K.C. Larsen . net

It's only been 4 months

2009-12-24T09:40:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all...if you're still reading:)

Happy Birthday Victoria

2009-08-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Happy one year birthday to Victoria. Can't believe it's already been a year. Reed is right behind her.

So it's only been 3 months +

2009-05-06T21:26:00.001-07:00

I didn't realize it had been so long. I've been so busy, I've let the time slip away. I need to start posting something again. Here are a few from the last three months.

Tim turned the big 4 0 !!!

We went camping for the first time with Reed and our teardrop trailer in Death Valley the last weekend in February.

This is Reed at the dunes in Death Valley.

Reed got to play in a pool for the first time...he loved it.

And this is him tonight getting his bath. He's over 8 months now, he's growing so fast. He is crawling all over the place.

It's been too long

2009-03-18T16:36:00.001-07:00

So it's been a very busy 6 weeks since I last posted anything here. So much going on, not much photo related. I'll post something soon, probably from my 10 month project in the garage and our trip to Death Valley.

Bath Time

2009-02-03T23:33:00.001-08:00

Reed has been doing really well at sitting up. He especially likes sitting up during bath time. Here's one from this evening.

My boy is getting so big

2009-01-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

Mommy had some school work to do tonight so Reed and I took about 20 minutes to take some pictures. He did really well and hardly complained.

Viviana Grace, my new niece

2009-01-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world Viviana.

Viviana was born yesterday evening. I was at home working in the garage and missed all the phone calls so I was not at the hospital when she came, but I rushed over when I finally found out.

Here she is at just a couple hours old.

And here is proud daddy watching as she's checked over by the nurse.

Proud big sister wanted in on a shot. Tell me Christina looks like she just had a baby...I think not.

The Holidays

2009-01-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. It was Reed's first Christmas, he slept through half of Christmas morning but I think he enjoyed watching everyone. Next year will be so much more fun with him actually getting involved.

May you all have a very blessed 2009.

Sabbath School

2008-12-13T23:26:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday was Reed's first trip to Sabbath School. He slept through half of it but we think he liked being in a new place.

Headshots

2008-12-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

About 6 weeks ago, Scott asked me if I'd take some headshots of him to submit for school. He is applying to some acting schools here in the LA area. So a couple weeks later we were finally able to connect on a Sunday morning to get this done. We met in Redlands and had a great couple of hours walking around finding spots that would work for what we needed. Scott's fiance, Wendy, also came along to supervise.

Thanks for coming out so early on a Sunday morning Scott and Wendy, it was fun getting to know you both a little better. And congratulations on the upcoming wedding.

Yogurt licious

2008-11-23T23:31:00.001-08:00

Saturday night we killed a couple hours at Yogurtlicious with Brad, Jenn, and Victoria. Very good yogurt. We were there long enough to go back around to try more flavors. Try it out sometime, it's all self serve and they have tons of toppings, although they don't have carob like Nubi does:(

Andrew & Erin...the big day

2008-11-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, these two looked pretty good for their big day, yes, even you Andrew:)
And may I announce, Lady Cook.
Congratulations you two, I hope you have many, many happy years together.

Andrew & Erin

2008-11-23T19:27:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we traveled to Georgia for a wedding. The wedding was for Stephanie's 'little'cousin Andrew and bride, Erin. We didn't have a lot of time before the wedding but we did manage to get outside between down pours to get some engagement shots while Erin's toes froze. These two are great in front of the camera and have fun...smiles the whole time.

Here are a few of the engagement shots, the wedding day shots will come very soon, stay tuned.

Happy Pumpkin Day

2008-10-31T23:36:00.001-07:00

From our pumpkin to yours, we hope you had a great holiday. Stay safe.

Finally posting more of Christy and her family

2008-10-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so I finally got a chance to sit down at my computer and post a few more photos of Christy and her family. I hope you enjoy them.

On a side note, Christy made it through surgery and has been at home recovering. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as her recovery continues over the next year or so.

My Boy

2008-10-09T18:43:00.001-07:00

I have not posted any pictures of Reed in a while, we've been busy taking care of him and just trying to get things done around the house. And maybe get some sleep in there somewhere. Parenthood is awesome!! Here are a few of him on our bed the other day trying to sleep...to no avail.

Fighter

2008-09-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Meet Christy, mother of Aidan. Christy will be going in for surgery at 7:30 in the morning for mouth cancer. She is young and this should not be happening to her. Here's my simple request, if you pray, do so for her and her family. For someone fighting cancer, she has the biggest smile around.

More of her and her family to come.

This weekend with visitors

2008-09-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had some of my family in town. Since I have been busy holding my baby, I have not posted any pictures in 2 weeks so I figured this was a good time. Here are a few from the weekend.

