election '08

san pedro park, san pedro, family portrait photographer: singson family

introducing the Singson Family.

we had a fun time shooting this portrait. it was a beautiful morning in san pedro. blue skies, fresh sea breeze, and bright sun. we went to a really nice and shady park nearby their home. it was picture perfect with a cute bridge, grassy hills, and quacking ducks. but what was the most memorable, to me, was this family.

they are the typical young family. 2 children: 1 boy, 1 girl. we had hoped to get at least an hour of shooting. i like shooting for more than an hour with adults, but with children, they're the boss!! when they start fussing and getting bored, it's a wrap! hahahaha! so speed and patience are of the essence.

what i love about this shoot is that it really shows a glimpse of this family's life. it shows a loving family in action. not posed. just real life, documented. and i was honored to do so. i love the natural reactions and compositions of these photos. they were a lot of fun! they had everything: smiling, laughing, playing, crying...did i mention laughing? it was so much fun.

this was done weeks ago, but i finally got my computer back!!! yay!! so, Singson family...thank you, for your patience!!!! i hope you like your pix!

to view more Singson family pix, view their album here!

my own movie reviews

i just read one of my fave blogs, Monte Kitty, and it inspired me to write my own reviews. i went on a movie binge this weekend.

The Happening: if you're a M.Knight Shamaylan (did i spell that right?) fan, you'll understand where he's going with this. i am fan of his work. my hubby...not so much. which explains why i watched it alone. which is fine, most people (outside of Sixth Sense) usually don't care for his work, mostly because it seems the trailer hypes it up and doesn't live up to it's intensity. And also the fact that his movies always have this "message." so knowing all that, i usually go into the theatre, with an open mind and no expectation. hence, i am able to enjoy the movie. this particular movie, in comparison to all the others, is not my favorite out of his body of work. it was a little reaching, stretching that suspension of disbelief ( i think that's the right saying). without giving it away, the ending was not satisfying in that the source of "the happening" was far fetched. but...like i said, i "get it" and what he was trying to say. if you're a fan, watch it. if you're not, i don't recommend it.

What Happens in Vegas: this was not a first choice at the movies. but ya know what? it was sooooo hot, i had to stay in the theatre. i was desperate. i didn't like the premise of the movie, which is 2 people that meet in vegas, and get married (drunk). they win 3 million dollars on a slot machine and fight over who gets to keep the money. the judge rules that they have to spend 6 months together, as a married couple, in order to get their half of the money, in the hopes they learn something about marriage. i give it 3 out of 5 stars. recommend renting it. it was entertaining, and got my mind (and body) off of the heat.

Don't Mess with the Zohan : again, if you're a Adam Sandler fan, you'll enjoy the movie. it's a typical Sandler comedy, the best parts were in the beginning for sure. if it weren't for being a late show, i would have watched the last fourth of the movie. sorry, i feel asleep, apparently snoring, to the embarrassment to the hubby. anyway, i give it a 4 out of 5 stars. i laughed out loud ! (well, at least the parts that i was awake).

Get Smart : this was my hubby's pick (also the Zohan flick, above). he tried to persuade me with telling me The "Rock" (Dwayne Johnson) was in it. i like Steve Catrell, too. i didn't want to watch it because i loved the t.v. series, as a kid. i didn't want to see a remake of that show. but you know, it was very funny. i really enjoyed it! i stayed up for most of it (i get sleepy after all the previews), and it was non-stop hilarious and action. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

so if you want to get out of the heat, go catch a matinee!! it's a great way to escape from stress for a couple hours, too!!

summer is here...

every summer i do a lil' "summer cleaning." i had a whole schedule laid out this week. one day. one room. one room at a time. well, it seemed like a good plan. but organizing and rearranging furniture in my living room is taking more time than i planned. and i haven't visited the pool yet.

the good thing is that the weather has cooled somewhat. these are the days that i love where i live. i can enjoy the neighborhood. stay out a lil' later, because of the nights are cool, and i don't have to be anywhere in particular. i have a few days before i get back into "photog" mode. so i'm enjoying it. although i woke up in a sweat after waking up from a nightmare that my flash and camera were not working, and i was trying to shoot this wedding. ugh...sigh.

