Colleen: Lifestyle Portraits Part I

colleen and i have worked together for 5 years now...she's a wonderful teacher and a very hard working woman...she's very much in tuned with her health and fitness...for her, it's not just a hobby or a fun thing to do...it's her way of life...it's carried out in her eating habits, workout regime, and yoga...she decided to do a lifestyle photo session to capture her in different yoga poses...

i had an incredible time shooting colleen! there were too many beautiful shots to share that i couldn't pick only a few...so i decided to divvy them up into different parts, based on location...also, i couldn't just put the pictures out there without giving the yoga poses their proper names...so i had to do a lot of researching before i could post this =) although, i couldn't find the name of the last yoga pose...if you happen to know what it is, let me know ;-)

here's colleen in her lifestyle portraits part I...enjoy!


1) tree pose (i had to post this one again, it's just so beautiful!)



2) triangle pose


3) pigeon pose


4) hover pose


5) cobra pose


6) pigeon crescent (i love this one!)


7) and ? (please share if you know the name of this pose =)

isn't colleen amazing at this? the strength of her body...and the elegance and tranquility of yoga...very inspiring...

Michigan revisited =)

i was going through my michigan pictures and realized that my sisters haven't seen all the pictures yet...i posted some of the pictures on facebook, but as much as i bug my sisters to open an account...they're not on facebook =(

so this morning i sifted through the pictures that were taken from the trip...smiling as i went through them, missing my family once again...below are some of my favorite michigan moments...enjoy!

1) my sister...carrying the little girl we've all been waiting for =) she's due 12/1!


2) cute james...and his huge eyes and long lashes =)


3) dinner time for vansh! so cute!


4) maggie's backyard...james, ramiah, & tyler jumping around while yaya pretended to shoot them...lol they loved this because they don't have any toy guns at home =)


5) sweet amanda, she's my sister's personal assistant's daughter...she comes every tues & thur to babysit/play with the kids...she's so good! yaya calls her "my manda"...as they fight for her attention =)


6) it wouldn't be summer without running through your sprinklers!!


7) bedtime with mama...


8) my BFFs!! we all live in different states, so it was especially awesome that we all got to see each other and spend a little time together =)


9) while i chased and played with the older boys, dave got to sneak away with the sweetest baby boy...vansh...i couldn't keep from taking pictures...i just love this side of dave =) he's the best uncle!


10) and here's dave and yours truly...we had an incredible time in michigan...


visiting up north is always, incredibly hectic...and time usually flies by rather quickly...i'm sad i didn't get to see my other friends: john, matt, & sheila...i promise to see you in october =) xo

Gift to Fans =)

Sneak Peak!

so this morning i felt quite zen as i captured my friend, colleen, in beautiful yoga poses... it was quite awe, inspiring... i hurried home excited to have a look at all the amazing pictures we took... while processing i was so excited that i couldn't keep from sharing a sneak peak with you... i know colleen is just as excited =)

below are two of the same images...but processed quite differently...do you like the bright, vibrant one? or do you like the warm, calming sepia tone? would love to hear your opinion =) enjoy!

Milind & Robin

Milind and Robin are very good friends of my sister and brother in law...if ever they need a babysitter, they're there...if they ever need help cutting vegetables for a party, robin is there =) i don't think she'll mind me saying this because i think it's a huge accomplishment... robin has lost 90 lbs this past year and looks amazing! every time i go up she bugs me for pictures ;-) but you know what? i would want pictures too! here are previews to Milind and Robin's portrait session taken at my sister's beautiful home...enjoy!















aren't they sweet? i love these last two...

Maggie=BFF

meet my long distant best friend...maggie =) like lacey, we've known each other since 6th grade! we played volleyball & basketball together in grade school...graduated from the same high school...got in trouble together =) and now, even though she's still a michigander and i'm now a floridian...our friendship remains...

it was a lot of fun spending time with her and her handsome son, tyler...we got to see her new house! she's now a proud home owner! and i was excited to get some pictures of her and her new home =) tyler on the other hand, not so excited for pictures...but we at least got him for a couple of seconds to take a shot =)
here's maggie and her new home...enjoy!


isn't her house darling?
















isn't maggie beautiful? and here's the one shot tyler allowed =) he wouldn't even smile for us! ;-)

my new business cards!!

so far, today has been a good day...well it started last night...because of my horrible experience at the clinic, dave took me out to dinner to cheer me up =)...then on a whim, decided to go to the Apple store to upgrade my phone! yay for my new iPhone 3GS (it's so sweet!)...and yay! for a wonderful fiance (who likes to spoil me)!

sooo...i slept really well last night and woke up early and refreshed...had a good experience at the post office and was able to send out a few of my client's packages (without a crazy line)...then i picked up my new business cards!!! yay!! thank you Great Western Printing for an awesome job!! you guys rock!!

you know i had to share these with you =) so here are a few images of my new business cards! tell me what you think =) xo!

here's the front =)




and the back....




and now both =) hehe

::livid::

livid would best describe my emotional state at the moment...argh!!!...i'm so livid i have to let my frustration spill onto paper...well, onto the keyboard... and i can't do it in 140 characters, so here i am! blogging my frustration away...

how would you feel if you had to wait an hour for your doctor's appointment? try TWO hours! yes, i waited 2 hours...and yes, i should have walked out sooner!...i waited in the stuffy waiting room, packed with people...waiting for my annual visit, which is dreadful in and of itself...after a little over an hour, false hope arrives as i get transported into my room where i change into my paper gown...sitting on paper, wearing paper...not the most comfortable...

after flipping through five people's magazine, playing with my phone, then staring at the wall...i realized that i had been waiting for two hours! TWO HOURS! i kept debating whether i should walk out or not...it didn't take long to decide (well, i guess you could say it took 2 hours)...i furiously changed back into my civilian clothing and let my frustration out at the front desk, and told them that i will be switching doctors...and that it is not right to make anyone wait that long!

i mean, how would my client's feel if i showed up two hours late for a photo session? two hours late for their wedding? Livid?! right? my client's would be livid! why does this not pertain to doctor's and hospitals? am i missing something? last year my sister waited in an emergency room for three hours!! what is that? luckily she wasn't dying! i mean, i know... you expect to wait...but to make a person wait that long?

it's just...so inconsiderate...simply, it's just not right... but what are we to do? find a different doctor...which is something i should have done long ago...so it's mainly my fault for not switching sooner...i've heard there are clinics where you wait a maximum ten minutes...wow? what a concept...schedule people when you can take them...ahh...yes, that would be ideal...so now, i'm off to print a list of doctors in my area...

and i can't part without leaving you some pictures =) so here are a few images of my nephew, kicking some booty at his kung fu class...and as a proud auntie, i'm happy to announce that he passed his first test and is now a "white sash"...

thank you for reading and for allowing me to unleash my thoughts and frustration...have an enjoyable evening =)

Lacey & Adrian

one of the best parts of my michigan visit was seeing my good friends! lacey and i have known each other since 6th grade! she is one of my dearest friends...one of those friends you can not talk to for months, and when you do...it's like we haven't missed a beat...she is a very loving person who has worked hard all her life...she now lives in arizona, where she will be having her first baby!!

so my initial reason for going up to michigan was to attend lacey's baby shower...it was great seeing her and her entire family whom i haven't seen in a very long time...and it was nice to finally meet the man she's been raving about...her man and father to be, adrian =) i was able to grab her and adrian for some pictures =) miss you lacey! enjoy!!














aren't they adorable? can't wait to meet their baby boy in october! xo

Yaya and little girl...

i'm going through michigan pictures and i had to post these cute ones of my nephew, yaya, and of this little girl...um, i don't remember her name =( she's my friend's little cousin and she found yaya quite delightful to play with...isn't she just darling?...and of course, my nephew too =)
many more pictures to share =) xo




she just randomly gave him a hug...aww...





she loved the camera...she kept telling me to take pictures of her =)