1) Despite the rain we’ve had almost every weekend since February, we have managed to squeeze in a few portrait sessions.  We’re working hard to prep those photos for future blogs posts.  Stay tuned, there are some pretty cute shots on the horizon, especially of an adorable newborn that we can’t wait to blog.

2) Since this is the off-season for engagements and weddings, Keith and I have spent several weeks making sample albums from our 2009 weddings.  This year marks the first full year we’re offering albums to our clients, and we’ve got some awesome options for both press-printed coffee table books and traditional leather ablums.

3) Keith and I love gadgets.  We especially love cheap gadgets.  And it’s even better when those cheap gadgets come from Hong Kong via eBay! About a month or two ago, Keith and I attended a local photographer get-together to hear a presentation by wedding photographer guru Mike Larson.  His presentation included a brief off-camera flash demonstration.  And what was his device of choice to trigger his flashes remotely? Cheap gadgets off eBay!—Yongnuo flash triggers.  We were sold on their ease of use, speed, and small size.  That night we ordered our own set and we’ve been hooked since.  Want a little sample? Check out this photo we took at local park one evening.  We had a lot of fun testing the flashes that night. I’m just glad the residents surrounding the park didn’t call the police on us.  We must have looked like quite the pair.

Although we’ve visited the snow before, this trip was full of many firsts, including…using tire chains, taking turns snow tubing with a toddler on our laps, and playing bumper cars with a snow berm.  Good times!

But my favorite moment of this trip…seeing my first snowfall!  This morning we woke up to a winter wonderland—the first part of a winter storm was making its way over the mountain.  It was hard to resist watching the fluffy white stuff fall to the ground.  We threw on some jackets and ran outside with our trusty point-and-shoot camera to document the occasion. This is my favorite shot, and quite possibly 2010′s Christmas card picture.

But I’m not complaining.  You see, Keith and I discovered one shop in particular that we’ve grown to be quite fond of—Yogurtland.  During last summer’s heat wave we made several trips to our local Yogurtland to cool off with their deliciously addictive frozen treat.  My favorite combo: strawberry with Madagascar vanilla and a few gummy bears on top.  Keith prefers a mix of chocolate and peanut butter.  So what’s your favorite flavor mix or topping?

And if you want to talk with us about your wedding, or maybe a family session you’d like to book, send us a note.  We’d love skip the coffee shop and instead chat with you over a cup of fro-yo.  We’ll even spring for the gummy  bears.

The farm was an awesome place to hang out.  Between the petting zoo, hayride, and walk through the pumpkin patch we got our fill of that Autumn harvest feeling.  It was especially fun watching Nate interact with the goats at the petting zoo and then try to roll a few pumpkins out in the field.

We can’t wait to go again this year.  If you’re planning to visit Tanaka Farms this fall, give a us ring.  We’d be happy to get a few shots of your kiddos in the pumpkin patch, too.

I, on the other hand, never had such experiences as a kid.  The only “camping” I had done consisted of pitching a tent in my parents’ backyard to watch the stars for a middle-school science project.  To this day I still don’t understand what astronomy concept I was suppose to learn, but I digress.

Last August, Keith decided to finally introduce to me to my first real camping trip.  The thought of getting away for a couple days sans e-mail, computers, and photo editing seemed like a welcome break.  So we headed down to our local Big 5 and Target stores to buy the essentials: a tent, sleeping bags, lanterns, propane, and my favorite—glow sticks!  Thanks Target!!!  We also invited a few friends to join us—Greta, Chris, and their adorable two-year-old, Nate.

Would the five of us be able to survive?  At first I didn’t think we’d make it.  Keith and I were the first to arrive at the campsite—the beautiful Serrano Campgrounds in Big Bear, CA.  The tall pine trees covering our camp site were gorgeous but I wasn’t digging the red ants circling our spot.  But once we started to pitch our tents and get dinner going, I forgot about the pesky insects.  And here’s some proof:

Home sweet home.

The campsite was only about a 5- or 10-minute walk to Big Bear Lake.  Not a bad view, huh?

We all took turns collecting twigs for kindling, but Keith took charge of getting the first flames started.

I’m never one to eat hot dogs, but something about being in the mountains actually made this meal appetizing.

You might be wondering what camera we used to get all these shots. For the trip, we brought along our old Digital Rebel XT, the 18-55 kit lens, and our old 50mm/1.8 prime.  We didn’t want to risk bringing our good equipment to an area with a ton a dirt.  But we think the old Rebel did a great job of capturing our low-light shots like this one Keith took of me at dusk.

But I think the Rebel really excelled at night with these shots of Keith adding more wood to the fire and us toasting marshmellows for s’mores.

Remember those glow sticks I mentioned?  The last night of the trip we busted them out for Nate to play with…

…but I think the adults had more fun with them.  We stuck the Rebel on a tripod and decided to slow down the shutter speed to see what kind of fun we’d have twirling those glow sticks under the night sky.  Keith had great form.

But Chris spiced things up with these freestyle moves.

Then the boys teamed up their efforts.

And finally, my favorite shot of me and Keith.  It proves that we survived.  And I’m thinking we may need to head out to try this camping thing again in 2010.

For celebratory treats I usually opt for cupcakes, but with the rainy weather today, we opted for something a little more fitting: hot chocolate (with THREE marshmellows, of course!) and a baby banana bundt cake from Corner Bakery.  Yum!

And if you’re a past client, we’d love to hear from you. We’re working to put together a client testimonial page so future families and couples can hear first-hand about your experience working with us.  Feel free to shoot us an e-mail with thoughts on your experience.

Here’s to a great 2010!  We’ve still got a few year-in-review posts to add.  After that, we’ll announce our second annual family portrait contest for all our 2009 clients.  You won’t want to be left out!

And much thanks to our fabulous photographer Sean Hiller who captured our big day.

The adventure was totally worth it!  It’s not everyday we see such unique architecture in Orange County.  We learned that this castle-like turret was once used as a staircase to provide access from the top of the cliff to the shoreline.  If the tide wasn’t so high, we would have taken a closer look at the stucture, but the view we did get was pretty gorgeous.  The sunset wasn’t too shabby either.  Even with the clouds and fog rolling in, we got a quick peek at the sun before it dipped below the horizon.

If you have a unique spot in the OC, leave a comment and let us know about it!  We’re usually up for an adventure.