so my goal this summer is to 1) organize my house (aka:declutter!), 2) retrain my puppy, Popo, because he's getting a lil' bratty, and 3) do well in all my shoots this summer.

so, now the schedule is to just get through organizing/decluttering the living room and kitchen for this week. then, attack the rest of the house, next week. then, SHOP (yay!!) for the house the following week. i hope to have some guests over before the end of july.

hope everyone has a wonderful, cool, week!!!

pampered sweets by celina

the pix above is a "diaper cake" present that i gave to a dear neighbor friend of mine, who was having her baby shower last weekend. i love ordering diaper cakes from Pampered Sweets because in comparison to other diaper cake makers online, she makes the most original and the best, in my opinion. i have seen diaper cakes that either look like a mountain mess of diapers, with "stuff" hanging around it, or it's just plain sloppy and unattractive!

all i had to do was give her some color schemes and a theme, and she created this beautiful, sassy, almost "sex and the city" homage "cake." i loved it! i have not seen anything like it, and i received a lot of oohs and aahs from the guests at the party. my neighbor does not want to take it apart! it was perfect because her theme for her baby shower was leopard print and pink! i think celina from Pampered Sweets exceeded my expectations.

some people might say, well, i can make that! which is probably correct, everyone's "crafty" these days. i consider myself a DIY crafter. but i'm busy with my business, family, puppy, and hubby and household...and don't have the time. if you're like me, don't have a lot of free time to make cute, personalized gifts, ordering from Pampered Sweets is the perfect gift making business for me! i put in my order, and picked it up on the way to the party. now that's a time saver. 

you can also see how much "treats" she puts in the cake. all the items that you see in the first picture represents the items she fills the diaper cake with. not to mention about 45 newborn diapers (that'll go quickly within the first month!!) that make the cake! she also makes favors, and smaller treat items. stay posted. i'll post those pix soon! she makes "sundaes," "cake rolls," and what she calls, "spa cakes." their the cutest. everyone i've given them to says they're too pretty to take apart, but the items are all practical, and nothing is glued on. just take apart, and use it!!

if you would like to know more info about Pampered Sweets, email celina at: myislandgirls@sbcglobal.net. tell her guen, from gj spiller photo sent ya!

shout out to my peeps!

hi fellow folk!! 

as you can see i've redesigned my blog, with the help of shauna callaghan, from SEE MY DESIGNS BY SHAUNA. 

i have also added an email subscription to the sidebar. i usually send a monthly "newsletter" from my blog, but this way, you can get updated instantly, whenever we have a promotion, or a special offer for our readers. please sign up! of course your email will not be used for spam or other mailing lists. it's just for this blog. 

so pretty please!! sign up and i would love to hear from you! i love feedback from my people, and it helps with meeting the needs of people we love to service, our clients and contacts!

you can unsubscribe at anytime, just by emailing me at info@gjspillerphotography.com. just put UNSUBSCRIBE in the reply window, and voila! done! no more pesky updates from me! (awwwww ;o()

sassy sisters

i am a DIY gal. i love to create custom, handmade items and give them as gifts, or use them in my home. but nowadays, especially with having my own photography business, i just don't have the time i used to, to create cute stuff. i love giving cute stuff to my friends and family, and especially my clients, who have been generous, warm and wonderful to us.

if you're like me, you don't have the time, you wanna hit up the SASSY SISTERS, kim and michelle. they are the creative minds behind the cutest products!!! i recently bought 2 boxes (see pic) for 2 colleagues of mine, as thank you gifts. they also have these cute, one of a kind, post it notes. i like to give these as gifts, because it's something practical, cute, affordable, and it's stuff people will use, but might not buy for themselves (we're always thinking of others). 

they also make custom invitations, cards, clipboards, and lotion! the lotion,which was a citrus grapefruit fragrance smelled so good. i can see myself using this to start off my day!

they have pre-made stuff, but they also can customize any item. great ideas for shower gifts, favors, and thank you knick knacks for your fave person. 

 here's their blog! (they are also featured on our "links" side bar menu- see right) read all about them. if you want to know more info, email them: sassysistercrafts@yahoo.com

tell them guen from g.j. spiller photography sent ya!

