lauren nygard photography

A New Look

2011-04-02T10:50:00.000-04:00

Howdy Everyone!

Please come find me and my new look at http://www.laurennygard.com!

Love,
Lauren's Blog

La Jolla DOUBLE Wedding

2011-03-21T10:56:00.001-04:00

Yes, you read that correctly! Earlier this month, Stephanie Zyga invited me to photograph a very special wedding with her on the beach in La Jolla, CA. She had been contacted by a beautiful bride, Christina, who had met her fiance, Brooks, while they were both at the Naval Academy. As the conversation continued, Stephanie learned that Brooks' sister, Shannon, was also going to be married to her fiance, Robert, at the same time!

The day started at a rental house near Sunset Cliffs, where all three families stayed and got ready together. It was a relaxing morning and you could just feel the love among everyone there!

Brooks and Robert made some mighty delicious mimosas to start the morning off right! Here's Christina enjoying one while Shannon had her hair done.

While Christina was getting her hair and makeup done, Shannon relaxed in the kitchen with a good book.

I love that Brooks was able to watch on as Christina prepped for her wedding day. Check out the smile on his face!

Brooks and Shannon's mom created programs for the guests.

That morning, a skywriter was above to deliver a message: "WE <3 U!" How appropriate!

Christina and Shannon carried gorgeous bouquets!

It's not everyday that a photographer is able to capture TWO sets of wedding rings together!

Robert and Brooks's moms watched as Christina's mother zipped up her dress.

We headed to Scripps Park early in the afternoon to capture portraits of the couples and their guests.

Isn't Shannon just glowing??

Christina was feeling adventurous and hopped up on this rock. Brooks followed suit, so we asked Shannon and Robert to step in too!

It was a small, peaceful ceremony on the beach at Scripps Park, followed by an intimate dinner at George's at the Cove. As you can see in the following set of images, the wedding drew quite a crowd!

Thanks again to the lovely brides and grooms for allowing me to be a part of their very special day! Congratulations to them and their wonderful families!

Happy Spring, everyone!

xoxo,
Lauren

Oceanside Beach Just for Fun Session: Sonnia

2011-03-04T00:09:00.001-05:00

Stephanie Zyga and I headed back out for a little sunset-time practice last night. I invited my awesome (and gorgeous!) friend Sonnia, who you saw with her amazing family here. This time, we headed to the water at Camp Pendleton's Del Mar Beach.

We were a little strapped for time, so we were moving fairly quickly through the handful of techniques we wanted to practice. We started off shooting with just natural light. The marine layer was headed in already, so the sun wasn't beating down on us. Here you can see that we faced Sonnia towards the sun as it was setting.

This one is still natural light only, but I blew out the sky because I was shooting towards the sun (and converted to black and white in Lightroom).

Then we added a nice, gold reflector to the mix. Yummy!

And finished up with some flash! :)

Now wasn't that fun?!?

Thanks to Sonnia for putting up with us (again)! She's the best! (No, really--she is--she brought me lunch today at work! How sweet is that?!) And it's always awesome to get some Stephanie in my day. :) See y'all soon!

xoxo,
Lauren

p.s. If you love me here, please "like" my business on Facebook! Thanks!! :)

La Jolla Just for Fun Shoot - Kayla

2011-03-02T00:30:00.001-05:00

Is there really any better way to spend the afternoon of a rather unfortunate day than grabbing a couple of friends, heading to the beach, and shooting away? I didn't think so.

I was so happy when my good friend Stephanie Zyga invited me to practice some shots at the scene of a wedding we're shooting together this Saturday! She brought along her friend Kayla, and, well, take a look at what I got! It was so much fun!

It's hard to shoot when you're hungry, so we started off with lunch at one of my favorite spots, Burger Lounge, before heading to Scripps Park to get to work. Here are Stephanie and Kayla in action!

And my take from the side:

Another one of Stephanie at work!

And what I got:

Practicing a ring shot... a.k.a. a reason to throw my engagement ring in the sand. Don't tell the mister! ;)

So gorgeous!

And simply stunning...

Thanks, you two, for an amazingly fun afternoon!
Happy March, everyone!

xoxo,
Lauren

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!!

2011-02-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to take a minute to wish all of you a very happy Valentine's Day! Even though my hubby is out in the field this week, he sent me this gorgeous bouquet! Isn't that awesome?!

And here's a shot of some cupcakes I made to take to a friend's house on Friday. They were a new recipe that I don't think I'll be using again. ;)

Have a great week!

San Diego Shooting Group - La Jolla Engagement - Cori and Lamont

2011-02-07T12:16:00.003-05:00

On Friday, the San Diego Shooting Group had our first shoot of the year! We're a small group that will be getting together every so often to have fun while practicing our craft. If you are a photographer and would like to join our next shoot, please head over to our Facebook page to join the group!

This time, we had a great turn out! A fabulous engaged couple, Cori and Lamont, met up with us at the Burger Lounge in La Jolla, where we caught them enjoying a delicious milkshake. We then walked around several surrounding blocks and took turns posing and photographing the two of them, before heading back to Burger Lounge for a well-deserved dinner!

Here are a few shots of the group with Cori and Lamont.

The following are a handful of the images I captured of the lovebirds! These two met twelve years ago while attending UCLA and remained friends for years before they started dating! Both studied Sociology at UCLA but later decided to follow different career paths: Lamont is now a writer while Cori does interior and graphic design. She's actually the force behind the awesome design and inspiration blog, Pretty Haute Mess! Lamont and Cori joke that creative couples have more fun, and I definitely agree with them!

Isn't Cori gorgeous? And how about that ring?! It is a vintage ring that belonged to her grandmother, Pearl, with whom Cori was very close. I don't think it gets any sweeter than that... ;)

For the next few shots, Stephen Knuth set up one of Shari Barnes' speedlights to create dramatic lighting. She was kind enough to let all of us use the set up to grab some shots! The following image shows the great thing about knowing how to set up off-camera lighting. I used the available sunlight to create the image on the left, and the image on the right was taken using the speedlight that Stephen had set up. As you can see, Cori and Lamont didn't change their pose at all--in fact, they didn't move a bit! The only differences are (1) the introduction of one speedlight off camera to the left and (2) my location. What's so great about this, you ask? I was able to come away with two very different images with zero changes from the couple. Cool, right?!?!

The following is my new favorite shot to set up! It's one speedlight (I use a SB-600) triggered wirelessly from the camera. In this case, I was using the Nikon CLS system because other photographers were able to fire the flash as well. This set up requires a light stand, preferably one that's voice-activated. Thankfully for us, Stephanie Zyga and Stephen were kind enough to be our stands. :)

A big THANK YOU goes out to Cori and Lamont for coming down and letting us shoot you! By the way, did I mention what a trooper Lamont was?? He had just had surgery on the Monday before the shoot, so he was on crutches the day! He would move to where we wanted to pose the two of them, then one of us would grab his crutches, we'd shoot, and then give them back. :) I can't thank them enough for spending their Friday afternoon and evening with the group!

Kristin and Trevor - Old Town San Diego Wedding

2011-02-02T21:34:00.001-05:00

Kristin and Trevor are an amazing couple whose wedding I photographed alongside the awesome Aimee Westcott! The couple lives in Las Vegas but often vacations here in San Diego, so it just felt *right* for them to get married here. And I knew their wedding was going to be rad after seeing the jaw-dropping images Aimee caught of them during their engagement session at the Salton Sea!

The day started off at the US Grant hotel, where both the bride and groom got dolled up. (in separate rooms!) Since they didn't want to see each other until the ceremony, we had some fun doing a bit of a two-step when it was time for their portraits down in the lobby! From there, we headed off to Old Town for the gorgeous ceremony at the Immaculate Conception Church and for more portraits around the area. The reception was held in the intricate Don Room at El Cortez. Take a look at their special day below!

I love setting up a flash in an unexpected location, which is something I've learned to do from Aimee! Yes, we got plenty of natural-light images from Kristin's suite while she got ready, but I love how she glows in this image!

Oh, the shoes! The dress! The shoes!!

