The Nikon D800

The day has finally come. My D800 finally arrived!


I had two good-news morning calls today; the first from Anthony and the second from Robi's Camera Center informing me that my camera had arrived and was waiting for me. I've never jumped out of bed faster. Ever. (Sorry mum and dad, all those years of coming into my room clapping and turning on the lights in order to wake me up will never come close). After I hung up the phone, I let out a squeal...okay, okay - maybe a loud squeal. If Anthony were here we'd be jumping up and down like maniacs - but that's besides the point. Ahem. So, back to the camera! Ah yes, so Molly and I loaded up the car and headed to Robi's, picked up my camera, bought a few accessories, and rushed out the door. I came home and charged the battery. :Cue Jeopardy waiting music:


Done.


Without reading the manual, I loaded up the SD and CF cards and asked Molly to pose for me. 

Clearly I need to read my manual tonight! But I was just so excited to hold a piece of heaven in my hands! Alright, to my manual I go!!!!

A Sweet San Franciscan Proposal

My first "official" shoot. Was I nervous...? OH YES! The whole week Anthony and I had been practicing - preparing for this one day. Iker and Lorena's special day. I flew to San Francisco the same day I would be shooting them. Risky? Yes. But gutsy. I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. I rushed to meet up with this beautiful couple - Lorena didn't know I would be taking pictures of them shortly after Iker proposed to her. Everything was a surprise. As you can imagine, I'm thinking the worse! "What if I don't find them in time?!" "What if my camera stops working?!" I was incredibly nervous. I hopped on a bus (not sure if it was going in the right direction - the bus driver was just plain rude so I omitted her help!) and prayed to God that everything would be okay. I would ask for directions and people had NO idea what/where I was talking about. I got off at the last stop - walked in the direction my map told me to walk. And just kept walking. By this point my hands were shaking and my heart was beating a thousand beats per second. Time was running out. Would I get to the place in time for the proposal?!


Well I sure did - right as they were getting out of their car! Phew!


So, without further ado, I now introduce the beautiful Lorena and Iker to you  in A Sweet San Franciscan Proposal. Enjoy!

Just so beautiful! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your special day! I wish you two all the best!

No Easy Task

Very productive Monday, thus far! Sheesh, owning a small business is quite the task!


Checklist:
1. Get Business License 
2. Get Business Insured 
3. Sort out school loan dilemma  (my mum would be proud)
4. Design business cards
5. Launch Website


As of today, all of my equipment and business are insured! High five! 


The beauty of all this stress? I can work in my pj's. ;) Don't worry - I still shower, though. 

I am looking forward to this week because my friend and I are going to do a shoot. I'm so excited! This means new places to explore, new techniques to try out, new design concept, and play "dress up." Be on the lookout for some new photos! Until then, this busy bee and her sidekick need some lunch.

Valentina Terentyeva

My sweet Valentina. Astounding jawline. Great poses. Easy to photograph. This girl knows what she's doing! You can find her awesome work here. 

Val and I met each other in Arizona. To make use of our time while our husbands were at work, we'd venture out into the Arizonan desert and practice our photography. We didn't have to worry about messing up the shot because we both understood we were simply practicing and experimenting. I can definitely say life was completely stress free in Arizona - and better with another aspiring photographer around.  

 My sweet little Val.

"In the Philosophical Tradition..."

I can't seem to figure out what to write about my husband, Anthony. Don't take that as an "oh my goodness, Lisa doesn't love her husband!" Instead, I'll let the next few pictures speak for themselves. 

I'm not exactly sure what's worse - full term pregnancy or being away from him for 9 months straight (6756 miles away). Either way, they're both bound to cause some sort of pain. But thank God I only have to deal with one of these options (...and that's being away from him)! 

Anthony has played a huge role to the start of my business! I can't imagine where I would be without him. He's constantly pushing me, teaching me the technical aspects of photography, posing for my pictures ("Anthony, stand here really quick, I want to try something." and he replies so sweetly with "alright") and always down to go out for shoots. I read Jasmine Star's magazine and came across this break down of "supporters" (she lists three, but I'll keep it short and list this one). This sums up Anthony perfectly! 

Mr/Mrs Supporter

"This person embodies supportive qualities, but also takes an active role in the business, by shooting or alleviating the post-shoot workflow. If your business was a cruise ship (preferably with deck games and umbrella-ed drinks) he/she would be second-in-command." 

- Jasmine Star

So, there you have it. This post ultimately serves as a thank you (HUGE THANK YOU) to my husband (and most certainly our family and friends) who keep encouraging me to take this big risk and believe in me!  Now, Anthony, take me to the cupcake shop or I'll delete this post! ;)  Just kidding. 

Point & Shoot: China

Before I purchased my Nikon D7000 (soon to be upgraded to D800), I had a little Sony- Super Steady Shot with a whooping 7.2 megapixels! I went back through all the pictures I had taken with it and was amazed by the shots that it took. Obviously my pics weren't as crystal clear as they are now - but they sure did come close. These pictures were taken in 2009 when I lived in China.

Not always perfect as you can tell from my notes

Tell me if you think this is a legitimate excuse to go back and take pics with my D800: "Hey Anthony, since you'll be gone and all...do you think I can go back to China and experiment with my new camera? I'll be closer to you! AND! I can build my portfolio!"  Eh, eh - whaddya say? ;) 

From 50mm to Macro

I just added a new lens to my collection - the 50mm f/1.4G lens! Excuse my drooling! Of course Anthony and I waited impatiently by the door all day for the package to arrive...and when it finally did, playtime commenced! As we slowly ripped opened the package, we could hear the angel's singing "hallelujah" loudly! 

Snap here. Snap there. Snap everywhere! Later in the evening, I came across a convenient tutorial from one of my favorite photographer's blog, Imaginale Design. She talked about turning your 50mm lens into a macro. I jumped to my camera and followed her tutorial. Anthony was definitely nervous. God forbid I break my new lens the first day we got it. So as Anthony held his breath and looked away, I snapped these shots of my flowers (as seen above). 

Though they may not be in focus, I still think they look awesome! What a fun trick. If you decide to try this, be VERY CAREFUL! Ultimately, these prints will probably be the equivalent of an Anne Geddes' print for my bathroom...nice to know my work has some sort of value.

How to (as taken from Imaginale Design): 

1. Take your 50mm lens

2. Turn it around so that the lens is facing the camera and the back of the lens is facing your subject

***HOLD ONTO THE LENS AS YOU SHOOT!!

3. And voila!