Araxi Photography Feed

Arsineh and Kevin | The Engagement

Toby Turner — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

This weekend I had the chance to shoot Kevin and Arsineh's engagement session in Manhattan Beach. I was so excited to get out and shoot and particularly excited to work with them. They are both so sweet and seriously how gorgeous are they?!? Thank you both for hanging out with me (even though i wobble lol) Im really looking forward to your wedding in September! Here are some of my favorties.

Missy and Jim: Anytime

Toby Turner — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Last year I had the opportunity to do an anytime session for Jim and Missy while they were out here for a convention, and I was so excited when they emailed me to let me know they wanted to do another one! We decided on a different location this time and ventured Downtown and we had a blast! Here are a few of my favorites!

Prima and Jack | The Wedding

Toby Turner — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the new year! I know I am, and so excited about what 2010 has in store. Im still catching up on posts from 2009 so without further ado here is a wedding I shot with Chelsea at the Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa!

Contact Araxi | About Araxi | Wedding Work | Portrait Work

Monica and Jesus | The Wedding

Toby Turner — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

I had the pleasure of shooting Monica and Jesus' wedding a few months back with Nicky of Eight20. Loved this wedding, the couple was beautiful and the wedding was held at the gorgeous Spanish Hills Country Club. Here are a few of my favorites! I have about eight more weddings to blog from this summer so Im trying to catch up on some blogging! Look for more this week!

Giving Thanks

Toby Turner — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite days of the year. Its not about gift giving, its just about giving thanks and being together. I have been doing a daily "I am thankful for" on Facebook and Twitter but decided that these special people couldn't be summed up in 140 characters.

Today, and everyday I am thankful for my boys, the two that are here, and the one on the way :) My family is the most important thing to me and these boys just bring me joy every day, even those less than perfect days. They are my strength and while my world is centered so much around family life , they allow me to be me, love me unconditionally, and support me in every way. So today and everyday I am thankful to have these beautiful and amazing people in my life and looking forward to the next one (who is still nameless) to join our family.

To all of you I wish you a beautiful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Family Holiday Session | Chinatown

Toby Turner — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

I know what you're saying. Two blog posts in one week, surely someone has hacked into her blog, but no, its true! I almost feel like Im on a roll.........almost.

I love this family. I love W dearly and she has been an amazing friend to me. I look forward to getting together with her and the family every year for pictures. I have also watched her kids grow up over the past few years and they are just as sweet as ever. They were all troopers after having spent a night on a boy scout trip, that shall I say looked less than luxurious! We decided to try something a little different and head down to Chinatown. As close as it is to me I have never shot there before but I love all the colors and textures there, so much fun! W, B and family thank you so much for hanging out with me and being such great friends!

Family Holiday Session | The Getty

Toby Turner — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Im lucky. Out of this world lucky, because I have the opportunity to spend time with families year after year and watch their kids grow up and families get bigger. I love it! I've been photographing this family for a while and watched them grow from a family of three to a family of five over night when they were blessed with a set of precious twins! J, G and family thanks for hanging out with me year after year and allowing me to document your family!

Sandwich kisses are my favorite.

Jacob's Bar Mitzvah

Toby Turner — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Last week I had the chance to shoot Jacob's Bar Mitzvah and it was such a pleasure to work with this family. Not having known much about Bar Mitzvah's I never realized how much work it was. Jacob had to go through one year of preperation for this day, and his family went along this journey with him. His mom did an amazing job putting this special day together and it turned out fabulously! Thank you again for having me and letting me share in this special day :)

Holiday Portrait Special

Toby Turner — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

It's that time of year again when everyone is stressing and thinking about having their pictures taken, and putting together their annual holiday card. If you are anything like me, you leave it to the last minute. One year I even failed to send out cards, only to receive a phone call from my mom expressing her disappointment. So you don't want to disappoint mom! This is the first year I am offering a holiday mini portrait session, and so excited! Im looking forward to hanging out with some fun families, couples and even pets to take the stress of holiday pictures off your hands. This doesn't have to be the everyone dress up in suits, ties and frilly dress picture! Be yourself, be relaxed and most of all have fun :)

Holiday Portrait Special Price: $350

Whats Included:

* 45 min session

* online proofing gallery

* 25 custom designed holiday cards (additional box sets available for purchase)

* one 8x10 fine art print

*15% off all print orders received by Nov. 14th

Refer a friend who books and receive a $100 print credit!

All sessions to be held in the Pasadena area unless there is interest for more than 3 sessions in a particular area. Weekdays available so please contact me and here are the available weekend dates:

October 18th

October 24th Update: Morning sessions only.

October 25th 1 spot left!

November 7th

Spaces are limited and are on a first come first served basis so CONTACT ME soon!

Boudoir | Los Angeles Boudoir Photography

Toby Turner — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

I don't get to shoot boudoir sessions too often but when I do it's really a lot of fun to get creative! This was done as a gift to her husband before the wedding and she was absolutely beautiful. A huge thank you to the girls at All Made Up for doing such a great job on hair and make up. These girls never disappoint! Here are a couple of my favorites.

Vik and Sangini: Glendale Wedding

Toby Turner — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST

A while back I had the chance to experience my first Indian wedding, and let me tell you I was never the same! I was lucky enough to be invited to shoot with Nicky and the entire day was an endless blast of color, texture, and celebration. The culture was amazing and I had an absolute blast. I also fell in love with Indian music and dance so much so that I came home and immediately started downloading stuff. Not sure what I was downloading but it's just amazing! Here are a few of my favorites from the day. Again thank you Nicky for having me! The entire event took place at the Glendale Hilton.

Sangini's makeup was done by Beauty by Lishma who did an amazing job!

Adam and Monica: Westlake Village Wedding

Toby Turner — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST

This past weekend I had the opportunity to shoot Adam and Monica's wedding, and let me just say that it was a perfect day! One of the things that stood most to me about this day was the emotion. Lots of tears of joy, from the getting ready, to later in the reception. I even found myself getting choked up! Their ceremony took place at the Lindero Country Club and the reception followed at the North Ranch Center in Westlake Village. The reception entrance had a photobooth provided by Snapbooth. This photobooth was the most geared up one I had ever seen! Two huge baskets of props really made it fun for everyone. Monica and Adam thank you for lettting us be a part of your day! We loved it! Here are a few of my favorites.

Nick's idea of a shoe shot and I love it.

Eric and Nicky: Anytime

Toby Turner — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

When I first left my hospital job to pursue photography full time I was really nervous. I didn't know anyone in the industry, none of my friends where photographers, and to be honest I had no clue what photographers actually talked about when they got together. Did they talk about who had the coolest camera? The bigger lens? I felt completely awkward, and evidence of that was my first get together for Leather Craftsmen. It was a pizza party. A PIZZA party! I thought sure I can handle a pizza party, this should be fun. I dragged my non photographer friend Marissa to go with me because I didn't want to be alone. I flipped through through some sample albums, didn't talk to anyone but Marissa, and to make a long story short I managed to stay all but 15 minutes and left. To many people that know me they are probably saying to themselves "BULL!". Its true though I just felt so out of place.

