Gayla Elizabeth Photography » personal http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog Portraits, Weddings & Event Photographer in Los Angeles Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:11:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Happy February! http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/02/01/happy-february/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/02/01/happy-february/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:08:15 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=1267 Yes, one month has passed us by and here we are in February, the month of change and love. For me at least, LOL.  Good change and lots of love. The biggest change comes with my chinese heritage, as our new calendar year starts on Feb. 4th. WOOT. While this years festivities don’t officially kick off until the 14th (yes, Valentine’s Day is this year’s Chinese New Year!), I’m excited for the new year and all that it will bring.  VERY excited. :-) . On a personal note, I have had some rough experiences over the last year that have been somewhat challenging. However, I have since taken leaps forward in the world of positivity and happiness. I’m back baby!!! I now look forward to the start of a new year with a positive outlook and happiness that was somehow buried.  I’m thrilled to bring in the new year with new luck, new life, new hope and to have my life filled with LOVE and happiness again. [i'm clicking my heels and smiling from ear to ear].  Lots of changes will be happening with Gayla Elizabeth Photography too and they will all be posted soon. I promise.

Happy February all! xoxo

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/02/01/happy-february/feed/ 3 A boy and his BUSA on the beach… http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/01/17/hawaii-hayabusa-senior-portrait/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/01/17/hawaii-hayabusa-senior-portrait/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:33:31 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=1221 Okay, so maybe it’s not “his” busa. And, maybe it IS his dad’s HAYABUSA motorcycle. But, for the purpose of this post and for the sheer fact that he was the one photographing next to it during this photo shoot, let’s just say it was his! :-) .His father; my brother, has been the proud owner of this fierce bike for a few years now and my nephew Kenny-Boy was in need for some new pics, hence my title to this post.  While I was visiting Honolulu last month for the holidays, my brother asked if I could take some pics of his youngest son.  I thought it would be cool to do some shots with the motorcycle, since both of them are bike junkies. AND, I do mean junkies, (my brother also owns a drag-bike and another motorcycle in addition to this Busa). So, I thought the busa was only appropriate. My brother actually took me for a “spin” on his Hayabusa bike while I was back home and it is FFASSSSSSSSST. Crazy fast. Kinda cool though.

Now, Kenny Boy was my baby since he was the youngest of my nieces and nephews until recently, when my oldest brother had 2 little beautiful baby girls, kicking Kenny Boy out of the “baby” slot. LOL. Anyway,  you can see a baby picture of Kenny boy by clicking here. Yeah, maybe it’s not a “baby” picture, but you get the point. You can see how little he WAS. Yes, was. Even though he is all grown up, bigger and taller than his father, he will always be my little Kenny Boy.

We started taking a few pics in front of the house, just to get some shots, but I thought it would be cool to go down to the beach and get some night shots with the bike.  We decided to take a spin to the west side of the island to see if we could also get some city lights in the background. After driving around for a while, the city lights weren’t going to happen since the clouds were hovering over us. Instead, we found a beach park and decided to make a go of it. You can see the palm trees though!  LOL. By the time we started shooting, it was midnight, so we didn’t spend a whole lot of time shooting. We just got a few shots and then headed home. Because it was so dark, I needed some extra assistance with lights  to get the shots. So, here is a thank you to my assistants: my niece Gaylynn ( side lighting tech), my brother Hap ( primary lighting engineer) and my sister-in-law Darling (focusing light assistant). It was quite funny setting up these shots. I love my family! Here are the pics of my little BIG Kenny Boy. Love you!!! xoxo

This picture below is my absolute fav. This is how I always see my Kenny Boy, with that adorable baby smile…

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/01/17/hawaii-hayabusa-senior-portrait/feed/ 1 Happy New Year….14 days later :-) http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/01/14/new-years-eve-fireworks/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/01/14/new-years-eve-fireworks/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:05:05 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=1120 Sorry for the delayed well wishes, but so much has been going on. Since returning from vacationing in Hawaii, I have been in turbo speed playing catchup and trying to resume my “normal” busy schedule. Here is what’s happened over the last 14 days in a nutshell. Hosted a family dinner with my San Diego family (brother and family), placed an ad, screened applicants for 2 positions I have available, handled a rush order for Paris Hilton, finished 3 album designs, restored a 20 year old poster with Michael Jackson,  repaired one of my Fuji Frontier printers, fulfilled a bunch of orders, installed 2 new macs , bought a new BBQ and had a cookout and attended a JC workshop in OC. So, needless to say, it’s been somewhat of a whirlwind…. :-) The next couple weeks seem just as busy… which is a good thing, right?

