OLD BLOG!!!... please visit our new home at www.shylasblog.com

IT"S ALIVE!!!

2007-06-12T13:27:00.001-07:00

Yay!!! The new BLOG is ALIVE!!!! go take a peek... and don't forget to RSS :)

www.shylasblog.com

Tomorrow Tomorrow.....

2007-06-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the design expertise of my friend Rudy Arpia, tomorrow I will launch an all new blog! We have been working behind the scenes to create a layout that is more pertinent to the style and attitude behind SHYLA|Photography

There will still be links back to this blog for archiving purposes but you wont wanna come back to this ol' thing :)

The debut will launch with a super fun fashion e-session I shot this week so check back tomorrow :)

Yay! I am excited!!!

Project Everlasting

2007-06-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

So I stumbled across this a while back and have been following the developments of this project because it is something I am passionate about... SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGES!!!
Project Everlasting is the journey of two bachelors who set out on a journey ( in a motor home!) to find what makes marriages work. They travel around interviewing couples who have had success in marriage and offer you the insights on what makes them last. You may have noticed the link in my "resources section" over on the left but I haven't taken time to explain prior to now.

Anyway, these two gentlemen just launched a book and it is officially in stores...CHECK IT OUT!
They also have a video of interviews and such that I recently implemented as gifts to my clients. We all know we can't maintain ongoing relationships with ALL our clients so these are an inexpensive way to hopefully impact their lives AFTER the wedding day :)

As a single person in the wedding industry, it is all too common to see failed marriages and get discouraged... I think we should do something about it :) we don't have to be married (or even in a relationship) to start preparing ourselves for success!!!

Note: while we are on this subject... another fun resource is LOVE IS A CHOICE... launched by my friend and fellow wedding photographer Mike Larson. This site is a resource for couples also... check them out :)

Music Video | Keith Varon

2007-06-06T01:10:00.002-07:00

one and two and three and four and....step ball change....
Thats all I hear running through my head right now!

Today, I had the pleasure of being a dancer for the filming of a music video. Up and coming talent Keith Varon, who has been a featured artist on MTV, lends his music to shows such as MTV's Laguna Beach was filming a video for his new single 'Intoxicated' and I was invited to be apart of the production!

It was so fun to be apart of the filming but I am EXHAUSTED after a LOOOOOOONG day of dance choreography and filming. we practiced in heels and barefoot on concrete. My feet are sooo tore up. But it was fun.

Check out these fun shots of the day....

Helpin' out with the makeup
Me and Vanessa Felts sportin' the vogue-style makeup

Sandwiched by the two Lisa'sThe video-body-contraption

Little black dresses was the attire
Thankfully they fed us dancers ;)
We rehearsed all day and had to wait till evening to start filming in order to get the effect of a masquerade party.
The dancers and Keith Varon with the director Michael Roach
ACTION!

Stay tuned for the music video in a few weeks where you will see us dancing the night away and

GNARLY!

2007-06-05T01:49:00.000-07:00

My Roomate took this shot of my back today.... it looks like shredded wallpaper from the nasty burn I got in Barbados! The funny thing is, this picture makes it look alot better than in real life ;)

yuuuuuuck!

Im headed to Cabo in a few weeks and I will be dressed like a nun to avoid this again! ugh.

personal stuff | barbados

2007-05-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

Our last night in Barbados, we grabbed Egan's two Canon 5D's and just started walking.... armed with only two lenses between the two of us, we sporadically traded off by what was coinciding with our current vision at the moment.
The weather was perfect and the sun was starting to set but we managed to squeeze in an hour or so of solid shooting fun. I generally shy away from shooting anything that doesn't have people in it but I had so much fun... I mean, it was seriously soothing to just capture the beauty in something we may have otherwise simply walked by. :)

Barbados!!

2007-05-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

I'd like to say I just got home from a wonderful wedding in Barbados...BUT... I am sorta stuck in Miami because my silly flight decided to leave early and thus I missed it :(
... haha....
technically I arrived at the gate 4 minutes before departure but still, they shouldn't leave EARLY!!!!...LOL
Sooo, I can say I just got back to the states from an amazing wedding in Barbados. :)

Today was full of running through airports! We were literally the LAST to board our flight from Barbados and we running on the tarmac in order to catch it :) I say its all an adventure and missing my second flight back to LA just proves it :) I say to just embrace it and enjoy whatever kinks get thrown into your plans. Life is WAY too short to stress!

Anyway I've received a few emails from my blog friends complaining I haven't posted in over a week and my excuse is... I was in another country with no internet access. :)

I cant wait to show you images from the amazing wedding but for now here is a recap of the trip...

Day 1: LAX to Miami where I met up with wedding photographer extraordinaire Fred Egan. We began our journey with an 8 hour layover before departing to Barbados.
I was sooooo excited to get another stamp in my passport :)

Day 2: Arrive in Barbados... we stayed at the Hilton with the couple and all their guests. Check out the amazing view from my room!
and the hotel pool!

Day 3: Engagement Session with Imo and Nneka. You can see Fred's images here
Here are a few shots I grabbed from the session...

With over 100 guests at this destination wedding, Nneka and Imo held a welcome dinner that we were invited to... here's a quick shot from the evening.

Day 4: Wedding!!! I cant WAIT to edit and show you some images from this rockin' wedding!
Here is a glimpse into the professional equipment used .....lol ;)

Day 5: Day after session... This was sooo much fun to just shoot with a totally relaxed couple, and check out the awesome sunset!
I was also thoroughly entertained by this Bajan who sang me a song !
That night we went to St. Lawrence Gap for a taste of local flavor and hit up Casa Sol for happy hour :)

Oh and we encountered a massive hurricane that swept us off our feet! :)

Day 6: Finally its PLAY day! Today we went on snorkeling trip through the island where we went swimming with Sea Turtles!! Totally amazing.... EXCEPT I got perhaps the worst burn of my life.... I am so crispy :( I was even diligent to reapply sunscreen after every dip in the water!! If you look closely, you can see my raccoon eyes from my biiig sunglasses!!

Barbados was Soooo fun :) Time has no meaning on the island and I must admit it was refreshing. I am so thankful to be in a business I love and have the opportunity to travel and hang out with friends all in the name of "work"! Thanks Fret-E !!! ;)

Kim & Erik | wedding

2007-05-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

This was the second wedding I did this weekend and it was seriously wonderful!
This day was the culmination of 8 years of dating and I dont think it could have been better than it was. FULL of raw emotion... I have sooo many pictures of tears & laughter, it was truly a photographers dream :)
Erik is a pastor here in the Southbay and Kim is a children's pastor so thier love for people was evident at the reciprocation I witnessed in their guests :)

I cant wait to show you the slideshow, but here are a few teaser shots in the meantime :)

The raw emotion at this wedding far exceeded any other I have done :)

This spunky lil' fella was such a joy! :)
I LOVE this shot.

Cole & Stacey | wedding

2007-05-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a double header and it was so GREAT! I drove out Friday morning around 9am to make the 4.5 hour drive to sin city (Vegas) for Cole and Stacey's wedding. I must admit I really enjoyed the alone time think, pray, and ultimately rock out to music!! The hard part was driving home after shooting all day. BUT special thanks to my phone buddies who kept me awake with stimulating conversation! ;) I didn't get home till 3:45am so I truly appreciated the conversations!!

Other than the long drive home, the only set back was when I was only 90 miles outside of Vegas and I stopped for gas. THEN, being the genius I am, locked my keys in the car!!!! Luckily a tow company was only 2 blocks away and they came to my rescue for a grand total of $70.00...ugh... they prey on the helpless, I tell ya!

Despite the minor setback, I still made it there before the bride and the rest of the day went smoothly. Stacey was perhaps the calmest bride I have ever seen. Her peace was totally contagious and made for an atmosphere of utter tranquility :)

Here are a few images of the day... :)

a few fun dress shots...
the happy bride!

Melissa & Ryan | engagement

2007-05-14T01:13:00.000-07:00

I am amazed how happy I am after shooting. Its like a drug and each opportunity to shoot simply feeds the addiction. I've been in a funky mood lately and I realized how easily I snap out of it when I pick up a camera :) I was literally dancing around during the shoot and I think all these laughing pictures were because I was making such a fool of myself ;)

Today's couple decided to have their session at San Dimas Canyon Park for pure sentimental value. It was the place where Ryan realized he had "more than friends" feelings for Melissa and, that same day, he tried to "show-off" and jump off the swings 'Indiana Jones style' but ended up falling flat on his face that left him with a scar :)
Now, whenever they talk to each other about that park, it is simply described by a point to the nose and a little giggle followed by a "you know" (wink wink).
Im always amazed at the stories I hear about crazy things guys do to impress girls :)

Melissa and Ryan are both musical prodigies... I remember asking Melissa a few years back if she would sing at my wedding because her voice is simply mesmerizing... her response was..."If you'll shoot mine" ;) That was long before she was even dating Ryan! :) Funny how things happen sometime 'eh?

Check out some of the songs Melissa recorded through the Bible College
Thank You
Undone

here's Melissa in the studio. The other girl is Gina ( one of my past brides).... I just LOVE musicians!!! ;)

Here are a few of my favorites from today's shoot

Project Bedroom: COMPLETED

2007-05-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Amidst running around from conference to conference and entertaining out of town guests, I finally managed to get my room put together and I promised to post pictures when I finshed so here ya go... :P

Next Project is the living room. Here is what we got so far :) LOL

Chicago | day 2

2007-05-06T23:02:00.002-07:00

Today was Amy Nave's birthday so we took a little rendevouz to downtown Chicago and it was a photographers paradise! We decided to pretend we were in a band and got some fun "band" shots...LOL...we are such dorks!

Here's a fun slideshow of images from the day. I shot with the 5D and was in HEAVEN! I shot sooooo mnay pics! Everything in the slideshow without me in them, I shot :)

Take a look....

**ClickHere**

Chicago | day 1

2007-05-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

This coming week is the Pictage Partner Con in Chicago! I came a little early to spend some time with my dear friends The Barlows. Here is what I was greeted with when I got here...

The sweet Julianna

And what is Chicago without the traditional Chicago style pizza?? Yumm!!!

THEN we ran down to the Oberwies dairy for the worlds best Chocolate Milk! Here's a pic of me and my date sharing a scrumptious chocolate shake... how romantic 'eh?

( too bad we are getting up at 6am to go run and pay our penance for eating all this junk!)

Happy Birthday!!!

