The Bird of Paradise really is paradise for a photographer, a perfect subject for my Fine Art Friday project this month.  The bright colors, glowing in the midday sun, and the beautiful lines just pull me in…

For more beauty and inspiration, please visit Laura Meeks, Albuquerque NM Photographer, who surely has a treat in store for this month!

For this month’s Fine Art Friday installment, I’m paying homage to my Montana days, with a snowy scene!  At the beginning of April, my family ventured to the Sierra’s and did some skiing in Mammoth Lakes.  Early April proved perfect for skiing (thankfully!) and my family headed up a cross country ski trail to Minaret Vista.  We enjoyed sweeping views, feeling on top of the world!

Now, go check out Albuquerque Photographer Laura Meeks amazing image from White Sands.  Because of her, I have added this spot to my list of “must visit” places!

We spent a day on the downhill slopes, but our true love is cross-country skiing.  It’s a perfect family activity and something my boys have already grown to love.  Seeing them out there on skis fills me with joy!

California Spring skiing is the best way to do it.  Nearly 50 degrees with gorgeous sunny skies. . . don’t forget the sunglasses!

Our old lady dog, Maggie, is 13 years old and still going as strong as (if a bit slower than) she used to.  In her younger years (when she was our only “kid”), she came along on many ski trips with us, so it was great that she could join us on this one.

Even though this is “10 on 10″ I’m sharing one bonus image for the day, the only family picture we got during our trip.  We skied to Minaret Vista for a picnic lunch and enjoyed the stunning view of the Sierras, feeling like we were literally and figuratively on top of the world!

It’s not a true “10 on 10″ without a little sharing, so head over to see what Spokane Photographer Creatively Yours by Kelly Q has for this month!

This night, instead of turning my lens to the busy runways, I turned it to the west and got the warm glow of the sun just before it slipped beneath the horizon.  I find this image simply mesmerizing. . .

One thing we didn’t count on when we arrived was the wind.  We brought our bicycles and had planned to ride along the beach promenade, but nearly 20 mph winds deterred us. 

Even though we weren’t on bikes, we still easily got to the Santa Barbar Pier, also known as Stearns Wharf, home of the Ty Warner Sea Center.   

My just-turned-6-year-old is an ocean animal lover and has declared he wants to be a marine biologist when he grows up.  When we told our boys we were taking a trip to Santa Barbara for the weekend, the first thing he asked was, “is there an aquarium there?”  When I told him there was, he demanded it be our first stop upon arrival into town!

With his ocean animal quota filled, we walked further along the promenade, just soaking up the sunshine and gorgeous views.

We watched the sun set through the palm trees, had a fantastic dinner, then turned in early, ready for more adventure the next day!

 I love participating in this “10 on 10″ challenge with some other extremely talented photographers.  Go check out Spokane Photographer Kelly of Creatively Yours next for another fun 10 on 10!

For January, I thought I’d post an image from my recent trip to Yosemite National Park.  I went with my family, seeking an escape from Los Angeles, a little time in the snow, and a lot of soul-filling scenery.  Thankfully, we found all of that!

This image was taken at Valley View in Yosemite Valley.  It’s probably one of the most stopped-at vantage points in the park that is visited by millions each year.  But what I love about art, is that even with millions of people aiming a camera from the same pull-out, you never get exactly the same image.  Here’s my version:

Now, head on over to see what Cheree Federico | Fine Art Photography has to inspire you with this morning!

My 10 this month come from my family’s recent trip to Yosemite National Park.  Right after the calendar turned to a new year, we loaded up the winter gear and skis and headed toward the mountains.  We may live in Los Angeles now, but our hearts are still in Montana, more specifically in the snow and mountains.  We can’t always get back to Montana, but thankfully California has some pretty impressive mountains of her own.

We stayed at Tenaya Lodge, just outside the south side of Yosemite.  Besides being a nice resort (we had a cottage room!), it’s situated on beautiful grounds with miles of snowy trails for hiking, sleigh rides and sledding.  And that’s just what my boys wanted to do as soon as we unpacked!

Another family discovered the same sledding hill as us, and at first I wasn’t too excited about sharing it.  But he offered to take a family picture of us and, well, I think you’ll see why I quickly forgave him and was more than happy to share. . .

It’s not often that the photographer actually gets to be in the picture with her family!

