Back that thing up
Nov 29, 2008
Ok, I will admit that I am getting a little paranoid, but everywhere I turn lately I am just in time for a story of a hard drive crashing or a fire taking out a backup. Ugggh. That is my nightmare. I had a rough start with Mac and hard drives but thank goodness I had back-ups of my back-ups. It made the process a lot less scary, still stressful but less scary.Such avoidable tragedy! I have spent a ton of time lately backing up my back ups. It would be so devasting to loose all my pictures. There are so many precious memories attached to each image and my photos serve as my memory in a lot of cases. With the various back-up methods and services like Phanfare, it really is easier than it sounds. And once everything is just as you would like it, take it somewhere other than your house, just for the rare chance that something happens, your images will be safe and sound.
I have used Lacie, Iomega, Western Digital, and Maxor external hard drives and I have liked them all. One thing that is helpful in picking out a external hard drive is knowing if it is NTFS or FAT32 Also there is the decision on RAIDED or mirrored hard drives. Mirrored is just as it sounds the drive is split evenly into 2 parts and are an exact duplicate or the other. Raided is a bit more complex. It is probably better if you google it, because I don't think that my definition would make sense. It makes sense to me but I can't figure out how to write it out. Google is my friend :)
image from Happy Friday!
Nov 28, 2008
I have to admit that I searched the web this morning for some great "Black Friday" deals and I am happy to say that I got some on Amazon.com I don't know if I found some typos but I am talking screaming deals. I got a 16GB thumb drive for a PENNY!! And I don't want to say the others because they will be Christmas gifts :) But here are a few sites to check out the site and happy hunting. www.Amazon.com
www.CircuitCity.com
The Shootsac
TODAY only, Save $20 off a School Membership to PhotographyMentor.com!
And one of the coolest guys in Wedding Photography, David Jay, is having an AWESOME sale on his slideshow program. It is an awesome program. To get an incredible $100 on Showit Web PRO by typing in "turkey" when you order...and this is version 2.7 and it comes with two new FREE songs! Click here to get it - http://showitfast.com/web/
Happy Thankful Day
Nov 27, 2008
I have so many people and things to be thankful for... things like health and happiness and people like super supportive friends and family. Things that can't be bought in any store. But I am thankful for some of the material things like my new replacement computer that Apple gave me. Hopefully this one doesn't crash on me :)I am also happy that my beautiful husband will be coming home today. It is really cool to think of how many Thanksgiving's we have spent together now. And this will be our 3rd Thanksgiving with Kai. That is a lot to be Thankful for!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Double the fun at the Beach
Nov 23, 2008
I am getting ready to snuggle in a read a book while Kai is napping, but before that I wanted to post a few pictures from yesterday. My favorite little twins aren't so little anymore. They are almost 17 months old and they are way different than the little babies I remember. Pete, Erin and I took them to the beach and the big challenge was trying to keep both children inside the frame. They were off in 2 different directions. I am so in awe of twins and how busy they can be. Can someone explain to me how Angelina and Brad have twins and four others but they are still talking about adopting more. Do those people just have WAY more energy than me? Yes they have help, but with 6 kids they still have to be busting their butts. Doing all that and movie careers. How is it possible?Ok, sorry. I got a little off track. Kids are so fascinating and different. Each child is so special and unique. I really enjoyed watching them explore the sand and surf. It is so interesting how they are wired so differently. Ryan was all boy and go, go, go. While Sophie was more into figuring out the details and really examining things. The innocence in the eyes and and the way the interact is so fresh and sweet. Being around the 2 of them, really was double the fun!
Thormodsgaard's Family Pictures
Nov 21, 2008
Special families affect their community. Well, I was granted the good fortune of getting to spend some time with an inspirational family recently. There is no dramatic story, it is just plain and simple. These parents love these kids more than anything else. They relate to the boys in a sweet and real way. Coda and Zane had me laughing so much that at times it was hard to take pictures. I had to keep fighting my desire to join in the fun or tickle the boys till they couldn't take it. These boys listened, were respectful and were FUN! Tad and Kelly love their kids and each other so much that they are and have something special. 
