Keao's Photography

I've Moved - I mean, My blog has moved

2010-01-29T13:07:00.001-08:00

I hate to do this to you, my faithful followers. Um, how many of you might there be exactly? One...two...mom, is that you?

But I've created a whole new blog. It's awesome and I'm setting it up to be my main site so please mark it down. I dread doing this because I hate when photographers change sites...I have to remember to update my blog reader (if you don't have blog reader with gmail, you need to ASAP, it'st that awesome). But I promise to only do it just this once. So please come over and join the fun.

www.keaosphotographyblog.com

Go go go !!!

Christmas? In January?

2010-01-14T11:59:00.001-08:00

My sister has five girls and I adore my nieces. My 3 year old niece, Lauren, has two little twin sisters who since turning a year and half and learning to walk have been promoted to official twisters. Scott and I made a goal of trying to watch Lauren once a week to let her have some "Lauren" time and actually spend some time playing with toys without having four smaller hands snatch them away. When you babysit, you always feel that urge to have to entertain them. So my sister gave us some leftover Christmas crafts and this visit we attempted to bake and decorate our own home-made gingerbread cookies.

The party included:

Lauren's friend, HB, stopped by for some playground and coloring book fun but left before the culinary lesson began. Here's Master Baker Scott showing a preview of our final creations. I may have to explain Scott's cookie a little. That's actually supposed to be a gummy heart in the middle and the "A" is for me...his nickname for me. Well, by nickname, I mean, my real first name. And, no, I will never divulge it.

The kit came with a really cute little booklet of instructions. We were a little waylaid by the fact that you had to add a few ingredients to the kit of your own. Honey. I didn't own honey, I actually don't like honey. So, just be forewarned to check the back of these cute kits before attempting at home. We mixed the ingredients together and let it sit in the fridge for half an hour. I followed the directions but the dough was a little crumbly and weird looking at first. It began to take a more doughy texture after we had worked on it a bit. Here's Lauren who learned to to knead it herself.

Now, you may notice above a spray can of Pam nonstick cooking spray rolling around. I couldn't for the life of me find a rolling pin (hmmm, seems the roommate left it at someone's house)...so I had to improvise. Washed the outside of the Pam can and sprinkled it with flour. Hey, it worked pretty decently.

3 year olds are a great age. Lauren caught on and was able to roll up the dough, roll it out, and then cut out a shape with the cookie cutters all by herself. Her favorite was the heart shaped cookies. After we had assembled most of the cookies, I left her with a little bit of dough to play with like play-do (Hey, I just got the name....hah, it makes sense now) and went to put the cookies in the oven. But she kept running to the kitchen with more heart cookies that she was just milling out by the second.

After fifteen minutes in the oven, out came beautiful gingerbread cookies, all shapes and sizes.

We kind of forgot to explain to the 3 year old that these cookies were for the joy of decorating. Because after we down all the gels and sprinkles in front of her and then brought the cookies to the table, she reached out and started to grind on the freshly baked cookies. I think Scott and I startled her when we snatched them out of her hands and said "No." Ooops. We then showed her that you could decorate them first and then she went to town and had a blast. But after that, she refused to take a bite of any cookies, even after we had decorated them all. My sister arrived and we all tried to show Lauren that you could eat the cookies. I think I ate like three. But, nope...she wouldn't touch them. She just carried them around with pride.

The gingerbread cookie kit came with little eyes to put on your gingerbread men. I love that Lauren made an all-seeing Christmas tree. Magical.

Hey, I have some amazing pictures from a children session on the Big Island. Look forward to that post and pictures coming sometime next week.

Is there a doctor in the house?

2010-01-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

December was chock full of holiday fun but it also marked other momentous events. I met Chrystie when we were both in the Master's Program in Cell and Molecular Biology at University of Hawaii-Manoa. We both obtained our Master's Degree but she continued on in her graduate studies in the PhD Program while I joined the workforce. While watching her dissertation, this flood of pride welled up as I watched her explain her work with stunning clarity and unheard-of vocabulary. I was proud that I slightly understood the first third and then it went beyond my capabilities. It also reminded me how much I love my background in scientific research. I started to try to work out how I could get back into research...considering volunteering in the lab after work. Then I slapped myself awake. There I go thinking I have 36 hour long days to cram all this stuff in.

The morning of the UH graduation, I was a little rushed. We had to skip the flower shop so we drove into the parking garage lei-less. Scott slowed the car slightly so I could jump out and dash into the Stan Sheriff Center. I made it in time to watch Chrystie receive her diploma and join the faculty as a part of the doctorate community.

Here's Dr. Chrystie flashing a shaka.

Chrystie and Janice

Me, Dr. Janice, Dr. Haymer, and Dr. Chrystie
Hmmm, my name looks so unimpressive next to these academic wizards.

Chrystie and her sweet family

An intimate luncheon followed at a Chinese Restaurant in Hawaii Kai. It was 2 hours of music, touching speeches, tears, crying...and then more crying....and then, just a little more crying. Chrystie has an amazing support system, her family, her church, and us (her friends!!!). Her sister, Malia, had just gotten married a month before and she was constantly at her sister's side. She laughed and joked with everyone that she and Chrystie had traded off, Chrystie was her servant at her wedding and now she had to return the favor. I was really touched by how close these two sisters are and how supportive they are of each other. I saw Malia and her new husband standing up and eating their lunch to let others have seats. Then Malia danced hula for Chrystie and the endless tears were streaming down their cheeks. When the notes faded away, they ran to each other and embraced forever. My sweet husband leaned over and whispered in my ear "Maybe I should hug my brother more often." Huh, that would be a sight to see.

For these pictures and more, check out the photo album on facebook. If you're already on fb, add me as your friend!!!

Happy New Year 2010!!!

2010-01-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

I may be college educated but I, for the life of me, can never remember whether I should be wishing people "Happy New Year!" or "Happy New Years!" I promise to google it before the end of this post.

I am in love with 2010. I've read that 2009 was a tough year for most and I'm no exception. What a relief to have a fresh new page to write on!!! I'm a huge advocate for making resolutions, even those resolutions that dwindle to soft wishes most of the time. Making changes for the better and striving for self-improvement is an easy sell for me. I taught high school science straight out of college at Maryknoll Schools and their motto is "to whom much is given, much is expected." What a firm reminder that I am blessed and the best way to show my gratitude is to live my life giving everything I've got. So here are my resolutions...and if I fall of the wagon, I hope I remember that you get a fresh slate every morning on any given day. There's a Nicole Nordeman song "His mercies are new every morning." I cling to that as my saving grace.

Be more thankful-spend a few moments every day thanking God for the little and big things that come my way. And thanking those around me, like my dependable hubby, Scott who always reminds me that my car's registration expired three months ago (oops) or when it's time for an oil change. Or asking to take my car on our Costco run because he notices it's low on gas and Costco's gas is the cheapest.
Be more active and healthy- Hmmm, this one sounds so familiar. I'm not giving up. I weighed in 10 lbs heavier than my heaviest weight every. A new high for me. Ouch. Yet another reason why I am always the photographer, keep cameras pointed away from me. I want to at least feel stronger. So, I had a jumpstart on this one and have been back to the gym since Christmas. It's not as excruciating as I thought but, boy, it's just time consuming.
Laugh more-And thanks to goofy friends...one who was trying to wave out the window at a group of us and totally tipped her and her chair over and then my athletic, uber-coordinated husband whiffing on a frisbee catch and kissing the frisbee up close....I have laughed and laughed and laughed. I mean, I hope all my laughter doesn't come at the expense of others...but I love them more for filling my life with joy and light.
Use less and Give more-I grew up in a small town with where we, like most families there, struggled. We lived on welfare and survived on food stamps and housing assistance. I sometimes forget that I'm not poor anymore. It's such a hard mentality to shake. But I'm not poor....I have to repeat or I keep forgetting. I have all that I need. In fact, I have more than I need. So over the holidays, Scott and I went through our closets and pantry and cleared out boxes to donate to Goodwill and the Hawaii Food Bank. Cans and cans of soups and mixes that we bought months ago just to lie unused gathering dust. I need to stop buying stuff "just in case" I might find a use for it. Some credit will probably have to go to "Hoarders" which now has given me the opposite complex. I'm so scared of hoarding that we have empty closets and shelves after weekly purges. Hey, reality TV can be positive after all. We also give monthly support to an Ethiopian girl, Elilta, through Compassion. Then I got a newsletter from them with pictures of these children who have been waiting, some of them for over a year, to be adopted/supported through Compassion.

And because I know that even the best intentions get nudged to the side by the busy-ness of life, someone help me remember to revisit these resolutions every four months. April 1st let's see how I'm doing.

Darn, google didn't help me. Scott and I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Brrrr...there's a chill in the air

2009-12-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

December is my favorite month of the year, it's basically sandwiched with cheesy Hallmark movies and party feasts between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just finished up editing a big session with my husband's working place. I took their staff Christmas picture and then a bunch for their website. Sorry, I never post the photos from the church, but I may provide links eventually.

I'm battling a little cold...cough cough sniffle sniffle. I'm such a wussy sick person. Scott gets sick and he just likes to be left alone. I get a tickle in my throat and I'm eating ice cream for breakfast and making sad eyes at Scott in hopes that he'll rub my feet. But there's a lot to do...Christmas cards to finish and get out...reports at work to get in...laundry to wash and fold. After watching a few episodes of Hoarders, there's also nothing better I like to do each day at home than throw three things away and scrub four things down with bleach. I am trying to plan ahead for the next three months. I have a few sessions lined up, and I'm also looking to take some much-anticipated vacation. Unfortunately, I've had to turn down some clients because my schedule was filled up. So if you're thinking about booking a session, do so very early!!! I would like to do a few more weddings so I'll be posting new specials on wedding packages. If you know anyone getting married, direct them this way please. The first weekend of March, I'm traveling up to Vegas to take a natural light photography workshop. I'm beyond excited. It's taught by Audrey Woulard, a phenomenal natural light photographer from Chicago. Her colors and style had a huge impact on my journey. I think its essential to keep challenging and stretching myself. I want to offer some workshops of my own in the spring, just working out the details and managing time.

And because I love pictures: here's a few fun pictures taken on the sidewalks of Kailua.

[I think this one is a funky angle but I like!!!]

[Only I can get so excited by a picture that's mostly concrete]

[This one would make a gorgeous canvas wrap. She's beautiful]

It's almost time...

2009-11-26T08:46:00.001-08:00

to say "Happy Thanksgiving!!!"

I'm at work with the time dwindling down to when I can race out the door and begin my holday activities. I think I managed to get some work done but probably not a lot. My brain was on the fritz. The only thing I could manage to think of was the words to every Christmas song written this century. I'm thinking it's probably because this morning brings us Thanksgiving but they've been piping Christmas music over the PA system for three days already. I cannot believe how slow time is ticking by. I went to the water fountain, I hibernated my laptop, cleaned out my items from the fridge...a whopping three minutes have elapsed.

I used to teach high school science. This must be what students feel like at the end of the school day. I'm distracted with daydreams of turkey (my favorite), mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Aw, sigh. Oh, and Beyonce has a special on TV. So excited to begin the day.

I'm so thankful
-for my husband, Scott, who I think is hilarious and cracks me up every day. The only person who finds him funnier is, well, Scott himself.
-for having a secure and stable day job. Yes, I'm getting furloughed next year but we'll make it through.
-that our dog, Charlie, is free of any health situations. He seems happier and we're much happier not having any more vet bills.
-for being able to learn so much more about photography and being able to meet more people who love photography almost as much as I do.
-for being blessed with the most awesome couples, babies, and families on photo shoots. I have been so fortunate to have sweet clients who I still try to keep in touch with, they're that amazing.
-and of course, loyal friends and family who are there to support me and make me laugh every week.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Beth and Mark Family Day at Waimanalo Beach

2009-11-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

I have some amazing friends at The Cutting Zone hair salon in Kailua with adorable kids. They referred one of their favorite clients, Beth, to me and I was thrilled when Beth contacted me. Not as thrilled as Beth whose two sons were returning to Hawaii with their families to celebrate a special birthday party with Beth, her husband, Mark, and her daughter, Emma, all who still live here. She wanted to take advantage of having all three generations together and capture those precious moments forever. She especially wanted pictures of her three precious grandchildren, who quickly charmed me in one short afternoon.

We met at Waimanalo Beach. The clouds looked heavy all day but not a single raindrop fell until the day after the session. We did experience a lot of wind, huge gusts that kept the afternoon cool. I was inspired to think I may want to try doing a winter family portrait in full Christmas knitted sweaters on the beach. It is definitely getting cold enough to try out. We did some family portraits and then focused on the grand-kids. I wanted to make sure Beth and her hubby, Mark, had an abundance of pictures of their grand-kids.

(Here's Beth...she was just sitting and resting when I saw how picturesque it was and grabbed my camera)
(This love story started with Mark and Beth)

(...who had three beautiful children, Ian, Emma, and Kevin)

(I had fun trying to figure out the oldest and the youngest)
(They seem to really love each other)

(joined by Ian's wife, Chantel, and Kevin's wife, Tennille)

(Kevin, Tennille, and "M" and "N")

(4 year old, "M," was one of my favorite models. So many different expressions)

(Her little sister "N" wasn't too far behind with her playfulness. The family were celebrating her first birthday)

(Kevin, Chantel, and their new little addition "T")

(When I'm not in a home/studio setting, I get creative using the parents to hold babies so I can get these cute close-ups. Prepare to fall in love with little "T")

("N" again)

(This is my favorite from the day. Absolutely beautiful. Boy, I wish I had blue eyes)

(Thanks so much to this sweet family for sharing these moments with me)

To view or purchase these images and more from their session, please visit here.

Prayers wanted for Joy

2009-11-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

I have a really good friend, Joy. Her name fits her so well. She's a sweet-hearted girl with big blue eyes and a fascinating quick tendency to laugh at anything and then blush. I heard someone once say that they of course loved Joy for many reasons, but the best reason they gave was that Joy laughed at everything they said. It made them feel real funny and popular. Joy is full of joy. And those of you who may have done photo sessions with me might know the girl who helps me carry everything and holds on to everything, because I just lose things in seconds. She's an amazing photographer and assists me in so many ways.

Joy (on the right) during a Manoa hike w/ friend, Abby.

Joy is the middle child of ten children. Count them, TEN!!! She created a photo album with them all numbered here. Her parents are pastors of a church in Ohio and her family is extremely close. They were all homeschooled and they fill their weekends going on hikes together and being nutty. Joy grew up in Hawaii and returned here to take care of her grandparents. Yesterday, she received a phone call that was truly devastating. She learned that one of her younger sisters and one of her younger brothers had been in a car accident. Both were attending a school in Colorado training to become ministers. They were traveling to Portland, Oregon to fundraise for community outreach in a van with 14 other students and were in an accident. Joy's sister, Katy, 18 years old survived but her brother, Josh, 20 years old, did not.

My prayers and heartfelt sympathies are with Joy and her family as they grieve this enormous loss so far from each other. Joy is waiting here in Hawaii until she learns more news. The rest of her siblings are anxiously waiting in Ohio with the support of their church congregation. And her parents are traveling to Idaho right now to be be with Katy, who is still hospitalized with a possible bruised lung and spleen. Please pray for their safe travels and for Katy's full recovery. I was so fortunate to meet Josh when he came to Hawaii. So handsome with this sweet baby face. He's just a year younger than my baby brother and I am reminded that I need to hug every chance I get. We will miss you, Josh, and never forget you. Read here to see Joy's latest words as a big sister to her baby brother.

1/11/08 Earlier last year I was kinda going through a rough time and all I wanted was a hug from God, for Him to hold me in His arms. Well it was really starting to drag me down but on friday night there was a Holy Spirit rally and while I was up there I was still discouraged and wanted the embrace. Anyway, many people prayed for me ( I'll write later on what they said) but all of a sudden a man that was praying for me before I don't know his name, came from behind me and gave around my shoulders a hug it was wonderful then spoke in my ear from behind while hugging me and said this is a hug from my Heavenly Father and that He loves me. At that moment I could feel the presence of God and He answered my prayer. Even when the man knew nothing about it. (found in Josh's writings)

Sneak Peek for Beth and Mark's Family Session

2009-11-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak peek for a 3 generation family session at Waimanalo Beach.

Mark and Beth were on cloud nine to have their entire family together to celebrate a first birthday party. They have three children and three grandchildren. And I usually only post one picture as a sneak peek but I know these proud grand-parents would be disappointed without seeing at least one of their grandbabies...so here's their oldest grand-daughter.

Isn't she beautiful? Wait until you see the rest of the family. Which you can, just check back here next week.

Beka and Mike's Family Session

2009-11-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

Who: The family of Mike and Beka
Where: Kakaako Park
When: early morning on Halloween

I went to college on the east coast, determined to get the most different experience possible from living in Hawaii and also to see snow for the first time. I ended up at Boston College which I L-O-V-E-D but it was ironic that I traveled 5,000 miles away and still hung out mostly with people from Hawaii. And that's where I met Mike, the local boy/business major who even lived across the hall from me with my high school classmate, Mark. And sometimes we would get really lucky when he would bring his sweetheart (his high school sweetheart!!!), Beka, to visit. Beka was and will always be drop-dead gorgeous, and just as sweet as can be. Mike's roommates all seemed to get a little tongue-tied when Beka came to visit.

Fast-forward a few years and these two lovebirds got married, spent a few years living in Japan before returning to live back home, and have two beautiful kids who are quite the characters. Beka and Mike wanted to have their session done at Kakaako Park, a place they love to bring their kids to walk and bike on the rolling pathways. We had to reschedule our initial session time because their son felt under the weather so we moved it to early Halloween morning. So, you'll see some adorable pictures of little Miss "M," the Supergirl Fairy Princess. Little "J" donned his superman cape but, true to his superpowers, he ran faster than the speed of light and I think I captured his back only as he flew up and down the hills.

Meet the family: Mike, Beka, Miss "M," and Little "J"

This family loves to smile...

and laugh....
and love =)

Litte Miss "M" was my joy to photograph. She was not shy and loved the camera and, obviously, the camera loved her. She has a bubbly personality and won me over by the hour's end when she reached out and held my hand while we were walking. We're best buds now, just waiting for her call.

Little "J" was a little more shy and just took you in with these big brown eyes. These next few pictures are from early in the session because he took off like a rocket when he saw the sloping hills around us. It was just your typical morning of playtime for him.

I love kiddies. I photograph weddings and family sessions but I crack up when I photograph kids. Something about having a camera pointed at them and counting to three brings out these expressions and faces. I went through a series of ten images and they had a different funny face in each one. I can't pick a fave...I'll have to put them all.

