Leah-Another sexy photog session

There's something to be said about photographing another photographer. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I know I love doing it.

This is my darling friend Leah who is also a photographer in Tucson, AZ.
She came up to Phoenix yesterday for a workshop but stopped in for a little while to say hello and do a boudoir session we've planned for a month. These were done as an anniversary present for her husband. :)
Done all in natural light in my bedroom and in living room....you'd be surprised how much light you get from opening the front door. As for my bedroom, it's turned into a studio the last couple of months for boudoir/glamour sessions, haha, and I'm loving the light in there. Who knew?

I love Leah's tattoos! She's beautiful, she's hilarious and she's a blast to be around! Wish you lived closer girl! xo

Paris baby...

We went to the city of lights (and home of croissants!)2 years ago. Why am I posting these now? Well I wanted to put up a new canvas in the house and went back to some of my travel photos. Secondly I wasn't blogging then, so I want to share these on here. Hey, better late than never, right?
I think I'm putting up the first Eiffel image on canvas. I have been able to sell some of this image as wall portraits. Ahhh, I love tour d'eiffel! ;)

We went with friends the summer of 2006 to Paris, Prague, and all over Austria. I'll share the pictures in three separate posts. Although it had been the second time to Paris, I still could not get over the beauty and picture opportunities and was like a kid in a candy store the whole time. You could only imagine!

The blog banner: getting use to it. ;) Hey I paid alot to get these photos!














I would give my right kidney in exchange for a seat at this table right now. Like right this minute.








The Absinthe Bar.



City of Paris from atop the Eiffel Tower































It was the soccer tournament where France and Italy were playing for the World Cup.
I loved the culture and spirit in the air.







Let me explain: We are in a bar and they're playing the game on the screen inside.
The managers locked the doors and let no one else inside since tables were full
and they didn't want too much rioting or anything of some sort. People were anxious
to peek and see the score. I like the reflection in this image.





















Needless to say, Italy won.

TAG

Renea, I'm doing this because I like you. ;) One of my online friends tagged me so I'm passing along the goods.

The rules are:

• 1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
• 2. Each player answer the questions about themselves.
• 3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago: 1998. I was working downtown as an IT recruiting assistant at Sprint Paranet. I really loved everything about my job except my boss. Short man syndrome.

Five things on my To Do List today:

1. Meet with client at lunchtime to give their order
   
2. Put organization sheet together for women's shelter project
   
3. Edit client glamour photos
   
4. Commercial job at 6pm
   
5. Mail out pending photos
   

Snacks I enjoy: Almonds, carrot juice, chocolate

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: First, I'd make sure my family was taken care of for life.
I'd be generous with charity programs that I believe strongly in. I'd have homes in other countries because of my love for travel.

Three of my bad habits: Procrastination, too much time on the computer, potty mouth.
I have more but I'm not telling you. :)

Five places I have lived: Chicago, Highland Park, Schaumburg, Tinley Park (all in IL) and then Glendale, AZ.

Five jobs I’ve had (in order): My first job was the cologne girl at the mens fragrance counter inside Robinsons May. I met my husband there. I impressed him with my impeccable customer service. HAHAHA!

Property management leasing consultant, recruiting assistant, IT recruiter, photographer.

People I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):

1-Carrie Perez

2-Rachel Brooke

3-J. Urbin

4-Dave Baxter

5-Kymberli Q.

Your turn!

So I decided to try ballroom dancing for a few weeks

....and I love it!

Really I don't like "excersizing." (Did I even spell excersizing right?) I don't mind hiking in the mornings with my friend, but it's way HOT out now. The gym is not my friend. Probably will never be either.

So, I signed up for dancing classes with my girlfriend which I thought would be fun and at the same time would help burn off some calories. My friend backed out and I decided to stay. I wanted to do something for ME. Something other than photography. People have asked me why my husband won't do it. Well because he won't. What can I say? I've joked around teasing him about me being out at salsa clubs dancing without him and he just glares at me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

My dance teacher, Alexander (Sasha for short) is from Russia and is extremely patient and kind. He's been teaching dance for 15 years and just came to the United States a year ago and is teaching here now. I get frustrated with myself when I miss the same step 2000 times but he doesn't get frustrated with me. Overall, he says I pick up pretty quickly.

