Josiah Michael- a photo blog.

I'VE MOVED!

2009-05-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

I wont be posting here anymore! Instead, everything has been moved over to...

josiahmichael.com/blog

So update your links!! It's an awesome new layout designed specifically for my photos!

See you on the new blog!

mister eggs, anyone?

2009-05-02T16:34:00.001-07:00

"mommy, where are the mister eggs?"

max says 'mister eggs' instead of easter eggs. this kid kills me!

braden

2009-04-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

remember this guy?

click here.

how about now?

felt like posting in black and white today. it's nice, isn't it?

happy aubrey

2009-04-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

this little one was so much fun to work with! there wasn't one moment where she was not smiling. always happy and always going! i wanted to try and capture some shots at her level and i think that it worked really well. but as soon as i crawled down onto the ground she would crawl as fast as she could to get my camera :) here are some of the best shots from the evening. thanks again, christie! i hope you love them!

and here, because i couldn't resist, is a little snippet from a shoot i had yesterday... i can't wait to show you the rest! :D

What's on deck

2009-04-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

I really miss posting to my blog. The good news is that I am halfway done with

the semester! I am really excited for 2009. I am having a blast with photography

and it just keeps getting better! I hope that I am able to post more often. Here

is a collage of some recent work that I haven't posted yet. There is a link to my flickr

page up at the top of this page. I post pretty regularly there if you are interested

in seeing what I'm working on. Also, THANK YOU for taking time to read my blog!

I love what I do and I love sharing it with you all. Leave me a comment and let

me know what ya think! I love to hear what you have to say! Well, enjoy the photos!

-Joey

looking for an amazing makeup artist?

2009-04-05T02:52:00.000-07:00

Check out Makeup By Leilani! She did the makeup for a fashion shoot
that I had yesterday. Brilliant work, all done by her! Thanks Leilani!

beautiful people

2009-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening I took Natalie and her bouncy, happy, and fun little guy out for some one on one time. What a connection these two have!!! For not having a nap he was extremely happy and playful. We hopped in the car and I turned around to talk to him and he was all smiles until we got to our first stop. We drove around until we found some neat looking spots and just went with it. I really didn't give any direction (I like to see where they take it) and what we got was exactly what we were hoping for.

This is only part 1 because the other spot we went to is a WHOLE different world, and this post is already bursting at the seems with photos. Thanks again Natalie! I had a great time!

whew! are you tired yet? i sure am! ;)

i'm GRINNING from ear to ear...

2009-03-25T23:39:00.000-07:00

today was well, AMAZING.

perfect light. perfect weather. perfect locations.

and most of all-

perfect people.

the rest will arrive shortly. there are so many and it's taking a very long time to get through them all.

but do not worry- there will be more!

until then...

i'm going back...

2009-03-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

this weekend.

and i shall return with plenty of photos to share from wonderful

Santa Cruz.

and i stumbled upon this today...

2009-03-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

isn't he the best? well he's a lot older now and has a big boy hair cut. i need to snag this kid and take some more. wadd'ya think?

pink goes good with green!

2009-03-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

has it really been 6 months? are they almost a year old?

time just goes too quickly these days!!

so today was Mia & Bella take 2! these are probably my favorite pictures to date!

we started out with some family pictures in a field of yellow

mustard flowers but poor little bella didn't like that too much. so we decided to head

back home and get the girls a little more comfortable! and it worked!

here's some of what we had done today. i'm so happy that

it gets darker much later now. we wrapped this shoot up around 7!!

anyway, here is some of what i said i would be excited to post.

there's more to come in the coming weeks- keep checking back!

*UPDATE* I found this one, and had to put it up! Little bella
fell over and started laughing! So funny! :)

rained out.

2009-03-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

the rain has not stopped around here! everyone says that we need it, but i say we need more sunshine! things have been a little dead around here, but i wanted to let you all know i'm still alive! i have some fun shoots coming up (as soon as the weather shifts) and i can't wait to share them! until then...

looking for a gift to give?

2009-02-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

i now have gift certificates available!

they are completely customizable and are a great gift for anyone!

send me an email (jmreimers@gmail.com) or give me a call (on image above) for

pricing and more information! :)

The Draper Family

2009-01-31T02:16:00.001-08:00

well, it's been a while!
i love my busy life, but i've been so busy lately that a lot of stuff hasn't been getting done (i.e. blog posting). but, don't worry! i'm back and i have plenty to share with you all.

how about starting with this wonderful family?

wandering together

2009-01-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

the feigner family

2008-12-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

here is one of my favorite shoots to date.
beth, being a photographer herself, coordinated everything so well and we got some awesome shots.

she posted some of her favorites on her blog.
so here are mine! :)
enjoy :)

i just love this one because of the seriousness on everybody's face except little dylan! :)

there were SO MANY awesome ones of Eric and Beth. i had to post a bazillion.

once again Beth, thank you!! i enjoyed this photoshoot so much! :)

Derek and Whitney

2008-12-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

i've been reacquainted with an old friend of mine- time. i have quite a lot of photos i would like to post and i've finally found the time to start.

a couple of weeks ago i had sort of a joint senior photo shoot with Derek and his friend Whitney.

It was great to meet these two seniors and we had a great time taking pictures together.

I am really happy with the way they turned out.

It was overcast and I had even light the entire time which was awesome!

Thanks again Angie (Derek's Mom), I hope you like them!

just one...

2008-12-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

i am the type of photographer who will go through his photos after a shoot the second he gets them loaded onto the computer. (as most probably do)

i will usually find one or two that i can't wait to edit and post to the blog.

unfortunately, you all suffer because i make you wait to see the rest of the shots.

but there is always one that you just love.

here is that one from my latest photo shoot. introducing the feigner family.

what fun, energetic, and loving people to be around! thanks again beth, i really think they turned out amazing!