Reed got his first full bath

2008-09-05T22:42:00.001-07:00

Reed got his first full bath tonight. Now he is trying to fight the sleepiness. Another long night awaits us:)

Another one of Reed

2008-09-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

More of Reed

2008-09-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'll post more pictures as I have time.

Reed Edward

2008-08-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

Reed was born at 5 a.m. today, 08/27/2008. 8 lbs 7 ozs, 20.5 in.

Got to meet Victoria

2008-08-12T23:32:00.001-07:00

Brad and Jenn got home today with baby Victoria. What a beautiful little baby. She is so small and has such a good temperment. And a correction, she was 5 lbs. 13 oz., she is so tiny, much smaller in person.

Victoria Woosley HAS ARRIVED!!!

2008-08-08T01:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Brad and Jenn on the adoption of Victoria Woosley, aka V Dub. We can't wait to meet her.

Redbox

2008-08-04T21:22:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have not tried Redbox, you should. It's easy, convenient, and cheap. Look here for a location near you.

Playing with light

2008-08-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I played around for the first time with off camera flash in the middle of the day. It was bright and hot out. It's amazing what a flash can do to the scene. Check out http://www.strobist.com/ for some amazing photography work...something to strive for.

Random

2008-08-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a random photo of Isabella.

mediastorm.org

2008-07-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

If you have some time, watch the videos under the Project section at http://mediastorm.org. Some very real life stories. It makes you think about what you have.

July 28, 2008 - Newsweek

2008-07-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

If anyone has a Newsweek dated July 28, 2008 that you will be throwing out, can you let me know, I'd like to get it from you.

A photo I took of Astrid and Aidan in August of 2006 is in a LLU School of Medicine ad. It may be a regional ad.

Here is what it looks like. It comes after page 42.

Jenks Lake

2008-07-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and I headed up to the mountains today for some relaxing, cooler weather, and fresh air. Jenks lake was our destination. It is located in the San Bernardino National Forest and is located about 30 miles from Redlands on your way to Big Bear. Very nice spot to relax in. Hope you had a great day.

Reeds Room

2008-07-17T23:45:00.001-07:00

Recently I finished up Reed's room. Let me just say, I don't like painting stripes on textured walls. Taping it worked but it was still a pain. Anyway, here it is. We plan on adding some big photos of him on the wall after he gets here so it will not look quite so bare.

And here is a little something Stephanie has wanted/planned for, for a long time. Her family had a fish tank and stand when she and her sister were young and they really enjoyed it. It has a mirror on the back so Reed will be able to see himself while looking at the fish. While Stephanie's dad was here a few weeks ago he threw this together. He works fast:) I finished it a couple weeks ago and got it in the house. Right now we have 8 Barbs in it.
Have a great weekend.

Fireworks on the 4th

2008-07-06T17:27:00.001-07:00

Friday evening we spend a few hours with our good friends in Redlands, CA. They have a great view of the fireworks at the University of Redlands. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

God Bless America!!

All these shots were taken with my D200 and my 70-200 2.8. I used a remote shutter release and it worked great.

Fourth

2008-07-04T12:57:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone. I hope you have a fun and safe day!! We will be heading over to Gina and Ed's this afternoon to watch the fireworks at the University of Redlands.

Take a moment to remember the past, present, and future military of the U.S.A., and for that matter, all those that fight for freedom. God bless America and please God, bless this world.

Very sad

2008-06-09T12:34:00.001-07:00

I didn't know this him but his family were family friends of Stephanie's family. While flying in Alaska this past weekend, Shaun Lunt, 34, circled to look at a whale skeleton. His plane stalled and his plane went down. You can read more about the accident here. And you can view some of his adventures and see the beauty of God's earth here. Shaun was an anesthesiologist here in the Loma Linda area.

Here is one of my favorites from his site.

This is the last thing he posted on his blog in August of 2007.

"Three months, but a lifetime of memories and good friends. It's been a better trip than I could've hoped for. Best time spent in Alaska? Time spent with God. He is Good. And the best things in life pale in comparison."

Very sad, please pray for his family.

Centennial Complex at LLU

2008-05-27T22:48:00.001-07:00

Today a handful of Loma Linda University employees and students took a tour of the new Centennial Complex. The Centennial Complex is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2009. It will be a state of the art building with many updated labs to assist in the growing needs of LLU. It's an amazing building, I can't wait to see it completed. It is on schedule and on budget...two very good things. If you are ever in Loma Linda, stop by to see what phase of construction it is in.

Here are a few photos I took today.

The Morrison's

2008-05-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

My sister and family just moved to the Phoenix, AZ area so they got to come to S. CA for mothers day since Tim's mom is in the area. They came to our house Saturday evening to watch a movie, but before we did that, we played with some lights and white seamless backgrounds that I needed to experiment with.

Aquarium of the Pacific

2008-05-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

April 26 took us to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Stephanie and I had never been there and it was very crowded and hot. I'd prefer to go back when it is not so busy. We did see a lot of pretty fish and Isabella had a great time looking at everything and playing in the water. She was even brave enough to pet a small shark in the outside petting tanks.

