Red Rock Studios

Weekly Photo Challenge...

2008-10-19T22:04:00.001-07:00

... is posted at my blog's new home :)

Adventures of Kate and Mindy :)

2008-10-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of hiking in Red Rock lately with my friend Kate. Check out the post with some fun pics at my new blog :)

New post!

2008-10-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

A new post at my new location. Check it out!

http://www.redrockstudioslv.com/LasVegasPhotographyBlog/

New location!!!!

2008-10-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of updating my website, and part of that update includes moving my blog. Here's the new address:

http://www.redrockstudioslv.com/LasVegasPhotographyBlog/

Check it out and let me know what you think so far :)

FYI - The photo challenge for this week has been posted at the new location, so now you have to stop by!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Painting with Light"

2008-10-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Painting with light is awesome... in fact it's so great we have to do this again soon! I had so many thing I wanted to try, but time didn't permit... so I ended up finding something to shoot around the house, which was still great fun :)

Here are the results, starting with my shot:

ISO 100
Aperture f/22
Shutter- approximately 45 seconds
Focal Length 65mm
A pitch black room and an LED headlamp :)

Monica's shot:

ISO 100
Aperture F3.5
Shutter 10sec
Focal Length 18mm

Jessica's shot:

ISO 200
Shutter 6 seconds
Aperture f/3.25
Focal length 50mm
LED flashlight

Leisel's shot:

ISO 400
Aperture f/5.6
Shutter 3.2 seconds

And our challenge for this week:

"Use your Bulb setting"

I'm having way too much fun with these long exposures... and I have so many ideas, so hopefully I'll have more time this week :)

Biggest sale of the year!

2008-10-04T16:56:00.001-07:00

I'm having a huge sale on family portraits, and you're the first to hear about it! The holidays will be here before you know it... so take advantage of this offer, avoid the stress, and SAVE yourself some serious cash :)

I also create custom Holiday cards and postcards!

Weekly photo challenge - "Overexposed"

2008-09-28T23:43:00.001-07:00

This was fun... atleast I thought so! Here's the results beginning with my shot:

ISO 100
Aperture f/2.8
Shutter 1/320
Focal length 27mm

Monica's shot:

ISO 100
Shutter 1/125
Aperture f4
Focal Length 50mm

Jessica's shot:

ISO 100
Aperture f/1.7
Shutter 1/1600
Focal length 50mm

Leisel's shot:

ISO 100
Aperture f/8
Shutter 1/50
Focal length 100

Heidi's shot:

ISO 400
Aperture f/3.8
Shutter 1/50
Focal length 22mm

And our challenge for this week is:

"Painting with light"

Here's more info if you have questions :)

Rochonda and Chauncey

2008-09-28T23:30:00.001-07:00

This gorgeous couple flew in from the east coast for a romantic getaway, and I was lucky enough to be a part of their vacation plans ;)

As you can see, we hit up the strip for their engagement photos and had a blast! After our incredibly long walk, Rochonda and I were both dying of thirst, but it was worth it :)

Thank you for an amazing time guys, and congratulations again on your engagement!

Best buddies :)

2008-09-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

These two kiddos were so cute! I had such a hard time choosing which ones to post because there were so many great shots :)

I loved their little daddy dolls! Their mom said the dolls have been a life saver since daddy is away :)

I love kids!

2008-09-27T23:38:00.000-07:00

Seriously... children are so much fun to photograph! I love catching those little moments that really show off their great personalities. These three kiddos were super cute, and I had a blast with each of them!

More baby smiles :)

2008-09-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

These sessions have been so much fun! All of these moms are so inspiring to me, I don't know how they do it. Look at how beautiful these two are :)

Sweet baby girls :)

2008-09-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

This little girl was such a sweetheart! It was so much fun to take pictures of these two :)

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Food"

2008-09-21T21:18:00.001-07:00

I've always wanted to do a shot like this, so I finally made the time to do it! It was a bit trickier than I expected, but luckily I had my four year old daughter around to help me out :)

ISO 200
Aperture f/2.8
Shutter 1/60
Focal length 57mm
Two flashes, a reflector and lots or white paper!

