Oh, Keats.
You turned ONE this week!
Bday pics to come, but i'll share these for now. He's pretty happy don't ya think? :)
Sweet Navia
Sweet Satine.
xxo
"a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013"
April 29, 2013
16/52: HAPPY
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April 10, 2013
FAMILY PORTRAITS: 13/52
tini + navi: mesmerized
my two girls...
a rare moment of stillness and captivation....
we save screen time for the weekends, and as you sat and watched our go-to-family-fave in the late-afternoon glow, i sat on the floor and watched you... also mesmerized.
you simply cannot get enough of being thrown into the air.
this week you are loving being thrown, your cow, and most of all, your toothbrush.
also, keats took his first 2 steps this week! not long before i'll be chasing you all over creation. oh wait, i'm already doing that. :)
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March 09, 2013
FAMILY PORTRAITS / THE 52 PROJECT
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Keats in color (version of this)
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last year i was inpsired by deb to take more photographs of my own family. i was so busy with client work and juggling motherhood/pregnancy/newborns the past couple of years, that i haven't documented my own family as much as I'd like, or if i did, the photos are buried in my computer somewhere.
i've also enjoyed looking at others' 365 Project seen all over the web. I've seen the 52 Project around the web, and was inspired to do my own when i saw my friend elizabeth's 52 project. i've been wanting to do something similar for so long, but didn't think i could commit to that type of daily/weekly/monthly ritual. i mean, look. here i am 10 weeks late, er, in, and just now getting it together.
but perfectionism is for the birds. right?! right! a domestic-mentor-someone inspired me to adopt this motto: "You are not behind! I don't want you to try to catch up; I just want you to jump in where we are. O.K.?" which is totally appropriate for this situation... so here we are. jumping in at 10 weeks.
"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, {uh, most weeks} in 2013."
especially since i'm still on maternity leave from client shooting, i've really enjoyed getting out my "real" camera again, instead of just iphone snaps, and giving my family some of the photo-love attention that i give to my clients. we'll see how this goes. some weeks might be portraits, some weeks might be more of a photo essay like deb's... my goal is just to re-commit to taking photos of my family the way i used to...
anyone else doing a similar photo project? would love to see/hear about it.
xxo
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March 03, 2013
HEY, YOU. STOP GROWING UP SO FAST.
hey, you. stop growing up so fast.
it's been 7 months since i last posted photos of you. though i take them quite frequently, i hardly have time to blog them. but such is the pace of life today... with three, especially with you and your sister both being so young. life has been whirling by-- whirling! -- i can't stand it -- days whizzing by like bullets and me, observing all that you are and have become and i can't even believe my luck to get to be your mama.
sometimes, when i look at photos of you after you are asleep, my heart breaks into crackling fissures for all the new discoveries i find there in the photos, for fear that i missed them during the day when i was actually with you. and then i will go and peer into your crib, see your rump in the air, knees tucked beneath you, and i'll reach down, squeeze your plump, squishy fingers with my finger tips, or rub your sack-o-potatoes back...
and for just a second, i'll be sad... sad in that my-heart's-so-full, motherly kind of way, sad that trying to take in all the details of your uniqueness and specialness is like trying to observe all of the stars-- you're bound to miss some. there's just So Much Good Stuff, and life is so full, and so fast, and i can't keep up, and there's three of you now, and, and, and..
I'm trying to absorb, to be present, and mirror back to you all that you are, and all the countless ways that i see you deeply and am on this ride with you, right here, right here with you.
so forgive me, little one, if i miss something.
now, you are talking. babbling, really, listening to your own voice, but i like to think that the other day in the crib you said your first word: Mama.
