Trina Knudsen

New Blog

2010-05-13T09:03:00.003-06:00

The new blog is up! I love it!

This Blogspot blog is now an archive of fun things past.

Check out the new blog at http://www.trinaknudsen.net . Please leave a comment ;), it is fun to get feed back from the people who follow my blog.

If you use Google reader to follow your favorite blogs, you can subscribe to my RSS feed

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

I love Christmas! For me, it is a holiday filled with the joy of family, fun traditions and fond memories.

This year I was able to photograph the newest edition to our family, Emma Jo, my cute little niece, as she had her first visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Doesn't she look like a little doll. Her stockings were cute...she is so tiny they look like sweat pants on her little legs.

Mrs. Claus holding Emma

Santa holding Emma. I'm not sure Emma knows what to think of this whole experience...

A tender moment with Santa

Our former neighbor made the perfect Santa, complete with a real, snowy-white beard.

Each Christmas morning, we gather at my parent's home for family time, hot chocolate with a scoop of peppermint ice cream (stirred with a candy cane), home-made cinnamon rolls, and sausage.

This year, the favorite gift I gave was to my grandmother. The gift was a photo compilation of my grandmother surrounded by her 14 children.

Above all, I love that Christmas is a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season.

Christmas is not only a time to remember His birth, but His life and love for all mankind. May His example of love and dedication bless your life each day.

Merry Christmas!

AKC retreat '09 - day 1

2009-07-28T13:50:00.018-06:00

Monday, July 27, 2009

I am so excited to be in Charleston, South Carolina, with some of the sweetest photographer ladies in the United States!

Alpha Kappa Camera (AKC) is a female photographer sorority created by photographers Cristi Owens and Amelia Strauss, two of the super-fun photographers I met at the Zero-to-60 Workshop in Ireland.

This week, their dream of creating AKC became a reality in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, where 9 female photographers from 9 different states gathered to network, talk shop and relax.

We are staying at a beach house on charming Sullivan's Island.

By the end of the evening, all the girls participating in the retreat had arrived to the beach house.

For lunch, Yellowfin tuna tacos in the courtyard at Poe's Tavern

Later, we went shopping at Piggly Wiggly's [can you believe that is the actual name of a grocery store? - it made me laugh :)].

After Joanna joined the group, we all went down to the beach . . .

Since this is my third trip to a beach . . . I was fascinated with all the beauty I found.

The grasses were so beautiful with wispy shadows cast on the near-white sand.

For ease and enjoyment of walking (and a possible a trail marker back to the beach house) we left our sandals behind . . .

These sandals were particularly fun . . . bright and sparkly!

Cute Shea.

The birds sailed on currents of air near the shore.

Beautiful blue skies.

My first time seeing a jellyfish . . .

Super-fun bunch!

For dinner, tapas in down town Charleston.

All the girls . . .

fun business news : mini albums

2009-06-15T12:59:00.006-06:00

I love mini albums . . . so tiny, so intimate . . . a great way to share your precious memories with friends, family, coworkers and everyone in between! These little treasures are included in my wedding and family packages.

I have been looking for a new album company [my previous company seems to have stopped making my other favorite album :( ]. Today my shipment arrived from Art Leather . . . fun!

These albums contain twenty 3x3 photos . . . they are so much fun to hold.

The back cover of the album has my company logo in silver . . .

These albums are the perfect gift. What parent or grandparent would not love to have this pocket/purse sized album to adore and share images of those they love . . .

Interesting in holding a mini album filled with your precious memories? Contact me about shooting your wedding or family, portrait or senior session!

Theresa + Wade + Ryan + Ivan : Family

2009-06-11T16:42:00.007-06:00

This was truly an awesome shoot! When Theresa asked if I would shoot her family photos, I suggested that we shoot them at a place where the family enjoys being together. I work with Wade up at Huntsman Cancer Hospital; on many occasions, Wade has mentioned his family's involvement with hockey. The perfect location for their family: the Utah Olympic Oval, where the family spends up to 4 nights a week scoring, supervising or playing hockey.