Why am I telling you this you ask? Fast forward two years later and Im happy to report that not only can I last more than 15 mintues at a party but I have gotten to know some wonderful photographers, people who I am so proud to call my friends. Ive gotten to know people that have been incredibly important to me both in my personal life and my professionial life. So with that I introduce you to Nicky and Eric from Eight20 Photography. I have been fortunate enough to really get to know and hang out with these two and I'm so glad I met them! When they asked if I could take some pictures I immediately jumped at the chance and quickly thereafter had a mini panic attack. Its pretty nerve wrecking to photograph other photographers but we had so much fun and ' so glad I got to do this for them! Here are some of my favorites.

Camping

Toby Turner — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

You mean in tents? That was the most common question that I got when I told people we were going camping. I have really fond memories of going camping as a child, both with the YMCA, and The American Red Cross in my teenage years (although we didn't sleep in tents with the Red Cross). It really gave me an appreciation for the world around me and attributed to some of the best summers of my life. I know its not for everyone so I'm not going to try to change your mind if you hate camping. I think it's one of those things that you either love it or hate it. Luckily for me I love it and couldn't wait to go with my own family. Its a nice getaway from the TV, cell phones and the internet. I'm not gonna lie that last one was not easy for me I felt really disconnected but was so glad we had no reception the entire time so I couldn't cheat.

This year we decided to go to Kings Canyon in the Sequoia National Forrest and one of the things i quickly realized was how much there was to do! They had a Junior Ranger program for kids so Alex was given a booklet that he had to complete to earn his Junior Ranger badge. He took this VERY seriously! We had a river close by so Alex spent a lot of time swimming in the river which he really enjoyed. There were tons and tons of trails and if you like to hike this is the place for you! Nick and Alex hiked up to Moro Rock and I was so proud of Alex for finishing it and making it to the top. I was suppose to go, I had every intention on going, and even went up a little ways but the second I looked down I nearly passed out. There are only railings on each side and when you look down on either end its a straight drop of rock. The Ranger at the visitors center assured me no one has ever fallen off but being as clumsy as I am i would surely be the first. I thought I was doing OK until Nick handed me the camera and asked me to take a picture when I felt the entire planet shift off its axis. NO THANKS! I turned the heck around and said have a great time. Apparently I have a fear of heights. Good to know.

This was really a special trip and such a great family time. From our time at the river, to roasting marshmallows, and making smores around the campfire in the evening, it just couldn't have been better. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Nick got this one of the visitors we had every morning.

At the top of Moro Rock. Clearly I did not take this picture

Getting his Junior Ranger Badge.

I cant leave out the ranger that took us for our twilight hike. Nick caught this picture of him and it really sums up the hike. Ill let you draw your own conclusions lol

We stayed with him to watch the stars into the evening and he was serious about his star gazing. He even brought a map, and a bat detector and a bat in a case. You cant make this stuff up.

Brian and Annie: Long Beach | Wedding

Toby Turner — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Brian and Annie where married this Saturday at the Grace First Presbyterian Church in Long Beach. I couldn't wait to see them, having spent time with them on their engagement shoot I knew their wedding would be beautiful, and it was! Brian and Annie opted to see eachother before the wedding and for them it was a great choice, it gave them more time for pictures so we headed over to the Long Beach Nature Preserve. What a little gem this place is. I had never heard of it but one of Brian and Annie's friends suggested it and it was a great choice. The reception was held at Prince Seafood Restaurant where their family and friends gathered and celebrated this beautiful couple, and let me tell you did they ever celebrate! it was so much fun! Brian and Annie thank you for giving us the opportunity to share in this day with you. Of course here are some of my favorites.

Lauren and Matt: I Do

Toby Turner — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

A few weeks ago I joined my friend Wayne for Lauren and Matt's wedding, and while it was raining on my way to Carlsbad, the sun shined that day, and it turned out to be beautiful, and so where Lauren and Matt. Their ceremony was held at the historic Mission San Luis Rey and having never been I was completely blown away by the detail in this little church. Definitely going to have to go back for another visit. Their reception was at the Crossings in Carlsbad, another lovely venue! Here are a few of my favorites.

These gorgeous flowers were provided by Bella Blooms.

Kasey over at I Do Weddings did the most amazing job putting all the little details together!

Family Session-Underwood Family Farms

Toby Turner — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

Yesterday I had the absolute joy of photographing this sweet family. When mom contacted me about doing a session and I asked her what her little one liked to do I was thrilled at the mention of Underwood Family Farms. I love this place and after my last portrait session there I came home with some ideas that I wanted to try out! So I lucked out, not only were they a sweet family, but when I saw the little one I just about fell on the floor. He is just adorable and you'll notice I don't have as many black and whites as I normally do. I just couldnt help it, I love the hair. Thank you so much for hanging out with me, I had a great time! Of course here are some of my favorites.

Brian and Annie: Malibu Creek Engagement

Toby Turner — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

I met Brian and Annie for their engagement session this past weekend, at Malibu Creek State Park. I was so thrilled to see the sun after a day filled with over cast skies a even a little drizzle. Brian and Annie are both teachers (major kudos!!) and are nearing the end of the school year, not to mention their wedding in July! It was fun to hang out with them and learn a litte but more about them before their wedding. I love engagement sessions for that reason, it really gives you a better insight to who the couple is, how they interact, and really what they are all about. These two are so much fun! I learned so much about them in the short time that we were together. I also have to give them kudos for their bravery as they didnt hesitate when I asked them to sit in an area of tall grass, while hearing the hissing sound in the background, and watching lizards zip by us like they were running from cars on the 405. Brian and Annie thanks for hanging out with me and I can't wait for your wedding!

This was the very last shot. Annie put this sweater on as we were leaving.

I Have This Day

Toby Turner — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:00:00 EST

It's Mother's Day, and while we can say that its just another Hallmark day to get us to buy cards and flowers I appreciate it. I dont often tell my mom enough how much I love her and how proud I am of her. Sometimes for people like me, well, we just need a "day". I dont think I could randomly do a post like this any time, but I have this day. She is my "ma" and my friend and I am proud beyond words that she is the woman who raised me. Thank you. I love you and Happy Mother's Day.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of us.

Geoff and Rena: I Do | Stagecoach Inn

Toby Turner — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

I had the pleasure of shooting Geoff and Rena's wedding last week at the Stagecoach Inn Museum. I had never been to this venue before and let me tell you it has so much character. Geoff and Rena's wedding was completely outdoors, and although they had a backup plan for rain I was so happy that they didnt need it. The sky was blue and it was warm! These two definitely deserved a beautiful sunshining day! A big thanks to Brian Khang for coming out to shoot with me that day! Here are a few of my favorites

Venue: Stagecoach Inn Museum

DJ: Lifetime Entertainment

Andy and Emily: Wayfarers Chapel | Wedding

Toby Turner — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of shooting Andy and Emily's wedding, who quite possibly are the nicest people on the planet. The kind of nice that really make you want to be around them all the time! It was a perfect day for family and friends to gather at the beautiful Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes to share this day with them. The ceremony was followed by a gorgeous reception overlooking the Long Beach harbor at The Reef. Thank you both for letting me capture this day for you and I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon! I think the second leg of their honeymoon was a surprise to Emily. Im going to have to find out more :) Here are some of my favorites

A New Blog

Toby Turner — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

Its done! I have to say I'm a little nervous but so excited! When I decided I needed a new blog and new branding I never thought how involved it would be, but I knew I needed something that better represented me, and my style of photography. I consider myself pretty outgoing and as much as I love social networking sites like Facebook, and Twitter, the blog has felt like a scary place, so I needed to make it a little more cozy for me :) I admit I'm not a writer, I rely heavily on spell check, I overuse exclamation points and smiley faces, and sometimes I have to google a word because I'm not sure that it even exists! I also type how I speak, both of which require some restraint and filtering on my part! All of this has caused me to go back and forth about making the blog more personal, leaving it strictly business (this does not work for me) or combining a bit of both and now I've decided to just roll with it. Seriously its just crazy to worry about that sort of thing, so I'm not :) What I will do is start sharing some inspiration for weddings. There is so much more out there now to help in the planning process so every now and then when I'm browsing Ill share.