One thing that struck me during this wedding was just how happy everyone was! Here, Kristin's mom is placing the veil on her daughter, and you can see the huge smile in her eyes!

Can we say g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s??

Oh, love!

So happy to be getting married!

What's a shoot in Old Town without some horses in at least one image??

This is why I love shooting in the Don Room! Yes, it's REALLY dark (like, super super dark!!) but add a flash or two and BAM!

Many many congratulations to the newlyweds!

San Antonio... PPA Imaging USA recap and more!

2011-01-27T20:32:00.001-05:00

Wow, I can't believe January is almost over already! I have a feeling this year is going to go by way too fast...

I was in San Antonio last week to attend the Professional Photographers of America's annual convention, Imaging USA. It was awesome for two reasons: (1) IUSA was an incredibly amazing experience, and I learned a lot from the speakers and other attendees, and (2) I got to spend a week with my family, which was kicked off with my dad's 60th birthday party! Here's a recount of my trip, with some (unrelated) photos I took while in San Antonio.

My older sister had flown into San Antonio on Friday, then my little sister and I flew in at 2:15 on Saturday. He knew I was coming in to go to IUSA, but he had no idea Kay and Caroline were coming in! As soon as Caroline and I landed, we headed over to Perico's, where about 40 of our family and friends had gathered to celebrate his 60th! It was so fun!

Then on Sunday, I started off bright and early with Scott Robert Lim's "Portable Fashion Lighting Made Easy" and saw Hanson Fong's presentation on posing. In the afternoon, my dad joined me at the convention (he always has said I got my photographer genes from him) so we spent a few minutes at the Nikon booth at the expo before listening to Jennifer Hudson tell her story through her art (amazing!). I ran off to hear Yervant's take on the future of wedding photography while Dad saw Harry Benson recount his 60 years as a photojournalist.

On Monday, I was inspired by Doug Gordon's flow posing technique and heard Jamie & Todd Reichman speak on running a sustainable business (it was eye-opening!). My mom, brother, and little sister came down and we enjoyed lunch at La Gloria. I hadn't been over to the Pearl Brewery since it was renovated, so it was fun to see all the changes! Then we snuck in a little shopping before dropping Caroline off at the airport and I scurried back to see Jeff & Allison Rodgers' explanation of balancing business and life! That evening, Mom, Dad, and I went to a cooking class at their church. It was fun to be using the same bathroom that I had used exactly two years earlier to get dressed for my wedding! That's right--it was my husband and my anniversary! Hubby was busy with work all last week, so we didn't get to spend it together, which seems to be a tradition now! (If the same thing happens twice, that makes it a tradition, right?! ;)

The convention wrapped up on Tuesday. Storey Wilkins inspired me to showcase the moments at a wedding, and Clay Blackmore covered how to photograph everyone. I was "captured by the light" thanks to David Ziser, and Bob Davis showed us his wedding reception lighting techniques. By the end of the day, I was exhausted but so excited about what I learned that I spent a few minutes outside the convention center taking a few shots of the area. Then Dad and I stopped at Bill Miller's on the way home--perfect!

I had a few days to see family and friends before heading back to California. It was awesome to be able to spend so much time in San Antonio, yet I still felt like I had so many others I wanted to visit before jumping on the plane. Unfortunately, Friday came too quickly and I was back in San Diego before I knew it.

This week it's been back to work, and I've spent time prepping for the San Diego Shooting Group's meetup next week! Stay tuned, my friends! :)

San Diego Shooting Group

2011-01-10T11:34:00.001-05:00

Hey Friends!

I wanted to write a quick post to let you know about a new opportunity I'm taking on this year.

Last month, Stephen Knuth approached me to take over the reigns as organizer for the San Diego Shooting Group, since he's moving to beautiful, sunny Florida to be with his new bride! :) He started this group last year as a way for photographers to get together to shoot, learn from each other, and build community. What's the best part of this group, you ask? Well, shoots are kept small so that they can be offered FREE for participating photographers! It's a great way for us to connect, practice, and learn! Typically, we'll meet up for a shoot in the afternoon, shoot for a couple hours, then we sit down and chat over dinner at a nearby restaurant.

We have one shoot lined up right now, and my intentions are to hold shoots every other month. The upcoming shoot is happening on Friday, February 4. It will be an engagement-style session in La Jolla. If you are interested in participating, tickets will be released this Thursday, January 13 at 7:00 pm (Pacific time). As I mentioned earlier, this shoot is FREE but the tickets are a way for us to control the number of people that will show up. Click here to register.

Sound good? Join us on Facebook to get advance notice of upcoming events, and don't forget to register for our next shoot!

See you soon!
Lauren

A New Year for this Photographer

2011-01-08T14:53:00.001-05:00

Wow. That's really all I have to say right now. In case you didn't notice, it's 2011 already! And we're already more than a week into it! Remember my New Year's post from last year? I have the same exact sentiments about 2010 as I did about 2009 a year ago.

I once read that, as we get older, the years seem to go by quicker because each year takes up an increasingly smaller percentage of our total lifetime. I have no idea if that's true or not, but I do know that 2009 whizzed by before I knew it, and now 2010 seems to have been even shorter. Like, crazy shorter.

But it was a really good year! I know most photographers do their year-in-review in photo form, but I'm going with what I did last year and I'm going to sum up 2010 in words instead. (I like being different, ok?) Here's how I saw 2010:

I was away from my hubby on our anniversary, so I spent it watching a Chargers game at a friend's house instead. :)

We enjoyed the top layer of our wedding cake on our 13-month anniversary, and it was WAY more delicious than I ever imagined it would be! Seriously, couples, don't fear the year-old cake! :)

I met up with some awesome photographers and formally shot my first wedding!

I booked my first wedding!

I got personal and successfully blogged every day for a week as part of Diabetes Blog Week.

I took a trip to Miami Beach to attend the AIA convention, then hubby and I escaped for a road trip up to San Francisco (with stops on the way up and back). Both were awesome!!

I assisted two award-winning photographers at a wedding that was featured on TLC!

My family came out to visit us here in California--so fun!

I was booked solid for a month shooting weddings here in SoCal!
I put a collection of images up at the ZTA Gallery; opening night was amazing!

I met up with my family in Durango, CO to celebrate the holidays.

I have LOTS in store for 2011! Check back soon for more updates, including my new role as organizer of the San Diego Shooting Group! Also, I'm in the process of re-doing my website and blog, so that will be coming up in the next few months.

I already know that 2011 is going to present one of the most challenging experiences I'll ever have to go through. I'm not looking forward to it, but I know that I can and will handle it--especially with all my friends by my side. And, before you ask.... No, I'm NOT talking about a mini-me! :-P

So, how about some images, huh? :) Here are some shots from my recent holiday trip to Durango, CO. My hubby, my in-laws, and I drove there and met up with my immediate family as well as my aunt, uncle, and cousins. We did this trip for Christmas in 2007, and we had all been itching to go back!

One morning, hubby and I rented snowshoes and took a trek up the mountain near where we stayed. I had never snowshoe'd before, and we had a blast!

One day, my parents, hubby, and I went on a sleigh ride around Haviland Lake. Here we are before we took off. (My photographer dad took the picture of us.)

Here's the stable at Rapp Corral.

The next day, we took a trip on the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. During the winter months, the train doesn't go all the way to Silverton, but the trip was awesome and we had some incredible views of the mountains and the Animas River below. Gorgeous! This first set of two images was taken using the Diana lens I got for Christmas! It was my first time to use it, and I definitely need to play with it more. :)

A big snowstorm hit the night before we left! Here are a few views from my parents' room the morning we headed out.

Back home, I snapped a few images of our decorations before we took them down for the year. First, the holiday cards we got!

And here's a small image of one of my favorite Christmas ornaments and the gingerbread tree we made this year. The ornament is one we picked up when we were in Hawaii on our honeymoon. :)

Here's to 2011!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T15:29:00.000-05:00

Here's just a quick post to tell everyone that I hope y'all have a fantastic Holiday season filled with good food and great fun!

