Kamee June Photography

i got a cool email yesterday.

“Congratulations! Your blog has been nominated as one of the BEST blogs & websites in all of Orange County. Do you need a moment to take it in? It’s a big, big honor. Someone out there thinks what you are doing is fabulous (& we agree)!

At this very moment, voting has begun on Just Spotted. These votes will decide which Orange County Blogs are THE very best. Feel free to spread the news…”

i am spreading the news. click on the button below to check out all of the nominees. in the message portion of their post there are three links that will take you to the voting poll; click on one of the “here”s and it will take you right to it. scroll down to my name and leave some love!! ;) check out all the amazing talent while you are there; it’s inspiring.

thanks for the support and the nomination; so kind. i am grateful! thanks so much!!!

and just a few from two love-birds i “spotted” last weekend who get my vote for one of the cutest couples. ever.

scott and amy: two of my favorite “pumpkins”.

more from them soon, and my niece, and my most recent wedding, and a baby named ruby, and some awesome families…stay tuned. for now enjoy this peek and…get your vote on!!!!

is anyone else shocked that it’s early september already? one more month and it’s holiday time. i sat down to look at my calendar and realized that there were some big events coming up for kamee june and my family as well. it’s going to be a great fall! ;) let’s kick october off with another california kamee june workshop, shall we?

it’s going to be really cool. come. i would love to have you!!

meet the brewers. not sure if this could have been more perfect had i gone and painted it on the wall myself.

alright. fine. it would have been perfect had their last name actually been brewer. these aren’t the brewers, but wouldn’t that have been cool if they were? seriously. so cool!!! if there is a brewer family out there, i would like to take your pictures, here. cool, huh?

not the brewers, but still stinkin’ awesome and so cool!!

you’ll recognize this team. they aren’t strangers to the blog. i adore this group of people! so much.

had to do it d! i love everything about your emma-girl. she is spirit, and energy, charisma, and attitude all rolled into one ball of fire!

the boy, logan, without the hat. ;)

and the super wonderful, can’t wait until she can babysit, big sis, with incredible eyes allie-cat.

love this picture. every lady needs a picture with her man like this:

dina’s just as hysterical brother, todd, his ever friendly and kind wife, jen, and their super hero son, jt.

super hero, ooozzzes from him. ;) he was so smiley, happy and playful; i love seeing that in kids. it’s just cool.

he should be happy and playful, he came from these two afterall:

these next two make my heart happy:

nicole. i could have photographed her all day. i wanted to get her in a wedding dress and toss her out into some field with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, her hair hanging in romatic curls, a handsome man for her to prop against. can you see it? a look as ethereal as the summer’s setting sun. i wasn’t kidding nicole; you are beautiful.

nicole is on her own but still supported by several strengths:

her mom and step dad are full of vigor and life! she is lucky to have them and vice versa:

anna is a lady after my own heart; she loves all things sparkly and colorful!! i loved this image of her:

and i thought this was just so sweet:

i have been considering my family a lot lately since i have been photographing so many this summer (ps get your family session booked for christmas pictures asap! do it while everyone is tan and healthy!! ;)). family has so many dynamics. so many twists and turns, intricacies and webs of character, charm, and difference. i am fascinated by what makes up a family and how there are so many levels of that word. as unique as we all are, our families, at the end of the day are our people. and that’s something to smile about. so grateful for my people, and the families who allow me the opportunity to photograph theirs.

so much love to “the brewers”. ;) i wish. seriously, brewer family, contact me, please!!!

dina and fam, i had such a great time!!! thank you for hanging with me for a bit; it’s always a pleasure. a shout out to my friend tracy too for being there to support and shoot. her sight will launch soon! so excited for that!!! ;)  thank you again!!

stay sassy, everybody. until next time, happy summer, kj

i promise no one was hurt in the creating of this image.

i also promise alcohol was not involved. if you don’t believe me ask my closest friends; they will swear to it. this is just me, well, being, me, peace signing it all over the place.

