From Erika's point of view

Dos XXs anyone? ;)

2010-04-20T05:31:00.001-07:00

Yes, this has got to be one of the most fun gigs for me yet! I got hired to shoot a 10 day campaign for the beer company Dos XXs in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! How fun! I was provided with a specialized camera that has a scanner on the top of it. Basically what I do is take out a card, scan the bar code on it and then take the shot. Then every night, I go home, up load the images and then folks take their cards with their own unique number on it, go online and then download the image for free. The fun of all of this is that there are 6 dancers in full costume that everyone gets to take a picture with ...

And this is what the final image looks like ...

Along with free beers (none for us) we hand out temporary tattoos ... yes, I wear one with pride ;)

Here are the guys ... they are such sweethearts!

Two of the ladies dancing ...

Fun right!?!?! Stay tuned as I document our tour all around San Antonio together!

A sweet kitty shot

2010-01-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

I can't tell ya how long I had to wait for this perfect little shot to unfold for me :)

Found a few long forgoten images!

2009-11-10T06:04:00.001-08:00

So yesterday I was plowing through my cd's trying to find an image I took a few years back. Along the journey I found a few other images that I had taken but totally forgot about. Some of these hadn't even been processed yet! How the heck did these get buy me?!!?!?

Enjoy :)

The Bean in Chicago ... loved that thing!

A side street in downtown San Antonio ...

This was taken during a dance recital in Brownsville ... loved it!

And last but certainly not least, I took this shot back in January down in Port Mansfield, Texas. Cant' you just smell the salt in the air!

A few detail shots from Vegas!

2009-10-27T09:31:00.001-07:00

Ok, so y'all have to know that I was going to find time to take some fun shots for me while in Vegas! There was no way that I was gonna pass up on the chance to capitalize on all of the killer photo ops while in Vegas!

Enjoy!

In the Bellagio there was a miniature mock-up of the Bellagio .. too cool!

This was the glass ceiling in the foyer of the Bellagio ... I took this shot with my Lensbaby.

And here it is again with my regular 85mm lens.

A sculpture inside the Bellagio. This was one of those pieces that if you had to ask the price, then you knew you couldn't afford it! LOL!

Wheel of Fortune anyone?

You have no idea how hard it was for me to find a section of seats that had no one sitting at them! Talk about a non-stop busy place!

A Vegas style Bride & Groom!

2009-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Yep ... M&C did it! They got married Vegas style! What fun! They put up the entire wedding party at the MGM Grand Hotel. Talk about a nice hotel!

There was food, drinks, laughter, and yes PLENTY OF gambling going around! Definitely a wedding that none of us will soon forget! Congrats to the fabulous bride & groom! Y'all are the best!

To be wed in two weeks!

2009-10-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

That's right! This giddy little couple are packing their bags and getting ready to say "I Do" in two weeks over in Vegas. And the best part? I get to be there with them with camera in hand! Many congrats to M&C .... I can already hear the slot machines!

Here's a few images from the engagement session shoot downtown. It might have been a misty nasty day, but that didn't stop us from having a great time!

Love, Love LOVE this first shot!!!!

A few headshots

2009-10-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

So last night I got the chance to meet and work with 5 lovely ladies for a quick headshot session at a new pals house. Thanks M, you and your friends were a treat!

NHPO live on Long Horn Radio!

2009-10-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know it, I am an active member of San Antonio's very own NHPO ... that stands for National Hispanic Professional Organization, but the way ;)

This group actively helps to promote businesses grow their business with monthly meetings, dinners and mixers. Last week our group had the great pleasure of being personally invited to be on Long Horn Radio 930 AM KLUP with San Antonio's very own Sonny Melendrez! How cool is that!

And speaking of cool, Marcus did a great job keeping his cool while being live on the air promoting the NHPO ... we were all so very proud of him!

Please feel free to follow the link above to check out the NHPO and while you are here on my blog, enjoy some of the shots that I took at the Lion & Rose where the show was broad casted from.

Tournament is over, but struggle continues

2009-08-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

While the American Wounded Heroes tournament might be over, these amazing veterans still struggle daily with their injuries. To make a difference in their lives, please consider making a donation to this foundation. All Proceeds will benefit Military Support Organizations.

Please make all Donations/Checks etc. payable to the: 2nd Annual American Wounded Heroes Golf Classic in c/o J. D. Damian (Chair)P.O. Box 380691 San Antonio, Texas 78268

The American Wounded Heroes 2nd Golf Classic

2009-08-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

This morning my alarm clock was set for 3:30 am. Why you might ask? Am I crazy? (well, I do have my moments!) No, this morning I was off to shoot the American Wounded Heroes 2nd Annual Golf Classic honoring our veterans at our very own Westin La Cantera.

Besides having a fabulous breakfast and lunch ... besides all of the honorable veterans there was the great committee members, vendor tables, sponsors, volunteers, live & silent auctions, the color guard and great golfers the day was a fun filled treat for all witch gave me some great images to capture.

Here are some of my favorites from this great event. Be prepared for image overload and as always, Enjoy!

Rosie & Cory are married!

2009-08-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have had the pleasure of working with this fun couple for a little over a year and last night was the wedding day that we have all been waiting for! It was a perfect day with a perfect couple! What fun! Congrats to you both ... as always, y'all were a blast to work with!!!

Such a cool shot!

2009-08-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

While working a wedding last weekend, my favorite photography assistant found this little scene. She took it with her camera and regular lens ... I took the with my camera and my favorite toy lens, The Lens Baby!

What a find! Thanks for showing this to me S!

Here's my version ...

Congrats to Juan & Yesenia!

2009-07-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I flew down to Brownsville to shoot the wedding of Juan & Yesenia. (Actually, as I type this I am still in Brownsville!)I have been so fortunate to call their family dear friends over the past several years and as usual I had a blast!

The wedding was flawless, the family was so happy and the bride and groom were so in love! What fun!
Check out these great shots! Congrats to the bride & groom!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A fun shoot for me!

2009-07-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

This week I finally got the opportunity to shoot an Austin model, Carly Morris. Her producer/friend and I have been working for over 5 months trying to get this shoot scheduled. With the help of my friend and Makeup Artist, Christy, we all rocked this session out.

As you can tell from the photos, it was well worth the long wait!

A sweet newborn!

2009-06-12T03:19:00.001-07:00

These are some of my favorite shoots to do! I shot the wedding for J&R last year and a little less than a year later they are back in front of my camera ...plus one! What a treat! Congrats to you both!

I introduce to all baby S ... isn't she just the sweetest?!?!?!

A Class of '09 graduate!

2009-06-12T03:12:00.000-07:00

This good looking guy is the nephew of a sweet pal of mine. He came into my studio last week with his grandmother and let me tell ya ... they were the sweetest pair! And the pics? ... see for yourself .... WOW!

Congrats to you Mr. V! Just check out the range of his looks!

OK, so I had to take him outside for a few minutes! Those glasses were just too cool to not play with!

Today with the NHPO

2009-06-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had the pleasure of shooting for the San Antonio branch NHPO at the beautiful downtown Palm restaurant. Today's guest speaker was the informative Jessica Leach of ECI.

Her topic today was "Stand out from the crowd. Tips for getting the job that you want" and let me tell ya, if you ever wanted help on updating your resume or perfecting your interviewing skills, this is the lady and company that you want to go see!

