Wow, this really sounds like I’m dying, doesn’t it?

Luckily I’m not dying (KNOCK ON WOOD) but I’ve just moved!

To the brand-spanking new ami-martin.com!

There’s a new site there, as well as a new blog, so I’d love to see you there!

Thank you so much for supporting this site, and I hope you’ll like your stay at the new site site even better (I think I might have seen some folded swan-shaped towels and mints on the pillows).

xo ami

When I would go to sleep at night my most satisfying dreams revolved around finding the best items and each thing would be 10 yen (10 cents) a piece.  It was wonderful.

…I realize now that I sounded like an extreme coupon-er in the making.

But now that I’m older, in my dreams I’m surrounded by food, cafes, gardens full of flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits, cute tailored (I know, specific) clothing and, well, more food.  Specifically desserts.  And tea.  Clearly I am a person obsessed with the most fabulously simple life possible.  If that sounds like an oxymoron, it probably is, but hey, it’s my dream so I deem it possible.

One of my favorite places to go for fabulous simplicity is the The Brentwood Country Mart.  If you are in LA and have never been, it’s absolutely one of the places that I recommend visiting.  It’s like the Finer Things Club come to life (if you know what I am talking about I am high-five-ing you right now).  There is cheese and wine and plants and tea and basically all of my dreams come true.  Well, except everything is slightly more than 10 yen a piece.

Let’s start with the succulents.  I love succulents.  These are from Botany and I love their simplicity and the fact that everything is so thoughtfully displayed there.

Around the corner is Caffe Luxxe, where they brew delicious chamomile tea and Bryan loves their coffee.  I love an afternoon spent with tea, Bry, a book on my iPad, and a delicate, delicious chocolate macaron.

More beautiful flowers at Botany.

Super cute facebook and twitter logos on the Sugar Paper windows and I just loved the cover of the Inspired Weddings book they carry at the shop.  I love me some blues and pinks.

Farmshop.  I’ve talked about Farmshop before but man oh man.  They’ve expanded into a market and my head exploded the moment I walked in.  It’s so exactly what I think of as food heaven, AND they serve chocolate hazelnut danishes.  We literally walked miles when they shut down the roads because of the LA Marathon for a danish.  I am either dedicated or crazy or both.  Bryan goes along with it so I love him for that.

Cheese.  Need I really say more?

Love these tins, even if I don’t drink coffee!  And I love the blackboard signs behind.

Just kill me now.  Or feed me then kill me.

Rows and rows of only the best foods.

It’s a dream I never want to wake up from.

P.S. If anyone is wondering, I used the CrossProcess app for all of these photos!

Now that we know each other better, hello again, my name is ami and I’m kind of crazy.  I also have watched too much Cesar Milan.

But just hear me out.

So because of my personality I generally stay away from things like coffee which only exacerbate the nervous energy that I tend to have.  Instead I mostly stick with herbal tea.  Lately, though, you’d think I was on drugs.  Something illegal, I don’t know, something strong but not to strong? Honestly I couldn’t differentiate between them so let’s just say speed.

Except my speed is Earl Grey tea.

…does anyone even do speed anymore?

Anyway, yeah, that’s how hard core I am.  Earl Grey tea.  I’ve been caffeinating and therefore staying up until the wee hours of the morning.  It’s probably not very healthy, but since I can’t sleep anyway, I’ve found a couple of ways to entertain myself and therefore not go insane (although at this point you’re thinking it’s too late for that).

1. Downtown Abbey.  I watched the entire first season in one night.  One night!  All seven episodes until four in the morning.  It had me in its grip from the first episode, where it had me screaming things like, “Oh no he DIDN’T!”  It’s like an easier to understand Jane Austin novel with beautiful 21st century cinematography.  If you like drama, intrigue, and old-timey talk, this is the series for you.  Netflix it!  (I know I’ve been pushing Netflix a lot lately, but it’s what I use!)

2.  Apparently I’m not alone in my insomnia because other people have been up with me playing Draw Something.  This is slowly starting to trump my first love, Words with Friends, which I wasn’t sure could ever happen.  You basically are guessing what the other person is drawing from a group of letter tiles.  It’s really fun and will have you laughing at the crazy things your friends draw.  Here is one of Bryan’s masterpieces:

Interestingly, that’s also what I look like as an australian shepherd at 3am after a cup of Earl Grey.  I think I should really lay off the caffeine.

But for fun, what kind of dog would you be?

I actually really enjoy the process and look of incorporating text into photography.  It helps to tell a story, and it gives context where there might not otherwise be any with just the images.  I love how it rounds it all out.

Keeping the dream alive.

