Happy Halloween!

All of us at work today- Weston, Marissa, me, Deena, & Crystal.

Bridal Bazaar in Del Mar

Here are a few photos of our Woman Captured booth at the San Diego Bridal Bazaar. It was a busy weekend, but it was definitely worth it! (And I’m sorry, but I just have to say... our booth was pretty darn cute!). To see some more photos, visit our Woman Captured blog. Marissa & I setting up our booth... You know you’ve been working with someone a LOT when you start talking the same, thinking the same, and yes, even posing for photos the same... (no, I swear we didn’t plan this- we honestly didn’t even notice until someone pointed it out when we were going through the photos later!) I know, I know... we’re dorks. The Woman Captured team: Deena, me, Marissa, & Crystal On another note... Marissa and I are super busy right now with the educational side of the boudoir business. We're still in the process of writing our book, getting our album templates ready, and planning our first workshop (scheduled for Jan ‘08). To find out more info, visit the “Photographers & Press” page on the Woman Captured Website

Jade, the Office, & Blue Skies

It’s been a long day, and tonight I’m ready to crash. I’ve got a nice glass of red wine waiting for me, and I just picked up some take-out from my favorite restaurant in the whole world. I’m set. And now... I’m gearing up to finish Season 3 of the Office!!!

For anyone who loves Thai food, you HAVE to try Jade Thai Cuisine- it’s this totally random hole-in-the-wall location (near Qualcomm Stadium in SD), but the food is the most authentic I’ve had here in the States (after living in Thailand for a few months- I'm a pretty tough critic when it comes to Thai food!) All of the employees at Jade know me by name now.... is it possible to become addicted to Thai food? If so, I am. :) My favorites: eggplant chicken & musaman curry. To die for!

Oh, and while we’re talking about the Office, I just have to say that I think this clip from Season 3 is (so far) my favorite episode opener ever! So hilarious. Oh, and one more thing- the sky is finally starting clear up! After a week of smokey skies, it was so nice to see blue sky today!

Mud Run

Four days later, and the dried-up mud is still stubbornly clinging to the bottom of my running shoes. I still have a few lingering bruises, but my muscles are (finally!) no longer screaming at me with every move I make. I didn’t care, though- it was all worth it! I completed the Camp Pendleton 10K Mud Run! This is not just your average 10K. We’re talking crossing rivers, belly-crawling through mud, scaling over 5-foot walls, and running up the steepest hill I’ve EVER seen (they don’t call it “suicide hill” for nothing!).

This was my first 10K, and even though it was very challenging, it was also tons of fun! I ran this one as part of a team, meaning we all had to cross the finish line together. What an amazing feeling! Cheering each other on, pushing each other to run faster and to not give up... it created such a spirit of camaraderie, I don’t think I’ve felt this way since playing soccer in college.

5K? -Check. 10K? -Check. Next up? A half marathon within 4 months, and then a MARATHON sometime this next year! Wow, actually writing down my goals makes them seem more real. :)

Kindred Spirits

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.'"
-C.S. Lewis

I just wanted to take a moment to say "thanks!" to my dear friend Lisa Robbins. Lisa and I are on a similar journey right now (called “starting your own photography business”), and it has been SO much fun to have a friend to relate to during this process! I met Lisa a few years ago; she actually married one of my good friends from Junior High/High School days (you picked a great gal, Zach!) :) I still remember the day when I told Lisa about my [secret] dream to pursue photography as a career. And instead of the typical response that I usually received when I revealed this crazy idea, I was shocked when she said: “Really? Me, too! I actually already have a few weddings booked for this year!” An immediate friendship was born in that instant.

I can’t tell you how awesome it is to be able to call Lisa up and just be completely honest and say something like “oh my gosh, I feel like I don’t know what the heck I’m doing!” ... to talk about pricing and marketing and blogging... to discuss exposure & histograms & Camera Raw settings & PS Actions... to go to conferences & industry parties together... to brainstorm ideas of how to integrate a new business into our already crazy-busy schedules... and more than anything, to just encourage each other and challenge each other in this exciting new season of our lives. Leese, I’m so thankful that we get to walk through this together- it’s so much fun, and I’m excited to see what’s ahead for each of us! (Also, congrats on the launch of your NEW WEBSITE!!!)

Here are a few photos of us having a little too much fun in the foto cabina at the L.A. Pictage Partner Con...

