Mary Kate and Ashley's Photo Secret

So apparently Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have a little photo secret that is called "The Prune." Yes, you read that right, THE PRUNE. Before they go into a photo shoot or a place where their photo will be taken they turn to each other and say the word "Prune." This relaxes their facial muscles and give them that little pouty face that you always see them making.  I'm really terrible at non-smiling pictures so I'm going to have to give this a try. I tried to "Smize" when that was a thing but it was pretty much a fail. Are you good at taking pictures without teeth-smiling??

(Image)

Nashville & a Photo Trick

Jason and I spent the weekend in Nashville shooting a friend's wedding.  

It was a quick trip, but we did get a couple of hours to hang around one night and be tourists. We headed downtown, got some ice cream, meandered past the bright lights and bars blasting country music and walked across the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge to snap some night shots of the skyline. I decided I wanted a photo of us, and we took the shot above. Immediately after Jason posted it on Instagram, he got a couple texts from friends asking how he did it. 

I tried to get him to tell people we were actually ghosts...no one bought that. 

The real answer is super simple. You too can be a ghost! It's just a long exposure done with an app called Slow Shutter Cam. Because the camera shutter stays open much longer than a normal shot, it lets in more light, which is how you capture night shots, but it also blurs any movement- hence ghost Jason and Jenny. To get the shot right, take a couple shots, changing settings to get to the correct exposure for the background. This exposure was 15 seconds. Then just as if you're using a self timer setting,  set it on something get the angle right, hit the button and awkwardly run into the photo and FREEZE! It's important to hold as still as you can while the shutter is open, then run back out and see if it worked. 

Now go make some ghost photos yourself! 

Would You Hire a Birth Photographer?

The idea of someone photographing the birth of my baby always seemed a bit odd to me before Mylo was born. I wanted the experience of giving birth to be intimate and really only include Patrick, myself, our doula, and minimal assistance from medical professionals along the way. If you've read his birth story you know I didn't really get my wish. Now that I can reflect on the experience it might be nice to have some classy, professional, birth photos to look back on now. Especially because the natural part of my labor was so overshadowed by the needed interventions that took place in the end. I'm so grateful for the photos that Jason was able to snap just after I met Myles for the first time. I was so drugged I barely even remember him taking them but they are very special to us now. I recently read an article on Babble about how in a C-section delivery, birth photography can be even more important since the photos will serve as the eyes of the mother since she can't see what is happening.

I tried to take photos when my sister gave birth to Rory but I did NOT do the moment justice. It was one of the most beautiful and magical moments I have ever experienced and I just wasn't able to capture that with my camera. Although it may be weird to have a stranger or acquaintance in the room during this intimate moment it would also be nice to have those private photos for years to come.

These are lovely photos of a birth and here is an interesting interview with a birth photographer. Did you hire a birth photographer? Would you?

(image)

Bettery

Yes, I realized it's odd to be obsessed with a reusable battery, but these are great and can't help but telling people. Friends in Seattle & Portland: consider this a public service announcement to better your life.

I just discovered Bettery a few weeks ago in a Redbox-like vending machine at my local Whole Foods. As photographers, we go through TONS of AA batteries for our flashes, and I'd yet to find a reusable one that packed enough kick. These last longer than regular batteries in our flashes AND I no longer have to feel like a guilty mother nature killer each time I drop batteries in the trash. 

Basically, you get them from the machine, use them and return them when they are dead. No remembering to charge things, yay!

Seriously, I could go on and on, but for all my photographer friends out there, and anyone else who uses a lot of batteries, you should give these a whirl. They're about the same cost as disposable ones. 

PS. I feel like I should mention that I really am just a huge fan of these, this is totally my own opinion and I wasn't compensated in any way for this post. I just really like these batteries. A lot. 

Daisy for Vogue

How stunning are these pictures of Carey Mulligan in her Great Gatsby attire for Vogue?! I am so excited for this movie, love all the actors and Baz Luhrmann.

(images via)

Hair

When you're surrounded by lots of other photographers, occasionally they need someone to pose. So every now and then, I get to be in front of the camera instead of behind it. 

A few years back, my friend Zoe did a photo shoot of me inspired by a shot of Twiggy by Richard Avedon. They were snapped in a makeshift studio setup we created in our office late one night.

These were for Zoe's high school photography class. HIGH SCHOOL. She's that talented. The down side of this, one of these shots ended up hanging up in the school. That's right, a photo of me looking like I'm naked hung in a high school (and was on the school website). Awkward. 