I definitely didnt do this blog on my own. My blog was designed by my design department aka Nick. aka Husband. :) He did an amazing job putting this together and I am so happy with the outcome! Its definitely more my style and I thank him for putting up with me through this process (even though he said I was the worse client ever at one point lol thanks). The blog would also not be up and running if it weren't for Cody from CDC Designs. He worked tirelessly to code the design and incorporate elements I really wanted, like the image slide show. He was patient with all my changes and I'm loving his admin panel that is ridiculously easy to use! props for simplicity! I will be working with both of them to create a new main site and so excited about that!

Thanks for stopping by and now back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Jose and Lyssa: I Do

Toby Turner — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:00:00 EST

Last week I had the chance to document Jose and Lyssa's wedding at the beautiful La Mirada Golf Course and Country Club. This beautiful young family were surrounded by the love of their friends and family and the collective effort of everyone involved made their day just beautiful! I was so excited to be a part of it and capture this day for them. Thank you Jose, Lyssa for inviting us to be there! Here are a few of my favorites.

I love this one Nick caught of the girls!

Brandon and Rebekah: I Do

Toby Turner — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST

This weekend I had the pleasure of shooting Brandon and Rebekah's wedding on the beach in Ventura. Having never met them before I have to say I was a little nervous, but the nerves were put to rest when I met Rebekah and her family. Everyone was so nice and so relaxed. Even her mom after having a slight wardrobe malfunction didn't lose her cool, she came up with a solution and voila she had it figured out. Their wedding was small and intimate and their family and friends gathered around them to truly make this day something special. Brandon and Rebekah thank you so much for letting me share in this day with you! Here are some of my favorites.

Jose and Lyssa: Engaged

Toby Turner — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST

I met with Jose and Lyssa in Downtown Fullerton for their engagment shoot and it was absolutely the perfect spot on a warm SoCal day (ok it was hot not warm)! I love shooting somewhere new and it was so nice to get to photograph this beautiful couple and their sweet daughter. It was important that we captured them not only as a couple but as a family. I had a great time hanging out with you guys and thank you to Lyssa's friend Tina who watched the little one while we shot! Im really looking forward to shooting your wedding in just a few short weeks! Lyssa's eyes are amazing! This shot made me laugh so hard when I opened it. My absolute favorite!

Out of the Box - Into Noir

Toby Turner — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:00:00 EST

I've really wanted to go out and do little photo projects recently, to keep me inspired and challenged. Its always fun to try new things and challenge yourself to go beyond what is comfortable and safe. So a while back Nick tells me of this idea he has that he wants me to try to shoot. He wanted to do a shoot that was inspired by Noir films. My first reaction was to freak out as I have no clue what he's talking about (this tends to happen a lot! lol) I knew a little about some of the films he talked about but not nearly enough to try something like this, but I thought why not. It turned out that this weekends gray skies worked in our favor so we set out to to do the shoot and really I had the perfect subject. It was so much fun to hang out and share ideas, every now and then glancing at the back of the screen to check out a shot, and bursting out into a simultaneous DAYYYYYUMMM! Those around us Im sure were a little curious what we were so excited about. Here are some of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by! Disclaimer One: I in NO way think I am a Noir photographer. That is a gift and a talent and truly an art of its own. Disclaimer Two: Nick does NOT smoke and that is a cigarette lol He just did it for me for this shoot. He also coughed for the next 5 minutes and spit at least twice. Smoking is gross and bad for your health. We started out by shooting around the city so ya this is not even close the look we were going for but he looks hot. (hes going to kill me for saying that and ask me to remove it. I wont) Then we went to an old train station.

Jim and Missy - Just Because

Toby Turner — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:00:00 EST

When Missy told me that she was going to be in town for a convention and wanted to do a shoot of her and her husband with me, I jumped out of my chair! I was so excited that I would finally meet a friend that I had known online for over three years. When I met Jim and saw them together I did the happy dance. These two are not only in love, but love to be with each other and genuinely enjoy each others company. I know that sounds like a given for two people in love but to be able to capture it is special. It was so nice to finally meet you and thank you both for sharing that time with me! Here are some of my favorites. They said they love black and whites and so do I! *insert happy face here* the blog is doing something crazy when I type my happy faces lately. Jim plays the guitar and Im so glad they brought it!

Lacy Park Family Shoot

Toby Turner — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:00:00 EST

I cant believe we are almost a month into the new year and this is my first post. I have been terrible at blogging and I'm so embarrassed because I have so much that I want to share. Part of it is that I have been going back and forth as to what to share on my blog. When I first started blogging it was mainly about my family and what we were up to, some photography, and some random happenings here and there. I have never felt that I was a very good writer (I'm definitely more of a talker!) but after talking to some friends I have decided that this blog is really about my journey and that journey includes family, business, and a lot of random happenings. So I'm ditching my old way of thinking and plan to share not only the amazing shoots that I am so fortunate to be a part of, but some more about my personal experiences and my family as well. Thank you friends for that little reminder :) This weekend I had the opportunity to photograph this beautiful family and I was so excited to do that in a new location. It's always fun and inspiring to go somewhere new and they were the perfect family for this little place. Their son is turning one soon and he was honestly the most expressive child I have ever had the chance to photograph. He gave me so many different faces that made for some funny moments. Thank you for spending the afternoon with me, I had a blast! Here are some of my favorites. Just look at that face! I love it! He was the happiest on this bike. This thing was awesome I wish I had one with Alex! My favorite :)

A Session Just Because

Toby Turner — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:00:00 EST

I had worked up a whole post in my head that tied into this shoot but this weather has me wanting to crawl into bed with my toe socks on and read a book. I will definitely be posting my thoughts about "Just Because" sessions and why I think they are so fun and so important, but I will leave you with the pictures from that day because quite frankly I couldn't wait to post them. She was so much fun. Smart, funny and incredibly outgoing. We hit it off over the phone before I even met her! She is fabulous!

Berg and Carmen - Family Session

Toby Turner — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:00:00 EST

I have so much blogging to do its not even funny, but I am done with sessions for this year so I will be playing catch up in the next few days. Hopefully this will give me the opportunity to share some personal stuff with you and let you in on what I have been up to lately. In the meantime though, I don't know if any of you are on Twitter but it has seriously become my latest addiction. I absolutely love it because throughout my day I have so many random thoughts or little things that I notice, and its great to have a place to share that randomness. If you are signed up and want to follow me just click here! Ok, on to my family session. A few weeks ago I met up with Berg and Carmen to shoot their Christmas card pictures. It was probably one of the quickest sessions I have ever shot. I think we finished in less than an hour, but we had some really nice light during that time! Here are a few of my favorites. She wasn't too excited about wearing the bonnet but at least we got one of her in it.

