Kati kicked Breast Cancers A$$ – and made it look goooood!

I’ve been wanting to write a blog post about a super special session I had the honor of photographing over the summer but the timing just never felt right.  Guess what?! The time IS right – and the time is right NOW! There are TWO reasons why the timing on this is PERFECT. The first one is that October is Breast Cancer awareness month, and the second one is…. nahhhh… you gotta read to the end to find out what the second one is. 🙂

Please allow me the pleasure and honor of introducing the fabulous Kati Mascari to you. When my husband and I were first dating, I went back home with him to Ohio.  Kati and her fiancee (now husband) Paul, were some of the first people I met on our trip back. We met over at Paul’s place, hung out for a little bit, then went to the movies. I adored Kati right away (and Paul was pretty cool too) ;-). She just had a way of making me feel welcome and treated me like a friend she has known for years, her positive attitude and energy immediately putting me at ease.

This past April during a routine mammogram, Kati heard the news NO one EVER wants to hear. They found a lump and after further testing, they discovered she had early stage breast cancer. After much consideration she decided to have a mastectomy and for a little extra ‘insurance’ do 6 rounds of chemo to make sure it was all gone.

On our most recent family trip back to Ohio, I wanted to offer a family session for her but I didn’t know if she was even interested in documenting this crazy time in her life. I was REALLY nervous to ask (I didn’t know if she would think I was crazy, or if it would offend her, but I sucked up my nerves and offered). I was so relieved when she said “Heck yeah!”

We started their session with some group shots of the family – (we tried to get their dog to participate but Lincoln wasn’t feeling especially handsome that day so he was a little camera shy). After the family shots, I photographed her two handsome boys, then moved on to Kati and Paul. I wanted to document their supportive, unconditional love as well as the laughter they share.

We then moved on to Kati solo. We started with her scarf on. Then I asked if she was comfortable removing it. I could sense that she was a little nervous about being photographed by herself without the safety of her scarf.  I noticed the breast cancer awareness bracelet she was wearing and suggested that we ‘showcase’ the bracelet. She loved the idea.  (I had a feeling that if we ‘focused’ on the bracelet rather than solely on Kati, it would make her feel more comfortable). Before you knew it she was embracing the solo shots. I noticed during a couple of shots that she tipped her chin down and, completely oblivious to what was going on in her head, I said “Chin up – buttercup – these are BEAUTIFUL!!!” aaaaand THAT’S when the tears started… I was scared that I did or said something to offend her. She took a deep breath and through the tears said, “I’m sorry – I just started thinking about everything, it’s just so much. Then to have you make me feel beautiful and SAY I was beautiful….”  Well from that point – we were BOTH crying, and hugging, and laughing about the ridiculousness of everything. It was a moment that I won’t soon forget.

Below are some of the images I captured during her session. Kati being the awesome person that she is – started documenting everything about this journey on her Caring-Bridge site.  I asked her permission to copy portions of some of her entries into this post (anything in italics are her words).  During some of her posts she’d added a segment called “Bitches and Blessings”. Let’s be real here… even the most positive person in the world is going to have an ‘off’ day every now and again. BUT if that positive person is Kati, she’s going to turn those ‘bitches’ into ‘blessings. I just want share with you what an inspiration she is. And please, If there is anyone you know going through this – please feel free to share this post with them – She wants to help others going through this.

LOL! Had to put this one in – Poor Lincoln wasn’t feeling handsome…

Wait – real quick – can we talk about this location for one second?!?! Ummmm hellooooooo!!! This is Paul’s parents’ BACK YARD! Whaaaa?!?! I know right! It’s absolutely STUNNING!  We sure don’t build them like that in California!

Bitch – I have breast cancer
Blessing – I had no idea how many people truly love and care about me.  This journey will make me a better person. God gave me my husband for this reason..he is amazing.  I have a new perspective on life…good things will come of this.

Not only is Kati a super positive person – but she has a killer sense of humor…. (see photo above and quote below if you don’t believe me):
Bitch – I will have a mastectomy.
Blessing – This is MY choice and I am in control of this part.  In a year from now, I will have better boobs than Barbie herself…eat your heart out, Ken.

“Well, last night I did it……shaved my head. Well actually my CEO of Boobs, Meredith, shaved it for me with the help of Cole and Cade”….”Cole and Cade took the scissors (as Meredith helped because, DANG those real stylist scissors are sharp!) and they began to cut my hair.”

“They smiled and I smiled back.  I was so glad they wanted to be part of this process.”

“Ya know kids are much smarter than we think…we’ve been honest with them from day 1 and I think they both felt at peace and prepared for this.”

“After getting some pics of my melon mohawk, Meredith and I decided to just go for it and shave it all off…..GI Jane style.  Turns out I have a nice little shaped melon!  And the best part of all was that my kids had fun and my husband loved every minute.”

“No one cried (until I said thank you and goodnight to Meredith). Not even my MOM which tells you what a fun evening it truly was.  I felt empowered, truly. And I walked around all day today wearing my scarf proudly.  I would not have chosen this way to cut my hair, but if cancer had to take my hair, I was going to make the most of it.  And I feel I have.  I did my crying early on Saturday so that I was prepared for the melon shaving on Monday. Haven’t shed a tear since, and my boys don’t even look twice.  Except for Paul who can’t stop grinning at me.”

“For those that don’t know Paul, he has always pleaded with me to cut my hair short so he can ‘see my beautiful face and neck’.  Well he honestly loves my little shaved melon…I caught him looking at me smiling all night, and he prefers me not to wear a wig.  Do ya’ll love this man or what?”

