Love and Lemonade Photography

WEEKEND RECAP

Nina — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:41:12 +0000

Did you have a fun Father’s Day weekend? Our weekend was spent with both friends and family which basically means it was perfect.

A group of us took a weekend trip to Highland Springs Resort for their annual Lavender Festival. There was a lot of lavender infused foods and goods and live music to compliment the event. It was so relaxing and fun to be out there and spend quality time with friends and their kids.

Mark getting a shot of the lavender

I did do some work during the mini getaway – my close friends Maye and Kelly are expecting their 2nd baby so we did a maternity/family session on Saturday. And of course big sister Evelyn was so good about smiling pretty for the camera.

Photo by Kelly

And Mark and I got to be in front of the camera thanks to Jon and Amy’s Instax Mini:

We look like tourists here. haha

People I love very, very much. (Photo from Kelly)

On Sunday Mark and I headed to my parents’ place to celebrate Father’s Day with my family and also pick up our furbabies. Of course we had Korean bbq:

Thanks to my dad, my brother and Mark I think the servers were both scared and impressed by how much food our table consumed.

And that’s a wrap. It felt so nice to get away even if it was for a weekend and I still had a shoot. But Monday never fails to come rolling around and now I’m off to continue working, editing, and adding the finishing touches to my mentorship announcement coming soon this week. This is definitely something I am so excited about.

Happy week, friends!! XO

P.S. If you’re interested in my mentorship program and would like to be one of the first to sign up, please email me at nina[at]loveandlemonade.com.

P.P.S. The Lavender Festival is also happening next weekend in case you missed this past weekend.

Original article: WEEKEND RECAP

WEEKEND RECAP was first posted on June 17, 2013 at 12:41 pm.

LOVE & LEMONADE MENTORSHIPS

Nina — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:56:00 +0000

Last week I briefly mentioned offering a type of mentorship program and I wanted to elaborate on it a little more today.

I considered offering workshops but it just didn’t sit right with me. Well, if I’m being honest, I’m not comfortable in group settings. I’m a fairly shy person and public speaking makes me very nervous. Also, if you’re investing your time and money into something I am offering, I would want to provide you with as much of my time, experience and expertise as I possibly can and this would be a lot more difficult in a group setting.

Which leads me to mentorships. I thought having individual one on one time would be the most ideal way to help you. Not only would it be a more comfortable setting but it would be catered to your individual needs, regardless of your skill level or where you might be in your career.

My main reason for wanting to do this is to help you more thoroughly. I receive many emails asking questions about gear, photography, business, etc. and I can only help so much. And a lot of times there’s no follow up so I don’t know whether things worked out or not. I would love to be able to sit down with you and really have a heart to heart about your work and your business as well as share about my successes and mistakes over the last 4 years. I want to build friendships where I can help you over the course of your journey and make sure you’re succeeding. I want the mentorship to continue even after our day together is over. And eventually I want to build a community where others can support each other, help each other and refer each other to clients.

Here are some things that will be included in the different mentorship program packages:

• Review of your portfolio where I provide constructive criticism
• Review of your gear and share with you the gear I use
• Business necessities – contracts, email correspondences, insurance, time management, etc.
• Editing tips
• Marketing and social media tips (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogging, etc.)
• Q&A session
• A styled shoot where we shoot together and we can go over settings and gear
• And of course food!

I will be making an official announcement next week but if you’re interested and would like to be the first to know about signing up, please email me at nina [at] loveandlemonade.com. I will only be taking on very few mentorships every month since my shoot schedule gets pretty busy so it’ll be on a first come, first serve basis.

I hope to meet you soon! :)

Original article: LOVE & LEMONADE MENTORSHIPS

LOVE & LEMONADE MENTORSHIPS was first posted on June 14, 2013 at 3:56 pm.

LOS ANGELES BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY

Nina — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:01:03 +0000

I actually shoot a lot of boudoir sessions but in respect to my clients’ privacy, I don’t post them. Thankfully, my gorgeous client let me post these photos…wish I could show you more because she not only looked stunning but she killed it. The boudoir photos were put together into a photobook and gifted to her now husband before their wedding. He’s a lucky guy. ;)

Original article: LOS ANGELES BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY

LOS ANGELES BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY was first posted on June 13, 2013 at 1:01 pm.

LOS ANGELES FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY: THE CAMPOS FAMILY

Nina — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:50:15 +0000

Baby Giuliana recently turned 1 and to celebrate we had a fun family session! She is such a sweet, funny, pretty little girl whose parents are the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and photographing. I’m excited to watch her grow and blossom into a lady. But not too quickly, Giuliana. ;)

Original article: LOS ANGELES FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY: THE CAMPOS FAMILY

LOS ANGELES FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY: THE CAMPOS FAMILY was first posted on June 12, 2013 at 12:50 pm.

