Being Married...

I just got back from a 2 week vacation in SC with my family and while we were there Matt and I celebrated our 11th anniversary! There's nothing special about the 11 year mark but, we are in a very sweet season in our marriage right now...so 11 years is special to me. He is still the person I go do everything with and the person I want to be with over any other. With three young kids our main focus is on them and their needs, but celebrating an anniversary helps us to look at our relationship. As with any relationship, the more you put into it the stronger it becomes. We're in a season of pouring into our relationship...we don't want to get lost in parenting, working, and being busy. We want to enjoy life together. That's not as easy as it sounds, but it is worth fighting for. I love you honey.

Back from Vacation

I can't wait to show you some of the photos I took on my vacation to South Carolina. I have 2 weeks worth of precious moments needing to be edited and then I'll post the best of the best! I love the south - the culture, American pride, and HEAT! This vacation did not disappoint! We spend the bulk of the time at the pool, in the ocean, eating yummy food and playing games...sounds like heaven right. Not to mention we are with family the whole time. I love being with family.

Coming home is always sweet for me. I love my home and I love being caring for my family here. There's no place like home especially when you have 3 kids that are 6 and younger. We've settled in nicely. Back to routine.

I miss the sun already. From the second we landed yesterday it's been overcast and raining. For a redhead, I have an incredible tolerance for sun and heat...enough to make me consider moving there. But, after careful thought, we always land in the same place. Minnesota is our home. The family and friends that are as close as family live here...yes, that's more precious then the sun. It does make me want to plan ahead for a winter vacation though.

Where are you spending your summer vacation this year? What are you looking forward to the most!?

Vacation Fav. Moments

Precious Clara on her first road trip to Canada...she did amazing considering it was two 10 hour days in a van!

Yes! She really is that tall :)

Yes! He really is that happy! :)

Moments when my family and I would get away and go to a park and let the kids run!

As a family we went to this pottery place for kids and adults...Adriah LOVED it! She painted for an hour straight! Here's the cupcake treasure box she designed!

I created a serving plate to freeze this moment. I hope you can see the stick people that represent all the cousins and their different stages.

Lovin' up on my nephews...muah!

Getting to spend time with my new niece Libby Angel.

Cousins in the pool on a hot day!

Adriah being the free spirit she is...

Leyton...getting up the nerve to jump like his sister!

I love my family.

www.noemiphotography.com

HMCS Haida - Cool Pics!

Here's some of the pictures I took from my last vacation in Canada. We boarded the HMCS HAIDA and explored every nook and cranny! The kids loved it and so did the adults. There's nothing like sharing history...I can not believe how they packed in grown men. I think the info said 260 men were on this ship at one time - looking at the rooms...I'd say that's crazy! Here's us enjoying the day:

My family. Need i say more?

This was our view from the boat. Beautiful.

This room took me back in time. Can't you almost seeing the people listening, talking, typing...i can.

Here's my honey...i love him for letting me take so many pictures of him...and blog them too!

Adriah was having the time of her life. Except for the tripping hazards every couple of feet it was a kid play land!

This shot was from the engine room...totally amazing! i didn't take a picture of the room cause it was crazy shaped and there's was no one to stand. But here's my fav. part of the room!

Feel like you were there? hope so...more to come!

www.noemiphotography.com

Adriah flying the plane???

I was going back over my vacation pictures and decided I had to blog what happening on our flight back from South Carolina...We boarded with the first class passengers (because with two kids we need "extra time" to get settled) and on our way in the pilot falls in love with Adriah and asks her if she would like to fly the plane? Since 911 I barely look at the pilot let alone ask if it's possible to see the cockpit...do you remember the good'ol days? I was shocked and so excited for Adriah. Matt took Leyton to our seats and I stayed to watch. This pilot was so kind...he taught her how to turn the wheel, look at flight maps, holler out the window at the guys below, and push buttons to make the plane go. After a few minutes he turns to me and says, "Don't you want to take any pictures?" Funny question huh? I had my two huge cameras and lenses in my backpack and didn't want to take them out to turn this wonderful moment into a full fledged photo shoot! But, now I had too! It was kinda embarrassing cause now the rest of the passengers were boarding and I must of looked like the biggest over achiever mom ever!

