Category: Giana

Aug 05

Beautiful at the Beach

These beautiful images are from my goddaughter’s session with me at the end of July.

She was so excited to wear the new dress we bought and she’s been begging to wear the mermaid outfit since I bought it last October.

I say “was” because the moment we arrived, everything changed. You’d have thought I dragged her to the doctor for shots and the dentist for a root canal all rolled into one.

She no longer wanted to do pictures… why? Because she “didn’t want to.”

This after planning outfits and the session, driving there, doing her hair, and getting everything ready…  So what to do?

I begged.

I pleaded.

I bribed.

I threatened.

She whined.

She pouted.

She sobbed.

She sulked.

And somehow, in the midst of frustration on both ends… we got these images.

There was giggles.

And laughter.

And dancing.

And fun.

 

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Posted in Beach, Giana

Feb 21

Turning Four

So my goddaughter (and assistant) is turning four on Friday!

The little princess loves coloring and cutting, Minnie Mouse, singing and tap dancing (or at least making a lot of noise with the shoes), Clara from the Nutcracker, and plans to marry Leonardo the Ninja Turtle.  She’s doing great in preschool, getting really good at writing her name, and is insisting on working my little point and shoot camera on a tripod.

I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

So happy birthday Giana! I love you!

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Posted in Client Sessions, Giana, Studio Updates

Jan 21

Zoe, Growing Up

Our baby kitty Zoe is nine months old now, and while she’s growing up, she’s still our little baby. She and Giana are good friends, and often play together; Zoe wants to be a part of whatever Giana’s up to, especially if there’s stuff moving around she can pounce on!

Recently, Zoe was up on the counter and in a very cuddly mood. You know she’s cuddly as she comes right up to you purring softly and starts head-butting you demanding attention.  Giana had me get out the step stool so that she could get up by the counter top and give Zoe loves too. It made Giana’s day!

And, being a photographer and all, while she was doing that, I grabbed the camera…

And then afterwards, I turned the sink on just a little bit for one of Zoe’s favorite games: catch the water!

Also, since I haven’t featured the rest of the family lately… here’s Elizabeth, Sebastian, and Wednesday too.

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Posted in Giana, Studio Updates

Jul 24

Vintage Beauty

Giana helped me out this week in testing a new location for portraits.

We were in the Old Towne Orange historic district, at the Main Library and History Center.  Its been recently remodeled, and has a beautiful fountain and archways with with flowers.  We were there Friday evening when they were closed, so we had the area all to ourselves to play.

And play we did! Giana explored the fountain, checked out the different plaques, climbed on the benches, checked out the flowers, and ended up dancing in the archways just for Daddy.

Since we were in the old towne area, we went for a vintage look (I have the dress, size 4 to borrow for sessions) and I vintage processed some of my favorites to share.  Credit to the flower goes to Daddy, but Giana gets all the credit for being a wonderful model!

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Posted in Client Sessions, Giana

Jun 12

Lil’ Graduate

img_9697It’s graduation time, and its not just for high schoolers!  I went to my goddaughter’s preschool graduation ceremony last Friday evening.  At only 3 she’s not quite ready for kindergarten yet, but the ceremony is a fun way her school ends out the year together before starting the next.

I was really proud of her this year for staying with her class and following directions so well. Last year she threw a crying fit the moment she saw her parents – and that was the end of good pictures!  Of course, she’s a big girl now… I can’t wait to see what next year brings!

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Posted in Giana, Studio Updates

Mar 13

Three Year Old Birthday Party

IMG_5774Birthday party day!

I was in Newport Beach today for my goddaughter’s three year birthday party – and it was a great day for bounce house fun! The weather was nice and a ton of her friends from school were there to jump, jump, jump and celebrate her birthday.

Giana was all decked out for fun in her play clothes, complete with matching tutu and pretty French braid. However, bounce houses are death one perfect hair; not long into the fun it was gone… but she didn’t care! She also had special shoes for the day – princess dress up shoes – because she was the birthday princess!

After the kids nearly wore themselves out, they took a break for some piñata fun. Only, no one seemed to actually want to hit Minnie Mouse hard enough to knock the candy out! Fortunately, one of Giana’s friends knew what needed to be done, and provided the whomp necessary to spill the candy and toys out for everyone.

