Simply the finest...

RASOULI FAMILY

2010-11-10T16:21:00.001-08:00

Before I left on vacation, I had the pleasure of photographing Joe and Raihana and their beautiful family! We met Joe and Raihana at their restaurant, The Cheese Steak Shop, on Santa Clara St. in San Jose. The best cheese steaks around! We had stopped there to eat after an engagement shoot this summer. Riahana and their two babies stopped to visit Joe while he worked, and me, having my camera, couldn't resist those adorable smiles! I was thrilled when they later asked me to capture their family portrait! What a gorgeous family! Here are a couple of my favorites from our time at The San Jose Rose Garden...

Stunning...

Riahana watching her babies...

ASHLEY & BRENNAN

2010-10-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

I got to make a quick trip to Chico to see my kids last weekend. I definitely don't get to see them enough, although I'm sure it's enough for them! They are doing so good and I am so proud of both of them!

RACHEL AND MACARIO ~ MARRIED

2010-09-07T15:09:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of capturing Rachel and Macario's wedding recently and it was beautiful! The day began by getting ready at the Dolce Hayes Mansion and then going to the San Jose Rose Garden for the ceremony. The weather was perfect and the roses were in bloom. It made for a perfect setting! The reception was held at the Historic Del Monte Building in Sunnyvale. I have to tell you that Rachel was a gorgeous bride and she just radiated happiness all day! Thank you so much for allowing me to share this day with you! I wish you and Macario and your family all the best!!

Rachel had this beautiful smile throughout the entire ceremony...

Bubbles...

Liza, Rachel's sister and maid-of-honor...

The whole adorable family...

Happy ever after...

PRO BOWL TOURNAMENT FOR CHILDREN'S DIABETES

2010-08-18T15:53:00.002-07:00

The new thing with me is bowling (much to the chagrin of my sister)! Maybe obsessed is more like it! I accidentally joined a work league put together earlier this year and I have been playing ever since. Trying anyway! I just don't understand why it is so hard to knock down ten pins!! I am committed to overcoming and beating these pins. haha. Must be the ball's fault. Ya, I know, who am I kidding. I am accepting all tips and advice at this time!

I have to say thank you to Owner Tony Reyes, Greg Thompson Jr., and the guys at the 4th Street Bowl's pro shop, Off The Sheet! I'm sure they think I am a stalker. Sorry!! I'm really not! But Pro Bowler Tony has been super patient and helpful so I'm always trying to get info from him. (He runs when he sees me coming!!)

So I was super excited to be able to take some pics of Tony, Greg, and other pro bowlers for a tournament that Tony put together to raise money for children's diabetes. It was a really exciting event with some of the best bowlers! I was fascinated just watching them! Here are a few images from the event... mostly from the back, but still cool to see....

Tony...
at his finest...

Greg....

and some of the other bowlers...

the final two....

with the winner being....

CHRISSIE AND JAMES ~ MARRIED!

2010-07-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Chrissie and James traveled here from Seattle for their wedding in Carmel and it was well worth the airline miles! Since they had both lived here in the Bay Area previously, they knew their wedding had to be here. They chose Church of the Wayfarer for their ceremony and it was such a quaint, pretty church! Their reception was held at the fabulous Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa and it was absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for allowing me to share your day with you, Chrissie and James!

Their first moments together before the ceremony...

RACHEL AND MACARIO ~ ENGAGED

2010-07-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Rachel and Macario are set to be married next month and I can't wait for their wedding! They are such a fun and amazing couple! We hit downtown San Jose for their engagement session because that is where they met, specifically by the Agenda Night Club. So we absolutely had to go there and that is where we found this fabulous painted wall! I didn't think there were really any good spots to shoot downtown, but once we got going we found all kinds of great spots. Here are a few to share right now...

PB & J 'CAUSE EVERYONE LOVES A LITTLE PB & J

2010-07-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

C'mon, everyone loves them some pb & J! Only in this case it is Photo Booth and Janel (Karrle Photography)! This was a huge blast! We set this up at Chrissie and James wedding reception at the fabulous Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa. Everyone had such a great time with it, as you can see! This is set up for some fun and crazy pics and not prom like pictures and almost everyone took that to heart! These images show just how much fun it was! More images from Chrissie and James wedding coming soon!!

THREE WEDDINGS AND A BAR MITZVAH

2010-06-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

I think I have an identity crisis. That is the reason I don't blog. I don't like my logo (notice the three different styles across my website. sad. I know) and I want a fancy blogsite. Sigh. So I will try and be happy with what I have, but I will take advice on a new logo because branding is so important don't you know!

Because of this identity crisis my clients have suffered, but no more! I will blog. I will keep everyone updated. Like the title says, I have been busy and the first thing I want to share is this handsome young man's Bar Mitzvah! My first! It was sooo fun!! So, hopefully, it won't be my last! This first image is the one the family chose for the signature board and the other first few were from that portrait session and the morning of the ceremony. Then it was time for the fun to begin (sorry, couldn't resist the captions)...

