modern photography with a twist of sarcasm

Sep 01 2010

OPEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Posted in Personal

It’s probably not the best of times to try to make a change- between kids being off from school or camp and, actually that’s it. Kids being off from school pretty much brings everything to a halt. getting some computer time is mainly thanks to my mom who’s playing with them in the other oom, but they do come in every once in a while to yell boo in my ear and giggle as I just with fear. They actually id give me a heart attack at least twice. so I am trying to change my blog, and as I do this, I lost some galleries, and getting some too many categories – so if you’re visiting now, know, that we are open under construction, we just look a little different. the grand opening will be announced. With no specific date in sight, come back soon. And since every post is better with a photo…

New look coming soon.

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Posted in Personal

by shani

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Aug 30 2010

LAURA INGLES

Posted in Kids, Personal

Running down the hill

Have you ever watched “Little House on the Prairie” or are you too young to know? Well, it used to be one of the shows I used to watch growing up. I can’t say it was one of my favorite shows, becasue when I was growing up, it was one of the ONLY shows, so it wasn’t by choice, it was by default, one of my favorite shows… the opening sequence was the best part, as Laura Ingles in her braids and floral dress runs down a a field of flowers holding her arms out like an airplane (and in the days the show takes place, there weren’t any airplanes… (this is what I remember, and after I finish typing I will look it up on you tube and add the link, of course! I rolled down this hill this morning at the park with my kids, I got so dizzy, I couldn’t open my eyes for a couple of minutes, and when I did, I saw this blue sky, white cloud green grass. I went to the car to get my camera, and grabbed Zoe’s friend (and not some random kid in the park, though it seemed that way if you were an onlooker…creepy) and asked her to run down…and this is the result… OK…Just watched the opening and there’s no airplane hands but yes running down a field of flowers, maybe it’s the ending!!!? Kinda…running through a field of memories…

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Posted in Kids, Personal

by shani

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Aug 26 2010

PARTY TIME!!!!

Posted in Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Teens

SO much fun!!!!

After all the preparation and anticipation, the big night, (and day) had finally arrived, and gone. MK did amazing at Temple, (or so I hear… I shot her there with her family, on a Tuesday , not to disturb the service on Saturday…) It was a fun party - M looked fantastic in her HOT PINK dress, and everything throughout the night went smoothly thanks to Dana of DBCreativity, and the entertainment was ON with Joel from Spotlight Entertainment who according to his own admission ” I am small but loud”. HE SAID it!!! The cocktail hour was held outside at the perfect time of day for portraits, just as the sun set, and the party went on into the night when it’s perfect for dancing. Thank you for such a great night – you guys are beautiful, kind, and FUN!!!

Temple

Temple doesn't have to be boring

Even when practicing your Parashah

Heavy stuff!

Just beautiful.

Cousins Cousins.

Three generations

Here she comes

Bat Mitzvah girl

The grand entrance

WooHOO!

The Chair

The Hora

They didn't really think they were going to last all night with those heels, did they?

Thirteen again...

The girls

The boys

It's my party!

She'll always be Daddy's little girl. Always.

No cheesy photos here!

to see the slideshow click here

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Posted in Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Teens

by shani

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Aug 25 2010

dance

Posted in Commercial, Events

Liv'Art

I remember my own ballet classes. I remember wanting to get older so I too could get beautiful point ballet shoes with a pink ribbon to tie up my legs. But I was tall, gawky, and just not very good, and just could not remember the French names of the moves. I quit, and then we moved to Paris. France. I tried again, now that I spoke french, but I was still tall , gawky and just not a ballerina. which doesn’t stop me from loving “so you think you can dance” and watching my daughter’s ballet classes with my nose glues to the window…so when I had the opportunity to spend rehearsal time with Liv’art rehearsal time, I couldn’t help myself – I was fascinated by the girls’ determination and work and time and effort and seat and probably tears and some blood too. I only picked three photos, and if you’re part of the school you can view the rest of the images here.

