Photography By Charise

There is a new blog in town...

2008-04-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have made some changes to the Photography By Charise blog! I will no longer be posting on this blog at this web address...

I am very excited to announce the new and improved blog located at www.PhotographyByChariseBlog.com. Head on over and take a peek. And, dont be shy...leave a comment and let me know what you think :)

Please dont forget to update your RSS feeds and or Favorites Links. For all of you that currently subscribe to my blog you will continue to receive updates from the new site. And for those of you that arent currently 'subscribed' to the blog, you may do so at the bottom of the new blog page by entering your email addy.

As my 2 year old would say....'peace out'

2008-04-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

About 2 months ago I did a maternity session for Cynthia and Steve. We captured some beautiful images of Cynthia and her little baby bump while having a great time chatting about their sweet baby girl. Not too long after the maternity session Cynthia and Steve came back to the studio for a family session...as we were finishing up the family session we grabbed a few more maternity snaps as Cynthia said she really felt like baby 'A' would be making her appearance sooner, rather than later. Sure enough, no more than a week had passed before I got word that baby 'A' had arrived...about a month early. Through a few scares at the time of delivery and some time in the NICU, baby 'A' is now home and is healthy and adorable as can be!!! She is so tiny and so precious...simlply amazing!

Cynthia and Steve, thank you so much for letting me capture such a beautiful time in yours and 'A's life. I couldnt be happier to have been able to create these images for you guys.

They grow and change so fast!

2008-03-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Having a child of my own I should really know this by now, but for some reason it never ceases to amaze me how fast children really grow. One of my favorite things about being a photographer is when I get the opportunity to see these beautiful children that I photograph change and grow as they continue to come in for new sessions. Honestly, I get this amazing gift of seeing the ever evolving and changing person that they will become....what an awesome thing to be a part of!

This is the second time that I have had the great opportunity to photograph these two cuties. Our first session was around the end of 07, we did a really fun and casual session on the beach and captured some great images for their holiday card. It really seems like just yesterday we were out shooting that session so when Stephanie came in with "E" and "G" I was just shocked at how much they have grown. I mean really, it seems like it was just yesterday!!! "G" is turning into such a little man...sigh...so sweet!!! And "E" such the little girl, she loved putting on my petti skirts and dancing around like a princess...gotta love that!

These two shots are from our session last year

And here are the cuties from our most recent session.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!

2008-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Whew......I just returned from an amazing week in Vegas for a huge Photography Convention (WPPI) What an amazing week! I have come home mentally refreshed, inspired, full of new information, and well to be honest a bit exhausted. By day I attended different classes and seminars, then hit the venue booth and trade show floors to check out all sorts of great products, then off to a few more classes and/or seminars and completed the evenings with some awesome parties thrown by some awesome vendors and other photographers!

On Tuesday afternoon and again at night myself and my good friend and fellow photographer Emma were able to sneak away to hit the Vegas strip for some shooting...we started out just having some fun shooting the normal stuff on the strip.

You know I love me some sun flare....

This is Emma shooting me while I'm shooting her :)

Then we hit the strip again once the sun went down and classes were over

We decided we were on a mission to find us a bride and groom somewhere on the strip that would let us shoot them so we headed across the street to the Bellagio hoping we would find an unsuspecting couple watching the water show.

And wouldn't you know it....we found ourselves the newly married Christine and Kevin, who agreed to let us photograph them...although I'm not too sure they realized what they were in for :) It started as just myself and Emma, and we were soon joined by Melissa McClure and her fiance and Lauren Wright, and soon a few other photographers that happened to be walking the strip...and I even think we drew the attention of some completely random people with their point and shoot cameras as they were walking by, ohhh, and we cant leave out the wonderful people driving by cheering the bride and groom on....LOL....ahhhh Vegas.

In all seriousness, Christine and Kevin were SUCH troopers, so sweet and honestly I cant thank them enough for taking some time out of their big night to satisfy our photography passion. You guys were AWESOME and I will be emailing you soon to get your address so we can mail you your images...thanks again you two!

I also want to thank my clients and prospective clients for their patience while I was away...my Internet service at the hotel was SO spotty and we were on the go so much that getting emails out was super difficult. I have a few galleries that are just about ready for viewing and will be posting a few more sneak peeks tomorrow!

Congrats to my brother :)

2008-03-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

Most of my blogging is usually about my wonderful clients and our recent sessions but today I wanted to give a shout out to my brother as I am truly so very proud of him and his accomplishments.

My brother Mark has been working for FedEx Kinkos for about 10 years now. He started as co-worker, running print jobs, taking customer orders and all that good stuff that comes along with it. He slowly started to work is way up the Kinkos ladder and was recently promoted to a branch manager of the NEW East Simi Valley FedEx Kinkos Branch. Yesterday they had their offical 'ribbon cutting' to celebrate the grand opening so I packed up my camera (go figure) and my daughter, who was really excited to go see Uncle Mark, and captured a few snaps of his 'big day'.

already hard at work :)

Scott (the Branch Manager for the West Simi FedEx Kinkos location) and Mark getting ready to cut the ribbon while surrounded by a few members of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce.

After the ribbon has been cut all of the attending chamber members sign the ribbon

The new store is located on Tapo Canyon right across the parking lot from the Regal Cinemas so next time you need some copies, need to send a shipment, or need some office supplies, be sure to drop by and say hi to him. Ohh, I should add that the West Simi Valley FedEx Kinkos isnt going anywhere...they just added another branch in Simi to make things a little more convenient for all of us.

Jeremy + Melissa : I DO

2008-03-13T02:11:00.000-07:00

Several months ago when I met with Jeremy and Melissa to discuss their wedding I remember us talking about their big day, all the plans they had made and the "what if it rains?". The weather here in So Cal has been so back and forth we weren't sure what to expect. Well their big day came, and there was definitely no sign of rain....it was a beautiful day, the sun made such an appearance that we were actually struggling to hide from it on several occasions :). I was joined by my very good friend and fellow photographer Cheyenne who helped me capture their big day.

Their morning started with a small and intimate ceremony at the Los Angeles Temple, followed by a nice relaxing lunch and mini celebration at the Sheraton Delfina in Santa Monica with their family and bridal party. Shortly after lunch we snuck away for some beautiful portraits (and some fun) at the hotel and at the Santa Monica Pier. After our trip to the pier, we returned to the Sheraton where Jeremy and Melissa had a very touching ring ceremony while surrounded by all of their friends and family. And then of course the big celebration began! It was an amazing day full of fun, joy and love!

**Beware, image overload :)

Lunch and celebration at the hotel before the ring ceremony

a little fun in the elevator :)

some fun on the pier

Jeremy and Melissa had taken dance lessons and had the most adorable first dance routine together....so sweet!

Unique Floral Design + Cest La Fete Events

2008-03-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to do some work with Laurie from Unique Floral Designs and Heather from Cest La Fete Events. Both of these women are wonderfuly talented and put together an amazingly beautiful Moroccan inspired spread to celebrate a special bridal shower. Here are just a few of the images I captured of their event. If you are in need of a florist or an event planner please give these lovely ladies a call, they really do amazing work.