The tiniest hockey skates I have ever seen . . .

Ivan was a ham for the camera . . .

The guys out on the ice . . .

The family

Look at that smile . . . doesn't Ivan look like he is up to somethin'?

I love this shot of Ryan

Doesn't Theresa look beautiful in this shot . . .

Wade

Theresa + Wade

We finished the shoot in time for Ryan's game . . . the red helment . . .

Wade watching the game

Ivan being a ham for the camera again :) . . .

. . . while Theresa helped keep score.

Ryan was really quick on the ice.

One of the things I loved most about the shoot was it was the story of their family doing things that were very much a part of their everyday lives. I love it! Thanks for such an awesome shoot! Thanks for letting me capture a few moments in your lives!

Dave + Melanie + Tavia : Family

2009-05-29T14:52:00.009-06:00

Okay, so it has been way too long since my last post . . . my apologies.

Just before mother's day I had the chance to shoot this cute family. Melanie received the shoot as part of a service auction last year, but wanted to wait until Tavia arrived . . . she worth the wait! Tavia is so cute . . .

Tavia discovered grass . . .

Tavia was not feeling well the day of the shoot but was a little trooper; she loved being cuddle by her parents during the shoot.

I love the interaction between Tavia and Melanie . . .

Dave + Melanie goofing around to make Tavia squeal with delight . . .

Tiny tongue . . . tiny hands . . . tiny feet . . . tiny dribble on her chin

What a gorgeous day to be outside!

Tavia even gave some cuddles of her own . . .

I absolutely love rim light

What a beautiful family! Thanks for the fun shoot!

anniversary: clark + trina {preview}

2009-04-08T18:32:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, Clark and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary.

Here is a preview of some of our adventures . . .

Some fun with textures:

lydia

2009-02-27T01:43:00.014-07:00

Please forgive me for taking a moment to be very personal. Right now I have so many mixed emotions . . . from gratitude to a sense of loss for someone I dearly loved. February 26, 2009 at 10:24 PM, Lydia passed quietly from this world into the loving arms of her Heavenly Father. Lydia was born in a snow storm in June, and tonight, after her passing, snowflakes fell gently from the sky.

I found out about her passing during shift my at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. While working on my charting, I looked up and saw my husband standing there and knew immediately that Lydia had passed. A flood of emotions filled my mind and heart; I was grateful that she was finally able to rest from the difficulty and pains of this world, but, at the same time, missed her so much. Our sweet charge nurse, Melissa, helped make arrangements for me to leave to go visit her and obtain a sense of closure. (Thank you so much, Melissa).

Lydia was my beloved grandmother and friend. I first came to know Lydia the month before I turned 12, when she was looking for someone to help her around her house and yard.

Over the years our friendship grew and we grew to truly love and care for one another. Lydia never had the opportunity to have children; Lydia was literally a grandmother to me and she loved me as her granddaughter. I treasure the fun times we shared and the opportunity I had to know such a remarkable woman.

This was a picture of Lydia and me at our wedding reception

Lydia was strong-willed, humorous, generous, ambitious, loving, caring and kind. She did her best to make sure no one ever left her home with empty hands or an empty stomach.

Lydia found great joy in doing things for others. She would send packages to friends to remember holidays and special occasions; the packages were always decorated with stickers to make them a little more fun. Even when she was not feeling well, she would make-up little bags of candy to share with the sweet health care workers who would come into her home to care for her. She was always thinking of others.

Lydia had a great love for life. During her life she faced many difficulties, but always had a very positive attitude and did not complain. She was grateful for each day she lived and could see no sense in being down. She was always grateful for the many blessings she had received in her life; she was especially grateful for the people who blessed her life.