Everyone I've met down at the studio is incredibly nice and if you're in AZ and would like to take this up, check out the website. http://www.arrowheadballroom.com/video/index.html

After a few weeks, I now know how to salsa, rumba, fox trot and swing! The basic steps and body postures and some twirly whirlies. Meaning with some music, a shot of vodka, and lots of people around, I will be able to get down on the dance floor.

Oh.
By myself, honey.



(thanks to Nadia from the studio for snapping some pix)

Girlie girls

Meet little Sophia and Amelia. I've photographed them before and think they are just the cutest little things.
On this particular day, Sophia (the older one) didn't really want to cooperate. She kept suggesting that I photograph her at different locations (in the same resort) that she thought would be better for the photographs...haha! So I REALLY love the first one! Hair in face and all, it just captures her personality!













Look at her little eyelashes!

Jason and Natalie's family

Jason and Natalie make some cute kids, let me tell you. I met them last year thru a mutual friend and photographed the family again a few weeks ago. Look at those little blonde boys. They're going to be lady killers in just a short time....mama is going to have her hands full~!

Here are a few:

To me: the glass is half empty today

This might sound a little crazy to you, but I'm sad over a bird losing its life this morning on behalf of my living room window. This will all make sense at the end of this post.

Yes. A quail, I believe.

In my formal living room, there is a big window and over the big window is a clear long horizontal window. I was on the phone when I heard a big thump and realized it might be a bird. The bird must've thought there was no window (the glass isn't that clean) and thought it could fly in. I went outside and it was twitching like it was dying. This is where you'll think I'm either kind or just plain nuts: I petted its head saying "I'm sorry pretty bird, I'm sorry." It opened its beak and took its last breath and then the tummy went down. I've never witnessed an animal taking its last breath like that. The interesting thing to me was that there was another bird in the background that I could hear making a noise....almost like it knew his little friend has passed away.
I think if the neighbors were watching me out there they'd be laughing in a belly roll. It's okay. I never cared for them anyway.

The other thing is I'm afraid to pick it up. Not sure why. So I have to wait till my husband comes home to remove it. I didn't want to call him up now and tell him about the bird. I could just imagine the dead silence on the phone and him thinking "my wife has officially lost it."

Not because he wouldn't care, but because he's got much bigger worries going on. He happens to be in the hospital waiting for his friend to come out of an induced coma. Induced because doctors think if he wakes up and realizes his arm is not functioning, he might go into cardiac arrest. So we're all waiting to see if he can pull out of it.

Good friend Paul got into a car accident 3 nights ago. No one else was hurt. I just got a text from my husband and said it doesn't look good. Mike (my husband) and Paul have the same circle of friends. They play pool together, they work in the same field and they're all funny and immature. So you can imagine how upset and worried everyone is. We found out he had been drinking too. Yes. Sad. Don't drink and drive people. Can't reiterate that enough until it hits close to home.

Your prayers would be appreciated. He is 36 and has 2 young boys.

So this is why I was emotional over that bird taking its last breath in front of me. Almost to say that there is something to come next.

*Update: Paul just took his last breath too.

Serena

Yeah! Another Indian session. I love these types of sessions.

This is Serena and we met the day of the pictures thru a mutual friend.
The purpose of these images is for marketing material and big posters for an expo in Phoenix which will be held in September.

Miss Model-Sara

Firstoff, I want to thank Sara for contacting me thru a modeling site to shoot some new pictures for her port. I can't tell you how much fun we had! She's the kind of person you meet and instantly know that you will be friends with for a long time. Simply beautiful inside and out.

Sara flew in from out of town for some work here and I met up with her and another friend at a resort. I wanted to do some cutting edge/funky stuff and even some textures to express the mood depending on the image. I had so many pictures that I figured it was easier to just start making collages~

This model is no joke, she knows what she's doing. See for yourself:

















































I'm not kidding when I say I get the 'boot' wherever I go lately. Mista Security could not say NO to this picture. ;)