The place settings and favors...

The beautiful table set up

The details and decor...

the yummy stuff...

the beautiful cake was provided by Skiffs Cakes (who makes some KILLER cakes by the way)

The meal provided by the Thai House in Simi Valley

"Happy Birthday little dada"

2008-03-05T22:47:00.000-08:00

My poor husband has been working long hours and very stressful days these past few weeks as his store awaits their corporate audit team. He has been leaving every morning at 5am and gets home around 5pm only to take a 45 min conference call to prep for the next day. Well, today is his birthday, so to brighten his day a little I had our daughter call him to wish him a happy birthday as soon as she woke up. "Hello?" he answered in a flustered voice, "Happy Birthday dada" she said, "lets sing!" And she started to sing happy birthday to him. The two of them sing happy birthday all the time, but its always "happy birthday little Shayna, happy birthday too you" But today she sang "happy birthday little dada, happy birthday to you" It was so sweet, it really just melted my heart. I could tell immediately by the tone of his voice that this one little phone call really made his day. She was so excited that it was daddy's birthday. She anxiously awaited his arrival home from work, knowing she had helped wrap his present in the ducky bag she insisted we used and because there was cake with "candles to blow". As soon as he walked in the door, she ran to him saying "happy birthday, happy birthday, dada!" Well it wasn't too long before it was time for cake. She was just tickled beyond belief that while daddy was in the shower we were going to get the cake ready and surprise him. So as I set it on the island she tells me...."I have an idea", well as you can imagine, any 2 year old that has an idea when there is a cake in front of them...its probably not an idea that is in the best interest of the cake.

The final project of her "idea"

But, shhhh, here comes daddy, lets surprise him......"ta'da daddy"

Singing...."Happy Birthday Little Dada"

"Blowin candles"

OpLove on the Beach :)

2008-03-05T17:20:00.001-08:00

I was so happy to get a chance to hit the beach for a session last week. With the weather being so back and forth from rain to sun you just never know lately. Ohh how I was missing the beautiful So Cal weather! It really was a beautiful day....then to be greeted by the adorable 'Z' and her parents for an OpLove session.....even better! Little 'Z' is so full of personality and energy, I just adored getting to know her. Here is a sneak peek from our session.

'Z' wasnt crazy about the idea of daddy throwing her up in the air when I first suggested it. But after the first or second toss, she loved it and wanted to keep going :). Ohhh, and just a quick PSA, if I do an outdoor session for you, Im pretty much addicted to sun flare so its pretty much a given that you will end up with a fun sun flare shot ;)

When I aked 'Z' to give her her best model pose...this is what she gave me. LOVE IT!

We tried to get a few shots of 'Z' with daddys cover on...however this was her idea of how the image should be made. We even tried to bribe her with a quesadilla! Face or no face, still a super fun capture in my book.

Beautiful Baby Bellies!

2008-03-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was graced with not one, not two but THREE beautiful baby bellies to photograph!!! What an amazing day of sessions it was! I will be back with some images from the third session however here are a few sneak peeks from the first two.

First up is Kristin...such a sweetheart and simply glowing! And we cant forget the new dad to be, smiling from ear to ear with excitment :)

+

And next I shot Breann...Breann and I had a great time during her session just laughing and chatting...and stealing a few shots of her beauty and gorgeous bump in between!

I cant wait for both of your beautiful babies to make their entrance into the world so we can capture their beauty and innocence outside of your wonderful baby bumps.

Check out these BEAUTIFUL eyes!

2008-02-27T00:15:00.000-08:00

A sneak peek from a session last week....and what a session it was. Sweet, sweet "J" has stunning eyes, a sparkling smile and such an adorable personality. And, mom and dad are pretty great too :) The family came to see me at the Photography By Charise studio for an OpLove session as well as to capture some milestone images to mark the 1 year birthday of little "J". We started our session with some captures of "J", then snuck in some adorable family shots, followed by the infamous.....one year old cake smash images! I love when the little ones get into the cake and have such a great time making a mess of themselves while getting down as much cake as their little hands can hold.

We had a great time...and thank you George for your wonderful courage and service to our Country. I hope that these images bring a smile to your face while you are away from your beautiful family.

Megan + Eric

2008-02-22T00:37:00.001-08:00

Love is in the air!! Here is another sneak peek from an engagement session I had the pleasure of shooting on Sunday. Its always so great to get out and photograph a couple that is so in love. What can I say, I'm a romantic and absolutly love shooting these sort of sessions. We started with a breif session in the Photography By Charise Studio and then went on to a great outdoor park. Megan and Eric are getting married next year at The Abbey in San Diego and judging by the fun we had at their engagement session I know that the wedding is going to be a blast and I cant wait!

You guys were so much fun, up for anything ;), and oh so in love. They seriously were such troopers, it was FREEZING back in the mountains but they just went along with all my requests without batting an eye. And a special thanks to my trusty assistant who also froze her butt off for me :)

We made a quick stop on the way to the park to get this shot that was inspired by the amazing husband and wife team that is the image is found, who's work I absolutly adore :)

Happy Birthday 'A'

2008-02-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

For those of you in So Cal, you know we were experiencing some cold weather and rain over the past few weeks (I know all of you people that have 'real' weather would laugh at how cold and rainy it was here ;)), however the sun was shining and we were lucky to have some great So Cal weather for this birthday party at the park last weekend. Such a sweet little girl 'A' is and she is very blessed to be surrounded by some wonderful friends and family. I absolutly loved that she got into her cake and loved every minuted of it....she was like a little pro.

Making her rounds...saying "whats up" to her peeps :)

Time for cake!!

Big sis and a friend of the b-day girl.....AKA The cake bandits

Happy 1st Birthday Little "S"

2008-01-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I joined the "M" family as the celebrated little "S"s first birthday! I photographed this sweet little girl at 3 months, 6 months and now her 1st birthday. My goodness how time flys! I cant believe its been that long already!!! The first time I met her she cuddled up and slept sweetly while I photographed her...this weekend still as sweet as ever but already on the run :) I think shes going to keep mommy and daddy on their toes. Heres a few from the big day.

Jeremy + Melissa

2008-01-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

or is that Melissa + Jeremy??? ;)

Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to do an engagement session for this great couple! We took a trip to Malibu to do some fun beach shots as well as capture some romantic sunset shots! We had a great time, got a little wet in the freezing cold ocean, but all for good reason of course. Jeremy and Melissa were such troppers and up for anything, gotta love that!! I of course over shot and have LOTS of images to edit but Im just having too hard of a time narrowing them down :). In the mean time here is a sneak peek for you....

Be sure to keep an eye out for images from their upcoming wedding in March!

Some BIG news!!

2008-01-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

I am so very excited to annouce the offical launch of the Photography By Charise WEDDING website!!!! The site will continue to undergo new images and and changes as the weeks and months go on but in the meantime feel free to head on over and check it out!