This gal came prepared with her full presentation notes, dry erase board, info flyer's, plus note pads and pens for all the guests. And the food? Don't EVEN get me started ... all I can say is WOW!!!

Here's a few shots from today.

The lovely Jessica herself ...

A great wedding!

2009-06-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

I know, I know ... it's been like FOREVER since I have posted anything! (This post is for you Betsy!)During my blogging absence I have still been shooting ... luncheons, babies, high school seniors, maternity and of course weddings ... lots and lots of weddings. Unfortunately life has been keeping my unavoidably distracted.

But, never fear, I am back and better than ever. And just to warn ya, if you have been missing those little email notices of my posts being published, don't worry ... I plan to make up for lost time! BIG TIME! LOL!

So, to jump start this soon-to-be blogging marathon, let me share with ya some pics from this weekends wedding that I shot! Congrats to J&S!!! ... Y'all were fabulous to work with!!!

Get ready for image overload! ... hey, I've got lots of posting to make up for! ;)

Look who's one!

2009-04-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

This little doll just turned one and I have had the joy of shooting through out his entire first year. Every time I get a camera in front of this little guy he acts like a pro! He's so mild mannered, happy and most importantly he always makes eye contact with me. Gotta love that!

Oh and to the mom and dad, I got a chance to steal away an hour today after the shoot ... gotta love that too!

Happy birthday baby JD :)

A perfect wedding!

2009-04-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yep, yesterdays weather was perfect. The ceremony location was a dreamy 78 degrees and the couple was so giddy in love!

Here a few of my favorite shots from this wedding couple ... congrats and thanks J&C ... y'all were great ... the supper was good to ;)

The 6th Annual Celebrity Dinner & Auction!

2009-04-14T07:29:00.001-07:00

The date was April 9th. The location: the AT&T Center. The reason: benefiting the San Antonio Kids Exchange. The experience: AWESOME!

That's how I felt about the Celebrity Dinner function! The Mission of San Antonio Kids Exchange (SAKE) is to protect children by providing a neutral place for them to maintain contact with both parents while coping with their parents' divorce, separation, or family conflict. The reason for the dinner was to raise funds and awareness for this great program.

As the title implies, the waiters were all local (and a few national) celebrities ranging from NFL Players, Spur team members, ESPN broad casters, local news casters, pageant queens, a Survivor cast member, San Antonio entrepreneurs, the Chief of Police, city councilmen, the DA, our Senator, County Clerks and more judges than you could wave a gavel at ... WHAT A BLAST!!!!!!!!!!

Get ready for image overload ... this event was too fun not so share lots of images with y'all!

Here's my logo being displayed on the big jumbo tron. How fun it was to see that!!

There was plenty of great food, wine and deserts to go around for all!

There was a silent as well as live auction ... talk about loads of stuff to put on your wish list!

The live auction was hosted by none other than T-Bone!

Our very own San Antonio Spurs Player Mr. Sean Eliot posing here for some of his good friends from the Law Offices of Sinkin & Marvel. I will have you know that myself and the two people on each side of Sean are standing on chairs just so that we could be at eye level with Sean ... he is so mega TALL!!!!!!!

Mr. Marc Cross, the General Manager of Jordan Ford Motorcars in San Antonio.

Judge Ron Rangel, 379th Criminal District Court. Yeah, he was a blast to be around!

Mr. Dick Tips, owner of the Historic Fairmount Hotel in San Antonio ... thanks for the pin Mr. Tips! ;)

The oh-so lovely Kellie Patterson (co-host of Great Day SA for KENS 5) working hard to sell her beads for the greater good! You go girl!

These two judges, Judge Peter Sakai of the 225th Judicial District Court and Judge Richard Garcia of the Children's Court were having an absolute blast .. their laughs and energy was nothing less than totally contagious!

Our very own San Antonio Spurs player, Bruce Bowen was the Master of Ceremonies taking a photo op with the fabulous award winning Weekday sports Anchor for News 4 WOAI, Mr. Don Harris. And standing to the far right is the sweet Sam Hurd, a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys!

Yep, there were a lot of autographs going around ... it's a wonder that Bruce didn't get cramps that night!

Chief William Mc Manus and Judge Sol Casseb III of the 288th Judicial District Court got to chat with the lovely Mrs. Shandria Seybold (Mrs. Bexar County 2009) and Mrs. Desaree Vega-Stevens (Mrs. San Antonio 2009)

I caught the Justice of the Peace for Pct.2, Place 1. Mr Judge Steve Walker getting a bite of something that he didn't like! Tee Hee! I just had to share this great expression will you all!

(Love your Walker Report buddy! ... how do you always post before I do!?!?!)

Gotta love moments like these! Mr Bruce Bowen & Nicolas "Nico" LaHood, a Criminal Defense Attorney and a magistrate Judge.

Ok, so I'm not always behind the camera ... and besides, Ernesto Ancira, Jr., the president and Chairman of Ancira Enterprises was such a treat to hang out with!

Plus, the man could sing too! Actually, I think he was getting the tip in his pocket just to get him off the stage! Just kidding with ya ... Ancira sang the most incredible Italian Ballad ... SWEET!

Judge Tim Johnson of the County Court No 5 had the chance to work with Mr Greg Simmons who is the Sports Anchor for KSAT 12 just long enough for Greg to run off to his sports desk ... talk about a busy man!

The Honorable Judge Gloria Saldana of the 224th Judicial District Court was waiting with Mr. Eliot Garza, the publisher of NSIDE Publications in San Antonio.

And lastly, Ms. Rita Verreos who appeared on the Survivors Fiji show was hanging out with San Antonio high school graduate, the sweet Priest Holmes, former Kansas City Chiefs NFL player.

Now, see, wasn't that worth looking through all of those photos!?!?! What a fun filled night! Thanks to all who supported the SAKE and congrats to them for having such a wildly successful event! These are sooooo many other folks that I could share with y'all but I know that you need to get back to work now ;)

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

May your Easter baskets and homes always be to small and your families always too big!

The IADT Fashion show!!!

2009-04-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

Now, let me tell ya, THAT was a blast to shoot! I'm a little behind on posting about this April 2nd event because I have been so swamped with work here. Not to mention that I am still processing through images of 29 designers, 30 models and over 150 different fashion looks!

In a word ... Yes, it was a jam packed night! And as usual me and my favorite video producer Mr. Brandon Santiago of Monkey Toes Film, screen writer Ms. Vivi Gregg and our two favorite team members Jeff and Scott rocked out this night!

So what is IADT? It is an anagram for "International Academy of Design & Technology" ... a college located right in San Antonio that helps students earn a degree in graphic design, fashion marketing or merchandise management.

The theme for the April runway show was 1940's old Hollywood and it was presented at the Norris Conference Center in Crossroads Mall! How Cool! What was even more exciting is that the runway show was co-hosted by San Antonio's very own Bridget Smith of KENS 5's Great Day SA PLUS Mr. Nick Verreos of the 2nd season of Project Runway! I told ya it was a cool night! Those two were so much fun to watch together!

OK, enough talk ... lets see some pictures. Now please forgive me that I'm not giving the designers credit for their looks ... I'm just still trying to weed through everything just to make heads or tails of all of the images! There are just soooooooo many different looks that were on the runway that night!

