Loblee Photography

Another one? www.lobleeblog.com

2010-09-11T00:58:00.002-10:00

HI!!!! I know, you're probably thinking about how Boring this blog has been lately... I know.
So here's why... I'm moving. Blog that is.

New blog right here. Yes, sorry for making you update your blogger/reader. But although it was fun to look back, way back, at my very first posts, I think it is time to move forward. The new one is I believe, simpler, and an improvement (hopefully. Haha) but most of all, a way of showing a new improved self.

Thank you for choosing to skip along with me on what has been a stroll upon unknown paths. Whoa...not sure where that came from :)
So again, from now on, I will NOT be posting from this blog again. I'll send it to blog2print.com and definitely call it a wrap.

I promise

2010-08-30T16:10:00.000-10:00

I'm alive. Just taking a little break to work on a lot of NEW stuff. Stay posted for Christmas card sessions details. Soon. Soonish ;)

Genna and Jarel

2010-08-24T11:30:00.000-10:00

I am still amazed at how our 3yr stay in Fiji continues to bless us 14yrs (what? has it really been that long????) later.

Being in Hawaii has really made it possible for many of us to get in touch once again. Anyone from classmates to teachers and even puppy love (to whom I am now married). Facebook has played a major role that's true.

Anyhow, I'm so excited for good old Jarel.

Always been a jester...and guess what...still is one.

Congratulations !!! Thank you for willingly go on a "safari"-might as well call it one, and big shout to Naia Brady for the make up :)

PS: Another session using a tilt-shift lens.

Aushra and Rene

2010-08-23T09:00:00.000-10:00

I'm repeating myself when I say that maternity sessions are magical AND so special. These two are just so darn cute and such examples of service. Their little girl should be here next month :) A big shout out to Becky for her help with the styling. This was also a first using a ts-lens (tilt-shift). What a monster. Loads of fun and definitely one that I'll need more practice with. Enjoy.

August 2010

2010-08-19T15:11:00.000-10:00

Reflection time. Why? the simple fact that tomorrow I'll be turning 25.

I certainly have mixed feelings about it. It's so so so so weird to be saying things like "well10yrs ago" or even " In 1990 something...". I am quite excited for what's to come next. I'm secretly wishing for something special before my next birthday :) Now now now, it wouldn't be a secret if I told you right? ;)

I remember my 8th birthday. My sweet mother woke me up by showing me the new bracelet adorned with hearts that she'd gotten me. I lost it that week-yeah lame. But I'll never forget how special I felt. I am most grateful for my family. My ever-worrying-over-us parents. My new parents and in-laws. My crazy siblings, their crazy-enough-to-marry-them spouses, their plain crazy kids and of course the craziest-of-them-all: My sweetheart. I love him and am so so so blessed to be by his side.

Am I where I'd always planned to be by my 25th birthday?

Ha. Nope. But all for the better. Amongst other things, I guess the biggest surprise is that I never imagined meeting so many different people via photography. Its certainly given me the greatest satisfactions as well as the most humbling experiences :)

I thought I'd share a few lessons gained this month. I'm sure that you are wiser than me on so many levels but I can only hope that this can serve as a reminder for both you and I.

I have learned that A Crash is not Sci-Fi. Granted it was the "crash" of an external drive. But boy, possible one of the worst thing for a photographer right?

I reaped the bitter negligence of not backing up pictures in at least two different places. I did create separate folders for uniquely RAW files and the ones I'd actually edit. But I guess, there's actually no such thing as a reliable External drive. 4 months worth of pictures with two sessions to edit and one wedding to deliver. I wanted to wring the tech's neck when he casually said "most photographers back up their data on at least three different drives". NO duh. Maybe if I have $$ to spare and lots of storage space... or just leisure time to triple, quadruple back up. Sorry. I'm still mad at him. But its swallowing my pride that left a bitter after taste. Its funny how I was quite mad at how I thought I was doing all that I could do be "good" and couldn't understand "WHY?". Yeah, I know. How futile right? Let's just say that after a lot of frustration and tears (and kicks), my hubby reminded to pray and bottom line "who was I to complain"? I had been greatly blessed in many other ways.

I have learned that sometimes REJECTION is a blessing. I guess you can call me spoil. I don't take rejection very well because I've never been "rejected"? Better late than never right. My financial aid was denied for Grad school. Ouch. But at the same time, it made me re-evaluate my dreams. It came down to : Science nerd or Photo nerd? You see, I've already completed two semesters of grad school and have easily accumulated too much debt in student aid. Anyhow. I thought I could do it all. All at the same time. Again...running on fumes = not good for the environment. Literally.

I have learned to slow down. I'm not talking about my super fast speech...I'm trying though.
Its more about photography. I hate to make my clients wait. Although through it all, I think I am just too excited after a session and can't wait to share = rush. Don't get me wrong, it didn't mean that I wasn't giving it my all already. Which was the problem. I gave it my all and run on fumes when it came to spending time with hubby. I know. I'm glad he's put up with that for this long. Shame. Shame on me.

I have learned that serving others never gets old. There are no appropriate words to describe how I feel seeing the joy and gratitude in someone that has been given service to. I'm sure you've experienced that. I've also been on the receiving end and can say how grateful I have been for unselfish individuals.It pushes me to do more and can only hope they can return the favor to someone else in their own way.

I have learned to love myself. Perhaps the most difficult one. I cringed at the idea of writing this. Cause here's the thing. I am an artsy fartsy I guess. I mean, I didn't get into photography in the hope of making money. Really. I didn't think it would ever happen. I lived off the "if you are good at something, the money will follow". And I often doubt myself or my worth. "Are people really gonna pay that kind of money for my services?". I am not there yet, (a life long process?). But I believe that my Heavenly Father loves me and he doesn't create "junk" right? So feeling more confident while remaining a constructive self-critic is my goal. This also reminds me that everyone else has that same worth. So respect it.

I have learned "to learn" how take care of my body. I'm not gonna lie. I don't look like the bride on my living room wall anymore. Don't get me wrong I still love purple and all. But I am definitely not as energetic, nor have the same skin tone.
Now. You have a high probability of running into me wearing this hobo looking thing. And yes, I already got a lot of "Michael Jackson" jokes. But hey, the other day during a photoshoot, the cutest little girl was more intrigued by it then by the bubbles I had brought... she liked how soft it felt. Haha. Maybe, I should actually start a trend... with a purple one of course.

Congratulations if you survived through this lengthy confession.

Now on a lighter note, a collection of various birthdays.

Who needs a vintage photoshop action when leaving your photographs in a album/in a very humid country does the trick :)

Here's to the next 25yrs.
Here's to the need to love more.Here's to remembering the lessons of the past and make the best of life.(Here's to a full weekend of NO internet)

Jayden and Caiden

2010-08-11T09:03:00.001-10:00

I keep mentioning how I never stop learning. Meet the only boys for my little Baby project. What better way than having twins represent right the male gender right?
An awesome tip for mothers of twins : Always position them the same. For example, Jayden will always be to the left and Caiden to the right. Simple right?Camille thank you letting me meet your adorable boys.

I think Caiden wants to be a boxer when he grows up.

Drift

2010-08-02T19:26:00.002-10:00

I think I'm hooked. I absolutely love photographing babies. Their soft skin, little fingers, little toes, puckered lips. What's not to love right?Meet drift. Two weeks old, he was actually due Aug 20th!!! (yes, my birthday :-)).Thank you Nakai and congratulations on this beautiful baby boy wishing you a safe trip!

I don't think he liked being wrapped. Ha. But there's nothing a good serving of milk can't do :)

I really really really like this one.

Alice in Wonderland

2010-08-02T07:44:00.005-10:00

I'm not gonna lie. I've never really read or finished the old version of Alice in wonderland growing up. But how excited I was when we decided to do a mock shoot based off Alice and her adventures.

Tanya lend me her DVD and can I just say how WEIRD the whole movie is? But hey, the setting and the props? Just AWESOME.

So here's our little version of it. It was certainly a LOT of fun. A big shout out to everyone involved.

