Nutcracker Production

So, for the past few weeks I have been driving my daughter to Nutcracker Dress rehearsals and to performances and it has been exhausting, yet so inspirational. I am consistently impressed by the incredible work that Ballet Northwest does to put on this annual production. It is BEAUTIFUL and so worth seeing. I also love that BNW includes so many of the community in the cast. It is a great opportunity for people to learn self confidence and how a show like this is put together. Check out their website for more information www.balletnorthwest.org
We are so fortunate to have a Ballet of this caliber in Olympia, if you haven't seen it go. This year's is SOLD OUT, but next year, save a trip North and go to Ballet Northwest's Nutcracker, you will be soooooooooooo glad you did.

Here are a few pictures of my daughter as a soldier. She was so cute and just really enjoyed being part of the battle between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker.

Photo Animation for Fun!

So, this isn't really photography related, and I have a bunch of new photos to post in the next couple of days, but I just had to share. I just found this really fun animation website where I could create a photography avatar. I had way too much fun doing it and was really excited they had a photographer animation. You can go there and create your own as well at www.meez.com

Check me out!

Vintage Style

I just had the most amazing time photographing a young woman, Juliane in Olympia who has major "Vintage Style". We had a blast and went to the State Capital to grab pics of the marble grandeur and timelessness. Of course Juliane has such a timelessness to her and she just seemed to be at home there amongst the marble and stone columns.

I am posting some of my favorites and made a slideshow which you can see here

Gratitude WOW!

WOW!
This morning I received an email from Davina Fear (www.davinafear.com), a Photographer who is absolutely amazing. She told me to check her blog and I did and found out I have been awarded a Davina Scholarship toward the tution of Love Affair (www.loveaffairworkshop.com), the Women's Photography Workshop in NC.

I am so thrilled, stunned, and honored to have received this. I am now working on raising the rest of the funds to go there. It is such an amazing gift to have people I admire believe in me and my work. I am so honored and deeply touched by this!

So Halloween was a BLAST! We went to the Governor's house and my daughter received a book and a chocolate bar, we saw the house of 100 pumpkins, and then trick or treated for a little while as well. The Halloween Fairy decided to come this year too. A child at school told my daughter that if you put all the candy out for the Halloween Fairy she will leave a present, well she did. Almost ALL of the candy got put into a bag and in the morning ***POOF*** there in its place were 2 one dollar bills. My daughter was so excited that she plans on doing this again next year. Apparantly the tooth fairy and the Halloween fairy are friends.

Here are a few cute pics of my daughter as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

My Website is LIVE!!!!!

My website is finally live! The address is www.dineaphoto.com and I can hardly believe it is now up and running. I will be adding to it in the next few weeks as well. I had a friend tell me to just do it and put it up even if I don't think it is perfect. I took his advice and am really happy I did. I see it as an evolving work in progress and am really happy to have my work up there for people to enjoy.

I would love to hear what you think about it in the comments section of this post. It is really fun to hear from all of you.

Photography Workshops

This weekend I went to an Advanced Photography Workshop with Me Ra Koh. Her and Brian are such amazing people and so genuine in helping photographers advance in their businesses but especially be ourselves as photographers and people. Here are a few images I took this weekend. I love the one where the light is framing her face in the window light.

Autumn Family Portraits

I am so happy for the beautiful fall weather. After all the rain last week I thought winter had set in for good! Thank goodness it still is fall and so unpredictable. Like they say, wait 10 minutes and the weather will change.

We had a great sunbreak over the week and I got a chance to go out and take photos of this great family!!!!!! We had so much fun and I really enjoyed getting to discover a new park called Seven Oars near the Friendship bridge in Olympia. Their daughter had such a blast and you could really tell that she was a natural with the camera. By the end of our day together, she even started to find cool compositions and places to have her photo taken. It was so sweet! I also took this amazing shot of her dad holding her with such love and compassion, it brought tears to my eyes when I saw it. It is definitely a moment that she will look back on and remember how much is is loved!

Enjoy the pics and let me know what you think in the comments section! I love to know who is reading this blog so say hello.

Holiday Time and Deadlines

I can hardly believe that October is here! Wow and the weather has been wild here in the NW, golden sun one moment and thunder and hailing the next. It definitely makes for interesting and dynamic pictures.