You will also notice that the front page of the Photography By Charise website has also received a little makeover. Just as before, you will still be able to access the Photography By Charise portrait site, the Photography By Charise Blog and the Photography By Charise Client Proofs site, however you will now also be able to access the new Photography By Charise Wedding Photography website from there as well!!!

And of course, don't forget to enter your email address in the subscribe box (upper right hand side of the blog) to receive an email as the blog is updated. And the best part of signing up for the subscription to the blog is that for every "8th" person to subscribe to the blog will receive a Photography By Charise gift certificate for "$20.08" to celebrate the year 2008!

A little give away to start the new year

2008-01-04T20:49:00.001-08:00

As Im working on some changes, additions and new things for Photography By Charise and the Photography By Charise website and blog I thought it would be a great time to have a little fun to introduce one of the first additions. As some of you may have noticed there is a new addition to the blog ------------------------------------------------------->>>>>
I have set up a "subscription" option to the blog...when you submit your email address to the subscription block you will get a quick email notification when there are new posts to the blog. This is a perfect way to stay informed about new events, specials that Photography By Charise is running, new products being offered, contests and raffles and of course getting a little peek at my current sessions.

So, to kick off the 2008 and the new "subscription" option on the blog I have decided to have some fun. In the spirt of 'o8, every "8th" person to subscribe to the blog over the next 2 weeks will receive a gift certificate for $20.08 towards their next Photography By Charise photo session! So get your email address submited and of course this give away is good for anyone and everyone so spread the word on to your friends and family and have them subscribe for a chance to win a gift certificate too!!

Just an idea of some of the exciting things to come in 2008 from Photography By Charise...an open house at the new studio, the launch of the Photography By Charise Wedding website, new print collections, custom photo handbags, custom photo jewelry, new albums and....probably one of the biggest ones.....purchasable DIGITAL FILES!!!!

What a perfect way to start the new year

2008-01-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of photgraphing a beautiful pregnant woman and her beautiful baby bump. Steve and Cynthia, it really was a pleasure to have the two of you in the studio to capture such an amazing time in your lives! Here is a sneek peak from your session and I will have your full gallery ready for you very soon.

Its been a while....

2007-12-31T11:22:00.001-08:00

I cant believe its almost been a month since my last blog post. For those of you that have had sessions with me over the past few weeks you know that December was one crazy month for Photography By Charise. Never-the-less, I thought I should get a quick post up to include some of my last sessions of 2007. All of these wonderful clients have already received their prints however I wouldnt want to leave all of my faithful blog readers without their preview from the sessions as well ;).

We took a quick overnight trip to Palm Springs to visit with my grandparents and my cousin and her family. While there I had the opportunity to shoot my cousin and her adorable kiddos.

Back at the studio I photographed adorable baby "A" for the 3rd time. He is so precious and always a pleasure to photograph!

The little business man himself

Bringing a little bit of holiday "joy"

The Chamorro family traveled to my studio for a nice big family portrait. Here are a few individual shots of the family.

The MacKellar family...I usually just photography sweet baby "P" but for the holidays the whole family came to the studio for a session and then we ran out for some "snow" photos by the christmas tree.

The Alvarado Kiddos....I often shoot little "L", hes the famous "messy one year old" from the cake photos in my studio. For the holidays he brought his beautiful cousins along for some photos.

The "S" Family

2007-12-01T01:14:00.000-08:00

Another spectacular family to photograph. We started our session in the studio with the goal of capturing some 3 year photos of their youngest son along with a few family shots. Little "C" definatley gave me a run for my money, but in the end we were able to sneak some smiles and giggles from him. Our session lasted about 3 hours and let me tell you all three of the kids were such great troopers! After we got some shots in the studio we took a quick lunch break to refuel the kiddos and then off to the park for a few more family shots and some fun playtime shots of the kids. Here are a few of my faves from the session as I am starting to go through the editing process....just look at all the beauty pouring out of this family!

Take 2

2007-12-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of shooting these cuties several months ago and was so happy to have them back in the studio for some holiday pictures this past week. "L" and "H" are always a pleasure to photograph, full of wit and charm you cant help but enjoy their presence. And of course, here are a few images from our session.

A few more sneak peeks

2007-11-29T21:14:00.000-08:00

We are Family! (typed while singing of course :))

You may recognize 3 of these cuties from a past session! I photographed them in the park several months ago and this time we met at the studio for some holiday photos as well as a few with their cousin whom I photographed for the first time at this session. I mean really, how can you go wrong with 4 beautiful girls in the studio? Another fun session filled with giggles and playtime. Having known the 2 older girls since they were just babies I really cant believe how much they have grown up already!

The Garibay Family

I had the pleasure of meeting this family at a recent military picnic I photographed, I only spent a short amount of time with them at the picnic but was able to spend much more time with them during a full OpLove session last week. Oh my goodness, let me tell you that I am SO happy I was able to really meet and spend more time with this great family. Not only are they a pleasure to be around and photograph but the little girls are a blast!!! We danced, laughed, modeled and played...and laughed some more, and probably a bit more. "I" and "N" were just so much fun, so full of life and energy and really loved the camera....which always makes my job a bit easier. As I have been going through and editing this session I cant help but giggle a little more just remembering how fun these girls were.

Holiday Gift Giving

2007-11-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

I have had a few inquiries over the past few days so thought I would post a quick FYI post that Photography By Charise offers gift certificates to assist with your gift giving :) Gift Certificiates can be purchased for a specific dollar amount or for a specific service or item.

Give the gift that will last a lifetime!

Another catch-up post :)

2007-11-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

The M family!
This sneak peek is extra fun for me as it is of my brother and sister-in-law and my super sweet neice and nephew. The four of them came to the studio last week for some family portraits that included one of their favorite things to do as a family...snowboards! We had a great time during our session as well as at a little afternoon playtime for the kiddos.

Hello Cutie Pie!!!
I just love when a new little cutie comes into the studio with that amazing presence that just lights up the room. Little "D" is exactly one of those kiddos. She is sweet, full of life and simply adorable! I had a wonderful time playing with her and taking a few images in between. Here is a sneak peek from our session.

Blog-mania!

2007-11-12T20:22:00.001-08:00

Its been a little while since I have had a chance to "blog" my latest sessions. All for good reason....Im super busy :)~. I have been working very hard and of course long hours to get all my wonderful clients taken care of as quickly as possible. So here is a quick and long post full of sneak peeks from recent sessions.

Up first....

meet jovauna, a new Photography By Charise senior rep!