“Even though I am positive, strong, and can find the goodness and humor in this journey, it is still scary, it is still emotional, it is still sad, it is still cancer. But even on my darkest days I will pick myself back up and stand.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I have had my bad days……this past weekend was hard for me. But I woke up today and kept my chin up and enjoyed being with my mom and youngest son.
Bitch- it’s inevitable, I will have many more bad days ahead of me. Blessing- tomorrow is always a new day”

“I still want to scream ‘WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!!???’
In the past few days I have felt intense faith, love, anger, paralyzing fear, sadness, courage and peace.”…

“I did ask about my ‘recurrence’ statistics. She said without the chemo and herceptin, I had a 25% chance of it returning…but WITH chemo and herceptin, it is only 12%! I plan to live life fully in the majority!  So it’s been a good day.”

“Bitch – This has been the most difficult time in my life, and I never in a million years thought I would have breast cancer.
Blessing – This has shown me what amazing family and friends we have, what unconditional love truly is, how strong and kick-ass I can be when needed, and just how much I have to live for. I hope to get the opportunity to help the many women who will unfortunately follow me down this scary road.”

“I can do anything for 18 weeks if it means I will grow old with my husband and see my beautiful boys grow up. Cancer seriously sucks and I am pissed off today. But ‘screw you, cancer!’ I am winning.”

“The day was going smoothly and I was fine until I got a text from my hubby. He was going to come with me, but I told him I want him at my last treatment so we can celebrate. He was having a hard emotional day (which is a lot for him to admit) thinking of all I have/will have to endure. Well that did it….I started sobbing right there in my recliner. I hate what this must be doing to my loved ones. But I can assure everyone, this will not take my spirit! I have won and will continue to do so. And ya’ll will be jealous of my new perky rack and fabulous short hair cut next spring.”

 And now for reason number TWO why this is the Perfect time to write this post…

“I can’t believe chemo is now behind me!  Can’t even put all of my feelings into words.  Was I REALLY diagnosed with breast cancer?? have I truly been through a mastectomy? How in the world did I make it through 18 very hard weeks of chemo??  Lots of tears shed today…good tears however….. “

“So as we drove away, I just thought how grateful I am to be alive….truly alive….grateful for my amazing husband, kids, family friends, my docotors, The James, Stephanie Speilman, fellow survivors, each and every single dollar that goes to cancer research and so much more.  Still a long year ahead but one step at a time.  But I will be grateful each step of the way because life is truly a gift, no matter how long we are on this earth.  But I plan on being around for a very very long time……..”

Kati – you are an amazing woman. I am honored to be able to call you a friend and cousin-in-law. Your attitude, spirit and courage not only inspires me, but has and will inspire others. I am SO thrilled, relieved, and thankful that this scary part of your life is now behind you. Words can’t even describe how honored I was to photograph you and your family during this part of your long life. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for being courageous. Thank you for  being real all while still maintaining that awesome ‘Kati sense of humor’. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!  PS. It is Breast Cancer Awareness day at the boys school tomorrow and although they weren’t game to wear a pink shirt – they did say they would wear a pink ribbon with a picture of you on it. ROCK ON GIRL! XOXOXOXO

Beautiful Belgium Wedding – Part 5 – ROCK the Dress!

One of my favorite  add-on’s to any wedding package is the Rock The Dress Session! It usually goes without saying that the bride has spent a significant amount of time (and money) on getting THE perfect dress. THE one she has dreamed of for years. It’s a shame to only wear it once.  During the Rock The Dress session – we go out for the afternoon and the bride and groom get to be super models for the day.  This is the perfect opportunity to get some amazing wedding portraits created that would have otherwise been impossible if we were limited to only photographing the day of the wedding.

Since the wedding lasted until 5 in the morning, we opted to schedule Marija and Nico’s Rock the Dress session a couple of days after the wedding. Because, let’s be real – We alllllll needed to recover a little from that extravaganza!

There were SO MANY breathtaking locations in Ghent to choose from. I aaaaalmost didn’t know where to start.
(just kidding – the second I set foot in that town I was already planning out this session – *giggle*)

We started off fairly close to their hotel. Which – just happened to be – smack dab in the center of this photographers wonderland!

If you’ve been following along with this week’s post – you know that I love, Love, LOVE unique doors.

When I first arrived in Ghent, my travel buddies stayed at the hotel to sleep off their jet-lag. I got a teensy tiny peek of what the center of town looked like from the cab ride in, and I just couldn’t sleep thinking about all the insanely gorgeous places that were just outside my hotel walls. I walked around and in my head, I made a list of places I wanted come back to during our Rock The Dress Session.

*Side Note*
There was one place on my list that I knew I would wanted to photograph but, at the time, I didn’t know why. It was this small, triangle shaped, hidden alcove nestled in between a bridge, the river and a cathedral. Is was kinda tucked back, were I was guessing that not a lot of people have been. It probably wasn’t anything anyone else would have looked at and thought was special – but I loved it.

It was only after I spoke to one of the bride’s friends that I learned that the DJ accidentally played the wrong song for their first dance. I found out what the correct song should have been and downloaded it to my phone. I felt terrible that they didn’t get to dance to “their” song at their wedding, and wanted to ‘recreate’ that moment for them. I was trying to think of a way to do it. THEN it hit me! MY ALCOVE! That’s where they can have their official first dance!

We ‘casually’ strolled towards the bridge… and grabbed a few shot along the way…

Dang you two! WORK IT!

   Then we got to “The Spot”. I posed them for a few more shots while Sadi got the song ready on my phone.

Then, on my cue – she started their song. The reaction was immediate, genuine, and one I won’t soon forget (I hope they don’t either).

  

It was pretty cool at the time of the session. We headed back to their hotel to get a cup of coffee to warm up a bit – and of course – I had to grab just a couple more shots.