Makeup: Naia Brady

Hair: Saemone Smith

Flower arrangements:Flower Fair, Honolulu HI

Models:

Andrea

Adhna

Will

Fellow photographers:

Tanya Smith and Malia Johnson .

Little Alice."I've never stopped dreaming"
Yup, that's a real BUNNY ;)

Meet the Queen of Hearts."How would you like to have your head hacked off? "
And of course the Mad (Crazy) Hatter."There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter"

Again, big Mahalo to everyone involved.

Baby project!

2010-07-30T14:25:00.006-10:00

~ Babies are a link between angels and man~ Anonymous
I figured that I wasn't busy enough and needed some type of personal project. Yes, I'm pretty much crazy, considering that this week included a trip to the hospital-eek, Marcus is doing ok though. So I've decided to photograph 6 babies. Easy enough? 4 girls, 2 boys. I'm still learning so much and am so delighted to hear birth stories or just little anecdotes about them:)
I want to thank all the moms and of course the adorable little babies.
I wanted to throw myself a little challenge so here were the rules/guidelines:
-minimum clothing (which is by the way the only type of NUDE, i.e Baby nude that I'm planning to do)-20-40 min sessions-Black and white- Let it be ( babies are who they are- happy, grumpy, hungry- on their own time. Who am I to mess with that?)- No editing (gasp. Yet so liberating)-Post less than 8 pictures (forces me to be even more critical- in a good way right?)

So here we are. Meet the first ones. They are all so different and definitely special in their own way.

Jessie

Maiara

Tae

So I'm halfway done :)

Poehere and Tevita

2010-07-28T22:19:00.004-10:00

You know, before I even applied for college, I was told that by far the cultural experience would be one of the most attractive feature of BYUH. So low and behold, out of the +100 nations represented on campus, my first roommate was from TAHITI! Ha.

What an experience. First year in college, first time sharing a room with someone other than your sisters, definitely memorable. By the way, I swear her food contributed to my freshman 15 and putting my clothes in the dryer didn't help either. Ha.

Here's us on our way to the school dance. BTW the date is definitely wrong. In 1996 I wasn't out of High School yet. In fact I was still in Fiji- long story.

Now...what, 7yrs later? (gasp) we have different/permanent roommates and I'm so happy for her :) She's about to start her teaching career this coming month and also happens to be an upcoming photographer ;)

Here's her: DUH pose. Yeah, she'll probably kill me for that. But hey, privileges of the blogger.

Practice, practice and more practice. And a super long post.

2010-07-26T15:11:00.019-10:00

My last trip to Tahiti was more than therapeutic. First, I got to remember what it was like to just float in crystal clear water, in a lagoon and not being afraid of finding myself 100 miles down current, and just enjoy the WARM water. The only thing missing? My hubby :-(

But don't get me wrong, it was a lot of shooting. But this was the perfect opportunity to work/practice on a few things . For that, I want to thank the willing volunteers for their time and patience :)
Ok, so practice for what you may ask. I'd be the first one to admit that I'm far from perfect. So I picked what I thought I really needed to learn and there it went. Well, considering that noon time (aka super bright overhead sun = raccoon eyes) and pitch dark- or to me more like any LOW light situations, are the two extreme lighting conditions for a photographer why not take the time to work on those. In other words, situations that I used to flee away from. I mean, like the plague.

NOON

Not too shabby when using my shabby flash right?

and not being afraid of shadows???

But then again, its always nice to go back to my "comfort zone". In the shade with a super reflective surface, in this case the ground.

And of course my favorite type... backlighting.

Now on to the other evil...Haha. Well, it was actually a combination of reflectors, then off-camera lighting. Where Norris graciously shared his almightihood (?) on the topic. Again, thank you for Heiani and Hina for volunteering. I was about to scan an old class photo proving how long I've known Heiani, but then realized that meant showing what I looked like when I was 9yrs old (not a pretty sight- Haha). Anyhow, what troopers they were. I mean between the mosquitoes, flies and cold water...and the constant chatter between photogs-which in retrospect must have seem so boring to them. Ha. They were really patient.
It was definitely a lot of fun and most of all a big learning session! Glad that Moe was able to come too.

The following pictures incorporated the OCF while still using natural light.

I promise it wasn't an utter torture. At least I hope :)

Finally. Crowds or things that you cannot move. What better place than the local market right?
Thank you Mele, Josh and Poehere.

It was quite a big learning curve and it was good to not be under the pressure of " I can't mess up" if you know what I mean. The whole concept that it was ok to make mistakes? So refreshing!!! I'm still "on vacation" (aka editing mode) for a few days. But I'm excited to get back to shooting :)
Thank you again all of you for teaching me, letting me practice, and most of all, have fun :)

Joyce and Jimmy- Wedding

2010-07-19T07:45:00.002-10:00

There are so many things that I loved about this wedding but most of all SIMPLICITY! Those two were just so easy going and I'm really excited about how the pictures came out.Felicitations a vous deux!Bsx, LeeYen

How lucky they were to have a special guest performed such a beautiful aparima for us. Remember this shoot? Well it turned out that Lucie Poehere Wilson is now our Miss Tahiti 2010. Good luck to her running for Miss France :)

A little vacation.

2010-07-14T20:34:00.004-10:00

It's official.

I've just dropped off all of my gear in for cleaning. I will be taking a much needed break! Well kinda. Don't worry if you're still waiting for your pictures, I will be editing like crazy! And doing lots of reading and much needed reorganizing at our place.

Comes August 1st I'll be glad to start shooting again.

Since it'll be Ze birzday month(!!!)-I know, I'm scared!- I will only be taking a limited number of sessions.

In the meantime, I sure hope that you're enjoying your summer!!!

Shumway

2010-07-12T12:53:00.007-10:00

Do I love the fact that it was in Laie that Jeff and Kathy met while she came just for a year (kind sound familiar to me...)? or that it was where they got engaged? or even the fact that they've managed to have a family picture in front of the Laie Lds temple as each child has been added to their family? YES. What an awesome tradition right?

But wait, even better, do I love the fact that they have 7 children? Yes! It made me wonder how my own Mom remained sane after raising 5 girls and two boys :)

On the other hand, am I jealous that every single one of them has beautiful blue eyes? Yes, pretty much.

We have planned this shoot for quite a long time. My recent trip to Tahiti and all of the "not getting on the plane", delayed flights, overnight stays didn't help...nor the fickle weather!!! (By the way, the following day it was beautiful as ever...of course!) Anyhow, I believe it was all worth it. A great reminder of how fun, crazy, a more-than-just-the-two-us family can be. Here's a little preview:

James and Vaite

2010-07-12T07:07:00.006-10:00

I am slowly, and hopefully surely, catching up.

In the meantime here's a recap of Vaite and James' beautiful wedding.

WINNER!

2010-06-30T23:39:00.005-10:00

Again, I want to thank every single one of us for your help, support and kind words. Today we celebrate our 2nd anniversary so I want to make sure to thank my biggest fan: my husband. When I had to "stalk" strangers on the streets, just to get a shot other than landscape, you know, one with actual people, he told me to stop and ask any and everyone if they'd let me experiment. He keeps reminding me that the worst that a person can say is: NO. For this,I love him more than ever.
These pictures make me nostalgic because today I didn't get to spend it with him :(And I kinda miss my long hair, and boy I loved those jeans... have no idea where they are now, don't you just hate it when that happens? :( oh and I only have one of those slippers now. One thing however hasn't changed, my boyfriend still makes me laugh!

Photo credit: Natalie Norton

So.... I know, you're here to know who the winner is... so according to random.org....(sorry I don't know how to use printscreen option on this laptop :( Anyhow, the winner is entry # 27!!!!!
Yup, Genna that's YOU :)

Congratulations. Again, thank you to ALL of you and especially for those multiple entries ;) !

Lots and lots of GOOD things: aka a Giveaway

2010-06-21T09:49:00.004-10:00

I have been quite excited for this. My website is ready to launch!!! I think that it is TOTALLY me (good or bad?). Please take a look!

www.lobleephotography.com

None of this would have been possible without my manager/accountant/husband nor without YOU. I can't thank you enough for letting me in your life.

