The Shark from Mars Makes it's Debut Race {Project 365}

The Boy found happiness this weekend in a shark car named "Shark from Mars". The past few weeks he and Jayme have spent hours sawing, sanding, designing and painting this block of wood in preparation for this most treasured boy scout tradition -- the Pinewood Derby.

When I was a child my brother was involved with Boy Scouts and the annual Pinewood Derby was a thorn in my side. I had to go to the Boy Scout ranch and sit for hours amongst pre-adolescent stinky boys who laughed at my Barbies and pulled my hair when I turned my back on them.

But somehow over the course of a few decades, the Pinewood Derby has changed. It's no longer full of stinky pre-adolescent boys, but cute little boys with cute little cars. Okay, it's possible it's just my perspective that's changed. I should ask the little sisters at the event what they though of it and maybe they'd say it was a stink fest still.

The Boy made a really good showing for his first year. He just barely missed the semi-finals. But the important part is that he had a blast making that shark car with his dad and the race day itself was full of running around like a monkey, having a good time with the other Cub Scouts, eating popcorn, watching his shark car race and being a little boy.

Already he's planning for next year. Perhaps a car that looks like a space ship?

Lisa On Location Photography

Well Finally! {Project 365}

You may think I've slipped on my project, but you would be mistaken! I've been unable to log onto my Blog for a couple of days and I'm finally able to get in to share with you the image I took on Saturday. I took the family to see The Hobbit and then we hit Fuddruckers for some wholesome crane game fun (and a burger and fries).

We would have liked to go home with that silly crocodile that looked so easy to get, but $3 later we gave up.

I'll upload the next 2 in my project shortly!

Lisa On Location Photography

Santa's Lap {Project 365}

Yesterday's photo of the day is my boy with the big man himself. Only he's resting assured that it's not actually the real big man himself.

The Boy is scared to death of the real Santa because he's convinced he's on the naughty list and lives in fear of Santa's horrible retribution.

So the only way I could convince him to pose for a photo with "Santa" was to assure him that this was not the real official Santa, but that Santa was very busy this year with so many good children that he couldn't make it to his school for Santa photo day.

Is this the real Santa and I was just telling a story to my boy to get this photo? I'll never tell.

Anything for a good photo, right?

Lisa On Location Photography

Would you like a cookie with those sprinkles?: {Project 365}

Yesterday's image speaks for itself. It was taken at the Cookies With Santa program at my boy's school.

They fussed at me for letting him use too many sprinkles. But he looks so happy.

Lisa On Location Photography

The Face of Joy {Project 365}

I bought a really cute pink Santa hat yesterday to wear to the elementary school tomorrow to take Santa photos of the kiddos. And since the boy is much like a pet dog or cat in that he has to sniff and inspect every new item you bring into the house, he was the first to try it out.

He asked me to take a photo of him practicing his new smirk so I am presenting it to you in all its unedited glory. Notice the chocolate still stuck to his face. I have no idea what he ate. This is how he looked when I picked him up at school. But I guess it was good enough to save some for later.

Forty-one days down, 324 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

About a Lady and a Horse {Project 365}

The Sunset that I Missed {Project 365}

I don't consider myself a speed demon. I tend to stick to the speed limits as much as possible but I frown upon people who drive in the fast lane at speeds slower than the speed limit. Normally it's just a slight nuisance. But today a slow poke driver cost me a sunset.

"How can a slow poke driver cost you a sunset?" you may ask. Well, I was turning onto the road that leads to my subdivision when, wow!, there's this gorgeous sunset right in front of me and just about a half a mile to get to my house, where my trusty 5D Mark iii was sitting on my desk awaiting my arrival.

So I step on the gas, still well under the speed limit, when I come upon a van puttering along at a snail's pace. Crap. There's the sun and it's slowly disappearing and looking so gorgeous. And there's the van, and "whoa, he's up to about 15 mph now." And the sun is dipping lower. And the van is still dragging. Can't pass it, there are cars coming. And then just when I think the view can't get any more gorgeous, the sun is gone, leaving in it's wake a slowly dissipating thread of pink, orange and red. Crap.

Then it's time to turn into my subdivision, but the van turns too. Another right turn, but it turns too. Crap crap! Alas, I arrive at my home and grab my camera just in time to catch the last whispers of color as they seep from the sky.

But it wasn't a total loss. On the way to the field next to my house a roving pug dog decided to follow me for company. When I realized I wouldn't get the shot I wanted of the sun I thought I'd turn my camera on the pug dog for my image of the day. His response to my attempts to take his photo were met with disapproval -- and the view you see here.

Thirty-six down, 329 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Just for My Jayme {Project 365}

The past couple of days have been draining on me. They've left me tired and uninspired. Jayme knows this. So while I've had a couple of days of not wanting to do my daily project -- even photographers sometimes don't want to pick up a camera -- he's pulling out impressive images of the constellation Orion. He's just mean that way.

