real. life.

day 3 {31 days to a brand new blog}

Day 3: tweak the ABOUT page for your blog. (details here.)

TA-DA!

I feel really good about this change-up. I don't really have an "about me" PAGE, but an entire SECTION at the top of my blog. And so, I've made a few small (but important) changes today.

I've worked for a while on the text of my ABOUT section already, so I didn't do any tweaking there.

But I REALLY liked the idea of the adding links to my favorite posts. So, I tweaked the columns at the bottom of my "about me" section by removing the twitter feed (because it was kinda boring, and I have a separate link on my sidebar anyway). I also removed my "in the works" info and replaced it with "fresh & new" (though I might adjust the wording to be "new" or "limited time" or something else that people will react to). I also added "as seen in" links, as well as "member of" links. Overall, I'm really happy with the subtle changes I've made. 

Another little difference which I'll be testing out... as of now, when you click on the main page of my blog, my "about me" section shows up right away. But when you click on a link that leads to an individual post, you don't see my "about me" section immediately, but it's available as a drop-down section if you click "about me" in the top navigation bar. I keep flip-flopping on this one. I've tried it both ways (permanent vs drop-down), and am not sure which I prefer yet.  If it's a permanent thing, every new person that clicks on a link that takes them to a blog post immediately gets the chance to see important information about me, and THEN the actual post. But for return visitors, this can be annoying to have to scroll down each time to get to what they actually want to see.

Thoughts on this? (Do any of YOU have a preference???)

see for yourself: The Suitcase Studio BLOG

obCHELsive...

That's what Tony calls me: "obCHELsive." Like the word "obsessive" and my name ("chel") all squished together. And it totally works. And is WAY too true.

When I get my mind set on something, I get totally obsessive. Just like a song that gets stuck in your head... no matter what else you do, it's always there! Whether it's a photo idea, business idea, desire to purchase something, create something, read or sketch something... until I DO it, I just can't stop thinking about it. Planning, listing, etc.

My latest obsession? Blythe dolls. Yes, they're kinda creepy. But there's something hauntingly beautiful there, too. I've been seeing them pop up occasionally on Flickr and various blogs that I frequent for a couple years now. And I've been seeing them more and more lately. Maybe that's why the desire suddenly hit me. (I'm a marketer's dream... ) I was seeing some really cool photos of them and thinking... I want to do that, myself! And, let's face it, I might be almost 33 years old, but sometimes I feel like I'm still an 11-year old girl. (And I refuse to grow up and stop playing with toys.)

And so, I hit up ebay. Hard. Authentic Blythe dolls are an expensive collector's item, so I decided to purchase the next best thing... a Basaak doll, which is a total knock-off item. Still has the huge head and wide gaze, and different colored eyes (4 sets) that can change the direction that they gaze. But at a fraction of the cost. I was even able to score myself a modified doll, which has had its face sanded for a matte look (better for photos), nose and lip re-carved (gives it a distinct, personalized look), and modified airbrushed "makeup." 

Here she is:

Prepare to see a LOT more of her in the coming months. I'm already planning my photos...

 

New Things on the Horizon...

I've got lots of new things in the works for the Suitcase Studio. Here is a little teaser for now:

written in the stars...

I don't set much stock in daily horoscopes. They're entertaining to read, of course, but not to be taken seriously. But ever now and again, I'll come across some that just seem to resonate with me. And, while I still don't see it as a "sign" or premonition of things to come, I like to think about it and use it as a sort of mantra for the day; my daily thought or something to reflect on.

I've been getting my daily horoscope sent to me on Twitter, and so far, I'm really liking what I see. For the last week or so, they've "spoken" to me a bit. Yesterday's was stating something along the lines of "while I know my destination, I am frustrated because I have to figure out how to get there; the simple act of knowing isn't enough. It will be difficult, but I've got to try and find balance as I figure this out." (I have to paraphrase this, as I can't seem to find yesterday's actual word-for-word reading.)

And here is today's "twitter-scope":

Friday, June 5, 2009: No matter how determined you are now to walk your talk, distractions at work can pull you off your carefully considered course. Every fork in the road is exciting because each path that leads in an unknown direction touches your soul and calls your name. Nevertheless, it's crucial for you to keep reminding yourself that you are on a mission. You won't reach your desired destination if you explore every good idea on the way. 

