Alena shared the great news that she and Richard were expecting and she wanted me to help them preserve some memories. After a number of emails and messages, we decided to explore the local area close to where we lived.  Our session took us to Niles Canyon in Sunol which is just a few minutes drive from Fremont. Alena mentioned she loved the idea of abandoned railroads and majestic oak trees and I knew exactly where to take them. Needless to say, the afternoon turned out to be incredible. We didn’t really had a set “plan” on where to capture the photographs. If we saw a place we liked, we stopped the car and would take a few frames. Alena had the most incredible glow to her that day. We visited the old railway station in Old Sunol and they even got a chance to sit in a Lotus Exige Sport! Incredible right? We were heading back to the car when Richard wanted to have his photo taken standing next to the car. The next thing we knew, Alena and Richard were invited by the owner to sit in the car and use it for our photos. The night ended at a local laundromat. I’ve always wanted to capture a few photographs at this place specially since they’ll be doing their fair share of laundry soon. They had such energy and enthusiasm that they obliged my request.

I’ve always loved capturing the beauty of maternity sessions. It’s a very special time in the couple’s lives and capturing the images let’s them preserve that moment for a lifetime. I am so thrilled that I can be part of this experience. Good luck to the both of you. I can’t wait to meet the little one.

Can you guess what they’ll be having? Here’s a tip: check the laundromat photos. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this special time in your lives!

Check the full gallery here.

I love this next image. It’s something that people seldom see and more behind the scenes. To have Alena’s bump show even more, I asked Richard to crouch down low while pulling tight on her top from behind. The result of this effort is seen in the images below. I should really post more of these “behind the scenes” takes. They’re so much fun and relaxed :)

Check the full gallery here.

Calling all pixies and pirates! Come fly away with us to Neverland! All you need is a little trust and a tiny sprinkle of pixie dust! And, remember, think of happy things, it’s just the same as having wings! Look for the second star on the right, then straight on to adventure and delight!

The Children’s Christmas parties at Gensler are probably one of the most anticipated events of the year. The talented folks across several offices never fail to impress. This year, the theme was Peter Pan and Neverland. All were encouraged to come in costume or pajamas. With Captain Hook running away from Tick Tock to the Lost Boys pulling their mischievous tricks, the party was impressive as always!

Wanna see more of Captain Hook and the Lost Boys? Follow this link here.

Here are some images from the photobooth and more photos can be found here.

How to order:

• Individual photos and packages are available for purchase from within the proof gallery
• Please fill out this form and email them back to me at  info@photosbyrikki.com
• New for 2012  *You can now purchase and download the original high resolution file*

“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!” (Peter Pan)

The Gensler Children’s Holiday Party is an annual tradition at Gensler and an event designed to bring out the child in all of us. Never smile at a crocodile, especially the ticking ones.

I have to give props to Russian photographer Alexander Khokhlov for these amazing portraits. While kudos goes out to him, major high fives should go out to his makeup artist for a truly amazing job! I hope you enjoy these as much as I did (via fStoppers)

I had a chance to photograph this beautiful little girl 6 days after she was born. How cute is she? And she was so incredibly alert the entire time. She never even gave me the chance to photograph her while she was asleep.

I’ve always wanted to put together a giveaway to show my appreciation to all of my friends and colleagues for helping Photos By Rikki get to where it is today. A few weeks ago, the site passed a great milestone that I would like to celebrate — 1000+ “Likes” on my Facebook page! With the help and generosity of my friends, I have put together a cool giveaway that I’m sure you’ll Like.

• Photos By Rikki
• Shelby Jo Photography
• Perfectly Precious Boutique
• My New Love
• H2Blogs

I’m so excited and thrilled to share this giveaway with all of you so enter now and I hope you win! Winners will be chosen at random.

So now you’re into photography, what’s next? I will be giving away dPS’s new eBook – Photo Nuts and Post which is the third installation in the Photo Nuts series by professional photographer Neil Creek.

