April Greer Photography

OMG!!!!!

2008-01-04T23:50:00.001-08:00

THE DEED IS DONE!

Leave this old blog behind and.....

DIG THE NEW

BLOGGARIFFIC
BLOGTASTIC
BLOGADELLIC

WEDDING BLOG!

Bookmark the new site!

www.aprilgreerblog.com

Thank you Dave! Thank you Brock!

C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A

2008-01-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hello folks! Its finally time to start the ol' blogger again after a brief holiday hiatus! As some of you may know, I'm spending 2 months in Cali visiting family & working on personal portfolio stuff while Ray is in training for his new job. My parents welcomed me (housekeeper/dogwatcher) with open arms and occasionally they let me out of the house for a few hours! HA!

For nearly 3 weeks I couldn't stand to look at my cameras or talk about weddings. The itch to shoot, from the heart, is back again after a nice break. Here are a few snaps from the Marina area! Ich Liebe California! (i love california)

A neat little factory hung in the background...

My first time seeing an artichoke in the fields!

Here's my goofy parents trying out their new motorcycle PA system.

On our way to the New Year's celebration downtown. The "first night" celebration kicked off with warm weather & GREAT musicians! The shuttle carted thousands of people downtown, felt like we were in Europe again riding public transportation.

HELLOOO!!!!

Party animals in the crowd-hundreds of people stormed the stage

my dad & I at the British pub. Happy times

my mom experienced Captain Patron for the first time. don't think she liked it! ha!!!

Local Belly dancers performing downtown

The explosion of confetti at countdown!

Feeling a little woozy at this point! I guess the tagline should read: you don't need to be 100% sober to take a picture. :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

How NOT to treat a customer

2008-01-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

Customer service is extremely important to me, I'm careful who I give my business to. Life is too short to pay for bad service.

story: I requested information from this website company I've decided to launch with. Mistake #1 . Why? No returned coorespondance for weeks. If its one thing I can't stand, its flakey people. These web gurus never answered my emails, no phone number is listed, so I just fired off emails backdating to Dec 19th, as often as I could to various addresses on their site, hoping to get in contact with ONE human being. I waited. And waited. And waited. If they didn't have such great websites, I would go elsewhere.

At long last, this morning I get a note from the project director, whom I have never spoken with (hence no phone number listed on their site) and i LOVE her snide approach. This tells me that I can take my business elsewhere and give them the finger.

**
April,
I emailed you yesterday why are you telling our support team you have not been contacted. Did you and I not speak late last night during my time off .Let me know maybe you are a different April Greer.

Signed xxxx**

Here's me giving them the finger.

Mini-Vacation

2007-12-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic string of holidays & shopping madness during the month of Decmeber!! A very Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Frohe Weinachten, Happy Hanukkah!

Seems like everyone was on the road this year, luckily no major horrific storms kept people from their destinations. I'm here in Marina, CA for an undetermined amount of time, visiting family! Family time during the holidays was absolutely fantastic

Photographically, I've not touched the camera, so no new photo- posts lately. Also, tried hard not to think about work, websites, blogging, or anything else photo-related. Its really important that we all give ourselves those "just say no' moments. Fighting the urge to check email & ditch blogging made the family time much more precious.

Meanwhile, my little sis is beginning to have contractions, we think little Kyle may be on his merry way into the world! In case you were wondering what happened, we're just chillin', soakin up good family time.

Bottoms up!

Last Photo Shoot of 2007

2007-12-22T21:58:00.001-08:00

Our last shoot of the year went out with a bang!

P.S. I love her shoes!

This is an example of tasteful boudoir photography . To find out more about sessions, visit: www.aprilgreer.com

Keri & Walt

2007-12-21T03:08:00.001-08:00

Check out the feature:

http://test.phoenixbrideandgroom.com/www/ws2008-wi_02.asp

Blanco Lounge

2007-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

Its almost ready-not quite, but getting closer by the day. This is our Blanco Lounge, a place for people to sit comfortably and view wedding pictures, chat, and absorb themselves with art. I can't wait for it to be finished! The lounge requires a bar, window treatments, HUGE canvas artwork, a hella girly chandalier, 1 swanky coffee table, and a nice rug. For now, here's a little sneak-

Best of 2007 Wedding book, FREE!

2007-12-18T23:46:00.000-08:00

note: payment plans available. please inquire for details.

Man Duties

2007-12-18T22:16:00.000-08:00

With Ray away in training, the household has seemingly fallen apart. Serious challenge: 1 leaky dishwasher. When this ambitious blonde took charge, I managed to pull everything out except the power cord and shimmy the dishwasher from its mold as far as possible. I poked a flashlight around and assesed a very important thing: I know nothing about dishwashers. Google helped me find the right person, I then picked up the phone and called what's known as an "appliance specialist" who was happy to charge me money to assess what I already know "your dishwasher is not working properly." duhhhhhhh

I attempted to unplug the power cord from the dishwasher but I just couldn't. One too many licks to a battery as a kid. Eelectric shock isn't all its cracked up to be! I will just have to wait until the real professional shows up tomorrow. *sigh*

Since July

2007-12-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

My name sat on a waiting list since July for a custom blog. We're almost ready to seal the deal as part of a studio re-branding campaign. For those of you business owners out there, you know the branding process. Its a bittersweet challenge!

When its all said and done, new ads will be unique & modern. The brand will spread to albums, dvd's, packaging and so much more.... lots more artwork will be available online. I only wish we could've done this sooner; but its not a quick fix. I didn't want my brand to look as though it were tossed & thrown together. As a weekend-shooter, things like branding didn't matter. Weddings were an extra source of income & a cool hobby. Since moving to a full-time studio career, branding became integral for attracting our niche clients, especially since I discovered a LOVE for weddings. Thankfully, the finish line is in sight, you'll be the first to know when everything's ready!

Spend your benjamins wisely

2007-12-15T23:38:00.000-08:00

I went to Costco for wrapping paper today. Costco is located near the mall in Tacoma. Besides the honking wackos in traffic, I witnessed a wild shopping frenzy inside the warehouse.

Imagine: flourescent lighting, screaming children, shopping carts EVERYWHERE, old people wandering the isles with coupons. I turned my car around and drove back home. Once home, it occurred to me that I forgot to buy what I need. GAWD I am SO BLONDE! I went back to the store for a second dose of insanity.

Because I'm not shooting this time of year, at all, pictures will be replaced by real-life experiences in this blog. So, today is your lucky day! Here's a funny little tidbit to make you feel better. Follow this man's instructions and you may feel better when your bank account takes a dive.

Get $40 in small bills.
Pile it on your floor.
Get hammered.
Roll around in the bills naked.
You'll feel better, I promise!

*that was written by matt*

Thank you Matt.

Seattle Wedding Show

2007-12-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

http://www.weddingshow.com/

January 5th & 6th, 2008! Don't miss out, lots of great things to see & no pressure to buy, only try!

You'll find:

gown sales
cake tasting
tuxedo rentals
Dj's
limo's & party buses
venue shopping
personal trainers
photography comparisons & albums

Its a great time to save, many coupons passed around, and its fun to witness wedding frenzy!

Like Brothers

2007-12-13T21:02:00.001-08:00

I love this picture from a family session last Friday-the boys have grown pretty tight! Its fun to see kids change during the early years. I think they're cousins, but they could practically be brothers, they're so close. The younger one was FAST last year, literally couldn't keep my camera pointed long enough to get him in focus!!! I came prepared this year. :-)

December turned out to be a little chilly, but quite nice for family photos!

Kat von Awesome

2007-12-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

A classy lady that turns heads. That's Kat. I looooove her smile and her gorgeous curly red hair!

This is the perfect season for attacking the long list of creative to-do's!!! yay!!! Check out these different lighting scenarios and how it affects the mood of each shot. The 3 shots above were taken with a very small softbox for drama. The shot below: showered her with light from 3 sides.

Light recipes for pictures below:

on the L: beauty dish high above our heads, reflectors all around.

on the R: ringflash at eye-level.

Same chick in every photo, many different looks. Have an awesome Thursday!

Random Thursday stuff

2007-12-13T09:14:00.001-08:00

I hope this picture is not too hard to see- I loooove these 2 shots from Russell James, he's the director/head photographer for the show THE SHOT by VH1. Did you know the Bosnian contestant lives in Seattle and graduated from the Seattle Art Institute this year? Wild. I had no idea he lived here.

SO, what are YOU up to today? Hopefully something interesting and not the daily grind. Me? a shoot is scheduled in just a few hours. Who's it with? Hint: she's a redhead! curly hair....pretty eyes....smokin' bod......you'll just have to come back and see....

Chandlermeister

2007-12-10T23:01:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend I had the opporunity to rock out with my good friend Kelly Chandler and her assistant Tammy. Kelly's a foxy mother of 2, beautiful wife, amazing artist, phenomenal business woman. We jammed for this Christmas-ish wedding in Snohomish. She had all bases covered, I was second shooting for fun. As I drove up during that afternoon, the brownish-green meadows were already frosted over!