At the end the pilot asks Adriah if she wants to talk to her Daddy? He hands her the phone and tells her to talk. So, on the loud speaker Matt hears Adriah say, " Hi  Daddy, I'm on the airplane. I got a map incase we get lost!" It was so cute!

Thank you Northwest for such a sweet memory!

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Warm Weather makes everything better...

...we arrived yesterday and it was 80 degrees! Today was even warmer. You don't really know how much you miss the sun until you're in it again. Adriah had a kinda rough time. She kept saying she was hot, tired, needing shade, thirsty...and many more complaining remarks! Bummer that this was our "fun day at the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa!"Thankfully we're here for the week so they don't think this is how she is all the time. The riverbanks zoo was tons of fun for Matt and I cause we awesome cameras and lenses! We loved the sun, the animals and the photo ops!

I heard Minnesota got snow. Sorry...well sort of sorry...I kinda like that it's snowing while we're away. Does that make me mean? Don't worry I'll be back in the snow soon enough!

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Vegas Baby...

You'd think I'd have tons of crazy stories to share from spending the week in Vegas but, alas, I have none! My mantra for the last hour has been "I'm so tired!" I must be getting old. These 14 hour days are killing me! I'm learning so much my brain is mush! I can't wait to get home and share the goods. I've been here since Saturday and you're not going to believe this but I got to the airport and turned to my husband and said..." Oh no, I forgot my camera!" I'm so embarrassed to say I was more concerned about looking "cute" and "artsy" then bringing the equipment I need! Ridiculous? kinda. thankfully other people remembered and we had a little photo shoot on Sunday. I even got a new profile pic! Can't wait to post it! Believe it or not pictures are really important to me!

OKAY! Instead making you read my tired ramblings I'm going to get going to my next session! Thankfully it's a dessert reception...chocolate always helps!

I'm returning home tomorrow and I can't wait to hug my babies...and kiss my husband.

www.noemiphotography.com

Lutsen Pictures

A while back I went on a mini vacation with my family...for those of you who are faithful blog readers I'm sure you remember me talking about my perfect trip up to Lutsen! Anyways, I was having trouble with uploading pictures today and had to wait (not one of my favorite things to do) so I worked on these pictures. LONG OVER DUE!

Enjoy! This one I set the shutter speed at about a second and captured the water flowing...so pretty!

Adriah loves to show her emotions...especially for the camera. Here's HAPPY!

Pirate - arughhh!

And ANGRY!

BIG SQUEEZE!

"cheese!"

thanks for sharing my family with me! Hope you're having a great day...maybe go for a short hike somewhere close...it's beautiful outside!

www.noemiphotography.com

Tim Horton's

If you're wondering if we've been to this famous coffee shop...we have! How could we not. They have them everywhere! We try and go every day. I love the multi-grain bagel (toasted) with herb & garlic cream cheese! AND i love that Tim Horton's knows how to make my tea perfect. They brew tea just like coffee and load it with milk and sugar...i don't have to do anything! My one indulgent is the chocolate donut with chocolate glaze. :)

I will buy timbits for the ride home! Nothing like a little bribes in confined quarters.

Notes from WPPI - Session with Jerry Ghoinis

This photographer was a charmer but, he's also a gifted photographer! Please check out his website and his album designs...I think they are so beautiful! Once again, here's my notes for his session:

I got a couple of great quotes from his session so I'll start with them...

"Your camera is only a tool, you make the difference"

"Compete with quality not with packages"

"Poses are necessary. Help yourself by helping the bride know how to move!"

"Photography is 99% personality and 1% moving your finger. Your subject will mirror your enthusiasm and your passion. AND Make sure your assistants have the same personality!" 

Ask yourself this question: "When you look at a photo of yourself what are you looking for?" ANSWERS: beauty, glamor, natural, flattering etc. Your clients want the same! They want to look beautiful!

Capture Natural Moments - get the obvious moments and take multiple shots so you can make a series later.

What is Natural? Set the stage for them to create magic of their own. EX. Pose the dad - have him wait, then talk to the bride about her changing relationship...then let them see each other for the first time...wait for their reaction.

Flattering poses - push hips back, don't rest the arm on the body have it angled with air between, and lean forward to create smaller body.