Here are some of the presents under our tree this year. Besides the gift bags I ordered from the fab Cactus and Quail (on the right in the first image), I decided to use what I had around the house to wrap the rest of our gifts. Namely, ribbon and lace that my grandmother had given me from her stash, paper shopping bags, and a snowflake stamp I had. I think it all came out quite nicely, don't you?? ;)

Stay warm and enjoy the season! See you next year! :)

Lauren and Frank are married!

2010-12-16T21:25:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm not really sure why it took me so long to blog about this gorgeous, October wedding! Aimee Westcott invited me to join her to capture Lauren and Frank's special day at Balboa Park. We started off at the intimate Saint Francis Chapel across from the Museum of Man. I had never been inside that chapel before, but, wow! It was gorgeous!

But, get this! Besides the obvious same-name thing, Lauren and my wedding day had all sorts of similarities! We both lived in Washington, DC, at the time of our wedding, and planned it long-distance so we could get married in our hometowns. We both painted our toenails blue, our dresses were similar, and our cakes even looked alike! I was secretly re-living my wedding day all afternoon! So fun!!

We only had about 20 minutes to rock some portraits with Lauren and her ladies, but she was excited when Aimee suggested that we do them at the fabulous May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden at the San Diego Museum of Art. So beautiful!

I just love all the contrast in the shot below!

Here are Lauren's last few moments as a single lady! :)

Frank's mom gave a blessing during the ceremony.

After the ceremony, the bridal party met up for photos at Alcazar Garden.

Lauren's brother was having a little too much fun while holding the Maid-of-Honor's bouquet!

See the blue toenails?!

Getting a little touch-up during the portrait taking.

The reception was at The Prado restaurant in Balboa Park. It was the perfect setting to end this wonderful night!

I love this image of Frank watching Lauren enjoy her father-daughter dance!

Congratulations, Lauren and Frank! I hope you are enjoying your first holiday season as husband and wife in the nation's capitol!

p.s. Check out Aimee's shots here!

The G Family

2010-12-09T00:46:00.002-05:00

Check out this fun family!

Sonnia and I are volunteers for a Marine Spouse group at Camp Pendleton, and I bothered her for a few months to get out in front of my camera. An opportunity for us to get together sprang up over the weekend and I jumped at the chance to meet up with her, Brad, and their two handsome sons at the Oceanside Pier for a short session! Nevermind the 49ers jerseys they're wearing.. This family was a hoot to shoot!

Isn't Sonnia just gorgeous?!?

"The pointing shot." Sonnia and Brad's older son kept throwing his fingers up, so I asked them all to do it for a shot. Check out little J! He had no idea he was the only one pointing in the opposite direction, and his expression is priceless!

I love it when a family has a little fun during their session!

Thank you, Sonnia and Brad, for (finally!) allowing me to capture you and your awesome kids!

Help Portrait 2010

2010-12-08T01:07:00.001-05:00

If you read my last post or if you've been following my tweets recently, you already know that I spent last Saturday with the awesome Help-Portrait San Diego crew. We rocked our portraits this year, and it was SO exciting to participate again!

We started out at St. Clare's Home in Escondido in the morning, where our fearless leader, Jamie, had this amazing spread set up for the families! Hello, delicious!

The fabulous Chriselda had collected all of these stuffed animals, and each child was able to pick one to take home! How awesome is that?!?

We then moved to Solutions for Change in Vista for our afternoon sessions. SFC is where I participated last year, so it was fun to see some familiar faces among the staff and families!

All in all, it was a GREAT day for all of us! Following are a couple shots of fellow volunteers from the SD crew. (We used each other to test our set-ups before the families came in.)

Child prodigy, Graham:

and Chic-Fil-A rocker Ryan:

Thanks again to all of the volunteers who made Help-Portrait 2010 a huge success! I can't wait until next year's event! I've already marked my calendar: 03 December 2011!

T Family Session

2010-11-29T19:53:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Chriselda, Miguel, and their two adorable girls to snap some family portraits. The family drove up to Oceanside and we met on base at Camp Pendleton at a spot that reminds both Chriselda and me of our home state, Texas!

I met this gorgeous family earlier this year when I spent Valentine's Day volunteering with with the San Diego Help-Portrait group to do a fundraiser for Haiti. Chriselda, who is also a photographer, and I had both participated in Help-Portrait last year, but at different locations. See her blog posts about the Haiti fundraiser here and here! This Saturday, she and I will be working together at two locations, and I can't wait! (To find out more about the Help-Portrait movement, please take a look here.)

For now, enjoy these fun photos!

Thanks again for allowing me to capture your growing family! :) See you soon!!

W Family Session and a SPECIAL!

2010-11-25T09:31:00.007-05:00

It's Thanksgiving already! Well, what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than by sharing some photos of a recent session I did with the W Family? I met up with Fred, Jenna, and their adorable kids at their house, then we went to a nearby playground to grab a few shots. It was cold and cloudy that day, but they rocked it and we got some great shots before hurrying back inside for some delicious hot chocolate. :)

Many thanks to this lovely family for allowing me to capture a fun moment!

And now for the special...

It's BROWN THURSDAY! Do you know what that means?? Well, I don't really either.. In fact, I just made it up. (I think!) In any event, with all the craziness happening tomorrow, Black Friday, I'm happy to announce a special on family sessions booked this month!

Contact me by 7:00pm next Tuesday, November 30, and I'll be more than happy to book an hour-long family session with you and your loved ones before the end of the year for only $125! The price includes your time in front of the camera with me, editing of all images, an online viewing gallery you can share with your family and friends, and a disc of high-resolution files.

The fine print: This special is good for a one-hour photography session with Lauren Nygard at the location of your choice (within reason!) for up to five people. If you are a family (or group of friends) of 6 or more, the price increases by $25 per person. As always, military families receive additional discounts, so please contact me for more information. Sessions must be booked by 7:00pm (California time) on Tuesday, November 30 with payment due at the beginning of the session. Session is to take place by December 31, 2010.

Questions? Feel free to ask me! I can be reached at lauren(dot)nygard(at)gmail(dot)com.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ann and Kevin are married!! Part 2!

2010-11-16T20:32:00.002-05:00

Welcome back!

Here are more images from Ann and Kevin's lovely wedding! We'll start out with a few detail shots.

The rings!

Here is Ann starting the walk down the aisle with her dad. Oh so happy!!

Officially MARRIED! Woohoo!

The bride's gorgeous bouquet:

Instead of doing traditional toasts at the reception, Ann and Kevin asked for roasts from their family and friends! This is Kevin's father reading his hilarious roast. Yes, those are his notes on a roll of toilet paper!

The bride and groom really enjoyed the roast. :)

They shared a lovely first dance!

And I definitely teared up a bit during the father-daughter dance. It was so sweet! (Shh! Don't tell anyone!)

Instead of a huge cake, the bride and groom opted for a delicious tower of cupcakes from Sugar Fix in Pasadena, topped with a small cake they could cut into together. Check out all of those flavor choices!

Here's my husband-slash-fantastic-assistant enjoying a cookies-n-cream cupcake. Yes, that's an Oreo in there! YUM!

I had to practically drag them off the dance floor for this shot, but I think it was worth it! It was one of the last shots of the night and tops the list as one of my favorites from the day.

Many, many thanks to Ann and Kevin for allowing me to be a part of their special day!! The end to this story is definitely a happily-ever-after, and I can't wait to see it unfold! :)

Here are the vendors from the day:

Venue: Cho Residence, La Canada-Flintridge
Portrait Location: Descanso Gardens, La Canada-Flintridge
Coordinator: Theresa Cho (Ann's wonderful mother!)
Floral Arrangements: Janet Kim & Jung Lee
Equipment Rentals: Imperial Party Rentals
Music: Gigmasters, DJ Ser-gio
Cupcakes: Sugar Fix, Pasadena
Food: Auntie Kim and Sushi Ahjusshi

Dress: Martina Liana gown from The White Flower Bridal Boutique, San Diego
Hair & Makeup: Hill's Beauty Club, Los Angeles

Ann and Kevin are married!!

