Boy was it a cold morning. But WOW, what a great backdrop at the Bonderosa!
Lily is just stunning in this photo!
Chase is so fun to photograph. He's always having a blast!
Hugs from Mama!
Giggles.
Staying warm!
Can't beat the green hills of California in the winter!
We shot these right in the Day's backyard! What a blast we had!
Cuteness overload!
She loves her Mama!
Slides are the best!
Everyone is smiling!
Uh Oh...
My husband and kid tagged along on this shoot. Somehow Matt convinced Lee to give Gabrielle a kiss. We could be in trouble with these two!!
It was a cold and very wet morning but we managed to get some smiles and have a little fun!
What a sweet smile! And those eyes! Can't get over them!
Nothing like a swing to get a kid (or an adult) to smile!
Love this in black and white but with Sadie's blue eyes it looks great in color too!
So many more to get through. Back to editing for me!
Yesterday I got the pleasure of photographing a family that just recently moved out to California from NYC! It was wonderful to chat about making the transition and adjusting to life in California. After all, I made that move 8 years ago (can't believe it's been that long!). Here's a sneak peak of some of their photos!
Those curls! That smile! :)
Only 6 weeks old. What a trooper she was!
Seriously, those curls!
Goofing around with Mama!
Due to the rainy weekend we had I was forced to re-schedule a few shoots. I did end up squeezing one in. I was insanely worried the kids would be miserable because of the cold, wind and occasional rain but boy, was I wrong! These kids were all smiles! I didn't even managed to go through all the photos and found these three gems already! I'm in love with them!
Sibling love!
The kids wanted to climb a tree so I said "why not?"
Seriously, JJ looks way too grown up in this picture!
Last weekend I had full day of shoots trying to catch those perfect moments for Holiday cards. Below are a few of my favorite works-in-progress.
My wonderful niece Logan!
All smiles for Mama!
It's always a huge challenge to capture each and every member of a young family smiling and happy all at the same time. While I tend to come close, I don't always get it. So, I like to provide my clients with pictures of their children smiling even if it's not with the whole family around. I will go all over a park attempting to find that one place or activity that will make them smile!
Almost got it!
Happy Baby!
And sometimes you think you nailed it but then you realize your niece has a tree growing out of her head...
Incredible fall color.
Meanwhile... same day, same park, different family, different view and lighting...
All smiles!
Beautiful in black and white.
Goofing around!
Sky loved to clap!
What a tiring but fun day! Lots of lessons learned. More shoots this weekend if only the weather would hold up...
A few weeks ago I headed to Bend, OR to film a video on Photography. Specifically, a video on printing in the wet dark room with Cibachrome. Stay tuned over the next month or so for that video! In the meantime, check out some photos I took while hiking in Smith Rock State Park on my half day off from filming.
Smith Rock State Park - view from the parking lot.
I couldn't stop staring at the texture of the clouds and rays of light. Did my best to capture it.
Another perspective.
Stairway to...
River of color.
Colors and textures of a desert landscape.
Almost at the top.
So I've been getting a lot of questions lately about what sort of photography and videography I do. In particular I get the question "do you do weddings?" The answer is yes! I have done wedding videos for two couples (see clip below for a sneak peak of the latest wedding video I'm working on). I am booked for a wedding video next year as well.
As far as photographing weddings, I am absolutely up for the task. I have not shot a wedding yet but I'm willing to work with anyone who wants to give it a try. That being said, as you might notice in my portrait photography and even my wedding videography, I am a natural light photographer. I also love and specialize in candid moments. I do not over process the photos to take out skin blemishes and other natural things that occur in a scene. I will, of course, shoot some posed portraits since those are important, too, but it is not where my strengths lie. My videography is also very raw, using natural light and mostly handheld.
I realize this style does not fit everyone's taste, and that's OK! But if you like it, please feel free to contact me and hopefully I can help you with any photo or video needs. Also, contact me if you have any more questions!
Thanks! Carra
So here's the evolution of a sunset on Hagerman Lake a few weeks ago. It was absolutely stunning! I hope you get that sense from the photos.
Before setting out on the boat
Golden
Golden Light, Blue Sky
Like someone took a paintbrush to the sky
The water is on fire
While the changing light can be the bane of my existence while filming video, it sure is a blessing when I'm photographing.
Below is my "experimental" shot. I lowered the shutter speed and decided to see how it would look when the boat was moving. I like that the water is blurry and there is some detail in the sky but in hindsight I think I should have lowered the shutter speed even more. That way I may have gotten a more painterly/sense of motion image. But who knows! What do you think?
While we headed to Hagerman Lake for a not so happy occasion this past weekend, we were extremely grateful to get to spend time with family in Michigan for the second time this year! Not to mention getting to see the lake in Fall, my favorite time of year!
Floating Leaf
Autumn
While the leaves were a spectacular sight, the clouds just started breaking up as the sun went down making the ever changing sunset a truly beautiful experience.
My (mostly) patient husband getting the boat ready to take me out on the lake to photograph the sunset.
The Evolving Sunset
Don't forget to turn around when photographing sunsets! Sometimes the sights behind you are even more stunning. Thanks to my husband for reminding me! And thanks to the rainstorm that created this stunning rainbow.
Rainbow at Sunset
Last Light
This is just a first glimpse. Stay tuned for the next blog post where I'll compare the changing light over the course of the sunset and debut an experimental shot. You guys can tell me whether or not the experiment was successful!
This past weekend we went hot air ballooning over Napa. It was gorgeous and relaxing (no kid!). Unfortunately for the photographer in me we were the last balloon to go up so we missed the incredible sunrise light. At least we got some great views!
Hot Air Balloon in the sky
Flying over the valley
The rising sun and fading mist
It's really fun to play tourist in your own area. You gain a whole new perspective on the place where you live. If you love to travel and you can't afford to go too far, try something new right in your backyard!
Nectarine Blossoms
Hello to everyone reading this. Welcome to my website! Thank you for checking it out.
In the future I will dedicate more time to blog posts but for now let me tell you a little about what to expect on this blog.
My interests are extremely varied and so are my projects. I will be posting on this blog about jobs with clients, comedy, writing, underwater photography and traveling. I might also post tips for traveling with kids, tips for taking photos or video, editing tips, or equipment reviews. If I find any helpful videos or other blogs, I will be sharing those as well.
I am an "expert" in photography and videography only insofar as people pay me to do it and I love doing it. As with all crafts, my skills and opinions are always in flux. So, that being said, please take any advice I give with a grain of salt.
Thanks for checking out the site! Hope to see you back here again soon.
xoxo Carra