If you can, if you get a moment – vote for my photo blog as the FRESHEST at http://www.ppmag.com/fresh-blog-09/
**Updated to add, I’m not sure what page it might be on for YOU, so just look for it please? Thanks, everyone. You’re fabulous.** Click on it and vote for me please! I might win a spiffy new custom blog if I win.
I know. Selfish. But I love to show off my gorgeous clients!
Have a great week! Off to Thailand in the AM!
Is anyone else alarmed at the speed of 2008? I mean really… it was JUST New Year’s, wasn’t it? Time is flying. It’s part of the reason I do what I do – to try to slow it down. It isn’t working.
But I’m the type who looks forward after reminiscing about the past. There’s a new year upon us, and I will be here for all of it. Perhaps two and a half more years if the Hubby’s job move is approved. So we’ll potentially be here until June of 2011! Lots of time for graduating senior photos for two more graduation classes, baby photos (there ARE 120 of them born per year at Lester!), family photos, all that good stuff.
First of all, thank you again, my amazing clients of 2008. Without you and your business, I wouldn’t be where I am. I will never forget that!
Here are some NEW things I look forward to doing/offering in 2009 with respect to Aviva Photography.
I think that about covers it for now…. but please, if you have ideas, suggestions, requests – email me or comment here on the blog!
It would be unfair to post without a photo, so here are a few from a trip to the pottery village in Yomitan. A blue sake set (I might have to invest in), a cool cactus, and Seikichi Inamine, a Living Legend artist (glass blower).
I’ve been busy with a few shoots during my “break” – ha ha – but hey, this is when family comes into town to visit, right? I hope your holiday season was great and I wish you & yours a happy and healthy new year!
A while ago, someone approached me about buying a photo shoot gift certificate for someone. I said, “Of COURSE!” And thought.. hmm… what a great idea! Another friend just emailed to ask if I’d offer that, and I was thinking… hmm…. holidays are coming up. What a lovely gift idea!
SO – as a permanent offering (not just for the holidays), I’d like to introduce – the Aviva Photography Gift Certificate:
That’s just a sample image, but you get the idea.
You may spend a specific amount (say $50 or $100) or you may purchase the whole sitting fee for the individual/family. I will customize a gift certificate like the one above and print it on cardstock – and you can include it in a card or do whatever you wish to present it to the recipient.
It’s a great gift, and you can chip in with friends if you want to! The possibilities are endless. Email me at aviva@aviva-photography.com if you’re interested. I’ll need your name, your mailing address, the recipient’s name, and the amount you’d like to give. I’ll send you the gift card in the mail within 48 hours of your Paypal payment for the gift certificate.
Happy spending! Email me if you have any questions or specific requests. I LOVE SURPRISES!! I promise, I’ll keep my mouth shut about your gift-giving sneakiness! Happy Holidays!
I met Paula at the Kanda’s Art Auction last month. We purchased a couple of pieces that day, and she was taking money. She saw my name on my credit card and recognized it (yep – pretty sure I’m the only AVIVA on island…) and emailed me soon after to plan a family shoot. I am ecstatic that she did!
I knew I liked her when I emailed her back to ask how many kids she had. “I have a 45 year old and a 14 year old, one of them being my husband!” She also said the boys skate and surf and she’s just the crazy one who supports it all.
You know me… hello! BRING THE BOARDS! I did a happy dance when I saw boards with colorful wheels AND coordinated shoes….
In case you can’t tell… I LOVE WHAT I DO!
Brian and Paula are such a fun-loving young and young-at-heart couple. Their son, N is wise beyond his years. I find that dads and older boys are my biggest critics – so when N said he was having a great time that morning, I was super flattered. Kat and I had so much fun with you three too!
This background was just too cool to skip. In Okinawa when you walk around a neighborhood you notice things you might’ve passed a million times while driving. And you think, “HOW did I never see that cool… bunch of metal thingies??”
We’re walking along – and suddenly I say, “Wow…. now that is an interesting smell…” and everyone noticed at the same time.
Paula says, “That’s a goat.” We are smack in the middle of town and you know what? SHE WAS RIGHT! There was a goat nearby in a front yard! But I wanted a photo by this cool gate. I told them they’d suffer for the shot – but they were all grimacing.