Sometimes I can be funny....

The boys...

Yeah... I don't know...place your hands behind your head and interlace your fingers! Oh. No. Just grown men and the Macarena!

What did you lose in the punch?...

I know the kids had fun, but I think the adults had them beat!

This about sums it up!!!!

SAN FRANCISCO SHOOT

2010-04-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

I love shooting in San Francisco! The city has so much color and personality! While my sister, Julie Parker, was visiting, she and SF photographer Julie Weisberg set up a photo shoot. They had models and a hair and makeup expert all set up, but then the models for Saturday cancelled. So what did Julie and Julie do? Grabbed girls off the street of course! And these girls were awesome! Most of the shooting we did was done in China Town. On Sunday they went Golden Gate Park. Unfortunately I had to miss out on Sunday's shoot, but hopefully we will do it again! Be sure to check out their images on their blogs!

WPPI ADVENTURES

2010-03-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

WPPI was an amazing experience! I met so many fabulous and talented people and I got to attend some awesome classes. The tradeshow was freakin' surreal! Two huge ballrooms filled with photography vendors! I can't wait to go next year! One totally amazing experience was the night shoot that my sister Julie Parker set up. Our model was her friend and fellow photog Andrea Hanks. She was amazingly sweet and patient with us! So talented, too, as you can see in her posing! Be sure to check out her site! Her fabulous wedding attire was put together by the infamous Keith Bryce

of Project Runway! For you photographers, check out his blog for info on his upcoming Big Bang Photoshoot and workshop! Sounds amazing and I wish I could go! He is having a contest right now to give away a free spot!

Here are a few shots from our night shoot! Thank you, Andre, for putting up with us and the cold! It was especially cold on this overpass!!

Before security ran us off from New York, New York! Party poopers!

After giving the people driving by a little show...

ASHLEY AND SAMANTHA MODEL SHOOT { SAN JOSE PHOTOGRAPHER }

2010-02-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I got the opportunity to shoot with Brian Donnelly and the meet-up group he has put together. Brian got Ashley and her sister, Samantha, to be our fantastic models, and he set up a couple of light sets in a beautiful outdoor setting for us to work with if we so chose. This was a great experience and I hope we get to do it again. And I am really looking forward to going back to this location to shoot! Thank you, Brian, for putting this together and thanks to all who showed up; it was great to meet you! Don't forget, Brian, WPPI coming up!! Whoo-hoo!! I can't wait!

Thank you so much to Ashley and Samantha for modeling for us! There were so many photographers shooting them at one time! It was like a celebrity shoot! They were super sweet and patient with all of us! I'm really glad I got to work with Ashley again and I am looking forward to some future sessions with her and Samantha! Here are a few images from the shoot...

ALEJANDRA AND ABE ~ MATERNITY SESSION

2010-01-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Well, apparently I am not so good at this blogging stuff. I am hoping to do better this year! And I am off to a good start by being inspired by some wonderful sessions already! I am thrilled to be sharing some images from one of my favorite shoots! This is Alejandra and Abe's maternity session for their first baby. They were totally fun to shoot and were up for anything even though it was a little cold. Alejandra is beautiful and they are going to make wonderful parents! I wish you both the best!

A WEDDING IN VENICE ~ SAN JOSE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER ~

2009-10-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

My friend Tina and her fiance, Leonard, were married in the dream-like setting of Venice, Italy! It was such an honor to be there to photograph the ceremony. We unfortunately did not have the time to take advantage of this beautiful setting to take many pictures, but the ceremony was lovely and we had a beautiful view of the Rialto Bridge. Congratulations Tina and Len, here's to a wonderful life together!

GOING TO ITALY!

2009-09-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

So I am off to Rome on Monday, then on to a cruise throughout the Mediterranean. And I have the wonderful opportunity to shoot a wedding in Venice! I am so excited! I will be back on October 16th, so please keep that in mind when contacting me. I will be checking emails occasionally. And I will try and blog my adventures as I go, but I know internet will be limited. No promises, but I will try!!

I also want you to think about the holidays! I know! Can you believe it? Once Halloween hits, it's all over with. Christmas will be around the corner! And speaking of Christmas, I am offering photo Christmas Cards this year. I am already booking sessions starting the weekend of October 23! Contact me for details.

Ladies, think about a special gift for your sweetie! A nice album for your honey with some gorgeous images of you! Think about booking you boudoir shoot soon for Christmas albums!

Here is a preview of the Christmas Cards that I am offering. There are two styles of flat cards and three styles of folded cards. Email me for details!

DISCLAIMER-I have to tell you that the images on these examples were not my images; what can I say! they came with the examples!