Plier - Elver

Ballet

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Posted in Commercial, Events

by shani

1 comment

amanda doublin - August 25, 2010 - 10:37 am

shani!!!!!! that first image makes me want to die inside. so beautiful!

Aug 14 2010

go girl

Posted in Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Events, Teens

Tonight is MK’s Bat Mitzvah. Since we shot these in June, she’s been a way at camp …(OK, not the whole time…) Just long enough for her mom and I to decide together on which photos go into her SIGN IN/MEMORY book, that she will see tonight for the first time. I hope you loved them! You were so much fun to work with, thank you for being so sweet and beautiful, inside and out. I am sure it was a great party tonight! So curious about the surprise at midnight…. (this post is written in the morning, but will get”published” only at 7pm so I don’t think I am revealing too much….the magic of wordpress.

I absolutely adored this dress.

We found a spot where the light was just perfect

Girl sitting

I can do that.....

Contemporary

Modern

There's a TOMBOY in there too

I don't know what it is about shoes....

Sunshine

See ya!

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Posted in Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Events, Teens

by shani

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Aug 11 2010

just a second

Posted in Weddings

Under The Sea

This weekend I had the opportunity to shoot for and with Amanda Doublin, the fantabulous Amanda Doublin. For more than one reason. which I will list here. starting now. I met Amanda, what, about a year ago, on a couch at a photographer’s meeting in LA – we chatted briefly, exchanged cards, and when we got home we both checked each other’s sites, and both loved what we saw – We were similar, and yet so different, but we both have a girl named Zoe, so we became best friends. on FACEBOOK. I mean, who has time to really meet, right? Meanwhile, Amanda launched a new site, had a new baby, and continued to shoot weddings in her own unique, quirky, vintage, fun, different style. So when I got her message asking me to shoot with her, I was beyond thrilled, I didn’t even try to be cool about it. I like to second shoot. We all know weddings are high pressure events, and sometimes, it’s just nice to walk around and really document the event – becasue as a second shooter, I don’t direct, I find my own different angle, I mean, Amanda doesn’t really need another shot that looks exactly like hers only a little to the right…As a second shooter I also get shipped off to the boys, which is always fun. At first they play it cool, and tough, and pretend they don’t want their photo taken, but after a few clicks, flashes and jokes, they forget I am there, they forget I am a girl, and they are funny to be around. But the best thing about being a second shooter is learning first hand how other photographers are doing it ….I learn and I get inspired, and usually, I am quite amazed, that two people, being in the same place, see things so differently, even in the same room. I absolutely loved working with Amanda, and I was SHOCKED, can I say SHOCKED, when I saw she had already posted her photos, her GORGEOUS images- I mean really? I have barely even looked at mine!!!! So here they are…Amanda- it was a pleasure working with you, thank you for this. And here’s the sweet newly weds – Micahel and Rhiannon – like the song.

The Dress

Getting Dressed

Meanwhile.....

I'll explain in a minute

So Rhiannon, wanted to be the one tying all the bows of the boys ties. All of them, starting with the groom. But she didn’t want him to see her before the wedding…the solution? I am guessing it was a shower gift that hopefully will only be used inside out….

Like this.....

How did people survive without an iphone?

Being a bride, just about to get married, after months of preparations, nights of no sleep and hours of getting ready, and still willing, and wanting to be the tie tier, is very brave, or very, never mind. Nerves must have played a part in this, and luckily there’s an APP for that…..

Barbie Girl

The Belamar had the coolest Art and furniture…

"Ken"

"Kens"

The calm before...

....The Storm

Out side was so pretty

And quiet

They do

They did...

"The Formals"

The third shooter...

Decorating the Getaway car...

Rhiannon and Micheal. Just Married.