So just for you Jayme, because I know how much you love my kitties, I give you Meow Meow Kitty. Love you!

Thirty-five days down, 330 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

My New Favorite Tool {Project 365}

Meet my new toy. It's one of many but already it has improved my photography for families and children.

Isn't it cute! It's a tiny little plastic camera. It measures about 1.5 inches long and one inch high. It has sweet little photos of animals inside and when you hold it to your eye and push the shutter, it changes photos.

My boy brought a few of these home from the dentist a few weeks ago and I thought they were cute so I put them in my bag. Then I encountered a challenging child a few days later. His mom asked him to pose for a photo for her. He crossed his arms and said "no".

That moment is the beginning of most nightmare scenarios for photographers. I quickly thought about a bribe and remembered the little cameras. I pulled one out and showed it to him. I asked him if he'd like to take it home with him. He said yes. I offered him a chance to earn it by smiling really big and letting me take a few photos of him. He agreed. He did it, he smiled and posed beautifully so I gave it to him. He left happy. Disaster averted.

I quickly worked my way through the small stash from the dentists office and realized they were the ticket to lots of happy faces. But I was out. I scoured the internet for these things with no luck so I asked the dentist on our return trip to her office yesterday. She showed me the catalog and I screamed with joy. I called the 800 number and ordered 150 of these little charmers.

They'll be here in a few days and then I'll be packing! I'll be ready for the stubborn kids and the potential nightmares. Bring it on!

Thirty-four days down, 331 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Day 33 Brings Bubbles {Project 365}

Today I wanted to photograph my boy in his busy little world of play. At first he had his soccer ball and I had a vision in my head of the shot I wanted to try with him and the soccer ball. But just as soon as I had it set up and ready to add him and his ball. He changed his mind and lost interest in the ball. "It's dirty and I really don't want to pick it up," he told me.

He did, however, pick up his brand new bubble blower that he got in his magic Christmas calendar this morning. -- And I'd like to make a special shout out to Na-ma who got him this magical little calendar a few years ago. It has a special power to make a new pocket-size toy magically appear in it every morning from Dec. 1 until the 24 in the pocket with the number of that date on it. Just so the boy has plenty of practice waking up every single God-forsaken morning and creeping down the stairs to see what goodies he can find (and God forbid the guilt and trauma that mom feels if there is not a toy magically in that stupid pocket every single freakin' morning.) Once again thank you so much Na-ma for the beautiful magic calendar. Really.

So he discarded the soccer ball and picked up the magic bubbles forcing me to rethink my image of the day. But I did. And here it is. Magic bubbles.

Thirty-three days down, 332 days to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Finally, The Photo You've All Been Waiting For {Project 365}

I think you probably thought I was joking in that first blog when I started this project about photographing my big toe and using it as my photo of the day. You didn't think I'd do it did you? Well guess what. Today I had a pedicure so I photographed my toe. I dressed it up with some pearls and made it art by applying some actions. But there you go. My big toe.

Thirty-two days down, 333 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

A Slightly Different Look at My Girl {Project 365}

Today was another really packed Sunday for Lisa on Location. I had two full sessions and a meeting with a bride. While on my morning session, I took a moment once again to turn the camera to my girl who was holding the light. I didn't intend to use it for my photo of the day because I just used her recently, but then I thought, "why not?" This project is all about me photographing what I want to photograph for me, rather than for someone else. But this time I played a little with her to try to make her look like even more of a work of art than she already is.

Thirty-one days down, 334 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Playing in the Mud with Friends {Project 365}

Yesterday's photo of the day was not taken with one of my fancy, expensive cameras. There was no off camera lighting other than the sun. I did no posing, I didn't even set the camera settings because I couldn't. It was shot with one of those disposable underwater cameras. And it was actually quite encrusted with mud, which explains the foggy nature of this photos.

But it's still a favorite photo of mine. It's a photo of my friend, Juliet, after having a big pile of mud stacked on the top of her head by my other friend, Laura.

Yesterday a group of my friends and myself participated in the Dirty Girl Mud Run 5K in San Antonio. It wasn't a timed race, there were no prizes other than the free t-shirt, and nobody cared that they had dirt under their fingernails, or in their ears, or in a variety of unmentionable places.

It was good clean fun for a good cause (breast cancer) and we all left with some fun memories and few muddy snapshots thanks to my cheap, disposable camera.

Thirty days down, 335 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Sharing Our Space at Landa Park {Project 365}

I've spent some time at Landa Park over the past week with several family sessions and then returning a few times to feed the stray kittens, which I'm happy to report have all found homes. So I decided to photograph a few of the other creatures who spend a lot of time in the park as well. I couldn't decide between these two so I'll just show you both of them.