BRONSON WEDDING

2009-09-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

BRINGING SEXY BACK! BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY-JANEL KARRLE PHOTOGRAPHY

2009-08-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

Boudoir photography is nothing new. It has been around for years, but I think it had been swept under the rug. But now it has made a huge comeback and has been rapidly gaining popularity. For good reason - what better way to make a girl feel, well, girly!? sexy and feminine? It is a fun, safe, private way to feel beautiful and to give a gift that will mean so much. And, as you can see, you can bare it all or not at all and still be sexy and oooh! hot!

Contact me if you are interested in your own boudoir session - just think, ladies, the holidays are just around the corner! A great gift for a bride to give as a wedding gift too!!

ASHLEY-SAN JOSE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

2009-07-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

Parents, don't blink. Because when you do, your little girl (or boy) will grow up during your blink! It's true! And you open your eyes, you see that they are all grown up. It's like, what happened? where did the time go? I know I can't believe it. This is what happened to my little girl! She definitely grew up. And she does make a beautiful model! I couldn't be more proud of her!

We had a lot of fun taking these pictures at my favorite secret shooting spot. Then we were off to Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz the next day. I had a family shoot out there (thanks, guys! I had a blast) and then I got her to play in the surf just before the sun went down. The tide was in and the light was beautiful. Maybe I will post some more later, but for now here are a few of my favorites...

Some fun with the shadows...

Thanks, Sweetie, I had such a good time! You are so BEAUTIFUL! I love you!

ROSE & SOONER-SJ PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER-JANEL KARRLE

2009-07-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun shoot! I had a great location, awesome light, and perfect models! Doesn't get any better than that! I love to watch the interaction between people and their pets; it's such an unconditional love! It would be too hard not to fall in love with Sooner, though, he is such a good boy!

San Jose Family Session

2009-06-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been three months since my last post! Well, it just means I've been busy, right? I have a special reason to post today...a preview of the session I had with a super sweet family with the most adorable little girl! Oh, my gosh, how cute is she?! They were so enjoyable to be around and you could plainly see the love they share. That's why I particularly like the second image!

MEGAN AND BRIAN MARCH 18, 2009

2009-03-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure that I have never seen two people more suited for each other than Megan and Brian. They are absolutely perfect for each other! They had a very sweet wedding at the beautiful Decathalon Club in Santa Clara. Everything was perfect! The ceremony was wonderful, the food was great, and the fun was abundant! It was wonderful to see how happy Megan and Brian were. You could see it in their eyes!

As much as I would like to, I cannot take credit for these pictures. I know I put my name all over them, but that was just for copyright protection. These pictures were taken by my sister, the super fabulous photographer Julie Parker. My neice, Wren, second shot for her. They did an awesome job! Thank so much!! See more of her work, and more of Megan's wedding pics, at http://www.julieparkerphotography.blogspot.com/

Julie and the family stayed with me a few more days before heading back to Utah, then Julie leaves tomorrow to shoot a wedding in Germany. While she is there she will spend a few days in Paris...I am so jealous!!!!! Hope she has a successful, fun, and safe trip!

Here are some of those awesome pictures from Megan and Brian's wedding!

My daughter, Ashley, was a bridesmaid, along with Megan's maid-of -honor, Lydia, her best friend who flew in from Arizona.

This pocketwatch was a gift to Brian from Megan.

Right after they were pronounced man and wife...what can I say...the picture says it all!!!

An awesome wedding party!!

This was too funny! Megan's dad scaring the beejeezus out of Brian!! You should have seen the look on Brian's face! I think it took a minute for his heart rate to return to normal!

The dress was absolutely gorgeous!

MY WEDDING GIFT

2009-03-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

WOW! I can't believe it has been this long since I last posted! My bad!

Well, I have been busy. It seems like I'm always doing something. Along with my regular work, I have been going to school. I am trying to get all my general ed out of the way and then I want to decide on a major and transfer to San Jose State. Dont' ask me why!

And then we have Megan's wedding!! I am so happy for her! I decided to try something new for a wedding gift for her and Brian. So I tried my hand at painting; digital painting to be exact. And I am quite happy with how it turned out. Megan seemed to love it. This painting was done with Corel's Painter program which allows the artist to paint or draw with any medium that would be offered in traditional art. It is a very overwhelming program and I have a long way to go in learning all it has to offer. But this was a good start, I think. It is based off of a photograph I took during their engagement session and it is done in (digital) oils and blenders, then it was printed on canvas. Let me know what you think...should I try another one?

Look to the next post for more on Megan and Brian's wedding!

THE HERRERA WEDDING

2008-11-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while, but I am finally getting back into the swing of things. I wanted to share a few shots from the Herrera wedding. They are the sweetest couple! Congratulations to you both.

Aren't these gourds beautiful? They were all made by the groom! Each table had a unique gourd that was engraved by Gerardo. They were the perfect touch to this wedding!