If you are thinking about buying a home, call Tad. He has been in the real estate business for a while and he is a really nice guy and straight shooter. He is someone that is trustworthy in a market that can be pretty scary these days. Just in the time we talked about the market he was able to offer sound and reasonable advice.
Due to the recent fires the sunset was incredible. It was still a reminder of how fragile our lives are and how we shouldn't waste a moment.
I went home wondering what Kai will be like when he's older and examining my parenting ways. I want to be sure that I am giving him my best. Kids are SO worth it!
Thankfulness is the reason for the Season.
Nov 16, 2008
Thanksgiving is around the corner and I have SO much to be thankful for this year. So very much! While people are battling fires locally, I am reminded of just how fragile life is and how it can all change lighting fast. Tonight I did a family shoot down at the beach and the sunset was stunning because of all the smoke in the sky but I know that it comes at a price. I am just left speechless at all the abundance I have in my life. I am so blessed to have an abundance of love, laughter and friendship. And a family that brings me to tears of gratitude. My prayers are with all the people facing the fires and I have hope that there will be a silver lining for them in these smoke filled clouds.A few weeks ago I did a shot for a precious family. That was before my brand new, fresh out of the box, Mac crashed. That is why it has taken a little bit of time to post these pictures. Tech support now knows me by name and when I walk in the Apple store it is like Norm walking into Cheers. They know my name alright but it might not be a good thing. My replacement computer will be here in a few days, but till then I am hoping the one that I am on doesn't have a "kernel panic", that is Mac talk for CRASH! I am so gr8phul that I have back-ups of my back-ups of my back-ups. You can never be to careful.
Anyway-- I got to spend a fun afternoon with Timmy and his parents. Timmy is one of Kai's good friends, so taking pictures of him was near and dear to my heart. Timmy is a trip. He talks up a storm and all in the sweetest little voice imaginable. He is only 2 and he can really talk, he had me cracking up. We started the day at a local park and then finished up near the Manhattan beach pier.
I met Mary Elise while we were doing MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) together last year. We have traveled in the same circles for a while but God has brought us together in a special way in the last few months. She is a talented card maker and owner of KungFuKitty Cards. She makes beautiful cards. I have one hanging in my house because I can't bare to part with it.
Timmy and Kai have a LOVE of boarding. Timmy really has some good moves. I think he has learned from his Dad. Bill is an avid surfer and "boarder".
And boys climb trees. Boys really are fun! :) I like to climb a good tree from time to time.
I am so thankful to get to spend such fun quality time with such special families. Each encounter encourages me as a parent and makes me want to grow as a friend. Family is such a
Gift! I never knew how big a space in my heart I was saving for my family, but now I am reminded daily of how much I have to be Thankful for! Happy almost Thanksgiving!
Busy as a Bee
Nov 12, 2008
The other day I had a woman that I was chatting with ask me a question that has had my wheels spinning ever since. She asked me, "What is it that keeps you so busy?" At first my jaw dropped from the way she said it-- I mean come on. Isn't it obvious, then I realized maybe it isn't. I have a l...o...n...g laundry list of all the things on my To Do List. But then I realized that we, WOMEN, all have a ton on our plates. She does too.Whether it is planing a wedding, chasing children or buying groceries. We all have a ton to accomplish, so much that it can be hard to just breathe. But God is bigger than ALL my To Do Lists and he really does have a strength that passes all understanding.
So between Kai's birthday party, Halloween, catching up on all my editing, switching over to Mac and having problems with the hard drive, birthdays, incoming phone calls, outgoing e-mails,trying to get a jump on Christmas stuff and just trying to get dinner on the table...all during nap time and bed time... I have been busy as a Bee. Whoops I guess that is my laundry list, well part of it.
I have been meaning to post to the blog. But it fell of the list somewhere. Actually I should probably get back to my To Do List. And at the top of the list is reading my Bible, so I can get my battery charged to keep going.
Here are a few things that I have been working on:
About Me, Kat
I have always been drawn to the camera. Photography is such an interesting blend of technical know how and capturing heart felt emotion.
The challenge is to flawlessly do both, in a split second before the moment passes.
Everyday and every moment is an opportunity to learn to live and shoot better.