The Carter Family (part one)

2008-12-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

I decided to post just a few of the little guy in the family because i couldn't wait much longer.
This is Hunter. He's energetic, spunky, and absolutely never sitting still.
And that is why I was able to get some great shots of him!
I have some really neat ones of the whole family and I will post them when I am finished with the editing.
For now, enjoy this cute kid- he was so fun! :)

The other Reimers family...

2008-12-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

here are the other Reimers.
and might I add how incredibly photogenic they all are?!
even little elijah!
thanks again aunt beth for arranging this! i'm glad i was able to get some great shots for you all!
:)

The Soderlund Family

2008-11-30T22:24:00.000-08:00

i recently had a shoot with a wonderful family- i traveled a bit this time and really enjoyed it! we went to an excellent location and had a blast! this family was really fun to be around and work with. thanks again jason and melissa, i enjoyed being around your family! i hope you like the photos! :)

she's coming home today...

2008-11-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

... and i can't wait to pick her up. :)

Joe & Andrea

2008-11-22T22:20:00.000-08:00

So, here is the answer to the previous post!
I've known Joe and Andrea since high school. I was there when it all began and here we are, taking engagement pictures! I'm excited for their wedding that's coming up in May. Its going to be a nice summer wedding and we'll get to take pictures in the "sweet light" of the evening!
Here is part one of their engagement. We're going to head out of town for part two, but I won't tell you where- you'll have to wait for that!
Thanks again Joe and Andrea! I had a blast hanging out with you guys and can't wait to do it again!

who could it be?

2008-11-21T23:25:00.000-08:00

check back to find out!

these two...

2008-11-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

this afternoon i had a shoot with two adorable little ones! gracie was a little camera shy at first, but by the time we got to the orchard she warmed right up! i've posted way too many pictures, but i just can't narrow them down. there are so many perfect ones!! thanks again kerri, it was great meeting you and your family and your little ones were perfect! i hope you love them :)

i love this one! their dad was shaking the leaves out of the tree behind me and gracie got a big kick out of it!

it's gorgeous around here

2008-11-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

all taken from my front yard. the huge tree right outside my bedroom window finally turned its usual spectrum of reds and oranges. I enjoy fall very much!

Chuck & Ms. Mo :)

2008-11-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

Ms. Mo will always be Ms. Mo to me. I told her that even though she is going to change her last name, I will still call her Ms. Mo :)

I took Ms. Mo and her fiance Chuck out last weekend and I honestly couldn't have asked for a better shoot. Not only were Ms. Mo & Chuck incredibly fun and easy to work with, but I had BEAUTIFUL lighting to work with. I'm discovering that November is an excellent month to shoot in because overcast days are simply the best! So, with that said, this is what we got and I am really happy with how they turned out! :)

I'm so happy for them!
Congratulations Ms. Mo! I hope you love them!

i'm so excited...

2008-11-09T01:01:00.001-08:00

to show you the rest of this shoot. how often do you get to take your chemistry teacher from high school's engagement pictures!?!?

miss olivia

2008-11-03T23:29:00.000-08:00

isn't she just the best? :)

(by the way, this is my 100th post! how exciting!)

Coming Soon: MY LIFE

2008-10-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

As I was preparing for my second semester of classes (already? I KNOW!) I became overwhelmed when I began reviewing the requirements for Cal Poly SLO. I plan on attending their architecture department as soon as I can complete my general ed and pre-requisites which is going to take a lot of diligence and perseverance on my behalf. For those who have not trekked the college course, it can be very confusing when trying to sort through all that you need to accomplish to move on to the next stage of your education. Not to mention that general ed is very boring and seems irrelevant to your career choice. I've already seen a spike in my laziness and have realized how quick it is to put off something as simple as reading and then fall behind.

After taking in far too much information about college for one night, I found myself worried and frazzled when thinking about the next 5 or more years. How on earth am I going to be able to do this not only financially, but diligently?! It is times like these that I am so happy to have a reliable source of comfort and love to turn to.

God immediately drew my attention to Philippians 4:13:

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

The answer to my problem is Jesus Christ. No matter the situation, time, or trouble, it will always be my faith in Him that pulls me through. This season of my life will take a lot of praying and faith on my behalf to be accomplished. I thought I would just share my thoughts about this and ask for the prayer of you, my readers. I know that many visit my blog and I love sharing with all of you, so perhaps you could share your prayers and thoughts with me. These next years are going to be full of excitement and fun, and if you promise to keep reading, I promise to keep sharing.

Viva la vida. (Live the life)

Josiah Michael

Fochs Wedding

2008-10-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

I put a lot of time organizing for this wedding and prayed continuously about it and am thankful that God showed his amazingness through it all. (I like that word, even though it may not be one!) The wedding was beautiful and the pictures turned out the same! Everyone was very cooperative and we managed to get some really awesome stuff. I am honored to have worked with two beautiful families. Thank you both very much! I hope you enjoy the wedding portraits!

and i would like to thank my assistant for the day, marcella. thank you, thank you, and thank you! you did wonderful work and were an awesome help with coordination and of course holding my cameras! i was very happy to have you aboard and will most definitely be giving you a call next time :)

a preview...

2008-10-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

all i am going to say is that i went home very, very happy! i will post many more soon...

Jack!

2008-10-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

well, he's here! it's really sad that kylie couldn't be here to see the arrival of her nephew, but that is what i am for :) he is so cute and didn't cry when i held him! thats a good sign. after we left the hospital we went to lunch and cohen came along. i've got some pictures of him but i'm preparing for a wedding tomorrow so i will post them later! for now, enjoy these pictures of jack!

becoming familiar

2008-10-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

well i invested into a new camera and am quite happy with what i have purchased! i am really lost with it right now because it is pretty advanced but i'm learning and getting familiar with it. i took my sister out last night to test it and play around with the settings and wow! it gave me results unlike i have ever seen before!