 We recently did a second shoot, in an actual studio (below). Again, I managed to tweak my neck by flipping my hair 100+ times in a row, but totally worth it for awesome photos. 

All images zoerainphotography.com

WW: Meeting with Photographers...

Whether you've set up meetings with your top wedding photographer choices or you've already met with photographers and are trying to figure out the best fit, here are a few things to consider.

1. Check out a full wedding. If a full portfolio isn't already available online, ask to see one. Also, make sure the photographer shows you photos from more than one wedding. You don't want to be working with someone who's only shot one wedding and the bride just so happened to be a model. Another thing I've seen photographers do is to try and pass off a professional photo shoot as an actual wedding. You want to make sure you're working with someone who is good under pressure and can make the reality of a wedding day look just as good as a professional photo shoot. Another great thing you can check out in person that you can't fully experience online is any album options they offer.
2. Make sure you like them. From shots of getting ready to the main photo shoot and all the way to the end of the reception, there's a good chance you will spend more time with your photographer than anyone else on your wedding day (except the person you're marrying of course!). With this in mind, even if you LOVE someone's work and want to book them immediately, I'd still encourage you to meet with them in person or over Skype and chat for a bit to make sure you click with them. If you aren't comfortable with your photographer, it'll show in the photos.
3. Do your visions align? Ask them what a typical wedding day looks like. Does your idea of how you want your wedding day laid out match with how they typically like to shoot? Are you looking for an entire photo shoot directed by the photographer but meeting with someone who likes to stay invisible and shoot things as they happen photo journalistically or vice versa? Make sure you're on the same page with how they like to work.

PS. Don't forget this! The two most important questions no one knows to ask any potential photographer before you book them.

Image Zoe Rain Photography for JKoe.

Extra-Large House Cat

So last night, I  jumped on Pinterest only to discover that my feed had been taken over by this super long strip of pictures that looked like someone had basically subbed out the family dog for a lion. 

I was immediately intrigued. Who were they and why did they have their own personal Aslan poking around their fridge and swimming with them?

A couple of google searches later, I found out that the family in the photos is that of actress/model Tippi Hedren, best known for staring in Hitchcock's The Birds. Melanie Griffith is her daughter. In fact, that's Melanie in bed with Neil the lion! 

Hedren founded The Shambala Preserve, an animal sanctuary just north of L.A. and Neil was a part of their family. 

Here's where you can see more pictures. 

And if that isn't enough cute lion for you, have you seen this? 

The Philosophy of Wedding Photos

I have a little bit of wedding philosophy for you. Consider this some very basic tips for being in the right frame of mind for getting amazing photos on your wedding day. Having a good photographer is key, beyond that, there are some things you can do to insure you look your best, happiest, most in love in your photos.

Be relaxed. Sometimes this means having a mimosa with your bridesmaids before you start photos. Just one though.

Be on time. Make sure you include enough time for photos. I usually suggest even scheduling extra time so you can have a cushion in case hair and makeup runs late. More time is always better. You can always take a break after.

Be Playful. It makes for great photos. 

Be flexible. Sometimes the weather or light just isn't cooperating. Maybe there's a huge crowd of people right where you want to shoot. Trust your photographer if they suggest doing something other than what you had in mind. It could be the difference between a mediocre shoot where you wanted or an amazing photo-op somewhere slightly different. 

Be in the moment. Don’t worry about what happened before photos or what comes next in the schedule of the day. You're only going to do this once. Enjoy it. If you're stressed or rushed, you'll be able to see it in the photos. 

Be away. Go somewhere fun and away from other people so you don't have to feel nervous because people are watching, you can have a private moment together and you don't have people running up to you to ask random questions about details. Let other people figure out the last minute details and enjoy this time together.

Be done before the ceremony. This is definitely a personal choice, but here's why I suggest it. 

Be fearless. Sometimes brides step into the dress and suddenly feel like they can hardly move for fear of getting the dress dirty. Well, just know, if you're wearing something white that touches the floor, the underside is bound to get a little dirty but no one will notice, I promise. Don't miss out on amazing photos because you're afraid of a little dirt. You're only going to wear the dress once anyway. (However, I will say, the photo above was taken after the ceremony.)

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

All images JKoe Photography.

Violet Violence

When you marry a photographer, sometimes you do impromptu photo shoots on your friend's roof.

