Nataly Lemus Photography - OLD BLOG

The new blog is alive!!!!!!

2007-08-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

My new blog is live! You can see it by clicking here.

This blog will continue to hold all the images and entries I have entered, but I will no longer make any more entries.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me at info@natalylemus.com

The new blog address is www.natalylemusblog.com

New blog - coming soon!

2007-08-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I am getting a shiny brand new blog! The VERY talented Rodolfo Arpia is designing it and it's almost done. When he e-mailed me a link to the blog, I was blown away! It is so beautiful, colorful and completely me!

To all the photographers out there or even anyone else who just wants to customize their blog, you should contact Rudy! He is the best!

Stop...Breathe...GO!

2007-08-10T00:49:00.001-07:00

I need to remind myself to stop and breathe once in a while! It has been a crazy summer so far and I love every minute of it! Wedding season has been awesome. I have met so many amazing people and befriended many of my couples.

My experiences this year are simply mind-blowing! I am taking it all in and enjoying every minute of it. When I decided that I wanted to become a wedding photographer, I had no idea where God would lead me. I am glad he has led me to where I am now, though! I have to admit that it has not been easy, especially when you have a couple of stones tossed at you on your way towards your goals. That has not put a dent in who I am, though. My Dad always says, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" He is so right! All I have to do is have faith and trust Him and it will all fall into place.

I have learned so much this past year. Here are the top 5 tips/advice given to me by other photographers, which have made a huge difference in my business. They are in no particular order, except for the first one, which I think is extremely important!

1. Network, network, network!

2. Wear comfortable shoes when you are shooting a wedding (preferably these Crocs for women)

3. Join WPJA (about 50% of the weddings I have booked for next year are referrals from WPJA and I JUST recently joined).

4. Don't forget to go out and photograph just because.

5. Blog, blog, blog!

Thank you so much to all the wonderful photographers who have helped me by giving me advice, allowing me to shoot with them, left me blog comments. All your help and friendship is a true blessing!

Okay, now I have to go to sleep. There are a few weddings and engagement sessions coming soon, plus some funny stories. By the way, today I had an engagement session with Marissa and Michael who were so adorable together! I had tons of fun with them.

Here is a photo I took of Art and myself today. Art kept posing thinking the photo was all about him. Little did he know I was trying to get my reflection on his sunglasses!

Amber & Michael's Wedding

2007-08-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Montebello, California

As I entered the room where Amber was getting ready, I immediately heard the voices of excited bridesmaids. My eyes searched the room full of beautiful ladies looking for the one we were all there for. As soon as Amber saw me come in she greeted me with a joyful hello.

I instantly saw how blessed Amber is. She had so many willing and happy ladies helping her. They were there for her even when some unexpected dilemma's "flourished."

When the moment of the I Do's came about, all the bridesmaids were in tears of joy! I was really touched when Michael said that he knew from the moment he met Amber that she would be his wife.

Here are some of my faves of the day!

Amber came to me and said, "Here, Nataly. I know how much you love cute shoes!" I smiled from ear to ear because that meant she reads my blog! ; )

Lucky lady! All her girls were willing to help with anything and everything!

Hiding from Michael!

Michael had so many facial expressions that I really wish I could show them all to you!

Like I said, all her bridesmaids were in tears (of joy, of course!).

They are sooooooooooooo cute!

I do not know what she was telling him, but he looks like he is in trouble! lol

Trash the Dress: OC Style!

2007-07-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Trash the Dress was such a success thanks to all the brides, couples and photographers who showed up! The OC Register even came out to cover the event. If you want to read the article they wrote click here. You can also see the video they got by clicking here. Do you recognize me in the video? I had no idea that I was so camera-shy, but yesterday I found out I am!

I want to thank all the brides/couples who showed up to the Trash the Dress Bash in Laguna Beach! You guys rocked! I loved how much fun everyone had!

A huge thanks to all my fellow colleagues! It was such an honor to meet you all! I admire you all and I am glad you all contributed in making this Trash the Dress Bash such a success. I can't wait to see all the images!

I wish I could have been able to capture some images as well (I did get a couple), but I wanted to make sure I kept track of who was photographing who. I did manage to get a lot of images of some of the photographers hard at work! Art did get a couple of shots of the brides, though!

Here are some of the images I caught of the photographers:

Greg Bumatay was not shy about getting soaked! I can't tell you how many times he got washed up by the waves! He even risked his camera!

Do you recognize the guy with my yellow camera bag? That's Art (my hubby). Miguel Pola is the one photographing the couple. He was so awesome and all over the place - he has tons of energy!

The beautiful and talented Shyla was amazing! She is definitely one of the sweetest people I have met!

Here is Greg Bumatay again and Jan Garcia. I learned so much just by watching these two VERY amazing and talented photographers!

Can you tell they were having fun?

Here are some of the images Art, my partner in crime, got:

Sick as a dog!

2007-07-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I do not know what hit me, but these past two days I was down and out for the count! Fortunately I started to feel better today, but I really wished I would have been okay this past weekend since it's the last weekend I have free in about 2 months!

I did, however, get to shoot a beautiful engagement session last Friday. More photos of that soon!

Here's a photo Art got of me shooting the engagment session with my new and beautiful shootsac!

Patricia and Casey's Wedding

2007-07-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

Gardena/Carson, California

As I walked into Patricia's mom's home, I could feel the excitement moving from room to room. Patricia greeted me with a big hug and an even bigger smile! Patricia was the epitome of calmness. It was obvious that what mattered the most to her was that she was getting married to her soul mate, Casey.

Time and time again their family members commented on how Patricia and Casey compliment each other and how they are meant to be. I wholeheartedly agree. Patricia and Casey met when Casey came down to California to stay with his sister after going through hard times dealing with their mother's death. Casey's brother-in-law asked him to go with him to play poker at a nearby casino and so he did. Little did he know he was going to meet his future wife there! Somehow when they crossed each other's path they started a conversation. He gave her his phone number. When he got home he told his sister all about her and she immediately asked, "did you get her number?" A few days after Patricia called Casey, but got his voicemail, somehow, she forgot to leave her phone number in the message. Days went by and she never got a call back. She thought he was not interested and left it at that.

On a trip to Georgia to visit a friend, Patricia (where Casey lives) ran into Casey and the rest is history! Coincidence? I think not! It was meant to be. They are meant to be.

The reception was very touching, especially the speeches. When Casey's sisters when up to give their speech, I think everyone was touched. One of Casey's sisters talked about what a blessing it was for Patricia to come into Casey's life and how she helped him deal with his mother's death. It was obvious that Casey and his sisters wanted and needed their mother to be at the wedding, but, the way I saw it, she was there. They talked so beautifully about her that it felt like she was amongst us.

It was a pleasure to photograph their wedding and share in on such a special day! Thank you for choosing me, Patricia and Casey!

Every bride needs an ear piece!

The bride's beautiful sister and Maid-of-Honor.

Putting on her veil before walking down the aisle.

Does one these guys look familiar?

How cute is this ring bearer??? He was so cute trying to hide from me!

I love all the little details!

Patricia's father/daughter dance was so sweet. She could not contain her tears of happiness!