2007-05-05T17:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Master Colon!
:)

Lil' Inspiration!

2007-05-03T16:14:00.001-07:00

With summer and all these super cool trips around the corner, I have been hitting the gym a lot lately and after getting up at 5:30 this morning I started whining about how much I hate running....ugh. My friend Paige has been trying to get me to run a mini-marathon but I keep chickening out. THEN today, I visited the blog of the uber-talented Me Ra Koh and read the story of her 6 yr old girl running a 5k race...
At first I was humbled and felt super lazy... but then I was totally inspired and decided that Pascaline ( her daughter) is my new hero...
If she can do it... I have no excuse!
Check her out...

You can read the whole story HERE. Leave Pascaline a little lovin' while you are at it :)
Great Job Pascaline!!!

They cost How much?!

2007-05-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

Like most women… I like to shop :)! especially when I find killer deals!

Yesterday, however, I got the greatest deal of all….

The thing I needed was jeans…. And as most women can relate, shopping for jeans is almost as frustrating as shopping for swimsuits…. Notice I said “almost”! Swimsuit shopping is still the bane of my existence but that’s not the point ;)

I strolled into Nordstrom yesterday and tried on several pair of jeans until I found a pair I liked in both comfort, price and fit.

Taking my purchase to the register, the associate proceeded to explain that there was a problem and she couldn’t sell me these jeans.

“what?, But I LIKE these jeans”… I thought to myself… “and I don’t want to go try on a gazillion different pairs again”

She continued to explain that they weren’t ringing up right and that they weren’t supposed to be on the floor for sale.

bummer...

Well next thing you know, she calls her manager over, they try to ring it up again and it rings up for $0.01. The next words out of the manager’s mouth were… “well, we have to honor that”

My jaw dropped!

I got a brand new pair of jeans for $0.01….ONE penny folks! J

The only thing I need to do is get the hemmed... BUT when you buy jeans from Nordstrom they hem them for free! :) I totally lucked out!

Egan Invasion and Disaster!

2007-05-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

My friend and rockstar photographer Fred Egan came out to sunny SoCal from Texas this weekend... and amidst his photographer duties, I had the pleasure of giving him the grand tour! Having never been to Cali before we needed to make sure he got the FULL experience! .....and what is a tour of Cali if not in a convertible? (Thanks Daddy!)

And what is a visit to Cali without a stop and the beloved In N Out?? Straight from the airport to the burger joint...we know where the priorities lie!After lunch, Egan got the grand tour of Pictage, followed by a mini tour of Manhattan and Hermosa beach in the evening. The lucky bloke then got to experience Persian food with the amazing photographer and my lovely friend Jasmine Star (pictured here with her equally amazing hubby JD)

Speaking of lucky... did I mention Egan was out here to shoot a wedding with the rockin' Jessica Claire?! *sheesh* ;)

so after all the building up of awesomeness....
Now for the Disaster!!
On Friday, we headed down to Laguna beach for a little shoot... Egan brought his two 5D's and i got to experience Canon lust (ooops, did I just say that?!) *wink wink*
anyway long story short... Camera bag was high up on the sand but apparently the tide came in and all of a sudden so did a BIG wave. It was all slow motion but we witnessed the water rush up on to the sand and carry away the leather bag containing the back-up 5D, flash, battery grip, CF cards, cell phone, ipod, 24 prime lens....etc etc. About $4500 in equipment was destroyed in one fail swoop. Salt water is a nasty nasty thing. Needless to say it kinda put a damper on things but Egan was a trooper and didn't let it get him down too much ;)

I mean, come on... look at the fun pictures we got prior to the disaster!

Egan is launching an ASPIRE. campaign for this next season...

Call me Crazy!

2007-04-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Upon signing the lease to our new place, the FIRST thing I asked was "So, Can we Paint?!"
The coordinator consented after a slight hesitation, but I wonder if she new what she was getting herself into. After being given the green light to paint I thought about the CRAZIEST bright color I could paint my bathroom and decided it had to be Orange!
It's the master bath so I would be getting ready in it every morning and wanted something to help me start my day with a smile :)

The guy at the paint store thought I was utterly CRAZY... and maybe I am... but I LOVE it. I added a pink and green as accents and it just makes me smile every time I walk in!

Check it out!

Stay tuned for bedroom shots.... Here is a sneak peek ;)

Eventually we will be turning the living room into a studio to meet clients... we just bought these BRIGHT fire-engine red chairs... I cant wait to show you! :)

Senior Pics...MINE!

2007-04-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe these Senior Pics were taken almost 9 years ago...LOL
My new e-BFF Scott Neumyer suggested I post these for the sheer entertainment of

A. My blonde hair... (oh dear God, please don't ever let me do that again)
B. BANGS?!
C. Can anyone say "Peek-a-boo" ?

These were totally cool at the time though so gimme a little slack... Just promise me to NOT do this when posing seniors ( that was so a decade ago!) :)

haha...
enjoy!

Cole & Stacey

2007-04-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

After a bout of rain yesterday I thought today's session would be cancelled but alas the sun broke through in all its glory and gave way to a BEAUTIFUL day. Cole and Stacey are friends from college and I remember when he asked her out... funny how things evolve sometimes 'eh? Its so weird when all your college friends are getting married... I always get nostalgic and almost kinda sad doing friends weddings because part of me wants to stay in the good ol' days of college forever. Alas, I know that we are simply embarking on a new chapter but its always hard to close an old one. :)

Stacey's initials (like mine) are S.A.D. and when she got engaged, she remarked that once she was married, she would no longer be SAD...haha
I LOVED that so much that I say the same thing... "When I get married, I wont be SAD anymore" ( at least I hope not...haha)

So CHEERS to a new chapter and no longer being sad... ;)

Miss Rachel Ross

2007-04-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

I am not worthy of being called a 'FRIENDS' fanatic but I sure did love that show when it was on. Given that, when I was introduced to Rachel Ross, I felt like singing her the FRIENDS theme song... with a name like that, I just knew she had to be fun!
My guesstimates were true ;) Rachel was such a doll to be around and we had a blast shooting her senior portraits.
Despite limited time constraints, we managed to cover the parameters of Flo Jo park in Mission Viejo in a matter of minutes :)
Thank Rachel for the fun time, and especially trusting me and posing in the nasty public restrooms...lol ;)
Here are a few from the day...

I <3 Fashion!

2007-04-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

This post is long overdue! It happened the night before I left for WPPI so posting it sorta fell through the cracks...

Anyway, I got a call from a friend of mine who needed a photographer last minute for midnight fashion shoot in Hollywood at the Cabana Club. I love fashion and such so I was thrilled that she asked! This club was partially outdoors so it had a super fun feel :) I brought my friend Karla ( who happens to be a fashion major at the Fashion Institue of Design and merchandising)along to assist and within 3 minutes of our arrival, some guy tried to make out with her!...lol

It was a great experience... and special thanks to club promotions 'Avante Garde' and fashion designer Anush from MINIMAX design for the fun time :)
(ps) I will post links as soon as i get the linkage problem taken care of) :)

Here are a few shots from the evening...

Broken Linkage

2007-04-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

ummmm.... so I have been informed by several people that my links are broken but I cannot fix them for the life of me! For all those who emailed me, I am SORRY and I am working on your links as we speak. Hang tight and I will see if we cant master the evil Blogger ;)

Yay!

2007-04-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

57-210-605-105-710-91-405

No, that's not my bank routing number... that is the order of freeways I take to get to work every day!!...UGH! 7 freeways and nearly two hours in traffic every morning for the past 8 months has really taken it's toll. I did a little math and I have spent nearly 500 hours in the car commuting in the past 8 months... I travel 100 miles round-trip each day and have to go in for an oil change every 5 weeks.... it was definitely time for a change....

So after rigorous searching we finally found a place we liked! My roommate and I fell in love with this place but there was a lot of other people who thought so too! So, We thought we would make ourselves stand out from the crowd by writing cute little letters about how much we liked it..etc etc. We called nearly every day too which helped make our names known. Anyway, they called us today and we got it!

We are so excited! We pick up the keys next week and move in next weekend.

The BEST part is that it is only 3 minutes from work so I get an extra 2 hours of sleep every morning! YIPPEEE!

See, its sooo cute :)

meet my new roommate Lisa... she is a wedding Photographer too! :)

Look, at how far I am moving! We are only 10 minutes from the Beach and we have a HUGE balcony for sunbathing so this will be a FUN summer.

Come visit me!

Happy Birthday Jazzy!

2007-04-06T13:10:00.001-07:00

Today is my dear sweet friend, Jazzy's, birthday. It couldn't have fallen on a more perfect day! She is the true embodiment of goodness ;)
Ever since we met early last year I have been blessed by her presence... through her constant prayers and love it's a daily realization that I don't know if I could do this without her. As we develop our businesses together it is her who offers up the prayers that pave the way for me to take the next step.
As lucky as I am to have met several people in this industry who have helped me tremendously, I have been given a double portion with this young woman's friendship.
Thank You Jazzy-Love for everything you are, I treasure you so much!

Here is the birthday girl the day day after we met last year...
sorry folks but they don't get any gorgeous-er than her (inside OR out)...

Vegas | random

2007-04-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would share a few random shots from Vegas...

This is J$... I didnt get to spend much time with the Nudds this year but I just want you two to know I LOVE ya!

Here is THE Fred Egan stylishly sporting the Nikon colors and professing his undying love for Nikon

And lastly, My ode to Amber Holritz... she's just one of my favorite people so she gets the focus of this post :)

workin' it in Starbucks

hee hee... Shaun Austin & Kevin Swan of KISS plus Amber made a dynamic trio... a barrel full of laughs!

Barnum-Kirk Engagement

2007-04-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

I had to jet off from the New Years Party early to meet up with this adorable couple and we absolutley had a blast shooting on this PERFECT day. :)
Meet Kim and Erik... 8 years of dating is finally culminating in a wedding this May and I am so excited to shoot their wedding. As you can see, they are both so full of life and laughter... it's always a treat to shoot such joyus people. :)

I havent shot an engagement session in over a year because all my brides this past year have already had them done before they booked me. Anyway, I was kinda nervous but....shhhhh... thats our little secret. lol

Oh and I totally dropped my camera today. It went tumbling along the cobblestone and I swear it happened in slow motion... I think my heart even skipped a beat. Then I picked it up and everything seemed fine until it would take a picture.... My heart started beating faster and fatser...then all of a sudden, it came alive and we finished the shoot. **whew** that got my heart rate up for sure. :)

without further adieu....

