I did it....

I managed to get Ryder to hold still for 6 seconds to take his 2 year photos...Talk about working hard for the shot..... Whew.... I did it.... with a bit of bribery...
I did manage to get some with Madeleine as well, but you will see how that went on the next post... best work yet.... ya, right!!!! :)

What do you VALUE???

I’d like to talk about value, particularly the value of an art that I
hold near and dear to my heart: the art of photography. Yes, there is
the old adage that art is priceless, but when you’re running a
business like I am, one can’t help but having to place a value on the
finished product—or else what I do would merely be a hobby and nothing
more. Fortunately, I love what I do and every day I am thankful that I
get to spend my days photographing beautiful children, lovely
brides and happy families, but still, the question remains: what is
all of that worth?

I guess the real question is what is that photograph on your wall
really worth? What does that album tucked away in a safe place
really worth to you? And your wedding album? Is it something you’d like
to pass on to your children someday? Or maybe you have a box full of
old photos passed on to you like I do that sit in an old shoe box and
from time to time you can’t help but sit down and reflect on the
memories that all of those photos hold. For me, it’s real simple. I
ask myself this question: If there was a fire in my house, and I had
the chance to grab some valuable possessions (assuming my family was already safe),
what would it be?: My box full of albums, family videos and family photos. It’s
really a no-brainer for me.

Yes, I’m a photographer. Yes, this is what
I do for a living, but before I’m a photographer, I’m a mother and
wife and a daughter to my mother, and so on. In that box, is a
lifetime of memories, some of family members that have passed, and
some of memories I want to cherish for the rest of my life, because
let’s face it, as we grow older, our minds grow a little further away
from those memories with each passing year. It’s just the way that
life works, but I know that twenty or thirty years from now, I will
have my albums and endless photographs of my family, ones that I
will pass on to my daughter and my son. And so glad I did put myself in those photos... I doubt Madeleine will ever say." Gosh, Mom.. I wish you were 10 pounds lighter when we took that picture together when I was 4 years old" Highly unlikely.... ones that I’ll be able to sit
back with Chris and glance at the pictures from Tahiti and recall the
time we swam with the sharks in Tahiti or I’ll be able to revisit
Madeleine’s early years when she tasted her first orange and scrunched
up her face, or maybe I’ll be taken back to the time I took Ryder on a
mini-photo shoot around the block and all he could do was flash those
boyish dimples for me every ten steps. It’s all memories for me,
memories preserved in a album or on a wall or in a box. Memories,
that yes, are priceless to me and only to me. Memories that I wouldn’t
trade for the world.

So when we talk about the value of photography, I
often think of it in terms of a product that simply never decreases in
value. It’s the only true thing that I can think of that NEVER
depreciates in value. In fact, its value only increases as the years
pass, because in the end, the further we grow from past memories, the
more dependent we become on those things such as photographs to take
us back and help us to relive the special moments in our lives. I like
to think of photographs as the memories of our lives, and that’s why
I treasure (no, I value my job) so much, because I get to help others
preserve their own special memories.

So, I come back to my original question, and
it’s one that can only be answered by each individual. How much value
do you place on the beautiful moments of your own lives?


let me know your thoughts or comments below. I would like to hear what your most valuable possesions are..The latest ipod, your new coach purse, your plasma TV, the photo of you with your great grandmother or you holding your baby for the first time? Let me know...

~G

This family "ROCKED"

literally, rocked....Mom was right, she knew her little man was going to have a rock in one hand and be just fine....and that's the way our session went and it was so much fun....Notice the rocks??? Big and small.... I am always so glad when families commission me to photograph the entire family. I loved to see the interaction between mom and daughter and father and son and vice versa as well as the whole family just hanging out and having a fun time... Thanks to the Peterson family... Thank you for letting me capture special moments of your afternoon...Here is a small sneak peek of many more to come your way..:)
~G

Vegas... Inspired......