We had our first session in the studio and followed up with a trip to the beach to capture her at one of her favorite places to spend some free time!

mark + megan

A great couple, tons of fun! They came to the studio for their first "real" pics together. I hope you guys like them as much as I do :)

the miller family

A super fun family that I had the pleasure of shooting last weekend. Their kiddos are so fun and sweet all wrapped up into one. We started our session at a park near their home where I photographed the whole family for some holiday pictures. Then we let the kids play and have some fun while I snapped away. Once the kiddos ran out of steam we traveled to the nearby beach to get some 'engagement' shots for the upcoming vow renewal ceremony of mom and dad. I will have the honor of photographing their vow renewal ceremony early next year so be sure to stay tuned for more of this great family!

the miller family

More Millers?? hee hee....yup, more Millers, just a different miller family
You may remember these cutie pies from one of my previous OpLove session...in fact it is the one that was published in the Ventura County Star not that long ago. Melissa brought the little ones to the studio for some holiday pictures last weekend. We captured some adorable shots of her little ones to package up and send overseas to daddy :)

a picnic full of bravery and pride

I was lucky enough to take part in a very large picnic held for some very wonderful men, women and their families as they are preparing to deploy overseas. I spent several hours shooting close to 100 family portraits! Here are just a few of the brave soliders and their families at the picnic.

miss ashley

A sweet, sweet girl that came to me for some fun holiday photos for her family and a few with her and her good friend mellissa as well. I had a great time at your session and hope you enjoy your images :)

and her friend Mellissa (also a client of mine :))

family ties

Last week I had the opportunity to shoot this wonderful family. They really were a pleasure to photography. Sweet little "D" came strolling in with her purse in hand ready to go and big brother is so adorable and playful. It was apparent that he just adores his baby sister!

miss "P" and her grandparents

Little miss "P" is always such a pleasure to have in the studio. I photograph her about every 3 months or so and never get tired of seeing her cute little face through the lens. This time she came in to see me with her grandma and grandpa for some holiday pictures. I have always thought miss "P" looks like her dad, but seeing her with grandma pretty much confirmed it for me :)

phewwwwww......now how was that for an update for you?!?! Like I said, I have been busy, busy, busy. I promise to try and be better about posting more often and not bombarding you all with so many sessions at once :)

Another heartwarming event

2007-11-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

Myself along with two very generous photographers had the pleasure of photographing yet another emotional and heartwarming fly-in as more very brave and selfless Navy men and women returned from Iraq! Together we photographed 6 families that I have had the pleasure of photographing in the past while the brave men in their lives were serving our Country. In between all the chaos we were even able to capture some of the other families reuniting. Here is just a handful of shots for all of you to peek at. Thank you again to Steve and Julia for getting up very early to come out and capture these memories for these families....I couldnt have done it without you two.

and a very special first time meeting...sweet baby "D" was born while daddy was overseas, this was the first time daddy was able to hold his sweet baby girl in his arms.

8 going on 18

2007-11-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my faves from a recent session with a spectacular young man! He is actually the son of some old friends of mine. I cannot believe what a wonderful boy he has grown into...having not seen him since he was in a stroller this was quite the shocker for me to #1 realize how long it has been and #2 to see what a wonderful boy he has already become. After looking through the images from this session I still cant help but ask...."have you done this before?". Seriously...the perfect "model" almost as though he knew just what to do! Needless to say I had a wonderful time photographing this handsome young man!

Month end contest!!!

2007-10-29T01:25:00.000-07:00

Okay.....contest time again :)
This time around I thought it would be fun to do something a little bit different. Im going to run a "cover kiddo" contest. Below you will see an image from the past few weeks of sessions. Take a peek, pick your favorite kiddo, scroll to the bottom of this post and vote! The winner of this poll with be the "cover kiddo" for the photography by charise blog (replacing the adorable little pumpkin kiddo at the top of my blog) AND mom and dad will receive one complimentary 8x10 print of the image as well. So, get to voting!! The only thing I ask is that you not vote more than once a day.

Kiddo #1

Kiddo #2

Kiddo #3

Kiddos #4

Kiddo #5

Kiddo #6

Kiddos #7

Kiddo #8

Kiddo #9

jon + lisa

2007-10-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to have been given the opportunity to photograph the long awaited wedding of some very good friends, Jon and Lisa! The wedding was beautiful, the bride was stunning and Jon was beaming with happiness and their little "L" was as adorable as ever in his tux! Both the reception and ceremony took place at the beautiful Secret Garden in Moorpark. And of course, here is a peek at a few shots from the wedding. Congrats again to you both!

The new Mr and Mrs....

The whole gang...

The details.....

The celebration...

Holiday Schedule and Deadline UPDATES

2007-10-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post my current holiday session availablity is booking up quickly. And as promised here is an update of dates that are available for weekend sessions.

Saturday, November 10th in the afternoon
Sunday, November 11th in the afternoon
Saturday, November 17th in the morning
Sunday, November 25th anytime

Weekday availability is more flexible, please call for availability.

And of course.....a peek at a shot from a holiday session this week :)

The Morales Boys

2007-10-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

This handsome trio came to the studio for a family session last week. This session was one of my favorites thus far for a very special reason......they are my nephews that were in visiting from Texas. We havent seen them since the begining of the year so not only did I get the pleasure of a great visit and lots of playtime with them but I was also able to sneek them into the studio for some updated portraits of them. We miss you guys already and will hopefully make it out to Texas sometime soon to visit all of you.

Holiday Schedule and Deadlines

2007-10-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

As the holidays are quickly approaching and my schedule is quickly filling up I thought it would be a good idea to let you all know what dates are currently available for those of you interested in booking a session in time for the holidays.

The date for the last appointment to ensure your prints will arrive in time for the holidays is going to November, 26th. That is just a few weeks away so please dont wait to make your appointments. If you are planning on ordering Holiday Cards it is best to choose an earlier date to allow for proofing, printing and of course mailing. Holiday Cards can also be ordered using images from previous sessions if you choose.

As of right now my weekend availability is getting pretty slim, here is a list of available dates

Saturday, October 27th in the afternoon

Sunday, November 4th in the afternoon

Saturday, November 10th in the afternoon

Sunday, November 11th

Saturday, November 17th in the morning

Sunday, November 25th

Weekdays are more open for sessions, if you have a preferred date durning the week please let me know and I can check my schedule for you.

As always, sessions are available on location, at your home or in my NEW studio!

And of course, a post really isnt a post without a pic :) Here is a sneek peek shot from a holiday session earlier this week.

The "T" kiddos

2007-10-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I also had the pleasure of photographing the Thompson kiddos. What sweeties these two are. Big sis just adores her little brother! We had a great time playing at the Park and grabbed some great images in between! Here is a quick sneek peek from our session last week!

3 + 3 = family

2007-10-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to post this next sneek peek of the White Family. The 3 VERY sweet little girls are all biological sisters that have been joined together with the Whites by adoption to make a complete and very loving family of 6. This wonderful family took part in a Celebrating Adoption session with me last weekend. Even after only spending a very short time with the White Family I was able to see how much love this family shares and nevermind how great all of these kiddos are. Little Brother wasnt crazy about the camera but I think we were still able to capture some good images, especially some that really show his great personality. Enjoy your sneek peek!

A very special session...