Here is the concentration while eating candy faces.

Little Miss "M" was enchanting as a fairy/super girl/ballerina.

This next storyboard is a lesson on why a photographer should always give the family room to have ideas of their own. I always go in with a plan of what I want to try out but sometimes the family will bring ideas of their own. I told Beka to bring a few toys to let the kids play with and they brought so much toys, we had four grown adults carrying them around the park. I must have been talking out loud to myself because I'm scouring the park for the best places with soft light or shaded light. Because Mike said 'hey, i know the light may be too bright, but what do you think about us running down that huge hill right there." So we tried it and I loved the way they came out. So, kudos to Mike for this series.

If you are want to see the rest of the images from this session, please visit www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com where all images and prints are available for purchase.

Sneak Peek: Mike and Beka's Family Session

2009-11-02T01:52:00.000-08:00

Sneak Peek of a Halloween Morning Family Session

Where: Kakaako Park
When: Saturday, October 31st

(I caught a glimpse of a beautiful ballerina with angel wings)

New York New York (Pt. 1 of 4)

2009-10-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was really excited about this trip. I'm not a big traveler, I'm such a home body. I am, however, married to the traveling man...he loves it. We had a discussion and came up with compromises before we got married. But this trip. This trip, even I was excited to go. One of my friend from college days (go BC) is from New York and proposed to his girlfriend of nine years. He set his wedding date for my birthday!!! At first I thought it was sweet, then I realized he was trying to steal my thunder. Nah, it was wonderful. Work was getting crazy so Scott and I were excited to fly 5,000 miles to the northeast. We spent a few days in New York for the wedding and then spent a few days in Boston.

We stayed a few days at my friend's place in Queens. I'd been to NYC a few times while in college and Scott just went for the first time last year. So there wasn't much I hadn't seen. When asked what I wanted to do, the only thing I said was "I want to find Cake Boss!!!" Cake Boss is a TLC show centered around a real bakery "Carlos' Bakery" and it's owner, Buddy. The bakery is run by an Italian family and the show is hilarious. They thought I was kidding but I insisted on googling the location of the bakery (Hoboken, New Jersey) and directions on how to take the train there.

So, our friends drove us from Queens into Manhattan.

Which meant we had to drive over the 59th street Bridge which instantly caused Scott to break out into a song "Feeling Groovy." Too bad, no one in the car had any clue what he was singing.

They dropped us off near Central Park, which I will have to say was my first time there. It's pretty huge...and I'm a country girl so I loved it. There were saxophone players and ballon animal artists every twenty feet.

The architecture and neighborhoods are so different in the mainland. I loved it. Scott is such a patient and understanding husband...as I made him pose over and over again so I could get my photography kicks out.

We really had no clue where we were walking but we did find ourselves at the Museum of Natural History. Also someplace I've never been. It was pretty cool. I have to admit that I kind of went out of curiousity to see how similar it was to movie "Night in the Museum." I have to say that the answer is "minimal." The exhibit displays are amazing though. Epic.
We took the subway and then changed over to the PATH train which took us to Hoboken, New Jersey. It was a super short walk and we found ourselves at ... CAKE BOSS!!! And Buddy is awesome!!! He stood outside and talked to everyone who came up...he volunteered for pictures. He was in the middle of signing autographs when they were calling him from inside the bakery and made sure to finish up with everyone on the sidewalk. He was amazingly friendly and awesome!!! It's a gunner for the highlight of my trip.

Then we wandered back to the train station and I saw this cool train station waiting room.

Engagement Session of Mia and Roy

2009-10-07T05:20:00.001-07:00

Roy and Mia's Engagement Session
Where: Makapuu Beach Park
When: a sunrise on a September morning

I met Mia a few months ago. Mia is an talented young makeup artist and we connected for a bridal shoot. Then I received an email full of exciting news. Her sweetheart, Roy, proposed and the two of them are ready to wed in the summer of 2010. Mia had moved back to Kauai which is where they plan to tie the knot but they wanted to have engagement photos at Makapuu Beach. It's a special place near and dear to their hearts, especially since it's where Roy proposed.

Several things made this session unique, but the time was definitely the kicker. I usually schedule sessions for late afternoons for that lovely "golden hour" of soft light. Add in the fact that I'm not the best morning person. This engagement session, however, started about ten minutes before sunrise. And no one was more surprised than me when I just absolutely loved it. The sunrise was beautiful. The couple was gorgeous. And we were blessed with a few baby clouds that softened the sun once it started to get too bright. Roy and Mia were troopers. You couldn't tell that it was sunrise by looking at them. They looked polished and alert. Me? Hmmm, I relied on caffeine until the adrenaline kicked in. I have so many I consider favorites. There were so many moments when Mia and Roy seemed to forget that there were multiple camera following them and it allowed for the sweetest captures.

And there was quite a crowd of cameras following these two. My second shooter, Joy Pishcura, was nearby scaling the black rocks to get those great shots. And Cody Canada, of Image Creations of Hawaii , was there also providing spectacular videography. Videographers and photographers have to work together since we both are looking for similar perspectives and shots and you don't want to step on each other's toes. This was the best working experience with a videographer and I am now permanently spoiled. Check out their website for your video needs. Completely professional and a breeze to work with.
(Love this one. Warning: I might say this often throughout the post)

(I just love this one. They're in their own world and they look so content, you want to walk over and join them. Good thing we didn't, though.)

(I danced like a happy fool when I suggested "think you might want to wade a little?" and they went for it. They had a bit of fun splashing each other and I think they forgot we were there)

(I really love the first one. I can't put my finger on it but the landscape is just so beautiful...and of course, the people in it)

I didn't want to create a monstrous post but there were some hilarious photos of them playing in the water that you have to see. To see the rest of the images from this morning playing on the beach, go to http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/ and click on Roy and Mia's engagement session.

Sneak Peek for Mia and Roy's E-Session

2009-09-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peek: Mia and Roy's E-Session
E-Session: Makapuu Beach Park
To be Wed in: Summer 2010

While the hubby is away, the girls will...

2009-09-27T03:27:00.000-07:00

...apparentlly make pizza.

I originally had to work on all Fridays. But we're a bit short-handed and there's only three of us on my shift. And then one of my coworkers had to take famlily leave suddenly because his wife gave birth to their daughter a few weeks early. So, the two of us left had to juggle days to make sure that all the days were covered. So, I found myself with a Friday night off.

It just so happened that Scottie left for Japan that morning for his mission trip in Sapporo. So, my roommie, Tricia, and I decided to have a last-minute girl's night dinner. I picked the theme.

Mystic Pizza Party

We made our own little mini-pizzas and then watched Julia Roberts in "Mystic Pizza." The only thing our dinner guests had to bring was a pizza topping of their choice. Tricia did all the prep work. She researched possible toppings combination by scouring popular menus like California Pizza Kitchen. She laid out a spread of baked chicken, pears, cheeses, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, fresh spinach, sliced red onions, and she even toasted pine nuts. She had a variety of sauces to go on the pizza crusts; your regular but favored pizza sauce, a pesto, an alfredo, and this yummy BBQ sauce. We're still not done. She even has a little basil plant that we could pick from for our pizza masterpieces.

I don't really trust my cooking skills so I was prepared to buy pre-made pizza crusts from the store but that had the roommate aghast. Instead, she made dough from scratch following this recipe for Whole Wheat and Honey Pizza Crust and we rolled out our own crusts. This is an awesome idea for a get-together. it's fun and hands-on like an Arts-n-Crafts project, but then you get to eat it. Followed by a desert of thick brownies covered with rasberries, whip cream and chocolate sauce and we were ready to rest our full tummies while watching "Mystic Pizza." Ah, 80's movies...always a sure thing for a good laugh.

(Just some of the ingredient layout, place cards made by the roomie)

(my favorite, shredded baked chicken)

(I think girls were just snacking on the pears. I don't think they actually made it to any pizza)

(some of our pizza masterpieces pre-baking)

Update: Coral Newborn album up and running

2009-09-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

I previously posted highlights from Coral's newborn session, but the online gallery was not up. It is up now. Go check them out here.

Field trip to Discovery Center Hawaii

2009-09-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'll bore you with details of my thrilling life. But, on top of my full-time job and my photography business, I also babysit a few hours every week. She's a darling 19 month old who charms everyone. Our house is pretty toy-less, but thankfully, she loves our piano, my photography props, and she's been known to carry around Scott's golf clubs. To break the boredom, my sister and I have organized combined field trips where I bring baby HB and my sister brings her three youngest girls, all 2 years old and younger. Last week, we went to the Discovery Center in Honolulu. I thought I would blog about it for anyone who hasn't been there yet.

Discovery Center Hawaii

Two big downfalls that we immediately encountered were operating hours and prices. They are open only for very limited hours. They are closed Monday (which we found out a few months ago when we tried to show up without checking out the website...oops). Tuesdays through Fridays, the center is open 9 am to 1 pm. That was hard for us considering my sister had to feed, clothe, and pack up three toddlers by herself. We didn't meet up at the center until 11 am. They are open later on weekends (until 3 pm).

The fee is $8 for anyone over the age of 1. We did eye my sister's twins and HB. Totally tempted to try to knock off 7 months off their ages. Darn, they can pretty much run already so we just had to pay full price. And the $8 is the kama'aina rate and military rate so bring your ID. Once we paid, we were instructed to leave all strollers in the lobby before proceeding into the play area. Yikes. That threw us for a loops. Together, my sister and I had brought

2 year old girl
one 19 month old girl
two 17 month old twin girls
two backpacks
a camera bag

Next time, pack light.

The price was a little high but I think it's comparable to other attractions and we got to escape the hot summer heat. That's the biggest plus I can think of. Once we were inside the Discovery Center, the fun really began. There was an area for the younger toddlers immediately after you enter. We let the kids loose and frankly, they could have played in there the whole time. There was a sailboat that the kids could clamber in. There was a little play fishing pool that the 2 year old used a fishing rod to catch fake, colorful plastic fishes while the babies chose to just roll around on the floor.

All the kids would have been thrilled just to play in the baby play area, but we definitely wanted to explore the rest of the floor and get the most out of our day. There were all these displays set up to convert real world habitats into pint-sized worlds fit for humans under 3 feet tall. I dont' have pictures because I had to abandon the camera to keep up with our little bundles of speed. There was a little hospital room with mini-scrubs hanging on the door hook. Fire truck and a bus. A small theatre with a cool panel where pressing buttons changed the lighting or added sound effects. I got a litttle crazy with the lightning sound effect and my 2 year old niece jumped in my arms saying "skeri, skeri."

The babies, 19 month old HB and 17 month old twins, 2 year old not pictured (running amuck)

Fishing is fun, and plastic fishes smell way better

One twin was trying to scale the picket fence gate and look who came to help

Shopping at the pint-sized grocery store

I think the Discovery Center is more geared for kids 2 years and up. Although HB and the twins loved the grocery store, the rest of the displays and scenes didn't hold any appeal. They took more enjoyment climbing up on the snack table. But the 2 year old loved it. It was perfect for her. And all the kids just loved the freedom of running around. I wish they had more props. I went to the children's museum in Boston and they had a 3 foot tall chess set, hula hoops to blow bubbles. I would have liked to have seen that here, especially since they make such cute photo opportunities.

I cannot say enough about the staff at Discovery Center. Everyone was completely kind-hearted, from the woman who sold us our tickets, the young helpers watching the floors who sweetly played with the kids as well, to the friendly staff in the lunch counter who didn't bat an eye when my sister (not the kids) spilled an entire container of macaroni and cheese on the floor. If you have kids who are between 2 and 6, I would recommend it. And you can bring your own lunch, you just have to eat it outside. Just remember to bring your camera!!!

Baby C's Newborn Session

2009-09-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Newborn sessions can be a lot of hard work, because newborns can be a lot of hard work. I'm always prepared to spend a lot of time with the family as we try to keep the new blessing happy and sleepy. So far, the latter has been elusive. I am always blessed with the most awake and squiggly newborns. That is until last week, when I had a newborn session with Baby Coral. I'm going to nickname her "Sleeping Beauty." You might remember her from her first appearance (well, she was a little hidden) when her parents and I had a maternity session at Waimanalo Beach (look here).

Baby Coral has her mom's beautiful eyes and her dad's amusing expressions. I learned so much about her just in our morning together. She loves to sleep with one fist pressed up against her cheek. Or she abandons that pose and stretches both arms way over her head in complete contentment. And boy does she love sleeping. She's already sporting thick, silky black hair. Proud mom stood nearby with a brush and tended to Coral's updo for every new pose. Coral is just so precious and absolutely gorgeous.

(Coral's mommy has background in marine sciences and both parents are avid ocean-lovers)

(I love how the fishie looks like it's trying to kiss Coral)

(She just had a bath prior to her photo session and was sporting these huge fluffy booties)

(When mommy and her brush were distracted, I tried to give Coral a punk rock look. Too cute)

To view these images and the rest for Coral's newborn session, click here. Update: Online gallery is not working momentarily. I will post as soon as the issue has been resolved.

If you're expecting and are interested in maternity and newborn session, email me to book in advance. Open sessions don't start until December.

Sneak Peek: Coral Newborn Session

2009-09-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hey folks. I'm super bummed, I had to pass up the opportunity to second shoot for my favorite wedding photographer (also happened to have been my wedding photographer). She's one of my favorite photographers, check out her site and you'll see why. My schedule is completely packed this fall. I'm having to put in more work at my day job because we've lost almost a third of our staff and we're currently in the middle of a painfully long hiring freeze. Between pitching in more at work, a trip up to the northeast for a wedding, some personal projects, taking some workshops to better my products and skills, I'm also looking to overhaul my website and give it a prettier and functional facelift. Please know that I am accepting less bookings during this time in order to devote more time and energy to each of my sessions. My next openings are not until December and early next year, so please contact me to reserve your booking as soon as possible.

My favorite part of today, here's a sneak peek from this week's newborn session with baby Coral. I have to break my usual rules and post two pics for this session sneak peek. I can't decide which one I like better. Coral's daddy was out for a run during her photo session (can you believe that the father of a 2 week old has the energy to run in this Honolulu heat), but he wanted to make up for any time not completely adoring his new daughter. He wrapped her up in his arms and wouldn't let go. And she (as you can tell) couldn't have been more content.

Workshop 101: Composition and Lighting

2009-09-12T00:37:00.000-07:00

I have quite a few fellow photo-enthusiastic friends at various levels. I noticed that some people may have had no photography background but still displayed an amazing artistic perspective in their images. I was just stunned to think what they might be able to do with even a bit of composition techniques. And, selfishly, I just wanted to hang out with other photo-loving people and do something just focused around photography. I did a trial run with a small mini-workshop, teaching the basic rules of composition and the basic functions of a camera. Luckily, my hubby works for a church that supports outreach opportunities. Just last week, my husband helped his friend, David, to hold a class on "Smoking Meat." So, the workshop was held at church, Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay, but open to anyone. I kept the seating limited and lunch was provided in the cost. All the proceeds went to the church and a Japan Mission Team.

Class started at 10 am on a Saturday morning. It was beautiful weather. I injected the class with photo assignments, photo scavenger hunts to challenge them and to help them think outside the box. That was probably my favorite part. I love seeing how everyone can look at the same object in a multitude of ways. I had these beautiful powerpoints, monstrous powerpoints, to go through helpful tips on how anyone can better compose their pictures, even with a simple point and shoot camera. Then, classic Keao kicked in. I was pulling on a cord and knocked my cup of water over...splash. Water was pulled around my laptop and racing towards my camera. I jerked my camera up in time but my laptop went black. When I picked it up...water just poured out. Oh, goodness. Scott didn't even blink an eye, he knows these things just happen when I come into contact with tools of technology. He took it into the other room to let it sit in front of fan and we moved on working with our cameras and their functions.

The class was a mix of point and shoot and beginner dSLR cameras. I think learning about the macro mode was the biggest surprise for most of the class. Someone exclaimed after learning the icon for macro mode "Oh, I thought that was only if you wanted to take pictures of flowers." Then they went crazy taking close-ups of everything they could think of.

The best part was just getting to meet some new faces and finding fellow photobugs. We will follow up with photo-walks and more mini-workshops for the windward side. If you're interested, send me a shout-out at keao@keaosphotography.com

There's me (powerpointless at this point) going over camera functions. Notice the hubby in the right corner clearly paying me no attention. He was just there for support. Thanks, sweetie!!

Here are some examples from the student's on their photo scavenger hunt assignments. These have been processed by me prior to this posting for contrast and some color boosting. Kardyn processed her own. I had too many favorites but I would have run out of room...

For the class gallery, click here

Follow-up: My prayers that night were for a laptop miracle. My laptop sat in front of a fan for 24 hours. Hearing that people are sometimes told to put their waterlogged cellphones in bags of uncooked rice to help absorb moisture, I also just poured rice over the keyboard. Laugh at me if you will, but it worked. My computer turned back on the next day completely fine. Well, almost perfect, there's still some rice kernels permanently stuck beneath the keys (especially the backspace button).

Lacie's Newborn Sesh

2009-09-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the the world, little Lacie. Our smallest little Oreo cookie.

Little Lacie's mom has a sweet beautiful singing voice and she devotes her gift as the worship leader for the women's ministry at our church. Lacie's dad is a talented musician...drums...guitar...you name it. Both surf and love the beach so I can already imagine little Lacie growing up with a guitar and a surfboard. Maybe she'll get into trucks like her big brother, Logi.

My assistant/friend, Joy, was missing for this Saturday morning session. That girl has a waaaay busier social schedule than I do. So it was just me and the whole package of Oreos. Lacie was having breakfast when I arrived, which I loved because it gave me to time to scope out the room she's sharing with her big bro. I totally rearranged that room by the time Kacie brought her newborn girl upstairs. I mean, I somehow hauled furniture around...don't worry, I put it all back. But her room was the perfect setting for her first photo session with it's newly painted sea blue walls complete with her name over her...well, where crib is bound to be once they find the screws. For a few of the shots, we moved her to mommy and daddy's room where I just loved the bright red wall and striking black and white pillows.

I usually like to abbreviate baby names to protect their privacy but I figured this picture would kind of give it away...

Born on August 12, 2009...

Wearing a hat made by Joyful Creations (Joy, I just made up a name for you btw)

(this hat is from a designer I found on etsy)

(I love this soft white blanket. Kacie said as soon as she saw it, she heard a bell and thought "Photos!!" She's so right)

(Logi held her for 20 seconds until she let out a cry and then he said "I'm done."

I guess he doesn't mind the crying that much...

