Many years ago I nannied for a family with 5 kids... This family was amazing and they treated me so well! One year, they took me on vacation with them to Disneyworld in Orlando Florida. The dad, Jim McCartney, is a regional sales manager for WACOM so the trip doubled as a design/photo tradeshow also. Since I have always been into art and such, Jim, asked me to come along to the show and be the demonstration artist for the Wacom Tablet. It was so amazing because I just sat there and drew while people stood around and watched. I even was offered a job from one of the managers at COREL!...it was an all around crazy experience! Anyway, the whole point is that who knew that one little show would spark a fire that would eventually lead to becoming involved in the same industry 8 years later?!.. funny how God works sometimes, huh?
Anyway, three of the five McCartney children are in competitive gymnastics so since the team came down from washington to compete in the San Diego Classic Invitational, I was invited down to shoot. I have always LOVED gymnastics...even as their nanny , I would love to sit and watch them practice at the gym. These girls are so dediacted... They each spend 5 hours per day/5 days a week practicing. Out of 10 possible levels in gymnastics the two girls are in level 6 and level 10. Both were amazing but watching the level 10's meet was absolutley mesmerizing!!

Here are a few of yesterday's images...

This first one is my favorite from the day...








McElle was still in diapers when I started babysitting her ( now she's 10!)


This is Kalliah... the eldest. Check out those leg muscles!

Play Date

Yesterday I had a Play Date with Lil' Miss Madison. Her mama ( Bibiana) and I work together at Pictage. Bibiana and Kent are big Saints fans so while they watched the game, Madison and I went and played on the pier in Redondo Beach. Here are a few pics of our little Play Date.







Madison and her mama!

After we were done playing, we went met up with Kent and Bibiana at a sports bar to watch the Colts game... We were one of like three tables 'voting' for the colts and after the first half we werent too hopeful... BUT, they made up 32 points in the second half and won the game!! WAHOO!!! GO COLTS!! My trainer used to play for the colts so it makes it that much more fun to see them go to SuperBowl XXXXI !!
Here is a shot from the sports bar as the sun was setting... I thought it was kinda cool!

And of course the beautiful Redondo Beach Sunset...

Proof that Iranians couldnt be terrorists...

Haha...

As many of you know...I am half Iranian ( hence the name Dalirifar). I know it can get confusing at times because I talk about two different families but my biological father is Iranian and even though I rarely talk about it, I absolutley LOVE the Persian culture!! Anyway, I had this Persian professor in college and he often sends me emails about what's going on in Iran and such. Today I got this email and I just died laughing!

**CLICK HERE**

Haha...Its so funny because my dad got his degree in engineering, expected me to be a doctor, drives a Mercedes, and is always late! hee hee... the stereotypes he talks about are sooo true!!

Here is a picture of my Dad and I... I know we dont look anything alike but try not to rub it in... I am often bitter that I am so white I glow in the dark... Check out my beautiful little sisters...they got the persian coloring that I am soooo jealous of :(


Sooo yes... despite the fact that I am white like Casper the friendly Ghost, and have blue eyes ( even though BOTH parents have brown) I am indeed 1/2 Camel Jockey... But I promise I am not a terrorist ;)

Defending my Title...

Every year the college I graduated from holds a girls arm wrestling competition. I won the last two years in a row and earned the nickname "the Hammer" amoung the guys on campus. I was invited back this year as the defending champion to make an appearance. Unfortunately I didnt get the message until I got home from the gym because I left my phone at home but as soon as I did, I ran over to the school. As soon as I walked in, the crowd totally started cheering and I felt like a superstar or something. It was so fun!! Anyway, instead of wrestling the girls, they set me up against a guy!
Here are a few of the shots my friend Nicole took...
Ready, Set, Go!

5 min later

10 min later my arm started to go numb and my fingers were turning purple... The best part about these different shots is seeing the expressions on the crowds faces.

Alas, I finally gave up when my arm started shaking... Its a good thing though because he had alot more to lose than I did! ;)

Here are some shots from last year's competition... This was the final championship round


Be afraid...be very afraid!! lol.

The trophy...

Did You Know??

I have always been a sucker for those "Did you know" books, because I love those fun little facts that can be classified as 'useless information'
A friend of mine just sent me this email, so I thought I would share...

