Just Because Session: Hottest couple, TEASER:)

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Dating is such a fun part of life, where the fun and excitement never seems to cease. Photographing young love is such a joy as these two took me back to my dating years with D-Money$ (aka Dan)......Featuring my 'Just Because" session, these two rocked out my Nikon as their relationship shined through my lenses. More to come!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

PROVO Lady Steelers!- Part I

I think these pictures tell it all...what more can I say? Thank you Denise Lyons for your talented abilities with hair and makeup. Just wait for out night out in the city....Lady Steelers Beauties!

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Evening with a few Lady Steelers - TEASER

These young ladies, are gorgeous inside and out. Its hard to believe that these beauties are rugby players! They know how to look stunning on and off the field balancing school, work, love, sports, and life. Be ready to let these women take your breathe away and be in awe. Love you girls!

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Thank you to our makeup artist and hair stylist, courtesy of Denise Lyon's team. Also thank you L for traveling all the way down from California for our sleepless weekend:)

"Just Because" Sessions

I'm so excited to add this collection to my portfolio....Who says you have to be getting married, engaged, or have something special to take pictures! I have a few couples lined up who aren't married, some who are already married and are wanting to take pictures just to be with their loved ones. Life is too short and special to have to wait for an important day or event to take pictures. So if you are interested please let me know. I will have some featured pictures up shortly! Happy Thursday:)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Congratulations Peti!

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Thank you Peti for a great time yesterday taking some last minute pix's for your graduation invite! I wouldn't have been able to do it had our makeup artist Tema not been there to take care of us, and of course my beautiful assistant Lupi for making it happen. You gals are the best! I had so much fun yesterday and just wanted to make sure you can view these invites so we can make your order today! Still more to come with the graduate from Timponogos High School- Beautiful Ms. Lilipeti:) Wishing you all the best with your pursuits in higher education! Peti has decided to major in business, go get 'em girl! I think you may have to help me out with my bizz. More to come!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Photoshop and I are friends:)

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I love that photoshop (PS) helped me to make this cute design cover for some of my marketing stuff for my biz and thought I would share just a tad bit. Here is the cover for my trifold brouchere with information regarding weddings, and engagements. I remember a few months ago earlier this year PS and i had a hard time getting along. These days though, its hard to keep us apart:)....I have come to really appreciate how wonderful this program is! It has taken alot of time, classes, and money to get this program down, but now I feel very comfortable and am still learning things everyday. Thanks PS!



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Clients are always asking me what to wear, so I designed a flyer to help my people prepare for their shoot with me. Again thanks PS!

I'm really excited for this weekend though as I have alot of projects and shoots lined up. I don't even know where to begin, but the pictures that are still yet to come will tell it all. I've been pretty busy, so to my blogger friends please bare with me. i will try to do better and will keep you posted with some of the fun and happening things goin down here with Seini Photography!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Congratulations!

THANK YOU TJ and Kalina for trusting me with your Senior photos and invites! I hope you like the final product.....Reppin' Mountain View High School colors and all.....a bit of funk, attitude, and all about style! Let me know what you think?

Heres the front of the invite:

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And the back....

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For anyone who still hasn't taken their senior pix's and need invitations....its not too late! I got alot of hip, fashionista, modern, cool ideas that will make everyone go nuts about your invites:) I had so much fun putting this together and am on to my next one.....Again, congrats to all those seniors graduating this year! 2009 is all yours:)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Thanks Maka, Alvin, and Corinna!

