come visit me...

at my new site.

lots more to see, and blogging too.

got lots of plans for my friends...

so come on over and take a peek.

bleudogfotography.com

chasing the sun

this beautiful girl is planning her own wedding in the near future, so we decided to take a few early shots before it is officially official...played with the early morning light and then the sun came out at the last minute and gave us some good haze to work with. we ended up in another dreamy field, surrounded by mature trees which seemed to act as a nice frame for this gorgeous girls perfect face. cant wait for it to be official, if you know what i mean...then we can dress up in a real wedding dress and play bride in an official sort of way. call me, pretty girl when its official so we can chase the sun and find some wonderful stairway to drape your dress over, along with a great rusty weathered gate to pose in front of. i know one in laguna, we might just have to take a drive next time...

lucky boy

this newborn shoot was seriously perfect, until we tried to swaddle him tight then put him in a basket... he wasnt having any of that! so then we went to plan b, cradled in his mothers arms. he was happy and they turned out perfect. this little guy with his umbilical cord still attached was a dream to photograph. his coloring is so perfect i hardly had to retouch anything, and the soft overcast light streaming through the window was absolutely amazing. i got some great images, mainly love the ones with his mothers hands in there cradling his sweet toes and head and i might be partial to the newborn smile. i was there at the right time for that one. this is one lucky little boy, born into a loving forever family with 3 darling siblings all ready to love and play with him...what its all about really, and one day he will realize just how fortunate he is.

then i couldnt help myself...found this cute big boy playing quietly in his room, bathed in the same dreamy light...with a big smile on his face when i pointed the camera at him. 

and if baby turns out half as handsome as brother...

look out!

cute cheeky monkeys

i cant express enough how much i love this lady and her darling family. i love her directness and her candor...her honest opinion and just the way she looks at life. i like real people, and she is one of the few. she has darling daughters...and they photograph really well. even in cowboy hats (they are moving to texas this summer, and we thought these shots might make cute moving announcements...you know, the creative juices always flowing over here). i have had a hard time deciding which ones to edit (a common problem i am finding) and seem to always find another one hiding when i keep meandering around my iphoto gallery. there are still a few more i need to add to this post. i guess not a bad problem when you think about it...and did i tell you the light was perfect? well, it always is at the beach. always.

twins times two

i know this really sweet lady, who is a twin, and her older sister (yes, shes the pretty lady pictured below) who wasnt a twin, had twins. apparently this twin thing is a strong, inherited trait in their family. so i wonder if these twin girls will have twins? you following me? if they do, look out for more beautiful twins...cuz there a lots of pretty twins in this group...have i said the word twins enough?

i was lucky enough to photograph them, along with their parents and brother (yes, they sorta stole the show)...and they even came to me from yucaipa. and this is just the beginning of my editing...lots more seeing double for me.

something in the way she smiles...

which makes this girl infectious. she is happy and sweet...so kind and considerate. not much bad to say about this sweetheart, and all the lovely images i captured of her. i took almost 500 (yes, you read right) and almost every single one was good. we shot at two different locations, and as we speak, i am still editing. but i thought i would add the ones i have already done, and will update as soon as i get them all in and ready to go. a process for sure...but in the meantime, i count my lucky stars i know her, and call her my friend. you will go far, my sweet girl...i wish you all the best in this thing we call life. i hope all who come in contact with you will appreciate your infectious spirit and incredible self. you are one in a million, darlin.

my boy...

hunter holds a special place in my heart. he has been my rock for the past few years, my strong arm to hold on to and my dedicated sole supporter. he has always understood my pain, for some reason, and has always stood solidly behind me, unmoved. he gets the big picture, and is mature beyond belief. possibly my monotonous motherly lectures on integrity and honesty, and "just do the right thing" have reached his soul...or maybe just maybe he was born this way. i think the latter is true. he is the most loyal human being alive. yeah, i said loyal...not too many out there these days. it is a lost art, indeed.

so hes graduating from high school. my sturdy little boy with square feet, cheerful demeanor and nutcracker wide grin is growing up. a real man he has morphed into. very soon i will be saying so long, and another emotional wave will crash in on me. my regular dose of kids coming and going, the revolving door swinging wide and slamming shut. my skin grows a bit thicker with every wave goodbye, i think...the hurt gets pushed aside and buried deep within, finding a secret place to hide. life is funny that way. the sheer joy experienced with your children close by is accompanied with their painful departures. however bittersweet, as all mothers know, these baby butterflies must spread their wings and flutter away on their own. a rite of passage they say, a normal part of growing up...but still a mothers heart will always break a little as her children find their way. im that mother, her heart broken and mended many times over...i buy bandaids in bulk.

so to hunter...you are a wonderful man. you will make some lucky girl a sweet husband, and very fortunate children a caring father. i could write for days about you, and recount all the great memories we share. ones which will stay with me forever and ever. i will miss you terribly...and the happy noise you bring with you where ever you go, the bright smile as you enter a room, the calm you carry in stressful situations and your strong presence even when you are quiet. but carry on my boy, and light the world on fire, do good things and keep your good character which is so very precious, and which you have worked so hard to build and keep...im privileged to be called your mother. the Lord was good to me when He gave you to me, and i thank Him everyday for this blessing i call YOU.

mother love

happy mothers day to all who may be lucky enough to have that divine calling...

i made these lovely bouquets for a clients mother and mother in law...

and am currently taking orders.

contact me if you want a spectacular bouquet.

made just for your mom.

i have a pretty friend

who is just as pretty on the inside. shes a sweetheart too, and knows her stuff when it comes to doing hair. she makes me blonde when i am ghostly white. she and emma used to play barbies together, many years ago. they combined their barbie stashes together and made one mother load of barbie stuff. i saved them in a large purple crate for all these years, until hunter got his hands on them and donated them to the haunted hallway at the school, last october. needless to say, the barbies i had been so carefully saving, got mercilessly maimed at the hands of some teenage boys. and i thought ava might have fun playing with them...in about 6 or so years. so much for carting around a big box of unappreciated, well used barbie dolls. i think i was the one who wanted to lay them all out and sort them one by one. maybe reminiscing about a time when my kids were little and times were simple.

but back to my pretty friend...shes simply beautiful.

fakers extraordinaire

so i went to this seminar taught by my good friend, judy hailey, who is pro photographer extraordinaire. in a nutshell, she talked about her 20 year, successful career in about 4 hours at this great facility, backdrop outlet , which has every toy any photographer could want. she also brought in this beautiful couple for us to photograph, and showed us a few of her tricks. they are a sweet newlywed couple, who were really good fakers...playing bride and groom very well. so basically, im on information overload, and feel way overwhelmed and somewhat lost, but came away with some great information.  even had this pretty girl hold a bouquet i whipped up from trader joe flowers. i realized this is hard work, especially when she offered to put her giant lens on my camera. my arm about broke. needless to say, lifting weights might be on the list of things to work on. maybe one day i will be well worth the thousands someone will pay. i better get busy...first with the weight lifting.