Blessed. Loved. Happy.

I am an extremely blessed girl.

I forget how blessed I really am sometimes, probably more often than I care to admit to. Somehow though, I get snapped back into forgetting what I don't have and want to finding peace and gratitude for what I have and need.

I don't speak a whole lot about my personal life on this blog. I do share my cute nieces, or things I like to do here and there, but when I struggle, I usually don't publicly look for solace. I find my different outlets to get past my struggles, but they are far from being public. Most of the time it's internal and I eventually find ways to see the upside, find lessons in my trials and become that blessed girl I was all along.

Usually every year for probably the past 3-4 years I've tried to come up with a theme for the year. Things that I have learned from the previous year usually lead me to the theme for the following year. Most of the time, I don't have my theme until maybe the end of February beginning of March. This year, I've been stuck. I have had the hardest time figuring out what I needed to remember to keep striving for. What my focus needed to be this year. Finally, I realized about two months ago that I've had my theme for a while, I just didn't admit to it.

Love.

Not like the "oooh, I'm so in love with you" love, or the "I just loooove your shoes" kind of love. I'm talking about unconditional. I forgot how important it is to love unconditionally. To just care about someone because they need it, and maybe even want it, but more importantly deserve it. This doesn't even have to be love. This is about giving without receiving. Caring without motives....I hope I am making sense here. It's about being kind, unconditionally.

This has been easy in some ways and hard for me in others to follow. I have realized while trying to remember to give unconditionally how much I can put a side my loved ones to try and give to those that don't know me from that one person who went out of their way to hold the door open for me because they saw my hands were full.

The other day I was standing in line to get a movie ticket and this woman turned around and said "hey, I have an extra coupon to get a discount on your movie ticket, do you want it?" She had no need to do that, I didn't know her, she didn't know me. She was just being nice. I had my own coupon, so we said thank you anyway. Where as I would have saved that extra coupon for another time I'd go to the movies, she was willing to give it up for nothing in return.

It's about trying to see outside of myself to see how I can reach out to help others in spite of my quick judgments, my fear of rejection, my time, and so many other things. And more than anything doing those things daily, without thought, but just to do them because I should. I have been lucky to be reminded constantly by the examples of the loving and caring people around me how much more I need to work to be like them.

I think I will be working on this for a lot longer than this year. I'm sure I will make it a sub theme for some time after this year. I am happy because I know how blessed I am. How loved I am. How much I know that even though I can be grouchy or complain that I am able to find my way back to the kindness, care and love BECAUSE I am given those things daily, hourly, in minutes and seconds even when not deserved. Which means, I need to give it back in return with that same gratitude and unconditional love.

The answer can be SO simple, you feel silly.

I found this quite a while ago from another blog I was reading and loved it instantly that I "ran" to the artist's website and bought it without the need to think twice.



Sorry, I tried looking, but I can't find the link to put up here to actually buy it. The blog and website has changed a lot since I had last been on there...and also it might possibly be because it's not available anymore. It was a limited edition print (if you want it bad enough, maybe you can find the link easier, if it exists, sorry). But the artist, Alex Koplin, is pretty awesome, so check out his other work. Support artist and BUY their work. Don't steal it, please...it's really sad when that happens.

Editing Photos...how I do! ;)

I have a lot of folks ask me about what kind of Photoshop editing I do. I try and do as minimally as possible. I won't remove a mole or a bunch of freckles, because, that makes you, YOU. ;) But I will get rid of zits and maybe if you have some dark circles under your eyes. I will also add a little flair to your photos if I see a pattern of it developing as I edit your pictures.

But again, I try and do as little as possible with obvious editing to your photos. What I mean is, I want photos to look like they were never touched by Photoshop. Girls, just like when you first started to wear make up and you would douse it on so the world knew you had make up on, and it wasn't until your mom or big sister saw what you were doing to your probably wonderful natural beauty and taught you, less is more and only enhance what you have! I take the same approach with editing photos. When I add Photoshop techniques, I don't try to hide it. I won't make a person's pupils bigger or try and make them skinnier, or take off a layer of a double/triple chin. It takes away from the truth of what I just captured and where the subject was at in their life at that moment.

Here and there I like to take some creative license and add a little more flair to a photo for fun. If some of that fun is added, it will always be obvious.