This happened in LA a few months back...

The original idea was oddly enough, inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. We started with the thought that through a wardrobe, you get to Narnia, so maybe, through another closet, one that has dresses and heels, you'd get to another sort of crazy world. Then, because we're really cool, we decided to pretend we were a band. We named ourselves Violet Violence and added the shots to the Music gallery on jkoephoto.com.

If I was in a band, I would play the triangle.

PS. All the other artists in the gallery are legit and highly capable of more than just banging a triangle.

Wedding Wednesday: Photos Before the Ceremony?

What do you think about couples seeing each other and doing pictures before the ceremony?

First off, I'd like to say that there is no right decision. Everyone is different and I strongly believe that weddings should reflect the character and personality of the bride and groom, even down to how they lay out the day. 

Here's one simple way to add some custom flare. 

Believe me, I've heard both extreme sides of the argument. One one side, I've talked with people who believe it's bad luck, wedding blasphemy and that I'm crazy for even suggesting it. On the other side of the spectrum, I've talked with people who find it old-fashioned and want nothing to do with a tradition rooted in the days where marriages were arranged and virgins were sold to old men in exchange for cows. No joke, this is where the tradition came from. Not letting the groom see the bride until the ceremony was a tactic to keep him from deciding she wasn't worth the price he was paying and backing out. Obviously, I don't think that's why anyone is carrying on the tradition today.

I definitely respect the brides I meet who have envisioned that walk down the aisle to see their groom for the first time since they were a child. But, from my perspective, as a bride, as a photographer and as someone who's seen the in's and out's of hundreds of weddings, here are a few reasons to consider seeing each other before the ceremony.

1. You still get the aisle experience. Most bride's main concern is losing the wow factor of her groom seeing her for the first time as she walks down the aisle. But the magic of that moment isn't lost. You're about to get married. The moment is HUGE. You walk down single and walk back united with another person. Whether he's seen you in your dress or not has nothing do do with the magic of the moment. You can see it and feel it, the emotion is still there. At my own wedding, my husband still teared up when I walked down the aisle with my dad. Never mind that he and I had been joking around with friends 30 minutes prior.

2. Nerves. Most people I've talked to after their wedding say that they were so nervous and anxious until the moment they saw each other and the butterflies all went away, regardless of whether that moment was at the alter or a couple of hours before. You suddenly have your other half and you can begin processing the day with them. One time, while we were driving from the photo shoot to the ceremony with a couple, a groom (who will remain nameless) turned to his bride and with a relieved look on his face said, "I would have crapped my pants if I had to wait until the ceremony to see you!" 

3. Enjoy the moment alone together. Think about it, if you see each other for the first time at the end of the aisle you can't talk or kiss, you can hardly touch and you'll have somewhere between 5 and 500 of your closest friends, family, co-workers and their random dates watching you. OR, you can set up a romantic moment that you can really enjoy. Laugh, hug, kiss, cry- you don't have to hold anything back because you don't have to worry about anyone watching. AND, the moment usually makes for sweet pictures. 

 4. Get to the party sooner. Seeing each other beforehand and getting pictures done means that once you're done with the ceremony, you're ready to head straight to the reception with nothing else to worry about except dancing with your friends. If you are doing pictures afterwards, you'll have a lot less time and all of your guests will be waiting. 

5. Photos. If you list photos as one of the most important thing to you on your wedding day, I'd highly recommend shooting before the ceremony. It really expands your options for what you're able to do. You're able to schedule in extra time to drive to a great location, time to get a wider variety of shots and just have a more relaxed photo shoot.

6. Spend the day with each other. Really, when you think about it, a wedding reception is a big party that the bride and groom are hosting. Everyone wants to talk to them, congratulate them, dance with them, etc. Yes, you'll probably spend most of the reception side by side, but you'll be talking to everyone else. As we drove away from our reception, Jason and I realized we hadn't really gotten a chance to reallly talk to each other since before the ceremony!

7. Get away from the stress. The few hours before the wedding is when moms, florists, friends helping to set up, etc. begin stressing over little details and begin to come and ask the bride for answers and you hear questions like these: "Do you want the flowers here, or six inches to the left?" or "We can't find the cake! Oh wait... we found it." All things that can work themselves out and if you're not available because you're off taking pictures, you never have to know.

