Amy Hinden

Wickersham Family

2011-12-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

I really need to play catch up on this blog but with a new baby due in just a few weeks I think it will be a little while! For now I'll start with a recent shoot of one of my favorite families I enjoy shooting every year and then try to work my way backwards.
I love the Wickersham family and have really enjoyed getting to know them over the last few years. Alyssa and I are always comparing notes on our wild and crazy toddlers and photographing this family is always an adventure.

My favorite shot of the day....I have too many pics of my own daughter like this taking off....

Joanna Senior Portraits Santa Barbara, CA

2011-11-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

Megan Doug and Gwen

2011-10-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to this shoot for months. Megan and I were best friends growing up but slowly started losing touch after going to separate high schools. Thanks to facebook we got back in touch a couple years ago and now she is married and she and her husband have a beautiful baby girl. Megan lives in Hawaii now but scheduled in some time for family portraits while they were vacationing here. It was so great to reconnect after 10+ years!

Denisse Senior Portraits

2011-10-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

I am going to skip ahead a little bit since Denisse was asking how soon she could see her blog debut :) Summer may be over but senior season is still going strong. Here's my first fall session.

Daisy

2011-09-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Daisy was so excited to have her senior pics taken and even convinced her big sister to come visit from out of town so they could go shopping and come to the shoot together. It was a great time being a part of this fun girl day.

Deyanira Senior Portraits

2011-09-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Deyanira has such a great eye for wardrobe styling. All her outfits were a mix of old, new, thrifted and department store. I think her final outfits came together perfectly and it was so fun working with her. Makeup and hair by the talented Malissa Lashley.

Roger Senior Portraits

2011-09-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

I met Roger last year when he came along as a buddy to one of my 2011 seniors. It was great to catch up with him again and spend the morning at Roger's favorite place, the beach. He is a lifeguard and loves the water so the beach was the obvious choice for his senior pics. This fall he will be moving down to one of my favorite beaches, Huntington, where he looks forward to exploring a new city and college.

Kaley Senior Portraits

2011-09-08T00:12:00.000-07:00

Kaley is enjoying her senior year and looking forward to becoming a baker and/or missionary to Africa after she graduates. Kaley has such a big heart and I know she will be amazing at whatever she chooses.

Sydney Senior Pics

2011-08-31T23:21:00.000-07:00

It was the middle of summer when I photographed Sydney but the fog, greenery and dark clothes kept making me think it was winter. I loved it and ever since I can't seem to get Christmas out of my head!
Sydney is a natural in front of the camera and Malissa did awesome with hair and make-up as usual.

Jonathan Senior Pics

2011-08-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Jonathan and I enjoyed a great evening in the country at Dana Powers Barn. Big thanks to Judy for letting us shoot there!
Jonathan brought along some items that reflect his favorite hobbies: photography and playing guitar.

Miranda Senior Pics

2011-08-12T01:08:00.000-07:00

Miranda loves all things vintage and we found the perfect old town to shoot in. I really love her style and she was so fun to work with.

Mari Senior Portraits

2011-08-04T19:31:00.001-07:00

Mari is a funky/edgy/artsy sort of girl and wanted to make sure she had lots of unique photos and not just pictures of her "smiling at the camera." I always enjoy the challenge of accurately capturing my client's individual personalities and this shoot was especially fun for me because I captured her sister's senior portraits last year. Mari and I were both excited to do something different. Mari said it best, "we're sisters but we're different."

Elizabeth Senior Portraits

2011-07-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth is such a fun girl! I think her red hair fits her vivacious personality just perfectly. She even brought along a special outfit that was designated as the "get soaked" outfit.

Nicole Senior Portraits

2011-07-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

Working with hair and make-up artist, Malissa, this season has been so amazing. She is so talented at creating beautiful natural looks that keep you looking like you. I can already see a new level of confidence in the girls as they know they are looking their best and they love having someone looking out for them during the shoot to keep their hair looking perfect throughout the day.

I shot Nicole's session in Malissa's beautiful yard. There are so many things I love about this place but the way the light streams through the trees is just magical. Nicole had some pre-shoot nerves but I knew instantly she was a natural when this was the very first picture I took!

You are gorgeous Nicole!