WEEKEND RECAP

Nina — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:48:57 +0000

This weekend was filled with birthday celebrations – one innocent and another…not so innocent. ;)

It was Mark’s birthday on Saturday so we spent the entire day doing what he wanted. It was pretty similar to my birthday – movie and then dinner.

We watched The Kings of Summer which was really good. The more I think about the movie, the more I like it. It’s like a modern day Stand By Me with some Wes Anderson vibe thrown in. I thought everyone in the movie played their part perfectly. I recommend watching this if you want something that doesn’t scream “summer blockbuster”.

After the movie we went to The Rainbow Bar & Grill for dinner and drinks. This is Mark’s favorite place and their food is actually really, really good. It’s also a fun place to spot old 80′s and 90′s rockers. We always see a bunch of them when we come here. Here’s Mark destroying the bread basket by himself since I can’t even touch it.

Mark loves pie more than cake so in keeping with family tradition, I get him a berry pie for his birthday. And lucky guy gets to have the entire thing to himself.

Sunday was Baby Canon’s first birthday! Seriously, the cutest baby boy ever and Jon and Amy did an amazing job putting everything together.

It was like Anthropologie designed the party. There was also a food truck, a sundae station, and gourmet popsicles. I may or may not have devoured 2 mojito flavored ones. Kurt and I were the official unofficial photographers for the day. Can’t wait to see the photos when they get developed by the lab. (By the way, all the party hats were handmade and designed by Jon and Amy from scratch. They are such a talented couple.)

After the party I rushed home to make Mark this:

Spaghetti Pie. His mom made it for him every birthday and she passed the recipe to me so now I make it for him on his birthday. I’m sure it’s not as good as hers but I think he’s happy as long as he has it every year.

And that’s a wrap. Weekends go by too quickly but at least we have the memories…and the photos. Now I’ll leave you with my favorite photos from the weekend – a collage I put together for Mark wishing him a happy birthday.

My boys <3

(All photos taken with my iPhone)

Original article: WEEKEND RECAP

WEEKEND RECAP was first posted on June 10, 2013 at 12:48 pm.

STILL TIME TO CHANGE THE ROAD YOU’RE ON

Nina — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:46:48 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot about my life and past recently (not my past life). I don’t know if it’s because I recently turned 34 or because Mark is also turning a year older tomorrow. It sounds funny to say this but I don’t feel like I really started living my life until the Fall of 2009 – when I started Love & Lemonade and decided to work towards being a full time professional photographer. For the first time I was doing something I loved 100% and was passionate about. But I wonder what my life would be like now if photography was never a part of it. Would I still be miserably working in the fashion industry? Probably. And I’d still be commuting to work and doing something that was making me unhappy day in and day out.

In the last four years since I decided photography was my path in life, I’ve gone through a lot of big changes. Not only did I switch careers and start my own business but I luckily got out of a very unhappy, toxic relationship. Unfortunately, it took me years to finally get out of it but once I did I completely cut the person out of my life. And it was one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Despite having to start from scratch and rebuild a new life, I welcomed the change and it’s been nothing but positive. I really believe you need to let the bad out to make room for the good.

I guess the reason why I bring this up is because I always meet people such as clients and photographers who are familiar with my story and the changes I’ve made to get to where I am in my life and they wistfully say it isn’t a possibility for them because of xyz reasons. And I understand where they’re coming from – I used to always list the reasons why something can’t be done and convince myself to forget any lofty dreams I may have. But you know what? Becoming a photographer was a lofty dream. It was a crazy dream considering I never owned a camera until Christmas of ’08. But I wanted it bad enough where I was willing to do anything to make it happen. And despite all the good and bad, the tears and heartbreaks, the wrongs and rights, and the sacrifices, I would do it all over again. In a heartbeat.

Change is scary. Change can be a lot of work. Change can also be the best thing to happen to you. If I didn’t change my career or get out of that relationship, I wouldn’t be where I am now – happier, more at peace, a positive person and more hopeful for the future. Change is inevitable in life and it will come whether you want it or not, whether you seek it or not. But the beauty of it is that we can also be proactive in making our own changes. No matter where you are in life, how old you are, and what road you’ve been traveling down thus far, we can still change the road we’re on.