MVI 7939 KEATS BABBLING from charleystar on Vimeo.
you are standing up really well on your own and attempted one (unassisted) step. your first. but you are making tracks down the hallway with your walker.
you grab everything. everything! out of drawers. off tables. glasses off faces. anything you can get your hands on, you want to touch it, feel it, throw it, and sometimes even still, taste it.
you love to explore and you are superfast. and strong! and sometimes, when you're frustrated, you'll just THROW yourself in adorable exasperation, face down, onto the floor, palms slapping against the hardwood.
here you are lately:
your chubby cheeks and sometimes crazy eyebrow:
the wisps of your hair, which flare out on the sides:
your triumphant moves:
gleaming in the sun, that hair, again:
your strawberry patch birthmark, about to be covered for good by your growing hair until at some future point you might decide to shave your head...
your smirk. the way your toe looks looks like a "thumbs up" symbol:
getting into, under, and behind everything:
and those eyes, which just kill me everytime...
your little chicklet teeth, which came in early at 4 months and have been non-stop ever since...
grabbing everything down,
pulling everything out:
your sweet li'l birthday suit:
(your dad thinks your smile is like Calvin's from Calvin and Hobbes, so we got out the book to compare.)
i love you, keats. every day. for the rest of my life. and then some.
thank you for coming into our family.
xxo
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December 05, 2012
September 26, 2012
Life Lessons from a Toddler
As I am striving to slow down, be present and soak in all of this time with my Littles, I find that I'm at my best when I follow her lead... when I stop the whirlwind of To-Do lists and mental clutter, and just be present. My toddler does this so well, and everyday reminds me:
Slow down.
Be Present.
Stop trying to do so much, but whatever you are doing, do it fully....
Then move on.
And when you are feeling overwhelmed, or tired, or 'hongy' (her word for hungry)?
Simply grab an orange, sit on the floor, and take in the wonder outside your window.
I guarantee it will be the best moment of your day.
xxo
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August 13, 2012
KEATON, 3 MONTHS
Oh, little one, you've charmed us with your ways...
you are strong now, and you are drooling! you can flip over now and love your tummy time.
you wake up with a smile, a coo, and a laugh every morning... and i love that your happy little face is the first thing i see when i awake.
you are starting to look more and more like your daddy. i think he's pretty stoked about that, and with your handsome li'l face who can blame him?
your sisters absolutely adore you, as do i. although navia doesn't know the strength of her hugs, and she's made you cry more than a few times with her, um, love pats. sorry about that.
navia has dubbed you: "Bah-yeee" (her attempt at "buddy"). it's so cute how she says it, that we all call you that now. Bahyee.
thank you for coming into our little family. can't imagine me without you.
some self portraits of me and keats...
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July 24, 2012
MY LIFE IN A INSTAGRAM (april/may)
been a while since i've gone through my IG pics... life is so full, and so superfast for everyone these days that it's hard to get the full impact of the amazingness of a life, all of these wonderful moments, except for in reflection. anyone else feel like that? like, you know it's pretty cool, this moment you're living in... maybe it measures a 6 on a 1-10 scale. but in reflection, it's somehow become a 10.5 moment. i dunno, maybe that's just me. but that's why i love looking back on all these pictures... so that i can more fully feel that tenderness, that sweetness, that beauty and joy of life. soak it in a little more fully... (except that my littles are growing up so fast it make me wanna cry! sniff sniff!)
i think most of these are from end of april/may, starting from when Keats came home. and if it weren't for having a camera in my back pocket (the one on my phone) i would've probably forgotten these already. sigh. thank you iphone.
hope you are having a good week!
xxo
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July 18, 2012
February 17, 2012
LIVE IT UP // happy weekend { kids portrait }
It's a holiday weekend-- live it up & get crazy!
many of my friends will be heading off to WPPI, but i'll be home nursing my fast-growing baby bump and partying with my Littles...
whatever the weekend brings you, hope you enjoy!
xxo
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February 14, 2012
MAY CUPID BE GOOD TO YOU // his point of view
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Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.
They're in each other all along.
-Rumi
The Rumi quote above is one of my faves. not only because it is beautiful and potent, but because it was the first love poem my husband ever gave me. i pretty much knew i was done for at that moment. yup.
so to my love, happy valentine's babe. and to all of you... hope you give and recieve a little extra love today. doesn't have to be anything fancy or contrived, just maybe an extra long cuddle with you S.O., some extra giggle & squeeze time with your Littles, a call to your folks, or maybe just some extra special pampering for yourself.
may cupid be good to you.
xxo
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February 09, 2012
DON'T FORGET TO DREAM // kids + family session
be quiet, and learn the whispers of your soul...
for that's where dreams are born.