For even more pictures of precious little Lacie, go to www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com

John-Whitni-Baby G Family Session

2009-09-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

My friend John is being deployed shortly. His intial departure was last Monday and has slowly been postponed day by day...with the last departure date given set for tomorrow. With a five month-old and a beautiful, sweet wife, Whitni, to anchor him to his new home here in the islands, we pushed really hard to squeeze some time in for them to take some pictures. Pictures to keep with them in these next months apart. We met late one afternoon on Waimanalo beach...the wind was just roaring. Baby G was a little stunned by the wind, he stared it in the face until his eyes gave in and he had to duck behind his daddy's broad shoulders. Whitni, another budding photog, had her camera out and was snapping away at the gorgeous backdrop of the Koolau mountains. With babies, you really just have to go with the flow. We took as many pictures on the sand until the wind got to be too much for baby. So we moved in towards the mountains. Then he was having a bit of teething fits so we took as many breaks as he needed for bottle time and some "chew on daddy's finger" time that he needed. I actually like it more...I like to fade in the background until they forget I'm there and then I snap away and capture their "real" family moments.

I love this adorable family. My hubby and I are blown away by the dedication and day-to-day commitment of military men and women.

(Baby's G's expression during most of our afternoon together. He does not hold back at all)

(the magic solution that all parents apparently know)

To see the rest of the session, go to www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com.

Sneak Peek: John, Whitni and little G

2009-08-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek from our last-minute session with John and his family. He's being deployed next week and asked if I could create some memories of his family before he left. Introducing John, Whitni, and baby "G..."

Pancakes and Sand-castles (just a day in my life)

2009-08-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

We're such procrastinators. Joy, of our "Joy and Light" production, had her birthday last week but it took us over a week before we all went out to celebrate. Party animals that we are, we settled on a girl's breakfast at Cinnamon's of Kailua. We just love their yummy eggs benedict. And I have vague recollection of Krystal saying "we should stop by the beach afterward and build a sand castle." Wow, that sounds like such a cute idea. I thought of tossing on some swim clothes but I figured it would be a brief and carefree jaunt to the beach.

The girls (Tricia, Krystal and "birthday girl" Joy) and I headed over to Cinnamon's. I had the veggie eggs benedict with a poached egg perched on a chair of spinach leaves and tomatoes. Yum Yum. The ordering process was slightly complicated by Tricia who seems to have inherited a little "Sally" from "When Harry Met Sally." We stuffed ourselves full of Portuguese sweet bread french toast covered with drizzled maple syrups and benedicts.

The real adventure started on the sandy shores of Kailua Beach. I think the critical turning point was when someone started digging a hole in the sand and Tricia and I kind of stalled with the infamous question "Do you think that's high enough above the waterline?" Remember that question, it became critical. Thus ensued what was about 75 minutes of hauling endless buckets of sand under the hot sun...75 minutes that felt like 5 hours. It was so much fun...I just don't remember sandcastles being such a workout. I think I'm going to have to fill my plastic blue bucket with wet sand and see how much it weighs.

Krystal was the castle foreman and I focused on the protective moat and property wall. Very quickly we realized the tide was rising and waves were battering across our moat and washing up against our castle walls. Then it became a frantic rescue mission and all four of us had to abandon the castle and dig fervently to keep the water away. It was a total losing battle. We decided our castle would be a duplex so we just extended it up the beach. Despite our red faces, we must have made it look like fun because we had a sibling pair on vacation here from Hawaii join in on the fun. It was perfect timing because I think we were all about to pass out on the sand and they were little balls of energy. They actually were born and raised in New Zealand.

(You can't see me but I'm wearing a bright neon blue T-shirt. I somehow missed the memo to wear a black shirt.)

(Krystal, it's supposed to be fun, remember? There, that's better...there's a laugh)

(Tricia and her minions, she worked those two little New Zealand kiddies)

(Can you believe that Tricia actually thought she was going to go straight to work from the beach?)

(Our sand castle taking shape...it was a mansion)

(I can't tell who is having more fun)

(towers and castle doors)

(she was getting a little worked up over the battle between the wall and the waves)

(her brother was building a pond nearby for the castle royalty)

(then he took a little surf break)

(the stellar castle company)

I'm not a beach person but I'm already gearing up for my second trip to the beach today. This time for a photo session. Stay tuned for a sneak peek of John and Whitni's family session.

My new apprentice

2009-08-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Every week, our house usually gets a visit from an adorable little 18 month old little girl. I once told my roommate, Tricia, "HB loves you." To which she replied "HB loves everybody." And it's so true. She loves to hug people and she starts to booty dance every time she hears music, even if it is just you singing to yourself. And my husband is the worst. One time, he rushed into the room her on one arm and a tub of M'n'M's in the other hand and gave both to me. He said "Here. She wants candy and I can't tell her no. You tell her." Oh goodness.

She's so photogenic that I have been using her as my model for...well, eighteen months.

But she's starting to pick up the whole camera thing. Now she races towards my camera and lifts it up to her face. It's much heavier than regular point-and-shoot cameras so I've always got a firm grasp on one end. The other day, she figured out how to press the shutter. I took a look and holy cow, she took a really nice picture. I think...I think she's got talent.

Now the logo is actually incorrect. A photo always belongs to the individual who took it. So, disclaimer here: This photo is actually the property of HB, I guess I have to make a "HB Photography" logo. Just a few color curve adjustments in PS and there's your final product. I'm thinking I can be her second shooter when she hits five.

The Happiest Place on Earth...

2009-08-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

..is behind the door that beckons me each night after work.

But we did visit another place that came close...Disneyland. See, it all started a few months ago when Scott and I went to see "Up." I was blubbering in the movie as usual but this time, when I looked over to Scott I saw that I was not alone. He was wiping away shiny tears on his cheeks. He walked out of the movie with a resounding goal for us to start traveling and not miss out on our dreams. So, we celebrated our 2 year anniversary with a short jaunt up to Los Angeles.

I'll have to blog with my hubby's pictures because I didn't take my camera. I didn't have room...we probably had the most inefficient packing ever. I had the day off but spent it cleaning the house because we were having a friend house-sit for us. Yes, he's a 25 year old bachelor who probably could have cared less as long as the mini-fridge and tv was working...but I have an insane need to leave the house spotless. It's the same reason why I brush my teeth before dentist visits and wash my hair before a visit to the hair salon.

It was such an awesome trip. And although we've been back for a week, I feel like I'm just getting back into the swing of things. And just in time. This weekend, I have two sessions coming up. A maternity session for a little baby girl. And a family session for some good friends, Whitni and John. John is being deployed on either Monday or Tuesday and won't see his wife and 4 month old son until next year. So, we're really trying to see if we could squeeze in some last minute time together to capture this moment to keep with them for the next months.

Matt and Leena's Beach Maternity Session

2009-07-28T01:39:00.000-07:00

As August starts to near, I find myself at the end of a hot and busy summer. I'm hoping to slow down and take some breathers this fall. Actually, I'm real excited because in two weeks (ooh, less than two weeks now) Scott and I are taking a short trip up to LA to watch the Dodgers play. We're also going to meet up with Tricia and her boy, Nich, at Disneyland, travel down to San Diego to meet up with our wedding photog, Nely, and her family, and try to squeeze in a visit to Saddleback Church. Then, two months from now, we're going to New York and Boston for my friend's wedding and to visit my old college haunting grounds. I have to start working out to look svelte for the wedding. I'll start tomorrow. Today was just too miserable hot. But, it's not about me. Let me get back on track and tell you about the joy I received being able to photograph a friend and her husband as they prepare for the arrival of their baby girl in about five weeks.

What: Maternity Session
Who: Matt, Leena, and baby Coral (hidden at the moment)
Where: Waimanalo Beach

Leena used to work with me at my current job with the city and county of Honolulu. We were Honolulu CSI, just not as cool. We don't carry firearms and we're pretty much never allowed to talk to witnesses. And we tend to turn on lights as much as possible. Nothing like the show, which I love. Leena moved on to a job at the cancer research center last fall and that move was followed by the amazing news that she was pregnant. I was more than thrilled to be able to work with her again and hang out with her and Matt. Joy and I met them at Waimanalo Beach, my favorite location. When we first arrived, there were still a surprising number of people on the beach so we started with some woodsy shots and worked our way towards the beach. Leena had posted some pictures of her at Waimea Falls just a few weeks earlier, I had a real glimpse into her creativity and energy. I mean, the girl hiked Waimea Falls in her third trimester.

For maternity sessions, I tend to keep a watchful eye on the mother-to-be especially when we've been moving around for more than an hour. Leena was energetic to the end. When I tentatively ventured with the idea of some lying on the sand, she dove down right in the sand and waved off our offers of blankets and towels. Matt did get a little sidetracked and we would catch him just staring at the ocean with a daydream glow about his eyes. I don't think he's spent that much time near the waters without jumping in. As we were winding down, Leena told me "we were totally game for jumping in the water if you wanted ocean shots." See? Probably one of the most physically active and fit couples you will ever meet.

(I hope Leena doesn't hate this one but I just caught her looking at Matt while they were talking and I thought she has the most adorable expression)

To view these images and the rest from their session, check out Matt and Leena's Gallery at www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com.

Sneak Peek at Leena and Matt's Maternity Session

2009-07-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Who: Leena (at 34 weeks) and Matt
When: A July Monday afternoon
Where: Waimanalo Beach

The Wedding of Scot and Kim-Waioli Tea Room

2009-07-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

What: Wedding of Scot and Kim
Where: Waioli Tea House, tucked away on the slopes of Manoa Valley
When: a perfect Sunday afternoon in July

I have been waiting forever to be able to blog about this wedding...it was that much fun. I'm so excited. I was really fortunate that the bride, Kim, found me through her mom's friend. Her mom was helping with the wedding planning and her friend sent out a email asking for wedding vendor referrals. And who should receive it but my father-in-law who was eager to point out that not only was his son a pastor, but he had a photographer for a daughter-in-law. I was instantly impressed by Kim when I met her and her mom to book her wedding. She was a perfect balance of knowing what she wanted and being very open and relaxed. She had done her research. She liked my photography style. And she was very well-informed about the various aspects of photography. It was a cinch to go over the schedule with her.

Scot and Kim met while surfing. Kim says a mutual friend who was a regular at their favorite surf spot saw this match-up before they did and made this magical connection happen. I always like to ask why couples want to get married. Kim's answer was genuine and heartfelt. Because She answered that Scot was everything she could ever ask for. And her answer to my follow-up question as why he decided to propose. "Because I told him to." Hey, I found my soul sister. Same here too, Kim. I did the same thing. So I can testify that it works out great.

The wedding was in an outdoor garden terrace at Waioli Tea House, tucked away in Manoa Valley. We arrived and it was easy to find the bride and groom. They were roaming through the hustle and bustle helping their friends and family set up the reception and ceremony site. This was my first wedding at the Waiola Tea House so I scouted out the area and found the stairs of this sweet stone chapel. It was the perfect backdrop for the family pictures. And as a reminder of what a small world it is, the musicans, family members of the bride, were very familiar to me. Dorothy was my high school classmate and, being neighbor island kids, were boarders in the dormitories from 7th grade. I also recognized her younger brother, Kimo, from school. I was impressed when I heard them play. They are unbelievably talented. Wow, everyone from my high school are all so musically gifted. How come I seem to have missed that class?

Scott, my husband the pastor (not Scot the groom), was in rare form. I think he had a little too much fun during the ceremony. I had a secret smile as the crowd laughed at his jokes. People, be careful. Don't spoil him. Really, the ceremony started us all off with a huge smile. Kim and Scot didn't have a rehearsal. They placed much more focus on family and their loved ones and making sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying every second. So, they put their trust in Scott (the pastor) to guide them through the ceremony. Kim disappeared in the final moments before the wedding. My Scott and Kim's Scot made their way up and waited patiently, chit chatting manly topics (I'm guessing). Kim's dad waited patiently in the back while Kim's cousins played beautiful background music. And then, something caught my eye. It was Kim just nonchalantly making her way up the aisle towards her groom, unbeknownst to most people who were engrossed in their conversations (including the pastor and the groom). I tried to mouth to Kim "Is this it?" and whip my camera up to take frantic shots. Scott said she walked up and said "okay, let's do this." I think it made his day. It may be the funniest and most endearing wedding memory ever. They did have a redo. Scott sent her back up the aisle so her father could escort her, the audience stood with camera flashes blazing, and her parents could give her away.

Scott and I lingered for a while so we could see Kim perform a hula for her new husband. It was beautiful. Beautiful choreographed by Kimo Palakiko and beautifully danced.

(Kim and Scot on the steps of a quaint stone chapel)

(sorry, this one is for me. My husband Scott's main complaint is that I don't take enough pictures of him. There he is. Probably mentally lining up his jokes.)

Congratulations, Scot and Kim!!! I feel so blessed that I got to be the lucky one to capture your day.

To view these images and the rest from Scot and Kim's wedding day, please visit http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/.

Dancing in the hallways (just me)

2009-07-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

I just had a random thought that watching "So You Think You Can Dance" is a deadly combination when you mix in the fact that they pipe in music through all the rooms and hallways in my office building. Apparently, I now think I can dance...and I tend to do so down the hallways when I swept up by the music. I'm always in the middle of my "dance for you life" solo when some officer walks around the corner...ogh!!!

Although, I don't just think I can dance....I know I can!!!. Okay, maybe I'm losing my touch. Last month, I was hanging out with family and I decided to show my teen niece how you're really supposed to dance. My dad sweetly said "oh, keao, stop. You unfortunately inherited dance skills from me...which are zero to none." I was super indignant.

Me: "What? I can dance. Dad, I danced in high school. Don't you remember?

Dad (perplexed look)

Me: Remember? I was on the school's dance team. Ring a bell?

Dad (perplexed look not fazing)

Me: Hello. I was gone for a whole summer in high school because I was at grandma's ( on a totally different island than where we live) so I could go to the summer practices.

Dad: You did? When was this?

*sigh* Family. But anyways, just keep an eye out when doing turns down the hallway at work.

Family: Joe and Evelyn's family (extended)

2009-07-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

A photography business has two main components. "Photography" (which I love) and "Business" (which I am still working on). This the third month I've overbooked myself...again. *sigh* Mentally scolding myself as we speak. I keep meaning to take a break, give my poor hubby some quality time without my laptop molded to my lap...relax on the beach with a good book. However, it's the first half of "Photography Business" that gets me in trouble. I love photography. I get so excited when something comes up. An opportunity presents itself and the photography addict in me starts bargaining "Go for it, Keao, you can make time. You'll make it work." I just can't resist. Good photographer, bad bad business-woman. Ha ha. Seriously, you get there and it's so worth it.

For example, last week I received a call from Evelyn, the sweetest woman in the world. She and her husband, Joe, are sweethearts who moved to these islands years ago from Guam. They have raised three amazing kids and they are such a tight family. They joined our church's boot camp exercise together. I'm offering an "Introduction to Digital Photography" seminar in August and they signed up....together. They even do yardwork together. How do I know? They used to be my landlords. Before I married Scott, some friends and I rented out the first level of their duplex. And I fell in love. They were amazing to live under. I can't count how many times I would hear a knock on our door and there was Joe or Evelyn with a steaming pan of deliciousness saying "Oh, we made extra, so please enjoy."

In our premarital counseling, Scott and I read a chapter on "leaving and cleaving your family." Since living in a dorm as a seventh grader at Kamehameha Schools, I have pretty much lived on my own. So I thought this would be an easy and done deal. But the Flores family had quickly become family to me and when I finally got married, there was some definite moments of sadness and wishful thinking. I often joked with Evelyn that I was working on Scott to leave the house he grew up just so we could move back in with the Flores family.

Joe's father was on island visiting so it was a rare moment to have the family together for pictures. Evelyn and I threw this together last minute so we were looking for someplace close by. So we chose Kaneohe District Park. I have a new favorite location. I can't believe I haven't used it before. It has a gorgeous backdrop with the Koolau mountains and these pretty shading trees. I was a little worried about the sheer number of people (with Joe's sister and brother and their respective families), so I recruited fellow photographer, Joy Pishcura.

(Grandpa and all the grand-kids)

(the whole family. Missing only Carl who was firing up dinner on the grill for their barbecue)

just some silly fun, Connie (far right) and her son ,Dural (middle), and nephew Joseph Jr. (left)

(Joe and Evelyn)

(Joe and Evelyn with their amazing kids, Joe Jr., Kardyn, and Jared)

(Dural, a good friend of ours. We usually see him 2 to 3 times a week. Totally worth it)

(Dural and his mom, Connie, who is also Joe's sister)

(Joe's brother Carl couldn't make it so we took tons of pictures of his foursome)

(just some goofing around in the park)

To view these images and the the other images from this session, please visit http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/ and select "Joe and Evelyn's album."

Sneak Peek: Scot and Kim Wedding

2009-07-08T01:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek from Scot and Kim. Kim and I had to come up with a system to distinguish our husbands (he's officially hers now) and our conversations were punctuated with my "my scott" versus her "my Scot." I chose this one because...well, it's horizontal and it's just a lot simpler to fit in the column...but also because I love how attentively Kim is listening to that handsome officiant. I was so nervous during my own wedding, I kind of just stared blankly at Pastor Ralph and I was caught a little off-guard when it turns out he was asking me for my vows. Not Kim, she's enjoying every second of her day. If there was a quiz at the end, I'm sure she would have aced it. Kim, don't spoil my husband. He might expect the same set of listening skills from me. And I'm a daydreamer through and through.

Wedding of Nick and Lianne

2009-07-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

What: The wedding of Nick and Lianne
Where: Ko Olina, Oahu
When: Sunset on a wednesday in June
All details/services provided by: Sands Of Time Weddings

June was a busy month for us but I couldn't say no when I got an email from Moana of Sands of Time Weddings. My husband and I call them "Moana-weddings," perfectly planned and executed to the tiny details. Stress-free weddings mean happy and relaxed brides and grooms....and that happiness will just shine through in photos.

Scott was the officiant. Awesome, that means I get to be driven to the wedding. And he's so easy-going...despite me changing the direction the couple was facing twice. People tend to look at me when they're setting up the ceremony and ask where I would like the couple to face. Really, it's about where the couple want to stand. I can work with anything, I always try to put the bride and groom first. Do they want to face the sand and ocean? Are they staring right into the sun? Photographers can get that shot. So, don't worry, think about what you want.

Nick and Lianne traveled roughly five thousand miles to start their journey on a secluded beach along the west side of Oahu. They're both teachers at the same school. I'm sure the students are loving this. It reminded me of my years teaching high school. My students spent their class time trying to match me up with any available male teacher. I think they would have been on cloud nine if their little matchmaking dreams had worked.

