Charlipop Kids Commercial Shoot Preview

This past week I completed a commercial shoot for Charlipop Kids. This is my second time working with CPK and I have to tell you I am completely in love with the clothing. The owner Kathryn has incredible taste and discernment when it comes to selecting the ranges and styles she is going to sell and she is just so good at what she does. I find myself over at the CPK website all the time so it is such a joy to be a part of what Kathryn is doing.

I have a small preview of images from this latest shoot over on flickr and you can find them by clicking here. I did try to put them on the blog but they weren't looking too pretty. Flickr isn't perfect but it is definitely an improvement over whatever the blog was doing to the images when I uploaded them.

60/60 :: Day 15-21

I'm learning more and more all the time as I continue in my project. I've learnt how annoying it is to lose your lens cap when you're one of those freaky, gotta keep everything together type people. I've learnt that people look at you very strangely when you walk around with a camera all the time and that your family start to get a little sick of you after a while (but always seem to appreciate the photos after the fact). I've learnt the importance of persevering when all you want to do is give up because at the end it is always worth it.

I had a lot of fun creating some of the images for this weeks slideshow, mainly because two of my days involved a commercial shoot for a fantastic online store Charlipop Kids. This is the second time I have shot for CPK and I just love doing it. I don't think it's really cheating to include the images. After all, this is about recording my day and well, that's what happened that day. During the shoot my girls were just incredible. They were modeling warmer clothes and if you were alive this week you will know just how hot it was. They were justly rewarded with giant ice blocks.

If you are watching I thank you. It's always so great to know people enjoy what I do enough to take time to check out what I'm shooting. It just wouldn't be as fun if I couldn't share it with you.

60/60 :: Day 8-14

Wow! This second week of my personal project has been a tough one. Whilst the main aim of this project is to capture life for 60 days I do like to do it in a slightly creative way, in a way that gives a glimpse into how I see the world, but I had no idea going into it just how hard that was going to be for someone who is at home almost every day. Being in the same environment more often than not and finding new things hasn't been easy, but it has helped me realise what an incredible blessing my always growing, every changing, beautiful daughters are. In essence they are the same every day, but there is always a new expression, a new moment in their lives to hold on to. I'm capturing the world around me and I've realised that at this time in my life these precious girls are my world, so you will see a little more of them in this slideshow and most likely in future slideshows.

What first made me want to do this project was not just seeing another photographer do something similar, but the song I heard that I used for last weeks slideshow. I fell in love with it on hearing it and couldn't wait to use it. All week last week I would add the new images from that day and click through them as I listened to the song, seeing and hearing it come together. I was passionate about it, excited to share it, but I already knew that the following week was going to be harder. I did not have any other songs selected. I listened to clip after clip of royalty free music, music for personal use and came up with nothing. Nothing touched my heart, nothing gave me that same excitement. I started thinking about what music did do that to me and it didn't take long at all to strike upon the possible solution. My friend Ben.

You see, I have a friend called Ben. We have a lot in common and the friendship we struck up was natural, like it was already there before we had met. He is likeable and pretty much anyone who knows him will tell you that. You can meet him for the first time and walk away thinking like you know him as he is pretty forthcoming with his thoughts and who he is, but until you hear his music you don't know Ben. I always believed that people who composed music were brave, sharing parts of themselves in what they write, allowing themselves to be vunerable. Still, I never really felt like I knew someone better, was getting a glimpse into someone's soul, as much as I did when I heard Ben play. The first time I heard a piece Ben had written I was in awe and having heard him play a few times since then, well......... to say his gift for composing and playing is a gift is an understatement. There is such beauty, strength, vibrancy, passion and straight up talent in what and how he plays that tears spring up every time I think about everything he has to share and everyone who hasn't heard it yet.

All of this led me to ask him if he would create something for me to share with you along with my images. I was fairly certain that no matter what he did I would be passionate about it and he has not failed me. In just a few hours he has composed, played, recorded and created the perfect song. I think his song "Memoirs and Reveries" (so named by his equally amazing, beautiful soul of a wife, my dear friend Joelle) has brought a new life to my photos, it makes them better and I'm so excited to be able to share it with you this week. I really hope you enjoy it..... and Ben, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to do this for me. It means so much to me and other than being deeply appreciative I can only ask "What are you doing next week?" because now I know I won't find something I love as much.

With all of that said here is day 8-14 of my personal project 60/60. Thank you for taking a few minutes to let me share it with you.