She brought tons of cute shoes that "matched" but I couldn't resist taking a few shots of her in her favorite trusty Converse.

Nicole is an artist. She loves photography and painting so we thought it would be perfect to have her paint during part of the session.

If you would like to add hair and makeup to your session just email me to book Malissa and myself or for any questions: amy@amyhinden.com

Becky Senior Portraits

2011-06-27T09:52:00.001-07:00

I am so excited for this new season of seniors. For the first time ever all my seniors have the option of adding on professional hair, makeup and styling assistance via my talented friend Malissa. Malissa is worth her weight in gold and truly talented and passionate about what she does. She also happens to live on some amazing property and has generously offered to let any of her clients use her home for their shoot. Here are some shots from our first collaboration together with 2012 senior Becky. Becky was such a blast to work with.

Malissa behind the scenes working her magic.

For more info about adding Malissa's services to your session email me: amy@amyhinden.com

Good reads

2011-05-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'm in love. Now I just need to find a way to convince her to write 20 more books.

Class of 2012 Senior Rep Call

2011-04-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Do you have a fun personality and a good sense of personal style? If that sounds like you I would love to have you as a senior rep!

Senior reps get a free session and an opportunity to earn free products by referring their friends. To apply please email me now for an application: amy@amyhinden.com

Applications must be submitted by May 15th at the latest.

Here's a few of my favorite pics from last season. Congrats class of 2011!!!

Career Feature Kickoff: Kristina

2011-04-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

The other day I was reading somewhere that it takes an average of 8-10 years after graduation to figure out what you would like to do for a career. Growing up I was always one of those kids that was jealous of the people that knew they wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, whatever, since 4th grade or something like that. Now that I am several years out of college I realize how true the 8-10 year thing is. It took me awhile after college to figure out exactly what I wanted to do and my husband is currently training for his dream job which will put him right in the middle of that 8-10 average.

I think part of the reason it's so hard to pick a career or major in college is because you don't always know what's out there or you think one job sounds great until you actually start doing it only to realize it's not what you thought or not a good fit for your personality.

I've decided to start a new career profile section on this blog to give a behind the scenes look of various jobs. It's one thing to read about a job description and another thing to meet a real person doing that job. Since I primarily photograph high school and college seniors most of the interviews will be with individuals that have been working full time for 10 years or less ( I feel long term career goals start with short term career goals) AND, most importantly, LOVE THEIR JOBS.

I am really excited to kick off this new section by interviewing Kristina. Not only does she love her job, she just so happens to help other people find jobs they will love.

Job: Director of Programs

What is your typical day like?

I manage the internship interviews that employers conduct on our college’s campus.
Sometimes I’ll meet with students to discuss their career plans or help them figure out what they want to do. Often I find people focus on their interests versus their skills. You do want to have a job that interests you, but many college students don’t even realize the many jobs that are out there. That is why starting with skills and values can be a more useful place to work from, so that they can fully explore their possibilities. Even as graduating college seniors, most students don’t know jobs beyond teacher, doctor, lawyer, banker, engineer, or scientist. A lot of what I do is guiding students in the right direction, but not providing answers necessarily. There is still a lot of work they have to do after our meeting to actually learn more about who they are. I recommend that all students be as open-minded as possible until they’ve really explored all their options.

We spend a lot of time marketing ourselves to students, alumni, employers, or other people in the college’s administration. I also meet with students that have questions or would like their resume's reviewed.

What education is required? Is there any on the job training?

The industry of higher education values higher education. So most people in our office have a Master’s degree. Most have it in higher education or counseling, but mine is actually in Political Science. I got my degree thinking I would become a professor, but I found out that the jobs were very difficult to get. So I decided to pursue the administration side of higher education. I learned most of what I do on the job. I started out as a student assistant in the career center and learned everything from my co-workers and supervisors.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Advantages:
-Work with really smart and interesting people
-Students are very appreciative of your work, and it’s also really cool to be a part of their success
-Good benefits (4-5 weeks vacation, use of college facilities, etc.)

Disadvantages:
-Lower pay than if I was working in corporate America. However, it is one of the higher-paying non-profit jobs
-Hard to go home sometimes; there is always more work that can be done and you see how much the work you do helps students. However, you have to set boundaries.