Maddie: The Bat Mitzvah

Toby Turner — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:00:00 EST

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to photograph a very special event, for a very special family. Lisa invited me to document Maddie's Bat Mitzvah and to be honest when she first asked me I was nervous. I didn't know a thing about Bat Mitzvah's and what to expect. I had a million questions. I had never really looked at pictures from another Bat Mitzvah but in the end I think that actually worked in my favor. I was excited that Lisa trusted me enough to do this. I learned so much during the process. There were so much about this day that was special but my favorite was during the actual ceremony where her parents prepare a few words about their daughter. It was so moving to see how proud her parents were of her. Maddie you are an incredible young woman! Thank you for letting me be a part of this day. Oh and Lisa hired Foto Cabina who seriously have THE BEST photo booths. I love them and wish I could have one at home!

Today Im Thankful For:

Toby Turner — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST

I hope everyone enjoys a beautiful Thanksgiving surrounded by family, and friends.

The In Between

Toby Turner — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST

For me photography is all about the in between. When people are unaware that I am there or, for a moment forget that I have a camera, is when I really feel like something special happens. This session had a couple of those moments and many of those turned out to be my favorites.

Family Session

Toby Turner — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST

Lately I have been loving repeat sessions I have had! It has been so much fun to watch these little guys grow up and its amazing how much changes in a year. Last week I got together with Aimee and Maite to photograph the family and children again. You can see the last session here on my old blog (and don't judge my old blog Im seriously embarassed to leave it up but its my journey so I do) Here are a few of my favorites.

A Family Expecting

Toby Turner — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST

When I found out she was pregnant I nearly fell over. She is my friend and I knew what this meant to her. Then when I found out she was having twins I did fall over. We had gone to lunch a few weeks before and she didnt tell me! She wanted to wait and I completely understood, but while we were at lunch I received another phone call from Nick to tell me one of our other friends was pregnant with twins. So joyfully, I shared this with her and it must have taken every ounce of her not to say anything. She didn't even flinch! This last week I had the honor of photographing her and her family and I had so much fun just being with them. Thank you for letting me share time with you and the family. I am so grateful. Can't wait to meet the twins! Here are some of my favorites. This is one of my favorite portraits.

Jesse and Lisa: I Do

Toby Turner — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:00:00 EST

Last weekend I had the pleasure of joining the fabulously talented Brian Khang for a wedding in Orange County. You all might remember that Brian shot our family portraits a few months back and it was so much fun to hang out with him again. Jesse and Lisa had a beautiful wedding, and their friends and family truly enjoyed every minute of the day with them. They were warm, and welcoming and it was such a pleasure to be there. Their ceremony was held at Our Lady of La Vang perish followed by the reception at the Doubletree Hotel, but not before stopping at the OC Performing Arts Center for some portraits. The light at the OCPAC was incredible and the surroundings where just beautiful! Here are some of my favorite shots. This just cracked me up. I love Jesse's expression. They had an awesome DJ (need to find out his name) who played some crazy jazzed out versions of popular hip hop songs. Loved it and so did their guests!

A Family Session

Toby Turner — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:00 EST

Yesterday I had a the great pleasure of photographing Lisa and her family. I was so glad they were up for doing an outdoorsy shoot and decided to go to Malibu Creek State Park. This has quickly become one of my new favorite places to shoot. The light and our surroundings where so beautiful and they were all such great sports about all the bugs. Thank you so much for spending a part of your day with me and I can't wait to shoot Maddie's Bat-Mitzvah in just a few weeks! Here are some of my favorites! The Family Gorgeous Mom

On Being Green

Toby Turner — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:00:00 EST

Ok so I haven't posted any green links for a while so I thought I would start off by updating you on some of the things I bought back on Earth Day and give you some reviews. Lately we are hearing so much more about the enviornment especially with this crazy election and for me I found that there are some really simple, non life altering things I can do on a daily basis to do my part. At the risk of sounding like a complete dork its actually kind of fun! One of the first things I did was to sign up for Green Dimes. It is a service that for a small fee helps eliminate a big portion of the junk mail we receive. I am happy to report that it actually works!! I would say our junk mail has been reduced by about 80%. Alex is no longer getting credit card applications! Green Dimes made it really easy sign up, and there are certain companies that you have to actually write to in order for them to take you off their mailing list. For those companies Green Dimes actually sends you little postcards (with postage!) , and all you have to do is sign and send them off. Very cool and totally worth it. Next I got each one of us a SIGG bottle. These are awesome. I keep each of ours filled with water in the refrigerator. The only drawback I found with these is once you take them out of the refrigerator the water does not stay cold for very long and Im not a big fan of room temperature water. They come in great styles and even my little one likes it! Heres the one I got. Speaking of water I also got a Brita filter (I was very productive this Earth Day) and it turned out to be one of my favorite things. Seriously if I was Oprah I would give you all one right now. I was really tired of the amount of plastic bottles we were using. Even though we recycle them its a pain to save and to be honest we would waste it. Most of the time we would leave the bottles out half empty (or half full depending on how you want to look at it). This was the perfect solution and the water is really tasty!! During this time we also had our carpets cleaned. It never occurred to me that you could have your carpets GREEN cleaned! A friend of mine started a business called Foster's Carpet Cleaning and while I wanted to review it much sooner and tell the world about it to help my friends, I also wanted to make sure it really worked and lived up to the expectation. I wanted to make sure that in a few weeks the carpet stains would not resurface and the promises that were made where real. Let me tell you they exceeded my expectations. My carpets looked UHMAZING! Its been about 2 months and no stains have resurfaced. I was weary of getting the carpets cleaned because one, its hard to be gone all day when you have a small child and two the chemicals that they use to clean carpets are ridiculously toxic to the air we breath inside our homes both to us and our pets. This method of cleaning is a dry clean so the carpet was dry immediately and no harsh chemicals were used in the process. I wont go into detail about the process but you can check out their website and give them a call. Michael is extremely helpful and knowledgeable and both him and his wife are so nice! You will love them! So there you have it. A few things that can help you be a little more green. I'm currently looking into getting some cool business cards that use 100% recycled paper. Ill let you know how that goes. Also if any of you photographers have some vendors that you can recommend that offer green or more enviormentally friendly products drop me a line! Thanks for reading :) I promise to have a post with pictures soon.

Simply Ever

Toby Turner — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:00:00 EST

Yesterday I got to meet up with Alli and her little one Ever. I photographed Ever last year and I could not believe how much she has grown! Her personality is as vibrant as the last time I saw her, except now she is way more mobile and I got myself a much appreciated work out running after her (and falling in mud but more on that later or not) I was so excited when Alli mentioned the Underwood Farms, I had heard so much about it from my friends that live in the valley but never had the chance to visit. This place is simply awesome! Goats, pigs, chickens, pony's, pumpkin patch and fresh produce! You couldn't ask for more. We had a blast running around although there are areas that had been watered leaving some mud. In the first five minutes Ever managed to go down a slide right into it! I have to say it was so nice to be with Ali who wiped her off and didn't make a big fuss over her getting dirty. I love capturing kids as they are and in their element especially at this age and honestly that mud made for a couple of really great shots that I was so happy about. Thank you for spending part of your day with me! What would a post be without pictures, here are some of my favorites. Time for a Juicy Juice break! I love her mudy feet in this. I snuck one of her and mom.

Site Down

Toby Turner — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:00:00 EST

Hey everyone my site is currently down because my hosting company failed to tell me that my hosting was going to expire. Thank you very much. This means my site is not working and also means I do not have access to my email. If you need to reach me for any reason or you are a client please contact me at araxi@me.com Thank you and so sorry for the inconvenience. David Jay and Show It Sites her I come.

