Mexico!

Mexico!
I'm so very excited to be heading down to Baja to the small town of San Vicente. We usually go
about once a year with our church. In the past Dan and I have taught classes, he teaches welding and I teach computers, and then we go to a labor camp and do a short program for the kids.

Below are kids from one of the labor camps 2 years ago. The families that are in these labor camps come from deep down in Mexico. The corporations that run the camps bus the families up to Baja. The families want to come because they can make $9 a day versus $2. For the months they are at the labor camp, they stay in a 12x12 room with a dirt floor and tin walls and roof. Plus if you're 9 years old, you can work and get the wage of an adult.

This year I'm down with the women's ministry team. We're going to put on an outreach to the local women of the town.

Being down here puts life into perspective. We truly are so rich to live in the US. Serving others in the name of God is truly a rewarding experience!

Bijou!

I had this vision for a photo shoot and made it happen. As you can see, Bijou was the perfect subject. It's so fun to do shoots "for myself!" I always walk away inspired with more ideas and more creative energy. The end result of these little escapades such as this is, is that I become an even better photographer for my clients, because I am constantly staying fresh, not getting static and always moving forward. Enjoy these images! and if you'd like to see more, watch the SLIDESHOW

Special thanks to Camilla, Scot & Bijou!

Hip Family

Vicki was the winner of a family portrait session from a silent auction donation we participated in. I had a great time taking these photos of her & Stan and their 4 kids. These images are drifting from the traditional family portrait - but way good stuff, don't ya think? They're a bit "rocker" - love it!

Sandra & Richard

Sandra & Richard wanted to have their photos taken in our beautiful neck of the world before they up and moved to Richard's home country of England. We discussed their shoot and decided on a beach just north of Cambria. Well, we got there and it was just absolutely windy, I don't mean a little breeze here and there, I mean like torrential winds!!!! We tried taking a few shots, and decided to try another day. We agreed upon Santa Margarita Lake.

So a few weeks later we met at the lake and went out on the boat to some of my exclusive locations. We had a great time. They love dogs and we happen to bring Gunny - who likes to randomly go swimming we discovered - his boat days might be limited.

We really clicked with Sandra and Richard and they wrote us the nicest thank you...

"Allyson & Dan,
Thanks for the rock star treatment during our photo shoot last week. It was above & beyond our expectation. You two are really special. We wish you both all the success to reach your dreams. ~Sandra & Richard"

We think you two are special too, and yes, you're rock stars. Shine bright in your new home town of Lanchester, Englad!
Cheers!
Allyson

Family & children lifestyle sessions

I've been up to my ears in children and family lifestyle session, which I am thrilled about. I just love to watch families growing and enjoying this beautiful world we've been given to enjoy and soak up! On the Central Coast we have been so blessed with awesome weather, I guess this would be the one exception to the global warming argument - the winter has been so warm!

Wedding season is upon us, so check back for the most recent wedding photos. I am SO looking forward to this season. We have many truly fantastic couples we're working with many awesome locations.

I am honestly so very thankful to my clients who choose me to capture such exquisite and timeless memories of their life, it's not only a dream come true for them to have such wonderful events and moments, but a dream come true for me to be capturing them!

Enjoy these images, I'd like to hear your thoughts - I didn't go to Art School for years of critic to have it end there!

Faux Florals Book

Occassionally in the path of life we will all be approached with a proposition that we would never have thought we'd be doing. That was the case when my good friends Camilla and Scot Burns called me about a year ago to see if I'd be interested in working on a "how to" Faux Floral design book.

They had been approached by Quintet Publishing
out of London to put together some sample projects of the book they had concepted and needed a talented artist to implement. So Camilla put together a few arrangemets in her stylish fashion, I shot the arrangements in "commercial" mode and we did a step-by-step shoot and submitted it all. Almost a year had passed and we pretty much figured they were not able to sell the project as they had projected. We didn't really give it much thought, and considered it an honor to have been asked in the first place.

Well in about Feb of this year, they called, and they had sold the project! The hitch for us was that the deadline was around the corner. So we knuckled down and busted out 35+ projects in about a weeks worth of time....a near miracle I tell you! I really felt bad for Camilla, it was an extra amount of work for her, since she had to come up with the projects and then sit there and show the steps as I photographed them.

Here are a few samples of one of the sample projects and layout and then a whole load of my favorite arrangements and images. Camilla is simply exceptionally talented and I love flowers, so we made a great team!

The book, called Faux Florals, will be distributed in the UK, the USA and Australia....look for it on your local bookshelf this summer! Or you can asked for a signed copy from yours truly!

WPPI Las Vegas, 2007

Each year Dan and I attend the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International convention in Las Vegas for a few days filled with inspiration, new products & lots of friends. This year I got to hear a bunch of our friends speak including: Brook & Alisha Todd, Jose Villa & Gene Higa. We had great dinners with some SB friends and some of our past wedding clients from when I was first starting to shoot weddings, they live in Henderson.

In the midst of trying to get it all in I didn't take many pics, but did manage to get these few out of our hotel window - isn't that pool awesome when lit up?!

Here's a short clip of the convention in only a few minutes, compliments of Ron Dawson of Cinematic Studios. CLICK HERE