CHECK OUT THE NEW PICTURE SIZE!

2008-08-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

I love this new large size. Been trying to figure this out for a while and I finally got it!
Whoo-hoo!! Doesn't it look much better?!

SILVA WEDDING

2008-08-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Charlene (http://www.charlenechavezphotography.com/) and I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Jonathan and Samantha at the Seascape Golf and Country Club in Aptos. It was a gorgeous day for the perfect couple. Samantha looked absolutely stunning as a bride and Jonathan looked fabulous! The weather couldn't have been better and everything went smoothly. I want to mention the beautiful work of Sisters With Class for their floral design and event coordination. Notice the collage of the wonderful work they did! I also want to mention Elegant Lace in San Jose for their beautiful wedding gowns and fabulous staff. Samantha's beautiful dress came from there, as did my wedding gown, and my stepdaughter's gown for her wedding next spring.

Here is a small preview of their wedding. Congratulations Samantha and Jonathon! Here's to a lifetime of happiness!

help - How to get pleasing skin tones on prints- powered by SmugMug

2008-07-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

help - How to get pleasing skin tones on prints- powered by SmugMug

This link has great information on achieving beautiful skin tones. I didn't want to lose this page!

MY FAVORITE MODELS!!

2008-06-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

I know, I've been laggin' here. But here is a rare treat that I have to share! These are my kids! Not so little anymore! We were spending the day at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove when they decided to take pity on me and smile for the camera. Made my day! I probably went overboard, but I had to share a few of my favorites!

SENIOR PICS!

2008-05-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm lagging again! So sorry! Right now I am in Arizona taking some classes in forensic art to further the work that I do in the forensic art field. These are great classes in skull reconstruction and post-mortem identification. I plan on putting together a website showing the forensic work that I do. I will keep you posted.

But now, I have to share my session with Nicole! These were her senior pictures that we took with her awesome boyfriend and her gorgeous horse, Sedona! I had such a blast! Nikki is absolutely beautiful! Lookit those eyes!!! Stunning!! And it was such a beautiful day! Thanks so much for sharing this special time with me!!

SHUTTERMOM'S MARCH CONTEST WINNER

2008-04-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

WHOO-HOO!!! I have just won the March photo contest for Shuttermom. For those of you who don't know Shuttermom, it is a community of photographers and resources brought together by Cindy Bracken. There are newsletters, tips, tutorials, forums, and contests all in one place:
http://www.shuttermom.com/

So, really on a whim, I decided to enter a photo that I took of the Maid-of-Honor from Kristin and Ben's wedding at the beautiful Shadowbrook at Capitola-by-the-Sea. (The pics are coming I promise!!!) I entered it in the contest for March last week or so and I just got the email this morning that I won!! I have never won anything in my life!! I actually figured out that this picture won out of approximately 165 entries! This is so exciting for me!! Not only that, but this is the first and only time I have ever entered a photo contest!! So this really means a lot to me!! Thanks so much Shuttermom!! And thank you, Lexi!!

MCP ACTION'S STORYBOARD: LOVE IT!

2008-03-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

How precious is this? I just had to share these pictures in this storyboard by MCP Actions. I love the simple lines and ease of use. Check out Jodi's storyboard and other actions at her blog and website. Just click on the link above!

I just love these pictures! This little angel is so sweet. I am so looking forward to more pictures with her and her brothers!

MY FIRST HDR

2008-03-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, my gosh! I just wrote this whole post and then it disappeared! YIKES!! Oh, well, as I was saying, this is my first attempt at HDR. I happen to love this look and I am a big fan of Trey Ratcliff and Ben Wilmore. This attempt was done using Trey's tutorial. Typically you should use three or more bracketed photos, but I didn't have any bracketed ones so I made my own. I also just got Ben Wilmore's DVD on HDR but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. Can't wait.

So let me know what you think. This was a statue next to the Fish Market in San Diego. It is huuuge!! Look at the sign to the left of his leg. And the ship jutting out behind; that's an airline carrier. Thought I would show some scale:)

SECRET WORKSHOP

2008-03-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

I got the pleasure of spending last weekend with my sister attending The Secret Workshop in San Francisco. This was so cool! This was put on by Cheryl Muhr and Jinky! This was such a fabulous workshop. I really felt like I came away with some really good stuff. If you have the opportunity to take this workshop, go for it! You won't be dissappointed! Here are some shots from our kids there! They are so adorable!!

