Gayla Elizabeth Photography » random 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 Go to the new blog! http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/02/08/gaylaelizabethblog/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/02/08/gaylaelizabethblog/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:56:50 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=1306 This week  I will start to share some of the changes with Gayla Elizabeth Photography. YAY… happy dance :-) My blog just moved to it’s own home with a new address of www.gaylaelizabethblog.com so, please be sure to update your bookmarks and feeds.  This will be my last post here, so be sure to  visit  www.gaylaelizabethblog.com for all future posts.  You can access it by clicking here. See you at the new digs!

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2010/02/08/gaylaelizabethblog/feed/ 0 More than a photography workshop http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/20/la-scott-robert-workshop/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/20/la-scott-robert-workshop/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:17:03 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=898 When I attended the Joe McNally workshop on Friday, Nov 6th, I sat amongst 2000+people at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As you may recall, one of my goals for next year is to network and attend as many seminars and workshops as I possibly can. I am a firm believer that knowledge is power, so in theory, the more we know, the more powerful we become! :-)  As we broke out for lunch, I was standing in a line that seemed like it would’ve took at least one hour to get to the counter to order your lunch. With nowhere else to eat, I stayed in line and met a LA wedding photographer, Scott Robert. We chatted, shared some information and exchanged cards as we stood in line. There was something about this photographer, I never met him before, but he really peaked my interest during the minutes we shared while waiting for our sandwiches. He told me he offers workshops that “are like no other”. Hmmm…. I didn’t know what he meant by that, I didn’t speak to him before, but I felt somewhat connected to him. As we returned into the room for the convention,I realized Scott had been sitting ONE row in front of me the whole time.

Upon arriving at home, I googled him and quickly realized I read his story before. There was something about him. I wanted to know more about him and his workshops. His story touched my heart. So, when I got an email from him on Sunday evening inviting me to his workshop in Los Angeles that started in 2 days, I was convinced that I had to participate. It was going to be quite the challenge to juggle my schedule around to open up the entire week with 2 days notice and to be honest I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew I had to. Scott has workshops all over the world, Paris, China, Italy, Canada and more. So, when you get an email from him 2 days prior to the last leg of his tour, which happens to be in Los Angeles, you make it happen.

During the first day, he asked all of us attendees what our goals for the workshop was. I didn’t really have any. I wanted to know more about HIM, more about his life, more about how it all intertwines with photography. It wasn’t about a taking a picture, although he does do that as well! LOL. Fast forward 4 days and I will tell you in was such an experience. WOW. He does go over photography, you get to do some shooting and  there are some lectures. But what he shares with you about life and challenges and business is life altering. I met some incredible people from Canada, England, Texas, San Jose, OC, Seattle and more. All of us share a passion for photography and there are some talented well established photographers taking his workshops. It was so much fun, we shared a lot together and I made some great friends.

Here are some of the images I took during the workshop. Enjoy!

9333-

9934-

9939-

9850-

9981-

320-

234-

263-

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/20/la-scott-robert-workshop/feed/ 2 The infamous Joe McNally http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/14/the-infamous-joe-mcnally/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/14/the-infamous-joe-mcnally/#comments Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:32:10 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=877 I had the privilege to see Mr. Joe McNally on his tour last week at the Convention Center.  For those of you who don’t know, Joe was the first staff photographer of LIFE magazine from 1994-1998.  His images have graced the covers of National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and many others.  His tour was all about lighting, I mean he is the known as the King of Light!  I have never heard him speak before and I will tell you that he is not just a great commercial photographer, but also rather funny. He had the entire conference room laughing so hard at times, it was as if we were watching a stand up comic. :-)

The event was sold out and there must’ve been about 2000 photographers there. Joe had models on stage and demonstrated various lighting situations. Often using up to 15 speedlites on ONE subject. It was crazy. The day was filled with such great information that I left there feeling well satisfied.

Here are some images I snapped of this wonderful learning experience.

967-

9761-

9666-

9665-

9707-

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/14/the-infamous-joe-mcnally/feed/ 2 Networking and learning more… http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/06/networking-and-learning-more/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/06/networking-and-learning-more/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:27:58 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=794 As this year starts to wind down, I’m starting to get some of my goals in place for 2010. Yes, I’m a little early for the whole new year resolution thing. While I don’t have much of my personal resolutions, I must say I do have SOME of my business goals in place for the next year. One of which was to focus on networking and learning as much as can in 2010. I want to be ready for the new year, so I took a jump start and got the ball rolling early! LOL.