Soon the holidays will be here and the crazy rush begins. I have found over the years that I try to give more meaningful gifts each year. The "stuff" comes and goes, but what remains are the beautiful memories from a photo or giving an experience. I love giving gifts with true heartfelt meaning that bring up the true reason we come together as family and friends to celebrate this time of year.

So in the season of fall and the begining of the holiday portrait season, I wanted to let you know the deadline for ordering prints for Holidays. Dec. 7th is the absolute latest to receive prints at regular shipping costs from my prolab, and Dec. 14th is the latest for RUSH delivery.

For past, present, and future clients,
This fall My prolab is offering some really great deals on prints, DVD's, cards, and more for the months of October and November so if you book for these months or have had an event this year you will be eligible for these AMAZING deals!!!!!
Seriously, there is even a buy one DVD and get one free. The DVD's are a compilation of images from the event and set to music, really high quality and in the most amazing packaging with a photo of the event on the cover.

I am now offering wonderful 7x7 and larger hardcover books which are perfect for gifts and holding all the memories in one place. They are really a great quick alternative to a hardcover leather album and take very little time to receive.

Holiday cards are available as well, but sessions must be booked soon to ensure timely delivery of cards for mailing.

I am also really excited to start offering Canvas prints. They are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! I can hardly believe the quality and beauty of a canvas wrapped print to hang on the wall. So great to hang in that blank space on the wall for even the most discerning home designer.

Email me at dineanature@juno.com for details for the Holiday special that includes a 3 hour portrait session, a 7x7 book , print credit, and a canvas wrapped print.

Fashion forward

I shot some photos for recently for a local importer www.profoundia.com . She has amazing clothes and bindis and this shoot was so fun. I had a blast, plus the model was from a previous Sweet sixteen shoot and such a natural with the camera we had a great time. Let me know what you think in the comments section.







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Fun Birthday Party and a Pirate ship

It has been a while since I last blogged. I have so many images that I will try and put them up in the next couple of days. This is my friend Fanny who is a Glamorous eclectic Goddess! It is her birthday here and she is surrounded by admirers.

I got to go on a "pirate" ship. Actually it was one of the merchant ships from Pirates of the Carribean, but none the less it was fabulous! We rode on the Lady Washington, and had a mock canon battle with the ship Hawaiian. We won of course and it was so fun, black powder, fun sailors, and a beautiful day of sun. It was Labor Day weekend and my dad insisted my daughter and I go with him. He is such a mariner lover, he actually did a little jig after we won the battle and the captain put on celebration music.

Sweet Sixteen

Sixteen candles. I loved that movie when I was a teen. These images are from a "Sweet 16" photo shoot I did for a friend yesterday, the day before her birthday. What a blast** I love the dynamic of emerging into the next cycle of maturity and inner growth. What a Rite of Passage for her. I love photography and how the soul of each person emerges thru their photos and give a glimpse into the window of their soul.

Cob Oven Pizza and Fertile Ground

I love Cob oven Pizza. It is amazing and traditionally a cob oven was used in communities to come together and to share this resource for baking bread as not every family had their own oven.
So there is a great Bed and Breakfast in Olympia, WA called Fertile Ground that has Cob Oven Pizza Parties.



Fertile Ground hosts almost weekly pizza parties as fund raisers for local non profits. It is such a great resource for the community and really fun. Plus different
businesses donate the ingredients such as pizza dough, ice cream, etc. It is such a great place to go on a Saturday in the summer. Outside in a beautiful organic garden at a location that promotes environmental responsibility and stewardship. Fertile ground is an Eco friendly Bed and Breakfast and quite a popular place to stay and play at in Olympia. Check out their website
http://fertileground.org/


Here is some of the yummy pizza that is made in the cob oven. First the dough is rolled out and then put into the cob oven to brown. Then it is taken out and the pizza toppings are put on and it is put into the oven again to bake. Yummy!

Photo Albums

Image Copyright 2007 Dinea Norrell

I have added some links to my blog so you can see some of the stories I have been documenting. Just cut and paste them as the blog is not letting me link them. One is a compilation of my daughters Ballet Recital and the other is of my friends before they had their 2nd baby. It was so fun to capture them as a threesome.


http://www.pictage.com/xml/photoalbum/album.xml?album_id=44061&event_id=EVV1:319883

http://www.pictage.com/xml/photoalbum/album.xml?album_id=40278&event_id=EVV1:312070