Bless Desiree's heart she was standing in this weather with nothing on her shoulders!!! She was all of 100lbs. soaking wet.

She toughed it out in the name of pictures, but if we could've had it any other way...heat would've been nice.

On Saturday, I originally planned to enjoy weekend doing nothing. Guilt & boredom crept up on me. Dawne on me that just like athletes practice all the time, I don't see why I shouldn't do the same to improve, which is why its nice to have friends who let you tag along! Thanks Kel!

I also shot RAW for this wedding, which I normally don't do.Yaddah Yaddah, its still easier for me to shoot JPEG and get the colors I want straight out of the camera looking exactly the way I want them especially considering the volume of images. Just thinking out loud here!

here's a little sum-sum for your wedding-aholics...

This is something I saw JC do one time, I'd love to incorporate these portraits in the future. Don't you think it makes sense to photograph the bridal party individually-You never know when you'll need a good photo of yourself, right?

Notice how all of us are dressed in at least 3 layers while the bride is wearing light fabrics in the middle of December?!!

Last but not least...THE LEGENDARY.....

Beefcake

2007-12-08T22:33:00.001-08:00

We had a little visitor last week, I'm kinda late posting this... Crystal & Joey brought their precious little Callie to see our T-town mansion (ha-ha).

I wonder where she gets her little cheeks from?

Katie & Dustin's album design...

2007-12-08T00:14:00.001-08:00

I'm sooo sad this is our last wedding design for 2007. *sniffle*

Let it go out with a bang! This one was a real treat. Thank you Katie & Dustin! You're beautiful & fabulous!

Sneak Peek

2007-12-07T13:04:00.001-08:00

Here's a preview of Katie & Dustin's album design.. I've been wrestling with this design for more than a week! Its a blast to work on, but I think its finally in wrap-up phase. The designs start each time from SCRATCH to guarantee each album is a unique work of art. Maybe check back Saturday?! Sorry to keep you hanging, but it ain't over till the fat lady sings (me).

Travel Rats

2007-12-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

When people get married, some have babies right away, some buy houses, people like Angela & Fritz quit their jobs and travel the world for 12 months. I had the opportunity to photograph their Romanian/American wedding in Arlington, WA last year and at that time Angela was a contractor for Microsoft and Fritz was a manager at Microsoft. They've since dumped their furniture in storage, quit their jobs and turned into globetrotters! Rick Steve's couldn't hold a candle to their real-life experiences!

Their blog is peppered with stories of long walks, crazy money transfers, sickness, hot water or lack thereof! Fritz also takes amazing pictures. If you have a moment during this busy day, check out what these newlyweds are up to!

VISIT their blog here http://www.travelrats.blogspot.com/

$10 for 10 minutes-you're RICH!

2007-12-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Attention customers :
We want your feedback! Gift us 10 minutes of your time and we'll send you $10 for Pictage pictures. (They have a 2 for 1 special going on too!) If you prefer to give written response on this services, we'll send it to you snail mail.

email me: april@aprilgreer.com subject: 10 bucks in my pocket

Why? We want to know more details about how to serve you better. How did your day flow? How can we improve? Timing? Meetings? Its all in the survey AND its comical.

Erika & Robert 10.13.07

2007-12-05T16:05:00.001-08:00

I'm soooo happy to post this album design because Erika & Robert are our good friends and we love them so much we could burst!!They did almost everything out of the ordinary on the wedding day, which I LOVE! Erika's charms with her beautiful smile, Robert warms with his kind heart. Seattle's urban scenery gave us plenty of backgrounds to work with. Thanks for allowing us to capture your FABULOUS & FUN memories!!! Erika & Robert, you are completely meant for each other in 1,000,000 ways.

Sneak Peek-

2007-12-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

Time to duck out for a quick mocha but wanted to post this before I go! There are 2 creative album designs in the final stages right now.... Here's a sneak peek at Erika & Robert's album...

Favorite Blogs for Monday

2007-12-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

Its a nasty, nasty Monday morning in Tacoma, constant raining for the last 12 hours! The streets are soaked, our yard feels squishy to the touch. If the weather has affected your mood this morning, hopefully this little post will cheer you up, just a teensy bit.

Today I'll share my favorite blogs. Looooove to read blogs because of the personal nature & human behind the technology. Naturally, they all have to do with photography in some way.

For me to keep it bookmarked as a favorite, the blog must be updated regularly. Not necessarily everyday, but a few times a week. If I visit a blog 2 or 3 times with the same post, why would I visit again? This list includes frequent updaters. All of their blogs are creative & inspiring:

http://www.aperturaphoto.com/blog/ 2 male wedding photogs. WOW!
http://www.theblogisfound.com/ Husband and wife team
http://www.jessicarstrickland.com/blog/ She's a hundred miles and hour!
http://www.mangored.com/blog/ Named rookies of the year, they ILLUSTRATE each wedding album from scratch.
http://www.beckersblog.com/index.cfm Very opinionated, funny to read.

Erika & Robert 10.13.07

2007-12-01T00:39:00.001-08:00

Erika & Robert's wedding pictures are in the album design phase, yay! Stay tuned for the previews early next week, followed by Katie & Dustin's wedding towards the end of the week. After that, no more weddings to blog, we're done for 2007.

Rewind back to 10.13.07. We had it MADE for taking pictures outdoors. Warm afternoon sun peeking through the trees. I loooooove October weddings! Let's switch it up today. Instead of showing a bride's photo, check out Robert. This handsome groom is now married to the lovely Erika! These two people stole my heart the day we met. Seriously. They're so freaking nice its ridiculous. If you two are reading this I hope Indonesia was a blast!

Express makeover

2007-11-29T19:19:00.000-08:00

Nice words about Nordy's: the sweetest young woman assisted me today in the clothing department. This whole skinny pants + boxy jackets style does NOT do favors for my body-type. April looks like a chubbalubbahubbabubba. The young clerk discovered tons of clothing to fit MY curves.

For the first time, in a very long time, clothes shopping was a success. I walked out with 5 beautiful shirts in less than 1 hour! A VERY successful day wouldn't you say? Normally, I hate shopping. I dread it! I wear petites and have an inseam that would make you chuckle. Also, my weight fluctuates at the drop of a hat. One month I'm this size, the next month I'm two sizes up. Hypothryoidism is not an excuse, but the reality is, my body requires nothing to gain weight. My metabolism is backwards. It demands rigorous daily excercise to maintain a size 8-10. With the crazy flux of business I lost track of healthy priorities. Thankfully, now that weddings have made a crescendo, my gym membership will come in handy.

I HAD to do something. I mean, I was sick of wearing Ray's clothes. I dodged social gatherings, ones that I reallllly wanted to go to, because my wardrobe didn't fit. That's sad. With a few new shirts (thanks to a precious store clerk) I can get through this little phase, I'm so much happier. I thanked her profusely.

It can't be unhealthy to spend the occasional quality dollar on yourself. Not business. Not for the house. Just you. Feels great!

Tonight I'm washing Ray's sweatpants and putting them back in his drawer. For good.

Sneak Peek: Junko & Jeff

2007-11-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

I LOVE October weddings! So colorful, yet unpredictable! FYI: Junko & Charla are my trusty blog readers & Craigslist forum junkies. They are both brides of mine, referred by one another, but have never met F2F. I'm amazed. Perhaps they will meet at Charla's wedding next year? Jeff is by far the most mellow person alive on this planet, to keep up with Junko, you have to be! She's the life of the party. Together they make a very dynamic duo of fun. I'll never forget his gift to her at the wedding, he presented a surprise slideshow of her younger years (embarrassing 80's pics and all) and THEN gifted her the sparkly new laptop used to put it all together! Cheers to newlyweds!

Allison & Doug's album design

2007-11-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

This was a fun, colorful venue, loads of quirky details at Albee's Garden in Washington's Capitol. I loved Ali & Doug's color choices, their florist rocked, and above all, the owner's of Albee's saved the day by providing last minute tents when the clouds unzipped. It rained on their wedding day. Did it stop Ali & Doug from having a blast? Hardly! Among other things, Allison & I have the 'food' thing in common. If we can't graze throughout the day, nibbling here and there, we both confess to feeling agitated. Ha, ha!

As you can see in her pics, she's super photogenic and their smiles are priceless!! I wish them all the happiness in the world- cheers to two wondeful people~

Without further ado, here is Allison & Doug's wedding album design!

Updated Availability

2007-11-24T21:51:00.000-08:00

2007-2008 latest travel dates

** if I'm near your stomping grounds, let's meet up!**

Dec 23-Jan 7th Monterey, CA personal & biz
Jan 17-22 Jacksonville, FL personal
Mar 5-6 Jacksonville, FL personal
Mar 16-20 Las Vegas workshop
Mar 22 Seattle, WA wedding
Mar 29 Seattle, WA wedding
Apr 5 Seattle, WA wedding
May 9-12 Monterey, CA personal
May 23-26 Phoenix, AZ wedding
Jun 20-22 Malibu, CA wedding
Jun 27-28 Seattle, WA wedding
Jul 26 Puyallup, WA wedding
Jul 27 Seattle, WA wedding
Aug 2-3 Portland, OR wedding
Aug 22 Poulsbo, WA wedding
Aug 30 Seattle, WA wedding

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for many, many things, but to keep the list s&s here's the toppers:

*my amazing clients who trust me with their wedding memories!

