Lisa Whalen Photography Blog!

Trainee

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:38:07 -0800

Yep, I like to start them young...

This little guy is in training to be my new photo assistant. His special skills? Opening and closing my camera bag, and sticking his adorable little hands right on the glass of my lenses to give them that oh-so-smudgy, arty, soft focus effect.... He's perfect!

Micah has to be one of the happiest babes I've ever photographed. The sheer joy he experiences when exploring his little world is quite contagious - I've thoroughly enjoyed the process of both photographing him, and editing through the resulting images. In fact, I've been laughing my backside off for days...

More to come!

Desi - Part 1

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:22:25 -0800

Chubby little cheeks, huge brown eyes and a dimple to boot – every time I see Desi I’m just dying to grab a camera and take pictures. I mean, my trigger finger literally goes into spasms. (kind of embarrassing, actually)

A few weekends ago I got my wish – me, my camera and an afternoon in the presence of complete and undeniable baby cuteness. I know, it's a tough job I've got, isn't it? Well, someone's got to do it...

I've actually had the pleasure of photographing Desi ever since her in-vitro days, so I thought I'd do a Part 1 and a Part 2 for my blog entry, with Part 1 being a brief, visual walk down memory lane. So here goes:

Desi happily gestating away in Anna's baby-filled belly:

I don't know what Anna and Gerrad were thinking about when I shot this photo, but I was thinking "Wow, your lives are so gonna change within the next few weeks!"

And a welcome change it was - here's the star of the show at the age of 3 months. Geez, she was so...small!

Father and Daughter...

Sooo... without further ado we move on to a picture from our latest photo session:

9 months have brought plenty of changes - no more lying down for this little girl! She's up on her feet and posing under one of the gorgeous white roses her talented mother has painted on her nursery wall:

Anna, by the way, has an equally talented cousin named Erin, and together they created Mixed Palette, the graphic design studio responsible for the kick-a** new website design I'll be unveiling within the next few weeks. I can't wait!!!

Okay, that's Part 1. Part 2 comes, well... later!

Shhh...

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:50:28 -0800

Yep, we wore her out. Hey, it's not easy being a supermodel at such a young age! More photos to come...

Linda and Rob

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:59:09 -0800

Linda and Rob were married at a private residence in Woodside on August 16th , in a ceremony that was intimate, spontaneous and a whole lot of fun to photograph!

The fun started when I saw the bride’s dress – red AND ruffled and so darn fabulous I just couldn’t stop taking pictures of it!

The "fabulous" theme was continued by Linda's two Fabulous Flower-girls. These girls took their job seriously! They coated just about every inch of the forest floor and the gazebo where the ceremony took place with a glorious carpet of red, pink and white rose-petals. The effect was nothing short of magical.

Diligent (and fabulous!) flower-girls at work:

The bride and groom take a short "hike" through the woods to reach the site of the ceremony:

The ceremony itself featured a tea ceremony and a moment of quiet contemplation in which the bride and groom sat in silence enjoying both their tea and each other:

Okay, so maybe not EVERYBODY was in the mood for quiet contemplation:

And, of course, what wedding UNDER the trees would be complete without a photo or two of the bride and groom IN a tree? Linda and Rob, you are just too awesome for words!

It seems to be a family thing, because Linda’s daughter (a.k.a. one of the Fabulous Flower-girls) decided to hang out in a tree as well:

The reception was held at Henrik Ibsen Park, off of Skyline Dr. What a great place for a party! The park offered beautiful views, a relaxed atmosphere in which people could just hang out and be themselves, and an opportunity to bring in some truly delicious catered food - which is exactly what Linda and Rob did. A tasty meal of Indian food was followed by a tableful of dessert yummies from Satura Cakes

One very scrumptious cake prepares to sacrifice itself for the greater good of all the guests:

The evening continued with toasts and dancing and lots of kids having a blast running around all over the dance floor. I especially liked this little "scarf dance" - a brief, but enjoyable performance!

Linda and Rob, Andy and I had a blast photographing your wedding - Best of luck ALWAYS to both of you!

