It Has Been Too Long!!!

I have decided that it has been way too long since I have posted anything new. Life in my neck of the woods has been crazy...some good, some bad, but all worth every experience.

It will be my goal this year to improve my craft and to keep current with my clients and my world of photography. I hope to offer more promotions, more skills training to future photographers and to overall, offer a better product.

Check back soon, as I will be posting new stuff as it comes up...hopefully I'll have something new to share every week.

Temecula Summer Bazaar & Bubble Gum Photo Contest

 So we did our first local vendor fair in Temecula this past weekend.  We were super un-prepared, but managed to throw it all together the night before the event.  Luckily we had enough great stuff to show off and the day was a huge success!!!

When we got there we found our specified spot...Unfortunately it was the worst location imaginable!  Our booth was behind the row of vendors that lined the sidewalk.  So, we had vendors between us and the visitors and to the side of us was a big bolder and a nice big hedge.  If we were going to get any passer-bys...It would be a miracle!  We stayed positive though.  At least this would be a learning experience on how these things work...Right!?! We figured out pretty quickly that we would need to be super creative if this was going to be worth our time at all, especially where we were situated!

 

Anyway, we set up our booth...Not too shabby for being so last minute, Right!  After about a 1/2 hour or so I began walking around trying to drum up some excitement for the hidden Adore Photography booth in the back row...all by our lonesome :(  While wondering, I actually ran into the vendor that got stuck in that very spot the past year.  She told me that we needed to see if there were any other open locations, because this one would surely be bad news!  She hadn't had one visitor come by last year and she had all kinds of frilly-frilly, brightly colored tu-tus to draw people's attention.  I took her advice and found us a new location.  The people running the event were happy to allow us to move and even helped us to get our tent, tables and all of our goodies moved over.  Fantastic People we have in Temecula!!!  I love our town!!!  Anyhow, we had to bustle and get things rearranged since the event was already in full swing, but we did so fairly quickly.  Our new booth neighbors were all fantastic and we made friends that we will surely keep for years to come! 

So, one of our promotions that we started at this event, was a Bubble Gum Photo Contest.  Our idea was to get new visitors to our website so they can see what we do and hopefully spread the word so we can do more of what we love so much! 

We asked people to chew gum and blow bubbles...if they could or do something else with it if they couldn't.  We took their picture and posted them to our website where they can send friends and family to vote.  The person with the most votes wins a Free 1 hour photo session with us.  I can hardly wait to see who it might be!  Anyone can vote, the only real rule is that there is only one vote allowed per person.  Easy and totally FUN!!! 

We had miniature bubbles, huge bubbles and even bubbles inside of other bubbles.  We had kids trying to learn how to make bubbles and getting all sticky that ended up finding out that stretching gum way out was even more delightful then bubble making in the first place.  One person even tried so hard to blow a quick big bubble, that the gum went hurling out of her mouth onto the ground in front of us...We laughed a lot!  What a fun day!!!  I have no idea what we can come up with for the next promotion because this was a blast and will be hard to top!

Anyway, if you haven't already, stop by our site www.AdorePhotography.us and place your vote! Just go to the Client Proofs page, click on the Bubble Gum Contest gallery then type the name of the person that you want to vote for and "Vote" in the comments section.

Thanks for visiting!

I Get To Have Fun Every Day!

How many people do you know get to have fun every day?  Although I've been really busy these last few months and I'm beyond exhausted...I am really loving life and what I've been up to.  Tonight I was honored to photograph a Christmas party with a bunch of kids.  Many of them have special needs (they are a group of kids with Down Syndrome and their families), and they all had special little personalities!  I fell in love with each and every one of them and hope to see them all again. 

The night was filled with fun for them. They got to make dough-art ornaments and reigndeer candy canes. They each got a new Christmas headband and candycane bracelet. They played with toys and their friends and to top it all off, Santa came with a bag full of gifts! What a fun, fun night! And what a wonderful group of families!

Carl

Okay, so I had a cancellation tonight, that made it possible for me to squeeze in a very special client...who was named after ME!!! 

Okay, not really! Carl is his middle name and he was named after some other very special people in his family. But, when his mommy was pregnant, I told her that she should name him Carl...After Me so that is what I'll always call him! Anyway, his mommy and I have been very close since we were his age. We're cousins. So this was a lot of fun tonight.

