Hats, Eggs, and Texture

So we are still in the sweet spot when it comes to holidays.   The kids have not yet reached the age where hanging with your folks all day is boring beyond belief (I know that day will probably come).  Easter is preceded by the the anticipation of getting out the tights, white gloves and bonnet and there are eggs to be colored and baskets to make.   My son is not incredibly enthused at the thought of dressing up, but he is into hats, as long as I find him a  cool hat, everything comes off without a hitch.   This Easter we met our family, including tons of Scarsi cousins, at a restaurant that has some really interesting architecture and the light was warm and soft.   I took this shot of my daughter and it begged me to add some texture . . . so here are the results.  I feel a texture phase coming on . . .  wait, is that a pun.  

The web site is live, the web site is live . . .

It's done. It's finally done. The all new spiffy flash web site is complete and live. Now I gotta tell ya, that for someone with my apparent lack of programming skill, this is nothing short of a miracle. I had to learn a little about HTML and control panels, but now I can say "Dondes Estas El Banyo?" in geek. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce my web site www.lisascarsi.com . Oh, and please, pretty please, let me know what you think.

Fun with Pocket Wizards

So, it's Wednesday night and what are we doing at the Scarsi household . . . ?  Trying out mom's new Pocket Wizard cable.   I got my Pocket Wizards so that I could go wireless in the studio. Recently, I got a request from Scarsi Clan to do a family portrait on Easter Sunday.  Yep, the whole dressed up, child laden posse.   So I started to think about how I could pull this off without having to buy another expensive piece of equipment (or hiring a monkey to hit the shutter release).   So I bought a motor drive cable for about  $90 and voila.   I can shoot and be in the family portrait too!!!  I love my Pocket Wizards and I want a few more of them.  Camera equipment is very much like shoes . . . you  never seem to have enough.  

Sophia was very impressed that she could fire the camera herself with the Wizard and thought it would be a great idea if she held one while Buddy (the slick little canine on the left) held the other.   She is quite the little creative director.  

Brothers & Uncles

It's funny . . . you can go your whole life picking up friends, lovers, business partners and spouses and even children, but your siblings will always be privy to a part of you that only they can know.  You grew up together.  You shared the experience of your first family.  It's a unique one and one you continue to learn about  your entire life.  This is my brother  . . . well, one of them.   I still call him Bobby but I don't think anyone else does.  He's a character and while I say that lovingly, he does follow a different drummer . . . and he's not shy about it.    He's a lot like our dad and every time I see him I rediscover some "Dadism" I'd forgotten about.  (Dad died in '91)   My kids adore him because he's so goofy with them.  He has spent the last dozen years in Asia travelling and teaching.   It's an interesting life and he certainly has some interesting stories to tell.  

The web site is coming, the web site is coming . . .

That's right!!  After months of analysis, hand wringing, html battling and the like, I have  finally gotten all the pieces in place and my web site (www.lisascarsi.com) is almost ready to launch.  I know that my three blog followers are almost as excited as I am : )) 

Curly Top

Isn't he dreamy.  This is one of my many nephews.   Yes, the Scarsi clan has an overwhelming tendency to produce boy children.   This little guy is lil' John.  He's the baby of the bunch (at least so far - see the previous post) and the ONLY one with curly hair.  You just want to tousle his hair pretty much non-stop . . . at least I do.  Yesterday, we were all at G&G's house (grama & grampa's house) and I chased John around with my 70-200mm, f2.8 lens so that I could get the cool bokeh (creamy out of focus background) looking the way I did.  Don't try this at home though . . . really long, really heavy, really expensive zoom lenses and two-year olds are not an easy combo to work with.  But there are very few things I love more than chasing children around with cameras . . . sigh . . . so for me it's pure fun.  The results are pretty cool too.   

Babies to be . .

It's spring and something is in the air . . . seems like everyone I know is having a baby.  OK, not everyone, I exaggerate, but many people.  I'm planning one of my best friend's baby shower and I guess I'm just more in tune with the maternity vibe.  Anyway, here are some shots from some recent work to get you in the mood. I cannot be held responsible if you are inspired to start breeding when you see how beautiful these ladies look, so view at your own risk : ))  

Portrait Photography

Just a quick little show of some recent work

The Other Man

I'm a happily married woman.  I have a great husband and two beautiful children.  I should be grateful for what I have and should NOT go looking for trouble.  But . . . recently on a sunny morning, I flirted shamelessly with another man.  A younger and very handsome man.  Oh, I couldn't help myself he was just my type . . . big brown eyes, a quick smile and the most wonderful  thighs you've ever seen.  