Inside this 110 page eBook you’ll discover topics such as:

• Why even process your photos?
• How do image files work?
• How to manage workflow and thousands of photos
• The cull and select of a photo shoot
• How different processing tools work
• Common problems and how to deal with them
• Creative processing
• The output process

Shelby Jo Photography is giving away a custom design package! Her package includes custom watermarks, a logo, and a welcome page which I’m sure would be a great add for those who are new or looking to rebrand their business.

Perfectly Precious Boutique is giving away a flower headband shown in the image below.  These are perfect for your newborn sessions and will be a great compliment to your prop box.

My New Love – Photography Props for Newborns is offering these two beautiful halos from their store. These halos are perfect for your newborn sessions and will be a great compliment to your prop box.

Matt from H2Blogs is giving away a ProPhoto template for WordPress. The template is currently one of the hottest designs for sale at the ProPhoto Store. If you’re already a ProPhotoBlogs user then you’re in luck. If you haven’t made the jump to a blog style website, I suggest to take a peek at what ProPhoto can offer you. You can see a full demo of the template here.

HOW DO I ENTER TO WIN?

1. Give our friends some love and please “Like” their Facebook pages. Leave a witty comment. This giveaway wouldn’t be possible without their help and generosity.
2. Click “Like” on my page and join in the fun!
3. Come back here and leave me a witty comment as well. Please include your name and email address. I will pick a random winner from the comments below.
4. Enter, Share, and Comment as many times as you want and increase your chance of winning. Only one set of entries per day.

Bonus Entries:

1. SHARE this giveaway on your Profile or Facebook Page and come back here and leave a link to your page so we can see it!
2. TWEET this message exactly as shown: @Photosbyrikki invites you to come and enter the 1000+ “Likes” Giveaway!: http://www.photosbyrikki.com/1000-likes-giveaway/
3. LAUGH. The comment that is deemed the wittiest of all will receive a BONUS prize.

Deadline for entries will be on February 8, 2012 at 6pm PST.

We will choose the winner of the giveaway next week on February 8, 2012 at 9pm PST. Winners will be notified via email.

And now for some legal mumbo jumbo that I (unfortunately) have to post:

Disclosures:

This giveaway is NOT in any way affiliated with Facebook.

There are five (5) available prizes. To give other people a chance to win a prize, each person who enters can only win once.

Failure to meet the requirements will render entry null and void.

PhotosByRikki.com has not been compensated monetarily for contest(s)/giveaway(s) unless otherwise specified. As such PhotosByRikki.com thanks all 3rd parties for providing a complimentary sample product or service for the review and for sponsoring said giveaway(s).

Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. Each winner must acknowledge proof of eligibility as stated in the rules in order to claim the prize/giveaway. The Company/PhotosByRikki.com may substitute prizes, amend the rules or discontinue the Contest at any time as announced on PhotosByRikki.com.

February 8, 2012 9:06PM

Winners of our Giveaway:

After tallying up the entries on Excel and determining the winning entries via Random.org, here are the results!

Congratulations Arnaud Adans II for winning the Photo Nuts and Post ebook!

Congratulations Robin Radzik for winning the Custom Design Package from Shelby Jo.

Congratulations LaToya Thorn for winning the flower headband from Perfectly Precious Boutique!

Congratulations Ronnie Mogensen for winning the halos courtesy of My New Love!

Congratulations Andrea Townsley for winning a ProPhoto template courtesy of H2 Designs!

For those who won a gift courtesy of our fantastic friends, I will email you the details once I confirm with the sponsors that you have met and satisfied the rules of the giveaway. Thanks again to everyone who participated. Stay tuned. We’ll do one again in the near future or on our next milestone!

“The best Christmas gift of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another”. (Unknown)

Christmas comes to Gensler once again and it was enjoyed by more than 190+ kids and their parents. As with most Children’s Parties thrown by the creative staff at Gensler, this year’s edition proved to be as memorable as the previous parties. With the Lion, the Wicked Witch, and Dorothy, the place was decorated in a Wizard of Oz theme complete with yellow brick road. The Children’s Parties at Gensler are a definite “Not to Be Missed” event. One word describes the event: stunning!