*my completely amazing RAY who helped build my confindence enough to start my own business just a wee 3 years ago.

*all of you blogstalkers out there, THANK YOU for your support!

* to my family, who didn’t raise and eyebrow when I started shooting what I wanted (boudoir) and who continuously root for the April & Ray team.

*to the other photographers locally & abroad who have the courage to re-invent themselves boldly!

I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!

Woo-Woo

2007-11-21T21:02:00.001-08:00

A Baby Shower

2007-11-19T21:32:00.000-08:00

Saturday kicked off a little celebratioin for baby Kyle.Its the FIRST grandchild for our family: Mr. Bun-in-the-oven is due in just a few short weeks...Ashley, my lil' sis is holding up like a champ. Below you'll see random pics of the happy couple, games, cupcakes and their new home. I saved the best for last, an incriminating mud mask. We're in Tennessee for a few days and to our suprise, the weather is COLD! We're headed back to the West Coast in just a few hours...so that's it for now...Wednesday I'm back in the office, but until then I'll try to soak up a few more hours of Southern food & folk. We're jazzed for Kevin & Ashley, it might be a Christmas baby!

1800's in South Carolina

2007-11-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

Although we didn't have time to visit the historical plantations in the outskirts, my grandparents ventured to the Hampton-Preston buildings located in downtown Columbia-simply amazing how these structures held up despite Sherman's carthage.

Veterans Day Parade

2007-11-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, my grandpa invited us to ride with the Marine Core in support of the troops that served. It was our first time in a parade, but the fun part was meeting the troops that served and the kids marching. I was in the mix shooting pictures up and down the street while Ray waved with Grandpa in the transport vehicle. The crowd roared when the older Veterans marched, it was a great feeling!!!

Marine Core Ball

2007-11-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

At last! Finally, a chance to blog about an aweomse Southern-style vacation. Its been much too long in between visits, we were long overdue. I really wanted to soak up some quality family time with the relatives in South Carolina-it was never a dull moment. Not to mention we were stuck with dial up for 2 weeks, an actual blessing in disguise because its always nice to unplug.

My Grandpa invited us to attend the annual Marine Core Ball. It was a big occasion to accompany them for a special birthday celebration in honor of past and present Marines. It was quite a fancy affair-

Country Boys and Girls

2007-11-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Ray and I are sipping sweet tea & enjoying the southern hospitality in South Carolina. On Friday night we joined the local country boys and girls for a turkey shoot! note: we did not actually shoot any turkeys.

Reunite

2007-11-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

In less than 2 weeks the Greer Ladies reunite for several days of adventure in the deep south of Tennessee, USA. The Greers are the most fearless blondes on the planet. They are, in short, the craziest women alive holding Visa cards. Denise, the leader of the Fuckawi tribe will attempt to use her innate sense of direction to lead her family to the source of goodness. Where the Fuckawi mom???

As a clan and individually, they have a reputation for terrifying the French. They unflinchingly battle small European men for inner-city parking, disrupt Joan of Arc's place of rest, bathe in Parisian Parliament fountains, purchase large quanities of Venetian purses, bypass boring statues such as David (in Florence), and communicate in languages they have no recollection of learning, including but not limited to Dutch, French, Italian, Armenian, and Spanish.

Tennessee beware! The ladies are underway...runnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Monday night matinee:

2007-11-06T00:01:00.001-08:00

Ray took me to watch American Gangster. The movie stars Denzel Washington & Russel Crowe!!! I'm a sucker for a good Denzel movie. This one was no exception!
Check out the official website here:
www.americangangster.net

I love ganster and spy plots. Or a slapstick comedy. Any genre that falls between is not my thing. A bad movie is just a waste of time. American Gangster gripped me so much, that towards the end when the plot thickened every second, my heart started to race like a guinea pig on a spinning wheel. It reminds me of reading a book where your eyes dart back and forth and you read as fast as you can as the tension grows and you realize there's only 3 pages left until the end of the book....how could it all wrap up in 3 pages?!?!! Same scenario at the movie theater.

Excellent flick, I highly recommend! Hurry up and go see it! I can't say much more without ruining it for you. In case anyone cares to know, my top fave actors are:
Denzel
Matt Damon
Mark Wahlberg (hubba hubba)
Vin Diesel
Jamie Foxx

MK's album design

2007-11-04T23:50:00.000-08:00

Marisa & Kanishka are very special to me! They're clever, intelligent, and completely devoted to each other no matter the distance. For now, Marisa resides in Korea, with Kanishka in D.C. I love them dearly!Their families & friends are too cool for words!

This design includes a lot more B&W than my usualy pepper & salt. Its the most euphoric feeling to shoot a wedding with extra permissions & VIP access! M & K gave me thumbs up to do my thing. Special priveledges include seeing mom with a turban/towel while she sewed Marisa's veil, eating breakfast/lunch/dinner with the the bridal party from Vietnam, Mexico, UK and Korea. It was so much more than simple photographer access, they allowed me IN their lives like family, on their wedding day(s). It was a 2-day celebration. If you're reading this, I can't wait to see you again soon! I'm visint you in Jamaica next year! So sorry about the mix up with album chronology, Blogger is especially difficult to sort with so many images below...

NY Bride Sues Florist for $400,000

2007-11-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

New York City bride (and lawyer) Elana Glatt didn’t get the wedding of her dreams because the flowers she ordered from renowned Posy Floral Design were not the shade she wanted.

“The hydrangeas used were not the rust hydrangeas [Posy] agreed to provide, but rather were light pink and light green hydrangeas.”“She's a lawyer,” says florist Stamos Arakas. “They’re just out for gain.”

The flowers cost the newlyweds $27,435.14. The couple is seeking $400,000 in restitution and damages. Elana and David Glatt have filed a suit for what caused them "extreme disappointment, distress and embarrassment" on what was supposed to be the greatest day of their lives by providing the wrong-colored hydrangeas for their Aug. 11, 2007 nuptials.

In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, the Glatts and David's mom, Tobi, charge that Posy Floral Design Studio used cheaper pink hydrangeas instead of the contractually agreed-upon rust hydrangeas, messing up the color scheme of the deluxe wedding at Cipriani 42nd Street. Posy's "performance was also substantially defective" in other ways, including "using wilted and/or browned flowers, leaving the event without filling half the centerpiece vases with water, and using dusty and dirty vases," the lawsuit says.

"I can't believe this. I put my heart and soul into this wedding," a teary-eyed Paula told The Post. Stamos blamed the "completely unwarranted" suit on Glatt's lawyer bride, Elana. "She's being a Bridezilla," he fumed, claiming that Elana would order elaborate arrangements that her future mother-in-law, who was paying for the flowers, would then trim down. "They sent us 200, 250 e-mails changing things up until the last minute. We did everything they wanted," he said.

The couple said they discovered they'd been the victims of "a bait and switch" on their wedding day, when they found the "hydrangeas used were not the rust hydrangeas defendants agreed to provide, but rather were light pink and light green hydrangeas," which are "significantly less expensive" and "entirely the wrong color." [since when has a lawyer ever been a victim?!]

The suit says that was a disastrous difference, because "colors had been specifically chosen to match the tones of the room." The filing also alleges the flower arrangements in the bathroom weren't what the pair bargained for, either, and appeared to be made up of flowers that were "no different than the roses available from a street vendor" for "$5."

Paula Arakas maintained everything was clean and just what the couple had asked for. She seemed especially hurt by the rose crack. "She says my roses were deli roses. They're not. They're beautiful. My roses are beautiful," she said.

Purple Kicks

2007-11-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

My 03.22.08 bride wore these to her recent e-session. Aren't they adorable?

The Castle

2007-11-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Here it is!

With just the basic lawn care and a bit of TLC we have started to bring warmth into this cute 1920's pad. For Ray, its his first time living in a house believe it or not. In LA & the Bronx Ray lived in apartments throughout his entire life. So, the experience of owning a home is very unique for him.

After 3 months of dueling with the seller, we finally have heat in our bedroom! Thanks to the Kelly family for hooking us up with some good contractors! dankeschoen to Kim & Dennis!

We are the DIY types; repairing and finishing, doing lawn work and all that jazz is a treat for us. In addition, our new 1920's-ish furniture has arrived. We're SORT of unpacking boxes, too, now that things are settled on the wedding front. I can't believe we moved in August and are just now putting things into place! Our next big projects are to remodel the basement and figure out what do with the top floor. Enjoy the fall leaves and what's left of the weekends in 2007...we have our work cut out for us!