One time, I had the opportunity to stay with Lydia for a couple nights after she had returned home from rehabilitation for a broken hip. I was so touched to hear her fervent, sincere prayers to her Father in Heaven, before laying down to sleep; her prayers were filled with gratitude for all that she had been blessed with and she prayed individually for the family and friends dear to her. Lydia had a great love for her Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lydia's favorite scripture was Job 19:25

"For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth"

Lydia's favorite hymns were,

"I Stand All Amazed"
(Text and music by Charles H. Gabriel)

and

"How Great Thou Art"
(Text by Stuart K. Hine and
Music is a Swedish folk melody,
arranged by Stuart K. Hine)

Lydia loved to feed the birds in her backyard. Lydia loved roses, especially pink roses. This picture is of a rose in Lydia's yard, a rose I helped tend for her as I cared for her yard. I photographed and printed this image during my first darkroom class.

This image was taken last September when Clark and I took Lydia on a drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon to see the beautiful fall leaves near Silver Lake (a few days before Kari's bridals were taken)

While Clark was driving home me from Lydia's house in the wee hours of this morning, I could almost hear her singing a song she sang to me on several occasions upon parting . . .

"Now run along home
and jump into bed.
Say your prayers,
don't cover your head.
There's just one more thing
I say unto you,
you dream of me,
and I'll dream of you."

Lydia, I love you and will miss you!

nicholas

2009-02-25T17:54:00.004-07:00

This is darling little Nicholas.

Since the snowflakes were falling a couple days before Christmas, we did Nicholas's shoot in the warmth of the Salt Lake City Public Library.

While I was waiting for Nicholas and his family to arrive, I explored some points of interest in the children's section of the library.

Doesn't Nicholas's cute little face just melt your heart?

Nicholas is such a happy little guy! Here Nicholas gets excited about "throw it in the air, for Nicholas and me" while playing patty cake with daddy.

I smile every time I look at these pictures. Nicholas is such a darling little boy and has such sweet, loving parents. Thanks for the fun playtime!

kari + nate : wedding

2009-01-21T15:05:00.005-07:00

Kari + Nate were married October 24 in the Utah Salt Lake LDS Temple. For those of you not familiar with LDS temple weddings, the temple sealing (ceremony) is considered sacred, so photography is not permitted until the couple has returned to the temple grounds.

Following the sealing, Kari + Nate joined friends and family outside.

Nate did a fantastic job selecting Kari's ring . . .

Their luncheon was hosted by Nate's parents in the elegant Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Empire Room.

I love the tenderness of this kiss . . .

Following the luncheon, Kari + Nate enjoyed a quite moment alone, dancing, enjoying being in one another's arms.

Then, outside to take a few shots in their luncheon attire . . .

The chief in the restaurant, found out that it was Kari + Nate's wedding day and brought them both cookies.

What a handsome couple . . .

Kari's gorgeous bouquet was designed and created by her older brother, Kirk.

Just prior to the reception, the families gathered to enjoy some family photos in the warm evening light.

The wedding reception was carefully planned by Kari's family. The decor was by Design Elite Weddings. Flower and table arrangements, were again, designed and created by Kirk.

Carrie's Cakes are as tasty as they are beautiful. Kari + Nate's cake had a shimmery finish on the frosting . . . the cake was so beautiful, it was almost a shame to cut it . . . until you tasted it . . . yum.

An ice sculpture of the Salt Lake Temple was the focal point of the buffet table. The sculpture was created by ICEWORKS in Salt Lake City, UT.

Sione . . . Annie . . . garter . . . bouquet. . .

Dad dancing with his little girl . . .

A tender moment between mother and son . . .

To view a slideshow of additional wedding-day images, click here.

Congratulations Kari + Nate! I love you tons!

Barack Hussein Obama - Presidential Inauguration

2009-01-20T16:29:00.008-07:00

First, I must preface this post by saying I did not have a high profile press pass to obtain these amazing angles of this historical day. The artistic credit for the images belongs to the many camera personnel of msnbc, who braved the freezing conditions to provide the world-wide video coverage which I enjoyed from the comfort of my living room. Photographing the live TV coverage was my way to participate in and document this historic event.

During my time in Europe I learned, first hand, the world was watching to see the outcome of the recent election which led to today's inauguration. Like millions of Americans who gathered at the Mall in Washington D.C. and across the country, countless people from around the world also celebrated the swearing in of Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States of America.