What's your opinion? How are you planning on doing it? I'd love to hear in the comments!

photos jkoephoto.com



Check out Something Charming's awesome Wedding Wednesday post on guest etiquette! Seriously, great tips for couples planning weddings and things all guests should know.


Want more wedding tips and tricks?  Check out our other Wedding Wednesday posts HERE.

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Photos

There are many reasons to have engagement photos taken: pictures for invites, photo guestbook, wall art for your new place, proof for your future grandkids that you were, in fact, young and attractive. All good reasons, but I’d say the biggest reason to do engagement photos is to get to know your photographer, get familiar with their style of shooting and get comfortable in front of the camera. For most people, the last time they had their pictures taken professionally was as a high school senior, so getting in front of the camera before the big day is a great way to get loosened up and know what to expect.

What to Wear

Every shoot is different, but I typically suggest that couples bring 2 outfits, an everyday one and a more dressy one. Be bold, but stick with your style, don't wear something that you are going to feel self-conscious posing in. For sartorial inspiration, look at your favorite store’s catalog or website and see how they are dressing couples together in shots. I'd check out JCrew or Urban Outfitters. If you aren't sure what is going to photograph best, bring options and have your photographer help you choose.

Have a Vision 

We love it when people have a specific vision, idea or style in mind. Does your wedding have a motif or style you'd like to stick with? Style ideas can come from anything, your favorite store, a TV show, other photos you've seen, a time period, etc. Think about what made you pick your photographer-what about his/her style do you want to see in your photos? If you don’t have a specific idea, that's totally fine. Start by thinking about the type of backgrounds you want to have. Do you want city backdrops, or more rural-modern buildings or vintage brick? Is there a place that is special to you two? All of these things can help in picking a location and deciding on what style of clothes to bring. 

Mad Men inspired engagement photo shoot. 

Engagement photo canvas prints make great reusable wedding decor. 

Display them at the wedding, then hang them in your home.

A few last words of advice... have fun on the shoot. Go into it with the mindset that it's going to be great. It always takes a few minutes to warm up to being in front of the camera, but don't worry about that. Let your photographer take care of getting awesome shots. Just relax, be playful and enjoy each other.

All photos JKoe Photography

Wanna see more photos? OK, here you go...

Spring Has Sprung!

I can't even describe how happy I am to see some blossoms and tiny buds appearing around town. After many long months of cold, dark and wet, spring is finally here! On my lunch break I strolled through the Seattle University campus and took these flower shots on my iPhone. I used Camera+ to give them a little edit and love how they turned out. Thanks J&J for all your great tips on taking photos with the iPhone!

Shades of Spring: How to Wear Neon Makeup

My fabulous sister Laura was in town last week visiting us from Florida! We had a blast bashing around town and getting caught up on all things big and small. Plus, it’s always fun having her in town to give us tons of makeup and skin care tips! Laura is a make-up artist and esthetician who has worked for the likes of Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder and Aveda.

Jenny and I asked her if she’d be willing to guest blog about spring's neon makeup trends and lucky for all of us, she agreed!

(Mark Jacob's spring collection)

Laura's Neon Make-Up Tips:
Neon colors are popping up everywhere this spring, from hot pink and orange pants to color blocking whole neon outfits (which could be a bit overboard in my opinion, one or two neon pieces is enough, we're not all runway models).


A fun way to wear spring's hottest trend is to add a pop of neon color to your makeup routine. Red lipstick with coral hues and bright neon eye shadow colors are showing up in many of the larger makeup companies spring lines. It's always best to choose lips or eyes as both can look a little clownish...no one wants to look like Bobo.


The easiest way to wear neon eye shadow is to focus on one basic shadow color and apply it through the basic steps outlined below. For Jenny, I wanted a shadow that would compliment her blue eyes so we chose a MAC hot pink matte shadow. 

1. Chose a flat and matte shadow as the neon is enough of a statement without extra sparkles for a daytime look.
2. Prep the eye area with a neutral base shadow color to neutralize any skin pigmentation.

3. Sweep the neon shadow across the lash line getting as much pigment as you can and angle the brush to get a slight wing tip on outer corner of the lash line. Continue to blend the neon up and almost to the crease so that it fades into the neutral shade. This will give the illusion of wearing a neon liner but is slightly softer because of the blending.
4. Sweep a tiny bit of neon shadow on the bottom lash line just on the outer corner.

