anchor and bird photography

2010-04-24T10:09:00.001-07:00

update your bookmarks!

www.anchorandbirdblog.com

2010-04-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

dear all,

i'm hapy to introduce:

two wonderful blogs all rolled into one. you're welcome.

www.anchorandbirdblog.com

2010-04-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

dear all,

i'm not a fan of the extra work it takes to maintain a photo blog and a me blog and was wondering, how would you feel if i combined the two?

please comment and say 'yes' or 'no'. i'll even let you comment anonymously so my feelings aren't hurt.

thank you,

management

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2010-04-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

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2010-03-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

look who's got a collar!

2010-03-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

ladies and gentlemen, may i introduce SAM the pug labrador mix dog that got dropped off at our house five minutes before company came over to eat dinner with their small children?

just wishing. . .

2010-03-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

so one day i think to myself, "i should just have that photography business i always secretly daydream about because then i'll be able to afford all of the fun photography toys that i secretly daydream about."

so far, it's not really working BUT maybe ONE DAY it will and i'll have that canon 5d mark II camera body and that gorgeous 85 mm lens and that gary fong lightsphere and that HUGE collection of film cameras i've started linking madly to and this:

my friends, that is an epiphanie bag and i have my sister in law to thank for bringing it to my attention. it shouldn't surprise me that upon first glance i'd love it, it seems recommendations from this girl are gold (did i mention that she's the one who set me up with ryan? well, she did. and now look: we have two children together).

it's the newest thing on my list. i want it almost as much as i want that canon 5d.

julianna and clarke

2010-03-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

clark moved out here in august, but the first time he and julianna really connected was the day before halloween, when they hung out and talked all night long. this was unfortunate, because clark had a GMAT to take the next morning. my favorite part of the story: guess who's going to be taking that GMAT over again?

i suppose it's all worth it when you have a beautiful girl who can't look at you without smiling.

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2010-03-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

a sneak peek for julianna

2010-03-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

dear julianna,

oh, how i enjoyed seeing you and clark be in love saturday morning. thank you.

love,

miriam

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2010-03-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

a pretty girl {portraits}

2010-03-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

brandon and erin

2010-03-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

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2010-03-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

Fast Track Goodness

2010-03-05T03:05:00.000-08:00

a couple nights ago i sat in a little photography studio with six other people and i spilled my guts. i took a deep breath and i announced a little plan i'd been rolling around in my mind.

"i'm thinking about--"

"thinking is a wimp word," leila gently prompted me.

i thought about it for a minute and then i tried again, "i'm thinking about--" i stopped and looked up at the new friends surrounding me. "i say thinking because i've never done a real promotion, i don't know what i'm doing," i admitted, "what if no one comes?"

suddenly, i was getting suggestions from every corner of the room: go to the park, tell your friends, email past clients. since i only had my iphone i couldn't get the suggestions down fast enough. i sat there for a moment, hesitant to share my other fear.

"what if too many people come?" i asked, "what if i can't keep up with everything? what if i can't be the mother i want to be because i have too much work to do?"

and then, suddenly, everyone was encouraging me again, assuring me. and i just sat there, in the middle of their support and soaking it in. and when i walked out, i was walking a little taller.

this was a fast track photographer meeting, where the term "for each other" was becoming our theme. and i felt like we really did that (or at least they did).

so to danny, leila, janell, seleta, peter and jim, i thank you. and i'm excited to return the favor.

chris and amy {married}

2010-03-03T05:23:00.000-08:00

chris and amy are in love. i know that that's what you would hope for when two people get married, but chris and amy just seemed like they were embracing that love. like, they owned that love. and it made me sigh and think of my husband and look forward to their future together. it's nice to love the love you observe.

many thanks to my wonderful friend, aria, for letting me come along and take a few snapshots over her shoulder.

her flowers were gorgeous. they were like white poppies with black centers.

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2010-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

2010-02-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

Advice for Aspiring Photographers

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2010-02-22T03:10:00.000-08:00

referrals

2010-02-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

dear clients,

what a pleasure it has been to work with each of you. truly. i have yet to meet a client that i haven't been touched by. and thank you for your referrals. your kind words have led to more business which has kept me going on this business adventure of mine. because i appreciate the business you have brought, i've decided to start giving you something in return. from now on, for every referral i receive, i'm going to send you a gift certificate good for a free 8x10 (a $15.00 value) or smaller print of your choice.

love,
miriam

ps there's no limit--earn as many as you like!