2007-10-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I along with 3 other photographer friends of mine had the very special opportunity to capture the return of some very special and brave seabees as they returned from their 7 month tour in Iraq. No matter how many times you are lucky enough to be a part of this amazing experience it is never any less special or any less emotional. These families were so amazing and of course overjoyed to see their seabees return safely from Iraq. It is NEVER easy to keep focused behind the camera to capture these very special moments. Im not sure that I could possibly put into words how wonderful of an experience this truly is. Together we shot more than 350 images so its hard to pick only a few to share, but is a sneek peak of a few of my favorite images.

This is the "J" family. You may remember the the adorable kiddos from a previous session I did while dad was still deployed. After our session I mailed a complimentary session album to dad in Iraq, he was so happy and greatful, he kept thanking me when we had this opportunity to meet....as if I am the one that deserves thanks...he is the one fighting for our Country...he is the one that really deserves the thanks. The album is only a small token of thanks from me to him. Kurt, I can only hope that the images I captured for you upon your return mean as much to you as the first session did. Here is a sneak peak from your homecoming!

Now this shot needs a bit of explaination. This is dad with "squirtle" very special friend of his youngest daughter. Before dad deployed to Iraq she asked him to bring along her very favorite stuffed animal "squirtle", he of course couldnt imagine taking her favorite stuffed animal for 7 long months, but she insisted that he take it as it would keep him safe while he was there. Of course, after that request he knew he must take squritle with him. Not only did squirtle go to Iraq but he traveled everywhere with dad, anywhere and everywhere he went squirtle came to. They also played a fun game of find squirtle, whenever dad would send pics home or video he would hide squirtle in the background somewhere for the kids to find in the picture. Dad says that if he deploys again he will be bringing along one of each of his 3 kids toys.

Holiday Mini Sessions are Here!

2007-09-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

Photography By Charise is now officially annoucing the arrival of Holiday Mini Sessions!!!

Holiday Mini Sessions are short and sweet 25-minute studio sessions to capture those great images for your holiday enjoyment, gift giving and greeting card needs at a discounted rate. I will be offering 2 days of mini sessions in my NEW studio! Appointments will be scheduled every 30 minutes throughout the specified mini session dates. Due to the nature of these sessions there will be no background changes or clothing changes durning the sessions.

Approximatly 7-10 days after your mini session you will be provided with a password to access your own personal online viewing and ordering gallery containing 10-15 proofs from your mini session as well as greeting card samples to choose from.

I am offering 3 mini session packages to choose from. Each of the 3 packages include the session fee along with prints, greeting cards or a digital file for printing your own cards and/or gifts. You must choose from one of the three packages to take advantage of the mini holiday sessions.

These packages are all offered at discounted rates specifically for holiday mini sessions and will not be offered for standard full sessions (full sessions last 1-2 hours with 30-60 proofs).

Because of this great deal and the convenience of these sessions they will be scheduled on a first come first serve basis. Due to the anticipated response to this offer it is highly reccomended that you call to book your appointment as soon as possible as space is limited. A $50.00 retainer is due at the time you book your session to hold your requested date and time.

The Dates

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Sessions will begin at 9:00am and will end at 5:00pm with an hour break mid day.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Sessions will begin at 10:00am and will end at 5:00pm with an hour break mid day.

The Pacakges (click image for larger view)

Holiday Greeting Card Samples - please note holiday cards can be ordered from a standard full session at regular price

Raffle winner!!!

2007-09-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

My goodness, my world has been a little crazy the past 2 weeks! Between lots of photo sessions, normal family life and working on preparing for the holidays I realized that I didnt share the name of the raffle winner!!! I actually have some shots of my little munchkin pulling the winning name out of the hat that I will have to post later today. But in the meantime, the winner of the free session is.....

Arlene Curry

Congratulations Arlene!! I will be contacting you via email to set up your free session.

I would also like to thank all of you that entered and watned to let you all know that I will be mailing out the $10.00 gift certificate print credits to the first 10 entrants.

Sneek peek of yet another wonderful family!

2007-09-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Meet three members of the "M" family. These 2 kiddos were so much fun! One a little model and the other a little reluctant in front of the camera but did warm up to the camera after just a few minutes. Jumping, playing with daddys sword (carefully of course), admiring the scrapbook mommy has been creating while daddy is in Iraq...they really were such a pleasure to photograph. Here is a quick sneek peek from our session but of course, be sure to stay tuned for the "reunited" session when dad returns from Iraq creating some true "family" photos in just a few more weeks.

Dont Forget!

2007-09-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

Today is the last day to enter your name for the photography by charise raffle for a free session and a 25% discount on prints!!!

Just email your name and contact info to charise@photographybycharise.com

I've been tagged!!!

2007-09-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been tagged by the wonderful Amanda, of Amanda Prince Photography.... http://amandaprince.wordpress.com/. So here's how it works...I list 8 random facts about me and then tag 8 more photographers to do the same.

8 Random Facts about me....

1. I hate to wear shoes...I go barefoot most of the time but when I must wear shoes flip flops are my top choice. I think I own somewhere around 15 pairs.

2. I am not a coffee drinker but rather addicted to Diet Coke.

3. I curse WAY more than I should. In fact I think I'm going to make a conscious effort to stop that.

4. I have a sick addiction to anything creative. Not only do I love the creativity of photography but here are a few other creative things I have done, embroidery, sewing, tole painting, crocheting, jewelry making, purse making, wood crafts, faux painting...I think that's all.

5. I'm a reality TV junkie

6. 3 of my very good friends and I all have the same symbol for "friend" tattooed on the lower, inner side of our right foot.

7. I once had my tongue pierced but sadly had to take it out a few years ago.

8. My husband and I were high school sweethearts. We meet in 1993, started dating not too long after and here we are 14 years later happily married!

Okay...my turn to TAG some friends.
http://pinkfeetphotography.blogspot.com/
http://appleofmyeyeportraiture.blogspot.com/
http://aglimpseintomyworld.blogspot.com/
http://sweetonyouphotography.blogspot.com/
http://annettes365.blogspot.com/
http://www.eikonphotography.blogspot.com/
http://www.justbeephotography.typepad.com/
http://www.livelovelaughphotography.blogspot.com/

Reminder

2007-09-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

We are getting down to the last few days to enter the Raffle for the free session and 25% discount!

Dont forget to get your entries in before the end of the week.

And to my current clients.....for every person you refer to enter into the raffle I will enter your name into the raffle one extra time!!! Just be sure they mention you name when they email me their entry!

Looking forward to announcing a winner on Saturday!!

The "B" Family on the "B"each

2007-09-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Graced with the opportunity to photograph another wonderful family. The "B" family was so much fun to shoot! The little man wasnt too thrilled with the first portion of our session but once we hit the beach those beautiful eyes of his lit up as his sweet little toes got a good feel for the sand. This was his first time on the beach (while awake) so it was a whole new experience for him. But dont you worry, big sis knows the ropes at the beach, running out to the water and running in as fast as her little legs can take her just before the next waves crashed. She really had a blast running through the water and playing on the beach. Here is a sneak peek from our session...