 

After we warmed up a bit – we continued our stroll around town. It was a Monday morning and apparently a bride and groom are not a typical sight…

This gentleman was my favorite. He stopped. And stared. And watched them pass by like he just couldn’t believe his eyes.

We went to visit their lock.

Then it got serious…

Then….  not so serious.

We REALLY wanted to get some shots inside the grounds of Gaversteen Castle but weren’t sure we’d be able too. Nico, with his James Bond-ness, strolled up to the ticket booth and asked if we could pop in to ‘just take a few photos’. Not only did we get a yes, but – we didn’t have to pay to get in! High-Five Nico!

On the way up to the top of the castle – we walked up these awesome spiral staircases.

It was just begging for off camera flash.

When we got to the top – I wanted to get a shot of them with the city in the background.
Now, you may or may not have noticed that Marija and Nico are approximately 90 feet tall. I – on the other hand, am juuuuust scrapping the 5 foot mark. So to get the shot I wanted – I needed to get creative. The option I chose was much better than the option I was considering which was straddling that very old and not so stable re-bar handrail. Thankfully – the telescope stand was sufficient to get the image I had in mind.

Which was this…

And just a couple more to finish off their Rock The Dress Session.

 
Thanks again for reading and looking through the images. I hope you could tell it was an absolutely amazing experience. One that I would love to do again with other fabulous couples.
Much love and appreciation to you Marija and Nico for selecting me to be your photographer.
I wish you nothing but endless love and happiness together.
XOXO Nicki

Beautiful Belgium Wedding – Part 3 – Getting ready and details…

Today is the day they’ve been waiting for.

On June 21, 2013 Marija and Nico pledged their love to one another…

But before we get to the lovie dovie stuff – there is a lot of planning and prepping that goes into a wedding.

If they planned it, I photographed it because as they say…

“Love is in the details”

-Enjoy-

 Marija and her lovely friends prepared for the wedding at the hotel attached to the stunning wedding venue –
The Auberge Du Pecheur.

In keeping with their trend of having everything executed to perfection –
Marija gifted each of her wedding participants with a personalized leather and sliver bracelet.

Marija’s gorgeous Alynes by Rivini silk gown was beautiful on her personalized “Mrs. De Deken” hanger.

Marija’s bouquet consisted of peony’s and blush roses to coordinate with the sash on her gown.

 Annie, Marija’s Matron of Honor, helped get her get ready

Mama came in and helped with a few perfect finishing touches.

In keeping with tradition, Marija’s held true to the

“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue”.

Her ‘something old and borrowed’ was her grandmother’s locket that she had hand sewn into her gown,

right next to her heart.

She carried a blue hankie and wore her double diamond bracelets from Nico, as her something new.

After she was ready – it was time for her dad to see his  youngest daughter as a bride…

Dad’s reaction was priceless but her mom’s was pretty spectacular too.

A little girl’s first love – is always – her daddy.

Now, I haven’t forgotten about the groom… Nico and his closest group of friends were on their way to the venue located in Sint-Martens-Latem, via chartered boat that they sailed through the canals from Ghent!

See…. Perfection – everywhere you turned!

While I waiting for the boat full of men to arrive, I went downstairs to photograph some of the details.

This is the breathtaking reception area.

Seriously – even the silverware was laid out perfectly waiting on the dinner service.

Although I try to cover as much as humanly possible at each and every wedding I have the honor of photographing – sometimes it is just impossible for me to be in two places at once. Liiiiike – on a boat with the groom while his bride is getting ready at the venue. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to have a Sadi Lane travel to Belgium with me and be my second shooter/assistant. Together, we did our best to capture every aspect of this amazing wedding.

Thank-you Sadi for capturing the following images.

Bond – James Bond.

Speaking of James Bond. When the boat arrived – we needed to be extra secretive so that Nico didn’t see his bride before the ceremony. We kept the men by the river and the ladies out front to get a few more shots before the wedding.

How sweet are these custom cufflinks Marija gave to Nico?

Although Nico had a bunch of friends with him. Wim was his best man.

oh Marija – just stop it – you are just too gorgeous!

How precious is Marija’s niece who served as one of her flower girls.

Annie and Marija sharing a moment just prior to walking down the isle…

      Thanks again for reading – Stay tuned tomorrow for the wedding!

Beautiful Belgium Wedding – Part 2 – Day Trippin’ – Ghent and a rehersal dinner location to die for!

Day 2 of our fun filled wedding extravaganza started off with meeting up with a few more friends and family members who traveled in from various parts of the globe.

After the excitement of reuniting, we were again treated to a local guide for a tour of the groom’s home town of Ghent.

Our first stop was St. Baaf’s Cathedral. Although the interior of the cathedral as stunning, we were mesmerized by the LAMB that was inside the church. We asked our guide why it was there. She had no idea and went to inquire about it. She found out that the lamb was going to be a gift to the 1,000,000th tourist that visited the cathedral.

Since there was no actual record of exactly how many visitors have come through the cathedral, she tried her best to have Marija and Nico named as the 1,000,000th visitor.

Is it me, or do they look less than excited about the possibility of being gifted with a lamb?

“Luckily” for them, the lamb was gifted to another visitor.

After the hub-bub of the millionth visitor was finished, we were finally able to focus 100% on the beautiful Cathedral.

  

Although Marija and Nico didn’t get the lucky lamb, the organist came out and honored them with a song.

After the Cathedral tour, we headed over to one of the riverbanks where we were treated to a boat tour of Ghent.

Everything about this town was beautiful…

Even the fruits and vegetables!