2010-11-16T09:23:00.002-05:00

Hey y'all!

You have NO idea how excited I am to be showing this wedding to you! You may recognize Ann and Kevin from the engagement session we did at Balboa Park a few months back. In that post, I mentioned that I knew Ann and Kevin from grad school. What I didn't mention was that our other good friend, Holly, was going to be officiating their wedding this month! Last Saturday, I joined Ann, Kevin, and their family and friends up in La Canada for a gorgeous backyard wedding at Ann's mom's house. The details, all handmade and created by Ann, were incredible and added to their perfect day! The fabulous Candice Benjamin joined me at this wedding and we had a blast!

Here's a look at the pre-ceremony images.

I met up with Ann at her mom's house, where she got dressed for the day. Check out that gorgeous dress!!

Ann's sister, Esther, helped to get her dress laced up just right!

Here's another thing I loved about Ann and Kevin: they were more than willing to do a "first look" before the ceremony! After Candice shot getting-ready pictures of Kevin and his brothers, they joined us in the backyard to greet each other for the first time on their wedding day. Ann brought these fun balloons and you can just see the excitement!

After their peak, we headed off to Descanso Gardens for some fun and gorgeous wedding-day portraits. Getting together before the ceremony for a portrait session is a great way to ensure the couple gets the images they want from their wedding day, before the tears really start to fall and before the cake is smashed in their faces! I highly recommend that all brides and grooms plan for a first look. :)

Can you feeeeeel the love toniiiight?! Oh, sorry! Back to Ann and Kevin... (Have I ever mentioned how much I love The Lion King?)

They really worked it in front of the camera! They were naturals!!

Ann's bridesmaids were her childhood friend, Sarah, and her sister, Esther. Kevin's groomsmen were his two brothers, Kyle and Darren. Here are the six of them in action!

Here is the bridal party with the officiant of the day, our good friend, Holly!

That's it for now!! Check back tonight for Part 2: The ceremony and reception!

Rachel and Lamar, plus 1!

2010-11-10T23:53:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'm so happy to show y'all these maternity shots I got before Rachel popped! You may recognize Rachel and Lamar from a previous post, when I captured their gorgeous wedding day here in San Diego. Rachel contacted me to shoot some beautiful belly shots before their son was born, and I was ecstatic! I met up with them at Powerhouse Park on the beach in Del Mar, near where Lamar had proposed. We had a gorgeous sunset over the Pacific that night and I'm excited to show you what we got!

Many thanks again to Rachel and Lamar for allowing me to be a part of this special time in your lives! I can't wait to meet him!!

Colleen and Chris

2010-10-17T10:50:00.014-04:00

A while back, Aimee Westcott invited me to shoot Colleen and Chris' wedding at the beautiful St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church in Pacific Beach. Colleen was stunning and Chris couldn't have been more excited to marry her! It was a wonderful event, attended by their closest family and friends. The reception was held at Kona Kai Resort on Shelter Island. Check out their gorgeous day!

Congratulations, Colleen and Chris!

News Update!

2010-10-16T12:46:00.001-04:00

Hey Everyone!

I guess I took a break from blogging for a while. It was totally unintentional! I have been super busy and taking time to blog slipped out of the picture. Oops!

Well I wanted to let y'all know that I have a photo show coming up! I will be displaying never-before-seen images on a variety of media, and am ~~slightly nervous~~ super excited about it all! It is going to be held at the ZTA Gallery at Zagrodnik + Thomas Architects (3956 30th Street, San Diego, CA 92104). The opening reception is going to be on November 13, 2010 and will start at 6:00pm. There will be hors d'oeurves, drinks, live photo shoots, and photography all around!

I will be there the whole night and I'd love to meet you!

Stay tuned for a wedding post coming tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

Lauren

Rachel and Lamar tied the knot!

2010-05-26T22:44:00.021-04:00

Last Saturday, my friend Mario Icari invited me to shoot Rachel and Lamar's wedding day with him. We started off at Rachel's mom's house, where the girls got ready. The ceremony took place at The Arbor atop Presidio Park, then we headed back to Rachel's mom's house for the reception.

These cheery flowers set the tone for the day.
Rachel's granny had the honor of tying up her gown. I love her hands in this shot!
A bride can never be wearing too much lip gloss! ;)
Rachel's flower girls (and now sisters-in-law) helped her make sure her gown was on just right!
The gorgeous bride:
Rachel and Lamar's patient pup, Cyrus, was the ring bearer! He did a great job!
Rachel and Lamar watch patiently as their mothers light the candles for the Unity ceremony.
I just love the look Rachel has in her eyes!
Husband and Wife!
All in a hard day's work...
Lamar's Best Man made the gorgeous bride's bouquet!
I caught Lamar trying to steal Rachel's bouquet! ;)
The delicious cake had beautiful yellow flowers cascading down its layers.

Big thanks to Rachel and Lamar for allowing me to be a part of their big day! Congratulations again, you two!!

Senior Portraits with Mark and Caroline

2010-05-20T20:59:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to take senior pictures for two siblings: Mark and Caroline. They are both graduating this year: Mark obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Texas A&M University, and Caroline is graduating from T.M.I. (high school) this weekend. Isn't he the most handsome college graduate and she the most gorgeous high school graduate this year?!?

Ok, ok, ok. Mark and Carline are my brother and sister! I wasn't going to tell you, but I'm really proud of them, so I'm happy to say, Congratulations to them both! :)

2010-05-16T10:05:00.002-04:00

Dream a little dream!

Well, since I was diagnosed at such a young age, I don’t know what it would be like to live without diabetes constantly in the back of my mind. I suppose the calluses on my fingers would eventually heal, and people would no longer think I was still living in the 80s since I wouldn’t have a “beeper” on my hip anymore. It would be great to go to work every day and NOT worry about going low in the afternoon. I guess I’d be able to scuba dive and workout without worry. Traveling would be easier, since I wouldn’t get stopped and searched while going through airport security (rant coming soon) and I wouldn’t have to worry about making sure I have enough supplies to last through my trip. I don’t think my diet would really change, and I’m not sure anything else would change much.

But… who knows? Maybe we’ll all find out a few years down the road! PLEASE support the research efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to make this dream come true sooner!

And now, here’s my airport security rant. Skip ahead if you don’t care to read it!

When I first started wearing a pump about 10 years ago, I would always get stopped and searched at the airport since people didn’t know what an insulin pump was. Then, after a few years, the TSA folks were trained to recognize them, and I was able to breeze through security, just like anyone else. However, within the past 18 months, another shift has happened. Now, when going through security, when the TSA agent sees my pump, they immediately call someone over. That person grabs all my belongings and I am swept away to be searched. And they search everything! My neatly packed bag with all my camera gear is soon tossed about the TSA table as if it were a case of Legos. Why? I suppose they caught on that liquid is stored in this little plastic case. It is extremely frustrating. As if traveling weren’t stressful enough, someone at TSA decided to make it worse by allowing all belongings to be searched simply because I’m wearing an insulin pump. Annoying! So, what’s my solution? I hide it. Yes, that’s right… I get around this search by temporarily putting my pump somewhere that the TSA personnel won’t be able to see as I walk through the metal detector. Pumps don’t set off the metal detector, so they don’t have any idea that (gasp!) a pump-wearing diabetic has just passed through! And… the thing is… it works! When I flew out on Wednesday, before going through security, I went to the bathroom and attached my pump to my bra. Then, once in the gate, I removed it and put it back in my hip pocket. Success!

Ok, rant over.

And that’s it for Diabetes Blog Week! Thanks to all of you who have stopped by to read a little more about the crazy life I lead! MANY thanks to Karen of Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog for getting this idea out there! I thought it would be tough to stick with the blog-a-day thing (have you seen my track record???) but it was easier than I thought, and I hope that it has brought a little insight to everyone who checked in.

We’ll now get back to our regularly scheduled programming. :)

Thanks again!

Lauren

Diabetes Blog Week - Day 6

2010-05-15T23:42:00.000-04:00

Diabetes Snapshots

I started a D-365 project a couple years ago, but never finished it. You can check out some of those images in a D-365 set on my flickr.

