Simone Anne Photography

I'VE MOVED! :D

2010-05-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

This blog has moved to...

WWW.SIMONEANNE.COM

I will no longer be updating this page, and all pages archived here can be found on the new blog. Please visit me there! :D

Expect:

-More pretty pictures
-An easy to use layout
-A clean, healthy look
-Lots of info

And, please leave lots of comment love! :D

Bay Area Boudoir Photographer: Mariam and David

2010-05-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

Please be advised that while there is no nudity in this post, there is partial nudity and suggestive content. If you are not comfortable viewing these messages, please redirect yourself to the next post here. Thank you!

Call or e-mail if you're interested in setting up a session. (Discounts for Berkeley students... :) )

Getting ready!

The Rihanna... ha ha :) Too bad Rihanna couldn't live up to this.

One of my favorites. So. Hot.

They were super adorable and easy together. What a dream to work with. :)

Also super steamy.

I love this.

One of my favorites. Isn't this the sweetest thing ever?!

I love this. She's gorgeous and the light was so perfect and, well, it just works. I love it.

You two were AMAZING to work with. I can't get enough of the photos from Friday--expect more to come! Thank you thank you thank you and I hope to be doing this again sometime soon! :D

Bay Area Boudoir Photographer: Mariam and David

2010-05-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

This is just a teaser: MANY more equally steamy images coming soon. Aren't Mariam and David just the hottest people you've ever met?! Seriously.

Shoot me an e-mail if you're interested in booking a session: simone.anne.lang@gmail.com

Get your sexy on.

The Last of the Details

2010-05-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Let It Rock...

2010-05-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Sushi!

2010-05-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

AEPi 25th Anniversary Gala

2010-05-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

AEPi at UC Berkeley just turned 25! Congratulations!

(p.s. Bet you didn't know I'm available to shoot events for student groups.... )

A Short Wedding Dress

2010-05-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Light Pink and Soft Feathers

2010-05-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite posts design sets ever. :)

(And because nobody feels like studying for finals.)

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Bride: Detail Down the Back

2010-05-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

Baby's Breath and Big Chandeliers

2010-05-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

Event Designer: Amazáe Special Events; Floral Designer: Nicole Ha Designs; Rentals: Blueprint Studios, Hartmann Studio Rentals; Linens: La Tavola; Accessories: Private Collection; Drapery and Lighting: Enhanced Lighting; Stationary: Marizette Paperie; Cake: Glass Slipper Gourmet; Dress/Shoes; Priscilla of Boston, Hey Lady; Jewelry: Unveiled Bridal

A Jazz Band

2010-05-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Presenting the Laurent Fourgo Ensemble. :)

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Bride: Sophisticated. With Ruffles.

2010-05-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Good Enough to Eat

2010-05-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Event Designer: Amazáe Special Events; Floral Designer: Nicole Ha Designs; Linens: La Tavola; Artwork/Catering: Thomas John Events; Accessories: Private Collection; Drapery and Lighting: North American Theatre Techn; Stationary: Card de Luxe; Favors: Unveiled Bridal, Chocolate a la Carte.

Pink, Black, and Sophisticated

2010-04-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

A View of the Water

2010-04-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for summer.

Craneway Pavillion in Richmond, by the water. Such a pretty venue. And I saw this through the windows. * sighs with happiniess * :)

Beautiful Bride and Gorgeous Dress

2010-04-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

I'm on Facebook! :D

2010-04-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

I'm on Facebook! You should join me! :D

I was a little hesitant about starting a Facebook page: How would it be different from my blog? Would anybody look at it? Would it be too pretentious?

These were all of my fears. But the more I've continued to pursue photography, the more I realize how powerful of a tool Facebook can be for sharing my photos with more people. And I don't want to miss out. So. Here it is. Hello Facebook; join me! :D

Turquoise, Pink, and Gorgeous Roses.

2010-04-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Isn't this set up to die for? Siiigh. :)

All of this is as seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

Cake designed by Cake Coquette. Can I just say that I really appreciate when/that food can and does look like art. It's pretty spectacular.

...And They Danced All Night

2010-04-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

Isn't this couple super adorable and stylish?! I love it. :)

This is Jonathan and Joanne, and they're actually photographers themselves, running Encarnacion Photography. You can find their work on their blog here.

I love this one. She looks so perfect! :D

Possibly my favorite shot. :D

As seen at Una Bella Sera 2010 with Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha Designs.

The Sweeter Things in Life: Cupcakes!

2010-04-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Looking through the photos I have of these sweet sweet cupcakes, I regret only tasting two: I should have eaten the whole tray!

The chocolate ones with the orange zest on top and the other chocolate ones (they're white mocha buttercream with white chocolate drizzle) were expertly baked by Kelly O'Brien of Glass Slipper Gourmet, located in Martinez, California.

The ones in the photo below--the mocha ones, the raspberry ones, and the red velvet ones--were baked, equally expertly, by Jen Kwapinski at Jen's Cakes. Delish!

Enjoy!