Monica's shot:

ISO 100
Aperture F5.6
Shutter .65
Focal Length 135mm

Grace's shot:

Aperture f/1.8
Shutter 1/125
ISO 200
Focal Length 85mm

Jessica's shot:

ISO 400
Aperture f/5.6
Shutter 1/100
Focal length 30mm
Light from window + her husband's white t-shirt used as a reflector :)

Leisel's shot:

ISO 100
Aperture f/2.8
Shutter 1/1600
Focal length 100mm

Heidi's shot:

ISO 200
Aperture f/10
Shutter 1/400
Focal length 38mm

And our challenge for this week is:

"Overexposed"

Should be wild... happy shooting!

All smiles

2008-09-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

These two boys were so smiley, they loved the camera! Mom definitely has her hands full while daddy is away :)

Endless energy!

2008-09-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

I just loved this little guy! He would not sit still for anything, lol. Photographing him was kind of like shooting a football game... except that I could never predict which direction he would go! I wish I had that kind of energy :)

I'm sure his mommy can't wait for her husband to return home... especially with baby number two almost here!

Cute kiddos!

2008-09-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

These two were so silly and fun! Big brother was having a blast showing me his karate moves, and little sister had so much spunk. We did some shots of mom with the kids too, but I'm still working on some photoshop magic... swapping heads and such :)

I hope their daddy enjoys these pics when he sees them. What a lucky guy to have such cuties!

Photos for daddy!

2008-09-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

Today I photographed little baby S. and her gorgeous mom. She was absolutely adorable and she just loved my enormous camera... and my camera definitely loved her too!

Her daddy is currently deployed overseas with the Air Force, which is how I met these two. I'm currently offering complimentary photography sessions to families of deployed personnel. This is the first of many to come!

I think her daddy will be excited to receive these pictures in the mail :)

More of Matt and Ashly

2008-09-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Just a few more :)

Matt and Ashly :)

2008-09-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my cousin Matt got married! For once I was actually a guest at a wedding, and it was so fun!! My husband and I were able to dance the night away, and celebrate with some of our favorite people :)

Of course, I had to take a few shots... and now I just have to show off how adorable these two are :) I'll post a few more tomorrow morning, because right now I'm just exhausted after all the traveling...

Anyway, they're such a gorgeous couple I had to put something up tonight!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Doors"

2008-09-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

I didn't shoot exactly what I had in mind this week, but it was still fun! I found a door within a door which was cool :) Here are the results:

ISO 800
Shutter 1/100
Aperture f/5
Focal Length 41mm

Monica's pic:

ISO 250
Shutter 1/250
Aperture F3.2
Focal Length 50mm

And Leisel's pic:

ISO 100
Shutter 1/50
Aperture F/9
focal length 52mm

"Food"

And if you're shooting one of your favorite dishes... be sure to include the recipe, lol! Happy shooting :)

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Personality"

2008-09-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

This week was super fun, and most of us chose children as our subjects which is probably not a huge surprise :) Here are the results, beginning with my shot of my very silly four year old!

ISO 400
Aperture F 5.6
Shutter 1/400
Focal length 160mm

Monica's photo:

ISO 100
Aperture F9
Shutter 1/250
Focal Length 43mm

Jessica's photo:

ISO 100
Aperture F 2.8
Shutter 1/3200
Focal Length 50mm

Leisel's photos... she just couldn't choose one and I can see why! lol

Heidi's photo:

Aperture F 5.6
Focal length 26mm

And our challenge for this week is:

"Doors"

Happy shooting!

More boys... and their bikes...

2008-09-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

Here are more pics from my husband's motorcycle trip. He asked me for vivid colors... and I think I delivered :) Enjoy!

The boys are back!

2008-09-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

My husband and his 4 brothers rented motorcycles last week, and went on an epic "mini" ride together. I have a feeling this will be the first of many to come...

Of course I had to get some pics!

Here's a quick preview, with more to follow soon. Be sure to click on the photo so you can see the larger version :)

Troy and Ana

2008-09-02T13:55:00.001-07:00

Last week I had a blast with Ana and Troy at their engagement shoot. I love when couples get into the photo session and really ham it up for the camera. These two were SOO fun! Take a peek at these photos, but don't be too jealous of all the fun we had :)

Wedding at The Grove

2008-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

These two were adorable! I was lucky enough to photograph their wedding ceremony last week at The Grove. Here are a few of my favs from the day:

Weekly photo challenge - "Sunset"

2008-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

I've had a few more people ask about joining our challenge, and we'd love to have you! Just read the instructions I posted a couple weeks ago, and send me your photos :)

So this week's challenge makes me want to shoot sunsets every week! Here are the results beginning with my shot:

ISO 200
Shutter 1/60
Aperture F/5.6
Focal length 27mm

Monica's shot:

ISO 250
Aperture F8
Shutter 1/80
Focal Length 135

Heidi's shot:

ISO 200
Aperture F 6.3
Shutter 1/160
Focal Length 35mm

Leisel's shot:

ISO 100
Shutter 1/125
Aperture f/11
Focal length 60mm

Nice work everyone! And our challenge for this week is:

"Personality"

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Sunrise"

2008-08-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

I don't think I would define this week's theme as a "photo" challenge as much as a physical one, lol. You basically can't go wrong if you catch the light displayed at sunrise. Which reminds me of one of my favorite photography quotes:

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary!"

As you can see below, all of the photos below are extraordinary! Getting up early again made me wonder why I'm such a night owl. I was amazed at how many people I saw out running and biking at 5:30 am!! Now I'm starting to think maybe I should join them :)

Here are the photos, starting with mine:

ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/100
Aperture: F22
Focal length: 60mm

Monica's photo

ISO: 250
Aperture: F20
Shutter: 1/125
Focal Length: 100mm

Jessica's photo
ISO: 400
Aperture: f/7.1
Shutter: 1/125
Focal Length: 55mm

Leisel's photo
ISO: 100
Aperture: f22
Shutter speed: 1/20
Focal length: 27

Heidi's photo

ISO: 200
Aperture: F9
Shutter: 1/320
Focal length: 24mm

And this weeks challenge is:

"Sunset"

Now this theme is easy, and super fun! Try to capture your subject during the last 30 seconds or so of available light. If you don't know this secret already, you'll be amazed at your discovery :) My college professor dubbed this magical time at sunrise and sunset as the "sweet light." I can't wait to see the results!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Something Blue"

2008-08-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited because the weekly photo challenges are getting more popular, which I think is fantastic! Numerous people have talked about joining in, and several individuals are starting to send me pictures each week. So far we have a mix of pros, amateurs, and newbies! It's awesome to see the assigned subject through so many different perspectives. I've learned so much already and gained a lot of inspiration as well. Each week I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with :)

Keeping the growth of the challenge in mind, I've decided to make a few changes:

Number 1 - I've decided to post camera settings along with each photograph. I think it will be useful for everyone to be able see the technical side of each photograph as well, so please include that data along with your photo if you feel comfortable doing so!

Number 2 - From now on, if you would like to be part of the challenge please e-mail me your photograph by Sunday afternoon. This will save me SO much time, thanx! Here's my address:

mindy@redrockstudioslv.com

Number 3 - If I get too many submissions each week, I may have to limit the number I post on my blog simply due to time. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to work this dilemma, but I'll keep you all updated!

I think that's it! And just for kicks or anyone new, here's a review of how the challenges work:

Each challenge is one week in length
Only one photo per person (I know it's hard!)
Results are posted each Sunday night

Happy shooting!

So back to this week's photos. This is my daughter's bubble bath, which was the most incredibly blue thing I could find!

ISO: 100
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/100
Focal length: 70mm
Window light

Monica's something blue:

ISO: 160
Aperture: F4
Shutter: 1/2000
Focal length: 30mm

Jessica's something blue:

Leisel's something blue:

Heidi's something blue:

And our challenge for this week is:

"Sunrise"

This will probably be the most difficult for me yet... I love sleeping in which is horrible, seeing how early morning light is simply stunning!

Big Baby B!

2008-08-14T22:28:00.001-07:00

My little sis is now a mommy :) Baby B. arrived a couple weeks ago weighing in at an amazing 9 pounds 6 ounces!!

I drove out to their place a couple days ago to take these newborn pics of my brand new nephew. He was as adorable as can be, and no... I'm not prejudice :)

Here's some of my favs of baby B. just 12 days old, although he looks more like a two or three month old, lol.

Look at those rolls! I love it!!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Something Borrowed"

2008-08-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

With all the remodeling around my house, I thought this would be fitting for my "something borrowed" picture. I can't wait until our house is done!

Monica "borrowed" her adorable daughter for her shot, haha. I love it, super cute :)

And here's Jessica's which I thought turned out pretty sweet. Great idea!

And our challenge for this week is... you guessed it:

"Something blue"

Now back to watching the Olympics for me :)

Toddler Promo Cards!

