The Doane Family in the Blossoms-Denair, CA Portrait Photographer

Ohhhhh...the blossoms!  

This session has been trying to happen for months, but when we finally nailed down THE date, we realized "The Blossoms" were right around the corner...so, we cooled our jets and waited for the perfect blooms.  I should post a picture of our text messages back and forth--there are pictures mixed in with the texts showing the progression of the blooms. Lol!  I think we nailed it!  Doanes, you are a beautiful family--chasing you around the orchard was so much fun!

Jordyn-OHS Class of 2013

Meet Jordyn Cooley--Oakdale High School 2013 Senior.  Jordyn isn't just a beauty, she's a brain, too; but, she isn't just a brain, she's an ATHLETE, as well.  Her mom once said to me that she wasn't quite sure how her youngest got to be how she is, but Jordyn knew long ago what she wanted and how to make it happen...and make it happen she has.  Already she's been accepted to Penn State, Stan State, San Diego State, as well as to Azusa Pacific University WITH a $9K scholarship to Azusa that renews every year!  AND she plays on a private competitive soccer team.  AND she plays soccer for OHS, AND polo.  OH--AND she has a job, too.  

I think this girl is going places.  

Put me in, Coach!

I love baseball.  I don't mean that I'm a die hard fan of any particular pro team, or that I watch the world series, or even follow stats (I can glance at Facebook and get all the info I need).  I mean that I love good old fashioned baseball, and all the things that go with baseball season, in general.  Fresh cut grass, sunshine, the smell of a leather glove, little kids posturing their favorite ball players...especially when their favorite ball player is their dad...oh, and dads out playing ball with their boys.  I guess what I really love is Little League. 
I realize that it's only February, and we're a few months from actual baseball season, but, Oakdale is having a sunshiny February, so the boys are already outside playing on the grassy fields.  First practice for my middle son was much anticipated.  He kept saying, "I can't wait. I can't wait. I CAN'T WAIT." 
Yesterday was my youngest's first ever baseball practice.  Really, I just took him out to try and see what he thought.  I wasn't expecting him to go as head over heels as he did.  He's a very opinionated child, you see, at least with me, and I'd expected him to go out and know more than the coaches and come home and tell me that he didn't agree with the rules of baseball, and that he could come up with better ones...he isn't like his mother at all.

He loved it and can't wait for the next practice, in fact, he's at the park right now, throwing baseballs at anyone who will attempt to catch one.

What Should We Wear?

It's the first thing you think about when you book your session, right?  What should we wear, and where should we go?
My *first* suggestion to clients, always, is to first consider where in your home your portraits will be displayed.  Your portraits will become art in your home and the colors in the setting as well as the colors in your clothing should either blend or accent the rooms they're in. 
That being said, though the graphic above is based on the Pantone Spring 2013 Report,  the fashions represented can easily be tweaked slightly to convey the same fun trendy style with more subdued colors.  For instance, mom's dress can be switched out for a denim shirt dress, or a linen shift (both also found on Old Navy) and big sister's cardigan can be switched to an accent color that compliments your home, and little sis's coat can be omitted and the dress changed to practically any other pattern.  This is a fun casual, and trendy wardrobe that would be great for spring portraits in the almond blossoms in March!
Polyvore is a fantastic resource for planning/styling your shoot.  It can be used on virtually any website to grab styles that appeal to you, and then paste them to a board to see how it all works together before making any purchases.  Check it out and play with it--it's very fun!

Charlie

It was a gloomy January day, but Charlie brought some sunshine with her silliness!  Dancing Gangnam Style and playing peek-a-boo and showing off her tongue...a lot!  Thank you, Charlie, for a fun morning!