Sharon and Gil

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:12:26 -0800

On August 9th Sharon and Gil were united in marriage at St. Marks Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. The church is absolutely stunning with its deep, rich woodwork and stained glass windows, and was the perfect setting for the music filled ceremony within which Sharon and Gil fulfilled their marriage vows

I loved the way Sharon’s flowers picked up the colors inside the church:

One very happy couple!

Their reception was held at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo park, with the catering done by it’s very own Red Current café. Beautiful gardens and excellent food - as well as some happily decadent dessert selections - were all part of a truly memorable reception (party!)

I must admit, I have never had as much fun photographing friends and family as I did at Sharon and Gil’s wedding. This crowd was fully “in the moment” and having a blast, which allowed for some extremely entertaining photographs:

Sharon and Gil in the gardens:

Sharon's and her daughter, who was also her attendant for the ceremony:

The toasts, and the accompanying slideshow were HILARIOUS!

Gil shares the story of one of their first dates together:

There was some pretty darn good dancing as well:

And Gil, this one's for you, because I know there's something pretty special about that little green backpack - ?

Sooo... CONGRATULATIONS, Sharon and Gil! It was truly enjoyable watching friends and family participate on such an intimate (and entertaining) level throughout your day. And oh, those yummy desserts...Mmmmm...!

Mary Ellen and Alison

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:40:52 -0800

A few weeks ago Mary Ellen and Alison flew in from New York City to get married in San Francisco’s beautiful City Hall. When I met them in the city on the morning of July 24th, the weather was already gorgeous, and it just got better as the day went along. By mid-morning, the sky was cloudless and blue without even a hint of that famous San Francisco fog.

We started out by taking a few photos at their hotel. I must admit I quite enjoyed taking pictures in the elevator:

Then we were off to City Hall! We had plenty of time to take photos in-between getting the marriage license and the actual ceremony, so we explored the building both inside and out. We found this amazing stairwell:

We investigated several outside locations as well. There’s this one row of tress in front of City Hall that creates a very park-like feel:

Here they are back inside getting ready to fill in the paperwork for their marriage license:

The whole morning had this wonderful air of expectation to it. It was tremendous fun to be in the presence of so many people getting married, and to be able to catch glimpses of everyone else’s celebrations. Ceremonies are performed at the top of the huge staircase in the rotunda, in a setting as beautiful as that of any church or wedding venue I have ever seen.

A few pictures of the ceremony:

After the ceremony there was time for a champagne toast and few more pictures outside before they left for a honeymoon weekend in Sonoma!!!

Congratulations, Mary Ellen and Alison!

Serendipity Strikes Again!

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:22:15 -0800

When Maayan mentioned that she would like to have her picture taken with train tracks in the background I knew just the place. Not only that, but I’d been DYING to photograph someone at that location ever since I’d stumbled across it. Serendipity strikes again!

Maayan and I had talked over possible clothing choices, and on the day of our shoot my quite fabulous client showed up with a car full of clothing options. I love options! It’s always fun to be able to work with a variety of different looks during a shoot. Since these photos were just for fun (our session was a birthday gift to her from a friend) we’d talked about the idea of creating a shoot that was less documentary in nature, and more about inhabiting a role or persona that you don’t normally get to display during everyday life. The result? A look I like to call “Hobo Glam”!

I had as much fun playing around with the post-processing on these images as I did shooting them. I wanted to create a more "old-fashioned", textural look within the imagery to go along with the abandoned urban feel of the actual location.

Nature always finds a way to make her presence known, even within primarily industrial areas! We decided to take some photos utilizing the cascading green growth that is steadily overtaking the area.

When we discussed outfit choices I had suggested picking one with some bright color to it which would create nice contrast in an otherwise fairly mono-chromatic space. The outfit Maayan choose was perfect. I love the luxurious satiny-red of her corset top, as well as the necklace that she chose to go along with it.

As I've stated before, IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN, and Maayans' lighthearted and playful approach to having her photos taken made my job easy! All I had to do was click the shutter, again...

and again...

and again... Well, you get the point!

Meet Colin!