Lianne was just beautiful. There's just something about her, especially when she smiles. Which, fortunately, is often since Nich has her laughing every three seconds. Nick, a history teacher, found a immediate friend in Scott, a history buff, as they talked about places and museums to visit. We're going to LA to watch a dodger's game in August so Nich recommended something called a Dodger Dog (?). Their intimate wedding ceremony was attended by Lianne's niece who lives on the island and her little boy, "J". Moana, the ultimate wedding planner, even played babysitter during the ceremony for "J" who was clearly mesmerized by the water. I think he was looking for any opportunity to jump in.

(The setting light was just gorgeous)
(Little "J" who is about to be freed from his stroller)

(One of my favorites)

To see these images and the rest from this special day, please visit http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/ and click on "Nick and Lianne."

Maternity: Kacie and the yummy oreos

2009-06-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

What: Kacie's Maternity sesion (joined by hubby, Clinton, and little man "L")
When: a Saturday afternoon in June
Where: Kalama Beach Park

So, Kacie's session was actually a few weeks ago so she has been patiently waiting for her pictures. The wait is finally over. I aim to do maternity shoots between the 32nd and the 36th week of a woman's pregnancy. You'll get the nice baby bump but you dont' want to be too close to the end, where you may be a little more uncomfortable or...the baby might make a surprise entrance before we can get those pictures. So we had to squeeze the session into June. She brought her hubby, Clinton, and their little manly "L" to the family maternity session at Kalama Beach Park. It was a location they chose because of it's meaning and special significance, the place where Clinton proposed to Kacie and set in motion the journey their family would take together.

This was also a Joy and Light production, I was joined by another photographer, Joy Pishcura. She literally had returned to Oahu just three days earlier after being with family in Ohio for six months. I had a sprained ankle so I was hopping around the beach and so I wanted that pair of second eyes there. It was a full car because my hubby decided he wanted to go to the beach and he brought along his friend, Jasen. Don't get me wrong, I love company...if I had any complaint...it would be that when I had a shot lined up with Clinton and Kacie in a sandy pathway under trees with the sand and ocean stretching behind them....there rising out of the seas like King Triton was my husband in his bright yellow surf shorts. His only response to my frantic arm waves motioning for him to move out of the frame was "What? You don't own the beach." Oh, that's my Scott.

Little "L" is...hmmm...I think he's two. He had just come from another party and was crashed out. Then he woke up to find himself at the beach with Auntie Keao chasing him around with a camera...he was more interested in playing. So we let him play. He actually found a dollar bill just digging in the sand and then he found a lone, unclaimed boogeyboard on the beach. His dad, clinton, wisely advised him to leave it there so that everybody else would get to use it.

Thanks so much to Kacie for letting us in on their family day at the beach. Kacie is our women's worship leader at our church and we've sung together so many times. She's an absolute sweetheart. Her hubby, Clinton, is also an uber-talented musician. He played the drums with my husband's band at our wedding and he also has a T-shirt design company, No Idols. They, of course by the pictures, have an adorable little boy "L", and will be joined by their very much already-loved daughter at the end of this summer.

Here's some of my faves from the day:

To view these images and the rest of the session, please visit http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/.

And by special request (so you know i don't make up these stories), here's a little gem of the stud in the yellow surf shorts.

Don't be jealous, he's mine!!!

Oh, its not church night

2009-06-25T15:05:00.001-07:00

I probably say this over and over again in my blogs but I have 5 nieces...all from one sister. The middle child, Lauren, is 2 1/2 years old and so adorable with tons of black silky hair and big, dark eyes. She's become a little out-of-sorts since the arrival of her younger twin sisters having now lost the limelight. So, Scott and I have been making a big effort to take her to church with us every Friday night.

When she was much younger, she hated leaving home. She was such a mommy's girl. She stayed with us for three days while my sister was at the hospital delivering twins and she cried every night. For a few months, whenever she saw me or especially Scott at her house, she assumed we were coming to take her away from mom and she would start crying. Don't believe me? Hah, see Scott's video below.

Can you believe that was a year ago?

Now she wants to be anywhere but home. She's such an explorer. She just wants to be out out out!!! She now gets so excited and when we arrive to pick her up, she's walking around the house with her slippers, hat and backpack on ready to go. She tells everyone "I go church." Granted, church to her is the big nursery filled with toys with playful butterflies on the walls, but boy does she love the idea of going to church. This past Friday, we forgot to bring her backpack, hat and slippers with us when we dropped her off. Yesterday, we had a wedding at Ko Olina so we dropped by to drop off the backpack, hat and slippers.

Oh, she got so excited when she saw us. But she really lit up when she saw her backpack. She sailed across the living room and grabbed it. She then proceed to put on her backpack...then her slippers....then her hat. We were sitting down chatting with my oldest niece, Ashley and my sister. Lauren climbed into my lap and was all giggly and excited. Halfway through our stay, I looked at my sister and asked "Does she think she's going with us?" Uh-oh. I tried to tell Lauren that we were going to go home, go sleep...and we would come back for her tomorrow to go church. Of course, she's two...her grasp of English seems to be very selective. It didn't really kick in until Scott stood up and wished her good-bye that I think it sunk in. Her face just fell and her body just slumped as she folded her arms and stared at her feet. She started crying as we walked out....oh, it was so heartbreaking. Tomorrow is Friday and church night so hopefully I can atone for it. My, how things have changed.

Portrait: Robert, Amy, and their little "M" and "M"'s

2009-06-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

Who: Robert, Amy, Manly "M" and Sweet "M"
Where: Waimanalo Beach Park
When: Monday afternoon in June

This is a "Joy and Light Production" as I was joined by my lovely second shooter Joy Pishcura. The Stanleys contacted me after seeing our mutual and dear friend Bow's maternity session followed by a newborn session with her adorable daughter. The Stanleys have been in our islands for years but are now moving to Nebraska. Wow!!! I couldn't think of two more radically different places. They wanted some family photographs on the beach that would always serve as a reminder of their days living in paradise.

I'll be honest, I was a little nervous because I knew they were a military family. Although I know tons of military families and they are just all sweethearts, I still always have this niggling fear that the dad will be a drill seargant barking out commands to start running in place and do one-arm pushups. As soon as the family tumbled out of their van and greeted us warmly with these ear-to-ear smiles, I knew this was going to be fun. And boy, was it fun. Not only did the dad, Robert, not put us through drills on the sand, he was more of a kid himself as he chased his son through the sand and surf. The kids were so photogenic, I did get a little carried away with them. They both have these striking blue eyes (I'm so jealous, I always wanted blue eyes). Both their names start with "M," as apparently, four or so more cousins do as well. So I'll call them Manly "M" and Sweet "M." Sweet "M" had just recently lost some of her front teeth, oh I remember those days. They both turned out to be avid tree climbers and adventuresome. I think they wanted to do the whole session up in the trees. You could see how much love this family have. They were always hugging each other or laughing at someone's jokes.

This was at the tail-end of my sprained ankle week. But this family were so fun and creative, the adrenaline took over and I was running around the beach...totally forgetting about my ankle. All I felt was excitement. They were such a sweet family, which I shouldn't be surprised at since they're friends with Bow (completely made of sugar and spice). I can't help but be a little sad that they're moving away and Hawaii loses an awesome 'ohana.

(I overheard Sweet "M" asking "Why is she taking pictures of our feet?" I had to giggle)

To view these images and more from this session, visit www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com and click on "Robert and Amy."

Sneak Peek: Kacie Maternity Session

2009-06-16T17:17:00.001-07:00

So, let's see. Those who have taken it upon themselves to police my "Live with Less" challenge (see previous post)...I'm only trying to meet the three bolded goals.

I'm realistic...those three are a big enough challenge for me. But I appreciate the friendly scoldings I've gotten from like John-John when I try to buy lunch from McDonalds. But (said sweetly) back off, JJ, I want my fries and ice cream!!! =) I try to plan anything I can for the hours of 4 to 6 to fill in those two empty hours without a tv or computer. I sprained my ankle last week and I'm still hobbling around so it definitely puts a damper on any real activities. Scott seems to think we've switched the two hours of tv time for two hours of daily napping. But I really like the challenge so far. Try it with us, people!!! You can come over and we all sit together in my quiet living room. And I've been sticking to the <8 minute showers but I wonder if it counts because I've been averaging two showers a day.

I did sprain my ankle a week ago. Stupid running. That'll teach me to run ever. And this weekend was pretty busy with two family shoots. I usually try to space them out but timing wouldn't allow it. So, what a blessing, that God brought me a second shooter in the form of my super awesome friend, Joy. After visiting family in Ohio for a vacation that extended to SIX MONTHS, she finally returned to us. And she came to help me carry props and get more shots as I hobbled around the beach getting sand stuck to the velcro of my ankle brace. Hey, people really luck out when I can bribe her into tagging along, they get two for the price of one. And she's just a sweetheart who charms people while I'm off the to the side staring at my LCD display and grunting at the controls. It's a a great partnership.

This is just a quick sneak peek from a maternity/family shoot we did at Kalama Beach Park. I can't wait to blog about it since it was made even more colorful by my husband and our good friends tagging along so they could play in the surf at the same time. Here's a hint...me crouching in the vines and bushes.... squinting through my camera to get the shot of the couple kissing on a sandy path under the outstretched branches of two framing trees with the sky and ocean behind them...which is right when my husband choosed to rise out of the surf directly behind the couple with water glistening off his studly bare (and hairy) chest and bright yellow surf shorts. Suh-weet!!!

This was at the end of the session after we had dragged them all over the beach and I asked "hey, I know you're pregnant and all...but how would you like to lie down on the sand in a dress?" Thank goodness Kacie rocks...because she said yes and I got my favorite picture. The ocean and sky was so pretty that it almost looks like a painting.

Just me-Taking the challenge

2009-06-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not an Oprah watcher...but man, sometimes you jump halfway into one of her episodes while channel flipping and get sucked in. The other night, the theme was a "Live with Less" challenge, she had a challenge for families. Here's the letter she sent to families willing to take on the challenge...

Dear Family,

Thanks for agreeing to live with less for a week. Your challenge starts now!

This week, you will be eating at home every meal. No more eating out, no more takeout. And you have to eat your leftovers. If you throw food in the trash, you've got to 'fess up.

For one week, you're going to give up the bottled water habit. Get a water filter—time to get to know your tap.

No more disposable plates, cups, napkins or paper towels. Try cloth—you might like it!For entertainment, you'll have to rely on each other.

For one week, I'm asking you to give up your iPods and video games, and your computers only get turned on for homework. TV is limited to one hour per night—one TV only.

That thermostat is going way down…to 69 degrees. If you get cold, put on a sweater.

Give your washing machine a break—try to wash only clothes that are TRULY dirty.

When you leave a room, lights out. Ditto for fans. When you're done using an appliance, unplug it. Don't forget your computer and cell phone chargers too.

Showers are going to be shorter—eight minutes max. Use a kitchen timer to help you keep track.

Want to go shopping? Head to your closets. That's your wardrobe for the week. The mall is off-limits.Your final challenge—no buying anything other than food for seven days.
Good luck,Oprah

It was a really cool episode...and basically proved what I probably knew already. That, despite our complaints that we're overburdened and don't have enough time, if you cut out tv and internet distractions then you free up tons of time. I excitedly turned to Scott and said "let's totally do this challenge." And then 23 seconds later I said "well....maybe we could modify it a little." Scott laughed. I'm just being realistic...I'm a tv addict. I love just having the sound in the background while I do things.

So, for the next two weeks (and hopefully, I can keep it going longer).

1. No tv, internet, or phone for two hours (4 to 6 pm). Let's not go crazy, people, that's going to be a huge struggle for me.

2. 8 minute showers. Oh my goodness, I love showers. I don't know how long I usually take...I know I'm finished when there's not a drop of hot water left.

3. Turning lights and fans off when I leave the room.

I tend to run the washer a lot but in, my defense, I have bad allergies and you have to wash things often to kill dust mites. And we just drink tap water that we fill up water bottles so that's one easy. Um, we do use paper napkins, I would hate to use a towel...then you have to worry about ants. I'll start with these three.

So yesterday, I turned the tv off at 4 pm. I think the tv went into shock since that never happens. Scott was taking his customary afternoon nap so I read some chapters out of Crazy Love...then finished another book "Bleachers" by John Grisham. Felt like forever and a day had passed. Looked up...it was 5 pm. Oh, sheesh.

She's back!!!

2009-06-11T17:34:00.001-07:00

I was just thinking that it's been a while since I had a session with one of my favorite models, little HB. This cute little girl with blue eyes, chubby cheeks, and heart-shaped smile just shines in photographs. Her mom wanted to update her pics so I met HB and her dad, Mike, at Kalama Beach Park. Scott came along so he and Mike sat together shaded from the afternoon sun and talked...aw, they talk at least once or twice every day. Sheesh. Haley and I roamed the grass and sandy shore. Sixteen month olds will give you a work out. I discovered that she loves loves LOVES the sand. She literally just spread out on her stomach and dug her hands and feet into the sand. It was hilarious.

I think this is a challenging age to photograph toddlers because they're mobile and their attention span is 1.8 seconds long. I'd run, sprawl out on the grass, hold the camera up...bam, too late, she's up and moved away 7 feet already. A lot of it was predicting what direction she might go in next and running to get there ahead of her. Patience. Patience will always pay off. It's advantageous that I love kids and have babysat HB before so she's comfortable with me. I sometimes consider children's sessions half-babysitting. I spend half the time just playing with toys and games with them and when I catch a moment, I take a picture. I wonder if I should just advertise that...babysitting-with-some-photography-involved sessions.

I'm sitting here with my ankle propped up. I hadn't worked out much in May so I was trying to get back on the right track. I go to a boot-camp style workout at our church with my husband...and I totally rolled my ankle while we were running in the parking lot. I'm a klutz, I've sprained my ankles tons of time. Yesterday, I could only get around by crutches or by crawling (I'm now thinking I really want to sweep and mop our house floors), but it's already tons better. Now I can put more weight on it. It's really nice to have Scott be such an attentive nurse. He took a day off from work yesterday to be my nurse and take care of our dog, Charlie, who just had surgery. Scott is so unbelievable helpful although his enthusiasm has waned a little. Hee hee.

Wedding of Trevor and Sarah

2009-06-03T03:02:00.001-07:00

What: Wedding of Trevor and Sarah
Where: Hale Koa Hotel, Luau Gardens
When: A late Sunday afternoon with May, with the heat of summer creeping in
Details for bridal party:
Hair styled by Elizabeth Worden of The Cutting Zone
Makeup by Lexi Chadwick
Flowers by Elsie Kobayashi

I love June. I've been looking forward to June and I can't believe it's here already. I prepared myself for the craziness of May, three weddings, a big birthday luau for my twin nieces, camp, a women's worship night, out-of-town family staying at our house...May certainly lived up to the hype.

And it all began with the wedding of Trevor and Sarah. Trevor works at the church with my husband and leads worship at our weekend services. He sang the communion song at my wedding. It was the greatest gift, and I am still thankful to this day. Sarah and her family are near and dear to our hearts. They are my husband's tailgating warriors every fall during UH football season. We have spent some very fun Saint Patrick's nights at their house accompanied by raucous karaoke singing. You may see Sarah's niece often on this blog, probably my most popular model (see the header pictures above). I said a lot of prayers before and during the wedding that things, because this one would mean more than photographing any other wedding before...because it was my first wedding with friends.

When I arrived, the girls were packed in a hotel room getting ready and I'll always remember that Sarah got ready last. She spent all her time helping her bridesmaids get ready. Her expertise is fashion, and she went over her bridesmaids attire meticulously, personally tying the sash on each bridesmaid dress. Her artistic eye showed itself in the colors she chose for the bridesmaids bouquets. They reminded me of the sunset. With ten minutes to go, her bridesmaids swarmed around her like mother bees as she stepped into her gorgeous dress. As we made our way to the ceremony site, her bridesmaids even threw themselves in front of her to shield her from the view of late-arriving wedding guests.

Every wedding is beautiful. We always say that you can never screw up a wedding. So it is the little things that linger in your memory. Like the little flower girls with their angel wings. We knew that the family was anxiously waiting to see if little Haley would be walking by wedding day. Alas, she almost made it but saved her first steps for later. She and the other cutesy flowergirl, Emma, were escorted down the aisle. Or the secret handshake that Sarah exchanged with her father after their walk down the aisle right before he gave away. Then during the ceremony, Trevor and Sarah took communion in their first act together as a married couple while Stephen Augustin ( of Our Distance) sang.

The reception was outside with dance floor set up on the lawn. And everyone teared up (even me with a camera pressed to my face) during the father-daugher dance with Sarah and her father, Rob. Against the night sky, they had a slideshow set up with pictures of their younger years and I remember listening to the words of one of the background songs "Tiny Dancer by Elton John" and thinking how perfectly it fit the couple. The joining of two lives, a fashion designer and her music man.

Blue Jean baby
L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile
You'll marry a music man

Congratulations, Sarah and Trevor!!! You two are just beautiful, inside and out. Sorry, there's a lot of pics...too many faves, I love em all.

To view these images and more, you can view the online album at www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com and also enjoy the video below.

Pricing Changes Starting June 1st, 2009

2009-05-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

To my faithful blog readers, all four of you...just joking. The wave of humidity swarming through my home has announced the arrival of summer. I will be revising my webiste and pricing (effective June 1st), so grab the opportunity the next few days to book your wedding or portrait package under the current pricing. I've streamlined some of the offers and I've added some new options that I'm really proud of.

The Wedding of Rachel and Joel

2009-05-27T23:47:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been a year since I received an email from a lovely bride wanting to hold her wedding day on the sandy shores of Oahu. A perfect idea complicated by the small fact that she and her fiancee live in Missouri. She heard of us from a couple of friends at our church who moved here from Missouri, and she wanted us to provide officiating and photography. It is always a blessing to be able to work side-by-side with my husband, Scott. We do a fair number of weddings on our own individually so it's a real treat for us to be able to team up.

This sweet young couple (I'm starting to feel old at thirty years of age) were so excited about their Hawaiian wedding. Joel and Rachel are fun, carefree, and wanted to make their commitment solidly planted on their shared love for God.

Rachel and Joel didn't want a big fussy much-to-do wedding. Rachel had only three small requests.

1. To get married on Kailua Beach
2. To have an arch on the sand
3. To have a bouquet of her favorite flower, plumerias

That was it, all she asked for. Let see...

#1. To get married on Kailua Beach- Kailua beach, gorgeous. But for the past two years, Kailua beach has been suffering from drastic sand erosion, even unearthing old walls once hidden under the dunes of sand. She was a trouper and chose Lanikai beach, just a step farther down the same shore and one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii (some people might put it at #1 but we are a little biased).

#2. Arches are absurdly expensive to rent. Sigh...no arch.