Here are some images from the photobooth and more photos can be found here.

How to order:

• Individual photos and packages are available for purchase from within the proof gallery
• Please fill out this form and email them back to me

I first encountered Randall’s work at a local bookstore after a nice quiet dinner with my wife. The minute I saw his work, I was hooked. His incredible use of lighting and shadows is amazing. I think my favorite image of this set is that of Forrest Whitaker and Heidi Klum. It’s definitely a feast for the eyes.

I’ve always been a big fan of Randall Slavin’s work. You can see more of his work here.

Melissa and I traveled to Los Angeles this past weekend to be with Ethan and his family as he turned a year old this past week. While he was slightly under the weather, he still had a few brief moments where he was still able to give me great looks. This photograph in particular is one of them. I remember when I was still a baby and my Dad captured a similar shot but instead of yogurt, it was melted chocolates. Oh what fun it is to be a kid!

On a recent visit to Moss Landing for the annual Antique Fair, my family and I went down to a local restaurant to grab some lunch. On our way way, my niece decided she was going to have some fun with her sister’s scarf by wrapping it around her head like a turban.Seeing the opportunity for a quick shot, I asked her to look up at me and just give me her biggest smile. Here’s the result. This was taken with my most versatile portrait lens – the Canon 50mm f1.4 ( I can’t leave home without it).

A wise man once told me before, “capture a beautiful photograph and you capture the essence of their souls”. These are long overdue images from my trip to Cambodia. I always make it a point to capture the faces of the people I meet and this trip to this country was no exception. With the aid of our guide Theoun, I was able to convince them to have me take their portraits. It was a stunning experience for me and one that I will cherish for a long, long time.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the launch of the improved site. Visually, nothing much has changed. We’re still keeping the minimalist look that we’ve had ever since we launched the site in 2010. So what’s different? We’ve added some cool features that will make your visting experience even more awesome!

• An integrated search bar is now located where you can find it the easiest – the upper right hand corner of the site.
• Whether you would “Like” our Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or  add me to your “Circle”, it’s now even easier.
• Ever since we added the e-store, it’s been a great success. With the launch of the revamped site, we changed the e-store and we’re now calling it “The Shoppe”. Wherever you are on the site, you can always access your shopping cart at any time. Click on the shopping cart on the upper right hand corner to review your items in your cart.
• There’s no need to visit our Facebook page just to “Like” us. If you like what you see, simply click on the “Like” button on the upper left hand side, and you’re in.
• The Darkroom is now fully integrated in the site. Now search requests results in cross-over between the two distinct sites.
• We’ve added an integrated “Popular Image” gallery. Each image will have a link that you can click if you like the image. The popular images are immediately posted as feature images by the main site masthead for everyone to see. Invite your friends to see the articles and ask them to rate their favorite images. Rating images and articles gives us a better understanding of what type of materials we’ll be posting on the site in addition to the sessions and sneak peeks we provide.
• Check the new menu bar. It now contains great links to articles and posts that might be of interest to you.

Last weekend, I had a chance to capture some photos of Sabrina just in time for her upcoming birthday. We initially had hoped for sunny and warm weather but Mother Nature had other plans. We were treated to an overcast and cold afternoon but that didn’t stop this little trooper from having her photos taken. Sabrina has practically grown up in front of my camera ever since I took some pictures of her when she was still a baby.

We had so much fun capturing these images and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Click here to see the gallery.

Lake Elizabeth, Fremont, CA

With the beautiful skyline as a backdrop, I took this chance to take some shots of Melissa after visiting some friends at Treasure Island. This image is a first as far as processing a photo with textures. I feel it kinda gives the image a bit of an old look, nostalgic appeal. What do you think?

You can visit Melissa at her blog here.