WOW, WOW, WOW..... and another WOW... Yes. I was WOWed and totally inspired from my trip to WPPI.. I had such an amazing time and heard many great photographers speak. But, I think the most fun was hanging out with a group of very talented photographers and colleagues and now so proud to call friends....

We were up at the crack of dawn and went to sleep at the crack of dawn.. Yawn...But took in so much information and really made me see things a little differently in a very good way. I realized again the VALUE of our art and appreciate the art of photography so much more... (More on that topic on a later post)and boy do I have a long post about that...:)

Here is a picture of all of us taken from my friend Jo's blog. I did not have my camera out at all, so as soon as I get copies of my friends pictures, I will update this post. Here is one for now...

Ryder turns the BIG "2"

Dear Ryder,
O my goodness, where does the time go, my little man?.. You turned two today, and it seems like you were just in my arms as I was rocking you to sleep just weeks ago… You have grown so much and have quite a little adventurous soul… you love to be outside whether it is raining, snowing ( it has snowed in Redlands) or just a beautiful day outside, and why not... you are really into your trains right now and every time you see a ball around you have to pick it up and just throw it for a little bit of ball action… You say just a few words now. Your sister Madeleine was not talking until almost 3 and wow, I was a little worried a bit, but listen to her now.. See! worried??? not really... :). But I am looking forward to getting to listen to all the new words you will learn this year and putting them together to make some sentences to us, like "I love you mommy".. But even though you do not quite say it with words, I sure do feel it and know when you you do reach out for me and just smile or cry. I know exactly what you are saying. ;)

You sure do love the water, and taking your baths. Not many kids really look forward to bath time. But whenever I say “Ryder it’s bath time, you run to the laundry room, so anxious to get your towel and head into the bathroom. You get so anxious, you want to go in fully clothed or not…
and for being just 2, you sure are so affectionate with others, sometimes a little shy. But once you warm up. You are just the most gentle soul. It just melts my heart...

And boy. Oh boy.. you sure do love the word “no”.. Yikes… especially when we are trying to get you off of your paci.. but oh well. That will come in due time..
I love you my little guy and have loved spending every minute with you these 2 years.. and I look forward to spending the next year documenting everything you will be doing this year…looking forward to seeing what this year has in store for you, us and as a family. I love you with all my heart and soul my little guy . Happy Birthday,
Love, MOM

Gone Fishin'

Well, not really. But I will be fishing for some more and exciting ideas and getting ready to be inspired once again. Heading out to WPPI. The biggest photography workshop ever. Over 20 thousand photographers across the United States will be there. Yahoo. I am so excited to be going with a great group of photographers and ready to meet many more and make new friends along the way.

I will be away from my desk March 16 thru the 19th. I will be returning all phone calls and e-mails upon my return. Have a great week and I can't wait to blog about this trip when I get back....
Viva Las Vegas...
~G

"O" my... Here she comes......

Watch out my friends, little Miss "O" is here...I just loved photographing this little one. Here eyes sparkle like beautiful glass marbles. Don't you love it?...
I know mom and dad have been patiently waiting to get a small sneak peek of our session. Here you go my firiends... Just a tease of what is to come...

Dirt anyone???

Dirt bikes, skateboarding, snowboarding, soccer, baseball and basketball.. Yup... They love it all. I thought this session was pretty darn cool because they brought along their dirt bikes to take some fierce pictures....here are a few moments of our afternoon.

Rian and Davan

This session has been a long time coming. I have always wanted to photograph these girls since the time we first met and the day finally came. Yeah! Now, can you see why? These girls were such a joy to photograph. Even their names are cool, I had to post them. Can those eyes get any bluer? here is a sneak peek for you.
~G

Meet another brother and sister team. Boy! little sis can sure hang with big brother. She is one tough cookie. After almost getting tipped over on the hammock, jumped on and nailed in a pillow fight, she was ready to go for round two. Wow... He is the self proclaimed "Mr Prankster" Yes, I do believe it... I had so much fun watching these two interact. They reminded me of my older brother and myself when we were that age. How fun to be young! Here are just a few of thier moments from our morning session.
~G