#3. A plumeria bouqet. I admit it now. I was the fool who tried who even advised her against it. Plumerias are gorgeous but the most fragile flower ever. I've seen tons of weddings with plumerias as the accent flower but never as the primary bouquet, because they wilt so quickly and drastically. Rachel had an exquisite bouqet of plumerias nestled in baby's breath. It took some extra caution in preserving it the night before but it was breath-taking. It was handmade (well, I guess all bouquets are handmade huh) by Pauline of Weddings By Pauline. If you are interested, contact us for details on how to purchase.

I think you can learn so much from a couple by watching their emotions play across their faces. They were joined only by Rachel's parents, Richard and Ramonda, with the rest of their family and friends at home unable to make the long trip to Hawaii. And even though it was a Wednesday afternoon, the beach was shockingly busy, with tons of beachgoers planted on the sand, canoes (a fave local sport) sliding across the water in the background...yes, even a canoe with six young boys flipping in the water right behind the couple during the ceremony. Rachel and Joel were sharing their vows all while the boys could be seen in the distance bailing water out of their canoe. But Joel and Rachel only had eyes for each other and they couldn't even wipe the smiles off their face. It was heartwarming to watch, and their love and joy was so obvious. Their unintentional wedding guests, the fellow beachgoers, all watched intently and shouted out "Congratulations" to the newly married couple.

I would also like to say CONGRATULATIONS!!! As my husband likes to say "Marriage is wonderful, I highly recommend it to anyone." And come back to Hawaii soon!!!

The local canoe club unwittingly became wedding guests...

Not your typical church aisle...and the bride's procession was heralded by young beach-goers

Joel had this giddy smile he couldn't shake...even when I was trying to get him to take a serious pic. =)

Look for that smile again.

Plumeria bouquet from Weddings By Pauline.

To view these images and more from Rachel and Joel's special day, please visit www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com and enjoy.

Sneak Peek: Joel and Rachel

2009-05-24T15:08:00.001-07:00

Oh, I'm trying to hurry. It's Memorial Day which means my husband and our friends are camping out at Swanzie's beach park in Kaaawa. I've had to work and this morning I dropped off my dad, who is flying home to the Big Island. And still, I sit in my pj's, in my nice cool shady house s-l-o-w-l-y preparing myself to camp out on the hot beach away from my coveted TV and Bravo shows. Actually, I've justified my delay in the fact that I'm knee-deep in images from a sweet wedding from this past week. I've worked overtime to make up for spending the next 24 hours away from electricity and my computer. Rachel and Joel are enjoying their honeymoon here on the Windward side, I hope you're having a wonderful time. Marriage is wonder-full!!!

Sneak Peek:
Wedding of Rachel and Joel
Lanikai Beach, Oahu
a Wednesday afternoon in May

Hold on, you guys!!! I'll post the rest of the session in a few more days. I just uploaded this image yesterday and I already have more favorites =).

New to the world: Baby Gabriel (Full Edition)

2009-05-02T05:17:00.000-07:00

Hello folks. I'm back. I can't believe it but tonight is the last night on my midnight shift. I'm actually switching next week to regular business hours at work and thus the concept of ....SLEEPING AT NIGHT. Whoa...shocking. I'm super excited and super nervous because I have a big wedding in less than two days. So I took some time to finish up the session for baby Gabriel's newborn session.

Who: John Victor Gabriel
Proud parents: John and Whitni
Birth Stats: 6.13 oz and 18 inches long on a blistery Hawaiian Thursday (maybe not blistery) in April
Lifetime Achievements: MORE hair than most grown men
Session Age: (7 days old)

I recruited friend, Abby, to take me to photograph Gabriel's newborn session on-location at his home on Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. We were greeted by sweet smiling, but slightly tired mommy "Whitni." It seems that little Gabriel loves eating and did so for hours and hours the night before. She said he just fell asleep an hour or so earlier. She fed him a little more and than brought him down. I hadn't had a chance to see him (only through cell phone pictures) because of my persistent cold, but he was even cuter than the pictures. Thick silky dark hair and his mom's nose. He seemed to be awake but didn't want to open his eyes, instead he just yawned and smiled as if he was telling himself non-stop knock-knock jokes.

We were joined by our other friend (man this house is social and busy for 8 in the morning), Stacy, who lived nearby and just walked over. She's majoring in photography so she brought her film SLR. We only managed to get through half the poses because when we started to reposition him, little Gabriel decided he was ready for meal number 7 of the day. He started knawing on the blanket and chewing away with his little adorable gums. "Um...Whitni...I think he might be hungry again."

Here's my faves from the day. I hope they captured how sweet and easy-going he is. He already shows such a sunny disposition and smiles away the day. (BTW, check out the new logo)

*(the second is one of my favorites. Look at him chomping on his fingers!!!)

(this one was all John and Whitni's idea...pretty creative on such little sleep)

New To The World: Baby Gabriel's Sneak Peek

2009-04-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

If you see me wearing my glasses instead of contacts to work, you know I'm tired. Last night was worship practice, tonight was dinner for the in-law's 22nd anniversary, tomorrow morning is boot camp (exercise class that makes it hard for me to get up from a prone position for days), and then a photo session in the afternoon. And before all this, I stopped by to finally visit my friends, Whitni and John, and their baby boy, Gabriel. Gabriel just hit his 1 week mark when I finally got to see him, I was sidelined due to a persistent cold and hacking cough that lingered.

Speaking of which, Scott and I believed that we got sick from watching our favorite little girl, Miss HB, who was dreadfully sick. She had recovered fully when I babysat her this past week and she was soooo adorable, as usual. I gave her plenty of hugs and kisses. A few days later, Scott told me that her parents wouldn't be joining us for a bbq because little Miss HB had developed some sort of "hacking cough." To which, Scott pointedly looked at me and said "Hmmm, I wonder who else I know with a hacking cough." I don't know. I was just as confused as him.

Anyways, here's a sneak peek...this is my favorite and probably the best image from Baby Gabriel's debut session.

In case you forgot, here's where he was a month ago...

From two people blissfully in love....

comes one blessing content to be loved.

The rest of his session to come....stay tuned.

Whitni and John- A Maternity Session

2009-04-20T17:48:00.001-07:00

John and Whitni, a couple waaaaaayyyyy younger than Scott and me (well way more younger than Scott at least) but married twice as long. They are high school sweethearts from Alaska. Interesting, huh? I think anyone from Alaska automatically earns 50 cool points. They joined our minichurch last year. One Wednesday night, we were sharing prayer requests and they shared that they really wanted a baby. Seriously, the next week they came back and said "guess what, we're pregnant!!!" They made it look so easy.

I have so much respect for military couples. What a lifestyle, one that I can't even begin to comprehend. They uproot their lives, move to a completely different state and start fresh. Finding churches. Finding jobs. Making friends. Three years later and it's back to square one. And then Whitni was in her third trimester when they learned that John would be deployed and it looked like he would leave right before the birth of their first child. Whitni was simply amazing. Just took it in stride and was never anything but her positive, sweet self.

So I met them on base at their home. We aimed for early morning but I think I'm going to aim for late afternoons now. We didn't get going until nine and then the sun was up and beating down on us. It was getting just too hot outside so we head indoors and finished the session crammed in the corner of what would become baby Gabriel's room.

Can you tell I'm busy, because I took these pictures when she still had a month to go. And they are now parents...of a little bouncing and beautiful baby boy, Gabriel. And a praise report, John's orders were changed and he was and is NOT being deployed. Yah Yah!!!

These are most of the pictures but to view the entire album, visit Whitni's Maternity Session at www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com

Growing Up: Baby Mikaela's Newborn Session

2009-04-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

My dad used to tell me that beautiful people have ugly kids...then joking-ly say "too bad for you kids that me and mom are so good-looking." At least, I hope he was joking. But, alas, I don't believe him for a second because, time after time, I see beautiful people with even more beautiful babies. Troy and Bow who rocked their maternity session a month ago are now the official beautiful parents of an even more beautiful baby girl, Mikaela.

Mikaela has tons of soft, silky black hair and I caught her sneaking some smiles in her sleep. These pics were taken in the family living room and accented by the tantalizing smell of what appeared to be home-made meat jun cooked by proud grandma, visiting all the way from Thailand. Mom was on hand to help me pose little Mikaela. Scott and I don't have kids yet so I'm still nervous handling such small little newborns. They look so delicate. Everytime we got her where we wanted, I could finally breathe again.

Here is little Mikaela...

Growing Up: Senior Portraits Dylan and Irish at Kualoa Ranch

2009-04-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

What: Senior Portrait Session with Dylan and his sis, Irish
When: Prince Kuhio Day, March 26th, 2009
8:00 am
Where: Kualoa Ranch

I have to give props to my friend and client, Bow, whose maternity session really generated more opportunities for me to photograph other beautiful people too. And by the way, Bow just gave birth to a beautiful little baby girl, Mikaela, a week ago. Note the spelling of her name, the third choice they settled on (if you've been keeping up with my posts). Stay tuned for some sneak peeks of that newborn session.

So shortly after Bow's maternity session, I received an email from ....tada....Gina. I've known Gina for a few years already, we both volunteer in the baby nursery at Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay every other Sunday. She's also a good friend of Bow's and loved the pictures. She asked if I would consider taking senior pictures of her son, Dylan, and doing a portrait session with her daughter,Irish, on the same day. Um, Gina, of course. I knew Irish because she, like her mom, also volunteers in the nursery but I hadn't met Dylan before so mom had to email me his school picture. We set the day for Prince Kuhio Day, a State of Hawaii holiday, for which I'm not really sure why. Scott is going to mock my hawaiian education, considering I went to a school only for part-Native Hawaiians, but I don't know who or what Prince Kuhio did. I think Kuhio was from the Big Island too because we have a mall named after him in Hilo.

It was so awesome for me, because Gina already had an idea of where we could hold the session and she was able to get a permit to shoot at Kualoa Ranch on the north shore. I met her, Dylan and Irish there at 8 in the morning. Poor things, having to wake up so early when you don't have school. And I was a little nervous because Gina claimed that Dylan and Irish didn't like taking pictures. If that's the case, I don't know who she swapped in for them because these two teens were complete hams. Seriously, you can never call these two shy. The location was so awesome and just fun to explore. They climbed trees and walls so I had the easy job of just chasing after them. We were done in no time at all and I LOVED their pictures.

Dylan is laid-back, his mom says always reading a book or playing a video game. Once the camera turned on him, he gave Zoolander a run for his money.

We don't have fields of wheat but I finally found a field that I could get this shot. I'm always tempted to let our yard get seriously overgrown so i can use my backyard, but I think my neighbors would glare at me.

I love this next one...I don't know why. He just looks like he's the king of the castle.

Irish, the slightly younger sister, is not shy at all. She's an avid volleyball player and you can see her every other Sunday in a room full of 2 year olds at church. She's also gorgeous, just look at the photos.

Irish was resisting the urge to play up her farmer side...she cracked me up.

I love this next shot, I wish I had taken a few more and had them pose. But Irish was just climbing up and I got nervous and had her come down. There was a significant drop on the other side.

This one...MY FAVORITE!!!

This was my first senior portrait session and my subjects are usually well over twenty or under the age of three, so I was a tad nervous. Can I just say, that was the most fun session ever!!! I had to call the hubby on the way home and just gush about the entire experience. Thanks to Gina for raising beautiful kids, and Dylan and Irish for being totally cool with my crazy ideas and going with it. You guys rock!!!

To view these pictures and more from their entire session, please visit www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com and click on "Dylan and Irish Portrait Session."

And stay tuned in the next week for photos from Whitni's Maternity Session and baby Mikaela's newborn session.

Growing Up: Senior Portraits Dylan and Irish Sneak Peek

2009-04-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

What: Peek at Senior Portrait Session with Dylan and his sis, Irish
When: Prince Kuhio Day, March 26th, 2009
8:00 am
Where: Kualoa Ranch

Here's my absolute top two faves from this session with Dylan and Irish. I promised their mom I would post my faves as soon as possible.

Okay, Gina. I'm getting right back to work. You have such cute kids and they were so much fun (just like their mom)!!!

Just Me: Black Eggs and Ham

2009-03-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

I'm a forgetful person, I've come to grips with it. There's a reason why I wear everything important on a lanyard and hang it around my neck like a crazy person. I'm not a dumb person. I went to graduate school and got a master's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. Ten years later, I can still describe in detail the expression of DNA to the production of proteins. I can remember those things, but ask me where I put my keys and I draw a blank. You can literally hand me my cell phone and wait five minutes. If it's not in my pocket, most likely, I will have absolutely no memory of putting it down anywhere. I really have to focus on mundane tasks and repeat it to myself "check on the desk" a couple of times to make some sort of memory impression. Okay, that's the background, here's the story.

This past week, I woke up at three in the morning after falling asleep at 6 pm the day before. Energized, I hit my to-do list with unbridled energy. By the time lunchtime had arrived, I had done three loads of laundry, vacuumed, swept and mopped...it was awesome. In the midst of all that, I had also put some eggs on the stove to hardboil for my salads at work. Remember that detail...because I didn't.

My sister asked me to meet her at the mall on the other side of the island. I had taken some pictures of her twin daughters for her to use for their 1st birthday invitations. We met at the mall, designed some invitations...and then she asked if I wanted to eat lunch. Sure. I love lunch. We went to California Pizza Kitchen, one of absolute faves, and had the most scrumptious lunch. Oh, diet begone...I had the artichoke dip and fettucine alfredo pasta. So, almost three hours after leaving home, I finally get in my car to make the drive home...stuffed and content.

Should I stop at the store? Do I need anything? I know I have enough eggs....eggs...why does eggs keep nagging my mind...

OMG!!!

I have a clear memory of putting eggs in a small pot of water on the stove to boil and I KNOW i never went back. It's now three hours later. I called Scott...no answer. I called my mother-in-law...she's at work. I called my brother-in-law....wait, Scott is finally calling me back. He's at church. I tell him to race home. He hangs up immediately and I'm left driving on the H-3 with white knuckles clutching the steering wheel. I call my sister and explain what I did and there's some frightening silence interrupted by "Oh no"s. I ask for prayer...but what do I pray for. What's the minimum damage I can pray for. We just got a new roommate who is in Maui on spring break. How bad would I feel having to say "hey there, I'm sorry but your stuff kind of got burned up in a small house fire." And, wait, if the kitchen did catch fire, wouldn't our neighbors notice and call the fire department. How come no one called us? Wait, they don't have our phone numbers....These are the thoughts that cross my mind. Expect the worst, pray for the best.

The most scared twenty minute drive of my life.

Scott got home ten minutes before I did. A scorched pot...a really bad smell...but that was it. God is great...AMEN!!! I know that God delivered me out of this one. So, thankfully, my wonderful husband was just shaking his head in bewilderment and looking at the exploded egg pieces over our kitchen. He also brought up that last week, I called him at four in the morning because I remembered that I had left a chicken baking in the oven six hours prior (that he had already discovered and taken out). And I haven't used the stove since this little incident, I am going to come up with some system...maybe a big stop sign on our front door.

It's odd because I swear I put three eggs in the pot but now there's only two. And we found small pieces of egg and egg shells on the floor and walls...some by the piano which is not only ten feet away from the stove, but it's not even in eyesight of the stove...somehow the egg piece must have had a curved flight. Still, all the egg shards don't quite add up to the missing egg.

Eggs anyone? (we added the water to cool it down before trashing it)

And yesterday, I found some still on the wall and on top of the fridge:
(top of fridge)

(cupboard door)

Wedding: Tiffany and Bill (north shore)

2009-03-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

What: Wedding of Tiffany and Bill
Where: North shore of Oahu's coast
When: March 20th, 2009, 4:00 pm

Scott and I recently had another wedding through one of the island's best wedding planners, Moana Bjur. She met us on the north shore of Oahu on the sandy shores of Kawela Bay. It was the first time that either of us had been there before and we even missed the access path driving by the first. Kawela Bay is a white sandy beach hidden away near blue waters without another soul in sight. The afternoon was quite warm with the sun beating down on the water's edge, but I really fell in love with a banyan grove that you walk through to get to the beach. I'd love to go there more often, if only it wasn't an hour from my house (we island people aren't used to things being farther than 10 minutes away).

Tiffany and Bill chose our Hawaiian paradise to wed after three years of dating. They brought close family members with them in a romantic destination wedding. Tiffany walked down the aisle to soft strains of a Brother Iz remake of the classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" being played on the ukulele. I couldn't help but sing along softly under my breath. I would have sung louder but I doubt everyone else would have enjoyed it as much as I do. The only uninvited guests were some horses and their riders riding far in the distance on the sand.

What a small world. I found that the ukulele player was actually my high school classmate, Kanekoa. No wonder I was having a Song Contest flashback when I was singing to myself during his song list. Our high school was heavy on it's musical influence.

To view or purchase images from this event, please visit the online gallery at http://keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/

Wedding sneak peek: Tiffany and Bill

2009-03-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

Wedding of Tiffany and Bill
Where: North Shore, Oahu
When: March 20th, 2009 at 4 pm

Growing Up-Sammie's 1st Birthday Session

2009-03-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

Today is Samantha's 1st birthday. Sammie turns 1. Her mom and I have been trying to get together to take pictures of this little girl for a while. With six days to her first birthday, we just scraped it in. Before she was born, Kanani showed me pics of her other kids when they were babies and told me "my babies don't have hair but they're the cutest babies you'll ever see." I thought she was just speaking with a mother's bias, but she was right. Sammie has these big eyes with the longest lashes, simply striking.

I showed up at their house early Monday morning. Sammie is not my biggest fan, she usually clings to mom constantly (and I'm not exaggerating with the word "constantly"). However, since I met them on location at their house, she was in her comfort zone. And when I unpacked my bags of goodies...alphabet blocks...my lens and flashes, she became my best bud. And since mom was adventurous and let us try all sorts of poses, Sammie was delighted to find that she could now climb on anything she wanted. All rules went out the door. But the real delight, was when mom brought out the cupcake with yummy pink frosting. Too bad, she dropped it frosting side down and spent ten minutes digging through the cupcake trying to find it. I hope I got enough good ones. She's a smiler but quick...she mastered walking weeks ago and has moved on to jogging.