And look who we found!!
On our way home.

It's been a while

2008-05-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

I just realized tonight it has been a whole month since I posted anything so I thought I better just do it. I've been very busy the last few weeks so it has not given me any time to do this. I figured I'd sit down and post a few pictures tonight to get it done with.

The first weekend in May we went up north with Christina, Duncan, and Isabella for a reunion at one of Christina and Stephanie's elementary schools they attended back in the late 80's and early 90's. We met their mom their since she would be speaking that weekend. On the way up we met my sister, niece, and nephew just off of the 5. We spent about an hour there talking and visiting before heading on our way. It was a fun quick weekend. Here are a few random photos.

The Mike Christian Story

2008-04-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you what I think about our Pledge for Allegiance, our flag, and our country. I want to tell you a story about when I was a prisoner of war. I spent 5 ½ years in the Hanoi Hilton. In the early years of our imprisonment, the North Vietnamese kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell.

In 1971, the North Vietnamese moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change. And was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans, led by people like Nancy and Ronald Reagan, on behalf of a few hundred POWs, 10,000 miles from home.

One of the men moved into my cell was Mike Christian. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was thirteen years old. At seventeen, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He later earned a commission. He became a Naval flying officer, and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation for the opportunities this country -- and our military -- provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.

The uniforms we wore in prison consisted of a blue short-sleeved shirt, trousers that looked like pajama trousers and rubber sandals that were made out of automobile tires. I recommend them highly; one pair lasted my entire stay.

As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a piece of white cloth and a piece of red cloth and fashioned himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he sewed the American flag on the inside of his shirt.

Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of our cell, and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know that saying the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important or meaningful part of our day now, but I can assure you that – for those men in that stark prison cell – it was indeed the most important and meaningful event of our day.

One day, the Vietnamese searched our cell and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, called for Mike Christian to come out, closed the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours.

Then they opened the door of the cell and threw him back inside. He was not in good shape. We tried to comfort and take care of him as well as we could. The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs in each corner of the room.

After things quieted down, I went to lie down to go to sleep. As I did, I happened to look in the corner of the room. Sitting there beneath that dim light bulb, with a piece of white cloth, a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. Sitting there, with his eyes almost shut from his beating, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was for us to be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.

Duty, Honor, Country. We must never forget those thousands of Americans who, with their courage, with their sacrifice, and with their lives, made those words live for all of us.

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona)
Used by permission

Taken from http://home.earthlink.net/~velderkin/powmia/mikechristian.htm

One more of Isabella

2008-03-31T21:51:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist. Here is one more of Isabella.

What a NUT

2008-03-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

Before we left work I got to play with my 70-200 lens on Isabella. She loves to sing and the parking lot was the perfect stage for her. She really is a nut.

Marjorie

2008-03-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Some of you might remember Laura from last year. Her mom was down visiting so we managed to fit in a couple hours yesterday morning before she headed home to get some great shots to give as a gift to her husband. It was a nice overcast day which made for some great lighting. Thanks for coming out Marjorie, it was nice meeting you.

Isabel & Nicolas

2008-03-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Last Monday evening I got to follow a couple of cute kids around a park for a couple hours. Well, Isabel kept us running, Nicolas just chilled in his mom and aunts arms. Isabel was so much fun, wanting to find new places to pose at. She had a BIG smile on the whole time. Thanks for bringing the kids out Erin, it was so much fun.

This is the first time I've tried out textures. Just something a little different.

New Photos

2008-03-24T23:34:00.001-07:00

I did a shoot of a friends two kids this evening and I have another shoot on Sunday morning. Stay tuned for photos.

It's a BOY!!!

2008-03-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Today we made our way to Baby's First Photos in Riverside, CA for an ultrasound. This ultrasound was to tell us the gender, a month earlier than we thought we were going to know. Stephanie's parents, sister, and niece got to go along. It's a really neat service and the employees are super nice. They do a 3D ultrasound and project it up on a 100" screen for everyone in the room to see. You can have up to 10 people in the room with you to share the excitement. It's really cool so if you ever get the chance to experience it for your baby or to watch someone elses ultrasound like this, do it, it's just too cool.

So we found out we are having a boy. Now we can start deciding on a name and the nursery. We went to Babies R Us after to buy some baby clothes. I got a bib for him that says Chicks Dig Me:)

Anywho, here are some photos that we got from the ultrasound today.

Here you can see his face with his hands and arms up by his head.

This shot is of his back. He got tired of being poked at so he turned over. You can see the back of his head, his back/side, his leg, and his arm.