Twenty-nine down, 336 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Christmas Traditions {Project 365}

Today we put up the tree in the house. Putting the tree up in our home is a walk through time of sorts. When the kids were little we used to get ornaments that represented whatever they were into that year. Thus we have an assortment of Hannay Montana, Winnie the Pooh, Clifford, Barbie, Hello Kitty and various other cartoon characters and toys.

Even though the girls laugh at the red Teletubby, Po, as we hang her on the tree. I refuse to not put her up there. She means something about the family. That stupid red Teletubby convinced us to drop a buttload of money on toys and merchandise back in 1999. It's going on the tree!.

The photo I share today is even older than that Teletubby ornament. This little soldier ornament made out of a clothespin and a ball of cotton was made in the fall of around 1973 or 74. I remember my mom sitting at our dining room table with the floral print chairs, painstakingly painting these clothespins to look like little soldiers. She made dozens of them. Gluing the pieces together with craft glue in the days before hot glue. They were all over our tree for many years. Their numbers diminished year after year as they fell apart or were lost. But a few still remain. I grabbed one of them off my mom's tree a few years ago and brought it home with me to grace our tree. It's a small fragment of my childhood. It's a reminder of the passage of time and the carrying on of Christmas traditions. I wonder which of the ornaments I cover our tree with year after year will survive and make it onto the trees of my children and grandchildren. I wonder if they'll tell the story of the red Teletubby ornament to others many years from now.

I hope so. Twenty-eight down, 337 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Sunset in Martindale {Project 365}

I had the pleasure of shooting a session in Martindale tonight and on the way out, I drove past the cemetery at sunset. I've been in this neighborhood a few times and I've always done a double take when I see the way the light plays off the backside of these tombstones and shines through the trees. This time, I instantly though of my Project 365 and actually pulled over to shoot it rather than think to myself "I need to photography that some day" as I have in the past.

So today I give you the Martindale Cemetery at sunset. Twenty-seven down, 338 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Welcome to the Family Little Kitten {Project 365}

Remember my photo a couple of days ago of my daughter with the kitten she found at the park?

Can you guess how that story is ending? If you guessed that we found a lovely older lady who was looking for a new kitten for companionship and it was love at first sight, well then you would be wrong. If you guessed that we dropped a small fortune at the vet's office to get her checked up for diseases and examined, then you would be right. And also, if you guessed that she jumped right onto my desk and into my heart, then you would be right as well.

So two days ago when I told the kids "we will not be keeping this kitten." Well, I guess I was mistaken. The two older cats still need some convincing. They aren't as swayed by her easy going and tender personality as the rest of us.

Jayme needs some convincing as well. He can't be done in by a pair of amber eyes and kitten purrs. The girls have sworn to do laundry without asking for the rest of their lives. I don't think he believes them. We'll see.

Twenty-six days down, 339 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Nothing Finer than a Man in Uniform {Project 365}

Yesterday's photo is simple and sweet. My Boy went to his first pack meeting. He memorized the cub scout motto, learned the super secret handshake and got his little pinewood derby car and he's ready to go. It's the beginning of great things to come.

Lisa On Location Photography

Uh-oh, Kitty-oh! {Project 365}

I had an early morning session in Landa Park today and came home with an unexpected souvenir. It appears that someone opted to desert three sweet little kittens in the park rather than bother to find homes for them. Or perhaps even get their pet spayed or neutered in the first place so they wouldn't be burdened with unwanted kittens.

The kittens appear to be a recent addition to the park. They're only about 3 months old from the looks of them. Two of the three were quite skittish, yet curious about us at the same time. One of them, the smallest and skinniest of the three, came right up to my daughter who has a huge soft spot in her heart for kittens. She cuddled the little runt, and played with her, and begged me to let her bring it home.

I said no. I continued to say no even as we made a trip to the grocery store to pick up some cat food to bring back to the kittens. I continued to say no even as they hungrily ate up the cat food as if they hadn't eaten in days. I said no.

Nevertheless, we took the little one home only on the condition that we do everything we can to find someone to adopt her. I would have taken them all home to at least provide them with a warm place to stay over night, but the other two were quite clear that I was welcome to bring them food, but I was not welcome to attempt to grab them.

So here we have my lovely little girl with her newest rescued kitten. If anyone would like a little holiday cheer in the form of kitten purrs and cuddles, let me know. And the other two at Landa Park would probably love a warm place to sleep and some food as well, provided you can catch them.

Twenty-four down, 341 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Begging For Food {Project 365}

Yesterday's photo was really just a snapshot. Even though it was shot on the job, I'm not presenting this one to the client so it counts as a Project 365 photo. This is Jayme taking a quick dinner break during the reception along with a little friend who'd like a bite to eat as well. How many wedding receptions have you been to lately that had beggars like this hanging around? I thought it worthy of my photo of the day.

Lisa On Location Photography