Take a look at one of Rachel's photos. I did a side by side so you could see what I mean. The photo on the left is straight out of camera, and on the right, after I did my usual edits in Photoshop.I just bumped up the color a little, got rid of a small blemish, made some of the lines a little crisper and BAM! Done. :)


I know I keep saying it, but I have a lot more to share. It's a-comin'!

The Brimhall Eye Center - Open House

I am so beyond happy to be a part of this institution. Dr. Brett Brimhall is an extremely wonderful doctor, ophthalmologist, boss, and person. I could go on but when I show him that this blog post is up, I don't want him to think I'm brown nosing. I've been called out more than once for doing that! ;) hahaha!

By circumstances that fell into wonderful perfect place, I have been blessed to say my other job besides photography is working for Brett and Holly Brimhall. In short, they are amazing people. Genuine and kind people I hope to grow up and be like one day.

There was an open house for the Brimhall Eye Center and I was able to take some photos of the fun, that is when I wasn't stuffing my face with the most AMAZING food ever!!! The Brimhall family came down in family supporting greatness and helped Holly throw the best food party...I mean open house I've ever been able to say I was slightly attached to. ;)

Here are some shots!

Yes, that's right. I'm gonna start the series of food pictures with the desserts. Duh.
I love oranges, but orange butter...seriously...heaven!


The amazing "catering company"!


Some of Dr. Brimhall's family...he has some pretty awesome sisters & dad! I totally loved them before the open house was over and hugged them good bye like I had known them forever when they left! I appreciate that they went with it! haha!

I had a hard time putting this next picture on here. I mean look at me...ruining this picture of extremely photogenic people!! hahaha!

If you need your eyes checked for any reason, or maybe you need contacts or glasses. Even cooler thinking about LASIK or BoTox...The Brimhall Eye Center can do it all!! 702-263-2020! :) We are in the medical office building next to Centennial Hills Hospital. Hey, maybe I'll answer the phone! haha!

Sooo ONO!!

Ono is a Hawaiian word that means good or delicious...and it's what I'm about to talk about! It is said how it looks, O-NO.

Having a dad that is part Hawaiian that grew up there and has family there, I've been lucky enough to have been able to go there a few times. Granted I was fairly young when we did go and I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. I hope to have the opportunity to go back there as an adult and enjoy the islands more fully.

The one thing I did appreciate and really loved as a young naive girl was something I didn't realize was the best of the best until I came back to the main land and have never enjoyed anything quite like it.

That little something is manapua. I first tried it when we were in Hawaii from the best place on earth, Libby's.

It is a special sweet tasty bread roll with meat inside. There are different types of meat for manapuas but the best/my favorite is the one with a sweet roasted pork.

Starchy, smarchy...deliciousness!!

I love homemade french fries...probably too much. And I probably make it the wrong way, but it's my way and they are delicious to me.

I have discovered one thing for sure, vegetable oil will make the potatoes stick to the pan and extra virgin olive oil will not.

Blue Skies. Old Signs.

I love old neon signs.



It reminds me of classier time.

Picture of the Week: Rays of Sunlight. Rays of Happiness.

Shot this with my point & shoot camera on a drive back into to Vegas.

It makes me happy.

It's what I'm aaaBOUT! - Taking a drive.

I kinda enjoy taking a casual drive.

Actually, I would take a lovely early evening stroll, walking around a neighborhood any day over driving, but there are safety issues involved with walking around at night, especially alone, darn it. Plus, I'm cute, so I'm an easy target for getting stolen...kiddddding! ;) So to suffice, I like to drive around.

Well, I don't get to do that very often lately. I've realized how much I miss it. I like it as a way to think about things going on in my life. I like to listen to music that is a part of my life at the moment and just drive and think. It calms me down. I am able to regroup. I am reminded of how blessed I am. Sometimes I do it just to get out of the house. I love going at sunset or late at night when the roads are a little more empty.

I also looooove driving with the windows down when the weather is just perfect. I'm smiling just thinking about it.

One night, I was driving home after visiting a friend of mine. We hadn't hung out in a while. We chatted, laughed, cried, smiled, and just remembered why we need to do this more often. We both had recently had big things happen in our lives and we just felt a commendatory that we didn't feel anyone else understood at that moment. It was nice. It was a beautiful night. The stars were super bright. And the weather was oddly really nice for it being "winter". So I drove with my window slightly down and listened to music. Drives are just that much better when I am able to think about the conversation I had just had with a good friend.