GREAT TIPS:

1. Light - hold your hand up and turn in a circle...see where the light hits your hand.

2. Location/Background - give them an excuse to be there.

3. Concept/Action - have them do something.

4. Action/Reaction/Expression - wait for it and capture it all.

5. Technique/Exposure - Show them the difference between you and every other photographer at the wedding.

Walk into every situation and ask yourself these questions: "What's the lowest ISO I can get away with?,  What's the white balance in this room?, What aperture should I shoot at - consider movement?"

Be the MacGyver of Photography! (For those of you too young to remember this was a great TV show on in the 80's of a guy who could get out of every situation with whatever he had! Follow this link for pictures!) Take whatever you have and create! Walk into every room of the house and scout out pictures and patterns before you start shooting.

www.noemiphotography.com

Notes from WPPI - Session with Mike Colon

Every photographer is going to relate to a different Mentors! I found this out in Vegas...Mike Colon has always been one of my favorites but, my room-mates gravitated to others. There's no right or wrong with picking another photographer to learn from :) Mike has similar values to mine and is really easy to listen to. I get the way he shoots and I love his style! (As Simon would say on American Idol, "It's just an opinion!") Here's his website: http://www.mikecolon.net for all his workshop stuff. And http://www.mikecolon.com/ for his work.

We are historians - photojournalists (capturing stories as they happen)

Real, Timeless, Clean, Simple, Flattering - this is the code he lives by when shooting

His goal is to capture the natural and comfortable moments - real life happening! I love that he said, " You need to be inspired during the wedding!" There's nothing like the feeling of taking the shot, looking down and knowing that you nailed it in camera...and it's magically when you can share that with the bride and groom!

1. REAL: You should know your clients! What is their personality? Pictures should be different from shoot to shoot because every client is different.

2. TIMELESS: Be ahead of your time by keeping some traditional so it's still cool in 20 years! ex. too many Photoshop actions can date your images.

3. CLEAN: Crop in and keep it simple, revolve around the subject. Shoot with a wide open aperture to blur the background (that just means go as low as your lens will let you - 4.0 or 2.8 or lower) Keep the eye sharp and everything else falls into place.

4. SIMPLE: How do you decide when to switch an image to Black and White? When there's too many distractions of colors. Note: Bright green will always pull your eye away from the subject. Colors need to compliment the image! Earth tones are simple and compliment skin tones.

5. FLATTERING: You need to make people look better.

Available Light  - preserves natural look, less shine, gives you freedom to move and create, unobtrusive, and don't forget that everything needs to be done quickly because time is precious...especially at a wedding!

BAD LIGHT is BAD LIGHT! Sometimes you need to use a flash! Be ready and know how to use it! TIP: Use the videographers light during the reception. :)

When shooting with assistants he asks them to shoot with the opposite lens. If he has a fixed lens then they are shooting with the telephoto and vice versa. This will guarantee variety in your images. AND he only shoots with one camera because he never has to change the settings...only the lens!

www.noemiphotography.com

Notes from WPPI - Session with Joe Bussink

Here's Joe Bussink's website! Photojournalism

1. When people are unaware of the camera they are more natural. You, as the photographer, need to back up and let moments happen!

2. Telephoto lenses are essential!

3. We're taught at an early age when a camera is raised and pointed in our direction to stop what we're doing and smile!

4. Different photographers will "feel/resonate" with different moments. Capture the moments that move you...even if you don't know why! Ask these questions: What part of me is in that image? What do I feel about that moment?

5. Know your client. Ask questions before the event and find out what they are passionate about. Always try and exceed their expectations!

"There is no perfect image but there are many perfect moments!" Joe Bussink

www.noemiphotography.com

Notes from WPPI - Session with Doug Gordon

Because we're all learning together I want you to check out the photographer's website, look at their images (like them or not - I think it's important to decide what you like and what you don't in order to find your own style!), and then read the notes I took from the workshop. *Remember my notes are taken from my perspective and not word for word what the speaker said...I just wanted to put that disclaimer in there!

Here's the link to Doug's site!

His main message was a challenge to be different!

But here's extra points:

1. Walk into every situation and identify your main light source. Where is the light coming from, bouncing off of and landing?

2. Always shoot from the dark to the light and set your camera to aperture 2.8 for a softer look. Then try putting your subject in the dark and challenge yourself with different lighting.