I tasted the red velvet ones and the white cake and raspberry frosting ones. I loved them both, but let me just say, the red velvet ones were to die for. They're were the first ones to go, and no wonder--cream cheese frosting and red cake is the best combination ever made. I've been converted: I am most def a cupcake person. Yummmm. (p.s. I didn't try them, but the chocolate ones are espresso I think...)

I tasted these at a wonderful event called Una Bella Sera--expect lots of pretty images coming in the next week or two. I went crazy with my camera... :)

Boys Can Dance Too

2010-04-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

I loved this young man dancing on Bancroft and Telegraph yesterday. So cool so young is impressive, ha ha :)

Kinda Cool: Google Searching Simone Anne :)

2010-04-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is what you get when you search "Simone Anne" on the internet. Look, that's me! :D

Wishlist: My Next Lens

2010-04-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Is this Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 II Lens not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? Try to not let me buy it for a while. I'm still reeling from the cost of the last one and this is waaay out of that league, ha ha :)

Boy in the Trees

2010-04-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Donny and I met up to take some portraits of each other for Nathan Yan's Photo Decal class. Assignment: portraits. :)

I'm loving the whimsical feel of the trees. Feels like childhood. :)

And one that Donny Lavezzo took of me that I quite like. :)

San Francisco: Coit Tower Edition

2010-04-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

The Embarcadero and San Francisco from the Coit Tower. And on a sunny day and everything! :)

Miss Dana. And the start of a new project.

2010-04-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hello! Happy sunny Tuesday! :D

Two exciting things:

(A.) I have a few beautiful photos of Dana to show you. Sooo photogenic and gorgeous. And sooo much fun to hang out with. What a smart woman. Thanks babe, you rock. :)

(B.) I am starting a new project! Yay! I've had this on my mind for a while--I'm putting together an installation of images for a tattoo display. IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO AND ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING FOR ME, I WANT TO TAKE YOUR PHOTO!! :D (pass it on...)

Okay. That's all. Enjoy the photos and think about how awesome all the ones I can't show you are... :P

Cute Puppies! (All is right in the world)

2010-04-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

Puppies make me happy. 'Nuff said. :)

New Lens: Beautiful Berkeley Afternoon

2010-04-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Bay Area Portrait Photographer: Miss T. Through a New Lens.

2010-04-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

I got a NEW LENS! 50mm 1.4 Freakin' GORGEOUS. I'd been refreshing the UPS tracking system all day and then when it finally switched to "delivered" I ran down to the mail room and begged them to give me my box, pronto. I might have broken down in tears if simply asking didn't do the trick. Thank goodness for wonderful mail people! Thank you!

And now, enjoy the lens! (Of course, did you think I managed not to run out and start shooting right away?! ha ha.

Can I be selfish and say this is my favorite photo of Taylor ever taken? Siiigh. ha ha. :)

Ohmygoshh. Love this. :)

"You're really making me model again? ughh.." ha ha :P Love you, Taylorrr

"Alright... let's do this.... I guess..." ha ha

Adorable. Yay for happy days filled with sunshine. Can't. Wait. For. Summer.

Let's end with a little bubblegum action. Cute. :)

Yay for Taylor being extremely pretty at a moment's notice and yayy for new lenses! Happy Thursday everyone! :D

Loving This! Camera Cake :D

2010-04-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Scrolling through photography websites I found this awesome cake. Please bake me one when you get a chance! ha ha:P

Cake by: BethAnn, owner of Studio Cake; photo on the back of the cake/camera by: Apertura Photography

I found this posted on PetaPixel. Thanks! :)

I bet it was delicious too! Mmmmm... :)

Bay Area Pet Photographer: Mouke

2010-04-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

Super cute puppies like this put my heart in overdrive. Sigh.

One of my absolute favorites:

Another:

One more:

This one also melts my heart strings. (:

Stoic.

Lovin' this in black and white. Cute. :)

Feisty. ha ha.

Puppy eyes...

My absolute FAVORITEST picture of Mouke. Something about this shot is just absolutely PERFECT. Love it. <3

Bay Area Portrait Photographer: Katie, So Cute in the Sunshine (:

2010-04-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

The sun was shining so pretty this afternoon that I just couldn't imagine not taking my camera out and shooting some photos. And I'd been meaning to get some shots of Katie for such a long time now. <3

She's just so cute! And so happy. Oh Katie, I love you! :D

Cute. (:

What a happy, smilie girlie.

The next two are my absolute favorites. Sigh.

Okay, maybe I lied. The next two are also my favorites.

She went a little America's Next Top Model on me. I certainly didn't mind; it was suuuuper cute. <3

Katie and I layed on the grass for a little while. (:

A yellow house. (: Have I told you yellow is my favorite color? It's just so happy...

Dear Katie, you are my sunshine. (:

Bay Area Portrait Photographer: Beth Part II

2010-04-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about Beth. She's been on the blog before; also for looking cute and letting me push her into the hallway for a few photos. Last time we got carried away but today I only got a few. Guess what? It didn't matter; she's a natural in front of the camera and so, of course, the images are gorgeous.

