Fire Station #10

Well, September has come and gone....no blog...October is getting ready to close....oh my....I just can't have 2 months and no blog....the baby sister will keep "nagging" me to "update, update, update"...Next thing I know she will have me with my hand over my heart saying, "I Nikki promise to update my blog at the first of each month...."


So even though life is busy with Senior Photo Sessions & Tis' already the season for Christmas Photos...I want to give a small tribute to Bakersfield Fire Station #10, where I had a WONDERFUL Senior Photo Session, thanks to the most gracious Fire Captain Ron!







What a wonderful experience...nik

Bolthouse Farms

Well, it is now the 'end' of August....I am currently working on some personal favorites from the Bolthouse Farms Photo Shoot...I promise I will post them here soon. Work first, play second....urgh! (o:



On a side note, I have so enjoyed my work with Bolthouse Farms. Every shoot I gain a new appreciation for Bolthouse Farms operations, and this shoot was no exception. I really can't express how amazed I was at what Bolthouse Farms does every day to "make it happen." I mean being down in the dirt....well, you start to think about the dirt....the seed....the weeds....the carrots....the timing....the water.....the planning.....more timing......the growing......the watching.....the waiting....the evaluating.....the equipment...........and well, you get the idea....



It has also made valley life more interesting, as I drive by fields, orchards, & the equipment in them, I have more questions.....but also more appreciation for what our Valley is about........in fact, I actually noticed those little red jeeps working the fields...........ah, another missed photo opportunity........

life's too short.......


nik
"The Harvester"


"The Ripper"

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a happy & safe July 4th!

This month I am consumed...in a good way....with a commerical shoot for Bolthouse Farms.
bolthouse.com

Check out your local Costco for Bolthouse Carrot Juice, Bom Dia, or Red Tea!



See you in August!

Nik

Palos Verdes

The verdict is in ......mother first, photographer/artist second.

Had the blessed pleasure to spend a week down with my sister in Palos Verdes, CA. Gorgeous location, about 20 minutes from Newport Beach. I could have shot morning, noon, and night.....ripping-it and still not have covered everything I wanted to.

Alas, I had a strong reminder that Mommy-hood comes first, with a rowdy 3 year old and a very badly teething almost 1 1/2 year old. Suffice it to say, I was busy! Fun, kid, vacation busy....not so creative, intense, zoned artist busy! For all you mommies out there you know what I am talking about. When I put them to bed for the night I was left feeling "bushwhacked".....yes, that's right ambushed by my 1 and 3 year old. So even when I had the opportunity to go shoot....I choose to watch"So you think you can dance" DVR-style with my sister. Ahhhh.....the life of a not-so-artist.

In spite of all this, thanks to Mimi, I was able to do a couple shoots (not counting the joke of a shoot off my sisters' balcony). What a thrill, doing what I love to do. The ocean was intense and I was mesmerized by the play of rock and water. I will not discuss the pelican debacle....however, the cactus was fun, double-fun, because I enjoyed it all over again in the digital dark room.




So, this month's blog....is oh so boring...again.....I wonder why I blog.......when I do it sooo poorly....maybe, it is some kind of self-inflicting punishment from being raised by a Mom who quoted, King James Version, "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who shall know it."

However, this is also the same Mom who inspires me to be a better mother.....trying to give my children the gift of my present self, not the distracted, mildly erratic and intense artist self. I truly do not want to reflect later on my parenting like the super-great Joe McNally did, "There needs to be a course in school about how to be a parent and a photographer......I missed a whole bunch of my kids' growing up.........In my helter-skelter pursuit of the 'big' picture. I ignored too many quieter, close-to-home moments."

But WOW his photography is amazing....................

April

Well, here he is, sick or not, one of my biggest blessings turned 3 on April 7th! I can not begin to express the joyous feelings that started over 3 years ago with "two little pink lines" ..........a complete Miracle....

....and I still today can not adequately express how wonderful, joyful, and surreal it is that I get to be your mother..........Tad Pole.....your Mama LOVES you 54-5............

xoxoxo

Mom

How it all started....

My Grandpa and Grandma Gruenstein gave me my very first camera. It was my 8th Birthday. Camera fully loaded with film......I was armed and dangerous.

This is one of my very first shots with that camera.....actually my first shot was of my Grandfather's shoe.....unfortunately, that very progressive shot made it into the trash can years ago..........

As you can see my Grandparent's patiently posed for me.....along with their very attractive car door. I distinctly remember my excitement snapping away my very first pictures.......

Well, I made it home with my glorious camera.....oh I was in LOVE and ready for more photo opportunities!! Here my Mom, who does not like cameras by the way, struck a very nice pose for me with my brother Clayton Gruenstein......(Mom, see pictures don't lie you were, and still are, a GREAT Mom stopping for an 8 year-old to let her take your picture...Wow...major Mommy brownie points!!!) Obviously, while composing this shot I felt it was important to include our beautiful stereo and cords....

No one was exempt from my very enthusiastic photographic pursuits.....here my cousin Kevin flashes his million-dollar-smile!!

On the back of this picture I have a hand-written note, "Kevin Blain AT Nikki Gruenstein house! Back Yard! I Love you! Yes!" As an artist I felt it was important to express my enthusiasm for my subject.....

Again, I think I show an intuitive eye by cutting off Kevin's knee.....and instead, strategically drawing your attention to the missing boards on our back fence......

