viviZ | Custom Photography

Update: New Blog URL

2009-07-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

Hi! I've been cooking up a new blog (on a veeeeeeery low simmer) for a while now and just recently decided that I shouldn't sit on it any longer. I could easily keep tinkering around with it for a few minutes here and there every night for the next few months, but I'm going to step out of my comfort zone and unveil my new blog even though it's not 100% perfect. Typically, I like all my i's dotted and t's crossed but I'm really working on not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.

From now on, I'll be updating my blog here: http://www.viviZ.net/blog.

For any of you regular readers (there are a few of you out there, right?? :-), please be sure to update your bookmarks and subscriptions. If you are subscribing via an RSS Feed Reader (something like Google Reader, Bloglines, NewsGator, etc., make sure to use the following URL for your rss subscriptions:
www.viviZ.net/blog/?feed=rss2

Head on over: Ready, Set, GO!

Beautiful Babe

2009-07-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

JJ, I loved our "911" emergency photo session today. As always, Miss S was an absolute doll and I enjoyed every minute. I'm just about to send you the link to the full gallery but thought I would also share a little bit of your baby girl's beauty with other blog readers. Let's give them the privilege of seeing her before she's a big and famous supermodel. :-)

I love this series:

Why I Want (and Got) a Point-and-Shoot

2009-06-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Those around me have become pretty accustomed to seeing me with my camera wherever I go. I simply hate the idea of missing a potential shot and as a result, I'm either lugging my big ol' dSLR camera with me or I'm kicking myself when I want to document a moment but have nothing to capture it with.

Even when I carry my big camera -- which due to its space-consuming nature precludes me from carrying cute little purses, darnit! -- I often long for a point-and-shoot in order to get decent images with me actually in front of the camera. A recent example:

My husband and I recently enjoyed a great dinner at Candlelight (great spot, for those of you haven't ventured over there yet) to celebrate my birthday. I really wanted to capture a shot of the two of us there but since I only had a fancy schmancy camera to bring, this was what I got when I asked the server if he would please take a picture of us:

Totally sweet. Great effort. But not so good. Ummmm, I'm sorry, could I trouble you to please try again?

Ok, a little better. But still blurry. I smiled, thanked him, and acted like he just took the best picture ever. And then I resorted to balancing my camera on an upside-down martini shaker (borrowed from the bar) and used the self-timer to capture this shot:

Not perfect, but definitely better. But enough is enough. It took waaaaay too long to capture this one image. If I had just had a point-and-shoot with me, I'm pretty sure I would have been more likely to get a decent pic on the first try. Needless to say, I was very excited when I learned that my husband had bought me a point-and-shoot for my birthday!

The Perfect Ingredients

2009-06-14T01:07:00.000-07:00

I love it when the stars align and all the ingredients required to produce great images show up to a photography session. Today turned out to be one of those days.

What we had to work with:
- Gorgeous Southern California beach (check!)
- Perfectly comfortable weather - say, seventy degrees - not too warm, not too chilly (check!)
- The perfect dose of sunshine - not too bright yet just enough to cast a warm glow through the thin layer of clouds (check!)
- Relaxed, easy-going mom who totally trusted me and was more than willing to follow my lead (check!)
- Awesome, beautiful and fun kids in adorable outfits (double check!)

J, thanks for being such a sport and going along with all of my suggestions for today's session. I had a great time with you and the girls and hope you think this afternoon was time well spent.

Without further adieu, here are a few of my favorite images from today.

Lots of fun playing and digging in the sand:

Here's S trying to weasel some gummy worms out of me. And yes, she got one. Come on, give me a break ... would you be able to say no to this face?

I was fired up when little Miss A donned this tank top towards the end of our session. Some of you know that I had an itty bitty Hello Kitty obsession when I was A's age. (And I mean a serious obsession. We're talking borderline kleptomania issues here. My poor mom would constantly find all sorts of pens, pencils, erasers and the like stored under my bed and would have to hold my hand as I apologized and returned my hoard of treasures to the proper owners. But I swear I've recovered. And no, J, I got your voicemail. I do NOT know where A's Hello Kitty tank top went after our session ... )

Gorgeous!