If fresh fruits and veggies aren’t your thing – you should try the fries (just don’t call them French)

  The back side of the Gravensteen Castle serves as a stunning back drop for a quick photo opp of Nico and his father.  After our river tour we were able to stroll around a bit before getting ready for the rehearsal dinner later that evening.

These two love birds are Nico’s parents, and you can see why they are proud of their home town.

It’s really fun to run into more of your wedding guests while casually strolling the streets of a foreign country.

 

After rehearsing for their wedding, we met over at the ” ‘T Paradijs Van Wenemaar” restaurant for dinner.  Remember yesterday, when I told you about everything being planned to perfection?

Holy smokes – look at the ‘backdrop’ for the rehearsal dinner!!!

  It’s impossible for these two, NOT to be absolutely adorable.

Ready for a double dose of awesome-sauce? This stunning couple below are Victoria and Yoric. This is a double hitter of awesomeness because not only have I had the honor of photographing their engagement session a couple of years back… but Yoric, is Nico’s cousin!

Nico, his best man – Whim, and his cousin – Yoric, re-living some memories.

Not to be out done – Marija has her own great group of gal pals with her, that I’m sure, have their fair share of great memories as well.

During the rehearsal dinner, Dr. Harvey Karp, author of Happiest Baby on the Block (as well as Marija’s employer), gave a beautiful toast and wished them a beautiful wedding and marriage.

 

After dinner, Nico asked that I follow them over to the bridge. They made a wish and placed their own “Love Lock”  on the bridge then tossed the key into the river.

I’m not sure what Marija wished for, but I have a feeling that one of her dreams is about to come true!

I do know that a long time ago, she wished for her own Prince Charming, and I also know that Nico loves to surprise her with wonderful things.  She found her Prince Charming, and tonight, he surprised her with a wedding gift.
A pair of stunning diamond bracelets he knew she would adore, almost as much as he adores her.

He pretty much hit it out of the park!

Marija’s mom admiring her daughter’s new gift.

Thanks for reading… Tomorrow is the big day – stay tuned!

Beautiful Belgium Wedding – Part 1 – Day Trippin’ in Brugge…

Amazing – that’s the only word for it…

While Marija, Nico and I were in my studio for their engagement proofing session, we were discussing
the details of their upcoming wedding in Belgium. They asked if I would be willing to take photos of the various
activities that they had planned for their guests during the days leading up to their June 21st wedding.
Would I be willing?!?
I couldn’t have been more thrilled that they asked me!!! – why? Because… I NOW had PERMISSION to be
as snap happy as I wanted to be AND… instead of people rolling their eyes at me about my photography ‘addiction’…
they could just smile and be happy I was documenting everything – That, my friends – is what I call a Win-Win!

Marija and Nico planned out the most amazing day trips and events for all their guest that traveled from far and wide. Nico’s family is from Ghent, Belgium and were very eager to show off their beautiful country. On our first full day we were treated to a chartered bus ride that traveled north west to the town of Brugge. On our 40 minute ride we were treated to refreshments and Belgium chocolates. Although we were going to be on a guided tour with a local tour guide, Nico spent a portion of the trip highlighting a map for each of the guests showing where we were going to start and end – in case we were separated. If I told you that EVERY DETAIL of the weeks events were perfectly executed , the word PERFECTLY would be an understatement….

Our first activity was a guided river tour of Brugge. I had NO idea that there were as many waterways as there were in the areas of Belgium that we visited. On Wednesday, June 19th, it was lightly raining – which, from what I understand has about a 50/50 chance on happening on any given day. Remember when I said that EVERYTHING was perfectly executed…, here’s an example – while the guests were getting on the boat, Nico’s sister made sure that everyone who didn’t bring an umbrella had a rain poncho to help keep them dry.

As you can see from the scenery/weather condition’s – there was no way I could miss the opportunity to take a photo of everyone in their ponchos on the boat – so the captain graciously maneuvered the boat around so I could grab a few shots, then went back to the dock so that I could get aboard. (See…. If I DIDN’T have permission to photograph everything – I probably would have gotten at least one eye-roll for suggesting this shot. Tee hee hee).

Honestly, every inch we traveled on this trip was just as beautiful as the last – if not more so.

After our lovely river boat ride we headed over to a little pub where… there was a catered lunch waiting for us!
(See, I told you…AMAZING)
How awesome is this sandwich presentation?!?!

Oh…. and of course, along with being known for their waffles, and chocolate, you may have heard that Belgium is kinda good at brewing beer. Sooooo good in fact… that EACH brand has it’s OWN specialty glass.

After our yummy lunch we met our local tour guide and headed off to see the sights and learn about the history of Brugge. While on our way… this interesting fellow gave us quite a show (and some of us, a scare…)

Although I was trying really hard to listen to what the guide was telling us, I couldn’t help but grab a few shots of all the amazing details and maaaaybe just one or two of the love birds….

There was so much beautiful detail in everything. For some reason, I have a love of unique doors. There were so many unusual ones and I thought these were particularly beautiful with their wood carvings.

As we were continuing our tour – our guide mentioned that a sculpture by Michelangelo was on display in the “Church Of Our Lady” and asked if we would be interested in seeing it. I’m not sure how many times you have had the chance to actually see one of Michelangelo’s pieces of work in person – so…. when it’s offered – you pretty much want to jump at the chance!

Here it is:  the “Madonna and Child”, taken with a 200mm zoom lens. Apparently the one like it in Rome – “The Pieta” was vandalized, and to help protect this one, visitors are kept a fair distance away from it, and it also has a large piece of bullet proof glass in front of it.