Here's Mr. Santiago with our pall Jeff filming Miss. Lisa Benton (remember her from the Wild Game Dinner?). Lucky Lisa got to pull double duty this night ... first as show host and second as runway model! Fun Fun!

Now here she is on the runway! Stunning!

Oh, I could go on and on showing you this stuff! What a night to remember!

Meet Torchlight Tech

2009-04-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Torchlight Tech is an Information Technology (IT) consulting firm servicing San Antonio, Austin MSA, Houston, and the Hill Country and I was given the distinct pleasure to shoot these guys this weekend and get to know a little bit about the guys behind the knowledge.

Don't let these super geeks fool ya. Besides being unbelievably smart and cutting edge at what they do, this trio is the sweetest bunch of guys you could ever hope to work with. Plus, they have such an easy going GQ look about them to boot ;)

I present to you Jason, Mayo and John ... the trio behind the info!

A little view of my home town :)

2009-04-06T13:35:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a little visual slice of my home town and the Tower of Americas ...

Kinda neat huh!?!?! :)

A hidden little treasure!

2009-04-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

So I'm going through the pics from my latest engagement session that was downtown and I found this little gem of a picture. I almost forgot that I took this one!

Silly me, because I think it's a killer shot!!!!!

Ah, to be in love!

2009-03-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

This morning I had the great pleasure to shoot one of the sweetest engagement couples ever ... they were just so stinking cute!

The temperature was a crisp 39° when we got downtown this morning, but as if they were true models, I didn't hear one complaint from this thinly dressed couple ... way to go J&S .... ya'll were GREAT! There were so many great shots that I captured this morning ... it's hard to pic just a few to share with everyone ... ah, to be soooo in love ;)

Told ya we got some great shots!!!!!!

Fish anyone?

2009-03-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

So yesterday my husband made this dish that is called 'Sea Quail' ... it's actually the throat of a red fish that is cut to almost look like the breast of a quail, hence the name sea quail.

It isn't a terribly hard dish to make but it's just not a common dish to serve. It is however, some seriously good eating though!

I bet these pics will make you hungry for fish ;)

They are brother and sister!

2009-03-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

This brother and sister pair was such a treat to work with. I can honestly say that they were the sweetest pair of kids that's been in my studio in a long time!

The session was actually supposed to be a head shot gig but the dad had seen this style of picture on my website and wanted to know if I'd re-create the look with his kiddos. (Portfolio head shots are not supposed to look anything like this!) As nice as those kids were I said no problemo!

You can just see the kindness in these faces! Great job to ya both M&M! I hope y'all had fun!

Meet the Gerber Baby!

2009-03-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well ... sorta! This little man may not be the actual Gerber baby but he sure could fill in as a double!

Isn't baby A just the cutest!?!? Tongue and all! ;)

Somethng different from me :)

2009-03-17T10:56:00.001-07:00

If you live in the same city as I do then you know all about this mornings weather ...FOGGY! Man, that stuff was crazy thick!!

After the kiddos got dropped off to school I eagerly jumped into the car and took my camera downtown to play in the fog. I took all kinds of photos but this last set of my morning walk proved to produce my favorite image.

Yeah, I know this is kinda different for me ... but I really like it. What to you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me have it .. I can take it ;)

Seeing sun spots!

2009-03-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so a few years ago I did something by accident and I loved it so much that every spring I try to do it again on purpose. I got me one of those silly air-brush tattoos on my back and that very same day I had gone out to a pick nick in the sun (yes I used sun screen) … got sun burnt .. the whole thing. But the coolest thing was when the black 'tattoo' came off I was left with this BAD-A$$ ghost of a tattoo! Totally frigin awesome!

So this year I wanted to do it again and have my hubby try and take some shots of it. Let me tell ya, trying to teach my photography-illiterate hubby how to shoot my signature hard-shadow shot was no pick-nick ... and then the close up with my 85mm 1.2 ... sheesh ... I almost need another vacation!

Be honest ... what do y'all think?

Headshots for a sweet family

2009-03-14T10:47:00.001-07:00

Today I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and shooting the Obledo family. The mom, daughter and son are wanting to get into acting and needed some head shots. So together with my pal and makeup artist Michele Ahlsweed of La Calisto, we rocked out the session.

I've got lots of editing to do and some mega family time to catch up on so I can only show you one of the shots from the session for now. Isn't this mother of two a knock-out! Great job P!

Follow my cats' lead ...

2009-03-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Follow my cats' lead and try to have yourself a lazy weekend :)

And to all of you fellow Spring Breakers ... have fun, take it easy and most of all be safe.

Many Hugs, E.

Any pool players here?

2009-03-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

While on location for the Gridiron shoot, my pal and I had some downtime so I asked Patrick the manager at the Fox & Hound if we could set up some pool and drink shots and here's what I came up with.

Why did I shoot these? Because I could ... never let a photographer get borred with a camera in hand! ;)

The Antonian Wild Game Dinner

2009-03-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

So this weekend I got the great pleasure to re-shoot the Antonian HS Annual Wild Game Fund Raising Dinner ... what fun! I have personally attended this event as a general-admission patron three times and I was asked to actually shoot it two years ago.

This year I was asked to shoot it again! What fun!

All you can eat wild game food (no domesticated pigs, cows or chickens served here at all), all you can drink, all you can smoke, live auctions, silent auction and loads of raffle items .. oh and let's not forget, all the good times you can handle! Heck yeah! I've got about 600 pics to process still, but I just wanted to post a small teaser about this event and I also wanted to throw some big hugs and thanks to my pal Brandon Santiago of Monkey Toes Films.

While I was talking to him about getting invited to re-shoot this event he immediately chimed in and volunteered to shoot a live promo reel too if the school was interested. Keep in mind, my services (and his) were all being done pro-bono as this annual event is the schools big fundraiser of the year.

So what did the school say when I asked to bring in a film crew? .... ABSOLUTELY! Too cool!

Keep yer eyes posted for shots from me and film from him ... together with his darling host Lisa Benton and my hubby as my assistant, we ROCKED IT OUT!!!!!!!

Oh, and here's the film crew, Lisa Benton, Brandon Santiago and me .. my hubby is the one taking the shot :)

A breath of fresh air ... sort of .....

2009-02-27T12:21:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!!!!!!!!! Yesterday was like a breath of fresh air for me kinda .... even if I did get some more bad news about a friend and a family member (I'll get to that).

One of my dearest friends and fellow photographer, Dennise Landgraf, flew up from Brownsville on Thursday to attend a photography seminar called Tots 2 Teens (which by the way was AWESOME!) and then spend the night with me and my family. What a treat! ... I am pooped but refreshed at the same time! KWIM?

That day started with me baby sitting my grandmother while my mom went to the hospital for her last eye surgery follow up. My hubby had to pick up my gall-pal and drop her off to me at the house. Not 5 minutes later after the drop, my mom gets home only to say that the new eye looks good but unfortunately the Dr's want to now go in and operate on the other one ... like, in the next 2-3 weeks .... joy .. here we go again.

So after getting that lovely little slice of news, my friend and I had to quick make tracks back to my house so we could grab a bite to eat, get dressed and have a much needed head shot mini-session .. we both needed to update our pics and there was no time like the present!