I was planning to take some shots this week to show some current aspects of life as a diabetic, but I got caught up with hanging out with my family and forgot to take them! Oops! So, instead, I'm going to give you some verbal snapshots by telling you a couple stories about my diabetic childhood that my family reminded me of after reading the earlier posts this week.

My aunt Carol reminded me about how, when I was young, we'd go to Fuddrucker's/McDonald's, and I'd order a Happy Meal, but my diet only allowed me to eat either the bun on the hamburger or some of the fries. So, my mom would give me the option: bun or fries. I don't remember this, but apparently I would always ask for the bun because my cousin Greg (Carol's son) would sneak me some fries anyway. :)

Another story is about how my mom had trained by older sister, Kay, to cut the lines at restaurants to get me a Coke to treat a low. (This usually would happen at amusement parks or places where she would have to go to a snack bar to get something to raise my bloodsugar.) Mom had taught her what to say so that people wouldn't get pissed off at her, and she would be able to bring me the Coke faster.

A pretty amusing story happened when I was sitting down for lunch one day at home. Mom had made me a hamburger, and I was in the middle of eating it when my bloodsugar unexpectedly dropped. I apparently had had many of these same hamburgers before and loved eating them (as I do most foods). Mom was on the other side of the kitchen when I suddently slammed my fist on the plate, breaking it in the process, and yelling, "I hate this hamburger!" It's crazy what happens when your bloodsugar drops.... ;)

Diabetes Blog Week - Dr. Ian Smith

2010-05-14T19:30:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

Earlier this week, I got the opportunity to speak to Dr. Ian Smith to ask him a few questions about diabetes. We went over the importance of diet and exercise in maintaining the health of a type 1 diabetic. Check out the video below!

Diabetes Blog Week - Day 5

2010-05-14T10:56:00.000-04:00

Let’s get moving!

Oh, exercise. How I love and hate you. Right now, I am not in a good exercise habit. In fact, I usually am not. Every so often, I get into an exercise mode where I’ll hit the gym every night when I get off work. That lasts several weeks, then I fall off the train again.

Exercise is really important for me to maintain my health, and yet I still struggle to get moving. I enjoy going hiking and riding my bike, but I haven’t made those activities part of my regular routine. At the gym, I feel great after spending 30-45 minutes on the elliptical, but getting to the gym really is the hardest part for me. Besides being diabetic, I also have high cholesterol, so it is really dumb of me to not be in a better workout routine.

My husband is a great motivator to work out, but he often works out while he’s at work, so I find myself wanting to just chill out at home with him in the evenings.

Speaking of working out…. Hm… I think I’ll go for a walk. :)

Diabetes Blog Week - Day 4

2010-05-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

To carb or not to carb; that is the question.

Well, my answer is: carb! I love my carbs. I know I shouldn’t eat refined sugars or refined foods in general, but it has been difficult for me to stick with eating only fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. One summer, I was on a South Beach-like diet, and felt fantastic. But, when I returned to school in the fall, my fresh food habits fell to the wayside. I do eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day, but I also supplement those with snack foods such as soy crisps (my snack of choice right now), granola/cereal bars (Larabars are awesome!), rice cakes, cereal (Banana Nut Cheerios!), and other carb-y goodies. Did I mention my love of chocolate? Recently, I’ve been getting my chocolate fix with pre-made, 60-calorie Jell-o brand pudding cups. I also eat my fair share of whole wheat or sourdough bread, since sandwiches are such an easy lunch to take with me to work.

For dinner, my husband and I are pretty good at balancing our meals. We usually prepare some sort of protein with a carb and a salad and/or vegetable. Since he works out a lot, he likes to load up on carbs, while I usually pile on the veggies a little heavier. We like making potatoes, pasta (I buy the wheat kind), rice/couscous, or just some toast. He really likes asparagus, so we’ll throw that in the broiler or on the grill with a little olive oil for a delicious side. We also eat a lot of green beans with almonds (from the freezer section). Lately, I’ve been eating a lot of Kashi frozen pizza. They are (relatively) low calorie, made with whole wheat crust, and really delicious! My favorite is the vegetable variety with broccoli and artichoke. Yum!

Having said all that, as you can see, I don’t deprive myself from enjoying carbs. I have tried to do so in the past, but always end up binging on chips or candy bars, which is not good for me. My new thought is to keep my diet balanced between the different food groups and between fresh fruits and vegetables and processed foods. Though I don’t stay away from refined foods completely, I do keep myself from pigging out on them, and I think that is working for me so far.

The other important part of my diet regimen is that I don’t eat out as often as I used to. Besides saving money, my husband and I are also able to keep our calorie intake down, which is important for the both of us. This weekend doesn’t count though! I am in Texas to go to my brother’s college graduation (yay Mark!) so I’m getting my fill of good Texas cooking while I can. Last night was Alamo Café, tonight we’ll be in Aggieland, and Sunday we’re definitely hitting up Rudy’s with my extended family. I joked that I might come back to California 5 pounds heavier… but it might be true. ;) However, I don’t punish myself for indulging like this. Even though I will be eating out, I’ll make smart choices about what I’m eating, and I’ll get back to my regular diet when I return home.

Diabetes Blog Week - Day 3

2010-05-12T21:44:00.004-04:00

Today’s blog topic is your biggest supporter.

My mom has always been a great supporter. I was diagnosed when I was 4, so she was always the one to take care of me from day 1. She checked my bloodsugar and gave me my insulin shots before I learned to do those things myself. She managed my diet and made sure I was doing well. Many nights, she was the one to wake up at 4am to check my bloodsugar, and she would come running when my older sister would yell for my parents if I was low in the middle of the night. (not that I really remember those moments! And, to clarify, my dad would come running too… but I think it was usually mom who would make it up the stairs first.) Here's a picture of my mom and I at my baptism (before the big D). I'm pretty sure my dad took this photo.
My entire family has always given me fantastic support. As I already mentioned, it was my older sister who would sound the alarm when I’d have a low over night. She also stole and ran away with a huge syringe of insulin that a babysitter once tried to give me while my parents were out at dinner one night. (Hello, lifesaver!)

Now that I’ve flown the nest, so to speak, my husband has been awesome. Though he and I don’t necessarily follow a recommended diet for someone like me, he does always remind me to “check my bloods,” encourages me to work out, and checks in to make sure my “bloods are ok.” (Oh, and the diet thing is not his fault! I like my refined carbs! But you’ll read more on that tomorrow…)

I know Mom was nervous when I went off to college, but she was relieved when we found out that my (random) freshman roommate, Maria, was an EMT. (Shout out time: Hey Maria!!) Then, I met up with fellow diabetics when I joined an on-campus organization called WHOOP (Women Helping Out Other People). In fact, it was because one of the co-chairs, Leah, had an insulin pump that I even decided to join WHOOP! Moving to another state for grad school was stressful because I didn’t know anyone out in California yet, so, when I moved in, Mom helped me teach my roommate what to do in case of a low. Then, a few weeks later, I taught a handful of my grad school friends (after I got to know them a little) though, thankfully, none of them ever had to use those skills. It really has been a group effort of all my family and friends. So, a big thank you is due to everyone I know who has helped me deal with this disease! But, special thanks to my family! Y’all are the best!

Diabetes Blog Week - Day 2

2010-05-11T19:30:00.000-04:00

Today's topic for Diabetes Blog Week is "Making the Low Go." This topic is especially relevant today because I woke up low and had to treat it before I could get on with my normal routine.

This morning, I woke up and had that weak/dizzy/awkward feeling that comes with being low. I practically fell down the stairs to check my bloodsugar. It was 58. 58 is not REAL low, so I was a little surprised that I was feeling so bad, but I was probably lower while I was still asleep and it had come up a little by the time I woke up. Anyway, I grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and the milk out of the fridge. I poured about 1.5 cups, and practically chugged it with a Lactaid tablet in the first gulp. I went back upstairs and attempted to get on with my routine. Needless to say, waking up low set me back several minutes, so I was late to work. (I guess I should say I was later to work than normal... I'm usually running a few minutes late!)