A little BEAUTY!!!

2007-09-13T16:12:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing the ever so sweet and not to mention BEAUTIFUL little miss "M" to celebrate her upcoming 3rd birthday! Can I just tell you what a pleasure this little sweetie was to work with! Her adorable smile (and even her little smirk) can really light up a room! Here are a few of my favorites from our session!

Black is back!

2007-09-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well I thought I would give a new blog layout and colors a whirl....and after a few days decided it wasnt for me. So Im back to the black, clean and simple layout of the blog. Hope everyone is enjoying the sneek peeks and recent posts :)

Dont forget to email me at charise@photographybycharise.com your info to enter in the raffle for the free session. You can find additional details in a below post if you missed it.

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

2007-09-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

I would like to send a very special Happy Birthday wish out to little miss Pres. I have been photographing her throughout her first year, and I have to admit I cant believe how much she has changed and grown. She is always a a GREAT model for me allowing me to do just about anything I want to her...such a good sport. Although she did throw us for a loop on her 1st birthday shoot as....if you can believe this one....she didnt like cake!!! I was SHOCKED! I will be shooting her family party tonight and will keep my fingers crossed that she is just a cake snob and merely didnt like the cake we had to offer her at our session!

Happy Birthday miss Pres!!!!!

3 months

6 months

9 months

one year

For those that may have missed it...

2007-09-10T15:50:00.001-07:00

As you may have read in a post from Thursday, I let you all know that there was going to be an article in the paper featuring some of my charity work with Operation: Love ReUnited. Now, I knew that there would be shots of me photographing the Miller Family as well as one of my own photos from the Carstens homecoming session...however I had NO idea that they were going to put the story on the FRONT PAGE!!! I am totally flattered and honored to have had such a great article and coverage written about the wonderful work that Operation: Love ReUnited has allowed me to do. Here is a copy of the "Front Page" of Fridays Ventura County Star Newspaper along with a link to the full article that was written on Photography By Charise, Pink Feet Photography and Operation: Love ReUnited!

Click on the image below for a larger view and here is the link to the full story

Just 9 weeks old...still waiting to meet daddy

2007-09-10T00:15:00.001-07:00

I had the honor of photographing precious baby "E" on Friday. "E"s daddy is currently in Iraq and as I can only imagine he is anxiously awaiting his return home to meet this beautiful little girl of his for the very first time. John, I truly hope that when you receive your album full of pictures of your wife and sweet daughter it brings some joy and comfort to you during this time. Here is a sneek peek from our session on Friday.

Its Raffle Time!!! Im feeling generous today!!

2007-09-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

I think its time for a little raffle of sorts....what do you think???

What do you win??? A free, (yes I said FREE) photo session and 25% off of ala carte print orders!

Who is eligible??? Anyone! If you are a current client, a past client or an interested client, or someone referred over here by a friend YOU are eligible! Of course you want to make sure you are in my general area of service or going to be in the area of Ventura County or LA County.

How do you enter??? Its simple....just email me your name, address and tell me a little bit about you and/or your family, you can even include a photo of yourself or your family to be shown on my blog if you are the winner. Please only one entry per family. Submit info to Charise@PhotographyByCharise.com.

When do you enter??? NOW!!! I will keep this open for entries until Midnight on September 21st. The winner will be announced on my blog on Saturday September 22nd (if you supply a photo of yourself and/or your family I will include it with the winning announcement on my blog).

How will Photography By Charise pick a winner??? I will conduct this the "old fashion way". After receiving all of the entries I will print them all out, fold them up, put them in a hat and let my 2 year old pick the winner from the hat :).

How will you know if you won??? I will post the name of the winner on my blog along with a pic that the winner may have submitted on Saturday, Sept 22nd. In addition I will email the winner with a "Congratulatory" email along with all the necessary info for booking your free session.

Whats the catch??? No catch...just feeling generous and playful today.

WAIT! There is more!!! The first 10 people to submit their entries will receive a $10 gift certificate to use towards their next print order with Photography By Charise.

Looking forward to receiving your emails, stories and pics!!! If you have any questions, shoot me an email at Charise@PhotographyByCharise.com or leave a comment below and I will be sure to clarify for you!!! Good Luck!!!!

One more for today...

2007-09-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Just an FYI, be sure to pick up a copy of the Ventura County Star tomorrow, unless a big story breaks of course!! The Star joined me on an OpLove session for the Miller Family a few weeks back and will be running an article on Photography By Charise and pink feet Photographys involvement with OpLove and the OpLove program itself. Featured in the article should include photos taken by the paper at the Miller family shoot as well as one of my favorite images from the Carstens Homecoming session about a week ago.

The Holidays are JUST around the corner...

2007-09-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it?? I am stunned at how quickly this year has gone by! I was on the phone scheduling a new client this morning when I realized I am now booking appointments in October, which means we are getting really close to Holiday Season. I know that I have already discussed Holiday portraits with many of my current clients but would like to remind anyone that is wanting to do Holiday portraits this year to book your appointment ASAP to ensure my schedule isnt too full as well as to allow for enough time to get your prints and holiday cards!

Be sure to keep an eye on my blog for upcoming mini holiday sessions for those of you that want to do a real quick session for personalized photo cards and/or gifts.

Stars and Stripes

2007-08-30T23:37:00.001-07:00

I made a special trip to Santa Barbara to shoot these 2 wonderful families as they await the (at the time) "39 day" countdown to daddys return from being stationed overseas. Both families were such a pleasure to work with and kept me smiling, laughing and on my feet for our entire session. We really had a great time! Heres a sneek peek for you both!

Red, white and blue

2007-08-30T23:30:00.001-07:00

Talk about cuties!!!! These kiddos were so darn cute I could have taken pictures of them all day! Although I think that the littlest cutie of the bunch had other ideas that involved playing in the ocean :) Here is a sneak peek for you Patricia! I cant wait to join you for your husbands emotional return and I will continue to keep my fingers crossed that the newest addition to your family holds out to wait for daddys return to make his or her appearance as well!

Sweet as can "bee"

2007-08-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

I know I always say how great the families are that I get to work with, but I cant help it...its so true! I was able to work with another wonderful military family that was so much fun! Mom is as sweet as can be and let me tell you she and Cory have done an amazing job raising their children they get along great, they all have wonderful fun loving personalities, and nevermind they are gorgeous! I had a spectacular time shooting this family and cant wait until Cory returns from Iraq to do their homecoming session. Im sure that he is equally as wonderful as the rest of his family.

ohhhhhh Stacy.....

2007-08-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

Another little teaser for you...LOL! Be watching your email for your full gallery link tomorrow! :)

An emotional day...

