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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Love Day everyone! I hope that special someone in your life does something extra nice for you today. I hope you will return the favor. =) Babes is planning on cooking me a salmon and steak dinner tonight which means I’ll be in charge of dessert, can’t wait! What are your Valentine’s plans if any? Also, a reminder that the Wedding Dress Giveaway deadline is Feb. 28th so you still have a few weeks to enter! =)

Posted in: Site Updates   |   1 Comment

Shoot anytime anywhere: nighttime photos

Continuing with the recent theme: Get motivated, go out there and shoot anytime anywhere!.. here are some night time photos I’d like to share. Just because the sun goes down doesn’t mean you can’t take any nice photos. At some point or time, we’ve all taken the kinds of photos at night where bright flash is in your face, you have red-eye, and everything else behind you is pitch black. It can be discouraging… but with a little bit of adjustment, nighttime shots can produce some really creative photos. Don’t be afraid to take photos at night.

Click through for more photos… and tips on how to improve your night shots.

nighttime photography

more nightime photos »

Posted in: Photography, Photography Tips, Portraits, Tutorials   |   Tags: bokeh, nighttime photography, Nikon 85mm f1.4, Nikon d700, strobist   |   7 Comments

Happy Birthday Lori!

When I think about my childhood, I am happy because you were there with me. You were there and you helped me more than you know. One of many ways was… I remember it like a vague but pleasant dream, I would ask you to tell me bedtime stories to help me sleep and you always did. I think now it’s so fitting that you love to write such wonderful stories. You’re an extraordinary person and I am blessed to have you as my sister and friend for all of my life. I love you and I hope this year is filled with many joyous moments for you. I also hope Kitty gets a sister or brother this year, that would make MY day! ahah

Lori is so special to me…

lori bday

more sisterly love »

Posted in: Family   |   Tags: Nikon d40, Oldrige Botanical Gardens, sisters   |   8 Comments

Rainy day fun

Who says you can’t have fun in the rain? Tired of being rained in so often these past few weeks, we took out an umbrella and said what the heck. I mean, c’mon it’s Southern California right?… it’s not supposed to rain this often. Anyways, even though it was a bit big on her, Kay picked up my sister-in-law’s red coat because… well, it’s bright red. We figured the red would provide a good contrast to the gray gloomy day. I think this idea stems back to my grade school days where we’d watch films on rainy days. One such film that I loved was a 30min 1956 short french film “The Red Balloon” by Albert Lamorisse. It was such a wonderful story about a boy and his red balloon. (I bet this timeless story inspired Disney’s “Up” movie) Do you remember watching this in grade school? Watch it again… it’ll be a nice trip down memory lane. Never seen this short? You must, the story transcends time, language and culture. Here’s the whole short film. sigh.. I digress.

Back to photography =) The photos below were all taken under natural light; we didn’t want to wreck our lighting gear under the rain obviously. How did I protect my camera? Punched a whole on one side of a plastic grocery bag from the local market… instant camera rain coat =). So what is it that amazes me about these photos? They were taken around 5pm… which under a rainy overcast sky is pretty dim lighting conditions. This is where a lens capable of a wide aperture (f1.4 here) and an advanced DSLR body with great high ISO performance will help a lot (translation: low / pleasing camera noise in dim lit conditions). Take any photos near sunset time and you’ll realize how quickly it gets dark on you. The pictures below were taken at ISO 640, then 1100, then 1400 and finally 1600. Even with 1600 ISO, the photos are still at a very acceptable quality. Generally, the higher your ISO setting is, the more sensitive it is to light (meaning you can use it in lower light conditions). However, as you go up in ISO, more grainy camera noise is also introduced. The better gear will preserve the quality of your photos better in dimmer light. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your camera or lenses, these are the differences you’ll notice. Feel free to ask if you have any gear related questions. I’m more than willing to dump a 2 page email on ya. =)

