popo update

he's home from the vet. he got neutered. he seems to be doing okay. considering the fact that he also got micro chipped, toe nails clipped, ears cleaned, and 3 baby teeth pulled!!!! yikes. 

the nurse said he is not in pain, and should be fine tomorrow. he has to wear the cone for at least 5 -7 days so he doesn't lick his incision (ouch). he didn't need stitches, she said. which is good, i guess. 

as long as he's fine. my mom says having a child is worse. i think what she means is, is that having a child will make me worry more (seeing that i was already worried!) and that i would actually have to take the day off to take care of my child. i know, i know...

but i still just feel bad for the boy. 

what's a "twitter"?

okay, this is for the people that have small pockets of free time on their hands. literally.

"twitter" is kind of like an update, or micro blog, on how your doing right at that moment. if you have a Facebook or MySpace profile, you know what i'm talking about. like, "Guen is _________ right now." but you can do it from your phone, and it sends a message to your friends that sign up or "follow" you. why would anyone want to know what you're up to? beats me...BUT it's fun. it's a novelty. it's like the "ring backs" or "wallpaper" and email "chain letters" (i hate those the most!) but people call you all the time and say, "what's up? what are you doing?" this way, you can beat them to the punch....and then they can "twitter" back to you also, about how they're doing. also, A LOT of times, i can't talk on or pick up the phone, but i need to vent or communicate something out to the world, like some revelation (or irritation). or maybe you're at a great sale and you want to twitter to everyone you know! 

you can also post it on your blog, as well, if you have one, from your phone. which i think is cool. i don't know why i like it. but i do. it's kinda neat. sometimes i just want to pretend i have friends that "care." jus' kidding...

so try it out. "follow" me..., "join" and i'll join your "twit." (see right) PLEASE!!!!

introducing my, baby...POPO

here's one of my favorite pix of my cute doggie, popo (pronounced PO-PO). this is when he was 6 months old. because he's a chihuahua, he hasn't grown that much bigger. he's still about 5 lbs. he's 16 months old. 

thur. i brought him to the vet to get his yearly shots, and this time they gave him those shots and his rabies shot, all in one. i held him down, because i think he remembered the male nurse they stuck him last year, but he started to squirm, and try to run over my shoulder and out the door. as i held him down, his eyes looked up at me. just like the one in the picture here. broke my heart. 3 shots on his hind leg. 

the nurses said he'd be a little "down."  he came back from the vet, jumping around and wanting to play catch. in 2 hours, he was hurting....and for the next 12 hours, he was out of it. he would cry if i pick him up the wrong way. he couldn't sit down. i had to sort of lay him down on his side or carry him. i felt so bad. he was shivering and i could tell he wanted to sleep, but unable to. i bundled him up. usually when i do, as soon as he gets warm, he falls asleep. but not this time. 

he's fine now....BUT i'm getting him "fixed" on mon. i almost don't want to do it because he just got over the whole "shot" thing and he was so much in pain. AND i could have sworn he's sort of mad at me, because he's not as loving to me and he's been running from me the last 2 days. but, it is the law to get your dog "fixed" or else big fine, or something like that. also the fact, my mom said, that just because it's painful, doesn't mean you don't do it. meaning that if this were my child, and it is painful, there are some things you just have to do for their own good. well...something like that. (i guess that's why my mom got those 3 molars pulled out about 15 years ago...OUCH! never went back to get the last one pulled from DR. DEATH---that's another post, another day).

so...i can just imagine what it's going to be like when i DO have a child...sigh.....i think johnny will be the one to take the kids to get their shots. too traumatic for me...ha!

On a mission

Testing out my mobile blog. Driving around town, looking for something to eat. Really jus wanted to get out of the house.

testing

testing my mobile blogging. yes, i can blog w/o my computer! hmmmm....is that a good thing? 

this is my first MONSTER energy drink. i have been without sufficient sleep lately, and decided, what the hey...i'll try this. i tried the lo-carb one, and it didn't help with the drowsiness during the day. except that i was in a better mood. but maybe because it was friday. 

i started to doze off again, here at my parents' house, and decided to try another flavor (see pic taken by my Motorola Q camera phone), and i have to say i am awake. this one is not the lo-carb one, it's the original.

a little too sweet for my taste. i'd rather have a starbucks americano or a 2 cans of diet coke. or of course, a nap....oh great, my eye is twitching...

