Happy New Years Eve

It's almost 2011! Wow, 2010 was a blast. I hope everyone has a magical evening! I know I'll be at my parent's house with good company! I can't wait. What will you all be doing? Well, whatever it may be don't drink too much and stay safe!

Photo by Lola Rain

2010 Recap

So, it’s the end of the year and that means it’s time to look back at 2010! What I accomplished and how I felt about the year over all. I’ll be honest. I had the WORST New Years Eve to date, so I was a little scared that 2010 was going to suck. Thankfully, it turned around. So, here’s a nifty list of what I did in 2010:

1.   I Graduated from College: This is pretty big. When I started making this list I didn’t even realize how amazing this was. I’m a college graduate! That’s something to be very proud of. Not only did I graduate, but I also have a full time job that I’m very thankful for. To anyone else out there that graduated this year, congratulations!!


My parents and I at Graduation

2.   I Moved Out: Yes, I graduated from college and moved out of my parent’s house. All this happened in a matter of two months or so.  I love my parent’s, but I couldn’t be happier living with my boyfriend. I love being able to decorate my own way, not worry about coming home late, watching the TV as loud as I want. It’s the little things that count.

3.   I Traveled to the East Coast: Once for vacation and again for a wedding. All I have to say is Lola Rain. She has always been an inspiration to me and we are always creating things together. Visiting Lola was one of the highlights of my year.

4.   I Went to My First Wedding: My friends Alex and Alexa got married in Vermont in October. It was, of course, the wedding of the century. It was so peaceful and personal. I cried like a baby during the ceremony and the entire trip was a blast. This was my first trip to the beautiful state of Vermont. And my first airplane trip with my boyfriend.  This leading into anther first from the trip…

5.   I Saw Snow for the First Time!!!! Thank you Vermont for my First Snow. Yes, this is true, I’m lame. Never been to Tahoe in the winter, therefore had never seen snow before.  Snow Fall is magical.

6.   I was “ALMOST” killed in McDonald’s. Ok, I’m over exaggerating, but since this incident I’ve never ever gone back to that McDonalds.  It is right around the corner from my office. I was on my lunch break and wanted somewhere quiet to read my book (I think I was reading “New Moon” and it was a sign for me to stop reading that awful book).  This McDonald’s is two stories. Upper level seating only. It is very long and narrow. I’m sitting upstairs, reading my book, DIDN’T EVEN ORDER ANYTHING, and suddenly I hear from downstairs, “He has a gun, he has a gun!!! Put your hands up!!!!” followed by a bunch of shuffling. I’m a little shaken up and I couldn’t see what the hell was happening below me. I build up enough courage to walk down the stairs and the place is SWARMING with police officers. There were undercover police, at least five cop cars outside and a bunch of officers in uniform. I think it turned out to be the bum that is always sitting outside. Naturally, I run back to my office and told everyone. That was the highlight of that week.

7.   I Attended My First Baby Shower: This was followed by a second baby shower only a month later. My friend Serena broke my baby shower cherry. It was by far the most fun baby shower I’ve ever been to (well because it was my first). It was an old family friends and I got to see some familiar faces. The food was amazing and the games were so much fun. My mom and I drank a ton of wine and had a blast. This baby shower was followed by my friend Rachel’s baby shower. I’ve know Rachel since we attended good old St. Cecilia. I also got to see a lot of people I haven’t seen in a long time at this shower  and had a great time catching up. This also leads into my first friend that had a baby. Serena’s baby girl Gia is the best baby ever! I can’t wait to meet Rachel’s baby boy Bentley.

8.   I Stuck with My Man though his…. “Vacation”: Let’s just say that my boyfriend was sent away for a few months the end of last year and the beginning of this year. We stuck together though it. It was hard, but well worth it. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

9.   I got a Netflix Account: Dear Netflix, you have made my life 3,000 times better. Mainly because I get to watch movies like, “The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia” which is the craziest white trash movie you will EVER watch. Seriously. This shit will change your life. Thank you Netflix Instant for giving me movies when I want them. And Thank you Brenda for that great movie suggestion!

10. I Baked, and Baked, and Baked some more: That’s right. No wonder I put on the pounds in 2010. I baked cupcakes like nobody’s business! Martha Stewart, I love you.

Ginger and Molasses Cupcakes

Maragrita Cupcakes

DAL Themed Cupcakes for November Birthdays

World Series Themed Cupcakes!!

11. The San Francisco Giants Won The World Series: That’s right people. You heard it here first! The Giants won the series and no one thought they could do it. A Big Congratulations to my team! You did it! Now, let’s get them Niners on the same track, the Warriors would be nice too. The highlight of this win? Seeing Steve Perry (Journey) at the parade!!!