I’ll be attending many networking meetings around So. Cal and participating in as many workshops as I can squeeze in. Network to meet…workshops to learn. I am a firm believer that knowledge is power and you can never know too much. Things are constantly changing and I always want to make sure I’m up to speed with everyone.  As a matter of fact, I’ll be heading to Barnes and Noble shortly to pick up some educational material!

If anyone wants to meet up, drop me a line and we’ll set something up!

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/11/06/networking-and-learning-more/feed/ 0 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 Where does the time go? http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/17/where-does-the-time-go/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/17/where-does-the-time-go/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:19:47 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=539 Lately it seems as if 24 hours in a day is clearly not enough time. I often wonder what it would be like to have just a few more hours in day.  Heck, I would happily take 1 extra hour at this point. That extra 1 hour, would give us an extra 365 hours in a year! Doesn’t that sound great? Come on, let me hear all those in favor give me a big YEAH! My mind is going crazy just thinking what that little ONE extra hour would do for me and millions across the world.

So, while that extra time is just impossible to gain, I’m often reducing my sleeping time to gain time for work throughout the day. [sorry mom, I can't help it]. The past few months have posed some exhausting days with very little personal time. I haven’t been to the gym in over a month, been working crazy long hours, haven’t taken my doggies to the park and don’t even have time for grocery shopping! The last time I threw myself into work like this, I gained 30lbs. YIKES! I see it happening again…..work, work, work, sleep, work, work, work. I have to keep myself in check and don’t let it spiral out of control again. :-)

While the last few months have been exhausting, working over 20 hours a day at times, I did it all without caffeine. Yipper dipper :-) .  You will find me drinking nothing but good old fashion H2o. That’s right, I’m a water girl. I drink over a gallon a day and just lover water! No juices, no sodas, no coffee and no caffeine. The reason I mentioned that was because I thought it was kinda funny when I did a shoot of 2 little boys and one was chugging down a coca-cola. Here he is …..

9737-

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/17/where-does-the-time-go/feed/ 3 Catching up http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/15/catching-up/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/15/catching-up/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:19:39 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=531 Hi my cyber friends. I know many of you are wondering why my blog is so outdated. The truth is I have been so busy with various projects, shooting engagements, promotions, order fulfillment and marketing that my online presence has been somewhat dismal. Also, because most of my clients have been coming in for their previews fairly quickly, I haven’t been blogging the images since they see them in person. Shame on me!  With the holidays quickly approaching, I have been designing our holiday greeting cards and am just about done with this year’s line. If anyone is interested in a holiday card through Gayla Elizabeth Photography, please contact me for a mini holiday session, available through Nov. 15, 2009. There are only a few sessions available, so please call 818-929-7890 or email info@gaylaelizabeth.com for more information.

The good news is here. I am putting on my blogging hat and will start to catch up with shoots that have not made it online.

I have to post an image, so here is a shot I took months ago when I was hiking in Newport Beach.

7066-

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/10/15/catching-up/feed/ 1 Modern Dancer, Haylee http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/09/19/modern-dancer-haylee/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/09/19/modern-dancer-haylee/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:39:27 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=435 Dancing has always been one of those things I loved. I think it has to do with the expression of your emotions and the creativity one brings when dancing.  The steps, the moves and the feelings involved in dancing captivates me. It’s one of those things that draws me in and I often find myself watching dancing shows, movies, concerts, and performances, just because I appreciate the artistry of it.  Modern dance is a style that comes from a dancer’s emotions and interpretations that actually deliberates the use of gravity. These dancers use their natural instincts and impulses and release their inner feelings into an outer expression. Haylee, originally from Texas, now resides here in Southern California and is a dancer, choreographer and instructor for modern dance. We shot some pictures of her dancing a few weeks back. Take a look….