So here's something that I'd like to give in return.

Let's have a little giveaway.

-Leave a comment below, answering these two questions after browsing through my website

What is the "engagement" gallery called?

A given one: what is my favorite color?

- Leave a comment below for each time you post about this giveaway on your blog, FB, twitter, etc... I hate stats and porbabilities, but one thing I know is that the more you enter, the more chances you have to win (right?).

The winner will be picked at random and will choose either:

#1 A photoshoot with me

#2 if I've already had the chance to photograph you , then you'll get a 16x20 (aka HUGE) canvas from your session.

The Giveaway will end June 30th, at midnight Honolulu time.

Where I am

2010-06-19T13:16:00.009-10:00

I will be in Tahiti till July 3rd :) 2010.
We'll see you soon. In the meantime, here's a little tribute for a man making his country and family proud serving in Afghanistan.

Grandpere Moutham

2010-06-07T09:51:00.012-10:00

I can't even begin to express how grateful and humbled this trip has been. Another major reason for my return was to see mon Grandpere (Grandpa). Its quite funny since we would call my Grandma Meme but never called him Pepe.

To this day, the most memorable family vacations have been in Raiatea. Not on our trip to Disneyland, nor our long drive across the states. Just playing in the mud, or going to the motu with my cousins, and building huts, because, lets face it , we were entrepreneurs. Haha. One incident that I remember very clearly: was using my Grandpere's cane knife to collect wood for our hut (lol) and for some reasons being on trees arching over the river. You can guess that the knife was dropped. We were mortified thinking of how we would tell him. But we were even more scared of the GINORMOUS eels (remember, when you're little, everything looks big) lurking in the water. So to this day, it had been our secret!

Oh how time flies. My cousins (all boys) are or have returned from their mission, and are all so much taller than I :) I was the oldest, so I had the duty of being the boss. Haha.

It would have taken me forever to post all of the images so here's a little video. I am indeed so grateful for the hardwork and labor of love that this great man has done. You see, he has been a farmer all his life. Never really gone to school. He would plant taro, tapioca, copra and vanilla on acres of land. I have always loved listening to stories my Mom would relate about her childhood in the faapu's (patches) or her ruse to get out of it along with her punishment. Boy, she was quite a rascal.

He hasn't been able/allowed to go for awhile now. He is after all, over 80yrs old. Besides, the land is up in the mountains. In fact, I was embarrassed at how tired I was in comparison to him when we made our way there. But I really wanted to see the little shack that had been used over weekends, since it took so much work to get there in the first place, where the breeze and rows of Tahitian vanilla thrived. It is amazing that after so many years and a recent hurricane, it is still standing.

A few of my favorite highlights from the video:

A picture of him and Meme that my cousing has recently found.

A picture of my grandparents and my mom in front of the NZ temple, where they were sealed for time and all eternity.

The old/original house.

His bike- he never stops surprising everyone by riding it to town (~45min), early in the morning so no one can stop him.

His chair, next to Meme's grave, where he is sometimes found talking to her. He misses her so much. It also breaks my hear every time my Mom says how much she misses her. Over the years, the resemblance between Meme and Mom has become more and more evident.

His cut-out boots.

His favorite drink- Coke, in bottles of all sorts of shape and color :) Its cute that if he is seen going to the store with a pandanus (aka opaque) basket, he is most likely buying coke.

Fire- When I got there, he had three going on at the same time. You see, its the most common way to get rid of green waste. Obviously, it is not illegal yet.

Taro- Heart-shaped leaf. Even if he can't go up the mountain, he has a huge taro patch behind his house.

I hope you enjoy this.

He was amazing to see where the hardworking habit, the stubbornness, the fiery independence and genuine love that were passed on to my own Mother had originated. He is known to pray for every single one of his grandkids. How amazing is that? Considering that he had ten children already, so you can do the math. Lots of ppl to bless.

Here are key words that he said we should always remember. What a wise man he is right?

Just like he said:

School

Mission

Marriage

Church

Tefan's from Tahiti

2010-05-26T09:59:00.007-10:00

Well. Another round of Tefan's :) You may remember the others from here or there. You may even see the resemblance, or not between my only two brothers.
It was good to be able to meet more nieces and nephews. I still find it HILARIOUS how each have their own little personality and yet bring out the Tefans in them :)

This is my sil Moerava. She's started shooting weddings in Tahiti. Yay :) And if you haven't already picked up on it, she also happens to love red. A lot. Is it crazy that she was my primary teacher when I was like 7? So yeah, Moe's been in the family for a very long time.

PS: and I apologize for the inconsistent format/watermark. I just can't make up my mind.

Kehu

2010-05-25T09:32:00.002-10:00

I think I first met little (at least back then) 7 years old ago. It was around Christmas and I remember her asking for a pair of boots! One with heels nonetheless. So now, I wasn't SO surprised to learn that she was competing in some beauty pageants :) I'm ashamed to say that 11yr old may have more class than I. Ha.

I'd hate to be stared down by her:

But we both love PURPLE!!!

Good luck with Everything ;)<3

Fetuani Family

2010-05-24T13:48:00.004-10:00

I feel that it would be quite complicated to explain how I even know Ranitea. If you must know, let's just say that she's my brother-in-law's niece. Wow, that actually wasn't so hard :) I continue to be amazed at how FAST time flies. She's now a wife and a mom :) It was really good to be able to have a quick shoot with them while in Tahiti.

I can't get over these big beautiful eyes :)

Lindsey and Carlton

2010-05-21T09:52:00.002-10:00

We only got growled at once-which was relatively nothing compared to other "adventures" I've been on , stung by mosquitoes, rained on - a little bit- and were just about knee-deep into the water. Now, tell me this doesn't sound like fun at all?They certainly were. These two are getting married next month before Carlton embarks on his DENTAL path :)- I probably should have asked him for some sort of credit-discount already ;)Anyhow, congratulations to the two of you. Thank you Tanya for your help!

A lot of crawling and flying.

2010-05-19T20:48:00.002-10:00

What a lovely family. An adorable little boy with lots and lots of personality, a beautiful expectant mother and a father serving his country.

I am so excited to share these.

Jackie thank you for letting me meet you and your boys :)

What's going on at LobLee ?

2010-05-18T09:36:00.004-10:00

Well folks, i.e are all four of you faithful readers- thank you :) I am happy to report that I have been busy. The good type of busy. When Marcus and I were dating, I used to look down on his Facebook account. And just like my all-so-blunt friend Hinanui put it " Facebook is for people who lack self esteem and that need other people to make them feel important" (I told you, she was upfront about things). But hey, just like any tools, it can have two sides. I have been able to reconnect with friends from elementary school!!! But most of all, make new acquaintances and clients. So there... I admit, I'm hooked and I have in fact been posting pictures there more than here. It just seems easier to post and get feedback on FB then on here.

But going home made me realized how important the written word IS. No matter how misspelled, awkward or uninteresting it may be at the time. Write and document it. The reason I'm saying this is because I went home to rediscover old diaries...and by old I mean 1995. Lol. Apparently a ten year old's main concerns were what TV show was playing that night and what was for dinner :) Maybe I should share with you some excerpts as a new type of blog installment.

Anyhow, I have photographs that I am super excited to share. Not necessarily because they're C-O-O-L or U-N-I-Q-U-E or technically exceptional but rather because they tell a story. A story to my wonderful friends and family.

Most of all, I enjoy the real personality of each person :) In the midst of starting a business, differentiating myself, dealing with the menial side of running a business, decisions about investments or expansion ? (gasp) or just plain organization. I have to stay true to myself. I need to remind myself why I am doing this. Why I love doing this. The number of Fb fans, or virtual friends, mean nothing if I lose sight of why I started off in the first place. I confess, that in the end I am still the selfish one because from what I learn from you I am becoming a better person. SO THANK YOU.