CAUTION-

2008-10-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

new camera and images ahead.

a night with lincoln brewster!

2008-10-09T00:50:00.000-07:00

wow! what an amazing night! i love going to worship concerts, especially when they are hosted at my church! i had a lot of fun tonight and it was really cool to see lincoln brewster play. i have been listening to his stuff for quite awhile, and i will say that he is MUCH better live! here is a link to his stuff- enjoy!

my buddies

2008-09-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

i always enjoy having these two over :)

always making me laugh!

here's another that i took earlier that evening of mady and john:

Mia & Bella.

2008-09-27T15:32:00.001-07:00

my first newborn shoot! and i think that they turned out so well! mia and bella belong to my wonderful boss over at the yogurt shop. i haven't seen them since they were born and it was great to take their pictures! cecilia has a great house with AMPLE lighting. the sun was streaming into the room at about 10am today and just made for the perfect environment! i really learned a lot about photographing newborns and really enjoyed it. i can't wait to do it again!

most of these were taken with my new lens that i am enjoying very much!

a quiet place

2008-09-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

yesterday i drove up to the mountains, and oh, did i need that! there is a lot going on in life these days (esp. with someone moving across the country ;) and i just needed to get away for some quite time to think. i was on a job at a camp (i was taking photos for them) but i had a lot of down time to just sit, relax, write, and take in the serenity and quietness. i took some pictures of the amazing place. i feel these pictures capture God's grace and amazing beauty. its so comforting to know that He created places like this for our enjoyment. here are some from the day... :)

i also went canoeing which was awesome!

do you see that plane flying under the sun? i do.

beth and her boys

2008-09-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

on thursday evening i had an awesome opportunity to take a friend of mine's pictures. i was nervous at first- taking a fellow photographers pictures is kind of intimidating- but after getting the files into Photoshop, I was actually quite satisfied. I think they turned out great and I really would like to take more for her some day! Here is a selection of the shots, the ones I thought were the best! i don't think i could post all of the good ones, there were so many!

by the way, we found this location and I fell in love with it! i will definitely be going back!

THANKS AGAIN BETH! :)

model marcella.

2008-09-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

i took a friend of mine, marcella, and kylie out for a quick, fun photo shoot the other night. i wanted to explore this spot in town at sunset. it couldn't have been more perfect! well- until some creepy people came around and we decided to leave. i wasn't able to get any of kylie, but the few i got of marcella turned out beautifully! she's a natural! it was so nice to be able to get out there and work with someone who thinks in the creative way and understood my vision. the shots came out just as i wanted them too! i just wish we would have had more time- can you imagine how stunning kylie would have looked!

kids will be kids

2008-09-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

i received an email the other day from a good friend. she asked me how i capture the spirit of childhood in portraits, avoiding the cheesy, posed look. here is my answer.

for me, being a child meant that i never wanted to sit still. it was always go, go, go and play, play, play! i mean, seriously- what kid wants to stop and have their picture taken? now, i know there are some kids who like the camera, at least from what it seems (eli and dylan ;), but for me, no way was i ever gonna stop for the camera! i've come up with an easy approach to this that doesn't require any talent at all- it's simple. leave the kids alone. let them play, let them run around, and never ever worry about getting "the right shot". kids are kids- unpredictable and fun! your best bet at getting some good shots is to just stand back, making yourself invisible to the child. if they barely realize you are there, you will find that the shots you have are moments that will never be forgotten. here are some examples.

we we're out playing in kylie's yard and i had my camera at my side. cohen came out and i was ready. i played around with him a bit and then casually started taking some shots. here is what i came up with, and i am very happy with what i got! :)

as you can see, cohen is being nothing but himself- the silly little tyke he is. i really do love this kid.

this is...

2008-09-03T21:45:00.001-07:00

kylie and me :)

the picture above was taken by my mom- now i know where i get my talent from ;)

sneak peak

2008-08-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

i had the opportunity today to work with a wonderful family. they were incredibly nice and flexible and just easy to work with! here are only three from tonight's shoot, three of many that i will have a hard time narrowing down! i hope that you enjoy your sneak peak! i think you will be happy to see the rest!

p.s. i'm having some color space issues, so if these pictures seem a little washed out or the color is kinda weird, bare with me i'm trying to adjust some stuff. :)

cohen and the zoo.

2008-08-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

today i went with kylie's family to the zoo in sacramento. they had decided to take cohen (kylie's nephew) and let him see the animals. they invited me along, and of course i took my camera! here are only the best of the entire day. i took many pictures, but when i uploaded them i found that many turned out a tiny bit blurry. my lense was just repaired and i am really hoping that it was my problem today and not my hardware. i can't get it repaired again! anyway, here are some fun shots that i think you will enjoy.

creative flow

2008-08-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

couldn't resist my chance to get out and let the creativity flow. :)

a few stragglers...

2008-08-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

here are two photos i found on my flickr account today. i don't believe i have ever posted them. i thought they were pretty nice, i obviously overlooked them... here they are.

food for thought.