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:52:34 -0800

Meet Colin – at almost two years of age I’m thinking he’s just about ready to take on the entire world. NOTHING is holding this exuberant little explorer down, and sitting still in one place for too long is simply NOT AN OPTION! And hey, who can blame him? Imagine the joy of discovering that those little legs of yours can take you just about anyplace you want to go! I wouldn’t want to sit still either if I were in his shoes. (which, of course is absolutely impossible because, well, they’re REALLY SMALL!!!)

As a photographer, I really enjoy working with children of this age because of how interactive they are with the world around them. Everything is a discovery, such as:

BUBBLES!!!

Or, better yet, the garden hose!!!!

Kinda makes you want to sneak out into the backyard, grab that hose and have some fun, doesn't it? Just make sure the neighbors aren't watching...

We wanted to get some photos of Colin in his bedroom, which proved to be less than popular with Colin since they involved confinement.

"Okay, how do I get OUT of this thing?!?!????!!!!"

But, in the end, Colin's highly entertaining parents (thanks guys, I couldn't have done it without you!) were able to bring a smile to his face and we got some fun photos.

Tickle Attack!

And now for one last photo:

Colin may be the star of the show, but let's not forget the couple who started it all!

It's all About Having Fun - Right?

Fri, 23 May 2008 13:41:27 -0800

Okay, okay - I know It's been FOREVER since I last blogged, and yes, I do indeed thank all those friends who've been oh so gently reminding me to UPDATE MY D**N BLOG! Got it. Here it is:

Those of you who know me well know that my outlook on life pretty much sums itself up with the phrase "It's All About Having Fun". (If I could translate that into Latin I would, because then it would sound so marvelously self-important and wise!) I believe that a great majority of life activities can be made fun and enjoyable with just the right attitude, and I stand by that belief even though, at the moment, blogging is NOT counted among those activities.

Why is this the case? Because I just created a lengthy, photo-filled blog entry in the hopes of redeeming my slacker status, only to watch the majority of it fade away into obscurity at the click of a mouse.

Gone. Irretrievable. Never to be seen again. Why do we all love computers so much? Someone remind me, PLEASE.

So... now I'm off to go cry over a box of yummy chocolates and completely ignore my blog because I am DONE with this thing for today...

I will, however, post a photo or two in support of my motto, because I definitely believe that when it come to taking photos, IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN!

What could be more fun than an afternoon on the beach in lawn chairs?

There. I feel better now. More to come - I'd keep uploading but I don't want to push my luck!

Off to have a meaningful personal experience with a box of yummy chocolates...!

Insides Out!

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:29:04 -0800

I'm one of those people who likes to have photos of pretty much any interesting event that happens in my life, which is why I now have, of all things, pictures of the inside of my tummy!

This morning I had an outpatient procedure that goes by the crazily long name of - are you ready?- ESOPHAGOGASTRODUODENOSCOPY. Can you believe that grandiose title? The only other longer word I can think of at the moment is SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS. (for those of you unfamiliar with the term, I suggest you run out right now, or get online and rent Mary Poppins!)

Anyway, despite the incredibly long title, it's a very simple procedure involving a ridiculously small camera that a doctor uses to check out your esophagus, stomach and duodenum. As much as I love anything photographically related, I must say the idea of actually SWALLOWING a camera rather worried me! But you know what? The whole thing was a piece of cake! I was in and out in 15 minutes, and in my happily sedated state I hardly noticed a thing!

As stated earlier, in my life pretty much all unusual happenings need to be documented, so when the doctor offered to take some pictures of my insides for me, I said SURE! And now I have them - a fascinating little glimpse into the inner workings of my precious body. I am amazed...

Sooo.... since I've been a neglectful blogger and haven't posted any of my shoots for awhile, I figured I'd end this post with a photo. No, not of my stomach, but of an amazingly fun bridal couple I got to photograph this past weekend.

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what happens when you allow athletic brides and grooms to run wild in their natural environment....

More to Come...

