The Hansen Family

Just a quick peek at their session!

Willy the Wiener dog

My friend is out of town and I'm taking care of him for a few days. I brought him to the office and Willy quickly became our official mascot. He spent most of the morning going from lap to lap getting and spreading the love. As the day wore on, it was Ariel's lap he favored most. Everyone is hoping for a visit from him, he's super sweet.

BUT the point of this post, is that these images were taken with my iphone.  My first generation, 4 gig iphone.  I brought them into photoshop and ran a few actions on them.  I've got several action sets that I use and LOVE.  Kevin Kubota's Image Tools are fantastic!  Parker J Pfister has a set from a few years ago, and his BIG RUN COLOR is a must - I'm not sure what's in that action, but DAMN it just makes my images shine.  Then of course we go to my new favorites, Totally Rad Actions!  Magic Glasses, Cinnamon Toast, and their TR2 set has an action that is called POS - it gives the edges a darker vignette, and a bit of blur.

PUBLISHED ~! Faces of Sunset Blvd. - My friend, Patrick Ecclesine as been working hard to finish his photo-documentary book, Faces of Sunset Boulevard, A Portrait of Los Angeles in time for the holidays. His book (published by Santa Monica Press) just hit the shelves of Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other bookstores yesterday!




His work has gathered RAVE reviews from all over the world, and Boulevard has been awarded the Top Photo Book of 2008 by Shutterbug magazine, beating out offerings from some of the most respected photographers in the world.

There will be an exhibition from November 26 to January 8 at the ArcLight cinemas on Sunset Boulevard. This exhibit will focus on the outlandish and outrageous inhabitants of West Hollywood along the Sunset Strip at night. 

Also, on December 6th there will be a book signing at the Book Soup bookstore on Sunset Boulevard at 7pm. Feel free to drop by. It’ll be fun. Also if you have any interest in attending the private reception with all the big-wigs in the book, please let me know – that will be on December 7th at the Arclight.

Please be sure to check out www.facesofsunset.com and spread the word to anyone else that you think might be interested, let's generate as much awareness and enthusiasm as possible! 

Yeah PATRICK! 

I've got the touch - 

I've always had the touch with babies, and kids. I think it comes from growing up the oldest in a BIG extended family, lots and lots of experience with my little brothers, and cousins.

This morning I was visiting with Jess and Jayce and I got to experience one of the most magical moments of my life.  Jayce crawled over to me and I picked him up and started making him laugh.  Jess jumped up, grabbed the camera and BAM - I was on the other side of the camera, a mini photo shoot of me and Jayce.    He was laughing up a storm, and we were all having a great time.  

Time passed and I was holding Jayce again, and this time he was sleepy.  So I was gently rocking him back and forth and he started making this little noise.  We had a little call and answer of me humming and him humming and Jess is once again filming it all (VIDEO.. sweet, sweet baby sounds) and Jayce falls asleep, zonked out!  I'm holding this super sweet baby boy on my shoulder, and Jess tells me that she hadn't ever seen him make that noise with anyone but her.  

I got him upstairs, into the crib and he had a wonderful nap.

Thank You Jess and Brian!
I can't believe it's been a year already!

Thank YOU for giving me one of these moments of sweetness and joy.

I'll remember it forever.