2008-08-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

eating healthy is difficult to say the least. so many factors are key when making sure that you are putting the right stuff into your body. for the past week, it has been hard to find a good meal that doesn't include too much "junk" and has some foundational nutritional value. today was probably the worst day, as far as eating goes. when you try to eat healthy, it seems that nothing in the cupboards will suffice your strict eating habits. no matter how many times i went to the kitchen i just couldn't find anything that could be healthy and stop my hunger pangs. after nearly two hours of trips with futile results, i discovered the reason eating healthy seemed challenging.

i had been expecting to be able to go to the cupboard and pull out ready to go, healthy food. i wasn't prepared to put forth much effort in the process. what i failed to realize was that eating healthy is a choice, one that only comes to those who truly desire it. of course its not going to be easy, but with everything desirable comes persistence. those who want things in life know that hard work is required. we can't just go to a car dealership and expect them to provide us with the car of our dreams. no, we have to work hard and earn the money to give in exchange for the vehicle. in the same respect, i had to force myself to dig deeper in the cupboard and concoct a meal that would meet my nutritional requirements and still be tasty.

i began to rummage through the refrigerator and found some chicken that i threw on the barbeque. after that i took some sweet baby greens and created a salad that had walnuts and was touched with a poppyseed dressing. on a whim, i baked a potato and then combined all three. what i came up with was a meal that had significant nutritional value and tasted really good.

my purpose in posting all this is to give some encouragement to anyone else who is or has been in my same predicament. the truth is, nothing comes easy in the world we live in. you are going to have to focus on what you desire most and find ways to meet your goals. a great place to start is to cut out unnatural sugar and unhealthy processed foods from your diet. focus on eating foods that you get straight from the ground. fresh fruits and veggies are always good. drink water every chance you get and don't forget to exercise. exercise is the most important tool you can use to stay healthy and feel great.

i hope that this helps someone out there, because i know realizing all of this helped me. best of luck in your healthy endeavors!

viva la vida.

josiah michael

an old photo

2008-08-10T14:30:00.001-07:00

i've been pretty busy working on the slideshow and program for my grandma's memorial service. we've been going through photos and i stumbled across this cute one of my little sis and cousin. i thought i would post it and let everyone know that i will be posting some more of my stuff later, after life slows down. even through this hard time, God is still good and his love endures! he's been our rock and i'm so thankful to have him by my side. until next time...

viva la vida.

josiah michael

san francisco... in black & white

2008-08-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

we took a trip to san francisco yesterday and had a lot of fun! i got some really neat shots that i am posting today... i have decided to just post a b&w collection. i may, perhaps, post a color set later. i just think these all go well together in black and white.

(and i hate adjusting my photos to the perfect color space!)

these were all taken at the old battery that is in the hills west of the golden gate. it was completely run down and destroyed which made for awesome shots!

sometimes...

2008-08-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

we're just plain nutty. :)

sweet, sweet, grandma...

2008-07-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

on tuesday, my grandma went to heaven :)

i've made a memorial blog here. please visit!

grandma was special to all of us and we loved her very much. i know she is happy in heaven right now and i will always remember her wonderful example of Christ's love to all of us. she was truly and amazing woman.

fort bragg

2008-07-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

well here are the rest of the pictures i promised from fort bragg. surprisingly, i didn't have my camera out that much. 77 photographs total folks. and for me, thats NOTHING! i'm usually a 500-700 shots per trip person, so going through my photos felt short and uneventful lol. anyways, here are my favorites from the trip... hope you enjoy :)

remembering...

2008-07-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

my senior year... i miss it a lot. i seriously had so much fun!

and now, your student council...

oh man, i miss everyone. but i am still staying in touch with some, which is good. :)

i hope you enjoyed my little reverie of the past... i know i did!

viva la vida.
josiah.michael

wildflower walk...

2008-07-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

we're in fort bragg, and i have plenty more pictures for later... :)

john & mady

2008-07-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

john is over today and playing with mady. they started out with playing video games this morning. it was really funny to watch them sit two inches from the tv, mesmerized by the game they were playing.

after that, they decided that they wanted to go swimming, so while they were putting their suits on, i took this one. i really actually like this one.

ready to go, they put their goggles on and dove straight in. mady is seriously a fish- she lives in the pool! it's hard to keep her out of there!

they had a lot of fun. i didn't get any pictures of them with their water balloons, which they called their babies, but it was pretty funny. they kept dropping them and getting mad that they had to make new ones :) now they are back playing games while i type this post. we shall see what's next for them today!!

viva la vida.

josiah michael

feedback!

2008-07-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

i made up this flyer to help promote my business and i would like some reader feedback! i just thought i would put it up and get some ideas, suggestions, comments, etc. on it before i start putting it up around town. i was also thinking about turning it into my business card, with some modifications. anyways, let me know what you think! thanks!

just some old ones

2008-07-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

i was making up some flyers and i was looking for some photos when i came across some photos that i never touched! i figured i might as well post them because in my opinion this kid is stinkin cute! anyways, i've discovered i am not the best in "post photography". this would be editing, it's not my expertise yet, but i am working on it!

i'm going to the coast this weekend, so hopefully i will bring back some really cool shots!

independence day and some.

2008-07-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

every time that i think about the fourth of july, i think of fireworks, hot dogs, and my family. that pretty much seems to be the agenda every year. this year was almost the same as any other year, except i split the day up between two venues. starting out at my house, most of my cousins and aunts and uncles came by to swim and play some good ole' summer games. there was a donut eating contest (photos to follow) and a water balloon toss. kylie and i weren't too keen on the balloons, but we made the best of it, or so we think. ;) after the shindig at my place had concluded, we headed over to a friends house for food and fireworks, which i sadly did not capture. hmm, why didn't i?

in the morning my mom, sister, and cousin were making cupcakes, which mady suspiciously was licking the frosting off of. nothing slips past me, though! i'm not sure if anyone actually ate that particular cupcake, but if they did, well i don't know what will happen to them...

these would happen to be the pottery barn kids model shots that i happened to snap of ricky. man, i can't ever take enough pictures of this little tyke. i mean, just look, he came complete with bedhead hair too!