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that goes for you too, dreamer.
for ME, too, i should say... been feelin a little out of sorts lately.
think i need some quiet time to stare off into the mist, to listen to the silence and reconnect to those quiet stirrings inside that make me feel centered, purposeful and on track.
hopefully that's just what the weekend will bring.
hope you are enjoying your day.
xxo
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February 02, 2012
Spread Your Wings, Butterfly // newborn shoot
Listen/Play: 10 Butterfly
Butterfly...
close your eyes, butterfly
Fold your wings
Dream sweet dreams, butterfly.
sweet baby aiden,
you sweet little boy...
when i first met you, you were a loved little lump in your mommy's tummy.
look at you now, you sweet butterfly
you are the smile upon your mother's lips,
the tenderness in your father's caress,
every inch of you a miracle...
the tuft of your hair
every crevice revealing the promise of your great journey to come...
the sweetness of your rumpled, perfect skin
you are the joy in your parents' hearts
the sweet coo ringing in the ears
Butterfly,
close your eyes, butterfly,
fold your wings,
Beautiful things,
Butterfly
When you feel
the sun warm on your face again
you will fly...
Spread your wings,
Butterfly.
Spread your wings,
you will fly...
-Elizabeth Mitchell & Lisa Loeb
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December 16, 2011
kid portaits // client shout out // small shop
Huh? What's that you say? Small Shop?!?
Yep, that's right. our client Sage Raval has started the most phenom art experience for kids: Small Shop. something i wish i'd had when i was a a kid.
you see, even when i was a freshy in college trying to find my peeps in this strange new world, i'd wonder around campus feeling like the outsider i was, and then I'd spot some cool kids hangin out, and i'd think, "who are they? they're so cool and interesting looking, i wanna hang out with them. i wanna BE them... those are my peeps!" (see, total loser-freshmen vibe, but that's seriously the way i felt.) well turns out those peeps were the art students. the cool kids, in my book.
i never had any formal training in art -- i'm a DIY girl in that department. but if i had one do-over or parallel life to live, i'd go to art school! Fun, right?! i'd learn how to draw and paint and do sculpture and screen printing and and and and... i mean, doesn't everyone need to know how to draw beyond stick figures? besides, you could kill in Pictionary!
well, now that i'm all growed up with kids of my own... it turns out i have now found my way into the visual arts through photography, and graphic design before that... but i still wish i could take formal art lessons. art is just cool.
But ya know what's even cooler?
Private art lessons.
In your home.
For your kids! (ok, you can probably hover if you want and pick up a trick or two). But seriously, no driving? no hauling my Smalls into their car seats and fighting traffic and rushing to get back home in time for dinner? Sold already.
That's what Small Shop offers. They will send a fine artist out to your home for individual or small-group art lessons for workshops, special events, or on-going weekly lessons.
Small Shop was founded by our client Sage Raval. She's uber-awesome, and an amazing artist herself. Check it out.
and so fun seeing some kids portraits by yours truly up on the site here and here.
more info here.
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June 23, 2011
a li'l bit of sugar // sneak peek Rome's 1st Bday
Oh Rome, you little drop of sugar, you....
happy birthday.
happy year.
happy life.
so glad i was there to capture your first birthday. thanks for staring at me with your big blues and melting my heart.
more to come....
xxo
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June 16, 2011
Hazy Daze // fashion shoot
from a fun little shoot i did with the amazing JLG!.
i want to shoot more fashion. just putting that out there... :)
xxo
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June 06, 2011
double double // a maternity shoot
i met deanna at my mom's club. she was the cool one with the tattoos. bird tattoos that looked like they were taking flight. deanna is a graphic designer (my kinda girl) with an adorable son named jasper about the age of my oldest daughter. we'd seen each other semi-frequently at playgroups when jasper and satine were younger, but then our kids started preschool & we went back to work. you know, life happened and we didn't see each other that much.