Any final thoughts you would like to share?
Be open to careers! Don’t commit to something until you’ve researched other possibilities. I see so many high school students saying “I’m going to be a lawyer/doctor” when many lawyers and doctors these days regret that career path. It still might be the career for you, but see what else is out there. Take career assessments like the Myers-Brigg and then get the book “Do What You Are.” Finally, don’t put so much pressure on yourself about figuring out what you are going to do with your life. Most alumni I talk to slowly found their way to the career that they ultimately ended up with. And usually it was nothing like what they expected. Someone once told me that finding a career is somewhat serendipitous. See what life brings you.

What to wear...tips and tricks

2011-04-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

What to wear.....it's something I get asked often so I've put together a few tips to help you get the most out of your session.

While I don't have any hard and fast rules here are a few tips and tricks that work for whatever your personal style is.

Tip # 1
Solids+accessories

Solids are timeless and can be styled in various different ways to suit your tastes. I like to think of a solid colored dress/shirt as a blank canvas which can be colored up with necklaces, earring, headbands, belts, heels, boots, scarves etc. Accessories really do add some "pop" to the outfit and the variations are endless. Have fun combining different elements for different looks! Here are a few examples I have put together of the same outfit so you can see how accessories play a huge role in determining the final look of the outfit. Different accessories=a different look.

Tip #2
When choosing colors to wear another helpful tip is to keep the color wheel in mind. Remember that together we are making photographic art. Here are two applicable ways to make use of the color wheel:

1.) Choose colors that complement by choosing colors that are opposite from each other on the color wheel.

2.)Choose colors that are right next to each other (analogous). Because they are closely related they work well together. This works best when one color is used dominantly and the others are used as accents.

Tip # 3

Most importantly, have fun! Photography is art and so is fashion. What looks good to one person may not necessarily look good to the next person so do what makes you happy. If you are happy and comfortable that confidence and joy will radiate out of your photos and that is the truest form beauty. You will look amazing!

Garlic Chicken Pizza

2011-03-31T05:42:00.000-07:00

I LOVE good food but I haven't really talked much about it on here, yet.

Recently I have decided to start incorporating some food features once a month. Hope you enjoy!

I have been craving California Pizza Kitchen's garlic chicken pizza for quite some time so I decided it was time to do a little research and make my own. Let me just say....I am so glad I did!! It takes a little more prep work than your average homemade pizza but it is well worth it. Here is what I found/came up with:

(This makes 2 pizzas- You can set aside half the sauce and make the second pizza a few days later)

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts (depends how much chicken you like on your pizza)
2 Trader Joe's pre-made original pizza dough
1 head of garlic
1/4 of a yellow onion

Sauce:

5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chardonnay
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chicken marinade:
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

STEP 1.) Cut chicken breast into cubes and marinate for 7 minutes in the chicken marinade.

STEP 2.) Dump the chicken with marinade into a frying pan and cook chicken. Set aside.

STEP 3.) To make the pizza sauce:

Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium- high
heat. Add shallot, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring until mixture is
light brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add salt, wine, and lemon juice. Cook until
the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup (toward the end of the
reduction, reduce the heat to low and stir frequently to prevent
scorching).

Remove the pan from the heat; quickly and thoroughly whisk in the
remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.

STEP 4.) Roll out the pizza doughs. Spread with sauce. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded mozarella cheese on each pizza. Top with diced onions, finely chopped fresh garlic and the cooked chicken. Bake per pizza dough instructions (usually 15 minutes)

STEP 5.) After pizza is done baking sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Anita-Law School Graduation

2011-03-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago I stood in line at the CSUF transfer dorms anxiously waiting to find out who my new college roommates would be.
I am so happy one of them was Anita. My college days seem so long ago but Anita's were just beginning. She is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel- about to graduate from law school and start her dream career in estate planning. We met up in Santa Barbara to celebrate her upcoming gradation with some grad pics which she will be using for her graduation announcements. Congrats Anita!

Laura and Jeff Engaged

2010-11-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

Laura and Jeff are so awesome! We were met with a downpour on photoshoot day but they were up for embracing the day and so was I. We visited an apple orchard, winery, and the beach which were all just minutes apart. I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Jeff grew up here so he and Laura drove over from Arizona for their shoot.

