New Hope, Pennsylvania

My newest blog obsession is the Pioneer Woman. She's a blogger/self-taught photographer, and I love reading her posts and looking at her pictures. In one of her posts, she played with the different aspects of Photoshop to show all the things you can do to a single shot. I absorbed as much of post as I could.

Since I'm still discovering the aspects of the photo editing program I found on my computer yesterday (which I figured out is just Microsoft Picture Manager), I decided to also post a few versions of the same shot, to show the different things that I'm able to do. I'm sure that when I look back on this in a few years, and I've become a master Photoshopper, I will laugh at how excited I am about my amateur efforts at this limited program I'm working with.

Over the holidays, I visited my family in New Jersey. We went to New Hope, Pennsylvania for a day trip, and I got a cool shot of the theater in town. I assume it used to be some sort of mill before it was converted into a theater.


Here is the original shot:





And now here it is in a sepia tone. I love the way the clouds look, almost surreal:





And finally, black and white. Cold and stark, but interesting nonetheless:

Puerto Vallarta

I took a cruise to Mexico with my family just over a year ago. This is a shot of a family on the beach in Puerto Vallarta. I've discovered a photo editing program on my computer, so I thought I'd try it out. Maybe I overdid it, but it's fun to play with the color settings. It's fun to see what I can do with my pictures until I have enough money to buy Photoshop.

Madrid, Spain

Back in April, my company sent me to Madrid to interview some teachers for our school. I know...I'm seriously lucky. Here's a few shots from the trip:


Plaza Mayor


Outside the Museo del Prado


Side note: When we were little, my brother, sister, and I incessantly made fun of our Dad's home videos from vacations. If we were in a park or a garden, he was taking pictures of flowers. Couldn't stop him for anything. Now, I've found that I'm the same way with photography. Like father, like daughter. I found the Madrid Botanical Gardens, and I was in there taking pictures until the place closed and they kicked me out.

This first shot is some dying tulips. I love it because they almost look like fire.

More tulips...this time they're alive.

Huntington Library

A couple years ago, Marin and I visited the Huntington Library in Pasadena. I especially loved the succulent garden, as you can tell. I can't wait to go back with my new found photo skills, and shoot the crap out of that place. Maybe this weekend...hmm....

Hearst Castle

I took a road trip with some of my favorite girls up to Hearst Castle a couple years ago, and we had a fantastic time. Of course.

I realized I love taking pictures of things on a slant. I think it looks more interesting.

The Villa del Sol d'Oro

Many of your are aware of my second job as a wedding coordinator. I do all the events at the Villa del Sol d'Oro, on the grounds of Alverno High School in Sierra Madre, CA. The Alverno Villa is a duplicate of the Villa Collazzi located on the outskirts of Florence, Italy. Villa Collazzi has been occupied for several centuries by the Bombicci ― Fomi family, and legend has it that the Villa is the only one ever designed by the immortal Michelangelo. The Villa del Sol d’Oro is one―quarter scale to the original.
Originally built on thirteen acres of trees and flowers overlooking the entire San Gabriel Valley, the Villa had five master bedrooms, four bathrooms, and ample help quarters, one of the first electric elevators in the area, porches on three sides, and spacious patios. On the grounds were garages, stables, caretaker’s home, swimming pool, bath house, and tennis courts.
The building is comprised of two stories and a tower. It is said that the walls are made of two rows of hollow tile to keep the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The lower story houses the reception rooms, dining room, drawing room, and library. The upper floor includes the living quarters and a spacious ballroom. The tower was built to obtain a better view of the valley.
I feel beyond fortunate to get to work in one of Southern California's historical and architectural gems. This was one of the weddings I coordinated back in September....

Getty Villa

The Getty Villa in Malibu is a beautiful place to take pictures. I wish I'd taken more that day, but alas, lesson learned. These were the two I liked the best.