5. Apply mascara (curl lashes first if you prefer, we did not in this case).

Along with the eye makeup we did a nude lip Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Beige Gold with Rich Color Gloss in Angel Pink and glowing lightly bronzed skin (Bobbi Brown Brightening Finishing powder). If you wanted to dress up this look for nighttime you could add a thin black liner.

Fun trends like this are great to try out to see if it's something that suits your personality. The first day I wore my hot pink pants the only person that complimented me was an 11 year old girl. I was starting to think I should be in grade school until I met up with some girlfriends for Happy Hour and they boosted my confidence. Whenever you take a fashion risk just own it and have fun, fashion isn't supposed to be super serious. If it doesn't work for you then you can always try something different. 

PS. Cute Michael Kors neon pants

Michelle Monaghan in a great neon outfit
Other celebs in neon from InStyle

A Photo Lesson...

Today I conspired with Jason, my husband and co-owner of JKoe Photography, to bring you some tips for taking awesome iPhone photos. Enjoy!

Our basic advice for shooting with your iPhone, actually applies to all cameras. However, since iPhones (and all camera phones, for that matter) don't really give you the options to manually change your settings, it makes these tips even more important, since these are the only variables you can control.

Instagram photos by jkoephoto.com. While in Kenya last month, Jason and I spent a lot of time shooting with our iPhones. Believe it or not, even with an abundance of giant cameras and nice lenses, sometimes it's more fun to just whip out your phone.

1. Find Good Light The best light of the day is always the two hours before sunset and the two hours after sunrise. Want to get good pictures of something? This is when you should shoot. Obviously this isn't always possible, so in the case that a child or kitten that has the audacity to do something cute in bad lighting, walk around them or even move the phone around and look for the angle where the light looks best. Start paying attention to the subtleties of light, it varies from angle to angle.  

2. Change Your Perspective No, this isn't meant to be some sort of philosophical look at photography. I literally mean, get on the floor or shoot from above your subject. Different angles make things interesting. Everyone sees things at eye level, spice things up. 

3. Get Your Subject Out of the Center There is a concept in visual arts called the rule of thirds.  The basic idea is to keep the dominant part of your subject out of the very center of the photo and to try and place it along the lines and intersecting points, studies have shown that this is more pleasing to the eye.* For a visual aid...

*Keep in mind, all "rules" in art are meant to be broken. Sometimes it just works artistically to have the subject in the dead center. Check this out for more on the rule of thirds. 

The Apps We Use the Most

Instagram is free and great for sharing and cool filters, though we generally recommend shooting with the iPhone's regular Camera app.

Camera+ ($1.99) is actually a great camera for really close up (macro) shots. It also has cool filters and a great sharpening tool called "clarity".

Filtermania is also free and like it's name suggests, offers lots of fun filters to get different looks for your photos.

Photoforge2 ($1.99) For all of those familiar with Photoshop, this app is substantially closer to actual Photoshop than the Photoshop app itself, allowing you to use layers, curves, levels, overlays, shadow highlight and hundreds of other tools.

Diptic ($0.99) is our favorite for making collages.

Slow Shutter ($0.99) is really fun for doing night shots and long exposures.

Snapseed ($4.99) is a fairly easy to use editing app and Teresa's favorite.

All photos via my talented husband,  Jason's instagram feed and all shot with his iPhone 4S. Follow Jason on Instagram: @jkoephoto

Check out more of our work here: jkoephoto.com, facebook.com/jkoephoto

Travelogue: Photobooth Guestbook

Patrick and I had the opportunity to spend the 2010/2011 school year in Dublin, Ireland while he studied for his master's degree. While we were there, we welcomed so many guests from the States that I took to calling our two bedroom flat The Hillis B&B! When my friend Stephanie was visiting we discovered this eclectic little bar called Shebeen Chic that has an old school photobooth in the back. We ended up taking all our guests there for an authentic photobooth quad-shot to commemorate their visit. Instead of having a regular guestbook, we had everyone put their photo in a little notebook and then write a memory of their time in Ireland.

One day I’ll find a cute way to display these in my house, any ideas from you creative types out there?

I love how the photos trace the seasons, some with winter hats and coats, others in t-shirts. Each photo brings back a memory of a fun night drinking pints in a great city with treasured friends and family.

Also, please note that in the last strip Patrick and I are competing for best Jason Bourne hardcore face… I obviously take the cake.

Sláinte!