2008-08-08T23:00:00.001-07:00

Some of you might remember this adorable little girl. She was great fun to photograph, just full of so much spunk and energy! Right now I'm working on creating some promo cards for her. Just watch... this little girl is going to be a star! Here's a preview:

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Something New"

2008-08-03T23:28:00.000-07:00

I love being a mom to toddlers! Everyday I'm able to watch my girls discover "something new."

This was the first time my four year old held a peacock feather. She was thrilled beyond comprehension to behold such a beautiful treasure! Her excitement made my photo shoot even more fun than usual :)

Here is Monica's pic of a flower and some new buds. I almost shot the exact same thing!

Jessica got her shot of some brand new cherry tomatoes. Makes me wish I had a garden!

And sticking with the theme, our challenge for this week is:

"Something Borrowed"

Happy shooting!

Red Rock Family Portraits

2008-08-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Last night was great! We headed up to Red Rock Canyon to shoot these family portraits. Here are a few of my favs so far:

Now back to editing!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Games"

2008-07-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

Most of the time games in my home consist of fairies, princesses or ballerina's. I took this pic of my four year old dancing away in one of her pinkest dresses of all. Little girls are so much fun!

Monica took a picture of their Monopoly game, which I thought turned out awesome! I can't remember the last time I played Monopoly... guess I'll have to bust that out again soon :)

Jessica took this pic of her chess set. I love it!

Our challenge for this week (by special request!):

"Something New"

Jessica suggested sticking with the previous theme from last week, and it sounded like a good idea to me :) Happy shooting!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Something Old"

2008-07-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

So I loved this challenge! I took my kids out to Bonnie Springs because I knew I'd find plenty of old stuff to photograph. Plus, I've been dying to check it out anyway!

It was difficult to choose only one shot, but I finally settled on this one of the miniature train :)

Monica went on what she dubbed a "something old adventure" where she found this great old car. I love old stuff!

Jessica has also joined us this week! Here is her shot of something old, her grandmother's hands :)

Our challenge for this week is:

"Games"

Family :)

2008-07-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

Despite how crazy my life has been lately, my little family was able to meet up with my five brothers, my sister and my parents for a mini vacation last week. We had a blast and the fun was over way too soon...

I'm lucky enough to have the most AMAZING family ever, and it was so good to see them all again! It's a rare occasion these days for every member of my family to be together in one spot, so of course a fabulous time was had by everyone :)

Well as you probably guessed, everyone just had to get family pictures taken, right?! And yes, I was nominated for the task, lol. It was fun to be able to share my talent with the people I love most :) I still can't believe I was able to take so many portraits in a two hour period of time. Although I do wish I could have spent more time with each of them, which would have given me time to be more creative!

So I just have to share a few of my favs, simply because my family is gorgeous, haha! Maybe I'm biased, but I thought they turned out pretty swell for such a goofy group :)

WARNING: I have quite the large family, so be prepared for more pics that normal! And I left so many out too... what a shame :)

Here they all are, from youngest to oldest (My sister and I are the babies of the family!).

This one cracks me up! My nephew had to strike a new pose for every shot, it was hilarious :) I'll have to work some photoshop magic to get the best expressions for everyone on this pose, lol.

This family pic was a miracle! The first round my little niece didn't want to have anything to do with the camera. After the big group shot we all ganged up on her to force out those adorable smiles :)

It's the best ever when little kids try SO hard to smile for the camera. It doesn't get any better than this, lol!

I love this shot, so cute!

I still can't believe all six of my oldest brother's kids were looking at the camera for this shot. Awesome!

And last but not least, my mom and dad. I couldn't have dreamed up better parents. They're the best ever! I love these two to pieces :)

And yes, I do have a sister too! But since I just took pics of her last month, I figured they had plenty of photos for now.

Anyway, thanx for letting me show off my family :)

Sam and Debbie

2008-07-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I flew to San Francisco to photograph Sam and Debbie's wedding. They are the most adorable couple, and so in love!

Can I just say I love weddings :) For many of us it is the most memorable day of our lives, filled with overwhelming emotion and romance. I love having the opportunity to be a part of something so special in a couple's life!

One of the many things I love about weddings is all the little details. Sometimes we all may go a bit insane worrying about everything, but in the end it turns out to be such a beautiful celebration of love! Sam and Debbie's wedding was filled with so many stunning details.

My favorite was their rings :) I've never seen this design, and I thought it was so precious!

And their flower arrangements were gorgeous. Here's just one example :)

And I loved Debbie's shoes! They looked so comfy, and yet so elegant.