P.S. While thinking about change and the last four years of my life, I realized I really want to start helping people, especially photographers. Nothing makes me happier than helping people and sharing everything I can. I know how difficult and challenging it is to build a photography business and find your voice, style, and identity in this huge community. It can also be a lonely profession. So, I’d like to build friendships and a community and be there for those who are looking to change and grow their lives and be the support and help they need. I’ll be sharing more information soon but I’m not planning on holding a workshop. This will be more for people who need help starting their photography business or making changes in order to get on the right path. Sort of like a mentorship but more like a friendship. ;)

P.P.S. This made me laugh.

(All images from Pinterest)

Original article: STILL TIME TO CHANGE THE ROAD YOU’RE ON

STILL TIME TO CHANGE THE ROAD YOU’RE ON was first posted on June 7, 2013 at 1:46 pm.

SANTA BARBARA MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIN+JIM = BABY GIRL

Nina — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:01:36 +0000

When I think of Erin and Jim, my mind gets very peaceful. Not only were they one of the easiest couples to work with but their kind and warm personalities immediately put you at ease. Everything about this session was so relaxing and fun – even despite the freezing temperatures and crazy winds. And they’re such a good looking couple that you can’t imagine any camera not liking them. I can’t wait to meet their daughter, who will no doubt be a beauty herself. Erin and Jim, thank you for such a fun afternoon in one of our favorite towns. We can’t wait to see you again soon! XO

Original article: SANTA BARBARA MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIN+JIM = BABY GIRL

SANTA BARBARA MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIN+JIM = BABY GIRL was first posted on June 5, 2013 at 1:01 pm.

A GLIMPSE INTO OUR “LOST IN LAVENDER” STYLED SHOOT

Nina — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:41:18 +0000

Last week myself, Jon, Ning, and Kurt hosted a styled shoot for almost 30 film photographers at Highland Springs Resort. It took months of planning, several meetings, daily chats, and some late night (hilarious) Google Hangouts but we pulled it off. We had 8 models, 4 set designs, and some amazing vendors working with us such as ShopRuche and Lacielle Roselle. I can’t share too much about the shoot since A) most of us are still waiting to get our film processed and scanned and B) the shoot will get published on a wedding blog and they insist on exclusivity. But here are a few behind the scenes photos I can share with you. I still can’t believe we did it…

Mark and I (photo by Joyce, our lead makeup artist for the shoot)

Contax 645 cameras – this wasn’t even half the Contaxes that were at the shoot. (Instagram photo by @studio205films)

My friend Brian modeling with Corrie (from my Instagram – @lovexlemonade)

Mark was one of the models, too (from my Instagram – @lovexlemonade)

Corrie in the lavender fields at sunset (Instagram photo by @karleensu)

I heart these guys. My partners in crime who made the whole process so much fun that we’re planning more of these styled shoots/workshops. Stay tuned! ;)
L to R: Kurt, me, Ning, and Jon. (Instagram photo by @marvintsai)

To see more behind the scenes photos from the shoot, please visit our #lostinlavender Instagram page.

Original article: A GLIMPSE INTO OUR “LOST IN LAVENDER” STYLED SHOOT

A GLIMPSE INTO OUR “LOST IN LAVENDER” STYLED SHOOT was first posted on June 4, 2013 at 11:41 am.

PHOTO DIARY: THE SALTON SEA IN COLOR FILM

Nina — Wed, 29 May 2013 07:59:47 +0000

The rest of my photos from our trip to The Salton Sea, this time in color. By the way, the pinkish tone in the last photo wasn’t edited in – it was nearing sunset and the entire place had this pink/purple glow to it. So amazing.

See my black and white Salton Sea photo diary here.

(Contax 645 // Fuji 400H // Richard Photo Lab)

Original article: PHOTO DIARY: THE SALTON SEA IN COLOR FILM

PHOTO DIARY: THE SALTON SEA IN COLOR FILM was first posted on May 29, 2013 at 12:59 am.

SIMPLE PLEASURE [NO.32]

Nina — Sun, 26 May 2013 14:17:24 +0000

Tree lined roads.

Original article: SIMPLE PLEASURE [NO.32]

SIMPLE PLEASURE [NO.32] was first posted on May 26, 2013 at 7:17 am.

Love and Lemonade Photography

WEEKEND RECAP

Related Posts:

LOVE & LEMONADE MENTORSHIPS

Related Posts:

LOS ANGELES BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY

Related Posts:

LOS ANGELES FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY: THE CAMPOS FAMILY

Related Posts:

WEEKEND RECAP

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STILL TIME TO CHANGE THE ROAD YOU’RE ON

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SANTA BARBARA MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIN+JIM = BABY GIRL

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A GLIMPSE INTO OUR “LOST IN LAVENDER” STYLED SHOOT

Related Posts:

PHOTO DIARY: THE SALTON SEA IN COLOR FILM

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SIMPLE PLEASURE [NO.32]

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