roy & germeen: live.laugh.love.

roy and germeen are getting married in nov. last sat., we met up for an engagement session. they asked if we could turn our engagement session to a family portrait session, so they could include their cute boys, sam and anthony. of course! the more, the merrier! 

we met in arcadia park, a very nice shady park with a cool fountain on the corner. my plan was to take pictures by the fountain, have the family sit on the fountain, and possibly have the kids entranced by the water (all kids love fountains) but when we got there, i didn't realize that this particular fountain was really high. so that idea didn't go over well. i also had an idea to do this very walk through of downtown arcadia. their small shops make it feel like a small-town. i wanted to do this editorial, suburban shoot.  i didn't get to do that either. 

but i tend to think blessings come in disguises. all the pictures of that shoot came out perfect.

we used a couple locations around the park. luckily this park wasn't too crowded. the park was green, equipped with cool park benches, and trees w/ interesting tree trunks. the kids warmed up to me quickly, and i didn't prompt them to pose or smile for the camera. they were doing their thing, and i was their personal photographer. 

roy and germeen are the picture perfect couple. who would think this hot couple are parents of 2 small boys. they were so easy to work with, and went with the flow. they were relaxed (at least on the outside, hahahaha), when most parents would be distracted and tense when their children are around. their pictures look romantic and beautiful. too many favorites. hard to pick for this blog. 

the best pictures, well, at least in my opinion, my faves are the family portraits when they're laughing and interacting with each other. being a family. my goal, as a photographer, is to capture genuine personalities of my subjects. and i think i accomplished it this afternoon. 

we enjoyed our sat. afternoon with roy, germeen, sam, and anthony. we look forward to shooting their wedding in nov. i know that day is going to be so full of love. 

if you want to check out more pix, check out their slideshow! www.gjspillerphotography.com/DuplessisShow

what to do on a day off

this pic is an oldie, but goodie. popo, our faithful watchdog. we love popo.
well, taking the day off tomorrow. looking forward to it. i'm actually looking forward to getting up early, and doing some stuff that i know will boost my spirit. like....organizing my office, mailing some thank you packages to clients, and watching all my recorded DVR shows,  while cuddling w/ popo, my doggie (if he'll let me), sipping on some diet iced  tea. 

i'm still feeling under the weather. comes and goes. mostly hot flashes and stuffy nose. and this weird throat thingy, that is starting to be a little annoying. (sneeze!) oh and the occasional sneeze. 

so maybe tonight i upload pix so i will have the day to myself. 

one thing that always boost my spirit is being with my clients. we recently had a family portrait shoot with a family on sat. i will post their pix as soon as i upload all of them (have to clear my computer of some collections of pix to fit it here! po chewed up the power cord for my hard drive!). gorgeous family....we had some good laughs. 

we also met up with a really sweet couple, ali and john, who are getting married at this romantic winery, in temecula. i can't wait! i'll keep you posted on them. we met them in redondo beach, and it was a nice breezy break from where we live. i was a little envious that they get to experience that all the time. one day....that's my goal. i just want to live near the beach. that's all i ask. that was an instant spirit booster!

ok...back to work. oh by the way, check out the new, and improved website!!

sent this pic through a cool site called PixelPipe. if you're like me, and post pix on multiple sites, like FaceBook, Picasa, Twitter, and of course, Blogger, this is a cool site for you. this allows you to upload your pix just once. PixelPipe "pipes" your pix to all the sites you contribute photos to. How cool is that? 

bday cake (made and created by cake artiste, christine p.)
Posted via Pixelpipe.

3 words: FREE ICE CREAM

If you like Cold Stone Creamery, y'all, ya gotta jump at this chance. Cold Stone Creamery is giving free ice cream. Check out this link for more info! I love the cake batter w/ caramel, and the cheesecake w/ blueberries. Yum-O! 

teresa & james: album pages

the album.

in the age of digital, and files, why do we still need albums?

1) computers and hard drives crash.
2) you won't remember where that "one" file is.
3) who wants to see your pictures on your small camera phone (oh, by the way, phone memory can crash too)
4) your album is the heirloom that you pass on to the next generation. it's the legacy you leave to your kids, grandkids (or even your older selves; face it...when i'm old and gray, i want to be able to view our younger versions! besides it's evidence to your grandkids that you were young and fabulous once).
5) who wants to pass down a bunch of disks or hard drives (that you have to back up and burn/copy again every couple years). yeah, that's sentimental.
6) the older folk like to view albums, not digital files (well, at least my grandma, anyway).

i recommend having a custom album made (or you can make your own) at least once a year. you should be collecting volumes of your family's history: all the special events, traditions, and holidays, should be documented. the yearly family portrait and the first year of your baby, are definite musts!

i offer that service to our clients. each client gets a custom designed album. i never use designing templates. all of my albums are one of a kind. i also showcase the subjects and the images, not the layouts. the attention should be on the people in the picture, not the fancy shmancy designs and textures. i keep it simple. classic. so that you can stand looking at it 10, 15, 20 years from now. our clients also can give their input, and edit their album to their liking.

here's a sample of an album i did this past weekend. tell me what you think?

www.gjspillerphotography.com/HarrisAlbum1

first christian church, downey & embassy suites, downey, wedding photographers: james + teresa

that phrase keeps ringing in my ear! that was from one of the toasts that were said that night at teresa and james' wedding. i couldn't help but to think of my own wedding, when the toaster read 1st corinthians, "love is patient, love is kind.." one of the readings from our wedding. i always get choked up when i hear it because the words speak to me so deeply, it humbles me and puts me in my place. and i think about my relationship w/ j., and how i've learned what love is through my experience with him. love is not in the perfection of being, not in how perfect we should be or being the "perfect couple," but in the product of who we both become when we are together. even though i feel that what that reading asks of us is a tall order, it is something attainable, and something to strive for.

teresa and james got married on a beautiful sat. afternoon, with lots of love in the room. people that have been in their lives from grade school and crossing over states to be with them, and testify to their love. the officiants were james's father, and one of his boyhood friends. i love when the officiants know the couple personally. they always seem to add a little extra special to the wedding. another nice touch was james's sister and friends who played live music during the ceremony. i get chills from hearing the soulful singing, the suggestion of a saxophone, and the comfort of a good piano accompaniment. i know, i'm a sucker for sentiment.

another thing i will remember about teresa and james's wedding was how quickly that dance floor filled up. i couldn't help but to keep snapping away, as guests, from young and old, got down and tore that floor up! okay, one more thing i will remember were the dances. the first dance to maxwell (one of my all time faves), the father-daughter dance (very touching), and the mother-son groove, i mean dance.

check out just some of my favorite pix from their wedding. if you want to see more, check out their slideshow here! (or copy and paste: www.gjspillerphotography/HarrisShow)

thanks, teresa and james, for making our job enjoyable and with lots of fun and laughter! best wishes to you!

Church: First Christian Church in Downey
*Great coordinators! Professional and helpful to making the ceremony run smoothly and beautifully!
Reception: Embassy Suites, Downey, California

*Nice courtyard/atrium in the center of the hotel. Cool fountain! Took great formals and portraits in front of it ! Check out the slideshow!

Hawai'i's Daughter's Guild Luau Pix

we had such a good time at the HDG's luau last weekend! good food, good entertainment, good fun....it was so positive and uplifting, we went home filled w/ the spirit of "aloha".

here is the slideshow of pix!