Allan was posed effectively at the front of the house......

On the back of Allan's picture the note reads, "Allan Blain AT Nikki Gruenstein house! front yard! I Love Love Love you too!" I think I wrote his note after Kevin's and wanted to make sure he did not feel left out.......

Already I am showing a keen sense of lighting.....look at how I put Allan directly in the sun to give him a squinty- Clint-Eastwood look..... I also made sure to incorporate my shadow (down at bottom right)....to finish of the dramatic High-noon effect....One of my blogs would not be complete without showing some versatility in my shooting style......I think this house shot displays that nicely.....notice how the garden hose serves to lead your eye to the front door.....again the attention to detail is a central theme......of my work.

Well....I don't remember when I got my hands on my next camera.....but I do remember we had our new landscaping installed at the Gannon house......I think my Dad must of been out of town......or I would have not felt free to pose Shanna our 'new yard'..........you can see my growth as a photographer.....not even 13 years old yet and my use of light and shadow is growing by leaps and bounds...........

Jay....I apologize in advance....for putting you on my blog....in your bathing suit......but you are soooo hot! I now have a better understanding of where Little-Miss-D......gets those model looks ......her Aunt JJ's of course!!!

I still felt creatively that knees are not as important as what is going on in the other side of the photo......also, I think the slide coming out of Janell's head lengthens the picture.....giving the whole shot a nice vertical appeal............

This next shot shows my uncanny knack on how to make use of props......a photographers best friend. Make a special note of the matching chairs AND flowers..........Not to mention, my natural ability to capture those precious moments in our lives..........moments that will never be seen again.....

....my sister's in matching red high-top shoes..............

Life is SWEET!

Nik

Variety....the Spice of Life.

Well...... it is February 22nd and .....I just made it to the keyboard to update my blog.....I don't even know what kind of excuse you come up with for a 22 day late blog.......(I know my two blog followers are dreadfully disappointed)......o well, I will not let my lack of blogging accuse me like so many other things in my life ...thank you Visalia Crossroads for your recovery series....

I love to shoot pictures....this short month of February seems to highlight how much I enjoy shooting a variety of styles.....hence the cheesy "Variety" title.....

KIDS SHOTS.....after 10 years of lugging a camera around I haven't tired of trying to capture those special moment when a kid is interacting to the world around them. I love this free flowing style....grab my camera.....relax.....see what happens.....for me capturing children in action.... expressing their personal uniqueness is so much fun. You never know what you will see....and may even be a bit surprised at what you find later looking at the photos....

Thank you Wilkerson Family for a wonderfully FUN photo shoot!

BUSINESS....did a boring picture just pop in your head.....you would think.......and maybe to some.....I do probably have some wierd photo-shop disease....but I enjoyed the hours slaving pixel, by pixel to cut out the background on this photo! What a different experience than an outdoor shoot......but fun in its own right....

A power-house of Blain men!

FINE ART- Have I mentioned that I LOVE being back in California!!! Flowers have the strangest meaning now.........it's February.....shouldn't the ground be white?

Peppermint Candy

The month of February would NOT be complete without a Happy Happy Birthday to Tye-gur! I'm so blessed to be a Mom.......against all odds...............who would have thought.............

Love you Tye Tye.....xoxo Mom.

My first 'blog'

I've told Bruce before that people should not be allowed to blog after 8pm....I mean who knows what could happen.....people can just get silly ruminating about all kinds of things. My favorite blog is any blog that Darrin Cantrell has ruminated on....he is just so funny....but really Darren go to bed....I mean you are shocking Jesus-style before 8pm.....my gosh at 11pm.....scary.....go to bed....like Mom always said, "It's nothing a good night sleep won't fix."

Frankly, can't believe I am going to 'blog' anyway....to put it in valley terms....how-weird-is-that? Thanks Ferlin, for opening up this whole new world. I still can't fathom any one giving a rip what goes on in this mind...even for a minute. I have two reasons for blogging, one I think it is just a good exercise.....to know what people are doing those 'bloggers' who know how to blog....me a blog-poser.... should just know what is going on in the real world. Two, I am inspired by Clayton's book, the one he hasn't written yet, How to Find Balance in love, life, and work....when you think about it "they" say it's good to write in a journal.....I never have time to journal....wahlah....a blog....I'm a blogger.

Ok....so this is the real meat...that was just a blogger warm-up. Today, I made the personal-use-CD for Laura and Guy. I had such a blast with this shoot!!! Laura and Guy are great, and were game to do anything my artistic mind wanted to do. Doing this shoot was so inspiring....I now want Bruce to finish the studio....immediately.!!! I love the work....and I need the perfect space to display the finished wood frames, photo art, and wood-frame samples for clients to select a custom wood frame of their choice. Ferlin, was that good for SEO???

Beautiful Laura!

I also took a 'trip' today.....ok....so it was just to the backyard when the boys were napping but I won't tell if you won't. It is amazing how much fun one person can have with a camera, flowers, fruit, and photoshop!!

This month, January 16th, is the Boingos photo shoot. If you are interested in bringing your child to Boingos for some fun and a controlled photo-shoot, let me know.

http://www.nikolaidesigns.com/ enter your information in Contact Tab and I will get back with you on the details of the shoot.

Happy January 2009.....may all your resolutions come true!

Nikki