Fires in the SD area

The smell of smoke has been very strong all day today, the sky a hazy red color, the traffic backed up on several freeways around San Diego as thousands of people are being evacuated from their homes. Thankfully, I'm not near the fires this time... but I do know what it's like to have to pack up and leave quickly (4 years ago during the Cedar fire in SD- how difficult is it to choose what you're going to bring with you and what you're going to leave behind?!?). I also know what it's like to lose everything in a moment (my house burned down when I was in 3rd grade). So to all of the families who are evacuating from their homes right now... and to those people who have lost their homes in these fires... I'm so sorry... my prayers are with you.

My tattoo

Here it is! In the background (in Hebrew writing) is the word "Hessed." Then on top of that is a verse from the Bible (also in Hebrew). It says: "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His [hessed] endures forever." (Psalm 136:1). That word, hessed, doesn't have a literal translation in English. It has been translated many different ways: "lovingkindness," "mercy," "loyal love," "steadfast love," "covenant faithfulness," "lovingkindness" and "graciousness" are a few examples. Hesed is "the most significant term used in the Psalms to describe the character of God" ( Nelson Study Bible, note on verses 1-2).

I LOVE this word! It describes God's love in such an amazing way. As I wrote yestereday, I've had to cling to certain anchors in my life this year. This verse- and this word, Hessed- mean a lot to me. And so, as a testament to God's Hessed, I decided to get this tattoo.
(For those of you scholarly types who are interested and want to read more about the meaning of this awesome word describing God's character)... feel free to read on:

"In general, one may identify three basic meanings of the word, which always interact: 'strength,' 'steadfastness,' and 'love.' Any understanding of the word that fails to suggest all three inevitably loses some of its richness. 'Love' by itself easily becomes sentimentalized or universalized apart from the covenant. Yet 'strength' or 'steadfastness' suggests only the fulfillment of a legal or other obligation. ... But hesed is not only a matter of obligation; it is also of generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy. ... And since God's character never changes, this awesome attribute of His character is, like Him, eternal—as the refrain repeatedly affirms." (Good News Commentary).

And how about this description of God's love... "You have heard that God loves you, but maybe you have been like me and misunderstood. His love for you is not just a 'whole world in his hands' kind of love. This love is individual. God and you. One-on-one. Intimate. Personal. Romantic." (Angela Thomas, "Do You Think I'm Beautiful?")

My Anchors

Some of you who know me will know that this past year has been by FAR the most difficult year of my life. Some of the things I've gone through... well, let's just say that I would never want to experience those things again. :) And yet, through it all, I'm also extremely thankful for this year. I have learned SO much about myself, and even more about my faith in God. A few months ago, a wise friend/mentor gave me some wonderful advice: she told me to "cling to my anchors." When I asked what she meant, she explained that we all need to have anchors in our life- things that we can hold onto when life gets hard. If we don't have any anchors in our life, we will be tossed around with every hardship that may come along. I took a few weeks to mull this over, and I came up with the following anchors for my life:

1- God is good, & he's always faithful.
2- God's love is perfect, and it will NEVER change.
3- I can trust Him and rely on Him no matter what is happening in my life.

These are my anchors. Storms in life are inevitable, but I know that I will always be able to cling to these things that I know to be true. I would challenge and encourage you all to think about what anchors you may have in your life. PS- check back tomorrow to see a pic of my new tattoo... (this post is prefacing what my tattoo is all about).

Happy Birthday...

...to me! (Is it ok to say happy birthday to myself???) :) Yesterday, on my 26th birthday, I decided to do something that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do. I was so excited and yet so nervous, all at once. My little sister by my side, I sat perched in the black leather chair, my palms sweating as I clenching my jaw and prepared myself mentally... awaiting the first pierce of the needles against my skin. As I heard the buzzing sound of the pen in the artist’s hand, thoughts filled my mind of friends telling me stories about the pain... and then my mother’s voice was ringing in my mind, saying: “are you SURE you want to do this?” Yes, I was 100% sure, and I have been for a long time. I finally did it! I got a tattoo! (And it didn't even hurt very much!) Thanks, Kevin- I love my tattoo! (Kevin is a tattoo artist at So Cal Tattoo- in my opinion, the best place to get a tattoo in Orange County). What is my tattoo, you ask? Well... you’ll have to check back with the blog later to find out!

Kiernan's Big Brother

Meet Maxwell. He is by far the cutest 4 year old boy I've ever met! I can't believe I used to take care of this little guy when he was only a few months old! I know it's cliche, but it's true: time just flies by SO quickly! It is a lot of fun to watch Max grow up- from a tiny baby into a little boy. His personality is so awesome, and the things he says just crack me up! Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys- let's do it again soon!

