Just goofing around with my new LensBaby Fisheye

Soos Creek takes 2nd Place in Stake Tournament!

I am so impressed with our Soos Creek YM basketball team this year! My son, Leo #5, and husband Paul (the coach) have had such a great time!  Last week they had a team party over here and played about 4 hours of basketball on our sport court.  Good luck to Maplewood Heights and Soos Creek in the Reigonal basketball tournement!



Paul's men's team took 1st place in their stake tournament and our Soos Creek YW also took 1st place! Woo Hoo!!

Top Ten Tips for WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) Conference

1. Wichcraft http://wichcraftnyc.com/ (the restaurant) best breakfast deal in MGM! $6 gets you your choice of 3 items (coffee, fresh squeezed OJ, banana/chocolate muffin, croissant, yogurt with granola, fresh fruit). They even went out of their way to make me a foamed hot chocolate as a substitute for the coffee. Everything was so good – I picked up my bag of breakfast goodies EVERY single morning.
2. 
   
   Get out of the hotel during the day at least once! Sheesh – with so many classes and events to attend, you hardly have time to leave the convention center. However, I did a morning run and it was so refreshing to get out into the air (even the cold air). This leads to my next tip….
3. 
   
   Go on a photography run! This was so much fun, cleared my mind and got my creative juices flowing. After hours and hours of lectures and classes on photography – it was refreshing to just take pictures for the fun of it. This was a great way to start my day and gave me the energy and inspiration I needed for the next 16 hours!
4. 
   
   Bring a refillable water bottle and your favorite water flavor packets. WPPI was fabulous about having water stations outside the classrooms with ice cold water. It was perfect for me to fill up my water bottle and carry around to all the events.
5. 
   
   Bring a couple of power bars…..it seems you never have time to stop for lunch and the lunch venues are REALLY crowded. The time we had lunch we waited over an hour for our food – time that could be better spent in the trade show or at a class.
6. 
   
   Find WPPI buddies to go with. This way you can share transportation, hotel rooms, meals,notes on classes, trade show treats, new friends and party invitations!
7. 
   
   Set up your “meet-ups” with friends BEFORE you go to WPPI. With over 10,000 photographers and so much going on, it is hard to figure where, when and how you are going to meet.
8. 
   
   Don’t be shy! There are so many cool people to meet here. We would just strike up conversations while waiting in line for classes, waiting in line for food, or we would ask to share tables. We met photographers from all over the world, including South Africa!!
9. 
   
   Bring a notebook, pens and your business cards. I was actually really surprised by how many people didn’t bring something to write notes in. We had also heard not to bring your laptop – we can second this now, we never, ever had time to use it.
10. Be yourself and be comfortable. Okay, this one is probably just for me. I thought I would try to impress by dressing up a bit and wearing my “cute” sandals. That was fine…..but the second day I was wearing my U2 concert shirt and my comfy, custom (thanks to my son Leo) Chuck Taylors. I felt great and had a fabulous time. Go for comfort – you’ll last longer and be more enjoyable to be around..

And because every post needs a picture.  Here's one of  Kim and I from our friend's at LensBaby.

We bought our new Lensbaby with the Fish Eye Lens so that we can share (another benefit of going with buddies to WPPI!)

Morning Run with Canon 5D Camera on Vegas Strip

WPPI Conference, Las Vegas
Morning Run with Canon 5D Camera on Vegas Strip
I got the idea take pictures on my run from the the movie "Yes Man" Not the greatest movie - but I LOVED the photography running club - what a hilarious and fun idea! So I gave it a try and brought my camera and had SOOOOOOOOOO much fun! It's fast, and fun - no time to over- anaylize a shot. I can't wait to put together a Photography Running Club when I get back in Seattle!

Updating her Professional Head Shots at Gas Works Park

I met Linda a little over a year ago at a Crave/Ladies Who Launch networking event.  One of the activities at this event was to partner up and share your career/life goals. Linda and I partnered and she shared  (and I am paraphrasing) how she wanted to help femal business owners to reach their potential.  Well, here she is, a year later at the Market Director for Ladies Who Launch! And doing a fabulous job I might add!