More bouncing, and then everyone went inside for cake.  After we finished singing “Happy Birthday,” Giana refused to blow the candles out immediately, saying “NO! Make a wish!” and then covering her eyes with her hands as she intently wished… and no, she didn’t say what she wished for!

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Posted in Birthday Parties, Giana

Feb 28

Three Years!

IMG_5396Happy Birthday to Giana!

This past Thursday, my goddaughter turned three!  I’ve been photographing her since she was born – I can’t believe she’s already three!

This afternoon, she came over to my house with mommy.  Having just woken up from her nap, she came over dressed in her pink and purple striped pajamas, and somewhat out of sorts.  But once we got her dressed up and mommy did her hair, she started warming up to the camera. In the end, we ended up with three outfit changes and a total attitude change… she was having fun!

So here’s just a few of my favorites for mommy and daddy to share.

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Posted in Client Sessions, Giana

Oct 04

The Beach in October

IMG_0058_webFirst beach session of October this evening, and I got to photograph my goddaughter!

It was chillier than its been, with some wind, and haze.  Which means that the wonderful California beach season is on its way out. I highly recommend that if you’re thinking of going to the beach for Christmas pictures that you don’t wait: schedule now, because it only gets colder and windier.

IMG_0069BW_webYou might think that with Giana being my goddaughter and photographed constantly from birth, we’d have a “piece of cake” session. Well, she’s also two, not too sure about this sand that isn’t the sand in her school sandbox… and as for the waves, we’ll they’re loud!  It took a bit of coaxing to get her comfortable enough to not be clinging to someone, then a bit more for Mommy to be able to step a foot away so I could take pictures of Giana all by herself.  But little by little we warmed her up, and got her running, laughing, and jumping.

Still, she was glad to put her sweatshirt back on and head to the car for her watermelon lollipop when we were all done. It’s tiring being cute!

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Posted in Beach, Client Sessions, Giana

Jun 11

At the Park with Giana

img_4244I had my goddaughter Giana for the afternoon today, and so we went to her favorite place: the park by my house. My husband came along, and since he’d be there to push the swing I brought my camera too.  Giana approved.

We spent at least an hour and a half there before heading in for nap, climbing over everything, going down the slide, flying in the sky on the swings.

“Higher! Higher!” she demanded from her seat on the swing, ignoring the limits of the chain.  No matter how high we got her, she wanted to be up, up, and flying in the sky.

The little daredevil also climbed up the big slide all by herself and was swinging and climbing everything else she could reach too.  By the time we went in for her nap, I was exhaused from just following her around.

img_4268And then… we went back that evening!  When Daddy came to pick her up he found us there up at the top of the big slide, and joined in.

So here’s some pictures of just having fun… no perfect picture clothes, no perfect picture hair… just playing around at the park and enjoying ourselves.  And that’s really all that matters.

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Posted in Giana

May 31

Little Photographer

img_3851webGiana came over Saturday afternoon, and decided that since I still had half the studio set up, she wanted to take pictures. But not be in pictures, no she wanted to set up the lights and backdrops and get the camera to take pictures of everyone and everything else! At two she already is preparing to go pro… now if she could get aiming the camera and pushing the button at the same time…  then we’d have a lot less pictures of the floor. 
 

I took the oppertunity to get a few new pictures of her too by ‘taking turns’ being in the shooting spot.  

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proof-012Towards the end she decided she wanted to not only take Daddy’s picture, but she wanted to be in the picture with him.  So just in time for Father’s Day presents, I managed to catch of few of her with her daddy. 

Then it was back to her taking pictures again – this time she patiently stalked Sebasitan.  I was cracking up photographing this because she was making the attention getting noises that I always do, clicking and calling his name.   Not only that, she was trying to do the peak-a-boo around the camera game I play with her, only she wasn’t steady enough to hold the camera and shoot while doing it.  But I was thoroughly impressed with how many of my shooting techniques she was copying… at this rate I’ll be hiring her as an assistant before she’s five!

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Posted in Giana

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