photo credit for that one goes to amanda and her trusty disposable camera. you should attend a workshop just to meet her and be photographed by her; it’s an experience of a lifetime.

the irony and hilarity with this next image is so profound.

photo credit: joy, super star, grainger

all jokes in my pockets, for a minute at least, i loved the california workshop. the day was filled with everything i had planned it to be an so, so, so much more. the end felt like the final day at summer camp; you know when you make all these incredible friends with whom you have so much common, and you have to say goodbye to them not knowing when you will meet again and with them not knowing if they will ever know how much they meant to you during that week, or for me, during that day.

one of my favorite feelings is connection, on any level, and i feel that that happened for so many of us at the california kj workshop. it was an incredible day!!

photo credit for the next three goes to sweet, and hysterical joy. come to the next workshop just to meet her. ;)

it was an incredible day filled with inspiration and education, advice and fried rice (i wish! i just needed something that rhymed with “vice” ;)), friends and phenominal photographs.

this just being one of them:

photo credit again, to amanda. i see second shooting in your future a!! for sure.

i am smiling thinking about everyone who came out; such incredible people and talent. it was humbling to have all that positive emotion and energy in one room. from my heart, once again, thank you to everyone who came and was a part of the workshop. it took a creative team to get it all together and a group of eager photographers to make it happen. i am thankful for you all and the sacrifices you made to be a part of it; grateful, very grateful. i am so happy to have you as a part of my little community. thank you again for coming to kick it with me!!

and the credits roll, but first another funny.

again, assistant extraordinaire took this, interesting composition amanda. did you crop julie out because she was slipping the salt shaker into her purse? just curious?

seriously now. roll credits.

workshop hostess: kamee june

tweedle dee and tweedle dumb (i am totally kidding, and they know it!!!! :)) : totally rad and incredible assistants and workshop coordinators:

amanda schiavi and joy grainger

valuable packet compiler: bethany graham

little customized kj touches: shannon eberhardt

genius stylings: katrina kirk and diana lopez (both these ladies can be found at hello beautiful salon.)

one of the ladies in this image was a stylist for the workshop. hard to tell which one, i know, but take a guess. i was standing right by her and she didn’t even offer to touch up my hair and make up. the nerve. ;)

we know who to give photo credit to. the amazing flash and image quality gives it away:

models extraordinaire: kara keough and kyle bosworth

and the chino airport for allowing us to shoot on their grounds, and flo’s restaurant (thank you to “flo” and the guy in the salmon shirt for filling in as “extras”! ;))

i have two regrets. only two. we failed, again, to get a group picture. arghhh!! AND the shoot was just a little too easy for all of us. because these two worked. it. out.

photo credit: joy, non-disposable user

i have a strange obsession with world war ii; the whole era actually. i am fascinated by all of it. i knew when katrina and i checked out the air field that i wanted to do something with that vibe. she and diana took the idea and made it happen. the airport couldn’t have been a more perfect setting for the feel of the shoot.

once again. regret two: they made it way too easy for us. (i was actually so pleased that everyone walked away with such incredible images. ;))

photo credit: joyyyyyeeeeeeee

perhaps my favorite. perhaps.

when we visited flo’s i knew we had to shoot there. when they told us we could, i was beside myself.

i also knew that i wanted to have two looks. due to some circumstances beyond our control we didn’t have as much time to shoot the second, but i did love the subtle nuances between the two looks:

photo credit: danger grainger

it was for sure the best day in june. without a doubt. i would love to relive it if i could; my memories help with that. thank you again, to everyone for making them excellent memories.

a few reviews and more coverage from the day:

kapua grenz photography

michelle peterson photography

julie rollins photography

wendy kathleen photography

sarah nicole photography

rhonda bowman photography

another heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended, shared, contributed, and was involved in the workshop; i am so thankful to you all.

AND NOW…some important dates!!

SAVE THE DATE!!

there will be another kj workshop held in california on OCT 2nd. email me to reserve your spot (kamee@kameejune.com). registration for it will run the closer we get. if you know you will be able to come let me know a head of time and i will save you a seat.

i will also have information for my side kicks (thanks for the idea rhonda) coming soon. these will be mini-ultra-mini workshops that cover an aspect of photography. i will have two a month, two hours each. each one will have a full shoot and you will be able to use all of the images in your portfolio. details and registration to follow, but put  SEPTEMBER 17th (lighting: how to maximize all types of light) and SEPTEMBER 24th (how to: shoot and work with families and kids). there will be limited space available so if you want in, think fast when registration rolls.

AND FINALLY… the denver workshop.

i am going to be in denver on business in early september. there was some buzz over a colorado workshop so we decided to make it a reality.

here’s the skinny:

the date: september 3rd, 2010

the location: the heart of downtown denver, colorado (details to follow)

the plan: the workshop will be split into two sessions to accommodate more photographers and their individualized interests.

kickin’ it in morning style

geared to the photography enthusiast interested in knowing what all the buttons mean and how to take a great picture; the photographer who is interested in a refresher course or perhaps a new perspective to fuse with a current one; all parents who want to take better pictures of their kids’ little league games, dance recitals, sleeping faces and bubble baths.

the morning session includes:

three hours of instruction time (9:00am-12:00pm), a full shoot, and some surprises i will have waiting for you. the class time will include my perspective, what i shoot with, how i shoot it, the way i shoot it, basically how i see things and where my inspiration comes from. i’ll cover some basics: lighting, equipment, and composition. i also plan to discuss several tips to help shoot a successful exposure of any subject. the morning session will also include two full kamee june’d  stylized shoots in totally rad downtown denver, and of course a q/a session.

kickin’ it  into the afternoon style

geared to the seasoned professional photographer; the photographer interested in starting a small business, and the junkie that wants to perfect his/her post processing prowess.

the afternoon session includes:

the class time will include ideas for marketing, branding, blogging, post processing tips and hints from photoshop, a few surprises, and of course a full q/a session; ask me whatever you want; i’ll disclose! ;)

you can choose to kick it just in the morning or kick it all day and soak it all up. the thought of shooting in downtown denver has me all giddy, like a school girl. it’s going to be incredible. right now we are planning two shoots: a family and a couple. it’s going to be incredible!

i grabbed this photo from kapua’s blog. credit to fabulous her:

the investment:

the morning kicker: $275.00

the full-day kicker: $445.00

your tuition includes instruction, two fully stylized shoots (perfect for adding to your portfolio), snacks, and a few goodies and surprises. plus the opportunity to add to your photography community by meeting new people and rubbing shoulders with other incredible creatives.

note: meals will not be provided by the workshop. we will have a break for lunch and you will be able to grab a bite at a local venue. we will also extend the day by having dinner together afterwards if you would like to join us. neither meal is included in the day’s tuition.

come! join us! it’s going to be another great day, i would go as far as to say the best day in september. i’m just saying.

reserve your seat by clicking below or fire me off an email if you have any questions or thoughts (kamee@kameejune.com). a full list of hotels and accomodations will come later. for now…

BUY YOUR TICKET, to KICK IT!

ticket to kick it

morning kicker $275.00 all-day kicker $445.00

i would love to meet you!!

photo credit to kapua, again. ;)

once again. completely sober. just me having a great time with my new friends. if you come to the denver workshop you can insert your faces here, next to my crazy one! i grabbed this image from kapua’s blog.

here’s to denver, get ready for us, cuz we’re coming.

i have been thinking of tiersha and josh since their wedding. i knew i wanted to share the softness of the day and their relationship, but wasn’t quite certain how to do that appropriately with prose. i considered allowing a favorite poem to be the commentary, but couldn’t find anything that was absolutely fitting for them. yesterday i attended an amazing-out-of-this-world workshop. when i walked into the workshop venue there were several frames hanging, each with a phrase inside. i started reading and knew i had found the perfect dialogue to describe the day and this couple.

frame one: there is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved

frame two: we can only learn to love by loving

frame three: there is no remedy for love but to love more.