Man have things been pretty busy around here....Last weekend was so much fun! First off one of my good friends (whom I met at WPPI this past year) Corinna See, came down for Brianna Grahams workshop. This was her first time to Utah and she knew that I wouldn't have had it any other way had she decided to waste money at a hotel, so she stayed and kicked it with the Pahulu's. Anyways, upon her arrival last Friday I got an email from Maka while I was working. Maka had invited me to shoot at a wedding he had scheduled for that very day....actually a few hours later (which he had forgotten to tell me about earlier- but I was so excited because I had planned to take Corinna sightseeing which had nothing on shooting at a wedding)...and of course I was game but had to make sure it was okay to bring yet another talented photographer Corinna who would be arriving later. Maka said yes, and so both Corinna and I were so excited to hit up his wedding. Now the only problem was the timing of it all, so this is how it went down:

-Corinna was already at the airport in Santa Fe and didn't have any dress clothes. Not a problem, because I keep all my small clothes as a motivator to get my butt in gear. Then she was worried that she wouldn't have any shoes....luckily we are almost the same size which is rare for the both of us kz we got some big feet..so check, check...

-Now her flight was arriving at 6:45pm, the wedding reception was from 5-8pm so to ensure that we hit the hwy asap because it is located in American Fork a good 30-40 miles away from the airport. So, I basically took the clothes, shoes, and some jewelry for Corinna to get ready in the back of my ride. ( windows tinted of course)...check, check, check!

-We get to the reception hall at almost 8pm and luckily we are able to squeeze some shots of the couple leaving, cake, and the reception hall. The highlight of the night though was meeting Maka for the first time. This guy is probably one of the nicest photographers I've come in contact with since I first started. He was so open to sharing his work, how he goes about shooting his wedding and the post production of it. I love this guy! It definitely makes a huge difference when you are able to meet such great people who are able to share their talents so genuinely. We also got to meet Alvin who like us was there to learn and watch Maka in action.... Since I have entered photography that is probably one of the best things about this job, is meeting great photographers who enjoy helping one another out. Thanks Maka, Alvin, and Corinna I had such a good time!

-Then of course after the reception was said and done, Make and Alvin left but Corinna and I just couldn't stop shooting...we were having a great time! Here are a few pix from this wonderful and eventful day:)

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I had so much fun! I know there are no pictures of the couple and that is because you will need to view it on Makas site...so this will do for now:) I just joined facebook and didn't know how many of my old friends I'd bump into...and lets just say that this week was all about learning the ins and outs of Facebook:) ...I can't believe i didn't join sooner! So if you are on facebook, lets be friends! Happy Friday:)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mothers Day!

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Wishing all Moms a fabulous Mothers Day! What a privilege it is to have a mother who I have learned so many great principles which has blessed and enriched my life tremendously. This women has taught me to value what is important in life and that is the relationships we share with our children. She is a pillar of faith for me, who is enduring through so much right now since her operation. She is my bestest friend, and her heart is beyond the size of mountains. May we all love, and cherish our Moms today. i am honored to have such a loving mother. I love you Mom!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Tips n Tricks Thurs!!-ACTIONS

So lately, I have been trying to gauge my time with photography and within a week I'm not sure if its safe to say just how consumed I am with this craft.....almost every open slot of time in my schedule is invested into learning more about photography and one may say I'm obsessed, but I'm invested and love every minute of it. I spend way too much time learning from other blogs, attending forums, podcasts, photoshop, actions, lightroom, webinars, reading books, editing, printing, outsourcing, blogging, working with my designer, and thats to say the least. I won't even talk about the way my home has been neglected, but I will get my workflow down soon and the home will be in complete order one day:P Luckily I have a clean freak hubby who always manages to make up for my weaknesses! I also throughly enjoy learning the tricks of the trade from others and walk away with so much more clarity that photography is so so much more than just taking pictures. When others are so open to share their experiences/technical aspects, etc. it has made all the difference in my work. I am so grateful for photographers that share and thought I'd pay it forward as well. So to make my blog a little more interesting, and to document what I learn, I thought I would share my own experiences each Thursday...did I say each Thursday...I will try! I will share the tips and tricks that help me to move forward with my vision and goals in photography, and know that I will learn much more at the same time. Now I'm not an expert and I'm sure there will be some posts where people may do things differently, but I hope this will be useful for others. If any, it will be a recollection for myself as I learn and grow in the photography world. So for today I wanted to talk briefly about actions. I'm learning so much about photoshop and am blown away with what you can do with pictures these days. I'm still trying to find my style and hope that it will be realized here soon with the shoots I have ahead of me. There was a photographer who had asked what an action is?....and so I will attempt to answer so you can know what it is, what it does, and my thoughts on it. Here is one of my first pictures I played an action on and fell in love:

Here is a before picture:


Yes, the sun was shining like no other so the original photo looks blown out because of the sun...but with a few actions from Lightroom (LR) and Totally Rad Actions (TRA) you can bring the picture back with a bit of style and edge. Here is the same photo after using some actions:



Tell me what you think?