There was no doubt in watching the coverage, the excitement and hope for change, change aimed to touch our nation and the world.

Aretha Franklin sings in celebration . . .

Vice President, Joe Biden, as he takes the Vice President Oath of Office

World renoun musicians, Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, Gabriela Montero, Itzhak Perlman perform a special arrangement by John Williams

Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts Jr., administers the Presidential Oath of Office to Barack Hussein Obama using the same Bible used during the presidential inauguration of Abraham Lincoln.

Michelle Obama stands by her husband and listens intently to the commitment her husband makes execute the office of the President of the United States faithfully and to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States . . .

. . . as do millions of people gathered at the Mall in Washington, D.C.

Highlights from President Obama's Inaugural address:

"Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision f those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents."

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

The nation watches and listens as the President speaks . . .

. . . and the light of hope and change can be seen in the faces and tears of the people.

The flag of the United States of America, with its stars and stripes, a long standing symbol of a nation's unity, waves above the President during his address.

Lovely Michelle Obama, in the midst of past presidents . . .

A farewell to the former President and first lady.

While the excitement seen on today's broadcast is not shared by all, one thing is certain . . . the world is watching.

murray park dental

2009-01-16T16:25:00.007-07:00

Even though I am a nurse, I really prefer being on the providing end of health care than I do on the receiving end. In the future, I will not be blogging much about my adventures as a patient, but when I find a something I like (especially a company that provides great service), I love to share it.

This past Monday I had a great experience at Murray Park Dental, a newly established dental office in Murray, Utah, USA. I have not been to the dentist in some time, as my awesome childhood dentist has retired. Needless to say, despite brushing and flossing, my teeth were in need of a little tune-up.

I must say that I really love everything about this office: the relaxing decor, the beautiful mountain view from the dental chair, and, especially, the people; Ali, the receptionist, Melanie, the dental assistant and my new family dentist, Adam P. McLachlan, D.D.S., were all wonderful to work with.

Adam was particularly great to work with; he turned my least favorite part of a dental procedure, the shot of numbing medicine (lidocaine), into a much less unpleasant experience through his good technique.

To me, the office has a simple, clean, cozy, welcoming feel.

The kids can even play with some-sort-of tooth toy while waiting . . .

To see the rest of the office and meet these great people, you should schedule an appointment...which I highly recommend (one might say I am a little picky about to whom I entrust my health :) ).

utah: winter

2009-01-03T23:51:00.003-07:00

Today I had the opportunity to teach my cousin, Desi, a little about the basics of photography. We ventured out into a temperature of 19 degrees Fahrenheit to enjoy the views of the Wasatch mountains with a fresh blanket of snow. I love that Utah has four beautiful seasons.

I think these Canada geese found out they returned a little too early . . . brrr

holiday season: halloween 2008

2009-01-01T19:17:00.004-07:00

For me, the Holiday season starts the end of October with Halloween. Holidays provide an additional reason to enjoy time with family and friends.

Fall color and beautiful Utah mountains

Brazilian Guarana

Decorations to celebrate the season

Our hosts, Karen and Ryan

Karen, the soon to be "mummy"

Anna and Rob . . .who also recently welcomed a new addition to their family, congrats!

Stinkin' cute little bumble bee!

Jeff and Megan

Precious little pumpkin . . .

My cute hubby and me . . . the elf ears are hidden under my hair

Karen preping for the jello eating contest . . .

A holiday of costumes and lots and lots of . . .

candy. Happy Holidays!

remsburg : family photos

2008-11-20T22:14:00.009-07:00

Nap + backyard + family playtime + perfect weather = fun photos.

The Remsburgs are such a darling family! They have two of the cutest, fun-loving, happy boys I have ever met. It was fun watching them play during the shoot and enjoying all the precious smiles while editing the photos.

Playing on the swings . . .

. . . on the slide . . .

. . . on the monkey bars . . .

. . . with a football . . .

. . . and together as a family; mom & dad played right along side the boys.