P.S. If you would like to hear more from Ben you should also check out his song "Inner Turmoil". Once you've heard that and fallen in love with it like everyone else who hears it just look him up on facebook and pester the dear life out of him for more because trust me, there is so much more flowing through those creative veins of his just bursting to get out.

60/60 :: Day 1-7

A while ago one of the many, many photographers that I love started a personal project where he attempted to live his life for 50 days through one 50mm lens. Needless to say I was challenged and inspired to attempt this, but seeing as the widest lens I currently own is a 60mm I decided to do a 60/60 instead. So, for 60 days I will be capturing moments in my day as much as possible, all with the same 60mm lens. I started this project for myself last Monday and would like to share the first 7 days with you now. Enjoy :)

60/60 :: Day 1-7 by Leah Kua from Leah Kua on Vimeo.

Oh My How They Grow (Finally)

The hairs on Malia's head I mean. It's a pretty special thing to see Malia's face framed with these beautiful, soft curls. You see, for about the first 2 years of her life she was pretty much bald. I honestly felt silly putting her in skirts and dresses because I thought she looked so odd with hardly any hair to go with all the super girly attire. There wasn't enough for a tiny clip, so forget about ponytails and plaits.

These days Malia loves to talk about how her hair reaches all the way down to her bottom (when wet and pulled very tightly) but never the less this is a VERY big deal in little girl world. I've been meaning to take some photos of her hair for a while and I'm sure these won't be the last, but when I looked out the window today and saw the wind blowing I knew it would be perfect.

I think it's so amazing that so many of Gods incredible creations that are already full of beauty and strength just come alive in a completely new way when put together. He really is glorified in everything.

She Takes My Breath Away

I'm not really a slacker when it comes to blogging I swear. For the last few months I have been going through the process of setting up my photography business, including designing a website and a beautiful new blog dedicated to my work. When that is done I want to revamp this blog a little, however in the meantime I have been holding off on any posts because I was so excited to create these beautiful new blogs. The downside to this being that everything takes much longer than you anticipate and in the meantime I have not blogged at all. Most of my images are being kept for my new website and blog, however yesterday I took some images just for myself and I couldn't just do nothing with them so I knew a post, even on the old blog was necessary.

Yesterday was Thursday. Thursday is the one and only day in the week that Malia goes off to preschool, leaving Zoe and I alone for a few peaceful hours. I adore Malia beyond all adoration, but I really enjoy these times with Zoe. She doesn't talk much, so the time is filled with smiles, kisses, cheekiness and generally toddling around looking gorgeous, getting into mischief and eating a wide range of paper products.

During our time yesterday I was sitting on the couch, working on my laptop and Zoe was running laps of the couch, up to me for a cuddle then down to the other end - repeat. At one point when she was down the other end I looked up at her and was immediately filled with a few different thoughts and emotions. Firstly, with her head full of curls she really does look a lot like I did at that age. That thought made me miss my mama. I know she would have really loved seeing how much Zoe looks like I did when I was a baby. She would get such a kick out of it, I just know it. And whilst I am so happy knowing my mama is with Jesus in heaven, exactly where she wanted most to be, it makes me sad that she does not get to spend this time with us, getting to know Zoe here while she is a baby. Then just looking at Zoe I was overwhelmed with how beautiful she is, with her smooth, pale skin, her striking dark eyes, her soft pink lips and her head full of curls and I realised, I just do not take enough photos of her. I love how the beauty in my girls is what made me first want to pick up a camera and that seeing them still has that affect on me.

Zoe is 20 months old now. Our babies are growing up lightening fast. I mean, Malia starts school next year and my emotions about that have completely taken me off guard (but more about that in another post). For now enjoy the sweetness that is our baby girl and the simple joy and curiosity that radiates from her. We love our baby zozo.

New (and Talented) Kid On The Block

A few weeks ago I got to do something I kinda always knew would happen, work with Josephine Rositano again. You see, Josephine used to be a student of mine and despite the teacher/student relationship we always worked really well together. She is super talented in every way imaginable and I never really felt that school ending for her would be the last time I would see her. Never in my wildest dreams though did I think I would be her photographer. I wasn't interested in photography at all the entire time I knew her at school. Well, actually that's not true. I would pour over photography, I was just convinced I didn't have what it takes to learn how to take photos myself.

Fast forward not too many years and here I am posting a sneak peek of my photo shoot with Josephine, a talented (who ever doubted it) musician who is about to release her first album. We had a great (although very wet and cold) time during the shoot and walked away with some fantastic stuff. I can't wait for you guys to see the cd and more importantly hear it, but for now this little preview will have to do.

If you want to check out more of Josephine Rositano head on over to her facebook, myspace or youtube channel.