speaking of kylie, the days are counting down [ :( ] until she departs for a whirlwind year of new experiences and chances at becoming a wonderful young woman. we're headed to fort brag in about two weeks (finally!) and i simply CAN NOT WAIT to get there. i love the ocean, especially fort bragg, and to be there with someone very special to me will be just tops. oh, and i have some photo shoots planned, yippee!

i managed to get this beautiful shot of kylie girl while we were at the anniversary celebration. here she is saying, "joey! not a picture of me!"

oh, kylie. you are so lovely.

viva la vida.

josiah.michael

tyler & jennifer... the beginning

2008-07-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

i was at a wedding anniversary party on saturday when tyler and his girlfriend jennifer asked me to snap a few pictures of them by the river. i had no clue how photogenic the two would be, so i invited them down here for a photo shoot sometime. so, sometime in the future you will see the "real" set of these two, and i am sure it will be amazing. but for now, here are a few teaser photos.

tangible textures

2008-06-30T16:23:00.001-07:00

okay, i wont post any more pictures today i promise, but here is some texture stuff i was playing around with thanks to beth f. :)

hmm, fun.

viva la vida.

josiah.michael

just a few more...

2008-06-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

yes, there are more.

and here they are!

jake's guitar.

a table for two.

i just can't get over that wedding.

viva la vida.
josiah.michael

p.s. the video is amazing! and almost done!

the wedding of the century...

2008-06-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

today was the day that so many had waited for, for such a long time!

announcing
mr. & mrs. matthew ithurburn

the two high school sweethearts finally tied the knot this evening, and i was able to be a part of it! i filmed the wedding, but i brought along my camera because i couldn't resist these shots. here are far too many shots for a blog post.

the place.

and now... the love birds.

a day everyone will remember...

sunny merrymaking...

2008-06-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

today we took at trip to visit our cousins. obviously, the girls had a very fun day outside in the pool. i am so glad i had my camera. prepare for image overload...

i have quite a few more, but i think i will post them a little later.

viva la vida.

josiah.michael

summer

2008-06-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

so, i've been really lazy and haven't felt like blogging lately. i wanted to give everyone an update- if anyone reads my blog LOL. it would be nice to hear from you, so leave a comment, or feel free to email me. i love saying hello :)

as far as photography is going, i'm still enjoying just taking nice pictures every once in a while. business has been super slow, but i am hoping it will pick up soon. i've updated my services on my website. Check it out!

my cousin graduated in june and i am very proud of her! i was able to take some pictures, even some great shots like the one above, from our seats far away in the bleachers. the ceremony took place on a huge football field in vacaville.

here is a pic of mady and hannah just having fun at the graduation. they are a giggly pair when they are together.

this is kylie's dog rupert. isn't he adorable? he get's shaved every summer and every time he looks like a brand new little puppy. speaking of kylie- she is moving to new york for a year for college and then she will return to finish up things here. it is both an exciting and sad time for us, but we know that God has great plans for our future!

summer has been incredibly enjoyable. i've done nothing but relax and it feels soooo good after such a busy year. i'm looking forward to college and growing up. i'm ready to start this incredible season of my life!

amongst other things, i got another mac and i'm in love with it! apple is quite possibly the most amazing company on this planet.

i'm having too much fun relaxing, so perhaps i will put some effort into my blog later. have a great summer everyone!

viva la vida.

josiah.michael

cohen

2008-06-05T00:55:00.000-07:00

okay... so meet cohen. this little goofball is my girlfriend's nephew and boy is he cute! we had a blast running around, chasing him with the camera. it was his parent's anniversary today and we had been wanting to take him to the park for quite a while, so today we had our chance! he ran around until he wore himself out. kids are funny that way- run, run, run, and then just crash. i took an un-godly amount of pictures of this kiddo and i think that showing just 6 doesn't even show what i have. these are pictures that are going straight into the portfolio ;) enjoy...

i believe this was the only time that he went down the slide by himself (he wasn't a big fan of the slide)

caught him staring off into the distance :)

his favorite was the swing. we pushed him for quite a while and it was really enjoyable to just watch him have fun! he laughed and laughed and just had a smile on his face the entire time.

and finally i think he just got tired, because all of a sudden he just stopped running and plopped on the ground. right after he hit the ground (and he hit it pretty hard) he just burst out with laughter. toddlers are truly amusing...

viva la vida,
josiah michael

p.s. leilani, max better be next!

what i love

2008-06-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

i don't think that i could live without my camera- seriously. i know lots of people that like to take pictures, but it's more to me. it is my life, my fate. there is just something about it that is so wonderful, even theropeutic. i also have a style to my art. i am keen on capturing the 'real' moments in life... the ingenous side all things. posing is trying to create rather than taking what already exists and keeping it.

i love vignettes. i use them in mostly all my photographs. there is no better way to draw attention the subject than a vignette.

if i had it my way, i would not live here, but i would travel the world with a camera until i died. i want to share the world with others, those who can't see it for themselves. maybe someday i will...

viva la vida,
josiah michael

little ricky

2008-06-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

i can't get enough of this kid. he takes the best pictures and he is fun to chase around to get good shots. he's always moving which lets me use my fast shutter speed for capturing great motion images. i really do love the way these turned out.

viva la vida,
josiah.michael

here i go...

2008-05-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

this is it-
i'm graduating today.

this moment is incredibly...surreal. never have i ever felt how i feel now. last night, when i stepped inside my room i found my robe, neatly pressed, hanging there- waiting for me to put it on. a thick layer of thoughts clouded my vision- memories. this was the defining moment. all that i had accomplished, experienced- ready to close. ready to write my final chapter of high school, a chapter that goes like this...

the end.
as i stand upon the threshold, my mind whirls with emotion. this is it- the day i have been looking forward to for such a long time. i am ready to seal this time of my life- package it up and store it in my memory banks, only to be pulled back out in years to come. we've come so far and we've experienced that journey together. growing up has been the hardest, but most assuredly the most rewarding. i've learned so much- so much that i will never forget.