First Day of School

Toby Turner — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:00:00 EST

I have mixed emotions about the first day of school. We have had so much fun this summer going places and hanging out. I loved not having to rush through our breakfast and inhale our food like a Dyson vacuum cleaner. It was nice. It was also nice to have some peace and quiet and it's really amazing what you can accomplish when you're not dragging a tired and cranky four year old around. So it was with those mixed emotions that I dropped him off at school today. He was eager to see his friends and meet his new teacher. He ran right into the class room to settle himself next to his friend and have his breakfast. I waved goodbye and off I went. He reminded me that I need to put his pictures up on the "bikuter"............now the kid is demanding blog time. So here are a couple. He made it a point not to tuck in his shirt because he felt "its not cool" lol whatever. His reason for waking up this morning.

Andy and Emily: Engaged

Toby Turner — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST

Last weekend I had a fun engagement shoot down in Manhattan Beach. I met Andy and Emily a few months ago and they are such a cute couple and I am really looking forward to shooting their wedding in April. They have some really cool venues picked out! So for the engagement shoot I loved that they picked Manhattan Beach, one because I had never been there and two because its such a nice little beach community. I don't think I will ever get sick of shooting at the beach I just love it. The water, the sand, some beautiful golden light and a great couple to hang out with. Can't beat that. Here are a few favorites and don't forget to checkout their slideshow! I love his expression here. My favorite Some of that golden sunlight. This is straight out of the camera.

Toby and Breana: The Proposal

Toby Turner — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST

Toby contacted me a little over a month ago, and told me of his plans to propose to his girlfriend during a photo shoot. I of course jumped out of my seat! He had it all planned out, and after a meeting with him and few emails later, is when I realized what it actually took for him to put this all together. You see, Breana is the love of his life. He says that he has been playing the "we are too young to get married and we need to stay focused on school" bit for a while but the entire time, wanted nothing more than to tell her he loves her, and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Now that they are done with school he felt this was the time. He definitely raised the bar on the proposal front. Even his search for a ring was something special. He wanted to make sure the ring he gave Breana not only was beautiful, but that it was pure. He searched high and low and went through a series of hurdles (its really amazing how hard they are to find) looking for a ring that was conflict free. Awesome! Not many people think of that when they are buying a ring, but he did. What is astounding to me is how hard it actually was for him to find it, but bless him for doing so. On to the day. I was so excited to meet Breana especially with everything that I had heard from Toby and let me tell you she is amazing. Not only is she supa (not super supa!) gorgeous but she is so sweet, and they are the perfect match! It was funny throughout the first part of the session she said "I dont know why he is doing this, I mean it's so random to have a photo shoot we are not even engaged!" and she couldn't understand why he was being so overprotective of the bag they brought. LOL I was rolling inside. So we took some shots around the Adamson House and he decided that he would propose in the courtyard. And he did. It was beautiful. They are beautiful. I felt really honored to have been able to capture this for them. So thank you! After the proposal they met up with family and friends at a restaurant and they were equally as excited! Good times ahead. Here are a few of my favorites from the day, and the slideshow will include the actual proposal so check it out! He said he would totally date her after seeing this shot lol Both of them have amazing eyes. My favorite Another favorite. I can have two. From the proposal

Tom and Brandi: Still in Love

Toby Turner — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST

So I asked Brandi what type of couple they are just to get an idea. Are they huggy kissy face or are they more shy. She replied Tom is HOT! lol It was with those words that I began to really look forward to our shoot. She knows her husband is hot, after 12 years of marriage, when so many people seem to lose that lovin feeling for eachother. We get into our routines of work, kids and life in general and forget to look at eachother like we are newlyweds. I swear I felt like I was on an engagement with these two. Brandi is a ball of energy and Tom is a little more reserved but they compliment eachother so well! They were here visting friends for their anniversary and Brandi's birthday and decided to do a shoot while they were here. I was actually really nervous for this shoot because Brandi is a very talented photographer in St. Louis, and I was so very humbled that she would contact me to do this for her. I had a blast running around town and getting to know them. They have a beautiful story of love and family and I admire both of them. I can certainly say I made two new friends on Sunday. Thank you again and I hope you had a wonderful anniversary and birthday! Here are some of my favorites. Ill be posting a slide show later this afternoon! **ETA: Slide show has been added to the end of the post. I loved Brandi's vintage look. This was the cutest antique cop car. I wish I had my wide angle on! Here is the slideshow!

Mike and Alex: I Do

Toby Turner — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EST

A few weeks ago I had the honor of second shooting Alex's wedding with the very talented Chelsea. It was a blast shooting with her, we had so much fun! The wedding took place at the Camarillo Ranch and was coordinated by Zhipi (who by the way did an amazing job especially with all the little details and elements to this wedding).The wedding was truely and event. The personal touches that Alex and Mike planned for their guests where extraordinary. Cigar stations, cookie stations, a photobooth (which I really should have stayed out of lol) where just a few things planned for their guests. The amount of time that they must have put into this wedding was unbelievable. Each guest was not only invited but made to feel that they were the guest of honor. One of the things that sticks out in my mind was the table cards that they made and wrote a personal message on for each one of their guests. Awesome! Their family and friends where all so happy to be there and had a great time. They were such a fun group to be around. This group knows how to party! Here are a couple of my favorites, you can see more on Chelsea's blog!The first look. The Fellas.I loved this moment with Alex's mom.Alex and Mike provided parasols to their guests to beat the heat.Remember this gorgeous couple!! It was so nice seeing them again!

Alex Boudoir

Toby Turner — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST

Gorgeous. Thats all I have to say. Alex is gorgeous from the inside out. I had the opportunity to spend some time with her and her sister and we had a blast. She was so much fun to hang out with and she looked so beautiful so my job was super easy. I also had the pleasure of second shooting her wedding which I will share some shots from in a few days, and some more thoughts on how much I adore her and how cool her friends and family are. Ok here are some of my favorites. If you are interested in doing a boudoir session shoot me an email! Yes she is a real nurse. :P

Happy 4th of July

Toby Turner — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EST

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July I know we did. We spent most of the day hanging out in the pool, then went to the local high school to watch a spectacular fireworks display! They did an amazing job and despite the fact that they changed some of their rules about having a picnic on the field we still had a great time (well except for Grumpy who does not adapt well to change). Here are some pics from our day. Air time! Showing off some mad diving skills courtesy of the YMCA! Word! Grumpy Not so Grumpy. At some point Nana's head turned into a drum set. She's a good sport.

Family Shoot - Newport Pier

Toby Turner — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EST

Last weekend I had a great time shooting the ever so talented Amber, and her family. I have "known" Amber for some time but this was the first time I actually got to meet her so it was really fun. She is incredibly talented and I have to admit I am really bummed she lives in Nashville. She is part of A Delightful Day event coordinating team and also has her own design boutique, Sweet Life Designs. If you are a bride and are looking for some kick ass wedding invitation designs, or a business person looking for logo design, or web design that is fun, fresh and colorful you must check her out! Her family had gathered from different parts of the country in Newport for a family wedding. I was so honored that she asked me to photograph them! Thanks for letting me hang out! Here are a few of my favorites. The whole gang. What a nice looking group! The delightful Amber (I know I couldn't help it) Can you believe this is her mom?!?! How gorgeous is she! Yes thats an exclamation not a question :) I loved this moment between her parents. Looking for sand crabs. This one is for Ambers mom.