Ko Olina: Wedding of Michael and Celeste

2009-03-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yah, I am so excited to post the photos from Michael and Celeste's beach wedding. One, this batch took a little more work due to the cold and gray skies we've been having...I know, isn't Hawaii always supposed to be paradise. They traveled all the way from California with close friends and really wanted a wedding on the sand with the sun setting behind them. Celeste's cousin who acted as their wedding planner found Scott and me on craigslist and decided to hire us both, Scott for his superb officiating and me for my not-so-shabby photography. Hawaii delivered on the "wedding on the beach" half but weather didn't yield a sunset for us. Our little island is slowly freezing to ice here in the Pacific Ocean, we've been hit with quite a cold storm front. I mean, the current temperature is 64 degrees (okay, i'ts five in the morning)...but we locals aren't really made for this kind of weather(I know...I know...we're spoiled). However, this wedding party seemed oblivious to the cooler climate...the party seemed to have started long before the ceremony even began.

The second reason I'm so excited...I just have so many favorites. I don't think I've ever blogged this many. It was just such a blessing for me and my husband. I really love being able to photograph weddings that he's working as well. I love his style and I am also familiar with his rhythmn. It helps me prepare for my next shot. And everyone who came to support Michael and Celeste were so unbelievable nice. They picked a beautiful spot on the sand right next to the black rocks and blue ocean. I even got to engage in some Nikon vs. Canon shop talk while following the wedding party as they clambered over rocks. By far, my most adventuresome couple. Congratulations!!! Eight years in the making and worth the wait.

To view all the images from this day, go to http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/. (Email addresses entered are only used to notify you when the album is taken off-line)

Sneak Peek: Michael and Celeste

2009-03-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sneek Peek:

Wedding of Michael and Celeste

March 6th, 2009 at 5:00 pm

Ko Olina Beaches

I'm working on photos from two major events this past weekend, the sweet and sassy beach wedding of Michael and Celeste and a women's conference hosted by HCKB. I know I always promise sneek peeks but I get carried away going through the photos and I forget to take a break to put a few up. Check back in because in a few days, I'll be blogging about this *ahem* sunset wedding with no sun (so blessed that this couple were a little too wrapped up in each other to notice) and posting pictures from that special day.

Just me and my life-Run Lola Run

2009-03-06T02:32:00.000-08:00

Following Scott and my adventure doing the Great Aloha Run (see Scott's blog), I was inspired.

Early sunday morning, the first morning of March 2009, I found myself at Kapiolani Park surrounded by a crowd of women all wearing pastel dry weave running tanks and black shorts. I actually used to love running, I ran track, soccer, and mostly just for fun. The only community runs I did was the Straub Women's 10K race back in high school. Fifteen years later, and 20...30...maybe 40 lbs heavier, I signed up again. I've been running a little frequently but I mix it in with a lot of walking so I wasn't sure how I'd do, but I was really curious to find out.

Sunday, March 1st 2009

5:00 phone alarm goes off
5:00-5:15 Hitting snooze alarm multiple times...even lying on cell phone to muffle sound
5:30 rushing to the car with tons of stuff for church
5:31 stopping to toss some stuff into Scott's car
5:32 In car and going going going
5:42 Pondering "I did toss my running shoes in the car, right? Yah, I definitely did."
6:10 Finding a sweet parking spot only 1/4 mile from the race start
6:10 Sitting in my car realizing that I maybe didn't bring my shoes after all

Yup, I'm sitting, all decked out in my workout clothes...and my black rubbah slippahs. Hmm. I called Scott and woke him up all distraught. Even in a deep sleep, he was able to offer insightful advice. He thought I should go to the officials and ask if I could borrow their shoes. He was really serious. When I didn't jump at the idea of asking strangers to lend me their shoes, he volunteered to jump in the car and bring me my shoes. Yah, Scottie, my hero!!!

While waiting, I jumped in line for the bathroom at Kapiolani Park which took forever...scott actually had drive from Kaneohe to Waikiki before I got to the front of the line...and that's even with the women taking over the men side as well. Much to the dismay of the very drunk weird guy who kept yelling "what? You got to be kidding me!!!" even as he patiently stood at the end of the line. And Scott got there five minutes before the starting gun went off, bless my bestest husband ever.

As I stood in the crowd of maybe a couple hundred women and waited nervously for the race start, I started to get the feel that perhaps I'm a little behind the times. All these girls that these earbuds with cords that disappeared into these cute little miniscule white mp3 players on armbands or in some pocket.

Here's my music player of choice:

I can't believe these are out of style already...I finally made the big switch from a walkman to the discman a few years ago. Scott and I hosted a dinner at someone else's house and the host apologized that the stereo system was broken but offered IPOD speakers. Scott and I had to scoff a little and say "IPOD? We don't have IPODS."

I also can't stand having things in my pockets. So, guess what was clenched in my sweaty hand for 6 miles.

And let's face it, I'm not in the best shape. Check out these chubby legs. Do they look like capable of speed? I think not. These babies are meant for sitting on the couch watching Top Chef.

During the run, I tried to pace myself but I pushed myself too hard in the middle section cause I died at the end. I had to start walking at the end but then people kept stopping and encouraging me to run with them. So, when I crossed the line, I felt like I was going to throw up. And they have volunteers that form a tunnel and channel you to the middle of the park. They were waving their hands in my face and I pushed through them praying "please don't throw up on them...don't throw up...don't throw up." Thankfully I finally calmed down and got my breath back.

I'm so proud of myself and I want to keep going with this.
Final Time ~ 1 hr 7 min (10.8 min/mile)

Troy and Bow-A Valentine's Maternity Session

2009-02-22T17:29:00.000-08:00

Who: Troy and Bow a.k.a. "Expecting Parents"
Where: Their beautiful hale on the shore of Kaneohe Bay
Oahu, Hawaii
When: February 14th, 2009, 9 am

A year or two ago, Scott and I were filmed in this little skit about couples and love life with another couple from our church, Troy and Bow. One 2 minute ditty and I still see pictures from that clip at church everywhere I turn. Now a few years later, and Troy and Bow are just a few weeks away from their first little blessing. Bow is a petite woman and I was really worried about getting too close to her due date and having her feel too uncomfortable. I didn't have to worry...she climbed on piers and sat over the water for me. She was such a trooper. And I had to be careful to pose her to show her belly because you couldn't even tell she was pregnant from a lot of angles. She photographed beautifully...absolutely beautiful. I think I have my model for any portfolio building.

I had asked them prior to the session what they planned to name their baby daughter, but I wasn't sure what the exact spelling. I was still confused when I arrived because I hadn't heard a definitive answer, and I found out why. They are still on the fence with two alternative spellings for the name. I didn't want to pressure them to make a life-long decision in the next ten minutes so...if you see multiple versions of the same shot...that's why!! And their property is right on Kaneohe Bay. Gorgeous. And windy. So when a gust of wind tossed my reflector over the wall onto the shore...I jumped over a little too hastily to retrieve it before it rolled into the water. Big mistake. Apparently, the "shore" was really just a dry crust over thick swampy mud. Oi!!! I sank to my ankles. I had to wave off Troy, the gentleman, who was moving to jump down to help me. I'm Big Island. Mud don't scare me.

Hah, I really love this one...

See, can YOU tell that she's pregnant?
I
I almost forgot it was Valentine's Day (Scott and I are such the romantics) until I saw all the balloons Troy had set up everywhere for Bow. Aw...and he made us both breakfast.

This is them just being cutesy while I was trying to get my camera set up.

Look, they had such fun locations on their property.

Look, A DOCK!!! They said I could use it anytime....sweet.

These are just my favorites. To see more images and pick your own favorites, go to www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com

Your email will not be used except for one notifying email when the album is taken off-line. To order a digital negative/image, click on "0 x 0" size and add to cart. In the shopping cart, click on "enhance print" and choose digital image. Sorry so confusing, but I'm still trying to figure out how to let people order digital images. You can always email me if you're interested in purchasing digital images or if you have questions..

Sneak Peek-Troy and Bow's Blessing-In-Waiting

2009-02-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a weekend in Maui so I'm using my first minutes back in civilization (not a knock on Maui, Kelii!!!) to upload some sneak peek photos from a maternity session from this past weekend. I went straight from this session to a one-year birthday party to work on Saturday...running...ahem, I mean slow jogging/moderate walking 8 miles in Monday's Great Aloha Run followed by a 36 hour trip to Maui. Can't believe I made it and dreading the return to my hum-ho every day life. Here's my favorites so far from an awesome session with two very excited expectant parents.

Adventures in Babysitting

2009-02-12T03:02:00.000-08:00

I have kind of an odd job...if you watch CSI...my job is a deglamorized version of that. Most people are pretty surprised when they find out...they seem to put me in the category of preschool teachers or librarians (which I admit I would love to do either). However, my job is very practical, stress-free, and very secure. I am so blessed, especially in this rough patch in the economy. My days off are pretty variable so I had yesterday and today off. So, I went to my older sister's and watched her 9 month old twin girls so she could get out and run errand.

Man, my nieces are adorable...but, oh, boy...they can wreak havoc. They are now mobile...they can crawl. They can pull themselves up and thus pull things down. And their new favorite snack is paper. They kept me busy and sometimes I just sat and watched them destroy things together because it was just fascinating to watch. I came home and told my startled husband "I want twins." He said "okay, as long as they are born two years apart." Hmmm, I guess that's a no.

I'm trying to blog but I'm a little distracted watching Top Chef. I definitely have a crush on Fabio. Scott knows...I must tell him 10 times during every episode.

Wedding Day Bells-Heather and Brandon

2009-02-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

A month ago, I got an call from Moana Bjur, from Sands of Time Weddings. I've photographed weddings for her before and I have always loved her weddings. They're beautiful down to the smallest details and so well-organized, which I love (I'm a high S and C in the DISC personality tests). This time was different because she also needed an officiant and so, my hubby, Scott got a call too and we got to work together. The couple, Heather and Brandon, had asked for the officiant to wear a solid colored shirt, preferably blue. I was thinking a muted blue or maybe a navy. But, no, the morning of the wedding Scott pulled out this bright, vivid blue shirt. He insisted on it, saying it was a "non-aloha" aloha shirt. I don't know what that means. Thankfully, he didn't steal the spotlight because all eyes were on the Heather and Brandon. The groom, Brandon, is stationed nearby on the Kaneohe Bay Marine and the men were in their dress blues. It looked spectacular against the white sands and blue ocean.

Kailua Beach is our stomping grounds but I have never been to a wedding there. It was a young, fun wedding...including the classical procession music played from the groom's jeep, the bride going barefoot under her beautiful strapless gown, and of course, the family having way too much fun with the formal portraits. We also had a few beach-goers who sat nearby and watched the whole wedding. That's Kailua, my old hometown for you.

Heather And Brandon Wedding
Saturday, January 31st 2009
11:30 am at Kailua Beach Park

To view the entire album, go to http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/.

The password is the groom's (and now the bride's) last name. The gallery will ask for an email, this will only be used once to notify you when the gallery is due to expire on the site.

Sneak Peek-Brandon and Heather Wedding

2009-02-03T01:05:00.001-08:00

Saturday, January 31st, 11:30 am
Kailua Beach Park
Wedding Coordinated by Sands Of Time Weddings (Moana Bjur)
Wedding of Brandon and Heather

Sneak Peek:

One of my faves (how fun was this wedding)...and just a taste with more to come. Stay tuned.

The Worden Family

2009-01-27T00:19:00.000-08:00

This is a family near and dear to my heart. Although a few years younger (JUST A FEW!!!), Mikey has been a friend of my hubby's since I think Scott was a jr. high leader at our church and Mikey was...well...in junior high. Scott blames...I mean...credits himself for coaching Mikey's sarcastic wit to a whole new level at a young age. He married his high school sweetheart, Liz, who is a hair stylist in Kailua and whose dad is on staff with Scott.

Their little girl, Haley, is turning a year old in two weeks (she's a Valentine baby) so I wanted to do a family session for them. I really wanted to shoot the classic Hawaiian family photo 'white shirts, blue jeans, and barefoot on the beach.' Mikey would have none of it. He insisted "we don't go to the beach, we're not that kind of family." Actually, they wanted to take pictures in the bowling alley. It would perfectly have matched their young craziness. However, my full-time job only leaves me with mornings and mid-days. So, our second choice was a urban feeling that I think really captured them well.

Mikey is also going to be helping me set up a photography website. We had our first meeting today and basically it was a "Websites for Dummies" chapter 1 lesson. So, keep watching. My goal is to launch a new website in the next two weeks!!!

I'm so ready for 2009!!!

2009-01-22T03:08:00.000-08:00

Now that the frantic buzz of holidays has completely faded, I started to go stir-crazy wanting to get back into some good old photography. Following the holidays, it is hard financially for all of us to really consider investing in capturing memories. I was working out at 24 hour fitness club (yes, 21 days into my new year's resolution and still going strong). I was running on the treadmill and looking enviously at all the shiny machines that I have no clue how to use. I started thinking, if 24 would just start marketing their fitness trainers. Maybe having happy hours where the trainers are on the floor to answer questions or maybe promoting special offers. Then, I thought, hey, why don't I do that. So, look for specials for every month. I want to create opportunities for anyone to have some beautiful photographs, no matter their circumstance. It's fun for me to try to think up different and creative offers. I like changing it up. Look at the top of the pricing pages for special discounts or deals.

All wedding photography sessions booked for January or February 2009 are 20% off. Stay tuned, I'm brainstorming a February "LOVE" special for keiki or couple portraits.

Thankfully, for me, the last few weeks things have started to roll in...two possible maternity shoots, a keiki shoot, two weddings...oh, yah baby. I've been so bored, now I can get back to what I love. Tomorrow I'm photographing a family for the end of a 11-month long project I've been working on (a sneak peek in the near future). I should go to sleep but I'm just too excited.

I hope your 2009 has been absolutely wonderful!!!

Haley's Christmas Session at 10 months

2009-01-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

We barely scraped in time to do Haley's Christmas session. Her proud papa asked that it get done sometime in November, and I just made it. Her mom brought her over on New Year's Eve.

One challenge for the day was Haley's quick mobility. At ten months old, she wasn't interested at all in sitting still. We had to start feeding her mum mum crackers non-stop. Those things are magic. Then we took her outside for a change in scenery.

I'm a guest at the wedding of Frank and Jen

2008-12-31T03:44:00.000-08:00

Following the island-wide power outage this past weeken, Scott and I went straight from a lunch birthday party for my niece, Lauren, (picture us with a bunch of 2 year olds in jumpy air castles), to a formal-clad celebration of Jen and Frank's wedding. Frank and Jen are high school sweethearts and seem to have been literally just waiting to be old enough to make a lifelong commitment. Jen just graduated with her college degree and Frank now works on staff at Hope Chapel as the junior high pastor.

These are just my photographs I snapped with my work camera (hey, we were told to practice with it). The wedding was professionally photographed by Marina Miller of Red Heart Photography. She's an absolutely amazing photographer who also photographed the wedding of Jen and Frank's officiant. I had a chance to meet her at that wedding when we were sitting on the same table. I was watching her work (okay, only slightly stalker-sounding) during the ceremony and I really don't know how she seems so calm and collected. I know the thing nowadays is to have a second shooter or carry two bodies but she breezed through it solo. I saw a sneak peek on her blog. Damn, she's so good. And she's absolutely the sweetest thing.

Jen and Frank are stylish stylish. I heard that they always knew they wanted to get married here at the Crystal Chapel in Waikiki. Jen's matron of honor wore a long silver gown and carried a black feather posy. The reception hall was black and white and silver with long tapered candles as the centerpieces with masquerade masks lying on the table. And then they threw in their quirky fun by handing out glow stick necklaces once the dancing started.

(Pastor Scott, Pastor Stanton, Pastor Kanani, and Pastor Carl)

(I thought it was so endearing a third of the crowd was from Jen and Frank's ministry)

(The day that was 8 years in the making)

Pastor Tom, the high school pastor, was the officiant. He just had his own wedding back in June of this year and Jen was a bridesmaid. Tom and his wife, Grace, did the decorations in the reception hall. No pictures there...I was too busy eating and trying to get Scott to dance.

(during their personal vows)

Most couples decline when asked if they want to do their own vows. Frank looked like he was fighting back tears during his vow. I didn't even hear Jen's. She leaned into him, looked him in the eye, and whispered her vows to him. It was obvious that they were sharing that moment and reveling in the commitment they were making, it was so endearing.

(the trendy couple)

(Scott with his second favorite girl-Haley)

(Rob and Deb and their grand-daughter, Haley)

(some of the men of Hope Chapel: Rob, Scott, Carl, Frank, Tom, Stanton, and Trevor)

It was great to get out the camera and practice my skills again. Things are just starting to feel normal again following the Christmas craziness. I have a session for Haley's Christmas photos tomorrow morning. I'm trying to plan out when I'll have a lull in sessions so I can send my camera in for cleaning and upkeep.

3rd times the charm-Mele Kalikimaka

2008-12-24T08:14:00.001-08:00

I'm scared to even start this post. The last two times I've started, I've literally been at this point when the phone rings and a big case has come in. Ooops, have I unwittingly divulged that I might be blogging from work. Not true, I completely deny it.

Well, Merry Merry Christmas. Isn't my husband a doll? I couldn't believe he was so agreeable in letting me try out my idea for this year's Christmas card. It was the Thursday that it was gushing buckets from the skies and we had no electricity the entire day. The rain stopped for 30 minutes and I rushed us outside. Absolutely no sun in the sky and Scott kept squinting in every picture and claiming "It's too bright...it's too bright, I can't open my eyes." So, I gave up on trying to find a "open eyes/smile" shot and we used this one. I love it, it's one of my favorites. He makes me laugh...every day.

He can also make me cry. I blogged earlier about the recession and us deciding to forgo a Christmas tree. Well, several days later, I came home about 8 in the morning from work...opened the door, and there was this beautiful Christmas tree standing right in front of me. I must have been tired because I instantly started crying. It was the sweetest gift Scott could ever have given me. I'm walking around, tears in my eyes, taking off my backpack...when I think....wait, what if this is Stanton's tree and I'm crying over my brother-in-law getting himself a Christmas tree. So, I creep into our dim bedroom and sniffle as I nudge Scott gently "who..sniff sniff...whose tree is that?" I don't remember, but I think that even half-asleep, he had some wise-ass reply...but I didn't care because I was right...it was our tree and I cried even more. I love our beautiful beautiful, already brown and dying Christmas tree...it is be-yu-ti-ful.

To all my friends and family, I wish you a Merry Christmas. Despite the hard times of the economy, this Christmas is proving to be completely filled with joy and laughter. Last night, I opened the gift from my sister. She got me a huge case of Coke and Scott a huge case of Dr. Pepper. Hee hee, she knows us so well.

The calm after the storm

2008-12-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

I'm up...at five in the morning...and its eerily quiet. Yesterday's monster winds and gushing rainfall has finally abated. I just had my two nights off and, yesterday, I woke up at four in the morning. I was feeling super productive so I started doing laundre which meant I had to carefully slide through the pool of water on the back patio in my rubba slippahs. I also couldn't close the glass door in the back so I had to blast the TV to hear it over the thunderous rain. I got an IM from one our friends, Abbey. It is her first Christmas in Hawaii and she asked if this was normal for Hawaii. I told her this was our "Hawaiian Snow." Enjoy.