Meet Milli Moto.  She’s a model, singer, and actress.  A triple threat!  Milli is one of those people who you look at and one moment looks so sweet, but the next she looks like she’d take you out.  Her versatility made her so fun to shoot, and I think it’s what will ultimately make her very successful.  She’s definitely one to watch!

I know.  We all have our vices.

Hey, it can’t be all life-changing and world saving all of the time, right?

So anyway, before we left for vacation I did watch something non-Reality centric that I really loved and I think everyone should see!  I think some of you already may know that I am a big fan of everything Jim Henson and the Muppets (I was that 20-something year old in the Bear in the Big Blue House attraction at Disney World with the 3 and 4 year olds clapping along.  If that is weird to you then we might not get along).  So when I saw the trailer for Being Elmo I knew I had to see it.

Being Elmo is the story of Kevin Clash and his dreams of working as a puppeteer and his journey to becoming and ultimately being the beloved Elmo on Sesame Street.  It is inspiring, sweet, and at times heartbreaking.  For creatives and honestly anyone who has had a passion that they’ve tirelessly pursued, this is definitely a must-see.  As someone who is relentless in pursuit of something creative as a career, sometimes it can feel extremely lonely.  This film is a reminder that we are all not alone:

Definitely check it out and let me know your thoughts!  It’s even on Netflix’s Watch Instantly (I think that’s what it’s called) right now, so you can watch it there too!

Today I want to talk about how to flatter your face, even if you’re not a photographer.  I decided to use myself as an example, because if I can’t show myself looking crazy, I can’t expect anyone else to, either.

I think we can all agree that the photo above is not flattering.  At all.  Forget about the fact that I have no makeup on, it makes me look like I have a triple chin.  You can count them.  There are three.  The thing is, I don’t care if you’re skinny or curvy or anywhere in between, it is not a cute look for anyone.  I also want to mention that I did not use the Photobooth application that makes your face larger or applied Photoshop or anything like that here.  I was simply watching TV, turned on my phone and camera to take a picture because I was bored during commercials.  You don’t take photos of yourself during commercials?  Wow, weird.  Must just be me (yeah, right, don’t lie!).

When I saw the screen, I was just relaxing into the couch cushion and wasn’t intentionally squishing my chin.  That’s just how I look relaxed, apparently.  I was a bit horrified at first, but then had a lightbulb moment and thought it would be  a good opportunity to talk about what makes a flattering angle and what doesn’t.

Here is a photo that I took a few minutes later.  I’d like to think that’s more like what I look like naturally.  I also think everyone can agree that it is a more flattering photo.  But why?

It’s an extreme example, of course, but there are three main reasons:

1. Camera position

2. Posture

3. Chin position

Whether you are taking a photo of yourself or someone is taking your photo, generally for girls the camera at their eye level or slightly above will be more flattering.  The higher you go, you would think the more flattering it gets, but a lot of the times your head will just be ginormous and the rest of your body really tiny in a very weird way.  So be careful how high you go (the higher you go, the more “Myspace photo-ey” it becomes- you know what I mean).

Posture is important.  If you slouch, everything bunches together.  So you want to have straight posture to elongate your body.

Chin position.  The closer your chin to your neck, the more crowded everything will look.  Pushing your chin out slightly and downward (but again, don’t go too extreme or that will look wonky too) helps to create a nice jawline.

These things might be obvious to some people, but it’s amazing how these three concepts can really alter the way a photo looks.  Keeping these things in mind, a good photographer will remind you to do these things, and correct them if they are too extreme.

Hope this was helpful!

I know that some people might want to do a portrait shoot but feel intimidated, especially because everything seems to be shrouded in mystery (…ystery….. yestery…) but it is seriously FUN.  This is how it all works: you and a friend (or friends! or sister! or mom!) get your hair and makeup done, wear your best outfits, look beautiful, act silly and serious and everything in between, then you can go out afterward because you’ll already look so freaking great!  Then you come back to check out your photos, purchase the ones you want, end up with fantastic portraits that you’ll be able to keep forever.  What’s not to love?

I remember taking portraits at a department store with my friend Maria our senior year. We were best friends (we still are– after over a decade!), and had become so close and had so much fun together over the years that we wanted to document that time in our lives before each going off to college and work and moving away.  I love having those photos, but how I WISH we had somewhere to go to get our hair and makeup done!  How I WISH I had known that it was possible to go to a great independent photographer and not to a department store!  How I WISH I knew how accessible it was!  But, I just didn’t know.

So, you might be thinking: But I don’t look like a model!  I need to lose 10 pounds!  I look CRAZY when I try to be serious and my eyebrow does that weird… thing.  Well, let me tell you something.  Even models aren’t perfect, believe it or not.  There are birthmarks and moles and a little or a lot of curviness here and there, and honestly we all have those things.  It’s all about the light and the angle and the direction you are given.  If you’ve got a good photographer, they will show you in your best light.  They will know when to angle you and they will LISTEN to what you want.  They will bring out your beautiful.