In this, I love that my sister is wearing her favorite color. If you think I'm crazy/obsessed with purple... she's the same with green. I love that my niece is showing her missing tooth. I love that my too-cool-teenage-niece is herself. And of course, I love that my littlest one is doing her own thing, because she wants to and CAN. I hope that whatever you're spending time doing, you're doing it for the right reasons and if needed, take the time to remind yourself why you started in the first place :)

Hinanui et Rene

2010-05-11T21:47:00.004-10:00

So I'm not gonna lie, the main reasons I wanted to go home include FOOD, FOOD, FAMILY, FOOD, FRIENDS and a friend in particular. Hinanui and I...before I get started, I watned to write this in french but thinking about all the accents/punctuation and spelling associated with it made my head hurt. Haha. So, as I was saying...Hinanui has been one of those special friends. Ironically it was in Hawaii that we met while attending BYUH. We definitely look different (Blonde vs the chinese me), had such different interests/majors (Psychology/Social work vs. Arts and biology), love different colors (lets just say that she loves orange as much as I love Purple so yeah...), she approaches conflict straight on (ppl knew better than getting in trouble with her...if they didn't, they soon learned, lol while I'm am so NOT a confrontational person- hubby can attest to that), she could find anything in her room while I could lose/ still do lose just about everything. But in the end, she was my closest friend. Its quite funny to think that we sporadically keep in touch.. Yet, we seem to know when the other needs to "talk". So needless to say how thrilled I was to know that she had met her soul mate. I am so so so so happy for her :)Here are a few of her, I mean, their pictures. Bisoux a vous deux.

So I don't even think I got any picture alone with the bride...oh well :(Here's one to prove that I was there... taken by my sil Moerava Tefan. Moe thank you for being there, it was fun to be able to do this with you :)

PS: To this day, I still have the tan lines from that outfit, from that day.

Esther and Olivier

2010-05-11T21:29:00.003-10:00

Well if you didn't already know, I pretended to be a big girl, took the plane on my own, to get to Tahiti. What a lot of fun, work and sweating it was :) Here's one of the shoots that went on...Meet Esther and Olivier who graciously volunteered... Thank you guys.

What made it even fun was to shoot with a bunch of friends and my dear Sister in law Moe. Maureen, Poe et Mele...a la prochaine les filles :) bsx

Lovely things

2010-05-04T21:28:00.009-10:00

So I've been wanting to shoot just "FOR FUN" with no pressure or worries about the weather, naptimes-well..., drool, or dirt eating, etc...So put a bunch of awesome friends, props, beautiful flowers together and drive to the boonies: VOILA!!!

Look at her...classy and beautiful. Most of all? Competing for Miss Tahiti, how can I not be biased then? :)

Mahalo to everyone and especially Watanabe Floral for the Beautiful flowers!!!

Family Portrait: Bowles

2010-04-22T07:17:00.002-10:00

You're about to meet such a brilliant family. We happen to be in the same ward and best of all Vaughn spends as much time in the science labs as I. Actually, he spends much more time than I in the science labs :)

Isn't she quite something? :)

And like we like to say in Hawaii... "All PAU"!

Much love to you and hope to get to enjoy your last few months in Hawaii :)

CA, Oakland temple

2010-04-19T06:44:00.007-10:00

I loved loved loved our GPS :) It definitely came in handy while visiting family on the mainland. It was quite an adventure to drive alone, like big girl, in a convertible (but of course it was still way too cold to drive with the top down), in a totally new place. I could see this from the car rental place...so why not make a stop :)

Then the big contrast of the Fog over the city.

For more info see for yourself here :)

The Lau: Family portrait

2010-04-10T19:27:00.002-10:00

More graduates but this time with visiting family. Esther and Ming, originally from Hong Kong both graduated today!!! Congratulations.Apparently the head of the family had made plans to come to school at BYUH, but got married to his sweetheart (which is even COOLER), and how lucky to have his daughters graduate! And they just found out that the only boy will make his way here in September :)

The light was glorious... I've realized that waking up right around sunrise wasn't always a necessity!!!

I forgot to mention, they were loads of fun.

Here's their signature picture. Actually taken by Dad Lau... I hope looking at it will remind them how much work and laughter went into the making of this:

Brunton

2010-04-05T21:47:00.005-10:00

We call her Brunton. Her name is Sarah but we still call her Brunton. If I had to give an award such as "Most regular client of Loblee Photography" it would definitely go straight to her :) Which is good. Right?
We've come to love her and her little family. They happen to be leaving for NZ in a couple of weeks: BOOOOO!!!! But hey , how exciting for them :) We have been through many food parties, road trips/adventures and photography journey. Be sure to see what's she's been up to here.

Ada

2010-03-29T01:00:00.000-10:00

I think that by the time we're done with school, you will have met all of our neighbors :)But here's someone that will be missed :( apparently people graduate and move on/out. How exciting this coming month will be. They have decided to keep the name a "secret" so I can't help you with that one either but we know its a boy. I say it again, there is something so MAGICAL mothers. Ada was up for anything... and I'm glad the tide was our friend that day...too bad it was totally overcast.

Here's her next to what we called the Rasta boat.

Me. Again.

2010-03-27T17:05:00.005-10:00

So its time to put a picture to a name right? Apparently my little Tweety icon should be updated. Haha. I'm glad for friends who also happen to be photographers :) Here are three that I'm thinking of using. Because that's me right? Scary and unprofessional (the "model" not the phtographer)? It certainly is a totally different feeling to on the other side of the camera. So here, I'm putting myself out there.

Enjoy making fun of me.

What do you think?

Its got the purple, the Too-big-of-a-smile and my newest hairstyle. I know, I'm lame I don't even try to wear make up :(

Thanks to Ramona of Photo Visions Hawaii for the shots :)

Joshlin

2010-03-15T13:52:00.003-10:00

Another graduating senior! Boy how relieved they must all feel right? Maybe a little afraid of "what's next" but I'm sure Joshlin will do just fine. It seems that I have had the privilege to photograph many of her friends so I was glad to meet her at last. She probably didn't expect me to be as random and a scatter brain (I promise that only happens in the mornings). So we went exploring... in a farm...again.

I can't leave you without sharing this one... yup... at this point she probably regretted asking me to take her pictures. Haha.

Again congratulations and good luck with whatever comes next :)
Mahalo to Sarah for coming and not helping me find papayas. Lol.

Friday ask away

2010-03-12T09:22:00.001-10:00

If I was to describe myself, with one word it would be "random".

Oh I believe that there are known facts about me:

-I often speak way too fast (and since I don't discriminate I do that in French and English)

- my favorite color is red. Haha. Its obviously purple!

But I think that there are also some things that people probably don't know about me or are just inexplicable.

For instance:

-although I've a got a BS (I know, what a poor choice of abbreviation ) in Biology, I was an undeclared major for the first year, then an Art major for a whole semester,... I think I have been that confused for a very long time. For Christmas 1994 I got a mini microscope, the following year: a mini pottery wheel.

-I refuse to eat croissants. I'm not sure if its the flakiness or what, but I would rather starve than have one- ok, a little extreme, but true. So lucky him, when we get that big tray from Costco, Marcus gets them all.

Another random fact? I've jumped off Laie point and an airplane. But would probably never jump off Waimea rock.

I still don't know how I feel about twitter, so here's the closest I might get :

Formspring

If you have a question feel free to ask away here. Questions about my obsession with red velvet cupcakes or Orange grove? and some photo topic. I'll be as honest as I can be :)

Happy weekend everyone.

Seniors: Angitta and Sara...and LeeYen?

2010-03-10T09:36:00.006-10:00

Graduating from college. How exciting right?
Congratulations to Anggita.

Definitely a funny story behind the picture above. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that I'd never try to endanger my clients' life, at least not on purpose. Well, we -actually- I didn't realized how close she was to the highway...

Now the island version :)
Sara

Now me? well three years ago yes. Here's proof that mine was never as cool. Here's the picture I used for my graduation announcement. Granted, back then I thought Biology was the only way to go, haha... how things change and how time flies. For one, I no longer own those ear studs (one of many lost personal items), nor do I remember what top I was wearing and I certainly no longer have as much hair. But most of all .... so many unknowns : what to do next, when would my OPT card arrive, etc, etc... Boy am I glad that is OVER. So gals, on to bigger and better things :) Good luck.

