My Blog!

You haven't lost me.....

2008-01-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

I PROMISE!!! I have just been a little crazy the past few months.... I mean c'mon... look at my face!

Catchin' UP with Bear Hunter!

2007-10-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of photographing one of Chico's most talented bands' Bear Hunter. These guys are so cool! If you live here, you've gotta go check em' out whenever they play. If you do...you just might see me there!!! If you don't live here... check out their site for tour dates near YOU!

BEAR HUNTER IS.... Maurice Spencer, Chris Hunter, and Clint Bear

These guys ROCK!

Maurice

Chris

Clint

THE NEED TO POST!!!

2007-10-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah.....I am in serious need of an update aren't I? I have some things in the works....families, bellies, and Weddings....lovely weddings!
Check back soon!

Lunar Eclipse

2007-08-29T01:11:00.002-07:00

I stayed up waaaayyyyy too late last night, but I HAD to catch this spectacular event!! Maybe I get too excited about this stuff, but the lunar eclipse was definitely something worth staying up for. DID YOU SEE IT????

I could only stay awake until almost 3:00 a.m., but as my good friend erin would say... "here's what I saw..."

2:02 a.m.

2:16 a.m.

2:48 a.m.

2:50 a.m.

Keri and Lance

2007-08-26T08:22:00.002-07:00

I have been a little behind on blogging, but I have so much to share!

Meet Keri and Lance ....they are getting married here in Chico on October 20th. This engagement session was so much fun, and it was hard for me to choose what to put on the blog...but here are a few of my favorites...

Here are some sample "save the date" cards that I offer....

How do I look?

2007-08-16T14:42:00.001-07:00

So I SHOULD be blogging more important things.. : ) but, my good friend Erin of erinkatephotography told me about this really cool site that can build an animated image of YOU! She said it was addicting, and she was right!

Check back soon for some new posts.....and THANKS for looking!

Trevor and Nicole 7-7-07

2007-07-16T23:43:00.001-07:00

So here it is....my 7/7/07 wedding!!!
I really had a hard time choosing images for this post....that is why it took me so long, and why there are so many! Hey....can there really be too many though? ; )

Nicole and Trevor were so much fun to work with. They ended up having the most PERFECT wedding day...and I think we even escaped the 100 degree mark that day!! The ceremony was out on the Tuscan Ridge Golf Course, which is a very nice spot for a wedding, and going to be very popular in the next year!

I was honored to capture these images, and I really had a great time. THANK YOU Nicole and Trevor...YOU GUYS ROCK!!

Woodward West!!

2007-07-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

If you were wondering where I have been, or what I have been up to.....well...we went on a little vacation. We spent another week at Woodward West! Woodward is a summer camp for gymnastics and action sports in Stallion Springs, California. If you have never heard of it, or have never been there...it is a sight to see, a true 'oasis' for kids....and for the 'young at heart'. ; )

Here are just a few of the photos that I took while we were there.....

More Babies!!

2007-05-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

Meet Melissa and Tori!

I had the honor of photographing my first set of twins! I think we really caught some sweet moments, but man....those girls are fast! I thought it was tough to have one baby in front of the lens! : ) I don't know how their Mom does it! She is really amazing.
This session was so much fun. I hope I get the chance to see them again soon. It will be interesting to watch their similarities grow.

Melissa

Tori

Emma and Joel...

2007-05-29T14:52:00.001-07:00

So much to Blog...so little time!! I am excited because I have so many new images I just don't know what to do with them all!

I have to start with my first wedding of the season, Emma and Joel. They were a really cute, and fun couple. You can see what a crack-up the guys are in the photos, and that makes weddings so much fun! Thank you to Emma, Joel and their families for letting me celebrate your special day with you.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Here are a few of my favorites..

Mommies and Babies!

2007-05-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

This has been a really busy month for me, and I started off with photographing a cousin, a friend, and their babies!
I had so much fun with these sessions, and I just don't think there is enough time in a day to capture all of the precious details, purities, or moments of a baby's life, but this is what I caught in a couple of hours time.

Thank you Robin and Rashell, Maddoc and Holden

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Robin

Baby Maddoc

Baby Holden

MY GIRLS

2007-04-30T11:31:00.001-07:00

MIA!!

2007-04-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I was able to catch this moment!! This is Mia's first bubble gum bubble! (Tell me if you can feel her excitement!) I am so proud of her...she learned this, to hoola hoop, and jump rope all in one week! She is growing up way too fast.

BECKI'S FAMILY...

2007-04-16T17:23:00.001-07:00

This is ONE session that I have really been wanting to post for a LONG time! This is my good friend Becki, and her kids. We took these photos last fall for their Christmas cards, and I go back and look at them quite often. We had a good time shooting these, and I can't wait to photograph more families. I love going to the family, instead of you coming to me, or finding a certain spot you love to go to, or a very different place for your photo session. Over-all, I think it is a BLAST to photograph families! Contact me if you are looking for a photographer for YOUR family photos : ) ...... coz@shocking.com

My beautiful friend Becki-

Okay, so the family dog wasn't really keen on having his photo taken...can you tell?

Ha' Penny Bridge-

2007-04-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

I had a great opportunity to photograph a new Chico band...Ha' Penny Bridge. If you live in Chico, or come for a visit, you should try and check out this great Celtic Band, with some really beautiful vocals!