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Posted in Weddings

by shani

1 comment

amanda doublin - August 12, 2010 - 12:37 pm

omg shani. the things you caught i had no idea about?!?!? (shooting from inside the car for the decorating… genius!)

i just love you, thank you so much for being my wing man!

Aug 02 2010

Dream Home

Posted in Commercial

Dream Home

I don’t know about you, but I love houses, I love seeing them inside and out. If I had more free time on Sundays I would probably tour the open houses that I drive by, but if I am not on my way to a job, I usually have a husband and two kids in tow, and I have a feeling it just isn’t going to be the exactly the same experience. It’s partly why I love shooting at my clients’ homes too. (And like I’ve said it before, I am just like Oprah, I love seeing how people live). So when I get the opportunity to do something like this – shooting interiors or work with real estate agents, I enjoy the creative process. This is someone’s dream home – anything they ever wanted in a ome is there, and a little more. I was blown away by the amount of work that Shacahr Ronen and his team at XLART had put into realising this dream.(You might recognize him from the addictive show Design Challenge – or is it just me who used to watch it obsessively?) 5 years in the planning and 2 years of digging, pouring, blowing, tiling, constructing, and everything else that goes into a building a home, and mostly just pure love. ( and dollars, OK, I am trying to not be too cynical here- this house is beyond!). Like everything else in the universe, this too was once a mound of dirt. You can view the design and process on XLART right here – it’s quite amazing! I was so inspired I FINALLY got our bedroom back in order – and after 4 years in the same hosue (and that’s LONG for me) I am ready to create my own Design Challenge – we are in need of ideas … or we’ll end up with hot pink all over the place) but until I get my dream bedroom, or my dream house, I can share someone else’s dream, on my screen. And when I am ready to remodel or build I know who I am calling.

Three arches

The spiral

The spiral contunues into the fountain

Spiral Fountain

Air, Water, Fire, Earth

This reminds me of Esher drawings

The front yard

The peacock Mosaic was hand laid, and each feather is unique

Swimming in Costa Rica

The end of the day .

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Posted in Commercial

by shani

1 comment

Leonie - August 2, 2010 - 9:15 pm

But where do they actually live?

Jul 29 2010

Like Christmas in July

Posted in Kids, Kyle, Personal, Zoe

This town ain't big enough for the two of us

It’s Summer, or “third” way through summer – as our official summer break goes till mid September (!!!!!!), so in the meantime kids are at camp, and LOVING it! Every day they come home with a new song (in their heart too) and teach it to us over dinner (if we sat and had an actual dinner it would be dinner but it’s more like a food gathering , in which I run around the kitchen gathering food my kids will eat – a bit like the hunter in the stone age, I too worry what the next meal is going to be…but I digress….as usual) ANYWAY, Every week has a theme, and this one is Cowboys (or western or whatever the PC term would be if we need one at this age, and day, and camp…) so I pulled out the dress up box, yes, we really do have one and two! and after holding on to these boots for about three years they FINALLY AGREE to wear them!!! so they both got dressed up (Zoe eventually got into jeans with a jeans skirt OVER that, but by then it was bedtime, and they were in their room, and it was dark outside, it was night!!! ) until then, well, she had the boots on…and they are meant for walking and this day has come and they walk all over us…BUT, the moral of the story is…..there’s no moral, the one thing I wanted to tell you about and that made me the happiest is that when they were all dressed up, I heard a voice call from the other room ” Mommy, can you take out picture?’

Where's the fire?

Goofing

Smooshing

HOT HOT HOT!

Mystery Man

Last year Kyle lost 2 teeth (it’s a funny story)- this year, he lost another two teeth, both at camp, both lost. As in lost, never to be seen again (luckily the tooth fairy has helpers who dig in dirt and dive to bottom of pools at night to retrieve them) so he still got his note and money…

Tooth #4

A day to evening outfit....

The good, the bad and the Kyle-y

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Posted in Kids, Kyle, Personal, Zoe

by shani

1 comment