WooHoo

2008-03-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

OK, we are finally letting everyone know. Our baby is due on September 5. We finally got to hear the heartbeat today so we are a little more safe in letting everyone know. If my scanner was not acting up, I'd scan our first and second ultrasound. In about 7 weeks we will hopefully be able to find out what it is. Keep little baby Larsen in your thoughts and prayers as he or she develops. At this point, we don't care what it is, as long as it's healthy.

On a funny note, check out what David Higginbotham of David Higginbotham Photography and his wife Anna have to say about having a kid. Luckily we won't have to deal with the questions anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwng10n6j6c

The Golden Gate at sunrise

2008-03-06T22:38:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to posting my photos of the Golden Gate from my trip up north last month. I was pretty tired and I had to do a lot of walking to get what I did. I'm not a landscape photographer but it was fun messing around. The sky was completely clear till the sun came up then the clouds slowly moved in over the city. It was pretty cool to watch. If you ever get a chance to watch the sunrise in San Francisco, go up the hill on the northern side of the bridge. It really is a great view.

And this is Sausalito. Nice little town. I wouldn't mind spending a long weekend there sometime.

Sunday morning in Napa, part 3

2008-02-26T22:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the last of the photos from Sunday.

Sunday morning in Napa, part 2

2008-02-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more photos from the day. Check back again for a few more photos from Sunday and some of the Golden Gate from Friday morning.

Sunday morning in Napa, part 1

2008-02-21T22:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we headed to an old train station in St. Helena...I believe that is where it was. I wasn't driving so I wasn't paying attention. We had a lot of models and familes to photograph and it was overcast so the lighting was great. I'll post a few now...come back for more.

Napa, CA

2008-02-20T22:50:00.000-08:00

This past Presidents Day weekend I was able to join some online photography friends from OpenSourcePhoto in Napa, CA for some workshops and model shoots. I left S. CA after work on Thursday night and pretty much drove all night with a just a couple stops to sleep. I got to San Francisco around 5:45 a.m. which gave me some time to get some shots of the Golden Gate at sunrise. After spending a couple hours on that, I had a bunch of time to kill so I drove around Sausalito for a little while then headed up to Healdsburg to kill a few more hours. I got to Napa around 3:30 p.m. and waited around for a couple hours before I connected with anyone from our group. We sat around for a while then some went to dinner. I was exhausted so I went to our room and tried to get settled in. I had the opportunity to room with three great photographers and business people, Shaun Austin from California, Kevin Swan from Indiana, and Nathan Holritz from Tennessee.

Saturday morning I got to go to church with my family in Calistoga then got to hang out for the afternoon. Saturday evening I rejoined the photography part of my trip for some classroom type learning then off to a night shoot in downtown Napa. The police only showed up once to figure out what a large group of people were doing wandering around town. Luckily he didn't question us too much and was on his way.

Sunday morning included more shooting and workshops and Monday was the day to say good bye and head home. I left Napa around noon and got home at about 7:30 p.m.. It was a great weekend but I was very glad to be home.

A special thanks to Jen and Chris Stewart, Tana Huffman, ProDPI, Pixel2Canvas, Robin Pesa, Colin Michael, Shaun Austin, Kevin Swan, Nathan Holritz, Kevin King, Jillian Kay, and all the models for making this weekend a success for all of us.

I'll break this post up into a few days so check back later for more. These first four were from the night shoot in downtown Napa.

OSP West - Napa

2008-02-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

I just spent the weekend in Napa, CA with some really awesome photographers. Stay tuned for photos.

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. If you didn't get Monday off, I'm sorry.

The Middle Class Americans

2008-02-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

I just watched this interesting video hosted by Drew Carey about the middle class in the United States. Pretty interesting statistics.

Here is the direct link to the video. http://reason.tv/video/show/61.html

Michelle & Chiz

2008-01-20T20:49:00.000-08:00

Friday morning we got to hear Michelle Tumes and Chiz Rider at the Week of Devotion. Unfortunately we didn't get to hear a lot from them as time was limited. And I also chose the wrong seat to photograph Michelle. Her cello player was right in my way. The program was being recorded so I didn't want to get out of my seat and move around. Maybe next time.

Selah in Loma Linda

2008-01-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

Loma Linda University is having Week of Devotion for the students this week. They are also broadcasting it on the Loma Linda Broadcasting Network for those around the world to watch. They have had guest speakers all week including some really good musical guests. Today Selah was the special guest and I was able to get a few shots of them during their short appearance on stage. They had a concert tonight so the few songs they sang this morning were getting people ready to come back. They were great to listen to and show so much love for what they do.

Tomorrow morning, Michelle Tumes will be sharing her love of music with us.

Like Satellites...the band

2008-01-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give a band a quick plug here. The band is Like Satellites and you can hear a couple of their songs on myspace at www.myspace.com/likesatellites. I went to academy with David Oakley who plays the guitar, violin, keyboard, and does some vocals. Check them out. I'm partial to the Innocent Rough Mix. Stay tuned to their myspace page for more information and an official website. And if you'd like, add them to your friends.