frame four: love is a song that never ends

frame five: love is the movement

frame six: love does not alter the beloved it alters itself

frame seven: love those who love you

frame eight: love is a choice you make from moment to moment

frame nine: love is not a victory march

frame ten: he is not a lover who does not love forever

frame eleven: true love begins when nothing is looked for in return

frame twelve: love is all we have

frame thirteen: the first duty of love is to listen

frame fourteen: a man is not where he lives but where he loves

frame fifteen: above all, love each other deeply

tiersha and and josh, i know you do. i could feel it. thank you for letting me be a part of your day; so grateful to have been there. may you frame each other with the powerful love you felt on your wedding day!!

frame sixteen: i’m still learning what love is

may you learn love’s profound depths and chasms, forever, together.

congratulations to you both!!! i am so happy for you! kj

big thank you to my second shooter rachelle; it was fun spending some time together!! :)

i have always enjoyed art. in the literal sense.

i love it when it color and paint and design, mingle with prose (another powerful art to me).

i am inspired by the mind of an artist; i like the way he thinks. it magnetizes me and totally intrigues me, because it’s deep and significant and different.

i love all museums, antique shops, flea markets, and art galleries. i think everything i see relates with this fascination i have with time; it’s cool for me to see things that used to exist in a different era that are now atrifacts, relics, heirlooms. i especially like to consider the people those things used to belong to. when i am at an antique shop i make up stories in my head for the pieces i see and who used to own them. i am interested in how they ended up as something i admire in a locked case or a store window, but before that had a purpose unique to their creation.

since i spent a saturday with helen and glenn i have been considering art and all it’s levels and genres.

so much of life can be considered art. there is the obvious form with canvas and paint (even in itself there are different mediums of creation), but it spreads into so many arenas: music, sculpture, literature, food, construction, glass, film, photo…the list is interminable.

art, and all its genres, is the expression of feelings.

it’s cool to me to consider that art isn’t always the literal meaning we think of.

i think some people make relationships an art…

helen and glenn do at least:

i felt so overpowered by helen and glenn’s art. it was so full of feeling, stronger than beetoven’s 5th, shakespeare’s 34th sonnet, and klimt’s, the kiss.

it was moving and inspiring.

it was the sound of laughter; the taste of summer; the look of resplendent romance.

i couldn’t take my eyes off them. i wanted to hear the song they were writing play again and again. the picture they paint is bright and colorful, yet soft and sincere. the have made their relationship a breathing art form:

tolstoy, an artist of words, shares the sentiment i am trying to convey, “in order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life…. every work of art causes the receiver to enter into a certain kind of relationship both with him who produced, or is producing, the art, and with all those who, simultaneously, previously, or subsequently, receive the same artistic impression.”

if art is a condition of human life and love (the relationship between two people) is imperative to the human experience,then reltionships, especially those based on love and respect, can certainly be considered art.

helen and glenn, you have proved my (and tolstoy’s) point: relationships too, are forms of art.

yours is especially artistic, prepossessing, and bewitching:

helen and glenn, tolstoy also said, “…a man expresses his feeling of admiration, devotion, fear, respect, or love to certain objects, persons, or phenomena, and others are infected by the same feelings of admiration, devotion, fear, respect, or love to the same objects, persons, and phenomena…and it is upon this capacity of man to receive another man’s expression of feeling and experience those feelings himself, that the activity of art is based.” everyone who knows, meets, or simply observes you is going to be infused with your art. and it is beautiful, and noteworthy, galvanizing, and remarkable. it evokes raw emotion because what you are giving to the world by being together, by sharing your relationship is the dennotation of art itself: the expression of feeling. and the main feelings you offer through your art: attachment, endearment, passion, loyalty, and love, in it’s truest medium.

may you always know you inspire me. may you know i look at you and see art.

ps i can’t wait to see your art on june 26th!!

pps do you think rattlesnake hotdogs could be considered art in the culinary arena? ;) just curious…