Beautiful Baby Boy

this precious baby is almost a month old and loves to snuggle . . . he nuzzled up and slept on my shoulder . . . so sweet

Just Because

why more pictures of Eliya? because she's my little girl and it's Sunday morning and she's decked out all cute and she's clean for all of 5 minutes



and what's cuter then that little girl in her sunday best?? that little girl with her big brother of course . . .

the Bloomin' Desert

crack open your Audubon Field Guide! We've had lots of rain this spring and the desert is green. We hiked into the White Tank Mountians and shot some flowers . . . trying to use a few photography tips. I plan to research and post the names of each flower. Can you name any?


tip: look for a simple background to make the flower pop


tip: look for texture or contrast


tip: allow the sun to strike the lens for a hazy feeling flare


self portrait: baby on my back and big boy Isaiah at my right hand


tip: get up close


tip: use the white balance "cloudy" setting for more vivid colors


tip: beauty is everywhere, even in the weeds

the Zoo Zoo Zoo

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you
You can come too, too, too
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

the meerkat . . . sings Hakuna matata on the savanna


the monkey cage . . .species: first graders


the African birds . . .


the chubber roo . . . unique to the Ramirez familia, one of a kind

The Open Road

First you feel like Lightening McQueen . . . cruising down Route 66 . . .



a few hours later it's more like Thelma and Louise . . . give me a cliff and I just might go over the edge!



1 mini van, 4 kids, & a 9 hour trip - the first half was great (thank you nap time) the last half involved crying, puking, and lots of breaks.



A bit of insanity. I think the open spaces effect people is strange ways. Meteor craters and petrified forests and fake dinosaurs lining the roadside. Long stretches of freeway with nothing but billboard after billboard. No homes, no towns, no exits, just billboards. Large, huge, billboards advertising "Bookends!" Huh?? Bookends?? really? You're driving in the middle of nowhere for miles on end. . . who is thinking "I need me some bookends." How about a restroom and some gas?? Another board: "Sharp deals on knifes!" the picture accompanying this was a dinosaur with ICE CREAM painted on it. What demographic are they looking for? A Harley rider who collects weapons and loves a cool vanilla cone??

Wanderings

waiting for the mechanic . . . exploring the area . . . discovered a beautiful series of mosaics on the sidewalk . . .



accompanied by my favorite Pooh Bear "Think, think, think . . ."

Searching for an Edge

Suburbia is pretty mundane - I've been searching for more modern looking locations for upcoming Senior sessions . . . and playing with Photoshop plug ins . . . this shot got the "dark and ghostly" effect.

Oasis in the Desert

took a stroll through the Riparian Preserve . . .