Foto cabina party & my new shootsaC

Last weekend the most lovely party happened-- it was a celebration of the launch of an awesome new photo booth--the Foto Cabina. I want Biola to own one. I'm thinking that a bit of the $500,000 of AS money could do it. If you go to Biola, leave a comment if you want one for our school! I think it'd be rad.

I spilled a whole bottle of water all over Nate, so this was in honor and remembrance. (or in Nate's case... bitterness?) ;)Our new friends!
[i took these in my garage that night. we own a shopvac!]

Item #2 on the it-list, my new camera bag!
It's called a Shootsac, and it RULES!
One of the best parts: the many many choices of covers :)
my choice: Birds! Perfect.
Those polaroids are from the RV trip.

Check out the Shootsac blog to learn about all of its little features. It was fun to have the creator of the bags, Jessica Claire at the party-- these things have been such a hot ticket with the photography world, and she was selling them right at the party (they're sold out on the website!). Luck-y! Rock on.

So, me and my new bag will be gracing the wedding of Ben and Lisa this weekend. It's helped make shooting so much easier-- everything is right with me, all protected, and looking lovely.

I'm stoked.


OH! As I was exiting the party, I got the chance to meet Jasmine Star!... a rad photographer from my area. That was so much fun. She's a rock star, and very very very sweet.


Well that's it.

I love life and living and breathing and seeing,
Shannon

Joy and Michael's Slideshow!

Here's a rockin slide show from the engagement session this weekend. Fun, huh?? To see the big, flashy, exciting version, clickk here!

Joy and Michael [their engagement session!]

We went up to Huntington Beach for Joy and Michael's photos because I found this GLORIOUS location a few days prior. They weren't sure where they wanted to have their session, and I was more than excited to take them here!

Isn't it wonderful?Joy is expecting their first child in December
and she looked beau-ti-ful.
I really do love this run down parking lot.
They made it look all the more lovely:Here's a new tone I made for my photos
Like?They find out if it will be a boy or a girl in two weeks!Oh-my-ring-shot with polaroids...
(LOVE this one!)

a yellow house! how could we pass it up?

Michael's middle name is Roy
and his last is McCoy
Roy and Joy McCoy

this is a definite favorite of mine.

We experimented with polaroids!

I love those things!
If you want to do a purely polaroid wedding
or portrait session, call me. TODAY. :)What a lovely day with two wonderful people.

We ate at Wahoo's when we were done!
I'm looking forward to the wedding-- it's only a month a-way

Shannon Leith

Grown adults on a playground (!!!!)

I can't believe they were into the idea...
Guys! Drive that fake car! (ie: 3 steering wheels on a metal pole)
Now... TURN LEFT!

and, voila: the best wedding party photo ever. Oh, the irony of the sign:

Children must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times.
(don't they just glow?)

I was editing the wedding images from last Saturday and had to share these ones with you. It's my favorite thing when people know how to have FUN while having photos taken!

Lori and Sheldon's 777 wedding

Lori and Sheldon got married on July 7th, 2007-- the world's most popular wedding day! I got lucky with the most relaxed couple I've ever met-- they had a short ceremony under a big tree at 10am, with their two best friends as the witnesses. We got to hang out afterwards and take photos without the stress of rushing off to a reception... it was awesome!

Isn't Lori gorgeous?This is her friend Bonnie-- they've known each other for 25 years!Here's Sheldon with his friend Dave, who flew in from Hawaii to be a witness at the wedding.

I love the perspective that this photo brings. They were in the middle of such a huge field-- and just set everything up on a table, stood under the tree, and got married! I am such a huge fan of simple. Mmmm. I raved all day about how much I loved their wedding.They were so happy! It was such a perfect morning.
(Aren't their leis great? They were shipped in fresh from Hawaii!)

I love this photo of Bonnie and Lori. The kleenex box was a big deal-- it matched everything perfectly, and they joked that it should be Lori's bouquet. Ha!

Two exciting things about these shots:
#1-- I used a 100mm macro lens for the first time!
(photographer friends, FUN-- huh?? non-photographer friends... it means that I can get close ups!)
#2-- I took these photos on my new camera bag, a Shootsac. I'll post more about it this week!

Anddd you thought you had seen the last of the birds. ;)

the last of the sparrows!

from cagedto free free freee

oh lovely readers, who for some reason, decide to spend some time here.

do you feel ripped off if i just post a few things, and then leave it at that?
i feel like i could either write a novel about my life and possibly bore you, or-- post a few little birdies and be done with it.

what's your preference?

Great life advice (in spray paint, in a parking lot)

i have to remember to slow down, take time, not put so much pressure on myself, chill out, sleep, relax, eat chocolate, watch fireworks, create fireworks, in my life, in my heart, in my mind, learn a lot, live a lot, relax a lot, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Polaroids {plus my retainer case}

I got a new MacBook, which rules, but what doesn't rule is that I don't have Photoshop on it yet-- which is integral to the life of a photographer, so, my life is dwindling away, quickly, quietly, my little white signature isn't present on my photos these days, and I have no way to color correct them. Oh, except I played around with iPhoto for the RV photos. That's why they're a bit sketchy looking in the color department.

So anyway. Up there are a few polas! Turning a polaroid camera can be oh-so-much-fun, especially considering that they are square. At least to ME it's fun.


sh-ANNON!

Sparrow drawing ::: sparrow out of string and beads

a bit more sparrow art

that first one i drew after a few days of feeling really discouraged. gosh, i feel so fearful sometimes. its scary to make things, to learn, to be challenged... ahhhh. something in me wanted to move forward though, and that little number is what arose.

the story behind the second one: i was so stressed out at the end of the semester, and the thought of making 100 pieces of sparrow art was daunting. 5 of my dearest friends came to the rescue, and we all made birds for a few hours one night! this one is made from a ball of string, wire, and beads, and it's one of my favorite creations from the entire project :)

well, that's all for now.
thanks a lot for looking.

!

shannon leith
{once, i accidently typed shzan, and then wished that was my real name.}

Our First RV Trip

My family, plus Nate, drove a whole 20 miles to San Onofre beach!

Yup, we had never been camping before.
Our lack of experience added to the loveliness of the trip.
Theeggsarefallingoutofthepan!!
-- I think that's because the RV isn't level
Oh.

Anyway.
It started out with Nate and I taking 3 hours to get there.
It should have taken 30 minutes, we hear.But... with silly things like shoes on powerlines, and finding those fun white aviators in my brother's car to pretend like we were cool in, we just had to take our time getting down to meet up with my family!We got there, and Jason (mr. I have 2 pairs of white glasses) looked classically trailer-trashed. Bandana, tank top, no smile... he had it all.He got creative with that lantern when it got dark...He's the other artist in the family.
Light Art!Oh wait, here's Carson's fire and smoke-art.My dad and I are the coffee lovers.
We brought the french-press, but no cups.
Thus, drinking it out of styrofoam bowls :)My sweet sister. So quirky and cool. (I guarantee you she'll have a full review by Wednesday when they get back).Oh RV's... where walls are made of curtains...Here's the whole family. Well, minus Jason. That's why he got a few extra up there. (He had to leave for work in the morning)Ryan was too cool to eat ice cream (he wanted Golden Spoon. We chose Cold Stone, the clearly superior choice), so he just sat and looked tough.wooo-hoo!!! headbands!And a bubble gum machine to make you smile
___________________________
bytheway.
We now have decided...
we like hotels.

just teasing.
it ruled.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!