Sister-In-Love

2008-12-13T21:56:00.000-05:00

I am so lucky to have the best "brother's girlfriend but more than that because she's been around as long as my husband and I love her to bits" I affectionately call her my sister-in-love. My sons call her JJ. And my brother calls her his woman. And she rocks. She is hilarious, strong, hard-working, and beautiful. I would readily throw myself in front of a bus for her. I can't imagine J as an awkward, shy teenager, but I think that she still sees herself that way. I've never heard her boast or brag, even though she's accomplished more than your average 23-year-old. And (despite the crappy economy) she will soon be a success in the eyes of the world, like she already is to me. A couple of weeks ago, we were sitting together watching The Office, and I looked at her sitting there in her sweats, no make-up, hair wavy and unbrushed around her face, laughing so hard that her nose was bright red. And I thought, "She has absolutely no idea how beautiful she really is . . ."

But when I did her family Christmas portraits I caught proof. Here you go, girl! Told you that you rock!

And the rest of her family ain't half bad either! :-) Enjoy, guys. See you soon!

Spotlight Theatre Presents...

2008-11-30T03:36:00.000-05:00

High Fidelity, the Musical!

Directed by Hal Friedman.

My future daughter-in-law

2008-11-30T03:19:00.000-05:00

These are some of my favorite people on Planet Earth. Em and I have known each other since i was 17 through... uh... friends? Its a long story. Anyway. Said friends came and went and Em and I stayed in touch. She is one of the pivotal people in my career who said, "Aly. You can do this. You are good. Have some confidence!" And for that I am forever grateful. Her and her hubby have encouraged me in ways that they probably don't even realize. I have looked up to them for several years, and for this photo I did just that - looked up to them. Thanks for everything guys! Hope you enjoy your memories.

Through the years, I photographed their wedding, pregnancy (#1) and her sweet little girls. This was my first chance meeting her youngest. Isn't she the cutest little stinker EVER?! I think I found a match for my Eoin. Ha! I just want to squeeze her lil' cheeks!

And this is big sis! She was such a beautiful baby, now a cute little kid, and I can't wait to photograph her senior portraits someday! I just know that she'll be breathtaking.

Sweet Little Fam!

2008-11-24T00:58:00.000-05:00

I had the joy of getting to meet this family last weekend. I've been hearing about them through a mutual friend for a couple of years ... so when we finally met in person, I felt like we were already buddies. Lauren and Gregg have two ADORABLE little dudes... and (lucky me) they were incredibly cooperative during our short and painless session. Here are a couple of my favorite shots from the day! I hope you enjoy them, guys... and I can't wait to show you the rest of them!

Wasn't it nice of him to just fall asleep? He looks pretty comfy snuggled up in Mama's arms, huh? Can you believe this is in a parking lot? Bakersfield has the best parking lots anywhere!

Mr. B was more of a challenge than either of his babies! Wind + early morning glare + super sensitive eyes = OUCH!!! Thanks for bearing with me, Gregg! Luckily, we were able to get some good ones of those baby-blues... this is one of my favorites.

Just dad and lil' man looking for some cool rocks... They walk the same! I love dads with their little boys (hmmm... wonder why?)... I also like how the same foot is up in this shot.

OKAY - that's it for this one. More coming soon!

Wedding cards!

2008-11-20T19:40:00.000-05:00

These are my new wedding cards! They are 4"x9" rack cards, front and back. I love them! Lots of work went into them .... so let me know what you think! I'm totally open to suggestions. I chose the photos for the back of the card, because I think they catch attention. The middle photo is one of my ALL time favorites. You can't see it on here, but the Father of the Bride has a death grip on his hands, and is choking back tears. And I love the contrast of the softness of the pair, next to the pointy palm leaves. And... well.... green is my favorite color. The bottom photo is another favorite. I love the vintage look of her bouquet - can you believe that I didn't even photoshop this one?!? (well, except for the vignette). The top photo is another goody. It was the last dance of the reception, between a bride and groom who had "waited"... I couldn't hear what the groom was saying, but you could almost feel the anticipation floating in the air! The design is a few different scroll designs that I found and layered in photoshop. I didn't include the full portraits packaging because I really like to meet with clients in person before they see my packages. Not because I want to pressure sell! I'm not a salesman! I'm an artist. (which I'm learning to get over...) But I really like to get a feel of what the Bride is looking for and make something special just for her. Anyway - thats the back story on them. Now... back to the drawing board. Event and portrait cards are coming up next!