Now you've already read what my snack of choice is for treating a low at home: milk. Sometimes it's soy milk and sometimes it's cow milk, depending on what's in the fridge (I stock soy if my husband is away for work for a while but cow if he's around). If I'm really low, I'll mix in some Hershey's chocolate syrup to kick it up a notch.

When I'm not at home, my snack of choice varies. Sometimes it's the granola bar I keep in my purse. At work, it is usually the fruit snacks I keep in my desk. I prefer something liquid (milk is good because it has carbs to bring up my bloodsugar immediately and protein to keep it up) but carrying a liquid is my bag is not always practical. Fruit snacks usually raise my bloodsugar faster, but don't always do a good job of keeping it where it should be. And granola bars work, but at a slower rate, though they do keep it up decently well. Sometimes juice will do the trick, but I don't usually drink juice so I don't really keep it in the house. I usually tell people to pour Coke into my mouth if I pass out somewhere. But Coke really isn't a great choice for raising a low because I'll probably drink too much and have a rebound high afterward. (which is alright if I'm literally passed out from a low!) Thankfully, that hasn't happened recently! In fact, I can't remember the last time I passed out from being low--and that's a good thing!

So, there you have it! Check back tomorrow for Day 3!

Diabetes Blog Week - Day 1

2010-05-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

Hello readers!

Welcome to my first post for Diabetes Blog Week! Today I'm going to talk about "a day in the life... with diabetes."

The truth is, I like to ignore the disease. I like to pretend that it doesn't play a large role in my life. I often find myself downplaying how serious it is because I don't want anyone to think differently about me because I deal with diabetes on a day to day basis. Sometimes, I don't check my bloodsugar when I should because I don't want people to see me do it. It's not that I'm embarrassed. (I got over that in elementary school. Eating out and giving myself a shot of insulin at the table will do that to you.) I think it's more about showing my coworkers and friends that I, too, have a "normal" life. In reality, diabetes plays a big role in the way I live. Here's a look at a "typical" day in my life. We'll pretend it's a Monday and I had to change my insulin pump site this morning. So here it goes:

5:00am: Alarm 1 goes off; turn it off.

5:15am: Alarm 2. Get up. Begin the getting dressed process by grabbing the supplies to change out my infusion set: syringe, tubing set, and skin prep (alcohol) pad. I keep these things in a "diabetes drawer" in the closet. The other thing needed to change out the infusion set is the spring-loaded inserter, but I keep that in the bathroom already. I draw up the insulin before I get in the shower, so the bubbles have time to rise to the top by the time I get out. I take my shower, and insert the new set when I get out. It goes a little like this: remove bubbles from syringe (this process takes anywhere between 30 seconds and 10 minutes, usually dictated by the age of the bottle of insulin: I get smaller and more bubbles when I first open a bottle); rewind the plunger in the pump; connect syringe to tubing; insert syringe into pump; prime the air out of the tubing; clean the site on my abdomen and allow to dry while placing infusion set into inserter; remove protective covering on infusion set; cock inserter; place inserter on site location; hold breath; count: one, two, and click release on three! Then I smooth down the tape to make sure it adheres correctly, the needle comes out, and prime 0.3 units. Phew! Breath normally. :)

Get dressed, go downstairs to make my lunch for the day and grab something for breakfast, and head to work! It's now 6:15am.

6:30am: Get to work. Check email and do work things. Eat breakfast around 7:00am.

10:00am: I usually check my bloodsugar around now.

11:30am is lunchtime! Check bloodsugar; eat lunch at my desk (usually).

12:00pm: Get back to work! I have a tendency to go low in the afternoons, especially if work is significantly hectic or if I'm stressed out in some way. I always keep snacks at my desk in case this happens.

4:00pm: Done with work! Head home. Check bloodsugar when I get there.

The evenings are tricky. In the past few weeks, I haven't been on a good workout schedule, so I haven't been going to the gym much. If I am going to the gym, I usually change and go right when I get home from work (4:30pm). Then, hubby and I will make/eat dinner and watch something we've DVR'ed or spend time on our computers until it's bedtime. Oh! I like to catch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! on weeknights. :) I like to start winding down for bed around 8:00pm so I can get in bed at 9:00 and fall asleep before 10:00. Then...... restart!

There are many times when diabetes interferes with my life that aren't reflected in this "typical" day, but I'm sure those will be revealed later this week. Stay tuned!!

R&T are married!

2010-05-09T21:09:00.000-04:00

I'll start this post by saying that it is LOOONG overdue!

At the end of March, Corina of Steadfast Photography invited me to join her at the Grand Tradition Estate in Fallbrook, CA, to photograph the wedding of this fun couple! R was absolutely gorgeous in her pink-trimmed gown, and T was so excited that he could hardly contain himself! Both the ceremony and reception were at the same location, perfect for this prince and her princess.

Below is a (somewhat) random sampling of the moments I captured during the course of the afternoon and evening. I'm stuggling with the format of my blog here, so please bear with me. A new look will be coming later this year!

Candice Benjamin was also present to capture the memories of this day; check out her amazing shots here!

R's mom had the honor of tying up the back of her dress. She did a great job, too! :)
The tables were set in various hues of pink and white:
The lovely bridesmaids before the ceremony!
T is ready to get down that aisle! Is it go-time yet?!?
And they're off! Here is T seeing his beautiful bride walking down the aisle:
R was presented by her loving father.
I love weddings, but I don't think this girl feels the same way! (Yet!)
Here come the new Mr. and Mrs.!
You could feel the love they share!The Groom and his Men.
The bouquets were gorgeous!
And there they go! R&T were sent off while being showered by bubbles.
Thanks again to Corina (and Candice) for allowing me capture these moments with you! And many congratulations to R and T!!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!
Lauren

p.s. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for Day 1 of Diabetes Blog Week!

A change of pace!

2010-05-04T01:26:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone!

I want to give y'all a heads-up on something really exciting that's going to happen here on my blog next week!

As I'm sure you've noticed, I've been slacking and haven't been blogging as often as I'd like. I have been out photographing, but I just haven't taken the time to post all the juicy images I've gotten. So, next week, I'm dropping the pictures and will be posting about something else that is near and dear to my heart: diabetes.

You may or may not know that I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when I was 4. Usually, people find out that I'm diabetic when they notice the little grey box attached to my hip: "No, it's not a beeper. No, it's not an mp3 player. No, it's not a cell phone. See this little tubing here? It's attached to me, and it gives me insulin. Yep, that's right, I'm diabetic."

I sometimes avoid conversations like that because, most often than not, people start assuming things, such as:
- I have a miserable life. (How could a diabetic enjoy life?)
- I eat too much candy.
- I "did this" to myself; I could "avoid this" if I only ate right and exercised more.
- I have a strict diet.
- I have diabetic parents and siblings and grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles....

These types of reactions (especially the first one!) sometimes make me squirm. But, the truth is, I love answering questions about diabetes. Most people don't know what diabetes actually is, or they think it's that weird disease that old, fat people get. In my opinion, the more I tell people about diabetes, the less they'll be confused when they meet the next person with a "beeper" on their pants. (Does anyone still use a beeper anyway??)

So, starting on Monday, May 10, you'll get a blog post a day as I participate in Diabetes Blog Week!

Karen of Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog came up with this brilliant idea to have diabetics around the world post a blog a day for a week, with topics provided. We'll be posting with the following topic suggestions:
Monday 5/10 - A day in the life... with diabetes
Tuesday 5/11 - Making the low go
Wednesday 5/12 - Your Biggest Supporter
Thursday 5/13 - To carb or not to carb
Friday 5/14 - Let's get moving
Saturday 5/15 - Diabetes snapshots
Sunday 5/16 - Dream a little dream

To read more about this project, click here.
For a list of participating diabetics, click here.

So, sit back, relax, and don't forget to check back next Monday for my first diabetes-related post! (I will continue to post images too! I promise!)

:)
Lauren

Ann & Kevin

2010-05-03T00:06:00.009-04:00

Hello everyone!

