After the busy season of senior pictures and working hard to get everyone’s family photos done for Christmas, I decided this year to take the week off between Christmas and New Years. It was wonderful to spend time with my husband and kids even though we ended up with the flu running its coarse though the family. This year for Christmas I gave my mother two very special pieces of art- images of her grandchildren. In October, my sister and her little boy Joe came home from Egypt for a month and I did a photo shoot with my mom and all the grand kids. I will say that it was pretty crazy. I’ve heard other photographers say how hard it is to take pictures of their own kids and I completely agree. My children were crazy and little Joe, now 3 was all over the place. Well, if you can’t beat them join them! We let it be crazy and fun! I printed the first image as a 10 x 20 and matted and framed it in a deep brown frame. I designed it for her formal living room. For the second print, I decided to go with the Posh. This is a digitally designed 16 x 24 print with 5 different images. I thought she might like this image in her new sewing room, so I picked the frame in a soft red. I was very pleased with both images and my mom cried when she unwrapped the images. She is a very proud grandmother!
Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category
The gift of pictures!
January 4, 2011Hood To Coast Race
December 7, 2010I’d like to share a little bit about a personal endeavor that I’ve participate in for the last 4 years. It’s the Hood to Coast Relay Race. My passion for running got me involved in this race of epic proportion. It’s titled the “Mother of All Relay Races” and it’s the largest relay in the world. The race starts at MT Hood in Oregon, elevation 11,234 ft, and winds it way across Oregon State some 197 to finish at the ocean in the town of Seaside. There are 15,000 people that participate in this grueling race. Eight to twelve people are allowed per team. Every year our team has finished in the top 5 of our age bracket and have earned a spot in open registration. This mean that we bypass the lotto drawing and get a personal invite back to run! This race supports the American Cancer Society and last year it raised $500,000 for ACS. I look forward to this race every year and all the new adventures that it holds!
Two years ago, the race was filmed and the documentary will be showing in theaters across the nation on 1/11/11. Take a peek at the trailer below. It’s quite an unusual race!
Great New Band
December 1, 2010I want to share with you a great new band that is emerging on collage campuses around the nation. Tim Be Told is inspirational! This is one of the most thoughtful young groups out there that hasn’t made it …. yet. Click on the You Tube link and watch the video – its simple and kind. These kids are a positive force for good, and goodness – a breath of fresh air in a stagnant sea of ordinary! Tim Be Told, an ‘ethnic band’ to finally reach the masses. Read their story here.
Analyze (lyrics below)
Dear friend, please tell me who I am
And start from the inside
Or wait instead, before it’s said
All these monsters I couldn’t hide
Beneath the bed or in my head
If I was stronger they would’ve died
But every once in a while I’m terrified
Hey you, could you analyze my state of mind, my state of mind
What did you recognize? What did you find? What did you find?
Better days I’ve fantasized if I’m satisfied, am I satisfied?
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Please talk before the clock runs out
And I’m still a mystery
You’re not so wise, I apologize
I still care what you think of me
To survive, I criticize other people that I’ll never be
The truth is, I bruise too easily
Hey you, could you analyze my state of mind, my state of mind
What did you recognize? What did you find? What did you find?
Better days I’ve fantasized if I’m satisfied, am I satisfied?
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Convince me it’s alright
That loneliness will subside
My hands tied, surrendered
To all these storms that I’ve weathered
Are you listening? Whatever
Why is this taking forever
Heal it quick, I don’t care
Just fix me now
Hey you, could you analyze
What did you recognize?
Yeaaaah
Hey you, could you analyze my state of mind, my state of mind
What did you recognize? What did you find? What did you find?
Better days I’ve fantasized if I’m satisfied, am I satisfied?
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
A day of thanks!
November 25, 2010Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! This is one of my favorite holidays. A day of spending time with family, cooking and eating too much! A day of apple pie, playing games with the kids and a day to give thanks. I personally have so many things in my life to be thankful for: my wonderful family, great friends and a job I love. I feel very fortunate to have a job that feeds my creativity but most importantly gives families photographs that will always be cherished. Photographs not only capture the physical age or appearance of a person but they have the power to bring back wonderful memories or a shared experience . These moments in time will never happen again but photographs help preserve them. I feel very honored to have this job. I’d like to say thank you to all my clients that have trusted me with their family memories. I hope you all have a wonderful day with your family. These cute little guys below are my kiddos.
