Catching Up

As we dive into Spring Break, I'm frantically doing a million different things. One of them is sorting and backing up files from recent sessions.

While neither of these clients is expecting a preview right now, I couldn't help editing a couple... and then a couple more... and then a couple more... It's a great distraction from those million things requiring my attention. ;)

First up, a cutie patootie 3-month-old.





I also met up with my "old" friends K & K. You can see some of their past sessions here, here, and here. I've photographed them about 16 different times, actually. (I'm a lucky girl.)

At two-and-a-half, they are busy little bodies, so we met up downtown and let them wander. I grabbed shots here and there as we trailed them up and down various blocks.















I warned you that I couldn't stop...



















Now, I guess, it's time to shut down the computer and finally get to the rest of the to-do list. Sigh...

Photos From Last Week

I'm currently in the midst of a fun project that has me shooting local landscapes for a doctor's office in Pismo. Last week, I ventured out to snap a few scenes and it felt really good to stretch my creative muscles and step outside of my usual box. Really, really good.

Following are a few of my favorites from the week. Not all of these were for the project; a couple were just shots I couldn't pass up. :)















As you can see, I was in a very vertical mood. I wonder what that means...

Liking Who You Are

I was crossing a parking lot with my daughter one evening last week, and she said something completely out of the blue that almost stopped me in my tracks.

Walking beside me, she simply stated, "I like who I am."

As I said, it was a comment from left field. We weren't discussing self esteem or anything like it. We weren't talking about ourselves or anyone else. In fact, we'd just dropped off her brother at volleyball and I think my most recent comment might have been along the lines of, "What in the world are we going to do for dinner?"

So it was something that bubbled up on its own from somewhere inside her. And it made me so happy. Because, really, is there anything more fundamental to a happy life? Are there really more important dreams that we have for our kids?

Yes, I want her to do big things. To be smart and successful and generous and kind. But I think that those things are more likely to flow from a positive self-image. From a contentment with herself and what she brings to the table.

I'm not naive, and I know that she'll have to navigate the hormonal and situational pitfalls of her pre-teen and teenage years eventually. And we all know that even adults have insecurities and suffer self-doubt. The road won't always be easy, by any means. But my heart is warmed by the idea that she is off to a good start.

Day at the Beach

A couple of weeks ago, my brother and sister-in-law came to visit from their home in San Francisco. It was a weekend of truly glorious weather, so after lunch on Saturday we headed out to the beach to soak in the sun and make the most of it.

We played, we got shaved ices, we lounged, we strolled and we ended up at the Olde Port Inn for some chowder. I love that pier, because in addition to chowder, it provides the chance for up close and personal encounters with some very special wildlife.

I hadn't taken many personal photos in awhile, so I brought along the camera. So, so glad I did.



















It felt (and smelled and tasted) like a peek at summer... and I can't WAIT for more.

Blocked Shot

In honor of NOT having two basketball games this weekend (hallelujah!), here's a quick shot of my little defender. I took my camera along last weekend and grabbed a few snaps of him in action. I'm glad I did, because I've been really bad about doing that this year...

Sleepy Girl

With the blown out spots, this doesn't qualify as technically great photography, but I do believe it's still a sweet shot. And one that's surprisingly tough to get, since this girl is a light sleeper (unbelieveable, given her heavy snoring) and pops up whenever there's the slightest movement around her napping self.



I decided to add an awake shot, too, since it shows clearly one of the funky little features that makes our sweet puppy unique -- the dark membrane around her right eye. I have to admit that it took me a good few months before I figured out why her eyes looked different... kind of like those kids' placemats in restaurants that feature the "find the thing that doesn't match" game...



Weird, huh?

Discovering Poly Canyon

A couple of weeks ago, our family took advantage of the crazy-good weather and spent a weekend afternoon outside. First on the agenda was a hike. (Well, technically, first on the agenda was a stop for lunch, because that's how we roll.) We've been making our way through a book of hikes around San Luis, and someone decided that on this occasion we'd hit the trail through Poly Canyon.

If you're local and haven't already discovered this funky gem, I urge you to seek it out. The "hike" is very mild -- about a mile up a gentle grade -- and dumps you into a canyon filled with hands-on projects tackled by architecture and engineering students and dating back to the 1970's. There are little spec houses and unusual sculptures... even things I couldn't name. Just... things. Cool things to see, for sure.

Our kids had a great time checking it all out and declared it an awesome family adventure. I only had the point and shoot for documenting the sights, but it did the job...

PS & MR

Last weekend, we cruised up to the Bay Area to check in with my husband's mom and her parents. Papa Sam and Mama Ruthie were troopers, allowing my rowdy crew to invade their house (with bulldog in tow!) and hang out Saturday evening and Sunday morning as well.

The visit was timely in that my 7.5-year-old needed to interview a family member this week for a school project. Since PS was 7.5 himself when he came to this country from Holland, we thought he made a fantastic subject. Again, he was a great sport and even posed for a photo to accompany the interview worksheet.



MR posed with her great-granddaughter:



The guys took a break for some Smashball action and goofing around:



And this little bugger raced around the yard like a maniac. (I don't want to hear any more jokes about my lazy bulldog. Does this puppy look lazy to you?? Crazy, maybe. Lazy, no.)



I know that Papa Sam checks the blog occasionally, so hopefully he enjoyed those images. Hi, Papa Sam!

Birthday Celebration

This lovely family was gathered to celebrate their grandpa's birthday -- a milestone birthday -- and they wanted to take some photos together before they scattered back to their various corners of the earth (well, corners of California, at least). I offered to drag them out to my current favorite spot, and they looked past the ants and the dirt and the stray pieces of rebar and humored me.

I think we captured many nice images that'll help them remember this particular moment in time.

Here are some of them.