Here is a wider shot of the statues

and of course stunning stained glass. I’m trying to keep this short and sweet – and I didn’t know if the image of a crypt would freak anyone out – so I’m not posting it here. But it does have a very touching story to go with it. So if anyone in interested in seeing the images and hearing the story behind it, just let me know and I’ll be happy to fill you in.

Ready for a little ‘foreshadowing….’ Remember, the brides name is Marija (pronounced Maria).
Pay close attention to what she is pointing to…Now, you are going to have to be patient and wait until Thursday to find out why this is a meaningful image.

This is the “Lake of Love”. No, I’m not making that up -our guide told us that if you and your love kiss on the bridge, you will be in love forever.

Looks like they are good to go…

And just to make sure the fire of luuuv keeps burning. Marija’s parents took advantage of lore of the “Lake of Love”

Yup! Caught you! XOXO

Thanks for reading, stay tuned tomorrow for the sights of Ghent and Marija and Nico’s rehearsal dinner (plus a surprise)

SCARY questions and a beautiful wedding…

Quick post for today… I just HAD to share some images from a wedding I had the honor of shooting with the UBER FAB: Kristen Karkoska of Blue Sky’s Studio!   I met Kristen during a photography seminar taught by one of my mentors Sal Cincotta.   Annnnnddd… I met Sal when I went to the WPPI (Wedding Portrait Professionals International) in Vegas last year after hearing about his seminar from my roommate Lori Biers (who yes – I had JUST met for the FIRST TIME when she came to my door on our way out to Vegas) I’m still trying to figure out how we connected in the first place – I THINK it was through a contact of Amanda Patrice the amaze-balls (Yes I did just quote Juiliana Rancic) photographer who actually showed me what all those dials and buttons were for on my camera (and – also a mentor of mine – although, I’m not sure she knows that – but she is – and she does now – HOLLA AMANDA!!! YOU ARE THE BEST! – SO GIVING AND SO KIND!!! LOVE YOU!!!). But I regress…

Well…. maybe not. I guess one of the points of this post (other than showing off the killer shots from the wedding) is to ALWAYS remain open to learn new things and DON’T be afraid to ask questions… I had a close family friend ask me “Why do you still take classes on photography – is there STILL stuff you don’t know?” ummmmm that is a big ‘ole YES!!! There is SO MUCH MORE to ‘taking a picture’ than holding the camera up to your eye and pushing a button. I feel like the more I learn the MORE  that there is STILL LEFT TO LEARN. Next week is the 2012 WPPI conference and holy frijolies am I FLIPPIN’ EXCITED to be going!!! I can’t wait to see what I will learn next!  If you are a budding professional photographer you OWE it to yourself to go to this. Here is the link if you want to know more WPPI.  (No I don’t get anything to getting people to go – and if you are interested I have one discount ticket left so hit me up).

So anyway… if you want to learn more about something – just ask. It’s as simple and as SCARY as that. A quick back story – I was at one of Sal’s workshops and I was SoooOoooOoooo FRUSTRATED that I just couldn’t get my images to come out like his.  I felt like I was SURROUNDED by other ‘professional photographers’ who would “forget more than I would ever know” about photography – and was SCARED – no – TERRIFIED to ask my question – one that I thought was SO ELEMENTARY to the other photographers.

I had a choice.

I could choose A) not to be embarrassed and not ask my question and keep taking the same crappy picture over an over again. OR B) I could suck it up, and ask Sal what I was doing wrong – risking looking like a complete idiot – but… there was also a chance that I might actually LEARN something and better myself. So I chose to suck it up. I pulled him away from the group and asked him – in a very hushed voice – “What am I doing wrong?” and showed him my camera. He  said to me “I’m about to rock your world” LOL! I will NEVER forget that! ROTF! I had NO idea what was about to happen – but I was all in! LOL! He then stood behind me – put the camera up to my eye and started fiddling with the different dials and buttons and WAH-La! MAGIC!  *Insert sound of angels singing here*. That ONE QUESTION that I CHOSE TO ASK – single-handily CHANGED the way I photographed from that day forward.

Which FINALLY brings us to the images for this post. Again – I asked a question. I called my friend Kristin and expressed to her I was feeling a little ‘stuck’ with my posing. I wasn’t feeling overly inspired and felt like I was doing the same poses over and over again. It was 100% perfectly fine with my clients because it was THEIR first time doing the poses but I wanted – no – needed to get inspired again. I gave Kristin a quick call and told her how I was feeling and asked if she would mind if I tagged along with her on any of her upcoming shoots. She called me back with a wedding that she had booked and extended the third shooter invitation to me. I EAGERLY accepted and went down to San Juan Capistrano.  Following are some of the images I captured from the day. THANK YOU KRISTIN for extending this opportunity to me. I learned TONS and will be forever grateful – I hope you were able to use some of the images I captured – I mean there HAD to be SOMETHING on those 5 DVD’s of images! LOL! Lots of love and can’t wait to hang out with you at WPPI!
With much love and gratitude
Nicki

OK FIRST of all I have to tell you that I LOVE FIRST LOOKS!!!!
Some couples opt to see each other for the first time BEFORE the actual wedding. IT IS SO AWESOME! I COMPLETELY understand that is goes ‘against tradition’ – and that may freak brides out at first…
BUT… Take a look at the following two images. The bride and groom get to have a moment of privacy (minus the photographers). They get to enjoy the moment TOGETHER ALONE. They may choose to hug, kiss or just stare at each other. The choice is theirs without ANY pressure they may feel from family or friends.

What usually happens is that the bride taps the groom on the shoulder – but in this case Joe just couldn’t stand it one second longer and turned around a little early!
LOVE IT!

After the couple has enjoyed their moment together we have the opportunity to shoot some of the ‘formals’ BEFORE the wedding.
This is a WIN – WIN because everyone’s hair is still perfect and again – no pressure from family and friends – and it gives the couple a little more time in between the wedding and reception.