Hope you guys enjoy the photos below, even if there are just a few. I hope they motivate you to not let a rainy day spoil your picture whoring plans. =p Theme of the last few weeks: Get inspired, get out there and shoot, no matter what the conditions are.

rainy day photos

rainy day photos »

Posted in: Photography, Portraits   |   Tags: natural light, Nikon 85mm f1.4, Nikon d700, rain, the red balloon   |   10 Comments

Baby Felicity photos

We recently had a baby portrait session with this super duper squishable little princess and I have to say taking photos of kids/babies can be a real challenge… what with the goofy smiles, tantrums, short attention spans, and bladder control issues -ok, I’m guilty of all that too but that’s beside the point- BUT, omg, are they BEYOND adorable or what??!!! I had so much fun helping select all her pretty little outfits and seeing how precious she looked in them. We could have taken pictures of Baby Felicity all day long, she was just too cute! Here are her photos. Isn’t she just absolutely angelic?

If you would like a baby portrait session of your own little one, feel free to contact us via the feedback form. =)

baby portrait shoot

See more baby photos »

Posted in: Kids, Photography, Portraits   |   Tags: baby photographer, baby portraits, Nikon 85mm f1.4, Nikon d700   |   15 Comments

Red carpet fashion at the 16th Annual SAG Awards

Yay, I finally got around to doing my SAG Awards fashion post! At the Golden Globes we saw a ton of sexy but lackluster black dresses so fortunately for this event they lightened up the mood -but not the color spectrum! There were lively shades of red and purple and everything in between. Bare necks gave way for dresses to shine on their own and for us accessory lovers we lucked out because there was still plenty of dazzling trinkets (even worn in the hair!) to keep us thoroughly engaged. I love me some pretty junk!

This time around there was a little something for everyone it seemed; a variety of dresses ranging from soft and flowy to sparkly and embellished to patterned fabrics. One of my absolute favorites was Mariana Klaveno in a fabulous red ruffled chiffon gown by L.A. designer Ina Soltani. It made her skin just glow! She looked breathtaking and a bit like Snow White..or how I imagine she’d look like at least. =d I am also in love with Vera Farmiga in her pretty pale blue J.Mendel dress! This designer is one to watch, I adore his work!

Let’s get the show started, enjoy the MEGA dress pictures below and let me know which dress(es) you fell over yourself for! =d My next fashion post will be on the 2010 Grammys so check back for it!

For a list of the winners: sagawards.org/nominations/

16th Annual SAG Awards Red Carpet

more SAG AWARDS red carpet fashion »

Posted in: Fashion   |   Tags: 16th Annual SAG Awards, Adrianna Costa, Anna Kendrick, Carey Mulligan, Christina Applegate, Christina Hendricks, Courtney Ford, Deborah Ann Woll, Diane Kruger, Dianna Agron, Drew Berrymore, fashion blog, fashion designers, Giuliana Rancic, Helen Mirren, Holly Hunter, Jana Kramer, Jane Krakowski, Jayma Mays, Jenna Fischer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Julie Benz, Kate Hudson, Katrina Bowden, Lauren Sanchez, lea michele, Mariah Carey, Mariana Klaveno, Marion Cotillard, Mariska Hargitay, Michelle Monaghan, nicole kidman, Niecy Nash, Paula Patton, Penelope Cruz, red carpet, red carpet review, Samantha Harris, Sandra Bullock, Sarah Hyland, Sofia Vergara, Stana Katic, Toni Collette, Vera Farmiga   |   4 Comments

Snow photoshoot: Ice Queen

I have always wanted to do a snow shoot. A month ago while in Wisconsin, I was -this- close to getting one done… but Kay’s sister bailed out because… well because it was 12 degrees out. =/ So we left frigid Wisconsin with nothing more than a picture of me showing cheese-head country what I thought of it. Maybe next year I figured.