Fleeting Z's

2007-11-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last night, I don't remember falling asleep. Do you ever have those moments?

I felt tired, went to bed and when I blinked it was 6am. The urge to get things accomplished woke me up!

Marisa & Kanishka's album design is on its way. CharMO, Rachel, the Nguyen family, and Brooke/Chris all have images getting uploading to the web gallery. Lots of great stuff on the way...its destined to be a blazin' Friday.

Mr. & Mrs.

2007-11-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

This was a twist to their 'Mr. & Mrs.' shoot- we ditched the wedding attire and headed indoors for part of the shoot-Cheers to my newlyweds Amy & Philip!

Oct. 27 wedding

2007-10-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Edited to add (on Tuesday):

I find myself sifting through wedding pictures on this sunny, lazy Sunday. Thanks to Joe Buissink's workshop,I shot with a new awareness of my surroundings yesterday at Katie & Dustin's wedding in Cornelius, OR. The pictures are not what you probably expect. I shoot 99% in color. Nonetheless here's my first post for the newlyweds. Congrats & have fun in Vegas! Stay tuned for more photos after we rest up.

Ear Worm

2007-10-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

iTunes FINALLY added my fave ear worm "Electro Pop" to their purchase list. Check it out here For some reason I can't embed videos through blogger now. Weird!

Check out the video, its electropoppin' hot.

Great news for Ray!

2007-10-29T09:03:00.001-07:00

This morning Ray was offered a position with Homeland Security! Yay!!! This lengthy process began over 7 months ago and included heavy screening, interviews, a multitude of tests and even a visit from the Secret Service. At last he's been accepted, I'm SO thrilled for him! The school begins in just 2 weeks, so we'll be dropping everything to spend time together before he leaves for a really, really long time. :-(
Naturally, I have lots of work to do, but I won't be taking any new appointments until after Nov 20th. Just wanted to share the news, Ray is really excited about it! Cheerio!

Day 2 of 3

2007-10-26T16:26:00.001-07:00

Awwwwesome workshop!

directions for today's challenge:

Use 1 prime lens

Shoot wide open (1.2)

Pay attention to composition, background hot-spots & appendages... (sounds easier than it is)

Joe Buissink in Portland

2007-10-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of 3.

Challenge instructions: focus on fleeting moments.

Gear: canon 5D, 1 lens (50 1.2)

Contraband: no posing. no cropping. no photoshop. no chimping (we all cheated here). no directing. P mode only

ISO 1600

These are all straight out of the camera, I can't STAND to NOT photoshop them into perfection, but its not about perfection. Focus on the moment, the essence, the mood, the connection. People from all over came to this workshop. From Wisconsin, to Guam, to Mexico. Joe showed us his portfolio of Christina Aguilera, JLo, J.Simpson, Christina Applegate. OMG. Joe shoots weddings like nobody's business. I love being here. I feel so alive.

On the Road

2007-10-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Out of the office till Monday Oct. 29th.
Its time for Herbie the lovebug & I to jet. We're going to Portland for the week to shoot a wedding and attend a boombastic workshop with Joe Buissink. Mesoexcited! For the photographers out feeling stingy with funds: go for it. Why not learn from the best?

This is is a photo taken from the Susan Stripling workshop 6 months ago. Susan's workshop helped my shooting & professional POV tremendously. I can't wait to see what Joe has in store for the group this week!

Amy+ Philip's album design

2007-10-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

A vibrant & fun wedding on Bainbridge Island with a very, very talented wedding photographer (Amy).

Yvonne & Mark's album design

2007-10-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is as p...colorful & shagadelic design for Mark & Yvonne's beautiful wedding at Newcastle~

Bicep Pain

2007-10-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

Today I worked for the fabulous & glamorous Stephanie Cristalli . She is beauty & joy, combined. What began as a 1 day gig, turned into a weekend extravaganza!!!! Hundreds and hundreds of people, thousands of pictures, nearly 40 gigs of wedding photos alone....my left bicep is dead. Add to that list of aches : eye twitch + cotton mouth.

Last but not least, Monday night is the big debut for Amy+ Philip & Yvonne + Mark. Yeehaw!

Very special things....

2007-10-20T15:49:00.001-07:00

This is one of two glamorous weddings prepping for the public eye MONDAY Oct. 22nd....I can't wait to splurge the goodies....the pictures are romantic, whimsical, and tell a beautiful tale of lovebirds. :-)

Yvonne, Mark, Amy & Philip's pictures soon to debut...stay tuned for more!

2007-10-18T12:32:00.001-07:00

E-session Katie & Dustin

2007-10-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here's Katie & Dustin from Cornelius, OR. Their wedding will seal the envelope for us (wedding-wise) for 2007. I'm looking forward to it, but also sad that the fun is over and the year is quickly coming to a close. Still going strong after a boombastic year but when the thought of a free weekend comes to mind, I can smellll the margaritas & salsa already...

I'm curious to know if my people prefer to be photographed like models, with strobes, softboxes, flashes, reflectors and all that jazz OR be completely on their own wiithout direction from the photographer, OR if they prefer to have a mix.

What are your thoughts? I'm eager to for people to share! I prefer a mix, but what do YOU want? How do you want to view yourself in 10-20 years? As the photographer's interpretation? As yourself? Without makeup? In your favorite jammies?

Busy day

2007-10-18T01:57:00.000-07:00

After finishing a bachelor's in college, I thought the hard part was over. Wrong.

Today involved:

processing 5 gigs of JPEG images ranging from e-session,wedding, commercial & boudoir
answering 2.65 hours of phone calls (mom's was the shortest)
8:20am-12am (minus a few breaks, 1 workout and a dinner break) of sitting at the computer
receiving new couches & install new blanco lounge furniture
cleaning the Monroe piercing (it looks good so far!)
shower, brush teeth, get dressed
put on a happy face

I loooooove what I do so much that I can't stop doing it. Time to outsource more stuff. :-)

Sneak Preview

2007-10-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak preview from Amy & Philip's album design.. the bride added every personal touch to their joyous August 25th wedding...I might add that Amy is a wedding photographer as well as a graphic artist. Naturally, before revealing a draft design, it will continue to go through a bazillion changes for airtight perfection! ha!

Jimmy & KK

2007-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

A Tuesday photoshoot with 2 models! I dig Kaitlin's exotic Chinese+Euro look, in contrast to Jimmy's all-american Hollywood smile. Seems like everytime I shoot with Jimmy, his clothes fall off!! No doubt, its a treat, but I tease him about it. They invited me to tex-mex after the picture-taking where we cracked jokes and enjoyed good convo. I've never seen anyone finish a plate that large! Don't feed the models! For the curious ones who have asked about color lately: I shoot JPEG and set my Canon 5D to soak up the colors in-camera. Not much post-processing is needed other than basic skin retouch and levels bump, sometimes special effects are warranted. Without over-working images, I love the boutwell's PS actions: my fave is called "oh, snap." Also, up until recently I didn't process images using actions. I dug into photoshop after a workshop in April. For whatever reason I never cared much for PS until I witnessed the capabilities....a powerful tool!

20 yrs. old

2007-10-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting article about Joss Stone. She recently fired the 4th manager in 5 years due to "diva" tendencies. One manager commented about their clashes in a business relationship, "creative brilliance is no guarantee of commercial acumen."

Ouch.

A big fan of her very adult & delicious pipes, I'm surprised that Joss is a brat. Its disappointing! Read the story here

Also a fan of Brit (minus the K-fed) who needs a daily dose of Dr. Phil in her life, I kind of miss her pizzazz! What she lacks for in the pipes, she makes up for in the dance moves & great re-invention ability. Puleeez come back Brit! Get your act together! Christina Aguilera is the better singer but now I'm rambling...this post is about Joss Stone getting too big for her britches........*tsk*tsk...

I love this photo of miss Stone taken by Bryan Adams. I dig the whispy hair & scrumptuous lighting. Rock on B. I can't find a web site for him! Anyone?

Cathy & Erwin's Album Design

2007-10-15T15:13:00.001-07:00

I'm delighted to share a snazzy August 18th, wedding album design for C&E! These designs start with a basic layout and go through intense changes over the course of 6-12 hours. Its a consuming but exciting process. Once you sit down, you cannot walk away until finished! This is my favorite type of assignment: artistic, technical, and personal for each individual wedding. My good friends Cathy & Erwin flew in from Chi-town to have their wedding far and away at Lakedale resort, tucked deep in the San Juan Islands. A beautiful day, intimate ceremony, topped with a bangin' after-party. There's no other place we would've preferred to be that day. :-)

This is one of my fave spreads! Feels like the old west.

Erika & Robert 10.13.07

2007-10-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

October is very much my favorite time of year to shoot, especially with the light dancing across a multitude of colors. The scenery seems to change daily until leaves covered the streets and leave the trees bare. I'm so happy to have been a part of Erika & Robert's very special occasion. Unique in every way possible, they tied the knot Saturday in the Smith Tower, downtown Seattle. Cheers to my good friends and very very fun clients: Robika! Ole!