Meet Ann and Kevin.

Ann, Kevin, and I all went to grad school together. I remember when Ann and Kevin first started dating, so it was super exciting to hear of their recent engagement! Of course I jumped at the chance to photograph these two lovebirds in Balboa Park one Saturday. The place was packed that afternoon, but that didn't stop us from getting some really great shots! Here are some of my favorites.

Congratulations again to Ann and Kevin! I look forward to working with you on your wedding day later this year. :)

Ultimate Shootout!

2010-03-26T21:40:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone!

Well, February came and went and I didn't post a single thing! This blog has definitely slowed down through the winter months, but, with spring here and summer coming soon, I'm planning to pump this back up as I get out to shoot more often!

Last weekend, I met up with another photography group I found on Facebook. This one is the SoCal Photography Group. We met up at a private ranch in Bonsall, CA, to shoot all afternoon. I met several models and many photographers, and I definitely look forward to meeting up with them again at the next shoot!

Here are a handful of my favorites.

For the rest of my images, check out my Flickr or my Facebook! And don't forget to check out the SoCal Photography Group! We're always looking for new talent to join our meet ups!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy weekend!

Last Weekend

2010-01-31T02:14:00.010-05:00

Hello all! Here's just an update on what I've been up to recently!

Last weekend, I participated in a workshop lead by Corina Shauntele of Steadfast Photography, and then went out to the San Diego Photog ShootOut--both on the same day! It was a long day of shooting, but I had a blast, and learned a lot from all the fabulous photographers in attendance! Here are a handful of the images I got.

For the rest of my picks, check out my Flickr or look for me on Facebook!

Tomorrow, I'm heading out to yet another workshop. (I can't get enough of them!) This time, I'll be learning all about natural light from Matthew Saville. Look for an update about the shots I get later this week!

And, on a totally unrelated note, check out this link! I love it!

Have a great Sunday! :)

Hello 2010!

2010-01-03T13:36:00.005-05:00

Can you believe it's 2010 already? 2009 went by way too fast! This time last year, I was getting all the last-minute details taken care of for my wedding. (Our anniversary is coming up soon! Yay!) So much happened last year! Here's my attempt at summing it up:

I got married.
We spent three months together.
We took a trip to Hawaii (our belated honeymoon).
Clay was sent to Oklahoma; I stayed in the DC area.
I started taking more photos while I had free time on my hands, and attended a lunch-n-learn workshop by the wonderful Natalie Franke, where I met some great photographers in the area (including the fabulous Vida Carson), from whom I've learned a lot! :)
I started a blog.
I quit my first "real" job.
I found my second "real" job.
We moved to California.
And I lost my appendix on the way.

We spent the Christmas weekend at my sister's in Albuquerque, and she and my brother-in-law cooked up a delicious Christmas dinner for us! Here's a look at the beautiful table (before all the food)!

Then Clay and I spent New Years at home. Since he was on duty for both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve (which is when my family typically celebrates Christmas), we decided to have our holiday feast on New Years Eve. We cooked up an entire turkey and I used my grandmother's recipe for cornbread dressing. Yum! Of course we toasted at midnight. (after I took a nap--I can't stay up that late anymore!) Unfortunately, one of these glasses didn't make it through the weekend: I tipped it over while cleaning up and it shattered! I hope that's not a sign! ;)

It's now January and we're still not 100% moved in. Recently, I've been shooting with friends, I attended PhotogShootout event in November, and I shot at a San Diego Help-Portrait event in December. So I'm getting back into my photography habit! ;) I look forward to moving on with that in the coming months.

Here’s to 2010!

Merry Christmas from sunny San Diego!

2009-12-25T11:25:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Please excuse my lack of posts recently! I'm still kickin' and I hope to get back into blogging soon. :)

For now, here's a shot of the back (ocean) side of the Hotel Del Coronado that I took yesterday, on Christmas Eve. On the right side of the shot, you can see an ice skating rink that they set up. (When I took this shot, they were resurfacing the ice, which is why no one is skating--it was really busy when it was open!) It was a beautiful, clear day, so you can see Point Loma in the background. It was a gorgeous view!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday season!
Lauren

An update! and some nastiness... ;)

2009-11-07T20:29:00.009-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been over two months since I posted any images on here! Sheesh!

Well, I got a little story for ya, Ags! ;) My hubby and I were set to move from the Washington, DC, area to Southern California, so I was busy trying to get things ready for the move when I got sick. I had just finished my last day of work at the architecture firm in DC, which was good timing since I didn't have any sick days to use (plus I had a number of things I needed to finish up before I left). I felt horrible for a few days and decided to go see a doctor. They ran numerous tests on me (which took about a week--not fun) but didn't find much. They thought I might have had a urinary tract infection, so they put me on Cipro, and told me to go home and take it easy. (Did I mention we were trying to move?) Fortunately, I started feeling better, so we packed up and headed for my parents' house in San Antonio.

Not even three hours after we arrived, I started feeling sick again. I had a horrible night, and wasn't feeling better by morning, so Mom and hubby decided I should go to the ER. Long story short, I had appendicitis. I got wheeled into the OR and wheeled back out again about an hour later. Turns out I had had pretty bad infection that caused a some nasty problems I won't mention here and basically just created a lot of mess on my insides. The doctor thinks I had gotten appendicitis while I was still in VA, but it probably calmed down with the Cipro then flared up again two weeks later. It apparently wasn't acting like "normal" appendicitis (whatever that means) which is why the doctors out in VA didn't see it at first (plus I wasn't having the same pain typically associated with it).

And, I have pictures to prove it! If you scroll down to the bottom of this post, you'll see a picture I took of a picture of my appendix after it was removed. Consider yourself warned! It is pretty nasty looking!

So now you know why I haven't posted anything lately! Because I was sick, I had to cancel a few events I had set up to photograph (including a baby shower I was really excited about--boo!) and some portrait sessions too.

But, we've made it out to California, and I have some images I took in DC and Virginia before we left that I'm going to post here. These first two are from Dumbarton Oaks, a huge garden and museum in the Georgetown area of DC. My friend Carmen had told me about it when I first moved to DC last fall, but I hadn't taken the time to visit. When she found out I was moving, she asked if I wanted to go with her to see it before I left, and of course I said yes! It is a gorgeous place that I'd recommend to anyone in the DC area.

I liked the little yellow ladybug hanging out on these flowers.

And I thought it was really cool to see this vine sprouting from a brick wall!

And now for the appendix pic! Don't scroll any further if you don't want to see something a little nasty! :)

(I'm giving you time to decide whether you want to see it or not.)

(Did you decide?)

(Three....)

(Two...)

(One!)

Here it is! Mine was apparently about twice the size as a normal one. Shrug.

And we're off!

2009-10-05T18:32:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone!
Sorry for the lag in blogging... between leaving my job, being sick (really sick!) and packing, I haven't had time to add anything here. Clay and I are moving to the West Coast, so look for a travelicious post in the coming weeks! Until then.. stay frosty! :)
-Lauren

Rachel & Craige

2009-09-04T07:43:00.008-04:00

I met up with Rachel and Craige early last Saturday to walk around Old Town Alexandria and take some engagement photos. They got engaged in May, but I kept leaving the weekends when Craige was in town (unintentionally!) so we were finally able to meet up to get some shots! We were out for a couple hours and headed inside after we couldn't stand the humidity any longer. Here are some of my favorites.

I loved Rachel's dress! She got several compliments from passersby while we were walking around. The color looks amazing against the ivy.

I spotted this bench a few days before the shoot and knew we had to head back to get a photo with it.

I love this yellow brick wall! Plus, check out Rachel's awesome shoes. We each ordered a pair earlier this summer, and they are super cute and amazingly comfortable!

They are so sweet together!

I think this shot was my favorite from the day.

Rachel spotted this knot in a wooden fence and thought it would be cute to shoot her ring in it.