So what is a photoshop action, or I refer to them as "actions"? They are a series of recorded commands in photoshop that you can play on an image to bring out a certain effect. It can do wonders but it can also become a crutch to ones creativity if not used carefully. I love them as my photoshop skillz were pretty much at the infant/beginner stage, so these actions have really helped me to understand photoshop better and make my workflow alot easier. Obviously if one is an expert with Photoshop then these actions would really be a waste of time. I thought initially I would teach myself photoshop but it was a beast of a program. I don't know what it was, but my patience was tested to the max when trying to work that program on my own. I had the darn program for over a month before knowing how to use it best. Then the actions entered my life and have brought so much understanding to photoshop. Also the 10 week webinar that I have been attending also helped a ton.

Now actions can get pretty costly, so make sure that if you do purchase the ones that will help you achieve your "look" or style in your photographs. I use Totally Rad Actions and Kubota's sets mostly. I have some others, but these actions have made a world of difference in my workflow. The only downfall is they are expensive, so take a look at their sites and figure out if you think they will help your workflow right now.

There are few precautions to be aware of though. Actions are nice, but like I said you want to be careful of how you use them. Its so easy to get caught up in playing with the actions, combining actions, and soon you may have one picture that comes off looking way to overdone, and there goes an hour spent on just one picture....so be aware of what look your going for and know what actions are going to help you achieve that look.

Another caution is that with some actions it allows you to brighten the eyes by making the white area even whiter, or adding more gloss to the eyes or lips. There are also actions to brighten teeth, which is great but sometimes it can be way too much. At least for me, it was so neat to see teeth and eyes enhanced but going overboard is so easy, and it is seen on the picture as the natural beauty is taken away. The most important thing is that you want to make sure these enhancements are subtle and that when someone looks at a picture they can't tell that work has been done on the face of a subject.

Now with my example above, the actions definitely saved my picture due to the overexposure. Now this is nice, but you want to be able to get good shots SOOC (straight out of camera). It makes a difference to know what exposure is right, composition, and what type of light to shoot in. Its more worthwhile when you can take a good picture from the get go!

Lastly, as I have learned and heard time and time again, don't let actions be your crutch! Photoshop is a beast in my book to learn, but practice makes perfect right! Anyone can make an action, and I know because I created one for my logo which is nice. I can batch all my photos and with a click of a button have all pix's with my logo on it. Definitely a time saver, but the things you can do on photoshop is endless. If you create a picture with a look that you really like and want to apply them to other photos make sure to record it and whalaaa, you will have an action!

Don't get me wrong, actions are fun and I love to use them! However, I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that you use it to merely enhance the photo and not take over it or distract it.

Okay that is my two cents for today! Hopefully it makes sense, but photoshop actions are great! And if I have too many grammatical errors, I'll try to do better next time:) As long as you get the picture!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

PUA BFs!




Our #1 entertainer...couldn't go a night without Ms. Vaivaka bustin her moves:)

"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself" This quote describes the role that these women play in my life. I met this special group of gals when working for Salt Lake Community College. My job there as a teacher and advisor was so much more, as friendships were created. My work consisted of more then just academics, as these girls would come into my office and we would talk about life: dreams, goals, guys, missions, drama, you name it. I know there were days I would always vent to them about the ups and downs of my job and life, and throughout the years my job became so much more as I got to know each of these ladies like my own sisters. Even when working there, these girls never forgot my bday, mothers day, and always did the smallest things to brighten my day. I would tease my husband because there were some years that my girls were on top of it and beat Dan to it. I love these gals, and after about two years of life...I had gotten a new job, some had served LDS missions for 18 months, one got married and is pregnant, and two others engaged, it had been way too long and we needed to get together. So we had dinner at my house and its always a pleasure to be in there company. Although there wasn't any formal plans, we had a blast just playing catch up with eachothers lives. These young women have so much ahead of them, and besides making me feel young, I consider them as some of my closest friends! Thank you Rissa, Nee, Ieti, Naht, Sese, and Nita for your friendship! Much love to you all:)

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Harpo Hookup!