Laguna

2010-11-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

Moments like these remind me why I need to carry my camera with me more often.
We just got home from a great trip where we showed Elia some of our old stomping grounds. After a couple weeks of eating, shopping and surfing we decided to relax in Laguna one evening.

A personal project

2010-10-30T01:09:00.000-07:00

Whenever I am out and see something interesting or inspiring I take a quick pic of it on my iphone. Today I was at one of my favorite stores, Urban Outfitters, and I saw this photo display. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make my own version of it from some of my Michigan vacation pics.

So here is the inspiration piece:

And here are a few different versions I played around with:

I decided that the last one is the one I am going to send to print and have mounted but I think I will also make version #2 with some Holga prints I have.

Little Ones

2010-10-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

I just setup a new page dedicated to little faces. This blog will continue to be focused on seniors and personal work/projects (which I will be getting back to one of these days!) From now on baby/kids will be here.

Jess

2010-10-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

Kamrin Senior Portraits

2010-10-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Alyssa

2010-10-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Like teachers, photographers aren't supposed to have favorites. But sometimes it's really really hard not to.

Valerie

2010-10-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Rocio Senior Portraits

2010-10-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

October 1st already?! Time flies when you're having fun. I am loving shooting all these senior girls. I'm not ready for the season to end in a couple weeks! But I am looking forward to sharing all the great sessions here on the blog. I have met so many awesome creative people that have rocked the camera. Which brings me to Rocio. She is a 3rd year photo student at her high school and scoped out this killer location for her shoot.

Desiree Senior Portraits

2010-09-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Krystal Senior Portraits

2010-09-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

What a fun shoot! Krystal was so creative piecing this outfit together for a vintage inspired photo. I also fell in love with this old porch topped off with some glorious light.

Gladys Senior Portraits

2010-09-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

Gladys is an amazing painter and artist. She is going to pursue fashion after she graduates. I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Emi Senior Portraits

2010-09-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." Henry David Thoreau

That is Emi's favorite quote. I just love it and am glad she wanted to share it along with her love list! I love inspiring quotes, thoughts, actions, etc. so if you ever want to share your own please do! :)

Ashley Senior Pics

2010-09-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Rachel+Kyle Senior Portraits

2010-09-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

Rachel decided to bring her boyfriend along for the buddy session portion of her shoot. FYI seniors, buddy sessions can be a buddy, boyfriend, or sibling-whatever you like! I married my high school sweetheart and I would have loved it if I could of had some fun casual shots of us together to hang in my dorm room!

Us

2010-09-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

I am so so happy my sweet and very talented friend captured Elia and I. Check her blog to see more! I don't know how I got so lucky to have such a great friend who is also a great photographer!

Rachel Senior Portraits

2010-09-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Rachel is an etsy loving, thrift store treasure hunting expert, and accomplished painter. There's nothing I love more than collaborating with other artists. Our visions for this shoot came together so seamlessly and if it weren't for Rachel's school projects calling I am sure I could have photographed her all day. When I asked Rachel to send me a few of her favorite things for her love list she surprised me by writing all about our shoot together:

I liked the nice and relaxed atmosphere while taking the pictures.

It was fun and the poses weren't forced or awkward!

It was great working together to get the right picture and pose instead of being placed in one spot by your photographer.

The poses were creative and didn't have that regular cookie-cutter feel to them.

You took alot of pictures so there is more variety to choose from when selecting my senior pictures.

We listened to each others suggestions and put them together to take the best pictures.

I didn't feel rushed or pressured while we were taking the pictures.

Rachel also decided to do a buddy session (all my seniors have the option of bringing someone) so stay tuned for more pics of her and her boyfriend.

Cristina Senior Portraits

2010-09-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday

2010-09-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Stumbled upon this rad site today.
I love their mission statement-so true!