Well IT MUST BE SO EXPENSIVE might be another thought.  Here’s the first part of my answer to that: you get what you pay for.  Remember that.  If you hire a shoddy photographer, well then you probably know what happens next.  Here’s the second part of the answer:  Personally, I try to make the experience accessible to anyone who values photography.  I KNOW what it feels like to want just one good photo of myself.  I can’t stand the left side of my face (I’m not even kidding), but I have to tell you, so many people won’t listen to me when I tell them that.  It’s weird, it’s quirky, but it’s me.  I know my weirdness, that’s why I can understand yours.  I do consultations to make sure we’re a good fit, and at that time we go over everything it is that you want out of your shoot.

My sitting fee which includes hair and makeup for two people is $199.  After the shoot, we set up a time for you to view your images, and you just buy the ones that you want.  The prices for photos range start at $175 for a wall print and goes up from there (I’ll also be introducing some new products in the coming months which is REALLY EXCITING).  I’m telling you, these new products are really the best products that I would want in my own hands, on my own table, on my own walls, in my own home.  I wouldn’t operate my business any other way.

So, that being said, doesn’t it sound like a freaking awesome time?

If you have any questions, or want to book a session, feel free to contact me using the form on the Contact page.  Don’t let us all have fun without you!

Because posts are better with photos, I wanted to share Yumi’s photos from a recent shoot.  She looks bananaaaaaaaaas!  Doesn’t she?

]]> http://amisinla.com/wp/2012/03/04/have-fun-look-beautiful-and-take-great-photos/feed/ 2 http://amisinla.com/wp/2012/02/17/life-in-iphone-photos-february-2012-edition/ http://amisinla.com/wp/2012/02/17/life-in-iphone-photos-february-2012-edition/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:26:27 +0000 ami http://amisinla.com/wp/?p=2706 Happy Friday everyone!  Sorry posting has been a bit spotty this week.  I’ve been preparing for WPPI and getting a lot of done around the office.  Of course by “the office” I mean the small dining room space that we converted into our office because hey, isn’t dinner more fun to eat on the couch, anyway?  And also hanging out in traffic for 2+ hours one way because that’s where all we LA people like to do our business: on the road.  Not that kind of business.  Wow, that got kind of weird fast.

But anyway!  When we haven’t been working, we’ve been taking fun trips to that place they call the outside (sunlight? woah.) to eat, and drink, and also work some more while we are at it.  We’re like Australian Shepards in that way, we just can’t seem to stop moving.  B on his projects, and me on Words with Friends.  Facebook.  Twitter.  I mean, also on projects!  Hey, I get distracted easily okay?  I guess I’m a bit like a sheepdog in that way, too.

I also enjoy getting distracted by the soft glowing light of the tv, watching things like my two new favorite commericals: WH-heat Thins and The Netflix Beaver.  I’m not generally a Family Guy fan, but that commercial is really cute.  And the Beaver reminds me of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox which was freaking fantastic as the name implies.

But anyway!  Again!  So many distractions!  More of the past couple of weeks in iPhone photos:

At the library.  Bry is hard core and brings many gadgets with him (like that robot pen).  He also usually has headphones on and I’m that annoying person who taps him on the shoulder every two minutes to share the amazing paragraph I just read!  It’s so amazing!  No, really!  Yeah, I should really stick to decaf tea.

Doing what we do best: eat.  There’s some butternut squash soup there, with something called a yoga sandwich (it had white bean spread that was really good), a Starbucks iced tea (totally not decaf), and another sandwich (avocado & jack cheese) with sweet potato fries.  Bryan also made us dinner one night, whole wheat spaghetti with a marinara chock full of veggies.

Sometimes you just need a dose of reality.  By reality of course I mean Reality TV!  Yes, I am a Real Housewives watcher.  I pour myself a glass of wine, light a candle (obviously necessary) and watch as these crazy ladies claw each other’s faces off.  What about that doesn’t say relaxation?  Also, the pretty porch lights that we hung on the balcony.  I love the way they twinkle at night and just stare at them between commercials.  In that creepy transfixed way, of course.

I headed out to Pasadena one day to meet up with a new friend (hi Jaqueline!) at Intelligentsia for coffee.  Or, well, in my case tea because I am not a coffee person.  Everyone always tells me their coffee is amazing, though, and I will attest that their tea is wonderful and their Nutella danish is sublime.  And I’m pretty sure I’ve never used the word sublime to talk about anything.  They also have a location in Venice that B and I usually go to, but the Pasadena location is much bigger with lots of seating and they offer lunch too.