And here is how that is relevant in my life...

I really, really, REALLY want for my photography business to blossom and become my life's work, so to speak. I want it to be my sole source of income; I want for it to become my career. I am working on it pretty steadily... I've been getting more paying gigs, widening my client circle, and when it's slow, I use my friends and family to practice on and build up my portfolio further. I feel that I am constantly stretching and growing... both as an artist and as a businesswoman. And yet, I am never fully satisfied. Maybe that's for the best... it keeps me reaching even further; trying to figure out the next step. But for right now, it's a bit overwhelming.

I pretty much feel like I am working two full-time jobs at the moment. Since I am not yet making enough money from my photography in order to support me, I continue to work my day-job as a legal secretary. So, I work there every weekday till 5, then come home and start editing photos from my most recent session, often working on them each night till about 11 pm, when I get ready for bed for the night, just to start it all over again the next day. Then, if lucky, I have a session set for each weekend, and sometimes I take a day off of my day-job to accomodate a shoot during the weekday, as well. And, as I said before, if I don't have a paying client for the week, I'll still try to do something on my own, just to get in the practice. So, I feel like I am ALWAYS working. I am tired.

It's been a struggle lately... my day-job is becoming more overwhelming, full of changes and more responsibilities added. I'm stressed and frazzled by the time I leave there, and yet, I've got hours of work ahead of me still. I hate just sitting there at my desk all day, with the full knowledge that I belong somewhere else. KNOWING what else it is that I should be doing with my time, and not yet able to dedicate myself to my photography full-time. I know that I'm heading in the right direction. I KNOW that I am doing what I can to build and grow my business. But I am not a patient person. This process is sorely trying my patience, and testing me in the worst way possible.

There are times I feel totally lazy, and the thought of doing more is so overwhelming that I find myself doing nothing at all. I should market myself more, update my website, get new materials printed, etc. But then I realize that I am simply being too hard on myself, and that I am already doing plenty. I know what I want and am heading in the right direction (albeit slowly). The point is that I am doing it.

I know that I'll get there, even though it might be slower than I might like. I am finding my way as I go along, figuring out my signature style. I know that this is where I belong; I feel myself come alive as I edit my photos...they speak to me, and I find pieces of myself within them.

It's only a matter of time. And, though difficult, I am learning to be patient.

weekend in review...

Okay, so this post isn't quite timely, given that it's WEDNESDAY already, but whatever. I've been busy.  ; ) 

Last weekend was a FANTASTIC weekend, beginning on Friday...busy, busy, busy! Here is a "quick" rundown to catch you all up to speed on my happenings...

Friday

I took the day off of work today. That, in itself, was enough to make my day. But, bonus time (and the actual REASON I took the day off from my drudgery), I had a family photo shoot at Balboa Beach with the Sanchez Family (Mary, Fausto, 3 year old Colin and 11 month old Sofia). It was totally awesome, seriously. Fausto had warned me ahead of time that he was a bit camera-shy, but he relaxed as he realized I wouldn't be poking the camera in his face and asking him to "smile" every 30 seconds or so. Sofia was a doll, and took her first steps in the sand at the beach while I was there to document it. And Colin was a trooper... missed his afternoon nap, got dragged all over the place to "pose," including being dragged away from the playground and even passing by some video games. A bit of bribery was in order, and the parents promised him that they would stay at the beach and play as soon as we were done taking photos. And during the shoot, when his attention started wandering, I tried to divert his energy and attention a bit... I asked him to run a short distance and back. I asked him to jump up and down for me (those pictures came out kinda cool). And I even let him be my helper and take a few pictures with my camera. See some of my favorite images on my studio blog.