I saw this awning as we were driving and got sooo excited!!

Happy New Year!

2007-04-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

The thirteenth day of the Persian New Year is always a BIG celebration. The tradition is that on the thirteenth day you have to leave the house and be gone all day. SOOOO, many Persians gather together for big BBQ's and fun. Every year my family celebrates at Laguna Niguel State Park and today couldnt have been a more perfect day. A calm 75 degrees and cloudless sky set the stage for a fun filled day! The customary greeting of a kiss on each cheek is the ultimate icebreaker, so if you are shy at arrival, expect to leave with several new best friends :)
I'd say the BEST part id the food.....yummy. I am addicted to Persian food! so when all the friends and family gather together you can expect to eat VERY well :)

Here are a few pics from the day... :)

My sister Paris and lil' Emma

I may be a little bias, but I think Persian Babies are the cutest kids! ;)

The volleyball game

My dad... hardcore.

Some of the kids watching the turtles in the creek

The best part.... the FOOD!

what photographers do when they are bored....

2007-03-31T01:24:00.000-07:00

I promised to show a pic from being stranded at the airport last night...
Here is one of the shots from our state of delirium... :)

Amy, Janey and Me

wow. we are dorks. But at least we look cool rockin' our KISS sweatshirts

Vegas V| lying down on the job

2007-03-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

The sweet Miss Lauren Rutten just sent me this picture she took of me at WPPI. I was lying on the ground underneath the Pictage booth after the tradeshow one day... These shows sure do take it out of you! But it truly was worth every minute.
:D

Vegas IV| coming home

2007-03-30T04:07:00.001-07:00

after an amazing week at WPPI, it was finally time to say goodbye. Goodbye to friends old and new, goodbye to all night parties and goodbye to the smell of smoke and the sounds of "chings", "pings", and constant conversations. I will admit it is nice to be sitting in a quiet house as my brain detoxes from the sensory overload that accompanies trips to sin city.
The trip home wasn't smooth sailing however...
check this out.
-10:00pm arrive at airport for 11:52pm flight (I traveled with a few gals who like to be early ;) )
-11:45pm board plane and sit on tar mack for one hour waiting to takeoff
-1:45am arrive in Santa Barbara and are greeted by the wonderful smells of orange blossoms that made you temporarily forget the horrible smells of Vegas.
-2:30am Car wont start... no juice
**uh-oh**
Luckily I have roadside assistance on my phone but alas, my phone was DEAD
So we walk to the parking attendant at the airport and he summons security to come give us a jumphttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
However, Security busted their jumper cables so they couldn't help us
We called a towing company recommended by the parking attendant only to receive no answer.
Luckily again, Amy has AAA so we called them and they promised to be there by 3:07am.
-3:30am tow truck arrives, jumps my car and we are home safe and sound.

Amy, Janey and I all wore our new KISS sweatshirts and thankfully we did or we would have died of hypothermia... It was SOOOOO cold! ;) ;)

off to sleep now... a Grand total of 4 hours of sleep in the last two nights combined and then staying up till 4:30 this morning makes being awake for 68 out of 72 hours NO FUN!!!!
Goodnight and stay tuned for some pics that documented our delirium tonight. :)

Vegas III | fred egan

2007-03-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

I met THE Fred Egan Monday night at the BluDomain shindig and we've participated in crazy adventures ever since. I totally admire his work and really wanted the opportunity to shoot with him, so we attempted to arrange a shoot but were unable to arrange models. SO... as a result, we just shot eachother! It was a challenge because I only had a half hour to shoot but here are a few of my favorites!

In Action...

Here are a few of my Favorites that Fred shot...

Vegas II | bludomain

2007-03-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

BluDomain hosted a sweet lil' Vegas Party in the KingPin Suite at the Palms on Monday Night and in addition to the bowling lanes inside the suite, they had this fun photobooth...

Here are a few fun pics! :)

Vegas I | friends

2007-03-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

I totally stole this picture from Liana's blog! I just wanted to give a little love to my roomates. I love you girls!!!
Liana, Jazzy, me, Kristin
And of course our dear friend Master Colon sneaking his mug in ;)

There's a bunch more to come...but this is just a little teaser to prove I havent fallen off the face of the planet! :)

Girls Gone Wild!

2007-03-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

I am not kidding. but I will spare the details ;)

The sweet Miss Paige Kearin celebrated her birthday in STYLE! We met up in Beverly Hills
at the Regent Beverly Wilshire for cocktails and appetizers. I was so excited because this is the hotel from Pretty Woman! That is one of my fav movies so it made me VERY happy!

Next we made our way to Kate Mantilini's for dinner where we dined in our own little room... or shall I say " Our own little world". Out of 9 gals, only 3 of us were single so we learned A LOT from our married friends :)
The night was still young and lent itself to some fun charades, parade, and cake back at the hotel room! Around midnight we once again donned the heels and went down to club Element
for a night of dancing!!
Around 4am we melted into bed only to rise and shine by 10 and reconfigure ourselves for the next adventure.... DAY SPA! Burke Williams day Spa in West Hollywood
Oh man, oh man, oh man.... this was my first spa experience and it was heavenly! Amidst all the new adventures and fun experiences, the best part was just hangin' with the gals... a wild group of beautiful women who each made these experiences better with their own flavor! Thank you Paige...you truly rocked my world!! I cant wait to party again! :)

Like they used to say on Sesame Street...
This weekend's programming was brought to you by the number 19 and the word jetski!
(ps)
I will post "people" pictures from last night soon :)

Now its off to WPPI in Vegas until Thursday Night! I have had 12 hours of sleep in the last three days and I doubt I will get much more over the next week.... Here we go!!

It's ALIVE!

2007-03-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

My website is finally LIVE!!!

We are still in the process of making a few changes (like loading the background music) but I just couldn't wait anymore!!!

Take a peek.... **Click Here**

My designers were seriously amazing Amazing AMAZING to work with! Soooo kind and creative, yet professional and prompt. I cannot brag about them enough! Most of the time, they were waiting on ME, instead of me waiting on them. ( How's that for incredible service?!) They are even building me a complete back-end site so I can do everything myself. These guys are just wonderful and I HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking to build a website (flash or html). Jason also designs business cards for those looking for that.
Also a special thanks to my dear friend Jasmine Star for the fun new headshots!

Soooo... whatddya think??? :)

Nothing.

2007-03-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

I walked into the coffee shop by my old college tonight, and what was intended to be a 5 minute pit stop turned into a three hour chat with some friends that I graduated with. I can say that it was a coincidence, but, after our long talk, I know that it was a little more than that. ;) We all had some part of our tanks that were running a little empty but the true power of fellowship kicked in and we each left with a little more pep in our step :)
Anyway, someone mentioned this and I thought I would share because it really struck a chord with me.

During a nationally televised interview with Mother Teresa, the interviewer asked the following questions...

Interviewer: What does God say to you when you pray?
Mother Teresa: "Nothing."
Interviewer: "Then what do YOU say to God when you pray?"
Mother Teresa: "Nothing."................ " and if you dont understand that, then you dont understand God"

hmmmmm.... that made me smile. I wonder why we sometimes take the simplest things and make them so complex??

Glorified Randomness...

2007-03-07T23:21:00.000-08:00

haha... I was cleaning out my PhotoBucket account and I found this random picture taken 4 years ago.... Film, scanned, and 1 hour photo developed ( because I was impatient!). Obviously I wasnt paying attention because I stinkin' cut off their feet! What was I thinking?! lol
Anyway, I just thought I would share my very first attempt at a "fashion" shoot...lol... we were going for abercrombie look but they were obviously wearing too many clothes!
Oh dear.

Here's another random picture I found that I took on the side of the road in LA during a shoot a while back... hee hee... it makes me smile!

Email Notification

2007-03-07T09:38:00.000-08:00

For the time being... The email address shyla@shylaphotography.com will be down as we switch servers (and all that jazz) in preparation for the new website. I know many of you use that address so please don't feel offended if you do not receive a response back :)
Please feel free to contact me at shyla.dalirifar@gmail.com instead...:)

I am sooo excited, I will let you know as soon as we are up and running again because that will mean that the website is live! :)

2007-03-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

SMILE!!! :)

Its such a beautiful day here in Southern California and nothing seems to be going right... but regardless of circumstances I can never warrant NOT smiling. You never know what a smile to a stranger can do for their day and thus the day of the next person they encounter. Even better, you never know what a friendly smile could do for those around you!

:)

hee hee, this is from our 3am breakfast rendezvous at WPPI last year!

Big White, CANADA!

2007-03-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Beautiful British Columbia and I had the most wonderful time!
Can I live in Canada someday?? Those accents get me every time :D!
Pictage hosted their annual Best of the Best Conference and I had the pleasure of hearing business advice from some of the industry's finest photographers.
With photographers like Denis Reggie, David Jay, David Salomone, Terry Gruber, Brooke Mayo, and Michelle Walker It was a star studded event indeed :) If they all put on a seminar together, it would be like the most expensive seminar EVER! I learned sooo much and took pages and pages of notes!

Here are a few pictures of the beautiful land of Canada....

Dave Luebke, Bibiana, and I went snowboarding! I snagged this picture from the video DJ made of our trip. We were resting because our legs were seriously ON FIRE!!! You can see the video here.

He kindly edited out the part where I fell flat on my butt on the icy patio, you can just picture that one in your imagination! ;)

It was truly a beautiful place and it was so great to make and meet new friends! Thanks for the fun Pictage!!

Cards :)

2007-02-25T21:38:00.001-08:00

I will be the first to admit that I couldn't be where I am today without all the support of those around me who constantly believe in me and push me to persue and live out my dreams. A few weeks back, some dear family friends of mine gave me this gift as a reminder of their faith in me and and encouragement that they believe I can do anything.... I squealed as I unwrapped the card-holder because I have always LOVED wonder woman but every time I whip this thing out I will be reminded that I have this amazing support group who make me feel like I can conquer the world :)

And after months of trying to get these suckers, they are finally here! Just in time to utilize my gift from the McCartney Family! :)

Disneyland

2007-02-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

I first really met Aimee at church when Jack was 3 months old. After a year long intership in the Youth Department I was hired as the creative assistant in the children's department at the church and one of my first tasks was to photograph of the all the babies recently born. ( which was like 12 babies in two months!) Jack was among the baby boom and that began a wonderful relationship with an amazing family that has since become very dear to my heart.
For the last three years, the Edwards family has vacationed at Disneyland and they always bring me along... yesterday was by far the most fun yet!

