Family Shoot!

It's been a fun couple weeks. 

I've been on break. 

Josh has been on break.

So we play.

Or become semi-permanant couch potatoes. 

Call what you will, I call it a-maz-ing.

Relaxation at it's finest.

Unfortunately, Josh went back to work this past week.

But I did have a few fun things on my to-do list.

1. repaint the laundry room (which was definitely more work than I had bargained for but worth it. I think?)

2. help Jedi Liana get ready for the Bridal Expo (which was total madness FYI) 

3. get some good editing tips/lessons from Jedi Liana

I was just about to get started on painting when I got a call from my friend, who I will call J-Lo just for funsies.

(her name is Joy and her last name starts with lo. I can't believe it has taken me this long to make that connection) 

She had some friends that needed some last minute family photos for their son who had just turned one. 

(Back up, back up....I had met momma and baby before this and knew who she was talking about)

Let me just say this is what went through my head...

"So you are telling me I get to add photos of one of the cutest babies ever to my budding portfolio?"

YES, PLEASE.

Two days later I found myself at Anthem park with this fun family.

Here are a couple of my favorites.

You try to tell me he isn't one of the cutest one year olds.

this may be one of my favorites

a treasure that was found in the grass

after a while, it was time to snack on a stick

Love him.

Love the family.

(Learning to) love editing.

Actually, I'm lying. I love editing. It's the user errors that are no fun (and cheap wireless mouses? meece? mice?)

But that will get better over time.

And maybe I'll stinkin stop way OVER ANALYZING everything I do.

Everything. 

I annoy myself.

Oh. and still no zumba job. 

(why is one not just falling in my lap? For real.)

Yep. I'm that (un) cool.

Come join me in my kitchen every Wednesday night at 6:30 to shake what your momma gave ya.

Padawan Updates

Oops!

So it's been a while. 

Some might say a long while. 

BUT it's been a little crazy.

good crazy.

Prepare for multiple photos. 

Here's what's been going on

1. Zumba!!

I attended zumba instructor training and LOVED it. 

Finding the actual job seems to be the hard part :) It is very different from the professional world, rather informal actually. Which is odd to me. After 4 1/2 years of learning how to be a professional and 2 1/2 years of being one, shooting somewhat informal emails to people is weird. 

I HAVE taught 1 class to highschoolers at PDSD. So that makes me semi official. AND I have a zip up hoodie that says "INSTRUCTOR" (and a tank on the way:)) 

I'm pretty much legit, really.

(But seriously, this poor zumba instructor is looking for work. Call me if you want to shake your booty)

2. Visitors

we had the parentals in town for thanksgiving

we hiked.

we ate.

we shopped.

we hiked some more.

A beautiful Thanksgiving morning

At the top of my mom's very first hike!

It was a blast. 

2b. Thanksgiving

Had to recreate our dessert photo from last year!

photo from 2010

A bit of a blurfest.
Meh. Oh well.

3. Random

3A.  Javelina sighting.

This happened. 
It may have been a near death experience. We may also have ran back home screaming like little girls.

3B. Spreading Christmas cheer. 

I made a tree skirt and was avoiding the sewing machine at all costs. 

Were all the glue-gun burns worth it?

The jury's still out.

4. Visitors part 2

We had some close friends from college visit for a long weekend

I'll use the phrase loud and proud: These are my besties! Reunited. Sweet long last.

bahaha.

I can't get over the high-school homecoming dance esque-ness of this photo.
Although I am fairly certain none of us would have been as close of friends, let alone dated each other in highschool.


5. Teach DHH students


(insert too many pictures of cute kids with hearing aids)


6. Start children's ministry


(insert expense report that is so close to being done it isn't even funny)
(No cute pictures yet. Although the purple shirt I am in above is our shirt. Pretty sweet)


7. Photography


Oh bummer! I am pooped. And this is going to be the longest. 
And the best.
And so much fun.
Let's save it for tomorrow. 
Or this weekend.
Probably this weekend.
yeah, this weekend.
Expect the real updates of this photography Padawan shortly.


And I don't mean to toot my own horn but I will.
I know you'll be back to see it :)
I have gathered quite the little following. 
And I am not just referring to my whole 17 followers.


I'm referring to my stalkers who catch me off guard by creepily knowing about my life
or they automatically refer to Josh's (very serious) masters program as "principal school"
that's my personal favorite. sh.

 

So come back. 
This Padawan has been a very busy kind of busy.

Pooped Padawan

I'm pooped!

Within 24 hours I went up to Chino Valley, AZ with my mentor and jedi, Liana (from A Moment In Time Photography), to shoot my first wedding and then woke up and shot my first newborn photos!

Phew!

Here is some knowledge I have gained in the past 30 hours

I need to build up stamina. 

Seriously. Shooting a wedding is like running a marthon. Except you are also carrying heavy camera stuff everywhere and doing squats while not taking any breaks.