the many faces of chloe

welcome to the world, chloe anne. this girl had a lot of expressions, considering the fact she's only 2 months old! the minute i arrived, she put on her best face for our shoot. she was so calm. maybe mom fed her before i got there or maybe she had a nap, but she was a good model. 

she had a few instances or bursts of...energy (see the crying pix). she was probably wondering why is she changing into another pair of clothes. get used to it, kiddo...

newborn portraits are fun to do. they can be challenging, also, because you really have to just leave it up to whatever the baby is going to do, naturally. newborns are limited in their interactions, so don't worry parents if your child is not going to smiling or laughing on cue. if we get lots of crying or sleeping shots, sometimes those become the best pix! 

how do you prepare for one of these shoots? talk about what types of shots you might have in mind, and i will try to capture them. i love interaction shots: mom and dad interaction with baby, feeding, changing, bathing, playing, sleeping, cooing/laughing, crying...i love the action shots. and because they are still little, interaction is the best way to initiate reaction from your child. of course, it will be up to your child's mood that day. and that's perfectly fine. you want to capture a "real" moment. that moment will be the one you remember the most. 

"my first year in pictures" package is my favorite, because it allows you to document your child's first year in a portfolio of pictures. you receive 4 sessions (maternity, newborn/family, 6 months, 1 year), and portfolio book of your child's life in pictures. we can add personal anecdotes, snapshots, and well wishes for your child, creating a keepsake for you and your child. they'll get a kick out of it....later on, in life of course. your photos will be available to view and purchase online, within a week of our shoot. you will then have 2 weeks to purchase any photos (for gifts, for the frame in your office, living room, baby room, etc.). but remember you will be receiving your best shots in your portfolio book.

if you or someone you know is expecting, refer them to me! makes a great shower gift, too! friends and family members can chip in for this special package. it's the gift that keeps giving.

TTC

hey, readers:

i don't know if this is TMI (too much information), but here goes. it is a web log, right? anyway, if it is TMI, then skip this entry.

well, j. and i are TTC (trying to conceive). and we are in the initial stages of....that.

we went to infertility orientation class, and received a lot of info on how to better our chances to be pregnant. it didn't get me as stressed as i thought it would. we actually went to an orientation class before, and i remember being stressed out. it takes about 6-8 weeks to get an appt. w/ a consultant at the hospital. i guess there's a high percentage of people that are having difficulty getting pregnant. so, right now, we're on the whole body improvement thing, and taking our vitamins. we figure, if we have a healthier lifestyle, like eating right, working out, and losing weight, with infertility treatment, and prayer (belief, hope, faith), it will happen for us. i don't feel that stressed, but i have to admit, after the nurse kept on harping on how 35 is the WORST age to try to get pregnant, (which is my age, i might add), was a little discouraging and annoying at the same time.

i guess that's why i love photographing babies, and children. i feel good documenting the growth of these children. one day they will be having children of their own and photographing them.

so keep us in your thoughts and prayers and send us all the good vibes and love...we need it!

My First Year Book

Click here for an example of a "My First Year Book." I make these for families that order a "My First Year" Portrait Package (see site for details). From maternity portrait, to newborn, to 6 months, through the first year, I document the baby's first photos for my clients. It's busy enough trying to juggle work, baby and life, in general. I like to think of it as doing the parents a big favor by taking on the project of building this baby book. I remember my mom keeping a "My First Year" scrapbook, and I loved looking through it because it had my baby footprints, and a lock of hair from my first year. It also had dates of when I first started laughing, and cooing, and also, my family tree. Yes, I was the first born child (and only girl), so yes, got lots of attention!!! (sorry, lil' bros!).So these books are the result of that inspiration from my past.

This particular book has the "story" of how little Isaia Talani was born. Later, Mom and Dad will add their fave pix throughout the year, and then we'll come back and take a 6 months portrait session and then, a 1 year. The ideas are endless, in terms of personalizing. Parents can involve relatives and grandparents to write a wish for the little one, kind of like well wishes for the new baby. You can also personalize it by adding pix from the day of birth, baptismal pix, and first year birthday bashes. We can add poetry and quotes to make it more personable. It's a great keepsake for the child when they get older, and maybe keep that tradition going for their children. It's a great way to start their chapter in life.