2010-02-17T16:34:00.001-08:00

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2010-02-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!

2010-02-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

one day, not too long ago, i was sitting at the dining room table working when i heard a sizzling noise. looking over, i saw smoke (SMOKE!) coming from my iphone.

and thus, it died.

which was really, really awful because i had all of these notes and pictures and lists and calendared events and organized ideas and contacts on there and now they were gone.

forever.

plus, i had to use a blackberry (A BLACKBERRY!) as a phone and not only was there no touch screen, fewer contacts and none of my pictures, but the little roller ball was not working. plus, compared to an iphone, it's lame.

lame, i tell you!

strings were pulled and my brother andrew (thanks andrew!) donated his upgrade to my lame and desperate iphone fund and now I HAVE A NEW IPHONE!!!

thank goodness for that. now i can do things like download an app called Talking Carl and twitter all my friends WITHOUT GETTING OUT OF BED.

love it.

"M" vs "P"

2010-02-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

as my mentor leila says, "I DARE you to shoot in manual!"

I've been shooting in manual for about six months now. And for about six months, I've been seeing my abilities as a photographer improve drastically.

shooting in manual, while tricky at first, is WORLDS better than shooting in "P" (program) mode. let me show you what i mean with two pictures I took at lunch one day with ryan. these pictures are "SOOC" (straight out of the camera).

"P" mode:

"M" mode:

I know it's hard, and I think this is where the "practice, practice, practice!" chanting comes in. but, when i see what comes out of my camera? it inspires me.

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2010-02-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

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2010-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

my neighbor

2010-01-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

is beautiful.

books, books, books

2010-01-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

the canon eos digital rebel/450d companion by ben long

to be honest, this is a book i haven't owned or read all the way through, but i've flipped through it at barnes & noble several times. every time i've learned something new about my camera. i think the next camera i get, i'll actually go out and purchase a companion book along with it. the most important tool is your camera, why not know the specifics on it?

digital photography bootcamp by kevin kubota

in photography land, kevin kubuta is a celebrity. this book is great. full of basics and tips and wonderful examples. highly recommended.

fast track photographer by dane sanders

this book is written by another celebrity in the photography world. this book is the best for the business side of photography. while a lot of it runs a little strong for my taste (ryan's the business minded one in this relationship), it's useful. and it got me acting more like a business owner than a photographer. in the long run, i think that's going to help me more than not.

national geographic digital photography field guide by rob sheppard

the best for understanding the very basics of digital photography. illustrates exposure, shutter speed, apeture, memory cards, etc. if you don't read this, or just skim it as a refresher, you'll be missing out!

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2010-01-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

evening sky

2010-01-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

little sweet and simple

2010-01-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

this baby looks just like his big sister, who in turn, looks just like her daddy. and his mommy is my dear friend, brittany.

the thing about taking pictures of babies is that i'd rather not take the pictures. instead, i want to sit and admire the baby, or better yet, hold the baby. the best thing about taking pictures of a friend's baby is that my friend doesn't mind if i just hold her baby. i'm just sorry i don't have more pictures to offer her. because really, honestly, isn't he the sweetest baby? don't you just want to hold him all day?

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2010-01-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

santa ynez mission, ca

business cards. and the word love repeated multiple times.

2010-01-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

there's a ludacris song/rap/hip/hop/beat (whatever) when he says "business" lke "biz-nass" and he says, "why you all up in my biz-nass, my biz-nass?" and this causes me to remember my friend leah who, like me, thought that was absolutely hilarious and would often quote another line from that song/rap/hip/hop/beat, "what you got in that case?" and she's say it in her most hardcore voice ever with a fierce expression and it was hilarious because the only person who is more white than leah is me. and perhaps, donny osmond.

so let me tell you what brought on that tangent: my business ("biz-nass") cards. i ordered them from an etsy shop called "happy girl" and i. love. them.

love them. really.

plus this happy girl named laura beth is lovely and friendly and so easy to work with and she made me cards too. and i love them too.

my little vw logo that i love, love, LOVE.

click on her logo to go to her etsy store!

so laura beth, should you be reading this, thank you. a lot. your simple style causes me to gush.

sneak peek for brittany

2010-01-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

this baby came over with his mother and i held him. then i melted all over him and i've been talking about him all day. oh, that sweet, sweet, sweet baby! i love him!