The Written Word

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:55:05 -0800

Progress is being made! I've finally got my Portraits gallery up and running, and now it's time to concentrate on what I've been avoiding all along - creating my written content! For some reason, writing about myself and what I do is extremely difficult for me. Do other people have this same problem? The funny thing is, I hear other people talk about my work and what I do and I usually think "wow, is that really me?" Maybe I just need to clear the 'ol brain and meditate, and wait for inspiration to strike...

That ubiquitous saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is not as applicable, apparently, when it comes to the internet, since search engines don't deal in the visual. Those of us who have always preferred to let the pictures do the talking have got some new literary skills to learn!

So I guess it's time to stop procrastinating by writing this blog and get to work on developing my content! Wish me luck...

Sunday with Samara

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:31:40 -0800

One of the unexpected things about photographing kids are the childhood flashbacks that I get sometimes when I'm taking their pictures.

Unbeknownst (I love that word!) to Samara's parents, she'd packed her favorite book in with rest of her things and when she took it out - *poof* - instant flashback! It was none other than one of my all-time childhood favorites, Charlottes Web. I had to fight the urge to pick up the book and re-read it again myself, but as always, the desire to take photos triumphed again.

It turns out that there were a few other surprise goodies in that bag, including this super cool red mask...

Here is a small slide show that features more photography from this session...

Eureka! I've Gone Live!

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:59:09 -0800

So here it is, the initial incarnation of my new website! It's still a work in progress, but it's live, which is the important thing. I'm so psyched! I've found that it doesn't matter how many years I've been shooting, (16 or so, but who's counting...?!) because I just didn't feel quite "legitimate" without a website! Ah, how the web has steadily been changing our perceptions over the years.

Anyway, more changes to come - I've been very fortunate to have friends in the creative fields who've been willing to avail me of both their time and their talents to help me get things off the ground, and their continued input is re-shaping the look and feel of my "brand identity" on a daily basis! Things should settle in for me pretty soon, however. Stay tuned...

Introducing Claire!

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:51:54 -0800

Three month old Claire was TONS of fun to photograph. So young, but already so confident in front of a lens! I just COULDN'T STOP taking pictures. (then again, when can I ever?) Here are some images from our photo session:

I must admit, I was completely enchanted by the "Claire Stare" the whole time I was photographing her! I felt like I was being hypnotized whenever I gazed into those baby blues...

Dad does diaper duty!

This little girl has some quick reflexes - I'd say her eye-to-hand co-ordination is developing quite nicely. Perfect for video games...

Ah, contentment! After all that hard work modeling, it's time for a nap!

Whale Watching in Mendocino

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:50:44 -0800

One of the highlights of a Presidents Day weekend trip to Mendocino was whale watching. Photographing these impressive animals proved to be both challenging and educational. These are my beginners efforts at photographing gray whales...

Here's some of the ocean spray kicked up by our craft as we powered our way out into the Pacific.

It was quite fun waiting on deck, poised with our cameras and trying to anticipate when one of the whales would go down into a dive and flip up its tail. After awhile I noticed that we were watching the same group of whales surface and dive repeatedly, because they could be distinguished from one another according to the markings on their tails.

Although the whales look rather small in relationship to the vast expanse of water in which they live, seeing one of their tails in relationship to a boat on the very near horizon serves as a reminder as to just how large these mammals actually are!

The whales would often dive in pairs. This was a common site - one whale completing its dive while another one (the gray blob on the left!) was getting ready to dive as well.

Back on land, my efforts to photograph the seals lounging on the docks met with mixed reviews...

This individual clearly did not take kindly the invasion of his (her?) nap-time sanctuary,

but this handsome specimen seemed to actually be posing for the camera, and presented me with a variety of engaging profile shots. ( I could be wrong about this - such behavior might actually be the visual equivalent of saying "go away, you stupid tourist, before I get REALLY mad...)

And, just in case anyone has been dying to do an in-depth study of the back end of one of these sea-loving mammals...I found it rather interesting how small the back flippers are in relaionship to the rest of their bodies.

All in all, the whale watch was a tremendously fun and highly recommended experience, either with or without a camera for a partner. But, really, what does one do if they don't have a camera - ???????!!!!!!!