I took the above picture with my phone to remember that night.

I enjoy taking a casual drive.

Blast from the Past! A-woo-hooo!

My niece Kealani, loves to watch the old cartoons that my parents still have. Well when I say 'old cartoons' that means, tapes. VHS tapes.

She usually likes to watch "Bongo".

Which I love/loved this movie too, so I'm happy to watch it with her. I too like to sing along about how bears tell each other they love each other with a slap...but by the 5th time, it gets old.

So I told her to pick a new movie. She picked Duck Tales. So we stuck it in, and just like riding a bike, when the theme song came on I automatically started to sing with it. I had to laugh at myself kinda surprised that I remembered the words like I watched it yesterday.

I thought you might want to take a little trip down memory lane with me too...I found the theme song on YouTube. Enjoy.


(seriously though, this theme song is like the Kenny Loggins soundtracks of cartoon theme songs, right?!)

It's what I'm aaaBOUT! Music-Rosi Golan

"Moment that I wait, or I hesitate's a moment that I waste"

This is a line from the song "I Don't Wanna Wait" from my new favorite artist...

Photo by Laura Crosta

Rosi Golan!

I am soooo in love with her music. I found her randomly on someone's blog. They had a link to her album on iTunes. I checked it out and instantly fell in love with each 30 second clip of music.

I can be pretty protective of artist/albums that I fall in love with that are not super well known. I don't know why I do that, but I do. It's completely selfish of me. I need to share amazingness when I find it. So, I am trying to give up my selfish musical ways and share this.


Go and get her album "The Drifter & the Gypsy"! (one of my favorite songs on the album, by the way)

Here is a link to her website to listen to full versions of the songs.

2009 Catch up.

I have a TON of blog posts from photo shoots done in 2009, which I know...is sooooo last year. But I wanted to still share them with everyone. So be prepared for some posting left and right!

Sideways...

Up and down....

Loopy loos...



Okay. I'm stopping. :)


Every post needs a photo...here you go! It was a beautiful sky, so I ran outside and took a quick picture.

p.s. this was done hand held, no tripod...boooyah! :)

If you don't get verklempt...

....your heart is made of STONE!!!

This guy is amazing. Drew Renner of Shade Tree Films.

Enjoy.

Kaitlin+Travis=Awesome Sauce from Shade Tree Films on Vimeo.

My family makes fun of me when I take the stairs...

...but see...it can be fun AND exercise!! :)

Inspiration...photographers that move me.

You've seen this photo before. It's extremely famous. It is by Steve McCurry; Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984

He works for National Geographics. He is an amazing photographer. I have a few dream jobs I'd like to have as a photographer. Working for Sports Illustrated. And working for National Geographics. I don't think there are many photographers who wouldn't want to work for one if not both of those magazines. I love looking at his work to feel inspiration to travel and to capture photos of complete strangers that just move you.

Here is his blog.

Here is his website.

Another photographer that I was lucky enough to go to a seminar of his, that also works for National Geographics is Sam Abell. This photo, Pears in a windowsill, National Hotel, Moscow,(June 1986) is one of many of his famous works publish by National Geographics. What he is best known for is his ability to have more than one scene in a photo. He is able to capture more than one subject/story line in a photo. His composition abilities are amazing.

This photo is also another famous piece of work by him that shows his "two-view concept". The photo on the bottom showing what he is best known for. Two views of the annual branding and castration
Ken Rosman Ranch, Utica, Montana

It had been awhile since that seminar I had attended, but when I saw this photo recently, I remembered his composition abilities and was awestruck yet again. Not only for his abilities to tell a story by a photograph but his actual story telling. I could have sat there for hours looking at his work and listening to him. I was engulfed in this romantic photographer glow and my mind was filling with so much inspiration I could have burst.

While searching online for the pear photo, I found a website where Sam Abell is recalling his life and this photo and story moved me. It made me miss working in a dark room....because it is so true.Mother and Daddy, Flower Hospital, Sylvania, Ohio, 1975

I continued recuperating at home in Ohio. Things weren't good there. My mother was dying of emphasema, which she only referred to as asthma. She was the strongest person I've known, an esteemed teacher of Latin and French who imposed high standards on both her students and sons. She just wasn't stronger than Lucky Strikes.