Part Deux

2007-10-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here is: Charla & Mo's 2nd try at the e-session today. Our session ended abrubtly last week with a huge downpour!

Lots of excitement with them today. We will not go in to details, maybe ask me in person. Its a good laugh! For the record: I blame it all on MO!!! That's my story and I am sticking to it!!!

So what do I think about these two in front of the camera: they're cozy in any setting, bold, and fresh. Mo has mad skillz with markers, he created his very own save the date poster...Cheers to my Charmo: check out this little tidbit from our half studio/half industrial shoot.

Blanco Lounge

2007-10-11T19:38:00.001-07:00

Check out my favorite new piece of furniture for the Blanco Lounge! I spotted this snazzy treasure months ago and lusted after it!! Just one of those gottahavit things! As I flipped through Instyle Magazine, [sept. ed.] last night after work, there it was in the XOXO ad! OMG!

I called to find out the scoop on my little stand. Here's the skinny: only 1 left in inventory, floor model, 40% off the original price tag! Needless to say, I'm the proud new owner of the little silver art stand. Color me happy.

P.S. Ray picked the shade for the walls! Total Puerto Rican influence! No matter how grey the skies turn in Seattle, its always blue skies indoors! Ray's very involved in the decor. He lived a very interesting life in NY & LA. Now that my sweetpea has the chance to transform his home into a castle, you should see what he's done to the place...

Home Shopping Network

2007-10-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

I swear it feels like we never stop working throughout the summer & fall months! Cranking out the jpegs baby! Love it!

During a brief work-break, in the span of about 2 hours, Ray and picked a dining room set, and 3 sofas to match our suave home decor! Our house is old, built in the 20's. Currently the rooms have birch-effect Ikea furniture mixed with iron & slate tiled tables. Blech! We moved and nothing, at all, matches.

The white sofa is headed to the new "Blanco Lounge" (where eveyrthing's blanco, news coming soon!) and the dark table is headed to our dining room. It comes with a bench! This table is SO BIG and SO heavy. The pictures do it no justice!! Benches remind me of the German restaurants & garden cafes we spent countless hours chatting around. Flashback to Oktoberfest! You spend HOURS on benches until your buns go numb. Its all about conversation & sipping a good beer. We agreed that our dining room had to feel like a cafe. Can you tell I'm jazzed about the bench? Here are the "online shopping" pictures, they don't tell much of a story, sadly. I'm hunting for images of the 3rd sofa online, but can't find it. Its the perfect dark brown shiny leather sofa. Never in a million years did we expect to buy leather. I was a microfiber convert until today. At any rate, they're all scheduled for delivery at the end of next week and I'll be sure to post a full reportage on the NEW look! Very exciting!

Brushes

2007-10-09T23:38:00.000-07:00

As far as artistic design & news goes, I'm the last to know! When I stumbled upon these seemingly new things called 'brushes' in photoshop, I took 10 minutes to experiment with them.

Brushes are everywhere: t-shirts, in artwork, in the movies, on CD covers, everywhere!!! Familiarize yourself with these things. It could really make a difference someday. For example: at a party, some hot photoshop geek asks you what kind of brushes you fancy (as a pick-up line).

One of my favorite rebel wedding photography studios uses brushes & illustration into their wedding album design!! Granted, this design is NOT for everyone, it is unique! I'm certain it will pick up several awards! http://www.mangored.com/blog/?p=178 Check out their website here: http://www.mangored.com/

I emailed these creations to my graphic designer so he can feel better about his job security. :-) Now its back to work. Time to crank up the music and crank out the goods.

Flaming Dragon

2007-10-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a little snap from the "Flaming Dragon" tatoo shop! I had the 'monroe' piercing done last week. The artist treated me SOO nice despite the fact that he looks serious. I felt calm until he swabbed me and marked the 'X'. My heart started racing!!

The artist (named Chris) explained, no matter how many tatoos he receives over the years, right before they poke him, his body goes through a fight or flight stage! The actual piercing was PAINLESS! Seriously, I wouldn't lie to you. As it heals, expect to see lots more pictures. I love it! I would also like to add that the Flaming Dragon has 50+ reviews on city search. Rightly so, they were awesome!

Jeff & Junko~ 10.06.07

2007-10-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Junko & Jeff!!! My flash cards from are still downloading and here's what I have that I couldn't sleep without posting. Their wedding included a sentimental ceremony topped with a sassy & classy party! woo-wee!

Let the "wedding photobooth" BEGIN! Today marks the very first day of the photobooth option added to my signature wedding collection. Einfach wunderbar.

Last but not least, my favorite shot of Junko & her father. It was a touching, cute moment between the two of them...awwwww...

Brooke & Chris the e-session

2007-10-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of brevity: TGIF!

Brooke & Chris' wedding at the Ruins in March will be the shiznicki!
In Tacoma, as we strolled leisurely, we happened upon a new cupcake store where they treated me to a carrot cupcake! YUMMMY! This is the way all e-sessions should begin... A very cute and bubbly pair, they smiled their way through almost every shutter snap. Here we go...

Erin + Ryan 08.11.07 Wedding Album design...

2007-10-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Until the new blog comes out, to see the layouts larger, simply click on the image! This wedding was FULL of color!!! I'm so jazzed to share, here we go....

Here it is! I love it!!!! Ta-da!

Charla & Mo

2007-10-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Rose Garden E-session: I don't know where to begin with these two. Within just a few minutes of meeting them in early June, we clicked. Funny thing is that we met them through Junko & Jeff, who found us through Wesa Anderson who was Junko's old chiropractic office appointment chick, who saw Wesa's engagement photos from winter, who found us via the web, who's other friend wedding we're now doing (Christy & Ty)....the connection trails really long over this multi-person journey! Beautimous!

Today, the clouds unzipped, even though it was quite warm. The rain dumped on us about 1/4 of the way through the session. Granted, for 25 minutes of shooting we had tons of images to work with equal to two hours. They were comfortable within just a few clicks, this makes life SO EASY! I tell ya, we just clicked. It was great. Expect a few more creative & edgy shots for part deux when the weather takes a turn for the better....

Last but not least, they are pet-friendly people, and this is one of their little ones....

Hot Rod

2007-10-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

In just 48 hours Mr. & Mrs. Hagen's album design is due for release and I've added this new picture to my list of favorite direct sunlight images! These shots were taken during Erin's bridal fashion shoot at the Sorrento Hotel in the Penthouse suite (thank you Nina!). If ever there's a time in your life when you'd like to feel gorgeous and have it captured on camera, now_is_the_time! Erin's friends commented that she doesn't look at all like herself in the pictures. IMO that means we pulled the diva out of her! Unleash the diva! **For this photo shoot we called on the skillz of Dustin from NARS makeup and coordinated Erin's trial hair run for the wedding. These are some of my favorite moments in photography...thanks Ernie!**

This is a snapshot from Erin's wedding, this is the whole Kelly-girl shot- these are FUN people! Always having a blast...I can't wait to see what Kristin will pull out of the bag. :-)

Post-Processing

2007-09-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here's how we edit our weddings in case you were curious...you'll see this screen shot is an example of Bridge software. This handy tool allows us to breeze through thousands of images and tag them with info like delete/favorite/edit/rating. We are in the process of giving up this burden! I'm RELIEVED! Although we were only 5-10 business days behind during our busiest time, I'd like spend more time focusing on other things... Outsourcing our post-processing will free up 1/3 of our total workload! Yay!

This is a screenshot from Erin & Ryan's wedding that is receiving the finishing touches for display next week. Ernie & Ryan's wedding album pre-design is scheduled to come out Wed/Thurs of this week. I can't WAIT to share! You HAVE to check it out...it includes martini bars, hot rods, and golf carts...

Ask a question, get an answer.

2007-09-30T01:46:00.001-07:00

Its a small world, especially through the internet and blogging.I am writing a blog post, about someone else's blog post, whom I posted about, in this blog post. :-P Blogging is all the rage, baby.

Do you know David Jay? He just came up with the freedom club. A membership for no-holds bar photography information. Bold man. Check him out: http://www.davidjay.com/

:::: I wrote in with a question a while back and he answered it in a big way. The world feels so small now, as if DJ, this incredibly busy jet-setter is available by a few keyboard taps. Good guy- thanks DJ!!

Random rant: I hope MTV will get off the reality bandwagon soon and bring back Kurt Loder and the video countdowns. :-P

Big Tractors

2007-09-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

Meet Katie + Dustin. They live in Oregon. They're jet-set to marry at Pumpkin Ridge in just a few weeks....this e-session by special request was shot on-location at her mom's farm in Cornelius, OR. I love John Deere tractors. When I was about 13, I dreamt of being a farmer. Here's an e-session coming to life way out in the sticks...Katie, you are amazing!!

Dustin has the beefaroni thing going on by training 6 days a week. He makes it look so easy!