Christmas Day

2007-12-27T22:16:00.001-08:00

What can I say about Christmas. It was family time at Christina and Duncan's once again with more family from Georgia. Isabella was bombarded with presents while Duncan and I played with our new Nerf guns:) We were eventually told to settle down:(

I hope you all had a wonderful day and were able to remember the true meaning of the day.

These are the faces of video game addicts. This is was the introduction of Nintendo Wii will do to you. Like father like daughter. And theres not a competetive bone in either of them.
And a special Merry Christmas from Duncan and I:)

Disneyland

2007-12-27T21:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not the biggest fan of Disney. Yeah, it's cool and all but I'm not a roller coaster guy, even though I've ventured out since meeting Stephanie, and personally I feel they have too many witches and ghosts and stuff to be the happiest place on earth, but whatever. My in-laws were in town for Christmas so Duncan, Christina, Isabella, the in-laws, Stephanie, and I all made the hour trek to Anaheim. First things first, we rode Small World three times in a row for Isabella. They have it all decorated for Christmas and they even sing Christmas songs. Oh what fun it was:) Mind you, I'm keeping an open mind here so stay with me. We got to ride the cars, and the new Nemo submarines. It was fun and all but those speakers in the sub were crazy loud. Next time I'm taking ear plugs like Duncan. After a while, Stephanie, her dad, and I ventured off to ride Pirates, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain. Big Thunder Mountain did it for me and my stomach. Every time I'm reminded why I say no. It was fun though. At the end of the day, a few of us went to see the 50 years of Disney video done by Steve Martin and Donald Duck. If you go to Disney, check it out, it's pretty neet to see how it all started. Then we finished the day by riding the train around the park. It was a fun day...and I'm sure it will be repeated soon because the in-laws got us season passes for Christmas:)

This is Isabella's first ride on Small World. It took about a third of the ride to warm up to it. She went on it a total of five times that day.

This is Gampa on the Nemo ride.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us!

Chattanooga, TN

2007-12-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

I had not been back to Chattanooga since me moved to CA three and a half years ago so it was nice to go back for a visit, even though CA will always be home. My mom was having a surgery so I surprised her. She actually had it while I was in San Diego but five days after had to do. I took the red eye flight from Ontario, CA to Atlanta, GA on Friday evening. It was only a three and a half hour flight so that was really nice. I was scheduled to be in Atlanta for about four hours before my next flight to Chattanooga but Stephanie suggested I ask if there was an earlier flight. Since I only had a carry on, I was good to go and got to Chattanooga before my original flight was supposed to take off. My sister and her family came and picked me up and took me back to their house in Ooltewah. It's nice to see so much of the I-75 construction done. A couple hours later we headed downtown to the hospital to see my mom. Needless to say she was very surprised to see me. The week was spent hanging out, seeing friends, eating at restaurants I have missed, etc., etc. While I was there I got to take some photos of my sister, niece, nephew, and mom.

This is the Morrisons and I before Tim headed out in his truck.

Thanks for the hospitality, it was great to see you all and just hang out and do nothing, but a lot all at the same time.

And to my Unum peeps, it was great to see you all, sorry I missed a few of you and sorry you have to be back in the tiny cubicles. Keep in touch.

San Diego

2007-12-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

The Sunday following Thanksgiving, I dropped Stephanie off in Calistoga for her early recruiting trip for Loma Linda University and headed home. I was pulling a trailer for a project I will be starting soon so I had to drive slower than normal. On the grapevine I lost both fenders and my magnetic stop lights. I drove two hours home with my hazards on making sure everyone around me saw me. Then when I got home I realized I had lost the nut to the ball on my hitch. Needless to say it was a long trip home and one I hope to never repeat. But I made it home safely. I got about four hours of sleep then headed down to San Diego for a conference for work. I spent four days there then headed home to meet up with Stephanie for a day before my next adventure started.

Here is the view from my room on the 18th floor of the Marriott.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-12-27T20:45:00.000-08:00

Lets go back a month to Thanksgiving. Stephanie and I traveled up north to spend Thanksgiving with some of my family. It was cold in Healdsburg but it was very nice. If it wasn't for the rain, I wouldn't mind living up there. I think I could get used to the cold again. But for now, S. CA will have to do:) We spent Thanksgiving day at my step-sisters in St. Helena. They live on a beautiful piece of property and it was warm enough to have dinner in the front yard. It was really fun spending time with Karen, Haley, and Michaels family.

Thanks Karen for your hospitality, it was nice to see you all again.

So behind

2007-12-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind on my blog right now. I traveled to Northern CA for Thanksgiving, home for a night, then traveled to San Diego for a 4 day conference, home for a day, then flew to TN for 8 days then finally made it home. I've since been busy with Christmas stuff, Disneyland, anniversary, trying to sell a car, etc, etc. I will be getting photos up soon, I just wanted to let you all know I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas next week and a very Happy New Year. May 2008 be a wonderful year for you all.