Baby Hyrum

2010-03-08T20:48:00.002-10:00

I have to say that newborn pictures scare me to death. Between the unexpected leaks and wondering how to handle such a tiny, fragile being,... yeah, you understand right? :) oh and I almost forgot : my miscalculation regarding the size of the bowl didn't help either.But, a big BUT:what a joy this little one was. Just one little cry, one little leak and a nap long enough to get what we needed :)
Meet Baby Moses... that's the first thing Marcus said when he saw this one:

In case you missed it... check out his HIGHLIGHTS!!! How cute right/unfair :( considering that sometimes, I have to pay someone >$70 to get some.

Thanks Aissa and hope you like them ;) like I said, him and her would be the cutest "baby couple". Haha.

Ahem....

2010-03-08T12:41:00.004-10:00

If you haven't already, you will notice that I have been slacking off at my blogging duties. This is mostly due to my current dilemna: Blog or FaceBook sessions? Afterall, everybody's got a FB account now right? Even my mom does. FB offers a wider exposure, but lacks the "homey" feeling of the blog. But its not secret, it takes me twice as much time to blog about a session than to upload it on FB. I should say : when blogging I just put in as twice as much love :)
Anyhow, this was my attempt to explain my short absence. For example these pictures of my "regulars" (HAHAHA) that were taken hmm... a month ago I believe (?)- disclaimer it was literally a 5min "shoot". But hey, it could be worse...for instance I still have not shared any pictures from our Christmas break.

March :I promise to make you more interesting than February.

Matatumua- 2010

2010-03-06T00:01:00.001-10:00

How romantic is it to ask for a session with whom you love :)We kinda wandered and found what may be my favorite spot!!!

We couldn't leave out my very patient assistant for the day :)

Bosko- Family Portrait

2010-02-25T18:25:00.003-10:00

I guess there's just no getting around. Little boys are only fascinated by rocks or sticks. (Check out that index finger too...)

Others can't stop running...

or pulling...

But they certainly are cute.

More munchkins

2010-02-23T19:46:00.002-10:00

Hanohano

2010-02-20T00:38:00.003-10:00

How can a purple wearing family go wrong? Haha. Does it hurt that they have some lovely Tahitian names? Yes, it definitely made me smile. Meet a family originally from Laie, now residing in Washington state, vacationing in Laie.

With their newest (2010 Baby) addition...

Ferguson

2010-02-19T11:56:00.002-10:00

How fun and refreshing this session was. Little K is quite the character. The last of the Norton mini shoots.

Lucky me: Plichta

2010-02-17T09:43:00.005-10:00

I say lucky because someone was very cooperative :)

Thank you Athena, its always good to be able to catch up. Too bad the balloons didn't make it :)

Moncur

2010-02-12T07:00:00.000-10:00

What an easy and fun family this was. Another shoot for the Norton family. I gotta say this may be benefiting me the most as I get to meet little cuties:

Life's toughest missions (from a Munchkin's perspective)

2010-02-11T11:32:00.004-10:00

Here's the preview for the Moncur family.
Looking through them, two series of pictures that got me laughing hard. Then again a lot of weird things make me laugh. But what do you think?
#1: The Bubble catching Mission:

Or #2: the Critical question of what to do with Rocks (every little boy's dilemma)

Little Maggie

2010-02-07T20:40:00.005-10:00

How fun it was to finally kick off the round of benefit shoots for Natalie. The weather had been quite unpredictable lately :( Little was our model for the day...on what may have been the set for LOST. It was quite intimidating to see all the heavy equipment and people in "Jungly outfits".... anyhow, we didn't get to play around the banyan trees so we just tried to stay out of the way... but it was still quite a success :) Much more to come and check out Malia's blog for the other benefit sessions.

Check her gorgeous lashes :) and her curiosity...

One with her first hat/Mitt...

That's it folks!

Picture perfect

2010-01-30T11:53:00.007-10:00

You need your child to smile?

YOU,

being the parent, should know what makes them laugh and what doesn't. Yes, I can be silly and look like a clown but what if they DON'T even like clowns? For instance, a mother wanted the whole beach, sand and ocean background. However, the baby had NEVER ever been to the beach, so we discovered right away that he simply was NOT LOVING the sand. So out the door went the tropical background.

This little guy only laughed when his Mom was doing abs. True story.

Other things that you should care for:

Naptime- I'm grumpy when I don't nap, so I don't blame them if they are too.

Food- I'm even grumpier on an empty stomach...and so will they.

Clean nappies- No, I can't literally relate, but hey, you get the idea.

I think that we have been brain-washed into defining a perfect picture as:

1- Eye contact with the camera

2- Big cheesy smile

3- Flawless face, spotless clothes and boogger-free face

Of course, you want your children to be at their best. But hey, I'm an aunty to 20 munchkins,granted my siblings are already kinda crazy, it is rarely the case. And you know what?

IT'S OK!!!

If you don't agree then Loblee photography may not be what you're looking for. And that too is ok. I believe there are enough photographers on Oahu...and one of them may just be a better match. And you know what? That's OK also.

1- Eye contact with the camera

I don't believe it is alway a must.

2- Big cheesy smile

I choose having them play their favorite - in this case peek-a-boo, actually we might have to refer to it as the back-of-you-head peek-a-boo version.

3- Flawless face, spotless clothes and boogger-free face

I believe sometimes it just can't be avoided.

10 yrs, 5yrs, or even next month down the road, your child will have already changed and grown tremendously. So my goal is to capture who they are at that very moment. They are special in their own way.

Little Anniston loves to play with her Mom's pearl pendant. True story.

Then again, Little Talei, Believe it or not LOVES LOVES LOVES the camera. Again, true story. Who knows if that'd still be the case next year. Who knows.

Let's keep on remembering.I believe in capturing what is and not what we wish it to be.
I know I've been yapping quite a lot lately and I apologize for writing the same way I talk.

Behind the scene: The HARD life of a photographer

2010-01-29T20:29:00.005-10:00

Some of you may never realize how stressful and demanding it is to be a photographer.

Let me explain (you must commit to read it all the way through though).

We have to watch out for crazy wind, wild hair...

Explore dangerous territories that require caution and skill. Lots of it.
But isn't it all worth it :)

But that's not it:... Munchkins... they can't all talk, but oh boy, do they show me who's the boss.
They let me know right away if my suggestion stinks:

We have to take lost of breaks because they have to deal with important issues. Some ranging from gathering the most amount of sticks or rocks to making sure those candies don't run away. All of them being critical economical decisions right? I mean: Gather as much as you can and enjoy life before it runs away. So there... quickly pop candies in the mouth...

Now, something that I should have known... Models just need to take a break. Or else they just plainly refuse to have anything to do with me.
But once we're past that, and feeding, warming up and quick nap have been done, we can usually dig right back into work.

But that's not it... they need to be entertained or else they let you know that you're B-O-R-I-N-G. Its probably my fault for only knowing two jokes, so I don't blame them.
Then, last but not least, there are those who are so concerned about how they look that they stop me every second to ask "Wait: How does my hair look?".

Believe me I have a tough job!!!But hey, I'm not complaining... because once in awhile I meet one who turns out to be a great helper. "Mom let me fix your hair":

Often, THEY have to be the ones to show the way...

Bahaha... I love this. This (the whole behind the scene and the actual picture taking) couldn't be any more fun and satisfying.Now that I have more time (and since its pouring outside) to look back at previous sessions and people (yes, I'm biased, I tend to prefer munchkins) I get to meet I can't help but smile, laugh, and be touched by how precious you are. Not because of me! I'm only there to press the shutter at the right time, but simply because of who they are and most of all who they will become. Thank you.

