Moving!!

sorry for the lack of post...I'm MOVING, my blog, that is!
the new stuff will now be here,
 thenewblog
although, it's kind-of like packing and unpacking boxes...everything is a bit of a mess...not to mention, the hubby has been out of town for entirely too long...and my house of cards is falling down around my ears! (:

oh well, hope to see you all at the, very unorganized, new home!
xo
nik

12 days...

LATE!

tis the season.
nik

meet miss Keisha.

So what do I want to do on a Friday night? go shoot! of course!
Keisha and I were going to go out...this last Friday....
when it decided to rain....

yay for rain in our valley, but bummer on the rain for an outdoor photo session.

we still managed to have fun making some images "in-studio"
oh boy, do I use that term loosely!

Keisha is a beauty...I mean she should be a Tongan princess....
I hope she doesn't kill me for saying that! but it's true! (:

she has the most amazing face!

I don't know that I did it justice...she is perfection.
oh, we are going to have some more fun...soon.
nik

Ciara Creates.

I don't know where to start when talking about the lovely Ciara (wearing her own design)....
she is breathtakingly beautiful, enviously ladylike and genuinely kind.  
Internationally recognized as an artist, Ciara creates beautiful handcrafted jewelry embedded on wire, using Swarovski crystals, gemstones, corals, wood, fresh water pearls....just to name a few....
oh, and now feathers...(: this just makes the photographer in me happy....

The feather clips are the perfect handcrafted hair accessory for brides, bridesmaids, proms, formals, Quinceañeras and Photographs! (: 
I just love them.
offered exclusively at http://nikolaidesigns.com/store/ . Products. Ciara Creates.
nik

more Rainey...

stink. does it matter how you light her??


no.
nik

meet Rainey.

So, here is a little story...many of you know I use and loooove my small strobes...
I even have small strobe heros, http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/, http://strobist.blogspot.com/, davisworkshops.com
in my limited experience small strobes are mobile, easy to use and
can make some pretty darn beautiful light...
Funny, after that little plug...
I confess, I wanted to do an entire session with all natural light...no strobes, no assistant.
I was gonna lay the strobes down for an entire session, just me, my subject, and beautiful natural light....
yea....well....I don't make a very good martyr.


I immediately CHEATED and had the "assist" bounce light for me...so much for me and nature!!!
I do love the soft quality of the light...but it was not direct...it was controlled with bounce!!


I am afraid I was a complete maniac this entire session, poor Rainey, I moved her all over the place,
chasing good light..I mean sometimes natural light is just bad, even at the "golden hour"...in fact,
sometimes the "hour" is more like 15 minutes....but anyway....
after 45 minutes of muscling through a "natural light" session....
I Buckled!!! hello flash!

the sun just makes such a beautiful secondary light source....don't you think?
I mean call me lazy, but it is soooo much easier to control the sun as secondary light source,
verses a primary....the theme here is control. LOL

I mean look at her shoulders, even with the camera pointed down you see some beautiful natural rim light there...
my conclusion,  I do very much love natural light...
I just love it right where I want it...control.
as a fantastic accent light..control.
and I most certainly don't want to depend on it...control.

I love my natural light adventure, but, knowing how much I love strobes....
me thinks as soon as I pay of my latest lens purchase, yikes!
mama is going to get some big strobes...
sick.
nik

(first two images/bounced "natural" light...second two image/small strobes)

happy november.

the story goes..
there was a very rich business man,
his name was Nabal.
His wife's name was Abigail.
She was sensible and beautiful,
he was harsh and mean.

Nabal offends David, the future king, 
to appease the offense...
Abigail secretly brings gifts to David...
She was riding on her donkey down a hidden mountain path....when she met him and his men.
I don't know why, I've always been intrigued by the story...
1Samuel 25.
nik

Bullpups are going to playoffs...

my "shot of the day".

the nephew, #77, in position.

yep, he is taking on two little dudes...

proud daddy/coach


fun day. I love my family.
auntie nik

so...

one of my many "take aways" from the Festival...
was to revisit my dance series...