After that it was quick off to the Gunther Hotel at 4pm only to get out of the seminar at 11:45 ... yes, it was a loooooooooong one! Realizing that all of that sitting makes one's tummy get hungry we went over to have a late night nacho supper (gotta love Mamma Margies) and finally ended up back home after one in the morning ... sigh, I'm tired just thinking about it all!

To make my evening even more eventful, I left my friggin phone at the house (Yet another Erika-ism) and a few of my friends were left without a call back from me ... so sorry guys, you know I love ya both!

Off to bed we go only to jump back out just a few hours later so that I could get her airborne by 8am. Oh, and did I mention that my little girl came up sick during all of this?

As this Friday winds down and I'm sitting with my sicky-pooh girl and I'm stuck just starring at all of the things that I was sooooooo inspired to get done today :)

Having D come up and attending the seminar was just the jump start I needed to get back into my oh-so powerful groove, and it all came to a screeching halt with my sick little goose ...

sigh ....

life ...

what a ride :)

Oh, and here's one of the shots that D took of me !!! LOVE IT!

The mom made me do it!

2009-02-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, baby Max got to come back into my studio and mommy had a very specific set of photos that she wanted ...

No explanation needed, just remember that she made me do it! ;)

Welcome Baby T!!!

2009-02-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

This little guy had such a great photo session .. and I was totally shocked! normally I strive to do any newborn sessions early in the AM when they are fresh, but this time mom and dad could only make it for a 7PM start time.

So in a word, YES I was worried! But little baby T put us all to ease ... perhaps I should think about dragging new parents out to my place later at night more often .. it's not like they are getting any sleep anyways with a newborn in the house!

Congrats to Kim & Abram ... your son is a true blessing!

Man ... I gotta say ... this first image was literally the last shot of the night and it is soooooooooooo my favorite one! You did good A!

Ok, so mom brought in the bow and I think that it was the perfect size and color ... and the perfect baby ;) ... well done!

My new headshot :)

2009-02-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

So I needed to have a head shot done because a friend of mine did an interview of me for her pay-it-forward type of blog. (I'll post the link to the article once it is online).

These are the four that I'm gonna let her chose from. My family and friends have already spoken up on which shot is their favorite ... which one would you use for the article?

Oh, and before I forget, a great big hug and thanks to Chasity Furse of Studio 423 for taking the time to do these for me. You are the best :)

A personal note to all ...

2009-02-13T15:01:00.001-08:00

As many of you may have noticed, I have apparently fallen off the face of the earth and I can absolutely understand many of your frustrations with me. Phone calls and emails have not been returned and many prints & products have not been delivered in my typical timely manner. I would like to first and foremost apologize to all those that have been wondering what has happened to me and the previously prized customer service and friendship that you have been accustomed too.

Over the past several months my family and I have been riddled with several major health and mental crisis’s and as a result of everything I have been unavoidably unreachable and distracted … and for that I truly do offer my sincerest apologies. Public confessionals has never been something that I was fond of, but in all honestly your valued friendship and loyal business deserves nothing less from me.

Alas, there has been a glimpse of peace and life at the end of this long dark chapter in my life that will joyfully result in the “Business as usual’ mentality. So, on that note, if you have been waiting for a print, product, service, phone call, email .. whatever, from me please take comfort that come 1st thing Monday morning I plan to finally (and quite thankfully) return to the world of this photography business that I love so well. One by one I will answer your emails, phone calls and requests. I only hope that at this point you can take it on faith that nothing would mean more to me than your love and continued friendships.

Love, E.

I got to shoot a Red Carpet event!

2009-01-17T13:32:00.001-08:00

Yep, that was a first for me and I had such a great time. Thursdays Premiere Event was made to present NBC's Friday Night Lights opening show for Season 3. This show was featuring San Antonio's very own Gridiron Heroes which is a spinal cord injury foundation whose mission statement is to provide immediate, as well as, long term resources and support to individuals sustaining a catastrophic spinal cord injury through activities associated with high school football. The foundation is providing awareness and funding support for these great athletes and would be most appreciative of your donations. Please click on the link to share your support for their great cause.

Our very own local Fox & Hound pub hosted the pre and post VIP parties while the Red Carpet event and screening was at the fantastic Palladium theaters in the Rim. My night was surrounded by local and Hollywood celebrities, actual Grid Iron Heroes, major sports figures, producers, publishers, media and lots more!

Before I show you any of the photos I want to give some major thanks to Brandon Santiago of Mokeytoes Film Productions for inviting me to tag along with him to this event. And as for the photos that I took, none of them would be allowed for you to see if it weren't for the generous permission of Mr. Israel Sanchez of Learsi films. Words can not express how grateful I am to these guys for allowing me to have this experience .... y'all are the best!

Oh, and now for some of the images that I took that night! You might even recognize a few folks!

A daddy and his little girl.

2009-01-14T10:48:00.001-08:00

Ok, now how great is this shot! This couple brought in their sweet little girl that arrived a little more than 10 months after I shot their wedding. As usual, my M&M couple (tee hee!) were just a laid back and easy going couple ... and so was baby C :)

We found out that this little lady just loved being swaddled. (hopefully mom and dad can use that to their advantage and catch some zzz's!)

My Wish for You in 2009

2008-12-31T18:35:00.000-08:00

(Thanks Terry!)

My peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $1000 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

May the problems you had forget your home address!

In simple words ............ May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

What a way to bring in the New Years :(

2008-12-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

For those of you that I have been in contact with, you know that my son had a nasty case of the flu leading up to Christmas. Well, he was able to shake off the fever just in time to celebrate Christmas with our families.

This week, my loving son gave my daughter his flu, so as of today she is on day three of 101.9 fever that wont stop. (Around here I teach the kids to share everything ... I guess they took it literally this time!)

On top of that, yesterday I had a tickle in the back of my throat ... today those tickly spots have turned into blisters ... yuck.

What a way to bring in the New Years :(

To all my friends and family, stay healthy, stay safe and have fun for us on this New Years Eve!

As for me, I'm gonna try and do what a sweet client of mine said ... "Leave the flu in 2008!"

I'm having a session archival sale!

2008-12-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

Why am I doing this? To be honest, because I can and because I have had so many requests for this that I know you want it! So here's the scoop on the deal ...

You will have the chance to by all the images that you were shown from your session burned as full sized jpegs (AKA Digital Negatives) onto a printable DVD Rom from your first session with me. If you had multiple sessions, you can purchase any additional session DVDs.

To take part in this special offer simply email me letting me know which session you would like to purchase a disk from and I'll send you info on the details and pricing.

Remember, I am doing this to clean up my studio filling space, so all of my files are getting archived and sent to an off-location storage facility by the middle of January. What does that mean to you? Basically it means that you have only until Friday Jan 9th to place your request and finish your payment before my office is cleaned out ... so don't delay!

Will I do this again next year? Who knows .. let's see what happens this year first ;)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here's to wishing you a great Holiday spent with family and friends ... from my family to yours, Have a great season!

So you think you are busy these days?

2008-12-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Try being this couple! Christmas is on Thursday, the baby will be induced on Saturday and they should be bringing baby home by New Years Eve. Whew! Now that's busy!

A touching phone call.