I had an absolute BLAST at the photo session, and wanted soooo badly to race right home and start the editing process. Not only was the family so much fun, but I was playing with THIS new lens that I had rented for the day. WOO-HOO! It's a Canon 17-85mm EF-S IS lens, and this baby was NICE! I was so excited to get some new shots and angles that I hadn't previously been able to capture with my 28-135 lens that I usually keep on my camera. I think I used my normal lens ONCE during the day, this new one was so perfect for what I was trying to capture. Now that I've used this lens, I really, REALLY want one. But the price scares me a bit, so I'm also looking into comparable ones by Sigma and Tamron. I wanted to test the lens in low-light conditions to see how it did (since it's only an f-4, instead of an f-2.8 like comparable lenses), but I also liked the fact that it had the Image Stabilization feature, which the comparable lenses DON'T have. I wonder how much that feature really makes a difference. I want to see if I can track down one of the other lenses to rent for my next shoot, so I can test the differences. In any case, I'm on the hunt because ONE of these lenses is going to be MINE soon! 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to race right home on Friday after the shoot and edit photos, because I already had other plans. On a GOOD note, those plans were to meet up with my dad and husband and go see the new Wolverine movie! It was very entertaining. Although I don't think the movie was as good as the actual X-Men movies, I don't think that this movie deserves the bad reviews it's been getting. I liked it!

So, all in all, it was a WONDERFUL and BUSY day, and a GREAT way to start the weekend...

Saturday

Today was the third annual baseball game that I've been participating in... my brother and a bunch of his friends decided a few years ago that they wanted to play a game of ball. So, once a year, they go all out for this... picking captains, teams, positions, renting a field, getting team shirts, etc. This year they went one step further and we even had team posters! I wasn't very good in the outfield, but luckily there was a star player behind me to pick up my slack! But I was pretty decent with the bat, and even scored a run or two. I had a BLAST! We had 2 umpires/base coaches, who were trying to help us out, but it was so hard to distinguish their voices from everyone else trying to shout out instructions at the same time. Needless to say, mass chaos and mass hilarity ensued. The final score was 15-6, with my team winning! (mini wave..) See more pictures on my studio blog here.

I remembered from my previous time playing that it was a LOT more difficult than it looked... I remember not being able to even WALK for days after I played last time. Luckily, I was in much better shape this time around. I was exhausted after the game... headed to my complex's jacuzzi for awhile, and then was barely able to stay awake at the table for dinner. meanwhile, a celebratory bbq was being held at a friend's house. I was too tired to head back there, and thus was NOT a part of that... man, I feel old.

Sunday

On Sunday, I relaxed. I hadwanted to go to Disneyland for a few hours, but I was still exhausted from the baseball game and not up to doing a lot of walking. So, I took the day slow. Tony and I headed out for what we thought was going to be a "stimulate the economy" day (we wanted an excuse to shop for new summer clothes...). Alas, it was not meant to be. After a quick jaunt to the O.C. Swapmeet for a few essentials, and then a late lunch at Joe's Crab Shack (bad service that day but GREAT crab nachos), we didn't have a whole lot of time left in the afternoon. We stopped off at Sough Coast PLaza, butit was slim pickings (within our price range, anyways). Too tired to do any hardcore shopping, we gave up...even taking a nap in the car in the parking lot at one point! (Did I mention that I was feeling OLD???) Off to the in-laws' place for dinner, and then back home.

I LOVE the weekend!!!

just beach-y.

The sun was out, I needed to cheer up, and we had time on our hands. So, Tony and I ended up spending much of our weekend at the beach. It was definitely nice. 

Saturday, we headed to Tony's "happy place"... an area of the beach in Balboa, in the residential area. I had my point-and-shoot camera with me (as it always stays in my purse), and took it with me to entertain myself as we walked along the shore. Here are some of my fave shots:

We'd been talking for awhile about heading to Joe's Crab Shack, since I'd never been there before and it's kinda a Southern Cali landmark of sorts. We tried heading there for dinner last night, but there was an hour wait. Yikes. So we headed elsewhere (Plums Cafe... nice but overpriced, it turns out.)

In any case, we thought we'd give Joe's Crab Shack another shot today. We headed there for lunch, and got in right away. I loved it there! Great ambiance. Just totally fun, with a GREAT view of the bay. Again (and, as usual), I had my point-and-shoot camera with me and captured these shots:

there was a bucket in the middle of the table, which we were told to use as our trash can. Napkins were simply a roll of paper towels, and our silverware was brought to us in a separate bucket, as well:

we shared this dessert, which was soooooooo yummy!  coconut bread pudding:

March 20, 2009

Project 365 photo of the day. Tony's current creation that he is working on.

tonight was a good night...