Just like big brother . . .

The product of this playtime (besides lots of smiles and fun memories) . . . a cute custom card to share with friends and family this holiday season!

Thanks for a truly awesome shoot!

kari : bridals

2008-10-26T13:59:00.007-06:00

Kari + Nate are now married to the love of their lives, for time and all eternity. I am excited, truly happy they found each other.

Now that Nate has seen the beautiful KariAnn in her wedding dress, here are a few more of Kari's fall bridals . . .

clark + trina

2008-10-15T16:07:00.002-06:00

It is hard to believe that three years ago tonight, Clark asked me to be his bride. When I reflect back on the time spent with Clark, I start to tear up thinking of how blessed my life has been because of him. He loves me and supports me, always.

A walk down memory lane . . .

Even the sky celebrated that night . . .

Thanks, Honey. I love you. Muah!

fall in utah

2008-10-09T16:16:00.006-06:00

For those of you who live in a place that doesn't have four seasons...I am sorry. Today was one of those beautiful days with the crisp coolness of fall in the air. So refreshing.

Right now I have a homemade pot of chili going. Later, the chili will be served in these cute country soup bowls.

I have been fortunate enough to be up in the canyon several times in the past few weeks...check out the vibrant gold leaves

A sneak peek at a bride who loves fall more than I do...

melissa jill

2008-10-01T09:40:00.012-06:00

Let me tell you a little about a photographer I adore. Her name, Melissa Jill. I first learned about Melissa through her membership in the Wedding Photojournalist Association. Since that time, I have grown as a photographer and a businesswoman.

Melissa, from Arizona, USA, is unique from many of the photographers in my area in that she is willing to share the lessons she has learned about photography to bless others' lives and help them to follow their photographic dreams. She has an entire section on her blog dedicated to resources "for photographers."

When Melissa first announced the Zero-60 Workshop on her blog, I was excited! - but. . .the workshop was in Ireland, so I did not think it would be a possibility. Somewhat jokingly, I mentioned to my husband that I had found my graduation present and proceeded to tell him what I had found. To my surprise he asked, "Well, have you signed up yet?"- he was serious. Clark told me of all the photographers that I follow, he would most like me to learn from Melissa Jill because she is down-to-earth, genuine, real and he respects her for that. (Thanks again, Honey!)

The Zero-60 workshop and the Europe travels prior to the workshop were and experience I will never forget! It was amazing to watch Melissa shoot in Ireland, France, and Italy. Even thought I was in the same area, I looked forward with anticipation to see her blog posts about our travels, to see the same streets through her eyes.

Melissa shooting in the streets of Paris, France.

Melissa and Kari

Melissa and Claire, in Paris

As for the Zero-60 Workshop-it was also amazing. Each day, I was hungry to learn and left the workshop well fed. More information was shared than I ever thought I would have the privilege of learning from Melissa and Arden. There will be more to posts on the Zero-60 Workshop later.

Melissa is both an incredibly talented photographer and a smart business woman, not to mention, just a sweet person :). In addition to being fantastic, Melissa is also a very positive person, humble, loves Christ, family and friends, is active in her church, constantly recognizes the source of her blessings and lives a life of integrity, all of which are of even greater value than the contribution she has made in photography.

Happy Birthday Melissa! The world is a better place because you are in it.

Thanks for everything!

music 101 : sterling singers

2008-09-20T21:47:00.021-06:00

Tonight I had the incredible opportunity to take photos for the Sterling Singers during their Music 101 concert at the First Presbyterian Church, in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Music performed by the choir included works from Vivaldi, Bach, Händel, Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, Bruckner, Brahms, and Fauré.

The church has many vibrant stain glass windows.

Near the main entrance, this Bible was beautifully displayed.

Kelly DeHaan, the conductor and masterful art director of the choir, taught his audience of pupils about each composer before the choir and organ or piano filled the church with the composer's inspired work.

Here, Kelly is sharing about his favorite composer of the evening, Beethoven, as choir members thoughtfully listen.