artistic "ipu" art and decor

another great idea for gifts. check this out! 

patrick taoipu is the man behind this artwork. he is the owner and creator of TRADITIONAL TRENDS. the cool thing is, YOUR pictures become a piece of artwork. if you click on the pictures, you can see it in more detail. he is a woodburning artist. he creates portraits from burning images on wood. here you see framed portraits on pieces of wood, and wooden plates, and also these implements, "ipus," which are usually used for polynesian dancing. here.

i am in the process of decorating my house, and of course we're going with a modern/island feel. we want our home to be a reflection on who we are. we want our home to filled with things we love or remind us of things and people we love. so, i am thinking of this picture of me and my grandfather for patrick to gather inspiration from and create this portrait. this picture reminds me of my grandfather, and his fighting roosters. i was only 2 years old, and in the picture, i looked so intense, and interested, as my grandfather, so young back then, looked over me, holding the rooster.  this portrait is part of my heritage, and in a sense, something i would love to pass on to my children, if and when i have them. it would be sort of a family heirloom. 

patrick is very talented, and he loves collaborating with his clients. he feels that this piece should be a collaborative experience between his clients and the artist. working together to create something beautiful, original, and custom made, is all part of the experience. 

if you would like to see more or know more info about TRADITIONAL TRENDS, you can contact patrick : traditionaltrends@yahoo.com

indiana jones and the crystal skull

i'm a die hard fan of the indiana jones trilogy. i'm not a total geek, in that i can spout every line, but i appreciate the genre. the new movie, the crystal skull, follows along the same style of storytelling of the previous three. steven spielberg was inspired by these chapter movies, growing up, where there was a hero, in dire circumstances, of course, and at the end of each chapter, there was a cliffhanger, leaving the audience wanting more. so i look at this as another chapter in the adventures of indy. also the fact that harrison ford is still hot, after all these years, and he did a great job not making indy look like someone who is on their way to the geriatric ward.

there's the indiana jones clichés, which i think make these movies "classic." i like how the cliché is consistent and constant throughout the series. shows that spielberg has a vision, and sticking to it. i respect that in an artist. not changing your vision to fit status quo or popular culture. there's the classic lines, like, "i have a bad feeling about this," and "i hate snakes!" there's the "natives," the bugs, the treasure hunt, the chase, the romance, the swashbuckling fights (like how is going to get out of this one?), the humor, the heroics and machismo you want in one movie. it might not be as popular as all the other remakes of comic book heroes, and maybe it's all above the new generation, but i think the movie did the genre justice, and stayed true to itself.

and that's my 2 cents.

Talking stories

i have to rave about this designer. first off, and i'm so bummed that i didn't get close up pix of his apparel, his t-shirts are art. if you appreciate: 1)island culture and heritage, 2)reggae, 3)hip hop culture, 4)view graffiti as art (see #3), 5)like to wear t-shirts that have substance and meaning, and 6)like support up and coming designers with vision, JPSOUTHPACIFIC is the hook up you need!

just check out his site! i love jason's site, first off, us, artists always notice stuff like that. you'll see that each piece of his apparel has a "story." which i LOVE because johnny, my husband, always tells me that i can never just tell a short version of anything. i have to tell the STORY, hence "talking story" (it's a hawaiian pidgin saying we say). i love what he has to say. i could relate to some of his stories.  

check out his designs. he has a lot more designs, new ones, so keep your eyes peeled! oh...by the way, on his site lists some places you can find his threads.

what i did this weekend

the man in the mirror

the man in the mirror, originally uploaded by Master Foto G.

here's my dad. we spent the morning together, with my hubby and bro, at the Triumph and Ducati motorcycle dealer. we were bored, so i started shooting pictures with my little compact camera. the salespeople were wondering why i was so intrigued with the bees and the flowers, snapping pix of their bushes and landscape. after that got old, i started taking pictures of the motorcycle parts, but this, by far, is the coolest pic of the day!!!

The Protector

The Protector, originally uploaded by Artydog.

i just had to blog this pic!!!! i'm a member of Flickr, and i love dog photography!! i did not shoot this pic, but i think this is a cool pic, for sure!!!

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