Love you, girlie. (:

Bare Shoot: A Sort of Sneak Peak :) [but mostly just photos of a cute puppy; oops ;) ]

2010-04-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is Bare Magazine. These are some shots from my shoot with them today. Expect a full review of Issue Seven when it comes out. With my photos in it. Yuppp, that's right. (:

Make-up. Done by the lovely and talented Mary King. You rock, girlie!

Pretty pretty make-up brushes. (:

I. WANT.

Sigh. I love this for so many reasons: 1. The bracelet. Courtesy of Sway, it's beautiful beautiful beautiful. Sigh. 2. The fabric. I can't give any more away. Wait for Issue 7 of Bare to come out! :D 3. The colors all together in this frame--Sather Gate, the gold of the bracelet, the red of the fabric. 4. The memories. Okay. That's all. (:

Dear Jonathan,

Can you and I please do a shoot?! We can do whatever you want. You style and I shootl; I will shoot all day, everyday for you, as long as you keep up these ridiculously hot poses. And osmosis some of your style over to me. Ha ha. Coo? Coo.

Love, Simone

And now, for the main attraction. This is Pip. As in Pipsqueak. So freakin' adorable. He gave me puppy kisses. Yayyy. (:

My favorite. I can hear my puppy at home getting jealous. Sigh.

Simone had a wonderful day. And, in other news, I just bought a new lens. GAH. I CAN'T WAITTTT. yee. (:

Cal Rugby v. Saint Mary's

2010-03-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Photos from my first rugby game last weekend. As I said on the field and again when I got home to anybody who would listen, rugby is quite possibly one of the most interesting sports ever played. Seriously. Check it.

P.S. Thinking about what makes a cool/interesting/quality artistic photo versus what makes a good newspaper/photojournalistic photo. Sometimes one photo can be both, sometimes it can't. See if you can pick out which ones are which. (:

P.P.S. Are you aware that Cal has the best rugby team in America? And pretty much has since forever ago? They are... glorious.

And, of course, always: go bearssss!

Love this photo of a young fan. Wish he were wearing Cal gear though ... :/ (he was cheering for Cal though, so that's something :D )

Good work, coach! Happy retirement... (:

All images ©The Daily Californian.

Welcome Spring and Blood Oranges

2010-03-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Or, How Not To Write My Paper

Kind of an odd name for a fruit, no? Delicious nonetheless though. Mmmm (:

Inspiration: Helping Kids With Cameras

2010-03-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

I can't get over this awesome project! Some photographers teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club in Las Vegas for a day of inspiration, art, and hanging out with the kids. I can't say enough how cool I think this is. Let the video speak for itself. :D

Lens & Learn - Inspiring Kids Through Photography from Ron Dawson on Vimeo.

And for some cool photos (the video is kinda long) check out Grey Photography. Love it!

Berkeley, Courtesy of a Daily Cal Adventure (:

2010-03-25T01:44:00.000-07:00

Images from a month or so ago during Daily Cal training day. This is the result of plenty of training, photo style. Ha ha, just kidding. Well, if that's even a joke. Aiyyy. I need to go to bed. (:

I kind of feel like saying that this whole adventure was photo editor Anne Marie Schuler's idea. It was, and it was very fun and very cool (see below for proof), but I also like the idea that next time she Googles herself, this will come up. (I say this because she messaged me the other day saying that another post I put her name in came up on her browser when she Googled herself... ha ha, oh dear. )

In other news, I discovered how to create new Actions on Photoshop so that I can "logo" and resize images for the blog all in one push of a button. Let me just say one word: REVOLUTIONARY. My life has been streamlined and I'm loving it. I plan on saving all the time and spending it on muuuuch better things. Expect more photos now because it will be just SO EASY to share. Seriously. (:

When you first take photography they teach you that flowers are boring subjects. But something about flowers still makes my heart beat. And so I will continue to photograph them.

Oh black and white. You are always striking.

I don't know why they left their shoes here... but I like how it looks. Ha ha. (:

Leave comment love. It makes me feel... loved. ha ha. (:

A Cool Old Car in Berkeley Town

2010-03-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

This cool old car was parked along the street in Berkeley the other week. Super awesome color. And the light was gorgeous; you know, one of those absolutely purr-fect mornings where not being outside would practically be a sin? Yeah, one of those. Feast your eyes. (:

Featured! Angelique Kidjo's Official Website!

2010-03-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

So somebody on Angelique Kidjo's team noticed my twitter post about my blog post about my attendance (... ha ha) at the Berkeley Zellerbach performance of Angelique Kidjo a month or so ago and posted a link back to my blog on her OFFICIAL WEBSITE! So cool!

You can find my post of her concert here.

Anyways, my link is on the news feed on the front page:

And when you click on it, there's a page saying my images are awesome (yipee!) and a link back. Super super cool! :D

Thanks so much for noticing and letting the world know! :D

Just remember... the images themselves are copyrighted to The Daily Californian. Of course. (:

A Friday Afternoon in Berkeley

2010-03-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

The last Friday in Berkeley before Spring Break. Loving the sunshine. And the afternoon adventure with friends.

Today is the first day of Spring. Happy Spring!!! <3

Oh Berkeley and bumper stickers...

I've gotta eat here soon. Gotta.

Outside The Cheeseboard.