We shot these in a really short amount of time, and they were so natural at posing themselves...Thank you guys, for being patient and creative! I had fun.

Sorry, it's been so long!

2007-04-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with so many different photo sessions...I am just trying to keep up! I am just having too much fun, I can't slow down.

I will have to post more, from different photo sessions, but here are a couple of my most recent shoot from this past weekend. I met up with some other local photographers at Table Mountain (Oroville, California) for this shoot. It was an amazing day, just perfect outside. I am so excited that it is finally SPRING!

Let's try this again...CABO!!!

2007-02-15T23:32:00.000-08:00

So, last week went by so fast, and I was so proud of myself for blogging about it so fast! I don't know what happened to that last post, the photos vanished! Woah! I will try and post those photos again....here goes..

P.S.. leave a comment, and let me know where you are blogging from..I am so curious : ) and I LOVE getting comments!

Fellow photographers Barb Hernandez, Emily Dewan, and Erin Gouveia strikin' some poses for me in Downtown Cabo.

As if Cabo wasn't beautiful enough...we had fireworks right outside of our villa two nights in -a-row!

Baby Elliot

2007-01-29T22:50:00.000-08:00

Elliot is so cute, I just can't get enough of her! She is the daughter of my friend Jill in the previous maternity photos that I shot, just about a week before she was born! She came out just perfect....Nice job Jill and Ty!!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-28T22:29:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I have last posted anything here, so I don't really know where to start.
Christmas came and went, and we have now started a new year. My little family has been so busy, with some new changes, so we are really trying to adjust, and just have fun!
I have been taking so many different types of photos, and actually have been really busy working with a local magazine as well. I had a few images posted in last month's issue, and I actually shot the cover for February! : ) You can check out their site at http://www.northstateparent.com/
I have never photographed for a magazine before, so it has been fun, and I hope to do more. Thank you to all of my models, and keep watching for your photos in future issues.
THANK YOU NORTH STATE PARENT MAGAZINE!

Jill

2006-12-19T00:43:00.001-08:00

I was lucky enough to catch my friend Jill Spooner before she gives birth! YES....can you believe she is due any day? I envy her spunk, and her beauty....and all the great chairs in her home! LOL... (We both seem to have a love of chairs)

Thank you Jill for letting me take up your time on that rainy day! I think we came up with some really fun images...I can't wait for the baby to come!!!

Where are the Geese????

2006-12-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have been able to post anything here, but I have been pretty busy as usual. The Holiday season is approaching so fast, and our lives have been changing just as fast, in so many ways, so it is really hard to keep up, but I will try to share some of the fun images that I have been capturing over the last few weeks in between the craziness!

I have been on a mission to complete an assignment for a local magazine to capture some images of some Snow Geese. Well,,,this was a much harder task than I had imagined, but it was fun anyway, and I was able to learn a lot about the geese, and how we live in a very special area of the world. The Chico area is one of their pit-stops on the way to the Arctic, from South America. Apparently the geese stick around until the end of January before they head further North. I even learned that we have a Snow Goose Festival!
I am the furthest thing from a wildlife or landscape photographer, but it was amazing, the beauty that we sometimes forget is out there just under our noses. I hope you enjoy these images, and can see what a beautiful spot I live in. I can definitely say that I have a new interest in the Snow Goose! ; )
Until the next post.....

This photo taken by the future photographer,
Mia Swifka..age 4! Pretty good huh? I like her style. : )

The photographer, herself....

Mia and her Daddy helping me look for Geese.

Another day from another sanctuary still searching for the birds!

Another fun competition!

2006-11-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was one of the most eventful weekends of my life, full of miracles and happines! On top of my dad having a life-saving surgery, my little champion had a another great competition at the Gymnastics State Finals in Pleasant Hill, California. Sydney took 7th place in the North State for her age division...out of 23 other competitors. I can't even tell you how proud of her I am!!! GREAT JOB SYDNEY!

A 9.050 on her floor routine, gave her 4th place!!! Awesome!

Sydney is so lucky to have Bri and Jen for her coaches.

Strikin' a pose on the floor routine.

Concentration....

Catchin UP!

2006-11-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am going to try and catch up a little.
I started this blog in hopes to keep it updated once a week, or so...OOPS...so far, I have bombed that one. LOL..

Last weekend, along with the big gymnastics weekend, I photographed an engagement party for my friends Christine and Evan....to be married in October of next year. I am so excited for them!
I had fun at the party, it was so beautiful, and what a perfect day too! Thanks guys, for including me in your special event!!

CONGRATULATIONS SYDNEY!!!

2006-11-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS....HERE SHE COMES!!!!!!

Here is my daughter Sydney, winning First place in EVERY event last week. WOW! What a champ...we are so proud of her. This past Sunday, Sydney placed 2nd All-around, and she qualified for the Gymanstics State Championships in two weeks..we'll keep you posted. I wish her all the luck in the world..I love you Sydney!

My first POST!!!

2006-10-30T00:16:00.000-08:00

Here it is..My Blog!
I decided to go ahead, why not....everyone else is doing it right? : )
I am so excited to be able to post and share things here, and let you know what is going on with me. The first image I chose to show here is of a my very special friend Leah, and her fiance'. I was able to share some time with them in Santa Barbara, while I was at a photo workshop at the Brooks Institute. What an inspiring weekend!
Stay tuned for more....