It's Happening

Toby Turner — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

He's growing up. Tonight before his shower he said politely "mom I can shower myself and dress myself...I dont need your help" At least he was polite about it. I hope everyone has a great weekend and all you dad's and soon to be dad's have a wonderful day on Sunday. I'm sure Ill be posting some pictures from our day on Sunday. Looking forward to some good ole family time.

Go Metro

Toby Turner — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

The other night I met up with some friends to have sushi over in Pasadena, and since I have been doing so much complaining about the gas prices I thought I would do something to shut myself up and find a solution. So I took the Metro! Yes I took public transportation in Southern California and even walked to the station! I have been trying to do my part to help our pretty little planet and although Im no expert and I am by no means perfect or even good at this green stuff its actually kind of fun finding alternatives. I have also been making an effort to be more active and while some of you may not find walking to the metro station an activity, I think it should be an Olympic sport when its 94 degrees out. That wasn't my point. I am sharing because the ride was so cool! I loved it. We wizzed by everyone sitting in traffic it was great. Not only that, I arrived (in what normally would be a 30 minute drive) in 15 minutes!! Unreal. Its great to use that as some downtime to read a book (I'm currently reading Chris Bohjalian's- The Double Bind) or just people watch, which I LOVE to do. Im always bummed if I dont have my camera with me though. I met some interesting folks on the way back. The after 9pm Metro crowd is very different from the 5pm rush hour crowd. I'll leave it at that. Anyway if you are interested in taking the metro you can get one way ticket for 1.25 and add .30 if you want a bus transfer. All day passes are $5 and a monthly pass is $62 and that includes bus transfers and unlimited trips not too shabby especially with gas prices the way they are. Just a little green thought for the day. Final Note: Dear Lakers, Please get your crap together. Not because I care about whether or not you win the championship (because Im a Clipper fan) but because I cant stand to see a grown man mope around the house, because you managed to throw away a 24pt lead. You see, he thinks he is a part of the team so he takes this personally every time you lose. So get it together! Sincerely , Araxi

Alex: Hantess

Toby Turner — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

So on Friday Alex had his final big performance (we call them a Hantess) for school and I was seriously nervous. He has had several performances this past year and lets just say he was acquired a reputation for being pretty unpredictable. Unfortunately when you have an almost 4 year old boy, who hates to sing, and has to stand there for a good 30 minutes there is bound to be trouble. In previous performances he has, nearly knocked over the flag, sat through an entire performance (while the other children stood and sang in delight), made his way from the last row of bleachers to the front row only to grab the mic and belt out a loud "HI MOM!!" or on a separate occasion yelling out "THANK YOU GOD" into the microphone. So my time there was usually spent in the audience giving him dirty looks and grinding my teeth in the "if you are not going to sing you better just stand there and be standing there" look.So needless to say when we found ourselves at the final performance of the year I was not expecting him to go all Star Search contestant on me but he DID!! I nearly fell over (camera and all) when he was not only singing, but singing in Armenian and not fake singing he was actually saying the words and doing the dances that he learned. I could NOT believe it! I was so proud of him and he looked so cute in his traditional outfit. I just kept looking at Nick and saying "omg hes singing, like really singing!" LOL Can you tell I was excited about the whole thing? Anyway I thought I would share and post some pictures of him because I've been getting some mail about my lack of posting especially when it comes to Alex. Check him out so serious.

ANDREW and JESSICA: I DO

Toby Turner — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

I'll explain the lack of blogging on another post but I have to introduce you to these two extraordinary people first. Drew and Jess give of themselves on a daily basis to help others. He, is a firefighter and she, is a nurse. They are the type of people that you hope that whatever goodness God is giving away on any given day, that he starts with them first. I was so touched by their story, how they met, and fell in love and came to this particular time in their life that I was moved to tears during the ceremony. They are humble, they are kind, they know how to have fun, and they are flipping GORGEOUS! Dont believe me? Have a look. Jess has this beautiful old Hollywood glamour look to her, very Audrey Hepurn. Her dress was stunning and had such beautiful detail. Its not possible to take a bad picture of her. I did a little throwback post processing here it just has that vibe. (used my trustee Totally Rad Actions-Love them) Reservoir Dogs.

This pretty much sums it up

Toby Turner — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:00 EST

Ill be back to regular blogging tomorrow.

Thank You

Toby Turner — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:00:00 EST

I wanted to extended a HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in the raffle we held for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! It was big success and you helped raise $600 awwwweee yeahhhhh!! I am so proud of what Bucket has accomplished and all the hard work she has dedicated to the Team in Training program. Her marathon is in June so wish her luck! The winner of the raffle was Nancy Dulin! Cant wait to meet up with you again! You can catch Buckets video of the drawing here. She just cracks me up with her videos. It means a great deal to me that so many of you participated thank you so much for all your support!!

Quang and Cheryl Engagement Shoot

Toby Turner — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:00:00 EST

To say that I am behind on blogging would be a huge understatement. I have so much to share in the next few days but I will start off with this sweet couple. Cheryl and Quang where incredibly fun to shoot, they pretty much let me have fun and just acted like they were on their first date all over again. They both met while in school and became teachers. Although Quang has moved on to a different field (which I find TOTALLY fascinating) our education system is seriously blessed to have a teacher like Cheryl. She is sweet and kind and full of laughter and life. Loved that about both of them! I also loved the fact that they choose the Getty Center as the backdrop for their engagement shoot. I hadn't been there since it first opened and was so excited to explore it with them. Quang and Cheryl thank you so much for letting me hang out with you I had a blast! Here are a couple of favorites and don't forget to check out the slide show at the bottom.Gotta love the Getty for passing out umbrellas on hot days for their visitors.Click here for the SLIDESHOW!

Happy Earth Day!

Toby Turner — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

I hope everyone is enjoying Earth Day. In an effort to become more "green" I figured today is a great day to set up some simple things in our own household to stop wasting. Nothing crazy, you wont find me composting anytime soon but more power to those who do, I ain't mad at ya. Its amazing when you step back and really take a look at how much we actually waste. It's sad and quite embarassing. So today in honor of Earth Day I have signed us up with a really cool site called Green Dimes. This is a great service I found through Tara Whitney's blog that helps reduce or eliminate so much of the unnecessary junk mail. I mean seriously how many times have I actually looked at the Penny Saver? Or even opened and filled out a credit card application. Personally I haven't and I got sick of receiving this stuff. Even Alex has gotten credit card applications! WTH? It was only $20 and they plant 5 trees on your behalf, which to me was money well spent, especially since I am not a green thumb and would probably kill anything I planted. Its better left to people who know what they are doing. Another thing I did today is bought a water pitcher with a filter. We have been using bottled water (i know i know) so in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic bottles we use Im going to try this for a while. Im not saying this is the perfect solution but I figure it is worth a try. I dont know that I could keep up with saving plastic bottles and taking them to be recycled so for me this is the most realistic and doable alternative. To keep us from buying bottled water when we go out I also bought each of us a SIGG water bottle. These things are so cool and I think Alex would actually buy into it simply because of how they look. So here's to Earth Day. I would love to hear what everyone else is doing or if you have some cool ideas for us!