Then our power went in the middle of my watching TV/working on my computer/working on pictures/washing clothes/drying clothes. Agh, it was so sad. Scott and I spent the rest of the day in darkness until about five pm. We tried to think of all the things to do that didn't require electricity. I realized how dependant we are on electricity. Because of the storm, it was very dark even in the middle of the day. We decorated our Christmas tree with lights and our seven ornaments..it was pretty hard to without being able to see where we were putting the lights in the dim living room. We're trying to get an ornament every time we visit someplace so our tree looks pretty sparse. We had to spread them all out on the side of the tree that faces the door, about 1/4 of the tree surface.

So, we ended up leaving and trying to run errands in the rest of town that had electricity. We got to see the Garland's infamous Leaning Tower of Christmas Tree and visit Mike, Liz, and Haley. I had some pictures from her last month milestone. All in all, it was a great day off!!

Haley's Thanksgiving/Fall Session (taken on location at HCKB church)

Miraculously, the sun actually came out for an hour in the afternoon and I was able to set up a photo session for our Christmas card photo. Stay tuned for pictures from a sweet three generation Christmas Photo shoot I just did this past weekend and my own personal Christmas Photo.

My Thanksgiving Vacation Part 1

2008-12-05T10:24:00.001-08:00

I feel like I've told this story too many times already, but it's a winner so let's document it for the ages:

My younger sister came up with the idea of having my older sister, her family, and me and Scott fly down to the Big Island for Thanksgiving as a surprise for my dad. So we flew into Hilo on Wednesday. My sister found a really great deal and her whole family was staying in a beautiful two bedroom condo in Waikoloa. I stayed at Scott's family one bedroom studio in Waimea. I flew straight after work so I was exhausted and went to bed at four in the afternoon.

My younger siblings, Genesis and Jordan, were driving dad to Waikoloa. They told him they were taking him to A-bay, he hates that beach so he wasn't really thrilled but they were really going to drive him to Cassandra's unit. So, I woke up at four in the morning after 12 hours of glorious sleep...oh, and freezing my butt off by the way. It gets into the fifties during the night in Waimea and Hawaiian houses offer no resistance at all to cold and do nothing in the ways of retaining heat. I proceeded to drive to Waikoloa at around seven thirty on Thanksgiving morning on the high road (there's two ways from Waimea to Kona, the low road and the high road).

I'm cruising along at 55 mph along the rolling hills through Parker Ranch with nothing but pasture-painted slopes when I spot a lone wild turkey sitting on the side of the road. I ponder whether I should turn around and try to find my camera in the trunk. I mean, it was a picture perfect postcard...almost like he was trying to get into the thanksgiving spirit as well. About five minutes later on the same road, this time I see a group of three turkeys on the left side of the road and two on the right...hmmm, I hope none of them try ...
NO, DON'T DO THAT".

I see one of the turkeys on the right decided it was time to cross the road, he started to dash across the road right in front of my car. I tried to slow down and veer but it was too late...I clipped him and he tumbled...onto my hood...over my windshield...I could hear him rolling on my hood towards the back...whoa.

Thankfully, as I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw him scampering across the road as he finished his cross. Turkeys are tough birds. Thank God, he was okay. So, yes, I almost hammered a turkey with the front end of my car on Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey Day!!! What irony.

Here are some pics of the fun we had. More pics and stories to come soon.
What was the highlight of your thanksgiving?

(my dad holding his youngest grand-daughter, Chayne)

(my younger sister, Genesis, teaching our niece, Lauren, how to fly

Sarah and Ava-Maternity Session

2008-11-24T02:52:00.001-08:00

Little Ava, when will you be joining us? When I first started to become really good friends with Scott, he was working at Hope Chapel with another young guy, Russell. I remember the church sent them both to a conference in Florida and Scott would call me to talk...and his roommie, Russell, would be chatting on the phone with his "friend," Sarah. Well, three years later, they've been married for about two years and are expecting to grow their family by one beautiful baby girl. They moved to a different church, Grace Bible (hey, I used to go there with Josh), but they hit me up with an email asking if I would want to take maternity pictures of Sarah. Would I? So cool!!! Something completely foreign to me but what an opportunity because it is becoming very popular nowadays. The one thing that I learned when I had her sit on the grass is that hapai women will be uncomfortable in certain sitting positions. I had no experience of that so I definitely learned quickly that you can't ask them to be doing the splits.

(this one was just a casual snapshot...however, Sarah and the little "nameplate" are super cute...and I was really surprised that this photo rapidly got 37 hits on my flickr site in one day. wow!

(hee hee...no, this session was at Sarah's mom's house in Kaneohe...we didn't rapidly jump to Waimanalo beach...I shamelessly photoshopped the background. I'm usually not a big fan because it adds a fake touch to things...but I felt it made this one more dreamy and artsy)

(taken against the side of the house...so simple...but I really like this one)

(here's also why researching poses can be rewarding. I saw the idea of using an ultrasound with the parents holding it on flickr...and I just changed it up to appear more like a window into Ava's life right now. Absolutely one of my favorites. I would put this on our walls but I think Scott and Stanton might not approve.

(from the beginning, Sarah wanted to take pictures in this little separate living room. It was such a cloudy day that I didn't think there would be enough light so I kept it for last...she was right, it was perfect lighting. Every shot was absolutely beautiful.)

(the most popular pose for maternity shots...I don't care...so worth it. So cute)

(these are just a few select images, maternity sessions are private galleries that can only be viewed with the approval of the client)

If you would like to preserve moments like these in your family's journey, send me an email at keaosphotography@gmail.com

An Aussie vow renewal

2008-11-23T03:55:00.000-08:00

I'm in shock...I came home from work, showered, laid down to watch tv, fell asleep...and didn't wake up until Scott woke me up to go back to work again. Well, that wasn't exactly what I had planned to do. So, just trying to make up for lost time. This was a while ago but Scott did a very small vow renewal. He does weddings through our church but he also has a friend who plans destination weddings and these are usually simple, quick affairs. We met the couple at their Waikiki hotel and walked down to Waikiki beach at sunset. They didn't ask for photographs but I used the chance to practice. And John and Abbey were with us, so the three of us played on the sand nearby.

The couple renewing their vows were from Australia. Not only were they beautiful, but they had the cutest accents, as if they couldn't even get cuter. Like our other vow renewal, even being from gorgeous Australia, they said they were fulfilling the dream they always had of getting married in Hawaii.

(I love how I see the little girl playing in the sand in this pic)

(A waikiki sunset -Straight out of the camera)

(A Waikiki Sunset- processed)

Halloween Baby Session (HB at 8 months)

2008-11-11T02:43:00.000-08:00

I admit...I am not creative when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. One, my parents didn't let us dress up when we were younger and by the time they stopped caring, so did we. And, two, I don't like spending money. So, I really thought it would be another costume-less Halloween when I remembered I had a summer kimono from my Japan Mission Trip. So I was a Japanese girl...one year of being married into a Japanese family and I fully converted. Halloween fell on a Friday so we wore our costumes to church but we were the rare few. Then we went bowling afterwards with our good friends from Ignite. It was a blast. I was having like one of the best games ever but I had to leave halfway through the game to go to work.

Speaking of dressing up, here's one little girl who is definitely started early and set the standards high with her creativity.

BEFORE

AFTER

Machel and Chris Wedding-Ko Olina

2008-10-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Still trying to play catch up...today was my productive day off and I think I made a lot of headway. I got derailed a little by some phone calls that took a long time and a lot of energy...but here are some photos from the last October wedding. It was a small, intimate wedding with just three witnesses (one being the proud mama of the bride). This couple was fun. When they were left to their own devices, they were doing these fun crazy poses that I always wanted to photograph but most couples are too shy to try. He picked her up...she even tried to pick him up...well, she did kind of piggy-back him. They were totally carefree and I think they were completely relaxed the entire day. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.

For a glimpse of the entire album, go to www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com

Erin and Anthony's Wedding- Oct 11 at Ko Olina

2008-10-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

I smell like the ash at the bottom of a firepit at camp. Last night at my other job, otherwise known as "the not-as-fun" job, I had to go to the scene of a fire at the preschool at Central Union Church on Punahou Street. It was overnight so no one was present at the time of the fire. Apparently it took about forty firemen and two oceans of water to put it out because there was a nice lake in the rooms when I got there. I wear crappy shoes to work and they are pretty absorbent so they sucked in all the ashy water and I was squishing around while I took photographs. We're supposed to be issued galoshes for this reason but they never issued 'em to me. My shoes dried out but they still smell like the remnants of a campfire. Not a horrible smell so I guess it will just fade away. When I got there, there was tons of firemen roaming around rolling up their hoses and cleaning up. Someone joked "Hey, Keao, look at all these young strapping men here for you to look at." I replied "No way!!! I'm married. I can't look.......too slowly. Just a few quick looks and that's it." None of them can compare to Scottie!!!

Here are photos from my third wedding this past weekend working with Moana from A Treasured Moment Weddings. This one was at Ko Olina...I had absolutely no clue that if you walk to the right when facing the lagoon, you would find these beaches that people use for weddings. Apparently, everyone else on Oahu knows because during this wedding, there was another wedding going on, two brides/grooms and their photog shadows were clambering on the rocks behind us as well as two more couples having their photographs taken for what I assume are their engagement sessions. Crazy. No wonder because it was absolutely beautiful...it epitomizes what you may dream up of as an island paradise. The sun was going down towards the end and created this eerie blue cast in the photos which I actually really dug. And Moana sets up such beautiful environments for the ceremony and moments.

the maid of honor

I should crop the following in more...but I do love these bouquet shots

Oh, she started to tear up during her vows...so touching. It reminded me of Scott bawling his eyes out during our wedding....aaaahhh

The following is probably my favorite shot...like ever.

For more photos, you can view the entire album at http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/ and clicking on Erin and Anthony.

Shannon and Robert's Wedding-October 20th 2008 at Ko Olina

2008-10-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Trying to catch up...when you pray for rain...better be happy when it pours. Here I've been struggling to find work and practice for my photography and photoshop processing skills. And, the month of October has offered multiple weddings with A Treasured Moment Hawaiian Weddings. As soon as I finished with one wedding, it's already time for the next one.

I had an assistant for this wedding, I corraled Joy Pishcura into accompanying me and second shooting. It was awesome because we could get different perspectives at the same time. i hope that one day we can go into business together, I've heard a lot of wedding photography businesses are married couples, but Scott is pretty happy in his pastoral job. I think Joy and I could come up with a business name like "Joyful Light Photography" or "Joy and Light Photography." (My name means light in case you were wondering). This couple was Shannon and Robert from Alaska. Hey, I've been to Alaska. I joked with them that I'm from Hawaii and went to Alaska for my honeymoon and they did the exact opposite. Shannon gave me these beautiful moments when she laughed and I caught her giving this look right at the camera. Looking at the pictures, it made you feel so included in their intimate ceremony. There was also this adorable little boy Carter with striking blue eyes (rare here in these islands) and I saw my assistant a little distracted as she must have taken like fifteen frames just with him.

This ceremony had a dove release and a butterfly release. I've never seen the butterfly release before and I loved it. They seemed to want to take their time dancing around before landing on leaves nearby.

I don't know what she whispered to the bridesmaids but I'm still curious

A hawaiian lei ceremony.

What? Is it picnic time already? I think there might be something else in there.

They also released two butterflies that flittered around and landed nearby. So beautiful.

there's that over the shoulder glances that made me feel like she was sharing a secret with me.

The friends and family of Shannon and Robert, married October 20th 2008 at Ko Olina.

To see more images and information on how you may purchase prints, visit www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com. You will need to input your email in order to view the album, the email will only be used to notify you when the album is taken off-line. Prints can be purchased directly from the site and will be delivered to your residence. Digital images may be purchased from the photographer through email (simply provide the image title and description) to keaosphotography@gmail.com

L and N-Waialae Hawaiian Wedding

2008-10-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my earlier post that I had three weddings in two days. This was the second wedding on that Friday at Waialae Beach. The couple was so photogenic She had beautiful skin and this red hair that was gorgeous. I wonder if she ever dressed up as the Little Mermaid. The groom was such a ham and kept pulling faces that reminded me of Ben Stiller's Zoolander movie. They even had a dove release in their ceremony and I made sure to up my shutter speed super high to catch the birds. It caught them perfectly still...I almost wish I could play around with the shutter speed so that I could get a little blur on the wings to show movement. hmmm, maybe i can convince Smy hubbie...Scott to catch me some birds and then practice releasing them one at a time.

I finally got to try out the urban bride look

check out http://www.keaosphotography.instaproofs.com/ for more photos

Next time: Pics from E and A's wedding

Mario and Sabina- October 10th Wedding

2008-10-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

So, while trying to drum up business for my hunky hubbie, who is a licensed wedding officiant (it's hard times, got to work everything you have), I inadvertently got myself a part-time gig with a local wedding business, A Treasured Moment. They help with planning Hawaiian Weddings. It's a great opportunity for me to get more experience and build my portfolio. And I had to jump in this past weekend by doing three weddings this past weekend.

The first two weddings were at Waialae Beach which I've never been to. Apparently, I drove past it maybe twice in my life. I was real excited about it because when I've looked up beautiful sites for weddings and/or photography sessions, Waialae Beach kept popping up. It was raining that morning so I was a little worried but it cleared up beautifully by the afternoon. I had no idea this place was such a hotbed of weddings. I got there a little early and as I was waiting on a picnic bench, I sneakily took some shots of the wedding party as they relaxed under the pavilion. Only to find out later, that wasn't our couple. There were at least three other bridal parties that walked by. Our first couple was from Germany and they had such cool accents. The groom, Mario, had these amazing blue eyes and he had this beaming smile. Of course, I was mainly focused on the bride, Sabina, who was pretty radiant herself.

With This Ring, I Thee Wed

These are just a few of my favorites. They also took pictures perched on their motorcycle...that was new to me...so cool.

Next to come: Liz and Noel's Wedding at Waialae Beach

Ross and Jeannine-Vow Renewal at Waimanalo Beach

2008-09-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

These are my favorites from the last of the batch from Ross and Jeannine's vow renewal on Waimanalo Beach. These manage to capture the emotion they obviously have for each other. I hope Scott and I will have that tenderness when we've been together for another 5 years.

I wonder how they enjoyed the rest of their vacation on the Big Island. They said they were going to explore Kilauea Volcano National Park. That is one of my favorite parts of the Big Island, no, it's one of my favorite parts in the entire state.

I had a wedding planned for October 1st but they've moved it until December. So my next two weddings are not for two weeks. Tune in this week for images from my session with 7 month old HB and 5 month old twin girls.

Sneak Peak-Ross and Jeannine Vow Renewal

2008-09-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned it already, but Scott had a request to do a surprise vow renewal. Never heard of a "SURPRISE" vow renewal? Well, neither have we. Ross, married for 6 years with 2 kids and one on the way, was taking his wife on a long-anticipated vacation to Hawaii. He emailed me asking if we could help him organize a surprise vow renewal for his wife. They were actually staying on the Big Island (hey, my home island...woohoo) but were visiting Oahu for one day. She, apparently is a history buff and they wanted to see Pearl Harbor. Which reminds me, I've never been there. Shame on me. Ross and I were looking at a few beaches near the airport but he wanted to choose the most scenic beach and make it perfect. So, he rented a convertible and we set the ceremony for the windward side. Sigh, white sandy beaches and the Pacific Ocean the sweetest shade of blue. When the actual day came, she was more than a little surprised. I think it was bordering on shock. They had to take some time to just sit together on the beach and process the whole "hey, sweetie, we're getting married again in Hawaii." And then she was ready to get started.

My husband, Scott, performed the vow renewal and they stood on the white sandy shore with absolutely no one around them. I wasn't close enough to hear the ceremony over the sound of the ocean, but just watching this couple together was joyful. She was absolutely sweet and so beautiful. They're expecting their third child this spring and she's still so petite. Even before I met them, I knew he adored her from the way he speaks of her. But watching them, you could see it over and over. He gazed at her like she was the only thing he could see. *sigh* Love. *sigh*

I'm working on the photos now because but here's a sneak peak. I think these, by far, are my three favorite of the whole batch.

Surprise Vow Renewal in two days!!!

2008-09-23T04:59:00.000-07:00

We just booked a small destination wedding on Thursday, actually, a vow renewal. We don't have too many vow renewals. Scott had his first vow renewal about two months ago and he came home beaming, he loved the couple. He was re-inspired by their love and their dedication to each other after years of being together. So, I was really fired up when I received an email from Ross. He's been married for four years and he's taking his wife on a well-deserved vacation to Hawaii. He came up with the idea of giving her the wedding in paradise that she never had as a surprise. Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard. Scott has been in Japan on a missions trip for our church so I've had to make the arrangements myself. They are actually vacationing on the Big Island but are visiting Oahu for the day. For selfish reasons, I'm also getting so excited to take pictures. Wedding season slows down after summer's ends and I miss the thrill of photo sessions. I wish it was Thursday already.

Babies in the wash

2008-09-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

My husband, Scott, is on a mission trip to Sapporo, Japan with a small team from our church, Hope Chapel. Leaving me with way too much time on my hands so I fill my days with exciting stuff like cleaning out our closet and organizing my drawers. Party at my house, huh?

I purchased a new lens recently and was so excited that I got a chance to use it yesterday. My twin nieces turned 4 months old a week ago. I always take pictures of them in Darilyn's room because she has the most light. This week, I was a little surprised to see she had a black sheet on her bed so it was a new background for me. I used Darilyn's hot pink laundry basket with a pillow in it and a white puffy "winter coat?" she had. Why does she need a winter coat? She lives in Waipahu!!! Well, it worked in my favor.

(Cheyenne)

(Chayne)

I think sibling rivalry is setting in a little more as the twins get older. Lauren, who for a year and a half was my only photography subject now finds herself sharing the spotlight with not just one, but two more girls. I think she misses being the center of attention, what do you think?

7 month old tot-Cute gift idea for football fanatic fathers

2008-09-03T04:15:00.000-07:00

If you have seen the glowing anticipation on certain faces, particularly my husband, you know that UH football season has begun. As my husband, Scott, informed me while we were doing our pre-marital sessions, he said "Keao, when you marry me, you marry UH football." And, yes, UH did get trounced in their first game away against the Florida Gators (was that really such a shocker?), my marriage vows did promise through better or worse.