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2010-01-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

seeing how this is my photoblog and all, i figured i'd move the weekly photo over here from the personal blog. should this all be new to you, catch up on the others over here.

on a hike at the hans christian andersen park in solvang. december, 2009

best article i've read on photography in awhile

2010-01-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

what i love about this article is how everything is so simple, and yet, so vital to the improvement of one's abilities as a photographer. it applies to beginner as well as professional and all the little sub-categories.

read it here.

miniature horse farm

2010-01-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

it's no secret i have a great big love for all things furry. and that i like to collect them like one might collect little spoons from different states. and it is true that i have a list of Animals I Will Someday Own and that on top of that list is african elephant and this christmas season managed to add donkey to that list.

well guess who else is on that list now? miniature horse. because we went to a miniature horse farm and i am in love. and the best part, unlike the african elephant, is that i know where to get one! so it is cute and accessible.

here's to 2010

2009-12-31T20:20:00.000-08:00

and to everything it brings!

2009-12-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

dear internet,

2009-12-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

photo taken at the rocky peak church 'city of bethlehem' event in simi valley

merry christmas and a happy new year! see you in 2010! it's going to be big!

love,

miriam

the good son

2009-12-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

this son is a good son. while serving his as a missionary for his church and being away from his family (mostly, his mother) on christmas, his thought was to send her a picture.

i think that's sweet.

even if that did mean he sat through the proofs and tore each of them apart. of course, each one was something about himself and not the photography (of course!). but still, at the end of the day, when nothing will do, what's a girl to do? finally one (the least offensive, i suppose) was selected, printed and carefully placed in the frame elder smith had bought earlier. let's hope his mother accepts it with fewer protests than her son.

beach

2009-12-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

when i first started learning to shoot in manual, my ability to correctly shoot with the proper exposure was terrible. it's still not where it should be, but compared to back then? i'm amazing now. anyway, i'd read and read and read and i'd borrowed books from the library and i'd bought the books that my favorite experts recommended and now i was practicing, which is exactly what all the experts agreed was the best method to becoming a good photographer. so i practiced and i practiced and i posted and i posted and slowly, i saw signs of improvement, but mostly i felt really unsure and lost. but then, one day at the beach, it all came together. beautiful light, no sharp shadows covering the faces of my subjects, proper exposure--finally! and after that, it's like something clicked in my mind and i understood more clearly what i was doing.

now every time i go to the beach i'm reminded of that moment, and i want to take more pictures to remember that feeling of understanding.

tyler and julie {married}

2009-12-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

meet tyler and julie. as of december 16, 2009, they are husband and wife.

funny story about this gig: evelyn is a an old photographer friend from utah and julie is her husband's sister. since evelyn was going to be in the photos, her family asked me if i'd be able to come to temple and shoot some group pictures and some couple pictures. so, i got to try my hand at shooting a wedding (by myself: terrifying) and see an old friend (and her little children who don't know me and spent most of their time eyeing me suspiciously).

the last wedding i did i spent the whole time trying to remember my own wedding. this time i spent more time thinking about julie and tyler's parents and how seeing their children wed must feel. when julie's dad, stuart, kissed her forehead, i watched his wife's eyes fill with tears. both julie and stuart turned and teased her a bit.

"don't cry," stuart said, reaching over to give kathryn's hand a squeeze.

"then don't kiss her," she said, trying to laugh and scoop up her tears all at the same time.

it reminded me of my mom and how every time i stood next to her on my wedding day, she reached over and held my hand tightly. and i look over at my little ava and my even littler seth and i can hardly imagine a day when they don't belong to me. oh yeah, i'm going to cry. and kiss them on the forehead.

it must come as such a shock. a happy, sad, beautiful, sudden shock. but watching tyler and julie together, you know it's going to be okay. well, it's more than okay. it's beautiful. it's love. tyler was so attentive and helpful. and julie was so gentle and her smile was just so sweet.

what a joy it is to observe love. what a lucky girl am i to have the job that i have.

to stuart and kathryn, thank you for hiring me. it was a pleasure.

to tyler and julie, best of luck. really. and have fun.

sundowne farm

2009-12-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

it's a surprisingly small house on a large piece of land with a sheep named lady lenore. i had come to sundowne farm to photograph it for two reasons: the first, the more boring, was to photograph the place for my friend, david, the realtor selling the place. the second, was to photograph the place so the children who had to sell the place could remember where'd they grown up. the elderly gentlemen who'd lived here most of his adult life had died recently.

