FIELD OF DREAMS

While in Utah my lil brother Bryan wanted me to take some pics of him with his niece & nephews.  

So I started scoping out different spots to shoot. I kept driving past this field directly behind my sister April's house. I made Anthony go over to take some test shots w/me before we made everyone meet us there. It was such a cool spot! Unfortunately, it took everyone soooo long to get there, I began to lose my daylight (I don't have a big flash for night shots.)



Doesn't the background look fake?

My lil bro and I were arguing about where to take the best shots (we're both bossy & thick headed~guess it's a family trait:) He went running so far out in the field that the pics weren't clear. Eventually he had to listen to me & come closer. Besides, I wasn't going to walk too far out there...who knows if there were snakes! yikes! They were a little nervous too...city slickers!

So welcome to our "Field of Dreams"

Having fun @ the photo shoot!

My sister Amy & her two girls, Ava & Londyn (baby Liam not quite here yet)

 

My brother Bryan, Jullien, Elijah, Josh & nephew Jake 

My middle son Jullien & niece Ava

Bryan goofing off

My youngest son Elijah

My oldest son Josh

My niece Janae

Brother Bryan (he's only 2 years older than my son Josh)

Nephew Johnny

Josh, brother Bryan w/ his niece & nephews, Elijah, nephew Jason, niece Janae, nephew Johnny, Jullien, nephew Jake

Picture perfect spot...but it was FREEZING!

Photo's Before U2 Concert

We received free tickets from my sister-in-laws boyfriend (THANKS VAR!) to a Lenny Kravitz/U2 concert. I LOVE Lenny & was so excited to see him (I like U2 too-but Lenny is just soooo cool & hot!)

Now that I got that out of the way...we did a pre-concert/pre-date night photo shoot. I love capturing the moments before our special outings, when we're excited and anticipating all the fun we're about to have. So here's a few of our pics:

I love him-can you tell?

 

 

Always making the goofy faces...

 

my turn...

 

He's always cracking me up so I guess this is what I'm doing most of the time (watching him to see what he'll do next!)

 

 

 

 I found this top at my fav local vintage store (Dee Lux) for $10.00. It was a little shorter than I like so I just added a black tank under it. Glasses: (Gucci) which I took to my eye doctor & had them made into prescription sunglasses for $100.00 (best $$ I've ever spent!)  I recommend this to anyone who needs prescription sunglasses-take in a favorite pair & have them converted. Jeans: J&Company

(Laurel style) bought 5 years ago at an outlet sale for $30.00. Check out their site-these jeans are so comfortable!

Flaunt Magazine-John Varvatos

Here's a few more pictures from the recent issue of Flaunt Magazine that my son (Jullien Herrera) was in.

The editor of Flaunt magazine, Long Nguyen pays tribute to the incredible designer, John Varvatos in this cool, layed back shoot.



photos by Kevin Amato

Off to LA Today

K, the pics have nothing to do with the story...they're from Christmas Eve, but I finally was able to download them & was anxious to put them up!

Jullien, Elijah & Me (2 of my Boys...missing Josh)

Today I had to drop Jullien off in LA at Alvera St. for a photo shoot. I heard that there was going to be an awesome photography show in Santa Monica so I thought, "PERFECT...I'll go to that and wait till he's done so I don't have to go all the way home & then try to get back in traffic."

I loved the show (PHOTO LA 2010- CLICK HERE)...it gave me so many ideas, not just regarding my photos but also matting & framing. One of my favorite exhibits was the first one I saw when I walked in titled "Created Equal" by Mark Laita. It was a portrayal of people at the opposite ends of the spectrum or similar (i.e. An African American Christian woman & a white supremicist tattooed male prisoner; a fur trapper & a lady wearing fur, vegetarian & a butcher, a dancer & a boxer). It really made you think. We are all created equal...the difference is life choices. It was VERY COOL...I loved the whole concept behind it.