HOW gorgeous is this walkway?

Arches – YES PLEASE!!!

This is what I’m going to call the ‘fun bride shot’

Hey doorway – you sure make this bride extra awesome!

Here is PROOF that the First Look takes NOTHING away from the grooms reaction to seeing his bride walk down the isle…

I ADORE the little flower girl in the background gazing at the bride and groom.

And I end with the grand exit!

Thanks again Kristin! XOXOX!!!

Painted Shoes – Arrogance – and my Bucket List

You know the saying “A Day Late and a Dollar Short?” What if I am a day EARLY with this blog post – will someone give me a dollar? hmmmm…. ANYWAY…. on to the ‘ole blog…

Have you ever gotten and idea in your head about something that you want to do, or a place you want to go? I don’t mean like ‘hey one day I want to ______’ (fill in the blank) but I mean something that you REALLY REALLY want to do –  something that you can actually SEE yourself doing it in your mind BEFORE it happens?  No? bummer. But if you answered YES – you will TOTALLY feel me on this post!

Mid last year I was scheduled to do a family session and they wanted ‘cool architecture’ as their setting. I had an idea in mind and we were all set up to go there, but then I saw an image of an INCREDIBLE building and I asked “WHERE THE HECK IS THAT?!?!” and they told me “The Mission Inn.” I called up my clients and asked them if they were game and they said YES! My plan was to get there about a  1/2 hour prior to the session to scope out locations – buuuut- they had the same idea! LOL! So we explored the are together. LORD HAVE MERCY! You should have seen us! LOL! EVERY corner we turned I would suck my breath in like a kid with a blank check at Toys R Us! EVERY corner I turned around we even more awesome then the one before it! WHAT A DREAM!  We spent a lot longer than ‘normal’ there taking pictures and told myself: ONE DAY – I WILL SHOOT A WEDDING HERE.

Fast forward about 4 weeks and I am now scheduled to be at a vendors event at a local winery. (I KNOW – tough gig right?). I was shooting a session earlier in the day so I went early to set up my half of the table I was sharing with another vendor. I didn’t know who I’d be sharing with but it really didn’t matter. – So I THOUGHT… After my session, I come strolling into the event and I meet my table mate – Holla Watson. She has the cutest canvas shoes that she hand-painted on display (Check out Favola Bella Shoes here). We get to chit-chattin’ and she says how much she likes my work and how she wishes she had known me before so I could have taken photos of her little girl Lilly when she was a baby. Of course I told her. “It’s never too late!”

Then somehow we got talking about her up coming wedding and I asked her where she was getting married. She tells me….. WAIT FOR IT…. THE MISSION INN!!! ahhhh!!! I THROW my arms around her neck (yes – I did JUST meet her about an hour ago – but WHO CARES?!?! She’s getting married at THE MISSION INN!!!!) and I scream ‘Shooting a wedding there is on my Bucket List!!!” At this point I am arrogant enough to think she is going hire me right there and then to shoot her wedding – because – come on – she already said she LIKED my work! LOL! So I’m thinkin’ DONE DEAL!’  Holla was all smiles and she was jumping up and down with me, then – the look on her face changed.  She had this disappointed, yet caring look on her face as she told me they had already booked a photographer. DANG IT! I was THAT (insert sound of snapping fingers here) CLOSE to shoot a wedding at my dream location. Oh well – I had a blast hanging out with her and I made a new friend – in real life and on facebook.

ENTER FATE – About three weeks go by and I get a panicked Facebook message from Holla asking how much I would charge for covering her wedding. I was shocked! “HUH? I thought you already had a photographer.” She told me that he never showed up for their engagement session and she didn’t trust him to show up on their wedding. TA-DA!!!

We worked out the details and I got to photograph her wedding – at….. THE MISSION INN!

Here are just a few images from a day we were BOTH dreaming about! Enjoy! oh yeah and I put a check mark on the ‘ole bucket list!

I am SUCH A GIRL! When Holla’s Grandma gave her a ring that is a family heirloom, she wasn’t the only one who got teary eyed.

Bryan and Holla’s little girl – Lilly admiring her beautiful Mama.

How cool are these cuff links? (My assistant photographer, Anna got this shot)

THIS is the door that I originally saw that MADE me want to go to the Mission in the first place!

Fierce!

THANK YOU BRYAN AND HOLLA for asking me to be a part of your day – you two are PERFECT for each other and Holla – you make a beautiful bride and table-mate! XOXO – Nicki

A tale of an “Army Brat” and her quest to give back.

First let’s give a shout out to to all our military personnel!! HOLLA!!! BUT –  Not only to the members of the military who are serving, but ALSO to their families who support them! WOOT WOOT!!!

My dad served in the Army for 21 years and in that time he had multiple tours of duty in Korea and Vietnam before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel . We lived in multiple states and even in Germany for a while. I remember like it was yesterday all the times my dad had to go away on different assignments. My dad called it TDY- and yes, I just had to Google it to find out what it stood for – and Wikipedia said ‘TDY or Temporary Duty refers to a US Government employee’s travel assignment at a location other than the employee’s permanent duty station. They are usually of relatively short duration, typically from two days to two months in length.” – Yup that sounds about right – but I RARELY remember his “TDY” trips being ANYTHING LESS than a month long. (Insert my sad face here). It was rough – he missed father daughter dances, birthdays and simple things like playing catch outside. In a word – I HATED  TDY!