Stever Perry!!

Huff Daddy and the Rally Thong

12. Portraits: Photography wise, this was a year of portraits for me. I’ve really tried to get behind the lens as often as possible and plan out projects. I really love taking photographs of people and really getting to know my subject. Here are some of my favorites that weren't in my Top 10 post...

Victoria

Erik and Cynthia

Cecilia Elena

even a self portrait!

Wow! I feel like I accomplished a lot this year. At first I thought this list was short, like I hadn’t done anything, but I did a lot! I’m finally done with college and moved out. This year was a big transitional year for me. I went from college student to adult in a matter of months. I’ll say,  I like adult hood a lot better than college life. I’m a lot freer to do what I want and it’s a lot less stressful. Thank You 2010 for being a great year!

Man (or Woman) and Animal

There is a crazy connection between a person and their pets. Whether it’s man and dog or woman and horse, it amazes me how people can connect so strongly to their animals. My friend Leslie is alllllllllllll about her pets. She is currently studying to become a veterinarian and her passion for animals pours out of her every day. She has a dog, cat, horse and guinea pig, all of which she loves and care for equally. That’s dedication.

My boyfriend Max has always cared about his dogs. A few years ago his dog Lily died of old age and a bad hip, needless to say it’s heart breaking when you lose your dog. Now, he has the lovely Stella Bella of the Oakland hills (as his mom would call her) and he loves running in the backyard with her and training her basics.

Writing this makes me miss my dog Teddy!! I wish he could have moved in with me when I moved out of my parent’s house. Thankfully I get to visit him whenever I want.

Five Favorite Posts of 2010

I really enjoy making lists, can you tell? I made a Top 10 Portrait List and you will soon get a “resolution” list as well as a 2010 recap list. So, look forward to seeing more lists from me in the future.  Speaking of lists, here are my five favorite blog posts in 2010. I started blogging in August, so it’s not a whole years worth to choose from, but still a decent amount. Anyways, here it goes:

5.  Symmetry: I really love this photo of the Brooklyn Bridge. I took this back in 2009 and the symmetry still resides in my mind. This was my first trip to New York! The photo is a great way to remember the experience. Speaking of New York, I’ll be leaving for the big apple in a week!! Time to start making lists of what to bring and all the things I want to accomplish/see on the trip.

4. Orange October: This is one of two favorite San Francisco Giants related posts. Now, keep in mind we were still in the playoffs when all these shenanigans were going on. The cupcakes, the pumpkins, the pride… I think the support really made the World Series win possible.

3. Serena and Gia: This is something I’ve very proud of. This was my first time photographing Serena and my first maternity shoot. Everything turned out even better than I could have imagined. Thanks Serena!

2. Lola Rain, the Model: Now, you know that I love Lola Rain, so of COURSE she is going be somewhere in my top list. I love Lola Rain as an artist and as a model, but her modeling skills really inspire me to take amazing photographs. Her expression and ease around the camera make a picture a photo.

1. 2010 San Francisco Giants World Series Parade:  This is hands down my favorite post of the year. This is one moment that I will never forget. The thrill and pride that one city can have for a team is unbelievable. Maybe I’m bias, but I believe that San Francisco has the best fans in the country, maybe the world. :)

Are these your favorite Natalie Schlegel Photography Posts?!

Lola Rain, the Model

Awhile back I wrote a post tilted Lola Rain, The Artist. Not only is Lola Rain an amazing artist, but she is also one of my favorite models.  I believe this is because she knows what it’s like to be behind the camera. In theory, this makes it easier for her to understand angels and depth, but she’s also just a natural at it. She’s graceful and alive. There are so many ways to read into her emotions. I ask you to look at each photo individually and see if you can understand what I mean and see what I feel.

Lola the Lonely Prom Queen

Lola and the Carnation



Run Lola, Run!

 

Lola the princess, looking for an escape from castle grounds.

 

Lola and the Four Flowers



Lola and the Mystery.



Ralph Steals the Show

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! I don’t know about you, but for me it’s back to reality. To remember the good time I, and hopefully you, had this weekend, here are a few photos I took of Leslie and Chris for their parents for the holidays. I like the photos I took of them last year better, but these are still damn pretty cute.

As you can see, the Hessions love thier animals....

Had to sneek Louie in a photo

Ralph knows how to work the camera

Merry Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have an amazing day! To celebrate the day, I decided to make a collection of a few of the Christmas tree’s I’ve seen this year. As I was compiling this list I started to wonder where the Christmas tree tradition came from. Well, thanks to Wikipedia I was able to find out where the tradition is said to come from. It’s pretty interesting, I think you should all check it out. Here are some photos of trees to go along with your reading...

Christmas Tree at Protected Investors (next door to my office)

DAL Christmas Tree

The DAL Christmas flower arrangment (not a tree, duh)

Christmas Tree at my boyfirends Aunt's house



Union Square SF



Macy's "Believe" Tree, Union Square SF



Half decorated tree at my parents house



Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday!!!

It's that time of year, Christmas time is here!! And everything’s ok, Merry Christmas Happy Holiday!

Ok, A little too much NSync? Its ok, it brings me back to the glory days filled with boy bands and pop singers. A time when Christmas was filled with toys and clothes from Limited Too. Oh, those were the days! Now Christmas is all about the latest gadget or the newest Apple product. Well, no matter your cup of tea this holiday season, I hope you all enjoy the holiday season! Here is my other favorite Christmas song...

Angel

Do you ever wonder if you have a guardian angel? This tends to be something I think about from time to time especially when times get rough or my anxiety reaches a new level.  Is there someone watching over me to keep me sane?  I’d like to think so. I may not know who it is or why they’ve taking up the task, but it makes me feel safe.

I took this photo of my friend Rachel about a year ago. I didn’t expect the outcome to be so angelic, but that’s just how it happened. I’d like to think that someone was looking over her at the time and helping her get though her own struggles. Now, I’m happy to report, that Rachel has given birth to a beautiful baby boy named Bentley. I’ve yet to meet her little bundle of joy, but I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure Bentley has an angel watching over him to keep him safe and happy.

Kay Bay

Kayla Kayla BoBayla booooo nana bo bayla, be my Molaya Kayla! Ok, I don’t know if that makes any sense whatsoever when I type that out, but it makes sense in my head and that’s all that matters. That song/rhyme thing reminds me of this photo of my friend Kayla. Kayla and I met our freshmen year of High School WAAAAY back in 2002! Since then the rest is history. Gosh, this makes me want to dig up some high school photos…. Um, maybe later.

The Ochoa Kids

There is no better gift for your parents then a family portrait. What more could they ask for then a well captured moment of their kids? Especially as kids grow up and move out it’s nice to see them all in the same place. This wonderful family right here is my good friend Brenda and her siblings Erik, Cynthia and Edwin. What’s better than a day at the ball park? Well, The Ochoa’s love their baseball, so this ended up being the best location for our little photo adventure. More photos of the Ochoa’s coming soon!

Hard Wood

Every time I go to Ukiah to visit my boyfriend’s dad I see something new to photograph. One tree never looks the same the next time you see it. It’s funny how nature is like that. This time around I really focused on the wood around the property, whether it was the trees, chopped wooden, stumps or branches. Each piece has something of its own to offer.

Action!

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. What better way to start off the work week then with an inspiring photograph!

These two photos say a lot to me. First off, they both have the same prop, a director’s chair. Sitting in this type of chair always makes me feel like I’m in charge, in the movies or directing a movie. It feels like the movie that I’m directing is the movie of my life. What to do, who to talk to, how to act. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have someone narrate your life. Kind of like the movie “Stranger the Fiction,” except I’m not suddenly getting killed by a bus and trying to stop it from happening, but the suspense of what is going to happen next would be a lot more thrilling with a narrator… I’m just saying.

Rain Drops

Rain drops on wood.  I snapped this photo when it was raining. I was on the deck and noticed the way the wood looked while wet. I love the focus on this photo and the fact that you can slightly see drops of rain falling on the wood as well as the changes in color.

Shades of Green

Green happens to be my favorite color. Maybe that’s why I love photographing natural landscapes and trees. I took this photo while it was raining. The leaves were still crisp from a fresh rain. I love the way the photo fades to black and makes the green pop.

Lola Rain, The Artist

Oh Lola Rain! How I love thee! I don’t really know where to start because I feel like I have so much to say! I met Lola Rain about two years ago. We were both working in the same office (I’m still working there) and we could sense the need for a creative outlet from one another. We bonded over photography and began to model for one another. We would take day trips to Maine County and just photograph all day long. I wouldn’t be the same photographer without her. She really pushed me to get started and inspired me to start my own blog/business (I’m still working on the business part). Lola Moved 3,000 miles away from me but we still collaborate and inspire each other. The good thing about Lola moving away? Well, home girl has got it together! She got married and started her own photography business! Check out her blog, Etsy, Flickr account and become her fan on Facebook! Thanks for everything Lola Rain!

Here is some of Lola Rain's work...