Sillyheads... every last one of us.

A "friendly" game of tug-of-war

 

*** southlake, keller, DFW photographer ***

I traveled back up to some beautiful property in Southlake, Texas for a shoot this last weekend.  I had never captured this family, but they really liked how their friend's pictures that I had done last year turned out, so we used the friend's property again! :)  After a week of chilly, rainy weather, somehow the photo gods were smiling upon us that day... it was warm and in the 70's.... just gorgeous.

Mrs. G had just undergone shoulder surgery (and thus didn't really want to be a part of the shoot), so I took the girls and their super cute and energetic dog, Nolan, out for some pictures on the road. 

 

The funny thing is- to get Nolan to hang out with them after this shot- we had to keep throwing his bone away from the camera.  Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hands and get and throw the bone myself. I quickly realized, though... you have to ask him for it.  There is NO taking it from him. :)

I offer as evidence, a game of tug-of-wr between him and the girls... 

 

 

And guess who won? 

EVERY TIME!!!

 

"Ahhhhhhh...... Victory. Again."

 

Since Nolan wasn't letting anybody else win, we went off to do some things that only mammals with opposable thumbs can handle. :)

 

And finally got their gorgeous Mom to get in a few...

 

 

Thanks, "G" family!  It's days like this that make me love shooting on location! (Please, remind me of this in January...;)

EXACTLY!!!!!

Families always ask what to wear when we do photo shoots- and I try to explain to them what works/what doesn't... no all white shirts, prefer no black shorts either... and the results dont always seem to work out. Usually, they're just fine, but this time, it was... how shall I say.... PERFECT!!! 

 The "L" family met me on a cloudy day, and when they walked up, I was like a proud, giddy parent!! :)  How great are their outfits???  (Note the stylish purple theme, but not overdone? LOVE.) I saw Mrs. "L" a few days after this and she was again rocking some sweet shoes... I've decided she is my new style inspiration.  (No wonder- she owns a hair salon! Super style gal! www.tanglesandco.com )

 

 

And check her out with the perfect hat! (mom and sis had em too....)

 

 

 

And yes, the outfits WERE great, but the good looks dion't hurt either. ;)

Goin' back to Cali, Cali, Cali.......

JUST got back from a whirlwind weekend in Southern California!  I graduated from HS in Rowland Heights (about 20 minutes inland from downtown Los Angeles) way back when, and decided to use a little Facebook reunion party as a good excuse to go back for a final visit. I say "final" because all of my family has finally migrated to other parts of the U.S.  The ol' Kampsen clan are Cali no more. 

I got to see lots of old friends, but just as fun for me was the exploring part of the trip. I stayed in Redondo Beach for most of it... My cousin and a few friends live around there, so the coastal location turned out to be practical as well as beautiful. 

This was the sunset from my second night there. I was riding in a car with a friend and snapped these as we drove along Pacific Coast Highway.  By the time we could pull over and get closer, though- that little sliver of sun was gone. 

 

The next day I didn't have much to do before dinner plans, so I decided to drive to see a friend up north. I knew her from our Hawaii days; she moved back to California just after we moved to Texas.  The problem is, her house is a straight shot up the 405 freeway. That stretch of road really doesn't need a number, though... we can just call it "hell.'  It never moves. Ever. Even with no accidents or stalled cars. It's just PACKED. 

So I got off. 

I then found myself staring down the Hollywood sign. Realizing this would be a great Facebook profile picture (ha! today's prorities, huh?) I drove closer. And closer.  Those Hollywood Hills are some steep bad boys. Figuring out which roads to turn on to get you to the top was an adventure in itself!!  This shot was after about 20 horrible self portraits with my iphone, and then finally finding some non english speaking tourists to help me out using the nice camera.  Uploading to Facebook as I type.. :)

 

My buddy Susie was understanding enough to laugh at my side adventure, and even drove a bit south to meet and help me carve a bit of time from my return trip. (the traffic southbound was WORSE!!) 

Susie is that friend who thinks I'm hilarious. She is my best audience... I feel like I'm on stage when Im with her, yet I never get booed off.  She laughs, so I keep going! She is truly a GREAT friend, and a pretty good ego boost too. :)  LOVE her!!  (she also helped me pack my Hawaii house- without her, I'd probably have missed the boat back) 

Another reason I like Susie is that she's shorter than me.  She's also skinnier, but we won't talk about that anymore. :}

 The lighting at the Thousand Oaks Mall inspired a mini shoot...

 

With her is Shelby, her daughter, who is one year older than my oldest, Mack. Susie even pulled Shelby out of school early so she could come to lunch too!!!! 

 

I managed to sneak in some time with my great buddy Becky too. Becky and I have been buddies since kindergarten.  When we get together, no subject is off limits. And we get GROSS, quickly. Which also means we laugh. A LOT.  This is Becky....

 

 

I left Beck in Fullerton that day, and headed to the ocean once again. Sunset was at 6:15, and I was really determined to stake out a spot to finally capture some amazing oranges and blues. As I neared the coast, though... the clouds only got thicker and darker. :(  It was hardly the image I had in mind.  I shot about 50  uninspiring pictures of grey water, grey sky, and little brown pelicans diving into the ocean. The scene WAS beautiful, but it was more of an experience than eye candy.  Plus, my lens was too wide to be able to capture the birds and the surfers in the water, which at that point were the story, not the sunset.  Necessity being the mother of invention- I decided it was time for action, and utilized one boogie boarder's exit from the water as my anchor.   This one is going on my wall. :)

The pictures from the mini HS reunion are on a little point and shoot that I borrowed from a friend. I dont really know how to get them off of there just yet! haha! So those will come later!