Meet Baby C.

What's better than a mama in love?

This... is perfect.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of doing a maternity session with Rachea... 13 days after his arrival into this world, I had the chance to photograph him. 

Sibling love starts early.  Love the processing here, and love Ms. C's spattering of freckles.

New babies are so sweet, so helpless, squishy, cute... and love.  Really, in a word, its love.  I love me some new baby... Its so important to get pictures when they are this tiny, because time literally passes in the blink of an eye.

Defnitely one of my favorites of the session... Can you believe how strong he is? Just 13 days old.

Today @ White Park I was able to get a couple of really great images of this new, beautiful addition to our world. 

I love baby toes... They are just so sweet, and tiny. 

a beautiful mama

I think maternity and newborn may be my favorite sessions to shoot.  I mean, I love them all, but these are just special to me.  I met Rachea sometime last year, along with her husband and daughter.  We shot a family session @ Fairmount Park in Riverside... Since then, I have taken her maternity pictures, and now her newborn photos! I love return customers!!

Rachea, thank you for having one of the most adorable, perfect basketball belly, ever.  And most of all, thank you for sharing with me.

love this image...

Sweet big sister

simply sweet

The boys!

Seriously... I look at the calendar and am just in awe that its already the end of July.  Where has summer gone? My kids will start back in about a month.  I know that seems like a while, but if you know me, you know that I am super duper attatched to my kids... This year, back to school will be particulary hard.  All three of my littles will be in school, and its my baby's first year!

Yesterday was a pretty mild weather day, especially for being summer & Riverside.  Instead of being cooped up in the house, I decided to take my boys downtown for a little mini photo session.  These are a few of my superfavoriteloveshots of the session.

Here is my little tough guy, Johnny.  He looks so grown up, and ahem, if I do say so myself so BUFF! Now, really, its probably because he is holding his arms that way, but he really likes this image of himself- cause he's got "ninja muscles" Maybe this is the photo that I could use for his Senior page, when the time comes?

Again, the crazy lady laying on the ground to get this shot in front of City Hall.  I love the angle here, and the lighting was really good, too! I love how soft (without being washed out) this image feels.  His eyes are perfect!

Jace hamming it up in the alley.  One of the many cool alleys I found to peruse while walking in Downtown.
 

This was taken right outside of City Hall, there are a lot of fountains that just called out to my boys.  I love this image for so many reasons... I love the reflection of light to his face off the water most of all.

Johnny & Jace can't keep a straight face for anything!!! I had them sit down in front of City Hall for this shot.  I am sure patrons doing business wondered what this mad woman with a camera was doing laying down to get this shot.  Oh well, I say WORTH IT!

Represent!

This is a symbol of my homwtown... I love this picture for some reason!

Riverside Raincross

Logo design...

Graphic design has always interested me... I see things (I like to think) in a different way... I started making baby shower cards, birthday invites, and announcements for fun, about 5 years ago with a small, very basic scrapbooking type of program. Later, I moved on to Photoshop- and while I still LOVVVVE me a good PS session, I have moved on to designing in a program called Illustrator. Have you heard of this super rad, super powerful, a little intimidating program?? I have just barely gotten my brain to wrap around what it can do, but I do realize that its the tip of the iceberg, so to speak- and am excited at the possibilities that it holds.


Oh, and btw, if you hear about a logomakers anon forum, club, support group... let me know?

Here are a few of my recent favorites, and links to some awesome mama run businesses...

My favorite friend I have never met... I have know Stephanie over at Studio J for about 5 years now... One day we will meet in person, but she's a mini me on the other side of the country.  She rocks my socks! Fan her, she's sure to rock your socks, too.

Have you seen this mama's work? Her pictures often leave me with a smile on my face, and the feeling of wanting to see more.  I am lucky to call Anne-Michelle my friend... She's a constant source of inspiration and goodness to me!!

Tweens are fun...

