our boys

I thought since I have been posting baby and family pictures I would post a pic of our boys. People always ask us where the pictures of our kids are, as we have only 2 in our studio!! Well here they are. Before school started this year they hung out a lot at the studio. To help me do a light check they all sat still for about 70 seconds. It was just enough to check my lights...
Even though this breaks a lot of rules about what to where for pictures and we have messy hair, toys etc. I dig the picture, its who they are!
Kimball, on the left, is the oldest. He is 8, loves playing soccer and reading. Loves spy stuff, transformers and riding his scooter. He is one of the most honest boys I have ever known.
Ammon, in the middle is 6. He loves soccer, legos, starwars, and drawing. He recently won best of show at the state fair for one of his lego entries. He is not nearly as honest as Kimball, in fact Ammon has a bit of an imagination when it comes to what the truth is!
Kelsyn is the youngest. At 3 he is also the busiest. He likes anything his older brothers like and tries to do everything bigger and better. That is great until it comes to causing trouble. We are not too hip to him causing trouble and trying to outdo the two older boys. He usually hangs out with us at the studio or goes over to mama and papa's house ( he loves that).
To answer everyones next question, we are not trying to have another just yet. We can't handle risking 4 boys running through the house at once. Soon enough though it will be time for another, and boy or girl, that's in God's hands. Hopefully we have passed the boy raising test and will have a girl...........

Leslie, Shane, Lilly, & Baby Finn came into the studio today. Leslie was part of the 94 rock Calendar last year and did a great job. Last December they decided it was time for another baby and 9 months later little Finn was born. He is a very hansom young man. I know I have said it before, but again, with parents like that a baby can't help being so cute.
Anyway, it was great to have them over. Finn was a bit fussy at first but quickly got into it and by the time he was naked he was doin' great. This might also have been a record, he was in the buff for more than 15 minutes and NO accidents!! Anytime we can photograph babies and get off that easily....
Thanks for coming over you guys we we enjoyed seeing you again Leslie and being able to meet your beautiful little family!

sweet angel toes

Desiree has been keeping herself very busy with NILMDTS . She has seen many little babies quickly come into our world and quickly leave. I have stood by watching her care for these families and these little babies seeing the love she has for them and for the preciousness of life itself. It truly takes special people like Desiree, our assistant Jenny, Vicky the owner of Blue Sky, and Marie Leslie, to be able to offer this gift to people.
There is still such an overwhelming need for good professionals who have the talent and the heart to help out with this. Because it is purely volunteer, we offer both our time and money to photograph and give slide shows, prints, and cds to these families. There are 3 major hospitals that have a need for this, there are thousands of little babies that pass away each year and there are less than 5 photographers here in ABQ that can provide these families with this charitable service.
If you know anybody that you feel has the talent and the heart to help us with this, please let us know. It would be an incredible help. If you feel that this is something that you could do let us know. If you have a digital SLR camera, and at least a f2.8 lens (preferably a f1.4 or f1.8) we can take some time to offer a little training, or at least show you how we photograph these sessions.
Again this is a service that we provide to these families free of charge and at a bit of an expense to us. So it truly takes a compassionate heart to be able to do this kind of work. Please let us know if there is anything that you could do to help out!
Thanks

Kristin & Keith were married two years ago and we were privledged to photograph their wedding. Today they brought Arden, their 8 month old daughter, over so we could photograph her. They walked in the door and we could see Arden's beautiful long eyelashes from across the studio. She definitely had Keith's eyes but Kristin's gorgeous face. Arden was a little shy but over all the session was great! We absolutley love being a part of the transformation of people's families, from engaged couples to newlyweds to parents, we are honored to be a part of it all. Thanks guys for sharing your lives with us!