Lisa and I have been friends for a long time now. I still remember the time when she told me about this guy she started dating and how special he was to her. A few years later, I found myself witnessing their intimate wedding ceremony with dear friends and family. Then life took its’ own course. Lisa and Scott were busy building their little nest at home as I did for myself. Fast forward 4 years and I receive a phone call from Lisa. She wanted some maternity photos of her with her second baby boy. She was 8 months pregnant at the time. I immediately told Lisa that I loved the idea especially since I haven’t seen her and Scott in all these years.

One of Lisa’s request was a shot in a field of mustard flowers. So off we went and found a tiny patch on the side of the road. “Will this do”, she asked. I simply told her not to worry. We’ll make it work. And we did. We had such a great time during our session and I just had to share some of my most favorite images from that wonderful Saturday afternoon. I hope you enjoy.

(By the time this article is posted, Lisa is mere days away from delivering her second baby.)

Congratulations to Lisa, Scott, and soon to be big brother Hunter!

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time”.  (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

After all the gifts had been opened, Santa and his elves ride away on his sleigh, and the children’s laughter fading in the background, I look around and see how much fun and activity were had by all. For about 125+ kids and their parents, Christmas comes to Gensler once again and this year seemed to be bigger and better than the last.

Here is a preview of some of the images that we were able to capture last night.

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/gensler-childrens-christmas-party-2010/feed/ 2 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/little-aya/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/little-aya/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:15:35 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://www.photosbyrikki.com/?p=4272 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

When Meera asked me to schedule a time to photograph her family, I didn’t hesitate to set up a session right away. I remember the time when Meera was pregnant with Aya, I photographed her maternity session at her request. Then Aya was born, and I’ve watched her grow up through the years from behind my lens. Now little Aya will soon be a big sister to her baby brother.

Congratulations Meera and Gautam!

Surrounded by friends and loved ones, our adorable little Sabrina turned one today with a Toy Story themed birthday party. Stay tuned for more images coming soon!

Proof Gallery

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/kaitlyns-gallery/feed/ 2 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kaitlyn/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kaitlyn/#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 05:09:57 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://www.photosbyrikki.com/?p=2489 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Meet Kaitlyn. I had the chance to meet this friendly and incredibly adorable little girl over the weekend while vacationing in Morro Bay, CA. She is the daughter of my one of my college friends from Cal Poly whom I haven’t seen in well over 10 years. This little six month old baby girl was so adorable with her full cheeks and pigtails galore.

Be sure to check out the little video I’ve included here. Thanks Sheri and Derrick for asking me to take part during these special times in your lives. More to come soon.

One of the best rewards that I get when I meet new clients for their kids portrait session is the pure joy of hearing their kids laughter. I’ve always believed that to be able to capture long lasting memories, I need to be able to tell a story through my photos. The photos need to be able to speak by themselves. I think I was able to capture some of that a few days ago when I met these two adorable kids – Kayla and Tyler.

Of all the series of images I took that afternoon, I love their candid shots at the pool the best. You can almost hear the water splashing around and Tyler’s laugh as he splashes the water with his little feet much to his sister’s delight. You can almost hear him laugh as he looks at Kayla. Listen.

I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Proof Gallery

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/fun-in-the-sun/feed/ 2 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kayla-and-tyler/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kayla-and-tyler/#comments Sun, 23 May 2010 05:26:17 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://www.photosbyrikki.com/?p=2387 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

We had a great session this afternoon with two incredibly adorable kids. As soon as Melissa and I arrived at their house, I knew it was going to be a great afternoon as both kids were ready to be photographed. They were excited and eager for some fun in front of the camera. Within minutes of our arrival, they warmed up to us really quickly.

Oh did I mention this was the first time we met these kids? Or at least from what they can remember. Three years ago, I was at my cousin’s Easter brunch celebration when I had a chance to take a couple of shots of Kayla.

I hope you enjoy the sneak preview!

A few days after sending out the sneak peek for her first session with me, I received an email from Sabrina’s mom asking of my availability for a second session with Sabrina. It turns out that she wanted an afternoon shoot at their house in Sabrina’s room since the first session we had was at her sister’s house. I gladly obliged and we had our portrait session today with little Sabrina. Two hours and 607 frames later, here is a quick peek at the results of our afternoon.

