Teri Genovese Photography | BLOG

modern coffee table books..

2008-07-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

i just thought i would take a break from my daily grind to post a few pictures of these beautiful books i recently made for a client, featuring their beautiful 4 week old babies.

coffee table books offer a completely modern, fresh approach to the traditional photo album. your images are printed on gorgeous matte pages, which are hand bound into a printed hard cover, and protected inside a personalized, sleek black book case. these books truly resemble a fine art coffee table book!

because dogs are people too..

2008-07-16T12:56:00.001-07:00

i love photographing this family. not only because Julie and Paul are a couple of the nicest people ever, but i completely relate to the huge-cannot-be-measured-kind-of-love they have for their pups. we met last year when i photographed them at runyon canyon (a favorite hang out for Hollywood dogs and an awesome hiking spot for people, too).

this year, we decided to have their session at their pool to document their hilariously crazy dogs, Jake and Violet, jumping in the water. i was totally up for the challenge! actually, it turned out the only challenge was keeping myself from jumping in with them! if only i had underwater camera gear to capture their underwater cuteness... maybe someday. :)

Violet, the little sister, always has to have Jake's toys, perfectly illustrated here:

i love this jumping series..

Violet's puttin' on the brakes.. she is hysterical!

here are the kids a bit more tired out than when i arrived..

and i love these last few.. i can just hear them saying "c'mon guys, come back and play!"

thanks again, Julie and Paul, for such a fun and unique photography session! i hope you enjoy your sneak peek as much as i enjoyed posting it! ;)

hang on big sur..

2008-07-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

we first went to big sur last may and i declared it my favorite place..ever. we had another trip planned for last fall, but the campground cancelled at the last minute for mysterious reasons. i was crushed. we finally made it back a couple of weeks ago and i never wanted to leave.

i love this place.

i believe the fires started exactly one week later from a lightning strike and are still blazing. it's frightening and i am praying that there are no other homes and buildings lost or trees burned.

ironically, the sun didn't come out much when we were there recently and my photographs reflect a different mood than the pictures from my first visit (a few images from last year can be seen here.)

i love these photographs, however, as they say something about what i am feeling at this time. something i can't exactly put into words right now. it's as if big sur (this living place) was showing its calm, contemplative beauty before the fire.

it is my hope that these photographs bring a feeling of peace and inspiration to you, as well..

(an interesting side note, this first one is a color image..)

baby on the way!

2008-06-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

i had the pleasure of hanging out with emilia and her husband jesse on monday morning. they are a wonderfully nice, funny, easy going couple expecting their first baby. after we melted a little at venice beach, we took a short walk to the Venice Beach House where they were married a few years back, found some shade, and took these lovely pictures.

it was so nice to meet you guys! i look forward to meeting little emilia very soon! :)

summer special!

2008-06-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to begin my summer season of fun, outdoor photo sessions! I'm up for anything that you and your family enjoy doing together (hanging out at the beach, taking a hike, going to the park, or meeting up at your home...) I'm currently booking child and family sessions for July and August. Feel free to take advantage of my summer special, available until August 1st!

Also, for a limited time, I will be providing complimentary newborn sessions for babies less than 2 weeks old. If you, or someone you know, is about to have a baby, please contact me to set up a free photo session! (space is limited, so contact me soon if you have an interest.)

I'm about to be immersed in a crazy month of house guests and traveling, so my posts this month may be scarce. However, stay tuned for some picture posts in the coming weeks showing fine art work from my trips to Big Sur and the Grand Canyon!

a surreal sight (without a picture to keep)

2008-06-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get a pick-me-up just when you need one…
But, unfortunately, sometimes when you really need a camera, it’s at home.

I decided this morning, things would change. Life has become so busy recently that I’ve let go of some things that bring me so much peace and calm, like yoga and hiking (and writing). So, today I woke up and without allowing a single excuse to take over my mind, I left for Runyon Canyon.

I am so happy I did.

I rolled the windows down, turned on some Green Day, and started to feel like myself again. But as I drove closer to Hollywood, I noticed the sky was awfully eerie over the hill, and I knew something wasn’t quite right. (I later learned there was a fire at Universal Studios, which is very unfortunate, but luckily no one was seriously hurt.)

And so I hiked and, despite the eeriness, I began to feel wonderful. And I grew wonderfully tired. As I approached the last few steps before reaching the top, I stared down at the ground to take my mind off the climb.