Had a super fun tween shoot last week.  A beautiful super star in the making.  Miss N wants to be an actress, model & singer.  Working with Kevin Kidder on this shoot, we were able to capture a pretty dynamic range of images.  Here are are my favorites.

Love the attitude... I know some only like the smile pictures, but I am a fan of fab attitude...!

Not sure why I love this one SO much, but I def. do.  Have you ever noticed I like to steal moments, so to speak?? She def wasn't turned on for this shot, but I love it regardless.

Some images are born to be black and white.

Loved this one, too.  I wonder what she was thinking, her expression is priceless.

My most favorite capture of the day... I love her eyes here, and the post processing makes this picture pop.

Thank you Miss N and mama S for a fun day in downtown... Thanks Kevin for asking me along on this shoot, and as always for being a constant source of inspiration. 

On a personal note...

So if you know me at all, you would know that recently I lost 45 pounds... Sometime after Christmas and before New Years, I got sick of complaining, and decided it was the time for action... I had a little money left over from Holiday photo shoots, and thought that I should reward myself.  I went to Kmart (yea, its kind of ghetto, but EXTREMELY close) and bought the Wii Fit Plus.  Best.Best.Best $100.00 I have ever (well maybe not ever, ever, but close) spent. 

I started working out with the Wii Fit everyday.  My goal was to burn 500 extra calories a day.  I did really good.... Skateboarding arena is my favorite.  Bet I could totally beat you, too!! In addition to the Wii Fit exercises, I was also coaching and managing my two son's baseball teams, and eating right.  Its amazing what you give your body, you get from your body...

45 pounds is a lot of weight to lose- and to be honest when I started I didn't realize I had that much to lose.  I thought 20 pounds would totally makeover my body... For the first time since my driver's license was issued, my weight is a lie... but for the UNDER reason.  I had always had a little extra weight after my first daughter, and I always lied on my DL weight.  Don't you? LOL! Well, currently, my weight is listed at 150- and I know I was about 170-175 when it was issued.  At that time, I still thought 150 was a good weight... ha! Pull me over now... (no, really, don't).

Wii Fit is a good starting point for anyone wanting to do something about their body.  The key is really what they say... staying active and eating right.  I don't know if I eat right, so to speak, but I do try to be aware of what I am eating, and when.  Its working for me... I still eat sweets, I still drink soda, and eat carbs.  I don't deny myself, I just try to balance it...

After the Wii Fit lost its shine, I went and got the Wii Active... Highly reccommend it too! Its a WHOLE new set of activities, and 30 day challenges... It can really get your heart rate up, and help to burn more calories.... Over the summer, I stopped working out as much, but I still maintained my weight.... While I am happy with my current weight- I am not super happy with my current body.... Think Nat Geo cover... think me... Yea, lots of extra.... fluffytypesaggyskinandstuff.  What's next in the transformation?

KETTLEBELLS! I tried the P90x- and let me tell you... THAT ISN'T FOR WIMPS (...or me).  Wooo... super hard work outs on that program.  I haven't given up on completing a cycle- but instead, decided to try KettleBells.  Have you heard of these? Wow, the workouts are only 20 minutes, but super challenging and I can definitely FEEL the burn.  Today was the second of the workouts.  Glad I did it...:) I might be inspired to take a before/after pic...Oh, but that is scary! No one should have to view that... If I did- I will def. equip the picture with a warning.

Have a great day, all two of you! :P

The bliss of Ever....

I have shopped at the same Stater Brothers since I moved to Riverside... Now its familiar, I know most of the employees.  About two years ago, there was a beautiful girl working there.  I don't know if you are like me in a sense, or maybe this is just a me thing... but I knew that she was rad.  Her name was Ashley... We got to know each other a tiny bit, would spend time together on her breaks, and I began to realize what a truly phenomenal woman she was... then, as fate would have it, she moved to Arizona.  Staters hasn't been the same since.... During her stay in Arizona, we kept in touch via Facebook (you know that place I live sometimes?) and she's since moved back home! Yay!! And double yay, she's beautifully pregnant with her fifth baby, and her only girl, Ever.  I was so happy to be able to take picutures of her, her man, and her adorable baby (belly), Ever. 