( j ) -hit list

We have started a new project at the studio. Everyday, one of us gets a turn to photograph the other. We have complete control over the session and the person we pick to photograph agrees to go along 100%. Today was my turn...
I have been wanting to do a collection of city images kind of a gangster/superhero/comic book/ darkness/villains type thing. So today I brought in some props and did a quick 5 minute session with Jenny and got some fun stuff to work with. If anyone would like to be a part of more images in this collection, please call me. I'd like to do a few more, both guys and girls. No charge for the session!! n-joy

T-Vinci

I could talk a lot about this session and the image bcz we had a great time and I dig the final out come of this image. I still have a few more from this session that I plan on posting. Thanks for the great shoot T.

Continuing a photo tradition...

Little Layla came over today with mom dad and big brother for a short session. Amber (Layla's mom) has done what most of us talk about doing but never do... She has had the same style pictures done with each of her three children. It was our pleasure to be here to help her with the third. Layla is three weeks old and is as active and squirmy as most two year old boys!
She was an absolutely beautiful little baby. With parent like Layla's it is no wonder she is that cute! We look forward the chance of photographing the rest of the family together.

With a little help from my friends...

Even though yesterday was just another wedding for Hotel Albuquerque, for us and those who had the privilege of attending, it was a wonderful fun time with friends and family.
Alicia and Alistair met through friends, live there live surrounded by friends, and celebrated their family union with friends - lots of them. From the beginning with breakfast and world cup rugby through to the last glass of Guinness and last spins on the dance floor, this was a perfect gathering of friends and family from all over the world.
Desiree and I both commented, on the ride home, that this was one of the most fun relaxed weddings we have been able to be a part of. The cheesecakes were delicious as were the 125 dozen cookies that were made for the wedding. Congratulations Al & Al, you make a perfect couple and we thank you for having us be apart of the beginning of your new family's life!
Cheers!!!

a few good folks

Since we have been shooting weddings in New Mexico we have had the chance to work with a number of vendors from around the state. I felt like leaving their names and links so that people can see who feel are good folks and we enjoy working with.
I hope i can leave a complete list of people but you know how that goes. I will probably miss a few and offend someone. If I do just call me and cuss me out in private!! If you have worked with these vendors and wish to leave comments on your experience with them please do so!! DON'T be mean. If you have a negative comment leave it so that others may get different views. If you are going to be mean, save it! Here we go:
Venues: We have worked with many venues and they all have pros and cons. If you have questions about a specific venue. Drop me a line and I can let you know what I feel about them specifically.

Florists: We have had great experiences with Mille Fleur, Geri has done a few of our recent weddings and has done a phenomenal job. Very innovative and can do nearly anything. Something Special with flowers is also great. Christine, though we have not worked with her recently, she has always done a great job. We had her do the flowers for Desiree's sisters wedding. We have also had a great experience with Ivey @ sunshine flowers.

Wedding planners: We have worked with a number of planners and there are many in the NM area. We have been especially impressed with Bentley @ Savoir Faire events. We have only worked a few weddings together but she has done amazing. Everything was exactly as needed. Regardless of the stress level she has a positive level attitude and takes care of everything.
Recently we had the opportunity to work with Karen at Celebrations. She also did a great job and was the epitome of professionalism. Though this particular wedding did have a few bumps along the way, Karen handled them well without the couple or the parents having any idea. And the multiple changes in planning leading up to the event were well handled. There are a few more wedding planners in the area that we have worked with and if you are leaning toward one, we can let you know what our experiences have been.

DJs: Our favorite dj now lives in Denver so he doesn't work the NM market much anymore. But another that we have worked with and been fairly impressed with is Lighthouse entertainment. We like the minimalistic approach that some DJs take. I don't care much for seeing a big sign or flashy lights advertising their business. That would be like be wearing a big sign on my shirt advertising who I am. If you are good enough, people will ask for your info. they don't need a twirly light shining it in everyones eyes. Speakers a mixer, laptop, mikes, non tacky lighting. that makes a good DJ in my book. When you go to interview a DJ find out how big the setup is. As with the planners, if you want info on a specific DJ just call us.

Officiants: This is a tricky one. We have only had a negative experience with one person performing services. She actually hung out after waiting for her tip. And she actually asked for her tip. Regardless of how good or bad the ceremony was, I only remember that about her and for that single reason would never recommend her. You really have to interview each of the potential officiants to see if your personalities and approach to the wedding match up. They can either make a great ceremony or an average ceremony, and we have seen a lot of both. Find someone who is not boring. Though the ceremony is normally pretty short. You want someone who will make it memorable for both you and your guests.