A horse-drawn sleigh passed right by our hill. . .

And the glow of the sun setting through the trees was the perfect metaphor for our trip.

The next morning, we awoke and headed to Badger Pass Ski Area.  It’s the “original Northern California Ski Resort” and is the perfect low-key spot for families to come ski.  Another unique thing about it is that it is located within Yosemite National Park.  So, needless to say, the scenery is beautiful.  This is the first time my 3-year-old got to try out alpine skiing.  My 5-year-old was able to take a lesson and we just worked with my little guy on his own.

Both boys had a fantastic time on the snow!  They also had a fantastic time in Play Care for a couple of hours in the afternoon so my husband and I could do a little fantastic skiing of our own!

The next 2 days we returned to Badger Pass, but this time with our cross-country skis.  To the Shertzer Family, when you say, “ski” we think “nordic”!  This is the 4th season my oldest son has been on skis.  While he’s still getting the hang of the alpine gear, he’s a natural on the nordic skis!

This is the third winter my littlest guy has been on nordic skis.  It’s such a wonderful feeling to pass on our love for the sport to our kids!  He was so proud of himself when he started shushing along. . . he kept yelling, “Hey, Hayden!  Look at ME!  I’m SKIING!”

We had such an amazing little trip, doing some of our favorite things. . . I can’t recommend a winter trip to Yosemite more!  Badger Pass gets 2 big thumbs up as a great place to ski with beginners and young kids — affordable, low-key, no-stress and FUN!  And with alpine skiing, nordic skiing and snowshoeing right on site, there’s something for everyone!

Now, go check out Spokane Childrens Photographer- Creatively Yours Photography for her take on 10 on 10!  Just a warning: it’s not the 10th and I have no guarantee about the number of images she’ll have to share

A few days ago, my husband and I took our kids and my visiting parents down to the beach.  While the kids played with their grandparents in the sand, my husband and I went for a run.  It was pretty brisk, so when we finished the run, everyone was ready to head back home and warm up.  But as we drove up the hill toward our house (we live a little over 1 mile from the beach), I noticed the sky was getting this gorgeous glow.  We pulled in our driveway, the family unloaded and I pulled right back out, camera in tow to race back down for sunset.  And am I ever glad I did!

A perfect end to 2012!

Now head on over to see Pensacola Florida Photographer, Tracy Tisdale and her final piece of Fine Art for 2012.

I must have been quite a sight, because the animals couldn’t get enough of me. . . eye contact from almost every single one of them (except for my own two little monkeys, of course, they wouldn’t even glance my way!)!

First stop was the meerkats, where one stoic pup stood sentinel and my two boys hoped to catch some meerkat silliness.  

The flamingos were housed right next door.  A large flock was huddles on one side but this particular bird, who kept diving for a snack, really stood out against the dark green foliage.

The orangutans are so soulful. . .

And Mr. Giraffe was curious about me, but not so much to stop eating.  He just kept chewing and chewing and chewing.

I’ve always loved the elephants, who seem to possess a certain grace, despite their size.

The chimpanzees were a bit feisty on the day of our visit.  We’d hear a loud ruckus with hoots and hollers from quite a distance away.  When we were close enough to see them, they had worked out their differences, but I bet they’d make quite the reality show!

My youngest and his grandfather sure thought so. . .

The baby tigers aren’t quite so “baby” as a year ago, but impressive none the less.

Mr. Bear was having a relaxing little siesta.  Since it’s hibernation season, that didn’t surprise me too much.

The California Condor’s size is as impressive as his facial coloring.  He was nearly 3 feet tall!

And this little guy gives me the shivers just looking at the picture again!  Green mamba has such beautiful coloring, but I would not like to run across him anywhere other than safely behind this 1″ thick glass!

My youngest son took a spin on the carousel, which gives riders their choice of transportation.  Benjamin chose a dolphin, but he could have picked a peacock, cheetah, bear, butterfly, tapir, okapi or one of 40 other animals!

Now, go check out that last 10 on 10 for 2012 of Spokane Childrens Photographer, Creatively Yours!

The sunset was impressive, but I was even more drawn in by the night scene. . . cars racing by on the 405, airplane lights streaking through the sky as they head in for landing at LAX, twinkling lights of downtown sky scrapers.

