See you soon!

I'm taking a little "blogcation" for a couple of weeks. I'll resume normal posting on my return. :) Happy Summer!

Insect Numbers poster giveaway

I'm giving away one of my Insect Numbers Poster right HERE. Thought you might want to know. :)

Fathers & Futures

I have to start out with a special message to my Dad. Maya is missing you, Grandad. Let me tell you what! That girl keeps asking for you sweetly. Thank you for being such a patient, loving, and imaginative Grandad and Dad! We all love you very much. Especially this little one:

But there's another father in my life. The father of my children: Wesley Roy. SO many people offered congrats when Wes graduated last week, and I wanted to thank you all for that! And as many congratulated also asked what the future holds. So I thought I'd let you all know what we have planned. When a Cinematographer graduates from AFI, he's plunged into the ocean that is the L.A. Film Scene. And then they have to figure out if they can swim. Wes is heading out kicking as hard as he can! :) Cinematographers don't really get "regular" steady jobs with a company right out of school that involve typical résumés. There will be no interviews with suits. There won't be immediate health benefits, paycheck security, or a normal schedule. But we knew that going in (and Wes's previous career as a professional Photographer didn't include any of that, either). We is now on the hunt for work. Any film work that he can be a part of. The name of the game? NETWORKING! Lunch meetings, crewing on sets, networking, collaborating on new project ideas, revising logos and websites and "reels" (the portfolio of the film world), networking, filming spec ads. Did I mention networking? Just like when he was a Photographer, Wes will be seeking constant work: projects that will primarily include commercials, short films, and eventually feature films. And we will be staying in L.A. to do it for as long as it takes to become established. However long that is. We won't be heading back to Arizona (so sorry to all of our dear Mesa friends and family who have sweetly asked when we will head back to the desert—we miss all of you). So settle in, little Johnson family, because we're here for a good while...

So what will Wes actually be DOING, you ask? A Director of Photography is someone who supervises the filming of movies, commercials, television series, or any other sort of filmed production. The title is generally equivalent to Director of Photography (DP), used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film. They are responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image. A DP can be the one doing the physical photographing with a motion picture camera (the art and science known as cinematography). But at times a DP works with the Camera Operator, and would not operate the camera himself. (Thank you, internet.)


Wes's Thesis film, Firelight, will be finished next month. I saw a color-corrected version the other night (although it was not a final cut, and there was no sound). But it looked really great. So I will share that when it is all said and done. I am currently helping Wes with a new logo and look for a new website, which will also be finalized in the next month. It will showcase his film reel and some related still photography.

Until then, take a look at Wes on set over the past two years. Sometimes you have to play "Where's Waldo..."

Happy Father's Day to my Cineman!

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my Heavenly Father. Without Him, none of this is possible. I took time to get to know him a little better today by reading the scriptures and watching THIS.

Updates and such

I was getting quite a few emails about two of my posts from the past. So I did a little update to make finding the products I use easier. And I've made some product updates, as well. So if you care to take a look, you can find them here:


   

Finn photographs

This is Finn:

Finn is 4. This evening he got ahold of my camera and took some photos. For example:

Not too shabby, actually. But after a quick crash course in framing, light, focus, and "waiting for a good moment," he did a little better:

Note to self: The "Fauxhawk" makes me look a lot like my brother...

 Keep up the good work, buddy—I think Dada should give you some real lessons!

(**I did color-correct all of the photos—something I always do—which included adding a vignette, and brightening each photo/adjusting the saturation. But that was due to my camera settings. So I was proud that Finn could actually capture some really decent shots, in manual mode, no less!)

The Big REVEAL: Renew, Restore, Remember, Revive, Reveal, Relax, Replenish, Rest, Revitalize...

Sound like things you'd like more of, but find little of in your daily life? That's what I was thinking when my good friend Crystal B, gave me a call to tell me all about her new big idea. She had this wonderful plan to help women find time to get a little R&R—whatever those R's might stand for. She explained that there was a lot of good going on behind the scenes in her plans, and wanted me to be a part of it. Of course I said yes! And so R&R Women's Conference was born:

Sarah Bradford and I (together we make up The Blog Guidebook) have joined with Crystal as hosts for the San Diego 2012 conference geared towards helping women of all ages come together and find some inspiration. We have some AMAZING speakers lined up, not to mention the classes! You'll be rubbing elbows with the masterminds behind Holiday with Matthew Mead, Reachel Bagley of Cardigan Empire, musician Sarah Sample, Chefs Betty Frasier and Denise DeCarlo, Blue Lily Photography, and of course your hosts!