Something tells me I’ll be seeing more of this little girl from behind the lens and I’ll be sure to let you all know. It’s almost 1am as I write this and I’m tired but I promised Sabrina’s mom that I would have something up by tonight.

Enjoy the pictures!

See the badges? It’s iStockphoto. Yeah. I’ve been accepted at iStockphoto! Woohoo! So now what? Well, it’ll be capturing photos with potential stock acceptance in mind. So how does one shoot for stock photography? For starters, I dug through my archived images looking for photos to upload for review. I submitted 22 images. The review process takes about a week as you can just imagine the amount of uploads iStock receives every single hour. Of the 22 images, 8 have been accepted and 2 are still in the queue. If my math is correct, that’s a hit rate of 40%. I suppose that isn’t bad given the fact that these submissions are simply photos I’ve already previously taken prior to being accepted as a stock photographer.

So what images sell? In short, EVERYTHING… well to an extent. The best images tend to be the professionals at work specially at a business setting. When taking photos, think of lifestyle images, specially ones that showcase different races and/or cultures. The only thing to remember here is that whenever there is a person that has a distinguishable face or feature, the stock agencies will most often ask for a model release.

I submitted an image showing a couple exchanging rings at a wedding. The crop was just showing the hands and the ring. The reviewers rejected my photo because I didn’t give them a model release as they thought the hands were still recognizable. Strict enough for you? So you’re probably wondering which images made the cut. Well, here are a few samples.

I probably have a few more images that I can upload direct from my old portfolio. However at this point, I’m already thinking of shooting for stock. Whenever I have sessions, I still think about the value of stock and what it can bring. I know it’ll be slow-going the first few months. However, all I need is one good image that has a high selling value for business and I’ll be on a roll. The hard part though is making that first sale. It’s been a few weeks now since I’ve had my first image approved and so far zero sales. But then again, my portfolio is still in its infancy.

Time to pick up the camera and start shooting again. Click on the badge below to see my growing portfolio.

Hi guys! Well, the new site has been up for almost five weeks now and it’s been a blast so far! It is such a departure from the previous “static” design that I had with SmugMug. But, don’t scream ‘traitor!’ just yet. SmugMug is still a partner but more on that later.

So what do ya’ll think so far? Do you like it? If I were to ask you what the best change has been what would you say? If you ask me, I think my favorites so far are the sizes of the photos in every post and the little “Join In” tab on the left. If you haven’t done so, click that little tab on the left. It’ll show you a photo of Ollie and my daily updates on Twitter. There is also a link for you to register on the site. There are a lot of surprises so feel free to browse the site. Stay for a while.

So is it a blog? It sure is! But why a blog you might ask? It’s simple. The blog format allows me to create constant updates about my activities which I can post and share with everyone. It allows me to give you guys a “sneak peek” preview of the shoots. It’s relaxed and has a casual feel to it which is exactly what a static site doesn’t have. Sure it has all the pretty photos but managing those galleries takes time… a lot of time. This seems a lot easier and, hopefully, it comes across that I’m an easy going person to work with as well (with crossed fingers).

You might ask why I named this post“the rebranding process (again)…”.If you remember a few months ago, I went through an initial rebranding process but it was mostly for the logo, colors, and feel of the graphics. My wife, Melissa, a talented graphic designer and fashion/design blogger, helped me through the aches and pains of choosing just the right look for my business.

However, this time the focus was more on the client and visitor experiences rather than the graphics. Of course, the new look wouldn’t have been possible without the folks from ProPhoto Blogs. The templates they create and sell are powered by WordPress. I bought the template from ProPhoto after I found them through my search for wedding photographers.

Melissa and I found Joey Reyna, a fantastic photographer, during our search for our upcoming Philippine wedding in October later this year. I was so impressed not only with his photos but also by his blog that I started thinking about my own website. After a few days of discussing whether or not I should purchase the template, I finally decided to spring for the cash and dive right in. I think what impressed me the most was the ability to customize the blog to my heart’s content knowing my site will look unique.