2007-08-27T00:20:00.001-07:00

Today was quite an emotional day, not only for me but for some very strong military families. I had the honor of being apart of Ryan's return from Iraq today. His sweet little daughter just couldnt wait to jump into his arms as she ran towards him as fast as she could. As she and daddy caught up about the recent events in her life she couldnt help but tell him over and over "I love you daddy". It really was so sweet and heartwarming to be part of such an emotional and happy time for this family. Here are a few shots from todays homecoming. And dont forget to pick up the Ventura Star this week where you will get to see an article on Photography By Charise and Operation:Love Reunited, featuring this amazing family as well as the Miller Family.

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And another sweet couple that I was able to sneek a special moment on camera of as well. ;)

Not done yet!

2007-08-27T00:15:00.001-07:00

Yet another amazing wife and an amazing little by awaiting the safe return of their military hero! What can I say about these two other than....what a pleasure to work with and so much fun. This little man was full of spunk and laughs...he really is as adorable as he looks! Here is a sneak peek from our session.

Anxiously awaiting daddys return from Iraq

2007-08-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

I have been so blessed to be able to shoot so many wonderful military families these past few weeks. It amazes me more and more each time I meet a new family how strong and wonderful these families really are. Here is a sneek peek from a recent shoot for Operation:Love Reunited. Stay tuned for the "reunited" shoot of this family in just a few weeks!

Another brave wife...

2007-08-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I had another Operation: Love Reunited Session with Jennifer. Her husband is currently overseas and she is here at home anxiously awaiting his return! Jennifer was so great and so easy going. We had a great time during our session! We shot the session at a park that holds special memories for her and her husband. Hopefully these pictures will bring back some great memories and warmth in his heart!

"Overall Fit"

2007-08-15T14:17:00.001-07:00

After shooting Rachels sweet little girl "I" a few weeks ago I also had the pleasure of taking some shots of Rachel for her new website! Rachel is a personal trainer offering some great fitness solutions. She offers one on one personal training at her in home gym as well as a Workout with Wheels program that allows you to work out while still spending time with your little one in their strollers. Be sure to take a peek at Rachels website and watch for some new images from our recent and upcoming photo sessions for her website.

http://www.overallfit.com/

Another Family on the beach!

2007-08-15T14:12:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to shoot another amazing family at the beach on yet another beautiful So Cal day. A little windy but still a beatiful day. Perfectly fitting for this great family. These boys were so fun and so cute! We really had a great time playing on the beach while I snapped away. Poor baby "H" was so tired that he fell asleep in mommys arms just as we were shooting a few last family shots. Heres a quick sneek peek Aimee! I hope that you guys are at home enjoying daddys return from Iraq!!

Couldnt resist!

2007-08-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Justin and Stacy, I had a blast with you guys on your engagement shoot. I cant wait to get to all the serious editing of your session. But, like I said, I didnt think I would be able to resist taking an early peek. I did get one worked on last night (and a few tonight too...LOL) so I had to share the sneek peak with you :) I will keep you posted and be sure to check back for more sneak peeks very soon!

Class of 2008 has begun!

2007-08-12T22:53:00.001-07:00

Introducing a Photography By Charise Senior Rep! What a great way to get the senior class of 2008 started! I had the opportunity for a senior rep session with this young beauty "C". A great girl, with so much to look towards in her future. Heres a quick sneek peak of our session and "C" I hope you had a great time in Hawaii!!

Beachy Keen!

2007-08-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting a wonderful family of 4 on the the beautiful beach of Malibu last weekend. What a pleasure they were to work with. We captured some great images on the grounds of a local museum and then moved down to the beach for some more casual candid pictures of this sweet family. Little "P" wasnt too sure about the sand in his cute little toes but we were still able to capture the love that this family shares. Here is a quick sneek peek at a few of the images from our session.

Surrounded by sweetness!

2007-08-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Another sneek peek for your viewing pleasure. My goodness, I must admit I have been surrounded by and given the opportunity to take pictures of some of the cutest little kiddos around lately. Here is another cute brother and sister duo that is sure to melt your hearts!

Nancy, be on the lookout for your gallery to be up tonight! Im just putting the finishing "ladybug" touches on some of miss "t"'s pictures ;)

Who can resist this little guy!

2007-08-09T23:13:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of doing a 3 month session of little "A". My goodness how he has grown and changed since our newborn session. He is of course as adorable as ever. He was such a trooper and allowed me to get some really adorable shots of him. Here is your much anticipated sneek peek!

A new little cutie...as promised

2007-08-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the sneek peek I promised of the cutie "I". I cant begin to tell you all what a wonderful little model she was. Followed direction like a little pro. I can definatley see modeling in her future.

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

2007-08-02T00:02:00.001-07:00

I have two adorable little ones that I had the pleasure of shooting just over a week ago that I cant wait to share with you all! However, my schedule has been crazy so I am a bit behind at the moment. My husband and I also took a last minute much needed escape to Las Vegas over the past few days which also backed me up a bit. Dont worry there are more sneek peeks on their way very, very soon!!!

Be sure to stay tuned for another sneek peek of 2 cuties I am shooting tomorrow as well as a preview of a 2008 Senior Rep for Photography By Charise!

Giving Back x2!

2007-07-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

I had my first 2 Operation:Love ReUnited Sessions this past week! I must admit that it was even more fulfilling for me than I imagined. The ability to go out and do something for these wonderful families who sacrafice so much for our country and our freedom is truly a gift in itself.

The first one was with a wonderful family of 4, Dad will be deployed over the next few weeks so we were able to capture some great family shots and playtime with dad and the kiddos. As usual both children were just adorable, the youngest just loved to smile for the camera which is always a plus! During this shoot I was also accompanied by the Ventura County Star Newspaper who will be writing an article on Op:Love and my envolvment with it, they had a photographer on site snapping pics of me snapping pics :). I will be sure to keep you all updated with a date the story is scheduled to run. In the meantime, here is are a few images that really hit home for me from the first session that day.

And the second family, also an amazing group. Dad was to be deployed just 2 days after our shoot so this was really a pleasure to capture for them. Their free spirits and fun loving unity was a wonderful inspiration for our session. The children each had their own distinct personality, the oldest "C" is the joker of the family, he loved to joke and make silly faces, I see the possibility of acting in his future. The middle son "J", an sensitive soul with a great heart and of course the littlest "J" the sweet daughter...she is certainly daddys little girl, you can just feel their bond when they look at each other. You can not help but smile when you are around this great family. Here is a quick peek at our session!

Polka Dot Fun!

2007-07-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Heres a sneek peek of the little cutie pie I shot on Friday! I just loved her great polka dots complimented with her big beautiful eyes and bright smile. She surely has one of those smiles that is contagious!

Take 2

2007-07-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I just shot sweet baby "S"'s 6 month pictures this last week as well. I cant believe its already been almost 3 months since the last time I photographed this sweet little girl. I always enjoy shooting this little sweetheart and believe it or not I think shes getting more and more adorable as time passes. Here is a sneek peek from our session.