Before our session, J took the girls to get their hair done by Maria at Classic Kids. Didn't she do an awesome job?

Awwwww, how cute.

And a few of Mom in the mix. I've actually got a great one of the three of you smiling and looking at the camera. But for those of you getting to know me and my style, I tend to prefer the moments where the family members are interacting with each other. I love it when you can see an image and practically hear the laughter between the family members. This series of shots fits that bill so I thought I'd blog 'em. (J, you'll see the other shots in your gallery.)

Back to Regular Programming

2009-04-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Now, we return to our regular programming: babies and families.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing sweet Baby S at her four month session. It had only been a couple months since I last saw her (click HERE for her 8 week session), but as many of you know, babies at this age mature and develop so rapidly. It was impossible not to marvel at her growth. Little Miss S was so engaged, physically strong, and very happy to dole out the smiles and coos.

We actually started the session with some headshots for Dad. Dad is in the very early stages of starting his business and needed some images for his corporate stationery and website. J, look at your handsome hubby. He sure does clean up well. :-)

Then, we moved on to some family portraits:

I just love, LOVE, L.O.V.E. this moment:

And moving on to some solo shots of the little sweatpea. I had SUCH a hard time figuring out which images to blog. She is quite the photogenic little angel.

Here's one of those smiles I mentioned earlier:

M&J, I'll leave you with this image. With a face like this, she's gonna have you wrapped around her little finger!!

Your gallery is almost ready for you. You'll have more than your fair share of images to choose from. Yay! I'll email you with the link by the end of the day. Stay tuned ...

Something Different

2009-04-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy lately and as a result, there are way too many things on my 'to do' list that never seem to disappear. Well, now that time-sensitive things like "file taxes at midnight on 4/15" and "make sure kids can swim before Hawaii" have been removed, I am finally making it a point to check that little box next to "update the viviZ blog."

Not too long ago, I had a fun experience photographing my friend and her rapidly growing -- and successful! -- company in downtown San Francisco. I'm extremely proud of my friend for working SO hard to find her calling and build her business from scratch. And I'm very thankful for receiving this opportunity to grow my own business while documenting hers.

I had such a blast. For many reasons, both personal and professional. On a personal front, I really loved visiting with my friend, meeting her business partner and employees, and catching up with some of my dearest and favorite friends. I worked and lived in San Francisco for 11 years before moving south and do miss my many friends up there!!. On top of that, I really enjoyed cruising around old haunts from my days of yesteryear when I did the corporate thing (and where I met my now husband). Nostalgia at its best.

On a professional level, I felt very challenged. And rewarded. I typically work with young children and families and am usually very familiar with the locations in which we end up shooting. This engagement was quite different. Seven working professionals (read: people who actually stand still and do what I say) who needed headshots/company photos in a location that I hadn't visited in years with rapidly changing weather patterns ranging from rainstorms to sun without a cloud in the sky. Needless to say, the combination of variables really pushed me, professionally. I learned a lot about myself as a photographer and gained so much from this experience.

My friend has a fun company whose clientele is comprised of professional athletes, professionals in the entertainment industry and high networth individuals. Their images needed to exude a certain vibe. We decided to shoot for some nontraditional headshots -- something not too 'corporate-y', something fun, modern and professional with a little splash of hip and cool. What do you think?

And just a few examples of some fun shots we took:

Eight Weeks of Sweetness

2009-02-12T22:27:00.000-08:00

For a fleeting moment yesterday, I found myself entertaining the idea of adding another little baby to our family mix. There's just something about holding a sweet, innocent, cuddly little newborn that makes the world stand still and all of your worries fade away. I love that feeling.

But don't worry, dear husband, I quickly snapped out of it the minute I remembered how close our household is to being out of diapers and moving on to the next stage of childhood. That being said, I relished every moment cuddling with and gazing at eight week old Baby S. It was a marathon session yesterday, but as a result of all the diaper changes, feedings, wardrobe changes, and naps that took place, I also got to squeeze in a wonderful visit with her Mom!