Jenna and Alistair Wedding, Nipomo, CA

2010-08-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it was just a couple months ago that my friend Jenna and I went exploring. She was telling me all about how she and Alistair had just started dating and she was sooooo excited! She told me all about Al and couldn't wait to get married. So that's what they did. Planned a wedding in 6 weeks. When you know you know! Honestly I was a little surprised when she asked me to shoot her wedding because I thought they might just elope and get married under a tree or something ;) I am glad they didn't because it was so great to celebrate with them. I seriously can't believe they pulled it off in 6 weeks. I couldn't be more happy for Alistair and Jenna.

Nicholette Senior Portraits

2010-08-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

When Nicholette told me her favorite show is America's Next Top Model I knew we were going to have a blast together!

Annalise Senior portraits

2010-08-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

Life

2010-08-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

Gabriela Senior

2010-08-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

I love reading my clients love lists. They remind me of those emails I used to get forwarded to me in high school where you fill in all the random facts about yourself and send to all your friends to do the same. Am I the only one that was addicted to those things?

Meet Gabriela. She gets extra awesome points for being vegetarian. I can relate as I haven't eaten (red) meat for 13 years!

Sarah Senior Portraits

2010-07-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

I am so excited senior season is finally here. I have been having a blast with these girls!
Sarah is a girl after my own heart-a total beach bum :) She had no problem choosing the perfect location to suit her style.

We decided to have some fun at the end of the session and get a little crazy after all that hard work modeling. :) These ended up being my favorites- I think they fit her fun-loving, carefree personality perfectly.

All my seniors are encouraged to bring their BFF (or in Sarah's case 2 BFFs) for a mini shoot and moral support ;)
Here they are enjoying the beach life!

Elle Belle

2010-07-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

I blinked and she turned 3 months! It really is crazy how fast she is growing up!

Grace Senior Pics

2010-07-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

The little babe and I

2010-07-06T09:15:00.001-07:00

Elia's first 4th of July
We love her!

6 years!

2010-06-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated our 6 year anniversary! I was so surprised when my parents showed up on our doorstep to take care of Elia and Matt took me on a motorcycle ride to Cambria Pines Lodge. It was such a relaxing weekend of eating yummy food prepared from the Lodge's organic vegetable garden, strolling through the local shops, and listening to live music in lounge by the fireplace. Here's some snapshots from my iphone.

Sarah Senior Portraits

2010-06-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Jenna and Exploring

2010-06-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Jenna took me exploring the other day. She has a way of finding these little gems in our city. It was so wonderful to have acres of trails and wildflowers to trek around in. I had no idea this was only a few miles from my home.

You are so gorgeous Jenna!

Alejo and Bethany, Torrance, CA

2010-06-04T11:59:00.001-07:00

Bethany and Alejo had been planning their wedding for quite some time and it was so special to see them finally get to say "I do" after a long engagement. They left plenty of time for portraits so we got to cruise around downtown Torrance where they were able to enjoy some relaxed time together before we headed off to the reception. I love shooting portraits so I was thrilled they made photo time (and time with each other) a priority. All day long Alejo kept telling everyone, "This is my wife!" As I sit here and write this it still makes me smile!

Kayla

2010-06-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Kayla is so cute! She has such a sweet personality and thoroughly enjoyed running through the flower fields and playing. I heard this shoot was partly to celebrate her upcoming 2nd birthday so I made her some pink cupcakes which she was thrilled about. Her family and I enjoyed some too. I love any excuse to eat treats!

Kyrstynne- Senior Pictures

2010-03-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

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2010-03-12T17:21:00.003-08:00

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2010-03-12T17:21:00.001-08:00

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Flytrap Screen Tees (boys)

2009-11-19T21:36:00.001-08:00

As promised here is some kid stuff from Flytrap. I am dying of cuteness right now!

Sarah and Andrew Wedding, Laguna Beach

2009-09-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Andrew's wedding was extra special to me because I have been friends with Sarah since she and Andrew were just dating. It was so exciting to hear about her getting engaged and watch her get married! Sarah and Andrew got married at the Pacific Edge in Laguna Beach and Maria Lindsay did a fabulous job pulling everything together beautifully. My favorite touches to this wedding were Sarah's linen wedding dress (how fitting for a beach wedding!), her blue L.A.M.B. shoes, blue toenail polish, and doves in her ceremony! She also featured a late night snack of mini milkshakes and sliders which were quite fabulous. Her wedding was such a blast to be a part of!