I would like to wish EVERYONE a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2010. May this year be great for all. Here is a pic I shot on New Year’s Eve in Hawaii. I rang the new year in with my mom right next to me, which was the best! Happy 2010 all.

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]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/01/14/new-years-eve-fireworks/feed/ 5 A little update http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/12/09/a-little-update/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/12/09/a-little-update/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:58:31 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=972 As many of you saw on my blog and my facebook page, I’ve been somewhat pre-occupied with the little occurrence that happened last week. The burglary itself only took a few minutes, but the damage done and the amount of work that must go into getting business back up and running smoothly is taking much much longer.

Last week was somewhat of a blur. So much happened and it has been challenging.  However, things should be getting back to normal soon and I’m hoping this will be a very productive week. I have gotten so many emails and phone calls from friends and loved ones over the last week, that I’d like to send a big THANK YOU to each and every one of them.  And to everyone who left me a comment on my facebook or blog, thank you too. :-)

Here’s a pic that makes me smile, it’s my Bailey and her big honker… LOL :-)

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]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/12/09/a-little-update/feed/ 1 They took my cash! :-( http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/12/01/burglary-photo/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/12/01/burglary-photo/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:13:12 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=946 Sadly, my Hollywood office was burglarized in the wee hours of the morning.  The minute I got the call, I had to readily change my schedule and push back and reschedule appointments that were scheduled for the day, making it rather challenging.  As I drove on the 101 freeway, so many thoughts raced through my mind. What did they take? How much damage was done? What happens next? In all the years of owning my own business, I never had experienced this. Like they say, “there’s a first time for everything”. The first thing I did was call my agent at State Farm Insurance and the rest of the day seemed to go rather easily, given the circumstances.

I was welcomed by shattered glass, a piece of rock launched into my custom glass counter, empty register drawers, missing computers and more. BOO :-( .  The thief had a plan; he cut through two fences, a security lock, smashed through my front door, grabbed the goods and was quickly gone. My surveillance cameras recorded the thief entering in the dark using a flashlight to assist in his quick burglary.  Officers Kim and Lam from LAPD came by this morning and took the investigative report in a very detailed manner. What great guys. Despite the turn of events, business still had to keep on going,  so here’s a big THANK YOU to all my clients who entered through the glassless front door and stood aside my shattered glass counter to order or pick up their prints. And to my employees who had to wear latex gloves all day to avoid contaminating any fingerprints the thief left back….Thank you too.

I know our economy is on the down slide and times are tough, but to have someone break in your office and steal what you work so hard for is disturbing.  It’s an awful feeling to walk into your business and see your property damaged and items stolen. Stealing and lying makes me sad. :-( .  Thankfully nobody got hurt and everything that was stolen and broken can be replaced.  I pray for those who resort to such measures and hope they find the path that leads them to an honest life.

I have to also give a shout out and another big thanks out to the guys from Service Master Clean for coming out and taking care of business today by boarding up the door until our new glass comes in.

Of course, I had to take some pictures. So, here they are….

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everything was taken from the cash register….

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He chucked a huge rock through the front door and a piece of it was still stuck in the lobby counter glass…

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The only thing left from one of the flat panels, was my little DVI cable…

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Service Master Clean to the rescue…

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]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/12/01/burglary-photo/feed/ 7 Friends that rock! http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/27/friends-that-rock/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/27/friends-that-rock/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:17:50 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=919 The day before Thanksgiving,  I was pleasantly surprised when a long time friend, Helen popped in from Hawaii to visit. Her sister lives in LA and while she was only going to be here for a few days, we always try our best to see each other. I’ve known Helen for almost 20 years, so it was so great to know she was coming up. She flew in Monday and was leaving on Thursday, which made it rather challenging to coordinate something that would work. With my crazy schedule, it was gonna be hard for me to make it down to them,  so they offered to drive up to my place and cook me dinner since I would be at work.  How cool is that! They brought all the goods and did ALL the cooking. :-) Yes, my friends rock.

And, they didn’t just come with Chicken McNuggets either.  The menu was filet mignon, rack of lamb, eggplant, zucchini and corn on the cob. And, we had a nice cinnamon coffee cake for dessert.  OMG, it was out of sight, so delicious.  It was soooooooooooo nice to have someone take time out to come and see me and cook for me. I mean that meant so much to me and it was so great to know I have such awesome friends. After stuffing our faces, we played a few games, did some singing and had a great night. Helen actually had to leave on the first flight out on Thanksgiving morning back to Hawaii, so she ended up staying over and going straight to LAX at 6am.  I had such a nice time and really enjoyed their company. It was a great way to start off Thanksgiving with such loving friends. Great food + great friends = good times.