An Afternoon in the Sand

2008-11-19T00:35:00.000-05:00

I found this spot while training for my marathon last year and I've been anxious to photograph it ever since. The final product? I LOVE IT! To the naked eye the location doesn't look like much, but my vision came into fruition with the sweet little second that I caught between "Mr. & Mrs. O"... See some more photos from the same location below... (yes, this is in Bakersfield).

I love this little family! I've been following them around for a few years now, and they are always a pleasure to photograph. Ryan and Tiffany are the kind of people who look more and more beautiful everytime I see them. And I finally got to meet their little guy! As with ALL two-year-olds, Little Man kept me on my toes. But, thanks to personal experience, I think I managed to capture him once or twice. These are some of my favorite shots from the day... Enjoy guys! Coffee, Tiffany?

"Little Man" had a blast on our nature hike. What two-year-old boy doesn't love playing with rocks and digging in the dirt. For the shot below, I hid a seashell in the sand and told him to dig for it. He thought that was awesome. We found all sorts of cool stuff for him to take home! Shells, rocks, sticks... Mama probably found some surprises in his pockets.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T20:47:00.001-04:00

Sheriff Eoin & Cuddley Cian

This cowboy is still learnin' how to tame his balance... let alone the wild west!

Cherub

Trick or Treat!

Curious little man. I love his big dark eyes!

Run, Cowboy, run!!!

I hope your holiday was as good as ours! XO!

New Busines Cards!

2008-11-01T20:42:00.000-04:00

New website means (drumroll please!) NEW BUSINESS CARDS! What do you think? I ordered them with rounded corners (thanks for the hook-up Ellie!).

Logo by Kelly Mitchell! Love the new logo... not sure about everything else...

Sick day

2008-10-23T02:12:00.000-04:00

I'm feeling pretty crummy today. I think its a combination of getting used to the valley air, and the release of stress. I've been flying pretty high on adrinaline for a couple of months now, so I was bound to crash eventually. Anyway - I had a "no" day today. No plans, no committments, no phone, no shower ... just a day. But the sun light was so rich that I couldn't resist the urge to follow it with my camera. I recently moved out to my parents "ranch" and hadn't really explored much of what was out there... so Cian and I went on a little walk and this is what we found.

My son... the addict (to apple juice that is).
I'm not really into stills... but there is something about looking at the ordinary and making it interesting that intrigues me. The chain looks like its trying to hold the tree to the earth. and the spider web across the chain looks like its holding the chain to the tree. I thought that was interesting.

My dad collects wood apparently.

I love his litte face in this one.

My dad calls this the good luck tree... unfortunately, the horseshoes are upside down - which is supposed to bring bad luck - but he didn't know any different and neither has the tree, because this has been a pretty good year. I might go turn them though... just for good measure.

This is my 'ole bud, Harley. We should have named him Harvey. It suits him better.

He's my dad's friend. (that's dad in the background. he's not feeling very well either)

Cian poses for a photo. He's so cooperative... and hairy.

My Beloved

2008-10-21T18:24:00.000-04:00

This is my husband. Isn't he handsome?! Just kidding... no really... He just moved to Iraq (12-15 months is a long time to just say he's on a business trip you know?) I know its not a portrait... but I'm really proud of him, so I had to show some LOVE! It's only been 9 days since I saw him and it feels like a year already.

Me and Toby

2008-10-20T01:34:00.000-04:00

Happy October everyone! Isn't this shot SICK?! I was photographing a river for my friend, Sarah, and this guy - I call him Toby (after Spiderman) - showed up under the beams of a bridge. Some awesome afternoon sunlight and a little camera tweeking and VIOLA!... interesting photo. I almost got hit by a car two times for lack of a sidewalk on the bridge... so enjoy the rest of these, Sarah. I hope your tattoo is AMAZING!

LEAP!

2008-10-18T13:27:00.000-04:00

Okay.... after almost 10 years of managing to do photography WITHOUT a) a blog b) a flash website c) a business plan... I'm taking the leap. I've spent the last 3 years absorbing as much information about photography as I can. Not only the art, but the business. And aparently you can't get anywhere without an awesome website ... and a blog. SO HERE IT IS! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by, folks.