Of course we can't forget the chairs. Every detail must be covered! These bows and covers really did add so much to the atmosphere :)

Here is a pic of Debbie and Sam, just after the ceremony. They were truly glowing :)

So basically what I'm saying is the little things do add up, and they make every wedding just that more memorable. I love it!

Congrats again to Sam and Debbie!!

View 2-1-5

2008-07-14T00:16:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I photographed Las Vegas' newest wedding venue, View 2-1-5. The place is absolutely gorgeous, and as you may have guessed... it provides an amazing view of the strip :)

Here is the entrance to this fabulous new venue!

The room was set up for an indoor ceremony in these two shots. It turned out beautiful :)

This is a shot of the bride's room, truly fit for a queen!

And last but not least is the fabulous patio where you and your guests will enjoy a spectacular view of the Las Vegas strip.

I can't wait to photograph a wedding here! Thanx so much to everyone at the View 2-1-5 :)

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Color"

2008-07-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry I missed a week again! The past 10 days have been some of the busiest of my life, but I won't bore you with ALL the details. The good news is I'm completely moved into my new house and SO happy to be out of our apartment! Hopefully my life will return to a normal schedule soon... but with all the remodeling we have planned it's probably not likely :)

So here is my photo for the color challenge. Besides moving into our new house, I was also in San Francisco last week to photograph a wedding (pics coming soon!). I was amazed by the countless flowers I saw in front of the shops. The colors were truly amazing!

Monica got some amazing shots on the 4th of July. She had her family members shake these glow sticks everywhere for her shot and I love it!

Grace got this great pic after she painted her daughter's toes each a different color. It is seriously too adorable!

And our challenge for this week is:

"Something Old"

Happy shooting!!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Nighttime"

2008-06-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

So I'm pretty sure I could do this challenge for a month, especially living in Las Vegas. There are SOO many things I wanted to photograph, and just never enough time! So here's my pic. This was photographed at the Red Rock Casino :)

Monica photographed her son's new night light. I love these things! It makes me want to go buy one for my girls now :)

And we have another photographer joining our weekly challenges! Grace is a professional photographer based out of St. George, UT. She captured this beautiful photograph of the St. George LDS temple last week.

Our challenge for this week is:

"Color"

Busy, busy, busy!

2008-06-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

So Monica and I both agreed we should extend this week's photo challenge for at least another week, if not more! Neither one of us had taken any pictures for it yet. I know, I know... slackin' :)

We are both SO busy right now, and the funny thing is that we're both overwhelmed for the same reason. Monica just moved into her brand new house yesterday, and I will be moving into my new home in the next few days... if all goes well! We're both super excited, but definitely have WAY too much to do at the moment :)

But I promise... the photo challenge will return soon, in full force!

So although I don't have a picture for this week's challenge, I do have another fun waterfall picture from my trip to Havasupai that I haven't posted yet. So here you go. Enjoy :)

Ballet's rising star!

2008-06-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today was so fun! I was able to photograph a beautiful young ballet dancer :) There are so many cute pics from this session, so I'll be adding more tomorrow. I just couldn't wait until I finished editing to put them all up. Here's your sneak preview!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Patterns"

2008-06-15T22:38:00.001-07:00

This was fun! The hardest part was sticking with one idea! In the end I decided to photograph my guitar, because of the cool pattern the strings create. The best part about this challenge was that I actually picked up my dusty guitar and played for awhile... after I FINALLY put my camera down, lol. I'm thinking I need to do that more often!

And here's Monica's pic, you can't go wrong with a basket!

Our challenge for this week is:

"Night time" (no flash!)

Finally ordered my promo cards!

2008-06-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

Getting married in Las Vegas?! Need a professional wedding photographer? Call me soon for a complimentary consultation!

So I was determined to get these promo cards designed this week and I actually did. Yay for self imposed deadlines, lol! If you know any engaged couples, tell them about my $50 print credit special :)

Here's the front of the card:

And the back:

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Hands"

2008-06-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

After TRYING to get my kids to cooperate on several ideas I had for this challenge (note to self... stop procrastinating!), I finally got my 18 month old to do some sign language for me, lol. Both of my kids love signing, and now so do I! I would recommend signing for anyone with young children. It really helps eliminate SOME of the terrible twos. Plus... now we have a secret language that daddy doesn't understand... heehee

Here's my pic ;)

And here is Monica's pic. She photographed her and her husband holding hands for this one :) Cute!