Then I went down to Santa Monica pier & snapped some cool random pics and hung out till Jullien was done. I grabbed something to eat, sat on a bench overlooking the ocean & some fisherman who were directly below me fishing off the bottom area of the pier. A man sat near by playing the guitar and singing a mixture of jazz & 60's music. I leaned back and thought, "This is exactly what I need. I'm always running & racing around with sports, practices, meetings, and work, it felt so good to have no one needing me for a while."

I looked down to see the large crab that the fisherman had caught scrambling around in the metal wash basin. Kids ran over to peak excitedly inside, as the man told them, "Don't touch him...he'll pinch you." Once the kids left, I had to laugh because every time he turned around to fish, a group of pigeons would swarm the basin, trying to get some easy lunch. He was twisting and turning every few minutes to flail his arms at them...it looked pretty funny.

I need to take the family there, they've never been...I wish our pier was like that!

Anyways, Jullien was happy to work with the photographer, Mark Humphrey, (Humphrey Creative), he said he's a really cool guy and easy to work with. He actually did a viral video for the same photographer back in New York...it'll be coming out soon. The designer & photographer really liked him & so they came back to LA to shoot him. Check out the Photographer's work...(He's done a lot of the Budweiser commercials) CLICK HERE.

After he was done, I picked him up and we went down and walked around Melrose & did some shopping. He was getting mad at me because I was taking too long...typical boy. He was supposed to go to a party with his girlfriend and was trying to rush me.

I actually hate to shop too, but I love this Vintage store on Melrose called, "CROSSROADS TRADING CO - Click Here." I bought some cute tops for $8.00 & a black Armani jacket for $12.00! I'm the bargain shopping queen, I love finding cute, funky clothes for cheap. Besides, I can't feel guilty about shopping for myself at those prices.

We left Melrose so late that I thought we'd miss all the traffic, but even at 7:00 p.m. we still sat in it! I could never work somewhere that I had to commute, what a nightmare!

I have to say that it was a really fun day...I always love doing different things. Not to mention getting to spend some time with my son while he's here (heading back to New York the end of this month). I'm definitely not one of those mom's who wants her kids to move out once they graduate. I wish they could live with me forever...I miss not having them all at home. It gets too quiet!

Today's Tip: All mom's should take a couple of days a month to do something for themselves!

New York, Cleaning & Graduation

We have a busy week ahead of us...luckily I finally got my massage yesterday, it was AMAZING! Now I'm ready for the crazy week. Jullien leaves for a quick trip to New York again. He has his last final tomorrow and then on Tuesday he has his MANDATORY graduation walk through. Which means he fly's out on Sat. at 7:00 a.m, may have a photo shoot on Sunday and then a HUGE audition on Monday (can't say who yet because I don't want to jinx it...LOL). Then jumps on a plane Monday evening to be back for his walk through.

I have tons of cleaning to do and I am the world's worst procrastinator. All the family and friends will be coming over for an Open House Graduation party next Thursday, immediately following the graduation ceremony. My house has gotten so out of control that I don't know where to even begin. Do you ever feel like that? You start cleaning and then get overwhelmed and think, "What's the use!" This happens to me just about every weekend. Now I don't have a choice, so Saturday I'll take Jullien to the airport and then come home and get started (window washing, dusting, shredding all the piles of stacked paper...you know, the fun stuff).

Is it time for my vacation yet?