With 2 kids under the age of 5, I’ll admit, I don’t get out much at night.  Perhaps that’s why this scene is so mesmerizing to me!  The best part is, since the time change to Daylight Savings, this was taken at 6:00 p.m., a perfectly decent and normal hour to be out!  No matter the hour, I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Now, head on over to Albuquerque New Mexico Family Photographer Laura Meeks page to see her Fine Art piece for this month!

We are an outdoorsy family.  We love to hike and camp and just get outside!  While having kids has slowed our pace down a bit, we still like to get out for a camping trip at least once a summer.  This past summer, however, we just never found the right weekend.  The perk to living in Southern California is that the weather is warm enough (and probably even better!) for camping in the fall.  This trip marked a first for us, however, with the rental of a pop-up camper.  We have been 100% tent campers up until this point.  But a few months back, my husband got an itch to put a hitch on our mini-van, knowing that it would make it look tougher AND that we could pull a camper!  So, we rented a little A-Liner for the weekend and headed to Ventura County.  My boys were in heaven!

It was cloudy where we camped, but we headed north through Ojai into the mountains.  We went over one pass and then the sky was completely clear blue.  We hit a fun trail that crossed a stream numerous times, which was quite the adventure for my little hikers.

As we got back to our car my husband says, “Well, we did it!  We found a place near L.A. that we didn’t see another person for over 2 hours!”

As we drove back toward our campground, you could see the clouds oozing over the mountains.  As we drove back up into it, it was so cool to see the exact line of 2 completely different weather systems colliding!

In my opinion, the downside to camping with a camper or RV is that most of the campgrounds feel more like parking lots than actual camp sites.  The perk of going in October is that the campground was only about 30% full, so we had plenty of space to stretch out and the other trailer pads made a great spot for bike riding and casting practice.

It’s not camping if there’s not a little relaxing, right! 

And my absolute favorite part about camping is the smores!

We woke up on Sunday and drove out of the mountains toward the ocean.  We found a fabulous little park and picnic area at Sycamore Cove in Ventura for our picnic lunch.

We had time for a little more casting. . .

Running our toes through the water. . .

Playing in the sand. . .

And we even had a little visitor, right off the beach. . . a sea lion!

When I get caught up in the hustle and bustle and crowds and rat race that is Los Angeles, it’s so nice to have a weekend like this to make me truly appreciate the beauty of California and the good fortune that we get to spend a few years living here!

Even though this was more like a “22 on 10,” I still do this as part of a project with some other fab photographers.  Head on over to check out what Chicago Photographer Britt Anderson has for this month!

Now, head on over to Durham NC Fine Art Photographer Leigh Ann Hines site to see her fine art piece this month!

As a runner myself, I was eager to go cheer her on, camera in hand, of course!

The race started with a 1 mile swim at Venice Beach.  We arrived at dawn to a beautiful and peaceful scene, the full moon still hanging low in the sky over the ocean.

As the sun came up, the waves of competitors started.  Emily was in the wave with all the women, which was the 8th or 9th to start.

Throughout the morning the waves kept coming, in, well, waves.  It would be relatively calm for a few minutes, then these enormous swells would come in.  As luck would (or maybe would not) have it, just as Emily’s wave started, the swells got huge.  At this moment, I was pretty darn glad I was on shore as a spectator!  But, Emily is a great swimmer and the waves didn’t get her down.  She charged through and came out of the water as one of the top swimmers from her starting wave!

Next, she hopped on my borrowed road bike for a 24 mile trip to downtown Los Angeles.

I hopped in my car to get there and due to infamous L.A. traffic, she actually beat me!  I did make it in time to see her smoking the 10K run (in 36:42!).

She did amazing!  And her efforts earned her a 5th place finish in her age division, which meant special recognition on stage and a nice shiny medal to take home!

As always, you can check out what some of my talented female photographer friends have been up to with their take of “10 on 10″ by following our blog circle.  There’s no better place to start than with Milwaukee Photographer Melissa Schuett!

For more inspiring art, be sure to check out Durham, NC Fine Art Photographer, Leigh Ann Hines, then follow the links for a circle of images sure to brighten your Friday!

Before school went back, my good friend and I took a midday trip with our kids to explore this historic part of Los Angeles.  The kids loved searching for treasures at all the stands!

While the adults just soaked in all the culture and color!

The kids made a wish in a fountain. . .

And we checked out some food options.