Here are a few pictures from the day :)

Couple of Crosses ;)

2007-02-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

Finally! Here's the slideshow from Dave and Jenny's wedding a few weeks ago :)

**Click Here**

Can I reiterate how much fun this couple was?? Its people like them that make my "job" so much fun!

Hard Core!

2007-02-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Its always a treat hanging out with Mr. DJ and yesterday was no exception! :) Anyone who lays down in the middle of traffic to get the shot has GOT to be fun!...

Bless your Cotton Socks!

2007-02-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

"Bless your Cotton socks"
"Teach a Grandma how to suck eggs"

Oh how I love British Idioms!
Throw a marvelous British accent on there and you have the setting for entertaining laughter in a room full of American Wedding photographers .

Yesterday I had the privilege being in the company of some of Southern California's most prestigious weddings photographers for a special training on the new Aperture software. Thanks to the enduring patience of Martin, the product manager for Apples's new program Aperture who happens to hail from Britain, we managed to spend nearly five hours laughing at his british humor and drilling the poor gent with endless questions about the program.

Mike Colon ( wedding photographer extrodanair) was gracious enough to open his home for this event to the likes of other wedding-photography-heavyweights such as Becker, Jessica Claire, Joe Photo, Jon Barber, Dane Sanders, Aaron Delesie, Jim Kennedy, Mike Kitada, & Jasmine Star. A star studded event indeed ;)

This program seems fun like it will be awesome to implement! Im excited to see how it can work for me :)

(ps)
'Bless your cotton socks'= expressing a term of endearment for someone you care about. Sorta like "bless your heart"

'Try to teach a Grandma how to suck eggs'= Trying to offer advice to someone who has more experience than oneself.

My Funny Valentine...

2007-02-13T22:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I must be honest and admit that I totally forgot Valentines day was tomorrow... Someone reminded me today and so in honor of the 'day of love' I popped in Michael Buble's "With Love" CD I bought last Valentines day and crooned along to the melodic tones of Mr. McTalented....
The song "My Funny Valentine' came on so I thought I would introduce you to MY funny lil' Valentine

Meet Mr. Mark Barlow...

Earlier today, I received word that this lil' man offered to take me out! haha
You may be thinkin' "he's a little young"... but I consider myself a pretty lucky gal ;)
Not only do I appreciate a 'take-charge' kinda guy but I am a sucker for the musically inclined, and this kid is a musical prodigy!

So, Marky, since you cant drive, how 'bout I pick you up at 8 ;) (I promise to have you home before curfew!)

(ps) the above shots were taken by his super-talented and incredibly-adorable Sister!

OSPwest

2007-02-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

I am so truly blessed to be surrounded by unique and amazing friends and family who validate and encourage me to live and pursue my dreams. I am equally honored to be surrounded by fellow photographers who likewise encourage and challenge me to do the same.
Someone once told me that the key to being successful is to surround yourself with those who believe in you.....
In retrospect, I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am without each and every friend, family, mentor, etc who has poured into me... As much as we think we can dream and conquer our dreams in our own strength, we need to know that someone ELSE believes in us to be able to see those dreams comes to fruition :)
I am not claiming to be successful, I am simply saying I feel so rich and empowered to someday be that way because of everyone I have around me!

I spent the weekend in Pismo Beach at a Photographer get together and felt like I was 'hooked up' to an I.V. of empowerment... After being around the kind and caring community of photographers who all call OSP their home, I left knowing that with friends like that, I can do anything.....or at least TRY! :)

Unlike everyone else, I didn't do much shooting but rather had the opportunity to spend time with some amazing new friends.
While sitting at lunch yesterday, however, we asked one of the waitresses if she would be willing to model for us. She agreed and she met us after work at the hotel where I did her hair and make-up and we snuck away for a private little night shoot.
Along with Jason Groupp, TJ Cameron , Chris + Lynn Jaska, and Susan Han, we succeeded in having a blast and getting some really fun shots!

Check 'em out....! :)

Here are a few of us in action...

and here is TJ using Lynn as a tri-pod ;)

OC Din-Din

2007-02-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

It is such a blessing to be a part of a wonderful community of Photographers!
Tonight a few of us got together for a little dinner in the OC and it was a fun mix.
Jason Groupp is in from New Yawk, TJ Cameron from the good 'ol NW, Chris & Lynn Jaska from Canada.... 'eh?
Sara France from San Diego, Carrie from Irvine, Lori Creech from Gary Fong's condo, the infamous Regis Chen from Africa and Dawn from...um...somewhere south of the OC ;)

It was really a fun group and I think Jason is now tied with Luke as my favorite New Yawker! Truly a kick in the pants and a blast to be around!

Again, I feel so blessed to have the ongoing opportunity to meet amazing people from all over who come together with the same passion. ( Cheesy, I know, but I mean it!)

Disclaimer: These were taken post Alcohol ( not me...them!)

Two Crosses and a Devil

2007-02-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

I had the wonderful pleasure of shooting Jenny and Dave's Wedding this past Saturday in La Jolla. It was the perfect day for a white wedding ;)
I was reffered by the awesome Jeff Youngren who totally stepped in an helped me out while being the best man at the same time..... he definately rocked!!
Thanks Jeff, I had a BLAST...seriously!!

Ok so now onto the story.... I had my first 'church lady' experience and it resulted in getting my name put on a list that banned me from shooting there ever again! LOL!!
You see, APPARENTLY there is this little rule that the photographer must be seated two rows behind the last seated guest and cant move....at all!!
What?! Thats ridiculous!!!
Anyway, the bride gave me permission to do whatever I needed to do to get the shots and I think, personally, that she is who I am there to please. The church lady never actually TOLD me the rules so she really didnt have any foundation for her reaction but I simply avoided her the whole ceremony and did my own thing. It resulted in getting chewed out afterwards and being banned from shooting there again but at least we got great shots!! hee hee. She has affectionaltely earned the nick name "devil" for her horrible treatment of the bride and bridal party. She pissed off so many people that I think everyone wanted to chew her out by the end of the day. She even went as far as telling the bride and groom that they couldn't have communion during the ceremony right before it started...after they already obtained permissions from the church officiant! They had to sneak off last minute an have communion in a side room before the ceremony.
The lady even went off on some on some of the bridesmaid....EEEK...it was an adventure!!!
So yeah... she was the wedding nazi that kinda put a damper on the day... REgardless though, Jenny and Dave were soooooo happy to ber getting married and they truly enjoyed themselves despite the opposition.

I couldnt have asked for a happier chill couple to spend the day with! Despite the fact we only met on Saturday, i feel like I have made brand new friends :)

Here are a few more from the day...
I will post a slideshow soon!!

Without further adieu......Jenny and Dave Cross...

2007-01-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

Many years ago I nannied for a family with 5 kids... This family was amazing and they treated me so well! One year, they took me on vacation with them to Disneyworld in Orlando Florida. The dad, Jim McCartney, is a regional sales manager for WACOM so the trip doubled as a design/photo tradeshow also. Since I have always been into art and such, Jim, asked me to come along to the show and be the demonstration artist for the Wacom Tablet. It was so amazing because I just sat there and drew while people stood around and watched. I even was offered a job from one of the managers at COREL!...it was an all around crazy experience! Anyway, the whole point is that who knew that one little show would spark a fire that would eventually lead to becoming involved in the same industry 8 years later?!.. funny how God works sometimes, huh?
Anyway, three of the five McCartney children are in competitive gymnastics so since the team came down from washington to compete in the San Diego Classic Invitational, I was invited down to shoot. I have always LOVED gymnastics...even as their nanny , I would love to sit and watch them practice at the gym. These girls are so dediacted... They each spend 5 hours per day/5 days a week practicing. Out of 10 possible levels in gymnastics the two girls are in level 6 and level 10. Both were amazing but watching the level 10's meet was absolutley mesmerizing!!

Here are a few of yesterday's images...

This first one is my favorite from the day...

McElle was still in diapers when I started babysitting her ( now she's 10!)

This is Kalliah... the eldest. Check out those leg muscles!

Play Date

2007-01-22T23:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a Play Date with Lil' Miss Madison. Her mama ( Bibiana) and I work together at Pictage. Bibiana and Kent are big Saints fans so while they watched the game, Madison and I went and played on the pier in Redondo Beach. Here are a few pics of our little Play Date.

Madison and her mama!

After we were done playing, we went met up with Kent and Bibiana at a sports bar to watch the Colts game... We were one of like three tables 'voting' for the colts and after the first half we werent too hopeful... BUT, they made up 32 points in the second half and won the game!! WAHOO!!! GO COLTS!! My trainer used to play for the colts so it makes it that much more fun to see them go to SuperBowl XXXXI !!
Here is a shot from the sports bar as the sun was setting... I thought it was kinda cool!

And of course the beautiful Redondo Beach Sunset...

Proof that Iranians couldnt be terrorists...

2007-01-22T22:12:00.000-08:00

Haha...

As many of you know...I am half Iranian ( hence the name Dalirifar). I know it can get confusing at times because I talk about two different families but my biological father is Iranian and even though I rarely talk about it, I absolutley LOVE the Persian culture!! Anyway, I had this Persian professor in college and he often sends me emails about what's going on in Iran and such. Today I got this email and I just died laughing!

**CLICK HERE**

Haha...Its so funny because my dad got his degree in engineering, expected me to be a doctor, drives a Mercedes, and is always late! hee hee... the stereotypes he talks about are sooo true!!

Here is a picture of my Dad and I... I know we dont look anything alike but try not to rub it in... I am often bitter that I am so white I glow in the dark... Check out my beautiful little sisters...they got the persian coloring that I am soooo jealous of :(

Sooo yes... despite the fact that I am white like Casper the friendly Ghost, and have blue eyes ( even though BOTH parents have brown) I am indeed 1/2 Camel Jockey... But I promise I am not a terrorist ;)

Defending my Title...

2007-01-20T23:32:00.000-08:00

Every year the college I graduated from holds a girls arm wrestling competition. I won the last two years in a row and earned the nickname "the Hammer" amoung the guys on campus. I was invited back this year as the defending champion to make an appearance. Unfortunately I didnt get the message until I got home from the gym because I left my phone at home but as soon as I did, I ran over to the school. As soon as I walked in, the crowd totally started cheering and I felt like a superstar or something. It was so fun!! Anyway, instead of wrestling the girls, they set me up against a guy!
Here are a few of the shots my friend Nicole took...
Ready, Set, Go!