Amber and Denzil

2010-01-25T07:13:00.003-10:00

I've known Denzil for what seems like FOREVER!!! He was in my sister's class/form. Then we made it to school at BYUH together. How fun it was to be able to catch up then... inseparable that what we were ;) I'd show pictures from back in the day but they are not MY most flattering ones (keep in mind... it was our freshman year).He was our "videographer", canoe pusher, in charge of the slideshow and a performer at our wedding. So yeah, major part. I can't help but keep saying how excited I am for him and Amber.Bikini beach: the place where basically all the MAJOR events took place for them. Anyhow, they both were so much fun. Congratulations!!!Love,LeeYen

Love is...

2010-01-23T11:59:00.002-10:00

I promised Marcus that I would do my homework today. But I couldn't wait to share this one :

Don't forget to enter the giveaway in the previous post!Happy weekend to all.

The verdict and a Giveaway!!!

2010-01-22T12:26:00.004-10:00

update (Feb 1st) : and the winner is....Congratulations LANA!!! Let me know how I can get that to you ;)

Thank you for sharing how awesome your Moms are, so don't forget that!!!

Jen please don't crucify me ;)

Thank you all for your input. It looks like # 1 did indeed get the most votes. Even if some of you couldn't make up your mind either :) Proof that I'm probably the only crazy one out here :)

Anyhow, to thank you for your participation in addition to the one that I've "picked" for my Mom, I've ordered a 11x 14 float wrap of Picture #1.

This is easily shipped so if airplanes or boats can reach you, I'd be more than happy to mail it to you.

Here's how you can enter:

#1: Comment below by saying why your Mom is awesome or if you're a February baby, what your perfect gift would be. No harm in wishing. Lol.

#2: Comment again if you post this on Your FB page...yes its the IN thing

#3: Comment again again if you blog about this

#nth: Comment nth time however else you spread the word :)

We know from experience that quantity and persistence pay off ;) So the more you comment, the more chances you "should" have.

Let's keep the fun going till JAN 31st, Midnight Hawaii time.

PS: If you're birthday is not on FB, nowadays is considered as NON-EXISTENT :)

We talked some more.

2010-01-22T10:01:00.001-10:00

Yes, I'd rather spend my saturday mornings talking about photography and shooting instead of tackling laundry. I know, what a crime :)Here's are a few shots from last week. We talked about composition. Leading line...

a little rule of thirds... and of course a Gorgeous Janine.

BIG mahalo to Janine and Kelepi and of course attendees Sarah and Mele :)

VERY IMPORTANT : Please pick one

2010-01-18T20:39:00.003-10:00

Here's the deal... February has always (at least for the past 20ish years) been a busy month in the Tefan household. Three birthdays (Lani, Mom and Dad) in the same week = lots of presents to prepare. Although we've usually always had just one cake.
So this year, I'm trying to decide which of the following pictures to print on Canvas for my Mom's house. Yes, we've always referred to our house, car, and practically everything else as "Mom's", even my nieces and nephews do that. Digressing... So please let me know which one YOU or you think I should pick. Keep in mind that her room, "conveniently" has purple (= not the obnoxious type) walls and I do want her to think of ME every time she sees it (Hey, I'm the youngest YES ;) ... but competition is tough with 19 nieces and nephews).
This one is my favorite but my sister Heirani (the self appointed house decorator of Mom's house) thinks it s too DARK.

Its the time of the year.

2010-01-17T18:39:00.003-10:00

I've been thinking about TONS of different things since we got back and one of my biggest concerns has been: ORGANIZATION!!!

We all know the often quoted:

" To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven, etc..." Eccle. 3:1

But I'd never really paid attention to the verses that follow:

" What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?"

Eccle. 3:9

My personal interpretation: What is it that I spend most of my time and energy to? And how do I profit from it?

I kept on reading and found the answer:

"I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice and to do good in his life"

Eccle. 3:9

I might as well have banged my head on a fat billboard saying:

BE HAPPY in and with what you do.

This ties in well with the message/morale of Night at the Museum II which we watched last night: "The key to happiness is doing what you love".

So this constitutes the basis of my goals this year. I would like to introduce you to Mr. 2010:

In case it is not self explanatory: Lets go from the top down.1- Get A's, hopefully all of them but most of all: enjoy them. I survived the first week. Let's see how the rest of the semester goes.
2- Keep my eyes on the Lord and his kingdom.
3- Keep on smiling aka Stay happy and remember not to sweat the small stuff
4- $. Its actually a $ crossed twice as is: DO NOT WASTE $. But most of all, be wiser in money making decisions.(Marcus loved that one ;))
So here it is: To a better year to all of you. May you get to accomplish your dreams, or at the very least get a little closer. Remember "TO REJOICE" and "TO DO GOOD".

I dare you to take a wild guess...

2010-01-16T17:58:00.001-10:00

I don't have any recent portraits...I know shame on me. So this will have to do. That is of course if you can guess which one I am.

Ligaya, Paul and the snow

2010-01-11T21:30:00.002-10:00

First let me start by saying how COLD/FREEZING my fingers were... but it was definitely fun. I'm so glad to have met up with Ligaya. Who would have thought that after being her TA for one of many bio classes, I would get to take her engagement pictures? I am just so happy for the both of them.

Snow. What a great change from sticky grain of sand. Quite the experience...

Something special for the special NORTON Family: Your help requested

2010-01-08T18:36:00.007-10:00

Yes, many of you may have heard what the Norton family has gone through. If not, please read about their journey here. Natalie is such an inspiring person. After all, she was the one who captured the magic of our wedding day. How can you not be forever indebted to such a person right? Our wedding day

Photo credit Natalie Norton

Is it just me that can't help but ask "what does it always happen to the best of us?". I, WE, just have to remember that God knows, God knows all, God knows better and God loves us. Thanks to Malia, heres a little, yet heartfelt contribution from Malia and I. We're teaming up to offer mini shoots for two days only. Friday 29th and Saturday 30th of this month. There are only ten spots available. So please, PLEASE spread the word. Check out the details and contact info on Malia's blog.

Again, all of the proceedings will go to the Norton family fund.

Goodbye 2009... Aloha 2010

2010-01-03T07:15:00.002-10:00

I can't begin to express how 2009 has been such a super year. Don't get me wrong, not everything has been all easy breezy. Au contraire, I've probably learnt more from my mistakes then anything else. But its always fun to look back at the very first shoots/trials and relive the excitement and eagerness. I certainly hope that I'm a little wiser and better at what I do. A Big Big Big, Ginormous thank you to each of you for helping me on this great adventure. Believe me when I say, I'm so glad I've met or reconnected with many of you. 2010 will bring some interesting changes. We have a super fun and relaxing time with family and was are rejuvenated and believe we can take on ANYTHING...(fingers crossed). I'm going back to school, something I've heard adults do, so let's see how everything goes :) Anyhow, may 2010 bring you lots of enriching and meaningful experiences.I'll be back with an engagement shoot in the snow, a late recap of 2009- I know, kinda late, but remember I was on a no-computer access vacation, and the return of "behind the shot" installment.Bsx, LeeYen

Allison and Adam

2009-12-24T13:06:00.003-10:00

It gets me all giddy every time. Did someone said marriage? Then yes, I get about as excited as the couple in question. Kinda weird?Especially when all of it happens within 24hrs. Yes, 24hrs: the proposal, the engagement pictures and the short separation while someone finishes school.

I love this series the most.

Ok, I lied, I like this one the best.

Congratulations to the both of you :)

Hauata

2009-12-24T09:34:00.002-10:00

What an unforgettable shoot!!! Well all the way from Tahiti...meet the Hauata's and co...

The craziness comes from her I believe :)

Joyeux Noel a toute la famille :)

More friends

2009-12-21T23:16:00.001-10:00

Speaking of old friends, hadn't seen these two since what, 2004?Well its certainly fun to have them here... food is always scrumptious and laughter present.

These two have to be my favorite.

Lindo

2009-12-21T23:10:00.003-10:00

How fun is it to meet up with old friends!!! Mele was my sister's roommate...so yeah, that long ago. Haha. Well despite the rain I'm glad we got to do this :)

Bsx a vous deux,

LeeYen

Anderson 2009

2009-12-21T09:19:00.001-10:00

Yes, a whole year has gone by already!!! Inches gained, hair grown... how fun to get them together again.