I have a famous sister! No really…. I do.
August 6, 2010I have to brag a little. I have a famous sister and she is a model, actress & belly dance in Cairo, Egypt. Her name is Carolyn Hamilton but her stage name is Leila and she is absolutely gorgeous. She has been modeling for as long as I can remember and has traveled all over the world. When I visited her in Cairo a couple years ago, her face was everywhere; on bill boards in the city, in tv commercials, and in a full length movie that aired on tv repeatedly. People would stop her in the street and ask for her autograph. I felt like I was hanging out with Nicole Kidman. My sis will be coming home for a visit next week and we are lucky to have her here for our fashion show coming up on Aug 21st. She’s agreed to do the choreography for the show and teach the models how to strut down the cat walk. I’m very excited for our show and also thrilled to have my sister home for a visit.
In Egypt, Carolyn employs an orchestra that writes original music for her shows. Last spring, she asked me to photograph her most recent CD cover titled Helwa, meaning sweets in Arabic. We did the photography in studio and came up with the idea of surrounding her in candy. She wanted a vintage or 50’s feel for the finished album and this is what we came up with. Here’s a link to her website www.leilainegypt.com
$1000 CHARITY DONATION
January 24, 2009I won! My name was drawn at the Senior Portrait Artists Convention as one of the lucky winners of the Miller’s 100K Charity Program. Miller’s donates $1000 to the charity of choice for each winning photographer. I think this is a great program! I lost my father to cancer 3 years ago and since then I’ve become a big supporter of the American Cancer Society. Each year I run in the Nike Hood to Coast Relay Race and participate in the Charity Runners program. In 2009, the Hood to Coast Race raised $290,000 for the ACS. Our team contributed $2500. Miller’s graciously agreed to donate my $1000 on my Personal Charity Runners site. Check it out if you have a chance. Thank you Miller’s!
Happy Anniversary to Us!
October 8, 2008
Hood to Coast Relay Race
May 31, 2008
For the second year I’ll be running in one of the largest relay races in the world. The Hood to Coast Relay stretches 197 miles from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon. Our team of 12 women placed 5th in our age group last year and we hope to place in the top 3 this year. Besides beating our time, our team is hoping to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Last year the athletes participating in the Hood to Coast Race raised $224,000. This year the goal is $300,000. If you’re interested in donating to help find a cure for cancer, please visit my fund raising site at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/lindahamilton
EUROPEAN VACATION
April 22, 2008I’m back from my travels and had a wonderful time exploring the land of the Spanish and home of my friends in Amsterdam. We landed in Amsterdam where our friends Jed and Flo hosted us for 3 days. Jed played the drums in my husbands band “The Satus Creek Band” while he was in collage at Central. We had a fabulous time exploring the city and eating everything. They have the best coffee, cheese and bread in the world and I definitely indulged! We then headed to Cadiz, Spain which is a small coastal city on the South Atlantic side. The people were warm and friendly and the land was amazingly beautiful and clean. We rented a car and proceeded inland to Granada, Cordoba and eventually flew out of Seville. These cities are rich with Moorish influence and we saw some amazing palaces and castles with elaborate decorations. We also pasted through quaint white villages and saw Africa from the Rock of Gibraltar. It was a great experience, one I won’t ever forget. I also won’t forget driving a car in a country where I can’t read the signs and the roads are so narrow only one car can fit at a time. I’m grateful I didn’t wreck the car or have any mishaps. Well, it’s good to be home!
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I’M HEADING TO SPAIN!
March 15, 2008I feel so fortunate to get to spend 3 weeks in the south of Spain and 3 days exploring Amsterdam. I’m meeting a very dear friend of mine in Cadiz where we’ll spend 1 week and then drive south along the coast. We might even venture into Africa. I can’t wait! I have a passion for travel. It goes well with my passion for photography. I’ll be sure and post some images when I return or if I can, from the road. Soooo…. the office will be closed from March 17th to April 10th. I will try to return e-mails if I have internet access otherwise I will be handling everything when I return. I really appreciate your cooperation and patience. See you when I get back.