You know how I love me a good snack.  I’ve been eating these Japanese Karl snacks since I was little (they’re like a less intense puffy cheeto), never noticed that they were labeled “Karl Cheese Flavor”.  What does that even mean?  Oh, Engrish, you never fail to amuse.  I also finally tracked down a Starbucks love cup.  I’d been seeing them everywhere and I am a sucker for cute packaging.  Speaking of packaging, how about the matching spoon on that Menchie’s yogurt, eh?  Eh?  And also, ramen at midnight is just sometimes a necessary snack.  I cracked an egg in it, of course.

We headed out to Tofu-Ya which is a Korean restaurant on the west side.  My tofu soup had tofu and beef.  Nice and spicy.  I love the way the little plates look.

B was in love.  He loves Asian food.  Fortunately he ended up with an Asian girl.  Well, a half Asian one.  You know, that one, the one with the cream puff.  Yup, yours truly.  Aww yeaaahhhhh.

Finally, that’s Christa Meola on the left, teaching her CreativeLive course.  I feel like three out of four of my posts lately have mentioned CreativeLive, but I can’t help it, they’re all great!  I guess I’ve been spending a lot of time with them.  But hey, it’s not all work, I definitely make time to play.  Play some old school Mario, that is!  (Look at that freaking adorable dolphin!)

That’s about it from me for this week!  There’s also always lots more activity going on over at Instagram (amisinLA) if you want to hang out with me there.  Next week, like I mentioned in my last post, I’m heading to WPPI for a photographer’s conference in Las Vegas.  I will be live tweeting and Instagramming from there, and most likely won’t be posting on the blog until later in the week.  I will see you then!  Have a great weekend!

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Sometimes living in LA it can feel like a fight.  A fight to be heard.  Everyone is talking over everyone else, and it almost verges on comical how no one is really listening to each other.

But the thing is, I don’t think it’s just a LA thing.  I think it’s actually just a people thing.  Especially in our society people just want to talk.  Talk, talk, talk.  About themselves.  Bryan and I are definitely big talkers, that’s no secret, and even though we make an active effort to listen to each other, too often it becomes the race of who can get their thoughts out first.  Is it healthy?  No.  Is it productive?  No.  Does it make either of us feel good in the end?  No.  In fact, it’s exhausting.

B proposed an idea the other day of each limiting what we have to say to five sentences or less and then letting the other person to speak.  That might sound crazy to have to put boundaries on a conversation, but, well, what can I say, even after six years we are a work in progress.  The funny thing is, I said to him, “Well, what if I can’t get it all out in five sentences?”  He replied, “Why would you need more than that?”  I thought for moment before I laughed and said, “Because I like to hear myself talk!!”

That’s just it.  Sometimes we are so focused on what WE want to say, that it’s less about the conversation and what we feel we need to get out of our mouths.  Because it makes us feel heard, it makes us feel important.  It’s a release.  The problem is, after a certain point, you’re just the jerk who goes on and on about themselves.  No one ever wants to be on the listening end of that.  But what would happen if everyone just shut up and listened to the person that they were talking to?  Like really listened?  I think a few things would happen:

1. The person you are talking to feels that you are really interested in them, and really care about what matters to them.

2. They therefore appreciate you and want to hear what you think, too.

3. You have a stronger bond, and they go out of their way to help and listen too, because they now value you.  You make each other feel important, which is something we all need.

Who doesn’t want to be heard?  If you are thinking right now, “Well, no one ever listens to me!” then you are missing the point.  It’s the magical thing about listening.  When you stop being selfish and worrying about yourself so much, and care and put effort into building other people up, it comes back to you ten-fold.  The more we listen to everyone else around us, the less we will feel the need to put a megaphone to our lips and the more we build real and lasting relationships.

I think it’s important to remember that most people care mostly about themselves.  I think that’s a natural instinct for most all of us.  But if you are the one person who listens, you actually become very valuable and it’s also quite powerful.  Because  the moment you listen is the the moment that people start caring about you because you are one of the few who does.  Imagine what that would mean to have so many of those deeper connections with others.  I think it would make life much easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

These are all things that I’m experiencing now, and that’s why I wanted to talk about it.  If it sounds like I’m on a soapbox, I don’t really mean to be.  They are things that personally I never thought about and feel like I’m late to the race in learning.  I wish it hadn’t taken me so long, and it’s all honestly really changed my outlook on the way I interact with people.  I’m also making deeper connections with them, which feels so rewarding.  If you’ve ever struggled in a similar way with your relationships (love, friendships, business, etc) with others and building strong bonds with people, I really hope that you find them useful too.