And our challenge for this week is:

"Patterns"

Sweet, sweet baby!

2008-06-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to do newborn portraits of little baby M. He was the most precious little guy, I had so much fun! I'm convinced that right around 10 days old is the perfect time to do a newborn shoot... it's magical :) We were able to get all of the peaceful sleeping shots and a few with his eyes wide open. I couldn't ask for more!

Here are a few of the pics, enjoy!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "At Your Feet"

2008-06-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

I love how these photo challenges have a way of getting me out to explore my surroundings. Today I took my girls on a bike ride around our neighborhood, looking for interesting stuff to photograph along the way. We spotted this perfect white fence along a horse path, so I decided to shoot it from the viewpoint of my feet :) And yes, I ended up lying face first in the dirt for this one, lol. Fun times!

And here is Monica's pic. Her kids helped her on this one...she told them to bring her the most colorful rocks they could find and they brought her these :) Too cute!

And our challenge for this week is:

"Hands"

More maternity!

2008-06-01T21:57:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I drove up to my sister's place to do maternity portraits for her. We transformed her nursery into a little studio for the shoot :) I had so much fun and I think they turned out great. Isn't she super cute pregnant!? Now I can't wait for that baby to arrive in July! Here are a few of my favs:

Hospital Newborn Session :)

2008-05-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Can I just say I have the most rewarding job ever! Last week I was lucky enough to capture a few images of brand new baby M., at only one day old. He couldn't have been more adorable with his chubby little cheeks, weighing in at an amazing 9 pounds 6 ounces! Even so, he seemed so tiny and precious when I held the little guy :)

Here are a few of my favs... and it was so hard to choose! By the way, doesn't mom look gorgeous!? Yes, she really did give birth one day prior to these photos :) After my two kids were born, I swear I looked like I'd been through war for a few days!

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Out of Focus"

2008-05-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here's my out of focus pic for this week's challenge. I had a hard time with this one! The idea of taking a picture purposely out of focus was so weird... but fun too :)

And here's Monica's pic. She found this flower while she was in California :)

And our challenge for this week is:

"At Your Feet"

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Water"

2008-05-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

I took my water picture in Havasupai, how could I resist?! This is one of the thousands of little waterfalls along the trail.

And here is Monica's water pic. I think it turned out awesome :) I love how the drop and ripples are razor sharp!

And our challenge for this week is:

"Out of Focus"

Trip to Paradise

2008-05-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just returned from the most epic adventure of our lives! Even though the many miles of constant hiking made us so sore we're STILL limping, our trip to Havasupai was more amazing than we could have ever imagined possible. I only wish we would have stayed longer!

Of course I took millions of pictures... all while climbing over, under and through the most amazing waterfalls I've ever seen. And surprisingly, my equipment survived the journey too!

Here are some pictures I had to share. There are four main waterfalls, and I was lucky enough to photograph them all :) I'll probably post more pics in the future, because I haven't even finished editing yet. This place is a photographer's dream!

My first picture is of Beaver Falls. They're located the furthest from the hilltop trail head, but are definitely worth the 14 mile trek! We swam an entire afternoon here, and even jumped off one of the cliffs :)

This picture is of Mooney Falls, but could never do it justice. These falls are more than 200 feet high, and more majestic than words or photography could ever convey.

Here is Havasu Falls, which plunges about 100 feet into beautiful blue green water. Havasu is probably the most popular because of it's spectacular beauty and it's ease of accessibility.

And last but not least is Navajo Falls which are over 75 feet high. The pools around these falls make some of the greatest swimming holes!

Here I am playing on a rope swing in one of the thousands of pools. This place is breathtaking, and will totally bring out your inner child!

Here we are at the base of Mooney Falls. How romantic, lol!

This trip was fantastic, and I would recommend it to anyone. Even if you're not into backpacking, you can still get there by horse or even helicopter. Everyone should see this place! Needless to say, we plan to return regularly :)

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Texture"

2008-05-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

I spotted this flower a few days ago while my toddler was riding her bike, and I immediately wanted to photograph it for our texture challenge. Luckily I had my camera around my neck :)

I love the texture of flower petals!

Here's Monica's pic, can you figure out what it is? Very cool :)

And our challenge for this week is:

"Water"

By the way... anyone is still welcome to join in on the fun! It's a great way to challenge yourself to keep taking pictures, and learn more about photography :)

Havasupai Waterfalls... here we come!