1. I remembered a LOT of the movies in hula tonight, which meant that I could focus less on getting the moves right and more on the actual movement of my body. Was able to step things up a notch...MAN, what a workout!

2. had chicken mcnuggets for dinner. 

3. mcdonalds employee called me "miss" and not "ma'am"

4. photoshop arrived today in the mail, so I got a chance to play around for just a bit... check out some pics I modified below (using pics from my trip to Disneyland last week):

and, for some strange reason, this one is my favorite...

Leilua Hula

I recently took up hula dancing. Yes, hula dancing! It's always been something I've admired and have been interested in learning how to do. So when some friends invited me to join them for a night at the studio they go to, I couldn't pass it up.

The studio is called Leilua Hula, and is located in Rancho Santa Margarita. Being only about 10 minutes away from where we live, both my husband (Tony) and I went to check it out. We jumped right in the first night, not knowing what to expect. But hey, it's not a spectator sport, right? The class we attended that night was a "hularobics" class. And let me tell you, it can be quite a workout. Well, from that first night, both Tony and I were hooked.

I brought my camera to class one night, and got some photos of the guys' class that follows my own. Here are the boys in action (Tony is there in the white tank top):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few of the girls were practicing their moves on the sidelines:

 

 

 

And here are a few shots of the studio itself:

 

 

 

While there, I was also able to get some quick shots of Lorna's adorable granddaughter:

 

 

Vegas-day one recap

The trip up here was fairly quick. We drove straight thru, not stopping for food, and made it in about 3 hours. Nice.

We rushed to check in so that we could rush to the tradeshow (to visit the host booth and get coupons for mega deals on 2-for-1 food and drinks, only to find out that the tradeshow didn't actually start till the next day. Oops.

We headed out to find dinner a while later. Ended up at this random place off the strip called "El Patrons Mexican Restaurant and Oyster Bar. " no joke. But it was really good food. A 5 piece mariachi band serenaded some people a few tables down.

Headed back to the hotel to rest a bit, and then just did some good, old fashioned wandering around. Shaun suggested our goal for the evening should be to find the strangest slot machines. Yay! A scavenger hunt. We did find some pretty interesting ones. And on my first pull of my first slot machine, I won $20 off of $1. But it was all downhill from there in the winning department.

We scouted out a few places to come back to in the following days, too. like an ice bar where they give u a parka and boots to wear while inside. Awesome!

So, that was day one.

Still driving to vegas

Heads up to the facebook followers... If you don't see images in these posts, just open up the note to read the full version. The pics will be there.

So, we had the top down on the convertible for awhile. But it's still chilly, and Shaun still has a cold. So that didn't last long.

We decided not to stop in baker, and just drove straight thru. And then we saw the SNOW! Awesome.

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...

Getting started on our trip. Just wanted to check the blog... Here is the first offical pic of the trip. My suitcase. Taking up ALL the room in the backseat cuz it doesn't fit in my brother's trunk. Oops.

Quick detour to in-n-out, and then we're off!

lookout Vegas, here I come!!!

I'm going to Las Vegas for the WPPI Tradeshow. It's still a month away, but I am already SO unbelievably excited!!!

"WPPI" stands for "Wedding & Photographers International"... so now you can see why I am so excited!!! The event is going from February 14 through February 19. I'll only be there for a few days, but it will be well worth it. I'm heading up on Sunday, February 15th, and coming back on Wednesday the 18th.

Sunday will be my travel day. Monday I'll check out the trade show. And then Tuesday will be the big "learning" day... classes from 8-10 am, and then pretty much the rest of the day from 3:30 till 10:30 at night. A LONG day, and I'm sure I'll get flashbacks of my college days, but I can hardly wait! I'm SOOOO ready for this.

Even better... I'm not making the trip alone. My BROTHER is coming along with me.  : )  He can get the necessary days off of work, and loves to wander around Vegas alone, so he won't get bored when I'm in the classes or at the tradeshow. And it will be nice to have the company when I'm not busy with the "show" stuff. He's a great travel buddy, and the type of person who always seems to know about the great hole-in-the-wall places. He's already talking about playing beer-pong and going to midnight bowling. woo-hoo!