Flytrap Designs

2009-09-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Just wrapped a fun shoot for the lovely designer Jody, owner of Flytrap. I love her work but most of all I love her spirit:

"One day I will live in a small house in the country where I will collect eggs from my own chickens--they, in turn, will live in a handmade, highly ornamented coop decorated with my mother's bizarre, ceramic yard art. I will bake steamy, golden pies from my own blueberries. Sadie will run wild. And I will buy this house with the money I made selling lovely t-shirts I printed with my own two hands."

any given weekday morning

2009-08-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

you will find us here.

We started surfing together last summer and it blows me away how fast time flies. Now I have 3 days left here before I'm off to a new beach and a new life.
We thought it would be fun to buy some disposable cameras and document a favorite part of our lives. Finishing one roll of film took way longer than than we expected because we had to wait for the wave, catch the wave, and have the other person be in the right spot to take the one shot the camera allows you before winding it again. We got some pics back today and get to pick up the shots from camera #2 tomorrow.

I'm really excited about how the pics turned out-none of these photos have been through Photoshop. Just lovely film goodness!
If you're reading this, we would really love to have you come join us! Even if you don't surf, grab a body board or disposable camera and come out and play...summer will be over before you know it!

The Wedge

2009-07-24T22:23:00.001-07:00

The waves were huge today! I love watching the crazies at the wedge!

personal

2009-07-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

The "personal work" category of my blog has been seriously neglected! I am going to change that starting today!

my dog is cuter than your kid

2009-07-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the split second between realizing I'm awake and opening my eyes to the morning I find myself wondering where I am. I find it amusing to intentionally keep my eyes closed and see how long it takes me to remember.

We've been in and out of our house a lot this year (yay for traveling!) We just got back from 4 days of relaxing with the family: hiking Bishops Peak, riding bikes on the Bob Jones trail, celebrating birthdays, and eating way too much!

One birthday we celebrated here. Avenue just turned one!! We (of course) took her to the beach.

So this is what it looks like in slow motion when dogs shake!

playin hard

doing what she does best-being cute

Jen Headshots

2009-07-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

After 4 days straight of relaxing with the family (eating way too much, hiking and biking...) I am back to blog land! Jen's back too! In addition to taking some pics of her and Tim she asked me to take some head shots for her. Jen is auditioning to be a Laker girl and I was more than happy to play a role in the process. I am saying a prayer and crossing my fingers for her! I think she is amazing!

Photo Displays

2009-07-02T08:26:00.001-07:00

And the cool photo display ideas are here! I have a huge inspiration folder on my computer and whenever I am browsing online and see something I like I save it in my folder so I can remember it when the time is right. I can't wait to put some of these ideas to work in my new office. Count down to move day is officially here! (about a month away) This weekend we will be checking out some places to live so if you want to setup a photo shoot before I move hit me up now! amy@amyhinden.com

Most of these are taken from this cool website.

Jen and Tim

2009-06-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Jen and Tim reminded me of something. If you're like most people, you probably had great wedding pics taken (or maybe not so great wedding pics...) and then don't think about getting professional pictures again until your first kid comes along. Well, what about all that time in between? If you're like me, you think life is pretty sweet right now. Seems like a pretty good time to document your life if you ask me! I know I make a point to have our photos taken at least once a year.

Jen and Tim obviously see eye to eye with me on this. They just celebrated their one year anniversary and wanted some updated pics. They also just bought their first house together and now they will have some pics of themselves to help turn their house into a home. That reminds me, I have been seeing so many awesome photo display ideas lately but I will wait until tomorrow to share those with you since I am rambling too much already!

lauren and john

2009-06-29T12:33:00.001-07:00

commissioning artwork?!

2009-06-24T19:11:00.001-07:00

I never thought I'd be one lucky enough to be "commissioning" personal art work, but I've been pretty blessed in that department lately! One of my friends, Ron, asked if I would be interested in having him turn one of my favorite photos into a painting in exchange for a family photo shoot. I jumped at the chance! Ron has been an artist literally for decades and has been in numerous art shows. And he wanted to trade with me?! After a few months of work, the painting is complete. I am so thrilled with how it came out! This is one of my all time favorite photos that Aaron took of us shortly after we got Avenue.