A VACATION

2008-03-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

On Feb 2 we left for almost two weeks vacation. We started with 2 nights in San Luis Obispo. We had to go to the Hearst Castle since we had never been. What a beautiful place. It must have really been something to see in its day, don't ya think? Then we were off to San Diego. I love it there. The weather was cool but beautiful. We really didn't do anything specific, just kinda hung out, drove around, had a wonderful dinner at The Fish Market with some of friends of Ron's from highschool. Then we got on the Carnival Elation for a 6 day cruise to Cabo, La Paz, and Ensenada! WooHoo!! There was a big group of us which made the trip so much fun. I loved Cabo, I think because it was so nice and warm! We all had a blast! Unfortunately we were passing around a cold, so by the end of the cruise I was feeling it. I ended up spending the last 4 days of my vacation totally sick in bed. AGAIN!! The only thing good about being sick was that I lost all the weight I had gained on the cruise. Almost made being sick worthwhile (just kidding)! So here are a very few pics from our trip.

This one is a picture Ron took of me on the beach in San Diego. Then a couple of La Paz (loved that town). Last is our very cool group of friends!!!

A LITTLE ANGEL

2008-03-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

Neglected again, I know, I know. I will try to do better! Just been so busy! It's a good thing, though.

Here is a little peek of a shoot I did at the beginning of February. I took these and then left for vacation, got sick again, went back to my day job, threw in a workshop, and geez, time just flies. So here is just one picture of this sweet little angel and her daddy. This little girl is actually the much anticipated sister to the two brothers in a previous post. She is such a beautiful baby. I am looking forward to taking more pictures as she grows!

STUDIO NEWS...

2008-01-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

On another note, I will not be available January 24 - 27. We will be up in June Lake for a few days visiting my daughter and getting in some skiing:) Can not wait!!!! After that, we will be back for a week then we will be leaving for two weeks. Feb 3 - 15. We will be heading down south for vacation. This is going to be sooo fun...two nights in San Luis Obispo, 3 nights in San Diego, then off for a 6 day cruise to Cabo and La Paz. I am so excited. You can be sure I will post pics from all these trips. It is definitely going to be a busy Feb. I will be available on a limited basis. At the end of the month, I will be attending the much anticipated Secret Workshop! This is going to be awesome!!! So as you can see, I am going to have fun in Feb.!!! Not to mention Valentine's Day and our anniversary! Lotsa goodies this month!!!!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION...

2008-01-21T17:04:00.000-08:00

I finally got my new studio light set out of the box! I got them before Christmas, but with the holidays and all I never got a chance to set them up. So today I finally got them set up (thank you, honey!) and got out all my other new toys; ie, Pocketwizards! Sekonic 358L! WooHoo!! I am ready to go. So here were my first test shots with my favorite models!!

These were taken during a conversation about going bye-bye...

I love these lights! This is the Photoflex set with the 650 Starflashes! So easy to use! I am looking forward to using them. I love natural light but sometimes it's nice to be able to do studio work. I can't wait to use them!

THE BESTEST BIG BROTHERS

2008-01-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I had the privilege of photographing these adorable little guys. I don't suppose a 10 yr old would want to be classified as an adorable little guy though, but they were!! I loved how well big brother took care of his little brother. They are both going to make the bestest big brothers to their little sister who should be appearing later this month. I know I promised these sneak peeks earlier in the week, but our house got hit with the stomach flu. My hubby and mom-in-law got hit pretty hard. So far so good for me but I think I have another day or so before I can feel totally safe. Crossing my fingers!! cause it's ugly!:(

Anyway-lookee how cute (and handsome) they are...

So we get to the park where we're shooting at and there is this guy, Greg, with these fun toys...

My assistant (hubby) befriended this guy and sure enough, I never saw him again until it was time to leave! Good thing I didn't need any assisting!!! They were pretty cool helicopters though.

MORE FOTO DAY PICTURES

2007-12-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some more of my favorites from my foto day! This was such a gorgeous family! How precious are these?!!!

Look at this little guy! Too cute! Won't be able to keep up with him soon!!

FOTO DAY PICTURES

2007-12-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

I know, I know! I am not very good at keeping up with the blogs, but I have been working furiously trying to get everybody's pictures from Foto Day available by Christmas. I think I made it. It's going to be close! Hope!! Thank you so much to all of you who came out in the wind and cold to get their portraits done! I really did have a good time and I loved seeing everybody! I have to post a few of my favorites. I have more, but I forgot to ask if it was ok. So as soon as I get the OK, I'll post some more. So here's a start...

The sunflowers were a big hit...

So were the cookies!!

And the balloons!

My good friend Jennifer and her family came out to show some love for their team! Go Redskins!!!

This is one of my favorites of the day! They are sooo pretty!!

I think she has become my poster child! Isn't she adorable?!

New Website!!!