Why the change? A lot of people have asked me why I made the switch and if I was still partnered with SmugMug. Yes. I still work with them. The old site, which is now known as PrintsByRikki, serves as my shopping cart and proofing page for my clients and for those who would like to purchase my prints.

So, that’s basically the story of how I got to this point.  Thanks to everyone who helped along the way. Thanks to those who send me constant feedback to let me know what works and what doesn’t about the site. Thanks to those who call me back time and again to help capture their memories. Thank you, too, to those who have told their friends and family what it’s like to work with me. Thank you for letting me in your lives.

I like it. It’s simple, clean, and most of all, it’s a reflection of my personality. It’s me!

This is the Church of Santo Domingo at the Plaza de Armas in the city of Cusco in southeastern Peru. I was digging through my photos in Lightroom when I came upon this shot of the plaza. I immediately thought, “how cool would this be if I created an effect that would make it seem that we’re all looking at a miniature city. This effect was produced in post production. Typically I would use my tilt shift lens for this but of course, the TS lens is never in my travel bag. I only reserve the TS for architectural shots but seeing some creative tilt shift photography coming out of the woodworks, I figured I would give it a try as a post effect.

What do you think? Can I convince you to think that what you’re seeing is a miniature version of the Plaza de Armas?

Hi all! First of all, THANK YOU! It’s been a big hit since the launch of the rebranded website and we still want you to tell your friends you’ve enjoyed our posts, news, reviews, and the overall experience of working with us. If you think someone would be interested in our work, let them know. We want the word to get out so here’s the idea.

Encourage three of your friends to be a fan on Facebook.  Once they’ve joined the Facebook fan page, have them visit this website, click on Contact and simply use Referral Code SPRING. Your friends must include your name as the person who referred them to the site.

Our tracking system allows us to know once we have three referrals from you. Once you do, your name will be entered in the contest for a chance to win an 11×14 print. Like our previous giveaways, this offer won’t be around for long so it’s best to hurry.

You’ve got until 10pm PST on Sunday April 18^th

Meet Sabrina. Her family fondly calls her “baby girl” since she’s the youngest of her cousins. This session had been a long time coming as prior plans always kept pushing it back or rescheduling it. We had an opportunity with her cousins a few weeks before this session, but I felt a more intimate, quiet session with this active little girl was in order. I love being able to follow the kids as they grow up and, boy, do they grow up fast! It’s quite remarkable how much she’s changed since the last time I saw her. First one tooth appears, then two.During the session, she moved her favorite new pose – yoga’s downward facing dog. Appropriately enough, her mom got her some bloomers with her name monogrammed on her tush. Looking at the images, you can see her personality coming through the photos. Her smile, that tiny glint in her eye. She’s quite the happy little girl that always brings a smile to her family and those around her.

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/meet-sabrina-2/feed/ 0 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/meet-riley/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/meet-riley/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:52:32 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://photosbyrikki.com/?p=1427 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Meeting Riley for the first time was such a wonderful experience. My first thought was “Oooh she looks so much like her mom, Yvette”. Photographing babies will always have a special place in my heart. The beauty of photographing infants is that “they” dictate how the session goes, which Riley did so well. There is no “posing” when it comes to infants and newborns. No one smiles all the time especially not babies. I had to be spontaneous as Riley’s mood swings were and her parents, Yvette and Djaya were such great partners too. I wanted to catch Riley’s moods. A pout, a faint smile, a good frown. I wanted to capture everything. We had a great time yesterday with Djaya’s new family.

As I was driving home yesterday, I realized how precious these moments are with our children. Babies grow so fast. They always have their “firsts”. I’m happy to have been able to capture Riley at her best in her “first session” with her “Tito Rikki”.

Here are some shots from yesterday’s session with Riley. It was such a wonderful session we had together with Sabrina. Even though they’re not technically cousins, when you’re in a Filipino-Indonesian family, everyone’s your cousin. Here’s a small sampling of her shots. The rest will be reserved for her parents and family. She’s such a cutie!