Jimmy Fallon

2007-11-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

My friend in Maryland just forwarded me a photo and a little story. She was eating with a bunch of friends in Baltimore and happened to see Jimmy Fallon. He graciously took a photo with the group. She is two heads from his right shoulder. How cool is that.

Fog

2007-11-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

The fog was ridiculous on our way to work yesterday. Between our dust storms and this, it can make it hard to drive at times.

Our Soldiers

2007-11-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

This was forwarded to me via email and I thought it was a great idea. Take 5 minutes of your day, write out a note and stick it in the mail. And it doesn't have to be for Christmas, just send a thank you or a word of encouragement.

A truly great idea that was sent to me by a friend...

When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:

A Recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

Cute little Bumble Bee

2007-10-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

Isabella did a little trick or treating this afternoon...is she not the cutest little Bee you've ever seen?

She turned 2

2007-10-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Isabella's birthday festivities started at Sabbath School on Sabbath morning. She was sporting her new Gymboree outfit and looked quite cute. She loves blowing out candles so this was the perfect thing for her.
I love this picture, it just makes me laugh:)
Sunday morning we headed over to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out a pumkin and to go to the petting zoo. She loves feeding the animals and was quite friendly with the sheep. The goats were a little pushy, but the sheep were nice.
Then she headed home for a nap while we set up for her party. As you can see, she loved her cake. Spoons just don't cut it when you can put your face in it.
Next it was out to her new swing set. She loved it. I think her mommy and daddy made a good choice.
All in all it was a very fun weekend. I hope you had a great birthday Isabella. We hope you have many, many, many, many more. Maybe in the next couple years a little brother or sister can help you celebrate:)

Lots of Dust and Dirt

2007-10-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Last night we got home from Isabella's birthday party to lots and lots of dirt. It was all over our cars, it was all over our porch, it had blown over our BBQ, it was blowing in the cracks in our front door weather stripping, and the wind had blown our tree down...AGAIN. It was just nasty. Here is a video of what it looked like this morning.

Apples, Apples, Apples

2007-10-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

So last night we all got together and ate the apples we picked last week. We had apple cake, apple crist, apple muffins, carmel apples, apple sauce, and sliced apples with some kind of yummy dip. And the kids had apple juice, but that was from a box, provided by Juicy Juice.

Here are a few food items from the evening. It was really fun trying new stuff, if you ever get bored, try it with a group of friends sometime.

Cedar Falls

2007-10-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

This past Sabbath a group of us went up to Camp Cedar Falls for a hike. It was another beautiful S. CA fall day. Our goal was to pick apples in the apple orchard a mile or so down the trail. It was well worth the hike because this next weekend we are all getting together to share what we made with our apples. It should be very tasty.

Have a great week.

SD Wild Animal Park

2007-09-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

We went to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego again. Isabella had fun chasing the deer around in the petting area, we got to see a cute little week old elephant from a distance, took the tram ride through the Journey into Africa, rested a little in the shade, then headed home. All in all it was a pretty good day.
And here is Isabella taking pictures. It's so cute, she takes off her sunglasses, takes off her hat, turns the camera the right way, and presses the button. She got a lot of great shots yesterday, but that finger kept getting in the way:)

Gina

2007-09-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I got to photograph Gina, my 3rd FREE photo session. Gina had not had any pictures done of her in a while and she wants to surprise her mom with some. She also took the opportunity to include a very special wedding present she received from a family member of her husband...a violin. I think it fit in quite nicely, don't you think.

Thanks Gina, I hope you like them.

Ah yes, the Bowtie

2007-09-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

We finally own a Chevy again. I just had to share. :)

Prince Hall

2007-09-12T21:44:00.001-07:00

The School of Dentistry at Loma Linda University has had a flag up this week. I thought it looked pretty good on the side of the building and wanted to share it with you all.

6 years ago...

2007-09-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

our country was attacked. I can't believe it's been that long. Take a minute today to stop and think about those that lost their lives in NY on September 11, 2001 and at the same time, think about the war in Iraq and the dedication that our military has to our country.

Once again, the flag comes out.

The Gustafsson's

2007-09-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

Monday evening I got the opportunity to use another FREE session on the Gustafsson's. We met at the park and spent the next couple hours fighting the gnats and the heat. All Aidan wanted to do was play on the play equipment and Ethan didn't know what was going on. I hope you like your new family portraits, thanks for the opportunity.

You can view their slideshow here.

Jenn

2007-08-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

Jenn used one of my FREE portrait session this evening. We started out in downtown Redlands then finished up at the University of Redlands. The University has so much personality with all their greenery and their old buildings. They turned 100 this year.

Thanks for coming out Jenn, it was a lot of fun. You can view the slideshow here.