2007-11-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot!! I have a new website. It is so much nicer than my first one. It has more galleries with slide shows and a private proofing section. Please stop by and check it out. Drop me a note and let me know what you think!

http://www.janelkarrlephotography.com/

Family Foto Day

2007-11-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Dec 2, I will be at Vasona Park all day to take your family photographs! This should be a really fun day and I am totally excited to do this! These will be mini photo sessions, but I will not scrimp on my time with you! But you can't pass up on this deal-2 5x7's for 10 dollars! And no sitting fee! And all prints you prepay for will be $10 a sheet. That's 1 8x10 or 2 5x7's or 8 wallets or 3 4x6's! Order then because prices will be full price after that day! I can't wait to see everybody out there! Come on out there, around the lake area, and look for the balloons!

ASHLEY AND AARON'S HOUSE AT JUNE LAKE

2007-11-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

So, another posting-two in one day!! Over the Veteran's Holiday (yeah for our veterans) I went to June Lake to visit my daughter. WOW!! What a beautiful place, and we got a whole day of snow. So, out to play we went. This was actually at June Lake...These next pictures were taken throughout the day...

Oh, please, can't I try some more with my off camera lighting?!...
The next morning was beautiful blue skies! I so did not want to go home! So down the road and over the hill, we walked to my daughter's place...

Oh, my gosh, fresh bear tracks all over the trail we took over the hill...

This is what you see when you walk out Ashley's door. Does it get any better than this?...

And one of my favorite pictures taken of the beach at June Lake before we got little doggie prints all over the snow...

I cannot wait to go back:)

MEGAN AND HER MOM

2007-11-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know it's been awhile, but I have been busy. I had a wonderful opportunity to shoot my super mega awesome stepdaughter, Megan, and her mom. We had a really nice time wandering around Vasona Park. The weather was perfect and we still have trees here that are turning colors. Here are some my favorites...

And we can't forget Dad. He never smiles for pictures, so I thought this one was especially nice...

ALOHA FROM THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII

2007-10-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here's hangin' with a few of the locals!

And a rare one of me sharing my beach finds, which I didn't keep!

More to come!

So Freakin' Pretty

2007-09-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

It was about two months ago that my friend and fellow photog, Charlene Chavez, asked me to join her in a photo shoot of this young lady. So I sorta hogged the shoot. Sorry, Char...

This girl is gorgeous, and she was patient and comfortable in front of the camera. A perfect model! hmmm...wonder if Charlene will ever ask me to come with her again? See her pics at

http://www.charlenechavezphotography.com/ She's got a brand new website going live any minute! Can't wait to see it!

Isn't She Precious...

2007-09-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

She is so adorable! This is a preview of my friend's little baby girl. I took them last night and, as you can see, she was wide awake the whole time. I am looking forward to taking some of her sleeping. I can't wait!

Brad and Carisa August 25, 2007

2007-09-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Brad and Carisa! They were married at an enchanting private vineyard, Asiago Vineyard, in the hills above Cupertino. What a beautiful view! The ceremony was lovely with a touch of emotion. The whole day was perfect. I love the little angel with the blue eyes! Isn't she a doll?!

Adorable Little Man

2007-08-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well, this blog is under constant change until I get it right, but until then I wanted to share one my best friend's very adorable little boy. He is two!! He looks just like a little man, doesn't he?!

He was a fun challenge to shoot because he didn't want anything to do with the camera. But I snuck a few clicks in and managed to get a few unawares. He is so adorable!!!

SEA TREKKING

2007-07-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to our friends Jennifer and Bobby!!! For Ron's retirement they were so very generous to give us a trip with Sea Trek, a kayaking outfit in Sausalito. We went on the "Moonlight Paddle to Dinner." We had an awesome time! Thanks so much!! We decided to make a weekend of it, so we left early on Saturday and went walking around the Sausalito waterfront for a little while. We watched this guy reel in a stingray, of all things, and then everyone was relieved when he threw it back into the sea. And we saw this guy that was balancing rocks on top of each other; truly amazing!

Then we were off to go kayaking. We set out on the water at about 6pm and kayaked around
Richardson Bay. We then pulled out of the water on this boat ramp and walked into town to a little Mexican restaurant for dinner. We dropped back in the water at about 8pm and kayaked around the Sausalito waterfront. We ended our trip about 10. We could not have asked for a more perfect time! The weather was incredible; no fog and it wasn't cold at all. We had a beautiful full moon over a very calm bay. This was a trip I highly recommend! What a blast!

We ended our trip on Sunday by taking a 6 mile round trip hike to the beach. Beautiful weather again! We had an awesome weekend.

Here are just a couple of pictures from our trip. Now it's time to get back to work and stuff. What fun. Sooo...

THANK YOU JEN AND BOBBY AND LITTLE BOBBY! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!

LEXI

2007-07-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

I was so fortunate the other evening to photograph my friend Amy's little girl, Alexis! Isn't she a doll! Lexi is just the cutest, happiest baby. And this was her 6 month birthday. I just had to share a couple of pictures. I can't wait to take some more! Thanks Amy!!!

AS THE TRIP WENT...