then i heard she was pregnant again. with TWINS. she contacted me to ask if i'd shoot her maternity photos. i was already on maternity leave myself, having just had this little nugget, so i had to push back... and push back... and push back until finally i felt like i was ready to start shooting again. luckily, deanna waited on me and i was so glad i got to shoot her. i think we did this shoot right at about 38 weeks -- a bit later than i normally shoot maternity, but i thought she just looked incredible. i couldn't believe she was carrying TWO little bundles in there. i mean look at that perfect. round. belly. Amazeballs!
I told Deanna to bring something of Jasper's if she wanted, so he could "be in the shot," too, since he couldn't be there. So she brought two of his little dragon blankies, and i put them on either side of her in the bg.
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May 26, 2011
March 30, 2011
a strange, tender sensation
Sabrina
a quarter of 2011 is almost gone. i can't believe it.
i've been a bit MIA on the blog (as well as facebook and twitter), floating through the days, mostly lost in this, but also just trying to balance it all, cut down on the noise (no time), trying to be more present to the tasks at hand -- be it family, client, a shoot, or just the day to day tasks of running a business (or a home).
with all the devastation in japan, the incredible loss... it has left me feeling my own mortality in a way i never ever have. my heart has ached for their loss and celebrated each small triumph. then i watched this movie (have you seen it? great, but depressing), and it echoed the sentiment about the fragility of life and scarcity of time..
i'm left in an ethereal state, accutely aware of life's haunting tenderness... aching beauty... sorrowful preciousness.
it's a strange, tender sensation.
you never know what tomorrow will bring.
hug somebody. hold them tight.
i can't hold my girls tight enough, appreciate my husband deep enough, see my parents, my sister, often enough. time is so short. i've been feeling that so profoundly lately.
take the beauty in.
i met with a new client this week, a bride and groom, and all i could notice was the way he looked at her when he talked to her. i wish i'd had my camera to capture that glow, that love, that adoration beaming from his eye.
at a location scout a woman scoffed how she hated having her picture taken, who's the grump? she said after seeing the test shot of herself, and all i could see was her beautiful glow, her aged gracefulness looking dead ahead into my lens, her clear strong spirit shining through.
i had 2 maternity shoots in the last 2 weeks-- two beautiful mothers carrying 3 babies. two of them, twin boys, are now out in the world already, beginning their journey anew...
then i met this bright spirit, Sabrina. She'd commisioned me to shoot fun, whimsical, ethereal portraits of her for her new website. sabrina is the kind of girl, that, you can tell, makes her little path in the world a little bit brighter. i like her. i loved photographing her -- we had so much fun!
the shot above is one of my faves. it makes me feel happy, and hopeful. :)
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hope life is being kind and gentle to you today...
xxo
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P.S. for anyone wanting to still donate, or donate more, for japan, consider this photography community's response, LIFE SUPPORT JAPAN, organized by the amazing Aline Smithson and Christa Dix (and pick up a fantastic print by some amazing photographers), or check out FOR JAPAN WITH LOVE, organized by the incredible girls of Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours.
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February 04, 2011
sleep softly, sugarplum /// los angeles newborn photography
good night, sweet lamb, good night
xxo
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December 31, 2010
Reflection
Self Portrait, 2010
in the spirit of reflection and year's end and all that, i decided to do a self-portrait.
i guess this is who i am in the moment.