I remember missing him SO much – I would help him pack before he left on his trips. I remember him saying ‘can you get me 7 pairs of black socks’ and I’d go get them from the drawer of our military-housing-provided dresser, hand them to him, and he’d put them in the suitcase. I dreaded every pair of socks he’d put in there – knowing that with each pair he packed, it meant he was just that much closer to leaving. (dang it! I’m tearing up right now as I type this). Then when he finally did have to go I’d be there cryin’ my ever-lovin’ eyes out  and my mom was left having to deal with me, my sister, our dog and all the other ‘stuff’ when he was gone – She, in essence, became a temporary single mom. That couldn’t have been easy on her – but I can only share what I remember from my side of the ‘military dependent’ coin.   He doesn’t even know this (I  don’t think) but I would keep a little bottle of his cologne in my bedroom and any time I missed him more than normal – I’d unscrew it and take a little wiff. It didn’t bring him home any sooner – but it helped a little. (And just an FYI he STILL wears the SAME cologne and I am getting the biggest kick that my kids have asked him for a small bottle so they can use it after they ‘shave’!) LOL!

Soooo this brings me to the inspiration for this blog post. I have ALWAYS been super duper proud of my dad for being in the military. He is super duper proud of his service in the military. We ALL should be SUPER DUPER proud of the men, women and families of those in the military! My dad continues to serve his country by volunteering at the USO at LAX (please click on the link on the left to find out more about what the USO is and how you can help).  I wanted to find a way to help ‘give back’ via my photography business. I heard somewhere about a group of professional photographers who volunteer their time and talent to photograph various sessions for families of  military who are going to be deployed or are currently deployed and I wanted to learn more.  I found “Operation: Love ReUnited” or OPLOVE (please click on the highlighted word to the left for more info). I applied and eagerly awaited to find out if I would be accepted. Months passed and I got the email last week congratulating me on being selected to be part of the organization!!! HOLLA!!! I quickly filled out the rest of the application and entered my contact information so people could find me and wondered how long it would be until I got a call. Well guess what?!?!? I received a call TODAY from a lady who’s husband has been deployed for a year in Afghanistan and she wanted to know if I was available to photograph his homecoming!! HELLS YES I AM! Can’t give away any more details but I can’t wait to be there on the day he comes home!!!

Here are a few images from the first military homecoming I did a couple of months back (while I was still waiting to find out if I was accepted in to the program). After I shot this session I thought – ‘yup – I could do this – all day – every day!’ There is NOTHING better than getting your family ReUnited! I know this first hand. Granted –  I thought a month was excruciating, I can’t even imagine what 6 months or a year would feel like. But in the images below, I think you can get an good idea of how GOOD it feels to be HOME!  WELCOME HOME!!!!! and I LOVE YOU DAD!

And cue the water works….

I wasn’t there to photograph this family – but you just KNOW when a Daddy is seeing

his son for the first time. -LOVE-

Brenda nervously/eagerly awaiting Bryan’s arrival

Here he is!!!

I TOTALLY get how happy their daughter is – but doesn’t dad just melt your heart?

ahhhhh.
Thank you Brenda and Bryan for asking me to be a part of this incredibly memorable day!

 I can’t wait to document more of these homecomings!

I’m wearing purple today…Do you know why?

Seven years ago I was in a Mommy and Me class with my oldest. I got to meet other first time moms and was grateful to have found new playmates for my  new little guy! I was doing the ‘normal’ thing – making small talk with the mom’s and make silly faces at the kids to make them laugh ( because you all aaaaaaalready KNOW – how dang funny I THINK I am). I was trying to get one little girl to smile and no matter how crazy I acted she-just-looked-at-me. (now I can tell you – that sometimes, on occasion – I may or may not be as funny as I think I am and I thought that THIS was one of those very rare occasions.) Finally I just asked her “are you always this mellow?” Her mom replied “yeah, she’s a pretty mellow girl, and she also has Moebius Syndrome. I had never heard of that before and asked more about it. In a nut shell it is facial paralysis. Hayley, and others born with Moebius Syndrome are born without certain cranial nerves that effect; lateral eye movement, speech, and the ability to smile. SOMETHING about that rang a familiar bell. I knew I had heard of that before – but needed to think about where. After thinking about it a while I remembered reading an article, that was in ‘PEOPLE’ Magazine, when I was in high school about a little girl who somehow regained her smile, and I vividly remember pictures of her, but couldn’t remember why she couldn’t smile before – then everything clicked – that little girl that I had read about 20 years ago (wow – did I just age myself – dang it!) must have had Moebius Syndrome! That was the first time and the last time I had ever heard of it.

Sooooo today may have been the FIRST time YOU have ever heard of Moebius Syndrome – but PLEASE don’t make it your last.

TODAY IS: NATIONAL MOEBIUS SYNDROME AWARENESS DAY and I am wearing purple to support Hayley and to help bring awareness to this cause.

Heather, Hayley’s mom, is one of my best friends. I have had the privilege of watching this sweet little baby grow into a absolutely gorgeous (and still very sweet) young girl. Last year Hayley went through TWO major (we’re talking over 9 hours here) surgeries to help bring the smile to her face that was ALWAYS inside. The wonderful surgeons at Cedars Sinai, harvested a nerve and a muscle from the inner portion of Hayley’s thigh, and transplanted it into her cheek. The surgery was done in two steps,  first the left side of her face, then the right side was done about 4 months later. Since the Moebius Syndrome can effect one’s ability to speak – Hayley, her family and friends learned sign language to help communicate with her. Hayley, and her mom for that matter, are a couple of the strongest girls I know. Within hours of coming out of surgery Hayley was giving her mom the sign language symbol for “Hayley is OK”.  – heart-melting-

Below are some images of Hayley through the years – and REGARDLESS of her inability or ability to physically smile – you can see her smile in here behind those  beautiful blue eyes.