1) don't forget the simple things in life. those little, unimportant blurbs that we have are the ones that we wish we could cherish. it's the conversations over coffee, the late night drives, the bike rides, the study times, and the note passing that count.

2) pursue the valuable that you wouldn't always consider valuable. these are the times that starve for your attentions- the defining moments in your life.

3) find the important people in your life. cherish the times with your family, friends, and loved ones.

4) have a good character that others will remember. be the kind person, the giving person, the joyful person, or the wonderful person that others will always keep in their hearts.

5) live YOUR life to the fullest. NEVER take for granted what has been given to you- live every single day as if it were your last. our time here is too short to not pursue the greatness of our lives.

i replay these in my mind as i prepare myself to walk to my seat and receive my diploma. i carry God with me, in my heart to lead and guide my every step- every breath. my strength and my rock- my lord and my savior.

with my future as my vista and the horizon in sight, i take these steps forward. goodbye high school- hello future.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Joshua 1:9
...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

one more...

2008-05-26T09:05:00.001-07:00

i never posted this one and i'm not sure why... it's one of my favorites. this has become one of the best spots i've come across. i am the type of person who likes to be secluded from the busy of life and just breathe fresh air, and this is where i can do that. i'll be going back most definitely.

i'm going...

2008-05-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

to disneyland. ah, my favorite place. to get ready for my trip i dug up some old photos and turned them into really old photos. this is how i see disneyland through my eyes. it is a place full of nostalgia and memories, and what not a better way to present it than ttv photography.

to the buttes we go...

2008-05-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

today, i took my sister and cousin out to the smallest mountain range in the world. with dark, storm clouds over our heads the entire time, we found a mood that called for some vintage photography. so, imagine with me, if you will, that these images have been captured with an old camera. shall we go back in time?

michelle

2008-05-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

well, life is winding down and my life is becoming less and less busy, which is very enjoyable. last weekend, i took some pictures of an old friend whom i haven't seen in 8 years... talk about crazy! one of my clients recommended my photography to her mom and they called me up. it was really nice getting to see her again and her portraits came out really well! i will post more when i get around to it- there are plenty more to see :)

photoshop is back...

2008-05-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

and there are more coming soon...

flowers and family

2008-05-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well, my last year of high school is drawing to a close and I am beginning to feel the separation from something I have had for 13 years. Each day that passes by seems to speed up and complete more quickly. Although I am happy to move on towards greater education, I am sad that I won't be able to bring all of my friends that I see every day with me. This has caused me to realize the important stuff in life- the stuff we take for granted some times. I am someone who could sit outside for hours, just observing everything around and taking it all in. One of my favorite pieces of nature to photograph are flowers that shine and have rare beauty. As I took these, I thought how sometimes we take flowers (or simple things) for granted- and usually it is those things that help us through life when we take the time to appreciate them.

I have begun to take for granted one of the most important parts of my life- my family. I have been gone so much lately being involved in different events that I haven't really had a night home to spend with 'the fam'. I am ecstatic that Godspell is almost over and that we had a good run because I know that it means I get to see the family. I don't remember when the last time I had dinner at home was- and boy am I excited to!

I guess all that I am trying to say it to remember the importance in life. Don't forget about your families or even the flowers. Those are what we need most...

Annie bannanie...

2008-04-27T01:22:00.000-07:00

So this is my sister. Doesn't she take beautiful pictures! We went out to this rose garden after lunch to see if we could get some good shots for her 8th grade picture board and I think we did! I enjoyed piecing these together... I think we should get the collage below printed and matted, what do you think? I've been having a lot of fun putting mattes and borders around photos in photoshop. Any suggestion on a theme I should work on?

Jessica & Nicole

2008-04-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

well, even in the middle of the busiest week of my life, i was able to finish the twins' portraits. the ease of this project was great! i am really glad that they allowed me to take their portraits... i am pretty sure they will like them :)

drama portraits...

2008-04-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

well we are heading into our tech week at school for our production of Godspell. I'm am going to need lots of prayers! I've got a bajillion lines and cues that are pretty tricky! Please pray! I'm pretty stressed and tired, but I am looking forward to this production. Jess and I were asked to take the head shots for the program, and well, here is the half of the group that I took into my own care. :)

naturally stunning

2008-04-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

well I am back, and very tired. i had an awesome time being in DC and especially being there with all of my friends. on saturday, we visited arlington cemetery where it rained. of course, we made the best of it and played around with our cameras. to say that these pictures are brilliant would be an understatement.
enjoy :)

and by far, the best picture i have ever taken...

isn't that stunning! i need to go back.

Twins!

2008-04-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

i had a great shoot on sunday. the day could not have gone smoother. i took some portraits of jessica and nicole, whom i have known my entire life (well since Kindergarten). talk about photogenic! out of the 700 shots i took, the only "bad" shots are those in which they are blinking and their eyes are shut. it was a great time together and i wanted to give them a sneak peak. hope you like them! ;)

i couldn't resist...

2008-04-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

my little cousin is probably the most fun to take pictures of. this guy is always running around, but he seems to turn and look at the camera at just the right time, and with a perfect look on his face! we had my dad and my birthday party today and all the cousins and family were over. i have a million (well, like 300) from today which i will have to slowly post over time. have i told you that i'm in love with my new lense?!

little mady and a new lense...

2008-04-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

my new lense came today! i'm really excited! it produces the results that i expected and my portraits are going to come out so much nicer! for those interested... it's the canon ef 50mm f/1.8 II... for those who arent, here are some pictures of mady that i took this afternoon. i love this lense!