Posing (*This may be hard to visualize but I thought It would be worth a try!)

In most cases your clients are not expecting to look "just as they are" they want to look better...like the models in magazines they see every day! Here's some tricks:

1. The Tuck - when positioning a couple, tuck her back shoulder under his back arm.

2. The Roll - Good posture goes a long way! Teach your subject to roll the front shoulders back.

3. The Lean - Have both the bride and groom lean forward (hips back) giving a slender perspective.

He said a ton more but these were the only notes I took from that session!

www.noemiphotography.com

More from Vegas!

Even though this was a business trip I had plenty of fun! Wanted to share some those memories with you. This is so funny...my brother is taking pictures of me and my belly...and everywhere we moved this guy followed on his cell phone. I love the contrast and the weird window between us!

My brother was making me laugh so hard, flick my hair, look all sexy and I just lost it!

This one is my favorite...

Introducing my sister-in-law Tiffany and my "little" brother Alex! If you haven't yet, you have to check out their new website...I'm so proud of my brother! Gotta love my dimple!

This is my old room-mate and bridesmaid Nikki Charlton. She's an incredible photographer but, her life and character inspire me beyond anything! Check out her website and be inspired! I must apologize for the HUGE smile! I have issues with laughing too hard..it's not flattering but it makes me laugh every time I look at it!

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Pictures from Vegas...

For those of you who have never been to Las Vegas...there's no where else like it! It's hard to explain a place where partying, nudity and gambling are more prevalent then anything else. Here's a shot of the strip...

The whole conference was a Bally's and the trade show at Paris, the hotel next door.

We walked around on Sunday taking pictures at Caeser's Palace and the surrounding hotels. It's fun to get creative with other photographers.

I love lines and patterns.

This is a great shot of what you can do with a 50 mm at 1.2 aperture.

I love this one for all the circles.

More to come...

www.noemiphotography.com

Blogging from Las Vegas!

Well I arrived on Saturday night and haven't stopped running since! Which is quite a sight at 34 weeks pregnant! I'm loving every minute! Our room faces the strip and at night we can see the Bellagio hotel fountain and light show to music! (Do you remember it from the movie "Ocean's Eleven?") We can actually hear the music in our room every 1/2 an hour...it's GREAT!

I'm sharing a room with 3 other Minneapolis Photographers...and it's been great to get to know each other better!

The sessions are really information packed. I feel tired all the time but, can't wait to hear more. I've taken great notes and can't wait to get home and put them on the blog for everyone to learn from!

I'll be home late tomorrow night...I can't wait to see my little girl and give Matt a hug!

www.noemiphotography.com

Odds and Ends...our vacation has come to a end!

Wow! It's been an amazing couple of weeks! I hope the pictures made you smile! Here's a few more:

Can you see the tiny White House in the background?

Adriah's happy we came but, happy to be going home too!

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Museum of Natural History

We were in and out of several museums and I took pictures at all of them but I think all of these were taken at the Museum of Natural History! (Sorry if I'm wrong.) It had too much emphasis on evolution for my liking but, at least the pictures will be interesting for you to see. This was the main entrance...I read that the skin of this elephant was shipped and reconstructed on site. The skin alone weighed 2 tons!

Adriah thought this t-rex was very scary...

Here my nephews are making fun of the crystal ball!

Isn't this a cool display of the skeletons of extinct animals?

 

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WWII Memorial and Lincoln Monument at Night!

After going through tons of museums and walking/standing all day...this pregnant lady was ti-red! And the boys were still wanting to see more so, I gave Matt a camera and he shot these next images. I'm so proud of him! So, why not share it with you.

Here's a picture of John David with his "Lightsaber/Washington Monument"

Here's our dear Abe!

The boys loved the WWII Memorial and had fun with the sculptures and statues...

Their dad is a Texan!

We ended up going back the next day so I could take a few myself but, I like their shots better!

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The National Art Gallery

Amy and I took Adriah to the National Art Gallery while the boys went to the Air and Space Museum. I love that my two year old took in art and loved it!

Not that there wasn't moments of boredom.

Bless her little heart!

The museum had a gorgeous courtyard with really shallow pools...perfect for splashing!

Look at Adriah's face when Aunt Am bought her chocolate milk...mommy never buys the good stuff!

Here's she's dancing with the little girl :)

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