Brads birthday

2007-08-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight we got to spend some time with Brad and Jenn for Brad's Birthday. Jenn made some wonderful berry pie and got some ice cream from Trader Joes. I very nice combination...thanks Jenn. Happy Birthday Brad, I hope you have many, many more.

This is classic Brad:)

Mmmmm, thats some good stuff right there.
Here is a picture of Brad tuning his new guitar. Learn it well Brad, we expect some kind of concert from you by this time next year.

The Beach

2007-08-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we got to spend some time with the Henry's at our house and at the beach. It was in the low 80's and made for a pleasant day. Here are a couple photos of Isabella from the weekend.

Great Weekend

2007-08-06T22:40:00.001-07:00

After taking some photos for Loma Linda University on Friday morning, we headed for Don Pedro Lake. We left at 10 a.m. and got there at about 4 p.m. Tami's dad picked us up at the launch ramp and took us out to the houseboat. It was a great weekend being away from home, internet, and distractions. We wanted to stay longer with everyone but had to come back on Sunday afternoon:( We stayed as long as we could, we left only after skiing and hanging out more with everyone. It was a gorgeous day on the lake and it was sad to drive away. We were both a little dizzy today, it felt like we were still on the boat, luckily that feeling has passed. Anyway, here are a few photos from the weekend. I hope you all had a great weekend yourself.

Here Keith is Coolin' in Cali...before he has to go back and sweat in Tennessee.
This is Tami slaloming...if you couldn't tell:)

Don Pedro Lake

2007-08-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, we did just get back from vacation, but we are off again for the weekend. We will be spending time with our friends on Don Pedro Lake in N. CA. Pictures to come. Have a great weekend and I'll talk to you when I return:)

Ahhh, vacation

2007-07-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

The last week has been great, minus the slight sunburn. I got to Portland, OR on Friday evening and went to the Oregon Conference of S.D.A.'s annual campmeeting at Gladstone. It was great to be back with Stephanie and to be out of the intense sun of Southern CA. We spent the weekend and the first couple days of the week in Portland, where I got to see a couple high school friends, which was really fun, and also just relax. Then on Tuesday we headed to Sunriver near Bend, OR. What a beautiful place to be. We spent the rest of the week, relaxing by the pool, eating way too much, riding bikes, hitting golf balls at the driving range, and more relaxing. We headed back to Portland on Saturday afternoon, after stopping by Big Lake Youth Camp where Stephanie worked for a couple summers in college. While we were there we got to spend some time with Dick and Brenda Duerksen. They are parents of friends I went to elementary school with in Maryland. And I also got to check out his new EOS1 Mark III. Its not a bad piece of equipment.

We got up early this morning and headed to the Portland airport. It was a great week but it was nice getting home. There is nothing quite like it.

Here are a few photos from the week.

Vacation

2007-07-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

I'm heading out this afternoon to Portland, OR for a weeks vacation with Stephanie's family. I'm also going to pick up Michael and Kristines engagement and wedding albums in Bend. I should have some new photos to share when I get back so check back in a week or so. In the mean time, have a great weekend and a great week.

FREE Portrait Session

2007-07-15T20:21:00.001-07:00

I still have some openings so if you are interested and are in the area, send me an email.

info@kclarsen.com

For more details.

Details

2007-07-15T19:36:00.001-07:00

This evening I had the opportunity to shoot some detail shots at a wedding reception. No, I was not invited by the bride and groom, I was there on behalf of the caterer. Loma Linda University catering, directed by Najwa, does an amazing job with so much attention to detail. The tables were beautiful and the fruit carvings were amazing. Here are a few of the shots from the evening.

And congratulations to the bride and groom.

Our first car

2007-07-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

Last week, Stephanie and I sold the first car we purchased together, a 1998 Toyota Camry. It's been a good car and we have put about 130,000 miles on it in the last 7 years. Before we actually turned it over to the new owner, I had to get a patriotic photo of our 3 cars.

San Gorgonio Campground

2007-07-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

We went camping this weekend at the San Gorgonio campground in the San Bernardino National Forest. Friday evening I was messing around taking pictures around the fire and trying to get some of the stars and such. The women went to bed while Duncan and I stayed up a little longer. We were out on the road by our campground and while my camera was doing it's thing, I heard some noise to the left of me. So I slowly pulled my flashlight out of my pocket and pointed it in the general dirction of the noise, right into the face of a black bear. It was standing about 15-20 feet away from us. Once the light hit his eyes, he turned and walked away and proceeded to walk around a couple more sites before walking through ours. It came a couple feet from where Christina and Isabella were sleeping. Needless to say we stayed up a little while longer to make sure it didn't come back. We were told the next morning by the campground hosts that it got in to their neighbors ice chest and containers and ate some of their food, but it didn't harm anything. So that is 2 out of the last 3 camping trips that we have had an encounter/issue with a bear, Yosemite last year and this year in S. CA. Anyway, it was fun...here are a few photos from the evening. And no, I wasn't thinking clearly enough to use the pop up flash on my camera to get a photo of the bear. I'm kicking myself now.