The line went all the way to the end of the block. And I asked--they sell about 1,000 (ONE THOUSAND!!!!!) pizzas in an evening.

Fox Theater on a Rainy Night

2010-03-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

Fox Theater, Oakland. The night Yoko Ono played. Despite my awesome press pass, they wouldn't let me in. Some ridiculous adminisitrative issues. I was super disappointed. And then I shot some images anyways; when I got home I wasn't so disappointed anymore. Expect these to be printed and hanging on my wall.

Favoritest photo everrr.

Featured! Daily Cal Photo Blog

2010-03-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Image from the Daily Cal training session--Photo Editor Anne Marie Schuler let us all loose on campus with our cameras, looking for pretty things. It was pure lovely. (:

This image was taken... somewhere on the Cal campus. Don't remember where exactly. But whatevs. It's pretty. (:

See my photo online at the Daily Cal Photo blog.

Image ©The Daily Californian. ... Image, not screenshot. Of course.

Concert: Wallpaper/Limousines at Slim's

2010-03-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

This post is for my Daily Cal buddies from the Wallpaper/Limousines concert at Slim's weeks and weeks ago. They complained about never seeing more than one or two of the photos from a concert they cover. I tried to include all the awesome ones here, just like I promised I would. Sorry this post is so late in coming, boys. :/

The venue: Slim's

An opening band. Butterfly Bones.

What a ham. I saw him after the show and he said hello every single time I wandered by. It was great. And you should have seen him dancing. Also great. (:

Bah ha ha.

Headliner number one, The Limousines.

Love love love this shot. Something about the lighting just makes me happy. (:

Headliner number two: Wallpaper. A Berkeley graduate. Go figure. He was really awesome. Kind of ridiculous and very awesome.

It was great. He had the crowd wear 3D glasses. People couldn't stand wearing them the whole time though since it was, well, kinda trippy. Ha ha.

Running back on stage for an encore. I really like this shot. (:

This may be my favorite shot. Love the energy and eclecticism of the dancer. (:

You know it's a good concert when... :P

Leave some love in the comments so I know somebody at least looked at the photos. :P

Accompanying article expertly written by fellow journalist Derek Sagehorn, Contributing Writer to The Daily Californian.

For one of my images from this event online at The Daily Cal's website, please see the slideshow here. You can find the full news article online here.

All images in this post ©The Daily Californian. Please contact them for information regarding reproduction, printing, purchasing or reposting images. For reprint information you should visit the reprints site here. Thank you!

Marin Headlands!

2010-03-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon and evening Nathan Yan's Photo Decal took a trip to the Marin Headlands, the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was one of those impossible San Francisco days where there is not a SINGLE cloud in the sky. No fog. No rain. Just sunshine everywhere the eye can see. And, let me tell you, it was absolutely completely and utterly gorgeous. I cannot wait to live in San Francisco full time. :D

On top of that, the company was perfect. What a wonderful way to spend my day: with my camera and a bunch of photographer buddies on the most beautiful day to be outside all year.

Recommended listening while viewing this post: Train's "Save Me, San Francisco"

One of the biggest challenges when shooting something as iconic as the Golden Gate Bridge is that soooo many people have already shot it. Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, takes a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge when they visit. So how do you make your photo look different that the millions that have already been shot? ...

That's my city <3

Alcatraz:

Pretty calla lilies! They were growing in such an unexpected place too: in the drainage to the ocean. Look at the majesty (:

I'm digging the colors/style/feel of this image. Am I allowed to say that about my own photo? :P

Oooo. Who knew rust could be so pretty.

Brace yourself. I am about to unveil the ABSOLUTE COOLEST MOST AMAZING THING EVERRR EVERRR to happen to me. Okay, maybe not #1 in my whole life, but I am going to put this on the top ten list.

Background: This is Kirby Cove. This is where my parents got married (yes, on the beach, with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge-yeee): <3 I had never been before, and now I have. And you can't see it in this photo, but this is where it was. What was it you say.... Well, children, I do believe I found a...

SHARK!

Okay. I could be lying. I am not a Marine Biologist. I do not know these things for sure. But I believe I found one. A small one. A dead one. But a shark nevertheless. Awesomeness.

I spent a lot of time looking at sharks online but had no success. I never realized just how many sharks there are in the world!!! It's craaazyyy.

I was a little bit disappointed with the available resources on sharks that I could find online. They were absolutely great, I'm sure, if you were looking for information on a specific kind of shark. Sharks are a popular sea creature. People look for information on them all the time. It is out there. But where the heck is the picture dictionary of sharks?! Sigh.

Look at that eye! Yowzers!

If somebody knows what this is PLEASE please please leave me a comment telling me what you think it is. I do want to know. I guess. Part of me doesn't; if it's not actually a shark and I'm just completely delusional I will be oh so disappointed. *pouts*

Anyways. I hope you are as excited as me about that find. I was just about bursting with excitement to look at the images. Actually, that's a bit of an exaggeration. I was bursting with excitement when I found it (heart palpitating, shutter clicking, breath quick and sharp--the whole bit) and then after, once I'd seen the photos, I did it all over again. But right after I finished shooting her, I promptly forgot all about her and moved on to shoot the rest of the day. Go figure. Ha ha.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming: (including, but not limited to, an adorable little ladybug!)

And the California state flower: the California poppy.

Rodeo Beach at sunset. Oh how I've missed the edge of the continent.

Some night shots nearby. I think it's a barracks and related buildings. But I'm not so sure...

My favorite part of this shot is that you can see the stars. (Click on the image to enlarge it--you can actually do that with every photo!)

This was the last shot of the night. Just a simple night image of the Golden Gate Bridge. It breaks my rule: I am sure everybody on the trip, not to mention thousands of photographers before me, have exactly the same image. But sometimes you have to break the rule because a photo just makes you happy. My dear San Francisco, I love you. <3

I hope you enjoyed that extra super long post. Leave lots of comments. I am taking a poll on my creature: shark or not?!

<3

Worth Reading: Lens, New York Times Photo Blog

2010-03-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

The New York Times rocks. The epitome of good journalism is, of course, no less stellar in their photojournalism department. If you enjoy high quality images and love to read a story through the picture, there is nothing more outstanding that the New York Times Photo Blog, Lens. Check it out. DOOO ITTT. :D

Screen shot of today's photo of the day. What an awesome image. Seriously.

(Check it: You can see the shells from the gunshots. Daaaayum, what perfect timing!)

Image shown: Luke Sharrett/The New York Times

Beth. Gorgeousness. (Synonyms.)

2010-03-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last night one of my adorable friends came by for some help dressing for a cute 40's themed party; she needed cute accessories to complement her face (and dress and sweater) and I was more than happy to oblige. I did her hair and lent her a necklace and belt and then ended up shooting a few images of her--she looked so cute it would have been impossible not to! The lighting was horrible but in the end it actually ended up working with the old fashioned theme. Go figure.

Oh, and the kicker?! We had so much fun playing dress up and hanging out that she didn't end up going to the party. I hope I'm more fun anyway... xoxo

Here's a gorgeous, simple black and white portrait. She probably won't like it (you know how girls can be), but I think it shows off her pretty face. Sigh. (:

I love everything about this shot: the "red" hair (it looks red, doesn't it?!), the necklace, the demur look to the side, and (of course) the boobies. How could you not love this shot?!

(Oh wait, I know, perhaps you will notice the ugly hallway carpeting in the background... sigh. On the upside, she has promised to get dressed up in this exact same outfit again for me when the sun is still shining outside!)

I love these. (:

Look at her hair! I did that! I am so proud! Isn't it pretty! p.s. I want to go to prom again. I will dress up as pretty as I know how. Any takers?

Also, I plan on stealing her hair clip. Okay, well, stealing and then maybe giving back at some point. It's just sooo cute. Love. It. Beth has the best style.

We didn't get to shoot very much (we were in a hallway for goodness sake!) but I love love love these.

This one is my absolute favorite of the whole entire (five photo) shoot. <3

And in Polaroid. ohmigosh.

Seriously, how cute can you get?!

<3

(happy monday)

p.s. Leave lots of comments telling her how beautiful she is. And how nicely I did her hair. We like compliments. ;)

Inspiration: Amazing Photographs from Haiti

2010-03-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you take an amazing photographer and put them somewhere just bursting to tell a story: Amazing amazing photographs from Haiti's front lines. Justin Lyon's photos from this trip astound me, as does his story. The images are equal parts storytelling and art. Even if you just flip through the images he captured you'll be experiencing something that touches your soul.

All out of words, check out the slideshow here.

He has a lot of images of people that just completely drew me in. So personal. So intimate. So difficult to draw your eyes away.

Something about this photo just touches me. And plus I'm always a sucker for black and white images.

I very highly recommend this photographer and this blog post. Go Go Go. Words do not suffice.

Wishlist: Ephanie Camera Bags

2010-03-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

Ephanie camera bags are my new favorite thing. When I'm rich and famous and traipsing all over the world with my camera (please don't doubt!) I'm going to own all of them. They are beautiful. They are stylish. They are everything a girl could want in a camera bag. Sooo beautiful.

This image of their three products is from a screen shot off the website. Go look. They're bee-yoo-ti-ful. Sigh.

Featured! Well. Kinda. Bare Magazine Blog.

2010-03-04T00:40:00.000-08:00

I shot the PlayGREEN festival last Friday for UC Berkeley's premier fashion magazine, Bare Magazine. They're awesome. It was an awesome event. I had lotsa fun. And, on top of that, they published some of my photos on their blog as they talked about the event.

p.s. I did push ups at the Cal ROTC booth and actually made the record board for the women! Yee! They had my name up there as the "Title Holder" until I left. I don't think I got the most for the whole event in the end (there were another two hours after that for somebody--or multiple somebodies--to beat my record), but it still felt good. And my arms could feel all FORTY SEVEN push-ups the next three days. Ha ha. I'll work on those push-ups and just blow them out of the water next time their little booth is set up somewhere. (:

Angelique Kidjo: World Music at Zellerbach Auditorium, Berkeley

2010-03-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

Last week (maybe longer ago...) I had the wonderful pleasure of heading to Zellerbach to shoot Angelique Kidjo, world music extraordinaire. And, let me tell you, I had the best experience ever!

Cool things that happened:

She is AMAZING. She can command the room like no other. She can dance like nothing you've ever seen. Her voice leaves you speechless. You know, just another day at the theater.
The photog usher appreciated my appreciation of World Music and gave me her unreleased CD. As a gift. Yipee!
I had to leave early (one of the sad things about a press pass is having to leave fifteen minutes into the show. Buuut somebody outside saw me leave and offered me a free $46 Orchestra ticket. I promptly went back inside and enjoyed the rest of the show.

FABULOUS. I love my job. (:

Very cool lighting at the Zellerbach. (:

The star performer herself. My new heroine. Amazing. Seriously.

The way this woman moves is mesmerizing. As is the way she commands an audience. Daaang.

And then she invited everybody to come on stage and dance with her. Talk about breaking boundaries.

And they went crazy.

And then she got individual people to dance. In the spotlight. On their own. In front of all of the hundreds of people who filled Zellerbach. And, let me tell you, these crazy people went ALL OUT. It was fabulous.

Click on this image too see her facial expression up close. Well, bigger anyways. Ha ha. She's so outrageous with her expressions. Awesome.

And this dynamic woman can really really rock out. Fantastic. I wish I had her moves.

This is how she picked people to dance in the spotlight. :D

She had a way of picking the people who could really move. Either that or her presence brought it out of them. Either way, it rocked.

And, of course, she was all about the future. Power to the young people and so on. (;

Accompanying article expertly written by fellow journalist Justin Bolois, Contributing Writer to The Daily Californian.

For my images online at The Daily Cal's website, please see here. Please see the slideshow highlighting the best images from the event here. You can find the full news article online here.

All images in this post ©The Daily Californian. Please contact them for information regarding reproduction, printing, purchasing or reposting images. For reprint information you should visit the reprints site here. Thank you!

Featured! Daily Cal Photo Blog

2010-02-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

Soooo, the most exciting of things happened yesterday. I got to shoot the Cal Men's Basketball Game!!! Yeee!

Usually this is a special assignment that only the old time photographers get to shoot, but I was in the right place at the right time and I just got super lucky. The second photographer happened to, last minute, not be able to make the game and so, just as I was leaving the office, my editor (the very talented and very awesome Miss Anne Marie Schuler) asked, "Want to shoot the game with me?" My answer?! "Yipeeeee!" Of course. :D

Anyways, the game was AH-maaazing. Let me just say.

Some of the things that happened/I learned at yesterday's game:

It was an overall very exciting game. Clearly.
I have decided that I loooveeee basketball. I want to go to every game next season. Hopefully I'll get to shoot some of them. But that might be asking for too much. (:
Sitting on the court is the best way everrr to watch a basketball game. Celebrities know what's up.
Press passes rock. Really really really.
When you sit on the court next to the drums, you should wear earplugs. Or prepare to lose hearing. Also, you may get hit by flying drumsticks.
I could actually do this for a job. yee.
WE WON THE PAC-10!!! (for the first time in fifty years!!! yikes...)

I'll post my favorites from the event later, but for now, check out my photo on the Daily Cal Photo Blog! yee. :D

Image ©The Daily Californian. Well, not the screen shot, but the image. Clearly. (:

Inner City Services, Berkeley, California

2010-02-23T22:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my very first shoot as a photographer for The Daily Californian! This is Inner City Services, a local non-profit (?) agency that helps the unemployed build skills and find a job. Such laudable work. (:

All of the people who worked there were very nice. I couldn't think of better people to work with it you are down and out. Or, honestly, even if you aren't. (:

I may love this photo more for the little kid's face than nothing else. The irony is that it says, "NO CHILDREN ALLOWED." Go figure.

The awesome reporter, hard at work. Go Katie! (:

They collect gently used suits and other work clothes and pass them along, for keeps, to those they help out. Awesome!

This is my favorite photo. Not really appropriate for the newspaper, but I like how it feels. (:

The classroom:

The photo from the paper:

This is the anti-smoking wall. The director has literally covered it with dozens of posters detailing all of the harmful effects of smoking. It's his personal project. (:

This one is my personal favorite. I hope I can use that line one day. (:

Some nice portraits. (:

An awesome looking building just down the street. Not related in any way whatsoever to Inner City Services. Clearly. I even should have probably put them in separate posts. But I didn't, so please enjoy these mindfully.

Here's an image of the web version of the article. I'd like to say, we were featured on the front page of the print edition of the paper. Score! What a success. Welcome to the world of photojournalism! :D

Accompanying article expertly written by my friend and fellow journalist Katie Nelson, Contributing Writer to The Daily Californian.

For my images online at The Daily Cal's website, please see here. You can find the full news article online here.

All images in this post ©The Daily Californian. Please contact them for information regarding reproduction, printing, purchasing or reposting images. For reprint information you should visit the reprints site here. Thank you!

Brad Paisley in Concert

2010-02-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

Last week Taylor and I rented a Zip Car and drove three hours (we switched off in the driver's seat) up to Fresno to see Brad Paisley, country music superstar, do his thing. He was perfect--gorgeous, cute, sweet, nerdy, country, playing a guitar, aaand singing sweet lyrics. All while wearing a cowboy hat. Girls, it doesn't get much better than that. Trust me. (:

The Save Mart Center is a huge place. I guess Fresno has a lot of space... (:

If you ever go to Fresno or the Save Mart Center, take a word of wisdom from me and don't eat here. It was sooo gross. ewwww. ):

The Center serves also serves as a home for the Fresno Bulldogs--their sports awards were hanging from the ceiling. Kind of cool in the low light.

The main attraction. Gorgeousness. Click the images for larger views. (:

This is what the arena looked like not ten minutes after the concert was over. They move fast! Oh, and check out those awesome light fixtures! It was a theater major's dream, *cough Suzuki cough*

Anyways, awesome concert. If you don't listen to country, pick up Brad's CD. He has funny stuff and adorable stuff. I mean really. You just can't go wrong. (:

p.s. Then may be my favorite Brad song. But I love them all so much that I just can't quite be sure...

You Know it's Your Birthday... :D

2010-02-16T01:17:00.000-08:00

TWENTY is a big number but I'm ready for it. Every last moment. (:

The following two self-portraits were taken on assignment for a photography class I'm taking as part of training for The Daily Californian. It's slightly difficult to get one's whole face in the frame but I kinda like these images nonetheless. (:

Anyways, Happy Birthday Me. :D

San Francisco Pillow Fight (and cute shoes...)

2010-02-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Nick and I spent Sunday in the city and, without planning to, ran into the huge pillow fight in the Embarcadero Plaza. There were easily thousands of people there, and once the clock struck 6pm they didn't stop fighting for more than an hour. What persistence!

After the pillow fight started somebody let free a heart shaped balloon. It floated up above all of the pillow fighters and up up up above the bay. You can just make it out here. (:

As the intensity of the "fight" picked up, pillows started to break. The feathers spewed over the "fighters" and into the air; it almost looked like it was snowing!

This girl had on the cutest shoes and I couldn't resist pointing my lens at her toes. How weird is it that I snapped this spy pic? ...

Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day and Happy February. <3

Self-Portrait

2010-02-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

A cool self-portrait I took of myself reflected in an old movie marquee--you can see lights around the edges blurred out a little bit in this photo. Anyways, I don't always have the coolest photos of myself (probably a product of my always being behind the camera) so this image, well, just kinda makes me happy. (:

Taken at the Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale yesterday. Other photos from that same day will be up soon, I think.

P.S. My birthday is on Tuesday. I'll be the big TWO ZERO! Ack.

Kegan and his Guitar

2010-02-07T13:44:00.001-08:00

Some days just scream at me to take out my camera; there was something about yesterday that had this quality. Something about the rain stopping for the afternoon and leaving sunshine, some clouds, and crisp, clean winter air meant to me that I just had to get my camera out. Not many people were around but Kegan was down to head out on the town with his guitar and let me shoot him. It was a very last minute shoot, with no prior planning, so I didn't really know what to expect when I loaded the images onto my computer; I must say, I'm very very pleased with the results! (:

This is Kegan:

Perhaps the best thing about this shoot was that Kegan didn't just sit there and look like he was playing his guitar, he actually started singing! And, he's amazing! Some people looked at us funny as we were shooting but I was so impressed by his music and enjoying myself so much that I just didn't care! :D

A nice, simple, plain portrait. I call it, "Man with guitar." :P

The next three images are the best of the whole shoot. Seriously.

This is my absolute favorite image from the whole entire shoot. Perhaps ever, in my whole life. It's not possible for this photo to make me any happier--I know because I've tried.

Click on the photo and check out the soulful look on his face. (:

This is Kegan's guitar.

I made him sit on somebody random's front porch. He was a little nervous that somebody might come outside and ask what the heck we were doing. He refrained from playing any songs in this particular location and so we moved on quickly.

This photo reminds me of the first photo on the blog in the shoot I took of Taylor earlier this year.

A good image to end on. This is Kegan's guitar. (:

Anyways. If Kegan keeps on making music like what he was playing yesterday, I hope he comes out with an album sometime in the near future. Selfishly, I hope that he finds some images from yesterday that he thinks are absolutely perfect for an album cover. A photographer can hope. (:

ooo, Inspiration

2010-02-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest inspirations as a photographer is this lovely lady pictured right here. Jessica Claire is a wedding and portrait photographer extraordinaire as well as one of the greatest artists of the camera working right now. Not only is she amazing with the camera at weddings, she rocks it on the street too (check out her art website here); as if that weren't enough, Jessica has one of the quirkiest, most intriguing, and most I-want-to-be-friends-with-you online personalities ever. I confess to checking her blog at least once a day for any possible updates. Shhhh...

This gorgeous images of Jessica shooting her first destination wedding (on location in Cabo!) was captured by her friend and second shooter Becker, whose images, clearly, are also top notch.

I aim for this kind of dedication to an image. Ahhh-mazing.

In other news, I've been accepted as a staff photographer for The Daily Californian, the daily paper published on UC Berkeley's campus. I am oh so thrilled! You should check out their website, of course, but I also recommend a visit to the staff's photography blog. Hopefully you'll see one of my images up there sometime soon!

Photographers: Your New Favorite Accessory

2010-02-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

Hey kids!

Meet the newest cool hip thing to have if you're a photographer, Funky Camera. I want to order ten but will somehow restrain myself. I'm thinking leopard print. Maybe some cute flowers. How to ever decide!?

Here are my four favorites. It was impossible to pick. Really. They're not my photos (they belong to Funky Camera) but I wanted to share oh so badly. Ah-mazing. Really. (:

I love the bright colors and funky flowers in this design. Is it too girly though?

Or do I show some Cal spirit? Cal spirit and delicate flowers. I love the color scheme but maybe it doesn't pop enough like the last one...

Classy. Good for both fun and more professional events. Not sure it's my absolute favorite though... but still very nice.

Last but not least, this one is perhaps my favorite. Not sure how the faux fur would hold up to my special brand of abuse though. What happens when the faux fur gets dirty or wet? Hmm... such a dilemma.

Anyways, this is my new favorite accessory. Or will be when I finally get around to ordering. Just you wait. (:

P.S. I'm thinking the bright and beautiful flowers in the first strap. Thoughts? Suggestions?

This is a Test. And a Cute Dog.

2010-01-31T16:13:00.000-08:00

Trying to see if the new e-mail subscription gadget (it's on the right--scroll down a little bit) works. I've signed myself up and so the question is, will I receive an e-mail update about this new post...? I'll let you know. Although, perhaps you should just sign up and find out for yourself...

And since I can't post without a photo (of course!):

Spanky, how did you ever get so adorable?!

I can see Russia from my city.

2010-01-30T18:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the crew headed to San Francisco to, well, visit Russia. Well, at least we got a little taste of the culture, people, food, and vodka. (:

Held at the Russian Center in San Francisco, the 2010 Russian festival was a complete success. It was held in cool old building and decorated very appropriately with:

1. Photos of old Russians of importance:

And, 2. Beautiful paintings of Moscow:

Among other things we also discovered basketball nets and old vents in the gymnasium.

How could you not like this place?! (Or Polaroids...) Yes, it's the same photo, transformed with Poladroid. I will eventually get a real Polaroid camera but until then I will continue to just be a poser... sigh.

Especially when that room was actually decorated like this for the festival:

And when you could find such delicious treats as this for purchase:

Yummm...

Upstairs there were some pretty awesome performers. I couldn't get a lot of photos because, well, it was a performance and I wasn't hired to snoop around with my camera, but I loved the classic Russian culture in the old auditorium and couldn't help myself with this one. Ha ha. Anyways, this is some famous Russian dancer who also played the accordion. Coo.

We walked back to BART instead of taking the bus and, in the glossy post rain and the beginning of the night, I got this cool photo of, well, bonus points for anybody who can tell me what building this is. (:

Overall, a very successful adventure. (:

Russia? Yeah, I've been.

Ha ha, I wishhhhh....

Poladroid. ohmigosh.

2010-01-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

Dear friends, let me just say:

You have no idea how much your life is about to change. In absolutely unbelievable, completely wondrous ways. How so, you say?

Drumroll, please:

I'm proud to present this amazing, FREE software. Both MAC and (pc) compatible. Beautiful.

POLADROID.

I'm so excited I can barely say it: it transforms any photo, yes, any .jpg photo you have, into a very convincible Polaroid photo. And it does it in the most legit way possible. Once you've downloaded it you need only drag and drop your image onto the camera icon and it spits out an undeveloped Polaroid (with a very realistic "click" and print sound). True to form, you must wait a few minutes for the photo to develop (although shaking it really does speed up the process), but it's well worth the wait.

The only downside to the program that I can see is that there's no way for you as the photographer/editor to pick which part of your original 4X6 image shows up in the Polaroid image. I got a few where the subject was completely lopped off and the image was rendered ridiculous. I have decided to be happy regardless of this problem. (:

Check out a few (okay, a lot) of my transformed images below. I got a little trigger happy, but absolutely cannot wait to print some of these out for real. Polaroid effects make everything look extra cool. Check it and be excited.

The California Mission:

And another:

Lock. (here or here or even here).

Kenny:

The old, cacti boat:

Rebecca:

Yosemite:

Photoshoot for BARE magazine:

Berkeley at night:

Portraits of old friends:

And other old friends:

Candid photo on Spoul Plaza (Berkeley)

mhmmmm (:

Portraits of Jenni (:

Beach (this was from the red tide ocean adventure)...

Pride Parade 2009 (San Francisco)

And another from that day...

Roadtrip:

Berkeley Bowl

Another roadtrip photo:

I've been wanting to get a Polaroid camera for aaages now. The cameras are cheap but the film is soo expensive it's just ridiculous. Sigh. It's a bummer that this program can't print out the photos for free too, but as it is, I'm pretty happy. Poladroid is amazing and until I get my hands on a real Polaroid camera (and truckloads of film) this will most definitely keep me quite happy.

Thank you, Poladroid! (go download. now. trust me on this one. :D )