The choir truly sounded as though it were a choir of angels. Several times throughout the concert I had to simply stop shooting and focus all my attention to the music because I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. I love music. I love singing. I love listing to inspired music performed by angelic voices.

The final song of the evening was a tribute to the Savior. During this number, my camera sat in my lap as tears welled in my eyes; what a fitting tribute to Him who has given us all.

kari + nate : engagements II

2008-09-19T12:59:00.002-06:00

Last night Kari, Nate, Clark and I went up into the hills above Salt Lake City, UT, USA, to take a few additional engagement shots. Kari's first impression, she later told me, was "what are we doing in this field of weeds?" - the dried grasses and warm light made a beautiful setting for these shots

The sunflowers added a bit more fall color and feel to the area

Look at the tenderness as they gaze into each others eyes

The evening ended with the vibrant hues of the sun setting over the Salt Lake Valley

monet to picasso

2008-09-16T21:56:00.008-06:00

Tonight Clark and I went to the Utah Museum of Fine Art at the University of Utah to see the Monet to Picasso exhibit. It is so inspirational to stand before an original work of art; the colors, textures and subtleties of the paintings are so rich and wonderful!

During the exhibit, we went around with a sweet docent, Cherry, who has a passion for art. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed inside the exhibit, or I would show you some of my favorites (Besnard, Breitner, Van Gogh, Rodin, Dali, Cezanne, Ernst...).

At the entrance to the exhibit, the museum posted quotes from the artists:

"The way to know life is to love many things." -Vincent Van Gogh

"Creativity takes courage." -Henri Matisse

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." -Auguste Rodin

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once one grows up." -Pablo Picasso

I love the last quote. It brings back memories of coloring on the coffee table as a young girl. Art has always been a part of me; photography is now the medium I use to explore life.

kari + nate : engagement photos

2008-09-14T00:42:00.006-06:00

I was so excited to have the opportunity to shoot engagements for Kari & Nate. These two are so cute together and definitely in love. They will be getting married October 24th in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

I love how gentle Nate is with Kari.

Nate does a great job bringing a smile to Kari's face and making her laugh.

Just after we finished the shoot, I saw

This café made brought to mind a friend from the Zero-60 Workshop, Esther, whom I adore.

kari + nate

2008-09-13T22:17:00.014-06:00

Tonight I had the opportunity to shoot engagement photos for Kari & Nate. Here is a sneak preview of tomorrow's post . . .

What a stunning couple!

dublin, ireland

2008-09-13T13:07:00.008-06:00

I will finish blogging about the remainder of the Zero-60 Workshop as part of my trip through Europe.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Europe. Wow, what a dream! My sister Kari and I arrived in Shannon, Ireland after a marathon of travel. I LOVE listening to the locals' accents. On the plane flight to Shannon, Kari and I had seats next to friendly, talkative, Irish people. It was great chatting with them and feeling the sense of pride they had about their beautiful country.

A flight to Dublin finished our air travels for today. Prior to our flight to Dublin, we met up with Melissa Jill, a super-talented and amazingly sweet photographer from Arizona, USA.

For lodging, we stayed at Roganstown Golf & Country Club.

The interior. . .

I love shooting up. . .

After a long day of travel, the most welcoming part - good food and soft beds! Lunch was a cream or carrot and coriander soup with crusty bread. Yum. After lunch, a long nap; we were all exhausted from the traveling.

Later in the evening, we took a taxi to Swords Town Centre and enjoyed some time taking pictures.

The flower boxes made me think of my dad.

I love this little alley way.

On the dinner menu - Chinese food (note: if you ever travel to Swords Town, Ireland, all the Irish pubs finish serving food at 9 PM).

Tomorrow, off to Paris!

me

2008-09-10T13:32:00.017-06:00

It's been a long time coming, but I am excited to have this blog up and running!

A little about me...

I love photography.

Photography has been a passion of mine since I was a child and this passion continues to grow. You will see plenty about photography on my blog, so on with a couple other "me" related things :).

I love to learn.