2008-05-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my husband and I leave for our Grand Canyon backpacking trip! I am SO excited, I can't even contain myself!! We start hiking first thing Tuesday morning into what looks like one of the most beautiful places on earth. I can't wait to see it for myself. And yes I am bringing a camera... my little Rebel XTi :) So hopefully I'll get some amazing shots like the one I found on the National Park Society website. Take a peek... it's amazing!

And just to make you all jealous, here's something I recently read at www.pygmyguides.com:

"Havasu Falls is without question one of the most amazing places on earth. “Havasupai” means “people of the blue green water”, and this natural wonder is the sacred home of many of the Havasupai people. This hike begins at Hualapai Hilltop, making a 10 mile descent through Hualapai Canyon and Havasu Canyon, pass Supai Village to the campground. From here, we access world renown Mooney and Havasu Falls. These spectacular turquoise waterfalls drop into cool travertine pools making some of the world’s best swimming holes."

Weekly Photo Challenge - "Reflection"

2008-05-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

So I HAD a plan...

You see, I've heard there are some really neat waterfalls and ponds up in Red Rock Canyon. My "plan" was to get some reflection pictures off the water, and do some exploring while I was at it :) Well... I procrastinated so today was my last chance!

After nap time was over, I packed up my girls and we headed for the hills. Daddy was at work so unfortunately he couldn't join us on this adventure :( With a baby in my front pack, water and goodies in my back pack, my enormous camera around my neck and my toddler at my side... I must have been quite the sight! People probably figured I must be crazy, and about halfway up I knew they were right.

Taking into consideration my precious cargo, I realized the hike was too treacherous for today and therefore not worth the pictures, "BUST!" (as my friend Kate would say, lol). Eventually my brain turned on and we headed back to safety :) Thank goodness for moments of sanity, right!

Luckily I got back to my car before the sun disappeared and scrambled to get a handful of pictures of the mountains reflecting through my driver's side mirror, lol! Here's my fav:

And here's Monica's pic! The colors from the bubbles are pretty sweet! It really is a fun picture to look at :)

So I'm totally loving this photo challenge thing! Without it I wouldn't have any motivation to attempt these ridiculous ideas in my head :)

On that note I'd like to announce our new challenge for this week:

"Texture"

More Families!

2008-05-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's been so great to photograph more families lately! Yesterday this beautiful family let me capture their little moments of joy while they played together at the park. It was truly adorable :) What a fun job I have!

Weekly Photo Challenge "Silhouette"

2008-04-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

Here's my pic from one of our Red Rock climbing trips this week.

And Monica got this awesome shot of her brother. Makes me want to buy an ATV!

And our challenge for this week is:

"Reflections"

Can I just say it... this is so much fun!

Double Trouble :)

2008-04-24T23:38:00.001-07:00

Little boys are so active, I love them to pieces! This family shoot was as cute as ever. Between little E. demonstrating his mad ninja skills and baby S. trying to dive into the pond, we had our hands full... and it was a pure blast!! I had a great time, and I think we got some really cute pics :) Here's a small selection from the day.

Snips, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails!

2008-04-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Little C. is the most adorable little guy ever! He might have been super shy at first, but after awhile he could've cared less that I was chasing him around with my enormous camera. What a trooper! Here are a few of my favs from our "playtime" photo shoot :)

Weekly Photo Challenge "Contrast"

2008-04-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Here's mine: This is an old chest my husband keeps his biking gear in. I love the contrast created by the paint chipping away :)

And here's Monica's, shot at the Valley of Fire. Awesome contrast between the rocks and the blue sky!

And our challenge for this week is:

"Silhouette"

First baby!

2008-04-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Shooting this couple was so fun! We were able to head up to Red Rock for our photo shoot, and except for a little wind it was a gorgeous day. They are SO excited for their first baby to join their family next month. I couldn't be more honored to capture this beautiful time in their lives :) Stay tuned for some newborn pics of the little guy shortly!

Weekly Photo Challenge "Panning"

2008-04-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

This was a fun one! Here's my panning shot of a mutton busting ride at the fair, lol :)

Monica got her shot at the fair too. Great minds think alike I guess, lol :) I love all the color!