Here are some images from that wonderful night. Fun, fun, fun…….

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]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/27/friends-that-rock/feed/ 3 Happy Veterans Day http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/11/usmc-portrait-photography/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/11/usmc-portrait-photography/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:39:41 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=881 Coming from a family with 3 generations of Marines, I have a profound appreciation for Veterans and want to wish everyone out there a Happy Veterans Day; a holiday dedicated to American Veterans of all wars. My oldest brother David served and recently retired from the United States Marine Corps.  Serving in both Desert Storm and Occupation of Iraq, he along with millions of other served our country and assisted in the protection of the american people. He was a helicopter pilot and received a purple heart while serving in Iraq. His dedication and sacrifice he has given makes me extremely proud of him and I thank him and all the other millions of americans who served in our armed forces.  While he is known as Lt. Colonel David Young Lamaku, to me he is my big brother. I love you Dave!  OOh-rah……

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]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/11/usmc-portrait-photography/feed/ 2 This is it! http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/08/this-is-it/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/08/this-is-it/#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:48:14 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=780 Yes, I’m a Michael fan. So, when I heard about the new documentary featuring Michael Jackson and his This is it tour, I was excited. So much so, that I pre-purchased my tickets for the movie weeks before it’s release. :-) Granted, I don’t go to the movies much because of my schedule. In fact, this was probably the 3rd movie I saw in a theater all year. But, when you have an opportunity to see a behind the scenes of what would’ve been the BEST concert ever, you make time for it. So, that is what I did.

I woke up last Thursday excited and anxiously drove to the local AMC theater with my friend. We sat there and I can’t tell you how exciting it was to wait for this documentary to start. I felt as if I was waiting to see him in concert! LOL. Yes, I can be a bit of a dork. The intro credits appeared on the big screen and then it was on. On like Donkey Kong. Over 90 minutes of breath taking footage that left me in awe. The music, the dancing, the choreography, the production and sets were just amazing. This concert broke plateaus and took live performances to another level. To be able to see MJ in action; working, directing and performing was just great.  What a talented artist he was!  His vision was beyond anything we could ever imagine.

This is it, is now playing for a limited time. So hurry and get your seat to the entertainment event of a lifetime while you can. Click here to see available showings in your area. It a must see on the big screen. 2 thumbs up…way up.

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]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/08/this-is-it/feed/ 1 I gave in… http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/02/i-gave-in/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/02/i-gave-in/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:39:13 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=745 To twitter that is. I know, I know, I can hear everyone’s “finally!” or ” OMG” or ” what took you so long”.  The truth is I just never really saw the need to “tweet” or be a follower and really thought I didn’t have the time to do it. [which still may be the case :) ] It was Halloween night and I was getting ready to watch ORPAN, I saw a tweet on my facebook page and decided to actually go to twitter and see how the whole thing works. I never intended on signing up, really. However, there isn’t much info on the site so I closed the window. I immediately opened a new window in my browser, typed in www.twitter.com and then looked for something…anything. Exactly what is twitter and how does it work? Is it just tweeting? Is it like facebook? I mean I heard about the Ashton Kutcher/Larry King twitter challenge, but I really didn’t know much about it. I mean President Obama tweets! Before I knew it, I pressed the green SIGN UP NOW button, filled out all the info and joined.

I’ve since realized it is a powerful tool and many business use it to offer specials or incentives to “followers”, so I finally caved in. I am trying to familiarize myself with the interface and get acquainted with twitterland. It’s pretty bare. I don’t have a profile pic yet nor did I tweet. If anyone out there wants to give me some twittering advice, the do’s and don’ts or the little secrets, PLEASE let me know. Email me, leave a comment or send me a message. We could even meet for lunch.

And for those of you who are interested in following me through my twittering journey, you can find me by typing in twitter.com/gaylaelizabeth. twitter

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/02/i-gave-in/feed/ 2 Happy Halloween http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/31/happy-halloween/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/31/happy-halloween/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:19:59 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=739 Yes, another month has passed us by!  Hope everyone has a wonderful and SAFE halloween. Don’t forget, we push the clocks back and get that EXTRA hour back! [yay!]

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