Ladies Who Launch will have booths 506,509, and 510 at the Northwest Women's Show on March 4 - 7th.

http://www.nwwomensshow.com/

For more information on Ladies Who Launch you can go to:

http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/

You can also find them on Facebook  (Ladies Who Launch Seattle)

Business Head Shots for Lizzie Parker - Modern Dressmaker

I had the pleasure to meet and photograph Lizzie and Angus this morning. When I first arrived, I was welcomed by Angus, an adorable bulldog and official greeter of the store. Lizzie's studio is fresh, fun, and light-filled, the pefect setting for our session. Lizzie's designs are featured in Daily Candy, WWD, Lucky Magazine, InStyle, Seattle Metropolitan, and the CW's Project Green. Now she has fabulous head shots to go with all the press that she is receiving!

Click here to find out more about Lizzie and her designs.

By the time I was ready to leave, Angus was snoring loudly in his bed, proving you can never have too much beauty sleep! :)

Can you think of a better way to start off a new decade? I submit that you cannot!

Fun in downtown Kent and Coulon Beach Park...

I had a great time getting to know Nick during our session. He is involved in so many things that I don't know how he found the time to schedule his photo session. He has a fantastic smile and is always quick to laugh, and I thought he had a great "serious" look too. Of course, we needed to get a picture with the Kentridge lightening bolt, he is after all the KR ASB Secretary!

Gina's session was my last one on Saturday and she made my job soooooooo easy. We were able to capture tons of fun images in several locations downtown - including behind a bubble machine, on a vintage bike and sitting on a window sill!

Another session at GasWorks park....

I love Joey's orange sweater!

Lauren's High School Senior Session at GasWorks Park

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny, fall day in Seattle. The air was still really cold though! Can you believe I was wearing my stocking hat while Lauren was in this tiny dress?!! Lauren, I hope your Dad took you out for hot cocoa after your session!!

Brrrrrr.......cold, windy, HS Senior Photo Sessions at Golden Gardens Park










Nate and Claire were such great sports - braving the wind and c-c-c-c-c-old! These are just a few of my favorite images from their sessions.

Lisa and Lisa's Commitment Ceremony

Last Saturday I had the honor of photographing a very important day for my 3rd grade classmate and friend!! No, it's true!! I moved to Washington in the middle of 3rd grade and I was so nervous about making new friends. Lisa was one of the first to befriend me. She was so adorable with big brown eyes and long, long hair, braided to perfection. I remember that her mom always packed her lunch with a special treat and a personal note on her napkin. She was and is one of the kindest people I have ever known. Fast forward about 20 years when I met Lisa (Lisa Beth) - we worked together at the same restaurant. Again, one of the nicest people; big heart, quick to smile and laugh, a lot of fun to be around. I was honored that they asked me to capture the moments of their important day.

Sitting on her front porch, cool as a cucumber on a very, very hot day!

Lisa hanging out with her brother-in-law, just before the ceremony.

I had to take a picture of their bar......being as they both are expert bartenders.

Lisa's Mom quilted the table cloths so that later they can have a quilt to remember their day, what a great idea!

I loved this display against their house, I just might steal this idea for my garden area!

M'n'M's and daisies?!! Two of my favorite things!

Lisa wore a kilt in her family pattern....I loved that!

Their adorable house in Seattle inspired me to give a few of the images a nostalgic feeling...

A few images from the ceremony....

Of course a picture of the "Bowling Team" was a must!

New and Improved Referral Program

Looking back at all the years that I have been a photographer, I can say that about 90% of my clients are referred to me from current clients. This is so cool and such a great compliment! I am extremely grateful for all the support and appreciation and in turn want to make my referral program even easier to use. So from now on when you refer someone to me I will mail you a $25 print credit referral card after your referral books their photography session with me. All of your print credit cards can be saved and added together as long as they are used within one year of the postmark date they were received. Please take good care of your print credit referral cards – as they will be required to receive your credit. Last but not least, there is no limit to the number of referrals you make to Alison Jensen Photography, so feel free to take advantage of this offer as often as you like!