Teens

Toby Turner — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST

is is probably my favorite age group to work with. I picked up Alena and Karla and we headed down to Newport for our shoot and had a blast! It was Alena's 16th birthday not to long ago so this was definitely an important time in her life to capture.Ok so a side note about these pictures. I typically stay away from a lot of effects in photoshop when it comes to my photography. I try to keep it timeless and something you will look back on in 15 years and it wont look outdated. Having said that, with senior portraits or teen shoots I think its different. Although I definitely get in the timeless shots its so much fun to throw in some fun effects. I absolutely LOVED post processing these photos. Here are a couple of my favorites. These two have different personalities and I hope that I was able to translate that somehow.Alena is beautiful and has naturally olive skin that people pay big bucks for.

Canvas LOVE!

Toby Turner — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST

I absolutely love a beautiful gallery wrapped canvas. I have tried several companies before and there was always something a little off, be it the color, quality of the image or just the plain quality of the piece itself. I have now found the perfect canvas and am so excited to offer them! They are a beautiful addition to any home and I love the fact that you dont have to frame them. Lets face it how many times have you had a photograph printed and it just sits there because a) you need to find THE frame and b) they are dang fortune. This is a great alternative. Wouldn't these make the perfect Mother's Day gift? Sorry for the crappy pictures but I am clearly not a product photographer, wish these photos did them half the justice.

Can you help?

Toby Turner — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society needs your help. Bucket, my friend who is amazing and kind needs your help. I need your help. I can not give in the way of running a marathon (maybe one day) but I feel like photography is what I have to offer. Bucket has been an amazing friend and I am so proud of the work she is doing for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Not only does she train like crazy but she spends an incredible time fund raising which is no easy task. This foundation means a great deal to me, having lost a friend at a very young age to Leukemia is something that I will never forget. I know that so many of you out there have been affected in some way by this disease. To help raise some money for the society and for Bucket who is gearing up to run 26.2 miles (shes nuts), I am going to raffle off a session! I am so excited about this and I want so much for Bucket not only to reach her fund raising goal but to surpass it! I definitely believe she can do it. So this is what the winner will receive: - A one hour portrait session with me. - (3) 8x10 prints of your choosing from the session - A DVD Slideshow from your session (comes complete in a leather case and a 4x6 print) - A disk of all your images! I will travel up to one hour from the Pasadena area. So all you need to do is make a $10 donation between April 14-30 and that buys you an entry into the raffle. Every $10 gets you an entry so donate $20 and get two entries. It is simple and the money is going to such a worthy cause! If you can't donate we ask that you just spread the word. If you don't want the session you can always give it as a gift! Here is a link to Buckets site where you can make your donation! http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/give2thebucket Thank you!

Family Portraits

Toby Turner — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST

Ok so I have been wanting to get family portraits done forever. The last time we actually had family portraits was when Alex was about 2 months old. I know it's a long time and if that's not bad enough the portraits were done at a department store which I won't name. So basically it looks like everyone elses family portrait that showed up that day. To me family portraits are so important and really tell a lot about a family. It's also great to have someone capture your family in a way you don't often see them. A couple of months ago Brian Khang posted on his website that he would be generously giving his services in exchange for a donation made for his friend, who will be running a marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I jumped at the chance.. I knew this would be a worthy cause and to be able to get family portraits? That was a bonus. On Sunday we met up with Brian in Newport Beach and had a blast shooting with him! Alex was in lala land as per usual. This kid has an imagination that just doesn't quit! My favorite part was hanging out with Brian and Helen for dinner after the shoot. We went to Nick's parents restaurant and introduced Brian to some killer Armenian food! Brian thanks again for capturing my family so beautifully! I stole a couple to show you you but you can check out his blog for the rest. Oh and while we are talking about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society my dear friend Susan (we affectionately call her Bucket) is holding a raffle to help raise some money for the marathon she will be participating in. If you are a scrapper and want some great stuff check out her site for more details on the raffle and her stamps on Etsy (which are totally adorable) All the proceeds from her store go to this very worthy cause. Im so proud of her and know she is going to do great! Girl I will see you at salsa class next week (I will explain this later but dont expect pictures of me salsa dancing) This is my favorite!

So Cool!

Toby Turner — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:00:00 EST

So every morning I check my stats to see who's stopping by. Really it's just a way to see if Im talking to myself, but I've been pleasantly surprised to see that I haven't been for a while, so many thanks! Ok before I really digress here, I came across a site that I was not familiar with so I clicked on it and was excited to see that our friend Gill (Nick's college buddy) started a blog. Sweet! Not sure if he will keep it up because I know he is busy but his first post is rather amazing. He is a gifted artist, and he did a painting of the great Jimi Hendrix and had his 3 year old daughter help him. He documented the progression and it is simply amazing! So check it out and if you have time leave him a little feedback. It would be kind of cool to bombard him with comments and have him wonder where the heck they all came from! lol

WPPI 2008

Toby Turner — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:00:00 EST

I don't even know where to begin. As you can see it has taken me a few days to post and I still have not recovered. This was my first time attending the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) Convention and let me tell you it is an experience like no other. I am on total sensory overload right now. Nick and I both came back completely inspired and I am excited about some of the things we have in store for the future. I say we because without him I couldn't do this. I learned so much while we were there from some great photographers. Two people that really stood out to me and really inspired me while I was there where David Jay and Kevin Kubota. Kevin was smart, funny and aside from being a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens he has the coolest shirts ever. I have almost all his products and he could come out with a new and improved potato sack and I would buy it. Why? Because everything that has his name on it is well thought out, makes life easier and workflow more efficient so I know that I would be getting the best potato sack on the market. I thought Kevin wins the award for kick ass marketing though. He actually had a live super hero walking the showroom floor. If you know his actions you know what I am talking about. I must have past him about 4 or five times and each time thought "that is GENIUS!" Who isn't going to pay attention to a guy wearing tights and a cape? David Jay was amazing as well. He was just so sincere in his passion for what he is doing and was so well spoken. He was so calm and collected, spoke clearly and slowly like he had been doing this his whole life. When he answered questions after the platform class he looked at you as if you were the only one in the room and let me tell you we were NOT the only ones. There were people backed up like the 405 waiting to talk to him. I am really looking forward to Showit Sites! Its going to give photographers the power to design and create their own websites! No more templates! Nick and I have already been brain storming and have some really cool ideas, but I have so many questions so if anyone knows David Jay personally can you ask him to email me? LOL The overall experience of WPPI is something you cant quite wrap your head around unless you are there. Its overwhelming and exhausting but so worth it. Heres a few things I learned from this experience and my to do list for next year. - Wear sneakers (forget about the pedicure you got the day before and throw on some socks and sneakers) I had a cute pedi but I didn't give a crap at the end of the day. - Sign up for Master Classes, and more workshops. - Do not take my camera unless taking a workshop where I need it or unless I have purchased a point and shoot by then (can you believe we dont have a point and shoot?) I did not take a single picture! I can't imagine what I would have taken a picture of? The Kubota super hero maybe? - Plan a meet up with photog friends BEFORE the convention. I missed out on seeing some friends I was hoping to run into. -Walk away from the roulette table when we are $400 up ughhhhh! Anyways it was a great experience and I was so excited to meet some new people. This is a great industry and I am so happy to have a small part in it.

Vegas Baby!

