I grew up with photography all around me - three Uncles - all three have different styles - all three completely amazing. If I close my eyes, I can still see the contact sheets all over the table - each picture marked with either a circle or an X - wondering what made the picture circled better than the picture with an X. Cameras all around me - all different styles.... makeshift darkrooms.... air-conditioned rooms for the purpose of preserving film and archived photos. Beautifully crafted, properly exposed photos covering our walls. They are all still artists of photography today. As a child and as an adult - no one compares to them. They are still the finest out there. My first film camera was bought for me by my Grandmother and my Uncle Manny hooked me up with lenses. He gave me loads of tips and I soaked it up like a sponge. I was excited. But I didn't realize the intensity of this excitement until the first time I went into a darkroom -- I felt like I entered into a secret society.... watching others dip this white sheet of paper in chemically filled plastic containers in a specific order... each one following the other.... watching an image slowly develop in front of my eyes... thinking WOW - THAT IS COOL, I'm with the cool kids. I've discovered the world of photography. I'm giddy and butterflies have invaded my belly.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago - I decided I'm ready to bring into fruition what I wanted to do years ago. I bought a Canon XS and started photographing anyone who would let me.... and as I grew into this business... so did my questions... so did my doubts... so did my curiosity... so did my technical knowledge. I knew I needed to step up my game and get a better camera. In came my Uncle Manny with a sweet deal on a Nikon and some very sweet lenses --- yep, a Nikon lover was born. Yeah... I have it good like that :)

Today, I called him to ask about HDR and how he develops his photos found on his site under Scapes http://manny.viewbook.com/portfolio/scapes. He shares his process, we talk shop, we talk lenses, we talk goals.... we say our good-byes.... I sit back with a smile.... Yeah, I'm with the cool kids.

Below is a photo I cut from a contact sheet of my sisters and brother when we were little.

A few days ago, I get an email with an inquiry on an engagement session (woohoo! I tell myself)... we exchange a few emails discussing pricing and locations.... and then he sends me these photos that he thought were pretty cool - something he'd like to work on for the website he's building for the upcoming wedding. Uh... these photos... were ummm.. HDR - I immediately call him and very sheepishly ask... have you seen my blog/website? I don't do HDR photos although I'd love to learn. He admits to me that he would like the DVD of photos to play around with and create these images. Oh!!! Ok, no problem... but I ask shamelessly - can you teach me? He of course agrees and sends me links on tutorials and has said he will show me what he does with the photos I take of he and his fiance. I am stoked! But impatient.... so I start Googling, YouTube, etc. I found a couple of software programs that automate the photos into HDR but I am not ready to fork over the cash for this... mainly because a little bit of fear and lack of confidence in executing such amazing photographs. So I try with CS3 and this is what I've come up with. Be kind... it's my first go around... but damn I think they look pretty darn cool!

I met up with Neha & Aashish at Balboa Park to take some engagement photographs and then to La Jolla Coves to catch the sunset. Even though this was our first meeting - I felt so at ease with them, chatting about our lives, the future and cooking :) Their laid back demeanor made for such an easy afternoon and the interaction between these two was so pleasing and lovely and amazing. Here is a peek into our time together!