2008-12-12T09:27:00.003-08:00

This morning I was pleasantly surprised and treated to a most unexpected phone call. It all started last year when I met sweet Mandy B. at a networking event. When she found out that I was a photographer, Mandy jumped at the chance for me to photograph her oldest daughter who was soon to graduate from High School. While we were at the photo session (which was awesome, I might add) Mandy told me about her other daughter who was a few years younger than the senior I was shooting. According Mandy, her other daughter Shelby has always shown an interest in photography. Mandy went on to tell me that it would be so great if I would consider letting Shelby come along with me for some photo sessions just so she could get an idea of what it was all like.

Well, as many of you know, if I’m shooting on location for either a portrait session or an event, I will always try to have an assistant with me. So, fast forward a bit to my next session, I gave Mandy a call and asked if her younger daughter Shelby was truly interested in tagging along with me. And much to my delight, little Shelby jumped at the opportunity! Not only was she willing to help me out during my shoot, she was quite the little sponge and was taking in everything that I had to share with her. Now mind you, I could talk all day about photography to my friends and family, and most of the time there eyes just start to glaze over with boredom (yes, I can talk about photography that much ) .. But not Shelby! She took in everything that I had to say even if it did not truly apply to her preferred style of photography. And since that first successful and fun event together, I have gladly called her back to help with many more sessions and events. Some were paid jobs and some were not, but that never stopped her from being a great student.

And you know what is the coolest thing, she has always listened to every tip and trick that I can possibly share with her. From there she applies it to her own budding photography style, but she skillfully makes it her own. It’s one thing to learn from someone and simply re-create that same look and effect, but it’s completely different to apply that knowledge in a different way. Shelby takes all the knowledge that I share with her and makes it her own. That’s the true mark of an artist in my opinion!

So, now back to the phone call. It’s been almost a year since I have had the pleasure to meet and begin mentoring Shelby, and this morning her mom Mandy, called me. Not to book a session, not to ask if I had any more sessions for Shelby to assist me with, but just to say “Thank you” for sharing all that I know and for inspiring Shelby to learn all that she can. Wasn’t that the sweetest thing?!?!?! My eyes are still welling up with pride and Mandy sure made my morning with that unexpected phone call… and I don’t think anything will take this silly smile of my face all day!

If you’d like to see some of Shelby’s photography works, please take a moment to check out her MySpace profile and be sure to leave her some love. She is quite the budding artist and I am oh so very proud to call her my friend :)

Fa La La La La!

2008-12-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

Well, today's post is on a personal note ... get ready for it ... I'm gonna do it ... I'm gonna brag on my kids! :)

My son and daughter (1st & 2nd graders) are both in their school choir and today they got to go on a field trip at two places! How fun! The first stop for the singers was at a retirement home where they were paid in candy bags for all their hard work (and they were paid quite nicely I might add!)

The second stop on their musical adventure was the newest HEB plus at the old Mc Crelis mall where they carolled the busy shoppers ... that kinda puts a new twist on the phrase "Dinner and a show" don't ya think!

Here's a few shots of my babies singing their hearts out!

And now for a fun shot of some of the classmates. Great job to everyone!

Today's newborn session!

2008-12-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Yep, Kim & John got a chance to bing thier new baby to my studio ... what a great session! Meet the families newest little pilot ;)

A pair of cousins!

2008-11-29T06:47:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's not often that this brother & sister pair (aka my cousins) make in front of my camera! Their mom is wanting to order herself a Gina Alexander My Everything Tote featuring her kids in their team uniforms ... these are gonna be awesome!

Aren't these guys great looking!!!???!!

From my family to yours ...

2008-11-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Baby Max made it to my studio!

2008-11-26T14:16:00.001-08:00

This little guy was perfect for his big modeling debut ... he didn't pee, poop, fuss, cry ... nothing! I have gotten so lucky with these last few babies in my studio ... of course, now I've probably just jinxed myself!

Anywho, here are a few images from our studio session!

I've gone FRUITY!!!

2008-11-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

Made ya look didn't I! Seriously though, this Friday I had the great fun to participate in a conceptual photo shoot. The talented vidoeographer, Brandon Santiago of Monkey Toes Productions wanted to produce a promo real for marketing and he had this idea to put together quite a team. After reserving the top lofts of Pat O'Brien he filled it with a make up team, a hair team, a group if clothing design students and me the photographer. The overall theme was fruit! The videographer wanted wild, funky, edge anything goes for this look! And the best part was that I could shoot them any way I wanted ... What fun! The wardrobe team sewed the clothes right on the spot, the makeup group had a case full of goodies and the hair team was working with all of the fruits. The models were so easy going and totally willing to let the teams do whatever they wanted to do :)

It was a long and exhausting day, but oh so worth it! Tell me what ya think!

Strawberry girl, aka Allison Martinez

Kiwi girl, Erin Peterson

Orange model, Lisa Puchot Pineapple girl, Courtney, Justcie

Blueberry model, Wida Suttisamnt

Berrys, Melissa Pagan

Told ya it was a fun shoot! :)

Anyone have a blond wig I can borrow ASAP?!?!?!

2008-11-20T13:49:00.001-08:00

I need to borrow a blond wig for a photo shoot this Sunday ... I've been busy with sick family & friends and I just have not had time to get one ... if you live in San Antonio and have a wig, I'd be very grateful if I could borrow it ... just contact me asap if you have one! Thanks :)

No more hospitals please :(

2008-11-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

OK, so within the last two weeks I have been going back and forth to the hospitals like crazy. One of my trips was to see a newborn ... clearly that was a great trip! Then there was my good friend that was hospitalized for several days ... thankfully she is home now and on the mend.

But now there is my parents .... BOTH of them that are requiring trips back and forth :(

They each have their own long-drawn-out reasons for the frequent visits, and unfortunately those visits promise be constant and regular through the New Year ... joy ... frankly, I'd be happy to not see the inside of another hospital again for a long time. Not to mention that for every day I'm the family driver, I get just that much further behind on my work ....

.... is it vacation time yet? :)

Two handsom boys in one day!

2008-11-17T04:36:00.000-08:00

Yep! I got the joy of photographing two good looking boys on the same day. The first little angel was less than 24 hours old! He took his sweet time making his grand entrance, but it was oh so worth the wait! Meet baby Max :)

After that great hospital visit I had to rush over to the Botanical gardens to shoot another handsome little boy! This guy has been infront of my camera several times over the last few years, and as always, he's a dream child to work with! ... plus he's sooo easy on the eyes! We had a great Mother/Son session! Enjoy :)

In the words of Snoopy ...

2008-11-16T06:25:00.001-08:00

TEE HEE!!!!

I was shown THIS site with great free blogging back grounds, I just HAD to change mine :)

For the longest time I have been wanting to modify my current oval logo to incorporate a bee especialy since I use the letter 'B' for my company name ... hopefully this will get me motivated!

Let me know if you love it ... or not ;)

Can you believe it?

2008-11-13T06:19:00.000-08:00

Do you realize that we are exactly two Thursdays away from Thanksgiving Day? Sheesh, where the heck does the time go? Weren't we just celebrating Easter last month? LOL! ;)

I haven't even finished putting away the Halloween stuff yet and they are already playing Christmas music on the radio!

Don't believe me? If you live in San Antonio, turn your radio to 101.9 .....

.....

I'll wait .....

........

.......

TOLD YA SO!!!! :)

Remember your Vets!