5 min later

10 min later my arm started to go numb and my fingers were turning purple... The best part about these different shots is seeing the expressions on the crowds faces.

Alas, I finally gave up when my arm started shaking... Its a good thing though because he had alot more to lose than I did! ;)

Here are some shots from last year's competition... This was the final championship round

Be afraid...be very afraid!! lol.

The trophy...

Did You Know??

2007-01-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

I have always been a sucker for those "Did you know" books, because I love those fun little facts that can be classified as 'useless information'
A friend of mine just sent me this email, so I thought I would share...

Did you know??...
The liquid inside young coconuts
can be used as a substitute for
Blood plasma.

No piece of paper can be folded in half
more than seven (7) times.
(I tried this by the way because I was determined to prove them wrong!.... They're right.)

Donkeys kill more people annually
than plane crashes.

You burn more calories sleeping
than you do watching television.
( I prefer sleeping to watching TV anyway!)

Oak trees do not produce acorns
until they are fifty (50) years of age or older.

The King of Hearts is the only king
WITHOUT A MUSTACHE

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987
by eliminating one (1) olive
from each salad served in first-class.

Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

Most dust particles in your house are made from
DEAD SKIN!!!!!!
(Say it with me.... "eeeeeww!")

The first owner of the Marlboro Company
died of lung cancer. So did the first "Marlboro Man."

Walt Disney was afraid
OF MICE!
(Look what happens when you overcome your fears! ;))

PEARLS MELT IN VINEGAR!

The three most valuable ! brand names on earth: ?
Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...
but, not down stairs.
( dumb animals!)

Turtles can breathe through their butts.

A duck's quack doesn't echo,
and no one knows why.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush
be kept at least six (6) feet away from
a toilet to avoid airborne particles
resulting from the flush.
(I keep my toothbrush in the garage now!)

Holy Inspiration Batman!!

2007-01-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

I took a B&W film Fashion Photography class a while back and one recurring assignment was to pull an image from a magazine and examine the lighting. We were graded on our accuracy of deciphering the direction of light and instruments used ( ie...soft box, reflector, hair light, spot light, on camera flash...etc etc) Anyway, those exercises stuck with me and while I prefer to shoot with mainly ambient light, I often find it intriguing to try to figure out the formula of light when I see fun artificially lit images.
Anyway, I recently stumbled across the website of Joe McNally and I was TOTALLY inspired. I clicked through image after image and was completely enthralled at his work.... He is a master at artifical AND ambient light!!! It was so fun to sit before each picture and pick apart how it was lit, whether assisted or natural.
What makes him even cooler is that he's shot on a military air and naval base, which has always been my dream.
I left his site being totally inspired.
Now I want to go buy a bunch of spots and go shoot...anyone wanna model for me?? ;)

here are a few of his amazing shots...

(ps) he shoots Nikon ;)

Wine Tasting

2007-01-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I spent the day with friends up in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley going wine tasting for the first time. Tim & Cheryl, Amy, Summer, D and I visited four different vineyards and each one got sillier and sillier... haha.. I wonder why? ;)
I am not HUGE into wine and I was hoping that this trip would make me "fall in love" with it but alas, I just realized that my tatsebuds are simply rebellious and do not wish to conform to the ways of the sophisticated. My hopes of ever becoming a famed wine connoisseur were dashed yesterday.
Luckily Cheryl and I shared tastings which was great because most of the time we poured our samples out anyway. I did decide that I could be a DESSERT wine fiend! HOLY COW...those were soooo yummy! My favorite was the dessert wine at the Firestone vineyard. Described to us like apricots dipped in honey, I was in heaven!

Here are some pictures courtesy of Aims...
Winery #1: Foxen (too bad we dont ave any pictures of our faces after tasting the wines that tasted like you just face planted in the dirt ;)

Amy, Summer, me, & Cheryl

Winery #2: The one where we talked about Albums the whole time so I forgot the name! Alas, you can tell we got a little sillier! The girls and I are actually riding the horse chess pieces ( in case you were wondering)

Vineyard #3: Firestone.... My FAVORITE!
I must admit I was slighty dissapointed we didnt run into The Bachelor's (season 2) Andrew Firestone... he's kinda cute!
But, I bought all these yummy sauces and dips including a chocolate merlot dipping sauce...anyone want to come over for dessert??

Vineyard #4: Curtis
We started to get alittle whoozy/delirious by this time... we only tasted the dessert wine and then left to get food!

Finally we arrived back in Santa Barbara and decided to walk down State Street. Amy was soooo cold, I think she thought she was going to become cryogenically frozen! Im from the Northwest so I was rather comfortable but here's proof of our excursion with my two little eskimos, you'd think we were in the North Pole! :) We went to Borders and bought books! I have spent over $100 on books in the last three days Between two trips to Barnes and Noble and one order from Amazon... I think I am addicted! I even bought a book on tape since I am in the car so much. I popped it in on the drive home and once I got home I wanted to stay in my car and listen because I was so enthralled.

Anyway, yesterday was truly wonderful. We laughed at eachother the whole time and even though I didnt fall in love with wine, I did fall more in love with life. Its days like these that make you so happy to not only be alive but to be thankful for friends to share and experince life with.

I can't wait to do it again!!

2007-01-10T17:45:00.000-08:00

I was just reading the fabulous Jessica Claire's blog and she made a post about 101 things to do in 1001 days. That got me thinking about a running list I started a long time ago of things I want to do in life ... Soooo, I dug through my old journals and while I have added a few things and subtracted some completed ones, here is my current dream list.
I learn so much about myself as I read this list, I think it's a good exercise!

I also found this quote...
"Life is not measured by the numbers of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away".
Aw man, I want to do so much in life it seems overwhelming at times!
Anyway,
Here is my current list.... (in no particular order)

See a Broadway show ON BROADWAY!
Attend a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York
See the Northern Lights
Own a hammock
Learn to Country Line Dance
Learn to Salsa and Tango
Experience what it’s like to fall in love
Learn to fly a small plane
Swim with Dolphins
Visit the Seven Wonders of the World
Visit the Holy Land
See the Sistine Chapel
Write a book
Flip Houses
Visit the Greek Isles
Go to a Military Ball
Ride in a Hot air balloon
Play an entire game of Scattergories all the way through, the right way!
Repel off the balcony at our church in Portland (crazy, I know, it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do!)
Build a tree house
Ride an elephant
Learn how to Lasso a rope
Get married ( duh!)
Be a Disney princess for a day at Disneyland!
Milk a cow
Play with a baby monkey
Experience a real Indian pow-wow
Ride in a cable car
See the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
Go to High Tea at the Palace
Ride a Gondola in Venice
Master the Spanish language
Learn to hula
Watch a COOL surgery in real life
Go on a road trip with no particular destination.
Get a Master’s degree…just for fun
Make a time Capsule and bury it somewhere
Fill my passport with stamps before it expires in 9 years
Volunteer with the Make a Wish Foundation
Buy a California King Bed
Start a Non-profit Organization
Go to the summer Olympics to watch Polevaulting
Two words… ‘Coyote Ugly’ ;)
Learn to Wakeboard
Own a 1964 ½ Mustang Convertible. Candy Apple Red with White Pony interior
Own a Siberian Husky with light blue eyes
Start an Orphanage
Build a patio with Sparkly cement
Mud Wrestle
Drive on the Autobahn
Make a bomb out of a gum wrapper ( Like Macguyver) ;)
Ride in a submarine
Walk on stilts
Go paragliding

Jake & Crystal

2007-01-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy week! Between working alot of overtime, being sick, busting a tooth and entertaining out of town guests, my new year has started off as a full on sprint! Alas, I finally managed to sit down a put together a slideshow of images from Jake & Crystal's wedding. These take me forever because I can never decide on which pictures to choose, it's simply ridiculous!

Crystal was seriously one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen... I wish I could have done her justice in these photos but alas, it was a feat I could not achieve.. she was seriously stunning!

I was going through the images my assistant gave me and I thought this picture of the groomsmen re-inacting the last supper was HILARIOUS! :)

Anyway, here is the **slideshow** as promised :)

Double Header

2007-01-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a weekend!!!

Here's a quick recap...
Saturday, after 4 hours of sleep I shot a wedding up in Portland, Oregon for Jake & Crystal. My brother came along as a second shooter so it was fun times :)
Sunday was church and then prepping for our New Years Bash at our place. After everyone left at 2am I crashed for a whopping 2 hours and then was up to catch a 6am flight to LA for yet another wedding! This one was a last minute booking because their original photographer bailed two weeks before the wedding... Soooo, I arranged to have my car driven back down here and I hopped the earliest flight available arriving at 8 am yesterday morning and going straight to the bride's home.

Needless to say, I am simply exhausted so forgive the lack of a slideshow.
Here are a few images from the double header this weekend :)

Crystal & Jake: Dec 30, 2006

Christy & Johnny: Jan 1, 2007

I just love this one... Her grandma was totally emotional as Christy was getting ready...

One of the groomsmen, Erik, asked if they could take a jumping shot... Apparently he just wanted to show off his air-guitar skills....lol

Happy New Year Everyone!

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

The hustle and bustle of Christmas has finally subsided and cabin fever has begun to set in... I need to learn how to just relax and enjoy the down time.
So, due to the lack of activity today, I finally found time to blog some shots from our glorious Christmas in Northwest.
Being home is always so fantastic but it's especially wonderful around Christmas because Mom makes everything so festive! Its because of her that I am such a Christmas Nazi when it comes to decorating!...hee hee :)

Meet the Fam... Everyone was over for Christmas Eve and we couldn't pass up the opportunity for a group shot :)

The Dinner table looked amazing!

Our traditional Christmas Breakfast... My brother and I look forward to this every year... Some breakfast Casserole, baked peaches with bing cherries and home made cinnamon rolls....YUMMY!!

And who could forget the trees... There are a total of nine throughout the house... Including the bathrooms and kitchen!
This one was on the Island in the kitchen

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

ShowIt Addict

2006-12-20T23:31:00.000-08:00

Ahhh... I am so addicted!! Ever since I got everything rolling and was able to run ShowIt... I have been addicted. Can I just say that whoever invented ShowIt is a genius?! If I ever meet him, I'm gonna give him a BIG hug and tell him he's my hero!... haha ;)

Anyway, I have made a ton of slideshows from past weddings/events to send around to my former clients :)

Here's one from the Hackbarth wedding back in May.

