Engaged!

My brother proposed to his girlfriend over the weekend! I can't tell you how excited I am for the two of them. They are such a great couple and are going to be so happy (not that they aren't already....). He was really cute, and had a neighbor sneak over and set up roses and candles, and then I snuck in and lit them, got the music playing, and he beat her home to be there to surprise her as well. I'm grateful that he trusted me to take pictures--I hope you like them!

Sharpness closeup

I got a few questions about my previous sharpness post, and thought I'd post a follow up. These two pictures are from the same pictures previous, but enlarged to show the differences. The difference is even more stark when printed, even as small as an 8x10. The differences are best seen in the details of their eyes.

Progress is good

To make all of you aspiring photogs feel really good about your pictures, I thought I'd post one from when I had just gotten started. My little sister was a senior in 2006, so my husband & I volunteered to do her senior pics. We had just bought our camera about 8 months previous.

Little sis: May 2006
Rebel XT kit lens f/4 1/800 ISO 1600 (ouch. I know. We had trouble remembering to check ISO settings.)

Compare that to the one we took just last April of my little bro who will be a senior in 2009.

Little bro: April 2008
Rebel XTi 20-200L f/4.5 1/125 ISO 200

crazy huh? You'd better believe we've made some progress in the last two years. Don't ever think you've "made it" or there's nothing left to learn. At the time, we thought that first picture was pretty good. Arrrghhh.

Fun (large!) Family

This group was great! Grandpa was only in town for a couple of days, so they hurried and got organized for a large family portrait! At first I was a little anxious about having a session with such a large group, but no problems! All the kids were behaved, they all looked fantastic, and we had a good time. So, here's your preview. I wanted to get it up before I left town for a few days. Thanks for such a fun time!

This was grandma's idea. She wanted a picture of all her grandkids doing their "thing". I love it!

Life turned upside down

It's crazy how things come out of nowhere when you least expect it and turn everything upside down. For the last 6 months or so, we've been planning on taking a job in CA after Sam has finished with his master's thesis. The offer is great, the location is better than great, and we'd be off to do something new and exciting.

Well, not so much. We've decided to accept a different offer instead. Sam was offered a position in a technology start-up company. The company currently consists of 2 people, Sam would be one of the first hires, he'd be working with crazy-smart people, get first-hand experience on how to get a company off the ground, make great net-working contacts, etc. The pay is comparable, we're going to be able to afford a house, their benefits package is great, and we're getting a small equity in the company. So, not too shabby. We both feel that this is really what we're supposed to be doing for the next couple of years.

The only downside to this new and exciting offer is that we will be staying in Utah. Yes. We were so excited to leave, but when the Lord closes a door He most often opens a window. We will survive. We've learned that in the technology business, you really just don't stay put for very long so I imagine we'll be moving around a lot over the next 30 years.

**edited to add** The job will be at Thanksgiving Point, so we're looking to move to north-eastern Utah County. Lehi/American Fork/Pleasant Grove area. :)

Extended Family

This was such a fun session! Slightly crazy, really windy, and cold, but fun nevertheless. They were all troopers, especially the little ones! I shot pictures of the whole group, individual families, individual kids, but my favorite was all the grandkids together. Mostly because I had 4 sets of parents behind me all trying to get their kids to look over and smile! Good times. Don't worry guys, there's lots more where these came from!

My Wall

Well, I'm a little slow, but I did promise to post pictures once we finished our wall. I love it. We get so many compliments from people that come over. Makes me happy. My only unhappiness is that I couldn't go bigger. After having 16x20's on my wall for a week, and then going to 8x10's...yeah. Not. Big. Enough. Oh well. We have one more wall, right? Oh- and I am not a product photographer. This is why I take pictures of people. ;)

(2) 11x14 (top canvas, bottom textured wall print)

(3) 8x10 textured wall prints
(1) 10x20 textured storyboard on easel
(1) 4x6 gift print
All framed without glass. Love. It.

Cute Family

I had this photoshoot right before we ran out of town last weekend. They were so much fun! The kids were being bribed with ice cream, and were great for me! Hope the ice cream was yummy!

Beautiful Seattle, WA

Sam & I are in Seattle for a few days to interview with Amazon, and it has seriously been sooo relaxing! The kids are staying with my parents, so we've had no schedule, can eat whenever we want, we got to sleep in, and I'm killing a few hours (while Sam does all the actual interviewing) at the coolest library I've ever seen. We are staying at the Hotel Andra (definitely not something we would have booked ourselves), went on a photowalkto the Seattle Center (think Space Needle) yesterday, and ate the yummiest seafood at McCormick's & Schmick's. Ahhhhh.... everyone needs a vacation. Especially if you are parents. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!

A new addition to our studio: wood floor

We've been contemplating this for awhile now, and well, wood floors were on sale last night when we went to Costco. Who can resist a sale? Ha. The eventual plan is to have my bro-in-law make us a metal platform/frame so we can even switch out the color of the floor, take it apart, store it, etc. We mostly just wanted to make sure it was good idea before he went to all the trouble. Just don't ask where we're going to store it.

Anyway, pulled my lights out to play today and I'm really liking the look. There's also a few more fabric backdrops I have my eye on, but those will have to wait. What do you think?

And just to show how cute his pouty face is....