I think a dancer would wear out jumping, before I would wear out shooting...

truly can't believe this image (below) was taken almost 3 years ago...

ready ready ready...to hit the dancers again.
that sounds awkward.
nik

To market,

to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, dancing a jig;
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;
Home again, home again, jiggety-jog;
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,

Home again, home again, market is done.
mother goose.
I am,quite obviously, in a bad way.
nik

leaving...

so daddy is on daddy duty with these two....
oh my, I told Tad, Daddy will take care of  you,
while mommy is "picturing" for a few days...
to which he responded, "I have a headache" lol, oh my, what is to become of my house...

I always have major anxiety about leaving the boys...
but I also have nervous excitement about stretching myself again...
whoo hoo!!!  I know I will be on super overload...
with classes including some of the super greats...

  

the world's photographer, Rick Sammon http://www.ricksammon.com/Rick_Sammon/Home.html

the wicked talent,  Parish Kohanim  http://www.parishkohanim.com/










  thee hot hot hot,  David Mecey  http://www.davidmecey.com/

                                   














 the skin master, Lee Varis http://www.varis.com/

                                   









the premier wedding photog, Hanson Fong http://www.hansonfong.com/Hanson_Photography/Home.html

                                 







 digital workflow pro, Hal Schmitt  http://lightworkshops.com/Hal_Schmitt.htm

                                 












the masterful, David Wells http://www.davidhwells.com/


Yes!!!
now to pack...
nik

all images are copyrighted, in order of appearance: Rick Sammon, Parish Kohanim,David Mecey,Lee Varis, Hanson Fong,Hal Schmitt and David Wells.

october is here.

i'm late...whoosh! the full text in the Book of Job says, "the wicked build houses as fragile as a spider's web, as flimsy as a shelter made of branches.  The wicked go to bed rich but wake to find that all their wealth is gone."  ok, so possibly I am in a deep thoughtful brooding artsy mood...
the good news, I actually didn't write the text...
the bad...
i am quoting it.
nik

september.

I don't know, does it count if it is in the book of James?
I do know, I think way too much and way too often...

but one of Webster's definitions of the word Mercy is,
"compassionate treatment of those in distress."
probably a good thing.
nik

ref. james 2:12&13.

ode to Penn

I adore Irving Penn images...they captivate me...

Irving Penn June 16, 1917 – October 7, 2009

I have looked and looked online for Irving Penn style backdrops...

I can't find any out there...this is my lame attempt at a Penn drop...it took me a week...

"imitation is the sincerest of flattery"
nik

August.

I'm late.  but I am going to blame it on the fact that Tad starts kindergarten this week....ahhhhhhhh!
oh my word!
 backpack. check.
 thermos. check.
 lunch box. check.
 shoes. check.
 folders.check.
 mario bros. pencils. check.
me freaking out. check. ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

not really surprising this has been my meditation lately.  I didn't come up with it...
have just been thinking about it...death is weird. but then again, sometimes so is living..
nik

<< Ecclesiastes 7 >> Wisdom 1A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. 3Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

meet madalyn.

there are no words for this girl!  the camera loves her....and I love her.  she has the sweetest spirit....

annnd she can shoot as long as I can!!! what's not to love?!
xo mads!
nik

12 days.

since my last post...how drastically life can change in 12 days...

thank you so much, for all the love, support and prayers.
there are no words for how much it means.
nik

july.

have a happy and safe...4th.

xo
nik

mona lisa.

I have given less and less advice as I have gotten a little older...maturity has a way of doing that...
BUT, I am going to break my own rule here...and give a little advice, do NOT try this at home.
Truly, it's just a genetic thing...I have had the privilege of photographing several ladies in this family...
and well, let's face it...the camera loves them...and it is just in their genes to be gorgeous...

I'm not saying I tried this look at home in the mirror or anything...
I mean I am not a selfie...yet...
just take my advice...don't.
nik