I particularly like the one above. To me, it captures the essence and beauty of childhood. Mady is care free and high spirited. I love to watch her play and just have fun with herself, like she was doing here. She was talking to someone... must have been her imaginary friend ;)

Introducing Whiskers. This cat showed up to us about a year ago out of nowhere. All we know is that it eats the cat food at the neighbor's and then comes to us for love and attention. She has really grown on me. Every day when I leave for school, she runs over and rubs her ear against my leg. She's just a fun cat to have around.

Mady lost her two front teeth this week and was ecstatic! She got to bring home her tooth in a treasure chest from school today and tonight I assisted the tooth fairy in exchanging her teeth for some sweet mullah. I remember loosing my teeth and the excitement it brought to me. I am just enjoying the life around me and the events like this that remind me of my childhood... ah the good ole' days.

emily & john...

2008-04-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

This was a difficult one- and I'm not talking about the two I took pictures of lol. Something had gone wrong with my camera prior to this shoot. For some reason, my camera didn't want to correctly determine the exposure I set it to. (These things have a mind of their own I tell ya') I couldn't figure it out, and so I had difficulty shooting and editing these. I finally figured out a week later that some how, the metering mode was switched and that really messes things up! All in all, I think the pictures turned out pretty well, and I hope they are happy with them!

random beauties

2008-04-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

found these on some old cd backups. i really like them! flowers are fun to take pictures of, especially at unique angles.

i'm working on a couple photo jobs and trying to fit school, work, and a musical all into that. my life is going crazy! :) almost done with the pictures though, so i will post some soon!

let it snow

2008-03-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

my family took a snow trip a few weekends back. it was a perfect day in Tahoe. i was really tired from the week before, so i didn't ski, but kylie and i enjoyed our time drinking tea, talking in the lodge, walking around, and riding the gondola :)

one week to go...

2008-03-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

I can say that since last Tuesday so much has happened in my life. First, I had two photo jobs last week that went extremely well! I have only scratched the surface on editing these but they are turning out great! More to come.

If you have read my last post, you might know what I am going through. This weekend I was a part of a drama at my church that was Easter depicted in an extremely stylistic way. My character was the one that portrayed Jesus and I truly believe that through it God changed me. Every night before the show, a group of us would pray and anoint our feet with oil. What a powerful time that was! We no longer were acting but acting with the Holy Spirit. His radiance and brilliance could be felt. At the end of the show where the whole cast comes together for a choir medley, God instilled in me a heart for worship. I felt renewed and refreshed and overwhelmed with his love, such powerful and intense love.

For the first time I have truly understood the meaning of Easter. How powerful is it to think that God gave up his only son to die for the entire world. Here is an excerpt from the drama I was in that says it so plainly.

"Jesus silently bore the extreme violence of their indignation upon himself. He bore it in his flesh with brutal beatings, bruising and tearing his flesh- ripping and clawing the pure life out of him. In that wretched state he was forced to carry a heavy, crudely hewn cross up a dusty road lined with the mobs crying for his death. Jesus knew he was born for this reason, to be the perfect lamb sacrificed for all humanity. At that gruesome hour only the hot breath of Hell was his companion, all of his disciples had fled, no one defended him. He was alone and bearing the full wrath of judgement, he had every vile, evil deed ever committed by man heaped upon his soul as he hung there, unable to help himself to cover his nakedness from the jeering mob. The King turned His face from his son. He couldn't look on such wickedness."

How awesome is this! I am so thankful of this holiday and Gods love for all of us! It is truly a powerful time.

I spent time with my family that day and really enjoyed my time with them. As you can see, the joy was everywhere- we all had a great day!

This is Mackenzie. She is a very cute baby who is always happy when I see her. She is turning one in a month and I am going to take more pictures of her. I am very excited!

My cousins are always fun to be around and there are so many of them! I have a very photogenic family!

This is John. He is a fun little guy who I like to hang out with. He was picking leaves off that tree and throwing them in the pool, then at me when I tried to take his picture. I ended up chasing him all around until he randomly stopped and posed for this. It was funny!

Ricky is Johns brother and boy is he a hoot! Halfway through lunch he got his pants dirty and decided to ditch them for the rest of the day. This little guy was running around in his diaper all day long. It was hard to keep up with him!

I got this next one as I was leaving. I wanted to get a picture of the cross but Ricky was standing there. This one cracks me up because... well, just look at the look on his face! Comical!

As I said, I have lots of pictures to post! I'm going to be very busy from now until the end of May, but I am sure I will be posting! Hopefully I will be able to put up some good ones from my Washing DC trip or LA trip coming up ;) School starts up again tomorrow and I will want rest. Sorry for such a random post! Until next time... (forshadowing below)

2008-03-18T01:23:00.000-07:00

it's 1:30 in the morning and i am wresting with God. I feel a calling on my life and i feel God calling me. I know he wants to tell me something so i'm giving two weeks to seeking him and his word and his will for my life. no blog, no tv, no internet... only my worshiping and seeking him.

i'm at a point in my life where I need to decided what I am going to do with it. high school is over and i am starting adulthood and i desperately want God to lead. i know that He is going to reveal His plan if I surrender and give it all to Him.

Pray for me! i'll be praying for all of you!

i guess i will will post in two weeks to let you know of what happened! i'm excited!

Jessica

2008-03-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am extremely happy with how these portraits turned out. Everything went incredibly smoothly and flawlessly! Jess is in Mexico on a missions trip right now, but I am sure that she will be excited when she sees how they turned out! And now, the moment you've been waiting for...

:( :( :(

2008-03-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

for some reason my website pooped out on me!! i am going to have to find some solution to this... :( i shall post when i have something back up

forshadowing...

2008-03-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

I am almost done with Jess's portraits. I have three jobs I'm working on and my poor fingers hurt from so much editing! I promise I will post some before the weekend ends!