as i wandered the home and the surrounding property, i thought about the man who'd lived here. i saw his marriage certificate, i saw a picture of his marine corps unit from the second world war. i turned the pages of his bible, read his words of his faith ". . .it seems to me that if we're meant to go on living somewhere else, we ought to learn how to do it the best way here. . .". as i walked along his kitchen, i could see the patterns of his daily rituals, the place where his coffee was made, first thing in the morning, where the cup was washed and dried and put back in the same place. every morning. in my mind's eye, i could see him and i couldn't help but admire his world. it made me think of the small things i do everyday, the things that matter because i do them. and when i go, who will do them? will anyone notice that they no longer are being done?

out back, we went to make friends with lady lenore. really, she just eyed us with great trepidation, especially when seth started shrieking and waving his "sword" at her. as i thought of the small house's recent history, my heart broke for that ugly old sheep, whose bleating was sudden and loud. i think the only person in the world who'd found her beautiful was the same old man who'd made his coffee every morning in the kitchen with tile dating back to the early seventies. without him, i wonder if she felt lost.

the bell from the elementary school. apparently, the owner of sundowne farm worked for the school district for a long time. being one of the original residents of the valley, i imagine this bell meant a lot to him.

pictures from mammoth mountain, when it was only just a mining town. the pictures were dated 1918-1927

with it being the christmas season and my thoughts full of giving and getting and family and hope for the next year, sundowne farm has really stuck with me. all of things that man had, including lady lenore, have remained behind, but the things he kept in his heart, the kind of man he was, the kindness he had, the knowledge, all of that went with him.

perhaps i can take the experience of sundowne farm and carry it with me into the next year; make it count for something. i want to be more forgiving, more kind, laugh more and stress less and create more for me to take along with me when this life of mine ends. those are the things that matter the most anyway, right? the things that i forget the fastest? at the end of the day, i'm not going to want to look at all the photographs i've taken, but all the hours i spent with my babies, the hours that i spent holding ryan's hand.

w family sneak peek

2009-12-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

in college i majored in a million different things, most of them revolving around the humanities. i had all sorts of ideas and dreams; i was gong to to major in art history and go into art restoration and go back to italy and restore old churches. then, i was going to major in american literature and talk about books all day to a group of uninterested college students. then, i was going to major in creative writing and live in a studio apartment in florence with a view of the city and write the next great american novel. then, i majored in cultural anthropology. i was going to study migrant farm workers and their families, i was going to study gamers and their passion for superheroes and elves.

instead, i had ava. and i've had a few creative writing related projects since then, but nothing career wise. ava's my "career", you know? and then seth came along and he "enhanced" my "career". as i've nurtured these small humans into larger humans, i've become fascinated with the family unit. how important is it, really? how does it effect us? what's the best thing to do? what's the worst?

becoming a photographer has allowed me to peek into the windows of other families and their dynamics. to see how other husbands speak to their wives, how other children listen, how other mother's nurture. some experiences are crazy and leave feeling so grateful for the mildness of my own family members, some make me wish that we were something more: loving, quiet, active, etc.

this family, the "w" family, was a good family. they were happy and funny and gentle and god sports. i enjoyed my view from my window into their lives while it lasted and i hope to hear from them again.

b family round II

2009-12-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

you might recognize a few of these people from pictures taken earlier. the b family, perhaps? this is the rest of the b family, grandma and grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousin; that little boy with a killer grin and a face that will have you melting.

these were shot at grandma and grandpa's house, where grandma (or leslie) keeps bees and has lavender fields. SHE KEEPS BEES. so when i came home ryan said, "how was it?" and i was all, "BEES, ryan. we could own BEES." which is great because i went through a kitten rescuing phase and then a chicken phase and now bees? well that just makes perfect sense. so now i know what i want to do with my life: photography, lavender fields, a donkey and bees. ryan couldn't be more thrilled. trust me.

the b family

2009-12-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

these pictures give me hope. if i can figure out a way to make every session end up like this one, i will count myself as a success.

these friends are lovely. beautiful, happy, loving and easy going. plus, the dad, david, has great ideas. sometimes, too many ideas and i have to figure out which one i like best. this, by the way, is way better than having no ideas. it's good to find clients that are eager to work with you, to help you understand what kind of a family picture they'd like to hang on their wall.

i look forward to more b family. and more of those beautiful babies.