We settled for a sit down lunch, which had to include a margarita!

I love playing “tourist” in our city, and a trip to Olvera Street was a great way to spend an afternoon!

Now, go take a peek at  Milwaukee Wisconsin Photographer Melissa Schuett’s site for another take on “10 on 10″!

This fine art project has been one of my favorite projects of the year.  I love creating fine art images, but even more, I love that it connects me to a fab group of other professional women photographers.  So take a few minutes for a little blog hop for some Friday morning inspiration… you won’t want to miss what the Durham NC Lifestyle Photographer Leigh Ann Hines has for this month!

After driving up the canyon, you’re first greeted with a view of Hyalite Resevoir, which never disappoints! We drove around the north side of the reservoir to reach the trail head for Hyalite Peak.  We have yet to make the entire 7 mile hike to the Peak, which follows a creek past no less than 8 gorgeous water falls, but thankfully, you don’t have to hike far to reach the first set of falls — Grotto Falls.  This beautiful spot is only a little more than 1 mile from the trail head!  So we set off on the trail toward our destination. . .

We had happy little hikers and when we got to the Falls, we had the place to ourselves (I love Montana!)!

And thanks to our friends, we actually have a family picture (including me!) at our spot.  Yay!

The aptly named Grotto Falls, has such interesting color and texture in the rocks.  With the sun creating light areas, the shadows, and the glistening, dripping water, it’s such a pretty scene.

The little boys weren’t quite as mesmerized by the pretty sights as me, they were more interested in working on their rock throwing skills!

And rock scrambling skills. . .

On the hike back down, this little orange butterfly followed us along the trail, politely stopping to pose for me. 

After you’ve soaked up some of Montana’s beautiful summer, head on over to Milwaukee Photographer Melissa Schuett Photography  for her take on “10 on 10″ this month!

I may live in Los Angeles, but I recently traveled across the country to see our other ocean, the Atlantic.  Isle of Palms, South Carolina is a beautiful beach, most notably for the tide pools that dot the wide swath of sand.  They are perfect for 3-year-old splashing and 30-something-year-old lounging.  And best of all for the phenomenal reflections.

After soaking in this beach scene, be sure to head over to see what Pensacola Florida Photographer, Tracy Tisdale has for this month.  I have a good hunch you’ll see more fabulous beach scenery, this time of the Gulf of Mexico, but she just may have something different up her sleeve this month. . . you’ll have to click over to find out!

The touch tank was super fun, even if my 3-year-old was a little intimidated to actually put his hands in the water!

One of the coolest features was the aquarium you could walk right into the middle of!

Once we had our fill of sea creatures, we walked across the parking lot to Cabrillo Beach to play on the sand.

We also watched the action in Long Beach Harbor, as the large container ships made their way to Ports o’ Call and some sort of filming was going on from those 2 helicopters.

I couldn’t help but soak up the beauty of the bright blue sky with the half moon showing its face during the day.  It was a fun trip and I’d definitely recommend the stop!

Now, head on over to Beth Philcrantz, New Hampshire Family Photographer to see her 10 on 10!

Abalone Cove is known for its tide pools, but we didn’t time our visit very well.  High tide was coming within an hour of our arrival.  So we didn’t get to search for little ocean critters, but we still had fun exploring the narrow rocky beach.

I ventured around the south cliff of the cove and found several daring fishermen risking rogue high tide waves for the perfect catch.

And while we didn’t have tide pools teeming with sea creatures to explore, we were still treated with some wildlife sightings.  Including birds circling overhead. . .

. . . and this guy, trying hard to hide in the crevice of the rock.  He was about as big as the palm of my hand.

After exploring the low side of Abalone Park, we headed back up a trail to the south cliff, aptly named Inspiration Point, and caught a glimpse of Sacred Cove.

From our high viewpoint we also caught a glimpse of a playful little guy down below.  I was mostly happy that I had opted to bring my wide angle lens in lieu of my zoom on our trip that day (which enabled me to get most of the images above), but I was definitely missing it with this guy!   Still, it was a fun treat to cap off a fun trip.  Abalone Cove is definitely on our “Favorite Things In SoCal” List!

10 on 10 is a blog hop project with a talented group of photographers.  Be sure to head over to North Canton lifestyle photographer, Louder Than Words Photography by Heidi Roberts to continue the loop!