A few chuckles here, when this little lady on the right played shy. What a ham....Katie's niece is the flower girl. At 5 years old she's pure comedy. Thanks katie & dustin for a wunderbar day!

I have to tell my blog-readers something a little crazy. About 30 minutes after this session, I became ill. Something we ate earlier in the day didn't agree with my tum-tum. It was one of those, no warning type situations. I sensed a sudden overproduction in the salivary glands, nearly causing me to drool and then, well, yeah you probably get the idea. Was very sudden. At least the e-session was compleley wrapped up and undisrupted. Rock on! From now on, I'll always have a spare medicine stock nearby.

Last but not least: stay tuned for Katie + Dustin's Oct. 27th wedding...their wedding wraps up our year for 2007 newlyweds. Initially we limited weddings to 25 couples this year. But after much consideration decided to knock the max down to 24 and keep things special and boutique-ish for our special brides & grooms. Quality over quantity. Always. We're at 50% capacity for 2008 and feel excited to have happy people hire us early on. Have a great weekend!

Neato

2007-09-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

Occasionally, I have commercial jobs (thanks Alex) this was a fun one. This interior designer used to be a runway model AND a ballerina. Did she ever know how to pose...woo wee.

Claire & Lloyd

2007-09-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Its Thursday! On my way to this morning's appointment, something in the car made my nose curl. I realized it was my own shirt!!! This nice looking pressed shirt was completely pitted out with armpit funk. I do wash my clothes regularly, but somehow this one made its way back into the closet dirty. On top of that, I was in such a flurry this morning after the shower, I forgot to put lotion and deodorant on (surprisingly I blow-dryed & styled my hair). Istopped by the camera store to drop off some equipment, lamented about my smelly shirt, no spare deo, and having a full day's work ahead....so Elle, the camera employee at the shop insisted that I borrow her shirt! She gave me the shirt off her back (she had a spare) and instead of being pitted out with "the funk" all day, I smelled like Elle 'eau de toillette'. I LOVE Glazer's camera.They have THE nicest people ever. I'll have to write a big thank you letter. What a champ.

After Glazer's pit-stop, I headed to Lloyd & Claire's place in Sammamish to shoot a comical and spunky e-session. Theo, mind you, is a puppy! Claire & Lloyd are both English and we hit it off without having previously met. Amazing how that works.

Flashy new albums

2007-09-27T01:34:00.000-07:00

I love these! Our new sample albums came in, such good looking people, how did we ever get so lucky!

I ordered 3 new sizes, 12*12, 8*8 and 5*5. You'll notice the 12*12 is nearly both of the smaller albums together. It has the 'wow' factor. Me likey!

Boudoir Session

2007-09-26T13:25:00.001-07:00

Wow. Today's boudoir session had all the right elements. The subject: a 37 year old woman. She could show me a thing or two... to see more: http://aprilgreerfineart.blogspot.com/

Canoli's

2007-09-24T14:10:00.001-07:00

Allison + Doug 09.22.07 Albee's Garden- Olympia, WA

This is a highly scientific process called "toodling". It is basically: doodling + toole. The group was way, way too funny.

Ali was very confident in having us around. The whole family trusted us to roam and capture life moments as they naturally unfolded. I love this type of priceless bond between clients and ourselves.

A unique first look, it began behind closed doors...

I loved the lighting in this itty bitty bathroom. Was such an unexpected little treasure~

Foxy bride!

Ray snapped a tenderoni moment behind the scenes

Autumn colors! I LOVE sunflowers!

Beautimous rings dangling in the rain

Unless you attended Allison & Doug's wedding over the weekend, Canoli's, duct tape, and battle of the bridesmaids wouldn't make a whole lot of sense...but those who attended know what I mean! Although the rain dampened the ground, the overall mood was chipper! Albee's garden provided the grounds to party down, great family, fabulous temperatures, and of course, great music!

Congratulations Ali & Doug Baldwin! 09.22.07 Enjoy Cabo!

P.S. Thank you for the choco-marshmellows Dee!!

Bon Voyage

2007-09-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

09.22.07

What a great day! Ray and I had a blast with Ali & Doug in Olympia today (for their Albee's Garden wedding). Its almost midnight and for me the day ends on a sad note. I sunk deeper and deeper into the seat on the way home from our wedding. Arriving at the house, reality hung in the air, my parent's have wrapped up their NW excursion and are headed back to Cali in the morning. The house will be so empty & boring without them!!! We loved having them here. The house was full and filled with laughter! They will be missed. Can't wait 'til the next adventure...

Holidays...

2007-09-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

7 days of parental supervision but under MY roof this time, yesssss.... My parents are coming to visit!

Our plans are: brunch at Salty's, movies, mani-pedi's, wedding convo, mom's haircut, dancing to the oldies, grazing @ Sculpture park, Seattle Duck, Space needle, shopping, ferry rides, Leavenworth, wine tasting, B&B, drinking, merrymaking, and lots of poking fun. Anyone want to meet up for fun & drinks? My parents are party animals. They still think they're 30-something.

**note for clients** I will have my phone turned off until Monday Sept. 24th. We are due for a break (not a working break) from going non-stop in 8th gear since early March. I will have someone holding down the phone lines. If you absolutely need to reach me, send me an email and I'll do my best to get back to you.

The updated scoop:

Sept. 17-23 Out of Service (except for Ali & Doug's wedding Sept 22)
Sept 25-27 On-location shooting
Sept 28-29 Portland, OR
Oct. 1-3 Out of Service - last call for wedding album revisions....
Oct. 7/8 Rockin 'wedding + On-location shooting
Oct. 13 A big special day for E & R.
Oct. 15-18 Album submittals for holiday turnaround
Oct. 22-28 Portland workshop + groovy wedding
Nov. 21-26 ET Phone home
Dec. 17-20 On-location shooting

AUFWIEDERSEHEN!

Laurie & Narada Fairbank ~ 07.28.07

2007-09-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

Held at the Governor Hotel in Portland, this was a mucho fabulouso wedding!! The Glamorous duo Laurie & Narada filled up nearly 100 pages for this album design! It hit 2 volumes! A first, for me...As with anything else, if you'd like to see the image larger, simply click and it will open up a new window. My NEW blog, scheduled to go live late October will have HUGE photos, so no clicking will be necessary.

In case you're looking to book a wedding professionals in Portland, check out these pro's:
Wedding Consultants: Blush Bridal
Flowers: Francoise Weeks

I'm SO excited to share this and excited to take the next 7 days off...yeehaw!! Thanks for reading!

Mrs. Fairbank

2007-09-13T22:14:00.001-07:00

I'm allllmost ready to post Laurie & Narada Fairbank's wedding album design... I dig this shot of Laurie getting her make up done. We shot the wedding true PJ style (Photojournalistic).

Me likes!

College Days

2007-09-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Trying to find a way to get through the workweek. I stopped to ponder, why does it feel like I'm SO boring these days? Where did college days go?!?

In 1998 I graduated high school in Heidelberg, Germany with the BEST class the world has ever seen. Go HHS! Worked the summer as a waitress to save for college funds. In the fall it was off to Hope College to study how to be a missionary... it was a private Christian liberal arts school. I was pretty religious at the time and thought it would be a good fit....I grew so much during this exciting time...

I stuck out like a sore thumb. German- American chick in GRAND RAPIDS, MI. Welcome to small town! I was not the 'all-American' girl. I tried so hard to change my hair, my style, everything just to feel semi-accepted.

In Science class our prof had us take polaroids of ourselves to get to know each others' names. I learned in this class that I DID have a knack for science regardless of how many people told me I was ONLY meant for the arts. Had I returned to this college the prof said I would've been part of her research team the next year headed for Costa Rica...She was the coolest prof ever. My only friend in this Science class was Gayla, and single-mother from inner-city Chicago. She was on scholarship and worked her tail off to keep it. She was real and she was the only person who could make me forget about fitting in. I identified more with minorities than anything else.

My 1st semester roomies were beyotches. They were boy crazy (gag me) and stayed in their rooms all day doing their hair starting at 6am. ACK! 2nd Semester I begged for reassignment and landed "home" with these chicks. We became best of friends and they made me feel sooooo ALIVE. The tall one on the right was the first person I ever knew to wear thongs. I've been wearing them since. (maybe TMI, but its a good story!)
]

My roomie was way awesome. We constantly played pranks on each other. Once, I taped her shoes to the wall and put her entire wardrobe in the hallway. We were SO weird!!!

Anna (my 2nd roomie) inspired a creative, crazy side of me. I always wanted her to have fun and together we constantly got into mischief. I was written up and we got a 'noise' violation. Still it was tons of fun! I used to be kinda muscley and she was like a half-pint. Shopped in the kids department!

