favorites | boise photographer, utah photographer

although i had to have a 20 minute debate with myself this morning to get out of bed, and another 5 minute debate about just how necessary brushing my hair really is (me: 0, static cling: 1234243673), there was no lack of motivation for me to get up this blog post today. in fact i'm having some trouble holding myself back here. do i really want to post the majority of their gallery just because i loved it so much? maybe i can just explain a little bit why i love this session rather than accosting your eyes with a never ending blog post.

it wasn't a session where every shot was a wow shot. no, it really wasn't. but i had some of those. a good amount even. what made this session perfect for me (other than the gorgeous and stylish children, and one precious, newish baby) however, is that there was this certain number of images that spoke. they weren't perfect. and when i say not perfect, i mean the kind of not perfect where i'm seriously doubting if anyone will appreciate them but me. but they said something to me, the way a tree with bare branches says something even though winter isn't its prettiest season.

and  that makes my photographer's heart happy.

wedding t-t-t-tease | utah wedding photographer

okay, guys, this time i'm really going to do it. even if it kills me. which there is a good chance it will. i'm going to post something EVERY DAY, for 1 week.  Maybe even every day for 1 MONTH if this first week goes well. Its not going to be easy. It might not even be pretty. But you know what? I'm almost through this yucky first trimester, and I have  an amazing assortment of awesome sessions to choose from for posting. So that helps. ( Big Breath from a time commitment-phobic). I can do this.

the one stipulation i've set for myself is to not worry too much about sounding fun or happy, or even cool! i'm mostly worried about sounding like me. and if i let the real me elbow her way through here, she might tell you that the best thing about today is that she got to see a perfect little picture of her little baby in utero. its got a profile, fingers, and a beating heart, which is enough to thrill me to no end.

and probably the nexxxxt best thing about today is that I have some wedding photos to share with you from Trent and Carly's fantastic wedding. Remember how cold last week was UTAH? I can guarantee that cold is something neither Carly, nor Trent, nor my baby pinky toes will ever forget.

but it was worth it.

apples | utah family photographer, utah child photographer

well, i totallllly blew it. this week was going to be THE week. the one where I turned this blog into one of the most happening hangouts on the web by posting every. single. day. i was going to be witty. i was going to be clever, it was going to be a really good time. or in other words, the words of my own dear mother to be exact, "coulda, woulda, shoulda." pshhhhh. i just can't believe the actual outcome was so opposite. you would think i could have squeaked in at least several posts if i was serious about my goal but instead here i sit, looking disdainfully at complete and utter failure ....

almost. allllll ---------moooooooooooost. i do have one post to leave you with on this cozy saturday afternoon.

the first thing you should know about this session is that there were about 10 deer in the orchard. they were not intimidated by me AT ALL and they were beautiful. the second thing is that when i met this family at said orchard i just could not believe how  pretty each of their  daughters was. The thing that really got me is that they each look so different from each other, but their beauty unified them somehow. It made me think of my family, and my two girls. Even though my girls look like they could be twins mysteriously birthed 23 months apart, i just thought of the fact that martin and i  already have two precious daughters, that we're expecting baby number three (did you catch that? yes it was announcement), and that as much as we are hoping for a boy, we both suspect we're destined for a family of all little girls. sigh. writing that makes me feel emotional (in a good way).

anyway, i've been dying to get a family into an orchard for so so so long. i'm in love with the perfect pop of red it brings to the images. this family was so so sweet and relaxed--a photographer's dream. i hope you enjoy.

Last Boise Stop of the year |Boise Children's photographer

before, i go ANY farther, I must clear up any confusion. namely,

where in the world is Yan Photography?!!!

i like to maintain the illusion of omni-presence (another dumbledore comparison may fit here, not sure). i'm in utah, i'm in boise, i'm all around you. or so it would seem.

but the truth?

i live in provo, utah. such was not always the case. in fact, just a few short months ago, i lived in boise. and the truth of the matter is that i didn't want to make a big annoncement about the whole move, because i didn't want my boise friends to feel abandoned. so the plan was to continue doing sessions in boise, travelling monthly, and sometimes bi monthly to do so.

although i'm exhausted, so far, its worked! but its also worked at confusing people. one week i'm sharing a utah session, the next, a boise. well, that's not going to change...yet. I am still available for a limited number of boise bookings through Spring 2010. But Utah peeps, just know that I'm in your area, ready with my camera.