This morning we babysat a familiar face, our friend's baby girl "Haley." As a personal gift, I take her monthly pictures and I'm creating a baby photo album to document her first year. I also use it to continue practicing and growing in photography. This little girl is from a family avidly dedicated to UH football, especially her grandpa. So as an adorable gift that every proud grandpa with football running through his veins, I took UH football themed portraits of Haley. Our photo session didn't last as long as I wanted because she was hungry (You'll see what I mean by the first photo) but we got some adorable captures that I know will look great framed our her grandpa's wall.

She seems to love the taste of plastic. She sampled all our remotes. This is my lens backing.

Okay, this last one is not completely football themed, but she's just so pretty in it...this one has to go on my blog.

Worship Event at Kakaako Park

2008-08-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday was our church all-worship night under the stars in the outdoor ampitheatre at Kakaako Park. This is hands-down one of my favorite things the church does. I love anything that is outdoors at night, movies, hikes, and worship nights. Plus I have fond memories of Kakaako. We used to go there in high school with cardboard boxes and go sleddin' da hawaiian way. I have a lot of pictures of Ui's two cuties but i've kept asking her if i could practice taking pictures of her kids. Koko, more of a ham, was ready. Actually, Uncle Clinton and I both told her way back on Wednesday that she had to get ready because I was going to be taking pictures of her on Wednesday. She responded by instantly striking a "one hand on the hip, head tilt, big teethy smile." Okay, Koko, not now. Wait til wednesday. So Clinton and I kept telling her that she couldn't smile until Wednesday or her mouth would get tired out. She looked all serious and you could tell she was concentrating and she pressed her lips together in a straight line. It lasted 3 seconds before she started giggling again. But, as you can see from the pictures, she got a fresh supply of smiles. That girl can find a camera anywhere...she would be sliding down the hill and she could sense when a camera was on her...full eye contact and big smile.

Ha'o was a little more camera shy...actually, I just got the "not now, I want to slide" look a lot but at the end, he totally gave me the poses. Awesome. The vertical pictures look pixelly...I don't know why but sometimes it does that when I enter them into my blog. They're not on my original flickr site, it's from a back site...but they're still cute.

Storyboard-Rolling at three months

2008-08-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

If you see some familiar characters, here's the back-story. My sister has five girls. She had two at a real young age, waited fourteen years and had a third girl. You'll see plenty pictures of her on my blog. When she turned nine months old, my sister found out she was having twin girls. And, thus, really...this is where I get tons of practice shooting babies at all different ages. Three months is a great age. They're learning to laugh and smile, they make great eye contact and they are still pretty stationary.

Here's a storyboard of Chayne's rolling...Cheyenne hasn't learned how yet(probably because she insists on being carried every waking minute). Chayne is real smart...she tucks her knees under her butt until she's off-balance and then her body just naturally rolls over. I watched her do it three times.

Twins at Three Months

2008-08-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Can you tell them apart? They obviously look different when placed side-by-side but I can see how it may be difficult in individual pictures. Cheyenne is in pictures #2 and #4 and Chayne is in pictures #3 and #5. You don't need fancy studio lighting, you just have to take advantage of the natural light that we are blessed with every day. These are taken in my niece, Darilyn's, room. I choose it because it's on the side of the house facing the Waipahu sun. I They both like to smile. Chayne will laugh out loud. Both of them like to look at you and talk (garbling intently). My sister does not raise shy girls ever. (just a few more pics to come in the future days)

Six Month Milestones

2008-08-17T01:31:00.001-07:00

Olympics are jacking up my sleep schedule. I get home late and then I just have to watch the Olympics we recorded on our TiVo. Even with fast-forwarding, I've been staying up to three in the morning. Whenever I watch the Olympics, I always get inspired. As I get older, my options of realistically making it to the Olympics get more limited. I remember when the Utah Olympics had that sport where you slid a "thingee" on the ice to try to make it onto a target...that may be my best chance if that ever returns to the Olympics. I like to sweep. I'm going to have to start training, I wonder if Ice Palace will let me bring in my own broom.

Last night, we had this HUGE flying cockroach in our living room. If only I had thought to videotape the shenanigans that followed. Scott tells me to get the RAID as he starts to roll up the newspaper. Why? I ask as I watch his fist clench his 5" long newspaper tube. "To back me up, Keao." Hmmm, I wonder if this was in our wedding vows. I really should have paid more attention. I grab the Raid and I watch as Scott takes the first try. This huge "moth-like" creature is flying figure eights in our living room and Scott is trying to swat it...crippled by his fear of roaches...as he cringes and ducks as he futilely swings his short little newspaper tube. He's nowhere near the roach. But he seems to be creating updrafts that the roach is now cruising in. It landed on the wall and Scott ran and swatted the wall, but he flinches at the last moment and hits the wall a full two feet below the roach. Then, I jump in the mix with the RAID trying to spray it as it flies erratically around our heads, thus creating a mist of pesticide around our heads. It was a good five minutes of Scott frantically swatting at air with his eyes closed and me trying to spray an almost empty RAID can before we managed to decimate that sucker. Oh, I hate flying roaches.

Hey, little HB turned six months old. Although, you can probably figure out her real name from the pictures. She's so cute. She sits perfectly and I think six months of picture-taking has trained her well. Liz was trying to feed her but everytime she heard the shutter clicking, she instantly looked at the camera. That-a-girl!!! Her blue eyes are more gray by now, so stunning.

Hey, tomorrow is Hoops Jam if anyone wants to help out.

A cute little 2 year old fairy playing under our mango tree

2008-08-12T23:52:00.000-07:00

I have to catch up...last week Friday, Scott and I watched Ali. Her dad called us the night before and he was in a bind. Of course, we'll watch her!!! We adore her. She calls us "Uncle Scott" and "Auntie Mama." Pua taught her to call me Auntie Mama and her pronounciation has gotten so much better since the days of calling "Unkle Sock."

The only downfall was they brought her at some unforgiveable early hours...it was like 7:30 or something. Sheesh. Actually, she looked tired too but her parents dashed any hope that she might take a nap. She's so adorable, she just talks non-stop. And she spent most of the day in our car. We had to give Jasen a ride to Waipahu and we were a little worried because we remembered how much she hates her carseat. I sat in the back with a DVD player and like 5 kiddie movies. She was so well-behaved but the movies didn't really keep up with her rapidly shifting attention. She would watch 10 minutes of a movie and then ask for another movie. And she hadn't eaten breakfast because all we had was rice and iced tea...oh, and japanese hard candy. Actually, I did kind of feed her 3 chocolate chip cookies cause I felt bad that she must be hungry. So we told her that we would stop at McDonalds. Oh, that made her day. It also made the 35 minute drive to Waipahu very long as she kept looking out the window at H-3 and asking for "donohds?" And she kept up the questioning the whole drive back.

And then we had to drive out to Temple Valley and I offered to drive this time and give Scott a break. I put Ali in the car, climb in...and to my surprise, Scott jumps in the back with Ali and leaves me sitting alone in the front. Humph!!! I see where I rank.

Then, we let her play in the backyard with Charlie and made her a little pool out of Scott's diving bin. I think she had fun. So much fun, that when her babysitter showed up to pick her up, Ali started crying and clinging to us. Oh, it broke my heart. I was this close to calling in sick so she could stay at our house all day. Oh, how we love her.

Here she is with fairy wings in our back yard. What a little angel!!!

Reef and Ryder turn one (Part 2 of 2)

2008-08-11T03:36:00.001-07:00

One final look of some highlights from my photo session with the adorable twin boys "Reef" and "Ryder" at Ko Olina. Their real names are only half as cute as thir nicknames, and Scott and I received their ocean themed invitations which really fit their nicknames. I brought my niece's surfboard which just happened to match their boardshorts. On a funny note, though, as I brought the surfboard out, I asked their mom "How do they do with sand?" She responded "I don't know, they've never been on sand before...(pause)....they'll probably just try to eat it." I guess they're still growing into their nicknames. But they did love the surfboard, clambering around and staring at the sand on their feet.

Next stop: a REAL WAVE!!!

Reef and Ryder at Ko Olina

2008-08-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

On Thursday afternoon, Scott accompanied me to Ko Olina Lagoon Beach to take pictures of Reef and Ryder (their nicknames...in case you were wondering). They were so adorable and so well-behaved. We just got there and we knelt down to put our stuff down and they crawled towards us and climbed into our laps. Ope, from that moment on, they had us wrapped around their fingers. We especially love babies who love us.

Their one year birthday party is coming up and they showed off their skills. They both walk really well, although Ryder preferred to use all four limbs sometimes. They were Mobile with a capital M. Reef would be munching on some twigs he found in the manicured grass and Ryder is halfway to the shoreline. They have these adorable shirts that certainly helped in figuring out which was which. Here's a sneak preview of some of the pictures:

How did I get them to sit still? There are banana puff cereal piles in the grass in front of them. Don't laugh...it worked. More to come soon, I promise.

Natasha and Aaron's Destination Wedding

2008-08-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

Natasha and Aaron Wedding

The wedding arch that the wedding planner created just for the couple.

The bride chose not to go with these bridesmaids leis but they were gorgeous.

The bride shielded by the wedding favors, something that came in handy when a sprinkle
started during the ceremony.

Destination weddings are tricky but you really have to trust your wedding planner. Although the bridesmaids were beautiful, I wish the bride had chosen to wear the beautiful orchid leis the planner had bought for them. It would have matched beautifully.

They really were an incredible cute couple.

Baby pics of HB at 5 months-Miss "blue eyes"

2008-07-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Joy pointed out that the pics of HB aren't the most smiley. I sometimes forget the distinction. I look at a photo and see...oh, good composition, great lighting and colors. Most people see...oh, how come the baby isn't smiling. So, we may not have gotten many smiles on camera but here's a few more expressions.

She's so adorable. She's so good-natured but when she gets frustrated, she makes little grunts until she catches your attention. She can roll over now she she would roll over and get stuck on her stomach, so she would grunt until your put her on her stomach. Which lasted two minutes until she rolled over again and the cycle would start over.

A wedding full of grace

2008-06-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

Before I start, let me please redirect you to Scott's blog for the funniest video we have so far of my niece, Lauren. Scott explains how Lauren associates our presence with her mom leaving and us taking from home and shows her reaction when she first sees us in her house. I can't get enough of it. I keep watching it over and over again.

On June 7th, 2008, I helped our friends, Tom and Grace in their wedding day events as the ceremony coordinator. Tom works at the church with my husband, Scott, and we really got to know Grace when she came on a Japan mission trip with us a few years ago. I like to think I helped them out a lot and I was prepared for the usual wedding details...but we did have a problem with the heat...and the guests who didn't start arriving until the ceremony was schedule to start. It definitely got chaotic and I was running back and forth and the poor bridemaids were huddled in the van when I started just shooting them one by one down the aisle. I caught them off-guard, poor things, although, they just went with it...Jen told me today that there was this crowd of people just standing in the aisle and she kind of had to shoo them to the sides as she processed down the aisle. But they reacted beautifully and went with it and it was beautiful. Once it started, you kind of forgot about the heat.

Uncle Norman, father of the bride, made this beautiful trellis that hung over the couple. It was the first time that the wedding officiant, Pastor Carl, was also one of the groomsmen. So, he would step out of his line, perform the wedding, and then meld right back in with the rest of the groomsmen. I had a list of the 3 ringbearers and 3 flowergirls with a description of each one, but I left that behind and only had their names. So I just referred to them as "come here flowergirl" or "get in line little ringbearer." It was real cute when the reception was ending and one of the little boys almost bowled me over with a hug saying 'bye auntie" and I could only respond with "bye bye ringbearer." And the other highlight for me, was the bread roll I picked out at Foodland for their communion. It was the only one I could find at 8 in the morning, or they could have a communion donut (Jen suggested a communion bagel). It wasn't until after the couple's communion when I was cleaning up and discovered that the roll was in fact, an-pan, which meant it was actually filled with bean paste. It got quite a laugh from the aunties all around me who pulled out their camera. Darn it, I didn't take a picture of it.

John and Laura's Wedding Day

2008-03-31T18:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have my Scottie back. He came back last night and not a minute too soon. We stayed up to 1:30 am because he had so much he wanted to share about his trip and I had so much to talk about my weekend. Yesterday was a very full day. I've been working nights and then running crazy in the mornings. I canceled on a baby birthday party and stayed home just to catch a quick nap before heading off to coorindate the ceremony at Hale Koa hotel for John and Laura's wedding.

I always attend the friday night church service so I hadn't met laura before she started asking about wedding services. But, now that I have met her, I just think she is the most adorable thing. She's sweet and so easygoing. Her fiance (ahem...I mean husband) John, looks so serious and then he opens his mouth and it is wisecrack after wisecrack. He's really funny (and I'm married to Scott so I just everyone by his humor). And she just laughs and laughs.

I volunteered to help with their ceremony, because (1) I've been too busy to feel like I was really devoting enough time to helping them plan it and (2) I've never really seen Ralph perform a wedding. I mean, he did mine, but it was all kind of a blur and I don't remember much of it.

The only hitch I could see was they were really on the fence about having a communion. Not a big deal, unless they decided at the last second they wanted communion and I wasn't ready. Second hitch in the plans is that the parking lot is far away from the ceremony site. So, a tired me had to improvise...with a collapsible wood dinner tray and I needed a solid clean fabric to cover it, so I pulled down my curtain. Oh, if they only knew. There was a bottle of wine in our wine chiller, it could have been ours, it have been Stanton's, but, whatever, I opened it. Never opened a bottle of wine before in my life. Didn't know that you were supposed to unwrap label at the top before you try to remove the cork. Kept trying to pull that wine opener out and it would just rip through the cork. Thankful that there were not little pieces of cork floating in the wine.

I'm not supposed to make recommendations to people under my position as the wedding coordinator for the church. But, personally, I loved the Hale Koa as a wedding venue. Mind you, the last wedding I helped at was at Ko Olina and my standards are pretty low after that one. But they were unbelievable attentive and gracious. John left the wedding CD in his car and I really should have known to just bring my back up but I didn't think of it until I was halfway to Waikiki. He's trying to figure out how to get his brother to go look for it...and bam...the hotel staff is stepping in...they have wedding music...and it's the same songs that Laura wanted. The sound system was excellent. The best I've heard in an outdoor ceremony.

The wedding photographer was also really nice. What really struck me about the photographer, Alyssa, was that she was very personable and melded right in. She was calling everyone by name (not just the bride and groom) and she didn't draw attention to herself during the ceremony.

Ralph has a policy about starting weddings a little late. To give everyone a chance to be there. 15 minutes before the schedule ceremony start, the bride was itching to go. She wanted to start. She looked at all the seats that were filled and said "let's start, everyone is here." Laura laura, let's wait a little, you're still early. Five minutes later and 20 more guests have filtered in. "Let's go, that's everybody." Are you sure, Laura...let's just give it a little more time...now there is a whole crowd of guests. She was so excited that we just had to cue Ralph and start it. It was really cute and funny.

If I was to get married again (to the same guy), I would consider getting married at the exact same place. I was really glad when it was over, because I had a long day and just wanted to get in my pajamas and lie in bed...but I was also happy because Scott was coming home. *sigh*

(this post is in homage to my sister who say I write too much. pbttt :)~

(this is from my prime lens...No PS editing at all)

(my classic blur pose, that's gina's shoulder in the corner)

(the videographers had crazy crazy equipment everywhere...I barely managed to catch a glimpse of the flower girl, Laura's grand-daughter, peeking at her)

(Laura also sewed her own dress...whoa, nelly)

A day at Kailua beach

2008-03-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

It's my three day weekend in the middle of the week and my husband had yesterday off because of Easter Monday. So we invited my sister and nieces over. She only brought 1 out of the 3 nieces because the other two snuck out the night before. Oooh, so naughty. I lived in a dorm and I only snuck out once in high school. My friends and I sat in the Maluna baseball field dugout for twenty minutes and then went back to bed cause we weren't really sure what you were supposed to do once you were "out."

We tried to dig a pool in the sand for Lauren and she did like it...but she also like crawling in the edge of the water. It's funny but she gets on her stomach and squirms backwards towards the waves until the water rushes up and hits her. She kind of looks like a turtle. When we went off to shower, Scott stepped on a bee and got stung. When he was younger, the doctor did a skin test and told him he was allergic to bees. He used to carry an anaphylactic shock kit around but he said it was so old that he just threw it away. So we were a little worried and kept an eye on him. His foot swelled up and he started getting hives around his neck but it didn't get any worse...so I guess God was watching him.

( I think she ate some sand)

(I call this her filipino bathing suit...she is filipino...waipahu too)

(in the hole scott dug for her...played with textures...but I didn't do anything to her eyes...they're reflecting something cool)

(right after Scott was stung by the mean bee)

Look who turns 1 month old today...

2008-03-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Not me.
She was born on valentine's day and we took these pictures a little over a month later on Saint Patrick's Day. I think she'll run out of luck in April...what holidays are left?

Her mom, Liz, made the cupcake for Saint Patrick's Day. Jenny put it on the baby. She didn't even twitch. That baby can sleep. Kind of reminds me of Scott.

A day at the beach with family

2008-03-06T18:48:00.001-08:00

My older sister Cassandra is officially off work until her maternity leave is over. And the twins aren't coming til May so she has a while. So, yesterday (my day off) she and my oldest niece, Ashley, and my youngest niece, Lauren came over to visit the windward side. We ate lunch at my house first. My roommate, Vinnie, joined us. He originally thought he had to testify in court but turns out he had the day wrong. I bought furukake chicken from KJ's. The Waipahu girls loved it and then we went to the beach. I haven't been to the beach in years...it was a shock to my system. Plus, I remembered how much I hate sand. It gets everywhere. But it was a nice day and we found a prime parking spot at Kalama Beach Park in Kailua. Just down the road from the more infamous Kailua and Lanikai beaches.

Lauren has come a long way since being deathly afraid of the water. Now, she'll still cling to you but she loves it.

Photo 2: This is such a rare picture because she's actually looking at me and somewhat smiling. She's a lot more bubbly and talkative with Cassandra around. She's not saying any actual real words that we understand but she seems to think she is.

Photo 3: This is my favorite picture. She was just fascinated with sand. She just kept staring at it and picking at it. Can't you tell? She's covered in sand. She did learn a valuable lesson after she dropped her snack in the sand and she still tried to eat it. I just saw her make a face and stick out her tongue which was covered in sand and she spit out her banana puffed cereal.

Photo 4: This was my bright idea and I made Ashley and Cassandra help me set up the shot. But Lauren decided she was just not going to sit still. She kept getting up and leaving...darn it, once they learn to walk, it's a whole new ball game. But, for some reason, she did decide to do this little handstand and held it for a good minute and I thought it was still cute.