2008-11-11T05:07:00.001-08:00

I know I will today!

My husband and I both come from a family with a long history of serving in the military and I can never go through Veterans Day without thinking of them! From my grandfather who was a prisoner of war for over 3 years to my husbands grandfather that served two tours in the war and thankfully they both make it home safe. Plus, to all of our family members that served in between, we love and remember you all!

Order a Holiday Gift Certificate!

2008-11-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

Not sure what to give this Holiday season? Afraid it will be the wrong size or wrong color? Well, you can’t go wrong with a Gift Certificate for Erika B Photography.

Give your friends and family the gift of memories this year by purchasing them a private portrait session! Or, have they already had a recent session with Erika? No problem! You can purchase Print Credits so that they can pick and choose those final prints that they have been saving for!

Contact Erika for details and rates today and as always, spread the word!

Many thanks, E.

Look who's One!!!

2008-11-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already been a year since this little guy was having his first ever photo shoot in my studio!!! Where the heck does the time go? ... and I'm sure that his mom, aka my niece, asks that question a lot too!

We took this little guy out to a local hot spot location, and as if in perfect que he was all over the place! It's been a while since I tried to photography a running toddler, and now I remember why I always get so tired .. and dirty! This little guy could mooooove! But with a little planning, some dirty spills and with the assistance of a great baby wrangler (ie, the grandmother!) I was able to snag a few great moments. Enjoy!

Isn't this face just the cutest!!!

And the winner is ....

2008-11-05T09:39:00.001-08:00

The Lewis family! They generously donated a whopping 42 ... that's right 42 CANS! As promised, the family that donated the single most cans to my Food Bank canned drive will get a complimentary 10x13 wrapped canvas from me ... just for being so awesome!

I would also like to thank all of my other loyal customers that jumped at the chance to be a part of this great drive. Together we all raised 75 cans! Thanks a great number, but there's more to come! Some of my families could not take their family shoot in the month of October, but they did wonderfully commit to bring additional cans to their November sessions! You know who you are, and you know that I love that you are still wanting to contribute even if you can't qualify for the canvas! :) Once I get these last few donations I will be inviting the Lewis family to join me in delivering our cans to the food bank ... be sure to keep your eyes posted for photos from that!

Again, congrats to the Lewis family and thanks to all that participated. I promise to do this successful drive every year for as long as I have your continuing support!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T04:47:00.000-07:00

From our family to yours, we hope that everything goes great for you today!

Some sweet wedding images.

2008-10-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Two weekends back I got the chance to second shoot for my fellow photographer friend Chasity Furse of Studio 423 photography. The wedding might have been small and put together quicker than most, but the bride and groom sure didn't skimp out on big style!

Just check out some of these shots that I was able to get ...

I just love the reflection and her crossed leggs here!

YEs, I soooooo wanted her shoes! How cool are these!?!!!?

Something different :)

2008-10-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, for those of you that keep up with my blog regularly, you know that I don't normally do the following ... I'm gonna share with you an awesome video on YouTube!

Be fore you think "No thanks, not for me", just think of how often I do this .. or rather, how often I don't!

Trust me when I say that this is AWESOME and it's sure to put a smile on your face and a warmth in your heart ... just keep watching!

Click HERE to see the video!

.....

BTW ... thanks Shelby, we could use more things like this to share in the world! :)

Less than two weeks left!!!!!

2008-10-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

That's right, come Thursday of next week my killer Holiday Portrait Special will be officially over. So spread the word or book your session but what ever you do, don't let this great opportunity to take a photo and help a cause!

(Click on the big black&blue counter to see what I'm talking about!)

Motherhood ain't for sissies!

2008-10-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Tee Hee! .... Made ya look didn't I!

Before you think I've gone off my rocker, that phrase was written on the sign that my pregnant pal brought to her photo session today! She's always so fun to be with and that sign just drives home the notion of how fun she is to be around with and today I got to meet her hubby for the first time ... what a fun pair they make!

Today's' maternity session was supposed to be in my studio but when mommy-to-be showed me this cute little sign, I knew that I just had to take them outdoors ... even if it was only for a few quick minutes ;)

Isn't this sign just the cutest!?!?!? Thanks Jos!

And here she was down town!

2008-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

As soon as D showed me her dress and boots that she brought along for the down town photo shoot, I knew exactly where i wanted to take her! We practically had to run just to get there on time before I lost all of my beautiful light, but it was oh-so worth it!!!!

Another Hair & Make-up model!

2008-10-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

This gal is a sweet friend of mine. She's not a model, but DANG!!! She sure could be! (Love ya D!)

This is the second gal from my first ever hair & make-up sessions this past weekend with my pal Amalia Cantu. And since this session was mostly about the make-up I took a very "In your face" approach. Thanks for looking!

My lovely little model

2008-10-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend on top of a family wedding and a big friend's party, I had to work in my studio too. A very talented (and friendly) make-up artist named Amalia Cantu come over to my studio to do some model head shots of five girls. Since one of the models was running late (no big surprise there) the artist played with my little girl for a bit. And as you can tell, she just hated it! ;)

Sheesh, when the heck did my baby girl grow up on me?

I'll post more of the 'real' models as I can get to them, but first I need to catch up on my weddings!

Don't forget to spread the word!

2008-10-10T07:45:00.001-07:00

Be sure to let your friends, family and co-workers know about my great Holiday Portrait special! They can get a great family photo session for the holidays while helping out a great cause at the same time! The end of October will be here before we know it and you don't want to miss out on the chance to win the drawing for a great prize for you and your friends!

Just be sure to let them know that my discounted discounted sessions are only good thru Oct 30th and our donations will be delivered shortly thereafter! According to the San Antonio Food bank, these are the most needed food items:

Peanut Butter-Cereal-Tuna-Beans-Rice-Macaroni and Cheese-Chili-Canned Stews-Canned Soups-Canned Luncheon Meats-Full Meals in a Can/Box -“Pop Top” Food Items

So help me spread the word and lets get those cans rolling!

Teresa & Tim are married!

2008-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last night was the fun and elegant wedding of Teressa and Tim out at the Castle Avalon. This couple was so in love and so happy to have this day that it seamed that everything brought a smile to their faces! With such a fun and crazy wedding party to celebrate the event, the bride and groom definitely had an awesome and unbelievably memorable night that they will always cherish!

Here's a few pics of the beautiful bride ... she was easily the most incredibly laid back and easy going bride I have ever had the pleasure to work with! (Thanks Teresa, you are the BEST!)I'll share more pics after I get a chance to go through all of them ... even the unexpected extra images ;)

Talk about a dream session!

2008-10-04T05:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is a rare thing to photograph a 7 month old without any hitches, but yesterday I did! I took one of my favorite families to the Botanical Gardens and we had the most absolute perfect weather ... I just love this time of the year! My little model was just the cutest little thing and he was in a perfect mood for picture taking. We got so many great shots out of him!

Just check these out ...

Just look at his little smirk here! This kid knows he's got it good ;)

Oh yes, I think it's safe to say that the grandparents are gonna hate me :)

A repeat family!

2008-10-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

This weekend I got the distinct pleasure of shooting this sweet family again! I first met these guys about 5 months ago for a summer family photo session. That session went so well that the dad said he'd be bringing them back for their Holiday portraits and he sure did ... thanks Herb!