dear becky,

2009-11-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

you will die.

sneak peek for nicole

2009-11-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

i think the only people who really care about family pictures are the moms. it seems as though the dads are always present against their will. i had one dad once who was being forced to miss out on some sort of sporting event and was listening to it with headphones. when were about to take the picture, he'd slip them off and smile, then put them back on again as soon as i was done.

kids seem to take it the hardest. something about being dressed up and forced to stand next to other family members brings out a streak of stubborn. i think savannah, cole and creed were really good sports. at the end you could see cole's smile was getting more and more forced and i could see his little eyes drifting off to a nearby set of swings more and more. poor kid! who cares about holding still and looking happy when there are swings to swing on? all we had to do was remind him that there was a treat afterwards and he started beaming again. and creed! what a content little baby he is! he just did whatever he had to do, sat where he was placed. when mike and nicole took their couple pictures, he just sat nicely, picking up a leaf every now and then.

the scenery was just gorgeous. of course, the place we originally were going to shoot at requires a permit (a $175.00 permit, mind you) so we hopped in the car and drove around a bit. these were shot at malibu lake and i loved mike's idea (and nicole's willingness!) to get down on the dock for the best scenery.

we had such a fun time and aren't they such beautiful people? that little savannah with her dark hair and her dark eyes is just to die for. when she smiles, she's the sweetest thing you've ever seen and when she's serious, her dark eyes just seem to glow.

tori and adrien {married!}

2009-11-19T06:48:00.000-08:00

dancing at her wedding

the rings

funny how i spent an entire day with these two, photographing them, taling with them, laughing with them and at the end of the day, i came home and realized that i am probably not going to talk to them again. and here i was, at their most special day, spending more time with them than anyone else. isn't that strange?

so, tori and adrien, we may not speak again, but i wish you all the best. life can be tough and i hope you stay true to one another, i hope you can stay honest and kind. and i hope it's still fun years later (and i don't mean 2, i mean 15).

cheers to you!

thoughts on wedding photography

2009-11-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

1. being the wedding photographer is, in some ways, like being a member of the wedding party. you spend an awful lot of time with all of the family, with the bride and groom, with the wedding party and you develop these relationships and inside jokes. by the end of the night, i felt like tori and adrien were friends and i sincerely wished them well. it was only when i got home that i realized that i'd only met them earlier that day and that i really had no idea what they were up to next.

2. spending the entire day shooting a wedding made me remember back to the days when we were first dating and when we first married. it made me feel nostalgic and romantic. i wished to hug ryan a million times and, if taking pictures didn't require two hands, i'm pretty sure i would have texted him all day long. so, when he called to ask when seth usually goes down for a nap, i was so pleased. even if all we talked about was the baby. i also realized how little of my wedding i actually remember. also, how unimportant it was in the grand scheme of things. which, at the time, was not how i felt.

3. i left my house at 9:30 (in the morning) to make it in time. i had a bit of a break between portraits and the reception and arrived home at 10:30 (at night). that's about 11 hours of work. on a saturday. then there has been, of course, the uploading, sorting, editing, communicating, etc. conclusion: weddings take an incredible amount of work. they are exhausting.

4. as assistant, not only did i shoot pictures, but i helped lug all of the equipment. leila jones, the woman i was shooting with, had two large bags, a smaller bag, a monopod, a tripod and a reflector kit. that is a lot of stuff. a lot of expensive stuff. plus i had my bag and charla, the second shooter, had a bag of her own. i was in awe of the equipment. and i got to use it, too. that was awesome.

you know, wedding photographers are expensive. but the work is hard! there's a lot of it, plus the other people that are hired to come along. there's editing and sorting and driving and the equipment to pay for. if you want good pictures for your wedding day, then you need to pay for a good photographer. i understand that now, having shot a wedding, better than i ever did.

conclusion: i'd love to do more. i enjoyed every bit of it. but maybe not every weekend. like i said, the work day is a bit intensive and so is the week afterwards. but watching two people commit themselves to one another for all time and eternity? what an honor. totally worth it.

pictures to come!

2009-11-15T12:42:00.001-08:00

i'll tell you this much, shooting weddings is intense. and wonderful. and hard. and exhausting. i am so glad i did it. i could feel myself stretching as a photographer, it was like a crash course in photography. my mentor, leila jones, invited me to come along and assist as she and charla blue were shooting. such a good experience, to stand together and swap ideas and tips and tricks (mostly those two and i listened and asked questions). i didn't shoot a lot, but i certainly shot enough. enough to stop at a best buy on my way to the reception and purchase another memory card!

