“Of all the needs (there are none imaginary) a lonely child has, the one that must be satisfied, if there is going to be hope and a hope of wholeness, is the unshaken need for an unshakable God.” -Maya Angelou
Posts Tagged ‘Children’
Tuesday Thought
May 14, 2012Image of the Day
May 14, 2012It’s a tanpopo (dandelion) kind of day! Happy Monday everyone!
Friday Feature: My Little Emmy
May 11, 2012Who says the youngest child suffers from not having enough pictures taken of him or her? Not in this household 
The images below were taken during Daddy-daughter time at the park. Happy Friday, everyone!
Children’s “Informal” Shoot
April 9, 2012As people where leaving church after the Easter service and lunch, my family was one of the last ones to leave. My youngest had just taken a short nap inside the church and being the photographer that I am, I decided to just take a few shots of my kids and my friends’ kids. Well, I was delighted with what I captured.
CAUTION: There is a lot of cuteness in this post. And I mean a lot! This is not for the faint of heart. I repeat: it is not for the faint of heart! Proceed with caution….and oh yeah: enjoy!!
Swimming Session with Fuuta: Wakamatsu, Japan
October 17, 2011Little Fuuta has been swimming since he was one. And, at a young age of five years, he is an impressive swimmer. This is not a kid who is forced to do this. He loves what he does! Between laps, he won’t hesitate to smile and give a good laugh. It’s been a complete privilege (I sound like an Idol judge) for me to take his pictures and to see him develop each year. Who knows? Fuuta might represent Japan one day. Here he is…Fuuta!!!
Play and Practice: Hibikino Campus
May 26, 2011What do you do when the wife is teaching an evening class? Take your kids to their favorite park. They play and I “play” and practice my off camera flash technique. Win-win!!
What gear did I have with me? I brought with me my Canon 40D. Haven’t used the 40D in a while so I decided to give it some love that night. The only lens I brought with me was the wide-angle 16-35mm. Now, because the 40D has a crop sensor, the effective focal length range is 26-56mm. It was wide enough for what I wanted to shoot and also, no distortion even at the widest focal length. I only used one flash, the Canon 580 EXII, which I set on a Manfrotto light stand. Why didn’t I use a second flash? I normally do but hey, I’m taking care of 3 girls!! This was their time, not mine. Lastly, for off camera lighting, I happily use the Scott Robert Lim triggers. I could have used a diffuser, such as an umbrella, to create “softer” light, but again, I was there to play with my girls. The few shots I took of them was strictly bonus. When you start hearing, “Daddy, let’s play hide-n-seek! Daddy, push me on the swing! Daddy, help me climb the slide!”, then it’s time to put away the gear. Enjoy the images!
Last Saturday, we had an inspiration shoot and went out to Green Park for some fun in the sun! Jessica Kondo is a good friend and we collaborated together on this shoot. She designed the beautiful flowers (bouquets and head pieces) you will see below. Like I said before, I’m not a “flower” person but I can appreciate their beauty and Jessica did a phenomenal job. I am looking forward to doing many more collaborative shoots with Jessica. When you combine the flowers with beautiful models, then you have a winning recipe.
For our models, my wife and daughter (Anne and Mia) teamed up with another mother/daughter team (Marla and Hana). We’ve known Marla ever since we arrived in Kitakyushu eight years ago. She and her husband, Rocky, are wonderful friends. I need to do a lifestyle shoot of them just so I can show you their awesomeness! But I digress. Mia and Hana are best buds and well…they are just plain cute!! Okay, enough banter. Enjoy!
Getting ready
Putting on makeup is fun!
I don't like this part, Mommy!
Hold still, baby!
Pretty Hana
Friends
Love their expressions here!
Tea time!
I love the shadows being caused by the flower headdress!
Can we play now, Mommy?
What beautiful girls!
By the way, you don’t want to miss Part II of this inspiration shoot. Anne and Marla get their modeling on! Here’s a sneak peek:
Playground Slide Fail
January 5, 2011This is a playground slide activity gone wrong!
Are you ready? Here we go....
"Are you okay?!?" No response and no movement. She stayed like that for about 30 seconds.
"I'm okay! Let's do that again!"
Gateway Arch, St. Louis
December 7, 2010During our Midwest tour, we went to St. Louis to take in a baseball game and to explore the city parks and attractions. I have many more images of our time in St. Louis which I will post on a later date. For now, enjoy the following pictures:
I'm a die-hard Cubs fan but I love the Gateway Arch! Anne's college buddy, Karey, and her daughter, joined us in touring the Arch and lunch afterwards.
Karey's daughter is a sweet, little angel!
South Carolina Family Session: The Johnsons
December 6, 2010During our wacky family road trip this past summer, one of our first stops was South Carolina. This is where our good friends, Toby and Joey, live. Anne and Toby are childhood buddies. Joey, a former seal clubber (inside joke!), is the pastor of a historical South Carolina church. It was great to catch up with them and meet their children. We managed to sneak in a family photo session during our short stay with them. Toby and Joey, we love you guys and we hope to see you again real soon!