It has been way to long since we've seen each other, especially since we were spending just about every day together a couple of years ago. I love when I get to play (take pictures) with such a special little man and my cuzzie! We had a blast!

By the way, if youy need to know anything about Star Wars...He could tell you!

Fashion Diva

Today I had a totally fun shoot. Now this girl is amazing!  She can pull off just about any look and she has absolutely no modeling experience. Wow!!! Ali is a hair stylist in town whom my Mama has been dying to take pictures of, but was too chicken to ask...So, I did. Anyway, I'm so happy she agreed. These are just some of the shots from the day.  We had so much fun!!!

A Beautiful Little Angel

Little Lexi Michelle was born two months too early, and although she was a fighter, she had to leave our world and go on to be in Heaven.  Now, I normally wouldn't post about a friend's sad and very personal moment on my photography blog, but for some reason I just wanted this beautiful  little girl's picture to be here. 

When her mommy was pregnant we planned on taking maternity photos.  We didn't get that chance because Lexi was born so early.  Our plan then changed to take newborn pictures, but her little life ended too quickly.  I am sad that we didn't get that chance and that we never met.  I would have loved to have taken those first photos and those of her first steps and her first birthday and that one of her giving her mommy a big fat slobbery kiss.  I wish that my friend (Lexi's Grandma) and her daughters (Lexi's Mommy and Aunt) and the rest of her family, had the chance to run and play with her.  I don't know why this happens.  I wish it didn't have to!  I may never understand why her life was cut so short, but for some reason it was her time to go.  God must have needed a beautiful little angel for something. 

Please keep her family in your prayers.

I will remember her always!

Hand Coloring Like Mom Use To Do...
Kinda, Sorta!

So when I was a kid, my mom was into photography. She had a darkroom in our house and everything. Funny thing is that I was never interested in the picture taking part of it all. That didn't come until a few years ago. Anyway, I do remember my mom developing black and white photos and then hand coloring them. I always thought they were so cool! Now, I get to do the same thing, kind of. It's a little less messy these days with digital, but have a similar outcome.  And so much fun too!

 Top 5 reasons why I love shooting weddings...

#1 Watching a Bride and Groom see one another for the first time on the day of the wedding is the BEST part of the whole entire day!  BEST PART! BEST!!!

#2 Spending time getting to know all of the special family & friends that attend the wedding.

#3 Enjoying all of the funny moments that happen during a ceremony...like the minister's cell phone ringing during the exchange of rings (good thing the minister was the Bride's brother).

 #4 All of the fun times that go on at the party! 

#5 And of course...Taking Pictures of it all!!! 

 Life is good!  Who wouldn't want to be a wedding photographer!?!

Back to Back Shoots

I normally don't do back to back shoots because I want to make sure to have plenty of extra time with my clients, but today was different.  I've been so busy and had to schedule two sessions, one right after the other.  Luckily it worked out great and I had plenty of time with both sessions.  The best part was that the  two sessions were completely different.  

I met the first family at a little hidden park that I love.  It was so much fun.  I got to run around after a little guy, his dog and his family.  We played in the leaves and roamed through the woods.  A perfect adventure for a Saturday afternoon.  After that, I headed to a local burnt out schoolhouse that us photographers all love to frequent.  It was nice that there were only three of us photogs there today.  Sometimes it gets rather crazy and full of photographers & their clients, especially on a Saturday.  Anyway, my second client was a couple of fun High School seniors.  They were so great to photograph.  Two gorgeous young people that knew how to work the camera.  The best part was having a little mini fashion show, America's Next Top Model Style.  I let the two create their own poses and we all laughed and had a great time.  It was a super fun day!  

Another Beautiful Family 

I was lucky enough to take photos of a great little family yesterday.  These girls were so full of energy.  Their parents worried that they might not slow down long enough to get any nice photos.  Well, they were right in that they didn't slow down, but lucky for me, I have a fast camera.  It was so much fun!  

   

I'm not sure, but I think kids are my favorite subjects to photograph. They are so unpredictable and still uninhibited. When you just let them be who they are, the pictures turn out amazing!