Last weekend I had the privilege of being an on set still photographer for the up and coming Angry Video Game Nerd movie.  I will share those photographs later- I don’t want to spoil the movie! We were shooting at an awesome location out in the desert and from the moment I got there I just wanted to run around and explore. I got my wish during lunch and took a bunch of really fun photos.

I have always loved deserted buildings. Back when I first started taking photos; when I used to take my camera with me everywhere, I would seek out abandoned and decrepid areas. So I was really excited to have some down time at this location.

From what I saw the movie looks like its going to awesome! I’ll post all the info about how you can see it when it comes out!

]]> http://sharonalagnaphotography.com/blog/2012/04/15/taking-a-break-from-shooting-movie-stills/feed/ 0 http://sharonalagnaphotography.com/blog/2012/04/14/san-diego-childrens-portrait-session-part-2/ http://sharonalagnaphotography.com/blog/2012/04/14/san-diego-childrens-portrait-session-part-2/#comments Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:12:51 +0000 admin http://sharonalagnaphotography.com/blog/?p=1466 Continue reading →]]>

For part two of our family portrait session down in San Diego, we ventured outside to a nearby park. It was a beautiful warm day, and our adorable little subject was in a better mood (still not her super bubbly, happy self,  but more cheerful and calm anyway)!

I love shooting outdoors; natural light can be breathtaking in photographs, you can be really creative by finding picturesque backgrounds, and who doesn’t love just having fun and playing in the sunshine!

 I love, love, love the look of sunlight streaming through trees! So beautiful and classic!

We focused mostly on getting beautiful photographs of just the baby during the first half of our session; so for our second half, I spent the majority of the time getting great family portraits. Because, we all know the baby is the cutest part, but capturing the whole family in a great photograph is super important, too!

This is Tempi’s Christmas portrait dress. It’s a perfect southern California holiday outfit; light and airy for our gorgeous weather but with the classic little green Christmas bow!

It’s my favorite little San Diego munchkin! Kids grow up so quickly! Last time I saw Tempi she was only a few weeks old and when I went down to San Diego for this photography session she was already teething (and NOT happy about it!). And in the few months since these portraits were taken she has already taken her first steps!

Tempi, who is normally a calm and happy baby, was not in a good mood during this photo session. Although, to be honest, this baby’s bad mood was more along the lines of most babies’ normal moods. She just wasn’t her normal smiling, cheerful self. Since I was already down in San Diego for the Thanksgiving weekend we decided to split the portrait session into 2 shorter days. 

Look at those beautiful eyes!  Teething is no fun!

 Going………………………..going………………………..gone!

How awesomely seventies is that mural?! We took photos at my Grandmother-in-law’s house which is amazing. She bought the house in the sixties or seventies from the previous owner who was an interior decorator, and has left the house as is since. She has even redone things in the house to match the vintage decorations perfectly. It’s a really creative and fun place to shoot (or even just visit)!

This is Tempi’s blues album cover shot! I love it!

I will put up part two of our holiday portrait session in the next few days!

I have a ton of photo shoots from the past few months to share with you! And I want to start it all off with a fabulous boudoir session that is super close to my heart for a number of reasons.

You might recognize my beautiful subject from a headshot portrait session that I posted a few months ago. Wendy is an amazing writer, comedian, and actress that has come to be a very good friend of mine. Over the past decade or so Wendy has dealt with recurring medical issues. In fact, one of the first times I saw Wendy on stage, her comedy routine revolved around her first tumor. During the performance, she quoted a doctor who once told her, “Some women’s bodies just like to grow things that aren’t babies.” She asked to book a boudoir session before her most recent surgery to have a benign tumor removed from her breast. After telling her how relieved I was to hear that it was non-malignant, I of course said I would be happy to photograph her.

I am no stranger to breast cancer and the surgeries involved. My mother, grandmother, and grandmother-in-law are all breast cancer survivors. These women have had everything from lumpectomies to full-blown mastectomies. It is understandably hard for a lot of women to deal with surgery on something so intrinsic to our womanhood. I know it may sound trivial to some people, but I think photography can be a wonderful source of healing in these situations.

Whether a woman is having photographs taken pre-surgery to capture and remember her body, or post-surgery to learn to embrace its changes, photography can be a wonderful coping mechanism. For the photography session itself, you get all dolled up in makeup, do your hair (or have it done), and embrace your beauty and sexuality for a few hours. The finished portraits give you a unique and empowering visual memory to bring you back to that moment for years to come. And who doesn’t need a little reminder that they are gorgeous and sexy sometimes?

The last reason that I love this boudoir session (the last one I’m going to talk about at least) is that Wendy is a curvaceous, lively, and gorgeous woman who is proud of her body. As a woman who has had more than her own share of struggles with body image, I idolize any woman who owns their figure regardless of what that figure is. And I respect it even more when you don’t fit the media’s idea of beauty and you are still more than proud to rock your body. Wendy recently posted an article on being a ‘plus-sized’ woman on her blog Your Big Sister.  You should all go check it out. It’s smart, witty, and beautiful — just like Wendy herself!