There is nothing more romantic and sweet, then the love in a daddy's eyes.  You can tell this man lives and breathes for his family, and I am sure as most men aren't, he isn't perfect- but I know he and Ashley are very much in love with each other, with their sons, and with their daughter.  I was shocked at how his eyes were translated in this picture.

He was such a good sport... Here is a triptych (Thanks CoffeeShop Blog) of a sweet series.... I had the idea to do this three set when I was taking these, and I think they came out just like I saw it in my head... Ash was just silly when it came to picking out the right color lipstick for her hubs... Lipstick applied, kiss(hollllld)kiss, and voila.  Ever's first kiss.

Again, another silly fun pose for these love birds... He's measuring her tummy, and she was just laughing, literally out loud. These are the shots I love to capture... She couldn't help it, and the emotion is just so real and true.  It comes together for a special image.

I have done photo's similar to this in other maternity sessions, but this composition has got to be one of my favorites.  Its Ever's 4D ultra sound, and her kicking back in the belly  behind. 

I told you she was beautiful... I love this image, and black and white was def the way to go.  I told her to bring her hubs guitar.  I loveLOVElove how the shape of the guitar mimics the shape of her belly! Her hubs is a great guitar player, and Ever is sure to get lots of lullabies.  Ash, you are one rockin' mama!

One of the last images of the day, love the capture.

And last, but not least, my most favorite (I think) of the series... Its just a simply beautiful shot. 

Thank you Ashley, Nate & Ever for a super fun maternity session.  I can't wait to meet your daughter.

This picture makes me smile, oh wait, this one too...

So for the second time in baby C's life, he got the opportunity to meet me.  That kid is cute... but what's even cuter? His parents! Wow, I was teasing them about how affectionate they were.  I hope they didn't take it the wrong way, but they were so in love with each other, its like his heart skipped a beat every time he looked at her.  Just a super sweet couple, with an adorable, very well loved son.  Here are a few previews of my personal faves from the session...

They were picture perfect... This session was done in Riverside, near the Norco border... For some reason, the Channel Seven News was there.  It was pretty odd to see a news van in the middle of the dusty parking lot! All in all a really cool location...

Love this image.... Its similar to one I took in a newborn session with this family... I think this could be our signature pose! Cute! He was just peeking through, and I happened to catch a great "what are you looking at?" expression.

Ahhh... I don't know what to say about this image- but for some reason, for me, its an exhaling kind of picture.  I really love the simplicity, the naturalness of it.  Its as if I stole a moment... This shot inspires me to take it to the next level with this same kind of shot.. Just thinking out loud here, but yes... this image makes me smile, too.

On today's to do list...

Wow, its already past four, and NOW I have decided to do what is on my to do list... smart, right? Well, I have to go to the bank, clean up the house, go pick up something off Craigslist for my mom, then go return the 25 pound kettleball for a ten pound one, come home, make dinner, and put the clothes away.  This can all be done before six, right?

Talk about a neglected blog...

If I am going to be successful at this blogging thing, I think I need to imagine two people sitting around in their pajamas, while battling unruly children fighting about who is going to tell on who first for talking to the King of Flopshwies, and enjoying a cuppa coffee with their favorite yummy (overpriced & bad for you) coffee creamer and reading my blog.  I think the blog in order to thrive... has to change.  You see my pictures on Facebook, but for a more personal look inside my head (I highly recommend calling Hazmat, or perhaps if you are cheap,ahem,frugal like me, you could always cover your air passages with your tee shirt, a SARS mask, hell, even a coffee filter will work)... So... lets get to it.  My blog will not only be a place for pictures and logos, and stuff I create... it will be for what makes me really me... the idle ramblings of Donella. 


Now, where did I put that muse?