**Slideshow**

Stay tuned because there are more where that came from...YAY!

Amazing!

2006-12-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

We got back late last night from the Orphanage and I walked around in a complete daze today. I haven't quite figured out if it was the effects of exhaustion or the sobering effects of my visit to such a poverty stricken country... Regardless, I know that this trip will have a lasting effect :)

Here's a pic of our team with our friend Erik ( left) who we went to college with. Erik has so selflessly given his life to the Orphanage and raising these kids! He not paid and has no source of income ( except donations) but I have never seen a man more gentle or love kids so much... It was truly touching!

What was so amazing about visiting this Orphanage was seeing how happy the kids were. Their team takes such incredible care of these children!! You can see how happy they were by thier smiles and laughter :) I had so many adventures in our short little trip... For example,When I found out we were having Pig-head soup for dinner the first night, we convinced the cook to pull it out of the pot to take a picture!! Look for it in the slideshow :)

We also hiked out to the hills and went shooting! Not with Cameras... with GUNS!!! It was soo cool! Although I think my ears are STILL ringing from the shots...haha

And whats a trip to Mexico without a soccer game and a few fun soccer pics??

**Click Here**for the Slideshow!! :)

(Special Thanks to Brett-Man for helping me get this up tonight!!...)

***EDIT***: The location on the slideshow is supposed to be Valle De Palma, Tecate, Mexico. ;)

2006-12-16T01:31:00.000-08:00

Hello to all my darling friends!

If you think about it, keep us in your prayers today! please :)
In a few hours we are leaving for Mexico to go play Santa at an Orphanage down there for the weekend.

I am so excited because we got sooo many donations, including three bicycles....Bags and BAGS of clothes...plus hundreds of $ worth of toys!!
YAY!!

I can't wait to show you pics!
Stay Tuned!...

S.B. PUG

2006-12-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

Last Night was the PUG ( Pictage User Group) Christmas Party in Santa Barbara.
A few of us from Pictage decided to drive up for an evening of fun and it proved to be that and MORE! We had such a great time hanging out with friends old and new...
Here are a few pics from the evening...

Susan Han ( Client Trainer), Emily Engle ( PUG/Community Coordinator) and I started the evening off with a sushi dinner with DJ

The ladies...Susan Han and Jasmine Star

The crazy gentlemen... Ricky Mia, JD De La Torre, Tim Halberg, Justin Lyon & Damian

um... yeah, I dunno?

Jasmine has taught her husband well ;)

Then it was back to DJ's place where I fell in love with his little tree... It has twinkle lights but apparently it interferes with his WiFi?!...lol

This is the beautiful Amy Nave with her HOT new hair do...
Amy, I dont think I told you how hot your hair looks ;)

Even though we didnt get to sleep until around 3am, the drive home was amazing because I saw 5 shooting stars!! Was there a meteor shower last night?

And alas, here are us Pictage girls this morning after only 4 hours of sleep and LOTS of caffiene... Notice the glasses and no make-up?!!! Luckily we dont meet with clients in person!! hee hee :)

PCP

2006-12-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Saturday Night was the annual Pictage Company Christmas Party. It was a Vegas-themed, cocktail attire shin-dig and my first corporate event! I didn't really know what to expect but it was definitely fun!
Mr. Studly, David Jay, came down from Santa Barbara to accompany me for the evening and luckily he brought his camera or ya'all would have to be using your imaginations!! ;)

They brought in blackjack, craps, and roulette tables plus bow-tie clad dealers... Then everyone started out with $500 fake money and by the end of the night DJ and I had "won" our way into the top ten with $18,700.
That won us a 3 day 2 night trip to Laughlin!!
I think I should mention, though, that the 'winning' involved the dealer slipping us extra chips throughout the evening...hee hee. One time, a dealer came up behind me and slipped me $5,000 worth of $500 chips... then DJ, being the blackjack guru he is kept doubling the chips by going all in and WINNING!...haha.

Meet a few of my friends...

Emily Engle runs our PUGs, Mike does product development and Barbara is in charge of all our speakers...

and I dont know who this is, but it sure was a funny sight!! Murse's are becoming popular, I guess ;)

Bibiana and her man Kent. She is seriously my sanity! I LOVE her... we laugh with eachother all day long. She is in charge of out new loyalty program that we are launching next year.
Kent is a kick in the pants! He drives race cars which makes him a super-stud in my book!!

And, I am still trying to figure out if this picture of DJ is why we kept getting special treatment from the dealers... LOL

BUBBLES!

2006-12-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

Of all the weddings I have shot or been to, this was the first to actually UTILIZE the bubble favors! I had so much fun shooting the bubbles... I was like a little kid!

I am always so easily entertained...lol

Anyway, here are a few from the wedding last week I was at with the fabulous Lyon duo...

Thanks Justin and Ameila for having me along... you guys are always such a blast to hang out with!!!

Casa Celestial!

2006-12-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

How cute is she?!
Next weekend I have the awesome privilege of making a trip to Tecate, Mexico to deliver Christmas Presents to an Orpahange called Casa Celestial! I visited an orphanage last year in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and it was an amazing life-changing experience, so I am excited for another opportunity!! Not only are we shuttling gifts down but we will spend the weekend there and help out some basic needs of the facility as well. I am sooooo excited!!!

With the help of a few small businesses, me and my friends will be able to pack my new SUV full of fun toys and neccesities down to these adorable kiddos!
If your in the SoCal area and would like to donate a new unwrapped toy or other necessity ( you can find a list of needs HERE) please email me at shyla.dalirifar@gmail.com and let me know. We will be leaving Friday Dec 15 at 7pm.

Additionally, If you would like you join us on our trip, we have an extra seat!
Our plan is to leave on Dec 15th at 7pm and arriving in Tecate, Mexico around 10pm ( its only a 3 hour drive!!)
We will spend the weekend there in the Orphanage's ministry house and returning on Sunday Evening the 17th.

I'm sure if there is more than one of you who would like to come, we could work something out ;) ;)

Naughty or Nice?

2006-12-04T01:54:00.000-08:00

I apologize for having been a blogging delinquent, but I have been experiencing some computer issues! Luckily it is working right now so I thought I would share the 'Naughty or Nice' session I did yesterday with a bride whose wedding I am shooting next year.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day...

Christmas in California

2006-11-24T18:06:00.000-08:00

It's finally 'legal' to listen to Christmas Music! People usually give me a hard time if I try to break out the Christmas music before Thanksgiving but now that Turkey day has passed I can blast it with out contention. I have over 200 Christmas songs on my computer...thats over 12 hours of straight music!

Christmas is my favorite holiday/season so I get really into it! I was the girl who snuck a 7 foot live tree into the dorms during my first year at college and I got busted because they could smell it...lol (apparently its a fire hazard in California)
This is my frist Christmas season in California ( in college, we had December off) and its a huge culture shock! It doesnt feel like Christmas time because it was 80 degrees earlier this week! Im used to hats & scarfs, Hot Chocolate in glove adorned hands and strolling down the streets of Downtown Portland listening the Street Carolers...not shorts and flip flops and sunshine :(
I shouldn't be complaining, I know, but I still cant help but miss the weather that traditionally accompanies the christmas spirit...
Just to give you an idea, here are a few pics of what Christmas was like in Washington a few years ago :)

My car was encompassed in at least an inch thick ice!! to de-ice my car I had to tie a rope around my waist and anchor it to the garage pillar so I could repel down the drive way with buckets of hot water and not slide down the drive-way! I would NOT suggest de-icing your car with hot water though...it cracked my windshield!!! LOL

This gives a new meaning to icicle lights...huh?!

Yo Gabba Gabba Phenomena

2006-11-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

The amazing husband-wife team that make up Amelia Lyon Photography are not only super talented with a still frame camera but they have recently proved thier brilliant talent with a video camera as well! Justin Lyon has created a fun little show designed especially for preschoolers with the aim of getting them up and moving around. Just think a fun and funky twist on Teletubbies, but WAY cooler :) It's called Yo Gabba Gabba and the show was recently picked up by Nick Jr. so keep and eye out because its bound to be a great sucess!

The Lyons gave me a copy of the pilot show a few months back and I brought it over to watch with two lil kids I babysit for. Now everytime I come over, the three year old always asks for " More Gabba Gabba"! LOL

Anyway, today I came over and the kids and I sat and watched it for the three thousandth time... I know all the songs and dances, so we did that as well ;)

Additionally, Their parents are housing directors so they live on a college campus and I just found out that a bunch of students have watched the show too! Apparently all the RA's ( resident assistant) planned a special 'date' just to watch the show and even assigned themselves characters from the show! Then an entire floor of girls it and now you can hear students randomly singing songs from the show...HAHA... One song called Party in the Tummy is often heard in the Cafeteria even!!

I told you it will be a phenomena!

Chck out this little trailer and stay tuned for the upcoming series :)

GoodBye Red DEVIL!!!

2006-11-21T00:04:00.000-08:00

BIIIIG News of the day....
I drove RED DEVIL off a cliff and then bought a new car today!

I thought about waiting until I got home to take a cool picture of it but I was just so excited I couldnt wait that long... LOL

The guys at the dealership took such good care of me, I truly walked away with a blessing!!

Ta-Da!... here's my new car... what shall we name it?

Happy Happy Happy...FEET!

2006-11-16T23:23:00.000-08:00

This is me... :)
I began thinking about where my love for Cartoon originated and I realized that it is the way they make me feel... As a child we couldnt always afford everyday luxuries but when you are 7, you dont know any different. I remember crawling out of bed on Saturday mornings and turning on the TV...lying on the floor, closing my eyes and imagining the pictures that accompained the voices I was hearing. We had a TV, but the TV had no picture...only sound. It didnt seem to matter...I remember feeling alive during those times because I was the animator and my imagination was excercised with each 1/2 hour segment. To this day, watching cartoons takes me back to that precious time in my life that serves as the foundation for my current imagination.
Additionally, and perhaps I can blame Walt Disney for this but, somewhere along the way I fell in love the singing and dancing cartoons that in turn birthed a love for musicals.

Since I am reminicing, I should also point out that I have collected penguins for years! I dont know how it started really but once people find out you like something, you end up with a BUNCH of them :) So, every year at Christmas I decorate an entire 6ft tree in nothing but penguin ornaments...and every year I get at least one new penguin ornament so the collection grows

Now all this actually DOES have a point! I am so excited because tomorrow the movie Happy Feet comes out and I am so giddy!!! Cartoons, singing, dancing, & penguins ALL ROLLED INTO ONE! I think this movie was created for me ;)
I am prepared to settle down in my theatre chair and let my imagination run wild...only this time, my eyes will be open!