2007-07-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hello,

As most of you already know, I got home a week ago. And it's nice to be home. Funny how that is! But let me get you up to date. When I last wrote, we were headed toward Estonia. Tallin was a very quaint town with awesome old architecture and windy cobblestone streets. I bought a beautiful handmade sweater from one of the vendors in town. I was glad I had it by the time we got to Russia and Finland.

Russia was totally fabulous. It's amazing just to be able to say we saw the things that we saw. Like these incredible cathedrals and palaces. I could go on for a long time about the insides of these places, all the artwork and gold (everything is in gold) but words really don't do it justice. And we went to the Hermitage. It would take every second of every day for something like eleven days to see every display inside the Hermitage. We got the 2-hour tour. And it was hot and crowded. We did get to see DaVinci's painting there, and other beautiful works from famous artists. You definitely need more time though.

So we did the whirlwind tour of St. Petersburg. It just went so fast, then we were off to Finland. I loved Finland. We went to Helsinki and while we were there we took a ferry to a fort that used to be under Russian control. This place was amazing. It encompassed several little islands that were all connected by bridges. The place had all kinds of tunnels and bunkers, and old cannons. We could of spent all day there but we didn't have that kind of time. We took the ferry back to Helsinki and did some shopping and ate at McDonalds (we ate there in Tallin, too. thank goodness for McDonalds). Then back to the boat to set sail for Sweden.

I really liked Sweden, too. We wandered all day. We went to the Vasa Museum (an old viking ship that had sunk and been raised) and walked through their old town. We found the palace and watched the changing of the guard. Then we just walked and walked; went to the other end of town to find the Hard Rock and buy sweatshirts for the kids. Then took the bus back to the boat. This was really fun day.

The next morning we headed home. I have to tell you, on the flight from Sweden to Chicago, the cutest little Danish boy sat next to me. His name was Anson (guessing on the spelling), and he was ten years old and traveling by himself to visit family friends. He wassoooo adorable! and so polite! all the flight attendants wanted to take him home. I was so lucky to sit next to him! Hope he had fun in Kansas!

Thanks to everybody (Jim) for hanging in there and following our trip. Sorry I couldn't keep you abreast while we were there.

And thanks to all my traveling friends. Thanks to Sandy with Destinations for putting this whole trip together. You did an amazing job and we are looking forward to that 2009 Mediterranean Cruise:) Thanks to all our friends who traipsed around the towns with us, especially Robert, Maria, Katy, Diane, and Darryl. Can't wait for the next one!!!!!!!!

We are now looking forward to a trip to the big island of Hawaii in October. That should be a fun and relaxing trip with lots of amazing pics. Pictures from Europe are coming soon!

Janel

PICS FROM LONDON

2007-07-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

Hello

Okay, so I know these blogs are not in order and I have some catching up to do.
Can I blame it on the new user fact?

Well, here are some pictures from London. This first picture is looking up a tower at the London Tower, which is a fascintating castle along side the Thames River. The Raven is also from the London Tower. There are six of these huge birds that stay as sort of pets of the castle. They roam the grass in a courtyard and they do have cages to go into at night.

Then there is the London Bridge, that included two double decker buses! How appropriate.

And here is Ron with the London Eye behind him. That was taken while riding a ferry on the Thames. I love this picture.

London was such a great place. I really do hope to go back sometime.

I will try to catch up with the trip details for you. I know, I know, I am already home. But, I swear, I just didn't have time or the patience for the internet there.

So stay with me and I will get you all caught up!

Thanks so much!!

FINALLY!!!

2007-07-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!!!

It has been quite a task to acquire internet access. Practically impossible in London. Well, quite expensive, anyway. Plus, I couldn’t get it to work.

But first, I have to say again congratulations to my beautiful daughter, Ashley, on her graduation. The ceremony was held at the Rosegarden in San Jose and it was very nice. Thanks to all our friends and family who came out to support her. After the ceremony, the whole family went to dinner. Everything turned out really nice. I want to share some pictures of Ashley. Before the graduation ceremony we went to her elementary school and took some pictures on playground. That was a blast; she is so full of expression. Then for some pics of her in cap and gown. I don’t think I have ever seen her so proud and happy. YOU GO GIRL!!! You are beautiful and smart and the whole family is extremely proud of you!

On to vacation…London was awesome. There are 13 of us in our group and we all loved London. We hit all the touristy spots, like Big Ben and Notting Hill. We also saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, quite crowded so it was hard to see everything. We also did a tour of the Tower of London. That place is huge! We also saw the London Eye but didn’t go on it. And don’t forget the London Bridge.