The college was located right next to the Grand Rapids Press. I met two REALLy cool photographers. Cory (left/bearded) was good friends with Eric. I had the hots for Eric AND Cory. Eric (red scarf) turned out to be gay and Cory was dating other chicks at the time. He's married now and has a baby on the way! We totally still keep in touch- he's my longtime fashion mentor

Cory and I shot together all the time! Late-night fashion shoots, college games, it was a dream. He helped me get the guts to shoot for the Anchor, the college's newspaper. It was rush to see my name in print for the first time. I sent these clippings home to my parents (back in Germany).

Here's Cory at a game- sports are not really my thing, but he was a pro, I was learning, it didn't matter!

In my first Women's issues class they had us write letters to each other in class for support. I got the sweetest note from Cari. She was the most confident invidual in the class. The instructor was recovering from a masectomy, taught me so much about gender roles in society. I became a bit of a feminist...

My homegirls from Japan posed for me in a photo shoot at the docks one day. The one in the front was Minori (goes by Mino). She had all these cool gadgets from Japan. Again, feeling great with minorities..

The ration of men to women for the freshman class was like 1-11. Guys had the upper hand. There were so many things to think about than getting my MRS. degree. But, the coolest dude from Holland (he's American) took me out a bunch of times. We went swing dancing and even went to the college equivalent of prom together. He was the kind of person that made me laugh so hard I could pee my pants. Gregor was SUCH an odd person for me to be friends with, he was totally type A and I'm exactly the opposite. We always had a blast!

One of my favorite blurry film pictures of all time. Anna and I snuck into the backstage costume room and dressed ourselves up and took pictures. I LOVE cowboy stuff!

Basically, the more I felt out of place I realized that being different can be a strengthening factor. Not always being welcomed with gold banners and being THE most gorgeous is a hard place to be. I finally learned that I could NEVER fit in completely and I learned to be ME. Today I have more respect for people who go against the grain tham those who where camoflouge. Hope College was an amazing experience. I loved the campus and its people. I really miss the youthful vigor!

My folks couldn't continue with the $20,000 annual tuition so after only one year, I headed back to Germany and put myself through school, finishing of a bachelor's in a little under 5 years and working full-time. I totally cherish that my folks put me through 1 year despite how much they struggled for cash back home. So, my question is what made YOU grow & change & learn?! I want people to send me some goofy pics from back in the day...

This one last photo was taken at Fuddrucker's in Chicago with my brother Thomas. He just enlisted in the Navy and I visited him over a holiday weekend. He had lots of drunken sailor stories and it was never a dull moment! Now he's married and ya, know, has to ask permission to burp, but I still remember the old Tom and can't forget that day.

Boudoir Session

2007-09-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

A few words about boudoir photography since appointments have shot through the roof recently....

Tips to help you feel beautiful while standing relatively nude in front of a photographer like myself:

*i'm a chick, too. we share the same body dilemmas.
*i do this professionally
*no one has to see your pictures. ever.
*there's not much i haven't seen. i lived in europe for 12 years.
*no matter what is asked of you, own it.
*trust your photographer completely.
*stop worrying. period.
*do NOT under any circumstances, arrive with bad tanlines.
*if you arrive with tanlines, we will send you to a tanning bed until baked crispy

Following this simple tips will ensure your man drops to the floor when he sees your pictures. :-)

I love every one of you who allow me to photograph you the way I see you.

Do you work out?

2007-09-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

Mark + Yvonne 09.07.07

Mark played his cards right when he popped that question (Do you work out?) to Yvonne the night they met at a Halloween party. She was dressed as Princess Jasmine, Mark clad as a poor college student. Despite the lack of costume, he had enough game to sweep Yvonne off her feet! 6 years later, they tied the knot at Newcastle Golf Club! Meet Yvonne + Mark, who have become dear sweet friends of ours and an inspiration to continue to be genuine and kind-hearted despite the fact that this world can be tough to live in. They are as nice as they are beautiful! Yvonne was the anti-bridezilla, very easy-going, light-hearted and all about partying. I could've asked her to climb the walls and she probably would've been more than happy to... So cheers to all the people who make it a cinch! I remember in their first consultation, both she and Mark agreed that they just wanted to PART-Y on their wedding. They did just that.

Yvonne had one of the most heartfelt 'first looks' I've ever photographed. Click on this photo to see the larger view and see what I mean. She expressed a multitude of feelings in just a few seconds time as they saw each other for the first time. As much as I hate to see women cry, this moment was beautiful.
Following that, Mark kissed her hands before he kissed her face....Ray even blinked back a few drops...

Her bridesmaids and mom watched from below and I could hear them oohing and ahhing (and sniffling)

The happy-go-lucky group.

While we were shooting one of the Mariner's players whizzed by and wished them congrats on their wedding day...awwww

Ray snagged this shot of the guys- they are men's men if you know what I mean.

As kind as she is cute.

Fabulous scenery from Newcastle taken with the 50 1.2 lens. If you are a wedding photog and you don't own this lens, you should. Bagpiper: Neil Hubbard, wickedly funny.

Having fun with hard light~

I'm not one for copying the venue 'favorite photo op' but couldn't help this one.

Party Central, they partied like rockstars

A word about their DJ: the best I've ever seen in Seattle. His name is Austin, as soon as I hear back from Yvonne, I'll post Austin's contact info. This guy KNOWS how to party. I've seen hacked DJ's, boring DJ's, mediocre DJ's, this guy knows how to flex the party scene and had all the latest songs (as well as oldies) in every genre of music. He was also very talented at improvising on the mic. Don't do an iPod wedding, do an Austin wedding!

Friends surprised them with a spiffy ride to the city, a car with big fat rims to match their rockstar party~

I had fantabulous time shooting yesterday. When you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work.

My FIX

2007-09-06T23:54:00.000-07:00

Little unknown factoid about me: I LOVE marshmellows. Love love love love them! As a kid, on the way home from the grocery store, I waited until my mom was faced forward driving and I tracked down the paper bag with marshmellows inside. Once located, I would poke a insignifacnt finger hole in the corner of the bag intended for Rice Krispy treats and lure out marshmellows one by one, curling my fingers around them and shaking the bag to coax out. Of course my mom knew the guilty party responsible for the finger shaped hole in the bag. When it came time for the RK Treats, there was almost never enough to make the recipe! Time and time again she got mad at me, but I always imagined getting away with it...

Other shy factoid: in 2003, I picked up some 'mellows at the military grocery store. Sitting in the parking lot of the store, camped in my car (groceries in the trunk) finished off an entire bag of jet-puffed marshmellows, by myself.

So you can imagine the little kid in me jumping for joy when I saw these little treats at the store tonight...at last! No need to buy the whole bag. Now they come in little manageable packets! YAY!!! Comes in 3 flavors: choco, nilla, and starberry.

Boudoir Session

2007-09-06T00:36:00.000-07:00

Rachel rocked the house this evening. More images (over 18) here: www.aprilgreerfineart.blogspot.com

She *asked* me to post this one. What a gal...

Mywedding.com

2007-09-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

Its a tickler to accidentally discover your photos posted without knowledge. I perused the mywedding.com blog today and found two shots that I didn't even know were posted. Neato....

This one is from Karishma's wedding last year..

This shot is from Megan Pennington's wedding in Oct. 2006

Animal Planet

2007-09-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

Ray and I FINALLY made time for a little outing this holiday weekend and laughed our bums off at the Zoo. Talk about feeling like the minority. It was attack of the of the strollers at Point Defiance! All the more reason to goof off and fit in with the crowd. Ray teased this poor peacock, criticized him to no end! He kept saying stuff like "all you are is a fancy chicken!" "you're dressed up in a costume, big deal!"

Before I read the directions for the starfish tank, I poked my entire hand in the water and started petting these little critters. Apparently, the sign read "one-finger petting only!"

Ray and ET (the walrus) were caught gazing at each other.

Ray hates close ups and I had a way gross & ugly zit: here's our happy in-between pic! Its all about compromise...

And just in case you didn't see my myspace announcement, I AM attending the JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE concert Saturday! (Of course, not before enjoying Yvonne & Mark's wedding on Friday!) I'm taking my really good friend Melodie Rivera for her birthday! We met when she hired me for her August wedding in 2007- she kicked it "Hawaiian style" on Lake Union and we've been friends ever since! She's saucy, smart and she totally "gets" who I am. Nothing like have a friend understand your most jumbled ideas..Here's a little snap of us at the rollerrink.

If you've got JT tix, HOLLA!! This will be my first concert since Toad the Wet Sprocket back in 1995. WAY overdue.

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

So much to pack into one blog post! I have to admit, there was a blog-flu going around. Sort of a sickness that made me re-discover why I decided to blog in the first place. I guess blogging became a burden for the times when I wanted to sneak off and cause trouble. People would write and ask WHERE ARE THE BLOG POSTS? Big brother or rather, Big Bride was watching me.... and waiting for the latest scoop.

Without further ado... a peek into the rowdy lives of wedding photographers for the last week or so...here's the 2-day occasion for Marisa + Kanishka's wedding!