His name is Gavin and he's 9 months old.  Oh, I'm not the only girl he's cooed at.  There are many others, I'm sure.  But, I know the moments we had together (me behind the camera and him in front of it) will be special to me always.   

The Little Cowboy

Been rustling up some cowboys.  Little ones.   Couldn't you just squeeze those cheeks . . . and he is such a patient model too.  He is just one of those kids who gives you a range of emotion without much need for direction.  But that is the way I like to create children's portraits. None of that "do this, look here and smile" stuff really works well when you are trying to capture their soul.  Just let them be "them" and wait until they have that certain look that is just very simply who they really are.    

The Wannabe Flower Girl

 About three years ago we packed up the kids and drove North.  One of my husband's cousins and his gorgeous bride had the most beautiful wedding in Napa. The ceremony was out in the vineyards, the bride and groom were swaddled in soft, warm light.  It was a picturesque day and a day and a wedding where everything in the world seemed just right.  Until . . . it . . . happened. My then, three-year-old daughter realized that some other cute little tart got the staring toddler role in this amazing production. This role, in her three-year-old mind, had somehow been stolen from her like a teddy bear ripped from her arms.  She was pissed!  

It didn't matter that there were many toddler girls in the family that were vying for the Flower Girl role.  It didn't matter that up until that day we hadn't even met the bride (or maybe just barely at the previous family wedding - not sure, I'd had a bit of wine).  It didn't matter that there were several other little girls, all cut from the staring role themselves, who had gotten over it and were dancing the night away. What mattered right then was that some other little fancy-dressed, pearly-shoed, up-doed little chick was getting a lion's share of the attention, ooh's and ahhh's and she, my daughter, of three years, was not.  Like I said . . . she was pissed.   

The only way I could coax her back into a somewhat reasonable state was to tell her that there would be another wedding and surely she would be a Flower Girl at that one. Well, there was another wedding, and eeeek,  somehow another starlet edged out my daughter.  Then another wedding and another and each time my daughter, now six, wanted to know WHEN she would get the coveted FG role.     

OK, so now that I'm doing more wedding photography and there are Flower Girl photos on my computer and issues of OC Bride and Ceremony magazine strewn about the house, we've come to a fork in the road.   My daughter informed me that if she did not get the chance to play FG she was gonna walk.  Alright, so she didn't put it exactly that way, but I knew I needed to act and act fast because there is nothing worse than the wounded ego of a six-year-old, princess-type, girl.  

I consulted iCal and last weekend I booked a day for one of my most important pee-wee clients. We had already picked up the dress at Nordstrom and purchased matching big-girl shoes.  We spent the morning at a real salon (Cool Cuts wouldn't do on a day like this).  We got a mani and luckily I was able to convince her that a pedi was just not necessary in closed toed shoes (and it wasn't an easy sell).  We skipped into the florist shop (with FG dress in plastic) so that we could match the colors of the roses petals perfectly.   Then when all the preparations were complete, I packed my little diva and my camera bag in my car and off to the arboretum we went for a FG photo shoot.   Needless to say when the part comes up again she'll have her head shots ready to go.       

Insurance - gotta get it man

Ok, this post is just for some of my photographer friends so all others just skip this one.   I know it's one of those pesky little business management things but ya gotta get insurance.  If for no other reason, just so that you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder at a wedding to see if your equipment is still there.  

I have a great policy and it was a totally painless process (OK, mostly painless).  The company I went with is Hill & Usher.  They have a special photography business program and they were recommended to me by WPPI so you know they know our business.  The place to go to get more info is www.packagechoice.com and  my contact (great guy) is Richard Reyes 1 866-977-4725 (press 134).  

The cost will totally depend on how much coverage you get and how much equipment you are insuring.  I think I was actually able to get a preliminary quote online.  One catch is that you need to put together a detailed list of the equipment you have . . . so dig out all your crap and jot down serial numbers and model numbers.   

Ahhh, now don't you feel less stressed already? 

Barbara

Here is one of my favorite photos of Barbara against a bright sky.  She has such a peaceful expression.  

Portrait of a Scientist

Last weekend I needed to do a portrait of a scientist.  He works with lasers, formulas and lots of very expensive looking equipment.  What interested me most about him was his passion for science and things I can only grasp a tiny bit about.   I should have paid more attention in my college physics class . . .