2009-11-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

and then i unhinged my jaw and swallowed her whole which is unfortunate, because we were going to go to the zoo the next day.

seventeen magazine online

2009-11-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

"get a sneak peak at an la fashion show with jerell scott!"

2009-11-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

since i'm standing beside my work and not pointing out where the flaws reside, i'm simply going to write that this is paige and she is a singer. one day, she'l be famous. and, i really, really enjoyed spending some of my saturday morning with her. she is funny, relaxed and confident. also patient. because i took these three weeks ago and she had to wait that long.

thoughts on excuses, excuses, excuses!

2009-11-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

when a session is over, i wrap everything up with a thank you card and a delivery of some sorts to the person i took pictures of. i should probably stop this. because the entire time i'm talking to them, i'm struggling to keep myself from ripping my work apart.

it's ridiculous how hard it is. the words are shouting themselves in my head, "TOO LITTLE LIGHT! MY EXPOSURE WAS BAD! PEOPLE KEPT WALKING INTO THE FRAME! THE EDIT IS HORRIBLE!"

my friend heather pointed out that i should act like i'm good. i should act like i know what i'm doing. especially since i do know. at least, i know more than she does.

the thought caused me to pause. SHE'S RIGHT. this photography thing? this is what i do. and it's not perfect. i'm still learning. but i know more than she does. and that's why i'm doing it. so i vowed then to stop making excuses. if i was going to do this photography thing, i was going to stand next to my work. without pointing out how out of focus it is.

introducing. . .a baby cat

2009-11-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

he's new and he's mine and i am so distracted by him!

winner!

2009-11-04T20:50:00.001-08:00

congratulations nicole! this dwell studio photo album is yours!

there'll be more once i get my act together

2009-11-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

doesn't it seem like it's one of two ways:

1. dead and boring

2. crazy busy and you're swamped

may i ask, what is up with that?

happy halloween

2009-10-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

dear all,

happy halloween!

love,
anchor and bird

giveaway!

2009-10-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

i heard from the good people at csnbaby.com about doing a giveaway. it didn't take me more than five seconds to agree to offering one of my readers one of these adorable dwell studio (a personal favorite) photo albums.

and right now, you can get an extra %10 off your entire order!

take a look around! click here. look at all their nursery furniture!

to enter: leave your name in the comments. becoming a follower will also get you another entry. two times as many chances to win!

the winner will be announced on the 3rd of november! good luck!

valentino tribute show

2009-10-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

2009-10-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

ROCKIN' THE RUNWAY

i took that picture.

yes!

what a weekend!

2009-10-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

it was crazy. and so, so good. stay tuned.

action!

2009-10-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

i was visiting a friend not too long ago, who is a photographer also, and we were swapping tips and tricks. she asked me what my process was when editing.

every time i open a new photograph, i find myself doing the same things:

1. i crop as needed.

2. i adjust the curves. i make the blacks "blacker" and the whites "whiter".

3. i up the saturation.

that's about it, unless i want to make it black and white, sepia, vintaged, etc.

this where photoshop actions have come in so handy. a photoshop action is a set of "actions" all pre-recorded and saved into a small button. when i open a new photograph, all i have to do is click that button and suddenly, my curves are adjusted and my saturation is raised. some photographers sell their actions (sheye rosemeyer is one of them). and some companies make them (totally rad actions seem to be the most popular). but i have found that if i look hard enough, i can find lots of actions for free. and here is a list:

night fate's mix of 12 look great!

rocket launch mix of 40

wall storm frames and tones

totally rad actions free sample kit--one of my favorites

pioneer woman actions--my other favorite (possibly because it was developed by the totaly rad action's doug boutwell)

coffeeshop (amazing actions)

the dynasty

i know some photographers love actions, use them exclusively and are proud to say it. i know some photographers who use them and feel bad about it. and finally, i know some photographers who are purists and refuse to use actions. or, they create their own. i belong to the first party. i use them and i don't care who knows it! but what i've noticed about my photography lately is this: the more i know, the better my pictures turn out and the better my pictures turn out, the less i need actions. so maybe i'm not such a "impurist" after all?

i heart faces entry - EXCITED!

