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Orange Photographer | Keep Seeking

6 • 7 • 11

In the beginning of 2011, I made a goal for myself (a resolution, if you must), to look in the mirror once a week and reflect on my reflection. I was kind of hoping I’d create a blog post about it each week. But as so many things can, this goal has slipped through so many of my life’s cracks.

It’s easy to get caught up in the ebb and flow of life. It’s easy for one’s focus to get swept away by so many things. I feel this is a constant tale I tell. But it’s true! I know I’m not the only one feeling this here…

So here’s a quick reflection today on things I’ve learned this year and need to remember:

• a little more sleep is always better than getting sick
• extra calories are well consumed if they’re consumed in good company
• it’s important to make time to talk to your friends, don’t let too much time go by without a good talk
• work is wasted if you’re not enjoying it; get a good attitude and start having a good time and work will be wonderful
• keep seeking; there’s beauty in the search, growth in the will to keep going

orange photographer www.lovatoimages.com PINME

self portrait taken at Oak Park between several Anaheim Hills family portraits a few weeks back. had a minute to sit and think, and so I thunk…

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June 9, 2011 - 2:52 am

Rooz - you seek up an emotion and you’re cup is overflowing….
June 9, 2011 - 5:19 pm

Brooke - Well said.

Orange Portraits | little girls

6 • 2 • 11

little girls are ballet bars and buns and soft silky hairs that come loose from their ties to whisper to the wind.

little girls are fuchsia bougainvillea that skip and dance around the sidewalk on a warm breezy day.

little girls are teacups and toule, sparkles and plastic jewels.

little girls are pink slippers and tears and gorgeous giggles and monster-in-the-closet fears.

little girls are innocent and inexperienced…yet wise with their inquisitive words when they pay attention to what they’ve heard.

little girls dance like no body’s watching.

little girls are curls and twirls and chipped nail polish that still looks pretty.

little girls grow into women who I look up to and strive to be more alike.

but before that, little girls are little girls that make the world a much sweeter place.

orange portraits www.lovatoimages.com PINME

PINME

thanks to Courtney for lending me her sweet little girls to do some Orange family portraits a few weeks ago. one hour with these sweet things left me smitten and all smiles.

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June 5, 2011 - 7:56 pm

Christina Tsichlis - Jackie…the cuteness is overwhelming. great job capturing them. i know just who they are from these!

Orange Photographer | on focusing

6 • 1 • 11

You all think I’m so positive and motivated and focused on the Goodness. Which, 90% of the time, I most certainly am (disclaimer: 79.8% of statistics on this website are made up). However, negativity and discouragement are big bad wolves that I can’t always run from. Sometimes I have to slow down to catch my breath, then they catch up with me.

Negativity. Such a strong word that evokes such strong feelings from us all; a strong energy that can so strongly force all else to stall. When put to action, negativity’s strength can make everything around it fall.

I try to avoid it. Daily. But sometimes I can’t help but get sucked in and overcome. And unfortunately, the last few weeks, negativity’s strength has weighed me down and those big bad wolves have been circling me and scratching and barking so loud I’ve lost focus.

For those of you who are around me constantly, forgive me. This is my public apology for being a lame-o complainer the last few weeks. I’ve let negativity take over and have been negative with you. Forgive me. This is my public confession that I’m not so happy-go-lucky as much as it may seem. I get down too. I get overloaded and lost but am learning every day how to better rise up when I fall.

So here’s to looking up. Here’s to moving on. Here’s to patting those wolves on the head and saying, ‘alright boy, go lay down now,’ and continuing along the bright and positive path.

PINME

self portrait, May 29, 2011

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June 1, 2011 - 9:16 am

Magic - You go girl, we all know you’re a Joyologist at least 90% of the time… we love that about you and can accept that wolf to show up now and then! xo
June 1, 2011 - 10:18 am

Liz - This is why I love you. This is why you inspire me to me better, more positive, see the light rather than the dark. I am grateful for our friendship because I know having you in my life reminds me I am not alone. You keep me motivated and I love you.

Tonight, this glass is for me

5 • 27 • 11

I’m working late tonight and felt a glass of wine would be fabulous company for a dark and lonesome night in the office.

So I went to the wine cellar (which is really just the overloaded coat closet that no one opens in the front), and perused the inventory. A few $15ish bottles, a few cheapies and two really nice ones. I debated for awhile. I like the cheapies for girls nights in when we’ve already emptied a bottle or two; I like the $15ish bottles to serve and share when I have dinner guests (or the girls before the cheapies are pulled out); and I like the really nice ones to share with someone really special. All of my wine is wine to share. But for a dark and lonesome night in the office…what to open?

I surprised myself by dusting off and popping open a 2005 cab, aka, one of the really nice ones. It’s been sitting on my rack for a few years now and I thought, what the heck. I’ve been on a bread and cracker diet (more on that later) for the past 48 hours, I’m being good by staying in and working hard, why not splurge a little on something nice for myself… Right?

But the thing is, I’m not lonesome and I’m not dark. I have my special someones and my gracious guests and all my fabulous girls. I have my best friend who will stay by my side through the worst of it. I have my parents who have taught me how to appreciate the best of it. I have depth and support and substance in relationships like you can’t believe. For this, I will never be lonesome and dark, even when I’m alone.

So while 95% of the time (disclosure: on this website, 97.4% of statistics are made up), I’d much rather share everything I’ve got with someone, it’s also good to be alone. It’s good to splurge on yourself. It’s good to appreciate time with me, diligence and work for me, passion and persistence for no one else but me. One day I’ll have a partner and a family that this will all be for. But today, tonight, it’s for me. Tonight, this glass is for me.

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May 27, 2011 - 12:11 pm

Stephanie - Jackie!

That was lovely. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading this.
Save me a glass!

Lol your wine cellar (cracked me up)

Orange Maternity Portraits | Brooke and Charlie and their baby to be

5 • 25 • 11

Every time I get quality time with an expecting mother, I am humbled and honored to be part of such an experience. It is truly a miracle the way our bodies combine and create children. The way the woman’s body expands and develops to grow a human. It’s amazing!

So I feel like I should be speaking of Brooke throughout this post, but I can’t help but write about her loving and endearing husband, Charlie. Never in my seven years of shooting have I worked with such an attentive, intuitive and straight up awesome fellow. Normally when I get husbands that join us for maternity sessions, I offer them a beer and the remote control. While Charlie’s brows did perk a little at the thought of a cold brew, Charlie was way more interested in his wife and helping make some beautiful images for her. Adorbs.

No but seriously. Charlie would be like ‘Babe, move your face over this way,’ or ‘why don’t you put your toe forward a little,’ or ‘maybe you should look at it from this angle, Jackie.’ Okay that last one wasn’t exactly true…but he should have. Because his suggestions were spot on and I was so happy to have another awesome assistant with me that afty (another because my awesome assistant Aubrey was already on the set throwing in her ideas and tossing in her two cents. my entourage that day was so fab.).

Brooke is gorgeous and glowing and going to be an amazing mother. I can already tell. And Charlie is strong and supportive and so going to rock the father thing. I’m thrilled to capture this monumental moment in their lives.

Congratulations Brooke and Charlie. I’m so excited to meet your newest Weaver.

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May 26, 2011 - 7:35 am

Brooke - Thanks Jackie! Again, these are so beautiful!
May 27, 2011 - 5:50 am

Robb Davidson - Ahhh!!!! This is perfect. Perfect setting, perfect time of day, perfect subjects, perfect shooter. These shots are super yummy…great now I gotta go make myself something to eat cause I can’t eat these pictures! Well done Lovato! As always.