Project Demi 365, Throwback Thursday

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I remember loving this shot when it was taken.  I can't recall if my sister shot it or if I did to be honest.  However, it was with a Canon point and shoot.

It's when I decided I wanted to know how to take great photos of my children.  Not too much thinking of doing it as a profession, just wanting to archive and save my children's faces on print...permanently.  Greatly.  Clearly.

It was a start.

It's funny.  Once you understand light and how to shoot manually and understand the relationship between F-stop, ISO and shutter speed it really doesn't matter what you shoot with.  You can shoot with a homemade camera with incredible results.  I don't want to get caught up on actions or Photoshop.  I've never wanted "trendy."  But to each their own....

 

Project Demi 365

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I know.  I know.  I'm like six months behind it seems on this project.  Believe it or not, I HAVE taken a photo everyday of her.  I just haven't posted them.  Shame on me!  How can I keep this angel hidden?  Well, school, life, laundry, shoots, life, Cole and all sorts of things are in my way!

Cole Van Sheveland, Middle Schooler

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Yep.  It happened.

My little guy has completed elementary school.  Sniff sniff.  Makes me so sad.

BUT.....kids grow up.  11 years old and he's going places.  He just got on a plane all by himself to San Francisco.  When did all this happen?  I'm not ready, but I guess I'll just have to be.

I shot these right before Cole's 5th grade graduation.  He picked out his outfit.  Yes the "sport coat" is too small.  Yes the jeans skinny.  But that's what he wanted.  After two minutes of photos he said, "we are done Mom."  Sigh....

Pretty proud of the dude.

 

Negative Space, Maui Photo Group

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Negative space is our Monthly Maui Photo Group's "challenge" this month. It's one of my favorite design principles within photography and I use it on almost every applicable photo shoot.

Negative space, in art, is the space around the focal point or subject, thus creating a silhouette or a shape within itself. The use of equal negative space in composition is said to be good design. Because I shoot portraits and weddings, I like to incorporate negative space in my shoots. I think it's a challenge to nail the composition with people. Knowing I had this topic as our monthly challenge for April, I took that into consideration during my last few shoots and tried to have some fun with it. As you can see, I have a wide range of portraits and shoots. Funny because I always thought I was a better landscape photographer and now I don't think that so much.

Make sure you check out my talented sister in law Wendy Laurel's interpretation of negative space here.

Project Demi 365

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I know I'm super behind on this photo project.  Between gymnastics classes, dance, surfing, blown eardrums and tonsilectomies (spelling?) there is barely enough time to eat.  (Okay I'm bs'ing on that one obviously because I cook ALL the time) Seriously though folks....never enough time.  Look at this gem though.  What a cutie.  And when can my iphone replace my clunky Canon 5D Mark II?

Maui Family Photographer. The Elyas Family from Canada

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Finally.  I blogged!  It's been awhile and I apologize!  I'm back in action and am ready to blog away!  Hope 2012 is treating everyone fabulously!  I'm super happy to be blogging this great family from Canada.  Enjoy!

Project Demi 365

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           Every Thanksgiving, my folks come over from the Westside and stay all day and spend the night.  We play a big game of Yahtzee and tell stories.  (Stories that usually involve making fun of me.)

Demi said "I'm going to sneak into bed with Baboo and Grandpa.  (I have no idea how Grandma Robin became "Baboo" after all these years.)

So she did.  She snuck in.  And so did the cat.  I'm pretty sure my Mom is faking it right now.  Nice try Baboo.

Maui Child Photographer. Sort of.

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Sometimes everything can line up perfectly for a shoot.  The weather is sparkling, the people amazing......yet they are children and don't want their photos taken.

Surf kids, aged 8,9,10,11 and 12.  Photos?  Ick.

 Justforgettaboutit.

They hid behind leashes.  They hid behind boards.  They ran away from me.  Oh well.  I tried.  Eventually they will learn to love it when a nice gal like me wants to take their photo.  Until then, we get this.

Kudos to the grom's awesome surf coach Nakoa Decoite.  Nakoa is a sponsored surfer here on Maui and can be contacted here.

More next week on surf coach Nakoa.

Groms featured here are Conan, Cole, Jackson, Izzy, Payce, Kai and two random Stand Up Paddle dudes I didn't know.

What I hate about being a parent.

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Seeing your child in pain is of course awful.  But what can you do?  You can't say no to everything for fear of them being injured.  Parenthood is all about the slow letting go moments.  From watching Cole jump off a boulder at 2,  to letting him surf in double overhead waves (for him at least) with the big boys at 10.  It's hard.  And my hair is not getting any less grey.  Or silver I should say because at least that sparkles.  The stakes are bigger now.  He's 10.  He's stronger.  He wants to be a ripper surfer which means bigger waves, stronger currents and injuries.  Owies.  Boo-boos.  And people laugh at me when they hear that he still sleeps in my bed.  (Shhhhh don't tell his friends.)  He can be there as long as he wants.  It's not weird.  He's my baby.  And I only have these moments for a little while and then he'll be a teenager and want nothing to do with me.  And then he'll be a man.  Poof.  Gone.  Childhood is quick.  I'm holding onto every moment I can.

Anyway.......

Cole's home from school today with a really sore back from his afternoon session yesterday at his good old homebreak of Hookipa.  He was shivering.  He was scared.  He got slammed.  Luckily he's going to be okay.  But I would be lying if I wasn't terrified when I saw the look on his face coming in from the waves.  Be safe buddy.  And here's to getting better so you can rip at this weekend's contest.

My kiddos.

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BIG SALE ON HOLIDAY PORTRAITS WITH MEEEEE!  BOOK ME AND I'LL INCLUDE THESE SILHOUETTES!  $175 FOR 1 hour session at the location of your choice.  Cute silhouettes included!

Ever since my first trip to Disneyland back in '83 (just kidding, I don't know what year it was) I've been obsessed with these silhouette drawings.  Mine are FAR from being drawn, but hey, my Photoshop skills are probably better than drawing, so these will have to do.  Not too shabby if I don't say so myself.....I love their cute noses and chins.  Cole thinks he has a mullet.  Not quite kiddo.....

Next up...silhouettes on pumpkins!  Then after that I'll throw these in some cool funky vintagey frames and put em up.  Love cool, quick, crafty crafts like this.  Fun stuff.

 

What a doll.

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I had the pleasure of shooting Matthew and Chanelle Alvarado's new baby (sort of new, he's 6 weeks old) "Mikael" (pronounced Mik-Ale).  What a sweetie.  He was a delight and had THE most beautiful olive toned skin.  I'm really proud of Mommy and Daddy.  They are babies themselves at 21 years old and are handling being new parents with such grace and beauty.  It's always nerve wracking shooting for a photographer, let alone one as talented as Matthew.  Thanks for giving in and finally letting me shoot him.  He's going to have an amazing life with you as parents.

Welcome to the world Mikael.

 

 

 

Maui Girl, "Demi Lynn"

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My daughter.  The girl is super duper sassy.  Feathers in her hair.  Legs a mile long.  A "vegetarian that eats steak."  A child that is as stubborn as a mule and also communicates with me via magna doodle board......oh my.  She's almost 8.  Time sure flies by.  I know that I'm going to blink and she'll be 16 and I probably will be losing my hair over this girl.