JJ: I loved seeing you in action and admire your confident, down-to-earth and tenderhearted parenting style. You are clearly cut out for this mommy business. In addition to enjoying our time together, I am truly honored that you and M chose me to photograph your firstborn. It will be great fun to watch S grow and reach new milestones over the course of her first year.

Without further adieu, meet sweet, tender, delicate Baby S.

Look at these awesome lips. Her mom and I agreed that she gives Shiloh Pitt-Jolie a run for her money!!

Any idea where her parents want her to go to college?

Happy Chinese New Year

2009-01-26T23:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

I think the year of the Ox is going to be a good one. Just for kicks, click HERE to check out your horoscope for the year. Come on ... when's the last time you checked your horoscope?

Innocent Gaze

2008-12-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

J: I love, love, LOVE this image of little J. I could just stare at it forever. A peaceful moment, frozen in time.

She's always this tranquil and contemplative, right??

The Million Dollar Question

2008-12-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

"Did we get a cardworthy shot?" tends to be the million dollar question these days. Well, in regards to yesterday's session, my answer to that question is ... YES!

M: I know you've been anxiously awaiting your images, quietly stalking the blog and checking your inbox. :-) Well, your gallery's not quite ready yet but I hope the following images ease the wait a little. I will keep working as fast as my ten fingers (and two little boys) will allow me to so you can see all your images and move forward with your card design asap.

Here's one picture that, in my opinion, could easily grace the cover of your Christmas card:

And here's another image that struck me. It actually resonates with me more than the one above where everyone's looking at the camera. There's just something about all the connections and bonds taking place between the siblings that I love in this photo:

And lastly, here's a nice photo of the entire family. Yes, S is staring at the moon in this picture, but I still think it's pretty darn cute!

Worth the Wait

2008-12-02T21:58:00.001-08:00

For the H Family photo session, apparently the fourth time would be the charm.

Our first session was rescheduled due to the heat wave (95 degree weather and sweaters do not make for a happy combination), the second was rescheduled as one of the boys got strep and the third session was rained out. Needless to say, when today rolled around, I was a bit nervous to find out what might be in in store for us. A tornado? A fire? Fortunately, the weather gods were kind to us and we enjoyed a great day for our photo session. Definitely worth the wait.

C, I'm excited to give you a peek of the images we captured today. They are fantastic!!! Your boys were so much fun and very loving. It was clear that they adored each other. I know you'll love these. Enjoy!

LOVING this swing for portraits ... I must have snapped a zillion here.

A few candids:

I'll leave you with this angelic looking face:

Beautiful Baby Girl

2008-11-30T14:36:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this darling little cutie yesterday afternoon. Freshly rested from her afternoon nap, B was an absolute doll and definitely ready for her 10-month-old photo session.

Look at this image and just try to tell me she doesn't have the most gorgeous blue eyes.

K&D: Thanks for having me come out yesterday to capture some images of your precious little one. It was a fun time and a nice surprise when D walked into the nursery and we realized that we had previously met. Love the small world connections.

I'll email you as soon as your gallery's ready and will look forward to seeing what images you select to adorn the walls of your beautiful home. In the meantime, enjoy a little sneak peek of what's to come ...

And because I know you guys love black and white, here's one converted for you to see:

Playful Pup

2008-11-25T12:19:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's post, I wrote about how challenged I felt photographing a family with four children. Well, as of this morning, that challenge already seems like old news to some degree. A few hours ago I had a little photo shoot with this playful guy ... and we had to work reeeeeaally hard to get that sucker to stay still. I'm happy to report that while the split seconds of calm and stillness were definitely few and far betwen, we were able to document the ones that Duke gave us.

B, enjoy your pics of your handsome pup.

Four Adorable (and active!) Children

2008-11-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

One of the (many) reasons I am enjoying my newfound career as a children's/family photographer is that each session brings fun, new and interesting challenges for me. I had already been feeling pretty challenged shooting (photographically speaking, of course) families with three children but today's session -- with FOUR children -- definitely pushed me to an even higher level. It was tough but I was determined to capture that ever so elusive, seemingly unattainable shot with all four children looking cute in the same frame. With the help of the very patient, kind and sweet mom (and the assistance of more than a few skittles), I think we were successful! :-)

S: Your kids did fabulously today and really hung in there for us. You should be very proud of them. M and B were more cooperative than I could have ever hoped for. I just may recruit them to be my personal models as my own two sons seem to be pretty tired of my picture-taking excursions. E & T must also be commended as they did a great job hanging in there, even past naptime. Thanks for a great session!