One of my oldest friends, Erika, came out to visit me a couple of months ago. While she was here we decided to get in a dating profile/ portrait photo shoot. I have shot a lot of dating profile portraits over the years and it’s hard type of photography to perfect. The goal is to have these great photos that somehow don’t look like you went out and had a portrait session with a professional photographer. I try to get photographs that look like you just happened to have a friend (with photographic skills) who just happened to catch you looking great out in the park one day. We also decided that since we were out staging a portrait shoot anyway we may as well go further than dating profile portraits and take some fun personal portraits too. I have known Erika for years and she has and great quirky and fun personality so we had a little fun with this shoot. 

Erika had this great vintage inspired dress with her so we decided to go retro and stage a little vintage picnic for her.  I love these close-ups of her lying in the grass!  After our ‘picnic’ we just took some more fun shots around the park.  Some of these portraits work for dating profile pictures and some of them are just for Erika to have. Once we are adults we rarely have portraits taken of ourselves other than engagement, wedding, or family portraits. But personal portraits are such a great gift to give to yourself! It’s a little bit of pampering during the shoot and then these images afterward that make you feel beautiful and amazing! We all need a little bit more of that in our lives.  What I love about this session is that the images are as fun and unique as Erika herself. I think that’s what portrait sessions should be about- a photographer working with you to capture your personality in the most beautiful and flattering way possible.    Thanks Erika!

Sorry I made you hike forever! Hopefully these photographs make up for it!

I got to take some Christmas portraits of this little cutie in her adorable holiday dress.
Look at those beautiful big eyes! Grandpa was kind enough to throw on this Santa outfit so we could take some Christmas photos with Santa!

It was a bit warm and we were, of course, working on baby time but he was thankfully very patient.

Look at that smile!

I did a whole session with Tempi and her parents which I will post more photographs from soon. I just couldn’t wait to get these Christmas images out!

Shameless plug:  It’s not too late to get your holiday portraits taken! Holiday cards are always fun and printed photos are wonderful presents for your whole family!

Contact me at info@sharonalagnaphotography.com

These are some of those model poses I was talking about earlier!I know she looks a little solemn in this photograph but I just love the soft, dreamy, vintage feel of it. This was another creative ‘I have an idea!’ moments. I had to run around to keep up with her as she scurried from one place to another!
I gave Megan this blanket to ‘picnic’ on but she decided it would make a better dress. She wrapped it around herself and started walking the ‘runway’ on top of a picnic table! I know her hair is a little crazy by this point of the session but I love it. I wanted to capture that childlike freedom of summer vacation in these photographs. That carefree freedom of just being able to run around in the park and have fun in the sun for a few months without any obligations. I had a great time reliving my childhood with Megan and her mom! Thanks guys for a very fun and creative photography session!

Now a few of the family picnic photos! I love picnic style portrait session! I love his chubby little cheeks in this one!It’s amazing how toddlers can look a baby in one photograph and then a much older child in the next! Austin got really into playing with his mom’s hat. I love these two- he looks like he’s ready for a motown recording session! Thanks Brittney for sharing your adorable family with me! 

6 kids- yep count em’- can be hard to get in one place looking the same way at the same time!

How cute are these kids?! 

I like to come up with at least one fun and creative idea or theme for each portrait session I shoot. Since I want the idea to be unique to you and your family I will often ask about hobbies and interests.

When I spoke with Janene before the shoot she mentioned that the whole family is into making music and acting. I thought it would be fun to pay homage to that by setting up a makeshift ‘stage’ at the park for their photo shoot.

One of the things I love the most about photographing larger families is seeing all of the different personalities merging in each image.

Mom and the girls and dad and the boys.

Doing the wave!Thank you to the Alex family for a great photo shoot!

I am super excited to share this newborn portrait session for multiple reasons. The first is that while I photograph dozens of newborns at hospitals each month I rarely get to share those with anyone. Most of my sessions are through a great company that I work as a photographer for. I love photographing for them but their rules and hospital rules and HIPPA rules mean that I don’t get to show anyone but the parents any of the adorable portraits I take of newborns nearly every day for them. It’s so hard not to be able to show off their sweet little just born faces! But I can’t, which is part of why I am soooo excited when I get to share my own newborn and infant portraits with everyone!

The other reason is a little more personal- this adorable little cutie happens to be the newest member of my extend family. Laura, my husband’s cousin; and her husband, Aaron, just gave birth to their first child, Temperance or Tempi for short. My husband’s family could not be happier to welcome the first baby of what will (eventually) be the next generation of their family. And I could not be happier to photograph her! And to be able to share the portraits with everyone!

Look at that little mouth!

The proud daddy! 

Aaron’s mom made these giraffes! How adorable are they?

Brand new grandpa remembered that they had this crib from Laura’s childhood- (for her dolls not her!) – and it was just the right size for tiny little baby Tempi.  She’s as tiny as a doll!

I LOVE sleepy infants! Soooo cute! 

And finally, Grandma with her first great-grandchild!

Thanks Laura and Aaron for putting up with me while I put your sleeping baby in a multitude of poses (and places)!

Welcome to the family, Tempi!