2006-11-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

I read this quote today...

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.
~Henry Ford

Happy Birthday Mark!

2006-11-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

Todays my Brother's birthday so I figured I'd give him a little blog-lovin'!!

I also have been thinking and thinking about what to get him for his birthday and I decided the best birthday present I could get him would be a GIRLFRIEND!! So... if anyone is interested let me know...haha

Name: Mark Allen
Birthday: November 12, 1980
Hobbies: Photography, Hacking computer codes, shopping!, collecting music
Occupation: Sells kids shoes at Nordstrom ( Yes, ladies he is good with kids!!)/Photographer
Hometown: Portland/Vancouver
website: www.MarkyMarkAndTheFunkyBlog.blogspot.com & www.markgp.com
Favorite place to shop: Nordstrom

Note: He is the best brother ever! He likes to go shopping with me ( sometimes more than me) and never complains when I run and jump up and down on his bed to wake him up in the morning! He is my fashion consultant whenever I just cant decide what to wear! Just the other day I was buying a pair of UGGS and I couldnt decide the color so I called Mark and here is how the conversation went...
Mark: "hello"?
Shy: "Black or Chesnut" ?
Mark: "oooh, hard one... well black look better with pants tucked out and chesnut look better with pants tucked in ....so, CHESNUT!"
Shy: "OK, great! Thanks, luv ya, bye"

THE END

Oh and the best thing of all is if you marry him, you get me as a sister-n-law!!...lol
OK, so thats my feeble attempt at finding him a girlfriend... any takers?

He's soooo gonna kill me for this!

The Dalirifar girls

2006-11-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

I spent the day at the field today. My Dad coached my little sister's soccer team to an undefeated season and today was the playoffs... Unfortunately they lost by one point but they played their little hearts out! The best part was watching my little sister make an awesome kick and we all thought for sure it was a goal, it nicked the goal post at the right angle to where it diverted its direction and the next thing I saw was my dad fall flat on the ground out of pure defeat.......It was hilarious!!! You have to understand my dad is the most competitive person..especially when it comes to soccer, so all the team parents just laughed :)
After the game I stole my little sisters away for a movie and then we took random pictures with Photobooth. I already knew I was a dork, but now I am convinced it runs in the family! ;)

Here are the lovely Paris and Chanel in their first ever photobooth debut...

It's finally done!

2006-11-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

They began building last September and it is officially done!!! Yay!!
My brother just sent this sweet pic of the finished product!

Here are a few more before the furtinure gets moved in....
The Great room

The entry...

You know, our parents always go out of town for New Years...anyone wanna party???

While the Cat's away the Mice will play!

2006-11-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

While the boss man was away at PhotoPlus, we took the opportunity to PLAY!! :)
Yesterday, Pictage treated our sales team to a wonderful lunch at PF Changs and then bowling!

I suck at bowling! The last time I went bowling, I barely broke 70...so this time my goal was to break a hundred, and LOOK I did it!! I even got second place on my team!
...haha...Im such a dork! Look how many times I gutter balled!!

Here is our team from lane 4... Ian Stone, Kurt Himerson, and me...

Yay!! I want to go bowling again...anyone up for it?!

I love Halloween!

2006-10-31T23:08:00.000-08:00

You know why I LOVE Halloween?? Because its an excuse to be creative! I seriously love making costumes for people...Especially when its for a contest!!!
My mom always tried to convince me that I should go to school for Fashion or Costume Design simply because ever since I was young, I would draw out an outfit for my Barbie Dolls and then try to make it on the sewing machine... My poor cat even had an outfit or two... The best part is that I would cut up my own clothes for the fabric to make these creations, which didn't go over to well with my mom ( as you can imagine)...
Nowadays, I refuse to mangle my own clothes for the sake of a costume but I also refuse to wear a store bought one... There is something so exciting about dreaming up an idea and watching it come to fruition :) Here are a few creations from my stint as a costume designer...ha ha

The ongoing joke about this costume was... "Does drinking a Dew make me a CANnibal"

Wonderwoman is my favorite superhero... So, Last Halloween, when I walked into the fabric store and saw blue velour fabric with silver stars I knew exactally what I wanted to be!

This car was the perfect accessory to these costumes!

Ok so I didnt sew anything for this one, we just used what she already had and added to it...but I thought it was funny!!
(ps) This dead starbucks employee is getting married to the Mt Dew Can next year!

What is Beautiful?

2006-10-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

***TRUE BEAUTY CAMPAIGN***
wow.
I saw this video on OSP and I just couldnt get it out of my mind...
No wonder girls' perception of beauty is distorted.
Do you think there was a such thing as eating disorders and poor physical self esteem before mass media?

Red cars are EVIL!

2006-10-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the Basketball game with Deej, Deyl and his beautiful wife Paige. I don't know much about basketball and this video DJ posted proves that I am a silly silly girl that all my guy friends should be ashamed of!...LOL...... But nonetheless, I had a GREAT time just hanging out with those guys...truly a kick in the pants!

Anyway, after the game we walked back to my car and DJ asked if my car had any new bump and bruises... For those who don't know, my car has been the bane of my existence over the last few months and anything that can go wrong has...so his question was definitely warranted! I proudly responded "no" but I think I spoke to soon because today there was ANOTHER incident...

This is me sitting on the side of the freeway after a HUGE blow-out waiting for help to arrive! It was so bad it even did damage to the body of the car.... *SIGH*

Here, you can see one of the shredded tires...

And this is the back panel that is now hanging... My poor car looks more and more ghetto as the days go on.

Nonetheless, I am still thankful and I am still smiling...it just makes the idea of getting a new car someday that much more exciting :)

Abby Quiz

2006-10-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Meet Mrs. Abby Quizenberry...
This beautiful young bride was married in May of this year but unfortunately she had a less than pleasurable photography experience....sooooo.....we remedied that situation with a fun little shoot this afternoon. :)
I've been looking forward to this shoot for a few months now because not only is Abby gorgeous but she is such a sweetheart!
I love these post wedding bridal sessions because they are so relaxed with little or no time restraints and the bride usually doesnt care about getting the dress dirty....

Thanks Abby... you were AWESOME!

Quotes..Quotes..& more Quotes

2006-10-21T01:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I spent the afternoon walking about Canon Beach, OR and I happened upon this cute little shop where I found these metal tins of quotes that are actually static clings (so you can put them up places without sticky residue!!)... I think stuff like this is so fun! Anyway, I bought a tin of 100 quotes and went back to the hotel room, plopped on the bed and read them all! I liked them so much, I walked back down to the shop and bought another tin of different quotes and did the same thing...lol
Who knows what I'll do with 200 little sticker-things but I still thought they were fun!
Here are a few fun quotes I picked out that...

*It is better to be an authentic loser than a false sucess, and to die alive than to live dead.

*Your spark can become a flame and change everything

*Criticism-- its just someone else's opinion

*People of accoomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen to them, they go out and happen to things.

*To abolish all valleys is to get rid of all mountains

* The quieter you become, the more you hear

* To play it safe is not to play... ;)

* Wake up with a smile and go after life... ( I really liked this one because thats how I feel every day I wake up... Its a brand new day with brand new opportunities to take on life and live an adventure... and that definately warrants a smile!)

Credit

2006-10-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

I must give credit where credit is due... I have gotten alot of emails, messages and comments asking me who took my new Avatar/MySpace pic...sooooo... the wonderful photographer is... (drum roll please)....... My BROTHER!!! We had a fun little photo shoot last week when I was visiting at home and this was one of the shots :)
Mark, you are awesome!
Oh and ladies, he is single ;)

I couldnt figure out how to make these bigger ( or the one above smaller...) but here are some fun shots we took before leaving for the airport last night :)

Oh and I got to work today ( after a week of being gone) and look at my email inbox... 1000 emails!!!HOLY COW!!!!
Its gonna be a BUSY day :)

Home...Home on the Range...

2006-10-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

Another great thing about being home is seeing all my babies at church... I think I spent more time with all the kids I havent seen, than with the adults! Here are Jack and Abby... I have been shooting them since Jack was 3 months old... Their family has a special place in my heart!!!
Next I got to see my friend's new baby Evalia... This was my favorite shot of the day...

Momma Asena!...I have known Asena for years and it just so weird when your friends start having babies!

haha... here is Evy with daddy... Joe and I interned together in the Youth Department after HS and now he is the Youth Pastor!!! As you can tell.. he is awesome!!

Next, my brother and I went shopping on NW 23rd and it was the PERFECT fall gloomy day. 23rd (Otherwise known as the 'Pearl District') is the trendy part of town so you always find really cool things there! We ate lunch and then had dessert at my favorite Restaurant Papa Hayden's...mmmm...yummy!!!
I picked up this huge petty coat from a little consignmnt shop to use for a shoot tomorrow and my brother bought this hat. Anyway, my parents just got home from their home group and we were showing them our treasures...
The next thing you know my mom started prancing and twirling around the kitchen with the skirt... I ran to grab my camera but I was laughing soo hard everything is blurry :) Then dad put on Mark's hat and we just lost it.... again I was laughing sooo hard so the pics are ...uh...kinda "soft"...haha!

Anyway, I just thought I would share the fun :)

There's NO place like home.

2006-10-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

Its's sooo good to be home :)

My mom is the cutest ever! Every time I come home she always put little vases of flowers next to my bed and in my bathroom(the one below is from my bathroom)and it always makes me feel so special! :)
The house always smells perfect because if she's not cooking, then she is burning yummy candles...She also ALWAYS has little snack dishes all around the house so everywhere you turn, there's food saying "EAT ME"....so I do... I swear I always gain wieght when I am home because all I do is eat :) I think thats one of the best parts about being home... THE FOOD!

That dish of pumpkin candy was full this morning....haha... ;)

Another great thing is the water... you can drink out of the tap here and its tastes sooooo good!! Doesnt it just LOOK tasty??...lol

Anyway, I just wanted to share a little bit of home... I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and a fantastic momma!! Watching her makes me so excited to serve my own family someday!

I've caught the travel bug...