2009-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

boychild gets his first taste of the ocean. and yeah, he loved it.

a confession

2009-10-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

i have a confession. i thought i was doing well. i mean, i had put two and two together and it seemed like four was the answer. i was going to sit back, relax, sip some lemonade, catch up on some awesome television shows (glee). . .

i was so wrong. and isn't that just the way it goes? the minute i feel comfortable, something happens that upsets the entire fort i've made for myself. and then i feel humbled, then i have to try and figure it out, then i grow (blah to growing).

i don't know if i'll ever stop growing. that is a thing i am both grateful for and not grateful for.

so my youngest child knocked over the table that had my camera on it, including my good lens, my favorite lens, my 50 mm on it. and when the dust settled, i saw my lens had snapped into two.

i felt awful. i had no money! i had no lens! now i had no way of making money to buy a new lens.

this led to an awful, mad search for a 50mm lens. somehow, i magically managed to get a really good 50mm for less than a hundred dollars about eight months (?) ago. everywhere i looked, i couldn't afford what i saw, everything i bid on i was outbid on. i went to the two camera shops in my town. i started to feel desperate.

the man at the repair shop offered me a 24-85 mm in exchange for my old xt with the broken flash. i had no idea if i was being ripped off. at this point, i almost didn't care. what was i going to do without the lens that i understood, the lens i had learned to shoot manual with? my best lens? so i took the lens home, snapped it on to my camera and took a few pictures.

this lens. this lens is good. let me tell you about this lens: it is wonderful for taking portraits. it is going to improve my work. it is going to help me grow, to see differently.

but it wasn't enough. because i have a fashion show and after party to shoot next week and both are going to be low light situations. and how was i going to shoot those well without a good, fast lens? so i started to stress. i thought about selling my kit lens and using the money to buy a new 50mm. really, i think, i wanted my security blankee of a lens back in my life. if all else failed, i could put that baby on and create the pictures i knew how to create. i went to the camera store in town and told them my situation. i looked at some rental places online. i thought about getting a flash, a thought that made me sick to my stomach. how was i going to learn a flash, be comfortable with a flash by the time this fashion show turns up?

i sold my kit lens in half an hour, took the money to the local camera store, talked to them long and hard and came home with a flash that scared me. i put it on my camera with my new lens and took my first picture.

here's what i learned: i am more than a 50mm lens. i am a photographer. it wasn't my lens that was taking those pictures, it wasn't my camera, it was me. i am the photographer. i fiddled with it, i managed the settings, i pushed the button. and these lenses and flashes and memory cards and batteries? they are just tools.

i am a photographer. and i can do this thing.

don't leave nobody but the baby. . .

2009-10-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

gotta tell you, this baby wasn't having any of me. and my baby? he wasn't having any of me having any of that baby. however, this family had THE BEST LIGHT EVER pouring into their dining room. plus, they had a most amazing dining room table. so even if that baby wasn't thrilled to have his picture taken, it didn't matter because the light was perfect. so perfect, in fact, that i didn't really have much editing to do on these pictures. ISN'T THAT THE BEST NEWS YOU'VE HAD ALL DAY? personally, i didn't know that was possible. so, yeah, i was pleased.

{morgan} senior portraits

2009-09-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

first of all, that telling models what they need to do thing? well, i planned on working on it with morgan. except when we got to where we were going, morgan hopped right into things and started suggesting things at a rapid pace. what if i did this? what if i sat here? can i move this? is it okay if i put my hand here? my head like this? my feet here?

so i didn't get much done in that arena, but i had so much fun. i loved it. first of all, that morgan girl is gorgeous. secondly, because i didn't have to worry about my model (well, i did have to worry about keeping up with her), i spent more time than usual staring at my camera. checking my settings, manipulating things. really, it was just a great morning that helped me feel more comfortable behind the camera.

and let me tell you, that morgan girl is really something.

my question is this: how do you edit glasses? because morgan's eyes are stunning, yet the glare of her glasses hides that. i love that she wears them. her glasses and her freckles. she has such beautiful personality in her looks.

it's new and it will change your life forever

2009-09-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

now that the fall season is officially here (happy autumn everyone!) i've started to fret over family pictures. what happened last year is a series of photogenic moments ruined by the fact that my children are too small to hold still. it was awful. awful. AWFUL, i tell you! all i wanted was one picture of the four of us looking decent! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK???

anyway.

let me make this a possibility for you, now through the month of October AND November, i'll be taking family photos at a reduced price.

for $75, we'll do a quick little family photo shoot, yielding at least one (but most likely 10-15) lovely pictures for you to tack on to the front of all your holiday cards. and, if you like it so much, you could even purhcase a big blown-up one and stick over your fireplace. and then you could all gather around it and sing christmas carols.

your family dynamics will suddenly be amazing. you need this. plus, i could use the business.

soooo, win-win. am i right?

email me at anchorandbird@gmail.com

*includes a cd with your images on it and a 20% discount on all holiday cards. yay!