Did you know??...
The liquid inside young coconuts
can be used as a substitute for
Blood plasma.

No piece of paper can be folded in half
more than seven (7) times.
(I tried this by the way because I was determined to prove them wrong!.... They're right.)

Donkeys kill more people annually
than plane crashes.


You burn more calories sleeping
than you do watching television.
( I prefer sleeping to watching TV anyway!)

Oak trees do not produce acorns
until they are fifty (50) years of age or older.

The King of Hearts is the only king
WITHOUT A MUSTACHE


American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987
by eliminating one (1) olive
from each salad served in first-class.

Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.


Most dust particles in your house are made from
DEAD SKIN!!!!!!
(Say it with me.... "eeeeeww!")

The first owner of the Marlboro Company
died of lung cancer. So did the first "Marlboro Man."

Walt Disney was afraid
OF MICE!
(Look what happens when you overcome your fears! ;))


PEARLS MELT IN VINEGAR!

The three most valuable ! brand names on earth: ?
Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...
but, not down stairs.
( dumb animals!)

Turtles can breathe through their butts.


A duck's quack doesn't echo,
and no one knows why.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush
be kept at least six (6) feet away from
a toilet to avoid airborne particles
resulting from the flush.
(I keep my toothbrush in the garage now!)

Holy Inspiration Batman!!

I took a B&W film Fashion Photography class a while back and one recurring assignment was to pull an image from a magazine and examine the lighting. We were graded on our accuracy of deciphering the direction of light and instruments used ( ie...soft box, reflector, hair light, spot light, on camera flash...etc etc) Anyway, those exercises stuck with me and while I prefer to shoot with mainly ambient light, I often find it intriguing to try to figure out the formula of light when I see fun artificially lit images.
Anyway, I recently stumbled across the website of Joe McNally and I was TOTALLY inspired. I clicked through image after image and was completely enthralled at his work.... He is a master at artifical AND ambient light!!! It was so fun to sit before each picture and pick apart how it was lit, whether assisted or natural.
What makes him even cooler is that he's shot on a military air and naval base, which has always been my dream.
I left his site being totally inspired.
Now I want to go buy a bunch of spots and go shoot...anyone wanna model for me?? ;)

here are a few of his amazing shots...



(ps) he shoots Nikon ;)

Wine Tasting

Yesterday I spent the day with friends up in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley going wine tasting for the first time. Tim & Cheryl, Amy, Summer, D and I visited four different vineyards and each one got sillier and sillier... haha.. I wonder why? ;)
I am not HUGE into wine and I was hoping that this trip would make me "fall in love" with it but alas, I just realized that my tatsebuds are simply rebellious and do not wish to conform to the ways of the sophisticated. My hopes of ever becoming a famed wine connoisseur were dashed yesterday.
Luckily Cheryl and I shared tastings which was great because most of the time we poured our samples out anyway. I did decide that I could be a DESSERT wine fiend! HOLY COW...those were soooo yummy! My favorite was the dessert wine at the Firestone vineyard. Described to us like apricots dipped in honey, I was in heaven!

Here are some pictures courtesy of Aims...
Winery #1: Foxen (too bad we dont ave any pictures of our faces after tasting the wines that tasted like you just face planted in the dirt ;)


Amy, Summer, me, & Cheryl


Winery #2: The one where we talked about Albums the whole time so I forgot the name! Alas, you can tell we got a little sillier! The girls and I are actually riding the horse chess pieces ( in case you were wondering)


Vineyard #3: Firestone.... My FAVORITE!
I must admit I was slighty dissapointed we didnt run into The Bachelor's (season 2) Andrew Firestone... he's kinda cute!
But, I bought all these yummy sauces and dips including a chocolate merlot dipping sauce...anyone want to come over for dessert??





Vineyard #4: Curtis
We started to get alittle whoozy/delirious by this time... we only tasted the dessert wine and then left to get food!



Finally we arrived back in Santa Barbara and decided to walk down State Street. Amy was soooo cold, I think she thought she was going to become cryogenically frozen! Im from the Northwest so I was rather comfortable but here's proof of our excursion with my two little eskimos, you'd think we were in the North Pole! :) We went to Borders and bought books! I have spent over $100 on books in the last three days Between two trips to Barnes and Noble and one order from Amazon... I think I am addicted! I even bought a book on tape since I am in the car so much. I popped it in on the drive home and once I got home I wanted to stay in my car and listen because I was so enthralled.