My Cool Birthday Present

Yesterday at work my boss said she's been racking her brain on what to get me for my birthday (Monday, December 8th~not telling the year). She sent me this email:
Hello,
I hope this message finds you well this holiday season. I would like to invite you to my upcoming Kirstography Photographic Excursions. I have 8 excursions planned throughout Los Angeles in December. Each excursion lasts 4 hours, providing plenty of hands-on instruction and time to practice. The cost is $65 per photographer & is limited to 5 people.For further information or to book your excursion, please call or email.
Kirsten L. Levisen
310-980-8581
kirstography@ca.rr.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstography
http://kirstography.smugmug.com/
Sunday, Dec 7th - Holiday Lights @ Griffith Park
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Los Angeles
An evening Kirstography Excursion dedicated to photographing holiday light displays after dark.
Bring your tripod & learn how to control your shutter speed to take long, low light exposures.
You'll receive hands-on training in the following Camera Operations to create better photos.
Control Shutter Speeds:*Fast Shutter Speed (stop-action)*Slow Shutter (blurred motion) Use Camera's "Night Scene" modes Use self timer or remote control Use flash with a slow shutter speed Use a tripod
Location Info:
http://www.dwplightfestival.com/index.htm
Friday, Dec 12th - Santa Monica Pier-Night Lights
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Santa Monica
An evening Kirstography Excursion dedicated to photographing the lights on the Ferris Wheel & other rides on the Santa Monica Pier. Bring your tripod & learn how to control your shutter speed to take long, low light exposures. Twilight is a beautiful time of night to capture all the of the lights & action around the pier. You'll receive hands-on training in the following Camera Operations to create better photos. Control Shutter Speeds: *Fast Shutter Speed (stop-action) *Slow Shutter (blurred motion) Use Camera's "Night Scene" modes Use self timer or remote control
Use flash with a slow shutter speed Use a tripod
Location Info:
http://www.santamonicapier.org/location.html
Saturday, Dec 13th - Getty Villa
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: Malibu
A daytime Kirstography Excursion dedicated to photographing the Roman inspired architecture and gardens of the Getty Villa. You'll receive hands-on training in the following Camera Operations & Techniques to create better photos. Control Lens Aperture: *Long depth of field (architecture) *Shallow depth of field (close-ups) Control Shutter Speeds: *Fast Shutter Speed (stop-action) *Slow Shutter (blurred motion) Compositional Techniques: *Rule of Thirds *Leading Lines *Curves *Compression/Expansion *Low Angle/High Angle View Point *Orientation-Horizontal vs. Vertical
Location Info:
http://www.getty.edu/visit/
Thursday, Dec 18th - Griffith Observatory
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Los Angeles
A twilight Kirstography Excursion dedicated to photographing the Art Deco architecture of The Griffith Observatory & the L.A. skyline. This excursion starts right before sunset & ends after dark. So, bring your tripod & learn how to control your shutter speed to take long, low light exposures. You'll receive hands-on training in the following Camera Operations & Techniques to create better photos. Control Lens Aperture: *Long depth of field (architecture) *Shallow depth of field (close-ups) Control Shutter Speeds: *Fast Shutter Speed (stop-action) *Slow Shutter (blurred motion) *Use Camera's "Night Scene" modes. Compositional Techniques: *Rule of Thirds *Leading Lines *Curves *Compression/Expansion *Low Angle/High Angle View Point *Orientation-Horizontal vs. Vertical
Location Info:
http://www.griffithobservatory.org/vshuttle.html
Saturday, Dec 20th - Union Station & Olvera Street
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
A daytime Kirstography Excursion dedicated to photographing the architecture & activities of Union Station & Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. You'll receive hands-on training in the following Camera Operations & Techniques to create better photos. Control Lens Aperture:
*Long depth of field (architecture) *Shallow depth of field (close-ups) Control Shutter Speeds:
*Fast Shutter Speed (stop-action) *Slow Shutter (blurred motion) Compositional Techniques: *Rule of Thirds*Leading Lines*Curves*Compression/Expansion*Low Angle/High Angle View Point
*Orientation-Horizontal vs. Vertical
Location Info:
Union Station http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Los_Angeles)
Olvera Street http://www.olvera-street.com/html/olvera_street.html

Now all I have to do is pick a day. How awesome is that present?! When I take pictures...I just guess at the settings and hope it comes out okay. Now I'll be able to learn details and the reasons behind it.

It's like learning a whole new language! The best part...it's HANDS ON, which I'm much better at than just reading from a book that doesn't make much sense to me. Now when I take my trip up to Utah on the 23rd, I can take AMAZING pictures and not doubt what I'm doing.

I've narrowed it down to two specific dates, one of the days teaches you the most, but I really need to learn about night shooting (I'm REALLY bad at it), so I'm kind of torn. I think I'll go with the day shoot and just pick her brain about night time settings...I'm kind of pushy that way.
I can't wait...it's the PERFECT gift!!