FREE Portrait Session

2007-07-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

I'm offering a FREE Portrait Session to the first 5 people that contact me.

Email me for details and availablity.

$150 value

info@kclarsen.com

2007-07-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

David Hessemer of Hawaiian Images is doing a special photography project in Africa. A group of photographers, including Jessica Claire and David Jay, are going to Africa to teach some local children about photography. Each photographer will be assigned to a child and will work with them for a few days in an attempt to get them past the fascination of just taking pictures but in a hope to get them to document what they see and what they experience in their day to day life. After the photographers leave, the children will be left with the point and shoot cameras for a time to continue their documenting. When they are done, the photos will be send to the photograhers who will edit the photos and turn them into a traveling gallery exhibit and a coffee table album that will tell their story.

"Our hope is to provide maximum exposure to those in the most need in thei world in a way that communicate the uniqueness fo their culture. We want to creat a platform to get much needed financial help to the people we work with."

To learn more about the project and to donate to this cause, click on the link below.

www.throughtheireyesafrica.com/

Happy 4th

2007-07-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I wrote or posted anything. Too much going on.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I got up early, thanks to the dogs, spent some time out in the garage working on a 6 month old project, then went to some friends house for a 4th of July bash, or whatever you want to call it:) Thank you Gina and Ed for your hospitality. You have a beautiful home and a great view of the fireworks. Let us know how much admission will be next year:)

Here are a few from the evening.

And yes, the Henry's like to play air hockey and are not competitive at all. Even Isabella got in on the action, as did Aunt Stephanie.

This is the view we had of the fireworks at the University of Redlands.

And a special thanks to the past, present, and future members of the United States Armed Forces. We would not be what we are today if it was not for the sacrifice you and your families make everyday. And to President Bush...no, I won't go there...but thanks:)

I hope you all had a relaxing day...now back to work.

Tami & Keith

2007-06-07T23:55:00.001-07:00

On Monday, I took Michael's sister and her husband out to do some one year anniversary photos in Redlands. Tami shipped her dress out from TN with her parents when they visited her a couple months ago. It was a lot of fun to hang out with them again and get some different photos of her in her dress. Stay tuned for more photos, right Tami?

You can view their slideshow here.

Congratulations Tami and Keith on your upcoming anniversary. Now move back to CA.

Michael & Kristine

2007-06-07T23:41:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday I had the honor of photographing the wedding of Michael and Kristine. It was a very nice wedding on a very beautiful piece of property in the hills of Calimesa.

You can watch the slideshow of the wedding here.

Thank you Michael and Kristine for giving me the opportunity to document your very special day. Congratulations to you both.

Old Timers

2007-05-29T22:08:00.001-07:00

I also found some Chevy and a little bit of Dodge.

Texture and color

2007-05-29T22:05:00.001-07:00

I drove around Beaumont tonight looking for some interesting things to photograph. This is what I found.

Darcy

2007-05-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Darcy and I met in Redlands to do some portraits. She is friends with Laura so she came along also. We spent a couple hours walking around Redlands trying to find some new places. Darcy is also graduating with Laura, congratulations to the both of you and thanks for the opportunity Darcy.

Fun in Fullerton

2007-05-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, a bunch of OSP photographers went to Fullerton to have a little fun. Thanks to our volunteer models, we got a lot of shooting in. Here are a few from the day.

Picnic

2007-05-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago a small group of us went on a picnic in Redlands. The kids were too much fun to watch. Aidan adores Isabella, I think they make a cute couple, what do you think?

Laura

2007-05-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to photograph Laura. She is graduating with her Masters and wanted some photos to send out with her announcements and for her parents since it had been a few years since she had had any done.

Congratulations on school and good luck with your finals.

Kristine and Michael

2007-05-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

I got back home a couple hours ago from my first ever eSession with Kristine and Michael. They are getting married in 3 weeks but since Michael lives up north, we were limited on when we could do the session. It turns out Mothers Day was our best option. They were going to be with her parents at the beach over the weekend so it made the perfect opportunity for me to take a drive to the beach and do this for them. I actually assisted Kristine last year at Michaels sisters wedding with the photography. They have known each other since they were kids but only recently turned it in to something more. Congratulations Kristine and Michael, I look forward to your wedding.

$1,693.62

2007-05-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple weeks since I have had any photos to share but some will be coming soon, I promise. I had a photo shoot the other day and I have an engagement session at the beach today. So, new photos coming soon.

On a side note, according to Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog, my blog is now worth $1,693.62.

My blog is worth $1,693.62.
How much is your blog worth?

It seems this dollar amount comes from the amount of traffic you get on your site. Anyway, if you have a blog, go check it out.