1,2,3,4,5, and 6!!!

Happy 14th anniversary to these two also.

Maeva thank you for all that you do. You're often crazy to do all that you do and that's certainly why we love you!!bsx LeeYen

Matatumua

2009-12-16T08:09:00.000-10:00

You are about to meet an adorable little guy.

Doesn't he just remind you of one of those Japanese cartoons? I for one just wanted to squeeze his cheeks.

This is us finding out that he wasn't really fond of the sand. Like, at ALL.

We tried a different day/nap time. We certainly got to witness all of his many facial expressions.

Bsx to you :)

Yoshimura's

2009-12-13T18:51:00.003-10:00

What a great saturday morning this was :) You will see that someone is quite the little independent person.

See the "I know I'm cool" look.

This one is by far my favorite.

Yoshis (your new attributed nickname... just like we have the Loblees)...thank you for the fun and ball of cuteness called little J :)

Hilina'i

2009-12-10T00:17:00.004-10:00

Remember that cute tiny belly?

Notice the little Tahitian touch? Grandma's got every reason to be proud :)

Moors

2009-12-10T00:14:00.001-10:00

How fun it was to meet them and what a camera-lover that little boy is.

This time I thought I'd be smarter than last time and have the balloons tied up. Did it work? for the first 5 min it did. Oh well... I hope it made someone else happy :) Again, never a dull moment.

Rachel, Darrell and Sina

2009-12-04T08:03:00.001-10:00

I know this took me longer than usual to blog, but that thing called Facebook seems to have taken over my blogging time for a little while :(

It was so fun to be able to do this. Its definitely much much easier when everybody is so excited to FINALLY have some family pictures ;)

My new, newest nephew.

2009-12-02T11:54:00.002-10:00

Congratulations again to Hoku and Jerry.

These make me happy

2009-12-01T20:13:00.002-10:00

The personalities of each one just oozes out right?

A grateful heart

2009-11-26T21:11:00.004-10:00

Beware- I'm in San Francisco without a laptop (since I don't own one) = no photoshop, using a MAC, sitting in front of a heater... so needless to say I'm not quite sure what this post will end up looking like :)

Being "away" for a little while really gave me the time to ponder on the things of life. The people who made my life better. My life as a wife, a daughter, a sister, an Expert Tatie (Aunty), friend and photographer. I just wanted to express my thanks to you. Whether it be with sweets, phone calls, messages, emails, folded laundry and rubbed feet - by husband only of course, or being who you are, I am grateful to be a part of your life also. I hope that you have all a great thanksgiving.

We spent the afternoon singing and dancing- oh boy am I so rusty, two sweet elderly ladies.

The words however really reminded me of what I should be grateful for.

Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue blue sky.

Whenever I feel the rain on my face, or the wind as it rushes by.

Whenever I touch a Velvet Rose, or walk by a Lilac tree.

I'm glad that I leave in this beautiful world.

Heavenly Father created for me.

He gave me my eyes, that I might see the color of butterfly wings.

He gave me my ears that I might hear of the magical sound of things.

He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:

I thank him reverently,

For all his creations of which I'm a part.

Yes I know Heavenly Father loves me.

My Heavenly Father loves me. Children's hymnbook.

(Taken in Kesa's garden yesterday morning)

Jen + 2, actually + 3

2009-11-23T08:55:00.004-10:00

I have so much to blog about, and I am making it a goal to do it all before my trip/escapade to the Bay area :)
Anyhow, do you remember her? Well meet the little/not so little anymore guy that is now two months!!!
He is so adorable: I mean just take a look at his cheeks and you'll understand.

Grandma always has the magic touch doesn't she?

Pritika and Alvin

2009-11-23T08:27:00.002-10:00

Today might be the ultimate blogging day! Gotta get things done before my little trip/escapade to San Francisco tomorrow. So: Pritika and Alvin. There's definitely a strong force that keeps me close to everything that is connected with Fiji. What can I say, that is after all where I met my little-literally, prince charming 10 yrs + ago. Anyhow, thank you thank you guys so much :) I hope it was worth the wait!

Carrie, Mike and a mini-workshop

2009-11-22T21:21:00.004-10:00

I started by telling the brave souls "that I don't claim to know EVERYTHING there is to know about photography but that I thought it would be way fun to do a mini workshop/shoot" for anybody who'd be interested.
So we started with lots of blah blah from me... I tried to make it up by having warm -not-made-by-me muffins.
Then we practiced with our joyful models :)

Then one more little lesson on back lighting and sun flare.

Again, Mahalo to Carrie and Mike, Kylie, Megan and Sarah!
Stay tuned, for the girls' shots.

Just for you Pritika!!!

2009-11-12T22:45:00.001-10:00

I'll try not to make you wait too much :) More next week.

Another round

2009-11-11T23:24:00.003-10:00

Its quite funny (as in ODD) how last week was definitely my WET one. Rain in the morning, rain in the afternoon and none at night. Go figure. Anyhow, you've met them, well at least half of them the week before here and crazily enough they came back for more :) and NO, I did not randomly gathered up all the Fijians on my way just so I could photograph them.

We have the very serious boys...

and the fun girls.

Wearing a school uniform gives you some bad habits...namely: wearing shorts underneath any type of dresses.

Stacey, Mark and the girls.

2009-11-09T13:45:00.009-10:00

Meet the genius behind my fabulous new logo and her awesome family. I can't begin to describe how I admire Stacey. For what she's accomplished professionally but most of all how she is with her girls.
There's no other way to say it: IT was FUN.

Big mahalo to Sarah for braving the nausea -she's expecting #2 :)- and helping out :)

Someone is quite the explorer.

quite the doll...

and quite the clown :)

Lacey and Seth

2009-11-03T13:51:00.014-10:00

Let me start off by saying that this session was by far the most eventful of all. EVER.

Remember that little contest we had recently? When here's proof that numbers count. Not only did the Random generator picked Lacey once, but when I tried to do it a second time to surprise a second winner, it did it again. Like she said...it must have been"Karma!" Since then we've been trying to find a perfect day, place, etc... You know, I've had wives apologize on behalf of their husbands who may have "forgotten" and thus planned for something else, or most recently refusing to have her husband's new "UGLY haircut" immortalized. Yes, I often have some very good laughs.

Anyhow, here we go:

Have you enjoyed the balloons? I certainly hope. because from that point on... we had to do without them. Mainly because they flew away. All six of them. All attached to my spare set of keys.

Oh wait...it gets better. No although it may look like it, she did not just hit her head on something. But it started POURING. Not raining, POURING!!! You have to know that thus far I pride myself in not being rained out during a photo shoot. having an overcast sky the whole session: YES. Clicking the shutter for the last time and then being rained on: Yes. Being drenched 10mins into the shoot: FIRST TIME.

Lucky for us that tree was there. It was do or die. Keep shooting or continue another day. Now keep in mind, that for "most" husbands... the word photo shoot makes them cringe. So we do what we can when we can.Let me explain...with the next two shots.

There's them...then me in front of them...then my HUGE reflector "protecting" me from the rain and staying in place just by the sheer force of the wind. Needless to say...it was quite crazy.
Then why not use the tree right?

I'm guessing that from the road, we probably looked like three monkeys on a Banyan tree.Once we were done and had gotten back to the car... I remembered that I always some prepared: for there lay my umbrella.
Lacey and Seth... if it didn't come across... I really did have fun :) thank you for braving the forces of nature- and the soon to be devoured banana bread!!!
By the way, they have been married for three years and she's graduating this December. And to all of you out there, my reflector is almost dry. So who's next ? :)

Here's one for Lacey...

2009-11-02T23:08:00.002-10:00

I don't know what I like the most... I'm torn between the beautiful purple, the balloons, the emotion, the fact that this was taken before the storm- like literally, or the painted toe nails :)

Fiji and its wonders.