Photography, business, science, art, cooking, baking, health, fitness...the list goes on and on. I have two bachelors degrees (medical illustration and nursing). In addition to my photography business, I am currently working at Huntsman Cancer Hospital.

Done (with nursing school :))

I love to experience other cultures.

This year I was fortunate enough to travel to Peru, France, Italy, and Ireland.

Peru

France

Italy

Ireland

I love my family.

I especially appreciate my honey, Clark, for his unwavering love and support. He works so hard to make life beautiful and keep me sane when I am busy. Through Clark, I am blessed to be a part of two loving, supportive families.

There are many other things I love and am grateful for, but I will visit them on another post.

zero-60 photography workshop

2008-09-09T22:33:00.025-06:00

I recently traveled to a few countries in Europe. While the other countries were filled with great memories, the purpose of this trip was to attend the Zero-60 Workshop with two fabulous wedding photographers, Melissa Jill (Arizona, USA) and Arden Ward (Alabama, USA).

The workshop did not disappoint. Not only were Melissa and Arden fabulous instructors, who shared volumes of information, but the workshop was also a great opportunity to network with other photographers. Content of the workshop focused on both the artistic and business aspects of wedding photography. It was great to have combined instruction from Melissa and Arden because their business set-up and shooting styles were very different. Their differences allowed me to see that a business model can be successful as long as it is designed for your market.

The networking portion was so much fun! The participants of the workshop are now very dear to my heart.

Brandi Schneider (Arizona, USA)
Brandi is a sweetheart. She is very new in her pursuit of professional photography and is an amazingly fast learner. If she keeps up the pace of learning that she did at the workshop, she will be there in no time :).

Doesn't she have the most amazing eyes!

and cute hair :). BTW - the wind LOVED Brandi's hair; the day we shot these photos, Brandi's hair spent most of the time on her face. Here she is gently brushing aside those wind-swept locks...

Cristi Owens (Arizona, USA)
Cristi is such a cutie (and, might I add, a hot bridal model...). Cristi was so full of positive energy and laughter that it was a pleasure to get to know her.

Amelia Strauss (Alabama, USA)
Amelia is one of those people who could put an ear-to-ear smile on your face when you are having an awful day. She is tons of fun!

I love the shape of Amelia's lips.

...and look at that million dollar smile! If you check out her blog, you will see other images with "the hat."

Mark Capilitan (Sligo, Ireland)
Mark was the sole male participant. He quietly went about his work and produced some incredible images during the workshop. It was fun to hear about his wedding market and to see his beautiful country.

Mark is really laid back, but still has a quiet, focused intensity about him. He takes pride in producing his best work.

Esther Cossio (Spain)

Esther is darling! This woman has an incredible eye for beautiful images. I am sad that she lives so far away, but I guess it gives me a good excuse to go back to visit another country in Europe :).

I know Esther doesn't like pictures of herself, but I think she is beautiful.

These images were taken during the 4th day of the workshop, when we took head shots for one another. The head shot on my blog was taken by Cristi; then I took it for a spin through Photoshop to make it a black and white. Thanks so much Cristi, I love it!

daddy

2008-07-18T14:56:00.013-06:00

This is my adorable dad. He is one of the kindest, gentlest, most loving people I know. He has a huge heart, is creative, and has an amazing work ethic. The quote which will forever remind me of dad, “a change is better than a rest.” On Father’s Day I took pictures of him out in the backyard; his favorite pass-time, gardening.

Our backyard is beautiful. He can work and work and work in the yard until he aches from head to toe and barely has enough energy to stand…and loves every minute of it. As we went around the back yard he pointed out several flowers next to which he would like to have his picture taken…he figured nobody would want to see his picture, but if the flowers were there, it would give them something to look at.

Clematis

Roses and…something else (Dad, I’ll need a refresher on this little white flower)

Peony

Petunias

Dad dreams big and builds gazebos even bigger!

A couple more pics...

Dad and cute Mom.

Dad, thanks for all you have done and continue to do for our family. I love and appreciate you so much!