I was feeling a bit creative this evening so I decided to refresh the standard Twitter design with my own little twist. I’m not fully sold on this one yet but it’s definitely an improvement over the old version. What do you think?

I’ve wanted to create something like this ever since Melissa and I got engaged. I think the key phrase here is “wanted to”. Problem is, I never really had the time to set anything up. I mean, made the time. Until tonight. Actually I tried setting this up last week, with a “naked” Kisses™: bare, with no foil. The problem is, it didn’t look much like anything because of the color of the chocolate. Today, while picking up some groceries, I decided to give it another try. Like before, I tried to photograph it without the foil wrap. Again, like before, it didn’t really look that appealing after a few test shots.

Melissa suggested I try photographing the Kisses™ with the foil wrap. But there were decisions to be made – what color foil? With Easter just around the corner, the bag of Kisses™ I picked up had pink, blue, green, and the regular silver. I tried all of them but this particular one stood out the most. Maybe it’s because the blue foil complimented the blue letters. Or, perhaps it was the contrast of the silver band of the ring against the blue background.

This effort took about an hour to produce. 60 minutes of shooting and post processing combined and 212 RAW frames captured. Unlike my previous macro shots, I didn’t use a flash. I shot this image using the Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens at ISO 800 with a +2/3 stop exposure. Processing was done in Adobe Lightroom 2.0 and Photoshop CS3. I know some might ask why didn’t I show the full crop or why was the bottom of the Kisses™ cut off. By cutting the bottom portion of the Kisses™, it creates a very subtle tension in the composition that draws your eye to the stone. It’s a neat little trick.

The best part of this shoot? Eating all the Kisses™ afterward.

The California Academy of Sciences is one of the ten largest museums of natural history in the World and one of the newest ones having just been renovated in 2008. Melissa and I always enjoy visiting this place so much so that we bought a membership a year ago. For $99, you can get in the Academy for an unlimited number of times throughout the year and bring one guest. So far, we’ve been to the Academy roughly 5 times so our membership has paid for itself many times over. On today’s visit we took our cousin Nikki, who came from Singapore on a visit. We spent hours at the Academy of Sciences, clearly not enough time for any of us.

One of the most striking things visitors will notice as soon as they get there is the architecture. Designed by Renzo Piano, the building is a masterpiece in architecture. Utilizing the latest in green building technology, the building sustains itself. Glimpsed through the concourse’s grove of sycamores, the Academy of Science  gives the impression of weightlessness. A row of steel columns soaring 36 feet high along the facade lends the building a classical air; the sense of lightness is accentuated by a wafer-thin canopy above that creates the illusion that the roof is only millimeters thick. The green, living roof is a major draw as well as it showcases native plants and vegetation while helping keep the building cool in the summer months. ]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/california-academy-of-sciences/feed/ 1 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/spring-skittles/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/spring-skittles/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:55:33 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://photosbyrikki.com/?p=992 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Spring is in the air! Soon to be gone are the overcast and cloudy days, the cold and rain. Flowers will be in full bloom.

I’m excited about the upcoming season as the world seems at its finest in the spring. By this weekend, we adjust our clocks and “spring forward”. While we do lose an hour of sleep, we gain an hour of sunshine. I’m looking forward to taking my trusty camera outside again and taking some pictures. I wish I could travel to Skagit Valley in April and spend some time at the Tulip Festival once again. Maybe we’ll make a trip just north of here, to Filoli Gardens in Redwood City. Tucked in fog country, the garden is a National Historic site where daffodils and tulips are currently blooming.

In the meantime, here’s a quick shot I took tonight (Canon 40D with a 100mm f2.8 macro and a Canon MR-14EX macro flash). While these are just ordinary pieces of candy, there’s something magical about them when shot up-close–you get to really see their vibrant colors and texture. It’s one of the reasons I love macro photography. I hope this entices you to go out this weekend and take some shots of your own. I sure will.

Skittles are an endless color stream of bite-sized rainbow happiness. So, enjoy the spring colors. Go out and shoot!