The architecture in London is amazing. We could have easily spent another week there seeing everything. We packed a lot into three days.Now we are on the Regatta. We left the port in Tillbury, England, last night at about 2000 hrs. We spent today in Bruges, Belgium. What a quaint, beautiful town. Right out of a story book, with cute little shops, cobblestone streets, and glorious old buildings and churches. Those churches are beautiful. We climbed 360 steps up a spiral staircase to the top of a bell tower in a church. What a view! I’ll try to put some pictures of Bruges up tomorrow or the next day. My internet time is limited. I get 230 hours for the two weeks (at dialup speed). But I will definitely check back later. Oh, and today in Bruges, was all about chocolate…Belgium Chocolate…doesn’t get any better than that!

(Well, I just tried to upload pictures and it just didn't work. I will have to try again tomorrow.Sorry!! Please check back in a day or two. Thanks!)

Talk to you all later!

The Journey Continues

2007-06-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

HI!!

I can’t believe it’s Saturday. This whole week flew by. Today we are at sea. The second of only two days at sea. I have never walked so much as I have this week, so it’s nice to have a day of nothing.

Let’s see, after Belgium (yes, I know who likes dark chocolates!!) we went to Amsterdam. The highlight there was going through the Anne Frank house which was really enlightening. Otherwise, it was shopping, but everything is sooo expensive. Then you had to watch out that you didn’t get hit by a bicycle or a car. I, personally, had two close calls and was ready to go back to the ship! Then on the way we had a torrential downpour and got completely soaked. With umbrellas!!

The next day was our other day at sea, traveling through the Kiel Canal, which took us through the German countryside. Wow!Beautiful!

Then on to a little German seaside town. Really cute, and we took the train to another little town where we saw an astronomical clock that is still working from 1472. Amazing. Then off for pizza on pretzel bread. Ummm, that was good.

Thursday we were in Copenhagen. Spent about 8 hours walking around town. All these towns we have been to have the most beautiful churches and towers. We did the canal tour, too. It’s interesting just to watch the people and look at the buildings. So different from home.

Yesterday, we were in Gdansk, Poland. That was an experience because we were about a half hour from town. So we thought we would take the tram which is like our lightrail. Everyone else we were with went to the Concentration Camp, but Ron and I opted out. So right off the boat we met a couple from Vancouver, BC and together we made our way into town. Once there, Ron and I walked around their Old Town. In the rain. Then had lunch. This is no easy feat when everything is in Polish. Anyways, great architecture, all these old buildings restored since the war, and some not so you could see what happened. They have done a beautiful job there. Then we decided to take a taxi back to the boat, a little easier! I will say, the local people we met in Poland were extremely helpful and nice.

So, that’s the update. I think on the boat here it’s all about eating. Good thing we are walking miles and miles on our city trips.

The pictures will probably have to wait until we get home but I will try to keep you posted on our trips. Tallin is supposed to be really nice with a lot of gothic architecture. And wool; I may need it in Russia. Some days have been nice, but the more north we go the rainier and colder it is. That’s ok. There will be plenty of heat when we get home!

Until later…

Where I'm Going...

2007-06-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

Almost here! Well, okay, couple of days yet. I still have the weekend and my daughter's graduation to get through. Which, by the way, I have to say congratulations to her. I am very, very proud of her!

Still have some shopping to do. Mostly just the shoe dilemma...what to wear???which to bring???

Anyways, I wanted to share my itinerary with everyone. That way you can plan ahead for me!

Here is how it is going to play out:

Tuesday, June 12th, leave for London. It will be Wednesday morning when we arrive. We will spend three full days there, staying at The Rubens Hotel across from Buckingham Palace. It looks beautiful.

http://www.rubenshotel.com/buckingham_palace_hotel

Our ship, The Regatta, Oceania Cruise Lines, departs on Saturday 16th at 3 pm.
We arrive in Zeebrugge, Belgium at 8 am on the 17th.
18th - we are in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
19th - at sea, through the Kiel Canal.
20th - Waremunde, Germany (150 km from Berlin).
21rst - Copenhagen, Denmark (gotta see the clog factory).
22nd - Gdansk, Poland.
23rd - at sea.
24th - Tallinn, Estonia.
25th - St. Petersburg, Russia for three days.
28th - Helsinki, Finland.
29th- Stockholm, Sweden for two days.
30th - disembark and head for home.

This will be a really busy, fun trip. I know our Russia stay is already filled with ten hour days of sight-seeing.

I am looking forward to any input if you have been to any of these places. Let me know! I want to see the good stuff!!

Later,

Getting Started

2007-06-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well, here is to my first blog. And for those of you that care - 952 is police talk for "report on conditions." Which is what I hope to do. Specifically for my photographic antics, but, right now, more so to keep everyone updated on my European Vacation! Yeah!

We are leaving one week from today. Of course, I have not even started to get ready. Think I will go shopping. That always helps!

I will try to keep the stories and pictures coming from the trip. Have to see how available the internet is there. I am really excited about this blogging. Hope you all leave messages and tell me what you think and where I should go. I will give a more detailed itinerary later on!

Talk to you soon!