2013 Spring Pantone Color Report

This season, designers overwhelmingly address consumers' desire for self-expression, balance and the need to re-energize. The color direction for spring builds upon these compelling needs with a palette that mixes dynamic brights with novel neutrals to create a harmonious balance. This allows for unique combinations that offer practicality and versatility, but at the same time, demand attention and earn an appreciative glance.
"The expression 'balancing act' is something we all relate to as we strive to find harmony in the frantic pace of our everyday lives," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute^®. "The same can be said for fashion as we look for balance between light and bright, classic and new. This season's color palette emphasizes this need for balance, while at the same time allowing for individuality, self-expression and excitement."
The prevalence of green this spring is undeniable. Similar to the many shades in our natural surroundings, this season's greens offer a stunning foreground or the perfect backdrop for all other hues. Like the first signs of spring, Tender Shoots, a vibrant yellow-green, is invigorating, active and cheerful, while Grayed Jade, a subtle, hushed green with a gray undertone, brings about a mood of quiet reflection and repose. Sophisticated Emerald, a lively, radiant green, inspires insight and clarity while enhancing our sense of well-being. From one extreme to the other, combining all three greens presents an intriguing choice much like Mother Nature intended.
Exotic African Violet is a statement color that brings a touch of intrigue to the palette, as purples often do, and can be incorporated into many unexpected combinations. Try pairing it with exuberant Poppy Red, a seductive, sensual and celebratory shade. Whether it's a knockout dress or a kiss on the lips, every woman's wardrobe and beauty essentials should include this spirited, true red.
Nectarine, a bright, effervescent citrus orange with coral undertones, provides a tangy burst of flavor while cheerful Lemon Zest brings out a piquant taste with its refreshing, spritely greenish cast.
Signifying the time of day when everything starts to wind down, Dusk Blue offers a calming sense of serenity akin to its green counterpart, Grayed Jade. Both of these colors act as the season's newest neutrals. For an unexpected mix, pair Dusk Blue with the intensity of Nectarine. A warm neutral, Linen is light and airy, providing a nudelike basic that is a must have for spring. Try pairing Linen with Grayed Jade or Dusk Blue. Anchoring Monaco Blue is a classic shade that offers both stability and depth to the entire palette. Combine Monaco Blue with Poppy Red and Linen, or Monaco Blue and Emerald for a fresh collegiate look.
For over 20 years, Pantone, the global authority on color, has surveyed the designers of New York Fashion Week and beyond to bring you the season's most important color trends. This report previews the most prominent hues for spring 2013.

The Reeds

 

Pinterest-ing SuperBowl Menu

All I was looking for was a hot wings recipe and for this beer cheese dip concoction...I found a couple of more recipes for this American holiday known as "Super Bowl."

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Bites

Beer Cheese Sauce and Pretzel Rolls

 

French Onion Chip Dip

 

Baked Hot Wings

 

 

 

 

 

Silent Movies--Things to do in Oakdale (or in this case, Valley Home!)

My Grandparents and my Uncle Edwin (left) and my Dad in the mid-40's.

This weekend we went to do one of my new favorite things. The silent movie showing at St. John's Lutheran Church in Valley Home. It's a fundraiser for the church they do every year...and there's PIE! (Homemade pie!)...and ICE CREAM! (Homemade ice cream!) The event is emceed by Matias Bombal who used to host a swing radio show on KUOP (among many other endeavors) and has been very involved in keeping the history of turn of the century entertainment alive in Northern CA.
I don't know how many people who will read this have ever seen a silent movie accompanied by a pipe organist, but it is something I used to do a lot as a little girl, so I guess I shouldn't have said it's a "new" favorite thing. You see, one of my grandfather's very favorite things was pipe organs. He belonged to a preservationist group that traveled all over rescuing pipe organs--removing them carefully, lovingly from their original place and replacing them in a new home, and then going and listening to organists expertly turn their sounds into trains and cars and telephones, accompanying the movies that he watched in his youth. I would go to see the movies with him and my grandma, and my grandpa was *transformed* by these events. He was truly giddy! He would lean into my ear, beaming from ear to ear and point and say "his feet! Watch his feet! Look what he's doing with his feet!" I just liked hanging out with my grandpa and grandma, and when he was beaming from ear to ear, so was I.
A little history from my grandpa's stories to share with you. He saw his very first silent film here in Oakdale. It was shown outside on Third Street in an alley--the alley that backs up to Alexandra's. No pipe organ yet, but still made an impression on him, one that he re-told stories about for the rest of his life.
The video clip at the end of this post is the organist who accompanied the Buster Keaton film we saw on Sunday. Watching him (and watching his feet work) made my heart ache remembering the times I spent listening to pipe organs with Grandpa.

In this shot the organist, Dave Moreno, was impersonating a steam locomotive with the pipe organ. Sounded real to me, too, Eli!

Ain't no party like a Lutheran Church party, cause the Lutheran Church don't stop!

All you can eat HOMEMADE ICE CREAM--3 different kinds!! (The chefs insisted we must try all three!)

Homemade pie $3 a slice...it was a hard decision...but Caroline and I settled on a raspberry treat.

My dad in his boater. He said he had a hard time deciding between his boater and his bowler.

I think he made the right choice. I have a rule about taking pictures of people eating, which he

is reminding be about in this picture...

If you're curious, here's 4 minutes of Dave Moreno playing the train. This video does the in-person experience no justice!