Saturday began with a runner. Literally. Marisa's mom has a knack for quilting. She MADE a runner for isle in about 60 minutes. Here are a few snaps of the ladies rolling out the canvas... we got a little distracted with Marisa's mom's wedding pictures...totally hilarious beehives and sideburns back in the day. I LOVE look at other people's photo albums. This is my next career venture indefinately.

In the same way Cherie was gifted with making the runner, she also put over 30 hours into Marisa's veil; it took on a personality all its own. I had to blink constantly through Cherie placing the veil on Marisa, my eyes were sweating. (wink*wink) It was just a beautiful moment. Marisa and Cherie feel like family to me. They reel me into thoughtful conversations, light-hearted fun, and I simply love their company. At the wedding, I truly had the inside ticket to capturing genuine emotions because we were like peas and carrots .

Just as the slippers had the perfect effect on Cinderalla, so did Marisa's veil have this 'ooh-ahh' effect and complete her at that moment. Kamisha & Marisa's portraits flowed like gravy- they're completely at peace with each other.

As Marisa's moment tick-tocked, even by-standers stopped their cars and got out to watch-

I watched Kanishka close his eyes for a second or two as Marisa made her way towards the isle. Later he told me he was praying and giving thanks for this marriage.

Beautiful lighting at their ceremony~

The party was an absolute hit at the Stimson-Green mansion. Its a hidden refuge in downtown Seattle, a wonderful spot with a funky old atmosphere.

As the wedding drew to a close, we cruised around in a Rolls and headed to the crowds at Bumbershoot downtown! For it being midnight, surprisingly the newlyweds drew a huge crowd where everyone applauded them and shouted "congratulations!!" over and over. I went home totally buzzing from such a great day of shooting.

Only it wasn't over! Sunday morning we were at it again....this time for a cultural experience. At the Hindu temple in Bothell, Kanishka's family conducted a traditional ceremony-

To my understanding, this is the traditional wedding ceremony on paper, followed by a close-up of sancrit. Some of my favorite shots here:

The most ironic part of the day was to recognize one of my friends from HIGH SCHOOL at this wedding. I went to school with Beth in 1997 ( i graduated in '98) and our school is located in Heidelberg, Germany, nearly 6,000 miles away from Seattle! How BIZARRE is it that she was the maid of honor for this wedding! Especially considering Ray and I didn't know a SOUL when we moved here, and I just met Cherie through a previous Indian couple from 2007, it makes me realize "its a small world after all!" Here's the sweetheart Beth with her little 1 yr. old cherub.

Daily Grind

2007-08-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

I thought it makes sense to post what we do during the times that we're not shooting. I don't really know what else to blog about today since its a holiday and no one is reading this post.

Here's what my average office day looks like:

7am wake up, eat healthy breakfast
8 shower, dress, sip coffee while surfing web
8:30 brain is warmed up, answer calls/emails from previous day/look at calendar
10:30 snacktime (mmm rice krispy treats)
11 post-processing begins
1pm lunchtime (fresh veggies & protein serving, call Ray at work)
1:30 post-processing
2:30 research photography stuff (Very important part of day)
4pm upload projects to Pictage (do aerobics while stuff uploads)
5pm back up projects that are uploading
6pm answer incoming emails (answer mom's phone call)
7pm scratch head, 7th inning stretch
8-9pm answer last few emails
10 blogaholic

Thanks for reading! Have a happy Labor Day!

Continuing education

2007-08-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks for bearing with us in August, it was SO nutty, over 20 photo shoots and every weekend booked solid with weddings (not to mentioned WE MOVED!) . Thanks everyone for being champs and sticking it out with us through the obstacle course! Next up: Liz & Dave's wedding in cancun...

Jazzy news: I registered today for the Joe Buissink workshop in Portland in October! Rock on! Joe is a-m-a-z-i-n-g! He's not only a well-known celebrity photographer but also an amazing storyteller through pictures. I love his character, his integrity, his talent for capturing the moment! For those 3 days I hope to experience Joe, his art, his work, everything and sponge up lots of info from the people around me. Workshops rock!

www.joebuissink.com

Amy+ Philip

2007-08-29T01:21:00.000-07:00

Fighting the elements: did we ever! 08.25.07 exhibited the funkiest Washington weather! The clouds were sweating, the sun was shining, it varied between a downpour and hardcore sunshine! Nonetheless Amy & Philip put on a fantastic celebration...

Isn't she radiant? I adore her personality!

At a time where it seems natural to feel worn from shooting each and every weekend, Amy & Philip's wedding jolted us with a much needed flavor of LOVE! It was the biggest treat, right when Ray and I needed it the most.

Amy & Philip gifted us complete photo freedom. We experimented a lot more than we usually have time for. I feel very fortunate to work with people who give us as much time as we want/need. Just for giggles: Amy is a talented wedding photographer and graphic designer. Normally the pressure is ON working with for other photographers, but its something about her personality that makes the world seem carefree.

Too bad she's taken guys!

Occasionally we take photo requests...like this one- oldie but goodie...

Count them, 1-22....

Hecka mean clouds

Last but not least, we swiped orgazna to use on our photo shoot on the ferry! Put them to good use on our way back to Seattle. Omigosh these two were so much fun!!

Have fun in Italy my dears!!!

2007/2008 Travel

2007-08-29T00:25:00.001-07:00

Here's some updated travel info, Ray and I will be out of town quite a bit for the month of September/October. And you thought wedding season was over.... we're also taking 2 weeks off next month: the parents are visiting! YAY!!!

2007
09.01.07 Seattle, WA
09.02.07 Bothell, WA
09.07.07 Seattle, WA
09.08-09.21.07 Off the map
09.22.07 Rochester, WA
09.28-29 Portland, WA
10.06.07 Seattle, WA
10.13.07 Seattle, WA
10.27.07 Portland, OR
11.01.07 Tennessee/Kentucky

2008

01.04-01.09 Tampa, FL
03.08.08 Seattle, WA
03.16-20.08 Las Vegas, NV
03.22.08 Seattle, WA
04.05.08 Seattle, WA
05.10.-05.11. 08 Marina, CA
06.21.08 Malibu, CA
07.26.08 Puyallup, WA
07.27.08 Seattle, WA
08.02.08 Portland, OR
08.22.08 Poulsbo, WA
08.30.08 Seattle, WA

Keri & Walt

2007-08-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ta-dah! One of many kickin' album designs on their way out... today's feauture:
Keri & Walt's fantastic Cali wedding!

MUCH more to come! Thanks everybody for waiting patiently :-)

Yvonne's Bridal Fashion Shoot

2007-08-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

Meet Yvonne (aka, Princess of the World!)
To see the images larger, simple click on them to open a new window. In the next blog all of the photos will be HUGE!

In the meantime...here she is!

Yvonne Kacik-Gown by Henry Roth
shot at: Sorrento Hotel- Seattle, WA

These two are my faves!!

I have SOOoooo much to write about Miss Yvonne and we took SO many neat pictures, I could literally post them all. Her dress left me without words. The designer works exlusively with "I Do" Bridal in Seattle. I highly recommend this gown store for those of you looking to purchase!

More info on: Bridal Fashion shoot

April Greer Photography

OMG!!!!!

C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A

How NOT to treat a customer

Mini-Vacation

Last Photo Shoot of 2007

Keri & Walt

Blanco Lounge

Best of 2007 Wedding book, FREE!

Man Duties

Since July

Spend your benjamins wisely

Seattle Wedding Show

Like Brothers

Kat von Awesome

Random Thursday stuff

Chandlermeister

Beefcake

Katie & Dustin's album design...

Sneak Peek

Travel Rats

$10 for 10 minutes-you're RICH!

Erika & Robert 10.13.07

Sneak Peek-

Favorite Blogs for Monday

Erika & Robert 10.13.07

Express makeover

Sneak Peek: Junko & Jeff

Allison & Doug's album design

Updated Availability

Happy Thanksgiving!

Woo-Woo

A Baby Shower

1800's in South Carolina

Veterans Day Parade

Marine Core Ball

Country Boys and Girls

Reunite

Monday night matinee:

MK's album design

NY Bride Sues Florist for $400,000

Purple Kicks

The Castle

Fleeting Z's

Mr. & Mrs.

Oct. 27 wedding

Ear Worm

Great news for Ray!

Day 2 of 3

Joe Buissink in Portland

On the Road

Amy+ Philip's album design

Yvonne & Mark's album design

Bicep Pain

Very special things....

E-session Katie & Dustin

Busy day

Sneak Preview

Jimmy & KK

20 yrs. old

Cathy & Erwin's Album Design

Erika & Robert 10.13.07

Part Deux

Blanco Lounge

Home Shopping Network

Brushes

Flaming Dragon

Jeff & Junko~ 10.06.07

Brooke & Chris *the e-session*

Erin + Ryan 08.11.07 Wedding Album design...

Charla & Mo

Hot Rod

Post-Processing

Ask a question, get an answer.

Big Tractors

Neato

Claire & Lloyd

Flashy new albums

Boudoir Session

Canoli's

Brooke & Chris the e-session