Kayli and Darren Wedding

2009-06-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...so I decided something at Kayli and Darren's wedding. I really like shooting my friends weddings. I think there could still be a couple weddings a year in my future...we'll see. All speculation aside, Kayli and Darren's wedding at Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center was nothing short of amazing!! To top it all off, I got to work with some of my favorite people ever. Melody did an insane job making a dessert bar, Jesi absolutely blew me away with her coordination and creativity, Carlie did gorgeous hair and makeup, and an extra special thanks to Gabriel who was kind enough to shoot with me since Aaron was doing double duty as photographer and groomsman. Because of Gabriel, Aaron was able to take off the photographer hat as soon as the wedding started. Also thanks to the amazing DJ Johny E, photocabina, and officiant Isaac Marks!
I am about to blog way way too many pictures but this doesn't even scratch the surface of my favorites. Check back tomorrow to see a slideshow of this wedding where you can see pics of the dessert bar, the first look, and more. I am sure you will laugh and cry.

I have a new love affair: HOLGA! I couldn't think of a better time to christen it than this vintage inspired wedding!

lighting

2009-06-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

If you are a photographer that wants to learn off camera lighting, or just want to take your lighting knowledge to the next level, I highly recommend attending a Bui Brothers and Tofurious workshop. I have known the Bui brothers for awhile now and I can't say enough good things about them. They are so much fun to hang out with and so generous and helpful with their knowledge. I have learned so much from them so when Vu told me about this workshop I signed up right away. They rock off camera lighting like no one else and also happen to be amazing videographers as well. Be sure to check out both the Bui brothers and Tofurious. I am sure you will be blown away. Here are a couple of images from the day.

Athena

2009-06-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

2009-06-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

The lightning storms have left and we enjoyed a beautiful morning at the beach. Here's a couple iphone pics of Ave engaged in her latest obsession- digging to China or something! Hope you have a fun/sun filled weekend!

Chelsea

2009-06-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Andrew

2009-06-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

Erika

2009-05-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Nicole

2009-05-21T18:25:00.001-07:00

About

2009-05-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have always loved photography but it took me awhile to settle into it as a career. Growing up in a small town I always envisioned moving to the city and working in a high rise. I enjoyed just that for a few years but halfway into it photography starting calling again and I spent my final 2 years in corporate America juggling the 9-5 and working weddings on the weekend. It was a busy time but I loved every moment of it and it ultimately helped me clarify what I really wanted: to be a portrait photographer. I love having time to get to know my clients and being able to cross paths with seniors at the beginning of their own stories. My hope is that you will stay in touch and let me know how your own dreams become tangible.

Thank you for visiting!
You can contact me at amy@amyhinden.com

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Feel free to visit my kid and family blog too:http://amyhindenkids.wordpress.com/

Aaron

2009-05-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Aaron has been working on a special project that he will be publicizing soon and I was more than thrilled to take some pics of him for it.

A few more Paris pics

2009-05-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

Brixton

2009-05-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

I love Brixton so when I won a contest they were having with this photo I was stoked!

Here are my prizes. Isn't there stuff awesome?!

Paris

2009-04-30T15:22:00.001-07:00

Here's some of my favorite pics I took of the Parisian life. The first pic is the street that our hotel was on.

Back Home

2009-04-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing vacation. I love Paris! I have over 2000 photos from the trip so I am not even sure where to start with sharing about our trip but hopefully as the days go by I can share some bits and pieces. I still trying to look through them all but for now here is a pic of me in Mont-Saint-Michel.

Beach Time

2009-03-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

We definitely picked the right dog to join our family. I think Avenue loves the beach even more than we do! Every time I take her there as soon as I open the car door she leaps into my arms and drags me down to the beach. I am so glad we live by dog beach. We are there at least 3 times a week. I know it's only March but this weekend really felt like summer. I think it's almost time to start surfing again. Summer always reminds me why I love living here so much!

Rincon

2009-03-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics I took at Rincon. I love this beach! When I say I love the beach this is definitely the version that comes to mind. Teepee, campfire, hammock, picnic table.....

2009-02-14T16:26:00.001-08:00

2009-01-28T00:41:00.001-08:00