Being that I am part of a coupon group which someday I will have to share more about...because saving money in during this recession which we are experiencing has made a world of difference with my savings....but just had to share that Oprah is feeding America today as she has offered to pay for a KFC meal for everyone who is able to download her coupon and redeem it this week. KFCs is getting pretty pricey in my book, so you better believe I downloaded it. Go to her website and let Oprah spot your lunch for this week:) Happy Tuesday everyone!

Drum Roll please..and the WINNER IS

It definitely came really close this morning as Lehua reached and ended up pulling two names out. I then told her to just pick one, so she dropped the other name on the floor and then opened the piece of paper in her hand. As we unfolded the edges, I saw the letter S.............Congrats Shelle-Blok Thoughts ! Shelle, please email me your address and I will get that out to you via postal today. The other name Lehua dropped to the floor was Naht...so close girl! Thank you all for participating and taking time out of your busy day to enter my lil contest. Hopefully when I reach my next 10,000 hits I'll have even better prizes. Til then, I hope you all have a wonderful week and look forward to checking out your blogs. Thanks HK! It definitely makes a difference in my work to know that others enjoy my images. I am always up to good constructive feedback and really do appreciate all the feedback I received over the weekend. Take Care!

Friday, May 1, 2009

10,000+ Hollah!

To my surprise as I logged on this morning I couldn't believe my eyes! Just last night I thought to myself, "what should I give away once I reach 10,000 visitors? I then didn't take too much thought into it because I thought I had alot of time and to my dismay, I had to take a double look at my stats when I saw a little over 13,000 hits this morning. All I can say is thanks for stopping by and checking out the latest with my photography business. I'd love to see whos stopping by so please post a comment of what prize you would like and become eligible for one the following:

1- Eddie Tapps Photoshop Actions (value $75)
2- Photovision DVD: learning about urban photography with kids, plus more! ($50)
3- A basket of victoria secrets latest spring collection of lotions ($50)

The contest will stop Monday May 4th by Midnight MST and the winner will be announced Tuesday morning. My Lehua will select the winner. Good luck!

So lately, I've been doing alot work on the business aspect of things, and have decided to outsource my services. I'm currently working with Pictage and am ecstatic to use their features to make my business solid. This partnership will allow me to focus more on my photography. I've also tried to simplify my methods of editing, post production, and finding a good work flow that will allow me to focus on what I do best. I'm currently working with a designer who is working on my logo, blog, business cards, etc. My official website is also under construction ( whoot-whoot!), and despite taking care of these business formalities I'm trying to really focus on my vision of this business, the values related to what I am doing, and why I'm doing it. If someone out there is really interested in pursuing photography, go for it! Before all of this I had never studied photography other than just candid shots of my kids and family. But it was the support and encouragement from my family, friends, and other photographers that pushed me into learning more about the professional aspect of it all. I'm not an expert by far, but what has helped me tremendously is the sharing and learning with others...this has been so key to my new beginnings. Learn the basics, emulate your idols, and then set out to find who you are in this craft. That is what I am in the process of doing, finding my style and hoping that my end results will communicate much more realness than the cookie cutter images that are all too often produced. This process never ends though, I'm finding myself always looking to be surrounded by greatness, be it music, art, or literature...I'm always on the prowl for inspiration! This industry is constantly evolving and one can be left behind easily if you do not evolve with it. Okay that is my two cents! And since posts are much better with pictures, meet my Lehua who will be selecting the winner next week:)

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