Wedding Wednesday: Three Tips for the Big Day

I’ve been to a lot of weddings. A LOT. Close to 300. Crazy, right? When I’m not blogging, I’m a professional photographer. My husband and I have our own company called JKoe Photography. We have been shooting weddings for almost 10 years now and in that time,  I have seen pretty much everything: the good, the bad, the totally unbelievable. One time, I helped a mother of the bride put her spanx on. After all of these weddings, Jason and I have come up with three pieces of advice, the three essential tips for having a beautiful, fun and stress free wedding. We share with this with all of the couples we work with and now, here it is for all of you:

Heading Home

Today is our last day in Kenya. By the time you read this, I will be on a plane, soaring over the continent. I've heard about a place where you can feed giraffes and INSISTED that we go there today before our flight.

For now, here is our trip summed up in numbers.

3...Flights to get here.
2...Number of movies staring Ryan Gosling I watched on the plane.
10...Mosquito bites on me.
A TON...The best way to quantify the number of mosquito bites on Jason. He's my personal mosquito magnet. A quality I definitely recommend looking for in choosing a husband.
465 GB...Of pictures and video captured and there is still more to download.
64...Instagram pictures posted by Jason. Follow us on instagram! @jkoephoto and @jennykoekoe
80...approx. amount of Kenya Shillings that equal $1 USD.
2...Drivers we had named Edward.
13...Number of times my hair was braided by girls at Cura Orphanage.
2...Times we drove across the equator.
1...Huge cockroach, that I discovered hitching a ride IN MY BAG at the airport in Kisumu. I (calmly) flung him out and he scurried towards the departure gates only to be stomped on by a Kenyan who seemed unfazed by this giant bug running at him.
50ish...Soapstone carvings purchased from a fair trade shop that sells to places like World Market. I will be writing a full post on this place later.
30%...  Of the population that is HIV positive in Mbita, where Construction for Change is partnering with MED 25 to build a new clinic.
4...Recipes for things I've eaten here that will be tried at home and blogged about.
100,000...approximate number of farmers that will be served by One Acre Fund this year.
5...Clothing items that I lugged half way around the world only to carry in my suitcase and not wear once the entire time we were here. To be fair, one was a raincoat, something I would have been glad to have if the rainy season had started early.
83F...Temperature in Nairobi today. Perfect for us to enjoy our last day here!

(Giraffes on the mara photo taken by Jason. Picture of us taken at the soapstone place by our second driver named Edward, who was awesome.)

The Big Five

As a child I always wondered why Big 5 Sporting Goods was named Big 5. I thought it referred to the 5 "biggest" sports, but then, I didn't know which 5 that would be: baseball, football, soccer, basketball and...yoga? My local Big 5 stocked a lot of yoga mats. Anyway, somewhere along the way I learned that "The Big Five"is a term coined by big game hunters back in the day referring to the five animals in Africa hardest to hunt on foot: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. In 2 days, Jason and I have seen all five, not to mention a cheetah, plenty of warthogs, crazy looking birds, zebra, giraffe, hippos and a porcupine! The elephant shot was taken on my iPhone.

Jambo!

Hello from Kenya! Jason and I have been staying out in a village the last few days without any sort of  plumbing, minimal electricity, and would you believe that the thing I missed most was internet! We are back in Nairobi for the night before heading out to Masai Mara for safari, currently sitting at a Nairobi Java House and I am having a great iced latte and LOVING the wi-fi.

We spent the last few days shooting at Cura Orphanage. We headed there with every intention of being the only photographers, but from the moment we arrived, the kids were super excited try our cameras and learn how to take pictures. They also really enjoyed taking pictures and video on our iPhones, until they discovered Angry Birds and season 1 of Modern Family, then that became more exciting than taking pictures on the iPhones. We are looking through our iPhone pictures now and discovering some gems. Jason's phone has over 70 images of one kid making funny faces, my phone has a ton of odd blurry close ups of pigs and cows on it from the afternoon we went to visit a neighboring farm. There are some really good ones too.

Henry, the youngest at Cura Orphanage, using Jason's camera

Construction for Change,  the organization we are shooting for while we are in Kenya,  is building a secondary school here that will not only benefit the 50 kids at the Cura Orphanage, but the rest of the kids in the community as well.

Taken by Margret, age 12.

We are headed to Masai Mara tomorrow to take lots of pictures of animals and relax for a few days before heading to our next project. We're staying at Sarova Mara. It looks pretty amazing. I'm excited. More to come!