Sisters

2008-11-19T23:06:00.000-08:00

Today's session was modified slightly as the oldest sibling, the big brother, got sick and was unable to participate in our session. So this afternoon was all about the girls instead. We had so much fun playing hide and seek, tag, ring around the rosie ... and oh, yes, snapping a few pictures, too.

M: Your girls were absolutely adorable and so very sweet (yes, I will put that in writing!). Below are a few shots that jumped out at me from the files. Those big blue eyes of theirs just call out to me, screaming, "Look at me! I'm gorgeous!"

I'll email you when the rest of the gallery is ready. And will look forward to our next session with the rest of the family.

A sweet moment, frozen in time ... but oh, how I wish the twins had been looking at me here!

I'm not exactly sure what it is about this picture that attracts me, but for some reason, I am really drawn to this image. I love it.

We took some time to stop and smell the roses:

Beach Session at Paradise Cove

2008-11-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

We couldn't have asked for better weather yesterday - sunny skies, seventy degree temperature and a gentle ocean breeze. The setting was perfect for a fun little photo adventure at Paradise Cove. And adventure it was! Chasing after four year old twin boys and a two year old baby girl sure is exhausting work. After all that running around, I was working up a sweat by the time we were done! :-)

S&J: thanks for meeting up with me and trusting me to take your annual family photos. I know you are very particular about your portraits; I hope I can come close to meeting your expectations. (I'm nervous about that!) You have a gorgeous family and you deserve fabulous images to reflect that beauty.

Enjoy your sneak peek below:

I know there's a police car in the frame, but I just loved J's fantastic smile in this picture so I had to post this for you:

Three Blond Boys

2008-11-02T22:14:00.001-08:00

Yesterday's session with three little blondies and their parents was a lot of fun. Combine the family's great energy with the pefect lighting (close to sunset) and the beautiful backdrop (the family's gorgeous parklike yard) and ... Voila!! Gorgeous images in the making.

K&C: Thanks for having me come out to do your pictures. I had a great time and hope you like the pictures. From what I've seen far, I think you'll find some "cardworthy" pics in the mix. The rest of your gallery will be up later this week but hope these will tide you over until then...

This little thirteen month old was such a trooper. He got stung by a bee about thirty seconds after I arrived. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and continued on like a champ. Very impressive.

Look! All eyes on the camera. :-)

I just love this picture of your boys all snuggled up on the grass after a little wrestling-turned-snuggle-fest.

Family of Five

2008-09-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

M&M: Yesterday's photo session was fun! Not only for me, but I believe for your kids as well. When I overheard L telling you, "This is the most fun I've ever had taking pictures!", my heart swelled with pride, more so than it would have had an adult paid me a similar compliment. Honestly. You can't make a third grader say something like that with that much enthusiasm and sincerity so I took her kind words to heart. What was probably a casual and passing remark between daughter and mother turned out to be a very meaningful compliment to me particularly since I'm still new in the photography business and building my confidence. :-) [Watch out, I may put her on my customer reference list soon. Ha!]

Now, let's hope the actual images live up to your expectations as well ... Here are just a few images to give you a taste of what's to come:

Can't you just hear L laughing here??

Hard to believe this little baby's off to college, huh?

Goofball and all, Mr. B did great (truly!) and even stayed still a couple of times, allowing me to sneak in a few shots. Phew! :-)

Sometimes, the best images don't have all eyes looking at the camera. I love the dymanics in this one:

Fun New Product: Videos

2008-08-20T23:20:00.001-07:00

I've got several new items to add to my product offerings ... and I am very excited about all of them. I'm in the process of photographing and summarizing them, but in the meantime I just couldn't wait to show you this particularly fun item, the photography video.