And the cherry on top... the tradeshow is being held at the MGM Grand. I LOVE that hotel. I have always wanted to stay there, but the rooms have always been out of my budget range... so I usually end up next door at the Tropicana instead. But not this time!

Last time I was in Vegas, I signed up for the MGM Players card...you never know what kind of freebies you'll get from these things. And something came my way just in time. I received an email from the hotel, stating that I could get a special room rate of only $60 a night!!! (the rooms usually run upwards of $200/night.) I felt like doing cartwheels down the hall, I was so happy.

So, there you go. Vegas. Photography. One month away.

Time to commence the countdown.

I'm still here...

Seems I've gone missing again in blog-land. I'm still here... just busy busy busy.

Got a few projects that are piling up... I'll share the pics ASAP, though. Here is a quick rundown of things to come:

• family photoshoot (not my family, but a client's)
• pics of my niece and nephew (twins) at age 2 months
• pics of a boudoir shoot that I attempted (using a couple friends as volunteers)
• pics of MY family (taken on Thanksgiving)
• couple shoot... I shared a few from this, but haven't finished going thru them yet.

AAARGH. So, as you can see, I'm a bit busy. I wish there were 100 hours in a day; THEN I might feel like I'm getting somewhere. Oh well...I'm having fun in the process.  

Finding creativity again

I have always tried to cultivate my creative side, be it through singing, writing, drawing, or other sorts of arts & crafts. I absolutely fell in LOVE with scrapbooking, and that has been the main source of my creativity for the past several years now. I became OBSESSED with it...purchasing all the new "stuff" that would make my pages "better," buying every new magazine on the subject, planning all my layouts... to the point where I didn't have any energy left to actually DO this craft that I loved so much. The perfectionist in me came through, too... meaning that what should have taken me a few minutes actually took over an hour or so, as I tried to create the "perfect" layouts.  I grew frustrated with myself and my talents as I perceived everyone else's creations as being better than my own. I tried to force myself into other people's styles that I admired. 

I wanted to make a name for myself in the scrapbooking world, so I tried and tried again to be published. I did get some short-lived recognition (which I still hold as one of my best moments), but then it was back to normal. I tried to simplify and reorganize in the hopes that this would help unclutter my mind and my style. It DID help...but only for awhile. Then it was back to second-guessing myself, and try to figure out MY style instead of coying someone else's. I planned and planned for projects that never came to be, as my unused supplies grew dusty on the shelf.

About this time, other things in my life came to a head. I was recently married, had moved again, and was turning 30 soon (all high-stress situations). I knew that I had a good job but didn't want to make a career out of it. And I felt like I was butting my head up against a wall, figuring out where to go from here... I felt like my mojo was gone, and I needed to recapture it...quickly!

I don't know when it exactly came to me, but I think it was sometime while I was at work...daydreaming about my futuer and trying to figure things out. I had one thought which led to another and another and another, and before you know it, I knew what I would do. It wasn't a true "ah-ha" moment like a lighbulb being switched on over my head; it was more like a dimmer switch being turned more and more so that the lighbulb finally glowed bright.

I decided to become a professional photographer. It was weird... it was like I felt something "click" inside of me when I made that decision. I tried to keep it to myself for awhile, while I was looking into the possibilities of doing it, to make sure it was actually a feasible thing. But the more I researched, the more it just felt RIGHT. I actually couldn't keep it to myself for very long... the excitement just bubbled over. I don't think I told friends or family for a few weeks, but I told my husband the very first night I had the idea. His response was similar to my own... the feeling of wanting to smack yourself on the forehead and simply say, "Duh. Why didn't I think of this before?" He agreed that it made perfect sense, and he bcame excited for me...my own personal cheerleader. That was all the encouragement I needed to race forward at breakneck speed.

I tried to temper myself, knowing that I do easily become obsessive about any new idea/project that strikes my fancy and tend to run wild. And, knowing this about myself, and also knowing that I am not a patient person, I really really tried to ease off a bit and not let this consume me, striving for balance. As I proceeded, things just seemed to naturally fall into place. It just felt "right." And so I found myself always WAITING for something to go wrong (Myrphy's Law), or waiting for the "magic" to wear off and for me to become bored. I grew worried that this was just one more "fad" for me, and that it, too, would die off. But I found the opposite to be true. Don't get me wrong, I still have plenty of moments of self-doubt, but those are more about nerves and the unknown than about what I am actually doing.