Wedding and Portrait Photographer's Convention

This weekend we went to a convention in Las Vegas. It was so inspiring and motivating to hear from Top Gun Photographers and what photography and the business of photography means to them. I was able to see Gary Fong and hear him talk. Although I was too shy to go up to him and say how motivating his last DVD was, Johnny approached him and gushed for me (I know, how embarrassing!). We also got to hear Mike Colón speak (he just did Usher, the R&B singer's wedding!), Joe Buissink (did Christina Aguilera's wedding), and Denis Reggie (shot 21 Kennedy weddings). 

They were truly inspiring to me, to keep up what I am passionate about, photos that tell a story. What I do for clients is to hopefully, tell their story, so that when they see their pictures again, they can remember what it felt like, at that moment. They will feel the emotions just like it was yesterday. At least that's what I strive for, and why I got involved in this industry in the first place. I truly think that I am the historian, the one who documents what happened. Not just who was there.  I think some brides focus more on how many prints they'll get, and what's the minimal amount I can pay to book a photographer, but sometimes you have to look at the whole package. Is this photographer's style matching what I want? Do I want a photographer that will follow me and tell my story? Or do I want a photographer to shoot who was there and pose formal shots? Do I want an organic, natural representation of who we are as a couple or a perfect, fictionalized version of us?

These are important questions to ask yourself before you book your photographer. 

My style is to tell what happened in photos. I strive to show you in your glorious, natural, original, and unique self. I don't want to show a cookie cutter version of yourselves that will mean nothing to you 10, 20, 30 years down the road. 

This weekend was self-affirming and self-validating, and I feel very honored to be able to hear these wonderful photographers speak and share what they know. 

saturday with talani

introducing..... isaia talani nalu camacho....he is approximately 3 months. spending saturday with talani really made me think...hmmm, maybe i can do this...

he is such a good boy, and full of personality. he is loved immensely and spoiled with love and attention by the whole family! the day of the shoot, grandma and grandpa were present, and could not stop telling little anecdotes about little talani. 

his parents, maile and richard, seem to be doing well, adjusting to the fact that they are new parents. johnny and i enjoyed listening to them take turns telling us about how talani  came into this world that day, and how so many emotions were stirred up on such a life changing day. richard said that it was an "overwhelming experience," one that johnny and i should definitely experience for ourselves one day. 

we look forward to seeing talani throughout his first year of life. we like to do what's called a "My First Year" memory book, where we document the baby's life for the first year, along with the maternity, newborn, family portraits, and 1st year portrait session. we like to include also favorite pictures the parents and family has taken and include any special comments and memories they would like the baby to know about. a great keepsake for your children when they get older. this is included in our "My First Year" portrait package. see our website for details!

thank you again, maile and richard for letting us share another weekend with you! johnny is still talking about your mom's sandwiches!!! hugs and kisses to talani!

if you're bored, take this quiz!

okay, i wasn't bored...just curious. a photographer introduced this link to me. it's fun! i'm surprised that my color is blue, since it's almost the color of our logo (i'd say our logo is more of a aqua or tiffany blue). let me know how you did!! 

you are dodgerblue #1E90FF

Your dominant hues are cyan and blue. You like people and enjoy making friends. You're conservative and like to make sure things make sense before you step into them, especially in relationships. You are curious but respected for your opinions by people who you sometimes wouldn't even suspect. Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

vegas, baby

ok...stateline....baby (but that doesn't sound as sexy...)

j. and i went to stateline for the day. literally. we left l.a. at about 7a and came back to l.a. about 11:30p. we got on a charter bus to stateline, nevada, to participate in a fundraiser for Camp Widow, YMCA summer camp for city of Downey children. they do great activities for children and teach them life skills, like independence and responsibility. all proceeds of their fundraisers go to this program. this program is directed solely by volunteers. these volunteers, which include my dear friend, maricela cedano, all met at summer camp, where they started their lifelong friendships. i think it's poetic, what they're doing. giving back to what gave so much to them. it makes me think of what could i do, who/what could i give back to, that had inspired me to be the person i am today. it's the law of reciprocity, they say, that you get back much more than you give. meaning that the reward for  giving, results in a lot more prosperity, blessings, opportunities, etc. being returned back to you. 

we had a blast! why isn't there any pix of vegas though. well....lots of casinos don't like pictures of their casinos and...uh...well, i was participating in other um, er games. all for charity, right?