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Happy New Year everyone. To a prosperous and joyous 2011! cheers~
xxo
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November 21, 2010
home life /// the sunday sessions
sunday mornings.
snuggling in.
home life.
something about these three things together rate as one of my all time favorite things. in the early morning light, my daughter comes crawling into bed with us, squeezing and squirming her way in between me and her dad (and now her sister, too), finding her rightful place in this family dynamic. with eyes still closed, my arms reach out and guide her into the snuggle fest. tired as i may be, especially now with the nighttime nursing marathon, i know that these are those times... the times when memories are being formed... the times that, when they're grown, i'll remember with such sentiment that it'll bring me to tears i'll cherish it so.
and as i lay there absorbing all this amazingness that is my family -- as im sure you feel about your family -- i hugged and snuggled my daughters, and my husband, and i rejoiced in their glow, and i willed myself to open my eyes, and put my feet on the floor, and go grab my camera...
so that i wouldn't forget.
so that i wouldn't take for granted the specialness of this time:
the beginning bonds of sisterhood...
the curl of her body...
the sleepy, tired, handsome face of my husband...
the complexity of this child that i discover anew each day...
and the discoveries awaiting me in this one...
i reached for my camera so that i could fall in love again and again and again....
and could forever cherish the landscape of her face
and the joy de vivre beaming from hers....
and her dirty feet and goofy smile and her delicious heart and her pride at being a sister... and the angelic Navia who makes my heart burst from tenderness...
i reached for my camera so i could discover the new dynamic of my family... and because it was warm beneath the covers, and it was sunday morning, and the light was coming in just so.... and i knew in 2 months, or 2 years, or 2 decades, i would need to remember this particular morning on this particular day during this particular time.
xxo
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* T H E S U N D A Y S E S S I O N S *
i n t i m a t e f a m i l y p o r t r a i t s
N O W B O O K I N G A P P O I N T M E N T S F O R J A N U A R Y .
CALL OR EMAIL FOR DETAILS.
213. 278. 9656 /// hello@charleystarphoto.com
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September 13, 2010
February 10, 2010
love these portraits
from the Iranian photographer, Shadi Ghadirian.
The iron becomes a face. The yellow cleaning glove suggesting an emboldened and sparkling personality that defies sterotype of such humble domestic objects, as well as of the chador itself.
Exposure Project (one of my favorite photography blogs) says it best:
Shadi's portraits replace "the expected monotone of the black chador with vibrantly patterned fabrics, each portrait suggest[ing] a vivacious individuality and character, belying the limitations of stereotype. Similarly, the mundane objects, when transformed into faces, become highly poised and charismatic caricatures, embodying individual personalities."
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October 30, 2009
oh, lindsey.
i have been working on album designs from this and this event, and so i thought i would post some images that i have been lingering over that never made it to the blog... i'm loving the intensity little lindsey's throwing at the lens here, contrasted by the warm smile of her beautiful mom...
diptych or triptych of this li'l pirate?
and this, below, was taken of me by Matt Cali who was my 2nd shooter that day, and perfectly captures why i love my job. :)
happy weekend everyone, and happy halloween... and to matt + kara who are so patiently awaiting your sneak peak from their gorgeous carmel wedding, pics are coming soon i promise! ;)
xxo
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October 14, 2009
August 31, 2009
Children. Childhood. Portraits.
last week i had the pleasure of photographing a kid's birthday party for Lindsey, who was turning 4. Her adorable mom threw her a mom-n-daughter party at chi nail bar + organic salon. the kids got hello kitty (and kid & eco friendly) mani's and pedis, while the moms got to do the same, only while sipping cocktails instead of fruit smoothies. to complete the dress-up fun, the kids'-- and at least one spunky, beautiful elder's-- hair was decorated with braids, beads, sparkly glitter and colored spray. throw in some delish cake, smoothies, pizza, and a few cocktails for the moms, and you've got yourself a full-blown birthday bash!
somewhere between the nail painting, the glitter, the cake, and the hair braids -- and the rambunctious, delightful hopping from one station to the next -- i aimed to find those magical camera-connections... and i was reminded all over again to what drew me into photography in the first place: the magic and mystery and intrigue and wonder of CHILDREN. seriously, could photograph them forever.
here's just a little taste of what i found... hope you enjoy.
xxo,
charleystar
(usually for events, i will do more of a storyboard blog post, a photographic progression of the event. but i was so drawn into these little darlings, i had to show you this small sampling of children's portraits from the day.}
** Happy Birthday Lindsey! **
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