I think I'm gonna start running marathons and lifting weights. 

Which leads me to my number 2. 

I'm weak.

Like super duper weak.

My arms are so sore today and my big girl camera doesn't even compare to the mother of all cameras that Liana was carrying.

(I did use her mother lens at the reception for a little while but I had to change it...my arms were so tired! I was too scared I was gonna drop it and cause a scene and never be invited to a wedding shoot again)

Insane, right?

Lighting always changes.

ALWAYS

Even if it is only 10 steps in the opposite direction.

Gr.

Dancing people are hard to capture....

The ratio of not bad photos to "blurry blurs" is about 1:80.

I had to apologize in advance to Liana for all the photos she was going to need to delete.

I'm meant to be a zumba instructor

It was really hard to not get my groove thing on during all the fun music.

Eventually the awesomeness of music with a great beat broke me down. I couldn't contain myself.

If you ever want a dancing photographer, you know where to go.

Newborns like to smile for the 2 seconds you put down the camera

Hopefully some out of the 400 I took, she will at least have two opened eyes :)

Babies are faster than you think

All their cute, slow, baby-like movements?

No.

You would be surprised at all the blurry hands and feet I got.

But maybe that is just because I was on manual and should have adjusted something.

Windows "Fix" doesn't cut it

I'm getting ready for big girl editing stuff.

Wedding hangover is real

...and it's not the drinking kind

It was all so much overwhelming fun, I don't know how to contain myself except for fall asleep out of exhaustion.

But, hey..
I haven't even had Zoila for 3 months yet and I already got to tag a long for a wedding with a legit photographer

Holler!

Day 26

Close Up

So Josh and I went a little crazy and instead of going to our usual coffee house for Thursday date night, we went over to an old favorite, Yogurtini.

If you have yet to try a yogurt bar, you need to go stat. 

They are delish and it CAN BE way healthier and way cheaper than the place that rhymes with "Boldstone."

I got a new something pink photo.

My hubbys delicious, not so healthy, treat.

Now technically, I could also use this as my close up for today.

No.No.

No.No.

I can't cheat you like that.

So here is a close up of their beautiful huge cup.

Or should I say bucket.

Here are a few other photos from our date tonight. 

This was the first time I have ventured out in public with my yet to be named Rebel 2Ti

(who is thinking "yettobenamed" is starting to sound like a good name)

pretty AZ sunset

not much healthier than Josh's yogurt treat

If you haven't noticed by now

I take a lot of awkward photos.

A lot.

Some say cute, I say awkward.

But I realized I haven't posted any of Josh's awkward photos.

So in all fairness...

FYI he is aware that I am posting a not great photo but he has not seen it yet.

I think it will be better as a surprise. Don't you?

So if you happen to come back in ten minutes and it's gone....:)

Also, I should probably get some sort of mula for all the advertising I'm giving Yogurtini. Obviously my 2 devoted followers will make a huge change in their profit.

Oh.

I forgot to mention two things yesterday!

1. Happy first day of fall!!!! Yay! That means I get to start decorating my house!

Thanks Target dollar section!

2. In one month from yesterday, I will be a certified Zumba instructor. 

Which means I will be in full swing pre-mid life crisis.

Bring it on.

Challenge Day 13

You and 13 Things

Whenever I thought about this particular day, this photo popped into my head

That's right, this is what pops in to my mind.

Please.

Take a moment to swallow all the wonderful creepiness.

As long as my photo turns out better than this, I consider it a win.

(This is from a creepy Jewish dating website that my second mama found)

Once again, this whole self portrait thing is tricky.

And awkward. And there is no way I will deprive you of the awkwardness.

But it's ok. Because I had fun.

Taking note of a friends' modeling skill, haha.

Let me explain the one above. I have my favorite ring on and I wanted to show it off for the camera, then it realized it was on my middle finger and had to quickly change it.

I'm actually shocked that I caught myself before I did it.

So I chose the nice one for the day

 I went outside to take advantage of it NOT being hotter than 110 degrees.

I'll give a quick rundown of the 13 items, left to right

1: Jewelry-yay for big earrings and fun rings

2. Nutella- chocolate that some people somehow consider healthy? well, alright.

3. Dog Toy- I love my dog and I love buying him toys

4.Rain Boots- I love rain now that I live Phoenix. Go figure.

5. Zumba Top- A zumba instructor near you coming soon!

6. Big girl phone- does fancy things and keeps me connected to people I love

7-10. Things that make me feel girly. LOVE the dark nail polish, best face and body lotion ever and mmm, mmm, I do love smelling good

11. I love my husband and I loved our wedding. and the photos from it.

12. The Bible-good stuff.

13. Book- The Virgin's Lover. RELAX. It's about Queen Elizabeth.

Success?I hope so!

I'll leave you with this gem.