Congrats again, you two! <3

Karmia & Jonathan

2009-08-29T18:26:00.009-04:00

I met Karmia when she found her wedding gown at the Brides Against Breast Cancer event last month. I snapped a photo of her in her gown, emailed it to her, and had been bothering her since about photographing some engagement shots with her fiance, Jonathan.

She agreed to the shoot, but we had a little difficulty finding a date that would work for everyone. We were finally able to meet up near the Tidal Basin last night, but the weather almost had us cancel! I'm so glad that Karmia and Jonathan were willing to get a little wet--we got some fabulous shots in the end! Here are some of my favorites. :)

Her ring is gorgeous!

Here's an umbrella shot.

I looked down at my camera for a second, and, when I looked up, Karmia had been swept off her feet!

We were able to get some shots at the Jefferson Memorial without anyone bothering us!

I think this one's my favorite. You can tell how happy they are together!

Thank you both for a fun shoot! Congratulations on your engagement and best wishes for your wedding next year!

Blue October - Baltimore, MD

2009-08-25T23:01:00.006-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I was up in Baltimore on Sunday (23 August) to see Blue October perform at RamsHead Live near the Inner Harbor. Here are my 3 favorite photos from the evening.

This first one is courtesy of my iPhone and a really cool app called ShakeItPhoto. Seriously, if you have an iPhone, check out that app! It's really fun! This is from the encore when lead singer Justin Furstenfeld was singing "It's Just Me" off Foiled.

This second one has lead singer Justin Furstenfeld in the foreground and guitarist CB Hudson rocking out in the back. I love the movement captured in this shot.

Lastly, here's another of Justin and his guitar.

Blue October Video

2009-08-24T21:48:00.008-04:00

I drove up to Baltimore last night to see Blue October perform at RamsHead Live. It was a great show (they never disappoint) and the set list was uh-maze-ing!

Here's a video I recorded of them playing "Italian Radio," probably my favorite song of theirs. I loved it when Justin stroked his guitar at the "meet my fine new lady" line (at approx 0:46).

(If the link doesn't work, try going here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bARv8WZM9-o)

I was able to take my little Nikon in there with me, so hang tight for a few photos!

For now, here's a shot of lead singer Justin Furstenfeld (and former bassist Piper Skih) performing at the Parish at the House of Blues in New Orleans, October 2003.

Ruth & Justin

2009-08-17T22:12:00.005-04:00

I met Ruth at a Blue October show earlier this year and, when I found out she was engaged, jumped on the chance to take some shots of her and her handsome fiance, Justin. They were a blast to hang out with, and Justin turned out to be the best DC guide I've ever had!

We met up at the Jefferson Memorial and got in a handful of shots before being questioned by the park police. (He told me, "The government doesn't want you taking photos here." Oh really?) Then we trotted off around the Tidal Basin to the nearby areas. Here are four of my favorite shots from the evening.

Ruth and Justin treated me to a delicious dinner in Chinatown after the shoot. Maybe next time we'll be brave and try the jelly fish on the menu! Thanks again, you two! :)

Market Mornings

2009-08-16T21:10:00.001-04:00

I hit up two markets this weekend. The first was Alexandria's Farmers' Market at the market square in Old Town on Saturday. I got up super early and was there between 7 and 8 am! There was tons of great produce there, and I went home with some great fruit.

I really like how the flag seems to "pop" in this one:

And of course I stopped by a baker's booth too! This octopus was delicious!

This morning, I went into DC to check out Eastern Market. It has been in operation since 1873 and recently re-opened after a major renovation. The outdoor weekend farmers market featured produce as well as various craft items. These young women were checking out some jewelry made from recycled aluminum.

Inside are permanent merchants including meat and fish counters, a bakery, produce, flowers, a cafe, and everything in between! This little guy was really enjoying his salami!

Across the street, a flea market is also open on the weekends. There were tons of varied treasures to be found! This gentleman was selling fabulous mirrors of all sizes.

Weekend Update

2009-08-09T10:40:00.011-04:00

I spent this weekend playing around with my shutter speed and how it affects the resulting image.

My friend Rachel suggested that I slow the shutter and take a picture of a clock, so it would physically show the passing of time. I don't own a clock right now, so I used my watch instead (4 seconds).

Yesterday afternoon, I headed out to Gravelly Point Park (or this or this) to practice some stop-action-pan photos. It was great because I captured an airplane (1/15 sec):

a boat (1/15 sec):

a bicyclist (1/15 sec):

and a runner too (1/30 sec):

Afterward, I headed to Target to get a memory card reader, because the one built-in to my laptop recently decided it didn't want to work anymore. On the way out, I perused the newly-added grocery section and (of course) drifted down the wine aisle. (Sidenote: this Target now sells cold beer too!) I was instantly drawn to the handful of varieties of Middle Sister Wine, especially the "Smarty Pants" Chardonnay. The labels are super cute, and each variety has a different drawing of the "middle sister." I can't wait to try them!

Kile & James, Part 2

2009-07-31T22:15:00.005-04:00

Earlier today, I headed out with Kile and James for a fun portrait session near the Marilyn Monroe mural here in DC. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate.

We tried to shoot between downpours...

...but the rain didn't stay off for long!
We'll have to reschedule!

Oronoco Bay Park

2009-07-28T18:53:00.005-04:00

I was back at Oronoco Bay Park (the site of Alexandria's Birthday Party) over the weekend and snapped these two shots near the water's edge. I'm loving the shallow depth of field I'm able to achieve with my new lens!

Kile & James

2009-07-27T21:38:00.012-04:00

In May, my friends Kile and James got married on the lawn next to the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. It was a sweet ceremony attended by a close group of friends, and followed by a delicious brunch at the Chart House in Old Town Alexandria!

The bride's beautiful bouquet (she made it herself!) and gorgeous ring!

The Washington Monument provided an iconic backdrop to the joyous occasion!

The kiss!

They were married on the same day that the Rolling Thunder was passing through the city! Here's a shot of some motorcycles lined up along 14th St SW:

Rain, rain go away

2009-07-23T21:26:00.003-04:00

It was raining like crazy when I parked my car at work this morning! I sat for a few minutes to let it pass, and snapped this shot of the rain drops on my windshield.

Happy (almost) weekend!

Recently Published Images

2009-07-20T21:52:00.006-04:00

Recently, four of my photos have been chosen to be used on two blogs and an online slideshow. Here are those photos and links to the publications.

Catherine Calvin, the catering sales manager for the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfax, VA, chose the following two photos for her blog describing the Brides Against Breast Cancer bridal gown sale, which I blogged about here. See her post here.

A few days before Memorial Day this year, I headed out to Arlington National Cemetery to take a few photos of the flags that the Old Guard put out for the holiday. The following image was chosen by dcist to be featured as the photo of the day on Memorial Day: May 25, 2009. See the post here.

Back in April, I submitted this photo to the Washington Post of the cherry blossoms near the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. It was chosen to be included in this slideshow. You can also see it from my profile.

Brides Against Breast Cancer

2009-07-19T15:01:00.008-04:00

I spent Friday afternoon and Saturday morning volunteering for the Making Memories foundation's Brides Against Breast Cancer bridal gown sale in Arlington, VA. The foundation accepts bridal gown donations from manufacturers, bridal shops, designers, and individuals, then sets up at various locations on their "Nationwide Tour of Gowns" to sell the gowns to brides-to-be at incredible prices. There were tons of styles and colors to choose from! Here are images from a few of the gowns that were for sale.

The hosting hotel had set up a few tables to showcase their wedding packages. This is a close-up of one of the centerpieces. Yum!

Alexandria's Birthday Party

2009-07-18T21:19:00.007-04:00

The city of Alexandria hosted a birthday party for itself and the nation on July 11, 2009. The Marines from The Basic School at MCB Quantico provided a fantastic fireworks show, while the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra played the 1812 Overture and other classics.

Lunch-n-Learn

2009-07-18T20:42:00.008-04:00

Natalie Franke hosted a Lunch-n-Learn workshop and session in Annapolis, MD, on July 12, 2009. We spent a few hours walking around and taking pictures of each other, then sat down for lunch while Natalie and Vida Carson went over the business of photography. Here are some shots from that day.