2006-10-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! I am going home tonight!! I am so excited that despite the fact I didnt get to sleep until after 1am... I was wide awake by 5am.... crazy huh? I never sleep well when something exciting is happening the next day.
This has and will be a crazy few weeks.... lots of travel.
Last weekend I was in Chicago. This weekend I will be in Portland/ Vancouver....Tuesday- Wednesday I will be in Cleveland Ohio, Thurs-Friday i'm in Raleigh, North Carolina... and then round it all off with a flight BACK to Portland for my home church's ladies retreat in Canon Beach, OR

Good thing I love to travel... I cant wait for the day when I can post and tell you all the different countries I am going to :)

Oh and guess what?! I'm meeting with my designer when I am in town and I get to see a mock-up of my website tomorrow night!!! wahoo!

Naughty Girl!

2006-10-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

I am sooooo bad!!!! I'm sitting here with my friend Linna and we totally just hacked into my friend Ryan's MySpace page and ...uh...yeah.... lets just say we 'customized' it!!
I used a bunch of pics from our lil' photoshoot to create a slideshow and even put a 'special song' on there... haha...
Check it out before he gets home and finds out!!! ;)

**Click Here**

haha... you know you love me RyRy!

I heart Chicago!!!

2006-10-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

The Barlow Experience: 4 day intensive in beautiful Chicago, IL

'Blessed' doesnt seem to encompass the feeling I walked away with after this weekend. At the close of spending 4 action-packed days in Chicago with the infamous Barlow Family I left with the biggest smile on my face. Truly the most loving and caring family...they are some of the few who not only preach it but live it out in their everyday lives. I always say "actions speak louder than words" and this family is the epitome of this axiom!....
I just got home Sunday night and I already am suffering from Barlow withdrawls...:(

Not only did we have sooooo much fun, but I learned a thing or two in the process...like...
1. Sarah's motto..."No cop, no stop"... has no consequences
2. When the Barlow's call me a 'Beast' it DOESNT mean I am fat and hairy!...its actually a compliment...haha!
3. Oberweiss truly is the BEST chocolate milk ever!
4. There is no substitute for authentic Chicago-style Pizza....YUM!
5. When you run after a flock of grazing Geese in the middle of the night, you get stopped by the cops and asked to leave the premisis
6. ...Um... yeah, so even though the camera says your battery is dead, DONT...I reapeat ... DO NOT... stick it in your mouth because your hands are too full to hold it. An electrocuted tounge feels REALLY uncomfortable! :)

So now, allow me to introduce the infamous Barlow Family... I realized I never got any shots of Mom & Dad Barlow but the whole family looks alike anyway so you really only need to see the kids and you'll know what Joe and Nancy look like ;)

And last but not least... The one and only Sarah Barlow

I totally felt like a part of the family from the moment I walked in the door and saw a "Welcome Shyla" sign posted up...Its as if you cross over this magical threshold and automatically are infused with Barlow-blood! Now, if only I some of their talent would rub off on me, I'd be set! ;)
I absolutley LOVE you guys!!! Thanks again for EVERYTHING...you touched me in ways that will have a forever-impact!
Here are a few more from the weekend...

And this one was added by special request from Natalie.... :)

Wanna know something else??? I ran into my friend Lisa Goe ( who also happens to be Amy Nave's roomate!) on the plane. We were on the same flight!!! She was enroute to a wedding in Chicago and a gig opening for Shawn MacDonald...I was so excited to see her!

Life at Pictage...

2006-10-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Haha... so I am sitting at work and this guy comes over and starts talking about arm wrestling!
The next thing you know we are both lying on the floor in an all out arm wrestling match!!!
....and guess what?! I TOTALLY beat him!!
I have beat guys before but one time I beat this guy who liked me ( I had a crush on him too for the record) and after I beat him, his pride was too hurt so he stopped talking to me....sad huh?!

sooo... anyone wanna arm wrestle??? haha :)

BarlowGirl!

2006-10-01T00:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the awesome privilege of attending (and helping shoot) the BarlowGirl Concert!! They are currently headlining the 'Don't Confrom Tour' with Matthew West and DownHere.....
So GREAT!!

I am so excited because my friend Sarah Barlow let me use her ShowIt web to create a slideshow of some of my images...I have never used ShowIt before but I plan on buying it real soon!!! I didnt realize how easy it was... seriously the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Here's a *Slideshow* of these rockin' beauties....

After the concert we hopped on their tour bus for a lil' chit chat as we all partook in the gift of an adoring fan...a 5lb chocolate bar!! :)

Wedding with Jazzy!

2006-09-27T02:54:00.000-07:00

I had the awesome pleasure of shooting with Jasmine Star on Saturday in Santa Ana at the Centennial Heritage Museum. The place was so adorable and upheld a classical old fashion charm that only made you smile.
The bride and groom were so sweet and laid back and the 11 bridesmaids were by far the greatest bunch of bridal party-iers I have yet to see... Honestly they were great! No wonder the bride was so calm, she has the support of 11 amazing friends...most of which she has known since the 1st grade :)

While the wedding was great and Jasmine and JD were their usual fantastic selves, the BEST part about the evening was when someone asked me if Jamsine and I were twins??....gee, I wish!!!......WOW!!! That comment totally made my day! I thought I was excited when 4 or 5 different people asked if Jazzy was my sister at PartnerCon but to be asked if I was her twin was the compliment of a lifetime! Wether the lady meant it as a compliment or not, I couldnt have asked for a better one. So no, Jazzy and I arent twins,...and while I cannot compare to her real life twin, Bianca, in looks, class, or style, at least I can say that we share a similar middle name...haha... Jasmine's middle name is Star and mine is Anahita which means 'star' in Farsi! :)

Ok so...here are a few pics from the evening...

The rings...

Calla Lily's are my FAVORITE flower

I told you the bridal party was so fun... they made the bride laugh several times...

Shhh...! The bride and a few of her girls were spying on the groomsmen getting their pictures taken

A girl after my own heart... There was a candy bar there !!!

The music was great too!

The first dance....awwww...

Auntie Mo!

2006-09-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

Anthony is my training coach...He is solely responsible for sending me home with horribly sore muscles that feel like jelly but also for reigniting my passion for sports. Affectionately known by his athletes as 'Mo', he is wholeheartedly dedicated to his students and I have never seen a coach who is so passionate about their work. It is not only encouraging but inspiring!

When the opportunity to shoot him came up, I knew we had to shoot at his playground...The track at Mira Costa Highschool. Not only is MCHS his alma mater but he also coaches football, soccer, and track there.

And not only is he a coach...he's an athlete too!! He was recently training as a sprinter for the NIKE farm team when he snapped his achilles during a race back in May...... so sad :(. Fortunately he is making a speedy recovery and hopefully will be back in training soon!

Here are a few pics from the day :)

He's probablly gonna kill me for calling him 'Auntie Mo' again... but thats ok... I can take him...it's not like he's buff or anything!! ;)

2006-09-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Yay!!!

McDreamy will grace the boob-tube once again!! I am so excited because this is my favorite show ever!!!
I generally dont watch TV...in fact I dont even own a TV... BUT I make an exception for Grey's Anatomy. Last season I watched it faithfully with my girlfriends and this season will be no different!
I have been ansy all day, I cant wait!
Season Premire tonight at 9...tune in :)

Hannah & Angela

2006-09-17T00:34:00.000-07:00

Hannah is seriously my favoritr subject to shoot, so when I recieved a phone call from her mother the other day asking if I would shoot some pics... I was more than happy to oblige! I first shot Hannah last fall when she was 5 ( You can see some of those pics here...) and she is such a hamm...plus she is super photogenic so thats a bonus! Anyway, Angela wanted some mother- daughter shots, so we went down to Laguna Beach and had some fun...
Here are some from todays shoot...

Baby got Book

2006-09-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

I was just catching up on my forum reading and I saw this hilarious video that Jim Cook posted... I laughed so hard!!!
So for all my bible college friends out there... This is for you...

Click Here

Chix On Stix...

2006-09-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

Jump or get out of the way...
Altitude with Attidude....
Chix on Stix...
Train Hard, Run Fast, Jump High....

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, those were the slogans that graced several my T-shirts from various competitions, meets and invitationals...They are the slogans of my past that have come to surface once again! I used to vault for several years through HighSchool and College until I went to a teeny college that didnt have a track team. I suffered through horrible withdrawls since it was my life for so many years...:(
haha...
Soooo... I have decided I am ready to vault again
The only problem is I totally got out of shape since its been awhile...so with the help of a personal trainer and coach I found who offers training sessions at UCLA...I will be back in the air in no time... I am sooooo excited!! I LOVE polevaulting.... :)

SNOW!

2006-09-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

I shot with my friend Ryan Snowley yesterday and we decided to ditch the car and hoof it around town. We found some really fun alley-ways to shoot in as well as all these cute lil' hidden cafes that we NEVER would have found driving around. Thanks Snow for being just a willing subject... you were so easy to shoot and I had a ton of fun!!

I feel bad for my friends sometimes. I think its become a given that if you are my friend you will end up becoming a modeling victim for me at one time or another......haha...sad huh?

PartnerCon

2006-09-09T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yet another funfilled week hanging out with all my favorite photo geeks.... uh, I mean Friends!! ;)
What an awesome opportunity to I have to be a part of the most amazing community of photographers. I am seriously surrounded by people who give so much of themselves on a greater level than just photography!! So many encounters with insurmountable knowledge seasoned by passionate hearts made my cup overfloweth!! Thank you to all those who took time to share their lives with me! Especially the Holritz's!!! I cannot brag on them enough... They simply exude a warmth and zeal that you leave their presence feeling like you can conquer the world!

Here are a few pics from last night. Unfortunately I was a bad monkey and didnt take enough pics so these will simply have to do... :)

The whole gang at a yummy Italian restaurant...

Ninja Master Chen...

Me and TobyRose

My lil' Goss-ling ;)

iTodd

What makes this shot so funny is Sarah is laughing at my rendition of "work it baby!"

The lovely Miss Lehman

I didnt have a pic of my lovely PartnerCon Roomie ( Or is that Part-Con?...haha) so I stole this from her blog.... Jasmine is another one of those dear friends who holds a special place in my heart... Her wisdom and love radiates each conversation and encounter and I feel so blessed at every opportunity I am around her!!!
And next to Jazzy is my new friend Justin...not only is he a child prodigy but he's also studying to be a rocket scientist!!!!...cool huh?

I'm sad I dont have any more pics... Everyone else post so I can see all your beautiful faces!!! :)

Quote of the Day...

2006-09-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

A great quote I heard today... :)

“The best leaders keep two eyes on their team’s horizon -
rather than two hands on their team’s backs.”