I still have the hammered copper ashtray that I emptied every morning as a boy. In it were stubs of cigarettes with her lipstick stains on them.

My dad lived alone when Mother was in the hospital, and after she died in 1981 he didn't move or remarry. He wasn't unhappy living alone so one time in the darkroom - where you could say such things - I asked him "When was the happiest time of your life?" After a silence he said "When your Mother and I were courting."

And one last one that I couldn't help but share...go to the website and you will see what I mean by his story telling. Amazing.
My Dad and I,
International Center of Photography,
New York City, November, 1990
I suppose everyone has a moment in their lives they wish could 'stay'. This would be mine. I'm with my dad at an opening of my work at the International Center of Photography in Manhattan. My dad is the guest of honor. I've asked him to stand. The applause makes him emotional and to keep from crying myself I grip his shoulder, smile and look down. We are a long way from our tiny darkroom in Sylvania, Ohio.

The title "Stay This Moment" is drawn from a diary entry of Virginia Woolf written on New Year's eve 1932. She writes "If one does not lie back and sum up and say to the moment, this very moment, stay you are so fair, what will be one's gain, dying? No: stay this moment. No one ever says that enough."
But photographers say it when they make a heartfelt photograph, as this one by my friend David Alan Harvey proves.

It's what I'm aaaBOUT!

If you know me, you know I say this pretty often. It's my go-to funny line when I have to convince someone that my nerdy/geeky/weird ways are actually cool. Now your asking yourself (or your computer. no judgments), "does that really work?"

It usually is a pause of confusion along with the thought of 'what does that mean?'

Then it's a chuckle of 'did she really just say that?'

Then usually they forgot what I'm aaaBOUT and they just go along with it.

Yeah.

I know.

Genius.

Well I decided that when there is something I'm diggin', something I can't live without, a new discovery that will make you happy too, ooor maybe I'm just finally catching up to the rest of the world and I want it noted officially, I'm going to blog it, and "it's what I'm aaaBOUT!"

First on my list is one of my FAVORITE websites/apps on my iPhone.

This is not a new discovery or something you probably don't know about. I'm just sharing because I love this website SO much because I am a horrible speller, I second guess myself over the simplest words and I love to make up words, so validly that the word has an actual root word, I use this website/app.

Another Driving Picture

Yes, I did it again. Man! This is really starting to come off like I'm a bad driver. I actually think it shows that I am an awesome driver because I am able to multitask safely while driving. And here and there really get some decent if not lovely shots too! :)

I took this photo quickly with my iPhone. I was getting off Summerlin Parkway and I was looking at the sky and was having a "that looks fake but it's not because it's real!" moment. I thought the sky and the clouds looked like they were not real. Especially more in the distance. It actually almost reminded me of a Pixar movie's clouds, I just can't pin point which one. So this photo was not really at all about getting a shot as much as I just couldn't believe how the clouds looked.

I just need to find someone to drive me around. Just imagine how more awesome my shots would be if that were the case! I am now taking applications for someone to be my driver! Applicants need not apply if they are not okay with compensation coming only in the form of my pleasantries while we drive and the occasional Cafe Rio or Chipotle.


...okay...and sometimes In N Out.

Wait for it....

It's almost to the date that it will be five years that I bought my car and this is my mileage...I thought that I was kinda cool.







(I hope I remember to look at it again before it goes past it!!)

Music (woot!): Eric Hutchinson

So I remember seeing Eric Hutchinson somewhere on iTunes a while back and thinking,"pretty cool song" and then didn't pay attention to it anymore. I was going to download it, I think it was even free, but I just didn't. I wish I would have paid attention sooner. This guy is pretty sweet.

This is the video you probably saw on iTunes.


But I was really sold after watching this video (sorry, I only got a link to the video) for the song "OK, It's Alright With Me"

(you can click on the image too)

Ben Folds - University A Capella

This is pretty cool. It comes out next week. Granted, not all of my favorite songs will be on there, and some songs I kinda don't really like...BUT it's still pretty sweet.

And in May Ben Folds is coming to the HOB so I'm pretty excited to see him live again.