Click below to see a fun example:

Waiting for Day 55

2008-07-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2008 was Day 55. The day B would be reunited with his beautiful family. The day B would return home safely from his deployment to Afghanistan. For him -- and his family -- there was nothing like Day 55. And it was finally here.

I was absolutely honored and privileged to be witness to the homecoming of these Channel Islands Air National Guard deployers. The energy and excitement in the air could be felt by everyone. And it was truly an amazing experience for me, catching the first glimpse of the plane as it headed home and seeing all the families on the base waiting with heightened anticipation for their loved ones to step off that plane...

Thank you, M, for trusting me to document B's homecoming and for allowing me to take part in this special event. Below are a few highlights from our day:

I LOVE this moment. B is flying the plane pictured here and on the ground are his son and mother, waving them home.

And one more that deserves a little caption. M&B are enjoying their first kiss here. I just love this shot with M on her little tippy-toes while she enjoys smooching her hubby. :-)

The Windblown Look

2008-06-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

All of the hairwashing, blowdrying and hairbrushing this mom did for her girls went out the window the minute we stepped foot out of her car. We had no idea our little photo adventure was going to take place in the midst of all this crazy wind. But it did. As we stood there in the parking lot with the wind whipping through our own hair, the mom and I exchanged knowing glances. It was clear we were both thinking, "Are we crazy to go through with this? Should we just reschedule? Will the kids have fun?" But we cast aside our brief moment of hesitation and decided to give it a shot. I'm glad we did.

P: Despite the crazy winds we encountered yesterday, I have to say that our time at the beach was definitely well spent. Not only did the girls (and I!!) have a fantastic time, but it appears that we did manage to eke out a few great shots as well. Especially if you're into the windblown look ...

Just a few photos for you until your gallery goes up. I'll let you know when it's ready.

Aren't you glad you spent all that time brushing K's hair??

Pets Need Portraits, Too

2008-06-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

H, check out your little baby. He's definitely very deserving of some prime wall real estate, if you ask me. :-)

Great Hike

2008-06-01T23:42:00.001-07:00

J: Our hike this morning was completely refreshing and so much fun. And it was clear K and J had a blast as well! I am still in disbelief that the girls managed to hike somewhere between three to four miles with us, determined to get to the waterfall and back. (Yes, we did technically make it to the waterfall but it was not quite as impressive as the girls' staying power on the trail to find said waterfall, was it??)

I have so many great photos of the girls and I'm realizing now that one of the most difficult parts of my job is editing the gallery down to just the best of the best. Your girls are so photogenic, it's a double edged sword ... it's too easy for me to take great photos of K and J but on the flip side, it's really difficult for me to edit any photos out!! :-) As a result, it will take me some time to get your gallery ready for viewing. So in the meantime, I'll leave you with a few gorgeous images that jumped out at me from the files.

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Babies!

2008-06-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss in blogging recent sessions so I thought I'd post a few images of some gorgeous babes I photographed not too long ago. Proud mommies, you know who you are!!

Baby N at one week young, looking so content and peaceful:

Doesn't he like such a wise old soul?

M, I love the photos you picked out for your birth announcements and will have the final draft for you to review tomorrow!

Baby A at four months old ... beautiful!

I couldn't believe how much A had changed and grown just since our last session two months earlier. Here she is already holding herself up. She'll be sitting up and crawling in no time.

Neither Rain Nor Snow ...

2008-04-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

... would get in the way of us getting beautiful family portraits taken today!!

I have to admit I was a bit nervous when I woke up to an inch of snow on the ground this morning but the cloudy skies and wet wood bridges resulting from the crazy weather actually made for great backdrops. S: I am so glad we powered through the uncooperative -- and cold -- weather as our time together resulted in some fabulous portraits. I think and hope you will love them. I had a great time and loved that I got a chance to see a different side of K today. So silly, funny and chatty! Best of all, I could really see how much love and sweetness there is in your little family.

As I previously mentioned, I won't be able to proof and process your photos until I return to CA. But I just had to post a couple of fun pics for you to see and get an idea of what you have in store for you.

I love this little moment in time. I can totally hear you guys laughing and giggling with each other.