Its their "Lucky Day"

2007-07-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Im a little behind in my posting so I wanted to catch up on a few things. On the biggest wedding day of the year 7-7-07, I had the pleasure of shooting backup for local photographer Curtis Huettner of Dream Day Imagery. Together we shot a beautiful wedding at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. The location was amazing, the bride stunning and the groom wasnt too bad either. ;) The bride, groom, bridal party and families were such a pleasure to work with as I get my feet wet into the world of wedding photography. Here are just a few of my favorite captures from this spectacular event.

Somethin' fishy ;)

2007-07-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

I bought a brand spankin new lens last week and I am LOVIN it!!! I have been drooling over this lens for quite some time and finally took the leap and went for it and boy am I glad I did! I was actually able to get my little munchkin in the studio for some fun shots to test out the new lens and the new fish bowl prop. Here is a teaser for now....

A sneek peek

2007-07-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting sweet little "M" on Friday last week. What an adorable little guy he is! So sweet and SO sophisticated! He was the first of my "1st birthday" shoots that didnt want to dig into the cake with is hands but insisted on using a spoon instead. Hes the kind of little one that just brings a smile to your face! Heres a quick sneek peek of some of the images from our session.

Seniors and brothers and cousins...oh my!

2007-07-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting 3 wonderful young men over the weekend. Senior "M", his younger brother "M" and their senior cousin "J". They were great fun! Cousin "J" is in town visiting and going through some tryouts for a possible ice hockey scholarship. From what I hear he is a stud on the ice! Senior "M" is a spectacular water polo player for his High School and his younger brother "M" also a sports nut plays volleyball at his High School as well as the playing the guitar for a little extra fun. Little Brother "M" was so great to play us some great tunes on his guitar during the shoot. Thanks again boys, I had a great time shooting you! Here is a sneak peek at just a few of my personal favorites from our shoot.

The 4th, on the 3rd!

2007-07-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd!!! Okay, let me explain...in Moorpark they celebrate and have their fireworks activities on July 3rd rather than on the 4th. So last night we went to celebrate the 4th, on the 3rd with some friends in Moorpark. Todays pics are just of some of the fireworks from the celebration. But I will be sure to share some new client shots later today as well.

Early Bird Senior Special!!!!

2007-06-27T21:44:00.001-07:00

Hey Class of 2008! We all know that you have to get all dressed up in a pretty dress or shirt and tie to have those run of the mill Senior Portraits taken for the yearbook. But why limit yourself to the same old boring pictures that everyone else in town will have. Think outside of the studio and book a session with Photography By Charise where I spend 1-2 hours with you going to different locations shooting the type of images that really capture who YOU are and what you are all about in your Senior year! And, when you book a Senior Portrait Session with Photography By Charise before Aug 31, 2007, you will receive 1 free 8x10 print of your choice and 16 free wallets (choose from 2 poses)! Call me today to book your Senior Portrait Session.
Visit my website at www.PhotographyByCharise.com, shoot me an email charise@photographybycharise.com or give me a call 805.304.2844. Look forward to hearing from you soon!

Calling Class of 2008!

2007-06-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

I am currently on the look out for some Senior Reps. What is a Senior Rep you ask?? A Senior Rep is a High School Senior in need of Senior Portraits that is looking for some great images at a great price, some FREE prints and Senior Rep cards to hand out to all their senior friends. But wait, the fun doesnt stop there! For every Senior referral that also has their Senior Pictures taken by me the referring Senior Rep will receive free wallets to hand out and include in their graduation announcements. Sound like something you might be interested in?? Well shoot me an email, charise@photographybycharise.com and lets chat! I am only accepting a limited number of Senior Reps so dont wait too long...you could miss out on this great promotion!

Congrats Graduates!!

2007-06-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

My oh my, its an eventful day for me and my camera. I spent the better part of the morning shooting the Valley View 8th grade graduation. What a great bunch of kids! Their pricipal had nothing but wonderful things to say about them. Because I dont have model releases from them I cannot share some of the great images I captured just before the kids got ready to make their graduation march...but trust me, there are some adorable faces in the mix! I can however share one very special boy that I was so very happy to see in the graduating class. I didnt know that "B" was graduating so when they called his name I was filled with happiness for him. I can only imagine how proud his family is of him! Congrats to "B" and the Valley View graduating class of 07!

This evening will also bring another graduation shoot. My camera and arms are getting quite the workout today ;). I will be shooting pre-graduation as well as some misc graduation festivities
at Royal High...memories (that was typed while singing of course). I cannot believe that I graduated from Royal some 12 years ago! 12 years ago...seems like it was just yesterday! I do know a few of the kiddos in the graduating class so upon the okay from mom and dad I will be sure to share a few images from tonights shoot as well as a few of the images I was able to capture in between and during the graduation.

Playing catch up

2007-06-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

Well I guess I should really "blog" now that I have started this thing :) Its been over a month since I began blogging and I only made 2 posts so far. So I guess I have some catching up to do. I have had many exciting shoots during the past month.

Little Miss "P"
What an amazing sport she is for me. She will sit in a giant teacup for 20 minutes at a time and not a peep will come out of her! She lets me put her in all kinds of fun props and positions and just goes with the flow! I absolutly adore shooting this precious little girl! I tested out some new posing ideas with her since I know she is so easy going. Here are a few of my favorite images from that shoot!

Sweet baby "S"
Ohh another sweetie pie. She was also such a good sport. She gave us some great shots wide awake and even took a little nap so we could capture the innocence of such a sweet sleeping baby. I cant wait to see her at her next shoot! Here are a few of my personal favorites from baby "S"s shoot.

Until next time....

The recent events of inspiration...

2007-06-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

The marriage of Matt and Jen
A recent event of a friends wedding brought a wonderful opportunity for me to capture a whole new stlye of memories. I was lucky enough to spend the getting ready hours with the bride and her bridesmaids as well as the groom and his groomsmen. I love, love, love to photograph children, families and wee ones, however this opportunity offered a whole new window of inspiration for me. I had a blast shooting the pre-wedding and of course I couldnt resist snapping some fun candid shots during the ceremony and reception....all done of course with complete respect for their hired photographers. As you can see Matt and Jen truly have "it" that amazing bond and true love. You can just feel the love as he "kissed his bride". Congrats Matt and Jen! And thank you so much for allowing me to be such a great part of your day! Below are just a few of my favorite images from the day...Matt and Jen are an amazing couple so let me tell you narrowing it down to this selection of images wasnt easy!

The first dance....

Time to let loose and enjoy the party...

The maid of honor making her singing debut...

A little "Vanilla Ice"...

Its "L" 's First Birthday!!!

The day after the wedding I had two more shoots. A sweet, sweet almost one year old "L". Ohhh what fun he was. Mom and dad allowed me to have some extra special fun with him and let him dig into a cake of his own in preparation for his cake at his birthday party. His big brown eyes are really just captivating! I cant wait to get the opportunity to shoot him again, he really is such a pleasure to have in front of my camera.

The time has come...

2007-05-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well I avoided it and avoided it but I think its time to give this "blogging" a try. So...here goes nothing!