Then came the winter rain storms of southern California. All the rain last week made me think of the possibilities at the ski resorts nearby. And that’s all it took… we were off to our very first snow shoot, what I later dubbed: Ice Queen and Snow Leopard! Ice Queen is the perfect representation of the kinds of looks I was getting for the hour and a half we were there. I guess freezing their butts off warranted the cold glares I was getting. ;p

It was certainly a challenge shooting in 32 degree temperature. The frigid wind chill, the falling snow… we had to brave the weather, all at the same time trying to protect the gear! But, you know what? Strangely enough.. we had fun up there. It was a learning experience, and as soon as we thawed out we were done, we already had ideas on how to improve the next time we shoot in extreme conditions.

Here are some of the photos. Let us know what you think below. Was it worth it? Would you sit in the windy, falling snow for an hour? If so, we’d love to schedule a shoot with you =)

snow portrait shoot

snow portrait shoot photos »

Posted in: Photography, Portraits   |   Tags: Nikon 85mm f1.4, Nikon d700, portrait photography, snow   |   21 Comments

Traditional Hmong dress

I was going through some of our older photos taken last year and found these pictures. I can’t believe we forgot to post these photos of our traditional Hmong dress. The traditional Hmong dress is so beautiful. Its hand stitched needle work and vibrant colors make it so wonderful to look at. Traditionally worn during times of celebration like New Year festivities and wedding ceremonies, there are many different styles and designs. Below are photos of one of my favorite styles. It is the more traditional red skirt design, very simple but still very beautiful.

Thanks again Sue for being such a willing model for us. It was high noon and the sun was glaring straight down on us. She was such a sport throughout the whole thing. The bright sunlight also presented a challenge; how were we going to overpower the sun to avoid the “raccoon eyes” you typically get when the sun casts unforgiving shadows at high noon? The answer: Use the sun to your favor, turn your back against it. Unless you live at the equator, the sunlight is always at a slight angle. Make the sun serve as a back/edge light… then fill the front with some flash. Use a diffuser if you can (umbrella.. for soft shadows)… but bare flash will work just as well.

Sue in a traditional Hmong outfit

photos of traditional Hmong dress »

Posted in: Photography, Portraits   |   Tags: crosslighting, Nikon 50mm f1.8, Nikon d700, traditional Hmong dress   |   2 Comments

Maggie Sottero wedding dress giveaway

PrettyGeeky is proud and happy to present our very first contest of the year. Because of a very special bride, a dear friend with a very generous heart, we are able to offer a wonderful wedding dress giveaway. Alice’s wedding was one of many we attended last year, but for me it was the most heartfelt. It was a very emotional and moving wedding. As one of her wishes before moving off to beautiful Taiwan, she asked for me to pass it along to someone who would love it as much as she did. We thought to ourselves, what best way to do that than to host a contest!

Read through for dress details, pictures and contest rules.

wedding dress giveaway

PrettyGeeky wedding dress giveaway »

Posted in: Contests, Fashion, Photography, Site Updates, Weddings   |   Tags: contest, designer dress, giveaway, Maggie Sottero, wedding dress   |   33 Comments

Apple releases new iPad mobile device

There was actually a time during the Apple iPhone’s launch that a Bloomberg news columnist (Matthew Lynn) said Apple’s new iPhone was cool but will hardly make a dent in the mobile devices market. His exact words were:

“Apple will sell a few to its fans, but the iPhone won’t make a long-term mark on the industry.”


Can you say big booboo in judgement? Today, Apple is the worlds largest (revenue) mobile devices company. Larger than mobile divisions of Sony, Samsung, and even Nokia. Apple is a $50 billion revenue churning company… with the bulk of its momentum starting after the release of the iPhone.

Why am I bringing up all this Apple talk? Well just a few days ago, they unveiled their latest mobile device… the iPad. It will be the bridge between phone and laptop… something that I think will instantly demolish netbooks. I’m not even kidding, netbooks are so annoyingly slow they’re pretty much just a slower, weaker laptop.

Apple iPad

More Apple iPad specs »

Posted in: Gear, Reviews   |   Tags: Apple iPad, gadgets   |   3 Comments