Hayley – I am honored to be your friend and proudly wear purple in your honor. LOVE YOU!!!!

Newborn Hayley – Photo credit: Heather

Hayley about 2 years old with her new little sister. She may not be able to smile with her mouth but you can sure see it coming through those eyes!
Photo credit: Heather

Pre-school graduation photo credit: Heather

Hayley and her kick ass mom – Heather – just before her first surgery. Photo credit: anonymous

Here is the super star herself shortly after surgery letting us all know that “Hayley is OK!”
I held it together all day sitting with Heather during the surgery, but when she texted this photo –
I lost it. Hayley is SUCH a brave beautiful girl!
Photo credit: Heather

After Hayley had her second surgery, healed, and exercised those two new muscles of hers – what was the obvious thing to do?
You got it!  A PHOTO SHOOT!

ROCK IT GIRLFRIEND! Go Hayley! Go Hayley!

nooooooow… the ‘catch’ of this session was that Hayley was not 100% comfortable with
her ‘new smile’ – so I promised not to ask her to do it. SHE could do it if SHE wanted – but I was
not to ask….. Soooo when she threw these beauties out there… – inside- I was jumping up and down
screaming in my head “HAYLEY IS SMILING!!!!”
But on the outside I was acting like ‘oh a smile? – yeah – I’ve seen it a million times – no biggie’ 🙂 !!!!

Fast forward a couple of months and not only is Hayley rockin’ her new smile but also a sassy new hair do!
And of course giving us the “all is good” sign!
Love you Hayley and I’m wearing purple for you!

Out takes, Foley artists, and shiny things….

Hey There! Thanks for taking moment to peek at and maybe even read my post! 🙂

Blogging …. yeah… this is something new to me… LOL!  I admire people who are able to blog and write so freely – I’m SO NOT that person. BUT I do want to be able to share a little more about the sessions that I photograph, so I’m going to take a stab at it. Yes – a photo is worth a thousand words but wouldn’t it be fun to learn a little something about the family I’m photographing? What makes them – THEM? Well… even if you don’t think it’s interesting, I do –  and this is my blog so nee-ner, nee-ner. 🙂  If you’re ready – then hang on for the ride and let’s see what happens!  If you are… GAME ON! If not – we’ll miss you terribly.  buh-bye…

Soooo my first blog post is going to be a little different then the ones I plan on writing about in the future. This one is going to be a ‘behind the scenes’ type of post.  (ohhhhhhh. – Right?!?! I KNOW!) I have ALWAYS found the ‘behind the scenes or secret stuff’ WAY fascinating – Side note: I LOVE the TV shows How it’s made, Oprah’s behind the scenes, and I especially love the Universal Studios  back-lot tour (Or ANY movie/TV studio tour where you get to see the set creators doing their ‘thang) ohhh ohhhh HOW about the Foley Artists?!?!? HOLY SMOKES those people amaze me! LOL! I mean –  REALLY?!?!- WHO would have through to use wooden blocks on a table to make the sound of hoofprints? (Tracks? – What’s the word that goes here?  – guess it should be  ‘the sound of a horse walking’? – I dunno – but you get the point)  If you haven’t figured out by now I can get all “oh Shiny thing on ya” and loose track of where I was – so back to the reason for this post… The ‘BEHIND the scenes ‘or ‘out takes’ (cuz that’s my favorite part of DVD’s) of a few session from last year… AND THE REAL REAL reason for me posting these (with the blessing of  the families involved of course) is to give you a sneak peek as to how I like to work. I take my photography VERY SERIOUSLY but I’m NOT a – staunch – stiff – stuffy or snotty- photographer. I LIKE to have FUN and I want my clients to have fun while working with me.  So if that means that….. on OCCASION – I MAY (or may not) say something Quote – un-quote – inappropriate , or use potty humor with the kids, or…. hmm maybe I should just stop there. Point is – My goal is for you to have fun during your session. And her is what I mean….

Enter Paul… To know Paul – is to love Paul. On OCCASION adults GROWN-UPS, have a difficult time being serious when it is their turn in front of my camera. These people are very easy to spot… I usually take a deep breath and say ‘goooo ahead – let it rip!” They make faces like this, we laugh, they relax and SNAP! I get a killer shot! It’s kinda like magic.

oh. and this is Mark…. He’s kinda like Jim Carey – wait for it…..

aaaaand we’re done !

Sometimes I’m not as funny or interesting as I think I am…..

See…. apparently ALL my jokes aren’t THAT funny…..

and sometimes maybe I’m not as entertaining as I think I am….

or as fascinating…

But sometimes I AM! Yes – I DID just say: “say booger!”

I just KNOW he’s thinkin’…”You take one more picture and I oughtta…..”

Sometimes the ‘tweens/teens’ are the hardest to pull out of their shell… It’s ok. I know-they think that this is ‘soooooooo Stuuuuuupid’ – and that’s cool –  BUT ya know – it’s for mom, and you know what they say “If mama ain’t happy – ain’t nobody happy” Sometimes it’s easier to ‘just give in’. Soon they realize that the shoot isn’t going to be as painful as they expected – they relax – then really start muggin’ for my camera… Case in point…

I may have mentioned previously that I may crack a joke or two or soooomething….

Now I’m starting to wonder what the heck I said! LOL!

And last – but not at all least… Boogers . They  are just plain funny!

and occasionally I ‘catch’ a sneeze – and that’s pretty funny too.

Hope you got a little chuckle  – but more importantly a little sneak peek at how I like to work so that we all enjoy your session!
Thanks for looking/reading and if you liked what you saw.. please show me a little love will ya? Thanks!
XOXO Nicki