San Diego Rescue Mission Thank You for 55 Years

I am really loving the events I have been photographing as a volunteer and the wonderful people I am meeting. There was an intimate dinner at Delicias celebrating 55 years of great service by the SD Rescue Mission. The guests were such wonderful people who have supported the Mission above and beyond the call of duty.

The meal was fantastic...one of the best I have had in a long time. The jazz by the Gregory Michaels Band really set the tone. Thanks, Mark for asking me to be a part of this evening.

Here is a gallery of the event.

 Click Here to View Event Photos

Click Here to View Event Photos

Challenge Center Auction and Comedy Night

 www.lucidumas.com

Challenge Center Comedy Night Photos (Click Here)

Challenge Center Comedy Night Photos (Click Here)
My website www.lucidumas.com

Had a great time photographing the guests at the auction and comedy show for the Challenge Center. Norm MacDonald and Kevin Farley were so funny I am still laughing at some of the bits. I was able to meet them at the VIP reception and they were both very friendly, funny and charming. Thanks Robyn and Tiffany for asking me to participate.

Here is some info about the Challenge Center. What an amazing organization!!!!
http://www.challengecenter.org/
Challenge Center offers a wide array of services focused on improving health, function and quality of life for those living with severe physical disability. 
Services Include

• Adapted Fitness Training
• Aquatics Fitness (warm water)
• Circuit Training (Equipment)
• Health and Human Services
• Physical Therapy Evaluations
• Physical Therapy Treatments
• Computerized Functional Electrical
• Body Weight Supported Treadmill

Great Music and Baby Signing Concert by Susan Z and Monta Briant

I had the most fun photographing a concert of children's music at Rebecca's in South Park last weekend. Photographing about 30 babies and 30 to 40 parents signing and hanging out was like eating a great big box of chocolates completely guilt free. Each child was cuter than the last. Click here to view the gallery of images! Susan and Monta's Baby Concert

Susan Zelinski sang and her sister Monta Briant did the movements using her baby sign language. And everyone had fun fun fun, especially singing the updated version of the Itsy Bitsy Spider!

Susan has a great CD and Monta has books and gives classes on signing for babies to help with those pre-verbal years.  http://www.babysignlanguage.net/

http://www.susanz.com/kids/

Love to Dance, Inc

www.lucidumas.com

I was honored by the invitation to photograph a few classes and students at  Love to Dance, Inc located in the Carmel Valley area of San Diego. It is a wonderful space and the students were a delight.  Mindy is a combination of Pied Piper with the little ones and a fantastic teacher and mentor of classic dance to the older students. 
Here is a slide show of some of our favorites.
Click to View Slide Show
Click To View Entire Gallery

We will be creating wall portraits of a few of these to decorate the studio. And I am so excited to photograph the dress rehearsal and yearly performance this week. Thanks Mindy and Craig!

May Special...while the hills are so colorful and green.

A Favorite Poem about Children

Hi there,
I have been pondering what I might blog about besides my family and children's portraits, something extra that I might share to benefit the readers of my blog. One thing I seem to know a lot about because I have been around them, babysat them, mentored them, photographed them and generally been "Aunt Luci" all of my life is kids. When I lecture to photographers on children's photography, half of my program is about the needs of children, the developmental stages and how to see every child as the miracle that he or she is.

Sooooo....my intention is to post some of the things I have learned in addition to sharing my photography and such. The poem I am sharing today is one that I know to be true. A great chef used the freshest and most beautiful ingredients to create a fabulous meal. Raising a spectacular, happy, bright and kind human is the same... it takes the best ingredients also. It isn't really rocket science and no one...no one...can do it perfectly. But keeping the big picture in mind can go along way.

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
Dorothy Law Nolte

If children live with CRITICISM
They learn to CONDEMN
If children live with HOSTILITY
They learn to FIGHT
If children live with RIDICULE
They learn to BE SHY
If children live with SHAME
They learn to FEEL GUILTY
If children live with TOLERANCE

They learn to BE PATIENT
If children live with ENCOURAGEMENT
They learn to HAVE CONFIDENCE
If children live with PRAISE
They learn to APPRECIATE
If children live with FAIRNESS
They learn JUSTICE
If children live with SECURITY
They learn to HAVE FAITH
If children live with APPROVAL
They learn to LIKE THEMSELVES
If children live with ACCEPTANCE and FRIENDSHIP
They learn to FIND LOVE IN THE WORLD.

Jessica's Cinderella session

CINDERELLA SESSION

by www.lucidumas.com

Jessica is the oldest of 6 in a very special family. I was blessed to photograph her first communion and have been so thrilled to do the same for each of her sibling's as well as family portraits of the entire gang over the last umpteen (I think it is a word, look it up) years. So photographing her senior portrait was so exciting for me!

She is very much a girly girl and when I mentioned the idea of wildflowers, her mom and I thought that a Cinderella theme would fit her to a tee. Imagine my joy when I visited the location we selected months ago with the hope of some wildflowers to see at least 5o trees in full bloom. I could not wait for the session the next day.

Jess was a dream to photograph, the "woodland" creatures…bunnies and birds and squirrels…were in abundance with is not always the case in San Diego. At one point, the scene and this lovely young woman in it were so beautiful, I almost cried.

Oh I love my job! Thank you Jessica and Barbara. Hugs

Luci Dumas Fine Photography

Welcome to my blog. My passion is photography. My goal with my portraits is creating portraits of children, families and graduates that will touch your heart and add warmth and beauty to your home. San Diego is the perfect environment for beach portraits, images in Balboa Park, your home or my studio. You can always reach me (well, not always) at 619 233-9390

My goal with my blog is to share and educate.

Please visit www.lucidumas.com for more images and information about Luci Dumas Fine Photography