18-

0026-

38-

43-

91-

197-

211-

0222-

228-

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/09/19/modern-dancer-haylee/feed/ 0 The next generation of photographers http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/07/14/the-next-generation-of-photographers/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/07/14/the-next-generation-of-photographers/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:23:13 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=297 Photography is one of those industries that are filled with professionals, hobbyists and amateurs. I mean almost everyone owns a camera of some sort,  young and old. They’ve been around forever and will always be around. While I have been involved with photography for many years, I never thought technology would be so advanced to engulf our population with the ability to easily shoot pictures.  I love it. I think its great that people are able to document and snap images, post them online and share with family and friends across the globe.  I mean who ever thought a cell phone would have a camera? LOL. Let’s face it, we all love photos, whether it’s just a quirky snapshot or a family snapshot, it’s great. 

Despite the technology advances that have changed the way us professionals conduct business, people still need professional photos. Whether it’s for an event, like a birthday, a wedding or any other celebration OR just to add to the family scrapbook or to display in the homes.  My photography is different. It’s refreshing. I like to describe it as Photography that is real, fresh and unique.  There are a ton of photographers out there and new ones popping up everyday.  Next time you need some photos taken, please consider Gayla Elizabeth for your next shoot. I’ll capture and create images that are filled with emotion, images that will simply take your breath away. I love what I do.  Let’s create a masterpiece together!

Think she’s got a shot at being a photographer?  She’s got a good handle on that camera and look at the fierce determination in her face! But, slight problem, she has the wrong eye closed! LOL1777

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/07/14/the-next-generation-of-photographers/feed/ 2 Michael Jackson’s memorial http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/07/07/michael-jacksons-memorial/ http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/07/07/michael-jacksons-memorial/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:32:26 +0000 gayla http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/?p=267 As I sat and watched the Michael Jackson memorial at the Staples Center this morning, I found myself reflecting back on my life and my childhood growing up with Michael Jackson and his music.   I first became a fan of Michael when I was in elementary school and Thriller was the top selling album.  I remember hearing his music prior to that from my family, songs with the Jackson 5, songs from Off the Wall,but I, myself, became a fan when Thriller came out.  Through the years, I’ve grown to love all his music, even those songs that were hits before I was born.  These include songs from little Mikey at age 10; ABC, I’ll be there, Ben, Got to be there, Dancing Machine…Rock with you, girlfriend, don’t stop till you get enough, working day and night, the list goes on and on.  My love for his music continued through the years and grew with his superstar performances and routines.  There was something magical about him.  I loved and still love all of Michael Jackson’s music. If you listen carefully to his lyrics, you will see the pain he suffered in his life, you will hear the good he wanted and you’ll realize how he wanted to change the world. And, to a certain degree, he did just that… changed the world.  He was a true gift.

My life is time stamped with Michael’s music. His music helped me through some difficult times in my life and MJ always made it better.  There was something magical about his music, his presence, his incredible talent, his calming soul.   He was a true talent; songwriter, singer, dancer and performer.  But, it didn’t stop there.  His heart was filed with gold, the charities he helped, the funds he gave, the children he cared for…his intentions were sincere, but often ridiculed. The media tore him to shreds… shame on all those who tried so hard to knock down a man with such greatness. I can say so much about him, but don’t want to ramble on. His global popularity speaks volumes. There never was ONE star to be so internationally loved and admired. Millions and millions of people across the globe, black and white, of all colors, all races, all ages; young and old knew of this International Superstar. He was MICHAEL JACKSON.

Today’s memorial was well done. Magic Johnson’s speech was heart felt, Brooke Shield’s words were touching, Usher’s performance moving. His daughter Paris’ ending words were so sad, but a reminder that he was more than the entertainer and performer we’ve grown to love. He was a brother, a son, a friend and most importantly, a father. It brought tears to my eyes to hear that little girl’s voice crying about her daddy. You couldn’t help but feel the pain that was obviously being felt by his immediate family, especially his mother; as everyone went to her and offered words of comfort.  We lost an icon, she lost her son. Something a mother should never have to do.  It’s a shame his life ended so abruptly. It’s a shame the media tortured him and portrayed him as someone he was NOT. He was the greatest entertainer of all time and I hope he is watching down amongst all of us and realizes just how much he was loved.

I was lucky enough to sign his memorial wall at the Staples center and took part of many of the events over the last 10 days. His memorial is over and now let’s remember the King of Pop and hold on to our own memories of this talented and gifted artist, Michael Joseph Jackson.  He is free at last, but his legacy will live on…

9516

9499

9534
9519

9536
9549

]]> http://www.gaylaelizabeth.com/blog/2009/07/07/michael-jacksons-memorial/feed/ 1