Industry Party

It was a night of celebrating! Marissa, Deena, Crystal, and I were celebrating our new Woman Captured advertisement in the San Diego Style Wedding Magazine. (So exciting!) Celebrating our new Woman Captured website. Celebrating the upcoming release of the new book on boudoir photography that Marissa and I are writing! Celebrating a great year! Woman Captured is such an awesome studio, and I LOVE being a part of this team of women photographers! We have by far the best staff of any photography studio ever! After a glass of champagne to start the night, we had fun celebrating together at the SD Style Magazine Party. It was so much fun! And I am so excited about what the future holds for Woman Captured! Check out the WC blog for more info!

Sweet Little Kiernan

A few weeks ago I got to visit this precious family who holds a very dear place in my heart. After I graduated from college, I took a little time off... and I had the awesome privilege of being a nanny for this wonderful family in Laguna Beach. I got to hang out with their first child (Max) when he was just an infant, and I have so many fun memories of my time with him! This was my first visit where I was able to meet Max's little brother, Kiernan (who isn't so little anymore!). He's such a sweet guy, and I can't wait to hang out with him some more. Here are a few photos of Mr. Kiernan.

My ultimate purpose

I want my life to be meaningful. I want my life to have purpose. I want to be a person of substance; a woman of integrity. In no way have I already acheived this; but it is what I'm striving for (and what I will always strive for throughout the rest of my life!) I want to serve God in everything I do. I want to have a positive impact on people. This is true not only of my life, but of my photography business as well. God has blessed me with a few gifts/talents, and tons of learning/growing opportunities, and I want to make sure that I'm giving him the glory.

All Eyes on Burma

I will always remember the first time I watched "Schindler's List" and "Hotel Rwanda." When I watched these movies, my heart was totally broken. I wondered, 'Why didn't people DO something about these injustices?' I mean, I know that there were a lot of individuals who did step up to try to fight against injustice, but in terms of global action... often it was too little, too late.

As many of you know, Burma has been on my heart for a long time now. Two years ago, when I snuck across the border from Thailand into Burma, I was overwhelmed by the heart-breaking stories that I heard there. Stories of women and children being raped and killed. Villages burned to the ground. Families forced to flee from their homes. Horrible, appalling stories. But these are not merely stories from a movie about some historical event that happened ages ago, leaving us unable to do anything to change the situation. These stories from the people of Burma are REAL stories, of REAL events happening to REAL people, right now! And we CAN do something about it.

Thanks, Bouchers!

For over a year, I have been working for Marissa and Weston Boucher of
Captured by Boucher Photography. What can I say about these two awesome people? Marissa and Weston are amazing photographers- the images they capture are truly beautiful works of art. I've had the privelege of watching them work at a few different weddings, and let me tell you, they are such a great team! But they are more than just great photographers. They are amazing people who really care about others, and their love for God is very evident in their lives. I am so thankful for them- not only are they are the best bosses in the world, but they're also wonderful friends. I'm looking forward to working with them in the future (I'm going to continue working w/ Marissa's boudoir photography studio, Woman Captured... it's such a fun place to work, and I'm excited about what's to come!).

Thanks, guys, for everything that you've taught me. Thanks for hiring me (back when I didn't even know what a "layer mask" was). :) Thanks for believing in my talent, and for teaching me all the ins-and-outs of Photoshop, among many other things related to running a successful business! And thank you for supporting me right now, as I step out into this new adventure of running my own photography business; your support and encouragement means so much to me. I've learned from the best!

[At this time, I will be primarily shooting portraits, so... if you are getting married, you seriously HAVE to check out their website. They're the greatest!]

Here are a few of their images from some recent weddings [taken from their blog]:

Only 29 more days!

Until my little brother comes home from Iraq! I can't wait. Timothy Chandler West, aka "Tim-Bob" [still not exactly sure where that nickname came from], has been serving with the army in Iraq for over a year. We are all SO ready for him to come home! I love you, Tim-Bob! Thank you for your service to this country. I can't wait to see you!

My new blog...

...is here! I'm so excited! It's a wide open space for me to share some of my favorite images and a few of my random thoughts. It's a behind-the-scenes look into the brand new K West Studios. A snapshot of my style. A place to share. To connect. To have fun. To learn. My hope is that this blog will give you a little glimpse of my life, whatever my life may look like on that given day. Whether it be fun & exciting, or just kinda ordinary. This is me. I can't even fully explain why I'm excited, but it's like I have this huge blank canvas in front of me, and tons of paint cans and brushes are just sitting here, waiting for me to bust them out. Ok, so maybe I'm taking this is a little too far. It's just a blog, after all. But I don't care. I'm excited. For me, this is the beginning of a new adventure. So... here we go! Let the blogging begin.

*New K West Studios Website will be launching soon [very soon]!