When I looked up I was instantly struck speechless by the gaze of two majestic and pristine white horses. It was a moment that makes you gasp, the least expected of all things to see… at the top of this hill I’ve climbed so many times before. In that moment, everything just left me. I had no worries, no stress, but pure wonder at these amazing creatures (that have never struck me as being so amazing).

Like a dream they stood there.. grounded in their glowing white in absolute contrast against the brown, smoke-filled sky on the edge of this plateau overlooking the overlapping hills and this crowded city that will forever blow my mind.

The eeriness turned to sheer beauty and my tired, overwhelmed mind turned clear...

new website!

2008-05-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

i am so excited to announce the launch of my new website! you can check it out HERE!

my wonderful husband, ben, and i have dedicated months and months of nights and weekends working on this project and it is such a relief to be finished. the most exciting part for me is that i will now be able to update my own image galleries, thanks to the help of a programmer for making that happen! so, i will be making more frequent updates to my portfolio from this point on!

i am also thrilled that ben brought my artistic vision to life and i now have a nature-inspired website design that so beautifully compliments my nature-infused work.

thanks for looking, i hope you enjoy the new site!

more twins!

2008-04-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

this is the second set of twins i've photographed in the last week and i love it! it was such a pleasure to photograph these two brand new siblings. i have so many favorites from this session, it's hard to narrow them down.. so here's a few!

this first one is a definite favorite. she is so peaceful...

this composition made a lovely fine art notecard:

Thanks again for welcoming me into your home. I had such a wonderful time!

priceless.

2008-04-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

i fell in love with this client's antique front doors and saw possibilities with the doorway from my first glance. but, it wasn't until we considered our session to be over and i was putting my camera away that this moment presented itself to be captured.

this is what i love. these moments are priceless.

little twin models..

2008-04-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

i loved my session/play date with these two little Jet Set models! at only 22 months old, they were talking like crazy the whole morning and i was quite impressed! i really didn't want this session to end as i think i had just as much fun as them. i loved watching them play with "up down trucks" and "blue baby," staring into the sky when the helicopters circled, and picking the flowers, tomatoes, and lemons in their yard. midway through, little "d" even asked me for hugs and a pick up and it made my heart melt.

here's a sneak peek for mom. i wish them the best in their young modeling careers!

matthew santos

2008-03-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

i'm honored to call this amazing artist, matthew santos, a friend. i'm so proud to have witnessed his journey from playing coffee shops in Chicago during college to now headlining shows in LA. if you haven't yet heard his incredibly inspiring, soulful voice, take a moment and just listen.

here's a few pictures i took at the roxy on sunset last wednesday. he'll be back in LA on Wed, April 23rd at the Key Club, so mark your calendars!

"life is just as you take it / it's what you make it / nothing more.." -matthew santos

simply adorable.

2008-03-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

this little guy is so sweet and laid back, i couldn't help but enjoy every minute of our session on saturday. here's a little preview for his equally sweet parents!

i tried to sneak in some shots of his big sisters when i could...

mother's day mini sessions!

2008-03-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

the last week of something wonderful.

2008-02-20T11:15:00.001-08:00

it's never a good time to say goodbye to a place you love, to a family, to an era. after 35 years of business, santa monica gymnastics center will close its doors. i have spent two thirds of my life dedicated to gymnastics (whether as a gymnast or an instructor) and i wouldn't have it any other way. even though i have only been a part of the SMGC family for a year and a half, this place is responsible for making los angeles a home to me and i will be forever grateful.

perhaps i should have spent hours and hours in the gym photographing everything that i love, but i didn't. there is something about leaving my camera at home and fully experiencing life in the gym. however, i did shoot a little with my digital as well as my diana film camera over the last week, just so i had some keepsakes..

SMGC's 35th anniversary/reunion/farewell party (open house) is saturday february 23rd 3-8pm for anyone who has ever been a part of SMGC and would like to celebrate with us. there will be dozens of cupcakes and lots of hugs, i'm sure.

also blogging:
Gymnast Crossing
Sparklehaus

a special thanks to al and linda luber for providing such a warm, positive place for children to learn gymnastics and have fun for all these years!

be inspired:

2008-02-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

beyond prints...