2009-11-01T19:38:00.000-10:00

Fiji will always hold a special place in my heart. It was there that I entered that critical stage of life called adolescence. The place that certainly has changed me and the rest of my family. That is after all the place that brought a little 10yr old boy and a 11yr old ME together. The people have certainly touched our lives. It has been quite fun to meet up with some of our old friends here... in a different time and place. Thank you for coming out at the break of dawn, on a saturday :) Lolomas,LeeYen

This one makes me smile...

Its Aloha Friday!!!

2009-10-30T09:41:00.000-10:00

and I wished I was having one of these...I

Hoku and her four boys

2009-10-25T16:25:00.000-10:00

Dear sis, we are so excited to meet the next Tefan :) Like Valmene said: You're are a stunner!!!

Love ya :)

Maria

2009-10-21T23:08:00.001-10:00

Beautiful and Versatile. Those were the keywords for the day.

We started off at the AWESOME Kavaroots Cafe in Pupukea (simply the world's best Acai bowls!!!)

Then just crossed the road for some props, non-human props.

Then we turned left. Did I mention that she's 38 weeks along?

Then right.

Maria you know you're gonna be the hottest mama around, right? Congratulations to you and Kila... many many good wishes to you.Many thanks to Ui, and my talking reflector holder and bag carrier :)

Mom and Dad. My Mom and Dad.

2009-10-16T22:25:00.000-10:00

In light of recent events, I have been meditating on life, but more particularly on relationships. They of course come and go. Some become more meaningful than other. Sadly enough, many have been neglected. I hear it often, but fail to internalize this : Life is short! Here are two who have always been there.

It may not make sense to all of you, but every single picture has a special meaning to me.

We thought the grandkids needed the edited version :)

I can't express how grateful I am for you both. For all that you've done, doing and I'm sure- will continue to do.I love you both so very much.

Holiday Special

2009-10-16T13:24:00.003-10:00

SOLD OUT!!! The rest of the year 2009 (how its gone SO FASSSSSSTTT!!!) There will be quite a lot of projects and a little bit of traveling for the Loblee household, but no I haven't forgotten about the annual Christmas cards right? So here's your chance.

Email me loblee{at}gmail{dot}{com} to reserve your spot.

Orchids and such...

2009-10-14T07:25:00.000-10:00

I have a weakness for flowers... especially if there's some hmm purple. You can't blame me. I'm extremely excited to photograph the person behind this craziness of mine :)

CA girls

2009-10-12T07:49:00.000-10:00

I have to say, that it's pretty weird to use sentences like "its been ten years since...". Girlfriends from LA and SFO were here for the weekend. It was so good to catch up and spend some good GIRL time. I only wish they had extended their stay... until next time I guess.Lolomas to you :)

Just like I remember her.

Mele and Sili : Wedding

2009-10-03T21:48:00.000-10:00

What private yet beautiful wedding this was. Congratulations to Mele and Sili. Here's to the beginning of your forever together.

There's nothing like a niece admiring her Aunty's dress and bouquet. I should know, I have 10 of them. So meet my little assistant.

Winner of the Free Photo Shoot

2009-10-03T07:58:00.000-10:00

Thank you ALL for participating. Thank you Thank you. Many of you have already allowed me to SHOOT (with a camera) you and I would be so excited to photograph the rest :)

Ok, are you ready? Breathe in, breathe out and cross your fingers...

I admit that seeing the result made me laugh: Persistence certainly paid off in this case. Congratulations Lacey, I'm certainly looking forward to the graduation session ;)

The winner and ANOTHER GIVEAWAY???

2009-09-28T22:18:00.001-10:00

Thank you ALL for participating. I hope you had as much fun as I did :) Let me first say that I'm glad I didn't have to pick the winner myself. Thank you for your kind words and for so many of you to be so inspiring.

Anyhow, the winner is:

Congratulations to Deanna! You will be receiving your $50 voucher very soon. Enjoy;)

I certainly have to thank Josh from Hawaii photo rental for his generosity. Really, I'm so glad to know that we have quite the resources here in Hawaii.

Now here's to another giveaway. This is more those interested to be on the other side of the camera, i.e in front of it.

What better way to get ready for the holiday season then to take family Portraits right? And yes, I'm talking Christmas Card material.

I'll be offering a FREE PHOTOSHOOT SESSION (of four people max). This, you may keep for yourself or even better give it away as YOUR present to them (Don't worry I have gift certificates and some new-exciting packaging that I can't wait to share, so they'll know you've actually put effort into it). This is a $200 value. Yup, your Mom will like you a little more :)

It can be for a maternity, portrait, senior, engagement, and the list goes on and on....type of shoot. You must know that I will be in Kona, San Diego, San Francisco and Utah within the next four months, so there may very well be a chance for it to be somewhere other than Hawaii. If not, I'm bound to find you at some point right?

Here are the rules: Don't forget to give me some way of contacting afterwards.

What do you do ?

1. Comment below by saying whether you'd like the photo shoot for yourself or a friend.

2. Comment AGAIN and increase your chances by saying which previous shoot/location/post has been your favorite.

3. Comment AGAIN and DOUBLE, TRIPLE your chances by posting this link/giveaway on your facebook/blog/twitter/car/wrist...

What do you get?

A gift certificate for a photo shoot for up to four people to redeem before Dec. 2011- yes, a whole year.

Remember, the more you enter, the higher your chances are right? That much, probably the only thing, I learnt from my stats class. Or BIG ISLAND CANDIES coconut brownies also work ;)

The contest will close this coming Friday Oct. 2nd at (Midnight-ish HST). Good luck to all :)

100th post: 1st Giveaway.

2009-09-24T20:57:00.000-10:00

"I'm so excited .... I just can't hide it..."

Let me tell you of a time when I was preparing for a wedding by scoping out the area a couple days before, only to realize that my little camera would just not turn on.

Can someone say : "PANIC"!!! Yes, definitely panic. Anyhow I got lucky and found this awesome place: Hawaii photo Rental!!!

Needless to say, the wide range of the latest gear, the location and prices certainly saved me and my sanity!!! Simply a lifesaver and such great customer service.

Anyhow: Here's your chance to also benefit...

How about a $50 voucher for Hawaii Photo rental?

Yup, you've read right ( If you're not in Hawaii, just know that they do ship to the mainland).

1-Comment below for your chance to receive that voucher.

2-To increase your chances, comment each time you spread the word on your blog, facebook, etc...

You have until Monday, September 28th at midnight to enter. Good luck and a happy friday to all.

PS: For all you non-photographers... stay tuned for another giveaway very soon.

Arti, Balu and Rish

2009-09-23T07:39:00.000-10:00

Meet our next door neighbors.

Ziona and her tiara... and of course her Bob Marley's shirt.

2009-09-21T19:36:00.001-10:00

Don't be scared, this is not how the whole session was...as a matter of fact this was the last shot of the day. But I was so excited to see this little one again.

Someone will soon be turning ONE!!!

Meagan and Jordan

2009-09-16T11:48:00.000-10:00

Let me share a few of the MANY pictures of those two. What a fun and beautiful afternoon in Hawaii nei. But enough talking... besides I'm sure you'll hear more about Meagan in latter posts.

You can see for yourself how unique and fun those two are.

Guys, I hope these will be the pefect reflection of your stay in the islands.

Something that they did quite often while dating. I admire them, I can hardly walk up the hill of Laie point, let alone bike or carry someone else.

Yup... Sunset+Cruiser+ Gorgeous gal = BEAUTIFUL!!!

Here's one that probably shouldn't be published...but oh well :)

Mele and Sili

2009-09-10T21:16:00.000-10:00

Tashina: Maternity

2009-08-30T22:12:00.000-10:00

Here we go... meet Tashina/Raihau, Keone and their soon-to-be-here baby girl!!! Just one more month and we'll all get to meet her :)In the meantime, I'm so glad they were willing to do this. They certainly are excited - the crib and crib set = BEAUTIFUL!!!

and then I still can't get over this one...

PS: Anybody notice a recurrent theme in the last few sessions???

Preview: Tashina

2009-08-29T21:42:00.000-10:00

Today was a beautiful day. This proves it.

Adios Torrentera's: Family Portrait

2009-08-28T13:27:00.000-10:00