Toby Turner — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST

Nick and I are headed to Vegas for the WPPI Convention! Not only am I really excited about meeting and hanging out with other photographers but I can't wait to see all the latest and greatest products, and meet face to face with some of the vendors that I have been working with. Its going to be so much fun! Three days of networking and photography and doesn't hurt to be in Vegas for St. Patrick's Day either! So if you are going to WPPI and you happen to see me come on over and say hi! I know I'll be on the lookout for some of you too. These next few days are going to be a little crazy so if you email me I will try to respond if I have internet access, otherwise I will get back to you first thing Thursday! Take care and if I do have internet access I'll try to post some updates from the show. Can't wait!
I was tagged by Serena a few days ago so Ill leave you with this.

What was I doing 10 years ago?

- Planning a trip to Vegas for my 21st birthday.

Things On My To Do list

- Pack for Vegas (its now 11:54 and Im screwing around on the computer edit: its now 12:14)

- Soak up as much info as I can at WPPI

- Drink a Murphy's Red at Nine Fine Irishmen

- Eat Crepes at the Paris Hotel (they are to die for)

Bad Habits

- I procrastinate (hence the packing issue)

- Im stubborn

- I stay up way too late (especially lately)

Places I have Lived

- Malta

- Italy

- Los Angeles

Things Most People Don’t Know About Me

- I hate birds.

Im suppose to tag some people but Ill leave it open to those who want to do it! See ya when I get back!

Oh Babies

Toby Turner — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:00:00 EST

Twins. Is it necessary to say anymore? Two diaper changes, two feedings, two baths, two of everything and double the love. These two are just the sweetest things ever. I almost forgot what it was like to carry a newborn. Jacob and Andrew are three weeks old and perfect as can be. Check out the head of hair on these boys!

I'm back!

Toby Turner — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST

I hear crickets! We are back from Hawaii (actually got back on Sunday) but have been here trying to catch up with life (and 3 episodes of LOST!). We had a blast and I cant wait to share some stories and pictures. I'm still going through everything and I hope to have it all up by tomorrow. Since I got my new blog I now actually miss blogging! Its really so much more fun for me now! I will leave you with pictures of these photos that I shot today. JoJo was totally over me at this point and managed to stay in serious model mode.

Hawaii Part 1

Toby Turner — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:00:00 EST

Last Friday was my 5th wedding anniversary and I was lucky enough to spend it in Maui with my two favorite people in the world. On our honeymoon Nick told me that in five years he would bring me back to Maui and we would be with a little boy. Sure enough five years later we found ourselves in Maui, with our little boy and in the same hotel. Can you believe that? There was even the same parrot there named Alex that was there the first time and we always said we would name our son Alex and that he would love that parrot if he was still there. The parrot was there and Alex thought it was so cool that he talked and said "Hello Alex" how perfect! There was something so magical about this trip, and I swear I am going to do everything not to cheese ball this post but if it heads that way don't hold it against me lol You really feel something special when you are Maui, and Im not sure if I was me being from an island myself, that it brought me back to Malta for just little bit? Even though they are vastly different there is something about the lifestyle that is so similar. An inherent quality in the people that I recognized and loved. There is so much to tell about this trip that I cant even find the words right now. Imagine me without anything to say? My friends and family are freaking out as I write this. I will get my thoughts together and post more about our trip but I will leave you with some pictures first.Side note: If you are having a destination wedding in Hawaii I DO travel! Just drop me a line. His hat sums it all up. I love this picture because he is growing up so quickly that compared to the sky and the ocean he still looks like a baby. At this time of the year in Maui the humpback whales are migrating to mate and give birth! Can you believe they gotta come all the way from Alaska for that? Here is a mom teaching her baby some tricks. This was such a treat to see! Honestly I hope Brian can get a better face out of Alex than I can! I gave up asking him to smile now its just "LOOK NORMAL!" This guy served up the best smoothies EVER! As you can see Nick enjoyed it,. These are some of my favorite taken at a luau. I could honestly watch them all day. You can feel the culture and the tradition oozing out of these men. These are all straight out of the camera. The lighting was red and I thought it suited the mood perfectly. Nick took this larger picture of these last three. I just love it! More pictures to come....

Goggle Boy

Toby Turner — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:00:00 EST

He is so ready to go to Hawaii! So am I! But HE has been practicing snorkeling. I have picture to prove it. He looks nerdy but he is so cute to me. I just love him and I cant wait to take him on this trip with us!

Master Your Craft

Toby Turner — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST

One of my goals for this year is to network and take workshops, and yesterday I had the chance to both at Mike Colon and Bob Davis', Master Your Craft Workshop. I will start by saying that my head was going to explode yesterday from all the information they shared. I was up until 2am working because I couldn't sleep I was so excited. To me spending a whole day away from my son and husband has to be worth it. For one it takes an organized army to figure out who is doing what (school pick up, dinner, bath etc) that sometimes its just easier for me to stay home and do it, but my mom and Nick came together to help me out on this one and all was well with the world.Mike and Bob put on an awesome workshop, they were fun, smart, and so willing to share ideas and information. They were patient and answered many questions. I love the direction that photography is moving in, where people are sharing and working together. It makes this so much fun! If you ever have the chance to take one of their workshops do it!
Here they are hard at work. Who knows maybe they were just checking their blog stats lol Bob Davis came in with some treats to give away. I have met so many cool people in just the last few weeks and I am so excited about where this journey is going to take me. My next stop is WPPI! Vegas baby!! Who else is going?Got me a picture with Serena and Wayne. Serena is a fellow Priscilla Ahn fan and Wayne and I share the same wedding photographer stories (dont get me started)! I have to get a link to everyone else I met yesterday because they are some awesome photographers that I know I will be staying in touch with and working with in the future! Shawn, Mali (I dont think she has a blog yet), and Joel! I hope to see everyone soon!
Not sure what was going on with me in these pictures must be the head about to explode syndrome.

Happy Week

Toby Turner — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST

So yesterday I got an amazing opportunity to hang out with some really cool photographers. We had a relaxed lunch at Bucca Di Beppo put on by none other than Jasmine Star. I will start by saying she is hella cool. How she is on her blog is exactly how she is in person, except that I cant image she types as fast as she talks. LOL I mean that in the nicest way. Her enthusiasm and her passion for what she does is sooooo contagious! It just oozes right out of her and I felt blessed to be there to hear about her journey and some of the stuff she had to deal with along the way. She is a wealth of information and was so open and willing to share with us. Who knew one could become so inspired over lunch! Jasmine thank you so much for a really cool afternoon!
To Serena, Kymberli, Ann, Sara, Kat, Micah, Molly, Danielle, Jasmine Star and Jasmine Chow, I hope our paths will cross again in the future! You all were awesome!

These were taken from Jasmines blog.Check out who else showed up for lunch! The waitress told us this has actually been stolen a few times. Who the heck steals the POPE????? Seriously!
Here is the lunch crew ( what a nice looking bunch!)

Bridal Shoot

Toby Turner — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST

This is partially a repost from my old blog of a bridal shoot I did with Janice and Vince. They are both incredibly sweet and braved some cold weather that day! I wanted to add these to the new blog and include a few more. Thanks for looking!

My First Post!

Toby Turner — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 07:00:00 EST

So this is my first post on my new blog. I hope you guys like it. I needed a blog that would allow me to post larger pictures and here it is! :) Yesterday I decided that I wanted to take Alex's Easter pictures and as luck would have it, he was having a rotten day. He cried and screamed and hated everything about what I wanted to do. Fortunately for me I had a very willing subject and Nat and I took Tati out for a few pictures. This didn't last long either because she wanted to come back here and play with Alex. These two are inseparable. Here are a few of my favorites