Caterers: Though there are many great restaurants who cater, most people still hire companies who only do event catering. Of these companies we recommend Blue Plate and Albuquerque catering. They have both done great. We have also been treated well by both. Often the other vendors are ignored or neglected by the wait staff. Blue plate has always been very attentive. If you are considering a buffet, try looking into having a restaurant that you like cater your event. You know the food and it'll save a bit.

Cakes: I had a very bad experience with the cake that Desiree and I had when we were married. It was completely wrong and after 10 years it still bugs me. We have also had a number of weddings with falling cakes. Anyway, there are many bakeries in town who will do wedding cakes. In ABQ, we have never seen a cake from Karyn that we didn't love. She can do almost anything with cake and they are very tasty. In Santa Fe Maggie's does an amazing job. She is also able to translate your vision for a cake into about anything. Both do a great job customizing something just for your wedding. A newer bakery in town is Just a Bite. They are great people, though we have yet to work with them, as I said they are great people and will probably do a great job for your wedding. Finally if you want to step away from the traditional cake and do something a little different, cup cakes are really becoming popular for weddings. Cake Fetish does a crazy job with cup cakes. If I can sneak away with a couple of their cupcakes after a wedding I am very content. I'll take it home pour a glass of milk and download the images from the wedding. (I should really go on a diet!!)

Live Music: I have two groups I recommend. They are both great and completely different from the other. The first is Los Primos they are a group of younger guys doing traditional Spanish music. and a few Beatles tracks mixed out old Mexico style. The second is crazy. The name is vanilla pop. And if you want to pimp out the wedding lounge style. look them up they are really um, well, you need to see 'em.

Photographers: I recommend Jones After that its a real crap shoot... not really, there are some great folks in the area who do a great job. Be very careful though and interview each one. Don't just sign a contract because you are given a good deal. of all the fields who cater to weddings photography is changing the most. There are so many that come and go and so many friends and uncles with camera that you need to be careful. Find someone who has work that you love and interview with them to make sure your personalities match up. If your photographer doesn't know you or understand you, the images will reflect that. There is a difference in having someone "take pictures" at your wedding and having someone there to capture the essence of that day for you.
After the food is gone, cake enjoyed, flowers wilted, officiant forgotten, and decorations tossed, you are left with three things, the dress (boxed in the attic) the vows (kept 50% of the time) and then the photographs. You can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a big blowout wedding, and then trust the memories of that wedding to a photographer making $20.00 an hour. (CRAZY) Make an investment into the legacy of your family. Find someone who will not only give you a beautiful way to remember your wedding, but also provide you with a real experience. I could go on.....

Anyway Please leave you comments on these vendors or suggest any others that I may have missed.
thanks!!

When Pak and Mike were at the airport a couple of years ago, coming and going about there own lives little did they know they would run into the person that they would spend the rest of their lives with. It was that chance meeting in the airport that brought them to this day.
Pak was escorted down the isle by her Mom and Uncle, to her awaiting awaiting husband who stood there keeping the tears back. A few tears inevitably fell and as the as the minister stated, Pak was there to dry them. A sand ceremony symbolized the blending of two lives, two cultures, two histories, into one.
After a wonderful dinner the party got started with a tequila shot toast. In place of the traditional wedding cake, Pak and Mike shared cupcakes with each other and the guests made a mad dash for the rest of the cupcakes. (that was the quickest I've ever seen the cupcakes gone).
Kids were on hand at the toast as well with a shot of apple cider and a lemon slice.
Their first dance was a surprised dance they had learned just for the wedding. They were even running through the steps again in private before dinner. As nervous as they may have been for the dance it came off beautifully.
It was truly a great celebration. Hotel ABQ provided a great location, Mille Fleur provided the flower, and Savior Faire events provided the coordination. Everyone and everything came together for a wonderful evening.