I said, “What? You don’t want to smell goat…” well, the other word for passing gas that rhymes with “arts”, ok? Jeez, I just feel like my husband would kill me for typing that word on my blog.
Brian turns to his family and says, “Pull my hoof.”
Brian and his son have such a great relationship – they enjoy skating and surfing together so much, and in general being around N keeps Brian young. It’s quite apparent. (Sorry, N – this photo was just too good to pass up!)
I think Brian was in the dog house with Paula for some reason or another, but as the morning went on they kissed and made up. It’s a good thing because it made for some extremely sweet lovey-dovey shots!
We ended the day at the sea wall. As the boys looked at the waves and drooled, they kicked off their shoes. I just looked at this fun and colorful family and smiled. I mean really, how did I get so lucky to meet all these amazing people??
Sometimes a spur-of-the-moment grab is one of my faves. This is how Brian and Paula headed back to the car. LOVE IT!
I hope you enjoyed the rest of your weekend, you three. I’m really happy you were a part of mine!
More exactly A AND Z! When Angie emailed me and told me she wanted me to take photos of her 10 and 13-year-old girls I got excited. She was open to anything, and I like that very much. She also let Katherine and I just take off with these two – and they’re so different you’d never know they were related! But I really think they compliment each other well. We loved the colors they picked to wear, you know I am a sucker for COLOR.
The camera loved these two. Aren’t they beautiful?
I like to tell my clients to bring props, things that really express who they are. I think you can guess from these shots what the girls are into. (Though A plays piano, she couldn’t bring that.)
If you’re with me, you’ve got a sense of humor…
More pretty smiles!
I just love these red doors.
Angie – it was so great meeting your family! Thanks for letting me spend some time with your lovely daughters. I had a really good time, I hope they did too!
This past weekend I met Alaina. She’s incredibly smart, she’s fun, she’s driven, she’s humble… oh – and she’s GORGEOUS! Mom’s a teacher and Dad’s a principal, and you can tell this young lady is well educated and will go far. She plans on studying journalism and her dream job is to work for the Alternative Press writing reviews and such. I myself am a fan of music – almost all kinds – and getting to talk to a 17-year-old about music is great for me! I love knowing what the kids are listening to these days. Wow. Could I have sounded like more of a grandma just then?
I know, shut up, Aviva – let’s see the photos. Can you say million dollar smile? The second I saw her I could see gorgeous green eyes and a blinding smile – beautiful!
I’ve been photographing the grads for a while now and I’m still amazed at how comfortable they seem to be with themselves. The self-image kids have these days is incredible; I was such a different kid! I think there’s some great parenting at work too, I’m going to get in on this secret before my daughter is a teenager.
My assistant, Katherine – she’s the best. I love going out there with her because her eye and her ideas are amazing – not to mention she’s so easygoing and makes the subjects feel so comfortable. We both spotted this place and knew we needed to put Alaina in it!
I was speechless when I saw this one. Which as you might imagine, is rare for me.
Sigh. There’s that smile again.
Stunning.
Alaina, thanks for a glorious day. Kat and I loved spending the morning with you! I can’t wait to finish up and share these with you & your family. Thanks for recommending Steel Train – who is from JERSEY btw, and so am I!
If there is such thing as a second life, I want to come back as Matt & Amy’s daughter. There’s SO much love in this sweet family! And Amy’s taste in clothes for their precious little bundle, let’s just say I got a few tips on kid clothes shopping!
I can’t resist a baby smoosh face.
Hello, happiest baby in the world. She has good reason to be.
6-month-old E is just now starting to sit up – Mom & Dad stayed close as she wobbled, which made me feel much better. Did I mention the wardrobe? And no, they don’t make this dress in grown-up sizes. Bummer.
Those baskets hanging on the wall came in handy.
I feel like I had already been friends with these two. Matt was amazing with his little girl, and so loving with Amy – they really enjoyed it while Kat held E and they could snuggle up. So sweet!
But at the end… they spotted the tall sugar cane. They directed me to take this and it’s one of my faves! (Amy, wowzers.)
Thanks for a fantastic day, you three. I’m so looking forward to E’s first birthday shots so I can play again!