It was nice to see the kiddos again! They always make for a fun photo session ;) Here's a little peak at the adorable ... and fast kids!

The oldest who is quite the ham, not to mention a handy little helper .. thanks buddy!

The younger brother who is always so serious :)

And this little angel wasn't even walking the first time I met her. Now she's practically unstoppable and adorable to boot!

I got back in the studio!!!

2008-09-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo! I got to get back into the studio for a maternity shoot tonight, and let me tell ya, it felt GREAT!!!! My models were the sweetest couple I could have hoped for, Kim & John. They are friends of a past client of mine (thanks Marisa) and I was so thankful that they thought of me when it was their turn to welcome a new baby!

Just check out these great images ... being back in my studio was very much like riding a bike ;)

The oh so kind (and helpful) dad-to-be ...

Don't they make a great looking couple!

Mommy-to-be has such a slim figure ... it's just not fair ;)

And yes, I finally got to do some more reflections shots! I just never get tired of these!

It's almost wedding time!

2008-09-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

Yep, and it is my last wedding of the season ... thank goodness! Don't get me wrong, I love doing weddings, but it will sure be nice to have a break for a while. I'm not sure I remember what sleeping in late on a Saturday feels like!

Any whoo, this weekend I will be shooting the wedding for Teresa & Tim over in New Braunfels at the Castle Avalon. I've never been there but I so totally can't wait to get there! (Hey wait, isn't it the the bride's job to feel this way! LOL!)

A few weeks back I shot their engagement session. And in this couples true form, they wanted to include their three wonderful kids. They were sooooo easy to work with! Just check out these kiddos from oldest to youngest ....

Oh, and let's not forget the soon-to-be happy Mr & Mrs! See y'all soon!

A sweet Hill Country wedding!

2008-09-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the distinct pleasure of revisiting one of the sweetest wedding places possible called The Canyon Lake Ranch. The coordinator, Carrie is a complete doll and she was kind enough to invite me back out to the ranch to shoot another sweet wedding under the oaks ... what a perfect setting that was!

Oh, and what about the wedding party? Well, let me tell ya, when the bride Camille told me that it was going to be short and sweet, she wasn't kidding! I was in and out of there in no time but that didn't stop me from capturing some great shots! Enjoy :)

Since the ceremony was outdoors, the couple had a great sand jar ceremony! The big jar was filled up by the bride, groom and their two children to be cherished for ever!

Gotta love the bubble tradition!

This little beauty was the flower girl, maid of honor and a ring bearer all at once and she did it all in perfect stride. Just check out those eyes! SHEESH! What a knock out!!

Now her brother, aka the best man and the other ring bearer was just as awesome at his job ... and here we go again with those eyes!

And I soon found out that beauty runs deep in this family! This bride was as beautiful as she was humble and gracious ... and sweet .... and tall ;)

Now Camille and the kids didn't take away the grooms thunder ... just check out the quiet love on his face here! (PS, Very nice job at taking directions Russell!)

And of course I had to take a totally 'my style' shot ... but it was oh-so worth it!!!

Announcing this season's special!

2008-09-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s that time of year to start thinking about taking your family portraits so that you can have the prints ready to mail out in your Christmas cards!!! Do you realize that as I type this, it is only 90 days till Christmas!?!?!? YIKES! It will be here before we all know it.

So in light of the upcoming holiday rush I am offering a very special offer called The BIG BAG SESSIONS! Normally my weekday family session fee is $250 but for the entire month of October I will be offering Mini 30-minute sessions for only $50 … but there is a catch! In order for me to give this big break on my sessions fees you have to give something back …

CANS!

Lots and LOTS of cans!

On behalf of Erika B Photography we will all be giving the Food Bank our generous donations of canned goods this season (and yes, credit will be given to each family that makes a donation). PLUS, just to make sure our donation is big and wonderful, I will be keeping track of the amount of cans that each family donates. On October 31st I will announce on my blog all of the individual family donation amounts and the one that generously donates the most will get a FREE 10x13 wrapped canvas print from their photo session (Reg $250.00)! Plus that family will get to attend me as I make my trip to the Food Bank just to see first hand the good that we all did together.

But wait! ... There’s more!!!

You can even get your photo session for FREE if you commit to buy at least one Gina Alexander product of $125 or more from your photo session (along with your generous canned donation)!

And don’t think that the spirit of giving ends there! NO WAY!

For each family session that you refer to me, I will put yours and your friends’ name on a card for a special drawing! On October 31st, if I draw your name, you and your friend will receive a FREE Gina Alexander Small Cosmetic bag (Reg $75.00 each)! So, the more friends you send my way the more chances you have to win a special treat for you both!!!!

Whew, that was probably the most I’ve ever typed at one time here on my blog!!! But, as you now know, it was well worth it! So, bust out those calendars, dust off your address books and lets get started! Photo sessions will be available October 1st through the 30th … sorry guys, weekend sessions are just not available, but with great deals like this, I think we all can MAKE time for a weekday shoot ;)

I have FREE tickets!

2008-09-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have free tickets to next weeks South Texas Industrial & Construction Show. It will be held at the Freeman Coliseum Tues the 23rd & Wed the 24th from 10-3pm. I will be assisting my videographer colleague Brandon Santiago of Monkey Toes Productions at his booth for both days so be sure to contact me to grab your VIP pass and come say HI to us!!!

Oh, and if someone you know is in the industrial or construction business, please be sure to pass this info on to them ... they will be glad you did! See ya there!

The Gina Bags Holiday Deadline!!!!

2008-09-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

This is my public service announcement for the day! ... The deadline for ordering the Gina Alexander products is November 10th for guaranteed holiday delivery. Be sure to schedule your photo session and place your order before time runs out!

Wish me luck!!

2008-09-13T19:01:00.001-07:00

This past week I got wind of a photo contest for the magazine called F-Stop and this month the theme is Focus. Well, since you all know how much I love my Lensbaby, I decided to limit my submissions to nothing but my Lensbaby shots. The prize for this contest is a new Lensbaby (the step up from the one that I have), a write up in their October issue and some serious bragging rights. This is not by any means the only photo contest that I have entered my images in and hopefully I will do just as good as I have in the past!

I don't call myself a Prize Winning Photographer for nothing ;)

Wish me luck!

We were allowed to enter up to 12 images ... I entered 10 and they are as follows ...

Brian & Morgan Box!

2008-09-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the wedding of Morgan and Brian Box and let me tell ya, the day was absolutely perfect! The weather was picture perfect,the River Rock Ranch venue was beautiful and the entire wedding party was a blast to be with. Between Morgans infectious laugh and Brian's crazy groomsmen, I can honestly say that I have never laughed so much at a wedding party! What a fun group! The only thing that I didn't like about the night was that it had to come to an end :)

Here's a few of my favorite images that I'd like to share with you!

Run baby run!!

2008-09-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

I took my kids downtown this weekend to enjoy a car show in front of the Alamo. Now THAT was cool to see! There were cars from the 1920's all the way up to our current time ... this must be the week of flashbacks for me! This is about the 3rd shot that I have the pleasure to attend and because of them I have created quite a collection of car pics to add to my library! I took all of these with my very favorite and very specialized Lens Baby, which you all know by know that I LOVE this little lens!