2008-02-01T15:52:00.001-08:00

i've been wanting to post pictures of some of my custom made products to give you a visual of the wide array of possibilities for your photographs. i'll continue to photograph and post my best sellers to help you decide on the presentation that best fits your unique style. here's just a few to start..

[click images for a larger view]

10x20 Storyboard (may be framed or propped on an easel)

Gallery Wrapped Canvas (gorgeous fine art presentation, ready to hang)

The Keepsake Album (traditional archival leather album)

Modern 5x5 Coffee Table Book (high end press printed book, simply adorable)

first diana camera pictures.

2008-01-25T00:50:00.000-08:00

it was such a nice break to be home in michigan over the holidays... in the freezing cold, tromping through the snow like old times, and shooting... film.. at 7am.

happy holidays!

2007-12-19T10:52:00.001-08:00

i hope everyone has a holiday season filled with laughter, love, family, friends, great food, and lots of rest!

i am taking a restful vacation from my photography business until Monday, January 7th. all emails and phone calls will be returned after this date. i will begin scheduling 2008 sessions when i return in January. (the first available weekend for January sessions is Jan. 18th-20th.)

one of my goals for the new year is to get back to shooting for art's sake. i've struggled with expressing my artistic side (non-portraits) since i've made the switch to digital a year ago. for an early xmas present for myself i bought this all plastic toy camera. a replica of the 1960s Diana Camera, which takes medium format film. stay tuned for some experimental photography using this little beauty. i'm also going to return to my love of making fine art one of a kind polaroid transfers and emulsion lifts. my goal is to share some work on my blog as i explore. perhaps i'll eventually show or sell the work, or i might just file the prints away. i've always been a private little art maker. :)

griffith park

2007-12-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

just thought i'd escape from my gigantic pre-holiday 'to do list' to post a few images! :)

here's a few of my favorites from one of my last sessions of 2007. we had the session in a beautiful part of griffith park. it was great to photograph these 3 kids as they let me play a bit to achieve some interesting depth of field images. i had perfect models because these group images weren't posed.. they naturally fell into these arrangements and i gave them subtle direction to make the shots work.

a huge thanks!

2007-12-03T19:08:00.001-08:00

I've fallen behind in my blog for a good reason... thanks to all of my wonderful new clients who have kept me very busy this holiday season! And another reminder to those I wasn't able to squeeze in this year, I have extended my "holiday" special (complimentary 11x14 print) through January if you book before the end of the year. It broke my heart that I wasn't able to work with each of you!

If you'd like to be on my mailing list, just drop me a note and I'll save your email. Next year, I'll be sending out a newsletter periodically which will communicate limited time offers, product updates, future holiday deadlines/early bird specials, etc.

For now, here's a couple images of a sweet 6 week old...

And another one from the session featured in the previous post... As I was retouching their order today, I got stuck on this one. I don't know how I overlooked it before.

lovely family...

2007-11-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

I met up with this family at UCLA on Saturday and I wish we could have spent all day hanging out and taking pictures. I loved meeting them and had such a great time witnessing their love and laughter. They really let me in to see their unique bonds with one another and I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to capture their first (professional) family photographs. Both of the parents went to UCLA and now work there, so it was great to see they are able to spend so much of their time in a beautiful place that they enjoy. Thanks again for such a fun session!!

something a little different...

2007-11-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to get this request to take photographs of this family at Runyon Canyon. Not only because Runyon Canyon is one of my favorite places in LA... but i loved the idea of capturing this couple with their furry kids. Thanks again for such a fun morning!

the littlest tree hugger

2007-10-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

here's a few of my favorites from a session this week. this 22 month old had me smiling the whole morning! she is so sweet... and quite possibly the littlest tree hugger in LA!

i love this moment:

sneak preview...

2007-10-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

here's a little preview for the "d" family, who i photographed yesterday. thank you guys for welcoming me into your home, it was truly a wonderful morning!

[click images to view larger]

i can't get over the beauty of the emotions shown here:

my holiday gift to you!

2007-10-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's October and the time for holiday photo sessions is here! In the spirit of the holidays, I am giving a complimentary 11x14 print to clients who schedule a session by October 28th!

Make your holiday cards stand out among the rest with my very cool (simple yet stylish) polaroid transfer greeting card! Inspired by my favorite alternative photo process and designed from scratch using one of my original works, this card design is definitely one-of-a-kind!

I only have a couple of available dates left for holiday sessions, so contact me soon!

[click image to view larger]