And our challenge for this week is:

"Contrast"

Too cute for words

2008-04-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

This little girl just captivated me! Not only does she have those gorgeous curls, but tons of spunk and energy... she was a blast to photograph! It was so hard choosing just a few to display :)

And I just had to get one of her adorable baby brother too! He waited so patiently while his big sis had her photo shoot :)

Greg and Lindsay

2008-04-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I photographed Greg and Lindsay's wedding at Sunset Gardens. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and there couldn't be a couple more in love than these two! Thank you all for letting me share your day. I had such a great time :)

Weekly Photo Challenge "Around the House"

2008-04-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here's my "around the house" pic :) With two little girls, this definitely represents what you'll see around my house. Pink, pink and more pink!

Here's Monica's pic... an end to a stressful week, lol :)

And our challenge for this week is:

"Panning"

Very first Family!

2008-04-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well I should say my first family session as "Red Rock Studios" :) Families are so fun to photograph. It always gives me the chance to make a complete fool of myself! Today was non stop peek a boo... and I even performed a monkey dance, lol. You all should be bummed that you missed my show :) But these pictures turned out beautiful, despite my lack of monkey impersonation skills. Take a peek!

Just gorgeous...

2008-04-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Little girls are so much fun! These two sisters made my day :) The light was fantastic and the girls were so silly and sweet. I couldn't have had a better time!

Day at the park :)

2008-04-01T15:30:00.001-07:00

I had so much fun at the park with these two little ones! It took some time for baby S. to adjust to all of the lush green grass, but despite how much it does tickle... she seemed to eventually appreciated it :) On days like these, I almost feel like I could be 3 years old again!

Photography challenge!

2008-03-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Monica recently agreed to participate in a weekly photography challenge with me. I've been wanting to start one up, and I'm so glad she's willing to join in on the fun! Reminds me of my college days...

Challenge for week 1:

"Around the house"

We'll be posting our pictures every Sunday, so check back! By the way... if anyone wants to join us, just post a link in the comment section and we'll check out your pictures too :)

ABC album

2008-03-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

ABC albums are the cutest thing ever! If you haven't seen one, they're 26 page full bleed custom designed photo albums for children. Each page is themed by a letter, with a corresponding word. These are amazing little treasures!

Here's a sneak peak of a book I'm working on right now:

Wedding bliss

2008-03-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I photographed this beautiful couple. They were soo excited to be getting married! I think giddy is probably the best word to describe these two. It reminded me of how I felt on my wedding day :) I love being a photographer!

Now that I'm working for myself, I've been investing time in really learning photoshop and creating my own "actions". For any of you that know the capabilities of photoshop, you'll also know that learning it is a lifelong endeavor! I can't begin to say how much I love photoshop... but it can be addicting :) Let me know what you think of the actions I created and used on these photos. I've named them accordingly: bw, sepia, vignette, sloppy borders, hand tint, and color pop. Fun stuff!

California beaches... it doesn't get much better

2008-03-22T22:11:00.001-07:00

My family and I just got back from an amazing mini vacation. We spent a few days playing in southern California, most of our time being spent at the beach.

If you haven't made a trip to the beach in awhile, just do it... you won't regret that you did.

This was the view from our hotel the first night. The beach was quiet and serene that evening. It was so relaxing!

I just love California. Flowers grow everywhere! These ones were growing along the path to the beach from our room. What a picturesque place :)

Now it's time to get back to work! I'm so excited for all the upcoming shoots I have scheduled :)

Angel baby

2008-03-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

This little one is truly an angel baby. Not even three weeks old yet and he's sleeping through the night. Lucky mom! But... throughout our photo shoot he was wide awake, curious about the world surrounding him :) He is the sweetest little guy!

Two little princesses

2008-03-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

These little girls were so much fun to photograph! Aren't they precious?! And I must say, I absolutely love little N's hair. Those curls are adorable :)

Ken and Heather

2008-03-08T22:58:00.000-08:00

Today I photographed Ken and Heather at Red Rock Canyon (yes, my fav!). The photo shoot went fantastic! They are the cutest couple ever and have such an amazing zest for life. Personally, I think the pictures make it obvious how madly in love these two are :) Thanx for an amazing afternoon you guys!

Eric and Karla

2008-03-01T11:43:00.001-08:00

Last night I was lucky enough to spend part of my evening with Eric and Karla. They flew in from LA to have a private wedding ceremony at the Wynn. Very romantic ;) After their ceremony I took them to the Bellagio for a photo shoot. They were an amazing couple, and madly in love!

It's about time!

2008-02-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to start MY own photography business! After years and years of working for someone else, I'm finally ready to do my own thing :)

Here's are my two new business cards: