yes we can-vas!

after seeing all the beautiful canvases everyone else was getting i thought it was high time i got a couple of my own. it was trial by fire for the first one. i wanted to put my awesome canvas vendor to the test by giving them a scanned image of kim and i from our post-wedding session. my simpleton logic behind the challenge was this. if i sent a scanned image and they could make it look awesome on canvas then surely an image taken with my 5d would make for an insane looking canvas. if it all worked out, kim would be getting a sweet gift and my vendor would be getting more orders.

i was home when the first canvas arrived, stalking the UPS truck while "hungry like the wolf" played in my head. i snatched the rather large box from the all too feeble grip of the delivery man and ran back to my fortress of solitude to open my prize.

when i pulled back the layers of packing bubbles unveiling the canvasy image of my beautiful bride, i smiled a hugantic smile. kim looked just as amazing as the day we got married.

as for the canvas...

the canvas looked pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.

for the 2nd one i used a newer image. a fun shot of rain and april, poster size. :)

no, it's not a green screen. that's our kitchen (after the great lumpia fire of 07). thanks for helping casa de ohana look a whole lot cooler roxy.

HULK SMASH!!!!

What's up with April?

april has been pretty busy lately. she's going to school full time and doing some independent artsy work. we all know that she has many talents. she's a solid photographer, a very good illustrator, a primo etch-a-sketcher, and a street-chalk artisan. Now added to the long list of talents is...
makeup artist.
april recently conned, er um, talked rain into doing a fun little session where april had full creative control. for all you perspective brides, students, photographers, and everday women looking to stand out from the crowd, april is available and accepting appointments. you too could look like krusty the clown for your important event. give her a call today. appointments are booking fast. :)

all kidding aside...call her today. appointments are booking fast. :)

seriously, call now. lines are open. hey hey!

hmm. why isn't the phone ringing? someone call just to make sure it's working. i'll wait.

here's another session she did with her uncle glenn. she did her best to make him look cool. i think she missed her mark on this one. :)

i kid. i kid. we love the fact that april is trying stuff on her own. what kind of parents would we be if we weren't discouraging her from chasing her dreams? i mean, were discouraging her. that's a pretty crucial conjunction.
good yob aboo.

amanda's boudoir part deux

as promised, here are more shots from amanda's boudoir session.
you may need to do what rain always says and "SHIELD YOUR EYES!!!" if these are too, as Ginger puts it, "scandalous" :)

amanda's boudoir session teaser

just before leaving las vegas i had the opportunity to do a boudoir session with amanda. i know some eyebrows raised right there when i said the "b" word. boudoir.
what does that word mean to you?
(please let me know in the comments field below.)
i'll answer my own question by saying that, to me, boudoir means confidence, expression, art, beauty.
i know these are not for everyone. it takes a lot of trust and professionalism, on both sides of the camera, to do this kind of session.
all my potential clients should know that my view on boudoir is identical to my view on trash-the-dress sessions. neither is meant to be trashy or distateful in any way. they are both about focusing on you and creating a beautiful work of art that you can be proud of.
as stated, this post is just a teaser. I have more images from this session and will be sharing them soon. those of you who would like to see more images from this session please email me and let me know. if you've seen enough, please tell me what you think.
if you read all that, i thank you. i am very passionate about my work and hope that is conveyed to you through not only my words, but my images as well.

land sharks

it's been a long rainy winter, but spring has finally arrived with it's traditional gift...

glorious sunshine that just makes you feel good all over.
now, i've been a fan of spring for a long time.
spring training. spring break. spring rolls. i love them all.
this year i have one more reason to love spring. rain started playing softball.

i love this shot kim took.

kim literally waited a half hour for the little dandelion seed to float away. it was not to be.

when i heard that the coach was letting the girls pick the team name i braced for the worst. would they be "the extreme unicorns", "the cuddle bears", "slytherin", or worse yet... the team who shall not be named (the dodgers). apologies to my friends in l.a. you know i love ya. (go Padres!)
as it turned out, the girls came through with perhaps the sweetest of all children's softball team names...
"THE SHARKS!"
these girls rule.

from top to bottom, left to right. isabelle, brooke, abby, lauren, mikayla, asia, and alexia.

rocking the infield.

i now invite you all to pull up a bucket and take a look at our 2008 home team SHARKS.

isabelle.

here's coach george droppin' some softball knowledge.

lauren. what a hitter.

alexia may just be the most fearless six year old i have ever seen.

kenzie charging.

abby taking it down town.

here's asia's big sister alicia she comes out and helps the girls with their pitching and fielding. she's an awesome person and player.

here's rain taking pointers from alicia.

kenzie may have just got hit in the shin but she's tough.

lauren. look at that intensity.
zoey backing up lauren on a fly ball, coach george has taught her well.

PRIIIIIIME!!!!!!!!!!!

see what i mean, no fear.

who thinks i'm awesome?! (...my writers are still on strike.)

after weeks of preparation, game day was upon us.
opening day 2008.
the girls finally got to put on their uniforms and play in front of the masses.
the infields were chalked.

the gear was broken in and ready to go.

rain, brooke, and alexia were...
laughing?!
having fun is what it's all about.

these girls didn't come to just play around. they came to win. their secret weapon... eye black. works every time.

asia throwing some heat.

lauren's got mad pitching skills.

rain got to pitch for a bit and actually struck out the last batter of the game. her first k. sweet.

inside the shark cage.

know the strike zone you must. know it not and fail you will young padawan.

secret weapon number 2... alexia's strike zone.

catchers rule!

at the end of the day it's all about teamwork, celebrating your accomplishments, learning from your mistakes, and of course, having snacks with your teammates. i love this game!