Pre-Dawn in Reno

I don't really have a lot to say about this photo.  It was early. Really early.  My darling boy was awake, so I decided to try and squeeze in a photo before we started our day.

It took about a half dozen shots to get this one, and I'm glad I captured it before the last star of the night faded into daytime. We were on the 24th floor of Harrah's in downtown Reno, NV and I seized the opportunity.





Nothing major, just a nice, peaceful image before the streets began to bustle with us city slickers looking for our coffee fix...

The Stork is Coming!

No, he will not be stopping at my house anytime soon, but he will be stopping off at the Mendoza residence in April to drop Titus off in his beautiful nursery.

I was privileged to be the photographer for a high school friend, Amber, and her wonderful group of friends and family at the baby shower prior to the stork's arrival.

Normally, I get kind of clammy and uptight when I'm going someplace by myself and even more so when I think I won't know anyone at the event.  This time, though, I didn't feel that way one bit.

I felt welcome and comfortable, included and grateful, appreciative and peaceful.  The host, the guest of honor, and the entire group in attendance made for a lovely atmosphere full of excitement, motherly advice, and love.

Hopefully I get to spend some more time with the folks I met at the shower for Titus.  I really did enjoy the ride that was my first baby shower as the photographer.  This is what it looked like:

You Get What You Give

Not too long ago, I was asked to be a co-organizer of the MeetUp Group I belong to.  Needless to say, I was more than flattered, given my minimal experience with photography, lighting and the like.  I decided this would be a great opportunity to help out with what my skills allow me to and get my hands dirty, so to speak.

On Tuesday night, I taught a class on exposure basics and it was a highly rewarding experience.  So rewarding, in fact, that I've scheduled another class for March 12th to discuss proper composition.

If you've never taught anything before, try it.  You'll be amazed by how much you learn in the process.

Sorry there aren't any photos from this session since I was teaching.  I'll double up on the next post, I promise!

LadyD Photography Gets a Logo

I've been fiddling with the idea of a logo for some time now, but I couldn't figure out how to create one that didn't look like a sticker or a bad cut/paste job with a cool design and a big. ugly. white. background.

Enter: iPad and the Brushes app.  I drew something up that I liked and then emailed it to myself in a .png file.  Then, I opened up that file on my computer in Publisher to add some text and voila! A logo is born!  I'm excited to have a new logo that will double as a watermark for my images.

Its a lot less boring and generic because, well, I drew it.  There is no magical LadyD font.  If there was, I suppose it would be called "Samantha Hand".

Without further adieu, I present my new logo!

Snow!

Being from the Bay Area, snow is not something I encounter on a day-to-day basis in the winter. I'm lucky if I make it to Lake Tahoe once a year to see the snow.

This year, we took our son for Boy Meets Snow.  It was absolutely thrilling.  I think my favorite part of being a parent is getting to see someone experience things for the first time, hence, the importance behind my "Boy Meets" album.

What I wasn't prepared for was the challenge of photographing in the snow.  I actually thought my camera was malfunctioning due to the cold, but it turns out I had left it on a 2 second delay from my night photography the previous evening.  Doh!

Here's what I came up with. With my minimal snow experience, I am pleased with the outcome.

Watch out for sharks!

My parents are fortunate enough to have a tournament size billiards table in their home and let me tell you, the kids LOVE it! I mean, what child can resist balls and sticks, right?

My little boy is no exception.  He loves his time in the pool room with his Papa.  I snuck into the pool room with my son a few days ago and snapped these photos.










Luckily, my Dad isn't the "internet type", so there's no chance this will ruin his birthday surprise.  I'm going to have one or two of these printed and framed for him to display proudly every time his friends come over.

Love pool or hate it, these sure do warm my heart.

Rant Alert: Giving My Art as a Gift

Recently I gave someone one of my photos as a gift. 

I love the photo.  

It is my most favorite photo that I have taken to date, so I decided it needed special treatment.

I had it printed by a professional-grade shop on special metallic paper, in a large, custom panoramic size, and had a mat custom cut for a nice frame.  When I presented the photo to it's recipient, I received a rather lackluster response.

I suppose it goes without saying that it hurt my feelings.  I had worked hard and put my heart into loving and nurturing that photo every step of the process, from capture, to post processing, to printing, to framing.  I put hours into that one photograph.

I guess I should not expect everyone to appreciate photographs as much as I do. I do my best not to be resentful of the recipient because to them it's just another photo. I just don't have the heart to tell them everything that went into creating "just a photo" for them and the way I felt when it wasn't received as I anticipated.

To me, it was so much more special than I could communicate.

I've decided to have a print made for my own home, where it will be displayed prominently for all to enjoy.  

Thanks for taking the time to share my little hurt.  Be mindful next time someone gives you something they made, whether it be a photo, a painting, or a matching crocheted hat & scarf. Even if it's not your color, they went out of their way to make it for you.  Smile and be grateful, it will go a long, long way.