** excludes groups of 10 or more.

sibling rivalry: part II

2009-09-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

this brother didn't really do anything to deserve his picture being placed on the World Wide Web. he's just unfortunate to have me for a sister.

do we really need another evil laugh?

new.

2009-09-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

check it out!

heather

2009-09-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

tried something new today with heather. but then, it seemed to sort of slip into what i always do. i think i'm not so good at directing photoshoots. i feel embarassed to boss people around. i feel like i'm working for them. so why would they pay me to have me stand around and tell them what to do? my father in law has assured me that he appreciates a photographer who comes in and orchestrates everything, and i know i feel the same way. i'm not very comfortable in front of the camera (or behind it, either, i guess. sad). so THAT'S the next thing i conquer. i just need willing souls who don't mind a redhead in their face, ordering them about. lucky for me, heather is a natural. a lot of what you see here, was her own doing.

family m

2009-09-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

these are they in their true form. ask anyone.

shooting families is hard! i mean, really, really hard! i mean, everyone's run around, looked for something to wear that matches everyone else, had to be at the same place at the same time, had to smile, had to look good, had to be patient. . .

so i learned a lot from this shoot. i learned not to freak out too early. i learned how to photoshop better (like, way better). i learned that i should start shooting in RAW (so i will). i learned to be patient. i learned to finish the shoot up before it gets too dark (that was a problem). i learned that i am capable (i hope i remember that last one).

so this family is a family i have known for a while now. and i'm so glad everything turned out because for awhile there i didn't think anything had and i kept asking myself, "WHY MIRIAM? WHY?" but now i know why (a little): i like to take pictures. well, that's the beginning of it, anyway.

venice beach canals

2009-09-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

i'm keeping him, too

2009-09-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

one more makena

2009-09-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

and then i decided to keep her

2009-09-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

jenalyn and darren

2009-09-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

mckenna

2009-09-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

first, we thought we'd do the pictures at a local hotel that has a fabulous garden. then we decided a local garden. then the beach. and everything was great, until we got there and the fog was so thick we could barely see ten feet away. we decided to give it try anyway, and i'm glad i did because we had fun. and, just like everytime i pull out my camera and think about what i'm doing, i learned something: don't shoot in the fog (and i won't ever again, i promie).

to the nines

2009-08-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

these would be a handful of the in laws. we all got together and piled into a condo in mammoth, california for a week this summer. one afternoon, instead of hiking or mountain biking, we all piled into the in law's suburban and found a neighborhood with nice yards we envied and inevitably ruined by standing in them while taking pictures. mother-in-law requested color and, in an attempt to do as mother says, her oldest daughter dressed her family to the nines. i think the colors combined beautifully, and i love the way these pictures turned out.

sibling rivalry

2009-08-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

this is my brother, aaron. he's fifteen. one time he said to me, "there's this band called weezer, um, i don't know if you've heard of them?"

then i felt old. so i took this picture as revenge and now i'm putting it on the internet.

bwahahaha.

contact

2009-08-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

to contact miriam:
email: anchorandbird@gmail.com
phone: 805.358.3612

to contact ryan:
email: ryan.hermansen@gmail.com

the story of anchor and bird

2009-08-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

anchor and bird stands for a husband and wife, a man and a woman.

anchor is the husband, who is straight and strong, who pays the bills on time, who plans out the purchase of a washer and dryer (and then plans some more and then, again with the planning). he's handsome and kind and hard working and responsible. plus, he's funny. really funny. in a surprising sort of way. which makes him funnier.

bird is the wife, who sometimes wakes up and says, "you know what? today we're going to the beach!" and then she does. she has a camera and two little babies and a lot of pads full of notes and poems and little things scribbled everywhere.

they are the perfect pair. because he helps the bird remember to do what she should do (like the dishes) and she helps the anchor forget everything and laugh a little more (or spend an entire day at the beach) and now there is more balance. and more love.