Anyway, yesterday was truly wonderful. We laughed at eachother the whole time and even though I didnt fall in love with wine, I did fall more in love with life. Its days like these that make you so happy to not only be alive but to be thankful for friends to share and experince life with.

I can't wait to do it again!!

I was just reading the fabulous Jessica Claire's blog and she made a post about 101 things to do in 1001 days. That got me thinking about a running list I started a long time ago of things I want to do in life ... Soooo, I dug through my old journals and while I have added a few things and subtracted some completed ones, here is my current dream list.
I learn so much about myself as I read this list, I think it's a good exercise!

I also found this quote...
"Life is not measured by the numbers of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away".
Aw man, I want to do so much in life it seems overwhelming at times!
Anyway,
Here is my current list.... (in no particular order)

See a Broadway show ON BROADWAY!
Attend a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York
See the Northern Lights
Own a hammock
Learn to Country Line Dance
Learn to Salsa and Tango
Experience what it’s like to fall in love
Learn to fly a small plane
Swim with Dolphins
Visit the Seven Wonders of the World
Visit the Holy Land
See the Sistine Chapel
Write a book
Flip Houses
Visit the Greek Isles
Go to a Military Ball
Ride in a Hot air balloon
Play an entire game of Scattergories all the way through, the right way!
Repel off the balcony at our church in Portland (crazy, I know, it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do!)
Build a tree house
Ride an elephant
Learn how to Lasso a rope
Get married ( duh!)
Be a Disney princess for a day at Disneyland!
Milk a cow
Play with a baby monkey
Experience a real Indian pow-wow
Ride in a cable car
See the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
Go to High Tea at the Palace
Ride a Gondola in Venice
Master the Spanish language
Learn to hula
Watch a COOL surgery in real life
Go on a road trip with no particular destination.
Get a Master’s degree…just for fun
Make a time Capsule and bury it somewhere
Fill my passport with stamps before it expires in 9 years
Volunteer with the Make a Wish Foundation
Buy a California King Bed
Start a Non-profit Organization
Go to the summer Olympics to watch Polevaulting
Two words… ‘Coyote Ugly’ ;)
Learn to Wakeboard
Own a 1964 ½ Mustang Convertible. Candy Apple Red with White Pony interior
Own a Siberian Husky with light blue eyes
Start an Orphanage
Build a patio with Sparkly cement
Mud Wrestle
Drive on the Autobahn
Make a bomb out of a gum wrapper ( Like Macguyver) ;)
Ride in a submarine
Walk on stilts
Go paragliding

Jake & Crystal

It has been a crazy week! Between working alot of overtime, being sick, busting a tooth and entertaining out of town guests, my new year has started off as a full on sprint! Alas, I finally managed to sit down a put together a slideshow of images from Jake & Crystal's wedding. These take me forever because I can never decide on which pictures to choose, it's simply ridiculous!

Crystal was seriously one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen... I wish I could have done her justice in these photos but alas, it was a feat I could not achieve.. she was seriously stunning!

I was going through the images my assistant gave me and I thought this picture of the groomsmen re-inacting the last supper was HILARIOUS! :)



Anyway, here is the **slideshow** as promised :)

Double Header

Whew! What a weekend!!!

Here's a quick recap...
Saturday, after 4 hours of sleep I shot a wedding up in Portland, Oregon for Jake & Crystal. My brother came along as a second shooter so it was fun times :)
Sunday was church and then prepping for our New Years Bash at our place. After everyone left at 2am I crashed for a whopping 2 hours and then was up to catch a 6am flight to LA for yet another wedding! This one was a last minute booking because their original photographer bailed two weeks before the wedding... Soooo, I arranged to have my car driven back down here and I hopped the earliest flight available arriving at 8 am yesterday morning and going straight to the bride's home.

Needless to say, I am simply exhausted so forgive the lack of a slideshow.
Here are a few images from the double header this weekend :)

Crystal & Jake: Dec 30, 2006









Christy & Johnny: Jan 1, 2007


I just love this one... Her grandma was totally emotional as Christy was getting ready...



One of the groomsmen, Erik, asked if they could take a jumping shot... Apparently he just wanted to show off his air-guitar skills....lol





Happy New Year Everyone!