And if that wasn't enough, the motivation behind all of this is for one of the best causes. You can read all about it on the site. So mark your calendars for February 10 & 11 of next year. There are pricing options for every budget! We are so excited about this, and we hope to see you there! I'll be posting updates about the event as they unfold. You can learn all about the conference HERE.

I had so much fun designing the graphics for this project!
It was my last blog-related creative project before taking
my leave of absence from blog design for a while. Whew!

Something's brewing on the horizon...

I've been planning and planning lately. Something's coming, and it's pretty big! It involves creativity. And inspiration. And sunny destinations. And really amazing people you just might know and want to hang out with. Good food. Good vibes. Time for yourself. In general, fantasticness. Is that word?


Here's a sneak peak:

1. Start saving your dollars. (Get that lemonade stand going, gals!)

2. Save these dates: February 10-11, 2012.

3. Line up a sitter, or a husband (whoever is more reliable).

4. If you live far away, start looking for cheap flights to San Diego. And if you live close, start a caravan!

I'm really excited about this! Hope you will be too.

And that's all I can say until later this week... 

Sunday is a great day for...

Pirate forts!!! Yes, there is a theme going on in our house...usually involving Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Tink, and lots of pirates. It's the perfect brother/sister imagination combo! Today a fort was in order: Rainy, chilly, a boy with a cough. Finn didn't didn't seem to mind that the "pirate ship fort sails" were girly. Good sport!

(Also, that pirate sneer he's wearing looks a lot like THIS.)

Pirate spotting: Captain Jacks

Somehow we made it home with three different Jack Sparrow hat/bandana/hair combo wigs from Disneyland. Don't ask me how. But the kids are A-OK with it:

Disneyland. Who knew?!

We did it! We went to Disneyland with kiddos, parents, aunts, and grandparents. It was AWESOME. The kids were great. No tantrums. No fighting. No whining (although Maya did insist on being carried the whole time). Smiles galore. I might have to move there. Thanks, Disneyland, for bringing out the best in my kids!

THE CREW (sans yours-truly, seeing as I was behind the lens)

YOU MEAN A PLACE LIKE THIS ACTUALLY EXISTS IN THE WORLD?!

ANIMALS? ON A SAFARI? YES PLEASE! 

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING A BITE!

EVADING CHURRO-SNATCHERS & PAPARAZZI.

WINDING DOWN (ooooh, bad pun)

THANKS, DISNEYLAND!

Get it while you can!

The Blog Guidebook's 30 Days of Giveaways is giving away this darling dress to one lucky winner! Click the link below to enter—I didn't want anyone to miss out on the chance to win such a great prize: If you aren't familiar with Shabby Apple yet, I suggest you get started! 

The always fashionable Shabby Apple is giving away this lovely little number to one very lucky reader!

It's quite possibly the perfect dress for summer. We chose the Ahoy! dress because it seemed flattering on any figure due to the wrap styling, ruched front, waist band bow, and classic A-line silhouette with cap sleeves and to-the-knee length. And all Guidebook readers receive 10% off any purchase with coupon code: blogguidebook10off

DO NOT ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY HERE! Visit the official post:

Enter the Giveaway at 30 Days of Giveaways!

The American Film Institute knows how to do it

If you are going to attend any graduation, I recommend attending the ceremonies at The American Film Institute. Being an AFI Fellow comes with perks like shuttled parking, breezy/tented/scenic overlooks, small graduating classes, and prominent members of the film community as speakers, ready to inspire or get a laugh (whichever is needed). All in all, it was really wonderful. 

BFFs

Son and Mother 

Mother and Daughter

We both graduated today from 2 long years!

Congratulations to Wes! You've come a long way since THIS (only a few days after Maya's birth).
Also, for those of you wondering, Wes's Thesis film, Firelight, is in the last stages of post production. It will be finished in a month, at which point it will be available in some capacity to share with all of you. Thank you for all of your support and patience!