This picture can give you some hints as to what you might see...

what is to come...

2008-03-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

had a great shoot today! I can't wait to get these up! here's just a sneak peak...

fun with friends

2008-03-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Two more months and it will all happen again...

That was a good trip.

photoshopping on sunday

2008-03-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy, blustery, stressful weekend. I was finishing up the biggest term paper OF MY LIFE and working on top of that. I had to relax and just have some fun, so I took some tips from Beth and made some little creations. Take me out to ball game...about 100 years ago...

I really enjoyed making these. I need to find an old camera that will acutally take some pictures like these...

fun in the buttes

2008-02-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Jess, Kylie, Annie, and I went out to the smallest mountain range in the world after school yesterday. We pretty much just had some fun with our cameras. Jess took some really great pics of me and kylie, which you can view here! While I was waiting for them to pick me up, I took some pictures in the parking lot.

There was some kind of science experiment on the fence, so I decided to make it my art! haha

They finally came and got me and then we headed out to the Buttes. I snapped some of the girls being goofy.

I have been really attracted to bug shots lately and the perfect opportunity fell into my hands yesterday. While I was trying to pose the girls, there was a lady bug on Jess's pants, so I told her to freeze while I took this great shot. (I'm using my standard 18-55mm lens beth ;) )

It was a fun day and I think I have fallen in love with Jess's Nikon :)

Nina!

2008-02-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

I completely forgot about these! And I am so glad I found them! I took these when my mac was getting repaired so I don't have the original files :( I had to pull these off Flickr but hey, it still works. Nina was incredibly easy to work with. She definitely has her place in front of the camera. If I could work with people like Nina all the time, that would be amazing! Enjoy some photos that I took about 6 months ago, and don't feel shy to comment ;) There were way too many, so I tried to narrow it down haha...

just three more...

2008-02-21T23:07:00.000-08:00

i couldn't let these be.. i love them!

Kylie ♥

2008-02-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

My Kylie girl. It was sunny and I was dying to go take pictures and it just so happened that she had gotten her braces off! Perfect timing! We were able to get few we liked and we had fun doing it!

Now this is kinda funny. So we find this really neat orchard that had tons of "weeds" as Kylie called them. I had to explain to her that they were flowers. Weeds are simply plants or flowers growing where you don't want them. She still thinks they're weeds. What will I do with her? I actually had to carry her to her spot because she has this fear of bee's and they were everywhere pollenating. I tried to convince her that they are our friends, but she wouldn't listen LOL. Unfortunately we couldn't get to the spot I wanted to go, but we shall try again!

Finally we ended up at a park that was packed with kids! I think the weather this past week was quite deceiving. Just because it's sunny doesn't mean that everything else is ready for spring. Lots of trees still are leafless and so I have to wait patiently for spring to come.

To my disappointment, it rained today- and it will continue to rain for the rest of the week. So we went from this....

to this...

I suppose it is only for a season... no pun intended.

Sisters

2008-02-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

I've been posting a lot lately and I hope that you are scrolling past the first post. Sometimes people just look at the first post, but there is much more beyond it!

These are some photos I took of my cousins. They are sisters and boy do they act like it. When I was taken the pictures of them they kept goofing off and picking on each other. It was funny.

This is Bella. She is definitely the more outgoing. She reminds me of this little flower child who would have fit in during the 1960's.

Tori is the more logical. She enjoys reading and learning new things. They kind of balance each other out.

Almost spring

2008-02-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

Today was a spring day, at least it felt like it. The sun was out, the air was warm, and the birds were out singing. After doing yard work and cleaning up the mess that winter has made, I came in to look at some photos and maybe post some. I found some that I took last October. Even though I took them in fall, they still remind me of what is around the corner. My goals this spring are to get some shots of people in the awesome weather, take some nice flower/landscape pictures, and catch a robin or two. I have never photographed birds, but it might be fun!

Oh, one more thing. Last night Kylie and I decided to get some chipotle for dinner and when we came home the neighbors were out in the street. I asked them what they were doing and they said they were waiting for the space shuttle to fly over. Well, sure enough, a bright light went streaming across the sky. This was probably one of the coolest experiences I have had. Even though it was such a small light and you couldn't tell what it was, the thought of astronauts in space flying over my head, many many miles over my head, was mind boggling. It is suppose to fly over again tonight, so we will see if I can get any pics with my zoom. But for now, enjoy the promises of spring.

And this one is one I took a couple days ago. This little guy was just cruisin along one of my mom's plants. He seemed to be enjoying the day as well.

I worked on some pictures of my cousins today. I really like how they turned out so I will be posting them within the next couple of days, so don't forget to come back!

Update: So the shuttle graced our skies once more. Unfortunately my 300mm zoom isn't strong enough! Here is what it looked like though...

Natalie & Angie

2008-02-13T22:58:00.000-08:00

The other day I was looking through my photobucket. The very first photos that I ever uploaded were some shots I took with an old, and I mean old, 1960's Minolta 35mm film camera. They are pictures of my two cousins Natalie, whom you may find here, and Angie whom is making her debut on my blog. So basically, I got a call and they asked me to take pictures. I had never taken pictures with a 35mm camera. I didn't know what the heck I was doing, but looking back, I am amazed when I see these. I love these pictures, and the best thing is that they are from film! I went back and forth with whether or not I should edit these. I decided that these pictures really could use little editing because they simply capture the beauty of the person. They are light, elegant, and pleasing to look at, so I did away with photoshop this time. With that said, I present to you, my first ever photo shoot.

*Update- I wasn't twelve- I was 15.I was thinkin, there was no way I was 12. I guess I looked at the wrong upload date on photobucket. Enjoy. :)