For the rest of this year however, I am making one last stop in Boise, and its going to be during Thanksgiving weekend. Until recently, my family's holiday plans were up in the air, but we found out we'll be coming home to Boise for sure! Our tentative plans are to be in town wed-sat. I have a couple of bookings, and a couple of more last minute spots open, if anyone wants them! i know everyone is feeling their prettiest, after a little holiday indulgence =). So let's get together for a bundled, urban, hat and scarf whir of fun.

and because i'm sick to death of posting without pictures. here is just ONE from the seemingly endless photos i'm working on.

be mentored by yan | utah photographer, boise photographer

EDITED TO ADD: whoa whoa whoa!!!! i have been blown away by the amount of interest i have received in mentoring sessions. those of you who contacted me for more info, should have recieved an email from me today. If you did not, send me an email with a swear word in the title, so I will be sure to notice you. At this time I am only offering a limited number of spots, and though I just sent out info today, those spots are close to being gone! I'm about to go turn on a Mates of States song song to dance my pants off to. That's how thrilled I am at the prospect of meeting each of you! remember when you were a kid and any time you had a question there was this one great source of all knowing wisdom? she was always there, almost always had a patient answer (except for the millionth time you asked why you couldn't spend the night at your best friend's house), and you felt so secure and safe, knowing that if you had a problem or were confused on something, your Mom could without fail save the day?

...sigh, i miss having all my bad days saved. i miss being able to run to my mom when i can''t figure something out. i miss having my sweet, good mother, not only answer my question, but being able to see  her eyes full of love as she did so.  i miss  hearing that tone of praise in her voice, as though i was so brilliant for even formulating what i wanted to ask.

the problem is that  i got older. life got bigger. and way way way more complicated. and though i'm still very much inclined to call my mom when there is something i

just

don't

get,

unfortonately, there are limits to her formerly endless wells of knowledge. like for instance:

photoshop.

any canon product.

and the virtues of apple over pc, to name a few.

and some days i wish, i yearn i ache, for there to be just one person who would have in the past and who would still, answer all of my millions of pitiful questions along my photographic journey.  although i have had incredible resources and friends i would be extremely remiss for not acknowledging, they are in fact, the reason i am where i am today (you know who you are), there was never just one all knowing cross between dumbledore and my mom: ie someone with ALL the answers.

okay, now don't laugh, but with this is mind, i would like to throw a little offer out there. first the disclaimer: i am not dumbledore. i am not an embodiment of everything wise and good, like my mom was for me when i was young. basically, i only know how to do what i know how to do. but surprisingly, i get quite a large number of emails asking me this VERY thing. how do I do what  I do. And you know what? I want to give some answers. But more importantly, I want to get to you know you as I do.

So starting this winter, me, the yan in Yan Photography will be offering half day and full day ONE on ONE  mentoring sessions. If I'm going to mentor, I really want to make a connection with you, and I really want you to get ALL your questions answered, and for right now, I just can't see doing that in a group format.  These mentoring sessions will include my photo process from start to finish, including an actual photo shoot I want us both to participate in, post processing and product info. So if you are at all interested in the Yan way, but more importantly, the Yan way helping you find YOUR way, please email me at photography.yan@gmail.com for more info and pricing.

and i think that officially concludes the LONGEST verbal post I've every written on this blog. in the near future i hope to have some pretty pictures of myself (not an easy feat, mind you), to include with posts such as these. but until my plans for that pan out, i leave you with a whole lot of words. and i hope that you found some of them good. =)