WPJA!!!!!!

2007-07-12T16:33:00.001-07:00

I am so EXCITED! I found out about two days ago that I was accepted to the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), but I did not want to post until I was added to their website - I thought it was a dream!!! This is a great honor as only about 5% of photographers that apply are accepted. Many of the photographers who I most admire are a part of WPJA.

Here’s what the WPJA has to say about their organization:
"The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is a professional organization composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world. What sets our members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach – a distinctly artistic vision toward wedding photography.

The Wedding Photojournalist Association grants membership to the most talented professional wedding photographers in the industry--photographers who focus solely on using their photography skills in documenting weddings."

If you want to learn more about WPJA or want to see some of the awesome photographers who are members, click here.

Liz & Ariel's Wedding

2007-07-10T01:11:00.000-07:00

Simi Valley, California
Blessed. That’s what I am! I am so grateful for the many blessings God has showered me with. There are not enough words to describe how happy I am with the place I am at in life at the moment. Thankfully, my business is very fruitful and I owe it, first of all, to God and secondly to my clients who trust me and love my work.

When I meet couples like Liz and Ariel, it reminds me of why I love photographing weddings! Liz and Ariel were one of the most humble and carefree bride and groom that I have ever met. Their carefree attitude made their wedding spectacular, in my eyes.

When I walked up the road toward the wedding area, I never imagined it would look so amazing. All the small details were great and really added personality to the wedding.

Everything was laid-back, warm and simply beautiful. The ceremony took place at the edge of a hilltop and, in my opinion, it was perfect. They looked like they were on top of the world and that is definitely how they were acting and, I am sure, that is how they felt.

Liz had a BIG smile from the moment she got there up to when I left. I am sure she kept smiling all night. She did not have to say a word for everyone to know how in love she is with Ariel. Ariel looked at her lovingly every time he caught even the slightest glimpse of her and at times they would both get lost in each others eyes. That's my favorite part of weddings, when the couple forgets anyone else is there and for that moment in time it's just them or at least that's how they feel.

Liz & Ariel: Thank you so much for making Art and I feel so welcome. You guys were awesome. I could not ask for more! I honestly think you are meant for one another. Liz, you were the perfect bride. You were completely down to earth and humble and that is why I feel your wedding was so perfect. From what I saw, you guys enjoyed everything about your wedding and were not even worried about a single detail. I think that is why you, your family and friends executed such a joyous and perfect wedding. A wedding does not have to be a huge affair nor does it have to be stressful to be beautiful. Your wedding is proof of that!
Congrats, you guys!

It was a nice, hot summer day!

We all waited patiently for Liz to get there.

This little one loved the camera. In one of the million times I was photographing her, I tilted my head to get a different angle and she mimicked my every move to make sure I was catching her with the camera. She was soooooooo cute!!!

When it was all said and done, Liz raised her arm in triumph!

They did a lot of dancing...

...and kissing

...and some more dancing...

...and more kissing :P

7/7/07 is almost here!

2007-07-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the extremely famous 7/7/07 is finally here! I had so many inquiries for this date, it was unbelievable!

I can't wait to photograph my wonderful couple!!! For the rest of the 7/7/07 couples, I wish you the best on your wedding day! Enjoy every minute of your wedding and take every thing in! It will definitely be a great day!

Congrats to everyone!

What a weekend!

2007-07-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been a very busy weekend! First off, I got to photograph two unexpected weddings! I have never been hired with just a few days notice. It was so surprising to get not one, but TWO weddings on the same weekend with just a couple of days until the big day, but I am so glad I was available because I got to photograph two awesome weddings! Usually I limit myself to only two weddings per month, but this was definitely an exception I am glad I made!

When I got to Jennifer and James' wedding, I was greeted by Jennifer. She immediately made me feel like we had known each other for years! She was finishing the last details for the wedding, but she kept a close eye to see when the groom arrived. I could tell she could not wait to walk down the aisle.

There was also someone else Jennifer was waiting for anxiously and that was her beautiful daughter. When she saw her baby girl walk in she beamed her beautiful smile. Jennifer's daughter is gorgeous and soooo charismatic! As soon as she got there, I could not help but photograph her and photograph her AND photograph her! She loved every minute of it! She told me, "I can twirl for you, if you want." Once we went outside she said, "I am ready to party all night!" She made Art and I laugh so hard!

I am so glad Jennifer and James asked me to photograph their wedding. It was a true pleasure. By the way, they had a wonderful Best Man who took very good care of them!

Congrats, Jennifer and James!

Jennifer waited patiently for James.

She loved the camera and the camera loved her!

Looking at mommy getting married. I love this one!

Amazing sunset, don't you agree?

I'm an m&m!!!

2007-06-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be cool to share this with you :P

Another fellow photographer friend, Bobbi (who I happen to admire tons!) posted this link on her blog in which you can make an m&m and I thought it would be funny to make one of myself!

Here it is:

It does not look too much like me, but I think she's cute!

Anniversary time!

2007-06-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Art and I are only 4 months away from our wedding anniversary and we still have not decided where we will be going. Although, we have narrowed it down to either Hawaii, Bahamas or Australia, we still have not made the final decision. Where do you think we should go? Wherever we decide, we have to hurry up and book our vacation!

For our honeymoon we went to Tahiti and we thought it would be nice to go back to Tahiti and visit some of the islands, but at the same time we feel like we should go somewhere new. Regardless of where we go, what matters is that we will be celebrating our anniversary!

I can’t wait to just relax, if even for just a week. I have been super busy lately and it’s just beginning. In July and August I will be even more busy than these past few months so I will definitely need some relax time by November!

One of my bride’s is almost convincing me to go to Hawaii since they will be there the weekend we will be on our vacation. That would be so much fun!

We’ll see where the Lemus’ end up going!

Model Shoot Part 2

2007-06-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I FINALLY got a chance to post part 2! I still need to post part three.

I can't express enough how fun this shoot was! The models were great and up for anything, which, like I always say, makes for awesome photos!

In the upcoming days I will be posting photos of a few weddings and, of course, some engagement sessions.

Enjoy!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY!

2007-06-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

To all the Dad's out there, I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day!

Today means a lot to me because I get to dedicate the whole day to my Dad. My Dad, Sister and I know that no plans should be made on Father's day other than us being together!

Since my Mom passed, my Dad has played the role of father AND mother. I don't know how he did it, but he has done such a great job! I can only imagine how hard it was for him to all of a sudden have to raise a 2 year old and a 12 year old all on his own.

He has always been an involved father. Back when I was a teenager, I did not understand why he had to know how I was doing in school or why he needed to know where I was when not at home. Now that I am older I know that it was because he cared and he continues to care. I am glad he was so involved. I don't think I would be where I am now if it were not for him. He has instilled great values in me and has shown me to respect myself as well as others.

There is no way I can ever repay him for all that he has done. I do, however, give him all the affection a daughter can give her father! I thank God each day for blessing me with such an honorable, respectful, caring, involved and affectionate father! I could really go on and on about how wonderful my Dad is, but I would never end. I wish there were a way my dad could know how grateful I am for having him in my life, but there are not enough words that could describe how I feel.

He has always respected my decisions, goals and opinion. He has protected me and cared for me. He has provided a loving and caring home for me. He has supported me in every way possible.

I still have the little dresses that he would make for me when I was a baby (Yes, he actually would sow them!). I love to look through the albums and see the many photos of us. In each photo you can see how proud he was of me even when I was only days old!

My Dad is a cheerful man who loves to crack jokes and one of the few people who is not scared to tease me! I love his sense of humor and the way he tells jokes, I wish I were as good! However, even as happy and funny as he is, there are times when I see his eyes and I see sorrow and I know it's because he misses my Mother. It hurts that I can't take that pain away from him. At times, I feel hopeless. It's amazing how after so many years his eyes still get watery while talking about my Mom. Though, when he tells us funny stories of when they were young he smiles as he reminisces about old times. I think he will always be in love with her.

It feels good to be able to give back to my Dad after all that he has given us. I don't mean material things, but love, affection, respect and appreciation! It feels good to be able to show him how grateful I am for the days he would stay up when I was sick, for taking me to school every day, for cheering me up when I was down, for talking to me about my Mom, for taking me to Church, for teaching me to respect others, for trusting me, for cherishing me, for putting my Sister and I before work and even himself...for EVERYTHING. It feels good to be able to show him that all he did was not for nothing, that I am who I am now because of him.

I spent the whole day with my Dad today. Art and I went to my Dad's house and had a bar-b-q. I ate and ate and ate and ate! I also brought some of my Simpsons DVD's (I am a huge fan!) but my Dad is not one of their biggest fans so we watched soccer instead. Of course I had a gift for my daddy! I was so happy to see his green eyes open wide with excitement as he opened his gift and realized that I had got him what he has been wanting for a while! He had no idea that I knew that he wanted a surround sound for the living room, but I have my insider who tells me everything (my little Sister)! Material gifts are not all that there is to it, though. Like he said, what matters is that we are all together and I agree.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, PAPI!

P.S. You see, I told you I could go on forever!

TTD.com

2007-06-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Check out http://trashthedress.com to see my latest post! Leave a comment, while you're there!

I am sorry I have not been posting as much, but I have been extremely busy! Like I said in my prior post, being busy is a good thing!

Take care, my beautiful people!

June 2, 2007 Wedding!

2007-06-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I had the pleasure to photograph an amazing wedding. I could tell right away how much the Groom and Bride love each other.

The bride was able to catch a peak of the groom and her eyes automatically gave out a twinkle as she whispered to her Maid of Honor that he looked "hot." I am sure once he saw her walk down the aisle next to her father he thought the same thing about her. Just look at the images below and you can see how gorgeous she looked!

The most touching moment of the day for me was when the Father of the Groom got teary eye while watching the slide show. You could tell how happy he was and how proud he was of his Son and his new Daughter-in-Law.

It's confirmed, I am a cry baby! So far I have shed a tear or two in most of the weddings I have photographed! I can't help it!

I am so blessed to be able to be a part of such an important day. I have also been blessed with amazing clients who turn into friends after the wedding.

Don't mind me, I have been very sentimental lately. I guess it's the many things going on in my life that have me this way!

Here are a few of my favorite images:

This one is my favorite! I love it!

Sorry I had not posted in a while, but I have been extremely busy, which is a good thing!

I have many more photos to share with you. Hopefully I will post them on Wednesday.

We Trashed Jenn's Dress!

2007-05-28T00:34:00.000-07:00

Today was soooo fun, well, since it's after 12:00 a.m., I mean yesterday was sooooo fun! I met up with Jenn to purposely trash her wedding dress. She told me she was up for anything and, of course, those are the words any photographer wants to hear from their victim, I mean the person they are going to photograph!

I could not wait to trash Jenn's dress, not only because she is such an awesome person, but also because she is my friend. Now I can say that I trashed my friend's wedding dress. Without knowing the true meaning to that, it sounds pretty harsh!

I loved every minute of it. Jenn was really up for anything. From changing shoes and accessories to submerging herself in the very cold Malibu ocean! She was not shy AT ALL! She jumped, skipped, twirled, laughed, ran, I could really go on and on... There was nothing I asked her to do that she did not do! Thanks to her openness to try anything she got some amazing photos.

I hope you like the images J-Dub! lol You have a ton of them coming your way soon!

I will be posting some more of Jenn's images soon.

And to think this is how we started off!

Jenn constantly tells me that I rock and here I caught her while she was telling me just that! Jenn, one of these days I am actually going to believe it :-p

Jenn, you rock!!! You made the photo shoot an amazing experience. Thank you so much for trying so many of my crazy ideas and putting some of your own in the mix! The photos would not look this amazing if you would not have been so open to trying everything and anything. You are truly a photographer's dream!

And the winner is...

2007-05-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

Congrats JENNA & DAVID!!!! You guys won the trash the dress session Jenna wanted!!!

It was a close one and I had to count and count again and again. I even brought in Art just in case...

Once again, congrats you guys and I can't wait to trash your dress, Jenna!

Thanks to Marisa and Ruben for entering. Your story was very touching and a lot of people agree since you guys WERE only behind by just 1 vote!!! I have something special for you guys as well!

Marie & Jay: Thanks for entering, I'll e-mail you with what you guys will get!

Since this is my first contest, I can't let anyone go empty handed!!!

For everyone else, I will be having another contest soon and this one will be for everyone. Whether you're a client or not, you will be able to enter. I hope you keep checking back!

Now it's time to go type up the trash the dress Photographer of the Week and then I am off to bed!

Model Shoot Part 1

2007-05-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my previous entry, this past Sunday I got together with some photographers and we photographed some volunteered models.

Here are some of the images I got of the last couple:

EDIT: IF THE COLORS LOOK OFF, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! THANKS! (I Edited the photos on my laptop sp the colors might be off)

It's my kind of party!

2007-05-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I met up with some fellow photographers that I admire a lot! Not only are they amazing photographers, but they are amazing people!

All 20+ of us had lunch at a yummy Italian restaurant and then we all split up into a few groups to go shoot images of some models. A big thanks to the models. You guys rocked! Thank you so much for letting loose and loving the camera as much as you all did.

I will be posting a few of the photos I took, hopefully, tomorrow.

To all the photgraphers, thank you so much for making me feel so comfortable and welcome. Everything was awesome!

Here are a few shots of my group and a few photos that were taken of me.

Choose your favorite!

2007-05-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all my beautiful couples that entered the contest! I enjoyed reading all of the stories and reasons for winning!

Below I will post my favorite three in no particular order.

Be sure to tell your family members and friends to vote for you! Everyone else also help them out by voting for your favorite one!

MARISA & RUBEN
There is a song called "Hey There Delilah" by a band called The White T's. A chorus in a song goes like this:

"Hey there Delilah know times are getting hard
But just believe me girl Someday
I'll pay the bills with this guitar
We'll have it good We'll have the life we knew we would
My word is good"

The sweetest moments of my life take place in a tiny apartment in Los Angeles. Both Ruben and I were 20, in college and living together. Neither of our parents were happy with our decision. Their feelings were that we were too young and not married. It didn't matter though because, in our minds we were "grown up" and we could "make it!"Our first apartment cost $500 a month and it was horrible. It was dirty, there were bugs everywhere, homeless people would sort through our trash!- At one point we literally had $20.14 between the both of us. We had no groceries and we were hungry. The rent was due in a couple of days and we were too proud to ask for help.

In those memories I am always at my desk studying and Ruben is on the couch playing the guitar. He is playing the same three cords- the chorus of Blink 182's "What's my Age again". Back then he would play these same three chords over and over and over...

Those times when it was only him and I in our apartment -- were were filled with the pain of growing up and of not having. They were filled with anticipation of getting to know each other and the determination to make it work. Most importantly they were filled with an intimacy that I cannot explain.

I cried the first time I heard the song "Hey there Delilah" because it reminds me of those times- when Ruben had nothing to give me but the chords of his guitar (cheesy I know)- We have come so far from those days. However, while those days were hard, I am so thankful that I got to "grow up" in front of him and him in front of me. I am proud of the man that he has become and can't wait to become his wife.

JENNA & DAVID
The best reason I can think of why we should, is because WE LOVED YOUR PHOTOS!!!lol... i like to keep it simple! you rock!

MARIE & JAY
Nataly you already know our story. I am really bad at writing or even just expressing myself, but here it goes!

When I met Jay I had no idea he was the one. How could I? We were only five years old! We were more worried about each other having coodies. Throughout elementary we became best-friends. Some of our friends would tease us because as you know boys and girls don’t really hang out when you are in elementary, but we did. We were truly best of friends.

When we went to 6th grade we were separated because he moved. Although when we graduated elementary school we said we would keep in touch, it did not happen. Throughout the years I made new best-friends, but I did not understand why were my friendships not as solid and strong as my friendship with Jay had felt. I mean this was a silly elementary friendship, no?

Fast forward to 3 years ago. I was now living in New York, far away from California One day while sitting outside of one of my classes, my friend is showing the campus to some guy. She came over and introduced her cousin Jay to me. I did not think much of it. "Nice to meet you," was all that I said. I can’t say he looked even remotely familiar. He, however, did tell me that I looked really familiar. My friend introduced me as "mini" which is what my friends call me. She asked me if I could "babysit" him until she was out of class. Of course I was not going to say no to showing Mr. Handsome around! As we headed to some outside benches he asked me if I was from New York and I said no that I had lived all of my life in California up until 3 years before. He then told me he was from California as well. When he told me the high school and middle school he went to I was surprised that they were so near my own home back in California. By then I think he had figured out why I looked familiar. He asked me what elementary school I went to and when I told him his eyes opened wide. Then he asked me if I had ever know a kid named Jay in elementary school. I was so shocked and happy to realize that Anne’s cousin was actually Jay, my long lost best-friend Jay. You may ask yourself why did I not recognize him, but it had been thirteen years since we last saw each other.

The chemistry between both of us was undeniable. Although, he had to come back to California, we promised we would keep in touch, which we did. Unlike when we were kids, the affection we had for each other was now more than that. It was love. As kids it was something innocent. He was just my best-friend, but now he is my best-friend, confidant, partner in crime, soon to be husband!

Now that I started our story I wish I could keep going but I am sure everyone stopped reading by now! Sorry for making it so long.

I’ll just finish by saying that I truly believe that when something is meant to be, it will be no matter what! We are proof of that. Although we were across the country from one another, we still found each other.

Shout-out!

2007-05-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

I just want to give a shout out to Amy! I met with her tonight regarding her wedding. You may ask yourself, why the shout out? Well, because one of the first things she told me was that she reads my blog often! She said that sometimes she does not know if to tell the person that she reads their blog, but to me it's a HUGE honor to know that anyone reads my blog. It would be very sad if I maintain my blog, but nobody reads!

Thanks to everyone who reads and a HUGE thanks to everyone who leave comments!!! If you have not left me a comment yet, please do so! I am honored whenever someone leaves me a comment. It feels good to know there are people out there who enjoy my blog!

Thanks for letting me know you read, Amy!

Dustin & Dorianne

2007-05-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

On April 28th Art and I headed out to Dustin and Dorianne's wedding. Having never met them, I have to admit I was a bit nervous. When we arrived at their home it was filled with pre-wedding jitters and movement as bridesmaids went up and down the stairs and groomsmen walked in and out. I was antsy with anticipation to meet the soon to be Mr. & Mrs.

When I met the Groom he played quite a joke on me! As all the groomsmen walked out to meet Art and I, I knew the groom was amongst them, but I did not know who he was. I asked, "Who's Dustin?" A guy with a red vest mischievously points to another guy with a black vest. I extend my arm and say, "nice to meet you." The "groom" seemed a bit embarrassed and it was obvious that he was NOT the groom! I immediately turned to the guy with the red vest and asked, "Dustin?" He just smiled. Can we say prankster??? I have no idea why the red vest was not a dead giveaway for me! :-P

I definitely could not wait to meet the bride. It's always amazing to see how the bride glows with so much happiness on their wedding day. Dorianne was not the exception! When she made her big entrance, I had no option but to meet her through the small viewfinder of my camera. When I finally put the camera down she greeted me with a huge smile and a hug. Her eyes alone were full with so many emotions that it was not hard for anyone in the room to tell that she was ecstatic to be on her way to marry the man of her dreams.

Dorianne's mother and grandmother spoke only French so it was near to impossible for us to communicate, yet somehow we achieved it! I can't express enough how much fun I had photographing Dustin and Dorianne's wedding! From Dorianne showing us her French dancing to her grandmother telling us some VERY entertaining stories, which Doriane translated to us with her beautiful accent! (You know what stories I mean, Dorianne!) It was all soooooo fun!

Below are some of my favorite shots so far! I am sure that once I am done editing their photos I will have tons more that I will also love.

When Dustin saw Dorianne walking towards him he looked at his Best Man and smiled proudly.

First kiss as Husband and Wife.

This is my favorite!!! Why? I don't know, I just love it!

This is how the guys actually got from point A to point B, I swear!

What??? The Maid of Honor also wants some lovin'! (We were doing formals when the Maid of Honor asked me to count to three before taking the photo. It took a few seconds before Dorianne and I reacted! I know they will love this one!)

I always love some detail shots.

All of you who know me know that I am a sucker for cute shoes!

The Best Man revising his toast.

Hey, it was for a good cause!

A big thanks to everyone at the wedding! You were all very comfortable in front of the camera and were up for anything! It made my job just that much easier. I love it when people are willing to try anything, it makes for beautiful images! I love it just as much when people forget the camera is there and just interact. Nothing is better than true to life images.

Congrats Dustin and Dorianne!

Christine & Steve

2007-05-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

When I met Christine and Steve they emphasized how important it was for me to capture many images of their guests, specially of the children, which are so special to them. They wanted me to be their eyes that day because they knew they could not be everywhere at the same time.

It was not a difficult task whatsoever! I had so much fun capturing all the funny, fun and entertaining things the children did. From dancing to doing cartwheels, I caught it all.

Christine's parents made my heart melt. After so many years of marriage they still lose themselves in each other. At one point in the wedding I heard the DJ play what sounded like an old disc. I went over to Christine and asked her what song was the DJ playing and she told me it was a song her father wrote and sang for her mother when they first started dating. They then slow danced to the sweet melody he had wrote just for his wonderful wife. I admit they brought tears to my eyes. I hope that if God allows Art and I to be together as long as they have been that we will also share such a beautiful and unconditional love.

Here are some of my favorite and funniest photos of the day.

Christine dancing up a storm with her niece.

This little lady was dancing non-stop all night!

The couple that made my heart melt! They are soooo sweet!
Christine's parents made me feel like I was part of the family. Thank you so much for that!

I knew this guy was going to be fun to photograph...

but I never imagined he was going to be this fun!!! Once the tie and coat came off, he was all over the place!

Ladies, please do not leave your hats unattended or someone may borrow it!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-12T02:08:00.000-07:00

To all those wonderful mother's out there, I want to wish you a happy, happy mother's day! I have a very busy weekend so I will not be able to post, but that will not stop me from wishing all the Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day can always be a hard day for me because my Mother is not with us, but this year it will be a bit different because, thankfully, I have a wonderful mother-in-law who I adore! That does not change the fact that I miss my mom so much, but it gives me the chance to enjoy the day by spending the day with such a great woman.

I honor my own mother every single day and even though it has been eleven years since she passed, I still remember every single sweet thing she would do. From the way she would cut my peanut butter sandwiches into heart shapes to the warm hugs and kisses she would give me just because. She was a strong woman who, until the end, did everything in her power to take care of her two daughters. I would not trade my mother for anything in this world. Even though I only got to enjoy her for twelve years, I would never give up those twelve years for anything else! They made all the pain of losing her worth it.

I hope that this Sunday you get to spend it with your Mom. Let her know how extra special she is. I know that a lot of people feel like they do that everyday as it is, but Mother's Day should be over the top. Make it just MOM'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day to all those women out there working hard, to all the women raising their children, to all the grandmother's who are so caring, to all the pregnant women...I could really keep going, but I will cut it short! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mommy's out there!

Late night

2007-05-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I have been neglecting my blog, but I have been very busy! Between work, editing and visiting the dentist (numerous times), I have been extremely swamped!

I am about to call it a night, but not before sharing a photo I just got of me in action!

I will try and post some photos from last weekend's wedding and April 21st's wedding as soon as possible!

Trash the Dress Party in OC!

2007-05-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are interested there will be an Orange County Trash the Dress party. For more information be sure to visit www.trashthedress.com. We will keep you updated with all the details!

Bummed!

2007-05-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

I've been on a roller coaster of emotions today!

I happen to be a huge fan of boxing so, as you can imagine, De la Hoya vs. Mayweather was highly anticipated by me! I was rooting for De la Hoya because I have been a fan of his since I was young. Unfortunately, he did not come out victorious.

I am really bummed that De la Hoya lost, but I am even more bummed that the fight did not live up to the hype. They hyped it up so much just to give us an "alright" fight. Now, this may just be me, but I did not think it was a spectacular fight. Maybe they hyped it up so much that it made peoples expectations TOO high or maybe I am the only person that thinks this way. I really thought I was going to be at the edge of my seat, but I was sadly mistaken...

However, I have to give credit to Mayweather for landing more power shots than De la Hoya. He did a good job. I would have loved to see more action from him though, at least like that it would have been more exciting...even if it still meant that De la Hoya would lose.

After the fight my hubby was trying to cheer me up any way he could and even though it seemed impossible he did it. He always manages to cheer me up!

Right after the fight, I was not too talkative.

Art gets me to smile, though.

He does not stop until...

...he has me laughing this way!!!

By the way, I want to introduce the new addition to the family. My baby: iMac
(Yes, those are bunny ears!)

All in all, I had a good day. My dad, sis and cousin came as well as my sister-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law. Whenever they are around I do not need anything else. Oh, we also had a lot of food... A LOT!

CONTEST!!!

2007-05-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

Periodically I will have contests for my couples and other times I will have contests for anyone who visits my blog, but I will start with a contest for my couples!

Wether you are a couple I photographed already or a couple I will photograph in the future, feel free to enter to win! What’s the price, you may be asking yourself! Well, it’s a free Engagement Session or Trash the Dress for one lucky couple!

REQUIREMENTS: You just have to be one of my couples, be fun, adventurous, in love, not shy, creative, and you have to want the session!

If this sounds like you, here is how to enter:
Submit an e-mail to me at nataly@natalylemus.com by May 16th with the following:
1. Both of your names (contact info, just in case it changed)
2. A cute, funny, and or sweet story about the two or just simply tell me why you should win.

How will the winner be selected?
1. All entries must be in by May 16th.
2. On May 20th I will post my top three favorite on my blog.
3. I will then have visitors pick whose story they like best by leaving their vote in the comment box.
4. The voting will end on May 25th.
5. Winner will be picked by the most popular vote.

RESTRICTIONS: THE SHOOT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS STATED IN OUR CONTRACT, AND THE DATE AND TIMES WILL BE CHOSEN BY PHOTOGRAPHER NATALY LEMUS, SHOOT WILL BE DONE IN ONE DAY AND WILL BE WORKED OUT BEST AROUND BOTH OF OUR SCHEDULES. TURN AROUND TIME CANNOT BE FORCASTED.

If you still have questions, please contact me. Let us know if you do or don't like this idea. We are up to trying new things. Especially stuff that benefits our clients.

My babies!

2007-04-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend I visited my Niece and Nephews and loved every minute of it. I had a wedding over by where they live so, of course, I went to visit them!

I love these kids. They are so sweet I could get a cavity! As soon as I got to their house, my niece did not leave my side. She wanted my unconditional attention and I gave it to her. My older nephew was a bit quiet and extremely camera shy, but he was so happy to have me and Art there! My baby nephew...well, what can I say? He is soooo soooo sooo adorable. He is my little smiley face! I swear, all I have to do to get him to laugh is talk to him. He completely makes me melt. I think he has all of us wrapped around his tiny, chubby, little pinky!

I slept over so the next morning as I was sitting in the living room I see my niece come running down the stairs to tell me all about her morning (she wakes up super early so by 10:00 a.m. she had already had tons of adventures!).

The bad part about the whole weekend was having to say goodbye :( When my niece saw that I was leaving she ran to her mom and asked her to put on her shoes. She was running around trying to get her things together so she could leave with me and Art. She kept telling me, "don't go." When I asked her why she said, "because you are mine." I have no idea how a two year old could come up with a way to totally make a 23 year old get filled with tons of emotions, but my niece sure knows how to do that!

When it came time to say goodbye to everyone I was bummed out, but so happy I got to spend time with them!

Here are some of the photos I got to take of them!

The little princess

She was really curious as to why I kept following her with that huge camera! lol

This my little chubster!

I could not choose between black & white or color so I posted both.

Who doesn't enjoy a bite out of a delicious Comcast control?

The camera-shy guy! I caught him!

Photos of this past weekend's wedding coming next week.

trashthedress.com

2007-04-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! I have some exciting news! I was selected to be one of the editors for www.trashthedress.com!!!

Can you tell how excited I am? When you get a chance be sure to visit http://www.trashthedress.com/ to see my introduction which was posted by Mark Eric (be sure to check out his awesome website).

I am really honored to be part of such a fun, informative and creative website filled with so many amazing photographers who contribute by sending so many fabulous images! Be sure to check in every week to see my weekly "photographer of the week" post.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

2007-04-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my Dad!!!

I just got off the phone with my Dad and he is already up and moving. When I was little I would always ask him what did he want as his birthday present and he always said, "I just want you to be good." I never understood why he would not tell me what he wanted. I did not know if he meant that he wanted me to behave or if it was just a simple, "I want you to be okay." What else could he mean? I always assumed that when I got older he would really tell me what he wanted. Some things never change!

Last week I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and like I expected, he said "I just want you to be good." I actually asked him why does he always give me the same answer since it does not make sense for him to tell me that he wants me to behave at 23 years old :D His answer was that the best gift he could ever get is to know that his daughters are okay, healthy and happy. I think with that reply he has fulfilled many birthday and Christmas presents for me!!!

I have so much love and respect for my Dad because he has raised two daughters all on his own. I can only imagine how hard it was to have to raise a pre-teen and a 2 year old, but he has done a great job and he continues to do so.

I love you, Dad!

Insomnia

2007-04-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

Although I am trying to fall asleep, it's impossible. I guess it must be because I am missing my hubby. He had to leave out of the country because his grandmother is very ill. Although I don't know his grandmother, I do know she is such a special and strong woman and from the bottom of my heart I pray that she gets better.

I do need to get to sleep soon though because tomorrow is Christine and Steve's wedding! I can't wait! I am sure it's going to be beautiful. I will be sure to post some photos.

Keep checking the blog because I will announce a great giveaway real soon!

Nighty night, everyone.

Andrea & Dan's Wedding at the Queen Mary

2007-04-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

I covered Andrea and Dan''s Engagement party in March. You can see their engagement party photos under March's blogs.

On April 1st I headed out to the Queen Mary. I had never been there and I have to say that it's beautiful. As I walked towards the chapel aboard the ship I read all the fun facts along the way. Do you think all those "appearances" and "ghost" stories are real?

When I walked into the bride's room inside the chapel I saw Andrea waiting anxiously for the clock to hit 12:00 p.m. As more people walked in you could feel everyone getting more and more excited as the minutes passed. The wedding was very small and intimate, just like Andrea and Dan had wanted it to be.

The weather was great as was everything else. Since it was such a small wedding everyone got to mingle with everyone. At the reception you could just see everyone catching up, laughing, hugging. It was great!

Below are some of my favorite photos.

Such a beautiful setting for a wedding.

There were so many places on the boat to choose from to take photos. It's gorgeous!

This my favorite detail photo.

As hard as I try to go unnoticed most brides have like a 6th sense for photographers! lol

Andrea with her new mother-in-law.

You could tell Andrea and Dan enjoyed their guests

Happy Friday the 13th!

2007-04-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

So far no bad luck; however, I can't say that about tomorrow!

Tomorrow I will be getting the two root canals I told you about a few weeks ago. Yipee...so...fun...

Okay, who am I kidding? I am sooooo ridiculously nervous! I just hope that it's not as bad as people make it out to be. The dentist assured me it's not, but how can I trust him? I almost think I am going to get there are run right back out that door!

Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, maybe not. Art has been trying to motivate me to think positive, but so far he has failed miserably!

I hope everyone has a great weekend and depending on how I feel I will post the photos I promised you of the wedding at the Queen Mary!

Happy (Belated) Easter!

2007-04-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry that I have neglected my blog, but I have been extremely busy!

I hope everyone had a fun Easter!

I did not do much, but go to Church and spend quality time with my Husband and family. I could not ask for more!

I have a lot of post processing to do, which happens to be my favorite part! Tomorrow I will post some photos from last week's wedding at the Queen Mary.

I am sorry for the mediocre post, but I promise that I will post a nice and long one tomorrow!

Spring is here!

2007-04-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

The weather was great today! Amazing sky, not too warm, not too cold, great couple, what more can I ask for?

I photographed a beautiful couple at Santa Monica Pier today! It seems that now that it's beginning to get warmer, the pier is really attracting couples for their engagement photographs.

Below are some photos from today's shoot. Press on the image to see them bigger.

This is definitely one of my favorite! It seems like there is no one else but them!

I actually got a cramp in my arm while taking this one!

A ring shot is always a must...at least, that's what I think!

This image just proves that they are a very beautiful couple. Trust me, they're also beautiful on the inside.

Can you tell that I love walking shots at the beach?

Now tell me, doesn't this couple look like they could model?

I can't wait until they see the rest, I am sure they will love them! I sure do!

Jenn's Wedding

2007-03-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Jenn got married Saturday and everything went as planned! She looked stunning and Victor looked sharp! Everything, down to the smallest of details, was very well thought of. [I love you guys, you are the best!]

I want to wait until Jenn gets back from her honeymoon to post her photos, but I will post on here the one I think is breathtaking!

You can go to my website to see some of the other photos I took at her wedding.

Jenn will be back from her second wedding in Mexico and honeymoon in a few weeks. How lucky is she? She gets to have, not one wedding, but two!

After telling me all night that I rock and that she loves me for all the help I gave her, I need to tell her that she rocks!

...

2007-03-26T11:02:00.001-07:00

I've learned that in life people will always talk. Whether it be because it brings them joy or because they have nothing better to do. I have to admit, sometimes it can be hurtful. Especially when it's not warranted.

All you can do is put your faith in God and know that no matter how many times they try to bring you down, God WILL lift you up.

CONGRATS TO MY FRIEND, JENN!!!

2007-03-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today is Jenn's wedding and I can't wait to get there! I am not her photographer, but she did say that it would be nice if my camera could "accidently" slip into my purse! lol She does not have to tell me twice!

I am sure everything is going to look awesome! She put soooo much work into this that I am sure that it will be more that I can imagine!

Well, I am off to get ready.

XOXO

Double ouch...

2007-03-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sooooo...I went to the dentist...

I got bad news. I need to get two root canals. Not one, but TWO! What's the problem? Well...that I''m a big coward!!!

Someone pleeeeaaaase tell me it's not as bad as I imagine!

First Q 'n' A!

2007-03-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

From time to time, I am going to post a few Q&A/faqs. Feel free to email me or leave a comment with any questions you think would be informative for you, the client.

I usually go blank when it's time to ask someone questions, but once I get to the house they all come back to me! I think this will be a great way to answer questions you did not even know you wanted to ask! ;P

Will you do posed/traditional photography?
If requested by the client, I have no problem photographing traditional/formal poses. I will do what makes you happy.

How many weddings do you photograph in one day?
I will only photograph your wedding that day. This will insure that I will be energized and dedicated to JUST your wedding, like it should be! As a matter of fact, I will only photograph one event per weekend.

Do you use digital or film cameras?
I use only high-end digital cameras.

Like I said, feel free to e-mail me any questions you want me to answer. I will try to post Q&A at least once a week.

Great weekend!

2007-03-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Although a lot of things did not go as expected this weekend, I had a great time! On Saturday I got to spend time with my hubby which felt great! It has been a long time since we've had a "Nat & Art day."

It was truly a "kickback" weekend! I could not have asked for more!

This is proof that I got to actually kickback!!! LOL

Okay, I actually posted this photo because when Art sees it he is going to fall back laughing! He thinks that my socks are silly, but I think they are cute! I guess there is a thin line between cute and silly!

I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's day. Hopefully tomorrow I can post photos of my St. Patrick's day out fit...Maybe not...

Good night.

Soooo in love...

2007-03-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

When I first met Art I never even imagined that one day, very far in the future, we would be married. All I could think was, "oh, he is so annoying." Do consider that this was at an age when I thought all guys had coodies! lol In my defense, he used to bother me like there was no tomorrow!

I can't believe that he is now my husband... My husband. That sure does sound nice.

In August it will be our 9 year anniversary since we became bf/gf and it feels like if we were a brand new couple. People that know us know that we grow more in love as the years pass by.

Getting married was the biggest blessing from God. I thank Him every day for bringing such a great man into my life.

Our wedding was amazing in many ways. As I walked down the aisle holding on to my daddy, I knew that the moment he placed my hand on top of Arturo's it would make my heart yearn to be daddy's little girl again, but that it was okay to let that go because I would become one with Art. As my Dad placed my hand over Art's, I felt exactly that. I wanted to tell my Dad that no matter what I was always going to be his little girl, but when I looked into his eyes I knew that he knew that already. As I looked into Art's eyes I could tell they were misty, something I did not expect, but, I have to say, it made me feel even closer to him. It let me know how special that day was to him, too. It was the most spiritual experience in my life. When I said "I do," I knew that it's going to be forever. Even now I get chills...I truly did marry my best friend.

It's funny how I yearned to still be my daddy's little girl, but I think it was more for him. What always scared me was my Dad being sad because I was now a married woman and no longer his baby, but now that I see how much he loves Art and he likes to have both of us around it is apparent that he does not feel like he lost me, but he feels like he gained a son.

I gained a wonderful Husband who loves me and everything that comes with me. When I see the way he treats my Dad it feels me with happiness and pride because I can see that he has bountiful respect and love for my Dad. I know it's all because he appreciates my Dad for being my dad. Sounds confusing, but it's not.

{Art, I love you for who you are ! My Suegra brought you up to be a wonderful man]

Okay, my post completely took a different turn. I wanted to come here and tell you about my wedding, but I just typed what I felt.

I promise I will tell you about all the things that happened on my wedding day soon. Don't forget to share with me about your wedding day!

Fun in the Sun!

2007-03-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

How is everyone liking the heat wave? I am loving it! Only in California, right?

Yesterday I had a fun, fun, fun engagement shoot! Did I mention it was fun? Jenna and her fiance decided on Santa Monica Pier for their engagement shoot location. Little did we know how hectic traffic was going to be! What is usually a 20 minute ride for me turned into over an hour ride. I guess the heat dragged everyone to the beach! I don't blame them! Don't let me start on how crowded the whole place was!!! I like more of an intimate ambiance for the engagement shoots, but clearly that was not going to happen with hundreds and hundreds of people migrating in and out of the pier!

Before meeting Jenna I could already tell that she has an awesome personality, but when I met her it was confirmed! Both of them are very friendly and made me feel like I have known them for ages. They so compliment one another. Jenna had me laughing throughout the whole shoot! I am so glad that I got to shoot their engagement shoot!

Below I will post some of the amazing shots I got. With them it was a peace of cake to get great images! I have so many favorites that I had trouble deciding which ones to post on here.

I have to say, thanks to them I got one of my MOST favorite shots ever. Literally.

This one was so cool with the cars zooming by that I did not even want to put my logo on it!

THIS IS OFFICIALLY MY FAVORITE IMAGE OF ALL TIME! SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!

More engagement shoot images of this amazing couple coming soon!

Another weekend over

2007-03-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that another weekend has passed by so fast! I sooooo wish it were Friday night so my weekend would be just beginning.

This weekend was very fun and tempting for me. I shot Andrea's bridal shower/engagement party. Let me tell you, they had so much food there. I mean, everywhere you looked there was something yummy. Andrea and her family were very nice. They kept telling us to grab something to eat. Art and I promised we would after we were done with the shoot. The bad thing is that after I was done we completely forgot!!! When we were about 30 minutes away from L.A. I suddenly sat up straight and told Art, "I did not get to get some of those yummy looking sandwiches!" Art looked as disappointed as I felt. Really, I'm not kidding you, the food looked amazing! Can you tell how much I like food? lol

Andrea's mom was great! She was very talktative and made us feel welcomed. In fact, everyone was great.

Below are some great images I got. You will see some of the yummylicious food that I really wanted to try!!!

It was a small and intimate gathering. There was a lot of mingling, laughing, hugging and drinking.

When it's all said and done, I lay back and take pictures of my funky shoes!

A new toy...AGAIN!

2007-03-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

My hubby surprised me with a lens that I have been wanting for a while. I was so happy I almost forgot that I can't really jump up and down just yet. Of course I read the basics in the manual and then I put that sucker on and tested it out. Who did I test it out on, you may ask? Like you did not know! Art, of course. Don't worry, I will not post ANOTHER photo of my "personal model." I need to find a new model!!!

Congrats to Esther and James!!! They are getting married tomorrow. I wish them the best and I hope they take in every single minute of it!

Tomorrow I will be shooting Andrea's Bridal Shower/Engagement Party. I can't wait to use my new lens!

I will post images from the bridal shower tomorrow.

Hasta la vista!

Thanks!

2007-02-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

I want to thank everyone for all the great feedback I have received regarding the new website! I really appreciate it.

I am really glad that everyone (at least everyone who has contacted me) loves the new website! Like I said before, I will be working on it for the next couple of weeks and adding more images. By April it should be exactly how I want it to be. I know April seems like a long time to go, but it's only a month away...well, a month from tomorrow!

This month I only have engagement shoots and child photography sessions, but in April "wedding season" starts for me!!!

As an update, it turns out that my computer went crazy and crashed. It's going to be away from me for at least one to two weeks. I still have two desktops to work off of, but I sure miss my laptop! In the meanwhile, I will not be able to make any slideshows or online proofing because my laptop is the one with the right programs for that. Not to worry, everything else remains the same!

NEW WEBSITE HAS LAUNCHED!!!!!!

2007-02-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

Finally! Last night I got an email letting me know that my new website was live! I can't tell you how excited I was and still am!

Take a look at it:
http://natalylemus.com

The website name has changed from natalylemusphotography.com to just natalylemus.com.

Also, make a note of my new email address which is info@natalylemus.com. The other email address and website will still be active for at least two more weeks, but please refrain from using them. I will let you know when they are no longer working anymore.

Any comments and advice regarding the website is more than welcome!

Good News!!!!!!

2007-02-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Can you tell by all the exclamation marks that I am excited?

I just got news that my website might be live by today! I worked for over 3 weeks on it so I am really happy about it. I still have to add tons of photos to it, but it looks great as it is!

On a, not so great, side note - something is wrong with my laptop so I might have to wait a little longer to show you yesterday's photo shoot. I might just have to get that new Mac I have been eyeing! Okay, maybe that's not an option just yet, but I sure wish I could get it!

Well, hopefully you will get a post later on today announcing the launch of my new website!

Today's photo shoot...

2007-02-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

I will have to post today's photo shoot until tomorrow because my computer is really acting up. For some weird reason it does not let me get to the photos! Not to worry because I back up all the images, but it sure is annoying!

Busy Day

2007-02-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

Today it's going to be a busy day for me. I am meeting with two brides and I am doing a photo shoot with Stephanie and Ron.

Now, I ask you, why am I still in bed??? I will blame it on the rib! Which, by the way, is healing slowly but surely. It still bothers me, but I guess I just have to be more patient...

I hear my husband coming so I should probably go open the door - since he is bringing breakfast!

I will post the pictures from the shoot either tonight or tomorrow.

Esther & James' Engagement Shoot

2007-02-19T21:31:00.000-08:00

Although I am still in tons of pain, I forgot all about it earlier today!

Today I met with Esther and James at Venice Beach to photograph their engagement shoot. Yesterday it seemed that we were going to have to change the location because it was raining and the weather channel said there was an 80% chance of rain for today. Thankfully, it cleared up in time for us to take pictures.

Esther and James are such a sweet couple! From the moment I met them I could tell they totally compliment each other.

James seemed at ease from the start and it took no time at all for Esther to feel the same way. James and Esther will be getting married on the 3rd of March! I remember how nervous I was when I was only 2 weeks away, but it's so worth it!

I am glad I got to photograph them before they leave the good ol' United States of America. They will move to Australia soon!

*Patty, if you read this I am sure you wish you were moving there, too!*

Below I will post a few of my favorite shots. Tomorrow I will post the images I took on Sunday of a beautiful young lady named Melissa.

Ouch!

2007-02-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

So I had to go to urgent care today because my upper left abdomen has been hurting REALLY bad since last night. Turns out that I have a fractured rib! Apparently, it has been fractured for a while, but last night I must have lifted something heavy or just moved the "wrong" way.

I need to take it easy for a couple of days in order to bring the inflammation down. Thankfully I do not have a photo session because I tend to roll around and climb on things when I have one! Now, don't be scared! I promise that I only do that when needed! lol

Even laughing hurts right now!

Well, I am about to give in to my sleepiness.

Good night.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T07:50:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day!

Fun Photo Session with Madison

2007-02-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

Today I had tons of fun photographing a little lady name Madison! She is a 2 year old with tons of energy. I probably said the word "cute" more than 1,000 times today. Madison is a natural in front of the camera. She knows how to work the camera better than anyone else I know! Who knew a 2 year old could model? But Madison sure did. She was striking poses ever so subtle!

THIS IS HOW WE STARTED OUR DAY...

SHE WAS VERY ENTERTAINED WITH THE LOLLIPOP I GAVE HER...

IN NO TIME AT ALL, SHE STARTED WORKING THE CAMERA...

BY THE END OF THE DAY, MADISON WAS ALL HOPS AND SKIPS!

New Website Coming!

2007-02-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

In the upcoming weeks I will be working on launching my new website.

The new website will have way more images and a lot of new cool stuff.

Stay tuned! I can't wait to unveil the new website!

I have a new toy!

2007-02-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

Last night I went and bought a new flash. I felt like a kid on Christmas day! I don't know about you, but when I was small I would hate to get a toy that required batteries but no batteries!!!! Well, the part that I hated was having to wait to get batteries to play with the toy. Did that suck or what? That's what I felt last night!

I have a rule that I have to AT LEAST read the basics on the manual before using any equipment. I was so antsy! I had to use it ASAP. When I finally got to use it, I ran to my living room and flashed my husband!

This is the image I got:

I am not one to use flash, unless it's really needed. However, I love my new flash! This image was taken with almost no light except for the t.v.

Well, I am off to read the manual!

Bride Wig-Out!!! Real or Not?

2007-02-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

Before anything, I would like to say that I sooooo do not think this is real. I hope it's not real!

If this IS real, why would her bridesmaid keep filming after the bride told her over and over again to stop? It seems too dramatic.

Another reason why I do not think it's real is because any bride who is unhappy with the results of her hair (or make-up) will most definitely speak up at the salon. Especially when she is as outspoken as the bride we just saw!

What do you think, real or fake?

Long Day!

2007-02-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be nice to share some images I took of my Husband last weekend. Keep in mind that he is sooooo tired of me photographing him! lol

Who better than my Husband to serve as my "personal" model?

In the one below you can REALLY tell he's bored!

My favorite!

Time to go. There is a book on my nightstand calling out my name! 'Til next time!

Engagement Session Locations

2007-01-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be a great idea to put together a list of locations for engagement sessions in Southern California. So far I have about 20 different locations in the Los Angeles area. I would, however, like to include other areas outside of Los Angeles such as Orange County, Inland Empire, San Diego, etc.

If you have any suggestions for my list, feel free to post them! I think this would be useful for my clients and anyone who is going to have an engagement session. When I am done building the list, I will post it on here.

I like places that are unique and/or have a special meaning to the couple. It makes the photos more meaningful and interesting. Although, when there is a couple in love it does not need more than that to make amazing photos!

Speaking about engagement sessions, I will be photographing Esther and her fiance in a couple of weeks and they chose Venice Beach for the location! I can't wait to shoot their engagement pictures. Be sure to check back to see their photos!

Well, I am off to go buy my Husband a game for his Play Station. Funny, they never outgrow certain things!

Welcome!

2007-01-28T02:27:00.000-08:00

Before anything, it is my honor to invite you to my new blog.

I can't believe it took me over a year to start my own photography blog!

On here you will find a diverse amount of information. Whether it be regarding photography or just my personal life, I will keep you updated! Keep checking my blog because your picture might be on here ! *that is, if you give me permission to post it on here*

I thought I might start my new blog with a beautiful image I shot today. I, personally, think it's breathtaking, but I might think that because I photographed it!

If you live in Los Angeles you have passed by this church at least once. It is located on Figueroa and Adams. The church is amazingly beautiful. The bride (Molly) asked me to meet her there at 12:00 p.m., but, like always, I got there earlier and had fun taking a lot of images of the church. The architecture is beautiful!

It was a long and wonderful day for me. I woke up at 8:00 a.m. and it is now 2:50 a.m. on Sunday and I am not even sleepy.

I guess I should try to fall asleep, but not before thanking a few people that have supported me in my photography business. I thought it would be a great way to end my first post.

First of all, I have to give a HUGE thanks to my hubby who I love immensely! Art, you have been there for me every step of the way. You are my inspiration, babe!

Second, a big thanks to my personal model, Evelyn (my little sister-in-law)! Every time I need to try out new equipment, etc., you are there! You rock!

Lastly but just as important, thanks to all my clients and friends who believe in me! You know I give 100% of myself. Each shoot is a new experience and I treat each one with the uniqueness it deserves. You know I love my job and, I believe, it shows in my work.