First, let me start off by showing you a shot of my daughter ... kids just can not resist the urge to run through a flock of birds ;)

And now for a few of my stock car pics ... :)

An Event at La Villita square

2008-09-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the rare opportunity to shoot a corporate event for The San Antonio Education Partnership at San Antonio's' charming La Villita square .. what a treat! Sure, it rained on an off the entire week leading up to the event and yes, it even rained for a bit in the morning while the vendors were trying to set up. But, as if on queue the clouds parted, the water dried out and the open air square became the perfect backdrop!

The theme for this party was "Flashback for the Future" and the decor for the night was fittingly 1980's ... WHAT FUN! Guests were entertained with a live band that played nothing but 80's music (Talk about a walk down memory lane!). The tables were decorated with the cutest little glow sticks and Rubik's cubes. The great tasting food was all American with roast, hot dogs and mini burgers. And just to make sure that our Texas roots were not forgotten they opened the night with a class act mariachi band. And no flash back would be complete with out a sparkly clean Delorian parked right out front!

Can you tell I had a good time too ... man, I'm getting dangerously close to showing my age here ;)

Check out these B2S Supplies!

2008-08-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

B2S as in Back To School and can you believe all the supplies kids need now-a-days to start off the school year!?!?! It's just crazy! All of this stuff belongs to my 1st & 2nd graders and hopefully the teachers wont spring another list of needed supplies on us come Monday morning! It's times like this that I am so thankful that we only have two kids!

Whoo hoo! School is almost here!

2008-08-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it!?!!? Monday is the first day of school! And yes, I can honestly say that I think I am more excited that my kids are :)

It has been a long and busy summer and I will need all the kid-free time to catch up on my processing work. I've got so many slide shows, albums and images to process that it's gonna take me an entire month just to get back up to speed.

But, with all of that in mind I am also going to use the quiet time to re-evaluate my business plan. This is something that I do every fall and every time I do think about things I begin to make some changes ... for the better I hope ;)

First and foremost I am going to dial back the amount of weddings that I take on next year. Don't get me wrong, I love working weddings but I don't enjoy all the time that it takes me away from my friends and family. Working almost 10 Saturdays in a row this summer really took a tole on me, my equipment, my family and not to mention my neglected house chores! Also, all of the time that I needed to devote to these wedding couples took me away from my devoted portrait customers. To those of you who know who you are, I am so very sorry for playing phone and email tag with ya and I have vowed to never let that happen again.

So, with all of these things in mind, by business plan is going to go through some major restructuring, re-pricing, re-scheduling and some fun re-vamping! Keep your eyes peeled and I'll be sure to let you know what is coming up soon :)

The wedding went great!

2008-08-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, the Monday after Jennifer and Roberts' wedding and I'm still smiling! Everything was great and I got some killer shots! The newlyweds are off on romantic cruse and won't Be back for a week ... I am so jealous! So even though they wont get to see these pics for a week I can still share them with all of my friends here on my blog. Thanks for looking and enjoy :)

Another day, another wedding!

2008-08-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Yep, today is a day for another wedding ... Jennifer & Robert! I've been working with these two for several months now and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to tonight's wedding! These two are so laid back and relaxed ... today should be a great day! Here's a few shots from the engagement session held at the Botanical Gardens a few months back.

Introducing Robin & Michael!

2008-08-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

These two are by far the coolest couple that I have worked with during this wedding season! Talk about a laid back pair that enjoy a laugh or two ... and their families are just as fun! The sweet wedding and reception was held entirely at the awesome Ft Sam Houston Golf Club and they could not have asked for a better place or better weather!

Here's a few of my favorite images from the engagement session, the bridal portrait and of course that day. Enjoy!

Revisiting Lauren & Beau

2008-08-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

As promised I am back to share with you some pics from my La Cantera wedding featuring the sweet couple Lauren & Beau. There were so many great photo opps from the great details, beautiful bridesmaids and darling flower girls! In fact, I got so many great shots that I thought it would be best to share them in this simple rolling show ... Enjoy!

My cousin is married!

2008-08-10T07:31:00.001-07:00

And he picked the most awesome gall! When they announced that they were gonna get married I insisted on shooting the wedding ... NOBODY was gonna mess up their wedding day pics! Here's a few of the bridals and wedding day detail shots. Isn't she just a doll and complete knock-out!?!?!

Love ya both!!!!!

I am asking for a favor :)

2008-07-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I am here to ask you a favor. As part of a personal project I would like you to take a moment and think of 5 words that you think describe my personality. No, you do not need to pass this on, you do not need to wait for me to reply back and no, your computer will not self-destruct in 30 seconds if you don't post your 5 words :)

Like I said, this is a small self project that actually relates to my business (Don't ask!). And don't rack your brains ... just type down the first 5 things that describe my personality (Not my body .. I already know about all my grey hairs and wrinkles thank you very much!) Thanks so much for doing this for me!

Seminars & Workshops Galore!

2008-07-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!!! What a ride! That's the best way that I can explain how the last few days have been for me. First off I got lucky enough to got to a very small and intimate workshop with the fantastic John Michael Cooper, A.K.A. The Godfather of Trash the dress. Talk about a great experience. This talented guy was a bundle of energy and excitement that could talk 90 miles per minute ... and it was so awesome to be able to hang on for the ride as he shared with us his views, philosophies and creative insights!

Next, only a few days later I got to attend a totally inspiring seminar hosted by none other than Mr. David Jay and the beautiful Jasmine Star! What an inspiring pair those two are! They are so hyped about what they do and more over they just can't wait to share with you their insights on the photography of business and how everything works together. What fun!

As I am typing this it is after 1 in the morning and I STILL want to learn more and reflect on what I have learned in the past few days! But, since I have to get some much needed rest, I'll just have to call it a night and share more with ya later!

So for now, here's a quick shot I asked to take with David Jay himself! What a treat to get the chance to stand next to such greatness ;)

Another wedding!

2008-07-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

And this one was so much fun! Everything ran on time. Everyone was genuinely happy. The families were a dream to be with. The wedding coordinators were on their best game. The folks at the Westin La Cantera were awesome. The bride and groom were in love!

Can you tell that it was a great wedding :)

Here's a quick shot that I grabbed of the couple at their rehearsal dinner which was held at the Guenther House ... now THAT was a great meal! I'll share more pics as I can get to them.

Lady in Red

2008-07-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

Cool title for a great image, don't ya think! This is another great image from the Buda Baby session. I could have shot this sleeping little one all day!

The sweetest sisters :)

2008-07-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

These lovely ladies were just a dream to be with and talk too. You couldn't ask for a better set of girls to work with ... and don't they just look so stunning in the morning window light!?!?!?!

Beautiful Buda Baby!

2008-07-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is from today's newborn session. The Mom & dad are very into Asian things and brought in this Buda wall thingy and asked if I could use it at all ..

... umm... HECK YEAH!!!!!!!

The red Chinese symbols spells out the baby's name (That was my idea and thankfully they loved it!)
I'll share more as I can get to editing them .... this family was a total dream to work with!

New Products!

2008-07-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Yep, it just goes to prove that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Check these gorgeous collages out! Thankfully my kiddos were willing models for this series :)

I will start offering these soon as high-end gallery wraps and let me tell ya, they are just stunning in person! If you would like to have one of these made from your photo session don't hesitate to contact the photographer today!