I find myself super-excited to get on the computer each night and work on my latest photographs. And, as I look at the retouched images, a strange thing happens. I can see my STYLE. That thing that I sepnt SO LONG searching for, seems to have magically happened, just in a different place than expected. My creativity is free-flowing now, where I don't feel like I need to second-guess myself.

And yes, I DO still have several outside sources of inspiration. But I have learned to look to them for simple inspiration and NOT for the sake of trying to copy what they do. For I have found a style all my own...

I feel like I have finally found a creative niche for myself though my photographs.

couple's photo shoot

I met up with my best friend Michelle and her boyfriend, Sean, on Saturday afternoon to get some pictures of the both of them. We started at a small park in Costa Mesa (near South Coast Plaza), then headed over to The Camp and then raced across the street to The Lab.

I'm not done processing them all, but thought I would share a few faves so far...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NO on H8

In light of the recent Prop 8 having being passed here in California, a large group of people gathered outside of Saddleback Church, to protest. My husband and I were among the 200+ people gathered. I have never been a part of something like this before; something so important. It was completely exhilerating.

A quick explanation for those not in the know... a while back, California passed a law to allow gay couples to get married. And with the passing of Prop 8 this past Election Day, not only did that right get taken away, but people voted to actually change the wording of the California Constitution to make such a thing illegal. This is the first time in our country's history that rights were granted and then taken away again almost immediately. The proposition was passed with such a narrow margin; almost split evenly. But, it still passed.

So Tony and I were there in protest.

Soapbox moment: For me, this comes down to equality. The main reasons that I have heard repeatedly as to why people had voted for this proposition to pass was due to (a) religious beliefs and (b) not wanting this taught in schools. To those people I usually answer (a) if we truly have separation of church and state (as we are supposed to), then religion should not dictate the laws made by government...for, if people are allowed to follow different religions (or even none at all), then why should specific religious laws be the ones to bind them? and (b) anyone worried about this being taught in schools need to take it up at that level; this prop had nothing to do with schools or children.  

So Tony and I were there in protest.

One thing that really strikes home for me... it wasn't that long ago that the interracial marriage between Tony and myself would have not only been frowned upon, but actually would have been illegal. And now, looking back upon that time in history, we are able to see how ignorant that type of thinking really was.  I am hoping that the same kind of progressive thinking can be applied to gay rights.

Here are a few favorite photos captured from this morning. You can see the rest I took at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8418652@N02/sets/72157608807114471/

 

   

 

 

 

 

peace, love, equality...

michael's 3rd b-day (sneak peek)

My nephew, Michael, is turning THREE tomorrow. He had his birthday party last Saturday, though. I haven't had a chance to get thru all the photos yet, and will add more later...

But these caught my eye. He was simply playing with his new fire engine.

     

 

 

 

photo roundup - halloween with the kids

I got to visit my niece in her class on Halloween and join in the festivities. My niece was totally adorable, choosing to dress as Batgirl this year.  (Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see my other niece, who was dressed as Cleopatra.) My nephew was also there, dressed as Mickey Mouse.

And, FYI... my mother-in-law made all of their costumes.

Here are a few favorite photos from the afternoon:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(And here comes Batgirl...as she reaches for the monkey bars, and crouches in preparation to jump:)

 

 

  

       

 

 

Disneyland at Halloween time

I *finally* made it to Disneyland on Thursday night, going there with my best friend Jen. Unfortunately, by the time we had parked, met up, and took the monorail in... we had little over an hour to spend there before the park closed. sigh.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we set off exploring...just looking around us and noticing all the Halloween decorations. I wanted to test out my new camera with some night shots (which, I must admit, I have NEVER been very good at). Jen was having almost as much fun as I was, pointing out various things to take pics of...she said it was almost like seeing things through a whole new pair of eyes. While she normally zooms through the park from place to place, this was the first time in a LONG time she had really slowed down to take it all in. Having a camera in hand, with the intent on actually using it, FORCES you to see things in a whole new way...

Here are a few fave shots that I was able to capture:

waiting for the monorail:

 

 

 

 

reflection of the castle in the water below it: